Bulma sighed as she put down her pencil so that she could wipe the newly formed tears from her eyes. So much had happened to her in such a small amount of time and though it would be a tough experience for anyone for Bulma who had lived in such a fragile, unchanging reality it was twice as overwhelming.
It wasn't her fault really. Her Father had always been suspicious of people he didn't know. Years before she was even born he had had trouble finding people that he trusted enough to not steal his inventions so he had pushed everyone away, choosing to run his company alone. It wasn't until he had gotten on in years that his closest friends the Ox King and Queen had introduced him to her Mother, a ditzy blonde by the name of Bunny. She had no ability in science and didn't have any desire to learn anything science related so they had gotten along swimmingly. They set up a home in the mountains nearby their friends and decided to start a family. A few years after Bulma was born her parents had realized that her intelligence had the potential to surpass even her Father's and worried that someone would try to take advantage of her decided to hide her away from the public as much as possible. Because of that, the only person Bulma had ever interacted with other than her parents and their friends was Chichi, the Ox King's daughter.
By the age of 6 Bulma had advanced enough to enjoy taking apart her toys and making new ones that entertained her and Chichi better. Dr. Briefs decided to take her with him when he went back to his laboratory so that Bulma could try her hand at working with the tools there and within 6 months she had become capable of designing more efficient equipment and engines to made his already brilliant inventions better for the masses. Business had increased so much that Dr. Briefs made her his lead scientist at the age of seven, though her real age was hidden from the public. Soon enough she had even mastered the schematics behind his prized invention he called 'capsules' and even found ways to make them capable of containing larger objects like small houses and airplanes.
From then on it was the same for Bulma. Sometimes her family would live in the mountains far from any other people while other times her Father would fly her to the city, use the inside landing strip, and she would get to work. Bulma never complained. She loved her work, had a wonderful family and had a great friend in Chichi who later became her lab assistant helping with the heavy work and errands. She learned about events in the world from media so she was always up to date on what was going on in the world.
Chichi had suggested that she should go out and meet other people, that it wasn't healthy to keep herself enclosed, but Bulma wouldn't do it. She had lost all will to meet others when she was 16. A thief had broken into the compound while she was working alone. She could still remember the sounds of glass breaking and the sight of the masked man was etched into her memory. The blaring alarms of the security system drowned out her screams as the man grabbed her, using her as a shield. The man was eventually arrested but for Bulma it just confirmed all her father's stories about people's true intents and she kept herself even more enclosed than before.
Even when the news of Frieza's arrival and proposal for peace reached her, she chose to work in the underground lab completely unseen. Thanks to her Father's research of Frieza's ship, she had been able to design and build a smaller ship that was capable of evading the superior ship's radar. It had also given her direct coordinates for the next planet the monsters were going to. While it wasn't the most optimal place to go, seeing as how Frieza would be on their heels whether he knew of her or not, it was better than wandering around space looking blindly for somewhere to land and running out of fuel in the process.
Little more than three weeks had passed since Bulma and Chichi had escaped from Earth. Bulma had cried for most of the trip while Chichi, having lost both her parents years before the attacks, patiently consoled her. They had landed on this planet five days ago. The dirty, crowded cityscape and massive amounts of shrouded people had been overwhelming for Bulma who had never seen more than five people in her life. Chichi had quickly gotten her back to the ship before she had broken down and attracted attention. Once they had reached the ship, Chichi left to investigate the city on her own. Luckily it turned out that Earths' language was actually diverged from the universal trade language known simply as standard. Chichi had quickly learned that the name of the planet was Yapisha and that its main purpose was trade. The sunlight here was harsh and being uncovered led to overexposure so some people would wear cloaks to protect their skin while others, mostly soldiers and warriors, seemed to move about unhindered. There were several different districts that determined what was being sold. Chichi had discovered a food market, an area devoted to selling luxurious fabrics and goods, and a section with metal scraps and technology. She had also discovered the way to the black market which she assumed sold illegal items and the area equivalent to 'red-light district' both of which she stayed far away from.
