Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Lost and Found: Royal Line Blues ❯ A Merry Chase ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

 

"He wouldn't…" Yamucha groaned. "Aww shit…"

 

"What? What?" asked Ami as she grabbed his hand.

 

"Yamucha, calm down what the heck…" Krillen got out.

 

"He's taking her away! Dammit!"

 

"Now don't leave US behind… she's our friend!" Ami wailed as he rushed away.

 

"Um I don't think you'd want to come along…" Krillen apologized.

 

"Look, she's our friend as much as hers, buddy, so I SUGGEST you take us along, got it?" Yumi said as she glared at Yamucha.

 

"But you might get in the way… and Bulma… I'm sorry but we have to go alone!" Yamucha said as he rushed out of the store, throwing down money for the bill. Ami rushed after him, followed by Krillen and Yumi in hot pursuit.

 

"Yamucha, wait! Don't be stupid!" Krillen called to him. Ami saw him suddenly rise into the air, so she leapt up onto his back with her hands twined around his neck.

 

"What the hell?" Yamucha gasped, as he was halfway off the ground with a screaming girl clinging to his neck choking him.

 

"Hang on," Krillen said helplessly as he turned to Yumi. She held on as he boosted her into his arms and took off after his friend.

 

"Let go… look!" Yamucha protested as Ami screamed in his ear. "You can't… aww dammit!"

 

"What's going on! How are we flying!" Ami screamed. She was strangling him and Yamucha struggled to reposition her in his arms so she wouldn't choke him to death.

 

"Relax… stop fighting I can't fly…" Yamucha panted.

 

"Yamucha, stop being an idiot! Let's just take them with us… we can't just leave them."

 

"I'm sure you guys are gonna explain this," Yumi said as she glanced down at the earth far below. They were whipping along at incredible speed behind a distant blazing streak of light.

 

"Uh let's just say it's some of that training from Master Roshi. Look girls, we'll take you, but you've gotta listen to us, and stay out of the way in case things get ugly…" Krillen urged.

 

"Oh KAMI!" screamed Ami. "Help!"

 

"Shh, easy… it's all right… I won't drop you," Yamucha panted as he settled Ami in his arms. "I told you to stay behind… but I guess we'll just have to look out for you as well as Bulma."

 

"Who IS that guy, and how are you flying and…" Ami gasped. She shut up when Yamucha kissed her quickly on the lips and she blushed.

 

"Later baby. Just close your eyes and let me catch up and we'll explain. But you've got to listen and STAY out of trouble… all right! I'm not gonna let anything happen to Bulma…" Yamucha promised. Ami shivered in shock and pleasure as he slid his arms under her back and knees.

***

"Get your hand off my ass you hentai!" Bulma screamed.

 

"If you'd come along like a sensible female," Vegeta chuckled. "Now stop screaming that infernal racket in my ear!"

 

"If you'd stop carrying me like a sack of potatoes jerk I'll stop SCREAMING!" Bulma yelled, hanging tightly to him.

 

"You scared, wench?" he asked with genuine amusement. "A bit high up for your weak equilibrium?"

 

"Ohhh you… when we get back…" she snarled. "Look, Vegeta, please carry me in a more dignified position, unless you want me to puke on your training suit!"

 

"You wouldn't dare," he mumbled. "Stupid pain in the ass… I suppose I have little choice if I'm going to have any sense of hearing left…"

 

He swung her around effortlessly hearing her yelp. Bulma was scared he was really going to drop her, and held her scream in as he settled her in his arms. "Now keep your mouth shut will you. I can't stand hearing you shriek in my ear a moment longer…"

 

"You'd better not drop me, creep," she mumbled. "Or you won't ever get off this planet in the next 100 years…"

 

"Temper, temper," Vegeta clicked his tongue. "As if I need any help but the tin cans you stupid humans make. If I didn't…"

 

"Yeah, I know. Without your superior Sayin technology you'd be gone and blow this planet sky high. I know, your Royal Highness," Bulma mumbled, tightening her grip on him. He increased his pace as he shot out over the city towards Capsule Corp. She wondered what on earth he was doing when he circled overhead.

