Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ, that's all there is to it.
Chapter 2 ~Encounters and Introductions (sort of)~
It was a boy. A teenage boy, black long hair as if he hadn't cut it in several months (very muscular too, Videl couldn't help but notice), tattered clothing barely covering what they needed to (A/N: *DROOL*), blood gushing from numerous wounds, and he was blindfolded too. However, the strangest thing was that he was chained to a tree.
'Odd.' Videl observed the boy, no longer fearing discovery since he was blindfolded. 'He's a Saiyan.' She eyed the furry tail twitching at his side. 'Why doesn't he just break the chains? He certainly looks strong enough. And his ki. . .well, it's too weak but its possible he's suppressing it like I am.'
A sudden thought occurred to her. Slowly, she tiptoed towards the other teen to test her theory, ki still restrained.
Apparently either she wasn't quiet enough or the boy was *really* good at ki-sensing as he seemed to suddenly jerk up and lift his bowed head. Had his eyes been uncovered, Videl was sure it would have been reflecting fear.
Videl cautiously walked towards him, aware of whether it was a trap or not. She slowly approached him so as no to frighten him further and spur him on to do something unpleasant. As she reached out to feel the chains, the boy suddenly thrashed away from her hand. How he knew it was there, she didn't know.
"Nuhare shyu nsrithane Ginyu! Deiseri Jeice sgita!!" He shrieked out the strange words, his voice hoarse as if he often screamed. He continued to strain against the chains even after Videl withdrew her hand.
"Calm down!" Videl growled, hoping he understood her. She assumed what he screamed out earlier was Saiyago- the language of Saiyans.
Supposedly, he did recognize her language as he ceased his actions and settled back down into the tree. Once again, she reached out to the chains, hoping he wouldn't react as before. He didn't, meaning whoever he mistook her for, his mistake was corrected in his mind. He still tensed, however, as she neared.
Videl felt the manacles and from the burning sensation she received, confirmed her suspicions and knew them to be ki-blockers. 'So that's why he won't break them.'
"Hyato reashi oye?" The boy inquired.
"I don't understand a single word you're saying." Videl snapped. Her curiosity was beginning to get the best of her- otherwise, she would have left him to die for all she cared, and would never have done such a foolish thing as reveal her voice to a Saiyan.
The boy swallowed. "Y-you are a h-human?"
"Last time I checked."
"W-who are you?"
"Who are *you*?" Videl countered rather rudely. She'd be damned if she was gonna give her name to a stranger! And a Saiyan no less! Even if he *was* in no position to hurt her. . .Anyway, the point was, he may have her curiosity engaged, but that didn't warrant him her pity or sympathy.
"And why are you chained to a tree, blindfolded?" She added, asking the main question on her mind. Only a fellow Saiyan would be strong enough to do something to another Saiyan, but that was really unheard of. Sure, there were grudges among the race here and there but Videl had to admit, they had a decent mutually agreed upon honor code which didn't really allow a Saiyan to leave another in such a disgraceful position.
The teen didn't answer, instead shrinking back into the tree, clearly frightened by her tough and demanding voice.
"Answer me!"
He jerked up at the exclamation, rattling the chains circling his body. His tail curled between his folded legs, a sign of submission and fright. This action did not go unnoticed by Videl who knew how to read a Saiyan's actions.
"I-I'm sorry! P-please don't be m-mad, I-I-I didn't m-mean it! Honest! D- don't hurt m-me!" He sputtered out, hoarse voice shaking quite noticeably.
Videl snorted scornfully, but softened up her tone a bit. "You still didn't answer my question."
The teen bit his lip but still didn't speak. He seemed to be struggling with something internally, and that became clear to Videl as she spotted a lone tear roll down his pale cheeks.
"Crying, huh? That scared?" Videl mocked, hoping to get him to say *something* to give her some hint about him.
"NO! N-no, I'm n-not crying!! I'M NOT!" He vehemently refused, much to Videl's amusement.
"Yes you are."
"N-no. . ."He seemed to give up, shoulders slumping. "Don't punish me. . .I won't c-cry again. . .ever. . ."
Videl sighed irritably. This wasn't getting anywhere, and she wasn't going to gain anything by learning about him. It was only to satisfy her curiosity. So why was she still here? Why not just leave him to rot there?
'Damn conscience. Thought I was rid of that a long time ago.'
After thinking for a bit, Videl decided he was harmless and reached down to tear off the filthy rag covering his eyes. He gasped as the sudden motion granted his vision once more.
Blinking rapidly, he stared up at the other, who stared right back down at him.
Videl marveled at his eyes. . .they looked like bottomless depths. So, well, empty looking in a way but still seeming to reflect his emotions at the same time. 'A window to his soul.' Videl smirked to herself. 'I've always wanted to say that.'
