The Beginning

✨Chapter 1✨

‪ "Look out!" Bellowed a voice from the distance.

Gine's eyes broadened as an energy blast was making its way towards her. It was as if she had forgotten how to run as her body froze in fear. Tears formed and for that moment she couldn't even blink. In a matter of seconds she felt her body being pushed to the ground and there Bardock was shielding her from the impact.

"You really need to be more careful," he said in a sharp tone while giving her a stern look.

This had been the fifth mission in a row where Bardock had saved Gine, since the day they found her critically injured Bardock had recruited her as part of his team. She had been shadowing him for a few months now, and despite how hard she pushed herself, she just couldn't keep up with her new comrades. It was apparent she was just slowing them down, although Bardock reassured her that wasn't the case she could see he was trying to be nice in an attempt to not knock her confidence.

"Y-you really don't need to keep saving me Bardock, if I die it's due to my own stupidity," her voice trembled as he kept his stern glare on her.

"Don't speak like that, we are a team you just got to be a bit more vigilant that's all," he rose to his feet dusting the debris off his armor before offering Gine his hand.

‪Bardock smirked at her, watching her lip curve into a confident grin as she tapped his hand out the way and pulled herself up. There was something about her that fascinated him. She didn't seem the typical saiyan woman he'd come across before. She didn't show as much aggression for one, and her looks were so tantalizing to him it always made his stomach plummet whenever she smiled back at him.

‪"You scumbag Saiyans!" a gruff voice from behind them howled.

Gine spun to face the species who yelled at them. The species of the planet they were purging were not pleasant to look at, they had long slender arms with short out of proportioned bodies, the same couldn't be said about the planet they were on. It was called planet Stroviex not that Bardock and the crew showed much interest in the name. The Stroviexians had fascinating architecture and some advanced technology that the Saiyans will probably examine, anything from the technology that would be deemed useful they'd take for themselves.

"Just a bunch of miscreants. Nothing but a slave race working under orders from a slimy tyrant!" the Stroviexian spat at them as Bardock stepped in front of Gine with the rest of the team standing by his side.

‪ "Quit wasting oxygen," Bardock responded in a nonchalant voice as he threw a blast from the palm of his hand directly through the Stroviexians chest.

Toma and the rest of the team threw a blast after Bardock's, they smirked and laughed mirthlessly as the Stroviexian died instantaneously. Gine peered over at the remains and saw the blood seeping out of the corpses chest, she frowned as she watched Fasha amble towards the corpse to loot from it while Bardock was leaned against a towering rock checking his scouter for any remaining life forms. It never settled well with her looting from the corpses, she was always left with a guilt feeling whenever she had done it. She recalled the time she had helped loot some bodies and had gotten upset for the body she looted from was a child, the team all laughed at her apart from Bardock. Perhaps she was too soft for this kind of job.

"Well- another successful mission," Toma smiled as he patted Bardock on the shoulder.

A light chuckle rumbled from Bardock's chest as he nodded in agreement, he tapped the back of his foot against the rock behind him and directed his attention on his team. "It's getting dark, I say we quickly loot this place before we turn in and-" he paused as his scouter started to flash, warning him of a potential threat.

They all got into a fight stance as they looked in the direction of where the scouter detected the threat. Gine scrunched her brows as she could see a small figure flying towards them in an opposite direction, she glanced over at her comrades from over her shoulder and whistled to try grab their attention. Neither looked over at her as they all looked up at the sky in the wrong direction.

Gine sighed and turned to face them, "Hey guys there's a-"

"Not now Gine we are trying to locate where this threat is coming from," Bardock glared at her, his glare soon diminished as he saw another Stroviexian walking towards Gine.

"Gine behind you!" Toma shouted out before he and Bardock powered up a ki blast in their hand.

‪ Gine pivoted and let out a resounding gulp as she was now face to face with the alien, "Uh..." she let out a nervous titter taking modest steps backward, her tail coiled and uncoiled in nervousness as cynical glowing eyes pierced into hers.

"Gine move!" Bardock instructed as he was ready to throw an attack.

A loud inhale from the Stroviexians flared nostrils as they leaned toward Gine who continued to take quick steps away from them. "I smell your fear... you are not like the rest of them cold-hearted killers..." they chortled and licked their lips, "I smell a weakling, a coward, a- "

Silence, no further words were spoken. The Stroviexian didn't have a chance to finish what they were going to say, as Gine was pushed onto the floor by Shugesh while the rest of the crew blasted the Stroviexian. Gine glanced up while shielding her hand over her eyes, she watched as life was completely drained from the alien, clear film instantaneously covered the Stroviexian's eyes as they dropped right in front of her with blood pooling out from under the body.

"Damn it Gine, when I tell you to move you should move!" Bardock growled at her and folded his arms against his chest.

The team all watched as Gine picked herself up and dusted the debris off herself, she could sense an awkward tension between her and her comrades as they all gave her a stern look. She pursed her lips, averting her attention away from everyone.

Toma leaned toward Bardock to whisper in his ear all while he kept his glance on Gine,"I don't think she's suitable for this job Bardock, how many times have you got to rescue her?"

"Hey, give her a chance Toma she's just-"

"Bardock you need to quit making excuses for her, it's almost as if you are having some sort of feelings towards her."

Bardock shook his head at this and laughed before he started to walk away from him.

While the team started to search through any useful stuff they could find, Gine remained stood against the rock watching them. She pressed her lips together deep in thought, perhaps she should retire for she was just slowing everyone else down. Her eyes locked onto Bardock who gave her a half smile before he turned away to check over the items they had found. If she were to retire she may lose the chance to hang out with Bardock again, he probably would show no interest in a Saiyan woman who couldn't properly defend themselves...