[5] Prison

[Bra]

?Shut up!? Raditzu thundered, catching the princess off-guard for a moment. The nerve of this egotistical asshole! A wave of intense loathing washed over the girl, making the actual cause for her emotions detached, at least temporarily.

?Or else what!? Hmm??? she retorted. It felt good to finally be the one on the offense with the long haired warrior. She smirked, preparing to go so far as to openly humiliate the arrogant saiyan in front of everyone, when a wild blur registered with the girl?s mind. Bra stumbled backward, pain searing through her now tender cheek, which now bore a painful-looking blotch of cherry red. She raised a hand to her face, cringing from the pain he?d inflicted.

?Or I?ll shut you up!? Raditzu?s brilliant white aura tore into the air around him, wildly sending his hair into a violent dance. A frigid glare leveled itself at the cyan haired princess, who had been too blinded by pride and anguish to care. Somehow, Bra had managed to push past her consuming fear of the intimidating warrior before her, and launched herself from the floor as hard as she could, raising a fist, determined to bring it down upon the saiyan?s skull.

?Unh-!?? she had shuddered to a stop, her slender knuckles only inches from Raditzu?s face. The young heiress turned her head, a piercing glare boring into her dark skinned captor. With a violent jerk, she nearly broke free, and then proceeded to jerk her arm back the other way, driving her elbow into Uub?s face as hard as she could against his mighty grasp. In an instant, Yamu bounded toward the girl as he witnessed the mohawked warrior?s predicament. He clenched his hands around Bra?s free arm, breaking the girl?s concentration and allowing Uub to regain control. As remarkably strong as the 12-year-old was, she was no match for the combined might of the two who restrained her.

?That?s enough, Rad.? Uub stated, his tone much sharper than usual, ?You didn?t have to be so harsh.?

?Tch... when the truth really sinks in, that?ll feel like nothing.? Raditzu?s eyes moved from the struggling princess to her best friend?s son, ?Burter?s collar??

?That?s what Brim said.? the reptilian youth responded, having to look up to see eye-to-eye with the muscular saiyan.

?Figures.? he looked back to Bra, ?You think Brim would hesitate to wipe you out of existence? Or any of us? You think Burter would be happy if you got yourself eradicated? Is that what he died for?? Raditzu turned around. He said something over his shoulder as he walked away, but it was lost on the girl. Identical shimmering objects formed on the corners of her eyes, threatening to spring forth as tears at any moment.

?Yamu...?? she began, suddenly trembling, forgetting all about whatever it was she had been arguing about with the self-absorbed fighter, ?You?re... You?re totally sure... that we can?t bring...? her voice grew hoarse before failing her altogether. She tried again, but met with similar success.

?Yes. I?m... sure.? the vein-riddled warrior interrupted, already knowing what her poorly worded question would be. There was no response for what felt like an eternity to the girl?s captors, but she ceased her thrashing entirely, almost letting herself hang from the grip of the two who held onto her.

?It seems that every time I land on a new planet, something bad happens!! Who the hell are you, you big, ugly freak!?? it was the first thing Bra had ever said to Burter, upon meeting him on her first venture to Namek. He had struck her across the chin with his forearm, and had succeeded, if nothing else, in rousing the fiery girl?s ire.

The two had met up with another, named Jeice, and the three of them sought to purge the tranquil land of seven horrible powerhouses who threatened to poison the very planet. They had been successful, but only barely. It was the first time, and happily not the last time, the two had joined forces.

Bra released a long, ragged sigh. She trembled involuntarily, focusing on the ground at her feet. The half-blood felt Yamu and Uub?s grips loosening, before they let go altogether. Though she hated, despised, loathed to admit it, Raditzu was ultimately correct. That fucking bastard always was, and somehow still managed to act like a complete moron.

?How old is the kid anyway?? it was an elderly voice. Kami?s without question. The aged, but utterly fantastic warrior appeared in the hybrid?s thoughts, as clear as he had been during the first Dante?s Abyss tournament. Quite a far jump from the first time she met the azure reptilian.

?How the hell should I know?? it was Burter. Still trying to be the cold, uncaring person he thought he was. Maybe, at one time, he actually was, but the princess felt that she?d never met that Burter, ?Apparently not old enough to be in the tournament; I?ve even heard Raditzu talk with her mom about it.?

?I?m totally old enough to be in this thing!!? Bra immediately recognized her own voice, surprised with the powerful tenacity she had spoken with, ?Didn?t you see me take down that android freak!?? Burter laughed.

?That doesn?t have anything to do with age!? he said.

?Yes it does!? the halfling continued to protest, ?If I weren?t old enough, I wouldn?t have been able to kill him!!? a stellar rebuttal.

?Yeah, right. You?re probably not even allowed into PG-13 movies yet.? the reptile?s voice had taken a mocking tone, as if he were talking to an infant, ?You?re just lucky this Dante thing is sponsored by psychos! How old are you anyway? Ten? Twelve?? another laugh.

