Bulma rolled over and opened her eyes. She hit the snooze button on her alarm clock and then face planted back into her pillow. Letting out a huge sigh, she turned her face towards her clock. 8:02, she thought, time to get up. She lay for a minute and just stared at her floor absent-mindedly. She tried to recall her dreams from the night before, but all she got were feelings of love and comfort. Flashes of hands caressing her body skillfully and tender well-placed kisses. But the face of her lover always obscured in darkness. It was probably Yamcha. But that name only brought sadness and regret.

Bulma and Yamcha had parted on shaky terms. He decided he wanted to date other girls and Bulma decided that, despite that fact that she had always thought of her and Yamcha as eternal or some other mushy crap like that, that it was time that they went their separate ways. She didn't feel the same way about him any more. She just hadn't convinced her dreams of that minor detail, yet. Bulma's dreams always had a way of betraying her.

She shook off her thoughts, stretched and went to shower. In the shower the warm water brought more memories of her dream. She could remember a pair of strong arms circling her waist, holding her safe. Yamcha was good, but he wasn't that good. It's too bad it was just a dream…

Two minutes later her alarm went off again. She had to keep the volume on her alarm clock turned up so it always woke her up, (she had a history of sleeping through the alarm). In the shower Bulma was in her own little world and didn't notice the blaring beep-beep-beep of her alarm, but downstairs in the kitchen Vegeta's saiyan super ears were ringing from the obnoxious noise.

"Woman, turn off that infernal racket!" Vegeta yelled up the stairs between bites of his third bologna sandwich, his usual breakfast. After a few seconds with no response Vegeta finished his sandwich and stormed up to Bulma's room. He slammed the door open and looked around. There was no sign of his aqua-haired host, but his eyes drifted to the cause of his now pounding headache. A few seconds later it was nothing but a black spot on the wall, and the noise had stopped. Finally, Vegeta gave a mental smirk, we'll see how she likes that. He turned around and stomped out of the room.

An hour later Vegeta was regretting such a hasty action. Not that he cared about the stupid piece of machinery, but destroying it had only brought about more screeching from the woman he lived with. Bulma was sparing no expense with Vegeta this morning. She was in a bad mood after discovering the scorch marks on her bed stand, and Vegeta was not going to get off easy this time.

"I haven't got time to get a new clock today! And I haven't got time to baby-sit your childish impulses! If you want to continue to live under my roof you are going to have to control yourself whenever you get the urge to destroy something! I have to leave to go to work now, I'm already late and I don't know if it's really safe to leave you here untended. Vegeta, I don't need this right now!" She hated it when Vegeta did things just to make her mad. He seems to be making it a habit to piss me off. Things at work were going pretty well, but she knew the rest of the day was ruined. Even worse, Vegeta was looking very buff in his tight black shorts and white tank-top. How does he manage to piss me off and turn me on at the same time? She noticed that he had turned his back on her and was making his way for the backyard and the gravity chamber.

"Vegeta, are you even listening to me? Look, we'll talk about this when I get home. Try not to burn my house down while I'm gone!" With that, she grabbed her brief case and stormed out of the room before he could reply. Vegeta was just glad the noise had stopped.

Bulma stepped into the elevator. Turning to the control panel on the wall she slid her security pass through the slide box and pushed the button for the 20th floor. Twenty floors underground, that is. The door slid shut and she began her decent. On the top-security floor she stepped into the entry lounge. Clarence, the day guard bid her a good morning and pushed opened the door for her. Inside she passed through another security precaution, retinal scan, this time, and entered the outer changing room. She changed into her radioactive protective gear and stepped through the airlock on the right. On the floor she was greeted by several of her assistants who were already at work and running tests of various kinds. She pushed out thoughts of earlier that morning and took on her genius- at-work attitude. Her co-workers could tell something had been bothering her, but they knew better that to say anything.

"Ok, people, how are we doing this morning? Languin, have you finished the power check?"

"Yes, power cells are at 100 percent and out put rating was at 20 percent for this morning." Languin, the radial expert, answered scientifically.

"Jaken, how is the specimen today?" Bulma asked as she checked the read out panel herself, double checking every last detail.

"Looking good. Absorption has increased a whopping 23 percent over night putting it at 95 percent saturation. I think today is the day, in a few more hours we should be at 100 percent and it will be ready for phase 3." Jaken replied ecstatically. He walked around the catwalk towards Bulma with a grin shinning from beneath his face shield.

Bulma took a look at a few more statistics and then turned to look at her latest undertaking. The brightly light room was more like a huge mettle canister. On the west side were the observation room and changing rooms that opened to the catwalk that circled the center jewel. The inner chamber was another plexi-glass and steel cylinder that was connecter to the roof by several thick cables and support beams. Inside was the "specimen". A sample of damaged brain tissue, surrounded by protective machinery that was pumping it full of plasmatic radiation.

Bulma and the Capsule Corporation had previously dealt only in mechanical and electrical products, but since the merger with the Biotech foundation, they had expanded to include a small medical research facility. This was the most intricate, the most foreign, and the most dangerous project Capsule Corps. and Bulma Briefs had taken on. Bulma had learned so much with working with Jaken Philips, the prodigy founder of Biotech. Their combined intelligence had come up with this current undertaking. By saturating cancered human tissue with Plasmatic radiology and then stimulating the tissue with specially calibrated electromagnetic pulses from one of Bulma and Jaken's recent invention, the Pentolater. Theory said that the tissue would regenerate and repair it's self. So far, tests had been successful with regular human tissue, now their attention had turned to the most delicate tissue, the brain.

Looking at the statistics, Bulma wasn't as optimistic as Jaken. "I don't think we should rush into anything. The saturation level from last night was much higher than expected. Stability in the specimen is not as high as I would like. We aren't scheduled for phase three for another few days, maybe we should hold off."

Jaken frowned at her words. "Stability is at 85 percent, only five percent below normal, we shouldn't wait."

"Hhhhmmm. We'll see. I have a few things to attend to. Languin, send me an update after lunch. Sorry, Jaken, I think we are going to have to wait at least a few more days." She turned and left leaving Jaken with a disappointed look on his face.

In her upper-floor office Bulma sat back in her reclining leather seat. She sighed, she was not in the mood for work, and the stats on the Pentolater project were somewhat unsettling, it was almost as if… Not today, no more, I'm going home. She buzzed her secretary and told her to save any messages and to forward her calls. "Oh, call down to 20 and tell everybody to take the rest of the day off. She spent a few minutes to look over some last minute priorities. As she collected her things the lights flickered slightly and went out. A few seconds later they came back on. Bulma hoped that the projects downstairs were not interfering with the main power source. One more thing to worry about, Bulma's mind felt ready to shut down on her.

The drive home was a blur. As she pulled into the driveway she saw the front door blown off it's hinges. Of course Bulma was not surprised Vegeta probably trashed my house just for spite. I know how much he loves to see my angry.

Walking up the to the door Bulma was a feeling very drowsy and impatient. In the front room Bulma scowled at the mess. The sofa was shredded and books were thrown from the shelves were they belonged and strewn around the room. The air in the room seemed stale, somehow, dead.

Bulma felt eyes on her back, turning she expected to find Vegeta and his famous smirk, instead, she was greeted by the bulging, dead eyes of her father. His hands were nailed to the doorframe she had just passed through, crucifix style. His stomach had been sliced open and his entrails were draped over his shoulder and hung over his back and down to the floor. His mouth dripped blood and what looked like vomit, but worst of all it was moving, mouthing silent words he couldn't speak, while his eyes blankly stared at the floor. Bulma screamed and ran for the kitchen. There she found another horrific surprise. Vegeta was impaled on a sharp stake that rose from the shattered kitchen tiles. She wooden spike stuck in his back and came out his right shoulder. His legs had been cut off, one stuck out of the oven and the other from the refrigerator. His head hung limply to the left, and even worse that her father's silent prayers his face held a clownish grin from ear to ear, his own blood painting his smile. "No, Vegeta, no…" Bulma's stomach retched. She fell to her knees in a puddle of blood that spider webbed through the broken floor. The smell of her own vomit and all the blood made Bulma want to puke again, but she held it back as she wiped her chin with the back of her hand.

"Buuuuuullllmmmmmmaaaaaaaa," a strangled croak drifted from the hallway leading up stairs. Bulma's head turned and her hand froze as she sat paralyzed. Then with out thinking of seeing or feeling she stood and started towards the sound. At the top of the stairs she stopped and turned towards her parents bedroom. Creeping slowly to the slightly ajar door Bulma heard a growl and a hiss and more strangling noises, then a feeble lapping and slurping sound. Her mind was screaming to run away. Don't open that door! Her hand reached out and slowly pushed the door open. Don't look! Her eyes rose to find the gruesome scene before her. Her mother, stripped naked, with her throat slit was faintly struggling in the arms of a monster shaped of blades and obsidian black and points and sharp teeth. It had its tongue wrapped around the wound in her mother's neck and seemed to be absorbing the very life essence of her mother. The flopping slowed and stopped as Bulma's mom turned her eyes to her daughter. The pleading look caught the monsters attention as it turned its eyes to Bulma. Dropping Mrs. Briefs it stepped towards her. In a second Bulma's body unlocked and she was running/falling down the stairs. She dashed for the back door remembering last second that her father blocked the front. Adrenalin flowed through her body, and her heart raced, but her feet seemed sluggish. Behind her she could hear it following her.

She ran around her house and jumped in her air car internally grateful she hadn't capsulated it. Searching for her keys became difficult because her eyes kept returning to the house waiting for the thing to follow her. Finally she jammed the keys into the ignition and backed quickly out of the drive way, Her body was pulsing with the strained pumping of her heart. Mom, Dad,…Vegeta. Her sorrow overwhelmed her as she pulled from the driveway, she had to get to Goku's house, he would help her, save her. Her eyes started to tear and run, What a mess…So much blood… Blinking back her tears she drove on. Looking up she barley had time to swerve as the thing that had murdered her family leapt onto the front of her car. It's mouth seemed to open wide and swallow her whole windshield. It's many razor-like teeth scraping the glass.

"NNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!" Her scream echoed in her ears along with the screech of tires and the thud of her car off the pavement. Then things went black.

Bulma closed her eyes tight. She had regained consciousness, but the memory of what might await her open eyes made her wish she were still out. "She's waking up…" The voice sounded far away and muffles. A hand griped hers. Bulma forced an eye open. Instead of that black mass of death she beheld…her mother's hopeful, waiting face.

"Mo…mom?" Bulma tried to sit up, but couldn't manage. Her shock left her immobile. "Mom? You're alive?"

Her mother's face changed to one of worry. "Of course I'm alive. You were the one we were worried about, honey." Her father stepped from behind his wife, and smiled down at his daughter.

"Humph." Bulma turned her head to see Vegeta sitting in a chair against the wall.

"Vegeta you're alive too!" Relief flooded over Bulma, she never thought she'd be so happy to see the arrogant Saiyan.

Vegeta scowled even deeper. "Crazy weakling…" His words were muttered more to himself, but Bulma thought he sounded a little relieved, as much as he could anyway.

