- 5 -
Dazed and Befuddled
His fingers flew over the keys, moving at lightning speed as he hacked into the other pod. Or at least tried to... The console peeped angrily at him, not wanting to do what he commanded. His own pod wasn't meant for this type of advanced stuff, especially while traveling. But he had no choice. The prince was in danger, weakened as he was. If Raditz managed to get to Earth... All hope for the future would be lost if Bardock didn't succeed in deterring his wayward son until he could at least reach Vegeta. He still couldn't believe it... his son had given into the betrayers'. His own flesh and blood. He understood why. In his own way Raditz thought he could help their people. But his son did not see what he saw and that was the fact that their people needed their prince. He was the key to their future...
Cursing, he forced himself not to hit the damnable contraption. "Ancient piece of junk." He really needed to look into getting better transportation, but then that would draw unwanted attention from Freeza and the Cold family.
Seeing as how the method he was using wasn't working, he sighed, rubbing his brow. Think, damnit... think...There had to be another way to break past the vastness of space that separated the two pods and get into the newer system, but he was at a loss for how. Yet, even if he had a new ship it would still be difficult. Because despite how advanced the universe was they still couldn't figure out a communication devise that worked 100% of the time while traveling. And that was what his problem was now. Well... that and if he did manage to make contact the more advanced pod would block his attempts. It didn't matter how good of a hacker someone was if the connection sucked. And he had outdated technology. Bardock simply couldn't deter his son. He tried to keep himself calm, not let the pressure get to him, but the cold, hollow truth was that time was running out. If he didn't figure out something soon the vision he had seen would never come to pass.
He closed his eyes as he hit his head on the back of the pod with frustration. Even now he could see the vision as if it was the first time. The flash of blue of the striking girl's hair as she ran in front of his prince's battered and bloody body, staring defiantly up at Raditz just before he fired a yellow pinpoint beam through her heart and continuing to Vegeta's chest, killing them both with a single shot. The older Saiyan was captivated by the look in her eyes just before: the determination, the fear, her rage... It was a storm he rarely saw. Then to have it all turn vacant, dull and lifeless as her life left, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth as she fell to her knees... all the while Raditz's laugh flat in his ears. Only to hazily hear, "You're going to pay for that..."At first Bardock had no idea who this man could be, but he could feel Raditz's surprise as the outline of a man with spiky hair appeared in the fog, then to have it end as suddenly as it began. The vision was as bothersome as it was confusing.
When he first got this vision, he wasn't sure what he should do. As far as he knew Freeza still had his clutches on the prince and his spies hadn't said anything to him about an escape. Then a week later the message came, that the spy had been able to free the prince... Nothing more was said and Bardock hadn't been able to contact the spy since to learn more. He then took the only clue he had, the girl. She was the race most akin to his own he had seen yet, other than the hair and eyes... but it had been a start. However, searching the interstellar data base he found nothing of a planet that contained such beings. He was stumped, at a loss for what to do and how to help his prince... After a week working at it and with the help of another Saiyan named Tash, they were able to hack into Freeza's spaceship logs and find the destination.
What he found he just couldn't believe... The coordinates he knew! They were imprinted in his mind. How could he overlook it? His youngest son was sent just a day before the destruction of planet Vegeta to purge a planet called Earth at those very coordinates for the despicable Cold family. Not much had been known about the far-off planet at the time, other than it had life forms that had little to no ki and no contact with the universe. With this new information he put Tash in chare (for the most part), despite the fact that it angered the elites. And left on his new mission: to save the prince. Bardock communicated when he could, but as stated before, connection sucked.
He jerked, sitting up as an idea formed in his head thinking about the young Saiyan. His fingers once again flying over the keys. If he could connect with Tash... then have him connect with the pod at the same time... Maybe, just maybe hacking might work. Typing the command for the comlink he waited, muttering soft prayers to long dead Saiyan gods. Seconds painfully passed as the screen waited to make contact with the main Saiyan base on the nearly sunless planet Yarz. Finally, what felt like a lifetime and then some, the pod crackled as the connection was made and the young Saiyan's sleeping face came into view. It amazed Bardock every time how much Tash looked like the prince.
"Tash..." When he didn't wake he growled, "Tash, damn it."
"Wha- what?" the young Saiyan said sleepily, wiping the drool from his face, only to have his eyes widened upon seeing him. "Bardock... is everything okay? Have you found him yet?"
"No." The older Saiyan frowned, folding his arms. "I'm on the tail of Raditz still, I've been trying to hack into his pod."
He whistled, patronizing, "That's a feat..."
"Shut it, cub." It also sometimes amazed him how un-Saiyan like the boy was with the way he joked around and was so... cheerful all the time. "I need you to try and hack his pod as I do it from my end."
Smiling with understanding, he cracked his knuckles. "You ask, you shall receive..." Bardock then heard the audible sound of the younger Saiyan's fingers hitting the keys as Tash typed. It wasn't even a minute later when the cub said, "Okay, I got a lock on both of you, tell me when..."
He shook his head, breathless, as he noticed a new screen appear showing the boy's progress. "Hold off." For all the boy's shortcomings as a Saiyan he was a genius when it came to computers and technology within them. "You're going too fast."
A sly grin appeared on Tash's lips. "You mean I'm too good for you..."
Bardock snorted, "Keep your ego in check, cub, or Vegeta will think you took his spot." They both chuckled at the memory of their prince's overzealous view of himself for a few minutes before falling silent.
