Chapter 4:
Stranger in a New World
By the time the truck pulled up to West City Memorial Hospital, Charisma was in a state of complete shock. First off, this West City looked nothing like she would've expected it to. The West City she knew was brought to its knees: a total warzone of crumbled buildings, missing roads, and no signs of life. Yet all around, the sounds and sights of fast-moving traffic and lively people going about their business were clear as day.
"Here we are," the trucker said and looked over at her sympathetically. "You should go inside and get some help…"
Charisma didn't respond at all. Her eyes remained glued on her lap blankly. The trucker leaned closer to her. "Young lady, are you alright?" Charisma remained frozen in shock.
The trucker unbuckled his seat belt and got out of his trucker. "I better get some help."
Within a few moments, Charisma was being escorted into a room full of doctors and nurses, scurrying about and observing her.
'…if this is the past…I don't exist here yet…'she thought as the doctors continued their work on her. 'My parents aren't even in West City yet either…what am I supposed to do? I'm all alone now…Who will believe me when I tell them where I'm from?'
A few hours passed and Charisma remained in the hospital. The doctors were baffled as to what her identity was and where her parents could be. Charisma hadn't said a word at all or shown any signs of being mentally present since the trucker had brought her to the hospital.
"There's nothing wrong with her at all…" one of the doctors remarked to the nurse. "She's perfectly healthy, aside from some vitamin deficiencies. She's in great shape."
"How strange," the nurse replied sympathetically. "She looks like something happened though. Maybe we can get her to talk?"
The nurse entered the room to find Charisma sitting up in her bed. She stared out the window into the distance. She could catch a glimpse of the building she was hoping to be Capsule Corp headquarters.
'If I can find someone to help me…I'm sure that's the place to go…' she thought.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" the nurse asked her softly. "You're all right. There's nothing wrong with you at all. Can you tell me what your name is? Or where you came from? What about your parents?"
Charisma remained silent for a long moment. She took a deep breath and looked at the nurse. "…I don't think there's anyone who can help me…" she mumbled, her eyes filling with tears.
"Why is that?"
Charisma shook her head and looked down. "I don't know where I came from…"
The nurse patted Charisma's back sympathetically. "Don't worry. We'll be able to find your parents. What's your name? How old are you?"
"My name…is Charisma. I'm 16."
"Charisma? That's a pretty name." The nurse gave her a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry about anything. We'll try to find your parents."
Charisma's shoulders fell. "I don't think that's going to be possible."
"In any case, there's a youth center located a few blocks from here. If all else falls through, you can stay there for free, so you won't have to sleep on the streets. On top of that, they can even help you find a job."
Charisma felt her spirits lift slightly. Knowing she at least would have a place to stay, Charisma felt a bit of relief. Still, the situation wasn't looking good. She would need to find help, somehow, somewhere, if she hoped to get back to where she belonged.
After discussing the situation with the doctors, the nurse went ahead and set up everything so that Charisma could make her move into the youth center once she was discharged from the hospital. She was put under the care of a friendly and older lady named Tansy.
"You'll be well taken care of here, Charisma," the brown-haired woman reassured her as they walked through the halls of the youth center and into a large gymnasium. "Please let us know if you need anything."
"Thank you very much for your help," Charisma smiled at her halfheartedly and went to her designated cot for the night. She felt strange at seeing so many youngsters like herself sleeping on the other cots around.
'It's funny…I don't feel so alone…' she thought as she carefully lay down.'Tomorrow…I think I'll go to Capsule Corp and try to find someone who can help me. Maybe I can even find Aunt Bulma somewhere and she can help me. I don't have another choice…'
…
Charisma was grateful to have a safe and warm place to stay for the night. Even so, she spent the entire night wondering what happened. After eating breakfast and changing into an old set of clothes that was given to her by Tansy, Charisma took off towards Capsule Corp in the morning.
"Please be back before it gets too dark, you hear?" Tansy warned her.
"I will…" Charisma replied. "I won't take long."
Charisma walked around West City and couldn't help but feel at least some sense of excitement. She'd never seen so many people, so many happy looking people. The only looks she'd gotten used to were those of pain, terror and sadness. She'd never been allowed to walk around freely on her own either.
Charisma took a deep breath as she drank in the sights. 'I'm gonna try not to worry about anything. I'm sure there's a way to go back. If there was a way for me to come here, then it's not impossible for me to go back, right?' Charisma smiled feebly and took off running down the street. 'All I gotta do is find Aunt Bulma!'