"Her wounds are minor, I think it would be ok for her to go home if she wanted to." The doctor smiled pleasantly down at her. As she prepared to leave Bulma wondered if it hadn't all been a dream. She had obviously been in a car accident, her body was in extreme pain, like she'd been through a giant blender. She must have drifted to sleep on her way home… Her father signed her out and they began to leave. As they walked towards their car several familiar faces ran to meet them.

Krillin and Yamcha ran up to the Briefs and Vegeta out of breath and looking terrified. "Bulma, it's coming! We have to get out of here. There's no time, it'll kill us all!" Krillin and Yamcha were both talking at the same time, neither of them making any sense.

"What? Who…?" Bulma asked the frightened two. The others looked at them as though they were both crazy. Suddenly Krillin stopped with a scream. His hairless scalp splitting in two. Dividing Krillin into two bloody halves, the black thing stepped from his skin as if it were shedding a coat. It growled and picked up Yamcha in one of it's black hands.

Yamcha yelled and then looked to Bulma. "Save us all. Go back and initiate phase three. It's the only way." His last words spoken It squeezed it's fist and cut Yamcha in two. Then it knocked Dr. Briefs and his wife aside sending their now broken and bloodied bodies to the ground. As it reached for her she felt two arms encircle her from behind and lift her into the air.

Finding her voice she let out another wail and started to struggle. "Stop it, Woman, or I'll drop you. Then you can face that thing with out my help." Vegeta's gruff voice spat into her ear. She stopped struggling, her head falling to her chest. Get it together. What's going on? What is that thing? What did Yamcha mean about phase three? Was he talking about the Pentolater project? What has that got to do with any of this. If It's real, how come my parents and Vegeta are alive. My parents… "Vegeta, stop! My parents, we have to go back!"

"Are you nuts, that thing has certainly killed your Father and mother by now. Going back would be a waste." Vegeta said coldly. Flying through the air she let him carry her away. She was lulled by the nearness of his body to hers. Her body seemed heavy and her eyes soon drifted shut.

She awoke to the sound of a hollow drip echoing through her black surroundings. Bulma stayed perfectly still hardly breathing as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Coming into focus the passage around her took shape. It was a sewer or drainage system of some sort, but it was dry now. Bulma shivered softly as she realized she was lying on the cold cement floor. Sitting up slowly she remembered why she was here. Where is Vegeta? He couldn't have just left me here, could he have? With Vegeta you never knew.

She looked around and spied Vegeta's sleeping body on the far side of the tunnel. His back was turned to her and she could see it rise and fall slowly with the patterns of his breathing. He was lying on a cot and he had several blankets. Why that selfish, inconsiderate… her angry thoughts fell silent. She remembered the scene at the hospital, what had happened to Krillin, Yamcha and her parents and that Vegeta had saved her. She was cold, soaked clear to her bones. She stood and unsteadily walked towards him. There was room enough for her small body so she snuggled in next to the Saiyan Prince. It seemed very familiar the way that they fit together. She pressed her back fully against his and, warmed by his body, soon fell asleep, all thoughts of the dreadful monster forgotten.

Bulma awoke to the sound of a deep thud. It only took a few seconds to realize that the sound had come from her body hitting the floor, as pain shot through her backside and head. "Owww! What the…" She rubbed her head and looked up to see Vegeta looking down at her with an almost frightened look on his face. Bulma's brain analyzed the situation and realized that Vegeta must have pushed her off the cot.

"Why did you do that?" She asked dumbly. The look of surprise disappeared and was replaced by the usual look of anger and superiority.

"What do you mean, why did I do that? You were the one who was invading my space. How dare you try to sleep so close to the Prince of all Saiyans!" Vegeta spat. Bulma could tell he had not quite composed himself, it had obviously been shocked to awake and her next to him. But that didn't give him any excuse. Her own anger flared.

"What you think that I got in bed next to you that it was because I wanted to seduce you?" His expression went to shock for a few seconds. She was surprised by her own boldness, even more so at the half-truth in what she said. "Well, dream on Vegeta, you're not my type. You may be surprised by this, but not every woman in the universe dreams of the almighty Prince Vegeta warming their bed." Why am I trying so hard to convince him of this? It's time to change the subject, I think. "You have no consideration for others, do you? It's all about you, you, you. I was cold sleeping on the floor and there was enough room for both of us on that cot, Vegeta. After all I've been through tonight," her voice cracked with tears, "I'm just scared and I just…" She started to sob. I just needed to feel safe. She couldn't admit it to Vegeta, but she needed him to be her protector, her night in Saiyan armor.

Vegeta was puzzled by the girl's reaction. More crying, he groaned inwardly. A part of him wanted to yell at her to shut up, but another part of him wanted to comfort her, protect her.

Before he could act on any of his fighting impulses a sound roared through the darkness that set both Bulma and Vegeta into silence. Oh no… It's followed us!

The darkness of their surroundings and the black of the thing made it impossible to see where it was at, but they could sense the evilness that radiated from it.

"Run!" Vegeta yelled and pushed her down the tunnel away from the black atrocity. Bulma didn't even have time to think. Her feet kicked up the mud and dirt of the floor as they carried her away as fast as her pumping legs would allow. After a few minutes she slowed to look behind her for Vegeta. Only then did she realize that he was not behind her. Back the way she had come from she heard the distant sounds of a fierce battle. The tunnel shook with the roaring and shouting, explosions and sounds of destruction that continued for several seconds before it was brought to a sudden halt. Bulma strained her ears to listen for sounds of a victor. She didn't dare call out, what if that thing killed Vegeta?

A rasping voice whispered into her ear. "Run, and don't stop. It's coming for you. Go to Capsule Corps. Labs, it's the only way to stop it. Now run." The voice was right up close, but Bulma's search for it's owner proved in vain.

Then, the feeling of total evil swept over her and she heard the growl of her nightmare stalker. Knowing the voice had spoken the truth she took off running again.

She didn't know how long she had run. The time seemed to melt away, but she Bulma knew one thing. She was hopelessly lost. She had taken several twists and turns in the dark tunnel and now she could hardly tell which way was up. She never lost the feeling of fear and desperation that came with the creature that followed her. It seemed it was always close behind, but it never seemed to catch up with her.

As she ran her mind was alive with many different, yet all terrifying thoughts. Had Vegeta been killed? What was this monster? Could she kill it? How was she going to get away? What of her parents? Who had spoken to her before? Why did it want her to return to Capsule Corps. Labs? How long would these tunnels last before she ran into a dead end? Could…

Her last question was lost to oblivion as her next step brought her tumbling head first into a long dark hole. The floor disappeared beneath her feet and she began to fall through a seemingly never-ending darkness. Gratefully her mind seemed to turn of at that moment as she passed out.

Bulma's mind snapped into consciousness as if from a half sleep and she landed abruptly on a cold hard surface. There was surprisingly little pain, but her body ached all over with bruises and strain. Opening her eyes she found her surroundings to be the exact opposite of what they had previously been and she was forced to close her eyes against the blinding white light. After a few seconds of adjustment she opened her eyes again and squinted into her surroundings. All she could see were several large lamps and a white tile ceiling. She tried to turn her head to get a better view, but her head seemed to be braced from both sides. Her arms and legs were also bound. Voices started to come from her left side as she heard a door slide open admitting several male persons. She heard the door slide shut again and a lock click into place.

"The first tests revealed her to be unresponsive to directed stimuli. We tried changing circumstantial factors while leaving fundamental fear stimulus the same, but we still have not been successful in obtaining the desired response. It seems her…" The first voice, that of a familiar young boy, were cut off by a second, also familiar, but more adult voice.

"Look she's awake. This is unexpected."

"Yes indeed," the first voice was joined by a shadow that hovered over her face and blocked out the light. "I thought she would be out for several more hours yet, the emotional shock of what she's been through alone should have kept her out much longer, combined with the sedative…" Bulma's eyes squinted further as she attempted to identify the figure above her. Her attempts thwarted by a small light that he shown into her eyes.

The boy examined her for several seconds before standing back.

"What now?" The second man seemed somewhat disturbed by her consciousness. "Now that she's awake, she knows about what's going on. This will complicate things much further." The voice rang in her ears as she tried to place a name with it. The answer always seemed just out of reach.

"I know, but there's nothing we can do. There was no way to know she'd emerge so soon, besides, the next dream flux sequence won't be ready for another half hour or so."

"I guess we'll have to try some old fashion techniques in the meantime." The voice took on a menacing tone that filled Bulma with a sense of hopeless dread.

She felt herself turning and being brought upright. With the lights no longer in her eyes she could clearly see her captors.

"Goku!? Gohan?! What are you…? Where am I?"

Goku's face held it's usual stupid grin. "Hey, Bulma! We're so glad to see you. We were worried about you. But your safe now." Bulma sighed, but something in the back of her mind knew that this wasn't right. She hadn't recognized his voice because, though it was still his, it had lost all his boyish innocence. It seemed to have returned now, but still… Seconds later the grin slid off Goku's face and was replaced with a Vegeta-worthy smirk full of malice and guile. Then he broke into a typical evil laugh. "Stupid girl, so trusting, so gullible. Now you're going to tell us everything we want to know. If you don't… Well, just tell us and spare yourself a lot of trouble."

"Geez, Dad! What are you talking about? You mean you'd hurt Bulma, your oldest and bestest friend in the whole wide world" Gohan's stupid sarcasm didn't fool Bulma for a second. Feelings of betrayal and confusion swirled in her head.

"Why…? What do you want? What's wrong with you?" This has to be a dream! It can't be real! It isn't really Goku and Gohan, it can't be.

As if reading her thoughts Goku brought his face down only an inch away from Bulma's. "Oh, it's us all right. All these years we've been waiting, watching for the right time. Now," his look changed from one of triumph to one of anger. He reached out one hand and grabbed her left breast violently then he squeezed. Pain made Bulma arch her back as far as her restraints would allow. "Tell me, what is the initiation code for the third phase of the Pentolater project?"

Bulma's shock registered on her face. How does Goku know about that? What is going on? She voiced her thoughts. "What is going on? Why are you doing this? What do you care about the Pentolater project?" Goku let go of her now tender breast.

A hand reached out and slapped her face. "We'll ask the questions around here. You will answer them, now." Gohan reached out and punched her in her womanhood. She lost her ability to breath for a second. When it returned her breaths were short and gasping.

"Now, son, you shouldn't be so ruff with girls. They like it like this." He reached a hand under her skirt and slowly caressed it's way higher. When it came to barrier of her panties he pushed them out of the way with two fingers and continued higher. She couldn't believe what Goku was doing. All her life she'd known him to be an innocent, caring person, but now… His fingers massaged her sore insides hungrily. First two fingers and then three, moving faster and faster until she came. Bulma was disgusted with her self, but mostly she just hurt.

"See, Gohan," Goku held up his wet hand. "That is how it's done."

Bulma was weezing win fear and pain. "Why?" She whispered over and over again.

