Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Blast Off ❯ chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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Disclaimer: No, of course I don t own Dragonball Z.

Blast Off

Chapter One

There was a soft knock at her office door.

Yes? She was busy scribbling on a stack of papers with one hand and sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup with the other.

Her secretary Estela poked her head in. Mrs. Briefs, there s some guy here to see you. She said huffily, pushing her boxy black glasses up the bridge of her nose with her index finger. Very rude fellow. I know I m not supposed to bother you, but he insisted! Should I tell them you re busy?

Bulma raised her eyebrows, interested. Not very many Capsule Corp. clients- at least the ones she dealt with- were very pushy. Nah. Go ahead and send him in.

Estela pursed her lips disapprovingly but nodded sharply. The door was pushed open and Bulma was surprised (and secretly delighted) to see Vegeta standing there. He avoided the employees of Capsule Corporation like the plague, the last place she thought she d ever see him was in her office. Her lips spread into a friendly smile, but it suddenly vanished when she took note of his spandex shorts and sneakers. Wearing that attire, there was only one explanation for this little visit; the gravity simulator was broken. Again.

Of course, sighed Bulma. The man was all work and no play. Broken all ready and it was only 10:30.

Look Vegeta, She began curtly before he could even ask. I m working right now. I ll take a look at the simulator on my lunch break. Or you can find my father if you like. He s down in Research and Development. But I m just too busy at the moment, I can t just drop everything-

Vegeta exhaled sharply. My simulator isn t broken! He grated, crossing his arms haughtily. He looked extremely agitated. Someone s locked themselves inside it, and I can t get in.

Bulma leaned forward and fixed him with a confused expression. Someone else is in the simulator? That didn t sound right. Perhaps her father was showing around one of the nosy scientists in the Research and Development department? Hopefully it was not anyone who didn t know what he or she was doing- the simulator was extremely dangerous and it was only a prototype. God forbid anyone ill-equipped to handle the intense gravity was in there pressing buttons and looking about.

That idiot friend of yours that lives in the west wing. The scarred one.

Her heart jumped into her throat. Wha-What?! Bulma sputtered. You- you don t mean Yamcha? Yamcha s in the simulator? Hurt?

Presumably. He s lying face down on the floor. Who gave that bloody idiot permission to-

Bulma sprang to her feet spilling her coffee all over her desk. Why- Why didn t you help them? She gasped as she maneuvered around her desk and chair.

Vegeta uncrossed his arms and looked at her incredulously. I just said the door s locked. I don t know the security code. I never lock it. He snarled. Bulma ripped off her heels and started down the hall.

She turned her head and shouted over her shoulder at Vegeta. Why didn t you kick it in or something? He could be dead!

The door s fucking rock solid, not to mention ki-resistant. I can t just kick it in! Vegeta sneered defensively. How dare she be angry with him! As if it was his fault her stupid friend got himself killed.

Bulma was wide-eyed and terribly worryied. She ran down the hallway, hiking her skirt up around her thighs. Vegeta, with his superhuman strength didn t seem to be able to fathom the seriousness of the situation. Yamcha could be crushed! He d never trained with increased gravity before. She should have known; she had seen him peeking in the windows while Vegeta trained. She should have warned him.

She sprinted down the stairs, not wanting to waste time to wait for the elevator. Vegeta was at her heels. Goddamnit Yamcha! She hissed venomously, jumping the last three steps. They were running through the lobby of the main building now, plowing through hoards of Capsule Corporation employees and visitors.

By the time they reached the simulator, which was all the way on the other side of the compound, Bulma was panting. Vegeta, how long has he been in there? How much longer can he stand? She asked as she frantically typed in the code on the keypad above the door handle. Damn her father for installing a security code!

I don t know how long it s been, but, considering his ki, he probably can t take much more. The machine beeped loudly, refusing to unlock the hatch while the gravity was turned on. She cursed furiously.

Why isn t it working? Demanded Vegeta. Bulma noticed the note of alarm in his voice, but did not have time to question it. Thinking quickly, Bulma ripped open a compartment on the right side of the door containing a mess of multi-colored wires. Green, she remembered. The green one would short the circuit and shut down the machine.

She needed scissors or something. Reaching her hand down for her capsules in her pants pocket, she realized she was in a pencil skirt and her capsules were in her desk draw. She cursed venomously, momentarily at a loss of what to do. A wave of fear and helplessness choked her. He could die . . . he is dying . . .

Adrenaline began to flow and forced her to act heedlessly. It was a stupid thing to do, and very dangerous, but it was her only option. Fisting the wire in both hands, she bit down in the middle and tore it in half with her teeth. The humming engines slowed and stopped.

She pushed passed a mildly surprised Vegeta- had she just bitten threw a wire?- and threw open the hatch.

YAMCHA! Bulma shouted, kneeling beside him and holding his face in her hands. Are- are you okay? Any bleeding? Broken bones? Can you breathe okay? Your ribcage didn t collapse, did it? You re so pale!

