#{ unknown line of code } undetermined

[ctrlaltkibo]

│⚙️│ “...I am unsure whether to take your words seriously or otherwise, but that is certainly not the correct way for robots to fit into society.”

Kiibo thought it was stereotypical and insulting enough to hear it from a human, but to hear it from another AI certainly made the feeling so much more worse. Of course, he couldn’t hold it against her; perhaps this was truly a joke and he was merely reading into it too much? He’d have to ignore the uneasy tingling within his circuits at the thought of someone reading maliciously into their conversation, before making a noise similar to clearing one’s throat.

“I do wonder if robots will eventually be allowed to vote in the next election, though...as a part of society, we should also have the right to elect our own representatives.”

[creatinglife-rejectedbydeath]

Having already denied the popcorn at the entrance, Tangled wasn't too keen on the idea of taking this one. He had his own snacks, if he had the urge to eat around people.

"No, I don't take food from strangers. No offense," he says, the android at his side peeking over to look at the man. Eyes flickering ever so slightly as it scanned him. Tangled would recieve a text a moment later, he almost doesn't notice the low vibration of the phone. Taking it out, in between the useless lines of code it reads

'Unknown person

Unknown species

Undetermined abilities

Status: Safe'

Well, wasn't that Lucky? The movie hadn't even started and already he'd come across something, or someone, far more interesting than on screen 'horror'.

Putting the phone away, he looks at the stranger. Expression fairly flat.

"I'm Ui. What's your name?"

-------------------

@blooddrinkingbartender

[scarletraven1001]

Retribution: 4

[Book 1] [Chapter 4]

Summary: An unlikely ally volunteers to help Vegeta and his crew. With a new source of information at hand, things seem to be going well... until something suddenly goes horribly wrong.

A Vegebul Mafia AU Fic, for the @vegebulocracy Big Bang Challenge, 2018

Story Rating: E

Chapter Warnings: Violence, Swearing

All Chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Also on Ao3

8-8-8-8-8

Notes: I would like to thank everyone who has commented on this story so far! Here is the next chapter, and I hope you like it!

8-8-8-8-8

Chapter 4

8-8-8-8-8

Bulma stared, mouth agape, barely daring to believe her ears.

“Did you… did you just say-”

“Tch!” Vegeta answered, snidely turning away from her to glare out the open door of the bedroom that had been her prison for the past five days.

“Vegeta,” she treaded carefully, voice barely above a whisper, “Did you honestly just agree to let me go out into the garden?”

His ears looked nearly red from where she was standing, and she saw him bristle as he turned away from her, beginning to walk out into the hall.

“Hurry up,” he hissed, “before I change my mind.”

She squealed excitedly, jumping up and down in place for a few seconds before she practically flew over to the door, unbelievably happy to be allowed out for the first time in days.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed, hands waving around in merriment.

“Don’t thank me, woman,” he said. “I am only letting you out because you are turning rather pale. It would not do for you to get sick. Your father will not negotiate with me if I hand him a dying hostage.”

She hid a wide smile behind her hands as she looked at his back, at the fine hairs that bordered the nape of his thick neck.

She had only been asking him for a small gap in a window so she can breathe in some fresh air, but his sudden decision to allow her to see the sun outdoors shocked her beyond anything she had seen in her entire life.

It was almost euphoric, the feeling of walking along a hallway, and she beamed as she saw the sun streaming in through the wide open windows of the extremely unassuming house.

It occurred to her then, that this could be a good chance… a chance to find a way to worm herself into Vegeta’s graces so that she could make it out alive, unharmed. Perhaps all she needed was to simply play along…

The small structure, like she had previously observed when she was first dragged in, looked nothing like what one would expect from a secret hideout of gangsters.

It was a typical home, with white walls and smooth wooden floors, and the upper floor that she had been on had a long hallway lined with several bedrooms. Downstairs, a standard set of comfortable-looking armchairs sat in the living room. A round wooden table, able to seat six people, sat in the middle of the dining room, and beyond it was a nondescript kitchen that Bulma could see had a simple stove and a large refrigerator.

As she walked a few paces behind Vegeta, she once again saw the picnic table that she had seen before, where a small group of men sat, huddled seriously over a laptop computer.

The thin, dark-haired man with the narrow, icy blue eyes looked up, and she watched as clear surprise flooded his stoic face at the sight of her.

“Prince,” he said, turning to Vegeta, who had stopped walking before her. “What is going on here?”

Vegeta sniffed, moving his hands into the pockets of his pants, his matching dark gray suit jacket bunching up slightly with the movements.

She thought she heard a light, tinkering sound as he moved, like keys coins moving around in a purse…

Or keys jiggling around in a pocket.

She was suddenly reminded of her keys, her keys that held her beloved memento of her childhood friend Vegeta, the tiny space pod toy that she had clutched to herself during all of her darkest hours.

She dearly hoped that they had just left her keys in her flat, instead of throwing them away, because whatever may happen now… she wanted that toy back. Needed it back.  

“She needed exercise,” Vegeta answered, pulling her thoughts back to the present, and Bulma nearly grinned as she saw the remaining men shoot questioning glances at their leader.

Goku, who had been sitting near the edge of the table, was the only one who looked up and beamed at her without hesitation.

“Come on out, then!” he called with a slight wave. “The weather is great!”

“Chaotzu,” Vegeta barked, and she watched as a short, pale man with small round eyes bounded up from behind the other men.

Vegeta gestured to her. “Watch her.”

With a nod, the man walked up to Bulma, while she looked back up at Vegeta with a wide grin.

“Thank you,” she said, following Chaotzu, until she stood happily in the middle of the small garden, a few meters away from the men.

She walked aimlessly around the yard, quickly removing her shoes so she could feel the grass between her toes, and with a small, happy sigh, she looked skyward.