"I'll tell you why, Bulma. Because we want to know. We want to know about the phase three initiation code." Goku leaned over and wiped his hand down the front of her suit jacket. Then he leaned over and ran his tongue up her neck and over her jaw until he was face to face with her again. "And I think you are going to tell us. Either sooner, or latter. Maybe you'd like to teach Gohan a little more about the birds and the bees, hu?"

All of the fear and anger and frustration built up in Bulma exploded in that instant. "NEVER! Just Leave Me Alone!!!" She began thrashing about on the table. The bands that held her were strong, but Bulma's anger was unleashed in full.

Everything went dark. Suddenly the air around her imploded and then expanded. Bulma felt the armbands disintegrate and the chair that held her melt away. Power surged through her body. Then the aura surrounding her grew hotter and hotter as a bright light filled the room. Bulma screamed, feeling all of her emotions channeled into this overwhelming power radiating from her. So this is what it feels like to be a super Saiyan… Bulma's mind finished that last twisted thought before the shear power swallowed her mind and she fell into consciousness.

When she awoke she was lying in the middle of a pile of rubble. She opened her eyes and stared at the large chunk of concrete that lie in front of her. The top of it was still flat and held remnants of the white tile that had been glued to it's surface. Only now that tile was black. Most everything was scorched. She stood on shaky legs and dusted herself off. Glancing up from her tattered work suit only vaguely remembered putting on that last morning of her sanity she caught a sight that sent her stomach into churning spasms. Not two feet away, the charred remains of what appeared to be a small boy were ground into the cement wall, or what was left of it. "Gohan…" Bulma's voice came out only a short croak. The black skull with fried skin still clinging to a few places on the left cheek bone and lower jaw bone still held it's gasp of terror from it's final moments of life.

To the right Bulma spied another, larger skeleton in more or less the same condition. "Goku… oh, no…what have I done?" I've killed Goku and Gohan. No matter what they did to me I shouldn't have… No, stop. It wasn't really them, remember. You can't think about that now. She had almost pushed the guilt from her mind, and then she expanded her visual horizon.

Not only had she destroyed the room where she was being kept, but the building, and the block, and the entire city. As far as she could see the world lay in ruins. Where there had once been buildings there were now piles of burnt cement and tumbled metal frames. Skeletons like the remains of the Son men dotted the chaotic seen for miles and miles. The world was now a wasteland. And she was the cause. She had somehow destroyed everything.

Her stomach retched. She turned just in time to vomit into the deceased Gohan's lap. Seeing her messes mingling she retched again, this time down the front of her own clothes. The smell of her puke and the heavy weighing thoughts of all the innocent people she had killed knocked around inside her head. She began to mindlessly stumble away out into the nothing-ness-wasteland of her creation.

For the first few miles of her stumbling journey Bulma's body was wracked with sobs at each new horrific discovery she made. Her face streamed with tears at the sight of a demolished elementary school, the children's burnt bodies still clasp hand in hand in some children's fanciful game. Cars were frozen on their way to jobs of lunch or a friend's house. Some of them still smoldered from explosions they had caused in their sudden loss of a pilot. But now, several miles away from ground zero, Bulma's mind had long since shut down, overloaded by the guilt and the horror of what had happened. Of what I have done. She stepped mindlessly over toppled buildings and power lines, burnt corpses and scorched earth. She didn't know where she was headed, or even care. Like a zombie she walked, searching for any sign of life. She found none. Even the air seemed dead, with no planes or birds or blaring radios. Bulma realized that she had made her self a very large, very silent hell to live and die in. At least I think I killed that thing that was following me. She let a bitter laugh escape her dry cracked lips. Funny, but that all seems like a dream now, it probably was just part of those dream fluxes that Goku was talking about. With the thought of Goku, Bulma's mind shut down again.

She was thirsty, but there seemed to be now sign of water anywhere. It was probably all vaporized. Just my luck, at least I won't have to live with what I've done for very long. She wondered exactly when it was she had lost her mind.

In reply to that, the voice that had spoken to her before returned. "You can make it all end, you know." The hollow whisper echoed in the dead world. "You know what to do."

Bulma let out a scream that shattered the silence around her. "AAAAAHHHHH!! Stop it! STOP TORMENTING ME! I don't know what to do! Just let me die." She sank to her knees and began to rewet the tears that had dried on her face. "I deserve to die."

"No, you can change what you've done. You can UN-do it." The voice sounded so enticing, so soft and comforting.

Bulma looked up. "Wha… What do you mean UN-do it?" Her curiosity, as well as her suspicion, was aroused. Bulma felt her old sharpness coming back. "Who are you?" Her tone was stronger now, her tears gone.

"Who I am is unimportant. You are the one that matters. If you want to undo what you've done, you have to go back. Go back to where this all started."

She squinted her eyes. "You want me to go back to my house. What? Face my monster?" She spit angrily. "What? Get to the point. Crazy people have very short attention spans, you know."

The voice spoke again. It too seemed to be loosing patience and confidence as well. "Not your house, farther back. You must go back to Capsule Corps. Labs. That is where you started all of this, by not completing the steps. Finish what you started. It is the only way."

Bulma scanned the area around her searching again for the owner of the voice. Her eyes met only the destruction that was now her world. "You want me to go back to C.C.L.? What good will that do? It was wiped out by that…by my blast wasn't it?"

"Think Ms. Briefs, being so far under ground it was protected." The voice had taken on a whole new attitude. It now sounded very anxious, but also exited, as if it had won something.

"No," said Bulma simply. There was silence. "Did you hear me?! I said no!" Bulma didn't trust the voice. It was like it had something to gain. And what was all this about the Pentolater project? Somehow this all goes back to that and C.C.L. This isn't real. It can't be. I just have to get out of this. Think…

She didn't have much time to think before an old familiar feeling settled on her. It's back. Well, it's about time. Turning to look behind her she once more laid eyes on the black nightmare standing on top of what was left of a McDonald's. Bulma felt fear returning at the sight of it. Automatically, her feet turned and ran away from the threat. Running was hard, stepping over rubble and big blocks of civilization that now scattered the ground.

She climbed over an extra large piece of a theatre sign that lie in her path and slid down the other side. As her feet met earth it gave way and she began to fall. Again. This time it wasn't an endless fall as her body soon felt and heard the cold splash of water. Going under, Bulma closed her eyes and drank it in. It tasted bitter, but it felt good, none-the-less. Only after her dehydrated body had taken in the relief of moisture was the voice of her lungs heard. She kicked upwards to the surface and took in a much-needed breath. Great, now how am I gonna get out of this one. She blinked water out of her eyes trying to get a grip when she felt the water around her begin to change.

At first she thought that the monster had joined her, and she began gasping and swimming for an edge to climb out. Soon she found there was no edge. She was once again surrounded by darkness and water. Or was it. The lapping of the water on her face had now become more like a crawling, tingling sensation. Something was here. The water around her solidified and she found herself buried to the neck in many squirming wiggling bodies.

Bulma pulled her arm up and strained her eyes. Seeing nothing but black she closed her eyes and began to use her sense of touch to feel what she help in her hand. Let's see here. Small round body, slightly oval shaped, eight legs, and…OUCH… two sharp teeth. Her mind recognized the shape immediately. She had flung the little spider away when it had bitten her, but she now realized how futile that had been. All over her body the bugs and arachnids began to bit her and claw at her. She screamed again. In her hair things were tugging and pulling in her tangles.

On her left cheek she felt the slither of scales and the tickle of a forked tongue. Then the snake struck and bit her neck just below her ear. "Ugh." Bulma was losing the strength to fight, but her body kept trying to push itself out of the pit. Before she realized it she had crawled out and pulled herself up on a ledge. Frantically she ran her arms down her legs and stomach in a desperate urge to rid herself of any stragglers. Twitching and fidgeting even after she was completely pest free Bulma looked up. It was night and there was no moon. The starlight cast an eerie group of shadows over the wasteland. Bulma stepped over a pile of rocks and walked as far from the pit as she could get before she collapsed. A thought flickering only briefly in her head that the thing was still out there somewhere.

When she hit the ground it wasn't hard and rocky as it had been before, but soft and mushy. Her arms and chest were sucked in as well as her legs and stomach. Her face peaked barely above the surface of the tar-like substance.

She briefly attempted to escape, but found she had no strength left. Bulma felt herself being pulled down into the black goo. Her chin and mouth disappeared followed closely by her nose. Closing her eyes she waited for her small breath to run out, almost welcoming an end. Tears ran from the corner of her eyes and mixed with the sludge. She had an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia as she became fully enveloped. Time seemed to freeze and she waited.

Bulma imagined her heart slowing and her lungs contracting and slowly collapsing. As consciousness began to slip away so did her panic. Then, at the last second she felt something plunge into the sludge and grip her arm. The weight lightened and she felt her body slide out and above the thick slime. Too exhausted to care, Bulma kept her eyes closed as her head fell back and the lights went out.

The sound of water flooded Bulma's ears. She sat up, her eyes popping open. She was sitting beside a stream of cool, clear water; her clothes were clean, though still in tatters and her hair was pure from any black gunk. She sat in amazement staring at her bare feet not remembering when exactly she had lost her shoes. Blankly, she sat that way for several minutes.

Snapping out of it her nose caught the scent of smoke and something that smelled wonderful to her clinching stomach. She hadn't realized how hungry she was, either. Man, I must really be out of it. I guess going crazy makes people lose touch of with themselves. She laughed a little at that thought.

"Would you mind sharing exactly what it is you find so amusing." The sound of the gruff familiar voice made Bulma turn towards it's owner.

Standing arrogantly with his arms crossed and his scowl glued on his face was Vegeta. His clothes were dirty and torn and he had a cut on his forehead that was crusted in dried blood that ran in a frozen trail down the side of his face. Other than that, he looked fine. As well as Vegeta could, anyway. His face sported a twinge of surprise as he watched Bulma jump up and run to him.

"Vegeta! You're alive!" She hugged him fiercely. I thought I was alone. But he's here. Vegeta's here and he saved me. She had been squeezing his tensed body as though it would float away if she let go, but with that thought she pulled back, holding him at arms length and stared into his confused face. "You saved me. You saved me? Again? I thought you were dead. Why aren't you dead?"

He scowled at her again. "Shut up, Woman. You ask too many questions. You should know that Saiyans don't die that easily. Especially not the Prince of the Saiyans." Bulma smiled at his usual arrogant self. Maybe it had all been a bad dream after all. She couldn't imagine Vegeta actually bathing her and succeeding in getting all of that sludge out of her hair. It was purely laughable.

"How did you…?" She suppressed the urge to giggle with the serious thoughts of the last few hours.

"How did I survive, you mean? After that thing showed up I fought it until It managed to knock me unconscious. When I awoke it was gone and so were you. I flew up and began searching for the monster. When I felt your blast I was pretty high up in the air so it only managed to knock the wind out of me for a second. Then I went on with my search for that black creature till I found you floundering in the mud. By the way, how did you manage such a power boost?"

Bulma cringed. "You know it was me then? That I was the one that killed every one?" She looked down avoiding his cold coal eyes.

