Chapter 4 - Mechanical Fiend
Videl awoke alone on the rugged ground. She sat up with a groan and rubbed her sore back. 'Where am I?' She looked around the dark cave and stood up slowly. After stretching, she headed towards the opening of the cave.
She looked out into the wilderness. The rain must have stopped not too long ago. The scenery was coated with a sheet of moisture.
"Look what the cat dragged in."
She looked around frantically for the source of that voice. Only one creature had a voice that sleek and deadly, "Juunana-gou." She whispered. She took a step back and bumped into something, or someone. She turned around, slowly and wide-eyed.
Android number Seventeen stood before her. His straight black hair fell handsomely to his chin. His ice blue eyes gleamed with a malignant twinkle. "Boo."
She gasped and ran past him into the dark cavern. He didn't move from the opening of the cave, only watched her flee into the gloom. She ran around a corner and hid behind a rock barely large enough to hide her small body. She heard faint sounds of footsteps not far from her hiding spot.
She slightly moved her foot. A pebble was knocked loose. Her breath caught in her throat. "Naughty girl." She met his emotionless eyes. He crouched in front of her and leaned closer. "You should know better than to run from me."
She whimpered softly and crawled out of his closure. She ran out of the cave and into the damp woods. He walked calmly after her. She jumped around obstacles and ran through the shrubbery in her path.
"You can't hide from me forever, sweetie!" She heard him call not too far behind. She wasn't looking ahead and ran straight into a steel wall.
She landed on her back and sat up to see that she had ran into a glowing man with spiked golden hair. She screamed and franticly tried to scramble away. The man's hair faded into black and he stopped glowing. "Woah, calm down, Videl. Its only me, Gohan."
Her breathing slowed, "He is here."
Juunana approached then. Gohan met him with a cold glare. "Android," he spat with distaste.
Juunana smirked, "If you don't mind, I have business with the girl."
"Your business is with me now. If you want to get to her you'll have to get through me first." His fists were clenched tightly at his sides. "Videl, I think you should run from here and find a safe place to hide."
She stood shakily on her feet and glanced back at Juunana. He winked flirtatiously at her. "See you again, Videl," rolled off his tongue.
Gohan visibly tensed. "Like Hell you will," he growled. Videl shuddered and ran past Gohan into the safety of the woods. He watched as she disappeared then turned back to the villain before him.
"We've met before, haven't we? Other than the last time you rescued her." The android spoke.
"Unfortunately, yes. Many years ago when you brutally murdered my friends." He said through bared teeth.
"Aww, yes. The boy that barely escaped with his life." He smirked victoriously.
Gohan screamed and charged forward. He transformed into a Super Saiya-jin. Juunana's knee connected with Gohan's stomach. He doubled over with pain. The humanoid lifted his fists and brought them down upon Gohan's back. He hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Gohan groaned. Juunana smirked and pushed his foot into the other's back. "You will never defeat me, you know. But I find it amusing how the both of you challenge me. She really is something special. It's too bad you care about her. No matter, I will claim her as mine soon enough," his smirk melted into a scowl. "I will eventually stand above your rotting corpse." The foot upon him released the pressure, "And hers when I tire."
Gohan struggle up on his hands and knees. "I'll die before you can breathe on her. If I do pass, then another will take my place and insure the downfall of you androids."
Juunana humph'ed and lifted into the sky. "We shall see about that." He sped away. Gohan stood and stumbled in the direction he saw Videl leave. He'd been walking for what seemed like twenty minutes until he sensed her energy nearby. He stopped.
"I could've handled him myself, you know." She was sitting comfortably on a tree branch high above him with one leg dangling over and the other propped up. She was fiddling with a leaf.
He smiled up at her. "Yeah, it looked like you were doing a bang up job of 'handling him yourself.' How did you get all the way up there?"
She dropped the leaf and wiped the residue on her shorts. "I'm aerodynamic," she answered sarcastically, "But I don't need your pampering like I'm some kind of damsel in distress! Let me fight my own fights, for Kami's sake."
