Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ New Dawn ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

At first, Kethry had no clue where she was when she awoke. Slowly, the last few days came back to her. She ached all over from stumbling through the forest for days and she stunk of dirt and old sweat. Snatching up her shoes, Kethry eased open the door. Her strange benefactor was sitting with his back against a tree, head lolled forward in sleep. She couldn't suppress a giggle as he issued a loud snore. Working to make as little noise a possible, Kethry made her way around the cabin to the pond. Stripping to the skin, she gasped from the cold water as she waded in.

"What I wouldn't give for some shampoo," she muttered to herself while she worked to rinse the oil and dirt from her hair. The silver strands clumped and knotted under her fingers, but she finally managed to work most of the leaves and twigs out of her waist-long locks. Kethry was splashing her face when she heard a strangled sound behind her. Turning quickly, she saw Vegeta standing by the edge of the cabin, a bucket clasped in one hand. They just stared at each other for a long moment, before Vegeta shook himself, dropping the bucket on the ground.

"What do you think you are doing?!" His face went from slightly pale to red in a flash.

Kethry crossed her arms over her breasts in a vain attempt to retain some of her dignity. "I thought you where sleeping and, well, to be honest, I stunk."

Vegeta took a step towards her, his face an unreadable mask. Then, he stopped and snarled, "Dress yourself!" Turning on his heel, Vegeta stalked away.

Shivering from fear and the cold water, Kethry struggled to pull on her clothes, but they kept sticking to her damp skin. Wondering if she had worn out her welcome, she shuffled back. As she rounded the cabin, Kethry stopped dead in her tracks because, at that moment, Vegeta was leveling a kick at a rather large tree. There was a loud crack and the leafy giant toppled at the point of contact. Kethry couldn't help the soft "Whoa" that slipped off her lips. Vegeta whirled towards her, his ice-blue eyes burning with a strange light.

"Do you still wish for death?" Even though he didn't raise his voice, it carried to Kethry and made her shiver with a sudden, consuming fear. He advanced on her. "I can grant that wish with ease." Upon reaching her, he stood with his face inches from her own, his hot breath puffing on her cheek, and the heat of his body seeming to roll off in waves. Kethry's body tingled like she was standing too close to high-voltage power lines. Vegeta threw his left hand out to the side towards the forest. A bright flash of light cracked from his fingertips, exploding any trees it touched. There was a heavy smell of ozone and Kethry felt herself shaking uncontrollably. "Fear me." His voice was a low growl; he stepped back and without another word stalked off into the woods and out of her sight.

Kethry crumbled to the ground into a ball of misery, shaking and weeping.