Across To Elsewhere

Part One: Three - Desert Bandit

But Goku was ready for him this time. Letting one of his legs slip in the sand, Goku ducked under the hit so that he could get through the taller teen's guard and give a straight jab into the white writing over the sternum on Yamcha's green tunic. Wind forced out of his lungs Yamcha gasped as he leaned forwards. Goku took immediate advantage, spinning in place so his tail would smack across Yamcha's face without remorse. Too winded to even cry out Yamcha tumbled to the sand in a heap.

Despite being the one still standing, Goku let out a low groan. His stomach gurgled like the raging monster it was, eating him from the inside out. How long had it been since he'd last eaten? A day? No, they'd been walking in the desert for a little longer than that and Goku hadn't eaten since they left the forest beyond the river. It reminded him of Harri, who'd sometimes spent weeks in that cupboard without eating. Both he and his Grandpa had counted each day that she told them she didn't get any food. He couldn't have imagined how she'd done it, knowing how much he needed to eat to feel healthy. Being forced not to eat for so long in the desert made a brand new respect fill him for his friend.

Yamcha was up again and suddenly Goku found himself down on his back, being tripped as the teen moved to stand. Focused back on the fight Goku rolled to avoid being stomped on- he had a feeling Yamcha's heel wouldn't feel very nice with how it left pock holes in the sand when it missed him. At the last moment, Goku made to roll in the opposite way and quickly caught Yamcha's boot in his hands when he'd gotten under his leg properly. Quick as a snake Goku brought up a leg to unbalance Yamcha before the teen could try and escape. They were both on the hot sand then, glaring at one another, but Goku managed to get up first this time. He backed away to put some space between them.

"Ugh!"

Snapping his head up, Goku spotted Bulma. The blue haired teen had been napping in the shade, having had thrown a fit about hunger and thirst and dinocaps and how she hated the desert in general. Now the teen sat up, tired eyes glaring at him from across the sand.

"How can anyone get any sleep with all this racket?!"

Just like that Yamcha fell back to the ground, skin so red Goku was certain the teen had acquired a sudden sunburn. With a gasp Puar flew over to the hover car that she and Yamcha had arrived in and drove it to be between Yamcha and Bulma. Curiously Goku watched as Yamcha scrambled to get into the vehicle, like his life depended on it.

"This isn't the last you've seen of me, Son Goku!" Yamcha called over his shoulder like some movie villain, even as the hover car kicked up so much dust it might as well had been a mini sand storm.

Even as he waited for the sand to settle Goku shook his head at the absurdity. Harri had read books to him before, ones she'd snuck under her cupboard under the pretense of too much homework from her school Professors, and the line Yamcha had just used was one of the favorites said by villains in several of them. All at once Goku's mood suddenly plummeted. He put a hand over his heart where the wood for the Mirror safely sat.

"Was that a boy?! What was his name? Why did you let him go, Goku?" Bulma demanded, looking between the two companions with her.

"It's not like I'd eat him if I won." Goku pointed out, stomach gurgling again as he made his way over to the teen. "Why wouldn't I let him go if he didn't want to fight?"

There was a thick silence that followed which Goku ignored. He sat down heavily in the cool shaded sand and let out another groan. "So hungry."

Nervously Oolong shuffled towards Bulma so that the blue haired teen was between him- an ampothramorphic pig- and Goku.

"That was Yamcha the Desert Bandit." Oolong eventually answered Bulma, side-eyeing Goku as he spoke. "He's, apparently, deathly afraid of girls."