Misery Loves Company
***
A/N: ::the entire area is covered in confetti, streamers, and such, and loud happy music is blaring. TGG, Egro, and Tiffany are getting down, Gohan is standing there, confused::
Gohan: Why are we celebrating?
TGG: Because!!
Gohan: ???
Egro: TGG, for the first time in her life, has actually made plans for this chapter and the two after it, numbers 4 & 5. This means that she will be able to write both of them quickly!
Gohan: Oh!...okay....::pause:: But why are we celebrating?
Tiffany: Don't ask questions, man! Just party!!
Gohan:.....Yah. Annnyhum, whilst my unwilling comrades and vile captor ::shudders:: are hoeing down, I must give you the "A NOTE" (otherwise known as A/N) that must be told before this story of bizarre circumstances progresses. Ahem. ::clears his throat:: My mistress ::sneers at word:: has, apparently, given up on, quote, "being nice to you pansy-ass readers who don't fuckin' review," unquote. She's given you nice story endings before, but, apparently, the little feedback whore doesn't get enough feedback for her tastes. Therefore, she's returned to her tried-and-true way of getting reviews: Cliffhangers and Suspense. All I can say is that I'm surprised the foul little genius didn't do this beforehand. ::pause:: ::sigh:: ::conspiratorial whisper to the audience:: I'm going to escape her, mark my words, I will escape her cruelties. I will abscond from her oppression, and make my way back to my Videl again...
Disclaimer: These sick little fantasies of TGG have no authority and will never become DBZ canon. For which we may all thank the God that loves us.
***
"-That's all today for the local news. And now on a global level, the President of the World left on vacation in the Bahamas..."
Gohan grunted and turned off the television in disgust. He had absolutely no need to waste his time listening to what the rich could do with their time that could, no doubt, be put to better use. It was far too depressing. If he wanted depression, all he had to do was let his gloomy thoughts wander.
"Ugh.." Gohan groaned, looking briefly at the clock before he flung his arm over his face, the crook of his elbow resting at the bridge of his nose. The time was about nine o'clock, and he had absolutely nothing to do. He had come home from work at about seven, fairly tired and somewhat crabby, considering the number of people out to jump his bones had been at an all-time high. He'd tried to complain about sexual harassment and had been laughed straight out of the room. Yeesh, he needed a new job....
No, you don't, Gohan reminded himself, Now stop being such a whiny brat. Usually you like your job, today was just a bad day. At least he was left with consolation that Videl was having a good time. A good time on her date with Sharpener. A good time getting eng....
Stop that. he chastised himself. Remember, take joy in her happiness, he thought, in an effort to reverse the trend of his mood.
And take refuge in proverbs.
He was still for a few more seconds before he sprang up, making for the door. He grabbed his jacket from the chair he had tossed it over and stuffed his feet in waterproof boots.
I gotta get out of here.
Gohan lived in the fairly standard suburban subdivision, in house that was, while smaller than normal, nonetheless quite comfortable for only one person.
The grass outside of his house was very much invisible under the snow; a smooth, sparkling blanket of it. His was the only house on the block to have maintained such a perfect snowfall, in all the other houses, the snow was torn up by footsteps, snowball-scoops, snow angels, and snowmen. In all honesty, Gohan didn't know if he preferred the smooth snow or the roughed-up yard.
He left his car in the garage. He wasn't going anywhere mundane in a minor hurry, such as going to work in the morning, so he didn't need it. He was content to walk.
Gohan's breath streamed behind him, plumes of vapor eventually fading away. When walking through the winter night, most people generally stuff their hands on their coat pockets and stuff their faces down the collar of their coat; hunched over. Gohan didn't do that. He kept his face up, up and looking around him, at the houses he passed. After all, looking down at his feet, at the dirty pavement, would completely defy the purpose of going out like this anyways.
By now, all of his neighbors had taken down their Christmas lights and inside Christmas trees, to replaced by pink hearts decorating windows and a little flag with a Cupid on it for Valentine's day. However, some Christmas wreaths still peeked out along the doors, and if Gohan looked carefully, he could still see the marks of a tack or nail, in the center of a doorway, where mistletoe had been hung.
There was no one outside now, not even cars on the street. This was the suburbs, no one here really had business driving around at nine o'clock at night in mid-February. Of course, no one had any business out walking at this hour, not like that stopped him. Everyone was holed up safely in their warm, well heated houses. Gold light flowed from the windows and pooled on the muddied yards below. Gohan slowed in his walk and began to look in all the houses surrounding him.