Sighing, he rested his head on his hand that was propped up on the desk, frowning. "Do you think he's okay?"
Only partially paying attention to him as Bardock typed, he glanced sideways at the image of Tash's face on the screen. "I don't know, Tash... you know I haven't had many visions of him."
Truthfully, he had received many, but he didn't have the heart to tell the young Saiyan about them. The prince had been... No, Vegeta was his idol and only relative. And while the prince might not admit it, he knew he cared for his cousin. But still, telling Tash about the visions... would be a horrible idea. He had enough trouble keeping the cub out of the war as it was. If he learned of the truth, the torture... He shivered just thinking about the dreadful atrocities committed against Vegeta. Tash would go insane with rage. As it stood no one knew Bardock had lived some of that boy's torment with him, and he was going to be damn sure to keep it that way. He had wished so many times that the telepathic link lasted over great distances so he could have been there for support, but then knowing his prince that might have made it worse. Moreover, Bardock was afraid that what little progress he had made with Vegeta when he first managed to take him back from Freeza's clutches was gone... Sure, he had still killed. His monstrous bloodlust rivaled that of all other Saiyans the older Saiyan had ever known, but at least the killing was to a minimum and he had started to think once more for the future... for his tattered race. Only the gods knew what Vegeta would do now.
Bardock still blamed himself for the betrayal. He should have seen it! And protected the boy, but he had been just as surprised as everyone else. And for that Vegeta had spent five years in hell with that crazed Lacertilla (Freeza). The guilt weighed heavily on Bardock... The boy had trusted him to keep him from harm and he had failed him. He just hoped what little bond they had formed would still be there when he finally reached Vegeta. Pushing the thoughts out of his head, he finished typing the command.
"Okay now, Tash." When he pushed the button his pod wailed angrily, making his ears hurt, but... to his relief it was working.
"Okay, you're in... Need anything else?"
Bardock shook his head. "Just keep attacking the pod while I finish this... just in case."
Working past the layers of protection, he typed in another command that changed the destination set for his son's pod. With any luck Raditz wouldn't notice until it was too late... his son wasn't a mindless warrior –he was his son after all– but hopefully he was asleep from the drugs and wouldn't wake when the pod beeped the new coordinates. Sighing with relief, Bardock leaned back just as his connection with the pod was severed. If he had been just a second or two slower it would have failed... He glanced over at Tash who was typing quickly, trying to establish a connection on his end now that the older Saiyan was out, and cursing harshly in the Saiyan tongue when he couldn't.
Then with a wide grin he laughed happily. "Got it... looks like he didn't notice either, Bardock, it's still on the new course... give me a sec and I can hack into the cam." It was only a second later when he exclaimed joyfully, "Yessss... sleeping like a cub." He looked back at him. "You want me to keep this connection just in case? I know I can't do anything other than spy this far away... but I can try and alert you if it changes."
"Yes, do that." Bardock finally gave a small grin. "I'll contact you again when I've made contact."
"Vale, Bardock..."
"Vale, Tash, be good." He gave the young Saiyan an amused look, knowing by now the cub probably had the elites up in arms by doing or saying something.
"Who, me?" He feigned hurt, all the while his eyes glinted mischievously. With that the connection was severed and Bardock was alone once more in the seemingly endless stars with his thoughts.
.~-~.
Vegeta's sleep was restless. He tossed and turned in his bed as light from the afternoon sun filtered into his room. His eyes moved under his eyelids as the gory images streamed in his head. Screams whispering from the darkness of his past, his mind not staying on one thing in particular but giving him bits and pieces of horrors he had committed throughout his life or atrocities done to him. His brow was beaded with cold sweat, tense as if any moment he was going to be attacked. He had a few dreams akin to this through the years... but nothing like this... It was as if the floodgates had been thrown wide open and he was now living every little thing all over. His first death, his first purging mission, the first cries as someone begged him to stop and how sick he felt after killing them. He had only been six. His hands had shaken, covered in blood. How so swiftly after that he became dull to it all... Freeza keeping his little monster busy, shaping him into his personal assassin.
"Me filus..."(My son) His mother's sorrowful voice rattled in his mind, "Cur?" (Why)
Vegeta's eyes snapped open with a start as his chest rose and fell, breathing heavily. Never before had he heard his mother in his dreams. He remembered dimly how during his first year in Freeza's service (what a lie! it was full-out slavery), he had wished so much to hear her voice again. But that had vanished quickly as all hope died, knowing that was never going to happen... The link they shared severed forever with the destruction of his planet and her death. Bringing his hand up to his head he slowly sat up, confused. Why was he remembering this? Why was he dreaming of all this now? All those firsts... Normally when he dreamed of the carnage that was his life, it meant little to him. And for that he had pushed these memories so deep into his mind that he thought them gone forever. Why would they surface now?
It didn't make any logical sense whatsoever since he had completely forgotten them. Was it his new budding conscience? Did that damn woman do this to him? Most definitely. But as he recalled all the memories he promptly forgot about her. An old ache had resurfaced. Demons he thought he had long conquered in his attempts to keep his sanity were emerging. He closed his eyes as ancient emotions stirred dangerously at the surface, no longer knowing what they meant. Frustrated, he rubbed his brow. He didn't need this... not now. Finally out of that bastard Freeza's grasp for a few moments and he was cracking. If he was ever going to get his revenge he had to keep his killer instincts. Had to stay the monster he was. Had to keep killing to survive. There was no choice. As he thought, a strange rhythmic singing voice came to him from the cracked window.