Charisma greatly misjudged the distance to the Capsule Corp building and ended up walking for about a good thirty minutes. Nonetheless, she found herself standing in front of the headquarters and gazing up at the tall, tall office building. For some reason, she was becoming nervous.
'What if…they can't help me? Will they even know what I'm talking about?'
Charisma's finger fiddled with the bottom of her gray hoodie. She swallowed at her nervousness and stepped inside the air-conditioned lobby. Various people stood around and bustled about, in their suits and ties. The receptionist was busy typing away at her computer and simultaneously talking on the phone.
'What should I say?' Charisma wondered. 'Who can I talk to?'
"Tell the Boss I'll finish it when I return from lunch!" a voice blared loudly as the elevator doors opened. A tall, dark-haired man in a suit was talking on his cell phone and hung up once he stepped out to the lobby. "Really, can't a guy even grab something to eat in peace?" he grumbled angrily.
Charisma watched as he headed towards the exit. 'Maybe he can tell me something?'
Charisma hurried over and called to him. "Excuse me, sir!"
The man turned around and looked at her. "Yes, what is it?" he snapped.
"Well, I just have a question," she stuttered nervously. His cold and annoyed look, as well as his tall stature, were rather intimidating. "…what do you think about time…travel?"
"Excuse me?" he asked, looking a bit puzzled.
"…Well, Capsule Corp has always been a very innovative company," she stammered. Her mind fumbled for an explanation as to why she was asking such a crazy question in the first place. "I was having a discussion with my classmates at school, and we were wondering if it's ever going to be possible, and if so, Capsule Corp might be the company to do it."
The guy chuckled somewhat haughtily. "That's a good sentiment to have, but there's no way that could happen. It's impossible…Anyway, I have to get going. I only have a half hour lunch break!"
Charisma's face fell but she nodded at him and put on a smile. "I'm sorry. Thank you for your time." Her pout grew more as she watched him leave. 'People are going to think I'm crazy if I talk about time travel or Androids…no one here knows of such a thing…how is anyone going to believe me, much less, help me?'
Dejected, Charisma began making her way back to the youth center, dragging her feet on the ground. 'What am I going to do? I'm running out of options…' Charisma was quietly lost in thought as she walked down the street.
The loud honk of a car horn snapped her out of her thoughts. Charisma has wandered a little too far from the sidewalk and down the road. She jumped back to the sidewalk in the nick of time.
"Look out! Do you want to get killed!" the driver of the blue hover car blared as he passed.
Charisma's frown deepened as she continued walking. Casually looking up to the other side of the road, she caught sight of a head of blue green hair. Charisma gasped once she recognized the face.
"Aunt Bulma!" Charisma exclaimed. "It's definitely her! She still looks the same as I remember…"
It took a minute for Charisma to notice the tall, dark-haired man walking beside her. They seemed to be quarreling about something, but sure enough, they linked arms together and walked down the street, happy as can be.
"I wonder if that's Trunks' dad…" Charisma wondered. She couldn't help but smile. "It would be so cool if I could meet them!" Remembering her situation, Charisma brushed off the idea of simply mingling with them. She watched as the pair headed towards a small and warm looking building with a sign that read "Sweet Morning Cafe." The dark-haired man opened the door and Bulma walked inside.
"I've got to get closer…" Charisma said and hurried across the street and into the café. The bell above the door clicked as she stepped inside. Putting on her oversized hood, Charisma spotted the table where Bulma and her date were sitting and sat behind them.
'This is good…' she thought. 'Now I can hear what they're talking about…'
"This place makes the best coffee and desserts," Bulma said, and Charisma smiled at hearing her voice.
'Her voice is still the same as I remember…'
"I guess I'll be bringing you here more often if you like it so much," the man replied. "I'm getting tired of that other place…"
Charisma was startled by the waitress that came by and asked her for her order. "Oh…" Charisma stuttered. "I'm just waiting for someone…"
Charisma sat there for a long while, listening to the conversation. 'It's definitely my Aunt Bulma all right…Now I just gotta figure out how to talk to her without seeming strange.'
Charisma stood up and hurried to the counter. "I was wondering…are you hiring?"
"Yes, we are," the waitress behind the counter replied.