 

"We've got company I think," he mumbled as he sensed the kis of Yamucha and Krillen not far behind him. "So it's a race they want?"

 

"What are you doing, Vegeta! My home's down THERE!" she yelped as he banked sharply to the left.

 

"Merely amusing myself, since those loser excuses for fighters are attempting to chase me. I suggest you hold on, wench if you value your life," he muttered.

 

"Wait a minute you put me down!" she shouted as Vegeta shot off towards the mountains.

 

"Do you really wish me to do that?" he laughed deeply.

 

"No… I mean… hey! Where are we GOING? You said you were going to take me to fix your damn ship!" Bulma yelped.

 

"And miss a bit of fun on this miserable mudball?" he chuckled. "Your friends seem to want to chase me, so let's see what they're made of."

 

"Don't you DARE!" she cried, squeezing her eyes shut as the speed of the wind increased. Power blazed around them both, enveloping her body as well as his to cut down on the wind sheer. Yamucha and Krillen had never flown this fast, and she could swear she heard a rumbling slash as they rocketed over the blurring countryside. Vegeta had turned his course out over the city, and then further on as they flew in the direction opposite her home.

 

***

"What's he DOING?" Yamucha gasped as they saw Vegeta streak away.

 

"Not what we think he's doing," Krillen said. "C'mon ladies and hold on. This is gonna be bumpy…"

 

"He's NUTS!" gasped Yamucha. He held tightly to Ami, increasing his ki envelope to slice through the air as quickly as he could. Vegeta was only a few thousand meters ahead, and they were closing fast. Krillen panted as he increased his own velocity to match. OF all the Z fighters, only Goku or Piccolo, or Gohan were fast enough to crack the sound barrier. Krillen had often come close, but it would take everything he got to keep up with the pace Vegeta was settling.

 

Their companions were screaming and whooping on the unintentional joyride. Yamucha and Krillen had to admit they were enjoying the women pressing tightly to them for comfort. Something about having a female depending on you for their lives was very entertaining, and these two were no exception. If they were friends of Bulma they had to have some inkling of how crazy her world was. Yumi didn't seem so surprised that they could fly, whereas Ami was terrified.

 

"This is worse than eating that bargain sushi!" Ami yelled.

 

"Don't knock it! This is way more fun than that themepark concert we did! Whoever this guy is, he's sure more exciting than a dumb ol' party," Yumi laughed.

 

"This is not what we usually do!" Yamucha mumbled.

 

"Who is this Vegeta guy? Looks to me like he's her boyfriend," said Yumi. "She didn't tell us she was seeing anyone."

 

"Come on, he's not her…" Krillen groaned. "No way!"

 

"He isn't going to hurt her is he?" asked Ami.

 

"Not on our watch…"

 

"You'd better tell us what's going on… how can you fly?" Ami asked.

 

"By harnessing ki and directing it around us," Yamucha panted, having a hard time keeping pace with Krillen. "Dammit where is he going?"

 

"Not capsule Corp, that's for sure," said Krillen. "We'd better tell Goku…"

 

"I'm not leaving Bulma alone with that maniac," said Yamucha. "He's an alien being from another planet… and he's got powers like we do… Bulma's letting him stay at her place…"

 

"Doesn't sound like he's a threat if he's moved in," said Yumi.

 

"It's not LIKE that!" Yamucha protested. "He's just using their gravity trainer… I mean their gym… one of Dr. Brief's inventions… and he's sleeping in the guest house… he's not WITH Bulma…"

 

"How do you know?" Ami asked. "If Bulma was in trouble she would have screamed, and wouldn't have gone ANYWHERE with him…"

 

"Vegeta isn't someone you say no to," said Krillen. "He hasn't hurt her… yet… he wouldn't dare. Goku would kick his butt…"

 

"Then why worry?"

 

"It's a long story," said Yamucha. "I can't… where is he GOING?"

 

"HE said something about fixing a ship," said Krillen. "But that would be at the Capsule Corp or at the spaceport and we're nowhere near either place…"

 

"Maybe he's just taking her to be alone someplace," said Yumi. "Maybe we should just go back to her house and wait for them…"

 

"No. I'm going after them… and find out what's going on," Yamucha said firmly. "And since you're along for the ride, you'll have to depend on US ladies… but don't worry…"

 

"Whoopie," groaned Yumi.

