Chapter XV: El Hroe del da
Gouki gingerly packed several rolled up scrolls into his bag, laying them one on top of another. He had decided after all to only copy the ones he wanted and take those, leaving the precious originals behind as a measure of precaution and out of respect for their authors.
Two days had passed since Gen and Master Fei departed for China, Gouken left the night he finished his fight. Goutetsu left for the mountains to further train himself; now that he no longer had students to look after he resumed his wandering ways. This only left Gouki and Afaik; and Afaik herself spent most of her days in town playing mah jong and chess with her housewife friends.
The shadow of candlelight danced on the walls of the old study, as Gouki quickly stuffed what he needed into his worn bag. The dusty floor hadn?t been swept in years and the cobwebs hung like curtains and drapes?.yet the room gave Gouki a sense of familiarity. Now he was leaving that, unsure if he would ever return. Gouki sighed as he reached over and extinguished a candle in between his thumb and index finger. The ghostly trail of smoke silently dispersed into the stately air with a soft hiss. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder lazily, quietly finishing off the rest of the candles. Once the last flame flickered and died, Gouki ambled out of the room, his hands shoved in his pockets and his face somber.
++++++++++++++++++
?HELP! I?VE BEEN ROBBED!! SOMEONE!!?
A loud shriek echoed through the country marketplace as Gouken?s ears perked. His mouth was stuffed with food as he sat at a local outdoor diner. It was a busy day, the sun shining and many people yelling and children running around playing. Gouken listened closer, but heard no more. After a minute he went back to his noodles.
?SOMEBODY HELP???
The voice tore through the ruckus of the marketplace again, Gouken immediately dropped his dish and sped off in the direction, not missing a beat as he tossed the proper amount towards the waitress and winked at her smiling face.
Gouken had walked all night, keeping a nice pace to not tire him out but at the same to actually get somewhere. He figured he had at least traveled 30 miles from Goutetsu?s grounds, but he didn?t care enough to ask anyone. Gouken?s main concern was just going somewhere, anywhere. As he ran his loose tan gi flapped in the brisk breeze, kicking up a cloud of thin dust that made his bare feet even dirtier. The calls began to grow closer, and before he knew it he was standing in front of the woman making them.
?M?am?? Is something the matter??? Gouken meekly inquired.
The woman in front of him was young and beautiful, but her drab kimono and haggard hair suggested a humble lifestyle. She stood in front of Gouken slightly annoyed that he would ask such a question, as she had been screaming for help at the top of her lungs for the past 10 minutes.
?Some common thug has just stolen all of my money.? She stated.
??how can I help?? Gouken sensed he?d be dealing with this woman for the rest of the day.
?I want you to get my money back. Follow me around, when I seem him I?ll point him out to you. Please?.I needed that money?sniff?
Gouken shrugged and followed her.
++++++++++++++++++
The orange afternoon sky was at its last stand, holding on just a little longer before night would overthrow it. Gouken and the woman had walked along for hours now, with no sign of the thief. As they approached a lonely road, the woman grabbed Gouken and pulled him close.
?There he is.? She hissed.
?Him?? Gouken pointed out in the distance. ?He looks like a monk?are you sure he?s the one??
?He?s the one! You know how corrupt monks are these days?.you better watch out.?
?He should not be a problem. Stay here, I?ll be back.? Gouken?s eyes suddenly turned surprisingly serious as he began to briskly walk forward.
?Hey you!!? Gouken shouted.
?Hrm?? The figure turned around slowly, a lazy daze in his eyes. He was a monk, a shining bald head with bushy eyebrows, a beak nose and a slender face. He didn?t look a day over 19, his garment loose robes with pants that stopped at his upper ankle and a shirt that stopped at his elbow. He stared at Gouken confused, a bag slung over his right shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the woman, pointing at Gouken while his back was turned.
?You!? The stranger shouted.
?Me what?! Give this kind woman back her money!?
?ME?! You?re the thief!!?
?WHAT?! How dare you! You lying thug! Don?t make me have to use force!? Gouken rolled up his sleeves.