'If I get a job here, then hopefully I'll see Bulma more often.'
...
In time, Charisma was slowly trying to pick herself up. Her stay at the youth center wasn't so bad but she didn't really try to make friends with anyone there. Her main goal was trying to find a way back to the future and she was sure it would happen someday.
The days dragged on and on and two months soon passed. With the help of the counselors at the youth center, Charisma was able to snag the job at Sweet Morning Cafe. Although Charisma intended to connect with Bulma, she also needed the job in order to survive. After all, she arrived in this world with only the clothes on her back.
The world Charisma had come from was such an ugly place that even the simplest of things were dangerous to do. Charisma missed out on many experiences that a teenager might do, such as getting their first job.
When Charisma was hired at the cafe, she realized how lucky she was to have gotten to experience her first job now. She was eternally grateful to the youth center for helping her find employment, and the cafe owner, Dino, who welcomed the inexperienced girl to join his business.
Charisma worked at the cafe for several weeks before she saw Bulma again. In the meantime, she tried to make the most of her time there. Charisma particularly took a liking to a lady in the cafe named Tira who seemed to be a master of baked sweets. Whenever Charisma would enter the cafe in the morning, the sweet smell of baked goods was almost intoxicating and made her mouth water so much.
As the cafe's only baker, Tira would arrive at the cafe earlier than anyone to prepare the cakes, pies, and cookies for the day.
"Your desserts are delicious and beautiful, too," Charisma said to Tira one day as she helped herself to a cupcake.
"Thank you," Tira responded. "It took many years of practice to perfect my recipes, but it was a lot of fun along the way."
"I've always wanted to learn how to bake," Charisma said. Her eyes fell when she remembered her chaotic world, and how such an opportunity would likely never happen. "...I just never had the chance to."
Like most of the people Charisma had run into, Tira was unaware of the traumatic experiences Charisma had faced in her world. They didn't even know such a world existed. Tira avoided prying into the girl's past, but it was clear Charisma hadn't lived an easy life.
Tira smiled sympathetically at the girl. "Hey, how about you come in early tomorrow and I'll show you my ways?"
Charisma's face lit up. "You mean, you'll show me?"
"Of course," Tira said. "I could certainly use the help!"
…
Sure enough, Bulma frequented the café with her date, whom Charisma learned was named Yamcha. In an effort to strike up conversation, Charisma discounted their meals as often as she could, even if it meant picking up the missing portion of the tab herself. Her plan worked and she was able to converse with the pair often, to the point where their visits would become more frequent. Just having Bulma and Yamcha there made Charisma's day brighter.
On a relatively quiet afternoon, Bulma entered the café on her own. She waved at Charisma once she caught sight of the blonde girl at the other end of the building.
Charisma grinned warmly at her and came over. "Hey, how have you been?"
"I've been great, Charisma," Bulma responded and took a seat at a nearby booth. "How's work been? You seem to be working a lot lately."
"Yeah, I have," Charisma said, sitting down with a sigh. "You came in at just the right time. I'm taking my break now."
"Great, so we'll finally have a chance to chat," Bulma said happily.
"I ordered food. You can help yourself if you'd like."
"You're so nice," Bulma said sweetly. "Do you ever get a day off?"
"Yeah, but I usually prefer to work." Charisma took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. "I've been working really hard on learning how to bake. Besides, it's not like I really have anywhere else to be."
"Why is that?"
Charisma debated whether or not now would be the right time to ask for her help. They had only been acquaintances for a few short weeks. Instead, Charisma explained her situation the best way she could without revealing too much. As the girls ate, Charisma explained that she'd been lost somehow without any memory of her parents and how she was staying at the youth center for now.
Bulma gave her a look of pity that made her feel a bit uneasy. "What's it like over there?"
"It's not that bad," Charisma said. "It's better than nothing, for sure. I'm incredibly grateful that I have a place to stay for now. But I don't know how long that will last. I've been trying to save up money from my job here at the cafe to hopefully rent a place for myself."
"I see…" Bulma looked a little down, but her face brightened up as she leaned towards the girl. "Hey, would you like to spend the night over at my house?"
Charisma almost spit out her soda. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Really? But…I don't want to impose…"
"Don't be silly!" Bulma said with a wave of her hand. "I can't quite explain it, but I feel in my heart like I'm the only one who can help you. I just have to do something."