There'll be peace when you're done.
Lay your weary head to rest,
Don't you cry no more."
At first he was so consumed with his thoughts he ignored it, his mind only dimly registering what was being said. However, when the guitar rift (an instrument he never heard before) started, his attention was dragged reluctantly to it. As he listened he stared out the window below at the twit mother in her garden, while Bulma and an older man who had to be her father were working on an almost reassembled space pod. His eyes widened in disbelief at how far they had come in less than two days since he had told the girl to leave his room. Ever since he stopped himself from hurting her, he had only seen her outside with her father through the glass working... His only company was when the mother brought him food. But that mattered little considering he had been asleep through most of the day.
He shook his head, returning to his stoic state as he tried to figure out where the strange sound was coming from. None of the Briefs were the source, so his eyes scanned the compound until they settled on a small black device off in the shade. Eyes narrowing ,he wondered what it was. He knew what music was, for traveling as he had throughout his life he had seen many cultures, but this had to be the most interesting music yet... He listened as the voice came back singing.
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion.
I was soaring ever higher,
But I flew too high."
His brow creased, taking in the words that clearly had a hidden meaning to them, yet, he wasn't sure what. So he continued to listen even though normally he wouldn't have give it the time of day. He cared little for the culture of others and had forgotten long ago the music his own race had... however, what he did know was that it was nothing like this. Saiyans mostly grunted with drums when a ceremonial war song was required.
"Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man.
Though my mind could think I still was a madman.
I hear the voices when I'm dreaming,
I can hear them say
Carry on my wayward son,
There'll be peace when you're done.
Lay your weary head to rest,
Don't you cry no more."
A chill settled over him. Confused as to why, he frowned and stared at the wall of the room in front of him. Somewhere inside the words hit home and yet he failed to grasp what they meant, for some of the Earthling words were foreign to him.
My charade is the event of the season.
And if I claim to be a wise man,
Well it surely means that I don't know.
On a stormy sea of moving emotion,
Tossed about like a ship on the ocean.
I set a course for winds of fortune,
But I hear the voices say
Carry on my wayward son,
There'll be peace when you're done.
Lay your weary head to rest,
Don't you cry no more.
NO!"
Through another guitar rift, he found himself liking the song and whatever instrument it was... Yet he was perplexed as to why other than it pleased his ears and sensitive hearing. While he was wayward, a drift from his people and lost home that was dust in space, he very much doubted there would be peace when he was done... Actually he knew there wouldn't be. If he finished off Freeza then the Cold family would certainly want his head, and if he managed to kill them, then that would leave a power vacuum. Not to mention he sure as hell wasn't crying...
Carry on, nothing equals the splendor.
Now your life's no longer empty,
Surely heaven waits for you.
Carry on my wayward son,
There'll be peace when you're done.
Lay your weary head to rest,
Don't you cry, don't you cry no more.
NO MORE!"
He shook his head again as the song ended with another guitar rift. What was this heaven they spoke of? He wasn't sure, but if it was meant to be a good thing then it surely didn't wait for him. He already knew he would not sit with his forefathers at the table in the afterlife. There was too much Saiyan blood on his hands... Not liking the thoughts the song stirred up, he got up slowly, his body still stiff. He grumbled under his breath, wondering why he was so weak... He needed to get back to fighting strength. Surely Freeza would send someone after him. He wasn't stupid to think he got away from him completely... But as it stood now he was no better than the frail weaklings that surrounded him.
Tugging the forgotten shirt from the other day on, he started out of his room. Taking the stairs down, he was glad no one was in the house or he would have been horrified to let them see him gradually taking one step at a time, leaning heavily on the wall. At the landing he found that the room was split into two by a half-wall, the kitchen was to the right and to the left a living room with some kind of sitting area with a black square hanging on the wall. Seeing the back door, he straightened his back and folded his arms across his chest and headed towards it. His body screamed at him to ease up, to hobble, but his pride would not allow for such weakness. Opening the door he stepped out, bringing his hand up to shield his eyes from the momentary glare of the sun.
Why don't you hit me with your best shot.
Hit me with your best shot.
Fire Away."
Cringing, he frowned as his ears were assaulted with another song... One that would have been fine other than the fact that the woman's mother was singing at the top of her lungs horribly off- key as her high pitch wails rang through the sky. He leaned against the doorway, his eyes carrying over to Bulma and her father. He found that she, too, was singing with a wrench in her hand as if it were a mic, her father glancing between the two of them with mild amusement playing on his face. However, Vegeta, knowing nothing of microphones or what they were used for, stared at her as if she were insane. Even so, he still found he enjoyed the sound of the song overall, it was something new to his ears, the drums in the background, the singer's raspy female voice, and the guitars...
That's okay, see if I care.
Knock me down, it's all in vain.
I'll get right back on my feet again.
Hit me with your best shot.
Why don't you hit me with your best shot.
Hit me with your best shot.
Fire Away."
Unlike the last song, he had a better general understanding of what this one meant, though the human phases were strange. It was a war song... if he understood it correctly. He found it rather amusing himself that the humans would have such a song considering they were weaker than shit. He wondered dimly if there were others like it when Bulma started to air guitar with the wrench, jumping around like a fool and shaking her head, while her father chuckled, pausing in his work. Her mother turned slightly with her back still to him, beaming as she continued singing with her daughter.
Of breaking little hearts, like the one in me.