In some of them, the children were still up and going, it being Saturday, some playing video games, watching TV, or just playing and being rambunctious, shrieks of young voices occasionally punctuating the thumps, rumblings, and rattlings. In some houses, probably those in whch the parents wished to cultivate an atmosphere of romance, the children, in rocketship pajamas and pony nightgowns, were sent to bed quickly, and the parents broke out the wine, the candles, and the Barry White records or CDs, because haven't you made love to a Barry White album? Some of them were watching movies together, Gohan could see them sometimes, when the back of the couch was up against the front window and the television was on the opposite wall, he could see the film and the backs of two heads, up close against the other, nestled together beneath the blanket. Sometimes, only the television screen was visible, not the two people on the couch, but on the screen, Gohan could see the actors, and he could see what they were doing, and that was enough, because he knew that people were always inclined to follow Hollywood. And sometimes, as he walked, he saw that all lights were out and there was quiet, but for a muffled moan, a proud, happy bedspring twang, and the music playing.
Gohan sped up as he walked, and tucked his chin next to him and his face into his coat collar. A few seconds later, flakes of snow made their lazy way down from the clouds above, unhindered and unhurried by any wind.
***
Gohan was unsure of how long, exactly, he had been walking. In winter nights, there is rarely a difference in the hours between sunset and sunrise. But he did know that at his quick, unslowing pace, he had walked all the way from a West City suburb to the downtown area of West City, some fifteen miles. The neon lights were flashing all around him, casting their blue, red, green or yellow tints all over the area. White and red light spots; head lights and tail lights, streamed to and fro on his left side. The sidewalks weren't very busy, but several people were walking around, all in duos, trios, or quartets, mostly, some even larger groups. But as far as he could tell, he was the only person walking alone here. Asides, of course, for the various homeless people, and older, grizzled people in denim jackets who huffed along past. Not that Gohan was especially willing to compare himself with these poor, unfortunate persons.
He, like many of the 'invisible homeless,' went ignored by the happy groups of the luckier; mostly persons around his age, perhaps five years older or younger. Some of the groups cast askance glances at him, most of them lazily curious as to what a well-dressed, fairly attarctive young man was doing without any company at all, and a few perhaps wondering if he was crazy, to be walking alone in the urban area at night, didn't he know there could be dangerous people around?
Of course, had they known who this man was, they would have quickly dismissed any mild worries. A half-saiyan, defeater of Cell, and the former Saiyaman; it would have taken Freiza lurking in a dank alley to truly pose any sort of threat to him.
The thought of Frieza as a mugger, lurking in an alley behind galvanized trash cans, complete with ski mask, trench coat, and knife was amusing enought to the young hybrid as to put a minor smile on his face, and it stayed there as he continued his walk, all alone in his company.
Eventually, as he walked ever futher in the urban area, his smile began to fade. The neon lights were glaring, and they were causing his head to pound. The names of clubs and bars all blended together in one long, sleazy nomenclature, rendered in every color they made neon piping in. Triple XXX's blended with logos of lizards, Vikings, and beautiful female silhouettes, a ghastly mosaic of a symbol of the great and indescribable urban decay. Drum beats pounded his temples, whether or not there was actually "music" playing. This was what people danced to, this pound, this sexual rhythm. Gohan no longer saw the people who walked by, but flashes, of Maybelline and Aeropostale, Clairol and Icing, Abercrombie & Fitch. Dismembered billboards and Cosmopolitans swarmed by like so many dead leaves in the wind.
Gohan shut his eyes against the deluge, and took a few deep breaths. It was a kind of minute meditation, helping to clear his mind and focus him. Except, of course, for the fact that there was nothing for him to focus on. He was looking for...nothing. He was wandering aimlessly, very much alone, as surrounded by people as he was. He didn't want to return home, and he didn't want to continue walking.
Gohan sighed. He might as well go home, he might as well walk on, he might as well fly to the moon. No matter. No matter either way.
The crowd was thinning very rapidly, he was leaving the urban area again, he was heading into the residential district. Gohan grimly noted that he was heading into one of the nicer residential districts, similar to the one Videl lived in: decent apartment building and houses of the upper-to-upper-middle class. There would be no murderers, muggers, gangsters, or whatever lurking in any dark alleyways here. He was almost resentful. He wanted a fight. Some outside stimulus, to penetrate all his damn introspection.
