He Came By Cab

By:Megan Reid

Bardock Goku

Once, forty years ago, there was a blood red planet located deep in outer space. The planet was called Vegeta, and the inhabitants were called Saiyans. The Saiyans had been taken over by an evil space tyrant named Frieza, who one day, decided to kill them all. He blew up the entire planet, but as the planet was exploding, two managed to escape. One was the prince of the Saiyans, Vegeta, who was taken captive by Frieza. The other was the son of a lower-class warrior named Bardock. The infant's name was Kakarot. Kakarot landed on Earth, and was found on a bed of moss by a man named Gohan Son. Gohan took the child to his home and raised him as his grandson. He renamed the child Goku Son. Goku eventually got revenge for his fallen race by defeating Frieza in combat. Goku now has a wife and two sons. His eldest son, Gohan, who is twenty, brilliant, and recently married to a girl named Videl. His younger son, Goten, is an exact carbon-copy of Goku, from the way he looks, to the way he acts. Goten is nine years old. Goku's wife's name is Chi-chi, daughter of the Ox King.

But this story isn't about Goku's past...no, it is about a miracle. Why it happened, no one but God knows. So what is this miracle? The resurrection of planet Vegeta, and every Saiyan who was killed when it exploded. Being the belligerent war-loving people that they were, the Saiyans were sent to the underworld when they died. One, and one alone, made it into heaven. That Saiyan was Bardock, the father of Goku. All of the Saiyans, being given a second chance at life, shunned their evil ways for good. All of them were bewildered at why they got this second chance, and after forty years!

Meanwhile, Goku was laying in a grassy field, taking a break from his martial arts training for a while. He was simply watching the clouds, and thinking, which was very rare for knuckle-headed Goku to do. A familiar voice called to him as he was day-dreaming. He recognized the old, raspy voice. It belonged to none other than the old bag, fortune teller Baba. Baba was an old woman, who was about 400 years old. She was very short, and dressed in a black robe and witch's hat. She always sat atop her floating crystal ball. Goku sat up quickly, because Baba was a highly respected woman. She helped to maintain order in the after-life.

"Hiya, Baba!" Goku said happily, "What brings you here?"

"I bring interesting news, Goku. It appears that the Saiyans have been brought back to life!" she explained, "No one really knows how. It even baffles me!"

"What?! The Saiyans..." Goku got really serious. He knew about them only from watching Vegeta himself. Vegeta was cold-hearted, and used to be very evil until Goku showed him mercy, "Are they causing trouble?"

"No! They've completely changed their ways! But there are two very strange things about the matter...one, only the ones who were on the planet when they died are the only ones who were brought back, which includes your father-" but she was cut off after the word 'father'.

"MY FATHER?! REALLY?!" Goku exclaimed.

"Yes. Now let me finish. Your father will come here to see you tomorrow. But the weird thing about that is that he has been instructed to come to your house by taxi." she explained.

"Taxi...? That IS weird...but who cares! My father...bizarre..." Goku wondered, "I wonder what he's gonna look like! Or WHAT he's like!"

"I can't tell you what he's like, but I can tell you this much. He looks just like you except for he has a tail and a scar on his left cheek. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to leave. I'm very busy." she said, and floated off on her little crystal ball. Back to Other World (the after-life)

"Bye Baba!!" he waved to her as she flew off, "I need to go tell the others!"

Back at Goku's house, Chi-chi was making a big lunch, Gohan and Videl has stopped by to visit, and Goten was being his ordinarily hyper-active self. Goku came through the door with a huge grin on his face.

"Ah, Goku! You're back!" Chi-chi said, not looking up from chopping and slicing.

"Yup! I just got great news!!" he explained, his smile getting even bigger.

"What is it dad?" Gohan asked.

"BabacameandtoldmethattheSaiyanshadcamebacktolifeandIthoughtthattheywerecausingtrouble,butshetoldmethattheyweren't,andshetoldmethatmyfatherwasgonnacomeheretomorrowand-" Goku explained a-mile-a-minute.

"Goku! Goku! Slow down." Chi-chi chuckled.

"Sorry..." Goku said calming down, "Baba came to me when I was training and she told me that the Saiyans had come back to life. When she said that, I thought that they were causing trouble or something, but it turns out that they changed their ways! She told me that my very own father was coming to see me tomorrow, but it was really weird, because he got specific instructions to come to our house by cab."

"You're FATHER?!" the others exclaimed in unison.