Tilting her head up, she closed her eyes, and spread her arms.

She knew what she looked like at the moment: a ditzy girl who was focused on nature, simply enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin.

Yet, she did not grow up in a crime family for nothing.

Though she seemed outwardly oblivious, she discreetly strained her ears back towards Vegeta, trying to listen in on the conversations.

She had been locked up with nothing to do for far too long, and in that time, she had repeatedly gone over the events of the night of her abduction in her head, replaying the vivid memories of what was an admittedly terrifying night.

If only they had given her a book or a TV, like she had asked, maybe she wouldn’t have had the time to analyze them! She should be thankful that they denied her requests then, because due to their stubbornness, she had all the time in the world to think, and now, she knew those men, and had an idea as to what their functions were in the team.

Vegeta was the clear leader.

Goku, his brother, was their gopher.

The dark-haired man, whom she could recall as having been called Lapiz, was their tech and weapons expert.

The tall man with the white turban was Piccolo, their executioner.

Only the other bald man, with a strange X-mark on his forehead, was unknown to her.

Breathing softly, but deeply, Bulma listened.

8-8-8-8-8

“Are you trying to tell me,” Vegeta growled, “that we are now certain that Freiza’s crew is on the move?”

“Unfortunately, yeah,” Tien responded, the X-shaped scar on his forehead wrinkling as his brows furrowed. He turned towards Vegeta, handing him an A4-sized sheet of paper.

Kakarot moved closer to him, reading the contents of the sheet over his shoulder, and both brothers grew panicked as they read the contents.

It was an email, containing a few, vital words:

The Dark Prince has risen.

They knew that he was back. And that was not good. Not good, at all.

Briefs, the snitch, had apparently gone to the Syndicate with the information, in spite of the clear threat on Bulma’s life.

Vegeta seethed, hands tight on the edges of the paper. It seemed that nothing truly was sacred to Briefs, who would risk his own daughter’s life just to remain in the mob’s graces.

“Don’t look so glum, fellas,” Tien said. “At least the information had not gotten to Frieza, himself, as of yet.”

“I don’t understand why they didn’t tell Frieza. And I can’t believe that Briefs would just tattle,” Kakarot said, eyes wide. “I mean, we have his daughter here!”

“And Briefs clearly does not give a fuck, whatever happens to her,” Vegeta hissed. “What kind of a fucking father is he?”

He turned to Piccolo, whose narrowed eyes were scanning the contents of Lapiz’s laptop, while Lapiz sat before the computer, madly typing onto only the Gods knew what.

“Piccolo, are you done checking out Tao Pai Pai’s lead? Is it any good?” he asked.

Piccolo nodded. “It is a solid lead. But we need to be careful. Frieza’s crew could easily pay off anyone with ties to that building, and as much money as you have, Vegeta, the Syndicate still has deeper pockets.”

Kakarot blanched. “Well, now what? If they know that Vegeta is searching for Raditz, then they would definitely want to get to him first!”

“Perhaps they will try searching for Kakarot first, and this will divert them?” Vegeta said, cringing at the desperation he could hear in his tone. “After all, they do not know that he is back yet, right?”

“Not quite,” Lapiz butt in with a heavy sigh, as he finally stopped assaulting his keyboard. “Come and see this.”

It was another email, a coded one from the looks of it, but Vegeta recognized a few key words that made his blood run cold.

The Bard’s son walks with the Prince.

The Bard.

Bardock.

Kakarot’s birth father.

“Fuck,” he snapped, angrily turning away from the screen to take his head into his hands.

Had it been happening to anyone other than him, he would have laughed at how juvenile the code words were.

Prince?

Bard?

How much more obvious can they get?

Yet, he failed to find amusement in the rampant stupidity, as he was troubled at how quickly the information had spread.

Kakarot’s earlier question was yet another undetermined factor in the whole thing…

Why did no one let Frieza know?

It was as if the entire Syndicate itself was in their own little conspiracy, keeping something as huge as the knowledge of his return a secret from the big boss, himself.

What did it all mean?

“If the whole crew knows by now,” Vegeta said, a hand still anxiously rubbing the center of his forehead as he felt the stirrings of a headache start to come forth. “What do you all suggest we do?”

Lapiz laughed. “Are we being democratic now?”

“Fuck you, Lapiz,” He spat. “Anyone with any ideas?”

Piccolo straightened. “We need to create a diversion, but it needs to be one that will serve more of a purpose than simple bait.”

“I think,” Kakarot said, “That we need to find a way to prevent them from knowing more about us.”

“Should we try to confuse them? Leave a false trail?” Lapiz asked.

“No,” Vegeta answered. “We cannot run the risk of getting in contact with anyone, because we do not know exactly who is in league with the Syndicate. We need to ensure that we do not mistakenly run into someone who is loyal to Frieza.”

“That we do,” Tien said. “But how do we do that when the entire criminal underground is on Frieza’s payroll?”

Vegeta’s brows shot further down. “Men, we need to expedite our Plan C.”

A grin spread across Piccolo’s face. “Now, we’re talking.”

Vegeta nodded. “It’s time to disable them. If we get rid of his main source of income, the cash stops-”

“And the proverbial shit will hit the fan,” Tien nodded sagely.

“But are we ready?” Kakarot asked. “Wasn’t Lazuli still trying to get more intel?”

“I may already have enough to go by,” the said dark-haired man answered. “We know that the Casino is the Syndicate’s front for their high-end prostitution ring. But we still have yet to figure out how to make this explode so that the authorities can get enough evidence in their hands to prosecute.”

“The Oasis.”

Vegeta stiffened as a loud, but profoundly feminine voice suddenly entered their conversation.