If Gohan had been in a better humor, he might possibly have laughed. A person, trying to escape something, knowing full wel they could do no such thing, had attempted to do so, and been able to pretend, but now could pretend no more and was angry that this was so, even though he knew all along that this would be the case. Stupid bastard. Let's all laugh.
The residential street was deserted. No one walked around, no cars drove on the street. Most of the lights were out, indicating that most persons were still out and about enjoying their evening. Either that, or they were all back at home and back in bed, sawing logs to beat the band. In which case, it was quite a bit later than Gohan thought it was.
Gohan groaned quietly. There was nothing more for him here. He might as well go home and go to sleep. Yes. Sleep. To sleep, to escape his dismal life for the span of eight hours. To sleep, perchance to dream, of love no longer unrequited and life no further seemingly pointless.
Ay, there's the rub.
With this thus resolved, Gohan turned on his heel and began to head back the way he came. Back there, you see, were the darkness and the unseen. Places where he could take off from and fly homewards. To fly home and go to bed. To sleep, all alone, in search of the rarity, of the happy dream that took him away from life, and availed him to a place of his own creation.
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come...
It was well, one would suppose, that he had turned around at that moment. For then, barely a few seconds after he had begun to backtrack, than he witnessed a yellow taxicab fly around the corner in the typical manner of most cabbies in this part of the city: ludicrously quick and reckless, with a brick on the accelerator and bear grease on the brakes.
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil...
The taxicab shrieked and fishtailed to a halt almost right next to Gohan, barely avoiding jumping up on the curb. Gohan watched the cab with one eyebrow raised nearly to his hairline and the other brought over the eye in an expression of perplexion. Was this really happening? What the hell was going on here?
Must give us...
The cabbie, a grimy looking older fellow, jumped out of the driver side and ran around to the curb side of the road, to the passenger side of the vehicle. Ah, so he was unloading some poor individual. Probably drunk off their rocker. The cabbie was not, as it had seemed to Gohan for a wild second or so, going to offer him a ride. There.
The cabbie unlocked the door of the cabbie, and reached inside to gather up whatever bundle of miserable flesh he bore through West City to this point. The bundle was female, rather small, probably young. Her flesh was pale and unmarked, where a thin leg was visible through a slit in the skirt, Gohan noted with an increasing sense of apprehension. Something wasn't right here. Something wasn't right at all.
With surprising gentleness, the cabbie drew the bundle out of the car and tried to set her on her wobbly feet, not at all helped by the fact that her feet were clad in heeled shoes. The cabbie had slung one of her arms over his shoulder, to support her with, and hung onto her hand with the nearest hand. His other hand was around her waist, a slender waist, even considering the jacket thrown over her frame. The female's other arm was dangling uselessly, much like the rest of her upper body, slumped forward, head bowed extremely.
Gohan watched this, a sick feeling manifesting itself in his stomach. Good lord, nobody should have to go through this at all, much less on Valentine's Day. With sheer pity the driving force behind his actions, Gohan leaned foward and plucked the girl right out the cabbie's hands, cradling her next to his chest. His internal worry jumped up a notch. No only was this piteous female a dove's weight, but she also was very cold and shaking in his arms. Now that she was so close, he could smell the very unpleasant smells of smoke, old perfume, and alchohol on her. Also on her, was the very much sweeter smell of sex, but now the smell was a sweetness most cloying, as it probably meant that she'd gotten drunk and been taken advantage of, poor thing.
The cabbie had yelped in fear and dismay when Gohan simply picked up his charge and lifted her right up like a dropped pin. He now spluttered wildly, obviously fearing less-then-pure intentions in this particular Saiyan halfling. It took Gohan a second or so to calm him down and convince the cabbie of his good-hearted philanthropy.
But, still, he seemed to be a bit suspicious of Gohan. He looked at him through the corner of his eyes, his grizzled chin wrinkling in a frown.
"How'm I supposed to know I can trust you?" For as old and grimy as he was, his eyes were clear and bright.
"Scouts' honor." Gohan said, raising his eyebrows, hoping to look affable. Whe the older indiviual was unimpressed, Gohan said, losing his patience, "Look, old man, if my word isn't enough, then you can follow me up there yourself. She does live in this building, no?" He cocked his head at the building behind him, an apartment building, not the largest building in the vicinity.