"Ridicules as it seems you do have a small ki signature about 3 or 4, 7 when you're angry, but I felt it rise beyond anything I thought a weakling human female capable of. What caused such a dramatic increase?" Vegeta sounded sincerely interested and his voice softened a little.

Bulma began feeling those old feelings of guilt and shame, but she managed to hid them deep in her thoughts with a sly smile and a touch of sarcasm. "You, above all people, should know, Vegeta, that it is very dangerous to piss me off." That was all she said as she turned to the meal that her unlikely savior had been preparing. "Is that ready? I'm starving."

"Humph!" Vegeta grunted and sat down to eat. Bulma was very shocked when he ripped off a leg of what looked like rabbit and gave it to her first before ripping himself a piece and beginning to eat. She gave him a strange look, which he pretended to ignore, and then she too began to eat.

After finishing her leg Bulma stood and began to walk around the small camp area that Vegeta had put together. Nature calls. Bulma walked off to a small grouping of bushes a ways off from where Vegeta was devouring the rest of their meal. Dropping her pants, only after making very sure that Vegeta had not followed her, she squatted to do her business.

A few seconds later she stood and zipped up, I hate peeing in the woods; no toilet paper, she thought. But looking towards camp she could see no sign of Vegeta. Doing a quick scan of the surrounding areas she decided that he had probably flown off to train of something. What I need is a hot bubble bath. She remembered the creek she had awakened beside, and decided to give it a try. She walked to it and dipped in a very slender toe. She smirked, just like in a cartoon. The water was much warmer that she remembered. It'll have to do.

Stripping down cautiously she stepped into the warm flowing water. Wadding out to the middle of the creek she found its depth to be just be above her waist. Her nipples hardened in the water and her pert breasts bobbed on the surface. Ducking under the water she began to rinse away her fear and her concerns. She had to forget what Goku and Gohan had done to her. It hadn't really been them, she was sure of that. There's no way that her oldest friend could… She just didn't want to think about any of that any more. She willed her mind to forget.

As she came up out of the water Bulma let the water run over her face and shoulders. Her hands making lazy circles in the water she lay back with her eyes closed.

She was almost asleep when she felt eyes on her. It's back! She leapt up and spun around to face it. Instead of an inhuman black blob she found the watching eyes of Vegeta. He looked down, blushing at being caught watching her bathe. Do my eyes deceive me? Is Vegeta blushing? Worse yet, was he really peeping at me? That's when she realized that she was very exposed. She dipped into the water and brought her arms up to cover her. She was a little afraid that this situation might turn out like the last.

"Vegeta, what are you doing? How long have you been standing there?" Bulma tried to sound mad, but it more of just a confused and afraid tone she managed. She didn't receive an answer. Vegeta just turned and walked back to their camp.

How strange. Bulma continued to ponder Vegeta's actions while she dressed quickly. She realized how cold she was when she saw her fingers were blue and shaky and her teeth were chattering. How long was I out? She made her way back to camp.

Vegeta was sitting with his back to her stoking their small campfire. She approached carefully. "Vegeta?" She said timidly.

With out turning he snapped at her angrily. "It's not what you think, woman!" Bulma was taken back at his tone.

"Wait a second, how do you know what I'm thinking, besides, aren't I the one that's supposed to be angry?"

Vegeta turned to look at her, his reply died on his tongue as he saw her blue lips and chattering teeth. "What did you think you were doing, sleeping in that cold water? You want to get sick and die. That be real ironic after all I've done to save you from that thing that seems to be chasing you."

"Hey, what do you care if I die any way. After what I've done…" She choked on her memories and her guilt. Sinking down against a tree she buried her head in her hands and began to sob uncontrollably. "You…should…(sob)…go before…(heave) you get…killed, too. (whine) I'm…dangerous…" She didn't know what to do. She didn't want Vegeta to leave her, but she couldn't bear the thought of him dying because of her, too.

She was surprised to feel strong, yet gently hands grab her shoulders. She looked up into Vegeta's black eyes. They were much softer now.

"Since when do you get off telling me what to do? I'm staying here. Someone has to take care of you." He put one arm below her knees and picked her up effortlessly. "You need to warm up." He carried her to the now blazing fire and sat down with her in his lap. Cradling her like a child he began to soothe her and warm her. She rested her head against his shoulder and cried softly.

This is what I need. It's what I want. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Suddenly she felt something brush her cheek. She opened her eyes to find Vegeta brushing away her tears. With one hand on the side of her face he let his thumb wonder across her cheek and down to her lips. He softly caressed her lips and she watched his face in pure amazement at the number of exsprestions that were dancing there. Curiosity, desire, compassion, fear, tenderness, desire…

Bulma's lips were tingling with his touch. She lifted her chin and brought them to meet his in a very sweet, and innocent kiss. She felt him start to pull back, hesitant at first, but with her encouraugement he kissed her more confidently and more passionately.

Her fingers explored the shape of his chest momentarily before gliding up to his neck and then his ear and then his forehead. She broke the kiss and looked at the cut that was still unattended and crusted in dry blood. "That needs to be washed." She stood and watched the disappointed look on his face as she slipped away. She walked back to the stream and ripped a piece off of the bottom of her knee length skirt. She dipped it in the water and then turned to go back when she found Vegeta standing right behind her. She almost ran into him.

She stifled a cry of surprise and reached up with her makeshift towel to wipe his face. Usually, Vegeta didn't like being pampered, but his time he stood silent as she wiped the blood off his face. As she finished he reached up and caught her hand, pulled the rag from her grasp and dropped it to the forest floor.

"It's not my forehead that wants your attention right now, woman." He spoke softly as he lovingly brought his hands to her waist and pulled her into another kiss. This time he held nothing back. His tongue traced over her lips before slipping inside to run over her tongue and teeth. His hands slid down her hips and then back up her sides until they found a comfortable spot on her ribs, just bellow her breasts.

Bulma found the bottom of his tank-top and pushed it up, the back of her fingers trailing behind and tracing his well-formed six-pack. "Oh," Bulma moaned against his lips, "You are so…perfect."

"I know." Vegeta said as he broke their kiss and looked into her eyes. She flared a little. "Why, you…" He cut her off with another kiss. His thumbs hooked the edge of her jacket and then slid upward to her shoulders, brushing her throbbing nipples lightly. He pushed the jacket over her shoulders and let it fall to the ground, revealing the sleeveless silk blouse beneath. "But, I'm not the only one." He looked down at her still clothed figure and she knew he was undressing her with his eyes. She figured he'd be using more then his eyes very shortly.

Bulma grabbed Vegeta's hand and pulled him back towards the small camp. Vegeta had laid out a couple of blankets on the ground and Bulma led him over to them. She kicked one with her foot so that it went flying over to land on top of the other one. Then she walked over to it and turned back to Vegeta who was watching her with amusement. She brought one finger up and motioned for him to come closer. He stepped lazily towards her until he was just an arms length away.

She reached out and pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it away. She had seen his bare chest before, but this close up she was much more able to appriciate it then ever before. Her hands went out to him rubbing his pectoral muscles and gracefully tickling down his stomach and back up again. He closed his eyes and shuddered at her touch.

Just when she thought she had him where she wanted him, his eyes popped open with a predatory look in them. She stepped back, somewhat frightened. He reached out a finger and touched her lips. "Shhhh, It's only fair woman." His voice was so husky that it was hardly recognizable. He turned her around gently and unzipped the neck on her shirt, then, wrapping his arms around her waist, he squeezed her gently before pulling it off.

She leaned up against his chest as his hands worked their way back down her shoulders, arms, waist and then around to her stomach. He spread his fingers for the slow journey upward feeling every part of her stomach until they came to rest on her bra.

Bulma decided that she would help Vegeta with this particular article of clothing, since Yamcha always had trouble with it, but as she brought her hands up to help she felt Vegeta's breath in her ear. "Don't even think about it." She dropped her arms instantly.

Vegeta ran kisses down her back, while never breaking the massaging work he was doing on her chest, until his mouth reached the clasp of the impending clothing. Bulma felt his tongue and teeth nip at the sensitive skin between her shoulder blades as he worked on undoing the clips.

Bulma gasped softly as she felt her bra loosen. He did it! Wow that was incre… All thoughts ceased in a cascade of pleasure as he used his tongue to push the shoulder straps down. With one swift movement he tossed her brassiere away. His hands then cupped her bare breasts softly and squeezed gently, his thumbs wondering up to playing tag with her nipples. She was enjoying his attention immensely, but decided that it was her turn again.

She brought her own hands up to cover Vegeta's and then she pulled them away. He complained softly, but Bulma paid no mind. She turned and placed one slender finger on his lips. "Shhhh. Your turn." She ran her finger over his bottom lip smiling as he made a small attempt to bite it, and continued over his chin, down his neck, across one side of his color bone and then over to the other. It continued back and forth as it wound down his sculptured chest and stomach ending finally at the edge of his shorts. She had been watching her own progress, but now she looked up to Vegeta's face. He was giving her one of those amused What-are-you-going-to-do-now looks when she leaned forward and caught his smirk with her own lips. She licked his bottom lip briefly (no pun intended) and then snatched it between her teeth, biting gently. Then she copied this pattern in the exact course of her finger.

She smiled against his skin when he gasped at her tongue and teeth's ballet over his left nipple and then his right. When she reached the end of her finger's trail at his short she heard him grunt in disappointment. Then she smiled wickedly to herself as she continued.

She ran her tongue over his still clothed bulge and laughed as Vegeta hissed in surprise and pleasure. "Wait," Vegeta gasped, "that's enough, it's my turn to…" He was silenced by Bulma, who stood and pushed him down onto the waiting blankets. He landed with a grunt on his butt, then pushed himself into a sitting up position with his arms behind him. "Hey, what…?"

"Shut up, Vegeta. You were starting to get a little wobbly on your feet, so I thought it best that you sat down, because I don't feel like playing fair, anymore." She said a little roughly and very huskily as she crawled over him, her knees between his feet and her hands, one on each side of his waist. He looked into her eyes angry at first and then challenging. She held his gaze as she brought her hands up to his shoulders and pushed him back slowly. He complied his eyes locked with hers.

Only when she had him laying back with only his knees in the air on the outside of her thighs did she sit back a little, putting her hands back on the blanket on the sides of his hips. Then she commenced again.

She pressed her lips firmly against the tight skin between Vegeta's pecs and let her breasts brush against his stomach. Bulma sat back on her haunches and looked over Vegeta sprawled out on the blanket beneath her. I shouldn't have been able to push him around so easily. He's surrendering much too easily. Then there's the fact that someone, probably Vegeta, managed to wash that entire gunk out of my hair. Vegeta looked up at her through half closed eyes in anticipation. Then he gave her a look that read something like: what are you waiting for?

This is all a dream. A perfect dream. I want this to be real, not just a dream. Vegeta then gave her a smoldering look of encouragement and brought his hand up to her face giving her a quick touch under her chin. Before trailing it down her neck… Ah, hell, who cares?

She pushed his hand down and leaded down for one more kiss. Then she made her way back to her main objective. She could tell he was starting to get very exited. The mound in his shorts having increased over the last few minutes. She reached one hand down and trailed it over the edge of his shorts and then teasingly danced them across his bulge. At her torment he let out a low growl.