He rapidly spun around, and found none other than Bulma, standing several meters away from them, hands on her hips, while she kept her face up to the sky.

His furious eyes quickly turned to Chaotzu, who had paled considerably, before they shot back to the woman one again.

“What,” Vegeta hissed, “Did you say?”

He watched as she shook her head, before she turned around, infuriatingly slowly, to face them all.

She lifted an eyebrow as she faced them, a smug expression on her face as she looked pointedly at each of them in turn.

“Do you guys have any idea how loud you were being?” she asked. “You were ruining my sunning time!”

He grit his teeth in rage. “Bullshit. You were actively listening in!”

“And you should be glad I was!” Bulma answered, leaning her weight onto one leg as she glared at him. “Because I know exactly how to screw with the Casino.”

Vegeta sputtered. “You crazy woman! You think we need your help-”

“You have to destroy the Oasis,” she insisted, walking closer to them as she spoke. “The Oasis is the mainframe that holds all of the Syndicate’s confidential information, and it has the list of all the businesses involved in their protection rackets. It also has a complete list of all the people that benefit from the Syndicate.”

Vegeta was about to protest, when he felt a firm hand land on his shoulder.

He turned to see Lapiz, whose cold blue eyes had grown wide as he stared intently at Bulma.

“The Oasis is the database that I have been trying to access,” Lapiz said. “It is an impenetrable system. I can barely bypass two firewalls.”

Bulma beamed. “I can help you with that.”

“Woman!” Vegeta yelled. “You think we will trust you with such a thing?”

She shrugged. “I have nothing to gain other than my freedom.”

“You-”

“I will help you find Raditz,” she said, shooting Vegeta a determined glare.

Vegeta crossed his arms before his chest. He was rather dumbfounded at how she could still manage to speak so dominantly in spite of being a hostage, but he supposed, this was Bulma. It was to be expected.

“You could just as easily send a signal to them regarding our whereabouts,” he said. “Double-cross us all… your family certainly has the history.”

She stomped her foot, arms in tiny fists at her sides. “We did not double-cross you! Vegeta, I will do everything I need to do to prove to you that my family and I had nothing to do with neither your parents’ deaths, nor with the abduction of Raditz and Kakarot.”

“We could certainly use her mind, Vegeta,” Lapiz interjected. “If what we know of her is correct, then she may very well be what we need.”

“Ridiculous,” Vegeta hissed, “You know what she did.”

Lapiz shook his head. “What Nappa said… you never did manage to verify the information, did you?”

“No, but-”

“Can I… say something?”

Vegeta turned around to see Kakarot, and he raised a brow at the unreadable look in his brother’s eyes.

“What is it, Kakarot?”

“I think… I think we should give it a shot,” he said, swiping his unruly bangs from his face. “She’s right, she has nothing to lose. Besides, Lapiz will be right with her.”  

“Also,” Piccolo chimed in, “If she tries anything funny, now that we know that her father would rather have her die than give us the information, we could always just kill her.”

“Umm, you know what, you don’t need to plan my death, really,” Bulma said, waving a hand above her head. “I won’t sell you out, I swear.”

“I don’t like this,” Tien said. “She’s the enemy, isn’t she, Vegeta?”

Vegeta looked askance at Tien then, and considered.

She was…

Wasn’t she?

“Listen,” Bulma tried again, taking a few steps closer to them with her hands held out placatingly before her. “I seriously just want this all to end. I want my freedom, not just from you, but from the entire Syndicate. Believe me, helping you take down the Syndicate is in my best interests too.”

Vegeta scoffed. “You were raised as the spoiled rich daughter of a politician. Why would you want to take down the people who had given you everything you could ever wish for?”

They were all taken aback when Bulma began to laugh.

“You think I liked it?” she said, shaking her head as she almost cackled with ironic glee. “Vegeta, you and I… we had known that we were surrounded by criminals since we were in first grade. I had to live with the knowledge that everybody knew what kind of family I came from, but were too afraid to say anything.”

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her, and he was about to just order someone to drag her back into her room when she hurriedly resumed speaking.

“I may not have gone through what all of you here,” she gestured at all of them, “had endured, but I promise you that my life has been nothing but a good one. I just…”

She sighed. “I just want out. I want a normal life. Where I work to pay my bills, and I don’t have to be flanked by men whose idea of a friendly competition is outnumbering each others’ body counts.”

Vegeta glared at her, trying to see if his lifetime dealing with questionable people could detect even a tiny sliver of deceit in her.

However, all he could see in Bulma was determination, and against his better judgment, he found himself nodding.

He saw her eyes widen in elation, lips stretching into a blinding smile.

Vegeta turned away from her to address Lapiz. “You can keep an eye on her?”

Lapiz nodded. “I will be looking over her shoulder the entire time.”

“Good,” he said. Then, without turning to look at her again, he asked, “Woman, what do you suggest?”

“I am an excellent hacker,” she bragged. “Plus, I have accessed the Oasis before. I am sure that I can find you a vulnerability to exploit, so we can use an implant to duplicate and then clear out the entire system.”

“How did you ever manage to peer into the Oasis?” Lapiz asked.

“I am the daughter of one of the Syndicate’s top men,” she spat, and he could practically smell the distaste in her tone. “It may not be obvious, but I observe and know a lot of things about Frieza.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “If you even consider the possibility of selling my men out-”

“I will not,” she cut him off. “I swear to you, Vegeta. I swear upon the grave of my mother… I will not sell you out.”

8-8-8-8-8

Lapiz led Bulma into one of the rooms, and she felt a brow rise as she looked appraisingly at the equipment.

“Impressive,” she commented, as she approached a particularly expensive-looking terminal. “You have quite a bit of tech here.”