The cabbie put up his hands in a calming gesture. "Alright already," he coughed, "Fine. She has neighbors, and me, Izzy Cobbs, as a witness, so don't you think about tryin' nothing, boy." Izzy, as he had revealed himself to be, tapped under his right eye with one finger. "I'm an old man, no denying, but I still can shoot the bullseye everytime. I hear anything on the news, you'll get a mouthful of lead, you understand?"
Gohan's eyebrows raised, not impressed by the threat but by the force of malice directed at him. "Comprendo, padre." Izzy snorted and shot off one final glare at him before shuffling back to his cab.
"Wait!" Izzy stopped and turned to Gohan, listening.
"Um, which apartment number is hers?"
Izzy smiled grimly at him. "She said number 337."
Gohan's heart lurched as Izzy climbed into the cab and roared away, most likely never to see either of the two again in his life. He said number 337...but that's...
Gohan glanced around himself. He already knew what he was going to see, and berated himself for not recognizing it. You idiot, how in the world did you miss it? It's not just like it, is it! Gohan face paled as epiphany drew the blood away.Then...that means...
For the first time, Gohan looked at the face of the poor invalid he had so selflessly assisted. Her skin was white, but her hair was dark and short. Her nose was small and pert, below it rested small candy-like lips. Her eyes, with dark, thick lashes, were shut, but if they opened they would be blue like jewels.
It was Videl.
...Pause.
***
TGG: BWAH HA HAAAAA!! I am so frickin' evil! What happened? What's going to happen? I got both of them! The cliffy double-whammy! ...And I can guaratee you that whatever YOU think happened, you're wrong! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
Egro: ::fish-eyes:: I thought we were going to do something about her sugar intake.
Tiffany: ::shrugs:: Tried it. Didn't work.
Egro: ::eyebrow twitch:: what do you mean, pray tell, by "didn't work?"
Tiffany: Ask Gohan.
Gohan: ::winces, applies neosporin to wound:: She's resorted to BITING me, that's what! ::sprays disinfectant on a very nasty looking bitemark:: YEEEEOOWWWWWW&^$$^%%&*^&^%^% *^*^&!!!!!
Egro: Ooh. So she likes it rough, no?
Gohan: ::pause...twitch::
Tiffany: ::thwapps Egro with a rolled up Cosmo:: Egro! Don't say things like that to the poor thing! He's already traumatized enough by her constant pouncing...
Gohan: ::twitch::
Tiffany: ...and petting his hair...
Gohan ::twitchtwitch::
Tiffany: ...and forcing him to be her little servant boy!
Gohan: ::twitchtwitch...twitch::
Tiffany: I mean, the poor thing's under constant attack! And yet do you care? No! ::picks up Gohan and huggles him very close to her:: AWWWWW dun' worry you cute beleaguered thing, I'm always here for you!
Gohan: ::twitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitch....::
TGG: Annnnnnyhum, there you have it, chapter three. You all may be wondering why I don't have this story listed in my bio, well, that's because this is almost a stress reliefy kinda thing. I don't want to put too much planning in it and post it there; this is what I write when I'm blocked on other stories (nice thing about havng so many stories, it's IMPOSSIBLE to be blocked on all of them)! And when I say I have a lot of stories, I do mean a LOT. Sneak preview of stories I'm working on that's not yet posted: Noble (DBZ), Never Stay (DBZ), Hungry Like The Wolf (DBZ), Drum Ki (DBZ), Oh God... (DBZ), That Haunted Memory of Honor (DBZ), and that's just all my DBZ stories! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I write a LOT (note, a couple of those are one-shots-not saying which ones, though).
So! I'm done with that....tell youse all what: Give me lots of reviews, and you get chapter four of this by New Year's, hopefully for Christmas. And if you don't celebrate Christmas (WHY NOT?! I'm atheist and I still give gifts and put up a tree and sing carols and crap! This holiday kicks ASS!), well then, hopefully by December 25th. Coolzies.
FIC OF THE DAY:
Something Happens To My Heart by Goku's Daughter. Stop what you're doing right NOW and go read this. It kicks your ass all the way into the new year, you mutha effahs, you. Oh, and GD? Y'all going to update the next chapter now, right?...That's what I thought.
LAST WORDS:
The I Love Ed Edd & Eddy Collection, Part One.
"Let me go salvage what's left of this plot." -Edd
"She'll tell mom, and Mom'll tell Dad, and Dad'll say 'Not now, I just got home from work'...I'm not in my happy place Eddy!!!!" -Ed
"Will you ever cease to amaze me, Ed?" -Eddy
"Yes I will." -Ed
***
A/N: ::the entire area is covered in confetti, streamers, and such, and loud happy music is blaring. TGG, Egro, and Tiffany are getting down, Gohan is standing there, confused::
Gohan: Why are we celebrating?
