Warrior Instincts
Ch.3: Out of the desert and into the Fire; Wolves of the desert and the King of the mountain.
xXx
Onyx black eyes watched aimlessly as the scenery around them whipped by in a blur of green and blue. Goku sat in the back of Bulma's speedboat, and listened to its engine hum while thinking back over the last two days.
After their encounter with Roshi Goku had been gifted the nimbus cloud, while Bulma was handed the latest in their collection of the seven dragon balls. Once the elderly martial artist bid them goodbye Goku decided to test if his gift was worth keeping.
The puffy yellow cloud quickly became Goku's favorite mode of transportation.
Bulma's attempt to ride the cloud wasn't nearly as successful; she fell right through.
With that it was decided that while Goku rode the nimbus, Bulma would be forced to use her capsule vehicles. The fact that Goku needed to slow down for his blue-haired companion lead to them taking another full day to arrive at the next dragon ball destination: Aru Village.
Goku then remembered what it took to get the six-star ball; and what Bulma had attempted to make him do.
The town had been terrorized by a monster who called himself Oolong; a 'demon' who could shape-shift. He had abducted three girls from the village, and was returning that very day to steal away a fourth.
Goku shuddered as he recalled Bulma's plan to deal with Oolong. The blue-eyed beauty had attempted to dress him up like a girl, and then have him be taken to Oolong's hideout before tearing into him and rescuing the abducted girls.
'Thank the sun and stars for my nose,' the young alien thought as he turned to look at the real Oolong. Because while the small pig that sat beside him may not seem like much, Goku remembered the fight he'd been given after tracking the pipsqueak by his scent. Oolong's forms may only last five minutes each, but the rapid rate he could change at will surely kept Goku on his toes.
At least...for the first thirty seconds.
Once Goku learned that his opponent's powers were limited to simply changing his appearance, and did nothing for his physical prowess, the little pig quickly became an easy target for Goku's amazing speed and strength.
From there it was as easy as taking candy from a baby. The girls Oolong had kidnapped were returned to their families and Goku and Bulma were gifted with another dragon ball; leaving only two left to recover.
'Which reminds me,' he thought. Goku took his eyes off Oolong, and after getting Bulma's attention he asked where their next destination happened to be.
"If I'm right," the teenage genius answered, "we'll find the next dragon ball at a place called Fire Mountain."
At hearing their next stop, Oolong jumped in his seat before shrieking that such an idea was suicide. "Do you two not know about the legend of the Ox-King!? If we get anywhere within a hundred feet of his castle we'll be chopped to bits!"
The prospect of a new challenge got Goku's brow to raise in consideration, as he turned his eye back to the pig beside him. "I've lived in the mountains my whole life, so no, I have not heard of this Ox-King. What's so terrifying about him?"
"You mean other than the fact that he's almost eight-feet tall, and is over five-hundred pounds of pure muscle!? There's also his crazy strength; it's said the Ox-King can destroy whole mountains with the force of his punches. And don't even get me started on his battle-ax!"
Goku chuckled as he replied, "Alright, I wont. But I will be challenging this Ox-King you seem so afraid of. It sounds like it could be fun."
Hearing this Bulma spared a glance over her shoulder at the monkey-tailed youth. "You can only do that if he gets in our way Goku, I don't need you running off on me to find him, and then leaving me alone with the pig to find the dragon ball."
"Well then you shouldn't have brought him along Bulma," Goku scoffed. "But I suppose you have a point; I can wait until we find the ball, and then go and find the Ox-King."
Oolong, having not actually been introduced to his equally small companion, chuckled as he taunted Goku about his name. "What kind of name is that; Goku?"
"One that you won't need to remember fool, because as far as you're concerned my name is Kakarot. And if I hear you refer to me as anything else I'll be introducing your face to my fist...again."
The shape-shifting pig made a noise in his throat, but crossed his arms and looked away before mumbling under his breath. "A pet name for a pet monkey; pretty sure you're a bit too young for her kid."
"And she's too smart for a buffoon like you, so I don't see your point."
Up front while she drove, Bulma couldn't help giggling as she listened to her and Goku's new traveling companion squawk in fear at being heard. 'He just learned that Goku has crazy god hearing. I bet he'll be more careful with his words from now on.'
It was quite for a few more minute after that before the silence was broken by a loud, almost rumbling sound. Goku's stomach.
"Darn it, I haven't eaten since that night before meeting Roshi; Bulma, do we have anything to eat?"
Bulma hated herself for having to say it, but knowing Goku's stomach she told him anyway. "Sorry kid, but I think Oolong ate the last of it a half hour ago. Do you think you'll manage till we get to shore?"
"I kinda have to," the wild-haired boy tsk'ed. "But I guess if we have pork chops for lunch I'll be alright with waiting."
It was only Oolong's knowledge that Goku/Kakarot would catch him, that the shape-shifter didn't try to jump from the boat and run. Luckily for him, since its occurrence leveled out Goku's temper, their arrival to shore needed only five more minutes.
While Goku was busy tying the boat to a tree, Bulma went about selecting the capsule house from her case and letting it appear on the scene in a colorful cloud of smoke.
"I don't know what I would do without my capsules," the teenage beauty sighed wistfully. Bulma felt her shoulders relax, and her muscles lose a great amount of their tension as she was immersed in the cool A/C of her personal mobile home.
