Dragon Ball - Forgotten Foes: Part Two.

"Yunzabit huh? Haven't been there since I went to get that Namekian ship with Mr. Popo. Almost forgot the place existed." Bulma thought to herself as the plane was now passing over Ginger Town. It looked so small from so high up, the zooming vehicles below like ants scurrying about the ground. It was actually a surprise to see Ginger Town so full of life considering not even a year ago Cell wiped out the town's entire population single-handed. Even though everyone who was killed by him was revived with the Dragon Balls, Bulma figured most people would stay away from Ginger Town over what happened. People sure do tend to bounce back quickly in times of peace, although that seemed to be the case everywhere since Mr. Satan took the credit for killing Cell. The buffoon even got Orange City renamed to Satan City in his honor.

Her thoughts were interrupted as something suddenly whooshed past the window. She barely had a chance to make out what it was, but it looked like a tree with a man riding on it. A man wearing pink. "W-was that Tao? Riding a tree through the air?!" Bulma thought. For some reason, that seemed even more impressive than someone being able to fly on their own. The figure presumed to be Tao flew right past them in the same direction, presumably to wait for her and his troop's arrival. They had been in the air for an hour now and if the calculations in her head were correct, they would have another three to six hours to go depending just where in the highlands they would land. Just what she needed, more time stuck bound and gagged, and her nose was starting to itch. 

She had no way of scratching it with her hands cuffed behind her back. Turning her head and trying to rub it against the seat didn't help either since the seating wasn't rough enough. A rare example of comfort working against her. The pilots paid her no attention since taking off after the struggle she put up being put on board and her earlier temper tantrum. The fact she decked one of them in the groin likely added to the silent treatment. Looks like she had no choice but to try. "Mrrmmph! Mrmmnff!" She called out through the gag. Both pilots turned and looked at her for a moment, shrugged their shoulders, and went back to doing what they were doing. "Hrrrm! Dmmnnt ignnmmmf mnn!" 

"Ugh...take the controls. I'll see what she wants..." The pilot said begrudgingly as he stepped out of the seat and walked over to Bulma. She tilted her head up and wrinkled her nose, a gesture that went over his head. "I got better things to do than watch you make faces at me." He said turning around. "Nmm waimmnff! Cmnn bamnnf!" She yelled for him to return. "Gah what do you want?!" He yelled yanking her gag off, causing Bulma to wince when his rough fingers brushed against her cheek. "Gah! Did you ever hear of moisturizer? Your hands are like sand paper. Anyway, my nose itches so can you scratch it? I can't exactly do it myself you know..."

"If I do it will you keep quiet for the rest of the flight?"

"Yeah yeah I'll be good now come on and scratch!"

"Please."

"Ugh...will you scratch my nose for me? Please?"

The soldier sighed and did so, scratching it with his fingertips if it meant she'd keep quiet for the rest of the flight. Bulma almost regretted it instantly, his fingers wreaked. Did the base they were going to not have showers or something? He smelled like he hadn't bathed in days. Still, it felt good no longer being plagued by the itch. "You good now?" The soldier asked. Bulma wrinkled her nose again in satisfaction before nodding. The soldier then held up the cloth, walking behind Bulma's seat. She grimaced as it was held up to her mouth. "Oh come on...do I have to wear it?" She asked. The soldier nodded. "Yeah, you do. Orders are orders and I don't wanna end up like the stiff back on your lawn. Not to mention it would give my friend you kicked some satisfaction." He added.

Bulma looked back and glared at him, then shot a glance to the co-pilot who she kicked earlier and he was looking right back at her with a smug grin, wanting to watch her get shut up. She certainly felt like launching a gag-free tirade at them but even in her anger, she knew running her mouth now could bring any amount of trouble for her. Reluctantly, she let out a huff and leaned her head out, trying to look proper as the cloth was tied back over her mouth same as before. "Make it nice and tight!" The co-pilot yelled from the front. His buddy did as suggested, making sure to tug the knot of the gag twice. This did anything but sit well for Bulma. Any sort of plans to just sit quietly and wait out the flight flew right out the window. 