?Yeah. ...Twelve.? the girl replied. Bra was shocked at how obvious her emotions were. Was she always a pitifully open book like this?

?I bet you just turned twelve then, huh??

?Actually...? the girl began, but fell silent, somehow embarrassed with her lack of age.

?Don?t worry about it, kiddo.? Burter?s taunting continued without fail, ?Some day, many years from now, people will stop saying that you?re not old enough. But you know what? You?re still gonna hear it from me!!? he chuckled, ?When?s your birthday anyway, youngster?? Bra grimaced. What a cheap shot.

?Well... it?s... it?s today.? she replied. A moment of silence followed.

?...Oh.? Burter eloquently replied, ?Well, shit, Bra, why didn?t you tell me??

?I didn?t think you?d care.? her voice had been filled with hurt. It was as though she didn?t want the reptilian?s attention, but at the same time yearned for it. He truly had been a father for her, and only now could she see it.

?I didn?t get you anything...? he paused, his tone uncertain, perhaps for the first time in his life, ?I didn?t even know it was your birthday...?

?No big deal.? the girl lied, the hurt still noticeable on her voice. Bra wondered, had Burter ever noticed this? Had he simply pretended to have missed it?

?Wait,? Burter said, reaching to his wrist. His fingers rested on the silver bracelet he had wore since Bra met him. On it, inscribed in the finest gold, it read ?Always With You?.

?Whoah, hold on.? the halfling retorted, putting her hand out to halt him, ?No way. You always wear that thing. I can?t take that.?

?You can and you will.? he replied, his tone suddenly authoritative. He took the bracelet off, placing it delicately in the girl?s open palm. ?My brother, Lakon, gave me this years ago. With it, I have always felt connected to him, as if... as if he were still here with me. I hope this bracelet makes you feel the same way.

?Wow... I... I don?t know what to say, Burter.? she replied, shocked. She had been so moved by the reptile?s actions, and never once said so. Unforgivable.

?Happy Birthday kid.?

The cyan haired princess -as tough and brash as she so desperately tried to be- burst into tears. Her whole body shook as the memories unrelentingly flooded her mind. Burter couldn?t be trapped in memories! He just couldn?t!!

Bra managed to at least partially contain herself, muffling her sobs and retreating to an empty corner of the large cell. She placed her hands on the wall, squeezing her eyes shut and frantically shaking her head.

?No!? came her tragic whisper.

Burter rushed toward her, on an intercept course with the gigantic missile of death.

?No. No, no, no, not this!!? her hushed voice became increasingly anxious. She wanted anything but to relive this horrid memory, but there was no stopping it. She was helpless to her own grief-bedraggled mind.

He flew in between her and the retched, monumentally powerful wave of energy, literally taking it on the chest. The complete brunt of the intense energy collided with Burter, and in an instant, his body was rent and torn apart, reduced to little more than ash and gore.

The girl had destroyed the hideous monster. But it was too late. Burter was dead, and she would later meet his fate at the hands of the television executive. Brim.

She gasped.

?He?s going to finish us now...? Burter whispered, slowly starting to rise. ?I can tell.? it was unclear then, but now, Bra realized, Burter wasn?t fearing his own end, but... hers.

Dars towered before them. A hulking monstrosity. The heiress saw it coming, but was once again helpless. Damn her treacherous emotions!

?You were right,? the cyan haired girl heard herself speak, ?Always together. But it?s not over yet, blue boy, we can still pull out of this!?

Burter grinned, knowing she wouldn?t give up, even now that all hope had been washed away by the titanic strength and fury that was Dars.

?Let?s go, Burter, one last time!!? Bra screamed, rocketing forth in a sprint, forcing Burter to launch after her, just barely keeping up.

?Live together...? he whispered, just loud enough for his friend to hear.

?Fight together.? she confirmed, her hands glowing with the energy she would need for one final attack.

?Die together!!? Burter roared, unexpectedly lunging forward onto Bra?s back, sending her crashing to the ground.

Dars let out a scream, launching a huge blast at the sapphire reptilian warrior who had, for the second time, set his resolve and planned to give his own life for hers. Such was his adoration for the girl.

And she had never even seen it up until now, when it was too late to even give a token ?thank you? for his two ultimate sacrifices. Bra had time to see Burter collide with the gargantuan attack before Goku pulled the youth away, despite her violent shrieks kicks and scratches.

?NO! BURTER! NOOOO!? but her anguished scream wasn?t enough. The reptile?s kinetic light shielding failed, and the azure warrior was swallowed by the searing purity of the blast. His ki vanished completely. He had died for her a second time.