Before I put another notch in my lipstick case,
You better make sure you put me in my place.
Hit me with your best shot.
Come on, hit me with your best shot.
Hit me with your best shot.
Fire Away.
Hit me with your best shot.
Why don't you hit me with your best shot.
Hit me with your best shot.
Fire Away."
With the end of the song Bulma started laughing happily as her mother clapped overzealously. "Good job, sweetie..." She turned swiftly, bowing playfully for her audience as another song came on in the background, which was ignored by everyone but him.
When she came up she noticed Vegeta and reddened. "Er... a hello." His brows rose upon seeing her face laden with embarrassment as she turned more red and found it all the more amusing and the corner of his lips twitched. Her parents looked up from their respected chores to look at him.
Mrs. Briefs got to her feet swiftly, realizing she had yet to make lunch for him. "Ahh, poor dear, you must be hungry, I'll get that started for you."
Vegeta eyed the woman nervously as her own eyes wandered down his body as she drew closer. He stepped out of the doorway for her, suppressing a shiver, his eyes not leaving her until the door was closed behind him. Forgetting her fleeting humiliation, Bulma grinned coyly seeing his own discomfort with her mother and folded her arms with the wrench still in her hand. Her father stood behind her, dusting himself off.
"Are you sure you should be up and about, jerk?" she asked as his head turned back to her.
Vegeta gave her a scowl, seeing his first assessment that she stayed away because she feared him was wrong. "Woman... your horrid racket woke me, and if you think I'd stay in that damn room all day again you better reconsider your logic."
"Oh, you..." She put her hands on her hips, flustered. "We weren't that loud... or bad, so shove it!"
He knew not what this 'shove it' was, but he got the idea she was telling him to stay quiet, something he would never do. They were glaring at each other when Dr. Briefs cleared his throat, "Bulma, can you get the portable computer... I think there's enough together that we can start looking at the schematics." Without losing any of her rage she stormed off to the lab's back door. Vegeta and her father both watching her go, the door slammed loudly behind her.
The doctor sighed, wiping his brow. "Lad... there was something I wanted to discuss with you, and parts of the topic upset my daughter."
Vegeta studied the man, intrigued as to what he had to say (and not so sure about this name he had given him). His attention, however, suddenly went to the black furry mass on his shoulder. Realizing the black object was a creature only when it moved to look at him. Its bright orange eyes stared eerily, unblinking, at him. To say it was unnerving wouldn't even begin to explain it. Then the little thing stood, stretching on the older man's shoulders before jumping down, pranced over to Vegeta, and proceeding to mop his leg, purring. He stood there unsure what to do. His first thought had been to kick it away but found he couldn't as the sounds of its purrs rang in his ears. It was a sound he recognized from his own race whenever they were content... it was also something he hadn't done since he left planet Vegeta in the service of Freeza.
The doctor chuckled, "Interesting, seems he likes you..." They both watched the cat as it sat next to Vegeta and meowed. "Looks like he wants you to pick him up..." Shaking his head, Dr. Briefs glanced over at the lab doors. "What I wanted to discuss was your condition... you can't control your ki, right?" There was something about the old man that he couldn't put his finger on as Vegeta slowly bent to pick up the small black creature, finding its fur to be soft like his tail. Its small body vibrated as he stood there holding it to his chest. The thought that it might look cute never crossing his mind.
Vegeta gave the man a weary look. "Maybe... how did you know?"
Nodding, Dr. Briefs turned slightly. "One of the drugs given to you by whoever held you captive... obviously used it to suppress your ki, which you most likely already know, but more importantly they were trying to rid you of your ki forever." As the old man spoke Vegeta was quickly reminded of Bardock, a shimmer of respect grew for the older man then.
Vegeta blinked, somewhat stunned, then scowled. "How?"
"Well, unfortunately I don't have time to go into a lengthy detail, but they managed to create a compound that binds with chemicals that form in your body when you use ki. If you stop the chemical signals, you stop ki control, however..." His tone became surprisingly irritated as he continued, "The fools neglected side effects, which isn't surprising given you were being tortured, but basically they have mutated your blood cells, which has weakened your heart." He sighed again, rubbing his mustache, "I've already injected you with a serum to stop any more mutation and let your ki control come back with time, but the damage to your heart will remain."
"So what does that mean?" Vegeta growled as rage and fear overcame him. "That I'm..." He was unable to say it. "Forever?"
Sensing his upset emotions, the cat jumped to his shoulders and pressed its head against his neck before curling up. Dr. Briefs knew the young man wasn't growling at him but rather at what he learned, but it still sent a shudder down his spine when he heard the animalistic growl. However, at least his cat had lightened the mood for him by cuddling up on the furious Saiyan's shoulder, proceeding to sleep. It was hard for him to keep from smiling, observing already the man's character and judging he wouldn't like it. So he smiled in his mind as the wounded man stood there with his arms crossed looking as tough as possible with a little black mass sleeping on him.
"I've been trying to figure out a way to reverse the damage, that is why I was unable to see you sooner." He kept glancing at the lab doors. "I think over time your heart will heal. If what I've learned from Goku can account for anything it's his remarkable ability to heal, however, I also fear that the true healing can't begin until we reboot your system."
Frowning, Vegeta stared at the man, not sure he liked being compared to a machine. "You mean I have to die..."