"Whhnn Imnn gnnnff oummnf omm hrrmm Ilmmn mannff srrmmn ymnn rgrmmn thnff!" She shouted into the gag, squirming and kicking her legs in frustration. "So much for keeping quiet. Oh well, at least it was fun to watch. Now we're even Missy." The co-pilot snickered before moving the controls back over. "Oh these two are gonna catch hell for this...maybe I should make make something up to Tao next chance I get and get them in trouble...hehehe~" She thought with a sinister smile tucked under the tight gag of hers. Maybe this kidnapping wouldn't be so bad after all. "Hmm...maybe I should just tell Vegeta about how badly I was treated. he wouldn't let his Princess be treated this way without someone paying for it. I think."

Bulma decided to just focus on her cuffs for the time being. She had nothing better to do anyway and looking out the window still showed no sign of Yunzabit. On her left, however, she could see the edges of the massive forest that was near Korin's tower which was barely visible off in the distance. Sadly the tower itself was too far away for anything to be done. She entertained the thought that perhaps Dende could sense her distress, though the little guy did watch over all of Earth. Being able to focus solely on her seemed unlikely for someone his age and still adjusting to his role as god of earth. People would eventually know of her abduction though, that much was certain. You don't invade Capsule Corporation in the middle of the day and not get seen by someone. 

A mixture of boredom and the relative comfort of her seat eventually brought her to a slumber. It wasn't until she felt a hand roughly tapping her cheek, a mixture of voices, and the sound of shuffling feet that she awoke to a group of soldiers within the plane. Most of them were busy moving the crates of capsules that were on board out of the plane while the pilot was the one tapping her cheek. "M-mrrmmn...stmmn thammmff! Mnn awmmnnff alrmmnny!" She growled shaking her head from him. "Yeesh...sorry to wake you from your beauty sleep..." He retorted as he undid the seatbelt and stood her up. The cuffs on her ankles were unlocked and tucked onto a clip in his belt, well within reach should she wanted to try something foolhardy. "Now don't even think about running. You wouldn't get far and you'll be severely punished!" He said trying his best to sound intimidating. Bulma didn't buy it for a second. If eyes could speak, hers would be saying "Are you kidding me?"

Regardless, she played along and allowed herself to be led as the man held her by her handcuffs. Stepping off the back ramp of the plane revealed the humongous reaches of the Red Ribbon's new base of operations. She could make out exposed stone about the walls and enormous ceiling above, meaning they were either inside a hollowed out mountain or far, far underground. "Crap! I shouldn't have fallen asleep...now I have no idea where we are..." She cursed internally. The Yunzabit Highlands were by no means a small region. It's entire size was greater than the main island to the south. In fact, its mass was so large one could fit every major city on it and still have room to spare. The base could have been anywhere within hundreds if not thousands of miles. 

The plane seemed to be docked in what looked to be the base's main storage hold. Every wall had a huge array of tech stored. Bulma could make out scores of capsule crates. Vehicles ranging from simple one man bikes to the Red Ribbon's own attack robots. Tao wasn't kidding when they were preparing to take even the world. There were even military issue tanks stored along one wall along with weapons such as rifles and even some of Capsule Corp's energy based weapon prototypes that had yet to be cleared for testing. "Just how much did they steal...and how long have they been preparing for this...?" She wondered before receiving a shove on the shoulder. "Keep moving! We still got a way to go before we reach you're...'room.'" The soldier said as he led the captive heiress on. 

"Dmmnt shmnvv mnn! Imnn walhmkn!" She shot back. She wasn't going to take any crap, even if she was gagged. Tao was one thing but some ragtag soldier of a long destroyed army was one person she wouldn't let herself be bossed around by so easily. They approached the end of the storage chamber and walked down a carved out tunnel deeper into the base. The tunnel had small chambers lining each side, some natural and some manually formed. Bulma could see communication centers, barracks lined with beds, a crudely fashioned bathroom, and what even looked like a cafeteria as they walked. She made mental notes to remember the layout, especially the communication rooms. If she ever had a chance to get free her best bet would be to find one, get her coordinates, and radio in her location for help to arrive. 

