Chapter Text
“...so they’re at Capsule Corp right now, to see what they can do to make Vic’s life a little easier,” Clark finished explaining. Both to the scientist and to his friends. He hadn’t told them everything- the scientist they saved in STAR Labs was still a stranger after all, but he had explained the basics of his sudden feud with the Red Ribbon, and how that led him to Vic and Doctor Flappe.
“I was only a research assistant when he left,” the scientist said miserably, still clinging to Yamcha’s arm, “We all heard about the accident with his son of course, the entire lab needed to be repaired, but knowing he went to those Red Ribbon people… I wonder if that’s why Intergang wanted him,” She leaned against Yamcha, practically hanging off of him, and Clark and Eel shared a look.
Yamcha didn’t really notice her proximity, too focused on the danger of the situation as he stared at Clark, “You picked a fight with Red Ribbon ?” His expression was right on the edge of terrified.
Clark understood that she wanted to feel safe, obviously. She just went through something terrifying! But Clark and Eel both knew that if she was still holding onto Yamcha by the time they reached Capsule Corp, the little tiff between him and Bulma was going to explode into something much worse. And with the pace they were moving at, they’d be back at Capsule Corp within a few minutes. They had only stuck around STAR Labs long enough to spot the first few cop cars arriving before deciding to leave, none of the group having much desire to talk to the police and explain why a group of minors took it on themselves to fight mobsters with laser guns and super-steroids.
Eel and Clark did a quick and subtle rock-paper-scissors, which Clark lost.
Clark moved a bit closer to the scientist and Yamcha, “I just realized we never really introduced ourselves. What’s your name, Doctor…?”
“Oh, no, not a doctor yet. I’m too young for that. My name is Iris Rochev.”
“Nice to meet you,” Clark said, “I’m Clark, that’s Eel, and this is Yamcha, his girlfriend , Bulma, is the daughter of Doctor Brief. She’s actually working with him and Doctor Flappe to help fix up Vic, and maybe help Tornado too.”
At the mention of Bulma, Yamcha seemed to realize himself, and his face went a shade redder. They came close to the gates, and Yamcha quickly slipped out of Iris’s grip, she stumbled for a moment, but caught herself. She looked at Yamcha with surprise and a little bit of hurt. Yamcha simply grinned awkwardly, “I have to enter in… buzz us in… press the button-” he tried to excuse himself, before petering out and hitting the intercom, “Uh, this is Yamcha, Eel, Clark, and a new friend. Can you let us in?”
For a few seconds he waited, until an automated voice replied, “Unable to reach Bulma Brief. Referring you to Security.”
Yamcha rolled his eyes, glancing back at Iris, “The system needs permission for anyone new to enter the facility,” he explained, “Since all of us are friends with Bulma, whenever we bring someone new over, the system generally checks with her to make sure its okay. Otherwise, it has to check with her Dad, or with-”
“Who’s the new person?” a gruff voice interrupted over the comm.
“Iris Rochev, from STAR Labs. We’re taking her to meet Doctor Flappe,” Clark explained, “They used to be coworkers.”
“Hm. Alright, come on in.”
The doors swung open.
“It’s that easy to get into Capsule Corp?” Iris asked, surprised, “They don’t need me to present an ID? Run a background check? Make a request with STAR Lab’s system or anything?”
“Not if you’re friends with the owners, I guess,” Eel said, shrugging, “I know right? If I had known about this place back when I was aaaa-” he cut himself off, “-aaoon hard times . I would have made off like a bandit.”
“You used to be a thief?” she asked, frowning.
“Oh please, that’s not so bad, Lover-boy there used to be an assassin.”
Iris took a slight step away from both of them.
“Eel!” Yamcha protested. He looked over at Iris, “I’m not really an assassin! Or, well, I’m not anymore. But even when I was, I didn’t kill anyone! I trained for years and years, and then when the League finally sent me on a job, boom! Turns out I didn’t have it in me. I quit. Not an assassin.”
“You were part of the League of Assassins?” she asked, her eyes going wider, a smile pulling at her mouth, “What was-” she caught herself, the smile vanishing, and leaned back again, avoiding any of their eyes, “Er, I mean, I’m glad you aren’t one anymore? How long did you train with the League?”
“...Since I was a little kid.”
“No wonder you were able to fight those criminals so well, then. I probably have your training to thank for being alive right now,” she said kindly, before glancing at Clark, “You fought well too. Were you a… former assassin too?”
“I grew up on a farm,” Clark said.
“I see,” she said, her expression not changing even as her eyes seemed to unfocus a bit.
“But I spent the last few months getting trained by Son Gohan.”
“I… see…” she said, her smile starting to get a little bit strained, “What a strange bunch.”
“We really are,” Eel said proudly.
They walked inside, moved through the lobby, and Yamcha quickly put in the code for the door that would allow them into the Brief family’s private zoo. Clark spotted Jean still sitting in the hammock near the center, and hurried over, “Mrs. Brief, I found them!”
“That’s good,” she said, “Hello Yamcha, Eel. And you’re new.”
“This is Iris,” Yamcha said, “She’s a scientist too.”
“Oh? That’s not good.”
“It isn’t?” Iris asked, frowning.
“You know what they say, too many cooks spoil the broth,” Jean shrugged, “Bulma and Ray can get competitive even when it’s just the two of them working on something. With the new Doctor, and you too ? Things might get explosive.”
