Across To Elsewhere

Part One: Three - Desert Bandit

A witch. Harri Potter was a witch. Even surrounded by proof of magic Harri still found it hard to believe. Just as that same proof made it exceptionally easy to accept as her new reality.

For the second time Harri found herself inside Gringott's Wizarding Bank, approaching a goblin teller. She felt absolutely terrified, especially when the being set it's glare down upon her. Then she remembered why she needed to do it.

"Yes?"

"Can you do an exchange from gallons to pounds, please?"

~

Growling, Goku forced his arms up above his head. Heavy stones surrounded him, tried to crush him with their weight. He might be tired, he might be hungry, but he wasn't about to let himself falter in this situation. Dust choked him, force him to take shallow breaths that burned his lungs. Teeth grit so tight his jaw gave a dull ache. His entire body shook from the effort. Never before had he moved so much weight all at once.

A cry ripped out of his mouth before the stones could fall upon him a second time and suddenly he was able to suck in some much needed fresh air. It was dry and burned his throat but it was welcome.

The afternoon desert sun beat down on him with as much heat as a raging fire. Yellow sand as far as he could see radiated heat in visible waves that rose from the ground in a way that reminded him of the ocean he'd left behind all those weeks ago.

Bending over somewhat and catching his balance, Goku coughed up the dust he'd been forced to inhale and grimaced at the dry air that replaced it. His body felt over heated, and not just from the sun, like his own blood had begun to boil as it passed through his limbs. He brought up a shaking hand to his gi and felt inside his top. Sides now significantly smoother than they had been when he'd initially punched it out of the back wall of his Grandpa's hut, the small piece of egg-shaped wood was examined for any signs of damage. When none was seen a sigh of relief left him and he replaced the piece of wood to where it was safe, and looked up.

There the desert bandit stood with his back to Goku. Long curly black hair reaching the white sash at his gi's waist. Anger bubbled up within the tailed boy as he noticed how the bandit had cornered Oolong- a second companion that had joined on the adventure, though unwillingly.

"Hey!" Goku called out, coughing one more time as he forced his way out of the rubble of stone around him. The bandit turned but the look of surprise on his face as he spotted Goku quickly disappeared in favour of haughty condescension.

"Alive are you?" The bandit called back, "it would have been wiser of you to run while I thought you were dead. Of course, I'll have to finish the job properly this time."

"Yeah? Why don't you just try it." Goku bit back, scowling. He stopped two arm lengths away and shifted in the sand to a well practiced fighting stance his Grandpa'd taught him. "I'm no coward. I was just warming up!"

"Goku, you don't have to do this!" Oolong suddenly called out, but the fear that made his voice warble only made the boy's frown deepen.

"That's right!" Came the high squeaky voice of a blue cat. It floated in the air somewhere in the shade of another desert stone formation where Goku could barely see it. "Just give Yamcha any and all dinocaps and you can be free to go!"

"Don't bother with the persuasion, Puar." Yamcha called over his shoulder without taking his eyes off Goku. The teen moved into his own fighting stance opposite the tailed boy, a smirk appearing on his face. "He's already made up his mind."

"That I did." Goku agreed, tensing. Yamcha yelled, spreading his arms and fingers so that they were splayed like a wolf's head.

"Wolf Fang Fist!"