It was late afternoon in West City, the heat of the day reaching its apex as the clock struck four. Traffic was gridlocked, making for an overall sweltering summer day in the metropolis.
Of course, the fact that traffic was plugged mattered little when one could fly.
Two of the Earth's finest warriors were gliding lazily over the skyscrapers, both of them sweating profusely not from the sun's heat, but by the intensity of their recent training session together.
Son Goku, the planet's strongest and kindest fighter, was swooping whimsically in the air, often flying in high loops and spirals for no purpose at all other than pure enjoyment. His face was slicked with perspiration, but his expression shone with childlike wonder and joy. His orange and blue martial arts gi was tattered and torn, revealing his muscled and toned physique.
Beside him was his rival and friend, the warrior known as Vegeta. Goku and Vegeta were both Saiyans, a race of aliens known for their physical prowess as well as their love for fighting.
While Goku's desire to face strong opponents was pure in nature, Vegeta's was not. The "Prince of All Saiyans", as he referred to himself, was a man of immeasurable arrogance, although this prideful attitude was more than backed up by his power, and tempered by the presence of the family he had made on Earth.
With the planet enjoying a time of peace after the attack of Majin Buu, Goku and Vegeta were the only ones around who could truly test their limits and each enjoyed their rivalry immensely. Like Goku, Vegeta's clothes were torn from their spar, his blue jumpsuit frayed from their fight.
"C'mon Kakarrot, hurry it up!" Vegeta shouted gruffly, his spiky black hair flowing in the gentle summer breeze. Goku merely smiled back at him, placing his arms behind his head and flying backwards. Vegeta crossed his arms, flying in a straight line.
Right now, the two Saiyans were looking about for a place to eat, their appetites just as voracious as their strength in battle. The warriors could eat as much as fifty men individually, and they were especially hungry after their exhausting training.
"Haha, lighten up a bit, Vegeta! You know, Goten should be working today, so at least our food will come quickly." Goku said, ever cheerful.
"Really?" Vegeta smirked, cocking an eyebrow. "The harpy put him to work early, and at a fast food restaurant, no less! I don't recall Gohan ever having to get a summer job."
"Yeah, well I don't think Goten is going to become a great scholar any time soon." Goku said conspirationally.
"Ah, so this one's more like his father then." Vegeta laughed imperiously. "Hey!" Goku protested, indignant.
"Ah, there's the spot right now!" Goku pointed at a small shop on the other side of town. A flickering neon sign spelled out "GREASY JOE'S" in red light. Goku and Vegeta landed, paying no mind to their horrific post-workout stench and torn clothes as they entered the establishment.
It was a brightly lit place, decorated with red and white tables. Similarly colored tile adorned the walls and floors, contrasting with the black wooden chairs.
Goku and Vegeta sat down, and were soon helped by a rather bubbly and cute waitress whose small, metallic nametag read "Hi, I'm Wendy!" Once she caught sight of Goku and Vegeta, a red blush instantaneously stained her otherwise pale cheeks.
"Uh…hi." Wendy stuttered. "Hi!" Goku said happily back to her. "My name's Goku, and I'm a Saiyan from Earth!"
"Kakarrot! Just let me order." Vegeta snarled, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "I'll take fifty double bacon cheeseburgers, thirty large orders of french fries, and perhaps….ten chili dogs." He barked with the utmost seriousness.
Wendy's eyebrows rose higher into her blond bangs as Vegeta's order went on, but she dutifully wrote it down regardless. "And you, sir?" She referred to Goku.
"I'll have the same stuff, but I'll also take a salad." "Only one salad?" She repeated incredulously. "Yeah, my wife's getting on my case about eating healthier." Goku shrugged, smiling gently.
"OK…the total will come to five hundred and fifty dollars, plus tax." Wendy reported dimly.
"Oh, shoot! I forgot that food sometimes costs money." Goku bemoaned, having brought no currency with him.
"It's fine, Kakarrot." Vegeta said smugly as he pulled out a blue credit card from nowhere. "We'll just put it on Bulma's tab. She spends roughly five hundred of your Earth dollars on makeup a week, so she won't mind if we spend a little of it here."
"What?!" Wendy nearly shouted, upsetting the other patrons of the restaurant. At this time of day, there were very few customers, although the busy hour was fast approaching. "Where do you work, that you can afford this much?"