Bulma's words struck Charisma in the heart. She had to keep her mouth from falling open in astonishment. It must've been a major coincidence or just sheer luck that Bulma was feeling the same way as Charisma did; that even now, Bulma knew she was the only person who could help.
"…I don't know what to say…" Charisma said weakly, feeling tears of happiness about overcoming her. 'I might just have a chance!'she mentally exclaimed.
"Hey, hey!" Bulma said quickly, her face filled with empathy. "No need to cry! Just say yes."
Charisma nodded her head enthusiastically. "Okay! Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me."
...
Unsurprisingly, Charisma enjoyed being in the Capsule Corp house much more than she liked being at the youth center. For starters, the house on the inside was still as warm and inviting as in her memories. Charisma never had the chance to meet Bulma's parents in her time, aside from possibly when she was a toddler. She was pleased at how they were so wonderfully nice. Bulma's mother fed Charisma with so many sweets she thought she would pop.
Charisma's visits to Bulma's house became frequent and Charisma began spending her days off of work with her. They would either spend it in the house, watching movies and hanging out, or even heading down to the city to walk around and explore. At times, Charisma almost forgot about her predicament entirely, and it was as if her worries had suddenly disappeared. This worry-free feeling was not something Charisma was used to, but she embraced it as much as she could.
"I don't know what it is," Bulma told Charisma one day. "But I feel like I've known you forever."
Charisma didn't know what to say.'We might be from different timelines,' Charisma thought. 'But I guess our connection in that world still exists here somehow.'"So do I," Charisma responded with a warm smile.
After Charisma returned to the youth center that night, she found it hard to sleep with so many wonderful feelings buzzing inside of her. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel alone anymore. Instead, she felt hope.
'I can't believe my luck in having found Bulma,' Charisma thought as she lay on her cot.'I wonder if her feelings have anything to do with our connection in my time. That's the only explanation I can think of. I finally feel like I'm getting closer to going back home. I've even gotten to meet Trunks' grandparents. It's almost as if…just by knowing them I feel closer to him somehow.'
While thinking of him, Charisma also thought about her mother. 'I hope she's okay…she must be so worried about me. Please be strong, Mom.' Charisma prayed silently to herself as she drifted into sleep.
...
A few days passed and Bulma hadn't shown up at the café in quite a while. Charisma hoped everything with her was all right but couldn't help but worry. Things in her life always seemed to take a turn for the worst. This time would prove different, however.
One Monday morning, Charisma stood behind the counter, leaning against its top surface, her chin on the palm of her hand. Her eyes glinted with boredom, and she sighed heavily. Today was not a busy day at all, so far. After assisting Tira with preparing the day's baked goods, there wasn't much else for Charisma to do. There were no clients around at all and Charisma was on her own as her coworker was now on a week-long vacation.
The bell rang above the door as it opened. Charisma looked up and smiled warmly, standing up straight and bowing. "Good morning, Bulma."
"Hi, Charisma," she greeted as she sat at the counter. "What's up?"
"Nothing much," Charisma sighed and placed her chin back in her hands on the counter. "I'm not as busy as I usually am, today."
"I see," Bulma said, pausing before speaking up again. "Hey, Charisma…I know this might sound a little sudden, but I've been talking to my parents."
"Really?" Charisma asked casually as she wiped the countertop with a moist cloth. "About what? Is there anything wrong?"
"No, not at all," Bulma replied. "It's just that I've been thinking a lot myself, too. You're such a good person with a less than perfect life. You said you were all alone in this world. It really got me thinking, you know?"
Charisma's eyebrows furrowed up slightly, not sure where she was going with this. "…Yeah, I see."
"…Well, I don't mean to sound like I'm prying into your personal life or anything…but I asked my parents if it was alright for you to live with us for a while."
Charisma dropped her cloth and stood up straight immediately, locking eyes with Bulma. "…Seriously? You mean for real?" Charisma smiled excitedly but her face dropped instantly. "That's very nice of you, Bulma, don't get me wrong. I really appreciate it but…I don't want to be a burden…"
"You won't be, silly," Bulma said, folding her arms. "It's not like you asked me for any favors. I'm offering you a place to stay on my own. I don't think it's a good idea for a girl your age to be wandering about the streets late at night on her own."
Charisma felt so much happiness sinking in, it was almost overwhelming. 'I can't believe it…this is incredible!'