"I'm starting to get impatient, woman."

"Fine," she said curtly as she grabbed the hem of the black spandex, "but you forgot one thing."

"What's that?" Vegeta sounded playful again.

Bulma pulled his last remaining clothes off and lowered her face until it was mere centimeters from her prize. "My," she blew on it, "name," she flicked her tongue out across his head, "is Bulma." She took him fully in her mouth and began to suck mercilessly. She ran her tongue along his length. When he groaned and arched his back, urging her on she pulled back.

"Ugh, wha…?" He could hardly speak. He gave her a pleading look.

"Say it." She kissed his tip and then pulled back again. "Say my name." She breathed softly.

"I…" Vegeta couldn't seem to think straight. "Ugh…" Bulma figured he just needed a little encouragement. Her hand wrapped around his throbbing member and began to squeeze and then slid up and down, squeeze, slid up and down, squeeze…

"Oh, Bulma…" He moaned so loudly it vibrated through her whole body ending in the pit of her stomach where it grew warm and solid.

"There," she shuddered a little, "that wasn't so hand was it?"

Vegeta had regained a little of his composure.

"Oh, you'll pay for that one." In an instant their positions were reversed. She laid on her back while he sat over her. He reached his hands under her hips until he found the zipper to her skirt. As his hands came back around they brought her skirt with them. Only she, unlike Vegeta, was wearing underwear. Black silk with lace edging panties where what she had put on the morning of the day her life had turned sour. She realized she had no idea how long that had been.

Vegeta copied her, by leaning over her and kissing the two of the most sensitive parts of her body. He suckled her nipples, both in turn and gave her stomach and breasts a tongue bath. She was writhing with pleasure, hoping that he would never stop. After a few minutes of this however she began to get hungry for something more. The whole upper half of her body tingled with the sensations bestowed by his mouth, but her lower half was left needy.

As if reading her mind, Vegeta's hand slipped under black lace and cupped her womanhood. She groaned and raised her hips encouraging more. He obeyed and slid his hand lower so his fingers had access to the deeper, wet parts of her sex. Two of his fingers toyed with her tiny bud sending shockwaves of ecstasy through her entire being. She bobbed her hips again. "Please, Vegeta, more…" She leaned up and licked his neck. Her hands had long since found their way to his hair.

He removed his hand long enough to remove her last remaining barrier and tossed it aside. Pushing her knees up, he gazed into her body, before dipping his hand into her waiting entrance. He built a slow rhythm with his fingers working magic on her insides. Bulma was almost about to go over the edge when he stopped.

"No…" she whimpered and he smirked.

"How does it feel, huh? To be left hanging over the edge of heaven?" He watched her look at him in confusion. "Not yet, woman. The time will come." As if that explained everything, he went back to work.

His hands gripped her knees and his fingers tickled small circles on the back of them. He bent his head and kissed her lower thigh, just above where his hands enticed her flesh.

Slowly he moved his way higher, one kiss at a time until Bulma thought she wound go mad with desire. When he reached the place where her legs met her hips he wasted no time, but dived right in. His lips and teeth and tongue doing a dance at her flower like none she'd ever felt before. He's much better then Yamcha… Her thoughts drifted off again as she neared her climax again. But, as before, just as she was about to peak, Vegeta pulled away and relinquished his hold on her.

"Dammit, Vegeta, stop doing that…" It was more of a plea then a command. How can he read me so perfectly? Her mind seemed to have forgotten momentarily that this was supposed to be just a fantasy dream.

Vegeta laughed deeply at her remark. "I think it's about time." He sat back and pulled Bulma into his lap. She rested on his thighs with his erection between them while she attacked his lips once more with her own. So far their kisses had been purely exploratory, but this one was made of pure passion. Fire seemed to pass between them as their tongues competed in their own personal oral Olympics. Each one having a mind of it's own to out do the other.

Their mouths still molded as one Bulma lifted herself on to her knees and positioned herself over him. Her hips started to weave in a playful manner, but Vegeta would have no more teasing. Grabbing her hips he thrust into her as deep as he could. She broke their kiss with a small cry, part pain, part pleasure.

Breathing hard and deep Bulma began to rock slowly testing these new sexual waters. He fits so perfectly. Vegeta's hands on her hips began to aid her in finding their rhythm. She looked deep into his eyes and he met her stare equally. Everything crescendoed together. As their breathing got harder and deeper and faster so did their pace.

All at once they came together crying out in unison. The flood of the explosive orgasm was almost more then Bulma's body could handle. She lowered her head to rest on his shoulder until her body quite convulsing. She knew what he had been about, waiting for the right moment.

She could still feel him inside her. She heard him inhale the scent of her hair and his penis again hardened as before. Wow, What a libido! Such stamina, It'll be hard to keep up. But I'm sure I can manage.

Vegeta had again recovered and was trusting his hips beneath her experimentally. She looked up and smiled. "Ready to go again?"

"I thought you'd never ask." And again they went, and again and again. At some point Vegeta turned the tables so that he was lying on top of her. She figured it was better that way since he had more strength and could work up a faster beat then her.

Eventually, though, Vegeta wore her down, and Bulma felt exhaustion overcoming her. With one last climax she fell limp beneath him. He pulled out one last time and lay beside her. He pulled the spare blanket over the top of them and lay down beside her. She closed her eyes and snuggled next to his solid body.

"That's right, sleep, little one. I'll watch over you as I was before." His voice was soft and low and comforting. It was the last thing she heard as she slipped into a very welcoming oblivion.

Bulma swam into consciousness, but chose to keep her eyes closed. She remembered falling asleep in Vegeta's arms and smiled. Turning over she met, not a rock hard chest, but a rock hard wall. She sat up swiftly and hit her head against an overhanging obstruction. Feeling a little dazed, Bulma took in the significance of her surroundings. She was sitting on the bottom cot of a bunk bed, the floor was a dirty white tile and the door to her cell consisted of inch-thick steel bars.

She rubbed a quickly forming bump on her head that made for a dull ache through the whole of her skull. Bulma's other hand went to her stomach where she felt the course texture of her clothing. She remembered that she had been naked in her previous dream flux. Bulma had long decided to call them that in memory of her best friend and his son, and for lack of a better term. Now she was wearing prison issue black and white stripped shirt and pants. Her feet wore a very soft pair of shoes. Good, at least I won't be running barefoot any more. Her small outburst of laughter caused the pain in her head to increase, so it was cut off with her sharp intake of breath.

The sound of footsteps echoing towards her position brought her attention to the bars that held her prisoner. "Hey! You awake?" The person who called to her in a deep southern twang was none other than Krillin in a guard's uniform.

Bulma wasn't really surprised. She decided that she wasn't going to play along this time. "So, you're alive again, huh?" Her remark seemed to puzzle her little bald buddy. "It makes sense, if you really think about it. I mean, with the way this nightmare has been going and everything. See, it's very simple. Either I dreamed your death in the first place which makes it easy for you to be here now, or I'm dreaming that you're alive again which means you could really be still dead somewhere or you could even be alive somewhere which just takes be back to my first conclusion."

"What are you talkin' about? I heard you was real crazy, guess it must be true. I better get the doctor after all." Krillin turned and almost ran away, a look of fear skimming the surface of his face.

"Oh, you do that!" Bulma called down the hall after him, "and just who is the doctor? My dad? Or maybe Goku and Gohan again? You guys really need to be more original!" She yelled out to any one who might be listening. Bulma recognized the tone in her voice before she even felt the emotions. She was getting pissed. Or at least very annoyed. Just when she had started to feel safe and protected they switched the scene on her again. The thought of losing her mind had appeared periodically in her frantic thoughts and it seemed apparent that that was exactly what someone was pushing for. I just wish they'd hurry and get it over with. NO! Don't start thinking like that, Bulma! You can't give up now; you have to try. You can beat this.

That was when Krillin and her mother walked around the corner wearing a white coat and glasses and carrying a notepad. "Mom!?" Bulma burst out laughing again, this time she ignored the throbbing in her brain. Mother? A doctor?! Bulma loved her mom, but she knew that her father hadn't married her for her brains. This was an interesting twist; a joke at least. "So mom," she said after getting her somewhat hysterical laughter under control, "when did you find time for your PhD between bridge parties, gardening and making tea, not to mention shopping?" This sent her into another gail of giggles. Even to her own ears she sounded crazy, like a mad scientist in an old black and white, low-budget horror flick. Bulma just didn't care anymore.

*In a dark lab someone sat watching the screen in front of them. "She's beginning to crack. I'll have to be careful now. I don't want her to lose it completely. It's only a matter of time before she's ready to give me what I want."

On the large television Mrs. (Dr.) Briefs gave Bulma a very stern and emotionless look. As the laughter stopped she spoke up. "Are you quite finished yet?"*

Bulma wiped a tear from her eye. "Ha ha, uh, yeah, I think so…mom." By trying to hold it in she just manage in making a very un-lady-like sound as the laughter escaped through her pinched lips. The doctor cut off her laughter by turning to the guard. "Go get my assistants. I will need their help with this one, it seems." That said, she turned to Bulma who was now leaning on her bed for support. "Ms. Briefs could you Please try to control yourself." Bulma settled down onto her bed and took several deep breaths. "That's a little better. Now, seeing as how you seem to think that I am or I look like your mother suggests that you are either delusional or you're hallucinating. Either way you could be a threat to yourself and to others. So I'm recommending that you be restrained for you trial." Bulma's laughter was all gone at the words of her mother and the sight of Krillin leading the good doctor's assistants into her view; Nappa and Raditz.

"What trial? If I haven't been tried yet then why am I already here, like this?"

Her mother's face twisted into a look of pure disgust. "Some things are just a technicality. If I was the judge I'd skip the trial and go straight to the sentencing. After all, everybody knows you're guilty. But the law demands we try you. I guess the law didn't have you in mind when it was initiated."

All of Bulma's effort was concentrated on trying to figure out this new turn of events. Krillin unlocked the door after being given a nod from Dr. Briefs (the female one). Raditz and Nappa dressed in white orderly clothes that would have made Bulma laugh again had she been in the mood stepped up to the now open door and into her cell.

Bulma slid back on her bed and pushed towards the wall away from the infamous duo. "Bad news Krillin. Looks like you could still be dead. If these guys are here and alive then this is a dream which doesn't say much for you, pal."

The blonde woman turned to the bald guard. "What is she talking about?" When he shrugged she turned back to Bulma. "Don't make this more difficult on yourself Ms. Briefs. If you let them do their job then you won't be hurt, yet. I would hate for things to get unpleasant." Bulma was scrambling frantically, ignoring the words of warning. Raditz stepped to her right and held something up with a very Saiyan smirk. A straight jacket. Man, this is really starting to suck.