Yamcha took a shuttering breath as he focused his gaze on Bulma. I m okay, I m okay. I think I m okay, just . . . a little shook up. Vegeta rolled his eyes and leaned on the cylinder on which the control panel was mounted in the middle of the room. Why all the excitement and worry over losing a halfwit like this guy he could not understand.

Good, he s alive. Now get out of here.

Bulma sighed, utterly relieved. Thank god you re okay! She hugged Yamcha tightly, practically happy enough to cry.

Wow, Bulma. His voice was hoarse. Thanks a million. I would ve been a goner without you! I couldn t even breath for the past five minutes!

Bulma s face abruptly contorted into a vicious scowl as she pulled away from him, sneering at his sheepish grin.

You stupid . . . arrogant son-of-a-bitch! She yelled. What the hell did you think you were doing?

Huh? Yamcha shrunk considerably, clamoring to defend himself. I just wanted to see what this thing was all about. I didn t know how powerful it was. Vegeta made it look like a piece of cake. And besides, it wasn t my fault, the machine spazzed on me. I only set it to 5g and it jumped to 50!

Bulma threw up her arms in exasperation. 50? Do you know how much weight that is you idiot? 50 times your weight here on Earth & is like, 14,000lbs! You could have been crushed!

Ignored and fuming by the console, Vegeta was tapping his booted foot impatiently. Both Bulma and Yamcha s voice were hitting a pitch that bothered his ears.

Yes, yes okay. He s an idiot. Do you think you can take this outside so I can get some training done? He snapped suddenly, interrupting Bulma s tirade.

She shot him a dirty look and opened her mouth to retort when Yamcha let out a pained yelp and collapsed to the ground after trying to stand.

I- I think my leg is broken! He gasped, his voice trembling as pain seized his entire leg, paralyzing his body. I can t- I can t move it. Bulma! Yamcha shouted, alarmed. He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut.

Damn! Yamcha, don t get up, just stay still. I m going to get some help. Said Bulma. Vegeta slapped his forehead in exasperation. What a little wimp!

You ve got to be fucking kidding me! I m not wasting valuable training time waiting around for some doctor to come look at his stupid knee! Drag him out of here if you have to! I m training NOW! He snarled, turning around and slamming his fists down on the console. Why am I surrounded by fucking imbeciles!

With a whir and series of beeps the computer jolted alive. Commencing left off in 10 . . . 9 . . . Vegeta jumped. Wait, what?

Bulma whirled around, her hand poised over the door handle. VEGETA! She screeched. What in the world did you just do? Are you out of your mind! Cancel! CANCEL! She pulled frantically on the handle, but the door had already locked itself. The ship was taking off.

There was a familiar sinking feeling in all of their stomachs as the ship lurched, like when an elevator starts to move up. 5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . Vegeta was pressing all the buttons on the control panel, but the machine wasn t responding. What now?

Oh my, God! Vegeta, what did you do! Shouted Yamcha from the floor, his voice was barely audible over the roar of the engines. The entire room was shaking and Vegeta was getting desperate. He ripped off the metal plate protecting the circuit board, and grabbed a hand full of thick, colorful wires.

Bulma gasped, Vegeta do not do that! VEGETA STOP! VEGE-

Oh, shut up, woman! You just did the same thing! Vegeta bellowed, tearing at the wires. I m going to shut this thing off!

Vegeta, I m a genius and I helped build this ship! You don t know what you re doing! Those wires carry an extremely high voltage! You have to cut the right one or-

Can it! I can handle a little electric shock. There s NO way in HELL I m getting launched into space with you two idiots!

Vegeta that won t accomplish anything! Stop! Just wait and we ll turn around afterward! Vegeta do you hear---- ZZZZZZZZZAP!

OUCH! Vegeta screamed holding his wrist, stumbling backwards. Mother fucker!

What just happened? Yamcha screamed, his face scrunched up looking as if he was about to cry.

Bulma was clinging to the wall trying to keep her balance. The room was shaking so badly it was like an earthquake. Are you okay? She shouted over the deafening rumble of the engines. The ship was ready to blast itself into space. Vegeta didn t answer, he was staring at his smoking hand. Bulma watched agape as the color drained from his face, and suddenly his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward onto the floor. He was out cold. Vegeta!

2 . .

Bulma, can t you do something?! Shouted Yamcha.

I don t . . . I can t . . . OH NO!

1 The ship blasted off, the force of the rocket throwing Bulma on her back. Smacking her head hard on the solid ground, she saw no more.

Yamcha was pinned to the ground, he tried to move but there was a stabbing, shooting pain from his knee. He hissed and worriedly looked back at Bulma s unconscious body, and then glanced over at Vegeta. A small puddle of blood was pooled around his hand. It looked badly burned. His gaze took him to the window, and there he saw the deep, dark expanse of space. Oh no... Yamcha whined and promptly fainted.

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