He smirked. “My father was a scientist, as yours is. However, he declined to join the Syndicate’s plans, and he was summarily executed for it. I have been using my inheritance to finance my toys.”

Bulma blanched, even while his face remained calm and cool in the face of such a revelation.

“I- I’m sorry,” she stuttered. “I had no idea.”

He simply shrugged. “It is the way of things. I have accepted my father’s death. But it does not mean that I have no plans to avenge him. This is the reason why I am here.”

She gulped as she looked down at her hands, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. “Do… do all of you here have… similar circumstances?”

She felt him move around to stand behind one of the larger monitors.

Lapiz sighed loudly. “Yes. We are all victims of the Syndicate. I and my sister have lost our father. Piccolo had his parents taken away, never to be found again. Tien was tortured, his wife abducted and murdered. And you know of what happened to the Saiyans.”

Bulma gulped, feeling tears rim her eyes as she thought of how all these men, and many, many others, had been wronged by the Syndicate as it reached for power, grasped wealth while leaving all who oppose it to either suffer or die helplessly.

It was madness.

They had to be stopped.

“I will help you destroy the Syndicate. I swear to all of you. You,” she paused. “And to a certain extent, I, will have justice.”

He smirked at her again, and she grinned slowly as she found a strangely teasing glint in his eyes.

“Well then, we had best get to work,” he said, pointing her to a chair in front of the main computer. “Let me see what you’ve really got in that brain of yours, Princess.”

“Can people please stop calling me that?” she growled, rolling her eyes. “I hate it. I have always hated it.”

He laughed. “Then I shall see to it that I use it at every possible turn.”

8-8-8-8-8

Vegeta looked worriedly at Piccolo, watching as the stern man shifted his eyes towards Lapiz’s computer room for the hundredth time in the past three hours.

“What?” he finally snapped, pulling the tall man out of his musings.

Piccolo clucked his tongue, his small eyes finding Vegeta’s. “I am uncomfortable with our little Mafia Princess being in there with Lapiz.”

Kakarot looks up, confused. “Why? She looks like she really wants to help.”

Piccolo scoffed. “She is still a Briefs. Have you both forgotten her part in your parents’ death?”

“That,” Vegeta growled low, “remains unproven.”

“You had been swearing your absolute loathing of her since we met,” Piccolo countered. “What changed? Why are you suddenly so eager to trust her? I think you’re letting your past friendship cloud your decisions.”

Vegeta refused to let go of his glare, but Piccolo’s question gave him pause.

Indeed… why was he acting so… lenient?

Bulma had been part of the mess, she was the one who had given the signal, whether or not there had been malice intended.

Was it her?

Was it her mere presence, the disarming look in her wide blue eyes, that had him acting like a fool?

Was he endangering his men because of his stupid recollections of their happy past, risking their entire mission all because the touch of her skin sent tendrils of pleasant shock to run up and down his spine?

Did he dare admit…

That he could feel an unmistakable pull of attraction…

That in spite of his suspicions, in spite of how his logical mind insisted that he should in truth hate her, his insane heart had never let go of his affection towards her, even after all those years?

It was not the time to contemplate on such meaningless things.

“I am not,” he finally responded. “But we do need her inside information. And whether we like it or not, she is a brilliant woman. We need all the help we can get, now that the Syndicate knows that we are on the move.”

“You are absolutely right,” a smooth, feminine voice suddenly cut in, and all turned to see a gorgeous, statuesque blond woman with very familiar icy blue eyes approaching from the garden.

“Lazuli,” Kakarot greeted. “I thought you would be with Krillin today.”

She shrugged. “My boyfriend is off training for an upcoming police drill, so I snuck out.

“We haven’t seen you since you drove Vegeta’s getaway vehicle at the condominium,” Piccolo said. “Did you need to see Lapiz?”

“No. I just spoke to that brat of a brother of mine earlier,” she answered, flipping her hair back as she sat beside Vegeta at the table. “But I dropped by because I needed to tell you all something.”

“What is wrong, Lazuli?” Vegeta asked.

She frowned deeply. “Well… I am pregnant.”

“What?!” Kakarot shrilled, and Vegeta watched as he jumped up from his seat in his excitement. “Wow, congratulations! Why didn’t Krillin tell me?”

“Because he doesn’t know yet,” she hissed. “But I needed to tell you because unfortunately, I can no longer join you in your heists. I am really sorry to bail out on you like this, but I need to… I need to take care of my child, and Krillin. I will still keep an eye out, still try to find more information when you need it, but I can no longer commit to this, not anymore. ”

“That’s right,” Vegeta nodded thougtfully. “Krillin does not know of your little adventures with us.”

“No, he does not,” Lazuli answered. “I don’t want to compromise him and his job at the force. Krillin… he is a genuinely good man.”

“Yeah, he is,” Kakarot responded. “I’ve known him for over a decade. It would be unfair to rope him into this.”

“He is the best thing that ever happened to me, since I met you all,” she smirked.

“Are you sure about this?” Piccolo asked. “We’re not done yet, you still have yet to avenge your father. Also, you have been a huge asset to this operation, and it would be difficult to have you leave the team now.”

“No, she is right. Her family needs to be her priority. All of us here know what it is like to have no family. We cannot deprive Lazuli of a chance to build hers,” Vegeta said. He knotted his brows as he considered Lazuli, their femme fatale, who had helped them with their underground operations with the use of her impressive looks. “You had best go on then. Stay as far away from the operations as possible. We have almost made it, and we owe much of that to you.”

“Well, I had wanted to do one last thing before I disappear,” she said. “Lapiz called me about possibly retrieving something from the Princess’ apartment. I think he needs it for a program he is working on with Bulma Briefs. Did I understand him correctly? He is working with Briefs on a code?”

