Come With Me Now - A Dragonball Fanfic

Chapter Five

The scent of burning wood floated to my nostrils as the heat of the fire irritated and dried my face. Bulma and I stood a few feet back from our host as he got a fire going under the large fish. My mouth watered at the notion of fish for lunch, having not eaten anything since six in the morning. All I had tiding me over was those two bowls of cereal.

I did have a small concern in regards to the fish however, it being that if my mysterious food allergy stuck with me after my transition from Homo sapien to... Saiyan, will this be a kind of fish that sets it off? I have no clue what kind of fish it was that caused my allergic reaction, I was a toddler at the time and my mom said the dish at the restaurant was lemon pepper fish. Real helpful. I just know it wasn't halibut, salmon, or cod cause I can eat those just fine. I'm going to assume that it wasn't this giant piranha thing and hope for the best.

Once Goku got the fish all set up and cooking, the boy welcomed us inside his little abode. I followed him with Bulma a few steps behind us, checking her radar. Passing through the threshold of the structure, I take note of minimalistic it is. There wasn't much more than the bare necessities, and looked just as it did in the show. Goku ran up to the shelf on opposite wall, staring in wonder at the ornament sitting on the pillow a top the dresser. A second later, Bulma shouted out the name of the ornament before barreling pass Goku and myself to get her hands on it, knocking me down in the process. Did I say Bulma was kind earlier? I meant she's like a bull in a china shop with the manners to match.

Snatching the orange orb from its spot on the shelf Bulma cheers in delight over finding another dragonball. Goku on the other hand, became very upset. He quickly regained his footing and grabbed the teen by her arm demanding that she give back his grandfather. Bulma's excitement faded to a quizzical look she gave the boy. "Your... Grandpa?" she parroted. Utilizing the girl's confusion, Goku liberated his possession from Bulma and gave her a sharp nod. He explained to her that the orb was his grandfather's and that he gave it to Goku to cherish.

"Geez Bulma," I grumble getting back to my feet, "I get that we're looking for the dragonballs, but seriously, you don't need to run at it like a wild animal! That really hurt."

"What's a dragonball?" pipped the monkey boy. Both Bulma and I jerked our attention over to Goku after hearing his question. Bulma was the one to answer his question, saying that what he was holding is one. Glancing down at his possession for a brief moment, Goku looked back up at her shaking his head, "Nuh-uh, this is my grandpa. He gave this to me to remember him by."

"No, she's right, Goku," I concur, "that's one of a set of seven. Bulma and I have two of the others."

Goku was in disbelief, asking if it we were being truthful. To give him visual proof of our honesty, Bulma began rummaging through the small bag at her hip, "Here, come sit down. I'll show you." Reluctantly obeying, Goku sat at the small table, keeping the orange orb close to himself, and I joined him. Bulma pulled out our two dragonballs and set them on the table as she seated herself as well. "See?" she asked in amusement while witnessing the wonder on Goku's face, "We have the two-star ball and the five-star ball. How many stars does yours have?"

Goku looked down ant the dragonball in his hold, counting out loud each of the stars, stopping at four. "Four stars..." he repeated a tad louder this time. Looking back up he shifted his gaze from Bulma to me and back to the teen, asking, "So there's even more like this?"

"Yep," I chirp, "Seven in all. If anyone brings them all together a dragon appears and you can wish for anything you want."

"Wow! Anything, really?"the boy gasped, "I wonder why grandpa never told me about that."

"He might not have known about it, not a lot of people do. You, me and CJ are some of the few people that know about the legend, let alone that it's real," Bulma dismissed before giggling and dancing for joy, "I can't believe I already got three dragonballs! I'll be able to wish for a boyfriend be the end of the month at this rate."

Bulma turned back to Goku, batting her eyes. She asked for the four-star ball in a sickly sweet tone only to have the monkey boy refuse. When that failed, she offered the child a look-see at what was under the skirt of her dress. This also got another refusal in the form of a question as to why would he want to see her 'dirty old fanny'. It was baffling as to why Bulma thought stunts like that would get her the dragonball from a boy like Goku. I hold my tongue, trying not to laugh or make a snarky remark at the mess that played out in front of me.

Running out of options, the genius was struck with a new idea, "Okay then. How about you tag along with CJ and me on our adventure than? You can see lots of different things. The ocean, the desert, cities, you could travel the world and learn so many new things! It would make your grandpa so proud."