"From what I can guess, you'd probably throw a tantrum," Oolong nonchalantly threw back. "You seem like the spoiled, city-princess type. Funny how you managed to snag the attention of a cavekid like Goku—ow!"
"I told you, my name is Kakarot," Goku reiterated after punching the talking pig in the back of his head. "Now if you're done being a bother, why don't you make yourself useful, and make Bulma and I something to eat."
"Awful thoughtful for a kid who says there's nothing going on between you two," Oolong muttered with a sneer. However he did wind up doing as Goku told him, and headed to the kitchen while rubbing the lump left behind by the martial artist's fist.
It was as they were left alone, and Goku noticing the look Bulma was giving him, that the young alien decided to elaborate on his actions.
"You are, in my opinion, my first friend Bulma. Whether you consider me one or not is up to you, but just know that is how I see you. And as such, along with you being a girl as well as a genius, I respect you. It's these feelings that won't let anyone down-talk, or mistreat you in anyway. You've already done a lot for me just by introducing me to a world beyond my mountain home, and I just hope to repay your kindness."
Bulma looked down at Goku with eyes lit with astonishment. She had not expected the boy's reasoning to be so...sincere. Sure, he'd alluded to her being his friend during his meeting with Roshi, but to hear him say it to her face had Bulma feeling dizzy. No one had ever been so upfront, or heartfelt with her.
Yes, boys from her school or around West City threw catcalls or wolf-whistles her way on a daily basis, and she even got the occasional flash of lust during a good make-out session. But Bulma had never had a real friend before either; the girls were too green with envy, and the boys couldn't look her in the eye long enough to know their color. So instead Bulma gave them what they saw, and what they wanted, in return for attention and shallow affection.
But Goku...
"Goku...thank you. I-I think of you as my friend too."
It was all the normally talkative girl could mange to say. Knowing she would need a moment to herself, the blue-haired girl quickly shot her friend a demure smile before excusing herself and heading to her room.
Left behind at the front door Goku looked on at Bulma's bedroom door for a few seconds, before he decided she probably didn't want to talk, and then making his way into the kitchen where he smelled food. 'I'll ask her why she was crying later.'
Later wouldn't come though, because while Goku ate his lunch Bulma would fall asleep in her bed. It wouldn't be until the sun rose the following day that she awoke, and by then the pair knew that the hunt needed to come first.
"Alright gang, here's the deal. I've looked over the map and decided our best chance at a quick shot to Fire Mountain is by going through the Diablo Desert. Unless, of course, you have a problem with that Oolong?"
Bulma turned her scrutinizing gaze on the trembling pig as she finished her explanation. She was dressed for the day in a pair of soft cotton shorts and a white tank-top. Her hair was pulled up into a tight ponytail to keep her long hair from helping over heat her face, and sneakers covered her feet in case she needed to make a run from any danger.
On Bulma's suggestion Oolong was dressed in a pair of overalls and sneakers, with his green hat placed atop his head. The round little pig was indeed shaking though, as he listened to where they were going.
"Of course I've got a problem toots! Don't you know who lives in that desert; Yamcha, the Wolf-man. He's said to sneak up on you in the night, steal your valuables, and then slit your throat so fast you'll think ya dreamed being alive!"
At hearing Yamcha's moniker Goku let out a snort of amusement. "First a demonic Ox-King, and now a prowling wolf-man? Really pig, you've got to come up with better stories than that if you're gonna try and scare me."
"They ain't just stories k-Kakarot!" Oolong shouted as he got nose-to-nose with Goku. "And you'll learn the hard way soon enough if you don't listen to me!"
Goku caught how the frightened porker had almost called him a kid, and silently patted his own back for being able to instill such fear into someone else. However, that thrill paled in comparison to the opportunity to face this 'Yamcha'.
Knowing the chain of command however, Goku turned his eyes away from the snout in front of him. Turning to Bulma, he asked if it would be alright to challenge the desert bandit.
"Just like I said with the Ox-King; if he gets in our way, yes. Otherwise I need you to stay where I can see you, alright?"
"Fare enough," Goku nodded in agreement. The wild-haired alien from the mountains was garbed in a thin, pure-white gi. It was the one he normally wore during spars with Gohan, and was made specifically to be light-weight and easy to move in. On his feet were his ever-present black slip on shoes, while his power-pole was secured to his back.
"Then it's settled," Bulma beamed. And with a toss of her hand, her dirt bike sat waiting for her. Once Goku climbed aboard his nimbus cloud, and Oolong was securely tied to the bike seat, the trio were off.
xXx
For the hundredth time since they entered the Diablo desert, Bulma found herself mentally thanking her father for starting Capsule Corp. Her dirt bike had helped her cover over a third of the vast and sandy landscape in under two hours, something that would be impossible on foot.
And while the air was on the dry side, Bulma found she only needed to stop every half hour to take a break.
A break that seemed to be upon the group again, as the buzz of Bulma's engine slowly quieted and then stopped. Up above on his cloud, Goku peered down at the duo on the motorized machine and couldn't help rolling his eyes. They were stopping again?
Yet it seemed unable to be helped, and within minutes Goku was standing underneath a shaded rock formation. He watched as Bulma drank from the canteen she'd filled back at the river, and was about ready to say something about her constant need to stop, when the alien boy's super hearing picked up a sound.
It was one he'd become accustomed too since meeting the blue-haired girl in front of him. It was the sound of a gas-powered, motor vehicle.