Bulma jumped as she heard her door open and spun her chair around to see Chichi removing her hood.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine, I'm going to have to learn to not be so jumpy anyway."
Chichi sighed and pulled out a handkerchief, "You've been crying again."
Bulma grabbed the cloth and turned to wipe her face. "I'm sorry. So much happened all at once that nothing seemed real. It's like I tried to tell myself that it was all a horrible nightmare but…," she wiped another tear from her face.
"There's no reason to be sorry. I was sad when my parents died and even the thought of living with you didn't ease the pain. Five years ago when your Mother died you were so sad that you couldn't bring yourself to work for a month. Now we don't know what happened to your Father but we do know that a monster destroyed everything that we held dear. If you weren't crying you would just be bottling the feelings inside until it killed you."
Bulma nodded but not wanting to cry anymore decided to change the subject. "Did you find out anything in the city?"
"I found an information dealer that says he could give us some coordinates to another planet but he wants money for it, the scumbag."
"I've brought some stuff from home that I'm sure we can sell."
"Maybe but we can't do anything today. There are some big names coming so people are more on edge and not wanting to come out."
Bulma's face paled, "Do you think they're talking about Frieza?"
Chichi shook her head, "I don't know. The only name I heard was King Vegeta and something about Sayians. I asked about who they were but all they said was that they're terrible brutes that have a peace treaty with Frieza but refuse to ally with them."
Scoffing, Bulma turned back to the blueprints she was working on, "I wonder what their definition of brute is since they don't seem to think of Frieza as one."
"What are you working on?" Chichi asked as she moved up to look at Bulma's work. She wasn't nearly as gifted at science as Bulma was but she knew enough to know that it had to do with the ship.
"I'm still trying to convert the ship to run on the same fuel that Frieza's ship did."
"Maybe after we get some money I can bring back some parts for you to study."
"I doubt that things would be as recognizable here as they were on Earth."
"Then come with me."
"NO!" Bulma spun around, panic clearly on her face, "Chichi you know that I can't."
"Bulma you said before that you have to learn not to be so jumpy but you're also going to have to learn that you can no longer stay hidden from the outside world. You can't rely on your Father's carefully constructed life to shelter you anymore. You're 27 years old and it's time for you to make your own life. You need to experience the world instead of just analyzing it, meet people without believing that everyone is going to attack you, you need to be recognized as a person, not a mystery that hides behind your father's name. You…," Chichi stopped as she saw Bulma shaking slightly, her tight fists held firmly against her thighs. Sighing, she reined her anger back in. "Look, Bulma. I'm not going to make you go out today and make friends or get a job, but just going out with me to take a look at the city when it's not so crowded will be a good experience for you."
"Chichi…," Bulma felt Chichi's arms wrap around her in a tight hug.
"I'm going back out. The crowds won't be as thick with all the people staying out of the big names' way. Maybe I'll find a decent person that can give us coordinates without charging for them. Think about what I said, okay?" Giving Bulma a kiss on the forehead, she pulled her hood back on before she left.
Bulma stared at the closed door for a bit longer before forcing her eyes back to her work, but couldn't find anything else to do with it. "Who am I kidding? Without knowing what parts they use for ships out here I'll never be able to convert the stuff we have here to work properly with the common fuel source."
Rubbing her face, Bulma looked over at the bulky ki suppressor her Father had given her before she left. Picking it up and putting on the table, she smiled in disbelief, "Dad, I know that it was a prototype but this wouldn't have been practical for people needing stealth." She imagined someone trying to slip past security holding a large box and giggled. "That's how it always was though, wasn't it Dad? You designed something without the thought of how your buyers would look at it. And I would modify it, making it discreet or pretty enough that people could see themselves using it," Another tear slipped down her face but she didn't stop smiling. Picking up her tools she got to work dissembling the prototype, making notes about how to enhance it.