"Yes, Lad, your heart has to stop, then we have to give you another special concoction I made that contains the serum I already gave you and adrenaline to restart the heart." As the lab door opened his voice lowered, knowing Vegeta's next question already. "And I'm afraid I can't induce it, your heart must fail on its own."
"Why not say this with the woman around?" he asked, keeping his voice down to match the doctor's, his curiosity getting the best of him.
"The topic of your torture has been troubling for her..." he managed to say before he turned to his daughter as she came closer. "Sweetie, look at Plato."
The woman's eyes widened, astounded. "Oh, hell no... cat! What are you doing?" It glanced up, eyeing her shortly before going back to sleep. "Little shit..." she grumbled as she shook her head in disbelief. "How did you get him to do that?"
Catching on that the cat didn't do it for her, Vegeta shrugged carelessly and he smirked wickedly, all the while storing what the old man had told him in the back of his mind to think on later. "Guess he likes strength and excellence."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh Kami, you are so full of yourself it stinks!" Shooting the cat a hateful look, she stepped into the shell of the pod and hooked up the personal computer to torn wires.
While he wasn't exactly sure what she meant, he knew it had been an insult. "I don't know how you smell anything over your own stench, woman."
Dr. Briefs' brow rose as he listened to the exchange, amused, though being careful to hide it. Not just from Vegeta but from his daughter as well... She would be furious if she found him laughing at her. And he didn't really care what the young man would do to him -he was practically a human male with that drug in his system- his daughter on the other hand was frightening when she exploded. He went to stand next to her, looking down as her fingers typed on the keyboard.
"I think I can pull it up if I do this..." she said, biting her lower lip as she concentrated on the screen in her lap and managed to completely ignore Vegeta's comment after a glare, something he found he didn't like in the slightest.
"Are you sure? You might fry the system..." Her father began leaning in a little.
"GOT IT!" she exclaimed gleefully. Getting a look at what the screen said, she frowned. "Holy dino's... I don't know if I understand this."
The way she had sat with the computer in her lap, her fingers flying across the keyboard, painfully reminded him of someone else he knew... Someone he hadn't thought about in a long time... Tash. He wondered how the young Saiyan was doing in the back of his mind as he watched the two scientists try to make sense of what they saw. While back before he had been captured by Freeza he thought little of the cub that was his shadow, looking up to him, trying to be him when his nature was more happy playing or toying with others. Watching the woman now he found himself missing the boy, his last living relative. Though Tash tended to get on his nerves more than anything else, the cub had always respected Vegeta and never crossed the line with him. Everyone else, on the other hand, had been fair game.
His attention was drawn back to reality when the old man shook his head. "Your guess is better than mine." The doctor glanced at him. "Do you understand any of this?"
Deciding to humor them this one time, Vegeta took the doctor's spot next to the woman and looked down at the blue screen that had about five different languages on it. He snorted at the stupidity of the creators, "Roughly it's telling you there's about to be a collision..."
She looked at him, surprised, as her father eyed him curiously. "That looks like a lot of different languages... How many do you know?"
"I lost count a long time ago." He shrugged, looking at the keys about to tell her what command to enter, yet frowned when he realized he didn't understand the symbols. Wondering why he was helping when he originally decided not to, he pointed at the keys. "I doubt they programmed the worthless piece of tin to understand that crap though."
She looked at the keys. "Damn, there has to be a way to get past that..."
As silence fell over them, Vegeta stood there listening to the music that still continued to play, questioning in the back of his mind whether that was the reason why he was being relatively decent to these pathetic earthlings: because he found something on the planet he liked. Ha, fat chance he would ever admit it. He mulled over this as he watched the woman who scratched her head, thinking about the problem before her and tried a few things... only to curse when each one failed. Finding no interest in her anymore, he started to think about his new predicament. The girl still knew too much. Her father probably knew, too. They were a risk, but he was starting to think the intelligence he saw could be a huge benefit to his people who used whatever they could find technology-wise -broken down pieces of crap most of the time. Shit no one else wanted. What's more, if he did kill them, not only would he be killing his chance of getting off this planet... but himself... He didn't know where this concoction the old man spoke of was held, and he would need someone to give it to him.
Vegeta's gaze fell to the woman, watching her. It seemed the blue-haired Auronya had sneaked her way out of being killed for the time being -at least until her usefulness wore out. But that still didn't give her a free ride to continue treating him like she did. He would only take her insults and insolence for so long. Even now he felt their little confrontation earlier eating inside, irritating him. While he had gotten the last word, he still didn't feel like he had won...
An annoying beeping came from the doctor abruptly, interrupting Vegeta's thoughts. He glanced up as the man checked a small device in his pocket and then sighed, "Sorry, Bulma... looks like the corporation needs me for something. You two can hopefully figure something out by the time I get back."
Bulma waved, only half paying attention. "Bye, Daddy..." Vegeta rose one of his eyebrows at the childish way she said it, but clearly not noticing, she let it slip as she continued muttering under her breath, biting her lower lip.
He focused in on her face, mainly that lower lip as she worried it with her teeth. It was something he had seen her do a few times already, either when she was anxious and unsure or when she was thinking hard. Clearly it wasn't something she consciously did either. His eyes stayed there, not realizing really what he was doing. His mind abnormally blank...
For nearly ten minutes the two were like this until Mrs. Briefs came out with a huge plate of sandwiches in one hand and a pitcher full of lemonade in the other, two glasses pinned between her arm and body. Her sudden appearance next to him, humming, startled Vegeta. And he in return woke the cat, who simply went back to sleep. He scowled, frustrated with himself for not noticing the older woman had come out. She was oblivious to his dark mood as she continued humming a cheerful tune, setting down the food and drinks on the ground next to them.