"Its my fight too. I don't think you understand how bad the situation is! This maniac is much stronger than you. Do you have any idea what he'll do to you once he gets his hands on you?!" She looked away with grim silence. "He'll do what any horny, perverted, sick male who is high on hormones would. Rape, and kill you or leave you to rot in your own bodily fluids."
"Enough!" She jumped from her perch and landed beside him. "You are impossible, Gohan." She walked off.
"Oi(hey), Where do you think you are going?"
"Home," she said. "What's it to you, Mr. Head up his ass?"
He frowned at her back, "I'm only trying to protect you, and now I'm stuck with the chore of babysitting you, your spoiled highness."
She spun around angrily. "Oh no your not. I can take perfect care of myself!"
"Apparently not with a serial killer/rapist after you." Her cheeks flushed with her anger. He held back a grin. He didn't know anyone this fiery besides his mother and Bulma. She was about to retort when he flew straight at her and took her in his arms. He flew straight into the bluish morning sky. She screamed and desperately wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. He nearly choked. "Scared?" He asked over the rush of wind.
She glared daggers at him and loosened her grip to look at his face. "No." She looked down at the racing scenery. This was kind of fun, actually. A thrill. She looked back at Gohan; he was looking straight ahead with a small smile on his sweet lips. 'Sweet lips? Woah, Where the Hell did that come from!? Stop it, Videl, he's out of your league, and you don't really want him.do I? Am I falling for Gohan?' She thought. "Where exactly are we going?"
"Back to my house, where you'll be staying for awhile." She got comfortable in his arms. He looked at her as she studied the clouds above them. Somehow it felt right with her in his arms. They just. fit together. 'She is so beautiful. But what does she think about me? Probably that I'm just another beefcake that is falling for her. Wait. Am I falling for Videl?' He looked away before she caught him staring. Thankfully she hadn't noticed the touch of rose that colored his cheeks, nor had he hers.
"Fine then, but can we stop by my home first so I can collect some of my things."
He paused mid-air, "Which way?" He calmly asked. She smiled slightly and pointed him in the right direction.
Videl awoke alone on the rugged ground. She sat up with a groan and rubbed her sore back. 'Where am I?' She looked around the dark cave and stood up slowly. After stretching, she headed towards the opening of the cave.
She looked out into the wilderness. The rain must have stopped not too long ago. The scenery was coated with a sheet of moisture.
"Look what the cat dragged in."
She looked around frantically for the source of that voice. Only one creature had a voice that sleek and deadly, "Juunana-gou." She whispered. She took a step back and bumped into something, or someone. She turned around, slowly and wide-eyed.
Android number Seventeen stood before her. His straight black hair fell handsomely to his chin. His ice blue eyes gleamed with a malignant twinkle. "Boo."
She gasped and ran past him into the dark cavern. He didn't move from the opening of the cave, only watched her flee into the gloom. She ran around a corner and hid behind a rock barely large enough to hide her small body. She heard faint sounds of footsteps not far from her hiding spot.
She slightly moved her foot. A pebble was knocked loose. Her breath caught in her throat. "Naughty girl." She met his emotionless eyes. He crouched in front of her and leaned closer. "You should know better than to run from me."
She whimpered softly and crawled out of his closure. She ran out of the cave and into the damp woods. He walked calmly after her. She jumped around obstacles and ran through the shrubbery in her path.
"You can't hide from me forever, sweetie!" She heard him call not too far behind. She wasn't looking ahead and ran straight into a steel wall.
She landed on her back and sat up to see that she had ran into a glowing man with spiked golden hair. She screamed and franticly tried to scramble away. The man's hair faded into black and he stopped glowing. "Woah, calm down, Videl. Its only me, Gohan."
Her breathing slowed, "He is here."
Juunana approached then. Gohan met him with a cold glare. "Android," he spat with distaste.
Juunana smirked, "If you don't mind, I have business with the girl."
"Your business is with me now. If you want to get to her you'll have to get through me first." His fists were clenched tightly at his sides. "Videl, I think you should run from here and find a safe place to hide."