Two hours later, Bulma held up the suppressor now small and conveniently disguised as a necklace with a large metal charm. "Pretty good work, if I do say so myself. I just wish I had stronger metal to work with; if this gets dropped I doubt it'll keep working." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure Chichi can find some stronger metal around here somewhere."
The proud smile on her face instantly dropped. Moving her hands down to her lap, she remembered Chichi's words.
'You're 27 years old and it's time for you to make your own life. You need to experience the world instead of just analyzing it, meet people without believing that everyone is going to attack you, you need to be recognized as a person, not a mystery that hides behind your father's name.'
"She's right, of course. I may be opinionated and stubborn but even I know that I can't continue living as I did on Earth." Taking in a deep breath, she fixed a look of determination on her face. "When Chichi comes back I will go out with her." She nodded her head and set back waiting for her friend to return.
However, 3 hours later, Bulma was started to worry. It wasn't late by any means; there were two more hours to a day here and the sun was still up, though not as high as when Chichi had left. "I wonder if she found something. Surely she didn't get caught by anyone; she's smart enough to know who to keep an eye out for." Bulma was pacing, worried thoughts quickly pushing through her logical ones. "What if Frieza's here? There's a chance that he was one of the big names that people were expecting. But no, Chichi would recognize the armor his soldiers wear. Heck even I could recognize the armor and I only saw it in pictures. She would stay away from them, no matter what."
Another hour went by and Bulma's worries grew. Chichi was her best friend and the only one she could trust in this universe. She couldn't just sit back in safety and wait. "I know it's stupid," Bulma said as she pulled on a cloak and the suppressor and walked over to the full-length mirror, "but I have to do something." Grabbing some mace and a smokescreen grenade for defense in the possible chance of a bad encounter, she made her way out of her enclosed office.
Moving to the door of the ship, she took a few deep breaths before stepping out into the sunlight.
'Chichi was right,' Bulma realized as she looked around the marketplace, 'the streets are far less crowded than they were before.' She thought back to how it had been days ago when they had first gotten to the city. There were so many that she couldn't move an inch without rubbing up against someone and the thought that those causally walking by would suddenly turn and surround them nearly made her hyperventilate. Now though, the few people walking around seemed to be more than happy to give her several feet of personal space. They were all wearing cloaks like she was which was good in that it helped her blend in and bad because she couldn't ask anyone if they'd seen Chichi.
It was hard to not be distracted by the things around her as she looked for her friend; everything was so different here than back on Earth. None of the food looked familiar to what she'd eaten back at home and the clothes seemed to shine and glitter as if they were made of precious metals and jewels instead of fabrics. Bulma had thought that she had been rich and though she never really wore the fancy, expensive clothes her Mother had often bought for her nothing had been like what she was seeing here.
Being bumped by a stranger, Bulma jumped away. However as the person continued on their way without even glancing at her and she realized that it had only been an accident, she calmed down a little, taking deep breaths to stop herself from her fear-driven panting. As she leant against a wall trying to compose herself, she realized that despite how well she had been doing psychologically before the whole idea of coming out to search alone was pointless. 'What made me even start to think that I could find Chichi on my own? I should just head back to the ship and wait for her.' Bulma turned to head back when she caught sight of the industrial district. 'I may as well look around. That way I can get an idea of what I'll need to modify the ship. Besides, if I'm impressed by food and clothing that I've never really had an interest in, I'm sure I'll be blown away by their machines.' With a smile Bulma made her way to the new area to browse a bit, and keep a lookout for Chichi, of course.
Despite her initial idea that she'd be impressed with what she was seeing, she quickly found herself disappointed. The first few stands she tried to convince herself that they were just selling scrap or out dated things but she quickly found that they were actually selling expensive top of the line goods. From the bulky containers that connected to each other for easier shipping to radar systems so loud and obvious that everyone would know that you were tracking someone, Bulma was clearly not impressed. The secret capsule technology she and her father had perfected was far better for shipping and she was sure that, had she not been busy making the ship, she could have made a practically unnoticeable form of radar fashioned as a pair of glasses with an earpiece to make conversations or data unheard by anyone other than the wearer. The more she looked the more she realized why Frieza had been so excited to learn about her Father's ability. She would have to be extra careful when she went about selling her inventions or else she might bring far too much attention to herself.