"You don't need to put that on me. I couldn't hurt anyone if I wanted to, which I don't. But I will defend myself so you just tell these monkey boys to back off with the crazy suit, hu. I can be reasonable. I'm not insane." She realized that she was just babbling now, trying to delay the inevitable. Way to go. I'm sure that convinced them you aren't nuts. Bulma scolded herself mentally. Nappa who stood to the left stepped forward and grinned at her. She flinched as if he'd struck her. She had nowhere to go and she knew that they knew that she knew it. In the blink of an eye Nappa leapt forward and Bulma reacted. She rolled off the bed and sprinted toward the door. Raditz stepped in front of her and she ran smack into him. He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her even closer.

"No!" Bulma yelled and brought her knee up to his crotch. It was just enough force to loosen his grip on her and she used that spinning away from him and making for the door again. Nappa who had collided with her bed regained him self and jumped at her again grabbing her ankle and tripping her. She landed on her stomach and she felt pain shoot through her wrists as they came to a jarring halt on the tile floor. Turning over she saw Nappa starting to sit up and gave him a quick kick to the face. It only stunned him a little so she kicked him again, and again. Each impact was a little harder until she felt the bones in his face collapse beneath her foot. His hand on her ankle dropped to the floor and she didn't wait. Turning over she began to rise to her feet when her uplifted face met the cold dark hole of Krillin's gun.

"Stop! That is enough. Krillin if she moves again just shoot her. As you can see, Ms. Briefs it's no use. You don't want do die here like this, do you? Although it was save a lot of people the aggravation of your trial."

Bulma had frozen her gaze on the gun, but now she looked up to Krillin searching her old friend's face. It contained only fear and desperation. No help there. She watched Dr. Briefs snap her fingers at Raditz who was recovering and very angry. Nappa was unconscious on the floor, his bloody face turned from sight, but a puddle of red was forming on the floor around his head. Too much blood…Bulma was pulled away by Raditz's hard grasp on her arm. She stood defeated as he shoved her arms into the straight jacket. Her mind was blank as he tied her arms tightly around her, and her eyes starred straight ahead when he pushed her down the hall towards her fate.

A little while later she sat at a large oak table in a very traditional looking court room. She sat alone; the air around her seemed frozen. The quiet before the storm… All at once the doors burst open and people began to fill the room. Some she knew by name, others looked familiar, but she couldn't place a name with their face, associates of her father's, distant relatives, neighbors… Not that it mattered. She didn't really know what she was doing here anyway.

A voice called out in the now very alive room. "All rise for the honorable judge, Vegeta no Ouji." People stood quietly more with fear than with honor as the black robed Prince entered the room. He sat in his chair and scowled disapprovingly at the audience.

Bulma was shocked at Vegeta's role in this twisted game. He should be the one to post bail not set bail. On the other hand, maybe this could work to her advantage. The very sight of him started a tingle deep in her lower stomach. Not now, she scolded herself.

"Has the jury assembled?" Vegeta asked no one in particular. "Yes, your honor," said Krillin who was acting as Bailiff.

Bulma looked over to see her "jury". Among those to judge her were Goku, Gohan, Chichi, Dr. Briefs (her dad, not mom), Oolong, Puar, Master Roshi, and a few other close friends. Bulma was glad to see them alive until she remembered Nappa and Raditz and how this was just all a dream.

"The prosecution?" Vegeta sounded bored.

"Here, your Honor." Yamcha entered the room carrying a large brief case and wearing a suit. Dang, he looks good! Bulma shook herself and reminded herself of Vegeta.

"The defense for the accused?" Vegeta had picked up his gavel and was not swatting at a fly that was buzzing around his head.

"Meow." Her father's black kitten jumped up on the desk. Bulma had begun to be curious as to who would be defending her, but this was totally unexpected. She had at least expected them to be human and be able to speak in her behalf. Oh, well. This court is all screwed up anyway. This is, after all, only a dream, a very bizarre, bad dream. She kept telling herself hoping that that would make it truer.

Vegeta nodded to Krillin. "The court of The People vs. Bulma Briefs is now in session. The honorable Vegeta no Ouji is presiding. Is the prosecution ready to make it's opening statement.?"

Yamcha straightened his tie and flashed the entire court a very dashing smile.

"Yes, I'm ready." He stood and walked around the table. "Today is a very momentous day. Today begins the trial where we the people have a chance to put away one of the most infamous characters of our time. The charges against Ms. Briefs are too long a list to read aloud, so I'll just read a few of the worst ones." He slid a notepad from his brief case and pulled some glasses out of his jacket and put them on. "First of all, Ms. Bulma Briefs is charged with the murder of the entire population of West Capital and several extensive accounts of destruction of public and private property, several accounts of prostitution and indecent exposure, and using her intelligence to form a company for the soul propose of destruction of all mankind. She is also sighted for aiding and a bedding criminals, the recent murder of one orderly, Nappa the Saiyan, yaddy yaddy yadda, the list goes on and on… my point, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is that this isn't just a case of a slap on the wrist and a fine. She isn't some punk conditioned by society, but a plotting, conspiring, cold-blooded murderer. We shouldn't even give her the benefit of life in prison. It is apparent to any person that we are dealing with a very bad egg here, someone who posses a very real threat to all of us. In short, I'm pushing for the full measure of the law," a dramatic pause, "execution."

Bulma heard a faint gasp from the court, then the murmur of voices in private conversation. Her own thoughts went to Nappa. She didn't know she'd killed him. She, a weakling human, had killed Nappa a great Saiyan soldier. Not that she was sorry… Her thoughts were quickly interrupted. "Quiet!" Vegeta roared. Instantly, it was silent. "Now, what about the defense?"

"Meow." Her father's cat jumped from the table to the floor and began walking back and forth as Yamcha had done meowing up and down. Bulma stared at the sight in confusion. Looking at Vegeta she watched him nod his head at one of her lawyer's "comments". In fact the whole court seemed to understand what it was saying. Every one except Bulma, that is. She fought another urge to laugh hysterically. And I'm supposed to be the crazy one?! Bulma sat back in her chair to wait for this flux to end. I don't get this one. Execution? A chill ran up her spine. Despite the fact that this is just a dream, I really don't like the sound of that. The sooner I'm out of here, the better. Bulma's eyes fell shut.

"There will be no sleeping in my court!" Bulma's eyes shot open as she felt herself lifted from her chair by the front of her shirt. Her face was inches from the "judges" face, his coal black eyes boring into hers. She hadn't even heard him come towards her.

"S..S…Sorry, Vegeta, I wasn't really…" The audience gasped. Vegeta's eyes flashed with even more anger.

"You will not address the Prince of Vegetasei and judge of this court so informally. You are just a criminal, a crazy monstrosity that has produced nothing but chaos and destruction and death." His word held so much venom that Bulma thought the spittle that flew from his mouth to her face would poison her. Such words, and from Vegeta, no less, stung at her very heart. How dare he? Now, she was very hurt and very pissed.

"How dare you, Mr. Saiyan-prince-destroyer-of-races-seller-of-planets-want-to-rule-all conceited pig! Who are you to accuse me of anything. Besides," Bulma had contained the hurt and betrayal until this moment. Now, it spilt over in an overwhelming flood of emotions that threatened to personify themselves as tears in her eyes, "I thought you were on my side. You were the only one I could trust. When you saved me I thought it was because…" She bowed her head in an attempt to get her feelings under control.

"Because what? You thought I cared?" She looked back into his face. Big Mistake. His eyes were blank. Then he began to laugh. "You mean it never occurred to you that I was just using you for the sex?" He laughed so hard his hand lost it's grasp on her shirt and she fell back to her seat with a thud. She bowed her head again, this time, in shame. With his mockery ringing in her ears, the threat of tears became a reality and Bulma's pain dripped down her face. It's just a dream! Straighten up, girl! She scolded herself, but she knew she wouldn't be able to stop. It was too real, the pain was too sharp.

Vegeta's cruel laughter stopped suddenly. "That is enough. We've heard enough excuses on behalf of this whore. I will now pronounce my judgment." He walked back to his elevated place and sat down. The air in the room seemed to slow for an instant before becoming more lucid and vivid then before. "Bulma Briefs, It is the sentence of MY court that you… receive mercy." Bulma sighed, thinking that the old Vegeta was back and that, once again, he would save her. He had just been putting on an act, right? Then he continued, "I will make it my own personal duty to see that you are put out of you miserable, worthless, crazy life, and that you don't plague this mud ball of a planet any longer." Bulma's wound was reopened by his small attempt at deception. I guess I was wrong.

She straightened her back and stared straight ahead. The only sign of her caring anything for what went on next was the traitor tears that trickled down her face.

"At dawn, you will be executed by means of the electric chair. So have a good-night's sleep, and pleasant dreams." Vegeta's words ended in a growl that echoed in her ears.

She spaced out as they dragged her back to her prison cell. She had hoped that when she fell asleep her dream flux would change. Instead, she had the regular, old, garden-variety nightmares and awoke in the same place she had fallen to sleep. Nothing had changed, except that they had removed the straight jacket and replaced it with good, old fashioned handcuffs.

She still felt confused and betrayed and generally insane. What if this isn't a dream? What if my whole life was just the dreams of a lunatic and now I've woken up. What if, what if… Her mind was lost in a twisting maze of possibilities. Her confidence was shattered; her thoughts wound themselves tighter and tighter until she thought her head would just implode. Gratefully, she was interrupted by the sound of steps and the jingling of keys in the lock.

"You have a visitor." Krillin's voice was cold. Bulma sat up and waited for her visitor to appear. Who will it be, I wonder. My parents? My lawyer? She vaguely remembered seeing her defense attorney slink from the room with it's tail between it's legs. No, maybe it will be Vegeta, come to save me after all. Why do I keep hoping for him? He should be farthest from my mind right now. Her answer came as a big surprise.

Out of the shadows stepped the thing she had been running from all along. "No! She hissed and tried to close her door before it could enter. She was too slow. It reached out one black, sharp-clawed hand and gripped her neck. She tried to scream as it slammed her against the wall and held her up off the floor. Her feet wriggled trying to support her flailing body, but meeting nothing but more air. Her neck constricted and she felt her air way pinch shut.

In her panicked state she almost missed the buzzing\ringing that started as a whisper and built to a dull roar. As the sound overwhelmed her she stopped struggling and began to listen. She didn't have much choice in that matter the sound filled her head and felt like a thick rope that coiled itself in her brain. More then a voice, it was a feeling. A feeling that it knew she was about to die. That it had won and she had lost. Then it really was a voice, a sharp rasping voice that rose from the tangible fog it was radiating. "I AM NOT THE ONE TO FEAR LITTLE ONE. YOUR OWN WILL KILL YOU AND I WILL HAVE TO DO NOTHING. I HAVE COME TO MAKE YOU AN OFFER. I CAN ACTUALLY BE YOUR SAVIOR IF YOU SO WISH IT. I CAN MAKE IT ALL STOP."

Bulma would have laughed if she could. Instead, she was forced to choke out a response. "I've…heard…that……before." It tightened its hold in response. Bulma was starting to get light headed. Looking into its black face and its black, glossy eyes she felt as if she was drowning in that black water all over again.