Vegeta nodded, along with Piccolo and Kakarot, and Lazuli simply shrugged.

“What did he ask you to retrieve? And why did he not run it through me, first?” Vegeta asked.

“He wanted to, but he said he could not leave the girl alone in his computer room,” she responded. “He asked me to see if I can retrieve Briefs’ keys.”

Vegeta stiffened.

His hand snuck slowly into his pocket, where he still had the said keys, hung with the small spaceship toy and a mini flash drive.

The small, round toy felt strangely comforting in his palm, and he clenched his fist around it, his chest lurching at the thought of letting it go once again.

“Why does he need the keys?” Kakarot asked.

“The woman apparently told him that the keychain holds a flash drive that has some codes she can use to access Oasis,” Lazuli answered.

Vegeta straightened at that. “No need, Lazuli. I can provide them with this flash drive.”

Piccolo looked surprised. “You wanna go out to the condo now? We leave for the warehouse in a few hours.”

“Just leave it to me,” Vegeta answered, getting up to move towards the computer room. “Keep on working on the plan. I will not be gone for long.”

He turned to Lazuli, giving her a small salute. “Thank you for your assistance. Now, go. Your growing family must be your utmost priority.”

As he approached the door that held Bulma and Lapiz, he took a deep breath, hoping that the woman does not ask too many questions, as he was not sure how he could possibly answer.

He did not know himself, why he had kept the keys, after all.

8-8-8-8-8

Bulma was growing anxious.

It had been several hours since Vegeta had dropped by to see her and Lapiz, stiffly handing her keys to her.

She had been shocked, and she had stared at him, eyes wide and unblinking, as she wondered aloud at how he had gotten her keys so fast.

He had turned away, leaving without a word, and it was as she watched his reddened cheeks disappear behind the hastily slammed door that she realized…

He had taken her keys.

He had taken it, kept it, after they had abducted her.

Her heart leapt with joy as she grinned widely, looking down at the spherical trinket that she had treasured for years, incredulous understanding washing over her.

He had recognized the toy. He remembered.

Surely he remembered how he had marked it with his initials using one of their kitchen knives, and she had chastised him about how using a knife in such a way was dangerous.

How he had carried it around all the time, even when they were at school.

How he had accidentally left it behind in her bedroom as they played a video game, and she had kept it on her desk so she could hand it back to him the next time he visited.

How she had never had the chance to return it, because on the following evening, she had been on the edge of a gunfight, the gunfight that they later told her had claimed the life of her dear friend.

That toy had helped her pull herself together, as she had clutched it reverently in her palms every night for months after Vegeta’s supposed death, crying her eyes out at the painful knowledge that she would never see him again.

Shifting her focus back to the present, she stared blankly at the screen, distracted.

It had been too long, with no message from any one, and she knew that Lapiz, beside her, was also concerned.

“Where, exactly, did you say they went, again?” she asked him, trying to see if conversation can put her at ease.

“They went to the edges of the city to scope out an abandoned building that had once been used by the Syndicate for their trafficking operations,” he said. “Tien said that they may have some files there that could contain information on Raditz’s whereabouts.”

This did not assuage her worry at all, as she felt the beating of her heart refuse to slow.

She had gotten a sudden jolt about an hour ago, an inexplicable shot of adrenaline that came from out of nowhere.

She was… worried.

She had a sinking feeling that the mission was about to go terribly wrong.

That is, if it hadn’t, yet.

“And they haven’t called you yet?” she asked.

He shook his head, his face a placid mask.

Bulma had spent enough of her life with hardened criminals, and was easily able to tell when a person was feigning nonchalance.

He was worried, too, and this set Bulma on edge.

She was about to speak again, when a sudden commotion coming from downstairs had them both shooting to their feet, and she saw a look of worry flit through Lapiz’s face before he quickly covered it up with a frown.

She turned her attention to the door, and the panicked voice of Goku yelling something made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

“Lapiz,” she turned back to him, feeling her blood drain from her face.

He nodded, before he hastily grabbed her by the arm, pulling her along with him to the entryway downstairs.

As they reached the landing, the sight that greeted Bulma nearly made her scream, but she clamped a firm hand over her lips, the other moving to hold her chest, as she felt her heart try to lurch out through her ribs.

It took only a moment for her to assess the sight.

Goku was madly pulling the small cushions off the couch, while Piccolo stumbled in, a bloody, unconscious body slung heavily over his shoulder.

The dark, flame-like hair fanning limply over the slumped head was unmistakable, and Bulma felt her throat catch, unable to keep her hysteria in as her eyes widened in horror.

“Oh no,” she whispered, before her voice broke in a horrified scream…

“Vegeta!” she cried, flying down the stairs, tripping over herself in her haste to get to him while Piccolo and Goku laid him down on the couch.

“Vegeta!” she called again as she knelt down beside him, staring in horror at the blood that flowed fluidly down his temples, unaware of anything else as she stared in desperation at his closed eyes. “No! Goku, what happened?!”

She dared not take her eyes off of her injured friend while she listened to Goku.

“The small building… there really were files about Raditz,” he said, “but the place was rigged, and Vegeta got caught in the debris from the explosion while we tried to get away.”

She pressed her hand to a particularly ugly wound on Vegeta’s arm, watching as he stayed still as death upon the couch.

Tears filled her eyes, and she shook her head in denial.

“No,” she gasped, feeling numb inside as memories of the last time she had believed him to be dead rushed through her mind.

“Please tell me he’ll be alright!” she heard herself begin to lose control as she stared, helpless, while Lapiz ran forward with an assortment of bandages, panic clear in his usually calm blue gaze.

It was too much, and Bulma’s eyes overflowed with tears when Vegeta remained unresponsive.

“I can’t lose Vegeta,” she cried, “Please! Not again!”