"Believe me when I say that I feel like I'm the only one who can help you. This feels like the right thing to do so I'm going to do it. And you work so hard so there's no way you could possibly be a burden. Besides, my house is more than big enough for you to live comfortably and believe it or not, we're pretty well off anyway. You don't even have to pay rent."
"Aww, but that's too much!" Charisma responded. "I don't want to mooch off of you guys!"
Bulma shook her head. "You're still very young. My parents feel the same way I do about the situation. You need guidance and help. We're more than willing to take you into our home."
Charisma felt her eyes tearing up with tears of happiness. Charisma stepped around the counter and bowed respectfully to Bulma many, many times. A thousand thank you's and all the money in the world couldn't express how grateful she felt.
Bulma chuckled and stood up from her seat on the stool. "Hey, hey! There's no need for that now."
"I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me…" Charisma said gratefully.
"Just say yes, silly," she welcomed the blond with a smile. "It's no problem at all. Believe me."
"I would love to," Charisma nodded, grinning with genuine warmth. "…I can't even begin to thank you enough."
Bulma blushed and cocked her head to the side graciously. "Don't worry about it. Come over whenever you're ready. You can even move in tomorrow if that's alright with you."
"Of course!" Charisma said enthusiastically. "I should tell the people at the youth center before I go, though."
"Definitely," Bulma responded. "Just don't take too long, all right?"
"Sure," Charisma chuckled and beamed brightly.
"Great!" Bulma grabbed her purse from the stool beside her and smiled at Charisma. "I'll see you then."
Charisma waved to Bulma as she left the café. She couldn't fight off the feeling of relief and could barely keep her happy tears away. 'Impossible…' she thought.'It seems things are finally looking up! I'm so glad.'
Charisma hurried over to the youth center as soon as she got off of work.
"I'm happy for you," Tansy said sweetly. "My goal is to help youngsters such as yourself to pick themselves up and find their way. This is a good sign of good things to come, don't you think?"
Charisma nodded with a warm smile. "I definitely think so."
"Take care, Charisma. You'll live a happy life. I'm sure of it."
...
The following morning, Charisma showed up at Bulma's house just before 11 a.m. She didn't have much on her other than a small backpack of clothes that she had purchased after working in the café.
"You're finally here!" Bulma exclaimed as she opened the front door to the Capsule Corp house. "I thought you'd never show up!"
"You know I wasn't going to turn down your invitation, Bulma," Charisma replied with a witty smile.
"Welcome home!" Mrs. Brief said cheerfully and hurried over to Charisma. "I'm so glad you agreed to come! This is your home now, all right?"
Charisma bowed respectfully to Mrs. Brief. "Thank you so much! I'll be sure to be on my best behavior."
"You don't have to worry about anything," she said as she began walking towards the kitchen. "I've got some more sweets for you to enjoy. Have a seat!"
Bulma lightly tugged on Charisma's arm. "Hey, let me show you your room."
Charisma's face brightened up even more. "Sure!"
Charisma's designated bedroom was right down the hall from Bulma's. She was floored at how spacey it was. The walls were a pleasing shade of sky blue and the bed in the center of the room was big and comfy. Charisma couldn't remember the last time she had such a nice bed to herself.
"I see you like it," Bulma said jokingly at Charisma's expression. "I hope it suits your tastes."
"You could send me to sleep on the floor and it would suit my tastes!" Charisma exclaimed. "I really don't know what to say."
"Enough of that!" Bulma said softly. "Let's go to the living room. I've got some guests over including some friends I'd like you to meet."
Charisma nodded and followed her along.
"My friends certainly aren't your everyday average people," Bulma explained as they made their way through the hall. "They can be nice when they want to be, though."
Charisma stifled a giggle.
"Anyway, there are a lot of interesting people in my life. You'll see when the time comes."
They entered the large living room and found Yamcha sitting on the couch in front of the television. Sitting beside him was a small statured pig.
Charisma smiled at recognizing the dark-haired man. "Hi Yamcha!" she called to him and waved.
"Well, nice to see you're all comfy," Bulma announced. "I have a new friend I'd like you to meet, too, Oolong."
'Oolong?' Charisma thought.'I think I've met him before…at least a few times as a child when I stayed with Bulma. It's almost like déjà vu…'
"A friend?" said Oolong standing up from the couch.