TGG: Because!!
Gohan: ???
Egro: TGG, for the first time in her life, has actually made plans for this chapter and the two after it, numbers 4 & 5. This means that she will be able to write both of them quickly!
Gohan: Oh!...okay....::pause:: But why are we celebrating?
Tiffany: Don't ask questions, man! Just party!!
Gohan:.....Yah. Annnyhum, whilst my unwilling comrades and vile captor ::shudders:: are hoeing down, I must give you the "A NOTE" (otherwise known as A/N) that must be told before this story of bizarre circumstances progresses. Ahem. ::clears his throat:: My mistress ::sneers at word:: has, apparently, given up on, quote, "being nice to you pansy-ass readers who don't fuckin' review," unquote. She's given you nice story endings before, but, apparently, the little feedback whore doesn't get enough feedback for her tastes. Therefore, she's returned to her tried-and-true way of getting reviews: Cliffhangers and Suspense. All I can say is that I'm surprised the foul little genius didn't do this beforehand. ::pause:: ::sigh:: ::conspiratorial whisper to the audience:: I'm going to escape her, mark my words, I will escape her cruelties. I will abscond from her oppression, and make my way back to my Videl again...
Disclaimer: These sick little fantasies of TGG have no authority and will never become DBZ canon. For which we may all thank the God that loves us.
***
"-That's all today for the local news. And now on a global level, the President of the World left on vacation in the Bahamas..."
Gohan grunted and turned off the television in disgust. He had absolutely no need to waste his time listening to what the rich could do with their time that could, no doubt, be put to better use. It was far too depressing. If he wanted depression, all he had to do was let his gloomy thoughts wander.
"Ugh.." Gohan groaned, looking briefly at the clock before he flung his arm over his face, the crook of his elbow resting at the bridge of his nose. The time was about nine o'clock, and he had absolutely nothing to do. He had come home from work at about seven, fairly tired and somewhat crabby, considering the number of people out to jump his bones had been at an all-time high. He'd tried to complain about sexual harassment and had been laughed straight out of the room. Yeesh, he needed a new job....
No, you don't, Gohan reminded himself, Now stop being such a whiny brat. Usually you like your job, today was just a bad day. At least he was left with consolation that Videl was having a good time. A good time on her date with Sharpener. A good time getting eng....
Stop that. he chastised himself. Remember, take joy in her happiness, he thought, in an effort to reverse the trend of his mood.
And take refuge in proverbs.
He was still for a few more seconds before he sprang up, making for the door. He grabbed his jacket from the chair he had tossed it over and stuffed his feet in waterproof boots.
I gotta get out of here.
Gohan lived in the fairly standard suburban subdivision, in house that was, while smaller than normal, nonetheless quite comfortable for only one person.
The grass outside of his house was very much invisible under the snow; a smooth, sparkling blanket of it. His was the only house on the block to have maintained such a perfect snowfall, in all the other houses, the snow was torn up by footsteps, snowball-scoops, snow angels, and snowmen. In all honesty, Gohan didn't know if he preferred the smooth snow or the roughed-up yard.
He left his car in the garage. He wasn't going anywhere mundane in a minor hurry, such as going to work in the morning, so he didn't need it. He was content to walk.
Gohan's breath streamed behind him, plumes of vapor eventually fading away. When walking through the winter night, most people generally stuff their hands on their coat pockets and stuff their faces down the collar of their coat; hunched over. Gohan didn't do that. He kept his face up, up and looking around him, at the houses he passed. After all, looking down at his feet, at the dirty pavement, would completely defy the purpose of going out like this anyways.
By now, all of his neighbors had taken down their Christmas lights and inside Christmas trees, to replaced by pink hearts decorating windows and a little flag with a Cupid on it for Valentine's day. However, some Christmas wreaths still peeked out along the doors, and if Gohan looked carefully, he could still see the marks of a tack or nail, in the center of a doorway, where mistletoe had been hung.
There was no one outside now, not even cars on the street. This was the suburbs, no one here really had business driving around at nine o'clock at night in mid-February. Of course, no one had any business out walking at this hour, not like that stopped him. Everyone was holed up safely in their warm, well heated houses. Gold light flowed from the windows and pooled on the muddied yards below. Gohan slowed in his walk and began to look in all the houses surrounding him.