Yet, he remained unmoving…

8-8-8-8-8

To be continued…

 Read Previous

[gracesdogeventjournal]

My Participation and Failed Roles

During the preparation of this event i have been given many roles and tasks most of which failed, were reassigned or removed. My roles included furniture and decor management which i was assigned while on holiday with no explanation of what this role entailed or how to proceed with it. another project i was tasked with was pyrotechnics and confetti, although i did question whether this was appropriate for the event, not only due to the dogs who would be on site the next day but also the target audience and the environment. I researched environmental biodegradable confetti and a variety of pyrotechnics but due to the lack of information about the production, layout and requirement i was unable to determine which would be most suitable. the pyrotechnics required a minimum distance for both the audience and the performers and without stage dimensions it was unsure whether this would be doable. In the end it was decided that neither were necessary for the event and my research was unused. I then visited Beaconsfield with a fellow logistics member to look for suitable traders for the event. unfortunatly beaconsfield consisted of expensive house ware shops and show rooms, several beauty parlours and hair dressers and some small gift shops which were expensive and in my eyes unsuitable. I informed my team leader of the lack of anything suitable for the event but was unsure of whether my participation was noted. 

another research trip i undertook was to the big christmas market at waddesdon manor which is around 20 minutes away from saunderton. As well as christmas vendors the market also contained specialist food companies, craft companies of all varieties and childrens toys and clothes. i gathered some names from the event as well as some business cards and noted that one vintage style craft stall mentioned previous work with the hearing dogs. however, when i brought this information to the team leader it was determined that enough research had been obtained and she was unsure of the suitability of the traders. 

more work included an undetermined carpark signage task which when asked was told it was signage for the carpark which was unhelpful. i proceeded to look at AA road signage for the event and freestanding information signs directing cars. however i was then told the signage was colour coded individual signs for the lanes of the car park. i felt this was extremely unnecassary but proceeded to look at laminated, corogated card and printed signs with coloured pawprints. it was then determined this was an unnecessary cost and if the signs were needed they would be painted or printed. I believe that if someone is unable to find their car in a single field carpark that maybe they should not be driving. after this assignment i was labelled as signage manager even though i had had no information, knowledge or understanding of other signage, what was needed and how it should be made.

after the short unknown departure of one of my team member i was reassigned to look at inflatables, i research many different local companies. i was looking for price, delivery, quality of merchandise and health and safety or insurance. i finalised my list down to three potentials some which were a greater quality but slightly higher price. i had spoken to two of these companies and when i spoke to my team leader she said that her and the lecturer had taken this assignment and contacted a different company and not informed me. ----- it was later determined that the company chosen was very rude to several member of staff and let themselves onto site without permission, it is my understanding they have now been black listed from the hearing dogs and the university and i wonder whether any of MY chosen companies would’ve been more suitable.

me and a fellow colleague were given the task of organising the box office, however we were not told what areas of the box office had already been sorted and what was already in place. due to the fact that it was the easter holidays at the time there were no meeting to ask about this information. me and my colleague did research on different box office provisions, organisation both inside the box office and outside, queue organisation and signage. when i question the team leader on what research was required i was told that once again this task had been given to someone else and all the research we had done was unnecesssary. it was later determined that the aim of our research was to organise the queue line for the box office however we were not told what fencing or provisions we could’ve used. the task itself was done by two other members of logistics in the return lecture during meetings. 

The event management plan - i was later asked to compile a list of prohibited items for the event management plan for the festival. i research other music festival prohibited items lists as well as those for family events. due to the recent understanding of dogs allowed at the event as also looked for dog or dog owner specific items that may need to be prohibited. my research lead me to a dog event which had extensive information not only on prohibited items but on how the dogs themselves were cared for and catered for at the event. i then started to question our own provision for dog related issues. i brought some of these issue to both my team leader and lecturer and was told it wasnt our problem. as one of the issues i was looking at was dog security not just preventing dog theft but also incidents such as violent dogs i felt that any incidents that did happen which were unprepared for would backfire massively on both us and the hearing dogs. i there for undertook the dog provisions section of the event management plan and contacted the hearing dogs on their own provisions as well as any information i needed to complete my task. in the dog provisions section i included provision for car parks - dogs left in cars, dogs in distress as well provisions for weather. i finalised this with a small section on the dog play area however noone was able to tell me what this entailed and what was actually arranged for the dog play area. 

[ctrlaltkibo]

@vaciiviity​ sent: "Keebo-kun?" quiet curiosity manifests in the slight uncertainty that underlines the call for the other's attention "I was wondering, what are some of your hobbies?" Shuichi taps a finger to his lips in thought "Reading, drawing, playing videogames..." beat "I myself enjoy reading novels. I've listened to a few audiobooks too."

│⚙️│ “You’re curious about my hobbies, Saihara-kun? Unsurprising, but allow me to satisfy your desire to learn more about me!”

It was somewhat put on, but Kiibo tried his hardest to display an air of confidence as a grin slowly appeared on his face. Truth to be told, he was hoping that Shuichi wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary; his hobbies were mostly...normal, to be quite fair, but he wouldn’t show any hesitancy when announcing them. The last thing he wanted his classmate to see was how much it pained him to be seen as normal.

“I mainly partake in a lot of reading myself, whether it be researching deeper into new concepts or delving into a particularly interesting story. Of course, as the Ultimate Robot, it would only make sense that I can retain so much information thanks to my advanced memory banks...”

[ctrlaltkibo]

│⚙️│ “…I would love to experience swimming, but without proper flotation aids I would simply sink to the bottom of any body of water. It seems rather unfair that I was made waterproof without the ability to be able to swim as well.”

[ctrlaltkibo]

'please keep trying when I’m gone…'

│⚙️│ “Saihara-kun-!”