?Force! You couldn?t do anything with those skinny arms! Now listen, you give this woman back her money and I won?t pound you into the ground.?
?So that?s how you want it huh?!?
?I?ll have to beat some sense into you!!?
?THAT?S IT!!!? Both shouted simultaneously as they sprang into fighting stances, their eyes locked upon one another.
?HAH!? The stranger bolted forward with a palm strike, Gouken easily dodged the attack and attempted to land a right hook. The stranger caught Gouken?s arm, and threw him over-the-shoulder to the dusty ground.
?Rookie. You overextended yourself. Your own momentum has just been used against you.? Gouken shot back up into a jumping roundhouse. The attack was blocked and countered with a hammerfist to the side of Gouken?s head. Gouken ducked under the attack and elbowed his opponent in the ribs, then he briskly smacked him across the face, making his eyes widen.
?Why you little-!?
Both continued fighting, ignoring the woman who crept up behind them, eyeing their bags cast aside before the impromptu battle. She slipped next to the discarded items, and silently searching them for a particular item?.
?HAHAHA!? She cackled as she stood up with both of the fighter?s wallets in each hand. Suddenly she put her fingers to her mouth and gave a shrill whistle. In the distance a car roared to life and shot forward toward her.
?SUCKERS!!? She laughed as a black dirty car pulled up beside her. She quickly hoped in the passenger side and the vehicle sped off, leaving the perplexed young men in the dust.
?SHE JUST-!!!? The two shouted as they looked at each other and then to the fleeing car, their eyes wide and mouths hung open. Without thinking Gouken jumped back and cupped his hands, gathering his ki into a small white ball?.
The stranger took off running towards the car, his eyes focused and his fists pumping through the air.
?HAHH!!? Gouken roared as he shot forward his hands, a white baseballl-sized ki springing forward, flying towards the car at lightning speed.
With a loud crash the blast connected with the back right side of the getaway car, destroying the tire and some of the fender. The car quickly began to slow, kicking up dust as it swerved around the road. The stranger quickly caught up, springing high into the air, his tightly clenched fist high above his head.
?Iron fist of truth!!? He yelled in Chinese as he punched through the front windshield, shattering the galss completely. The shocked thieves could only hold their hands in front of their faced as glass rained down on them, the driver pushing his foot on the gas in surprise. The stranger then grabbed both criminals by their throats and jerked them from the car, tossing them to the side of the road and jumping away himself as the black car ran off the road and into a tree.
Gouken and the stranger stared at the two thieves lying on the ground, both of them shocked and afraid.
?Give us our money.? Gouken commanded, his stern eyes locked on the crooks.
Wordlessly they handed them their wallets.
?Now, go.? Gouken ordered. They took off running.
?That?s it?! They robbed us!! Shouldn?t we punish them some more??? The stranger protested.
?Look at their car. It?s useless now. They?ve learned their lesson I bet.? Gouken nodded, his voice had returned to its natural, kind tone.
?I seriously doubt it. Eitherway, those were some nice moves back there. That ki control was excellent. Tell me, did you aim for the car, or just miss and hit the tire??
?It didn?t want to hurt them, only stop them from getting away. The tire was enough.?
?Nice. I never caught your name.?
?My name?s Gouken. And I didn?t catch your name either.?
?I didn?t throw it. But it?s Retsu.?
?Well Retsu, you did well yourself. Destroying all that glass with one punch? Can I see your hand?? Retsu showed him the fist, free of any cuts or bruises.
?Wow.?
?Come on Gouken. Like you couldn?t do that. By your blast, I can tell you?re pretty well trained. Unless you?re a pansy boy that worked on ?focusing their ki? all the time and not fighting.?
Gouken laughed, and Retsu chuckled at his comment.
?Where are you heading now friend??
Retsu shrugged. ?No where in particular, just kinda blowing with the wind?.? Retsu pantomimed the wind with his hands. Gouken heard a loud pop from the wrecked car in the distance.
?Hmm?well that?s where I?m going also.?
?Yes I?d like to come along with you.? Retsu said with closed eyes and a slight nod.
?What? I didn?t ask you.?
?You didn?t need to.?