The noise was coming from far out, that much Goku was sure of, but what caught his attention was the direction it was moving. It seemed to be heading straight for them. Thinking back to what Oolong had said earlier Goku quickly deduced that it must be Yamcha.
'He must have a watch tower; one that's tall enough to where he can scope out large areas of the desert at once.' Goku thought before turning his attention back to the other two dragon ball hunters.
"I think it'd be a good idea for you to hide Bulma. I'm picking up a strange sound, like one of your motor bikes, and it could be this Yamcha guy Oolong was talking about."
When she heard this Bulma's eyes bugged from their sockets, and she let out a shriek as she asked if Goku was sure. "I-I mean, maybe you're wrong, a-and it's just someone else passing through the dessert?"
"Even if it is, I'd rather you be hidden until we're sure. If this Yamcha is as deadly as the pig says I don't want him knowing about you; he might try and take you hostage."
Goku's reasoning was sound and, while she didn't like the thought of leaving her new friend to fend for himself, Bulma also knew that she would just get in the way if she stayed. So instead the blue-haired beauty scurried her way behind the formation they'd been shading under, and waited with baited breath to be given the all clear.
Back with Goku Oolong attempted to make his own escape, only to be caught by the back of his shirt by the boy in question.
"W-What are ya doin', let me go! Y-You said it yourself Kakarot; Yamcha's coming this way!"
"Which is why I need you to stick around Oolong," Goku rebutted calmly. "You'll stand here beside me, and if Yamcha does show up I want you to use your shape-shifting ability to give him a scare. That'll help lower his guard, and that's when I'll go in for the attack."
By the time Goku finished voicing his plan Oolong had managed to actually calm down enough to realize, it was a good idea. Although the pig did question why the martial artist was using such an underhanded tactic. "It just doesn't seem like your style kid."
"That's because it's not," the monkey-tailed alien snorted. "But with Bulma possibly in danger I'd rather not take the chance. I wanna take this guy out fast, and without too much energy needing to be spent. After all, if I tire out here, I won't be able to face the Ox-King once we reach the mountain."
'And there it was,' Oolong thought to himself as he eyed the kid beside him. 'Beneath Kakarot's noble gesture is the nugget of selfishness.'
The talking pig didn't get to mutter for long though, because as his thoughts reached their end a cloud of dust emerged on the horizon. Too small to be a dust storm, Oolong squinted to get a better look and saw that it was being caused by a hover bike.
A wolf-shaped hover bike.
It was Yamcha.
Knowing what was coming Oolong's body started to tremble in fear. He was no fighter, and worried that, if the rumors he'd heard were true, Kakarot would stand no chance either. The only thing stopping the swine from hightailing it out of there was the grip Kakarot had on his shoulder.
"Stay calm and trust me. My plan will work, but only if you relax."
Yet despite his words Goku could still clearly see that Oolong wanted nothing more than to crawl under a rock.
'At this rate, I'd be better off switching him for Bulma.' Goku thought sardonically to himself. However the humor of his thoughts was shut away, when the capsule vehicle veered around the pair in a doughnut, and its driver leaped off. They pulled a double somersault in mid-air before landing in a kneeling pose, their back to both Goku and Oolong.
It didn't remain so for long though, and within moments of their dismount the figure rose and then turned to greet the smaller pair. The person revealed themselves to be a man.
The newcomer stood a good two and-a-half heads taller than Goku, with broad shoulders and build that spoke volumes about the amount of hours the person put into working his muscles; however their development seemed to have been hindered by a lack of knowledge, leaving them looking oddly out of place. He had wild, jet-black hair that fell to between his shoulders with bangs, and narrowed eyes that stared inquisitively at Goku and Oolong. The older teen, because Goku easily noticed the boyish look that still made up the older males face, was dressed in baggy orange fighter pants and a green sleeveless gi top. There was an orange scarf tied around his neck, and a white sash around his waste. Positioned behind his back Goku easily made out a sword.
And then Goku noticed the flying cat that hovered over the man's shoulder.
'Odd,' the monkey-tailed martial artist thought. But his voice was soon needed when that very cat let out a screech.
"I knew it," the cat called out in a high-pitched and feminine voice. "I knew it was you I saw Oolong!"
Goku turned a quick side glance towards the pig in question and asked, "You know her?"
"O-Only in passing." The stuttering porker lied.
"I wouldn't call bullying me throughout all of shape-shifting school 'in passing' you swine!" Then, the cat turned to the young man beside her and wailed, "Yamcha you've gotta make him pay! H-He used to stick my head in the toilet and everything!"
Goku's ears twitched at this piece of news.
"So you are the Desert Bandit then?"
"Depends on who wants to know," Yamcha rebutted with a raised brow. The kid in front of him had hiked his curiosity back at the lair. When Puar had handed him the telescope, Yamcha had immediately noticed the power-pole slung over the younger boy's shoulder. And there was only one man in the world who owned that.
"My name is Kakarot, and I challenge you here and now to a one-on-one."
Goku knew, the second he heard that cat speak of 'shape-shifting school', that his plan had been thrown out the window. Now his best bet was the element of surprise that came with being underestimated due to his age.
"A challenge? Well, that's a new one," Yamcha scoffed as he folded his arms. "Usually those who meet me cower in fear, begging for their lives, or gurgle in their sleep after I've cut their throats for being difficult."