If Kiibo had the ability to cry, he felt that he certainly could shed many tears as he crouched down next to the mangled body of the detective. The cameras within his eye lenses focused in on Shuichi’s face, focusing on the exact emotions the other was displaying. A smooth voice soon made itself clear from his inner systems, gently suggesting that Kiibo remain by his side until he eventually passed from his wounds.

It is too late for him, Kiibo. You must stay with him.

“Why…” Kiibo finally uttered out a word, hand clenching into a fist as his ahoge drooped immensely. “Why would someone do this to you…? I knew I could place my faith in you and your advice, I-”

His words died down to a helpless whimper as his inner voice continued to urge him to remain where he was, instead of following the logical course of action and going to find help. He knew relying on such a voice was possibly the wrong thing to do, but it was always so reliable…

[ctrlaltkibo]

Your compassion becomes your power!

│⚙️│ “They do say kindness is a great strength for a person to possess, as it displays a compassionate heart open to those who should need to feel it…”

At least, that was the theory, anyway. Perhaps Kiibo needed to stop looking at those strange websites that talked in-depth about various different emotions. What mattered was trying to experience and understand them for themselves. And could he truly consider himself to be compassionate, when he was informed many times that he couldn’t read the mood and was insensitive to the emotions of others?

The thought caused his ahoge to droop somewhat.

“Perhaps, one day, I’ll truly understand and harness the power of compassion and kindness and prove that robots truly can express emotions just as well as humans can!”

[ctrlaltkibo]

@pinkpopblood

│⚙️│ “If you refer to inexplicable phenomenons as ‘magic’, I suppose there is some truth in that statement. But in its true definition, there is no such thing as magic and therefore it is completely illogical to believe the world is full of it...”

Kiibo made a mental note to never say such a controversial statement relating to magic in front of his magician classmate, lest he potentially get cursed for it. Or thrown, depending if Tenko was around. Either way, fantasy and reality never mixed well, and considering he was a solid example of modern day technology and created by engineering and science concepts, there was simply no space in his artificial intelligence for magical nonsense.

Realising a little bit too late that his words could offend the person in front of him who truly believed in it, the robot hesitated before appearing sheepish, metallic fingers twiddling somewhat in apology.

“Of course, if you do believe in magic then please do not allow my words to discourage you! But magic is something I simply can’t comprehend. It sounds completely unbelievable.”

[ctrlaltkibo]

@pinkpopblood​

“Tch, so what? A girl genius like me can’t sleep with all of these ideas screaming at me to be made into reality, anyway.”

Miu did this sort of thing often – she’d stay up late cranking out whatever new inventions came to mind and somehow not bitch about her sleeplessness like she did with literally everything else in the world. Well, she bitched a little bit, but that’s irrelevant, okay? All that mattered to Miu was her weird kinks and her inventions. Well, that better change soon, am I right?

The now-slightly-irritated blonde eyed the robot. Why did he care, anyway? Why feel the need to remark that when it’s obvious she didn’t care about her sleep? Oh wait, she probably knew what it was he wanted at the moment.

“So are ya here for maintenance or somethin’, Keebo?”

--

│⚙️│ “But even so, would it not be far more beneficial to continue working upon your ideas after you receive a good night’s rest? A well-maintained sleep schedule is key to a healthy lifestyle.”

Keebo knew that his words would probably fly straight over Miu’s head, considering she cared far more about churning out invention idea after invention idea rather than relaxing and sleeping, but he still felt the need to persuade her to actually sleep for once. She cared enough about his own health by offering him maintenance; it only seemed fair to him that he would return it by attempting to persuade the inventor to consider her own health.

The robot fidgeted somewhat on the spot as she began eyeballing him, but his worry turned into slight irritation at her assumption that he’d only came to check on her simply for maintenance. Not like he could blame her for making such a claim in the first place, but he wasn’t selfish!

“I don’t visit you purely for the sake of requesting your skills in maintenance, Miu,” Keebo answered patiently, despite it being clear from his expression and the way his ahoge curled inwards somewhat that he was feeling the slightest buzz of annoyance in his processors. “I have been observing your working habits over the past few days; your lack of sleep is quite alarming. That is why I felt the need to come over and talk to you about it personally...”

[ctrlaltkibo]

@overthinkex

Shuichi had been exiting his classroom, when a wave of nausea crashed into him. He didn’t even register falling. The next moment he found himself with his back on the pavement and staring up at the ceiling. Yes, maybe he had been lightheaded for a bit. And perhaps he’d felt oddly warm, but he hadn’t expected to pass out. ( Was it out of exhaustion…? )

He groaned, trying to sit up but once he did, his head throbbed and he fell down again, barely shielding the back of his head with his arm. Had he banged his head against the floor? His vision was still blurry, but he could make out a familiar figure. “K-kiibo…?” Shuichi couldn’t force many more words out, still coming to his senses, it seemed.

--

│⚙️│ “Shuichi! Do not attempt to sit up so suddenly!”

Kiibo was absolutely relieved to see that Shuichi was responsive, especially considering how he fainted so suddenly. When he had witnessed the detective seemingly wavering on his feet, he had wanted to query about his well-being and suggest that he lay down as soon as possible, but didn’t even get the chance before his classmate fainted. And while the robot had moved as quickly as he could, there was simply no chance to catch Shuichi before he fell and smacked his head against the pavement.

“I do realise that calling for medical help would have been the most logical choice, but seeing as you’re not bleeding...” Kiibo gestured towards where he’d bumped his head, a prominent frown present on his face. He’d almost called up in a panic, but remembered that if it was that serious...then the detective probably wouldn’t even be stirring. “How are you feeling? If you are able to, try to sit up slowly.”

