And on we go! Thanks everyone who stopped by to drop a review, it was a big help for my Muse and I. Let's keep it up, and we'll see this story finished in no time =)
As per usual most of you lovely people will be receiving a personal reply and appreciation for their respective comments presently, and a warm thank you to the guest reviewers anonymous and Chilami Lynn at this point for their wonderful feedback as well! Glad to hear Piccolo's sarcasm and Goku's sly little comment served the purpose of laughter and amusement, and I am indeed particularly fond of the idea of the latter having matured some good bit, which I think will be shining through in this chapter as well.
Other things this chapter brings with it is romance, lemony goodness and further progress in the plot, all of which everybody will hopefully be able to enjoy. The next chapter will likely bring the same, just with a different pair in the main focus of it x3 I'm also very happy you guys liked Tarble, Ria and their mother; I was quite anxious about how the idea of introducing them and getting them involved into the whole scenario would be received.
And now, off goes:
Chapter 13
A Moment in Time
"Aaaaaargh! This is SO frustrating!" Giving the book in front of her a rough shove, Videl watched it topple off the bed and land on the floor with a soft smack. She was sitting cross-legged on the mattress, now with her arms folded in front of her chest and her lips pursed in a cutely irked pout.
"Don't take it out on the book, though." Laughing softly, Gohan stood up off the chair at the desk and walked over to pick the poor, mistreated object in question off the floor. "That's someone's intellectual property you ought to value, you know?" He dusted it off carefully while she wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him.
"You sound like one of our professors. I'm sure it's easier to value that damn intellectual property when it doesn't make your head hurt as you read through it." She sighed and accepted the book back from him as he handed it to her, placing it in her lap while he eased down into a seat next to her atop the bed.
"Well, let's see if we can't make it easier on your poor head then. What's giving you trouble?" He scooted a little bit closer and Videl's heart picked up its pace. She tried to keep herself steady, opening the book and placing it between them - half of it on her curled knee and half of it on his thigh, causing them to move even closer together.
"This right here..." Her slender finger pointed to a paragraph in the book, her voice slightly more hushed than she'd indented it to be and somehow it suddenly made Gohan acutely aware of their close proximity as well.
He cleared his throat and focused his gaze on the section of the writing as opposed to her mildly fluctuating chest so near, which he couldn't help having stolen a glance at. The final exam of the semester was due tomorrow, followed by the eagerly awaited summer vacation and today the two of them had met up at Videl's place to study. Her father was out to some promotional event and she had decided that inviting Gohan over certainly beat staying in and cramming all by herself. Indeed, barely half-an-hour later she was already reaping the fruit of that idea; he'd explained the part that had given her such trouble in such a swift and understandable manner that it left her wondering whether she was this incredibly stupid or he was this incredibly smart. Probably the latter since Videl was doing quite well in school, though of course still not as well as the straight A student next to her.
"Sheesh, why is this so easy for you?" She whined playfully, clapping the book close with a snap. "You should become a professor yourself, you know that? You're really good at explaining stuff to people." Placing the tome to her side she looked at him to find a placid smile on his handsome face.
"Well, my mother would sure love that career choice." He knew his mom placed high hopes in him still, even though she didn't push him nearly as hard anymore. Nevertheless he was thankful for her strictness back then, over the years he had actually developed quite a passion for books, studies and literature. Being a scholar and passing knowledge on to others now definitely sounded like something he'd enjoy.
"What about yourself, though? Would you love it, too?" Videl questioned, receiving a nod in reply.
"I believe I would, yes. She used to push me very hard when I was little, but by now I think her efforts are paying off rather well. I enjoy school. Working at one sounds like a good goal to pursue."
Videl made a thoughtful sound. "I see... I for my part have no idea what I want to do after finishing college though. My dad keeps trying to get me involved with the entertainment business, but that is really not my cup of tea. I hate cameras and nosy reporters and all that fame frenzy." There had been countless offers for her to do interviews or model or star in commercials and even movies, all of which she had been adamantly refusing up till now. She had no desire to stand among the flashlights or be on the big screen.
