"You shouldn't be dismissive of Chiaotzu," Tien commented. "If he wanted he could punch a hole right through your stomach."
She blinked at that and Chiaotzu smirked at her. A cold, calculating smile.
"…fair enough," she said with a swallow, remembering that even at his small size Chiaotzu was a skilled warrior. 'He did manage to get into the last World Martial Arts Tournament we all attended. And he held his own rather well there too. Its easily to forget that he's a fighter because he looks so cute… but looks can be deceiving.' She felt ashamed for dismissing Chiaotzu… after all, she had become mad herself that everyone thought she was just a dumb bimbo when in reality she was one of the smartest people on the planet.
"Besides," Tien said dryly, "you aren't my type."
"Oh yeah," Bulma said, eyes suddenly lighting up, "I've been meaning to ask you… what did ever happen to Launch?"
"We didn't work out," Tien admitted. "Just too different." Bulma must have stared at him a bit too hard because he added rather quickly, "Its fine."
"Really?"
"…okay, not really," he admitted. "It hurt. But I also knew it was the right thing to do."
"It was like leaving the Crane School," Chiaotzu stated. "It was our home and we dedicate our lives to it… but going on would have hurt even more. It was better to make the break."
Tien let out a sigh at that. "Yeah."
Bulma didn't press him further to ensure he was telling the truth. She knew what it was like to end something because while it was wonderful it was also terrible and the momentary sharp pain of breaking it was better than a death by a thousand tiny cuts.
Instead she said, "Can I ask…" Tien looked up at her and rather than ask just WHAT had gone wrong with the relationship Bulma found herself saying, "…where she is then?"
At that Tien smiled. A genuine smile. "She decided she wanted to see the world. Right after we broke up she went to some big card game tournament and won the entire pot."
"Still wish you'd waited a few weeks to break up…" Chiaotzu bemoaned and Tien glowered at his best friend for the comment.
"She decided she wanted see what life had to offer. She's been traveling all over, seeing the sights."
"We get postcards!" Chiaotzu declared.
"Well, I'm glad she's happy," Bulma said. "So now you can explain that little comment about me not being your type!" She put her hands on her hips, flashing a dangerous smile at the two. "Don't think I'd forgotten that comment!"
Tien winced but then stated, "Is Goku YOUR type?"
"…fine," Bulma said. "As long as the reason you aren't interested in me has to do with feeling like family rather than thinking I am ugly then I suppose I can allow that." She shook her head before looking around the clearing. "So, what did you need from me?"
"Did you make the device we asked you to?" Tien asked.
"Right here!" Bulma said, pulling from her side bag a small tablet. "Took some work and I had to bug Roshi a few times but I was able to get it all set up. I give to you the Energy Scanner!" She flipped it around so that Tien could see the screen. She knew he most likely didn't understand 90% of what he was seeing but that honestly didn't matter. What did was that Bulma had been able to get the device made and not have it be twenty devices at once. "With this hand device I can get all sorts of readouts. Ki levels, estimated strength levels due to impact, air movement, and destruction comparisons. All of this combines together to tell me the Attack Power someone has as well as the defensive power!"
"And it can do all that?" Tien asked.
Bulma scowled. "Of course it can! I wouldn't have said it could do it otherwise! Come on Tien, what do you take me for?"
"Okay, okay, calm down," Tien pleaded.
"Don't tell me to calm down! You insult my work and expect me to calm down? Maybe I should just take this and throw it into the ocean. Maybe the whales can determine Attack and Defense Power-"
"I'm sorry, okay?"
She took several moments to calm herself before finally nodding. "Alright then." Seeing as he wasn't going to argue with her anymore Bulma decided to continue on. "So I already scanned several of you while you were fighting and also asked my dad to send over some data so I could actually create a scale." She didn't mention that she'd convinced Kayos to let her ask the Scroll of Knowledge a few questions… no need to clue anyone in on any "shortcuts" she had taken. "So a standard human baby is our base level." She hit a few buttons before showing on the screen the image of a cute chubby baby that couldn't even sit up. "They are a 1 on the Bulma Scale."
"The… Bulma Scale?" Tien asked.
"Of course!" Bulma said with a chipper voice. "I created this so it gets named after me! Newtons, get out of the way! Here come Bulmas!"
Tien and Chiaotzu just stared at her.
"…so then," she continued on. "So you are have reached 697 on the Bulma Scale. Chiaotzu, you are around 539. Of course Raditz, from what I've looked over from his battle with Piccolo and Goku, is at 2943 on the Bulma Scale."
"He's that high!?" Chiaotzu wailed.
"Well, he could be higher or lower," Bulma admitted. "This works better scanning stuff live, rather than off film. But I think that's where he's roughly at."
"Meaning we are no where close to being at his level," Tien said bitterly.
"But that's why we're doing this, remember?" Chiaotzu said, coming over at patting his friend on the leg.
"Yeah, I know," Tien muttered. "I just thought we would have closed the gap quicker."