'Though with my looks, I doubt that anyone will instantly assume that I'm the creator,' she thought with a frown. Her Mother had always been upset about her not going out and flaunting her beautiful looks but her Father had insisted that her beauty would just be another thing people would want to take advantage of. Bulma had always thought that she was nothing special when compared to the celebrities that littered the covers of magazines and were deemed worthy of breaking news on TV but Chichi had pointed out that the difference is that she never had any work done to her, that her beauty was completely natural and that fact would be noticed by anyone that saw her.
Pushing those thoughts away, Bulma continued browsing in a few stalls that actually were selling scraps for anything that could be used on the ship. Making a few mental notes about their locations, she decided that she should get back to the ship in case Chichi had already gotten back. 'I'm going to get quite a scolding but that's better than getting back and her still being gone.'
As she started making her way down the path that would take her to the outskirts where the ship was parked, a sudden gust of wind swept by with such intensity that she nearly fell over.
"Wow," Bulma heard a distinctly male voice say to someone, "have you ever seen hair like that?"
"Never. That's quite a color on her," the person the first was talking to responded back.
Looking up, Bulma froze in fear. Before her were three huge men of varying colors of skin and species ranging from reptilian to cat-like but it was what they were wearing that terrified her. Unlike everyone else she had seen these men were wearing the same armor that Frieza's men had.
The third one, with scaly purple skin, spoke this time, "Never mind her hair, her face is perfect. I've never seen anything like it."
"You think she's one of the slaves from that Earth planet we just came from?" The furry blue cat man asked the others.
Bulma's faced paled at that. Not only were these men part of Frieza's army, they also just confirmed that they had taken her people as slaves.
The third man, the first one that had talked and could have been mistaken for a human had it not been for his green skin and vivid red hair, shrugged his shoulders. "Possibly, I don't recall seeing anyone half as good looking as her though but if she is she shouldn't be here. The auction doesn't start for another hour so she couldn't have been bought yet. Not to mention that if she had already been purchased her owner wouldn't let her wander around alone."
The blue cat man nodded, "Guess we better take her back to the stockyard then, but maybe we can have some fun with her first," he stated with a cruel smile.
The other two grinned maliciously in agreement before they started to advance on her. Bulma couldn't think straight, everything seemed to slow down as her thoughts jumped back to when she was grabbed by the man and held against her will when she was younger. Through the haze of the panicked memories flashing before her, one word repeatedly ran through her head becoming louder each second the men took another step towards her until her body finally registered its meaning.
'Run!'
Pulling the pin out the smokescreen grenade, Bulma threw the small can at the men who easily caught it. Their laughter at avoiding her futile attempt at defense was short lived as the can suddenly started spouting smoke, quickly surrounding the three in a thick fog. Ignoring their coughing, Bulma quickly ran down a side alley. In the back of her head she knew that she was going the opposite way of the ship but at the moment the only thing she could think of was getting away.
'Run!' her mind screamed at her and run she did.
Pulling her hood back up to cover her vivid features, Bulma saw a side alley ahead of her. Confirming that the men weren't directly behind her, she turned the corner only to run into a hard wall. She heard a loud crack and she realized that it was her fragile necklace breaking. Looking forward to see what she ran into, fear engulfed her as saw that it wasn't a wall but rather person wearing the same armor as the men she was running from. Her eyes quickly snapped up and met with the darkest black eyes she had ever seen.
A/N: Thanks for reading. I'm sorry to say that the next chapter won't be a continuance of this, so you'll have to wait until after the chapter after the next one. But the good news is that the next one will be the same day from Vegeta's point of view. Hope you'll all like it. Thanks for reading and feel free to review, I love to hear what you're all thinking about the story so far. And thanks so much for the reviews I've already gotten, they really do mean a lot to me.