In some of them, the children were still up and going, it being Saturday, some playing video games, watching TV, or just playing and being rambunctious, shrieks of young voices occasionally punctuating the thumps, rumblings, and rattlings. In some houses, probably those in whch the parents wished to cultivate an atmosphere of romance, the children, in rocketship pajamas and pony nightgowns, were sent to bed quickly, and the parents broke out the wine, the candles, and the Barry White records or CDs, because haven't you made love to a Barry White album? Some of them were watching movies together, Gohan could see them sometimes, when the back of the couch was up against the front window and the television was on the opposite wall, he could see the film and the backs of two heads, up close against the other, nestled together beneath the blanket. Sometimes, only the television screen was visible, not the two people on the couch, but on the screen, Gohan could see the actors, and he could see what they were doing, and that was enough, because he knew that people were always inclined to follow Hollywood. And sometimes, as he walked, he saw that all lights were out and there was quiet, but for a muffled moan, a proud, happy bedspring twang, and the music playing.
Gohan sped up as he walked, and tucked his chin next to him and his face into his coat collar. A few seconds later, flakes of snow made their lazy way down from the clouds above, unhindered and unhurried by any wind.
***
Gohan was unsure of how long, exactly, he had been walking. In winter nights, there is rarely a difference in the hours between sunset and sunrise. But he did know that at his quick, unslowing pace, he had walked all the way from a West City suburb to the downtown area of West City, some fifteen miles. The neon lights were flashing all around him, casting their blue, red, green or yellow tints all over the area. White and red light spots; head lights and tail lights, streamed to and fro on his left side. The sidewalks weren't very busy, but several people were walking around, all in duos, trios, or quartets, mostly, some even larger groups. But as far as he could tell, he was the only person walking alone here. Asides, of course, for the various homeless people, and older, grizzled people in denim jackets who huffed along past. Not that Gohan was especially willing to compare himself with these poor, unfortunate persons.
He, like many of the 'invisible homeless,' went ignored by the happy groups of the luckier; mostly persons around his age, perhaps five years older or younger. Some of the groups cast askance glances at him, most of them lazily curious as to what a well-dressed, fairly attarctive young man was doing without any company at all, and a few perhaps wondering if he was crazy, to be walking alone in the urban area at night, didn't he know there could be dangerous people around?
Of course, had they known who this man was, they would have quickly dismissed any mild worries. A half-saiyan, defeater of Cell, and the former Saiyaman; it would have taken Freiza lurking in a dank alley to truly pose any sort of threat to him.
The thought of Frieza as a mugger, lurking in an alley behind galvanized trash cans, complete with ski mask, trench coat, and knife was amusing enought to the young hybrid as to put a minor smile on his face, and it stayed there as he continued his walk, all alone in his company.
Eventually, as he walked ever futher in the urban area, his smile began to fade. The neon lights were glaring, and they were causing his head to pound. The names of clubs and bars all blended together in one long, sleazy nomenclature, rendered in every color they made neon piping in. Triple XXX's blended with logos of lizards, Vikings, and beautiful female silhouettes, a ghastly mosaic of a symbol of the great and indescribable urban decay. Drum beats pounded his temples, whether or not there was actually "music" playing. This was what people danced to, this pound, this sexual rhythm. Gohan no longer saw the people who walked by, but flashes, of Maybelline and Aeropostale, Clairol and Icing, Abercrombie & Fitch. Dismembered billboards and Cosmopolitans swarmed by like so many dead leaves in the wind.
Gohan shut his eyes against the deluge, and took a few deep breaths. It was a kind of minute meditation, helping to clear his mind and focus him. Except, of course, for the fact that there was nothing for him to focus on. He was looking for...nothing. He was wandering aimlessly, very much alone, as surrounded by people as he was. He didn't want to return home, and he didn't want to continue walking.
Gohan sighed. He might as well go home, he might as well walk on, he might as well fly to the moon. No matter. No matter either way.
The crowd was thinning very rapidly, he was leaving the urban area again, he was heading into the residential district. Gohan grimly noted that he was heading into one of the nicer residential districts, similar to the one Videl lived in: decent apartment building and houses of the upper-to-upper-middle class. There would be no murderers, muggers, gangsters, or whatever lurking in any dark alleyways here. He was almost resentful. He wanted a fight. Some outside stimulus, to penetrate all his damn introspection.
