Everything Happens For a Reason

Everything Happens for a Reason

Chapter Four

Fire

Disclaimer- Don't own it!

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"Shit!
It's completely ruined… nothing but melted trash!"

For
Vegeta it was laughable how backwards the planet earth really was. Oh yes he
had scathed, he had insulted and he had laughed before, but now, he was glad to
have some weight to go with the argument. Before he had just been guessing, but
now he had absolute proof, and he couldn't wait to rub it in. The question was
who? Who would be affected the most and whom would he derive the most pleasure
from taunting?

The
mother? Feh! The thought was positively absurd. The woman's head was even more
fucked up than his. Where was the fun in it? Messing with inanity only caused
frustration. It was disconcerting how that was the only true lesson he had
learnt since arriving on this pathetic planet.

The
father? Perhaps. He had the intellect to be affected by it, but was it
something he wanted to discuss with such a disgustingly helpful, benign, and smelly
old man? The constant stench of old-spice was always a deterrent. It reminded
him of the Shantoran Meth that had been so fashionably lathered on by the
high-ranking soldiers of Frieza's army. The old man reminded him somewhat of
them, because on a hot day you could literally see the haze around him.

It
might prove entertaining to see if he could glean a little fear from such a
quarter, but ultimately it would be far too easy, and for once he didn't care
about the result, he just wanted to torment. Had he still been on Frieza Base
Five he would have had the privilege of slave livestock rather thin air to
practice on, but at Capsule Corporation... there was nothing.

Mental
stimulation was just as important to his warrior instincts as physical.
Besides, he had a reputation to uphold. He was not feared solely for his power,
but his skill as a tactician as well. Unfortunately for him it was imperative
that his mind stayed sharp and for that there was no escape but trying to find
a reliable source of stimulation. The rookie soldier's on Base Five weren't
exactly a minefield of intellect, but at least they had served to brush up on
his insults. Now it was his duty, as a strategist, to find an appropriate
outlet.

Thoughtfully
he paced down the long curved hall.

"And
that's when he turned to me and said 'Excuse me madam, can you please get your
foot off my bag!' I tell you Chi I've never been so embarrassed in all my life!
I thought I was going to die right there and then in front of him."

Vegeta
smirked… a low, deep, evil smirk.

"No!
Oh Chi you're no fun! Come on you buy that magazine every week! You can't tell
me you haven't thought about what it might feel like to be floured up by such
skilful hands!"

She
was laughing inanely, twirling the phone wire around her little finger as he
entered, thumbing her way through the contents of some glossy publication.
Good, she hadn't seen him. It might prove all the more entertaining.

Absently,
he slouched down on the sofa, obscured from her line of vision by the padded
back. Putting his legs up to rest over one arm, he stretched out and crossing
his arms behind his head, cradled it on them.

"Right!
That's it! As of this minute I completely disown you! Nope… no, no and no…
there isn't any amount of grovelling that will make this ok now. I mean it… no
more visits, no more recipes from mum, no more learning books for Gohan…!"

Vegeta
rolled his eyes. He'd have to do something to get her attention. There was no
way he was going to sit through any more of this crap!

"Oh
my god Chi!" She sputtered in hysterics, "What would Son-kun say if
he could hear you?"

"If
he had an ounce of sense he'd tell you to shut the fuck up!"

Vegeta
chuckled inwardly. The sharp intake of breath was exactly what he had been
expecting. Chiku-jins! They were just too easy to scare.

"But
of course he doesn't have an ounce of sense, so the point is mute." He
continued, correcting himself. "I guess I'll just have to tell you
to shut the fuck up instead."

There
was no reply immediately and Vegeta was forced (much to his frustration) to sit
up enough to peer over the leather cushion. It was then he saw it. Not anger,
not disgust, but amusement. It was alive in her eyes, and soon she was laughing
again.

"Vegeta!"
She exclaimed, "You're too much!"

He
frowned and instantly plopped back down.

"Oh
and by the way, the bathrooms that way." She pointed to the door.
"You're stinking the place up."

With
nothing else to say the female… Bulma, was back on the telephone gibbering away
in that gratingly cheerful tone as though nothing had happened. Well too bad
for her. He wasn't in the mood to be placated so easily.

"…
Of course not… no… I'm fine… really. No just Va… wa… what the…? Hell no…!"

Abandoning
the sofa once and for all, he stood bolt upright, pulling his arms tightly over
his chest and sticking it proudly out. If this didn't get her attention, then
nothing would.