"Well I'd wager those people didn't feel too keen on handing over their belongings to a thief," Goku countered. "But at any rate, I don't actually have all day. And since I know you won't let us through without taking our stuff, this fight will decide whether or not we hand it over."
Yamcha's brow furrowed in annoyance; this kid's mouth was starting to annoy him. But never the less, Yamcha soon found himself shifting into his opening stance and giving Kakarot a smug grin.
"If that's the way you want it kid. Just know I'll be taking Gohan's power-pole when I beat you. A weapon that famous doesn't belong in the hands of a child."
Goku had settled into his own stance, and eyed his opponent with expectation. The younger boy's muscles tensed for action, but in his minds eye Goku felt no worry. Only hunger.
The hunger for battle.
Hovering a little ways off from her master, Puar eyed the young boy who called himself Kakarot. When she'd first spotted the pair in front of her Puar had been sure there was a woman with them, and had made sure to direct her master's eye so he didn't see her. But now, with Yamcha about to engage in battle and the girl nowhere in sight, Puar could only hope she didn't suddenly reappear. Or else Yamcha wouldn't stand a chance.
An impatient person Yamcha quickly grew restless. With a speed that outclassed many, he drew his sword, and rushed at his opponent.
Unfortunately for the thief, Goku wasn't like his other conquests. The wild-haired boy easily tracked the Wolf of the Diablo desert's movements, and deftly blocked an overhead strike with his staff. The power-pole's legendary wood made it more than capable of taking the full weight of Yamcha's sword strike, and allowed Goku to push the blade away and leave behind an opening.
"Power-pole extend!"
All eyes watched as Goku's weapon glowed like a poker, and then swiftly grew in length. The wooden staff pushed forward and buried itself in Yamcha's stomach, sending the older boy flying backwards.
With his opponent sailing away, Goku threw his weapon forward into the sand, and then used it as a springboard to launch himself into the air. From there he came down on Yamcha like a hawk, spearing him in the chest with a powerful elbow.
Yamcha felt all breath leave his body as he slammed to the ground; the vicious pain in his chest assured him that a number of his ribs had been cracked as well. Yet despite this, the bandit managed to shuffle to his feet, and face his adversary again. Bringing his sword up, parallel with his face, Yamcha pushed off his right foot and launched another attack.
Being closer than before, Yamcha's longer reach came in handy this time. However when his jab managed to nick Kakarot along the cheek, the desert bandit allowed himself to become overconfident and miss the way his opponent's eyes hardened at being touched.
"Ha! It seems I've drawn first blood; it's only a mater of time before you're beaten kid. I knew last time was just a lucky shot!"
Feeling the sting of his newly acquired scratch caused Goku's fierce smirk to turn a bit more feral. It was a small wound, but then the boy had never known true competition before. With only Gohan to spar against, he had never known what it was like to truly taste battle, or the possibility of stolen victory.
That last thought caused Goku's eyes to narrow into hard slabs of onyx, and with lightning-fast reaction he threw a right-hook that caught Yamcha in the face. It was then Goku's turn to be surprised though, when his opponent used the momentum of the hit to his advantage and worked it into a roundhouse-kick.
Unfortunately for the thief though, Goku's reflexes had been fine-tuned under Gohan's eye. The monkey-tailed youth easily brought his power-pole up with both hands and blocked the strike. From there he centered himself, and taking careful aim, activated the mythical weapon a second time.
Instead of the stomach, which was where Yamcha had threw up a hasty defense, Goku's staff struck true against the desert bandit's chin.
The speed at which the weapon hit was enough to knock Yamcha from his feet and send him sprawling onto his back. The young man tasted blood in his mouth from where he'd bitten his tongue, and that throbbing pain quickly had his pulse racing in anger.
This was his desert! And no stupid kid was gonna make a fool out of him on his own turf!
Swiftly rolling back onto his hands Yamcha coiled up, and then launched himself feet first at his smaller opponent. When the attack was ducked under, and they now stood back-to-back, Yamcha tried for a donkey-kick.
'Nice try,' Goku thought as he turned sharply to catch the offending boot. Then, just like with Roshi a few days before, the wild-haired alien jerked hard to unbalance his opponent. This is when Goku discovered that, while Yamcha obviously had skill in combat, the bandit was by no means a martial artist.
Because instead of being able to right himself, the shaggy-haired teen promptly fell to his back.
From his place in the sand Yamcha felt his pride as a fighter shake. He was going all out against this kid, but this Kakarot seemed to be at least two steps ahead of him at every turn. Meaning his only true hit had been a fluke...a lie.
Anger swelled in Yamcha's chest. This couldn't be how it ended, right? Bested by some kid!? No, if word got out he'd be a laughing stock. No one would ever fear the Desert Bandit again. And Yamcha couldn't have that!
With a vicious snarl Yamcha thrust his other leg out in a wild attempt to catch his opponent off-guard.
It proved futile. Goku simply caught it with his other hand after dropping his staff. From his place above Yamcha, it made no difference that the alien boy was a number of years younger than the bandit. With the sun casting shadows across the young martial artist's face, he looked every bit the conquering warrior.
"I came here hoping to find a challenge; instead all I got was an over-inflated boogie man. You may be enough to overcome the average traveler, I'll admit, but you are in no way a true martial artist. And while I may have been caught by that sword of yours, don't think for a second that, if I'd really been serious, that you would stand a chance against me. They call you a wolf...but all I see is a weak puppy."