[ctrlaltkibo]

@remnantworlds

“No…?”

The sheer fact that her fangs were visible was more than enough to clue her in to the fact that she was on the verge of transforming. Sure, she did have pretty good control over herself, and did everything to keep herself from transforming at random…

But when the wolf wanted out, it wanted out. She knew that for a fact.

Just a couple more hours… Keep it together for a couple more hours, and you can shift…

Taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the side of her that was begging to be set free, she forced a smile, tilting her head slightly as she addressed her friend once more.

“I mean, it’s not Halloween or anything. So I don’t think I should have fangs.”

She was almost certain that she could trust him with her secret… But almost certain wasn’t quite certain enough for her liking. She wanted to be completely sure that he wouldn’t tell anyone. And that he wouldn’t start thinking of her as a monster because of what she could tell him.

│⚙️│ “Huh? But...”

Kibo narrowed his eyes, focusing on where he’d located the supposed fangs on his friend. They weren’t obvious now, especially with the way Kaede was forcing a smile, but it only served to confuse him further. Of course, her teeth could just be sharp in general, but he would’ve noticed that earlier, surely...? And even then, sharp teeth weren’t the same as actual fangs, which he was so sure he’d seen!

She was right, it wasn’t Halloween. Why would you try to give the appearance of fangs otherwise...?

“Well, yes, that’s true. That’s why it was so surprising to me.”

He knew he sounded completely crazy at this point, assuming that one of his friends had fangs, but there was no way his eyes could deceive him like that, surely? With a patient sigh, the roboticist appeared concerned, frowning somewhat at Kaede.

“I was so sure what I saw...but I guess I must have been imagining things. My apologies.”

[ctrlaltkibo]

“What are you talking about, man?! It’s just a stupid vacuum!”

│⚙️│ “Do not refer to Roomba-san as just a ‘stupid vacuum’! They have feelings, and neither of us appreciate your cruel words towards them!”

Kiibo glared towards Kokichi as he scooped up the cleaning device, holding it closer to him. He may have thought of Roombas as somewhat lesser compared to the kind of robot he was, but he wouldn’t let anyone slander his fellow machine if he could help it! And he knew this poor Roomba had feelings, he was certain of it! Lowering the sound of his voice to a quiet mutter, he spoke towards the vacuum.

“It’s okay, Roomba-san. Please do not take his words to heart…”

[ctrlaltkibo]

“you’re not planning some world domination scheme, are you?” (from kokichi)

│⚙️│ “As a pacifist I would much prefer to live benevolently among humans. Assuming that I would want world domination simply because I am a robot is highly insulting, Ouma-kun. Maybe you have watched far too many of those strange sci-fi movies that everyone seems so fond of…”

Maybe he did sound quite defensive, but Kiibo was sick of people assuming that he instantly wanted to take over the world like most robots were portrayed doing in various forms of media. Where were the peaceful robots, like him, that wanted to happily live with humans as equals? Most of his stance locked up in defiance as he crossed his arms over his chest, pouting somewhat.

“Besides, world domination would seem to align more to your particular interests. You are the Ultimate Supreme Leader, after all…”

[ctrlaltkibo]

@pinkpopblood

“Oh, I was able to help for once? How unexpected! Well, you’re welcome!”

On instinct, Kokichi had merely played it off as a joke, like he usually does. After all, it’s nothing to worry about if all you say is either a lie or a joke. But the young supreme leader knew that something was up. Kiibo doesn’t usually say this kind of stuff now, does he? Nuh-uh… there’s gotta be some motive here.

“Heeeeey… this isn’t like you, y’know. What’s wrong, Kiibo?”

“Hey! What’s wrong? What’s wrong? What’s wrooooong?”

And here Kokichi went, being his pestering little self, almost as if his question was rhetorical. But hey, who knows?

--

│⚙️│ “Yes, I am truly unremarkable...you helped me to notice it sooner...”

Kiibo couldn’t tell what kind of emotional tone the supreme leader was using in his reply, too busy wallowing in his own worthlessness to even care. He could barely remain upright as his mechanisms threatened to shut down his body right then and there, but though he was swaying somewhat from side to side he still remained standing. 

The robot noted the slightest buzz of ‘annoyance’ as Kokichi began bugging him, then internally scolded himself harshly for ever thinking a machine such as himself could feel emotions. He turned his back on his classmate, clearly not interested in divulging why exactly he was acting ‘differently’.

“Nothing is wrong. I only came to inform you that you have ‘enlightened’ me. Yet...you’re wasting your time trying to ask me what is wrong. Why...?”

[ctrlaltkibo]

@remnantworlds - “Stay away from me!”

“Huh? But… Why?”

Why was he suddenly telling her to stay away from him, when she was sure that they had been getting quite close? That didn’t make any sense to her. She had never actually heard him say to stay away from her. So, of course, she did exactly the opposite of what she was being told:

She stepped forward, and held a hand out towards him.

“Did something happen? Or… Did I do something to upset you?”

If she did, she had no idea what it was. Though, that wasn’t too unusual, either. She did have a tendency to not notice when she did something to upset someone.

│⚙️│ “Don’t ask why, just go!”

Of course, a change just had to come creeping up on him at the wrong moment. Kibo’s hands trembled, legs desperate to buckle and allow him to fall to let the transformation take place. But he was also in front of Kaede. He didn’t want her finding out what he was, not to mention there was a chance he could hurt her if he got scared in wolf form...

Her hand was reaching for him...and in a desperate attempt to get her to step away, Kibo batted at it with his own, glaring up at Kaede with ice blue eyes. His fangs were beginning to grow, sharpened teeth now directly in the pianist’s view.

“Please...!” His plea had come out as a low growl, a final warning for Kaede to back off before he fully changed...