There
was silence for a moment. In that time Vegeta had gained great amusement from
watching the Chikyu-jin's reaction. At first the sight didn't really register
and her eyes had merely casually swept past him, but that was soon brought to
right. In the time it took them to return, those picture blue eyes had doubled
in size. Her mouth was trying to say something, but her brain wasn't cooperating.
She shook her head once, trying pointlessly to get her faculties back. The arm
that had dropped slack, was now hoisted to her ear.

"Um
Chi…" Her cheeks crimsoned ever so slightly. "I'm going to have to
call you back." Swiftly she hung up.

"Well?"
Vegeta asked, triumphant.

The
female wasn't exactly behaving as he thought she would, but she was affected
and that was enough.

"W…
well… w… what?" She replied, squeezing her eyes tight, but still managing
to take a quick peek at selected intervals.

Vegeta
had to admit that her behaviour was curious. He had expected to invoke a
reaction, but this wasn't the one he had hoped for.

"Dammit,
Onna! The least you can do is show some respect by looking at me."

To
his annoyance she took in a gasp, before shaking her head.

"Look
at me!" He demanded, "Or I'll use my ki to melt your eyelids open...
permanently!"

"Ok…
but could you at least cover yourself up!"

For
a moment he was unsure to what she alluded and then it registered. He laughed
out loud. "Stupid humans!" He smirked, "You are so fucked up,
the lot of you."

"I
wouldn't class common decency as something fucked up." She chided,
"Now please put some clothes on!"

"No."

"Fine
then… I'm going!"

"No
you're not."

"Vegeta…
I"

"You're
going to look at me and you're going to see what it is that is absurdly wrong
with your culture."

He
walked around the sofa and picked up the magazine that now lay, disregarded the the computer desk.

"You
see…" He rasped, catching her chin forcefully and lifting it as he dangled
the magazine in front of her nose. " Your species is so preoccupied with
the pointless and materialistic crap that goes along with their thick headed
delusions of comfort that they have stayed as stagnant as every other third
rate planet out there. Your father aou tou think you are oh so different from
the rest of the universe and yet you're just as fucked up as the rest."

"Your
kind spend millions a year researching," He looked at the front cover and
sneered, "How to make 'A new and improved balm to make your lips extra
full for that all important first date' and yet no research has been done on
how to make a simple training outfit withstand even the mildest of exposure to
a ki based energy attack! Now tell me that I am wrong and that there's hasn't
been some gross oversight in your planets prtiesties." After a moments
thought, "And for Kami's sake if you're going to stare do it openly rather
than taking cowardly glances when you think I'm not looking!"

Feeling
a lot better for the outburst, and especially smug in the way he had delivered
the final part of the killing blow, Vegeta had nothing more to do than wait and
watch. How would she react? He couldn't wait to see the result. There was
something delicious in the anticipation of retaliation.

Eventually
he frowned. She had been silent for too long. Perhaps this had been a mistake.
Damned humans. Why had he even bothered? They were all just as useless as each
other. What gave this blue-haired creature any more credibility than the rest?
Just because he had happened to mistake a certain eccentricity to her character
as like-minded fire, didn't mean that he had any hope of her being up to such a
level.

"Pitiable!"
He snorted and turned away.

Just
as he was about to reach the door her voice finally stopped him.

"So
that's why you're standing in front of me with your tackle hanging out?"
She laughed out loud, "Oh man! You melted you're training gear and then in
a pissed off rage came storming up here as nude as the day you were born to
give me a lecture on the absurdities of my race? I'm sorry Vegeta, but
there's just no way I can take you seriously while staring at that!"

Vegeta
paused mid-stride. He pulled his back up straight and before he turned to face
her, he allowed the faintest glimpse of a smirk to grace his features. So the
woman did possess fire. What an intriguing development it was for him. Almost
immediately he wondered how far he could take it.

"So
you admit that you were staring! But of course you would be, after all you have
never been treated to Saiya-jin flesh before. When it comes to Saiya-jin and
human, there is no comparison."

He
smirked. Colour tinged her cheeks and he found it to be an intriguing mix of
anger and embarrassment.

"Don't
flatter yourself Vegeta. I haven't tried Saiya-jin, but I have human, and since
I'll never let such bloodied and disgusting hands, like yours, ever touch me,
there really is no comparison."