Goku blinked a few times before asking if she really believed in what she said. I chime in to answer him with a bright smile on my features, "Yeah! Road trips can be really fun. It could be a great growing experience for you Goku."

"Weeeeell..." Goku drawled while pondering his reply, "Okay. But I'm holding on to grandpa."

"You drive a hard bargain," Bulma teased, "But you got yourself a deal, kiddo. I'll just need to borrow it when we get all the others."

Goku gave a hesitant nod before looking back at what he now knew to be a dragonball in his hands. "So where are the other ones?" he asked. To yet again answer him with visuals, Bulma pulled out the radar and explained that it could track them by the feint EMPs that the dragonballs emit. All of this info, went over Goku's head. "I don't get it, what's an E-N-Z?"

"It's E-M-P," I correct him, "Electromagnetic Pulse. I can't remember a lot about it other than the can really mess with any electronics in range if the pulse is strong enough."

"E-lec-tro-mag-net-ic," Goku repeated, "That sure is a big word, CJ. What other big words do you know?"

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," I chuckle out, failing to hide my smirk. Bulma rolled her eyes at me saying that it wasn't a word. Being the smart-ass I am, I took this as a dare to continue. I heard my mother play the song enough times to at least recite the opening bit, "Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious, if you say it loud enough you'll always sound precocious."

"Okay, what is that?" Bulma interupted, which is good cause that was all I can remember, "That sounds rehearsed or something. What is that from?"

"It's a song from a movie my mom used to watch as a kid," I shrug, "She played a lot of songs like that, and now they're stuck in my head."

"Stuck in your head?" Goku shouted, clearly not knowing wait the figure of speech meant, "How did it get there? How do you get it out?"

"It's a figure of speech, Goku," I say chuckling at the boy's dramatics, "It's not something actually stuck inside my head. It just means I've heard them enough times to have memorized them."

"You guys sure know a lot of stuff," The Monkey King stated, "Do you know martial arts too?"

"Nope," Bulma said, "I don't, never interested me. I'd much rather be working on new gadgets or out shopping than getting all gross and sweaty from kicking and punching."

"I don't know any martial arts either," I answer without giving any reasoning.

A short time later, after changing topics several times, the heavenly scent of cooked fish floated to my nose. I could feel my stomach shift and churn, begging for food without vocalizing it just yet. Goku must have smelled the fish as well, because his stomach had no quarrel in announcing its hunger with a loud roar. The rumble had silenced the conversation in a heartbeat, but the boy was unfazed by it. He sprang to his feet claiming that lunch must be close to ready. He bolted out the door, presumably to check on the fish.

Before we could even budge to follow him outside, Goku rushed back indoors to get plates and cutting utensils, though no other kind of cutlery. After rushing out a second time, Bulma and I exchange glances, wordlessly asking the other if we should get up to follow him. The answer was no, seeing as the energetic monkey ran back inside balancing three plates piled high with cooked fish.

We were given no forks, spoons, knives, nothing. There wasn't any kind of silverware to eat with, making the fish finger food. Bulma had more of a problem with it than I did, and Goku couldn't care less if he had silverware or not. I was just happy to have something to eat, and boy did I eat. It took maybe twenty minutes for Goku and I to pick that fish clean, while Bulma only had the one plate. She didn't even eat all of that either, she gave most of it to me, I think she only ate some as a thank you for Goku's hospitality.

Either way, with the fish devoured and everything accounted for, we three amigos can set off for adventure! Since abandoning the wrecked car, Bulma tossed a new capsule vehicle for us to drive, a motorized bike. I tried to convince her into choosing a different capsule, namely one with more wheels, but the girl genius had her heart set on this bike.

A few moment spent explaining to Goku that the bike was not a monster later, everyone climbed onto the thing. It was extremely cramped on the tiny thing, with Bulma up front, Goku in the middle, and myself shoved into the back. If there's one thing about the bike I'm thankful for, it's the curved glass top that prevents me from just falling off the back.

When I was little, like six or seven, I remember going to Oklahoma to visit my great grandparents for Thanksgiving and occasionally Christmas. While there my little sister and I would bug every single adult there to take us driving on the four-wheelers, or ATVs if you will. I remember having so much fun on those things, and took every opportunity I had to go out on them. I even remember one time, I believe we had just gotten back from a ride around the pastures, my five year old little sister climbed back up on one and started the thing. All the adults panicked, scrambling to get her off it and turn off the four-wheeler, and I just laughed. I have nothing but good memories about those four-wheelers. I say this because that was fun. I loved those things. This bike on the other hand, not so much.