"I HAD A FEELING YOU'D SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT. FINE THEN, LITTLE ONE. JUST GIVE ME A YELL WHEN YOU'RE READY. MAYBE IT'L TAKE A DANCE WITH THE DEVIL TO MAKE YOU SEE THAT I'M YOUR ONLY SALVATION..." With that it let go and drifted back into the shadows from whence it came.

When Bulma's feet hit the floor her weak knees buckled beneath her and she crashed to the floor. Her lungs heaved as they tried to make up for the shortage of air. Gasping and choking Bulma looked up just in time to see Raditz and Nappa step into her cell and fold their arms across their chest. It didn't even register to her that Nappa was supposed to be dead.

"It's time." Krillin's voice sounded shaky this time and little less sure of itself. She stood as confidently as her unstable body would allow. She had resolved to go to her execution with pride. They can kill me, but they'll never win. She walked forward, her legs gaining more and more strength with each step.

With a Saiyan on either side of her and her arms cuffed in front of her she took one proud step after another. As Bulma moved closer to her destination her insides fizzled with fear. Her stomach turned with the anticipation of her impending doom, and her thoughts whirled at a thousand miles an hour. In every cell she passed there was a strange face staring at her. Because the cells were mostly dark the only light was from the hallway, the blue tile cast a tinted haze on the faces that stared at her, casting shadows on their eyes. They all appeared to be dead. Bulma felt shiver go up her spine but her resolve remained firm.

There were several non-prisoners watching her march as well. Those of her friends that had also been in the jury, as well as Yamcha. He had his arm wrapped around the waist of a red head. Bulma had seen him with her several times since their last break up. On the girl's other arm was Vegeta. He kissed her and then turned to follow the trio down the hall. She looked away as she felt tears of rage and jealousy flare. She had no choice but to continue.

At the end of the hall they turned left and went through a door into a small anti-chamber. Raditz un-did her handcuffs and led her to a very big, very crude, very soulless looking chair. Several wires ran from the chair to the wall in different places. And all those wires converged at one small box and switch. She diverted her eyes from it as another chill enveloped her. Sitting, she felt the cold wood and cold steel alike press against her as if it was tying to seep into her skin and blend into her. She closed her eyes as Goku's brother buckled all the restraints on her arms and legs and placed something onto her head.

Bulma was sure that she could have come up with a more modern, more efficient way of doing this, but she didn't think anyone would care. No one cared. No one cared that she was about to die. No one cared that Bulma Briefs had been unjustly sentenced to a death she didn't deserve. No one cares that I'm afraid, afraid of death.

She opened her eyes and searched for a final way out, anything to stop what was coming. That this was supposed to be just a dream had become irrelevant to her the second Vegeta had laughed in her face. Right now, right here, this was real. She was about to die and she couldn't do anything about it. Her wide eyes watched as Vegeta walked to the wall that held the switch that would end her life. Vegeta looked at her and gave her one last menacing smirk. It was even more evil and malicious than his usual smirk. As he passed her he laughed again, shaking his head in unbelief.

How could she have been so stupid? No, he really had felt something, too. I know he did. Yet, now, he would be the very one to end her life with out even thinking twice. No, Vegeta. Don't do it! Her eyes pleaded with him silently.

Time slowed, and a different picture flashed in her mind. She was watching Vegeta one second and then she was watching something else.

At first she couldn't tell what she was seeing because it came and went too quickly. Again she was looking at Vegeta's slow motion approach towards the switch.

What is it? All her thoughts were diverted from her execution to the vision that flashed before her.

She tried to concentrate and when it flashed again she saw a little more. It flashed again and again, each time a little longer until she could finally make out

Vegeta's hand reached up and

slowly grip the handle.

His hand flexed and his knuckles whitened

She saw his hand begin to move down he turned to her and smirked

that stupid Saiyan smirk she knew so well…

Vegeta

The two images converged. The switch connected. She heard and felt the surge of power. She screamed his name. Then she screamed her surrender to the darkness, "MAKE IT STOP!" And she realized what she had seen.

She had been dancing with the devil.

Then everything went black. Again.

With a jolt she sat up and jumped out of bed. My bed, my room, I'm home? She stared in amazement at her peaceful surroundings. Everything seemed more like a dream. A very real dream, but a dream nonetheless. She looked out the window at a pre-dawn West Capital city. I should get ready for work, I guess. She walked around her bed towards her bathroom when she noticed her alarm clock. That's strange.

It read 7:23, but that wasn't the weird thing. The weird thing was that it was there at all. Didn't Vegeta blow it up yesterday? Then again, she didn't remember coming home from work yesterday. Maybe that was just all part of the dream. She shrugged it off and went to shower.

As she stood under the warm water and let it run over her she continued to ponder the mystery of the alarm clock. She finished and got out. Bulma wrapped a towel around her body enjoying the fell of the soft white fabric against her wet skin. The steam that clouded the mirror was wiped away to reveal a clean, but tired-looking Bulma Briefs.

As soon as that thought was complete the atmosphere in the bathroom shifted. Bulma stared into the mirror trying to gather what had changed. Her gaze was so intense she watched her own eyes, like the eyes of a stranger, as they grew wide and more strained. The mirror shattered into a million pieces shattering her trance. One piece of glass licked out to cut the corner of her eye, she felt another slicing quickly at the side of her mouth. Bulma jumped back and slipped on the wet blue and white tiles. Only, as she crawled to stand she noticed they weren't blue and white anymore. They were red. Red with blood. So much blood…Not my blood. She scanned the small room for a source of the blood. Through the steam filled room she could see no one. It's seems to be coming up through the floor itself. She watched as the spot grew bigger spreading and snaking between the squares before covering each one.

There was a patterned emerging. Bulma stared in horror. G..O…T she read, "got?" No that wasn't it. G… O… T…O…W "What?" GO TO WORK. She read the words out loud. "Ok. Sure. Now, bathroom floor is telling me what to do." In spite of her confident words she stood and scrambled out. She sat on her bed long enough to wipe the blood of her feet with her towel. She dropped the once pure, now stained towel to the floor and began to dress as quickly as she could. Looking in her mirror briefly she noticed the two small cuts on her face. Dabbing at them with her finger she cleaned them as fast as she could while doning a pair of underwear.

Well, I might as well go to work. I don't want to stay here. She pulled on her jeans and t-shirt and then her plain old white sneakers and bolted for the door. On her way out she remembered to get her keys before slamming the door behind her.

As she stepped outside she began to hear\feel a familiar sound. A ringing that buzzed out, like a city warning siren with low batteries. It seemed to fill the sky as if it was coming from everywhere at once. There was no voice that accompanied it this time, but Bulma thought she understood it's meaning. It was a warning. Telling her that she was on the verge of the insanity starting again, she had the choice. Now I just have to figure out what I'm supposed to do. She stepped of the curb and unlocked her air car door. Other than that oppressing sound, the world was silent. No people walked the streets, there were no other people in sight. It's still pretty early. The sun was only inches above the horizon.

The trip to C.C.L. was short she entered the building she ran to the elevator with out looking around, a sense of urgency coming all at once. Once she was inside she realized that, in her haste, she had forgotten her pass card. "Dang it!" Oh, well. She walked to the back left corner and pulled up the carpet. Underneath was her spare pass card. She picked it up, her wet hair sticking to her face, and slid it through the system box on the wall. Then she pushed the twentieth floor button.

As the door to the elevator opened at the bottom she knew something was wrong. The emergency lights were up, but they barely lit the lounge before her. Bulma spied a pair of feet sticking out from behind the security desk. As she peeked cautiously around she saw Clarence lying on the floor, his uniform smoldering and his body covered in second and third degree burns. "Oh, Clarence…" She had always had a soft spot for the elderly guard, and she knew he had always considered her more of a daughter then an employer.

Bulma felt the rage building in her. "Why!" She yelled to the darkened hallway. "Why him?" She stood and with purpose in her stride walked to the door and pushed it open. Where once she would have had to pass a retinal scan there was now a hole burnt into the wall that entered straight into the changing chamber. "I guess that saves time," she said to no one apparent. She had a feeling someone was listening.

She didn't bother with a radiation suit. It was obvious that the whole floor was flooded with radiation and she was already exposed. She didn't plan on being here long anyway. In the inner chamber she found another disaster. Red alarm lights were flashing in several places giving the large steel room a holographic blood bath. The inner core was melted confirming her suspicions about the radiation contamination. Several wires were hanging down broken and spiting sparks whenever they met another cord.

Languin was lying on the floor in front of her station. Her suit had not protected her, it seemed. Bulma rushed over to her friend and associate and turned her body over. Her once beautiful face was frozen in a serious pose, her once pale skin was now black and charred. Laying the dead girl down gently she looked at the panel trying to determine what Languin had been working on when she had passed on.

Radiation levels were off the charts. The power output was in the red zone. What happened here? They should have shut down long before things got this out of hand. She ran to the other control station and began to work her magic; she had to hurry. She could already feel her skin starting to itch and burn. She knew she couldn't last long. Trying to shut down the power source was proving very difficult. Most of the control circuitry was fried and she had to bypass several malfunctioning systems. Just as she was about to reach a turning point she felt a hot hand wrap around her ankle.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" She screamed. Bulma was already on the edge of her nerves. She looked down to find a very near death Jaken looking up at her with pleading eyes.

"Jaken, what happened here?"

At first she had a hard time understanding him so she bent down, putting her ear close to her face. "Power… glitch, yesterday… reset …plasm…radiation… saturation …overload… before we could catch it…no one… here when…when it started… meltdown… this morning…complete…the phase…"

"I have to eject the radiation core…" She began to stand, but a surprisingly strong grip pulled her back. "Not…enough…time…have to…complete…phase…" His voice was a croaking gasp she could tell he was going fast.

"What? No, how will completing the phase help?" Bulma wondered if he hadn't gone insane. I know how he feels.

"Completing the…phase…will…drain the power…cells…safely…ejecting…the core…risks…further…contamination…" Jaken coughed up several bits of blood and then fell over, dead.

"Of course…" It was all suddenly clear to Bulma. Knowing exactly what to do she walked to the observation room to the master panel and began to input the shutdown code for the whole project:22B5U7L5M20A1. It shouldn't have worked because of the meltdown. The code would have only been effective the first minute after the system was tripped. But, as Bulma had suspected, it worked as if it had been the phase-three initiation code. As the center core lowered into the floor and started to spin lights flashed through the floor panel signifying that the Pentolater was functioning properly. This was also a miracle as it seemed there was enough damage to the power relays to stop anything from working in the center core.

The buzzing ring filled the air complementing the red wash of the alarm lights. "Excellent," it was the voice that had spoken to her in the sewer. "you have comPLeteD YOUR PART." As the voice continued it deepened and grew harsher until it was another familiar voice.

"I DO SO WISH YOU HAD BEEN QUICKER ABOUT THE WHOLE THING. HOWEVER, THIS WAS VERY AMUSING. I RELEASE YOU NOW."

Bulma's skin burned. The radiation was now having an advanced effect. Her vision darkened and she fell back, passed out, one last time.

She remembered everything. She ran down the hall past several startled paper pushers who threw up their loads in surprise as the Acting President of Capsule Corporation sprinted by, her high heels in hand. She was sure she didn't have long.

