if anyone was offended in the last chapter, that was not my intention. i am well aware that germans are not like that. its just im in a german class and that is the only culture i am familiar with besides my own. again, this is a story, you shouldnt take things we authors put in here seriously all the time. thank you to all my reviewers, you keep the story going. a few more reviews wouldnt hurt though! enjoy!
R/R!
"Bulma! Where are you going? It's this way!" a hushed voice whispered harshly from the shadows of a dark hallway. A snort was the only reply the boy got for a few seconds.
"Chill out, Kakarott. I know what I'm doing. I'll meet you outside in ten." An even harsher voice whispered from the darkness. Narrowed azure eyes locked with his onyx ones, narrowing dangerously. With that, the other shadowed figure stealithly creeped down the narrow corridor, careful of any loose floorboards. Kakarott took one last glance at his blue-haired accomplice and nodded, whispering, "Good luck, Bulma," before he continued on his way.
Bulma woke with a start, her heart pounding and chest heaving. That was the fifth time this week that had happened. That, referring to the memories she kept reliving. Memories she had hoped she would never remember. Memories she had continually pushed to the back of her mind in order to avoid. All to no avail. They haunted her now. They came to her in sleep, during meals, any time during her horrid stay in her cell. Slowly but surely, they were driving her insane. She was sleep deprived, getting paler by the day, and had horrendous bags under her eyes. Her bruised and bloodied appearance did not help much either.
In the duration of her 'stay', Bulma had been raped, beaten, and half-starved. Her arm had been broken numerous times, each time healing improperly and making the damage worse; her ankle was constantly twisted, due to her numerous 'play dates'; and she was covered in gashes, bruises, and cuts. She hadn't showered since the fated prom night and her hair was worse than a bird's nest. Along with her shredded midnight blue dress and chipped fingernails, she looked like someone who just returned from a decent trip through the seven pits of hell. Well, in Bulma's case, she was still there.
In a futile attempt to hold onto her sanity, she had tried to count the days she had been trapped. After 29 days she lost count. Just another thing to add to her list of failures. After that, she attempted to count the little black dots on the ceiling; that only lasted for a couple days. She finally gave up after a while, something she was not used to doing. It hurt her pride, to say the least. She prided herself on persevering through tough times and never going down no matter the consequences. She felt like a failure in life. To her father, her brothers, hell, even her mother!
That was another thing. Her mother. She had much time to ponder her life while she was locked away, and ponder she did. She recalled the only memories she had of her mother, the last day she saw her one of them. To be honest with herself, she was being completely unfair with the woman. She had no idea why she wasn't around, but immediately put the blame on her because her father never told her the whole story. Maybe she was being too harsh? Maybe she would make things right when she got out of here, if she ever did.
"Damnit, Kakarott. Where the fuck are you?" Bulma whispered to herself, wincing at the sound of her voice. It was gravely and hoarse, and her throat consricted in pain when she spoke. She was worried. She knew it had been a while since she had disappeared and her brother should be here. If not him, then Turles or Vegeta at least. Maybe they would never find her and she would rot in this tiny hole the rest of her life. It was a possibility Bulma considered a lot lately. Being raped every other day by large, bulky, and smelly and being Frieza's personal punching bag didn't sound too bad right? Ha, Bulma would rather have been burned alive and sent through a meat tenderizer than what she was living through now.
Bulma sighed and closed her eyes, tenderly lifting herself off of her back and gingerly setting herself against the scratchy concrete wall. She abandoned her thoughts and allowed sleep to overtake her. She would be prepared this time.
"Radditz! Slow down! You're too fast!" Bulma yelled as she chased after her older brother, glancing over her shoulder every few minutes.
"Pick up the pace or you're going to get left behind, B!" A deep voice yelled back, speeding up even faster. Bulma was panting heavily, sweat pouring down her face and neck. Her calves were searing in pain and she could hear the sirens getting closer. She gritted her teeth and forced her feet to move, wanting nothing more to stop and jump in the bushes, but her pride would not allow her.
"Just a little longer Bulma! We're almost there!" Radditz yelled over his shoulder as a blue semi-truck appeared around the corner.
"'Bout fucking time." Fourteen year-old Bulma grumbled as she too saw the large vehicle; their ride out of here.
By now, the sirens were right behind her. She didn't dare look behind her, far too afraid to even think about it. As they got closer to the truck, she slowed down a tab bit, but immediately regretted it when the distance between her and Radditz grew. They were only fifty yards from the truck now. The back doors had been unlatched to allow them entry and she could see Kakarott and Turles waiting to help them in.
Twenty yards. Ten yards.