When she looked up she gasped, "Oh, look at that... isn't that so cute." She scratched the cat's head, which earned a grumpy growl, making Vegeta divided on whether to smirk or scowl, having to decide on his reaction to the cat's actions or comment. He settled on the latter. "Plato has a new friend."
Noticing her mother for the first time, Bulma grabbed one of the sandwiches and poured herself a drink. "Dad just left..."
Her mother nodded. "Yes, he told me. I think I'll be going out with the girls' soon, too. So if you need any more food there's some more sandwiches made up in the fridge." She turned and started walking away.
Mouth full, Bulma managed to say, "Okay, Mom, have fun." Vegeta sneered, disgusted with the woman.
Bulma watched out of the corner of her eye as he slowly sat down, leaning with his back against the pod. Noticing the way he was careful not to disrupt her father's cat. She smiled to herself and covered it up by shoving what was left of her sandwich into her mouth. Tapping her fingers on the keys but not really hitting them, she thought about the intense look she had just seen in his eyes as he stared down at her... For some reason she got giddy simply thinking about it. She had barely caught it out of her peripheral vision just before her mother had startled him. Wondering what such a look had meant, she glanced at him again as he quickly ate the sandwiches... She blinked, surprised, expecting him to be a pig like Goku, but instead finding that he was exceedingly neat given the speed at which he inhaled the food.
Sensing her eyes on him, he paused with a sandwich in his hands and looked at her with a glare. "What is it, woman?"
She shook her head, looking away promptly. "Nothing..." Hesitating, she gave him another glance. "It's just... Goku eats like a pig when he eats, but you're so..."
He snorted, "Kakarot is a lowly third class-" Frowning, he stopped himself from continuing to say, 'a prince does not eat like a slob.' Unsure why he did stopped himself, he started to eat again, rolling it around in his mind to ponder.
"Kakarot?" She stared at him, puzzled. "Is that like his Saiyan name?"
He rolled his eyes. "Woman, for someone who claims to be so intelligent you sure ask stupid questions."
"Hey..." She frowned, knowing he was right, but still... "You don't have to insult me." He shrugged, uncaring, as he finished what was left of the sandwiches. That's when she realized he had slipped on something. "What do you mean by third class?"
Scowling, he crossed his arms at his chest. What did he want to tell the woman? She already knew enough to get his people killed if Freeza or the Cold family caught her... So did it really hurt that she knew more about them? He fought the question in his head back and forth for several seconds before deciding that it was something the vile lizard kind of knew already, so it really didn't matter.
"Saiyans are ranked by their parentage into a certain class," he started to reply, looking at the grass. "There are five classes, the fifth being the weakest Saiyans or slaves who work mostly as servants to the higher. Then with each class above the latter, the required power levels to be in that class are increased and along with these higher power levels the more respect and better job you get until you reach level one, which is the elites. Rarely does a Saiyan move into a higher class, but it is possible if their power is high enough."
She wrinkled her nose disapprovingly. "Slaves? Really?"
Not liking the look on her face he growled, "And you don't have any?"
"As a matter a fact we don't," she stated proudly, "It's a crime to use others like cattle or worse."
He stared at her as if she were absurd. "You earthlings are pathetic... Who do you have serve you?"
She frowned. "We are not pathetic. We just feel everyone should have an equal chance at a happy life and not used by others like objects. When we want someone to serve, like many rich and famous people do, they pay them for their services. Depending on how good of a servant you want you will pay more." They fell back into silence as he stared at the ground, obviously thinking about what she said.
"What class are you?" she asked, turning to face him more, the computer left forgotten on her lap. He was about to tell her off, but seeing the curiosity shining in her eyes he found he couldn't.
"I'm first class..." he stated, though technically it was a lie... being from the royal family he was ranked above that, more like a level zero class.
It was somewhat out of his character not to point out the fact to everyone that he was the prince and should be treated as such, but sitting there with the woman he found himself not wanting to tell her. Why? He wasn't sure... it was ridiculous. He was the Prince of Saiyans, and should be treated as such. But did he on some level fear that she would start treating him differently once she knew? Did that mean he liked how she was treating him? Growing, frustrated with himself, he opened his mouth to tell her the truth but saw her eyes wide with wonderment and stopped.
"Wow... so you're like one of the elites? That's cool... you're probably like the rich and famous people here on earth." She gave him a small smile. "How much more powerful than Goku are you? Ever since I met him his ki has amazed me... I wished so many times in all our adventures as kids that I could do it too." She pouted slightly as she looked at the ground thinking, once again biting her lower lip.
"I don't know... his father has the strength of an elite and his brother that of a second class..." he started, not really thinking about what he was saying, just fascinated with the range of emotions that went across the girl's face. First the interest and curiosity, then the wonder and excitement, then the small sadness...
She gasped, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head. "Goku has a father and brother? No way!"
Vegeta could have kicked himself for slipping so much. Sure, while it wasn't something really that important, it hadn't really been something he wanted to reveal. What the hell was wrong with him? He stared up at the sun, knowing he had only himself to blame. He rubbed his head as she babbled ecstatically about her friend having a family... and how he would be so happy.
"Shut up..." Vegeta growled. "You're hurting my ears."
She blinked, somewhat hurt. "Sorry," pausing, she added, "Is something wrong?"