"Yeah, she's going to be living here with me from now on," Bulma explained as she gave Oolong a hard look. "Be on your best behavior, you hear me?"
"What are you talking about?" he retorted as if that was the most insulting thing she could say. "I'm always well behaved."
Bulma simply huffed. "Well…"
"Nice to meet you," Charisma said with a friendly smile. "I'm Charisma."
"Oolong," he grinned. "Yeah, same here…"
"Nice to meet you, Charisma!" an adorable little blue cat flew up toward the blond girl.
'I think I remember her, too…'
Charisma brushed off her thoughts and stepped forward. "And who are you?"
"This is our friend, Puar," Yamcha explained, walking toward them.
"Looks like we have a lot of talking to do," Bulma told Charisma with a wink. "Now that we're going to be living together, it's almost like we're sisters, don't you think?"
Charisma smiled and clapped her hands. "I like the sound of that. I never had a sister."
"Well, then I'll be the best sister you can hope for!" Bulma giggled and turned to the guys. "Now that we're all acquainted, let's go outside for some fresh air and make Charisma feel at home."
A few short moments later, they group sat together on a small balcony on the side of the round building. They sipped iced orange juice and joked the entire afternoon without a care in the world. Charisma was beginning to feel at home already. It'd been such a long time since she'd been able to breathe easy. At one point in their banter, Yamcha randomly burst out into song, causing Charisma to laugh and almost spit out her drink.
"You goof!" laughed Bulma, sitting on the railing. "Where did you come up with that?"
"It's from an old cat food commercial," Yamcha explained with a chuckle. "Puar hates it when I do that."
"I ate cat food once," Oolong suddenly said with a strange face. "Worst thing I ever tasted."
Charisma chuckled and shook her head. "Well, I've eaten cat food, too. I was seriously starving and didn't have much of a choice. Surprisingly, it wasn't so bad." The gang eyed her with confused glances, and she blushed, laughing awkwardly.
"Speaking of strange things, I had a weird dream last night that Vegeta came back," Bulma casually changed the subject.
"Vegeta…?" Charisma repeated as she cocked her head to the side.
Bulma looked over to the girl and chuckled. "Oh yeah. I haven't told you about him. You don't know the guy. I'm not sure if you'll want to, either…"
"…Wait a second!" Yamcha suddenly shouted, abruptly standing up. Bulma and Charisma turned toward him. "You dreamt about Vegeta?!"
"You know," she said softly, as if reminiscing. "He was actually pretty nice to me in the dream. And a good kisser, too…"
"WHAT?! You kissed him?!" Yamcha's face became horribly red, and his eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head.
"It was just a dream, Yamcha…" she replied as-a-matter-of-factly.
Charisma took a sip from her cup of juice and looked up with a sigh. 'I'm going to meet more people soon. These must be the friends Bulma lost in my time…' Thinking of it, Charisma's face fell. 'So…how much time do we have now until the Androids take over this world, too?'
No one seemed to notice Charisma's sudden gloom. Instead, she was snapped from her thoughts by Oolong's loud and obnoxious snicker.
"You poor sap…you're jealous, aren't you? Admit it!" he teased Yamcha.
Yamcha sighed and sat on his seat, regaining his composure. "Yeah right. What do I have to be jealous of?"
Bulma's mother walked into the scene, carrying a tray of tea. "Speaking of Vegeta…" she said with her perky voice. "…Your dad said he should be running out of fuel soon!" She giggled to herself like it wasn't anything important.
Bulma gasped suddenly and jumped off from the railing. "Vegeta's running out of fuel…?" she repeated sadly. She turned around and looked up to the sky, as if searching for him, as if praying. Charisma was about to speak but decided to remain silent. After all, Bulma didn't seem so happy anymore.
Charisma stared out into the sky as she contemplated her situation.'I wonder if I should say something now about where I came from…? Would any of them even believe me? No way. It's too soon. I can't get ahead of myself. But…what about the Androids? When are they going to show up…?' Charisma's eyes studied the passing clouds, widening when she came to a conclusion. 'If I were to tell them about the Androids…would that affect my future, too? What would happen…? There's no way they'd believe that though…'
Bulma gasped loudly and began pointing up at the sky frantically. "Hey, hey! Look at that! What is that?"
The others obeyed her orders and looked up to see a large object burning through the atmosphere and plowing straight towards them. They all stood up in their seats, totally alarmed.
