"I don't know, Trunks. Do you really think it'll work?" A young boy asked hesitantly as he stood with his lavender-haired friend on the green grass outside Capsule Corporation. They hid behind a wall, observing someone around the corner as they considered Trunks' idea.
"Of course it will, Goten. Now, since you're the youngest, you'll go first." Trunks insisted with a light shove, exposing his friend from behind the wall. Goten frowned fearfully as he frantically searched for some other form of hiding. He and Trunks both jumped when two figures instantaneously appeared next to them. They were used to the sensation of the sudden appearance, but it still made them jump. They were especially jumpy when they were being conniving.
"Hey, Dad!" Goten exclaimed quickly, turning with a forced innocent smile to face the new arrivals. He frowned deeply and contorted his face into one of deep confusion as he comprehended what he saw. "Piccolo? Who...is…that?" Piccolo frowned deeply and immediately placed a hand in front of his companion's face just as she was about to respond. Piccolo leaned into his companion to whisper something while Trunks and Goten exchanged a look. "How do you think they did that?" Goten asked his friend.
"I don't know." Trunks whispered with a suspicious scowl as he studied the whispering pair of adults.
"Goku, why did you bring us to the children?" Piccolo whispered with animosity, not at all enjoying being put on the spot with this situation. Everyone knew Goku was the only one of their friends who could perform such a technique. As far as Piccolo knew, Goku would not want his son knowing about his transformation.
"I sensed them here, and wanted to see the kids before we talk to Bulma." Goku answered innocently, obviously not bothering to consider the implications of their method of arrival.
"Maybe you want to lay low while you look like that." Piccolo suggested, raising his brows meaningfully. Goku stared blankly at him, and Piccolo groaned. It was obvious that Goku did not see the problem Piccolo was seeing here.
"Hey!" Trunks said demandingly, irritated at being forced to wait. "How did you get here? I thought only Goku could do instantaneous movement?" He asked as he pointed an accusing finger at the pair. Goku and Piccolo separated, and Piccolo responded hurriedly before Goku might say something she'd regret.
"Goku's been teaching me. I did it." Piccolo said in a tone that told the kids the topic was not up for debate. Trunks looked suspicious as he studied the Namekian, but Goten immediately jumped up in excitement.
"Cool! You can do it, too? That's great, Piccolo!" Goten cheered enthusiastically as Goku smiled at her adorable son. She furrowed her brows in confusion as she wondered what her sons were supposed to call her now. Goten suddenly stopped jumping and frowned with a perturbed expression on his face. "But…why did he teach it to you?"
"Yeah! If he's going to teach anyone the instantaneous movement, it should really be my father. He's wasting his efforts if he doesn't teach it to the strongest person he can." Trunks bragged proudly. Piccolo growled angrily at the children, refusing to engage any further in that conversation.
"Where is your mother, Trunks?" Piccolo asked brusquely. Goten opened his mouth to answer, but Trunks put a hand on Goten's chest, indicating for him to hold off.
"First, who is she?" Trunks asked, pointing blatantly at Goku. Goku smiled and opened her mouth to speak again, but Piccolo glared at her warningly, causing her to back down. Goku crossed her arms and assumed a pout as she was really getting tired of Piccolo shushing her. She tapped her foot impatiently. She didn't see what the big deal was, anyways.
"This is a friend of your mother's. I brought her here for some important business. Your mother's expecting her, Trunks. If she doesn't arrive soon, I'm sure your mother will be very angry with you." Piccolo threatened, knowing the boy's fear of his mother was an easy weakness to exploit. Trunks' eyes widened as he gulped and nodded dutifully. Piccolo smirked with satisfaction as Trunks and Goten finally divulged Bulma's whereabouts in her lab.
Goku waved to Goten and Trunks as they reassumed their position behind the wall. She observed them suspiciously as she wondered just what kind of mischief they were up to. She shrugged it off as Piccolo walked with a determined pace into Capsule Corporation, and she needed to catch up to meet with Bulma.
"So, I can tell Bulma who I am, right Piccolo?" Goku asked as they walked, still confused about Piccolo's reasoning for hiding her identity from the children. Piccolo groaned.
"How else do you expect her to help, Goku?" Piccolo growled as they descended the stairs leading to the lab.
"Oh. So what was wrong with telling Trunks and Goten?" Goku asked.
"I don't know if you really want your family knowing about this." Piccolo glanced at Goku from the corner of his eye as he paused. "Your whole family." Piccolo added pointedly. A few steps later, Goku stopped and screamed. Piccolo cringed and covered his ears as he turned back to look at the woman, who seemed bothered by the unexpectedly shrill sound as well.
"I can't let Chi-Chi see me like this! She'll kill me!" Goku exclaimed as she raised both hands to her head, clenching her hair in desperation. Piccolo chuckled, though he did feel guilty for finding it amusing. It was probably true. "We need to get Bulma to fix this fast!" Goku exclaimed as she sped down the stairs, her appearance melting into nothing but a flash of colors. Piccolo huffed and followed Goku's trail, continuing his walking pace as he knew there was no rush to meet up with Goku.