"Well, I guess a celebrity's life is not all that easy." He commented, causing her to laugh out in accreditation.
"For me, it wouldn't be. But my dad loves it." Growing more thoughtful again, she sounded a bit guilty by her next sentence. "Although it does seem a little bit unfair... For all means and purposes, all this prominence and worship should belong to your dad, your friends and you." They were the true heroes, weren't they? And yet the world barely even knew of their existence.
Gohan chuckled serenely, shaking his head. "Nah, I think all of them would gladly pass on that. Me as well. We prefer the things the way they are. I don't think any of us could handle any sort of superstar status." He could see Vegeta in particular blowing up cameras and journalists left and right, and the image was sorta funny, causing him to grin.
"Still. It's not really right that you never even got thanked for everything you did." It made her a little bit sad. These people had saved so many lives and an entire planet, however their valiant deeds remained unacknowledged.
"It's okay. We didn't do it for fame or gratitude. Just for the people we care about, and for the sake of all who live and love."
She watched his expression; his words were moving and beautifully said, and he seemed genuinely not bothered by the fact that nobody knew him or his friends as the heroes that they were. He truly was selfless and that sincere, natural sparkle of pure, artless kindness in his eyes drew her in like magic. Reaching up to touch her palm to his smooth cheek, she gave him the lightest of enticements to lean in and find her lips with his. Their second kiss by the count of it, and it was as breathtakingly wonderful as their first had been. Like some invisible force was sweeping over them, a gentle tornado of affection set to grow into something more than either of them might yet be able to imagine, yet they felt it there and it was exciting and exhilarating to the point that it caused one to feel lightheaded in the best way possible.
Curling a strong arm around Videl's snug little waist, Gohan pulled her in closer, the other set of free fingers caressed along the girl's silky cheek and further along the elegant line of her neck to the delicate nape of it, coaxing her head to stay in place as he deepened their kiss, carefully drawing his tongue along the velvet of her loosely pressed together lips which slipped apart invitingly, allowing him to sample the unique, addictive flavor lingering beyond them before enticing her own tongue for a first, exploratory dance with his.
Moving her arms, Videl let them wrap themselves around his fair neck, feeling the same heat rising in her eager, young body, pulling him with her as she began reclining. Reaching out one strong hand, Gohan caught himself against the softness of the mattress, his pillaring arm holding him halfway above her slinky body that stretched itself out underneath him as it came to lie on the bed, the cushion accommodating her clever head above its downy surface. Her breathing was audibly shaky, released lips readily sucking in the air her labored lungs demanded, shivering perceptibly at a row of careful kisses trailing along her cheek, enticing a sweet gasp out of her when they touched upon the sensitive texture of her neck.
His free hand worked its way under her white shirt, thrilling her further with the lightest caress of calloused fingertips along her flat, taut belly, her feline frame instinctively arching an inch up off the bed and into his feathery touch. Her head was spinning in a pleasant daze, thousands of imaginary butterflies running rampant in her stomach and she was hot and all aflutter, quivering delicately to the feel of his warm palm stroking up her bare side beneath the cover of her shirt. Her grip around him tightened, biting down upon her lower lip and letting her head tilt to the side, exposing more porcelain-pale skin for the curious touch of his adventurous mouth.
The small electrifying shock when his hand slid another bit higher and gingerly cupped her bra-covered breast forced the breath to catch in her chest, the fond kneading motion that followed next enticing it to flow back out of her in a first, subdued moan which rushed in a pleasurably burning sensation along his nerve tracts, expelling thoughts in favor of her presence to fill his head out with for a moment in time.