She grabbed the hand held out for her at the same time Radditz grabbed Turles', hefting up into the back of the truck and plopping down on the cold metal floor, relishing in the feel of it against her sweaty back. She peered out of the doors right before they were pulled closed, hearing and seeing the cops screech to a stop as they sped away.
Just another mission complete.
Her eyes snapped open and she heaved a sigh, ignoring the fact that her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest. She glanced around her cell. She was alone. This was unusual. Frieza or her rapist, she never cared to learn his name, had usually paid her a visit by now. She was immediately on guard. Something was just not right.
Her fears were confirmed when the door loudly burst open and in walked the most hated person she knew, including someone unexpected. Frieza grinned at the sight of her and gestured to her disheveled figure.
"I told you she was lost without you," A soft, low chuckle was his response, "anyways, more important matters. It seems as if your idiotic saviors have finally figured out your location. They are currently on their way. We must prepare you for their arrival!" Frieza chuckled gleefully as he approached her with a sadistic grin plastered on his feminine features. Bulma watched him warily as he creeped closer, knowing nothing good could come from this.
"See Zarbon, she doesn't even fight back anymore!" he hollered when she allowed him to grip her damaged arm in a vice-like grip. Her vision went blurry and her hearing was fading in and out, only catching snips of their conversation.
"You ungrateful brat!" A loud slap resounded through the large room occupied by several individuals. A young blue-haired girl cried out as her small frame hit the ground with a loud thud. She quivered as she was enveloped by the shadow of a much larger man. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to remain strong in front of her boss.
"I give you everything you need; shelter, food, clothing, everything! And this is how you repay me? Stupid bitch! I should kick you out into the street right this moment!" he yelled, balling his fists in frustration.
"I-I'm sorry, L-lord Frieza. I-I-I didn't mean t-to!" she stuttered as she looked to the ground. A crack was heard as Frieza sent a well aimed punch to her square jaw. He frowned menacingly.
"Don't you lie to me, whore." He creeped upon her as she crawled back, laughing when she cornered herself against the polished metal. The many men and women in the crowded room looked on with resentment for the monster and pity for the little girl.
Bulma curled up in a ball and shielded her face from his fierce blows. He continuously pounded at her, grinning like a madman the whole time. By the time he was finished with her, she was an unrecognizable, bloody heap. This was her first official punishment. Radditz had been taking the blunt of her mistakes for the past few years, protecting her from Frieza's wrongdoings. As she recently turned thirteen, Frieza had deemed her old enough to own up to her own mistakes, thus putting her in the position she currently held. Her first punishment was for getting caught on a recent assignment. A simple one, really. Taking documents from the town hall. The guards had caught her on tape and now had her photo all over town, something Frieza was highly pissed about. He took his anger out on her the first time the opportunity presented itself.
"That should teach you better, little bitch."
Bulma's eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the bright lighting in the room. A room she was unfamiliar with. She quickly woke herself and glanced around the spacious room. The walls were around fifteen feet of unpainted plaster, the floor constructed of stained concrete. Many doors were scattered around the walls, which were painted a dull gray. Boxes and crates littered the room in clusters, some half open, some sealed shut. Men were posted at a set of double-doors in neat rows of five, three more neat rows placed strategically around the room. There was no furniture save for the lone chair Bulma found herself tied to.
"Ah, finally. I was starting to think you would never wake." Frieza sounded from above her. She glared at him from under her brow, her hatred shining brightly.
"Doesn't this sound familiar?" Bulma questioned, her voice raspy and hoarse from lack of use. She spit the accumulated blood in her mouth at his feet, giving a half smirk, frowning when her face protested the movement. She had blacked out and didn't exactly remember how she got in the state she was currently in. She glanced down at her beaten body, sighing heavily.
'Bruised abdomen, feels like a broken nose, some new cuts, gash on my forehead, sounds about right.' Bulma thought to herself. She watched as Frieza circled her slowly, his hand resting on his chin as he was in deep thought. He did a complete 180 before he spoke.
"My sources say your brother is in Germany. He should arrive in about half an hour. That gives us thirty minutes of bonding time. Splendid!" he exclaimed as he came back to face her front. His thin, bony finger lifted her chin, his deep red eyes glaring into hers.
"I want you to be on your best behavior, bitch. Got it?" he whispered calmly as he stared deep into her azure pools, almost into her soul. "Especially when I rip your little boyfriend's heart out." By the end of his sentence, his voice was barely a whisper and Bulma had to strain her ears to hear it. When his words finally registered in her mind, her eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Oh yes," Frieza laughed as he released her chin and threw his head back, "did I not tell you he accompanied that idiotic brother of yours? What fools they are, thinking they can come steal my treasure. Oh, I'm thrilled to see how my master plan works out!" He twirled gleefully as he imagined what would possibly come before Bulma interrupted his thoughts.