If Gohan had been in a better humor, he might possibly have laughed. A person, trying to escape something, knowing full wel they could do no such thing, had attempted to do so, and been able to pretend, but now could pretend no more and was angry that this was so, even though he knew all along that this would be the case. Stupid bastard. Let's all laugh.
The residential street was deserted. No one walked around, no cars drove on the street. Most of the lights were out, indicating that most persons were still out and about enjoying their evening. Either that, or they were all back at home and back in bed, sawing logs to beat the band. In which case, it was quite a bit later than Gohan thought it was.
Gohan groaned quietly. There was nothing more for him here. He might as well go home and go to sleep. Yes. Sleep. To sleep, to escape his dismal life for the span of eight hours. To sleep, perchance to dream, of love no longer unrequited and life no further seemingly pointless.
Ay, there's the rub.
With this thus resolved, Gohan turned on his heel and began to head back the way he came. Back there, you see, were the darkness and the unseen. Places where he could take off from and fly homewards. To fly home and go to bed. To sleep, all alone, in search of the rarity, of the happy dream that took him away from life, and availed him to a place of his own creation.
It was well, one would suppose, that he had turned around at that moment. For then, barely a few seconds after he had begun to backtrack, than he witnessed a yellow taxicab fly around the corner in the typical manner of most cabbies in this part of the city: ludicrously quick and reckless, with a brick on the accelerator and bear grease on the brakes.
The taxicab shrieked and fishtailed to a halt almost right next to Gohan, barely avoiding jumping up on the curb. Gohan watched the cab with one eyebrow raised nearly to his hairline and the other brought over the eye in an expression of perplexion. Was this really happening? What the hell was going on here?
The cabbie, a grimy looking older fellow, jumped out of the driver side and ran around to the curb side of the road, to the passenger side of the vehicle. Ah, so he was unloading some poor individual. Probably drunk off their rocker. The cabbie was not, as it had seemed to Gohan for a wild second or so, going to offer him a ride. There.
The cabbie unlocked the door of the cabbie, and reached inside to gather up whatever bundle of miserable flesh he bore through West City to this point. The bundle was female, rather small, probably young. Her flesh was pale and unmarked, where a thin leg was visible through a slit in the skirt, Gohan noted with an increasing sense of apprehension. Something wasn't right here. Something wasn't right at all.
With surprising gentleness, the cabbie drew the bundle out of the car and tried to set her on her wobbly feet, not at all helped by the fact that her feet were clad in heeled shoes. The cabbie had slung one of her arms over his shoulder, to support her with, and hung onto her hand with the nearest hand. His other hand was around her waist, a slender waist, even considering the jacket thrown over her frame. The female's other arm was dangling uselessly, much like the rest of her upper body, slumped forward, head bowed extremely.
Gohan watched this, a sick feeling manifesting itself in his stomach. Good lord, nobody should have to go through this at all, much less on Valentine's Day. With sheer pity the driving force behind his actions, Gohan leaned foward and plucked the girl right out the cabbie's hands, cradling her next to his chest. His internal worry jumped up a notch. No only was this piteous female a dove's weight, but she also was very cold and shaking in his arms. Now that she was so close, he could smell the very unpleasant smells of smoke, old perfume, and alchohol on her. Also on her, was the very much sweeter smell of sex, but now the smell was a sweetness most cloying, as it probably meant that she'd gotten drunk and been taken advantage of, poor thing.
The cabbie had yelped in fear and dismay when Gohan simply picked up his charge and lifted her right up like a dropped pin. He now spluttered wildly, obviously fearing less-then-pure intentions in this particular Saiyan halfling. It took Gohan a second or so to calm him down and convince the cabbie of his good-hearted philanthropy.
But, still, he seemed to be a bit suspicious of Gohan. He looked at him through the corner of his eyes, his grizzled chin wrinkling in a frown.
"How'm I supposed to know I can trust you?" For as old and grimy as he was, his eyes were clear and bright.
"Scouts' honor." Gohan said, raising his eyebrows, hoping to look affable. Whe the older indiviual was unimpressed, Gohan said, losing his patience, "Look, old man, if my word isn't enough, then you can follow me up there yourself. She does live in this building, no?" He cocked his head at the building behind him, an apartment building, not the largest building in the vicinity.
