no sooner had the smoke cleared than a brisk, black runabout was standing, or rather was floating. He gallantly opened the passenger door and helped Bulma onto the seat, before he swung loosely into the driver's seat on the other side, turned the key and accelerated.A fleeting wave and a smelly cloud of exhaust gas was all he allowed the two of them in the garden.
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<br />
"Where does he want to go with her?" Vegeta asked, only to be annoyed with himself. He couldn't care where they were going or what they were doing there ...
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"Vegeta, please stop shining like this, it scares me ..." Ms. Brief's voice called him back to reality. He took a deep breath and turned back his energy.
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"What happened to Bulma?" He squeezed out between his teeth.
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"Come into the kitchen, Vegeta," Ms. Briefs adjusted her apron. "You're way too tense. A cup of tea will do you good."
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Vegeta knew Bulma's mother well enough to know when to give in. So he trotted back into the house behind her. The water was already boiling and Frau Briefs poured the tea powder into the cups. With forced patience Vegeta waited until Mrs. Briefs had filled the cups and handed him one.The tea tasted bitter, but that suited Vegeta's mood very well.
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<br />
"Gokou told us what you said to Bulma on the ship," Ms. Briefs began after she had taken the first sip. "We couldn't get a word out of Bulma himself. We took her to the nearest hospital straight away, of course, but apart from one weakness, she was perfectly fine. At least physically."
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Vegeta sipped his tea. "There was no other way, we only had one bean ...". He stopped. Why the hell was he justifying himself to her?
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"I know that. Gokou also told us that you wanted to protect her in this way. Bulma can be very stubborn, and maybe your cruelty really was the only way to prevent her from following you somehow as soon as she returned My husband's new ship was ready soon afterwards. "She took another sip and sighed again."But goodwill doesn't always justify the means and as far as Bulma is concerned, you went too far at the wrong time. In her normal state, she would probably have gotten over it and got you back somehow." A fleeting smile flickered across her lips. "But weakened, barely jumped at death, previously sick with fear for you ... it was all too much, too quickly in a row. Somehow she released her feelings to protect herself. After a few days in the hospital, it seemed better She even cried when Chichi's visit, and we all hoped that she would gradually thaw, howl her grief from her soul, and develop a righteous anger against your rude methods .... "
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That was exactly what Vegeta had expected, he had been prepared for that, he could have lived with it, very well indeed. "But ...?"
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"But when I came back to the hospital the next day, Safrano was there and with him was a certain Professor Manhip.Bulma was very calm, no tears, no raving, also no joy about my visit. Safrano told me that Bulma's emotional injury could best be cured with a lot of calm and conversation. Professor Manhip is reputedly an authority on trauma management, so we thought it would be really best for her. Every day the two came and every day Bulma withdrew deeper and deeper to a place that we could not reach. Only when Safrano was there did she seem to feel something like joy. When she was released into home care, Safrano visited her daily. He also brought the idea for the new project with him and Bulma seemed really eager to finally do something useful. "
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"What about the engagement?"
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"For the time being we only heard from him, Bulma wore a very expensive diamond ring that day, now it is in her room with her other jewelry because it only bothers her while she is working."She leaned forward." Vegeta, please don't move! "
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Vegeta almost choked on his tea. "Why not? My room is ..."
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"... exactly as you left it within an hour. Bulma wanted to pack your things in a box and throw them away, or rather, Safrano suggested it and Bulma simply nodded. I packed everything neatly and kept it in the attic . "
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"Good, but ... but .."
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"Firstly, this house still belongs to my husband and not Bulma, so we can accommodate whoever we want and secondly, we will simply say that the spaceship has to be overhauled again. I will talk to my husband, he can certainly turn it around that it will take at least three weeks. "
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Vegeta raised his mug to his lips, put it down again and crossed his arms. "Why? Why should I stay here?"
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Bulma's mother allowed herself another sip before she replied, "Because I'm quite sure that you are the only one who can cement the china again."<br />
He knew what she was talking about, but although he wished she was right, he couldn't quite believe it. "I've already tried. She's like a block of ice."