With his piece said Goku relinquished his hold on Yamcha, who had been struggling throughout the entire speech, and turned his back to the older boy.
"Oolong, let's go. Bulma that includes you too; this guy's no threat to us, so it's all right for you to come out."
Bulma. The name pierced through the fog of anger that clouded Yamcha's mind, and caused his heart to stop. Bulma was a girls name. Surely there wasn't a...a girl this far out in the desert!? His paralyzing fear of the fairer sex had been Yamcha's main motivation for venturing into the sweltering heat; to escape being made a fool of at school, and later hopefully amass enough money that no one would ever dare laugh at him again.
But if a girl had shown up here, in his domain, Yamcha knew there would be nothing left of his reputation once Kakarot got a look at what happened after this 'Bulma' revealed herself.
It was as the blue-haired beauty stepped out, that both Yamcha and Puar knew he was doomed.
Yamcha's pupils shrunk, and his breath caught in his throat at the vision of perfection that wandered onto the scene. He took in every inch of her creamy, exposed skin, traced over every curve outlined by her fitted clothing, and felt his throat close up at the stunning shine of her eyes. Yamcha had been a ruffian back home, with what many city-goers would call 'unrefined' taste. But one thing was perfectly clear to the young man at that moment: Bulma was beauty personified.
Yet while the floundering thief ironically had his heart stolen, the woman who'd taken it had a far different opinion of him.
As she'd stepped out from behind the rock formation she'd been hiding behind Bulma's eyes immediately sought out her friend. She had to make sure he was really okay, and hadn't been forced to call her. Once it was confirmed Goku was alright, the young genius let her gaze drift across the rest of the scene until she caught sight of a boy around her age laying in the sand. A boy, she summarized, who must be Yamcha.
Looking at him Bulma's brain came up with two words to describe him: dirty and unimpressive.
She could see that his long, wild hair only held such a look because of how unkempt it was. And she could see there was no luster to his mane, meaning any who ran their hand through it would likely come away with numerous broken strands. His body was built, sure, but not in a sculpted fashion. It was more like lumps of muscle hidden beneath his skin. And over those lumps were clothes that looked to be riddled with uneven stitches and stains.
Then, there was his face. While Bulma was sure that Yamcha had been cute at some point, that had been a long time ago. Now, the teen's face was sprinkled with small pimples that were hidden beneath a layer of dirt and grime. There was a certain amount of puppy fat around his cheeks and chin too, which gave him a heavy sort of look, and his teeth were unclean.
Over all, Bulma found her nose wrinkling in disgust as she turned to Oolong and asked, "So this is the deadly bandit you were so afraid of? He looks more like a high school kid who hasn't gone through puberty yet."
"He fights like one too," Goku added. "But it's over now, so let's just go. I wanna get to Fire Mountain before I'm as old as Gohan. Nimbus!"
All eyes watched as Goku's newest companion came zooming, seemingly, out of nowhere. The fluffy yellow cloud moved fast, but stopped perfectly in front of its new owner. Hopping onto the speedy puff, Goku turned his eyes towards Bulma and Oolong to tell them it to hurry up.
Or at least, that was his plan before he heard Bulma shout at him to 'watch out'.
Yamcha's vision was blood red, and his tunnel vision had only one thing in focus. Kakarot; or rather Goku, as he'd heard Bulma call him. How dare that kid dismiss him that way, and in front of a beautiful girl no less! Such a thing was unforgivable. Kakarot didn't think he was a challenge? Then Yamcha would show him his Wolf Fang Fist, and change the brat's tune.
...And maybe impress Bulma too, his subconscious mind whispered.
"Wolf Fang Fist!"
Goku watched the first, claw-like hand reach out to strike him. But instead of dodging, the young martial artist showcased his superior speed by catching Yamcha's wrist.
The shock was enough to halt the older boy to the point his next attack stopped halfway through. Yamcha's right hand, still poised in a claw, halted steadily beside his cheek. From his angle Goku could easily see the look of disbelief that had plastered its way onto Yamcha's face.
"H-How did you—no one's ever managed to stop my attack before..."
"It's like I said; that's only because you've never faced a true martial artist before." Goku's mouth morphed into a fierce scowl, one seemingly impossible for a child, and leaned forward to whisper in Yamcha's ear.
"And if you ever try something like that against me again, I'll break more than just your wrist."
Before Yamcha could correct his foe about the broken bones, he was cut off by his own howl of pain. Goku had just snapped the bones in his wrist.
As the defeated bandit dropped to his knees Goku once again turned his back and told Bulma and Oolong it was time to go. "And this time I mean it; no more distractions, no more breaks."
While Bulma grumbled at her friend's shot at her, she did as he said and released her dirt bike for travel. Once Oolong was tied up, and in turn her body safe, the blue-haired genius mounted her bike and revved the engine.
Soon enough, the trio were gone and out of sight. But what they didn't see was the look Yamcha sent their way as they left him behind.
'Fire Mountain huh?'
xXx
The threesome made quick work of the remainder of Diablo Desert, and just as the sun began its descent from the sky they exited the sea of sand. What came after didn't look much better however.
The Ox King's village looked to be in shambles. The people they saw looked despondent and hopeless, like their lives had no meaning. Their homes were engulfed in the orange light of their King's blazing castle, which showcased each crack and patch job. There was no sign of anything green either; no trees, not even a shrub. It seemed as if the fire had simply sucked the village dry of life.