"There, I took the blindfold off. Will you answer my questions now?"
He didn't reply, only continued to bat his eyes as if attempting to blink away the last evidence of tears.
Videl growled, growing frustrated yet not clearly knowing why. 'What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I just leave him to die? It's almost as if I'm drawn to him, yet I only met him a few minutes ago! And he's a *Saiyan* for Kami's sake!!!'
She turned to sit down, but the other mistook her action for leaving. "W- wait! Don't go! Please don't leave me here! " He pleaded.
Videl opened her mouth to explain she wasn't leaving, but then got an idea. If her stupid conscience wasn't gonna let her leave, she might as well go along with it.
"Tell me who you are and I'll consider staying." She said haughtily.
He bowed his head in defeat. "I'm Son Gohan, third-class, seventeen years." Rather than answering the question 'who are you', he seemed to answer the command 'name and status'. 'Oh well.' Videl inwardly shrugged. It still gave her what she wanted.
"Gohan. Odd name."
He looked at her expectantly.
"What? You expect me to give you my name? Forget it!"
Gohan's eyes lit up with indignation. "But-" Suddenly he clamped his mouth shut as if he'd said something wrong.
Videl sighed. At this rate, she'd never find out about him and he seemed too scared to tell her anything useful. 'Why am I doing this?' Videl groaned inwardly. She wished she knew the answer; and doing the last thing that she expected to find herself doing, Videl reached down to break the Saiyan's bonds.
"This better not be something I'll regret." Videl muttered to herself darkly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I don't usually leave an A/N but I'd like to ask my reviewers of their opinion. Right now, I am working on a picture of Gohan from this scene (chained to a tree, slightly bloody, the lot). Ehhh. . .guess I'm kinda in the depressed mood rite now. -_- Anyway, if you'd like to see it (I'm almost done) tell me in your review and if I get enough reviews saying they wanna see it, I'll try and post it in my author's profile. (key word: TRY) Or, if I can't do that, I'll just try and email it to ya. TRY.
Warning: Just wanna say that I'm not really the best drawer 'round the block, but I give myself some credit. My family and friends said the piccie's good. . . That counts for something, right? Right? And if not, you, my faithful reviewers (if I get any) can tell me truthfully if it's good or not!!! ^_^ So remember to say in your reviews if you want to see it!
Chapter 2 ~Encounters and Introductions (sort of)~
It was a boy. A teenage boy, black long hair as if he hadn't cut it in several months (very muscular too, Videl couldn't help but notice), tattered clothing barely covering what they needed to (A/N: *DROOL*), blood gushing from numerous wounds, and he was blindfolded too. However, the strangest thing was that he was chained to a tree.
'Odd.' Videl observed the boy, no longer fearing discovery since he was blindfolded. 'He's a Saiyan.' She eyed the furry tail twitching at his side. 'Why doesn't he just break the chains? He certainly looks strong enough. And his ki. . .well, it's too weak but its possible he's suppressing it like I am.'
A sudden thought occurred to her. Slowly, she tiptoed towards the other teen to test her theory, ki still restrained.
Apparently either she wasn't quiet enough or the boy was *really* good at ki-sensing as he seemed to suddenly jerk up and lift his bowed head. Had his eyes been uncovered, Videl was sure it would have been reflecting fear.
Videl cautiously walked towards him, aware of whether it was a trap or not. She slowly approached him so as no to frighten him further and spur him on to do something unpleasant. As she reached out to feel the chains, the boy suddenly thrashed away from her hand. How he knew it was there, she didn't know.
"Nuhare shyu nsrithane Ginyu! Deiseri Jeice sgita!!" He shrieked out the strange words, his voice hoarse as if he often screamed. He continued to strain against the chains even after Videl withdrew her hand.
"Calm down!" Videl growled, hoping he understood her. She assumed what he screamed out earlier was Saiyago- the language of Saiyans.
Supposedly, he did recognize her language as he ceased his actions and settled back down into the tree. Once again, she reached out to the chains, hoping he wouldn't react as before. He didn't, meaning whoever he mistook her for, his mistake was corrected in his mind. He still tensed, however, as she neared.
Videl felt the manacles and from the burning sensation she received, confirmed her suspicions and knew them to be ki-blockers. 'So that's why he won't break them.'
"Hyato reashi oye?" The boy inquired.
"I don't understand a single word you're saying." Videl snapped. Her curiosity was beginning to get the best of her- otherwise, she would have left him to die for all she cared, and would never have done such a foolish thing as reveal her voice to a Saiyan.
The boy swallowed. "Y-you are a h-human?"
"Last time I checked."
"W-who are you?"