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A delighted glow entered Frau Brief's worried blue eyes. "So do you really care about her?"
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Vegeta did his best to pull her head out of the noose. “It is very useful when it comes to technical things, but otherwise?” He even tried his fingers and counted: “She is moody, likes to order people around, you can never please her, she constantly interferes with training "She can't cook and can't fight," and because Ms. Briefs didn't seem the least bit convinced, he desperately took up the last argument: "and she changes her hairstyle far too often."
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Mrs. Briefs almost choked on the rest of her tea and burst out laughing. “You can't think of more?” She crossed her fingers, became very serious again and fixed him."You're going to help Bulma, aren't you?"
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"Somebody has to fix my suit," he grumbled, slightly offended because she didn't seem to take his arguments seriously.
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Relieved by his reluctance to agree, Frau Briefs fished out a piece of paper and placed it next to his mug. "That is the address of this Professor Manhip."
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"Should I fly over there and flatten him?", Vegeta doubted that this would be of much use. "You should definitely have a look at this psychiatrist," said her mother simply. "As for Bulma," she shrugged. "I think it will take something very unusual to wrench them out of their stupor, but what could that be ...?"
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Vegeta pocketed the note. "I need some exercise anyway," he said, getting up. Frau Briefs gave him a knowing look over the rim of her mug and hid her smile. As soon as the door closed behind him, she put the mug down and took a deep breath.<br />
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"Did it go well?", Prof. Briefs stood in the doorway and looked at his wife inquiringly.
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"I wasn't wrong," she said, getting up to rinse the two cups. "He's attached to her."
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"So is there still hope?"
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"They always exist, my dear," she said and put the two clean cups back on the sink. "It won't be easy for either of them."
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"Children can be so stubborn!" He sighed and adjusted his glasses. "So should I overhaul his spaceship?"
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"Definitely. Safrano would immediately notice if you only do half a thing or just pretend. Oh yes and be so nice and put the two large boxes from the attic right next to the door back into Vegeta's room."
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She smiled pleadingly at him until he shuffled out of the room with a sigh. In her opinion, Bulma had inherited her stubbornness entirely from him, as had her genius. Hopefully Vegeta found his way around town without causing another half disaster.<br />
Vegeta knew nothing of her concern for various buildings and other things in the city. He had fetched fresh clothes in the spaceship and quickly showered and changed. Leaf in hand, he flew over the city, paying no attention to the people staring up at him with their mouths open. Mothers pulled their children aside and told them that this was definitely another advertising stunt or that a bad film was being shot here, although they themselves looked in vain for cameras, helicopters and long strings.
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After a long back and forth, Vegeta decided to just ask. The people who knew their way around the city best were those who darted through the city in the yellow taxi cars.
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He landed at such a taxi stand and went straight to the first driver without further ado. "Where is that?" He asked, holding the note out to him. The driver, who was also of the opinion that the flying man in black belonged to a superhero film (and probably acted as the villain there) glanced around for a camera.The fact that none could be seen only confirmed his suspicion that the film company was trying to get free extras in this way. The address on the note matched a street on the other end of town. Did the funny guy hid a mini camera in his standing hairstyle? "I know where that is, should I take you there?" He asked gently. "My taxi is the cheapest and fastest in town."
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Vegeta hesitated. "I don't have any money with me, directions are enough."
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"Oh what, money," the taxi driver peeked over at a car that was driving past suspiciously slowly. Could the fat man with the hat be the director? "You don't get an opportunity every day to drive someone around town who can fly."
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People were just inscrutable, Vegeta found out again. Otherwise money was the most important thing to them and now that. But it should be fine with him. He accepted the offer with princely condescension and got into the taxi.During the drive he noticed that the driver kept looking in the rearview mirror, even when it wasn't necessary, and running his hand through his hair every now and then as if he had to adjust his hairstyle.
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<br />
The taxi driver, on the other hand, wonders what kind of funny script it was, where the super