* "Success! Finally! Now, to finish what should have been done all ready. I'll show you stability Ms. Briefs." The tall figure zipped up his silver suit and opened the door to the observation room.*

Entering the elevator she slid her card through the slot and slammed her fist into the 20^th floor button, missing the first time, but succeeding on the second attempt. You never realize how long this takes till you're in a rush. She tapped her bare foot impatiently and watched the numbers light up. 3, 4, 5…

*Walking to the master panel, the man began to enter the magic password. 2…2…B…5…U…7…L … *

18, 19, 20…The doors opened slowly. Running past a startled, yet very alive, Clarence, Bulma sighed with relief inwardly, and kept moving. The retinal scan was quick and she was soon in the changing chamber. She ignored the posted sign that read: Warning. Do not enter with out protective clothing. Radiation Hazard. She pushed open the door to the observation room. It's time to confront the monster. Bulma Briefs took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

* …A…1… The man watched the door to the changing chamber slam open and admit a very serious looking Ms. Briefs. Just then a computer voice came over the intercom. "Code Accepted."

"You are too late to stop it Ms. Briefs." He had won. All that time wasted, but now, it didn't matter.*

Bulma smirked at the next words to come over the intercom. "Emergency Shut Down Activated." Bulma watched as her assistant's face dropped.

"No!" Jaken yelled. He watched as the central core went dark and lowered into the floor where it was locked away from his grasp forever. He was defeated. "I had it. Why didn't it work? You!" He pointed a finger at her. He was furious in his loss. "You tricked me!"

Bulma almost laughed. "Well, I guess you know how it feels. Why did you do it, Jaken. I would have given the initiation code in a few days. Why go through all this trouble?"

"In a few days? Why wait? Everything was set for the advancement today. I even sped up the saturation process so that we could go today. But, you wouldn't have that. You wouldn't have anything happen out of your own personal schedule would you? Everything had to go exactly as you said. You had to have absolute control over everything, didn't you? At first we were equal because you needed my help with the Pentolater, but as soon as it was completed you started shoving me aside more and more until I was just a lowly assistant. And you, you got all the credit for my work. Well, I wanted to be the one to push the button this time."

Bulma was shocked. "You did all this because you wanted more credit on the Pentolater project?"

Jaken smirked. "That, and it gave me a perfect opportunity to test out one of my completed experiments you cut budget for after the merger. It really worked quite perfectly, my little mind manipulation machine. Ingenious really, I built it on the same principles as the Pentolater only with out the radiation. It stimulated electromagnetic pulses in your brain and broke down the barriers between you conscious and your unconscious thoughts. You were literally living in your dreams. You should thank me really. Not everyone gets such a clear look at their most desired fantasies and worst nightmares. Yours were particularly interesting. You are afraid of losing your family, being raped, hurting other people, and being judged by the ones you care most about. You hate the thought of being betrayed, you are afraid of death and you like taking cold baths out in open."

"You were watching?" Bulma shivered at the thought. He saw what Goku did, and me and Vegeta…

Jaken was quite pleased at her reaction. "Yes, quite an unexpected side effect was the ability to watch your dreams and even manipulate them as I willed. That Black Monster was one of my own touches. As well as that last scene, I needed something good to convince you to give me the code."

"Well it might have worked, had you not messed it up in a few places. For starters, the alarm clock."

"Well, I didn't want you to be late to work, now did I?" He was trying to cover up his frustration with sarcasm.

Bulma decided to work on that some more. She owed him. "You also tipped me off by being the only one alive when I arrived, although, that wasn't really conclusive. There was the repeated reference to the Pentolater and someone wanting it to be activated. Then, when the emergency shut down code worked like the real phase three code, I knew I was still dreaming. The pass key in the elevator was a nice touch."

"I had to think fast on that one. When you went for it I had to alter the dream world as fast as I could. It didn't ever occur to me that you wouldn't actually have one hidden there."

"Oh, I do, in the right hand corner, not the left. That was just kind of a test. I guess you failed." Jaken winced. One thing she knew about Jaken was he hated failure. "When I woke up in my office I put the rest of it together. Except for the motive, which I couldn't quite figure out. Guess that's cause it was totally petty and irrational. If you felt you were being left out, I'm sorry, I didn't do it intentionally. You could have come to me and talked about it. You didn't need to go to such extreme measures." Bulma felt bad, kind of, but now she was just trying to calm him. Jaken was, after all, a genius, bordering on total nut case, and he still held a lot of power.

As if he were still watching her thoughts Jaken stepped towards the master panel again. She stepped forward but his voice stopped her. "Don't move. I think I just might flood this whole building with plasmatic radiation. You'll be dead after a few crippling minutes and I'll still have time to escape. You really should read the signs you know. You sent everyone else home, so there will be no witnesses. I'll just say that you were tampering with the equipment when it backfired and you lost control. The result was your own death. I'll be the only one around who knows enough to take control. That way I still win and you…well, you lose." Jaken's hand went to the panel. "It's too bad that Vegeta guy will never know how much he meant to you. In all your dreams he was the one who you wanted to save you and his betrayal was the most painful. You really should pay more attention to how you feel." Jaken turned to push the red button marked DON'T PUSH THIS BUTTON. In the back of her mind Bulma scolded herself for even having such buttons. Note to self: if you survive, don't install buttons that can cause so much damage.

Her hand whipped down to her waist and under her suit jacket. Her fingers wound around the cold handle of a small pistol. She pulled it out with out attracting any attention from Jaken, his eyes being firmly locked on the panel. He seemed to be moving in slow motion, just as in her dream. She knew she was about to die, but she knew there were people who cared, and she could do something about it.

"Stop, Jaken." Everything came back into focus and back up to speed. His eyes widened in surprise at the pistol pointed at him. "Not this time." She pulled the trigger and watched as his arm jerked back and splattered blood all over the back wall.

He screamed is horror and pain. Holding up his injured limb he found that he had several fingers missing. Then he roared in rage. Using his other hand he went for the button again. He was very fast, but Bulma was faster. She pulled the trigger again this time it hit him in his right shoulder. He leapt back again.

"Ouch! Stop shooting me!" He went for the panel again. Again she pulled the trigger hitting him square in the chest. He fell back against the blood splattered wall and slip to the floor unconscious.

"Stop getting back up." Bulma said simply. She kicked at his foot and he fell over. Blood streaked the wall and stained his radiation suit. So much blood…Her hands began to shake and she felt light headed. I hate violence.

She was brought back by the sound of banging on the outside wall. Clarence, having seen her enter in such a disturbed state and having heard the shots was trying to get in to help. Unfortunately he didn't have security clearance to get past the retinal scan. She opened the door and let in her trusty guardsman.

Seeing his shocked face she tried to calm him she didn't want him to have a heart attack and die after all. "It's ok, Clarence, he shouldn't be dead. He tried to flood the floor with radiation so I stopped him from killing me again." At that he looked confused, but just shrugged. He knew that Bulma Briefs was a weird one.

*His eyes came open and he winced at the pain in his hand and shoulder. Surprisingly enough, his chest was numb. Looking at the puddle of red around him he figured he would bleed to death soon if he didn't get help. It was all over. That Briefs woman had won. Almost. He watched her talk to the guard. There was no sound. He crawled quietly towards his destination once more. Nothing would stop him from having his revenge. *

Bulma continued to explain to Clarence. She knew he would understand little of what she was saying, but she needed to say it out loud. "He must have had his machine hooked up in my office for some time. Well, I woke up there and knew what he would be trying. I grabbed my gun from my brief case for protection, after all I still wasn't 100 percent positive who I was dealing with and…" Her words drifted off as she watched Clarence's eyes go wide. "Don't worry, Clarence, I would never carry such a weapon unless I knew how to use it. You know I hate violence and everything but I felt it necessary to…" Her words fell off as she realized he wasn't looking at her, but past her.

With out thinking she whipped around and aimed with the gun once again. Seeing what she expected to see she fired off her remaining rounds. One hit Jaken in the stomach, one in the throught and one right between the eyes. He fell back one last time.

Bulma breathed heavily as she lowered her arm and the gun, barrel still smoking. Jaken was spread all over the room. Bits of red and dots of pink covered everything. She dropped the gun, turned and walked out. I need some sleep, nice, deep, and dreamless.

Bulma rolled over and opened her eyes. This time there was no snooze button, only a black singe mark on her night table. She had avoided getting a new alarm clock figuring the lack of one as one of her grips on reality. The last few days had been very stressful, what with the police and all the explanations and the clean up…so much blood… She tried to hide her face from her thoughts by burring it in her pillow.

Bulma changed her thoughts to something more pleasant. Her dreams had not been nightmares as they had the last few nights. Turning her head to stare at her floor she remembered. Last night she had dreamed the same dream she had the night before the whole thing had started, only this time she remembered who it had been about.

The feelings of love and comfort hadn't come from Yamcha. They had come from Vegeta. She knew it was just a dream, but she still felt the emotional repercussions of the time she had spent with him in her "dream fluxes". The spiritual bond, the physical desire, it was if it had all happened, he just didn't remember. She didn't know quite how to deal with how she felt towards him. She realized Jaken had been right. She needed to pay more attention to how she felt. If what he said about her most desired fantasies and worst nightmares had been true the she needed to sit down and have another talk with her unconscious.

With that thought she stood and went to shower. She grabbed her clothes and took them down the hall to her parent's bathroom. She hadn't yet got up the courage to even look in her own.

After she dressed she went downstairs. Vegeta was sitting at the kitchen table not-so-patiently awaiting his breakfast. "Hurry up, woman. You're always so slow." He was trying to be his usual mean self and start a fight,, but Bulma really wasn't in the mood.

"Sorry, Vegeta. I've had a ruff few days. I'll try to be better tomorrow." She stuck the box of breakfast burritos in the microwave and walked over to sit at the table. Vegeta was still staring at her dumbfounded.

"I suggest you close your mouth, Vegeta, unless you want flies with you breakfast burritos." His mouth snapped shut. She could tell he was shocked at her apology. He quickly covered it up with one of his famous smirks.

"It's about time you started treating me like royalty, woman."

That got her going. "Why you…! I am not your servant, you arrogant slime! Besides my name is Bulma and if you can't say it correctly then I suggest to figure out how to make your own meals!" She shoved him off his chair and walked out of the room.

Vegeta watched her go and then stood to fetch himself a burrito from the beeping microwave. He started laughing as he opened the first of many. "I'm glad she's back to normal. Things might have gotten dull around here if she had moped around much longer." Then he laughed again.

Bulma stood outside the kitchen and listened to Vegeta's laughter. It wasn't the same laugh that had mocked her in the courtroom, but a heartfelt joyful laugh. She closed her eyes and drank it in. It was music to her ears. Maybe there was something between them after all. She was defiantly going to have to see about showing him how she felt.

Bulma wondered how long she had felt this way for Vegeta. She remembered the night before he returned from looking for Goku, before that mysterious hunk from the future had shown up. She had dreamt something similar to the dream she had had last night and she thought maybe that was when. She laughed out loud at the realization that it had started with a dream.