In a haze of romance and virginal excitement shared by both of them she didn't register what shift of their position exactly had caused the book atop the bed near her to tumble from the piece of furniture, but when it landed on the ground with a thud, her eyes snapped open to meet his darker counterparts. The two of them stilled in all motion, her breath quickened and her cheeks blossoming with a soft blush. Videl wanted to say something but words wouldn't come, instead all that happened was a smile and an soft, airy laugh born out of all thrill and embarrassment and some sort of lovely awkwardness neither of them knew to really handle but welcomed equally well. The first steps were never easy, and the next to take them further were certainly to come.
"We should... get back to our studies..." He suggested in an affected whisper for now, receiving a mild nod in reply.
Gohan straightened out and so did she, still with that sort of dreamy smile and the pink hue on her cheeks, delicately tugging at her shirt to adjust it back to proper position on her heated body. For all and any reason, she now really looked forward to that camping trip the two of them planned after the exams were over with.
Just about that time, the boy's father reappeared atop the Lookout again, leaving Lynn in Piccolo's care there after the girl expressed the wish to stay for a bit longer before returning to Capsule Corp. He was sure she'd get back to CC sooner or later one way or another, so he said his goodbyes and briefly sensed for his family. As far as he knew it Gohan was out studying at Videl's place today and that's where the two of them still were, while Goten and Trunks were out and about on their own as per usual, right now somewhere around West City. The boys were pretty independent and reliable, thus not very restricted in their freedom, allowed to go everywhere and anywhere on the planet so long as they behaved. They did have a curfew and usually rarely ventured out too far, nevertheless Goku had developed a habit to check on their kis from time to time to make sure he was always aware of where they were. He was pretty sure Vegeta was keeping an eye on them that way as well, therefore he wasn't really worried whenever he couldn't do that himself.
Chichi seemed to be the only one at home, likely preparing dinner considering that time was edging past seven PM. Bringing two fingers up to his forehead, he focused on her ki and flickered away, reappearing in the kitchen of his house. Not unlike he had expected she stood at one of the counters, adept hands expertly portioning some vegetables to the rhythmical clank of the knife against the cutting board. Walking over in a swift, silent stride, he weaved his arms around her slim waist from behind, hearing a lovely gasp and feeling her jump slightly as he pulled her up against him.
Her heart aflutter with a hastened beat within her frail chest, Chichi laughed out softly. "You love doing that, don't you?" All the same she relaxed trustingly in his embrace and leaned back against him some more, a warm shiver trickling down her spine when he touched a fond kiss to the elegant curve of her slender shoulder.
The corner of Goku's mouth twitched upward in a crafty little grin. "I might." His kisses traveled higher along the silky texture of her neck, simultaneously giving her petite figure a gentle squeeze, enjoying the way her breath hitched subtly in reaction. "You're cute when you startle." Capturing her earlobe between the set of his white teeth, he flicked his tongue over it, the air leaving her pretty mouth in a jittery exhale.
Letting go of the knife and the celery she'd been chopping, Chichi let her hands settle on the stout arms around her midsection instead, whether to hold him there or to support herself on her suddenly weakened legs she wouldn't know. "Are you trying to seduce me?" She questioned breathily, a low, smooth chuckle sounding close to her ear, followed by an equally whispered counter-question:
"Is it working?"
Reaching up, she let her dainty fingers slide into her husband's rich, black locks, sifting fondly through the spiked ebony silk. "Absolutely..." And she wasn't lying, feeling that one salacious tingle conquering her body bit by bit.
"Then let's play a little game."
She blinked, turning her head back to gaze up at him in cute bewilderment. "A game...?" For many a reason, her heart was throbbing with a nerve-wracking kind of excitement seeing the rapacious sparkle in his enigmatic midnight gaze.
"Mhm." Goku all but purred out, leaning in close enough for her to feel the ghost of his breath on her very lips, shivering at the tone of his voice, the light masculine melody of it graced by a smoothly dark, husky note. "You run as fast as you can..." He brushed her lips with his in gossamer contact, each syllable he formed not unlike an aspirated kiss shared between them. "And if I catch you, I will ravage you senseless."