Vegeta's
features must have displayed an innate desire to kill, because almost as soon
as she finished, Bulma clasped a hand over her mouth. Fortunately his mind
wasn't tuned by the same impulsive instincts as his body, otherwise she might
have been incinerated on the spot.

Vegeta's
anger was soon replaced with curiosity. So this was why obedience from her felt
so awkward. She had been hiding herself from him. It had been a reasonable plan
for sure, but had she really thought she could pull the wool over eye eyes? His
mouth looped into a wicked grin.

"You
know woman." He purred, closing the gap between them, "Speaking that
way to a Saiya-jin might just be considered a challenge."

She
backed away from him. His grin widened as the fear spread across her features.
There was nowhere else for the ningen to go. Solid wall blocked any more
retreat, and his powerful arms either side of her head cut off any means of
escape. She shivered. Was it disgust… or something easier to work with? Either
way it didn't matter.

"There's
no need to look so pathetic." He snarled. "I have more important
things to do than disease myself by taking some scrawny, insignificant earth
creature to my bed. The thought, quite frankly, disgusts me."

Her
whole demeanor changed in that one second. Her features cleared of all panic
and something stronger, more indomitable took over. "Well then." Her
hands were defiantly thrust onto her hips. "At least we can say the
feeling is mutual! Now if you don't mind I was in the middle of a phone call
when you so disturbingly interrupted me. I'm going to call Chi back."

Vegeta
had to admit that he was somewhat impressed. She was trying to lift his arm,
searching to escape. He obliged her with laughing sarcasm for a moment, before
smashing his palm firmly back into the plaster. "Where do you think you
are going? We still have an unresolved issue here woman." He growled.

"Yeah
well I guess I can't do anything a the the stick up your ass Vegeta, maybe you
can find someone less diseased to pull it out."

Vegeta
felt his features harden and set in a grim snarl. Fire was all well and good,
but now she was pushing his patience. "Look ningen! It doesn't matter to
me one way or the other what happens from this point, but unless you want me
parading around your house naked until Shenlong is summoned I would suggest
that you find me training clothes somewhere on this mud ball that can withstand
ki energy."

There
was a pause. Vegeta was still spitting angry, and he used the time to try and
calm his temper. "Fine." She conceded at length. "I'll see what
dad and I can come up with."

Anger
turned to frustration. Where did all her spirit go?

"And…"
He added, hoping to re-ignite it, " I want it as an exact replica of my
usual uniform."

She
laughed, "What you mean beaten up so much that it's not even recognizable
as fabric anymore?"

Her
eyes were now no longer slanted and biting, but large and shimmering. It almost
looked like she wanted the work, and that she was pleased to help.

"Isn't
that what has caused all the problems in the first place. It was you who
suggested that I train in something cleaner."

"Fine…
I'll see what I can do. Yamcha used to wear ki resistant clothing, but he got
all his training gear from Kami. I'll need to visit his old flat and find his
gi. I should be able to get enough info from that to create a copy."

Vegeta
knew that he didn't want to know the answer but his curiosity got bettbetter of
him. "And who, what, was or is a Yamcha?"

"He
was my boyfriend, and a member of the Z senshi, but you should know, after all
it was thanks to you that he died. When you came to earth the first time…"

"Oh."
It was all he could think of to say.

"Oh…
oh… " She was shaking her head, pacing backwards and forwards. "And
that's it?" she continued. "No apology, no remorse… no feeling?
"

Suddenly
Vegeta's interest was heightened. The fire was back and with a vengeance. It was
impressive to watch. Time to test its limits.

"What
else would you have me say ningen? It's not as if I'm likely to remember each
and every creature that I've sent to the next dimension. After the first
thousand or so, it all becomes rather boring." He looked smugly down at
her.

Her
face was a picture. He fully believed that if she were to move a muscle her
whole face would shatter. It was so ludicrous he almost laughed. What did the
woman think he was? What disillusions had he waved before her to think that he
would have any concern in such trivial emotions? Foolish girl!

"Pathetic
creature!" He spat, "Your race forgets such important things so
easily."

The
shock dissolved from Bulma's face into a single tear. "No we don't Vegeta.
We don't forget, we feel, and that is what makes us human. We never forget, but
we forgive, and hope for better things. I've been trying to figure out what it
is that I feel for you ever since you came here. I thought it was interest, I
thought it might have been anger, resentment, but its not it's pity. I feel
sorry for you Vegeta, because you really just don't have a single clue what
it's like to feel anything do you? You've become so switched off that you just
don't take the timeout to experience anymore. You just are, and I
feel sorry, and sad that that's all you'll ever know."