Other than I keep telling you things I don't want to? "No," he snapped.
Frowning, she turned back to her computer, losing all her cheerfulness. "Fine, sorry I troubled you then." He cringed hearing her tone, frustrated all the more that it bothered him.
With that the silence between them remained as she kept trying to get into the system and he stayed there sitting. As time passed he felt sleep gradually claim him with the small cat breathing rhythmically on his shoulder. His head drooped forward, which woke Plato. Lazily stretching, the cat slid down Vegeta's front and curled up on his lap. Catching the movement from the corner of her eye, Bulma turned, then smiled. The man was cute with her father's cat. That she had to agree with her mother. It had surprised her greatly to come out and find Plato on him, not only because the cat hadn't met anyone he liked other than her father and Goku... and her on the occasions he felt like it. Sighing, she was about to go back to work when she noticed the man's tail wasn't around his waist. She blinked, having completely forgotten about it since he kept it around his waist at all times. A small smile appeared on her lips as she watched the tip flick slightly... just like the cat's.
Maybe that was why Plato liked him... She shrugged, unsure if it was anything she could prove. Then she remembered how soft it had felt when they fixed it. At the time she hadn't really gotten to satisfy her curiosity since his growling had unnerved her so much... but... She glanced at him, and then reached out slowly, not wanting to wake him. Biting her lip, she knew she would find a very furious Saiyan if he woke up, but just then her curiosity got the better of her. When her fingers touched it gently it shook. She looked up and found he hadn't woken up. Smiling, she grew bolder, running her fingers down the length. Again when he didn't wake up she continued, carefully examining.
She was surprised a few minutes later when a low rumble came to her ears. Her brows rose, No way! Setting her computer down, she got on her hands and knees, leaning closer to him. The sound was coming from him. The man was purring! Seriously? She couldn't believe it. She was staring at him astounded, leaning halfway out of the pod when the sound suddenly stopped, his hand shot out, grabbing her arm. A growl came from deep within his chest, replacing that purr. She swallowed as she comprehended what happened, her head rising slowly to find his onyx eyes staring back.
"What are you doing?" his voice was a low rumble, not as bad as it would have sounded if it didn't sound sleepy.
"Er-I..." she muttered, turning slightly pink. "I-I was just..." She couldn't find anything to say as his intense gaze held hers like that and with that scowl on his face. Why did she suddenly feel so hot? Almost like his gaze was boiling her from within.
"I won't repeat myself, woman," he warned, the drowsiness gone from his voice.
"A... were you purring?" she asked weakly. A flash of surprise briefly passed in his eyes, but she saw it. "You know, like Plato is doing now..." She reached down with her free hand and scratched the cat under the chin, knowing he liked it. It only intensified the purring in the cat's small, black body. When he didn't answer she added, chuckling to herself, "That's so cute. I just petted your tail and-"
He snarled, "You what?" Plato, sensing the tension, got out of his lap, stretching, and pranced for the cat door in her father's lab, leaving her to the Saiyan's wrath.
She flinched. "I... I uh, petted your tail..." Which she noticed was once again snug around his waist.
"Woman." He pulled her closer by his hold on her arm. "Never ever touch my tail again or I will forget my decision not to kill you."
Instead of getting the reaction he wanted, she tilted her head. "Wait... You decided not to kill me?" She smiled. "Ahhh."
"Damnit, woman." He tightened his hold on her as hard as he could, though she didn't look in the least fazed.
She even laughed, "Oh, calm down, Mr. Grumpy... You forget who had to re-break the parts in it that healed wrong and fix it." His growl grew, and she realized she was only making him madder as the hold he had on her upper arm was really starting to hurt. She sighed, moving out of the pod all the way and kneeling next to him, her hand covering his hand that held her arm. "Look, I'm sorry... I was curious... I promise I won't do it again without permission."
He let go of her, not liking how her fingers played on his hand. "That will be never."
She pouted playfully, which caught him off guard. "But... I liked it, jerk... Please don't say never."
Unsure what to say, he stared at her. "What in the world has gotten into you, woman? I'm the universe's most horrifying assassin. I could k-"
She cut him off, "Ohh, so were you like a ninja or something. Sneaking around in all black and capping people?" His mouth opened slightly, not sure what this thing called a ninja was, but shocked how happily she said the last part. Was this seriously the same woman who told him she valued life? Not noticing his flabbergasted appearance, her eyes widened. "Ohhh, I got it! I got it!"
She suddenly dove back into the ship, too excited to try her idea to actually climb into the pod but instead had her knees on the grass leaning inside, her stomach resting on the ship's doorframe as she typed. He heard the sound of her fingers hitting the keys at a speed that would even put Tash to shame. She gave a happy squeak as the blue screne changed. She pulled it out of the pod as far as the cords would go with the screen facing him.
"What's this say?" she asked, smiling. He could feel the thrill ebbing from her.
He glanced at it, then back at her, surprised. "It's the pod's main menu... how did you do that?"
Carefully she set the computer down before jumping up and down. "Yess... Oh Kami. I did it! Yaaaa." He eyed her once more, unsure what to do. The woman must be going crazy. He was caught unprepared when she was suddenly there next to him again, hugging him. "Thank you, thank you... guy's name I don't know... you mentioning ninja assassins made me for some reason think about the mathematical code we use to make our computers..."
Vegeta stiffened as heat rushed to his face. "Woman." He wasn't innocent, not in the slightest, but she was certainly the first female to touch him like this.