Piccolo could not have possibly missed Goku. But that did not mean he was going to catch up. The sound of two women shouting and whining at one another kept him at bay. It was obvious that Goku found Bulma. From the sounds of things, Bulma was not happy to see the unfamiliar visitor.
"Bulma, please!" Goku pleaded from down the hall.
"I don't know who you think you are lady, but you better get out of my labs before I call security!" Bulma threatened.
"I told you, I'm Goku!" Goku responded with exasperation. "You have to believe me!" Piccolo rolled his eyes and decided he didn't have time for this.
"Alright, Goku!" Piccolo shouted down the hall. "Bulma can take it from here. I'm leaving now!" He had no intention of coming between the face off, and knew Goku could hear him from this distance. The women silenced as they heard Piccolo's words and his footsteps padding down the hall.
"See?" Goku said after a moment. "It really is me!" Piccolo heard a dubious groan of one woman, followed by a heavy sigh of the other. Then he heard the roar of Goku's voice, and felt her ki rise drastically. He glanced over his shoulder to see a golden glow down the hall. He chuckled as he heard Bulma finally gasp in realization.
"You're a…Super Saiyan." Bulma said quietly, but not so quietly that his Namekian hearing could not pick it up. "Goku?" Bulma asked, her voice still heavily tinged with doubt. Piccolo grunted his approval that Goku could take it from here as he headed out. He'd check back later to see if Goku was back to himself.
Bulma and Goku stood in the kitchen, talking. She told Bulma she needed something to eat before they got started in the lab, and Bulma had reluctantly agreed, knowing she would need reinforcements in order to draw blood from Goku. It was a necessary procedure if she was going to make any headway in changing him…her back. Even then, she highly doubted she could counteract magic with science. She observed her friend curiously and scientifically as she marveled at the amazing differences. Bulma rested her elbow on the counter, her chin on her hand, when she couldn't contain her curiosity any longer.
"So, Goku." Goku glanced up from her plate of food as Bulma smiled with a big, toothy grin. "How does it feel to have boobs?" Bulma asked as she tried to contain her laughter at Goku's confounded expression.
"Don't you know already? You do have a pair of your own, you know." Goku responded innocently, nodding towards Bulma's chest. Bulma rolled her eyes.
"I meant for you. You know...since you never had them before?" Bulma raised her eyebrows and inclined her head towards Goku, searching for a juicy answer. She groaned in disappointment at Goku's blank look. Apparently becoming female hadn't changed the way Goku's brain worked. "Alright, there are some things you should know about being female. You may be stuck like this for a while, Goku." Goku's mouth dropped in shock.
"What?! Bulma, what are we going to tell my family?" Goku fretted.
"Why don't you just go home and tell them what happened?" Bulma asked with an indifferent shrug.
"Bulma, just imagine what Chi-Chi would do when I come home as a woman." Goku said with big, fearful eyes. Bulma met Goku's eyes with a blank expression, then gasped as she imagined Chi-Chi's reaction.
"You're right. You better not go home like that. You can stay here for the time being, if you want." Bulma offered. Goku nodded, readily accepting the offer. But she still worried about Chi-Chi.
"Woman!" A voice bellowed furiously as a door to the outside swung open. "Trunks is grounded for the rest of his life! And when I see that fool, Kakarot, I'm going to have him punish his son in front of me, to make sure both of those brats pay for what they just did!"
Bulma and Goku stared wide-eyed as the Prince of all Saiyans walked into the kitchen. He was soaking wet and glaring furiously, his pants torn from the knees down and his feet bare as he carried his water-logged white boots. Bulma and Goku stifled their laughter, the endless possibilities of Trunks and Goten's shenanigans causing their imaginations to run wild. They both knew when he was ready to blow. This was definitely one of those moments. Vegeta took another step forward, slipping on the tiled floor in a humorous near fall as Goku lost control and burst out laughing at her rival. Vegeta growled furiously as Bulma joined in, and Vegeta quickly approached the counter where they both sat, slapping it hard to gain their attention. This broke Bulma from her laughter, sobering her in an instant as she caught Vegeta's furious eyes inches from her face.
"Vegeta! We have company!" She said as she inclined her head towards Goku. "Act civilized." Bulma winked at Goku, hoping that she would play along. Vegeta observed Goku carefully, as if he had just realized she was there. He sniffed, a pleased expression crossing his face as he appreciated the scent in the air.
"Hello." Vegeta said cordially to Goku, sending Bulma a malicious smirk. "I'm Vegeta." Goku laughed light-heartedly.
"I know." She said, as Vegeta turned surprised, then glanced at Bulma.
"So, Bulma's been talking about me." Vegeta leaned forward with his elbow rested on the counter, all discomfort of his current disheveled state forgotten. Goku continued smiling at Vegeta, beginning to feel awkward at receiving any look from the other Saiyan that was this nice. It felt like some bizarre, alternate reality. Bulma picked up on the look as well, knowing Vegeta was looking to make her jealous in an attempt at payback for being laughed at. She smirked as she decided to bait him.