Bulma seems to like going as fast as possible. Normally I'm somewhat alright with that, but on a vehicle with only two wheels, the speed demon driving terrified me. For a while it wasn't too bad, the road was flat and I got used to the speed. And then we got to the hills. I clung to Goku praying for this nightmare of a roller-coaster to end. All the ups and downs made me feel sick to my stomach, if this didn't end soon I'm going to loose my lunch, maybe even breakfast. It wasn't until I could feel a sense of weightlessness, that I started to scream. The boy in front cheered, clearly enjoying the ride. Oh how I envied him in this moment, so unaware of how dangerous and horrible this actually is.

The bike shook like crazy upon its crash landing back to Earth. Thank goodness there was a moment of stillness after landing as Bulma tried to recollect her bearings. In this moment I could feel my heart attempting to beat out of my chest and all the hairs on my hidden tail standing on end. Flinching when Bulma revved the engine to continue, when she changed her mind saying she needed a pit stop a heavy sigh of relief left my lungs. I let go of Goku after the teen got off the bike, and fall off myself as shot nerves made it difficult to keep my balance on the thing. Goku tried to follow Bulma behind the bushes, but I managed to squeak out a no.

"Why not?" the boy asked not knowing anything about bathroom etiquette.

Getting back onto shaky legs, I reply, "She needs to go pee. And for a lot of society, especially for girl, its done in private." Goku starts to play the 'why game', but before I could clearify social norms and taboos for him and ear-piercing shriek got my heart pounding again. Bulma cried out for us and we dashed over to her, Goku mumbling his confusions while doing so.

On the other side of the bushes and trees a vicious monster lumbered over us two small Saiyans with Bulma held tightly in one of the beast's winged arms. I fully expected my heart to be pumping ice through my veins as fear overtook me after seeing the beast, but that wasn't the case. The opposite was true, fire instead boiled my blood and anger twisted my face into an ugly scowl. The small amount of puzzlement as to why I felt rage over fear was give an answer that further fueled my rage. This monster was going to hurt her. This monster was going to kill her and eat her. I can't let that happen.

The boy to my left harbored no anger, only curiosity, though the boy also doesn't know the monster's intentions. Pointing to the damsel in distress, Goku asked if the monster was one of Bulma's friends. The grounded flying lizard gave Goku and I a large sharp-toothed smirk, "Y-yeah. We're friends. In fact we have some diner plans-"

"Liar!" I hiss with venom dripping from every letter of the word, "You aren't Bulma's friend, you're just a monster that wants to eat her!"

The lizard flashed me a larger smirk exposing even more of his jagged teeth. He took hold of Bulma by his tail, snickering, "That's some pretty good intuition you got there, kid. Too bad you can't fly." He raised his webbed arms, preparing to fly off. What must have been milliseconds before he pushed off the ground, I charged for him grabbing hold of one of his legs. Screaming at Goku to get the bike, the beast took off with Bulma and myself, laughing all the while, "Two for the price of one, what a deal!"

While high above the ground, the beast used his free foot to scratch at and try to grab hold of me, tearing holes in my hoodie in the process. I scratched back, something the monster didn't much care for, and since he was having a difficult time getting at me, he took his frustrations out on Bulma. Squeezing her tighter and harming her for something I did. A pang of guilt struck me as she writhed about in pain. This wasn't meant to happen, not like this. Bulma was never supposed to get hurt. It's all my fault. I'm not meant to be here, and because I am, Bulma is getting hurt. She's getting hurt because of me.

I cry out, begging him to stop squeezing the life out of her, only to have them fall on deaf ears. A new wave of rage crashes over me after he showed no signs of mercy. I bite into the flesh of the monster's leg, hoping this new pain will distract him from causing further harm to Bulma. I couldn't even break the scaled hide of the lizard, but that didn't stop me from biting down as hard as I could on multiple places. I anticipated the creature to try and scratch me again, or hurt Bulma more. What I got however was an ear-full of a boy shouting "Power Pole, extend!"

A heavy, thwack echoed in the sky before I felt that weightless feeling again. I dared to look down, and I wish I didn't. Everything was plummeting toward the ground below and my shrill scream burst from my lungs, cutting through the air alongside another. Something tight wrapped around my wrist just before it moved to snake its way around the middle of my back. The ground zoomed towards my face, or the other way around really, and I shielded my view with my arms. I waited for the splat, only to have it never come. I chanced a look down and saw I was still in the air, inches above the grassy earth but unmoving.