"You're the fool if you think you're going to hurt any of them." She spat in his face once more. A slap was her reward.
"Don't forget your place, bitch. I am the one in charge here, and you will do as I say. Now-" His next sentence was cut off by the double doors slamming open.
"Let her g-" Goku stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the scene before him, the rest of the group filing in behind him, Zarbon bringing up the rear. The older man rushed to his boss, not daring to look him in the eyes. He was slightly out of breath and a trickle of blood was running from the corner of his mouth.
"I apologize Lord Frieza, I was preoccupied when they arrived and they outnumbered me." He bowed slightly at the waist as he spoke, his voice slightly pleading. Frieza waved a hand at him.
"No worries, Zarbon. I'm always pleased to have visitors!" Zarbon nodded and took his place behind Bulma, looking down upon her with an ugly sneer on his face.
Bulma lifted her head to spot her friends staring at her in shock and horror at her current state. She smirked at them and let out a snort.
"Took you guys long enough."
Goku opened his mouth to reply but closed it before the words came out. The scene looked all too familiar to him, and he was reliving old memories once again as well.
"Radditz, hurry! We have to get back to Bulma!" Kakarott yelled as he ran down the winding hallways with speed he didn't know he possessed.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Both boys picked up their pace as they rounded yet another corner. Walls and people alike were blurs as they sped along, anxious to arrive at their destination.
"I swear, he better not have touched her." Kakarott growled out as he spotted a set of double doors thirty yards ahead of them. Right as he reached for the handle, their entrance was blocked by a large figure.
"And just where do you think you are going?"
Kakarott glared up at the man before him, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Move it Zarbon, I don't have time for your shit today." he hissed between clenched teeth, his fists balled tightly at his sides, his fingernails digging into his palm from the pressure. Zarbon let out a humorous laugh.
"Oh, you are already too late. Frieza has already delivered her punishment, but you may go clean up the mess if you wish." He chuckled as the two teens pushed past him and into the room he was previously in. Oh, the look on their faces would have been priceless to see.
The scene they ran in on was not the one they had been expecting at all. Sitting in a lone chair with her wrists tied behind her back was Bulma. Her head was hung, her chin tucked against her chest. Blood covered her baby blue shirt and ran down what they could see of her forehead, covering every inch of exposed skin as well. Frieza was no where to be found and the room was empty save for a few crates.
"Bulma?" Radditz whispered in awe. She raised her head and gave a forced smile, her eyes fluttering dangerously. The older teen ran to his sister's side immediately and lifted her chin. He inspected her face closely. Her left eye was swollen shut and her jaw had a monstrous bruise forming. A deep gash resided on her brow, crossing over her eye. Her nose was gushing blood and her lip was busted.
"Hey bro. What's up?" she croaked out, coughing slightly. He hushed her as she tried to speak more. Tears were streaming down his face as he cradled her cheek gently.
"I'm so sorry Bulma. I never meant for this to happen." He whispered as more tears exited his eyes. Bulma laughed as best as she could.
"Not y-your fault." she wheezed. Radditz just shook his head and burried it in the crook of her neck, sobbing gently. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and squeezed.
"I promise I'll never let him touch you again."
Goku broke out of his daze as he heard Frieza's high pitched laugh.
"Ah, it has been a while Kakarott. Did you enjoy prom? It was enjoyable, I hope?" Goku growled lowly in his throat, barely keeping his anger and suprise in check. He, as well as the others, were in total shock. He had sworn Frieza was dead. He left him on that tile floor with a bullet in his chest. He knew he did. Why was that bastard standing before him? Life was unfucking fair.
"Not long enough if you ask me. I'm not here to play your games. Let Bulma go, now." he demanded as he took a step forward.
Frieza raised a hand to the guards that aimed their weapons at the tall teenager. They immediately went back to their posts.
"Patience is a virtue, boy."
"Fuck patience. Just let the woman go!" Bulma raised her head at the sound of Vegeta's voice. She had almost forgotten what it sounded like in her time in captivity. Their eyes met and she held his gaze firmly. It took everything Vegeta had not to rush to her, even in the state she was in. During their alloted time apart, he had come to realize his feelings, and she was just one thing he refused to live without.
"Vegeta, I've heard so much about you. What a pleasure it is to finally meet you." He bowed deeply at the waist, a cruel smile on his face.
"Now, let's get down to business."