"I work for Capsule Corporation's Research and Development division, while my compatriot here is a farmer, although he earns a few extra dollars as a clown entertaining at children's birthday parties." Vegeta had spent an hour in front of the mirror practicing this cover story, concocted by Bulma for whenever the two warriors found themselves in public.
"Yep, that's right!" Goku affirmed, but then paused. "Hey, wait a minute! I'm not a clown! That was just the one time!" He protested, causing Wendy to giggle.
"Well, I don't think you're a clown. Clowns don't look handsome like…you~" She said demurely, causing Vegeta to retch.
"Hey, thanks lady! You're really nice!" Goku chirped, completely oblivious to her advances. Vegeta, however, was not. "Yeah, yeah, just get our food ready, we're hungry! And get Goten on it, he'll prepare them the fastest."
"How do you guys know that Goten makes the food fastest?" She questioned. "He's my son!" Goku responded happily. "Wow...um, anyways, I'll be off. With Goten cooking, your food should be ready in about twenty minutes!" With that, she scampered off, a shy wreck.
Vegeta scowled over at Goku. "Listen, I wouldn't be so friendly with her."
Goku frowned, "Aw, why not? Friends are a good thing!" "Yes, well, I don't think your idea of companionship is the same as hers." Vegeta chuckled darkly. "Anyhow, let's heckle Goten."
"Oh my goodness, I knew it was you two from the moment I saw that ridiculous order! And don't you have the decency to at least put on some non-ripped clothes!?" Goten practically yelled. Although the second son of Goku once bore resemblance to his father, he rather looked like any average teenage boy at this point.
His once-spiky hair now flowed into a wavy mop, covered by a paper hat with the Greasy Joe's logo cheaply printed on the brim. He wore an appropriately greasy apron and uniform. As they spoke, Goten was preparing the burgers at super-speed, patties flying with enough force to destroy moons.
"Keep cooking, boy. And I want those fries nice and salty!" Vegeta cackled as they examined the back kitchen. "Heh, at least my shift's over after this…" Goten grimaced as he fished in the cupboard for ingredients.
Soon enough, the food was ready, and the steaming burgers stacked on top of each other, veritable towers of sodium and calories. "Yummy!" Goku immediately dug in, managing to fit an entire bag of fries in his mouth on his very first bite.
Although Vegeta took a moment to groan in disgust at Goku's gluttony, little better could be said of him, the prince eating just as fast and just as sloppily as his rival.
After a few minutes, Goten joined them, having prepared a comparatively smaller portion for himself, although it was still an unreasonable amount of food by human standards. The three Saiyans devoured their plates eagerly, leaving no scraps behind. Somehow, even as their mouths were full of processed fat and sugars, they were able to converse. Goku and Goten inquired about the state of the Briefs household, while Vegeta generally limited discussion to training techniques and fighting jargon.
They left an hour later, the sun low enough in the sky to the point where an orange light had tinged the city streets. Vegeta bade Goku and Goten goodbye with a terse nod before flying to the Capsule Corporation compound. Although Vegeta was largely reformed from his once-wicked ways, he was certainly not very social, although he was perhaps a little more outgoing than the likes of Piccolo or Tien.
Goku and Goten flew out of the cityscape and into the woods of Mount Paozu, their home becoming visible over the horizon. Smoke lazily drifted skyward from the chimney, signaling that Chi-Chi had stoked the hearth.
"Hey, I sense big bro's ki! He must have got some time off from college!" Goten exclaimed with a boyish glee he usually considered himself too cool for at this point in his life. "Hey dad, I know you're probably tired, but do you think we can train together later?"
Goku smiled and nodded, obliging his younger son's request. "Sure! I just hope you can show your old man a few tricks!" He teased as they dropped to the ground and walked towards their home.
An indescribable warmth filled Goku's heart. He loved adventures and fighting, and always would. But it was the times of peace, the times spent with family and friends, that truly made it all worth it.
A/N
Greetings, lovely readers, and thanks for reading this story!
I was in a bit of a sentimental mood, so I decided to write a short one-shot about a day in the life of the Z-Fighters. The characters fight so often that seeing them at rest is a treat. I love the battles, though. Plus, the idea of Goten being a frycook was humorous to me. Thanks for reading, guys, and may you live a full and excellent life!