"Who are *you*?" Videl countered rather rudely. She'd be damned if she was gonna give her name to a stranger! And a Saiyan no less! Even if he *was* in no position to hurt her. . .Anyway, the point was, he may have her curiosity engaged, but that didn't warrant him her pity or sympathy.
"And why are you chained to a tree, blindfolded?" She added, asking the main question on her mind. Only a fellow Saiyan would be strong enough to do something to another Saiyan, but that was really unheard of. Sure, there were grudges among the race here and there but Videl had to admit, they had a decent mutually agreed upon honor code which didn't really allow a Saiyan to leave another in such a disgraceful position.
The teen didn't answer, instead shrinking back into the tree, clearly frightened by her tough and demanding voice.
"Answer me!"
He jerked up at the exclamation, rattling the chains circling his body. His tail curled between his folded legs, a sign of submission and fright. This action did not go unnoticed by Videl who knew how to read a Saiyan's actions.
"I-I'm sorry! P-please don't be m-mad, I-I-I didn't m-mean it! Honest! D- don't hurt m-me!" He sputtered out, hoarse voice shaking quite noticeably.
Videl snorted scornfully, but softened up her tone a bit. "You still didn't answer my question."
The teen bit his lip but still didn't speak. He seemed to be struggling with something internally, and that became clear to Videl as she spotted a lone tear roll down his pale cheeks.
"Crying, huh? That scared?" Videl mocked, hoping to get him to say *something* to give her some hint about him.
"NO! N-no, I'm n-not crying!! I'M NOT!" He vehemently refused, much to Videl's amusement.
"Yes you are."
"N-no. . ."He seemed to give up, shoulders slumping. "Don't punish me. . .I won't c-cry again. . .ever. . ."
Videl sighed irritably. This wasn't getting anywhere, and she wasn't going to gain anything by learning about him. It was only to satisfy her curiosity. So why was she still here? Why not just leave him to rot there?
'Damn conscience. Thought I was rid of that a long time ago.'
After thinking for a bit, Videl decided he was harmless and reached down to tear off the filthy rag covering his eyes. He gasped as the sudden motion granted his vision once more.
Blinking rapidly, he stared up at the other, who stared right back down at him.
Videl marveled at his eyes. . .they looked like bottomless depths. So, well, empty looking in a way but still seeming to reflect his emotions at the same time. 'A window to his soul.' Videl smirked to herself. 'I've always wanted to say that.'
"There, I took the blindfold off. Will you answer my questions now?"
He didn't reply, only continued to bat his eyes as if attempting to blink away the last evidence of tears.
Videl growled, growing frustrated yet not clearly knowing why. 'What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I just leave him to die? It's almost as if I'm drawn to him, yet I only met him a few minutes ago! And he's a *Saiyan* for Kami's sake!!!'
She turned to sit down, but the other mistook her action for leaving. "W- wait! Don't go! Please don't leave me here! " He pleaded.
Videl opened her mouth to explain she wasn't leaving, but then got an idea. If her stupid conscience wasn't gonna let her leave, she might as well go along with it.
"Tell me who you are and I'll consider staying." She said haughtily.
He bowed his head in defeat. "I'm Son Gohan, third-class, seventeen years." Rather than answering the question 'who are you', he seemed to answer the command 'name and status'. 'Oh well.' Videl inwardly shrugged. It still gave her what she wanted.
"Gohan. Odd name."
He looked at her expectantly.
"What? You expect me to give you my name? Forget it!"
Gohan's eyes lit up with indignation. "But-" Suddenly he clamped his mouth shut as if he'd said something wrong.
Videl sighed. At this rate, she'd never find out about him and he seemed too scared to tell her anything useful. 'Why am I doing this?' Videl groaned inwardly. She wished she knew the answer; and doing the last thing that she expected to find herself doing, Videl reached down to break the Saiyan's bonds.
"This better not be something I'll regret." Videl muttered to herself darkly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I don't usually leave an A/N but I'd like to ask my reviewers of their opinion. Right now, I am working on a picture of Gohan from this scene (chained to a tree, slightly bloody, the lot). Ehhh. . .guess I'm kinda in the depressed mood rite now. -_- Anyway, if you'd like to see it (I'm almost done) tell me in your review and if I get enough reviews saying they wanna see it, I'll try and post it in my author's profile. (key word: TRY) Or, if I can't do that, I'll just try and email it to ya. TRY.
Warning: Just wanna say that I'm not really the best drawer 'round the block, but I give myself some credit. My family and friends said the piccie's good. . . That counts for something, right? Right? And if not, you, my faithful reviewers (if I get any) can tell me truthfully if it's good or not!!! ^_^ So remember to say in your reviews if you want to see it!