Chichi's pretty eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly at such a bold, provocative statement, remaining frozen in her spot as her husband released her out of his undemanding grip, taking a few steps back. An absolutely delightful sort of agitation claimed her inside and out seeing the unreadable gaze of his slightly narrowed eyes transfix on her not unlike a hunter might transfix a charming little doe ready to bounce. And ready to bounce she was, her breath quickening already under that piercing, promising stare. Of course this was the most unfair game ever, but that was entirely besides the point. She'd long noticed that he loved it when she played coy with him, something that Goku wouldn't ever deny either. There was just something alluring and rousing about it, as though that sort of shy innocence stirred some predatory and at the same time protective instinct within him.
A few seconds full of charged tension slipped them by and the moment he made the smallest attempt to move towards her, Chichi's heart thundered a beat out of rhythm before she bolted towards the kitchen exit with the most adorable little squeal. The corner of Goku's mouth twitched upward in a nigh impish grin, listening to the staccato of her hasty steps tapping down the hallway. Bringing two fingers up to his forehead he flickered out of the kitchen, reappearing right in her path and making her shriek as she nearly bumped into his broad chest, quickly ducking out into the living room to her immediate right.
He followed track - merely a shadowed shimmer from entrance to middle of the room, once again right in front of her with just the low coffee table to separate them. She made a beeline towards the couch with a halfway laughed, halfway screamed out "Eep!" and after finding her further path towards the front door blocked by his stately figure again slipped into the adjoining hallway instead. She knew the layout of their home well enough to notice the clever way he was going about his little 'chase', slowly but surely aiming to corner her in the bedroom.
Sure enough she soon burst through the door to their sleeping chamber, all giggles and heavy breaths and flushed a healthy red from the heat and the thrill coursing through her fragile body, the game ending just like it began - with her squeal as strong arms snapped around her from behind, yanking her firmly yet gingerly up against his stout frame and knocking a breath out of her anyhow messy cadence of shaky in- and exhales.
"Gotcha, beautiful."
Her blush deepened at the compliment and she was still laughing; a happy, ecstatic and joyful sound, needing a moment to calm down enough to be able to say something, wheezing out a merry, playfully accusing: "Like I ever stood a chance!"
Now back in the stalwart hold of those beloved arms, the adrenalin rush and the excitement was mingling into something entirely, sensually stimulating and the quiver of her slender frame in his grasp was not only that of the undergone chase but of heady, erotic titillation as well. Talk about foreplay, if he didn't kiss her within the next five seconds the one doing the ravishing would be her.
Chichi gasped as he twirled her round in his embrace, experiencing a pleasant sort of vertigo until the sensation of their mouths colliding in an untamed, passionate kiss wiped the entire world surrounding them from existence. All she could do was surrender to the overwhelming sensation of that full pair claiming her own, willingly parting her velvet lips for an eager tongue to slip past them and helplessly released a moan into the thrilling contact. Her head went spinning maybe with the lack of air and maybe with the raw force of that kiss, feeling fair pressure moving down her sides as those calloused palms adoringly smoothed along them.
Goku's steps, quick and resolute, lead forward until his wife's bendy flipside bumped into the wall behind her, her breath hitching in instant buzz, her eyes long shut and a gasp going into the mouth locked with hers so adamantly. Goku's hands flickered to her wrists, gripping firmly to soon yank them up and trap them against the wall next to her head, his athletic body pushing up against her - carefully enough not to crush such delicacy and yet firm enough to compress a deep exhale out of her, the air escaping through her petite nose since her lips were firmly occupied by the determined, pliant pair moving against them with a distinctly avid hunger. Parting from their kiss only for a brief second to allow her a gasp of much needed oxygen, his mouth was back upon hers, sleek tongue diving past parted lips which she didn't even bother closing anymore, each time savoring up the delivered taste, her blood and body running hot.