"It's going to crash!" Charisma said in a panic.
Suddenly, the object crashed down with an earth-shattering rumble, right in front of the house. A thick cloud of smoke blew everywhere, and everyone stood with their eyes and jaws wide open in shock.
"What the hell was that?!" Yamcha demanded, running to the direction of the crash.
Bulma groaned in frustration and ran after him. "Wait for me!"
Not knowing what else to do, Charisma followed along. "Me too!"
When they arrived at the scene of the crash, they found Bulma's mother standing with her tea.
"I didn't know we were having more guests dropping by," she giggled. "Goodness! I definitely need to put another pot of tea!"
The door on the spherical ship opened and out walked a man with tall, spiky black hair. Yamcha's eyes narrowed threateningly as he growled and prepared for a fight.
"Vegeta…" he snarled. "What are you doing here?!"
At that moment, Bulma and Charisma arrived and stopped right behind Yamcha as well. Bulma's mom giggled, totally clueless as ever. "Oh my…maybe you prefer some coffee?"
Vegeta growled and threw them a glance overflowing with disgust and hatred. "I was hoping that Kakarot might have finally returned."
"What? No way!" Yamcha loosened up slightly. "You never found him in space?"
Vegeta leapt right in front of Yamcha menacingly. "Don't remind me," he snarled. "I'm angry enough to hurt someone and pounding you might just be the therapy I need."
"Hey guys! What's that awful smell?" Bulma suddenly interrupted, stepping in between them. "Oh, it's you!" she said, poking Vegeta on his chest plate. "When's the last time you had a bath? You need one, desperately!" She smirked at him and placed a hand on her hip. "Please, this way."
Vegeta stared after her as she walked toward the house. She realized he wasn't behind her and turned her head to look at him. "Well, what? Do you want me to roll out the red carpet?" she snapped. Vegeta growled but momentarily bit his tongue and followed her lead.
"Unreal…" Yamcha muttered in disbelief.
"I hope she knows what she's doing," commented Puar.
"…So that's the guy…" Charisma said slowly, letting the situation sink in as she watched Bulma and Vegeta enter the house. Her eyes traveled back to Yamcha. "He seems nice…I guess…"
Yamcha huffed and shook his head. "You're being sarcastic, huh?"
"…Yes."
"Hey, does anyone take lemon?" Mrs. Briefs poured tea into a cup, still completely clueless.
...
After Vegeta had showered (and Bulma embarrassed him by giving him a pink shirt to wear), the group sat at a table in the backyard as Bulma cooked meat on the grill.
"I can't remember the last time I had barbecued meat," Charisma said happily as she munched on a shish kebab. "It's so yummy."
"No kidding! This is great!" Oolong snorted as he attacked the strips of meat on his plate. "I'm pigging out here!"
Charisma stopped mid bite when she felt a tingle that started in her stomach and rose up to the top of her head. '…it must be a power level I'm sensing…It's been so long since I've felt anything like this. I've never felt anything so strong…' Perplexed, she looked up at the sky as if searching for the source of the power.
Vegeta growled and punched the table, effectively startling everyone. "So, he failed after all. Frieza's still alive and he's coming."
"Wait!" said Yamcha. "How do you know? Maybe it can be somebody else. Come on!"
"I know!" Vegeta retorted with a scalding tone. "I make it my business to know! Unlike you."
Yamcha stood up off his seat so quickly that it fell back. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hey Vegeta!" Bulma said, casually interrupting their fight. "Would you like more barbeque sauce on your spareribs?"
Everyone stared after her with bewilderment. She was never one to be shy, but she was being extra bold today.
"Sure, why not…" Vegeta grumbled as he sat back down.
"I'm not sure I understand what's going on…" Charisma stated.
Yamcha looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sure you're going to find this all really bizarre…but there's nothing to worry about."
"I'll explain everything later," Bulma said as she turned to her. "I know I've told you a few things about my friends before but this…It's a long story. You'll see." Bulma turned her attention to Yamcha. "So, what are you going to do?"
"We have no other choice," said Yamcha. "We have to fight…"
Charisma shut her eyes as she felt nervousness and fear begin to wash over her. She tightened her fist as if trying to keep those feelings in check. 'Looks like the time has come to put my training to the test…' Looking backing up at the sky, her eyes narrowed defiantly. 'I'm ready…'