"Are you flirting with my friend, Vegeta?" Bulma asked accusingly.
"What if I was? Nothing wrong with looking, right? We both know you have no restraint in that matter." Vegeta spat before drawing his attention back to Goku. "Besides, if you don't want me noticing other women, you shouldn't ask me to be civilized to your attractive friends." He added with a smirk as he looked at both women, who exchanged a glance.
"So, you think my friend is attractive. Is she more attractive than me?" Bulma asked competitively as Goku frowned. This seemed like dangerous territory to her.
"Yes. She smells better, too." Vegeta responded instantly and rebelliously. A startled expression suddenly crossed his face, and he looked closely at Goku. "Bulma..." Vegeta's expression became perplexed, almost disturbed as he stared at Goku.
"Yes, Vegeta? See something you recognize?" Bulma taunted, thinking that somehow Vegeta knew it was Goku. Not that she could imagine how that was possible, but Saiyans did seem to have much more powerful senses than humans. Goku paled as Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her. "Bulma, this woman is a Saiyan!" Vegeta exclaimed in amazement. Bulma laughed loudly, as Goku and Vegeta both stared at each other warily, neither one amused.
Goku was incredibly uncomfortable under Vegeta's scrutiny and just wanted to tell him who she was already. Vegeta could not wrap his mind around finally meeting a female Saiyan. They had all been dead since he was a child, and the few he crossed before finding himself on Frieza's ship were from such minute encounters that he could not even remember them. But he remembered certain qualities, qualities that Earth women did not possess. And this woman had them. Like that scent, that alluring scent that was nothing like the fabricated perfumes Earthlings sprayed on themselves. Those were too strong and obnoxious. Vegeta demanded years ago that Bulma get rid of hers, as they gave him headaches. He preferred her natural scent, which was pleasant and clean. But it wasn't like this.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Vegeta finally demanded, frustrated with not knowing.
"Vegeta, it's me!" Goku answered demandingly, though her insistence was useless in clearing up the woman's identity to Vegeta. Vegeta stared blankly at the woman, expecting her to elaborate on her identity. When she only continued to stare at him as if she expected him to recognize her, he turned his attention to Bulma.
"Bulma, is this woman some sort of an idiot?" Vegeta asked blandly, starting Bulma laughing again. Goku frowned at Bulma's amusement. She sighed exasperatedly, then took Vegeta's hand that laid on the counter in front of her, placing two fingers to her forehead. Talking was overrated.
She locked onto Piccolo's energy, knowing he was a safe person to see. Once she arrived with a shocked Vegeta in an open field next to Piccolo and Gohan, she frowned deeply and immediately locked on to Bulma's energy, teleporting them back in a futile attempt at pretending Gohan hadn't just seen her. She didn't miss Piccolo rolling his eyes in the short moment they were there, and she was certain that Gohan would be coming to see her with questions soon.
Vegeta, Goku and Bulma stood in the kitchen, Bulma watching the two with interest while Goku focused intently on Vegeta, who was processing everything that just happened. Bulma flicked a questioning glance to Goku after a few minutes, not certain what just happened when they disappeared, though she knew they weren't gone long enough for much to happen. Goku shrugged at Bulma, still uncertain if Vegeta was going to say anything, or if he even knew who she was yet. Suddenly, they heard a strangled gasp from Vegeta, who was slowly stepping back with a look of disgust on his face.
"Vegeta?" Bulma asked warily as she stepped toward him with an outreached hand.
"Vegeta…" Goku said as she crossed her arms and stood in place, frowning as the prince backed away from her.
"You!" Vegeta yelled, pointing a shaking finger at Goku. "You can't be…" Vegeta shook his head fervently, as if this was all a bad nightmare that would go away if he refused to believe it. But that beautiful woman stepped closer to him, and he smelled her again, and he cringed, disgusted with himself as he forced himself to push her away. Vegeta accepted Bulma's outstretched hand, pulling her into his arms tightly like a security blanket. He eyed Goku dangerously as she frowned and took a step closer, an unamused expression on her face.
"What are you so upset about? I'm the one who was turned into a woman." Goku complained lightly as she placed her hands on her hips and eyed Vegeta, who was behaving like a cornered rabid animal. Vegeta groaned and turned away, unable to look at her now that she confirmed his fears.
"Vegeta, it's okay. I'm going to find a way to turn Goku back to normal." Bulma said, reaching a hand to Vegeta's face to palm his cheek. "It'll just take a little time. And…I need you to do me a favor before I can start making any progress." Vegeta looked at Bulma, one eyebrow raised as she whispered something to him. He smirked and looked at Goku, releasing Bulma from his grasp as he nodded to her. Goku whimpered, knowing whatever Bulma just said must have been very bad for her. Vegeta was approaching her now, after being so adamant about staying away. And he looked evil.
"Vegeta, what are you doing?" Goku asked fearfully as she raised her hands defensively. In a sudden movement, Vegeta's hand shot forward to land a hard hit to her gut, which Goku quickly blocked. What she did not foresee was that the attack was only intended as misdirection from the other hand Vegeta was already planting against the back of her head, knocking her unconscious.