The cabbie put up his hands in a calming gesture. "Alright already," he coughed, "Fine. She has neighbors, and me, Izzy Cobbs, as a witness, so don't you think about tryin' nothing, boy." Izzy, as he had revealed himself to be, tapped under his right eye with one finger. "I'm an old man, no denying, but I still can shoot the bullseye everytime. I hear anything on the news, you'll get a mouthful of lead, you understand?"
Gohan's eyebrows raised, not impressed by the threat but by the force of malice directed at him. "Comprendo, padre." Izzy snorted and shot off one final glare at him before shuffling back to his cab.
"Wait!" Izzy stopped and turned to Gohan, listening.
"Um, which apartment number is hers?"
Izzy smiled grimly at him. "She said number 337."
Gohan's heart lurched as Izzy climbed into the cab and roared away, most likely never to see either of the two again in his life. He said number 337...but that's...
Gohan glanced around himself. He already knew what he was going to see, and berated himself for not recognizing it. You idiot, how in the world did you miss it? It's not just like it, is it! Gohan face paled as epiphany drew the blood away.Then...that means...
For the first time, Gohan looked at the face of the poor invalid he had so selflessly assisted. Her skin was white, but her hair was dark and short. Her nose was small and pert, below it rested small candy-like lips. Her eyes, with dark, thick lashes, were shut, but if they opened they would be blue like jewels.
It was Videl.
***
TGG: BWAH HA HAAAAA!! I am so frickin' evil! What happened? What's going to happen? I got both of them! The cliffy double-whammy! ...And I can guaratee you that whatever YOU think happened, you're wrong! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
Egro: ::fish-eyes:: I thought we were going to do something about her sugar intake.
Tiffany: ::shrugs:: Tried it. Didn't work.
Egro: ::eyebrow twitch:: what do you mean, pray tell, by "didn't work?"
Tiffany: Ask Gohan.
Gohan: ::winces, applies neosporin to wound:: She's resorted to BITING me, that's what! ::sprays disinfectant on a very nasty looking bitemark:: YEEEEOOWWWWWW&^$$^%%&*^&^%^% *^*^&!!!!!
Egro: Ooh. So she likes it rough, no?
Gohan: ::pause...twitch::
Tiffany: ::thwapps Egro with a rolled up Cosmo:: Egro! Don't say things like that to the poor thing! He's already traumatized enough by her constant pouncing...
Gohan: ::twitch::
Tiffany: ...and petting his hair...
Gohan ::twitchtwitch::
Tiffany: ...and forcing him to be her little servant boy!
Gohan: ::twitchtwitch...twitch::
Tiffany: I mean, the poor thing's under constant attack! And yet do you care? No! ::picks up Gohan and huggles him very close to her:: AWWWWW dun' worry you cute beleaguered thing, I'm always here for you!
Gohan: ::twitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitchtwitch....::
TGG: Annnnnnyhum, there you have it, chapter three. You all may be wondering why I don't have this story listed in my bio, well, that's because this is almost a stress reliefy kinda thing. I don't want to put too much planning in it and post it there; this is what I write when I'm blocked on other stories (nice thing about havng so many stories, it's IMPOSSIBLE to be blocked on all of them)! And when I say I have a lot of stories, I do mean a LOT. Sneak preview of stories I'm working on that's not yet posted: Noble (DBZ), Never Stay (DBZ), Hungry Like The Wolf (DBZ), Drum Ki (DBZ), Oh God... (DBZ), That Haunted Memory of Honor (DBZ), and that's just all my DBZ stories! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I write a LOT (note, a couple of those are one-shots-not saying which ones, though).
So! I'm done with that....tell youse all what: Give me lots of reviews, and you get chapter four of this by New Year's, hopefully for Christmas. And if you don't celebrate Christmas (WHY NOT?! I'm atheist and I still give gifts and put up a tree and sing carols and crap! This holiday kicks ASS!), well then, hopefully by December 25th. Coolzies.
FIC OF THE DAY:
Something Happens To My Heart by Goku's Daughter. Stop what you're doing right NOW and go read this. It kicks your ass all the way into the new year, you mutha effahs, you. Oh, and GD? Y'all going to update the next chapter now, right?...That's what I thought.
LAST WORDS:
The I Love Ed Edd & Eddy Collection, Part One.
"Let me go salvage what's left of this plot." -Edd
"She'll tell mom, and Mom'll tell Dad, and Dad'll say 'Not now, I just got home from work'...I'm not in my happy place Eddy!!!!" -Ed
"Will you ever cease to amaze me, Ed?" -Eddy
"Yes I will." -Ed