The tunnel split into left and right further up. The left path looked like it descended while the right ascended. Bulma was led left down a set of carved stairs, wired lights nailed into the wall illuminating their path. Not a word or muffle was said between the two for some time before the soldier finally broke the silence. "Commander Tao will meet with you shortly after I put you in your room. Try to stay on his good side and he probably won't kill you after we get our ransom from your company." He said as the stairs finally ended in another tunnel. Both sides were lined with thick steel doors, each with a small pane of glass to see inward. A regular Red Ribbon dungeon.

Bulma's room was on the far end accompanied by an armed guard on each side of the door, one with a ring of keys and without a doubt the jailer of the place. "Your quarters. It may not be as posh as what you had at home but I'm sure you can make do." He said gesturing to the door which the jailer promptly opened. The accommodations were sparse at best. An outcropping carved into the stone wall served as a bed and the only furniture was a table and chair, a toilet and sink complete with a mirror which thankfully confirmed they bothered to establish a plumbing system and electrical system. 

"Commander Tao should be here in an hour. Make yourself comfortable until he arrives." He said before shutting the door behind Bulma, the lock of it echoing through her room. "H-hnnn! Ymmnn dimmnt uncmnnf mnn!" She yelled through the door. The jerks didn't even bother to uncuff her! They could have at least ungagged her. She was already locked up, what purpose did keeping her cuffed and gagged serve? Bulma's answer was met with silence, a clear indicator that they either didn't hear her through the door or simply ignored her. She groaned in frustration and kicked the nearby table leg before sitting down on the metal chair that accompanied it. "More waiting while tied up...yippee..."

Time felt like it had slowed to a crawl. Much like on the plane, waiting around with nothing to really do made every second drag. Not even a book or magazine to read, not that she even read anything right now. Bulma spent some time looking for something, anything that she could possibly use to get the cuffs off but nothing looked to be of use. Being seen free of the cuffs and ungagged by Tao or any of the guards would also likely cause a problem. That's when her attention drifted to the mirror above the sink. It was the first time she saw herself in her condition, able to see the gag on her face and the cuffs on her wrists when she turned her back. "I look like a damsel straight out of a movie...Vegeta would probably get a kick out of me like this, always complaining about how I yell at him...not that he doesn't always have it coming."

It did bring out her striking blue eyes though, despite being gagged. With her mouth covered it brought emphasis on her eyes and brows, making any emotion shown in them stand out. She tried out a variety of expressions. Her best angry look, a pleading look that yelled "Save me", and a cute wink like one she'd use on someone she thought was attractive. "Hmmm...not bad...maybe this is why some people are into this sorta thing. Maybe I'll try this on Vegeta sometime if the fight junkie ever decides to show up again. Hmm...nah...don't think this kind of stuff is for me anyway. Plus Vegeta would probably just go train some more."

It was a time killer at least, and her experimenting with poses at least keep her occupied until she heard the lock of her cell door open. She quickly stopped her modeling as Tao walked in as expected. His eyes scanned the room until locking onto Bulma. "We meet again Miss Brief. I trust your stay has been acceptable?" He asked approaching her and sliding the gag down from her mouth, allowing it to hang around her neck. "Bleh! Oh yeah...luxury hotel in here. Who doesn't like walking around a room bound in cuffs and gagged with nothing to do?" She said with bitter sarcasm. "I heard you put up quite the fight against my men on your way here. As a precaution I had them keep you restrained until I could meet with you here. The fault is yours. Perhaps you should spend your time here reflecting on your foolhardy decisions hmm?" He asked with a smug grin before gesturing to her to take a seat in the chair beside the table. With a silent scowl, she walked over and took a seat, folding her legs neatly. 