***

"Vegeta! This isn't funny!" Bulma yelled. "You wanted me to fix the spaceship, but it's not where we're going!"

 

"I'm not talking about that Capsule ship you're building," said Vegeta quietly. "It's no longer in your hanger…"

 

"What???" she blinked.

 

"You'll see, girl," he said with a mysterious smile.

 

"Now wait a minute, this isn't funny!"

 

"IT is to me. I've been taking the spare parts that your fool of a father has been putting together and putting them in a safe place just in case he's unable to do what he promised. And as he has yet to complete his task in a timely matter, I need you to finish the job," Vegeta said.

 

"Now come on… you… you jerk!"

 

"Flattery will get you nowhere, female," he laughed. "I simply need you to put together the ship that I've been attempting to fix… that piece of Capsule Corp technology is capable of flight, but is unfinished and insufficient in its state. What I've found is more than adequate for my needs…"

 

"You found another ship? How?"

 

"It isn't that Namekian piece of junk. No, it happens to be something I found on one of my missions. Perhaps the letters R and R mean something to you, or perhaps not…"

 

"Red Ribbon," she muttered. "Vegeta, are you insane…"

 

"Are you afraid of a mere antique? What I have found is a remarkably advanced ship that seems to be only a few days from repair. And since you're rather unwilling to assist your idiot father, I figured you might be able to get this one working far faster…"

 

"Why hide it from us?" she asked.

 

"Woman, I don't need to explain myself to anyone, least of all you," he said sharply. "Now, it's not too far away…."

 

"IF it's in some dark icky cave I'm NOT fixing it there! Look, if you want my help we could go back home, bring some capsules to encapsulate it and…"

 

"I've already thought of that, idiot," he laughed. "But I wanted to see the look on your face when you saw what I had discovered…"

 

"You are such a royal ASS," she muttered. Vegeta conjured up a last burst of speed that pressed Bulma more tightly to his chest. She stifled the scream and squeezed her eyes shut, holding onto Vegeta with a death grip that could have broken bones. Not Saiyajin bones and Vegeta grinned at the fierce burst of strength she displayed out of fear. Perhaps she was not so physically weak as he presumed.

 

She shivered at the thought of a Red Ribbon base. On her quest with Goku they had encountered many regiments of the Red Ribbon army in a race against Emperor Pilaf to get the Dragonballs. Goku's skill had kept them alive many a time, but the thought of that awful threat still remaining unsettled made her feel sick. Vegeta sensed her fear, and realized he had touched a nerve. Interesting. He'd read some files in the database about the organization, and listened to Goku's insipid tales of past exploits. Of course he knew whom the Red Ribbon army was. How else would he have known where to look for their space technology?

 

Bulma felt him drop out of his speed, and head downwards. Feeling a gentle jolt, she squeezed Vegeta tightly as he held her off her feet. "You can open your eyes, silly female," he mumbled. "We're here…"

 

"Oh uh, yeah," she said as he set her down on her shaky feet. She stumbled against him, and he surprisingly caught her with one hand.

 

"What's wrong with you? Get a grip on yourself…" he mumbled as she took in their surroundings. Painful familiarity spread through Bulma as she saw the large mountain looming overhead. Behind them was a stretch of beach, hidden partly by palm trees. Only the distant sounds of crashing waves with seagulls reached her ears. No sounds of technology existed, and she had a feeling that they were far from home.

 

"This way," he said, tugging her arm and dragging her in the direction of the large cave opening. She saw no signs of technology save large tracks of what appeared to have been a caterpillar locomotion system. Perhaps a tank, or other ATV from the width. Remembering ten years ago, she shivered, her hand quaking in his gloved one as he insistently tugged her after him.

 

"I'm not going into that cave… you don't know what could come out!"

 

"Nonsense, you fool. There's nothing there. You think I'd be stupid enough to take you into a place that wasn't deserted?" he demanded. "Give me a break."

