Inertia

"Are you sure that's supposed to be armor?"

"I always wear this whenever I go out on patrol."

The armor, as it turns out, looked less like protective wear and more like something you'd find on the cover of a swords and sorcery book. Though Bulma had to admit, ChiChi looked good in the armor-bikini and she definitely rocked the cape. Even if the finned helmet looked like it belonged to an entirely different outfit it sort of completed the whole ensemble.

Bulma eventually learned that the helmet was really the pièce de résistance when ChiChi abruptly jerked their hovercycle to a halt.

The dark-haired girl held a finger to her lips with one hand while the other pointed towards bits of broken foliage that apparently was supposed to mean something but damn if a city girl like Bulma knew what.

Poachers, ChiChi mouthed then gestured for Bulma to stay put.

With her gun still locked up in Ox King's armory and her muscles still swollen in some parts, Bulma didn't protest. Though she tensed a little when the younger girl disappear into the undergrowth. After what felt like years to the former heiress, she heard rustling.

But when the foliage parted, it was a man armed with a gun and dressed in a military uniform. He leered at the terrified teenager, "Lookie what we got here, c'mon outta the 'cycle, girlie and-" was cut off by a scream of pain. Seconds later another man, wearing the same uniform and sporting several deep gashes, came running through the undergrowth with a hail of green beams hot on his heels.

One of the laser blasts disarmed the gunman. Literally. The two men were quick to retreat and leave a rather bewildered Bulma still seated in the hovercycle.

ChiChi burst into view, breathless and with blood on the fin of her helmet. "Are you okay, Bulma?"

The former heiress nodded, staring at the younger girl in what may have been awe.

"I'm so relieved!" ChiChi sniffled and began to wipe at the tears in her wide, dark eyes. "I was so scared you got hurt because I left you alone."

"H-hey c'mon, I'm not that helpless." A beat. "Okay maybe while injured... but never mind that! You. Were. Amazing! Where were you keeping that laser?"

ChiChi blinked in surprise at Bulma's reaction but a gloved hand pointed to the gem mounted on the helmet.

"Can I have a look-see?" and Bulma was already reaching out, blue eyes glittering in curiosity.

Reluctantly, ChiChi handed her the helmet, "Careful, the blade's really sharp."

But Bulma was too busy angling the headgear this way and that, studying the cap and the fin and the gem (especially the gem), asking a million questions for answers that she seemed more interested in learning for herself rather than hearing from ChiChi. "Where is the power source? I can't find anywhere you can put it in. How do you activate the laser? Can you shoot it if you're not wearing it? Are you the only one who can work it? What kind of gem is it? Or the helmet for that matter? Is it the same as your armor?"

"Um..." ChiChi fidgeted, feeling very exposed without her helmet. "I don't know, I've always just been able to use it."

"We need to get this to my dad's lab! He has the best tech and tools to analyze... no, wait, we can't." she remembered, and handed the helmet back to the younger girl. "Not anymore."

Bulma didn't say a word for the rest of the trip.

By the time the two girls returned to Ox King's mountain home, it was nearing sunset. Bulma was seated directly behind ChiChi this time. The sidecar was filled to the brim with scrap metal, all sorts of mechanical parts, and the rest of the undamaged capsules that Ox King missed when he first found the blue-haired teenager.

ChiChi was helping Bulma drag the air-car's engine into the living room when she called out, "Dad, we're back."

"That's good," her father smiled, sounding relieved. More so than usual. "Did anything unusual happen today?"

"Um, we ran into some poachers," ChiChi admitted.

"And ChiChi sent them packing! You should have seen her!" Bulma grinned without looking up from the engine she'd begun to dismantle.

"Dad, your arms!" ChiChi gasped at the numerous bruises that were darkening to purple. "What happened?"

"Ah these? I just protected some of the villagers from a rock slide," he tried to wave his hand dismissively.

"Let me get some of my salve," she declared, switching into nurse mode. "Bulma needs some applied to her sprains anyway."

"I'll go and start preparing dinner," her father declared.

With ChiChi out of the room and Bulma busy tinkering, neither girl saw the grimace on Ox King's face nor how he tightly clutched at his ribs when he turned to head to the kitchen.

Bulma knew she can't stay here much longer. The temptation was too great. If she let herself stay another day, she would probably find an excuse to stick around like showing her gratitude or repaying their kindness. She'd seen the state of some of Ox King's vehicles, Kami they sorely needed an upgrade. And their appliance could stand some optimization. Let's not forget the kingdom's so-called ultimate "Firewall" defense (a literal wall of fire utilizing some of the natural geothermic energy of Frypan Mountain) could use a safety overhaul. But that would take days, weeks even!

She had to get to Mount Paozu and fast! Who knew how far behind the trio that killed her parents were? She couldn't risk the safety of anyone else.

So after dinner, she convinced Ox King to give her back her capsule supplies. "To take inventory," she explained. And to her dismay the capsules she'd lost contained practically three fourths of her toiletries, clothing, and the more luxurious models of capsule houses. The upside was she still had her weapons, ammunitions, vehicles, and even basic laboratory tools among her supplies.

"What are you missing? Maybe you can buy them from the village market." ChiChi's voice cut into Bulma's thoughts. And the young princess volunteered, "I can take you there."

"O-oh, sure." An idea began to form in Bulma's head. She could sneak off while ChiChi was distracted with the shopping. "Yeah. We can do that."

"I think you two should better stay here. Just for the next few weeks," Ox King shook his head.

"What? Why? Is it because that cute boy at the butcher's smiled at me?"

"No, it's- wait which boy is this?" the large man suddenly looked alarmed.

"Oooh, ChiChi has a cute boy at the butcher's?" Bulma teased, unable to help herself because ChiChi was suddenly blushing. And Bulma's grin grew even wider when the younger girl shyly diverted her eyes and began fidgeting with her dress. She laughed in amusement when the younger girl excused herself, probably out of embarrassment because few people were comfortable discussing their crush-of-the-week with their parents.

When ChiChi came back, Bulma was about to ask for juicier details when she was handed a bundle. Unfolding it revealed that a set of her clothes had been washed and that her father's lab coat had been patched up. ChiChi might have meant well by the gesture but it was a sobering reminder for Bulma that she really can't stay here much longer.

A/N: This was supposed to be a breather chapter of sorts for Bulma but my need to have ChiChi be an adorable badass won in the end. As always, reviews are loved!