College is hard! Anyway, here's the next chapter :)
Put Your Game Face On
Vitals 97 percent…vitals 98 percent…vitals 99 percent…vitals 100 percent…vitals restored…initiating reboot sequence…
Bulma wasn't quite sure when the feeling returned to her limbs but at first she hardly felt them and she almost wasn't convinced they were still attached. Then slowly she felt the painful tingle, pinching her all over, like a colony of angry ants, as if to reassure her of their existence. Once her limbs were again at peace she gradually became aware of the floating sensation that enveloped her body. To open her eyes felt as though she had flung open dusty curtains and for a moment everything blurred. As she blinked the image before her became sharper, until she could make out the faint metallic outline over her mouth and nose.
As she watched the bubbles rise before her eyes she understood that she was in a healing tank, the very same kind that had saved Goku and Vegeta in the past. Slowly the room beyond came into focus, and Bulma found herself gazing lazily toward two lizard-like beings that were peering at her and talking amongst themselves. The liquid around her distorted their voices, making them sound distant and menacing.
"Sssuch a weak thing" one hissed, its forked tongue licking at the air in front of its snout, "to think it will be the death of the sssayian prince."
"Heee is not dead yettt" the other spat, "ittt would be a shameee if the last saiyan were to dieee. Such a noble raceee". They don't know about Goku Bulma mused, he's probably speeding to rescue us right now. Bulma had no doubt that Goku could take on the entire compound of warriors, especially with Vegeta at his side.
Bulma was pulled away from her thoughts as she became aware of a third presence before her tank. Allowing her eyes to descend she found herself gazing down at the child from the cage. It's flame red hair was now perfectly straight and it's beady red eyes glared at her menacingly.
"She is awake" the child announced, never taking it's gaze from her.
"Ssso ssshe isss" the first lizard hissed.
Bulma patiently waited as the lizard typed a command into the side of the tank. With a gurgle the liquid began to drain and with a whoosh air began to take it's place. Bulma could feel herself drifting downward with the current, and for a moment she felt as though she might wash down the drain, as smooth as liquid and as small as a water drop. But then her feet met the floor and it held her firm. She let out a tiny whimper as she watched the last of the liquid flee through the drain, leaving her behind.
Around Bulma everything became a blur as the lizards scooped her up and carried her to a nearby bed. They dropped her hastily on the bed before sauntering out the door, hissing to each other as they went.
Then she was alone; alone with the child whose hair and heart were aflame. Although Bulma could now feel her extremities she could not find the strength to move, to run, to flee. And from the corner of her eye she watched as the child loomed over her, glaring at her, hating her. Is this the end of Bulma Briefs? she thought to herself, choking on tears that never made it to her eyes.
But just as the child was about to reach her bedside the bastard Aracono child appeared, stepping between them like a guardian angel steps before death. He put a hairy arm on her wet hair and gave her a pat. Contented that he would watch over her she fell into a deep sleep.
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Vegeta angrily paced his room, his steps measured and precise, and his breaths long and deep. His saiyan blood had revitalized his muscles and healed his wounds. The deep gashes that had cut through the sharp features of his face had now faded to mere scratches. The infection that had tried to claim his hand and arm now hardly left a trace. The puncture wounds on his neck had faded long ago, hardly noticed in the chaos of recent events.
When Vegeta first noticed the wound he had laughed, a deep evil laugh. It was well known that Arcnoid, the race to which the king's mistress belonged, would lose their venom after bearing a child. Her own brat was her demise, he had thought smugly to himself. After bearing her child her venom had slowly dissipated away, until all she had left was what she sank into his hand. If she had never bore the child then she would have had enough venom for a second bite, and then the bite to his neck would have killed him. But if she never bore the brat then she would never have been here in the first place, he mused, there must always be a prize.
He felt his kai attempting to wander, trying to find Bulma amidst the countless other beings here, but he forced it back. I need every ounce of strength if I'm to escape here alive, he thought calmly. After they had taken Bulma he had allowed the small amount of his kai that could escape the confines of his kai inhibitor to follow her, through the maze of halls and elevators until he felt her feeble life force slowly begin to recover. Whatever they were doing to her, they were at least healing her.
For the first time since he encountered the king in the hallway he could think clearly again. He had been through hell and back, and that was only round 2.
"No one ever wins this game" Freeza sneered in the back of his mind, "this is where heros and evil villains alike come to die. For once you succumb to the weakness of love and passion, you're as good as dead."
Vegeta growled as he banished the memory from his mind and he felt his stomach growl in response. With a click of his teeth he strode on, continuing his endless journey from one side of the room to another.
They will all feel my merciless wrath before the end.
