Day Three: Early Morning

[Bardock]

Bardock couldn’t help but let out a pent-up breath. Despite the pain that coursed through his now broken hand, he scooped her up in his arms, the rocket launcher slung over his shoulder. His thoughts were no longer focused on catching Minoshia, but getting them the hell out of there. This wasn’t too difficult, as they were immediately teleported back to their original location, prize in hand. Once more, they had walked away with the trophy, but this time at a much greater cost. Bardock felt Violet’s form revert to normal as her transformation melted away. She groggily clutched at his chest, so he held her closer. He looked down as the raindrops from the storm began to pummel them both, drenching them in its torrential downpour. She was badly burned. The fighter looked up, his golden aura a bright beacon in the darkness. Where could they go?

Blindly, he began running forward, and stumbled across their bags, which had been teleported with them.

“Bardock…” she groaned weakly.

“Hang on,” he answered, adjusting her weight as he set her gently down on the ground. He picked up their bags and flung them both over his already aching body, then knelt down and cradled the human once more. His chest heaved and his body felt heavy. He hadn’t had much practice using his ascended Super Saiyan form, and the effort to maintain control over it was quickly sapping the last of his strength.

“Just keep holding onto me,” he instructed firmly, trying to convince himself just as much as her. She’d been tough, as tough as he now knew she could be. He had to try to do the same.

Fortune smiled upon him as lightning cracked across the sky, revealing the silhouette of a run-down hunting lodge. Immediately, Bardock trudged over to the entrance and shakily kicked in the door. He fumbled around in the dark, tripping over old, dusty furniture. With a grunt, he exerted more energy to make his saffron glow even brighter. In a corner, there was an overstuffed couch.

Gingerly, he set her down, and sagged his shoulders to let the duffel straps roll off and onto the floor. The roughneck unzipped his and pulled out a lantern he’d grabbed from the sporting goods store. With trembling fingers and a determined expression, he figured out the mechanism and illuminated the bulb, setting it on the nearby table. The old, creaky room was immediately lit up.

“I’m okay…I’m okay…” Violet slowly exhaled.

Bardock turned around and examined the extent of her burns, tenderly massaging his wounded hand. She’d been seriously messed up. Suddenly, no longer able to sustain his golden power, Bardock’s aura slowly vanished, and his hair returned to their ordinary black spikes. As his immense strength faded, so too, did he. He swayed for a moment, and then crouched down on the floor and leaned against the table, facing the human.

That battle had been…intense. Exactly the fix they’d been looking for, and perhaps a little more than they bargained. But those were the rules of the game. Everyone had willingly signed their life away, and they had to be willing to take all the risk that was involved. Bardock smirked, still breathing raggedly as he let out a soft chuckle.

I got him again… he thought, replaying the bold shot of the bazooka. Then again, he’d almost taken out his partner, which was a much more sobering thought. He’d stopped breathing, his heart had stopped beating when the explosion engulfed her fleeing form. He hadn’t…expected to be as affected as he was. It was just the heat of the moment, and felt something slipping away as every second ticked by. Now, the fighter was much calmer, much more composed.

Bardock poked through his bag once more and produced the blanket. When he turned back to face Violet, he noticed she was becoming awake and alert, and her face was full of contemplation. The brawler could only guess what was going through her mind. His mind was racing as well. He had enjoyed the rush of battle, balked at the thought of her death, and knew how important their aftermath moves would be. Safety and recovery had to be ensured, so they were going to have to lay low for a while.

“You just don’t know when to quit, do you?” Bardock joked, attempting to make light of the situation. His humor didn’t seem to be settling in well. “Violet…I…”

But he didn’t know what to say. He was just liable to make things worse, and he didn’t want to admit how he had felt. The saiyan reminded himself it was only a game, and that they would both come out the other side one way or another. Instead, he placed the blanket over her and sat back, trying to push his own hurting and fatigue out of his brain.