Chapter 022 - Spotted
Corset sighed and sat cross-legged upon the grass. It had been hours since Krillin and Dende had left to find the Great Elder. Her mother and Gohan continued to talk and watch the Dragonball move, Corset choosing not to as she had more pressing matters on her mind. Something was still bothering her.
"...Hey Mama, didn't you say there was a Dragonball showing up on the radar earlier?" She asked.
Bulma looked up at her daughter and nodded. "Yeah; the one that I noticed earlier was a lot closer to here, though."
Corset looked at the ground for a moment as she continued to think it over. "I wonder if my dad managed to find it or not... Do you think it might still be there?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Bulma raised an eyebrow baffled.
"Well when you showed me it earlier, I think it was over in that direction," Corset pointed.
Gohan gasped and frantically turned around, "Hey, yeah! That's where we could sense Vegeta attacking a Namek village!"
Bulma gulped and looked in the direction the other two were looking in, eyes wide with fear.
"... I don't sense any ki over there anymore, not even Vegeta's..." Gohan muttered. After a moment he turned around and held out his hand, "Hey Bulma, let me borrow the Dragonball Radar for a bit, ok?"
"Are you gonna look to see if that Dragonball's still in that village?" Corset asked.
"Yeah," Gohan nodded, "I'm sure you're right and that it's pointing to where that Namekian village that Vegeta attacked was. I don't know why it would still be there though..."
"Well maybe Vegeta never found the Dragonball," Bulma suggested. "Maybe he thought the village didn't have one and so never left with it!" She got to her feet and handed the Dragon Radar over to Gohan, "If that's the case then there's another Dragonball up for grabs."
"Ok, I'm gonna go see if it's still there," Gohan smiled, eyes looking over to Corset. "Are you coming too?"
Corset frowned and fidgeted around a little, "... I wanna but I'm gonna stay here. Like Krillin said there's no use in us all going, right? My dad might sense us. I'm gonna stay here with Mama."
"Alright, you guys be careful while I'm gone," Gohan nodded as he began to rise into the air. "I won't be too long."
"Make sure you don't fly too fast so no one senses you," Corset called.
"Good luck, kiddo!" Bulma smiled.
With a wave, Gohan slowly took off through the air, flying off in the direction of the Dragonball.
The two girls watched as the young boy vanished from view. A little surprised and curious, Bulma turned to her daughter, "How come you didn't want to go? I thought you'd have wanted to get a Dragonball. Aren't you interested in it?"
"I did wanna," Corset replied avoiding eye contact, "Something just made me feel like I need to stay here. What if someone bad came here while I was gone? You'd be alone with no one to fight them off."
"Aww, you wanted to protect me?" Bulma asked tearfully, kneeling down beside her daughter and squeezing her in a tight hug. "Sweetie, no one's gonna hurt me. You don't have to worry about me; I've gotten out of some pretty tough scrapes before!"
"Mama, you're hurting me," Corset flinched, her arms felt as if they were going to crush into her ribs! Still despite her mother's reassurance she couldn't shake off the feeling they would soon be in mortal danger. Something big was about to happen...
Both mother and daughter were still outside the cave, Bulma had tucked into reading a magazine whilst Corset continued her training.
The young girl leapt up into the air and threw out several punches and kicks, fighting off an invisible and imaginary enemy. As gravity began to take an effect, she rolled up into a ball and somersaulted back down to the ground, landing safely upon both feet. Immediately she broke into another barrage of punches, throwing her blurred moves as rapidly as she could.
With a huff, Corset stopped for a small breather, realising her mother was looking at her and growing embarrassed. A small blush appeared on her face and she looked down at the grass, "... I didn't know you was watching me." She mumbled.
"You're really fast," Bulma praised her daughter, "You're just like Goku when he was a kid."
"Really?" Corset looked up joyfully. It meant so much to her to hear something like that. Ever since Piccolo'd kidnapped her and Gohan, Corset had aspired to be a fighter in order to be like Piccolo and Gohan's daddy; strong and able to protect her friends and herself. To be compared to either of those two was a dream come true for this five year old.
"I just hope that Krillin and Dende manage to find the Great Elder and get his Dragonball." Corset mumbled, mind coming out of the clouds, "I wonder if Gohan's managed to find that one we saw on the radar too."
"Well at least we'd have two of the Dragonballs." Bulma grinned. "Then all we'd need to do is somehow steal the remaining five from those bad guys and then we can make our wish."
"Yeah, we can bring Piccolo and all the others back to life," Corset smiled excitedly, although the smile quickly dropped. "... The only problem is the guys who have the five Dragonballs are far stronger than me, Gohan and Krillin put together; not even my dad would stand a chance against them."
"Aww don't worry sweetie," Bulma smiled, "We'll find a way."
Corset's eyes widened, her dark hair whipped through the air as she turned sharply to face the sky behind her.