Bra?s sobs escalated to unabashed wails of lament, her fist pitifully banging against the wall. She would have loathed such a display of emotion among all these warriors, but the realization that her friend - the best friend she?d ever had - was gone forever made any other thoughts and feelings inconsequential. Burter had been a teacher, a father, a savior. His existence made her own far more fulfilling than she could have ever imagined, and now he had been remorselessly stripped from her without a second thought, simply for the pursuit of money and fame.

?That?s not fair!! Why didn?t he call me!? Why wasn?t I there!? I could have helped!! I could have saved him this time! Brim, how could you!? How could you!?? she screamed, another punch smashing into the wall, which refused to give in to the crushing forces being placed upon it, ?Then it?s my fault! Oh no, no!! If I was there he would still be here!! But I didn?t mean to- I had to- Burter, I?m sorry!! I?m so sorry, it?s all my fault!! This isn?t fair, Brim, you fucking son of a bitch!!? a primal roar escaped the girl as she punched the wall once again, much harder this time, her fist crackling with raw energy. Tears endlessly streamed down her dirt-smeared face, creating lines of purity which marked their paths, ?You fucking coward!! You promised this was just a game!! Just like last time! You took him away again! Again, again!!?

Bra fell to her knees, still pounding against the wall, her slender frame quaking beneath the acute bouts of sobbing that refused to leave her. The others had been watching her outburst, but she hadn?t realized. This grief was all-consuming. The other times she had at least been able to find a way to bring her friend back. And the worst of all, she was still keeping up her act, pretending to dislike the reptilian. Never thanked him, never gave him anything. No, she always took from him. He saved her, gave her a bracelet. Gave her his dead brother?s bracelet. It was probably the most meaningful possession he?d ever owned, and he willingly gave it to her as a gift.

?Bra?? came a hiss. Like Burter, but... softer. Younger, ?Why are you crying? Dad said it was gonna be okay, Bra. Please don?t cry anymore.?

The girl managed to quell her mourning for a moment, looking up at the ruby eyed lizard who stood before her, wearing a look of genuine concern. And... curiosity.

?It?s okay, isn?t it? Please don?t cry.? he insisted again, tugging on the girl?s arm, trying to pull her off the floor. Bra climbed to her feet, looking over at Burter Junior. He was so much like her friend. His looks, his energy, and his determination to make her happy. Somehow, she managed a smile as her vision blurred from the tears.

?Yeah... Yeah, BJ. It?s...? she couldn?t finish. Seeking refuge, the cyan haired girl fled from the orphaned child, finding some comfort in the massive arms of her friend Uub. If Burter had been a father for her, then Uub was a big brother. He wore an expression of shock, but eventually regained face, uncertainly sliding his arms around the fragile young girl, embracing her as her entire countenance shook with the might of her incessant bawling.

?Shush...? he muttered, gently stroking the hybrid youth?s hair, sighing loudly. The reptilian?s death had hit him hard, too, but it wasn?t like him to break down, especially not in front of all these fighters. He had to remain strong. If not for himself, then, for this desperate child in his arms, ?It?s not your fault. Burter wouldn?t have let you fight even if you were there. He had a score to settle with Brim. He fought and died with honor, he never once resorted to a cheap shot. Brim pulled a bunch of them. He did what he could. He did it for us, Bra. ...He did it for you. He wouldn?t want you to be upset. He?d want you to move on, to beat the shit out of that legless fucker and finish what Burter started!! He died, but he died fucking Brim up. He died a hero, Bra. He is a hero. He?s still with you, right? In your heart? Never let him go. Never let his memory die. As long as his memory?s alive, then so is he. And we both know Burter would be right here, telling you that things were gonna look up. So, come on. We have a jail cell to bust out of. Take your time to sort things out...? he paused for a moment, smiling softly even though the girl wouldn?t see it with her face buried in his chest, ?I promise you. You and me, we?ll make sure Burter didn?t die for nothing. We?ll make sure that Brim pays for this. You?ll get to tear his fucking head off and use it as a soccer ball. He won?t die for nothing, Bra. He won?t. Promise me you won?t let him. Promise me!!?

The princess? crying ceased. Her breath was ragged, her eyes and face soaked with tears. She sniffled, doing her best to smile, but was unable to break her grief stricken expression. Bra looked up into Uub?s eyes, and nodded.

?I promise. I promise, Uub.? she whispered. The human gave her a reassuring hug, and told her to take a seat on one of the adjacent benches, to get some rest. The youth was far too exhausted to argue, and did as she was told, taking a seat on a cushioned bench, one which hadn?t been occupied by any of the others.

Always With You.

Bra looked down at the bracelet around her wrist. She fumbled with it for a moment. It had taken some scratches since Burter had given it to her so long ago, but still shone with the same brilliance it had on the day she received it. She sighed forlornly, lying down on the thinly padded bench. So exhausted. She began to softly sob, closing her eyes. She drifted into a light slumber, leaving the world behind to be with her most precious memories. Good ones, this time. Happy ones, filled with laughter. And now they were nothing else. Just memories.

Always With You.