"It must be because there's no money coming into the village," Bulma theorized. "I mean, what with the horrible stories surrounding the Ox King, as well as the lack of transportable goods, it's no wonder these people look so miserable."
"What do you mean Bulma?" Goku questioned. "Transportable goods? And what do the stories have to do with anything?"
"By goods I mean things like fruits or vegetables, or even something like jewelry or fabric for clothes. These types of things are sent out or brought in to sell and make money; but because of the heat produced by the fire their income is being drastically cut because they aren't able to grow crops or raise livestock like cows or chickens. In the case of the stories Goku, you have to understand that not everyone is enthralled by the idea of facing a giant with an axe. Most people, in fact, are terrified of such things. And because of their fear they don't bother to come to this village; which means the villagers aren't able to sell their goods at home either. Again hurting them financially; do you get it?"
"I...think so. The fire keeps them from having things to sell outside, and the rumors scare away anyone who could buy from the inside. Is that right?" Goku had indeed made an attempt to follow Bulma's explanation, but had to pick away the bigger words he didn't know to come up with one he could grasp.
"You got the main points, so good job kid." Bulma gave her monkey-tailed friend a small smile of pride as she complimented him. Goku may have been raised in the mountains, but it was quickly becoming apparent to Bulma that he was actually smarter than an average kid.
'I wonder if it has anything to do with wherever he came from,' She thought as they began to make their way to the castle.
With the bike and nimbus cloud the trio made the pass through the village quickly and soon found themselves standing a few yards away from the blazing inferno that was Fire Mountain.
Bulma sucked her teeth as she looked at the blip on her dragon radar. "Tch, well, the good news is we know exactly where the ball is. The bad news is...how don we get it out?"
"Maybe monkey boy can take his cloud and get in there—ouch!" Oolong yelped when, in the midst of offering a suggestion, Goku walloped him in the shoulder. "What the hell was that for!?"
The look Goku gave the angry pig quickly cooled the shape-shifter's ire. It was a hard look, one that seemed like it could cut stone, and it was aimed directly at Oolong. "I let it slide earlier with Bulma, but don't call me monkey boy."
"Alright, geeze," Oolong muttered. "But that still doesn't answer my question. Why don't you just fly in and get it?"
"Or how about I throw you in, and you can get Oolong? I mean, even if that doesn't work, at least after you've been roasted Bulma and I'll have something for dinner later."
Oolong's eyes narrowed in fury but he dared not make a remark. He'd learned quick that Goku only afforded him so much slack, and once that was used up Oolong usually found himself in tremendous pain. Thankfully, in a way, he was saved by a new voice.
"And just what is it you three are looking to steal from my castle?"
Bulma screeched in fear while Goku whirled around to face who had spoken. When his eyes landed on the obvious culprit, the young boy felt excitement shoot through his veins. Because there, standing before him,was the mythical Ox King.
As Oolong had said, the man stood as a giant. He easily dwarfed the three of them put together, and his body, hidden beneath a mix of cloth and armor, looked to be made of solid muscle. Atop hit head sat a helmet, which had two horns curving out from the sides, while a cape billowed lightly behind him. Then Goku's eyes scanned a little further down, and he found the rumored battle axe gripped tightly in the Ox King's massive hand.
The very fact such a large and undoubtedly heavy weapon was being held with such ease ensured Goku that, at least physically, the Ox King was formidable.
Not dropping his stance, Goku answered the man's question. "We've come to collect the dragon ball you have hidden away inside your castle."
"So then you all know of the legend too? I'm not surprised, many thieves have come seeking that little ball. And just like them you three can either leave peacefully now or I can give each of you a one way ticket to the afterlife."
Goku could see Bulma trembling in fear from the corner of his eye, but didn't lower his guard or turn to comfort her. To do so without knowing anything about his adversary's abilities was foolish.
"What if I accept that challenge," He shot back. "What if, you and I have a match, and if I win we get to have the dragon ball? I'm sure it's been a long time since you've had a good workout Ox King."
Hearing Goku's offer the Ox King scoffed. "While you may be right, I don't think a child like you could ever give someone like me a true challenge."
"Not even if a child like me was trained by Gohan?"
Hearing this caused the Ox King to do a double take; his eyes widening to the size of oranges. As he gawked at the young boy in front of him though, the Ox King finally noticed the staff that was slung over his back.
"You...have Gohan's power pole." He fumbled out. "G-Gohan never went anywhere without his power pole."
Goku nodded, but just as he was starting to think the Ox King was ready to believe him, noticed the larger man's face contort into an angry snarl. Then, his ears were filled with the sound of a growl before the Ox King spoke again.
Only, Goku couldn't believe what was said next.
"You must have stolen it."
Goku gave the monarch a look of pure disbelief mixed with anger of his own. Theft? Only someone with no sense of honor would stoop so low, how dare the Ox King accuse him of such a thing. It was made even worse that he'd been accused of stealing from Gohan of all people!
However, before the monkey-tailed fighter could argue his case he was forced to jump back. The giant fist that came at him missed, but the roundhouse-kick that came just a moment later was a much closer call. Still crouched from ducking Goku jerked his staff from its place on his back, and called out for it to extend. There was a satisfying 'thwack' as the end smacked clean against the Ox King's helmeted head.