"I know. Wild, huh?" Goku said happily.

"I'll say." Goten cut in, "Hey! This'll be like when I first met you!" Goten was indeed right. You see, Goku had been killed in a fight with a creature named Cell. Goku had been brought back after going through a series of tests in the after-life. Goten was born shortly after he had been killed, so Goten didn't know his father until he was seven.

"You're right!" Chi-chi realized, "So I FINALLY get to meet my mystery father-in-law...Guess I'll need to cook lots then, huh? A whole feast!"
"Yay!" Goten cheered happily.

On the newly restored planet Vegeta, Bardock and some scientists were standing, talking.

"Alright, Bardock, we've made a special space pod that will turn invisible when you enter Earth's atmosphere, so you won't be seen or arouse suspicion." one of the scientists said.

"You know what to do after that, right?" another scientist asked.

"Yeah." was all Bardock said. He got into the small, round craft.

Lift-off in: 5...4...3...2...1...

The electric clock on the nightstand reads 11:59 P.M. Goku hasn't been able to sleep all night. He was watching the clock, to see when it became the next day. It finally clicked over to 12:00 A.M. Goku slowly climbed out of bed, as to not wake up Chi-chi. Baba said that his father was coming today, but not what time today. It was gently drizzling outside, but Goku didn't care. He sat on the first step in front of his house, waiting for the gleam of headlights. For the screech of brakes. For what he had been waiting for since his grandfather told him that he found him abandoned in the woods.

Two ours have passed. Chi-chi rolls over in bed to find Goku missing. But, she was only half-awake and figured that he was using the bathroom or something. The rain hadn't yet stopped, and Goku hadn't moved from his spot.

6:00 A.M. The rain has stopped. The trees, flowers, and grass are dripping with spring dew. The sunrise peeks over the mountains. Chi-chi has gotten up and is starting to fix breakfast when she sees Goku outside. It's then that she remembers about Goku's long-lost father. She walks outside.

"Goku, how long have you been out here?" she asks as she sits next to him.

"Since 12."

"Twelve?" this was very unusual, because Goku was normally a late sleeper.

"Yeah...I've wanted to meet him all my life, and now that he's coming, I'm going to wait for him." Goku explained, and then his stomach growled.

"I'll bring you some breakfast, okay?" she chuckled softly.

"Thanks, Chi-chi." he smiled up to her.

"Don't mention it. After all, I AM your wife."

7:00 A.M. Gohan, Videl, and Goten have all gotten up, and Goku has eaten breakfast. He is still patiently waiting for the person he thought he would never meet. Bardock just landed on Earth, and was walking through a city when he realized one thing. Where the heck did Kakarot live?! He came all this way, just to be disappointed by one small factor! But what was this? There was a piece of paper in his pocket! It told Goku's exact address! Now, how do you get one of the taxi things to pick you up again?

9:00 A.M. Goten came out to sit with Goku, and stayed for a whole ten minutes before his childish, ADHD nature got the best of him and forced him to go off into the woods to spar with huge animals. Goku hadn't lost a bit of faith that his father was coming. In fact, he hadn't left the same spot all morning. Bardock had managed to get a taxi, but the city he was in was far away from Goku's house.

"So, why are you going to Mount Paouz?" the driver asked. Bardock didn't reply, "Sir?" she asked again.

"To meet my son."

"Aw. That's nice! How old is he?" she asked again.

Let's see...it was...Bardock calculated, "Forty." This took the driver by surprise, but guessed that there was a reason for that. This seemed like a nice guy. Not the kind who just up and abandons his own son!

12:00 P.M. Goku has been waiting for a full twelve hours. He's starting to get sleepy, but is determined to keep his head up. He hears brakes.

That's GOTTA be him!! Goku said happily in his mind. But it wasn't. Instead, it was the mail lady.

"Hi, Mr. Son!" she greeted, "You seem kinda sad today..." she handed him the newspaper.

"Sorry...I was expecting somebody..." he sighed.

"Oh...okay..." the mail lady looked behind him to see, what was this? A taxi! It was pulling in the back way. Bardock got out quietly, and gave the woman a signal that meant "don't tell him I'm back here". The mail lady nodded, "Well, I've got to go. See you tomorrow!"

Bardock hesitated. What should I say to him? Aw heck, I'll just go for it... He laid his hand on his son's shoulder and said, "Hey Kakarot." Goku quickly turned around. When he saw Bardock, his eyes lit up like that of a kid in a candy store.

The End