Her wrists twitched in the iron, harmless grip of her husband's caring hands, her own restricted in their desire to finally touch him and feel up that stately form pressed up to her so insanely tightly. Soft, graceful moans and whimpers were soon all she felt able to meet his ardor with, completely wrapped up in that powerful presence and losing herself in it oh so easily. He was warmth, he was love, he was safety, and now he was passion and desire incarnate, like a soft but ferocious flood inundating her faithful little heart. The knot of emotions constricting her chest made it even more difficult to breathe, parting away from the fervent lock of their lips and offering her neck to the loving assault of his kisses instead.
Each of them would send a shiver down her spine, abdominal muscles clenching and the salacious tingle between spread legs only intensifying to the point where she could barely stand it, burning with the yearning to feel him so much it was almost a physical pain. She would have wanted to chant something out – a lover's oath or that beloved name, but all she could produce was a gentle, aspirated moan in reaction to the light shift of his body that let her feel the hardness of his impressive length pressing to her thigh, a tremble of pleasure and thrilled anticipation jolting her filigree form.
Wrists still captive she moved with her husband's staunch lead once more, pulled away from the wall and then, to much unexpected delight, more or less flung onto the bed upon the covers of which she landed with soft oomph and a sharp gasp in some sort of wonderful daze. It was not often that he would be so dominant and commanding in handling her, something she knew to enjoy - all the more so because of the underlying tenderness that was never absent and would see her to great pleasures in the wake of his authoritative approach.
He had followed on heartbeat so she opened her eyes only to find that handsome face mere inches away from her own. One foot yet firm on the ground, the knee of his other leg was pressed into the mattress between her slender own and she barely had a moment to amorously stare up into the dark depths of those inscrutable, onyx-colored eyes speaking of grandest words without a sound, his head diving down to capture her silky lips in another impassioned kiss and this time, he received an equally fiery response.
Her small hands were ultimately free to act on her cravings, delicate palms admiring the chiseled perfection of his impeccable torso before one of them found to a cling upon the artful shape of his stout shoulder while its twin appendage aimed higher, slithering over the nape of his fair neck and diving dainty digits into the silk of rich, coal-black strands. She was already so consumed by the intensity between them, she had never even noticed when he'd had the time to rid himself of his clothes, not that didn't work perfectly in her favor, entirely eager to feel his muscular form pressed up all close and personal against her own.
Goku's own hands had meanwhile sought out the broad straps of her Chinese-styled garb to brush them from her rounded shoulders, profiting from the fact that the warmth of the day resulted in the piece of attire being sleeveless today and thus much easier to push down the length of her gorgeous little body. He traveled southwards together with departing material, dotting a path along her collarbones and the middle of her rapidly fluctuating chest, soon enough venturing to the side where his mouth found a hardened nipple to gently imprison in-between his teeth and tease with firm flicks of tongue, feeling the tremble of her modelesque figure as it arched into the touches to the lovely sound of her moans spilling from her parted lips.
Those sounds all but intensified when his affections continued on their determined path down along the tension of her taut belly and further past the navel, taunting with hot breath and wet kisses until the air all but caught in her feverishly working lungs to the sensation of those devilish lips happening upon most intimate of places, wiping her head clean of thoughts and charging her nerves with impossible amounts of electricity that zapped from synapse to synapse and forced her hands to claw into the covers beneath her, throwing her head back against the mattress, whimpering and mewling in the sweetest of distress.
He worked with purpose, soon having her chanting his name with a plea and trebling all over inside and out, driven so close to the edge she could barely stand it, each caress of those lips and each flicker of that skilled tongue having her in a delightful state of nigh delirium, a honeyed torture only he could release her from. Deliverance came in a stark blow of sensation, her slinky figure bending upward and quaking strongly in the wake of the orgasmic shock that blasted through her, tearing a wholehearted scream of ecstasy from her lips.