Bulma's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She hated to admit it, but he wasn't wrong. "I don't suppose having these taken off now would be too much to ask?" She said jingling her handcuffs behind her back. Tao merely stroked his mustache to her question, his face stoic as stone. "I'm afraid not, considering your history of resisting my men. There's also your surroundings to take into account. If I have my men undo your cuffs, who is to say you won't lie in wait with one of the objects here and attack them in some sort of escape attempt. Perhaps if you show me you really won't attempt anything further in the coming days I will arrange for you to no longer be restrained within this cell." 

"You can't honestly expect me to be handcuffed like this for days, can you? How am I going to eat, drink, use the freaking toilet?! Just how long do you intend to keep me here for? You could easily arrange a ransom within a couple of hours, why the hell am I going to be kept a hostage for days?!" She said in a tone that all but tossed any chance of having the cuffs taken off down the toilet. Tao's face took on a hint of annoyance. "It would take a mere snap of my fingers to have my men silence you once more. Or I could take it a step further and pluck out your tongue myself. Consider that your final warning on how to speak to me, Miss Brief." he said, his words like ice, meaning every single word.

Bulma bit her lip, suppressing herself from saying something that would give Tao more than enough reason to follow up with his threat. Pride would not get her anywhere in this situation so reluctantly she swallowed it. Its bitterness couldn't be understated enough. "Can I at least have my hands in front of me? I'll still be cuffed like you want and I can at least do simple things like the bathroom. Will that do...?" She asked in the most civil tone she could muster. "I suppose that will be acceptable but remember, any slip-ups on your part and you will be as you were before for the duration of your stay, understood?" 

Bulma nodded and stood from the chair, while Tao knocked upon the door three times. The jailer stepped in and saluted his commander before standing in place to await further orders. "Miss Briefs wishes for her hands to be handcuffed in front of her. See to it." He said outstretching his hand to Bulma's direction. The soldier saluted once more and came over Bulma who already had her back turned and arms stretched out behind her, anxious to have the accursed cuffs finally off her wrists. The jailer removed a handcuff key from his key ring and undid Bulma's restraints, to which she brought her hands out in front of her to rub her skin. She relished the brief moment of freedom, rubbing her sore wrists knowing it was destined to be short as the jailer already had the cuffs outstretched to her, waiting for her to give him her hands, which she did so with a long sigh as the cuffs were locked back on. "Don't look so upset Miss Brief. In time you may find your stay here somewhat...enjoyable. Your dinner will be delivered to you in two hours, good evening Miss Brief, I look forward to our next meeting tomorrow."

Tao then left followed by the jailer, shutting and locking the door behind them. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Bulma was now able to to get a good solid look at her cuffs, finally able to study their construction. If she was going to be here for days she'd have plenty of time to come up with a plan. Step one would be to know her handcuffs inside and out, able to get in and out of them in seconds if need be. "Come on Bulma, you built some of the most advanced stuff the world has ever seen, you can figure out how to get out of these..." She muttered to herself. Her stomach then rumbled, a strong reminded she hadn't eaten anything all day. "Ugh...fine. Food now, escape  later..."

She moved over to the sink, turning the faucet and washing her face with some warm water. Afterward, she decided to lay down on the rock outcropping, using the gag around her neck as an improvised pillow balled up in her hand to lay on. "If they can get their hands on such high tech stuff, they better have gotten their hands on some decent food..." She grumbled while waiting for her dinner. Sure enough, the sound of the metal door unlocking signaled the arrival of food. Bulma sat up anxious to fill her stomach but what she saw on her plate, a watery soup, two slices of bread, and a bowl of rice. "Are you freaking kidding m-I mean...thank you for the food..." She said as the jailer placed her meal on the table. "If Vegeta, Gohan, Yamcha, or anyone rescues me, I'm gonna kill them!" She shouted in her head before digging into the blandest dinner of her life.