"I tried the code and it worked... I can't believe it worked!" She squeezed harder, making a sharp pain lance through him.
"Woman, you're hurting me," he said, still too stunned to put the force he normally would behind it.
She let go, eyes wide with worry. "I'm sorry, did I do anything?" Her hands started feeling his chest and he did nothing... his mind unable to function properly. "Okay good... that would so totally be a buzz killer." Going back to the computer, forgetting him for the time being, she started typing. She showed him the screen. "Look, I can read it now..." He saw the screen full of ones and zeros, completely lost... this wasn't his forte. It was most definitely Tash's. She turned it back and started to read it. "Ew... the system on this is ancient... I could have made this when I was ten." After a couple of seconds of key strokes and then a few more for reading, her face grew serious as she concentrated. "Wow... so that's how it moves... mmmhh... really?"
She leaned back inside, grabbing a notebook and her pencil, and started to jot down the equations she saw in the blur of ones and zeros. When she finished copying it she looked at it, her muttering too jumbled for even him to make heads or tails of it. She erased a few things then added some... going on about ten minutes he watched her do this... still too shell shocked to fully comprehend what the cosmos just happened to be upset about it.
Setting her pencil down, she looked up at him beaming, the look hitting him as if someone punched him in the gut making all of his breath leave him. "Look... the equation was right, but they had it slightly off. This thing can go ten times faster, maybe more..." When he continued to stare at her with that strange look she grew concerned. "Hey... are you okay?"
Blinking, he came to his senses, softly grumbling, "Yes..." He took the notepad and looked at her revised equations. He knew what some of it was, but it was hard to follow because her calculations were all over the place... but his brow rose as he finally figured out the pattern. Shortly after, he found a few things even he wouldn't have thought of or had never seen before. The girl really was a genius... He looked up, finding her anxious glance as she nibbled on her lip, clearly waiting for his approval.
Instead he snorted, "Looks like a bunch of leaps in thought."
She frowned, her hurt look making him feel guilty... HE, the prince of Saiyans, guilty? His people would be roaring with rage at his weakness, but just then he didn't care as she took it back from him and looked down at it subdued. He didn't like this feeling... didn't like her face like that, but given he knew nothing of emotions he wasn't really the one to try anything else to make it better because he'd probably just make it worse. He groaned inside at the thoughts. What was he... a warrior thinking about this damn woman's emotions? He incinerated planets, killed women and children along with the men, and even tortured to get information and then left them to have a slow, painful death as the animals ate them alive.
She jabbed her blue hair behind her ear, bringing him back to the present. "Yeah... I guess a few of these do look weird... Maybe I'm wrong..."
His brows rose again with astonishment that she had listened to him and was now second guessing herself. He thought the woman had displayed great vanity and lacked humility, of course all the while neglecting the fact that such thoughts were like if Ginyu called Guldo ugly. Now, however, he was starting to believe there was more to this woman than he once thought, to be so easily battled down like that... True, normally that's what he strived for, to crush a person and knock them down below him. This time he hadn't really meant to... Okay, so he had, but now he really wish he hadn't. Shit...What the hell is wrong with me? It wasn't even an hour ago when he was thinking of putting this woman back in her place and now he was all mystified and befuddled by her.
"I didn't mean it like that, you twit..." She looked up, surprised. "I know only half of what you just did there." Which really wasn't a lie.
She gave him a shy smile that was ten times worse on him than the beaming one from before.
"You don't have to retract what you said just to make me feel better..."
He frowned, hating how she saw past him. "Woman, you're insane if you think I care about your feeble feelings." Looking away, he grumbled under his breath. Why couldn't the damn woman just take it?
As she leaned forward he glanced sideways at her, perplexed as to what she was doing it. "Thank you... I knew it."
She kissed his cheek and his eyes widened. What the fuck is wrong with this woman? He was the Prince of all Saiyans and she just kissed him, a lowly weak earthling! True, she didn't know any of that, which really wasn't her fault, but he neglected that fact for the moment as he fumed over it. He should wring her neck right here...
She chuckled as his cheeks turned pink. "Ahhh you're blushing." Shooting her a glare, she didn't even realize how close she was to dying, and that comment only pushed him dangerously closer to the edge.
"Woman," he growled lowly, "You assume to highly of yourself to do that." It wasn't as threatening with his cheeks still colored. "Now what do you mean about you knew it?"
She flashed him another smile before tossing the notebook into the space pod and stood with her hands on her hips. "Mmmm, I'll let you puzzle over that one. Anyway..." She grabbed the plate, pitcher, and glasses and started backing up. "Come on, being out in the sun like this for hours on end isn't good for you right now, and I want to watch a ninja movie now."
Bewildered, dazed, and frustrated, he stared at her frowning as she continued, still smiling like the space pirate that caught you in their trap. He knew he was going to regret this. Already the monster inside was roaring with rage as he thought back to all that had happened, how many liberties she had just taken. But grunting, he slowly rose to his feet and with arms crossed at his chest and a seemingly permanent frown, he followed after her.
She turned towards the house, pleased to see that he followed. "It is time, young grasshopper, to learn the ways of us pathetic earthlings through the ways of the actors..."And hopefully learn a thing or two...She added in her mind, still blissfully happy about the ship and that her instinct had been right... that the man she saved was not evil through and through, and that she could help make him see that.
~~~~ .~-~. ~~~~
Beta'd by LPphreek.
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