Holding the inner and outer tension for a few blissful seconds to draw out the moment of her climax, she felt the sting in the joints of her fingers as they relaxed their viselike clutch on the covers, panting heavily and quivering all over although left without any long pause to recover. His mouth was back on hers and she could taste herself on those devious lips, barely able to regain some sense and recollect her senses before being swept up again in the furious tempest that he was today, holding true to his earlier promise and leaving her oh so taken with the entirety of his marvelous existence - one she would not want missing from her side ever again, no matter if it presented itself a gentle lover to hold on to throughout the darkest night or an untamed beast ravishing her in the most breathtaking ways.
Her body still incredibly oversensitive, it caused another erotic outcry to push out of Chichi's frail throat when he slipped deep into her in one swift, smooth motion, shattering her barely recomposed world into millions of smithereens all over again. There was a nearly bruising collision of warm lips, the softy rumbling groan from the glorious man above her assuring that she wasn't the only one to bask in the bliss of their physical union. He was coming over her like a hurricane and she was barely able to seize him but she was all too happy to be ensnared in that sultry whirlwind of emotions all the same.
Heavy panting and enraptured moans and whimpers filled the bedroom air as he set to a powerful, dynamic pace of sharp, vigorous thrusts, a fine sheen of glistening sweat slicking tender skin, lips and tongues never stopping in sharing their frantic affections, insatiable in their hunger for each the other's taste, warmth, for all the more feverish contact, banning rationality and leaving instincts and impulses, the pair of them gladly losing themselves in the ardent sea of their togetherness, lost to the rest of the world during these intimate moments in time, entirely their own. Her legs wrapped tight around his sturdy hips, her arms had found back around him as well, clawing at the tough skin of his broad shoulders and tasting that amazing strength in every flex of his toned muscles as he rocked them atop their marriage bed and her mind into a sensory oblivion.
His name forever on her lips, she let it echo off the walls to further please him not only with her gorgeous body but also with the sweet melodies of her angelic voice mingling beautifully with the husky, low notes of his own pleasure all but growled beneath his own erratic breaths. His strong hands gripped her tight and pulled her closer, right into the splendid movements of his hips, again and again and once more until she came undone in his safeguarding arms, clutching at him inside and out with all her minuscule strength to the magnificence of their wild passion's explosive end. The thick heat of him filling her out prolonged the candied torment of release, leaving her mind- and powerless in his grasp, a graceful little doll of perfect porcelain bathed in brilliant sweat and the fantastic warmth of love received and given.
A carefree, absentminded smile lingered freely on her reddish, kiss-swollen lips to the coddling touches of his own delivering a few soft, slow, lazy caresses along her pink-dusted cheek and the velvet texture of her neck, a haphazard, quiet giggle breaking from her chest, a little high on the hormonal cocktail mixed so generously with the speedy circulation of her blood. She felt him exhale a chuckle against the elegant curvature of her moisture-dewed shoulder, herself enjoying the nice, snugly position under the comfortable weight of his stalwart body that never failed to gift her that wonderful sensation of safety and protection whenever it was near.
"I fear you have reduced me to jelly, love." Yet again. Now, Goku had never been a disappointment in regard of being able to physically please her, but something had changed in the way he was going about it since his return from Otherworld. It seemed more... mature, and thus more driven and more... delightfully exhausting. "How am I to finish dinner now...?" Indeed, her sentiment was only strengthened by his response.
"Dinner can wait."
She shifted minimally, angling her head to try and catch a look at him past the rebellious, raven-black spikes that hindered her sight.
"Dinner can wait?" She rose a brow and stifled an incredulous laugh. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"
Goku huffed softly in meek amusement, lifting his head and gazing down at her pretty face still flushed a lovely rose color in the aftermaths of their lovemaking. Now it was his turn to furrow a dark brow, a small grin hiding in the corner of his mouth. "Does my lady voice complaint?"