The burly king stumbled back as his vision blacked out for a flash of a second. Knowing the risk, but hoping the pay off would be worth it, Goku took advantage of this small window and pressed his attack.
Taking a couple steps forward, Goku drove the power-pole into the earth before using it to haul himself up into the air. From his new perch the wild-haired boy lashed out with a vicious kick; this time aiming for his opponent's large throat.
Unfortunately, the Ox King proved himself a durable man as he quickly recovered from Goku's first attack, and easily used his beefy forearm to block the vaulted kick. Then, with his opponent now within reach, the older man reached out his other hand and caught Goku's ankle.
In the moments right before his thoughts were filled with the feeling of pain, Goku mentally cursed. Then, a horrible pain exploded from his knee as it was slammed by the large hand not holding his ankle. Gnashing his teeth to keep from crying out, Goku barely registered hitting the dirt as he was let go.
Standing over the writhing youngster, Ox King didn't even try to hide his smirk as he spoke down to his fallen opponent.
"Wow, you were right kid, that was a heck of a challenge." The condescension was thick in his voice, and those listening could clearly hear the bit of mocking laughter that had mingled with those words.
It got Bulma's hackles to rise.
While Oolong looked on in cowardly terror at the scene, Bulma could only see red. Like Goku, she too had been angered by the Ox King's false accusation of how the boy had acquired his staff. But that anger had simmered, replaced by a smug sort of joy, when she watched Goku not only dodge the larger man's attacks but also land the first blow. It looked like another win for the kid.
Only for that joy to shatter, much like Goku's knee must have, as her friend was dropped on the ground like a sack of potatoes. And then anger was brought back to a boil at the man's words. Who did this guy think he was? How dare he mock Goku!
With her anger now in the driver's seat, Bulma huffed before she began to march over to the gloating monarch. Oolong's babbling was lost on her as she heard only the sound of Goku seething in pain.
It was when her blazing eyes caught sight of Ox King leaning down to take the power-pole that Bulma finally spoke. "Don't even think about it!"
Ox King heard the shout, and when he looked around to find where it came from, was surprised as well as annoyed to see that it was just the girl that had tagged along with the thief he'd just dropped. Waving his large hand in a dismissive gesture he told her, "Be gone you filthy girl. Your thieving friend has lost, and as the victor I am well within my rights to take what I wish for reward. I will be taking the power-pole he stole, and returning it to its rightful owner."
"Well then I suppose you leave it where it is, you big oaf, because Goku is its rightful owner. Gohan gave him the staff before he died!"
That last word sparked a new emotion within the chest of the burly king, one that replaced the rising fury at being spoken down to by a silly commoner. That new emotion happening to be fear.
Fear that his oldest friend was really gone.
With his eyes wide in disbelief, Ox King managed to swallow the lump in his throat long enough to croak out, "W-What?"
"That's right buddy," Bulma hissed. "Gohan raised Goku like he was his own flesh and blood, even trained him in martial arts, before giving him the power-pole-"
"NO!" Ox King cut her off. "Stupid girl, I meant there's no way you're telling the truth about Gohan being dead!"
Before the raging beauty could shoot back a reply however, a new voice entered the argument. It was heavy with pain, and came out as a choking gurgle, but Goku's voice was still heard in the momentary silence. "It is. S-She's telling the truth; Gohan is dead."
If Goku managing to talk wasn't amazing enough though, both Bulma and the Ox King were floored when they watched him stagger to his feet. He favored his injured right knee, but the monkey-tailed boy was standing.
"It happened a few weeks ago; during the last full moon. Gohan liked to go on walks, especially at night when it was cool, only this time...he didn't come back. When I went out to look for him the next morning, I found that he'd been bitten by a Mamushi. The bite had melted away the skin around his ankle before spreading."
All in earshot listened, and many felt their hearts go out to the young boy. Bulma though had to hide the look in her eyes as she listened to her new friend's story.
He'd told her Gohan was mauled to death. Now he was saying it had been from a snake bite?
It was quickly becoming clear to the blue-haired beauty that there was something about Gohan's death that Goku knew, but wasn't telling anyone.
However, while she was pondering the mystery that was Goku, a few yards away behind a tree Yamcha could only feel the cold sweat that slid down his neck. When he'd arrived right behind the trio the bandit had been giddy with mean-spirited excitement once he'd heard Kakarot challenge the Ox King. And only felt it increase at seeing the devastating blow the burly monarch landed on the kid's knee.
...Only to gape in fright moments later at seeing him stand on that same leg as if he'd only stumbled.
'W-What the hell IS this kid!? I'd never be able to throw another kick again, much less stand after a blow like that!'
Yamcha still felt the way his tongue throbbed from how he'd bitten down on it during his fight with the younger boy, and the heat in his mouth was only marginally cooled by the sweat that broke out upon hearing loud and clear that Kakarot had indeed been trained by the legendary Gohan.
Before Yamcha's thoughts could fall any further into despair though, they were interrupted by the continuation of Goku's conversation with the Ox King.
"I-I'm sorry to hear that," the large monarch lamented. "Gohan and I were students together under our Master, Roshi, and had been close friends before I took the throne from my father. With everything here that needed my attention though, he and I lost contact. I-It pains me to know he has passed on...but I believe some of that would be relieved if I could aid his young ward in his quest."
"Does that mean you'll give us the dragon ball in your castle?" Bulma butted in hopefully.