“I’m not a doctor,” Iris said, holding up her hands defensively, “Although meeting Ray Brief would be an honor. Really, I’m just here to see Doctor Flappe. Intergang was looking for him, and I’d like to warn him in person and just… see that he’s alright.”
“Hm, that should be alright then. You guys know the way to the lab, right?”
“We’ll be fine. Thanks again for the help, Mrs. Brief!”
“Call me Jean,” she reminded as they kept on moving towards the door to the laboratory.
Iris kept to the rear of the group as they reached the doors, and Clark leaned over and pressed a button on the keypad, “Hey, I’m back. Is it alright if I came in?”
There was a beep, and then Doctor Brief’s voice came through, “Sure thing. We’re past the messy stuff now anyway. Now, we’re at the fun part!”
Clark grinned as the door was pushed open by the older scientist, “Oh, Yamcha, Eel… and fourth person,” Doctor Brief said with some hesitation, looking at Iris, “You’re not one of Yamcha’s fangirls, are you? Because my daughter has a strict policy against letting them inside.”
“Oh, I’m here to see Doctor Flappe.”
“Well, if fans of Doctor Flappe aren’t allowed in the building, then I wouldn’t be either!” Brief said cheerfully, pushing the door open, “Welcome inside!”
The room looked significantly different even in just the hour or so that Clark was gone. Many of the machines on the walls were active now, revealing themselves to be part of some kind of assembly line, some of them printing out strange unique components, while another was dispensing a strange kind of thin, shimmering fabric.
A nervous-looking Vic was no longer on the table, instead suspended in the air by several mechanical arms, his metallic chest cavity open to reveal the machinery inside, but most importantly, displayed the large heart-shaped generator that filled the room with an eerie red glow. Bulma was standing next to him, peering into the chest cavity with a screwdriver in one hand, the other open to receive the next component delivered from the machine by yet more mechanical arms. She moved like clockwork, accepting piece after piece and slotting them place inside Vic with an expression of total concentration. Doctor Flappe stood behind her, watching her work with clear admiration and awe, completely silent so as to not distract her.
“Oh wow,” Yamcha said, eyes going wide, “You weren’t kidding about the cyborg thing, huh Clark?”
Bulma flinched, one of her eyes twitching as the screwdriver nearly slipped from her hand, “Out!” she demanded, “ Out ! I don’t want to see you until you ap-”
“I’m sorry,” Yamcha said.
“....Well good!” she stated, still angrily, “I’m glad. What are you sorry for ?” she pressed.
“For getting jealous of you and Bruce, despite me not liking the way you get jealous of the fanclub,” he said, “It… was hypocritical of me. If I’m asking you to trust me, then I need to trust you too.”
She stared at him for a few seconds, before turning back towards her work on Vic, “Fine. I forgive you,” Yamcha’s smile was brilliantly wide, “Now, out ! I’m literally building a reactor and doing stomach surgery here, and I don’t need you distracting me.”
“I second that,” Vic said, looking a little queasy.
“Is the bomb out?” Clark asked.
“Of course the bomb’s out. That was the very first thing I did. It’s over there,” she gestured with her thumb over her shoulder towards a capsule sitting on one of the shelves, a warning sticker taped over the button to prevent it from being accidentally released.
Clark breathed out a sigh of relief.
“After I took out the bomb, I fixed his arm,” Bulma continued, staring down at her work even as she talked, “That was fun. His laser cannon was crappy though. With his power output, he could handle something way better, so I upgraded it with some of my own designs. Makes the gun I built out of toasters back in Russia look like a nerf gun. After that I-”
“And… Red Tornado?” Iris asked, cutting her off and surprising Clark.
“I’ll get to him and the Dragon Radar after I’m done here,” Bulma replied, “It’s all on the counter over there,” she said, gesturing again to a different part of the lab where Red Tornado’s capsule was sitting alongside the damaged radar and Bulma’s own pink capsule case. Bulma frowned a moment later, looking back up from her work, “Wait, who are you?”
“I used to work under Doctor Flappe at STAR,” Iris said, surprising the doctor and making him look up as well.
“You did? I’m sorry but…” Flappe began awkwardly.
“Oh! Don’t worry, I was just one of the research assistants. Just another intern out of the bunch.”
“Sorry I don’t recognize you. It’s been a few years, and I’ve never been that good with faces in a crowd,” he apologized, shrugging, “What did you need to see me for?”
“You might be in danger,” Iris said, moving closer to him, but keeping to the edges of the lab to avoid getting in the way of the jungle of moving mechanical arms, “I was told you ended up joining Red Ribbon, and then defected from them. I’m afraid that they might be angry with you, and that they’re willing to work with middle men.” She brushed past the counter and came to a stop near Doctor Flappe.
“Middle men?” Flappe asked, nervously.
“We saved her from an attack by Intergang on STAR Labs,” Clark clarified, “They were there looking for you .”
Flappe went a shade pale, “That’s… unfortunate.”
“This is fascinating,” Bulma growled out, “But I am working here! OUT! All of you!”
“Please don’t distract the nice woman building my new guts,” Vic agreed.
Doctor Brief sighed, “Alright, come on,” he said, making shooing motions.
Doctor Flappe hesitated, “Shouldn’t I be here? My son-”
“Bulma seems like she has things under control Dad,” Vic said, “Besides, like she said, the dangerous part is already over. And it seems like you should get on top of this Intergang thing.”
“R-right. Call me if you need anything? Anything at all.”
“Sure Dad.”
Brief shepherded the rest of the people out of the lab, and then closed the door shut behind him. “So, what’s all this about Intergang?”