What it was exactly about the way he said it that caused her to giggle like a schoolgirl with a major crush she didn't care to pinpoint, just noting that he had certainly learnt a thing or two about subtle if not fancy manner of flirtation, too. "No. Merely surprise at her beloved husband's shift in interests."
He chuckled, and briefly leaned in to touch a simple, sweet kiss to the pointy tip of her delicate little nose. "In interests? Not really, no. But in priorities, perhaps."
There seemed to be something indescribably momentous in those words and once again, it did nothing short of stealing her dear breath away. Chichi looked at her chosen man for a long moment, just marveling at the quiet beauty of those eyes and the things they held in secret behind them, only for the two of them to share. "I love you..." She then whispered to him in adoring devotion, her heart barely calmed and already spirited away in the speed of its palpitations again by the tender, poised reply she was offered:
"I love you, too." And but a moment later, their lips found each other once again in a sensually slow, expressive kiss comprising all they were and more.
Alas, this day did not hold the warmth of fond words and the comfort of soft touch for everyone, and those least fortunate would experience the cruelty of the exact opposite.
An intricate mechanism beeped in acceptance as a blue card was swiped through the allocated slit, a soft swishing sound reverberating when the door slid to the side, granting a battered existence entrance to the room beyond. She left a bloodied hand print on the door frame as she briefly used it for support, dragging herself into the docking station and hearing the piece of metal swish shut behind her again.
Zeleria looked a terrible mess, and she felt it, too.
It had not been easy, but she had endured through the pain and the humiliation until presented with a chance to free herself and leave behind four brutally dealt with bodies, all now breathless corpses that would hopefully be discovered not all too soon. She had stripped one of the soldiers of his armor, too, but it was a tad too small and its manly cut looked unsightly on her, not that she was terribly concerned with it so long as it provided some sort of protection and if only to cover the wounds. Overall it was still better than running around naked.
She was pissed and in pain, her pride a wounded animal in her chest for having had to force herself to suffer through those bastards putting their hands - and worse - all over her. There was little mental scarring for a real Saiyan woman to have in something like this; she could deal with unwanted sex just fine and using her body for the achievement of a purpose didn't come much harder than using brute force, it was the sole fact that she had had to deal with it and stoop so low to begin with that was forcing not shame but fury to seethe and foam within. Well, at least she had gotten some retribution and satisfaction out of slaughtering those cretins and she had managed to reach set goal, too. Thus, on the whole... This could have been worse.
Spitting a mouthful of blood out to the side, she gritted her teeth and pushed herself onward, leaving a crimson trail behind as she stumbled towards the familiar shape of their pods before briefly fumbling with the controls to get one of the small space shuttles open. Her dislocated shoulder and the deep cut in her left thigh gave her trouble, much like the throb of the ki burns on her wrists did, yet after pressing out a groan and a crude cuss or two through clenched together jaws she climbed into the optimized confines of the galactic mean of transport. Fingers stained in red went flying over buttons in the panel, trying to keep her gaze fixed on the diminutive screen that was going in and out of focus in front of her blurry vision. Destination... Earth. Entering coordinates... R. Four. Z. One. Six. Setting route... Disengaging from docks...
Letting herself fall into the cushions of the seat, Ria was barely aware of the floor parting beneath the pod and allowing it to fall down into the dotted blackness of space, blindly fumbling for the first aid kit. More or less bandaging up the most dire injuries, she swallowed a handful of painkillers in pair with a couple of sedatives and soporifics to help her system find to desperately required, curative relaxation. The last thing she caught notice of was the estimate time of arrival, digital numbers starting to count down the moment the small pod blasted from the spot into the vastness of the galaxy. Thirty seven hours and twenty two minutes... A bit over a day... She would make it there and back in no time... Tarble had yet again proven himself a freaking genius.
Her last thought was spent on her ingenious sibling and their beloved mother, and the given promise to return for them - soon. Little later her consciousness eclipsed into the darkness of a dreamless oblivion, granting her precious rest and respite for a much needed moment in time.