"W-What? What is it?" Bulma asked frantically; it always sent panic through her whenever one of the trio suddenly turned like that!
"There's a big power level heading this way!" Corset cried nervously; she didn't recognise it! Though her increasing nerves she tried to remember what Piccolo had taught her about ki signals. Was it dangerous? Although it didn't feel evil, Corset didn't recognise the energy source. It didn't feel like a Namekian ki either...
"Is it bad?" Bulma stuttered, scurrying to her feet and edging towards the cave in case her daughter gave her the signal.
Corset spotted them approaching and held her breath, her heart thumping through her ribcage. Was it good or bad?
Relief overcame her and she smiled, "It's Krillin!"
Sure enough Krillin landed before them with a triumphant smile on his face. "Hey, look what I've got!" He held the Dragonball out.
Corset ran up to Krillin excitedly, "Krillin! You've got a Dragonball!"
Bulma marched up to Krillin and glared down angrily at him, "You idiot, you scared the heck out of the both of us!" She bellowed. "We thought it was an enemy coming towards us."
"You did? Sorry," Krillin apologised graciously.
"How did you get your power to rise so much?" Corset ignored her mother's anger; she was too preoccupied with Krillin's increased power level! "I didn't even recognise you!"
"Well that's something you're gonna find out soon," Krillin answered, glancing around from left to right. "...So where's Gohan? I'm gonna need to take him and you to see the Great Elder."
"Gohan went to find another Dragonball we picked up on the radar," Bulma answered. "It was around the area where Vegeta was attacking that Namekian village. He went a little while ago. I guess he won't be too much longer."
Corset's face dropped and once again she stared up attentively to the sky.
"K-Krillin! Two powers! They're massive!" She spluttered quickly.
Krillin gasped as he caught onto one of them, "I can sense only one of them! Whoever they are they're coming this way!"
Bulma smiled ignorant to the feel of the energy, "It must be Gohan! That was fast!"
"NO!" Corset frantically shook her head. "It's not Gohan!"
"It's Vegeta!" Krillin screamed in horror.
Their worst fears were realised when Vegeta appeared, landing before them in a flash. His eyes quickly darted over the two Earthlings and his daughter before settling on the Dragonball.
"Well, well, well. I didn't expect to find Earthlings so far away from home! I didn't even think your civilisation had the technology to reach another planet. From the way you clutch that Dragonball, it seems you and I have the same agenda."
Corset almost jumped out of her skin as her mother's hands clasped around her, Bulma pulling her daughter close to her. At first Corset was about to complain and let her mother know she needed some space in case her father tried anything; the look in her mother's eyes stopped her. It almost scared and stunned her. Corset had never seen her mother look so fierce and strong before, not even when her mother had told her off if she'd misbehaved!
The menacing and protective look had not gone unnoticed by the Saiyan opposing the trio. A quiet but audible chuckle came from deep within his throat as he folded his arms defiantly, playing with their fear and emotions.
"If you think I'm gonna let you take her then you're sadly mistaken!" Bulma spat defiantly, startling both Corset and Krillin with how rebellious she was being and with how much animosity she was showing to such a powerful opponent; one which could easily kill them all in the blink of an eye.
"B-Bulma..." Krillin growled cautiously keeping one eye on the Saiyan opposite them.
Vegeta didn't lunge forwards as the short fighter expected; instead he merely chuckled in amusement.
"If you think I'm interested in taking that half-breed weakling then you're out of your mind woman. Trash should stay together and be done with..."
Vegeta's words sunk into the small child's mind and continuously echoed for a while. Trash? Was he referring to her and her mother as trash? Her own father? Why would he say such a horrible thing about his child and the woman who'd bore him a child? She didn't understand and it frustrated her; his words didn't make sense! The anguish began to summon tears to the corners of her eyes but she refused to cry; she didn't want to cry. She wanted to prove somehow that she wasn't trash; she and her mother weren't trash!
The Saiyan's eyes quickly darted to the side and he made a small glance over his shoulder before turning back to them. "Now I have something to take care of before I take that ball... Don't think about trying to escape – I won't hesitate to kill all three of you!"
Krillin watched in confusion as Vegeta turned away from the three of them.
"It's the other ki I felt…" Corset whispered loudly, a little afraid to talk too noisily as well as still struggling to keep her emotions in check. Piccolo had taught her better; she didn't want to dishonour herself through crying like a baby. It was far easier said than done. Her mother's arms weren't as tightly wrapped around her now but they were more secure, as if she were trying to make sure her daughter and herself stayed close.
"He's here," Vegeta grinned in anticipation.
A bright light appeared on the horizon, Corset gasped as the other ki appeared, landing before them. It was the green-haired man from before! He'd killed the two elder Namekians; Corset distinctively remembered that event and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"...Wow! I'll bet he's the handsome hero who's come to recue us!"