The Ox King nodded resolutely, but their was still a hard expression on his face. One that Goku quickly picked up on.
"You look like there's a 'but' coming at the end of that agreement. What's the problem?"
By now Oolong had plucked up the courage to make his way over, and as he stepped up beside Bulma the shape-shifting pig voiced another part of the 'Legend of Fire Mountain'. "It's because he can't get passed the flames either; they're too hot, even for the Ox King."
Hearing this made Goku facepalm.
"Would someone please explain why anyone would willingly set their own home on fire? Because from everything I've heard so far, it's one of the stupidest ideas a person could have."
"For my daughter."
The Ox King's answer was short and simple...but Goku still didn't understand.
"What," he asked with a scoff, "did she ask you to do it?"
Ox King's response was a negative shake of his head. "No, nothing like that. It's just that...I lost my wife when Chi-Chi was still a baby. Her death devastated me. Because of that, I've always been over-protective of Chi-Chi, which lead me to ask a wizard to surround the castle with a ring of fire. I-It was just supposed to help keep away anyone who would try and kidnap my daughter, b-but too late I found that the wizard I'd hired hadn't been practicing for very long. His magic was unstable, and that led to the fire spreading out of control."
"But if it was a wizard who put up the flames, why don't you just hire one to take them down?" Bulma questioned with honest curiosity. It did seem like a simple solution after all.
"Oh, believe me, I tried. But wizards are not very common in this day; not since the reign of the Demon King when he wiped them out. Now, there are only a small handful left, but they have gone into a self-imposed exile for their failure so many years ago. With that, there is only one other thing I can think of that would put out these flames."
"And that would be..." Goku lead, hoping to begin the search for such an item soon.
"The Bansho Fan."
"Bansho Fan? I've never heard of that." Bulma thought out loud. She had researched various magical artifacts since her discovery of the dragon balls, but she had never heard of the Bansho Fan.
"It's a large, powerful instrument made from a palm-leaf," Ox King explained. "It has the power to not only control the weather, but also extinguish any sort of flame no matter how strong."
Hearing this had Goku giving the larger warrior a confused look. "If you know this fan will solve your problem, why haven't you gotten your hands on it?"
At this those watching the Ox King saw the man duck his head in embarrassment, before muttering out his answer like a scolded child. "Because it is held by my former martial arts master...and I've forgotten where he lives."
Both Goku and Bulma's eyes widened with their disbelief at such a statement.
How could he have simply forgotten where he'd trained for, what they both assumed to be, years!
But then part of what the shamed monarch said struck. His former sensei had possession of the Bansho Fan. Master Roshi had been that teacher. And they had just seen Roshi a number of days ago.
Goku and his female friend seemed to be of one mind, because each one found their eyes turning to the other. Blue met onyx, and the two shared a victorious smirk.
From there they went on to explain the luck Ox King seemed to have stumbled upon, and with a promise from Bulma to help the man find his missing daughter, Goku called forth his flying nimbus before racing off to collect the elderly martial artist.
What neither of them knew though was that, aside from Yamcha, there was one other person watching them.
xXx
Hard, calculating onyx eyes stared at the multitude of screens in front of them. The super-computer that aired the images of the watcher's spy fly's showed places as far as the continent spanned. All of Asia was under the watcher's devious gaze.
And at this moment in particular, that gaze was locked on the image of a young boy riding a yellow cloud.
'I've waited this long,' they thought. 'And at this rate, it won't be much longer before those fools have the rest of the dragon balls in one place. Then that'll only leave...'
The villain's eyes strayed from the screen, and landed on the object of his thoughts. On a pillowed display case, a few feet away, sat the one-star dragon ball. With a malicious grin finding its way onto the silent watcher's face, they reached out a singer, blue finger and pressed a red intercom button.
Static crackled for a second, letting whoever was on the other end know that the line was open, before the villain spoke. The excitement could hardly be kept from their voice as they instructed: "Shu, Mai be ready to entertain some guests. My victory is close at hand, and I want everything to be ready."
xXx
A/N: Okay! This has been a long time coming, but chapter three is now up. I got a new job, and moved, so it's been rough finding time to update any of my stories. I chose to do this one first though because it, honestly, just felt the easiest. With it still being in the beginning I don't have too much complicated story-telling to work through.
Hopefully you all still enjoy it though.
Anyway, I've hinted at a couple of things in this chapter, and also gave another insight into Goku's ability. He can take a hit. I got this from my thought of, the only one to really break any of Goku's bones had been Piccolo when they battled at the World Tournament. And then Raditz later on. My point being, it took super-human levels of strength to damage Goku's bones; a level that I don't believe the Ox King possesses.
Speaking of the Ox King; I didn't make him faster than Goku, he just rebounded fast from the attacks because he's so durable.
Um...oh! Okay, so the whole thing about Yamcha. I'm not trying to bash him, I just feel like if someone were living out in the desert alone they wouldn't cut the most attractive figure. And while I don't doubt you can find water sources in the desert, I personally don't think Yamcha had the intelligence to work that out.
Also, I kind of took a shot at how the original Dragon Ball characters were drawn when I described Yamcha. I always thought they looked...lumpy. The fighters didn't start to look particularly 'cut' until I think the middle-end of the Frieza Saga.
Anyway, I'm not too sure what else I should talk about here, so I leave it up to you guys to PM me or leave reviews with anything you think I missed. Or anything you just feel like asking me. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the next one.