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Bulma awoke in a cold sweat, panting heavily and almost in tears. She flung back her sheets and slipped her feet into the fuzzy pink slippers her mother had given her for Christmas the year before.
Grabbing a robe she wrapped it around herself as she ran down the hall, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. The dogs let out a startled yelp as she burst into her parents room.
"Bulma dear, what's wrong honey?" her mom said sleepily, not even raising her head.
"Oh mom, I had the worst nightmare. Daddy please, can I stay her for a little bit" she whimpered, tears finally falling from her eyes, as water falls freely from a broken dam.
"Of course dear, come here" her father called, his words fading as they drew nearer to her.
Bulma hurried toward her parent's bed, but to her dismay the bed seemed to move even further away. Breaking into a sprint she felt herself crying uncontrollably, her legs threatened to collapse beneath her. But no matter how hard she ran the bed continued to get further and further away.
Without warning Bulma felt a snap at her heels and as she turned she saw her dogs had become snarling monsters that were now chasing after her.
Sobbing she desperately tried to run, to reach the safety of her parents, to run away from the monstrous danger that was pursing her. Looking up she could no longer see her parents or their bed; only darkness lay ahead of her. With a wail of anguish Bulma collapsed and in an instant the dogs were upon her, tearing at her flesh and breaking her bones.
With a scream Bulma awoke, in a cold sweat breathing heavily and almost in tears. But instead of waking up in her bed she found herself back on the wretched alien planet. The bed was hard and uncomfortable, the room was cold and uninviting, and this whole planet was out to get her.
Wailing loudly Bulma collapsed back into bed. "Mommy, daddy, please help me" she sobbed, choking on tears. "I just want to go home, please, I just want to go home" she cried out in anguish.
The small hairy face of the Aracono bastard appeared above her, all of his eyes blinking sleepily at her. "It will be alright" he said quietly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"No it won't" she wailed, "I'm going to die here. I want to go home!"
"Bulma please-" he stammered, but she cut him off
"You don't understand! I'm Bulma Briefs! My daddy is a great man, my mom is a loving woman and I am their brilliant daughter. I shouldn't be here" she sobbed between labored breaths.
"No, I don't understand" he said solemnly. "My mother is dead, my home destroyed long ago".
Bulma's heart throbbed painfully and she clutched her chest. No words escaped as she gasped for breath.
"My mother is the mistress of a king, I know what that means. He does not love her, nor would he ever. When I was conceived it was accidental. When my people bear their first child we lose our venom, the one strength we have, the one reason my mother was ever a mistress in the first place. After Freeza was destroyed the people of Aracona were in an uproar. The king had promised Freeza money and slaves in return for Freeza keeping his pet monkey on a leash."
He looked at her and she understood. That monkey was Vegeta. Freeza promised to keep Vegeta from destroying the planet.
"But while the people were sold into slavery and every coin of their wealth plundered the king remained safe and wealthy in his palace. But the people dared not strike against the one thing keeping the planet in one piece. And with Freeza out of the way the king needed protection, but at the same time he could not look weak before the angry people. So he took on an arcnoid mistress, a body guard although the people who never suspect as much. Our venom is deadly to every species, and with an arcnoid mistress always in his shadow the king was once again safe from his own people." He paused to let out a deep sigh. "If my mother could no longer protect the king then she was of no use. But she struck a bargain. She bargained that she would continue to protect the king until the very last drop of her venom was used, then I could become a body guard for the Queen and they would once again be safe"
"Bulma, I have no home and no family, I have no where to go and no one to go to. But listen" he whispered, holding an arm up to Bulma's ear. She found herself holding her breath, listening. Concentrating she closed her eyes, and as the darkness came to life before her eyes she heard it. The roar of lava flowing, the thunderous crash of a wave breaking, the undeniable sound of blood coursing through veins.
"I hear it", she whispered.
"Good, now listen" he replied, taking her wrists gently and holding them over her ears. Closing her eyes she let the sound of her blood coursing through her veins fill her ears.
Opening her eyes she looked up at the young arcnoid, her look questioning.
"Listen. That's the sound of life. Your heart has not given up, it still pumps the blood through your veins, it has not given in." he whispered, his eyes shining in the dim light.
Bulma found herself closing her eyes once more, relishing the sound. He's right, she thought to herself, my heart hasn't given up.
And if my heart hasn't given up yet, then neither have I she declared resolutely in her mind. The thought gave her strength.
"You're right" she declared out loud, taking the arcnoid's two forelimbs in her hands, "let's give them hell"
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A/N: Again sorry this took so long, college is very busy and all. But I did sit down tonight and plan out the rest of the story so it'll be easier from now on. And spring break is in two weeks so my goal is to finish up this story while I'm home, but only if you guys keep commenting :P thanks again for all your patience