 

"But…" she protested. Vegeta's hand tightened slightly around hers, and she knew it was best not to argue. After all, what could be more dangerous than he could, unless it was the home of one of those androids that future kid had discussed. Just in front of them yawned a fifty-foot cavern mouth, roughly in the shape of a scalene triangle. Large doors painted to look like the interior of a cave were hanging ajar into blackness. Something squirmed in her stomach, and Bulma tugged against him. He glared back at her, and she meekly stopped fighting and protesting.

 

"Come on," Vegeta said impatiently. Bulma swallowed hard and squeezed his hand tighter. They walked hand in hand through the gap in the massive doors. Looking backwards she saw they were at least twelve inches thick like a bunker door, with massive bolts and locks that seemed to have been blasted apart. By Vegeta no doubt. Or something else?

***

Around his hand he formed a sphere of cold blue light to illuminate their passage. Her knees knocked together as each step became more and more impossible. If Vegeta had not been tugging her hand she would have stopped turned and run screaming in terror. However she did not wish to appear cowardly around him, and meekly let him take her inside. Better that then listen to another round of insults about how humans were fearful, weak and stupid. What could go wrong with him, anyway? He was far more dangerous than anything they had faced, except Frieza, and the androids that were discussed. Something instinctive tugged at her urgently, as if memories long buried were being unlocked.

 

Within his sphere of energy she saw the large hulking shape of a transport platform. Its large caterpillar tracks supported a base, and gantry tower that held a tall rocket marked with the Red Ribbon logo. To the immediate left she saw other gantries and cranes she guessed were for toppling the rockets and missiles on their sides to be taken out through where they came. There was a pungent smell of rust and stale air that hit her nose, and Bulma felt sweat breaking in her hand that Vegeta held firmly.

 

"There," he said as he pointed to their left. Bulma gasped at the sight of a large spherical shape on scaffolding. Identical to a Capsule Corps ship in every way except the logo it was, but slightly larger in diameter.

 

"What the hell…" she stammered as Vegeta motioned for her to follow him.

 

"Your idiot father wasn't the only one working on spaceflight apparently. I had to admit I was quite surprised to find this here among the primitive native tin cans which are little more than glorified firecrackers, but you can see that it is not that old…" he said. Bulma stopped and shivered when he let go of her hand, and walked over to a large console. He punched switches and floodlights flashed on, making her jump as she heard their buzzing. An orange white glow showed the chamber more clearly lit around them. If she glanced backwards she could see the door hanging open to the world outside, just one hundred yards. If she ran she could get away. Yet Vegeta had made no threats except that he wanted her to fix this ship. She had to admit she was curious what an advanced craft was doing here.

 

"Judging from the metal fatigue," she muttered as she walked over and glanced at the outside. "It's only ten years old…"

 

"Indeed," Vegeta nodded. "Which begs the question… who got their hands on such technology. I know for a fact it wasn't your father's miserable division."

 

"Come on. Give him a break!" she snapped. "We're TRYING!"

 

"You're trying. He isn't," Vegeta snorted. "The only reason the GT is working is because you were helping jog his feeble brain. That man should be put out to pasture or sent to the glue factory like you do to your racehorses once they've served their purpose."

 

"Shut up, will you! I've got the message! You're advanced, all right! You don't have to rub it in, for Kami's sake!" she yelled. "Now do you want me to look at this damn ship or not?"

 

"Touchy, touchy," he laughed. "I thought you of all people would appreciate seeing something of promising technology. You will note that the design resembles in a sense a Saiyajin spacecraft… or at least one with access to the technology of the one you unceremoniously had the stupidity to blow up…"

 

"That was NOT my fault!" she yelled.

 

Vegeta ignored her. He turned and spoke a verbal command to the ship, which opened a hatch underneath much in the fashion of a Capsule Corp ship. She wandered over to look at the interior, and see if it was anything like the one that Goku had taken to Namek. That was the ship in question that Vegeta insisted taking with him. Yet all of the ships were being overhauled, and their power source required time to refuel. Installing the GT was the main issue that Vegeta complained about.

 

"Aren't you the least bit curious to look inside, woman?" he smirked. "Or are you scared something's going to jump out at you…"

 

"Shut up, and let's get on with this," she said, climbing up the stairs that dropped.

***