Vegeta
knew he had pushed her to it, but it would be a cold day in hell before he
would take such a tiny and powerless creatures pity. It felt sharp and toxic.
He could feel his control slipping, see his ki rising in waves over his eyes,
licking at the confined walls.

"Hate
me!" He demanded as he walked menacingly towards her, "Fear me!"
He continued, "But don't you dare… DARE, associate my name with pity, ever
EVER again, or I cannot vouch for my own control! Do you understand me
woman."

"Vegeta
I…"

"Do
you fear me right now?"

"Yes."

"Do
you hate me?"

Silence.

"I
said do you hate me?"

"No."

"Why
not?"

She
was backed into a corner. The fact that he was still naked was now no longer an
issue. It was as though he had driven her beyond the edge of caring. "I…
I…" She stammered.

"You
have good reason to hate me."

"I
have absolutely no idea… ok?" She spat, as he reached the corner she was
defiantly defending. "I mean… shit… you helped out on Namek, you've lived
with us for almost two months. I… mean geesh… do you hate me?"

He
moved in closer, studying her reaction. "A question for a question."
He rkedrked absently, "You get extra brownie points."

"And
you successfully skirted the issue, now answer the damn question."

Vegeta
thought carefully for a moment.

"No."
He admitted grudgingly. " I hate your planet, your friends, your parents,
but you… you…"

"Why
not?"

"Because…"
He added with extra inflection, "You have fire onna…. You have fire."

Vegeta
was completely baffled as to why he had admitted as much. What was a lie to one
weak female, but somehow he couldn't deny the answer to her face. It was
dangerous, it was insane and completely beyond his comprehension, but still he
didn't regret saying it.

He
watched her for a while. It was though a figurative leap forward had been made
between them and they were both looking at each other for the first time.
"You still disgust me woman." He sneered at length, pushing away from
the wall and turning his back. "Go make your phone call before I change my
mind and decide to annihilate you after all."

It
appeared that the woman had enough sense to know when to keep quiet and under
his order she walked sedately out of the room. Vegeta remained for several
minutes afterwards trying to calm his temper, something he had never been very
skilled at. Realizing that nothing was going to work he decided that, for now,
he'd just let the anger work around his system and run it's own course. Kami
help anyone that got in his way in the meantime.

He
stalked out of the room with agitation brimming from every pore; not caring
that his destination was the shower as the woman had pointed out it should have
been from the beginning. There was, however, an excellent motive for this, more
than just how sweaty his earlier work out had made him, or how effective it
might be to cleanse his mind from the conversation he had just escaped. It was
more urgent than that.

When
the fabric of his human training clothes had melted, the fibers had turned
transparent and melted into the skin. To say it was a little more than
uncomfortable was an understatement. Pain didn't affect him as it might others,
but just because he could blanket it when he wanted, didn't mean that he liked
having to do it. He wanted to soothe the burns, just as much as any other
creature would.

The
cold water quickly pelted his skin, cooling the wounds he had suffered. He
relaxed against the glass door, his breathing calm as he peeled what was left
of his training top from the lightly scorched skin. Solidified under the water,
it almost looked like a clear plastic. Snorting once in derision he threw it
away in disgust.

It
was bizarre really, but all in all and despite such minor technical glitches as
today, or the protests he had made to Bulma, Vegeta was quietly happy with how
the time had past since his arrival on earth. He'd be damned and put through
the cleansing machine in otherworld fifty times before he would admit as much
but there was something about the species that just got to him, and not
necessarily in a bad way. He might even go so far as to say he envied them
their placidity and inane indifference to the universe.

There
was something in particular about the way he was treated by those around him
that was more especially poignant after his confrontation with Bulma. Everyone
in the Brief family knew exactly what he was. It wasn't made a secret of. They
all knew what his main goal and objectives were and yet they still provided for
him. It was sheer madness and he had no real way of defining why they did it,
or why it made him so uncomfortable that they should? Of course it was all
irrelevant in the long term, but disconcerting all the same.

He
vigorously shook his head as he exited the shower. It was all nonsense to think
of anything too carefully. In three months time he would have his shot at
revenge and in either victory or death he would have pride restored. He was
determined for it to be as such. There was great anticipation for the event. He
could feel his blood rising and calling for the victory he deserved every day
he was stuck on this world. That was the main focus. There was nothing after to
worry about. Pride, power and victory came be eve everything else.

