Chapter 3 - Stormy Weather
Howling winds thundered through the darkened sky. Rain had yet to fall, but a lightning storm was beginning to strike. This weather perfectly matched the man's mood, who stood in the middle of it all, it seemed.
Gohan screamed and punched the air. He lifted his leg and spun into the perfect spin around kick. To a passerby his movements would be too quick for their vision to process it was that perfect, but to him. it was imperfect. His eyes narrowed, his lips formed a frown. He charged up and repeated the whole maneuver and finished with a back-flip style kick. Sweat beaded off his sculpted muscles as he did more movements.
Eyes observed from the darkness, waiting for the perfect chance to strike. He began one-finger push-ups as a light rain fell from the sky. Something rushed out of the darkness and attacked him from behind. He fell onto his stomach from the shock of the creature that clung to his back. His reflexes kicked in and he spun around and pinned the prowler beneath him.
A surprised Videl lay underneath him with his legs straddling her torso and her wrists pinned above her head. "V-Videl?" He gawked down at her, too shocked for words.
"How did you move so fast? It was almost. inhuman." She breathed heavily.
"You really shouldn't sneak up on me like that while I'm training. I could've hurt you."
She smiled slightly, "Gomen(sorry), I just wanted to surprise you."
He laughed a little, "Well I'm surprised."
All was silent between them for the next few moments as the rain beat upon the ground. Videl's cheeks flushed, "Um. could you move?"
Gohan's face became a deep shade of red as he realized she was still pinned beneath him. He apologized and scrambled to his feet. He held out his hand and pulled her up. She brushed herself off. "Can I watch you train for a little while?"
He shrugged, "If you want to, but its nothing special." She nodded and ran for shelter underneath a thick tree. 'With Videl watching I can't power up to my full strength.' He frowned a little.
Videl sat atop a large, flat rock and held her legs close to her chest for warmth. She sighed in exhaustion, her breath appeared as a cloud.
Gohan tried not to concentrate on the female presence only a few feet away. He sat down and decided to meditate instead. His mind was cleared of all thoughts. He concentrated on his heartbeat.
Thump, Thump
Videl shivered in the cold and hugged herself tighter, resting her chin on her knees. She fought to keep her eyes open against the pull of fatigue.
Thump, Thump
Time passed. He wasn't sure exactly how long he sat like that, but when he came back to full awareness the sky was still dark, rain still fell, and lightning struck. He stood just as a bolt of lightning cracked open the sky and hit a tree close by. 'Videl.' A feeling of dread over came him. He turned to her just as a tree branch began to crack. With super-human speed, he grabbed the girl before the branch could crush her small form.
She shivered in his arms, but did not rouse from her slumber. He only held her close to him and studied her sleeping face. He raised his ki slightly to warm the both of them. She sighed and nestled against his chest. 'I need to find a dry place.'
He flew off in search of a cave he was once familiar with. He found the mouth of the rock not long after. It stood like a stone beast with its jaws open, beckoning visitors (or prey) to enter. Gohan did not hesitate the slightest bit; he walked straight into the belly of the beast. He looked around. Not much could be seen in the darkness, even with his improved senses. He knew this place; he had stayed here before as a boy.
He walked deeper into the obscurity and raised his energy enough to cast a pale blue light around the cavern. He found a nice flat area on the ground and carefully set Videl down. She stirred slightly, and then curled into a ball when her source of heat vanished.
He sighed and rested against a wall beside her. She snuggled closer and nonchalantly rested her head against his chest. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her. He brushed her bangs out of her face with the other hand. He let his head fall back against the stone. He fell asleep with her in his arms not too long after. The couple slept peacefully as the storm raged on during the night.
Howling winds thundered through the darkened sky. Rain had yet to fall, but a lightning storm was beginning to strike. This weather perfectly matched the man's mood, who stood in the middle of it all, it seemed.
Gohan screamed and punched the air. He lifted his leg and spun into the perfect spin around kick. To a passerby his movements would be too quick for their vision to process it was that perfect, but to him. it was imperfect. His eyes narrowed, his lips formed a frown. He charged up and repeated the whole maneuver and finished with a back-flip style kick. Sweat beaded off his sculpted muscles as he did more movements.
Eyes observed from the darkness, waiting for the perfect chance to strike. He began one-finger push-ups as a light rain fell from the sky. Something rushed out of the darkness and attacked him from behind. He fell onto his stomach from the shock of the creature that clung to his back. His reflexes kicked in and he spun around and pinned the prowler beneath him.
A surprised Videl lay underneath him with his legs straddling her torso and her wrists pinned above her head. "V-Videl?" He gawked down at her, too shocked for words.
"How did you move so fast? It was almost. inhuman." She breathed heavily.
"You really shouldn't sneak up on me like that while I'm training. I could've hurt you."
She smiled slightly, "Gomen(sorry), I just wanted to surprise you."
He laughed a little, "Well I'm surprised."
All was silent between them for the next few moments as the rain beat upon the ground. Videl's cheeks flushed, "Um. could you move?"
Gohan's face became a deep shade of red as he realized she was still pinned beneath him. He apologized and scrambled to his feet. He held out his hand and pulled her up. She brushed herself off. "Can I watch you train for a little while?"
He shrugged, "If you want to, but its nothing special." She nodded and ran for shelter underneath a thick tree. 'With Videl watching I can't power up to my full strength.' He frowned a little.
Videl sat atop a large, flat rock and held her legs close to her chest for warmth. She sighed in exhaustion, her breath appeared as a cloud.
Gohan tried not to concentrate on the female presence only a few feet away. He sat down and decided to meditate instead. His mind was cleared of all thoughts. He concentrated on his heartbeat.
Thump, Thump
Videl shivered in the cold and hugged herself tighter, resting her chin on her knees. She fought to keep her eyes open against the pull of fatigue.
Thump, Thump
Time passed. He wasn't sure exactly how long he sat like that, but when he came back to full awareness the sky was still dark, rain still fell, and lightning struck. He stood just as a bolt of lightning cracked open the sky and hit a tree close by. 'Videl.' A feeling of dread over came him. He turned to her just as a tree branch began to crack. With super-human speed, he grabbed the girl before the branch could crush her small form.
She shivered in his arms, but did not rouse from her slumber. He only held her close to him and studied her sleeping face. He raised his ki slightly to warm the both of them. She sighed and nestled against his chest. 'I need to find a dry place.'
He flew off in search of a cave he was once familiar with. He found the mouth of the rock not long after. It stood like a stone beast with its jaws open, beckoning visitors (or prey) to enter. Gohan did not hesitate the slightest bit; he walked straight into the belly of the beast. He looked around. Not much could be seen in the darkness, even with his improved senses. He knew this place; he had stayed here before as a boy.
He walked deeper into the obscurity and raised his energy enough to cast a pale blue light around the cavern. He found a nice flat area on the ground and carefully set Videl down. She stirred slightly, and then curled into a ball when her source of heat vanished.
He sighed and rested against a wall beside her. She snuggled closer and nonchalantly rested her head against his chest. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her. He brushed her bangs out of her face with the other hand. He let his head fall back against the stone. He fell asleep with her in his arms not too long after. The couple slept peacefully as the storm raged on during the night.