She stood shakily on her feet and glanced back at Juunana. He winked flirtatiously at her. "See you again, Videl," rolled off his tongue.
Gohan visibly tensed. "Like Hell you will," he growled. Videl shuddered and ran past Gohan into the safety of the woods. He watched as she disappeared then turned back to the villain before him.
"We've met before, haven't we? Other than the last time you rescued her." The android spoke.
"Unfortunately, yes. Many years ago when you brutally murdered my friends." He said through bared teeth.
"Aww, yes. The boy that barely escaped with his life." He smirked victoriously.
Gohan screamed and charged forward. He transformed into a Super Saiya-jin. Juunana's knee connected with Gohan's stomach. He doubled over with pain. The humanoid lifted his fists and brought them down upon Gohan's back. He hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Gohan groaned. Juunana smirked and pushed his foot into the other's back. "You will never defeat me, you know. But I find it amusing how the both of you challenge me. She really is something special. It's too bad you care about her. No matter, I will claim her as mine soon enough," his smirk melted into a scowl. "I will eventually stand above your rotting corpse." The foot upon him released the pressure, "And hers when I tire."
Gohan struggle up on his hands and knees. "I'll die before you can breathe on her. If I do pass, then another will take my place and insure the downfall of you androids."
Juunana humph'ed and lifted into the sky. "We shall see about that." He sped away. Gohan stood and stumbled in the direction he saw Videl leave. He'd been walking for what seemed like twenty minutes until he sensed her energy nearby. He stopped.
"I could've handled him myself, you know." She was sitting comfortably on a tree branch high above him with one leg dangling over and the other propped up. She was fiddling with a leaf.
He smiled up at her. "Yeah, it looked like you were doing a bang up job of 'handling him yourself.' How did you get all the way up there?"
She dropped the leaf and wiped the residue on her shorts. "I'm aerodynamic," she answered sarcastically, "But I don't need your pampering like I'm some kind of damsel in distress! Let me fight my own fights, for Kami's sake."
"Its my fight too. I don't think you understand how bad the situation is! This maniac is much stronger than you. Do you have any idea what he'll do to you once he gets his hands on you?!" She looked away with grim silence. "He'll do what any horny, perverted, sick male who is high on hormones would. Rape, and kill you or leave you to rot in your own bodily fluids."
"Enough!" She jumped from her perch and landed beside him. "You are impossible, Gohan." She walked off.
"Oi(hey), Where do you think you are going?"
"Home," she said. "What's it to you, Mr. Head up his ass?"
He frowned at her back, "I'm only trying to protect you, and now I'm stuck with the chore of babysitting you, your spoiled highness."
She spun around angrily. "Oh no your not. I can take perfect care of myself!"
"Apparently not with a serial killer/rapist after you." Her cheeks flushed with her anger. He held back a grin. He didn't know anyone this fiery besides his mother and Bulma. She was about to retort when he flew straight at her and took her in his arms. He flew straight into the bluish morning sky. She screamed and desperately wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. He nearly choked. "Scared?" He asked over the rush of wind.
She glared daggers at him and loosened her grip to look at his face. "No." She looked down at the racing scenery. This was kind of fun, actually. A thrill. She looked back at Gohan; he was looking straight ahead with a small smile on his sweet lips. 'Sweet lips? Woah, Where the Hell did that come from!? Stop it, Videl, he's out of your league, and you don't really want him.do I? Am I falling for Gohan?' She thought. "Where exactly are we going?"
"Back to my house, where you'll be staying for awhile." She got comfortable in his arms. He looked at her as she studied the clouds above them. Somehow it felt right with her in his arms. They just. fit together. 'She is so beautiful. But what does she think about me? Probably that I'm just another beefcake that is falling for her. Wait. Am I falling for Videl?' He looked away before she caught him staring. Thankfully she hadn't noticed the touch of rose that colored his cheeks, nor had he hers.
"Fine then, but can we stop by my home first so I can collect some of my things."
He paused mid-air, "Which way?" He calmly asked. She smiled slightly and pointed him in the right direction.