Ignoring
the towel on the rail he merely shook the water from his body and evaporated it
with a miniscule release of ki. Normally he would have dried himself naturally
but he just wanted to leave the confines of the house as quickly as possible to
find a desolated part of the planet to take his anger out on.

Walking
through the door he entered his room without turning the lights on. The last
thing he wanted to do at that moment was draw any unnecessary attention. His
internal energy was like a lake of bubbling magma; one misplaced intrusion and
it would explode.

Carefully
he pulled a pair of jogging bottoms out of the closet and a white t-shirt. As
soon as he was far enough out of range to cause any unwanted attention, he
would simply undress again, but when you were flying at five thousand feet, no
matter the time of year, it got a little too cold, however much ki you might
possess.

Rearranging
the room to make it look as cold and unlived in as it ever had, Vegeta was
satisfied and abandoned it for the main living space, hoping to grab a quick
snack to keep him fueled for a night of comprehensive and compelling
destruction. He was therefore, somewhat surprised to see a faint flicker
coating the room in an ever changing mishmash of shadows.

Then…
then he heard it and his lip tilted into a sneer. How pathetic. She was crying
whilst watching the silent picture on the television screen. Idiotic creature.
What on earth did she think shs dos doing, degrading herself in such a manner?

He
watched a fraction longer and then… then he saw it. "K… Kakarrot…?"

Vegeta
hadn't intended to speak, but as the fighters name fell from his lips it at
once disturbed both Bulma and himself. She ran the back of a hand over her eyes
in a vein attempt to rid them of the moisture.

"Yes."
She replied pointing at the screen. "And Tien, Chaotzu, and Yamcha, but of
course you don't remember killing them do you?"

Vegeta
was calm, his anger having been momentarily sidestepped for curiosity. He might
have simply reminded her that they were in fact killed during their fight with
Nappa, but that was all irrelevant. "I might not remember their names, but
I do remember them."

"And
that's supposed to be better?"

He
shrugged indifferently. "It's something."

She
snorted and turned back to watch the old video. Vegeta in turn, walked towards
the kitchen. He was just about to pillage the contents when he heard a load
gasp behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see what the insane human was
up to now, only to be just in time to see her whole face blanche.

He
shook his head in derision and returned to the fridge.

"Go
away!"

The
shout echoed against the windows.

Vegeta
turned again. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he demanded.

She
was breathing heavily and it appeared that she hadn't heard him. He watched as
she drew her knees into her chest and rocked her forehead on them. "Go
away, go away, go away." She repeated over and over.

Curiosity
got the better of him, and grabbing nothing more than a piece of fruit he
walked over to the human, curled up on the sofa. "Tell me what's going
on?" he stated bluntly, looking down at her with confusion.

"It…
It feels like telepathy." She mumbled through the tears. "It's been
happening ever since I got back from Namek. I thought I might have been picking
up something from you, or one of the Namekians but… I don't know anymore."

"Feh!
Ridiculous!" He scorned. "You would never be able to accidentally
stumble on telepathic energy simpleton. It is directed straight from mind to
mind, there is no way to intercept it. If you are experiencing something to
that effect, then you are the target, no one else."

Her
eyes widened as he spoke. "Then… why won't they speak or at least tell me
who it is?"

"Don't
look at me onna. How the fuck should I know?"

"Is
… is there anyway I can stop it?"

He
deliberated for a moment. "Yes, but I doubt such a limited creature as
yourself is capable of it. It requires a lot of mental aptitude."

"Well…"
She sniffled. "I am a genius."

"That's
a matter of debate." He snorted. "Now I've wasted enough time with
this patheticness. I honestly couldn't give a shit what's going on in the
deranged head of yours. Just do what every species has to do in order to carry
on… adapt."

Bulma
nodded dejectedly. Vegeta barely returned the gesture before moving to the
large balcony windows. "Adapt." He reiterated, floating gently over
the railings.

Growling
once he flew out into the darkened sky. Placing the apple to his lips his bit
in. "Fuck!" He swore vehemently, " Now I'm going to
starve."

*******************

Thank you to Birdy06. You reminded me that I haven’t been
updating this fic on AFF and I’m about to set that right. I will be revising
each chapter and then posting every couple of days until the story is
completely up to date. In the meantime, please let me know what you think.

*hugs*

Ember