Corset was bewildered by what had just come out of her mother's mouth. Of all things to say, why that? How had she come to that conclusion?
"Not even close." Krillin shuddered.
"He's not a hero; he's a bad guy," Corset explained informatively to her mother who didn't appear to have heard her daughter; she seemed more preoccupied ogling over Zarbon. Corset didn't see it.
Vegeta and the green-haired man seemed to be deep in conversation, exchanging words with one another that Corset didn't comprehend. It sounded like they knew each other – he wore similar armour and clothes to her father – she wondered if they had been friends at one point. The green man quickly focused on the three of them standing behind the Saiyan.
"I recognise the short one with the Dragonball," Zarbon continued. "I see... you were all in it together."
"Yoo-hoo! Hi! Thank you for coming to rescue me!"
"Mama, he's not here to rescue us!" Corset protested nervously, "He's evil! I can feel it in his energy!"
"Do you think he's noticed me?" Bulma asked, her eyes fixated on Zarbon, touching her cheeks and squealing every so often.
Corset raised her eyebrows in confusion; why was her mother acting so strangely around this man? She was acting as if she were in love with the guy, like how cartoons back home would show. That wasn't right, Corset thought. Her father was here after all; shouldn't her mother be acting in this way towards him? What did her dad think about this? Was this acceptable? Corset didn't think it was but them again she was only five. What did she know?
"I don't care much for those fools," Zarbon muttered, "All I care about are the Dragonballs. Won't you tell me where they are or do I have to beat it out of you? I'd kill you where you stand but Master Freeza's orders are to bring you back alive so consider yourself lucky! Either you can tell me or Freeza where the balls are."
Vegeta retaliated, the duo exchanging words with one another again.
Zarbon momentarily closed his eyes, appearing to be contemplating something.
"What's he doing?" Corset quietly asked Krillin, now ignoring her mother's strange behaviour.
"Don't know," Krillin slowly shook his head.
"Alright, you asked for it," Zarbon's eyes opened.
The slender alien clenched his fists.
Krillin and Corset both gasped in shock as Zarbon's ki swelled dramatically.
Zarbon's body almost appeared to explode as he began his transformation; the sight causing Bulma's eyes to bulge and her jaw to drop. The shocked Earthlings watched in bewilderment as Zarbon changed from slender and handsome to looking rather like a bloated frog!
"H-He turned into a monster!" Krillin choked.
"H-H-His e-energy..." Corset was creeping towards her mother trembling. There was something about Zarbon that sent shivers down her spine and terrified her. She couldn't contain her emotions and clung to her mother's waist, refusing to look at him. He reminded her of a gigantic, slimy-looking frog. He utterly repulsed her; Corset wasn't too comfortable around frogs and toads because they looked slimy and gross to touch. It was something she'd never told anyone and would rather keep it that way!
The fight began. Zarbon went in to attack Vegeta, the Saiyan proving to be too nimble for the bulky beast to catch. The fight moved up into the air; Vegeta did something – Corset wasn't sure what – whatever it was it stopped Zarbon right in his tracks and made him clutch his eyes. Within that instant the Saiyan teleported and rammed a strong punch into the beast's back, sending him forwards.
The power she'd felt from the hit startled and scared her; Corset could sense her father was far stronger than when he'd arrived on Earth.
The fight continued, Corset and Krillin watched tense and nervous; it didn't matter who would win the battle because both of these fighters would kill the three of them soon after.
Vegeta began to fire of a barrage of ki attacks, each striking Zarbon and sending him under the surface.
Corset's fists shook in awe and fear as she watched the blasts enter the water, sensing every time Zarbon's energy would fall. Her father clearly had an advantage here over the ugly monster and for that reason Corset felt a slight tinge of relief. She'd rather her father would win, even if he would probably kill them after he stole their Dragonball.
"Now's our chance!"
Krillin's voice brought Corset out of her reverie and her head spun around to face the short fighter.
"Let's go while they're both focused on battering each other!" Krillin ordered.
"B-But he said he'd kill us if we tried to leave!" Bulma quivered.
"He'll kill us if we stay!" Krillin retaliated, grabbing Bulma and leaping forwards. "Corset, come on!"
Corset took a quick glance up to her father before bolting off the ground after Krillin and her mother, not so sure about all of this.
Vegeta felt the small increase in the Earthling's power.
The trio didn't get very far at all across the island as several blasts suddenly bolted into the waters before them. Bulma screamed as Krillin suddenly came to a halt, the force causing her to fall backwards onto her back with a thump. Krillin glanced up at Vegeta frustrated, "That guy never lets his guard down!"
Corset helped her mother get to her feet, "K-Krillin, are we gonna...?"
The fight suddenly moved straight in front of the trio as both Vegeta and Zarbon landed.