I was bewildered for a short instant before Goku's voice met my ears, "Gosh, you're really strange, CJ. That big ol' monster didn't scare you, but as soon as he stopped carrying you two off, you panicked."

"Excuse me?" I bark, twisting up to look at him, "I happen to be afraid of heights, particularly free falling from them. And I'm not some amazing acrobatic martial artist like you, monkey boy! I can't save myself from them."

Wriggling out of Goku's hold I plop to the ground, still shaking from two adrenaline rushes. I try not to let my subsiding levels of the hormone get the better of me and halter my ability to move as I look to find Bulma. The search was short lived as a distressed whine helped to point out where the teen was. And sure enough, there was Bulma. Across the canyon. Hanging from the Power Pole lodged into the face of the rock.

"Hang on Bulma, we'll get you back here safely!" I shout to the teenager.

"Oh, haha! Very funny," she whined, "What else am I supposed to do?"

I groan back, "I didn't mean that as a joke, Bulma."

"Just hurry up and save me!" Bulma cried while pressing her legs into one another, "I'm having a crisis over here."

"Power Pole, extend!" Goku ordered. The pole obeyed and a second later it stretched to the our side of the canyon. Goku jumped up, dislodging it from the rock and carefully balanced Bulma on the other end of it. He gave it a second order to retract, and it obeyed once more, carrying Bulma over the gulch with it. Once all three of us were back on solid earth the Monkey King shot us both a huge grin, "There we go! Everyone's safe and sound."

With Bulma safely back and the monster out cold at the bottom of the canyon, I finally let the tears spring to my eyes. The guilt and worry I feel over the pain caused to Bulma are no longer being pushed back by rage and adrenaline. "Are you okay?" I barely manage to babble, "That monster started to hurt you after I scratched him back. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you to get hurt, please be okay."

"H-Hey, CJ. It's not your fault," Bulma said with a meek smile, "I'll be fine, just a few bruises at most."

"Are you sure?" I ask, still worried and still feeling as if it was my fault.

"Positive," she said with a brighter smile, "I'm just glad I had you and Goku here." The aforementioned boy laughed with a big grin on his face, and I had enough of my guilt eased to crack a smile as well. Things may have gotten a little off course, but everything is going to be okay.

I wipe away the tears with the sleeve of my hoodie as we walk back to the road. Not even taking two steps, Bulma's face burns a bright red when a small squishy noise sounds out when she steps down. Goku asked what the sound was, causing Bulma's face to become a new shade of red. I told Goku that Bulma must have stepped accidentally stepped in a puddle and hand the poor girl my mostly in tact jacket. She gave me her thanks and tied the sleeves around her waist.

"Since you managed to wreck another one of my vehicles," Bulma dryly pointed out glancing at the piece of scrap metal that had dropped from the sky, "I think we should walk for a bit, until I feel like you won't destroy another one of my capsule cars, Goku." While he just laughed it off with an; oops, I saw through Bulma's naggy facade and knew the real reason why she didn't want to drive just yet, and I couldn't blame her.

We got maybe thirty feet away from the crashed bike before Goku pipped up. "Hey CJ," he called out. I hummed, letting him know I was listening and he followed it with a question, "Why are you scared of heights but not that monster?"

That seemed like an odd inquiry, but I guess he's just a kid with a lot of different questions on a variety of subjects. My fight or flight response is just the most recent thing to come up. "I never said I wasn't scared of that overgrown flying lizard," I answer, "I guess in that moment, I was more angry than scared and chose to fight rather than run away."

"But you did say you don't know martial arts," Goku stated walking parallel to me, "Did your grandpa not train you?"

I chuckle at that, "My grandpa was a construction worker, one of them was anyway."

"You have more that one grandpa?" The boy question further, astonished by my reply.

"Yep, I got two. My mom's dad, and my dad's dad," I giggle, "And neither of them know martial arts. No one in my family was or is a martial artist."

"Oh..." Goku murmured while pondering something. Most likely the parts of my response he doesn't quiet understand. A huge smile broke across his face as if he just thought of something amazing. "Want me to train you than?"

I stop dead in my tracks, my brain needing all energy and concentration available to process the question. Train? As in teach me martial arts? By Goku? The Goku? This can't be... Really? Did I hear that right? Train me? Have Goku train me? Martial Arts? "...What?"

"I said, 'want me to train you then?' My grandpa taught me and I can teach you," Goku reiterated, stopping a few paces ahead of me. Bulma kept right on walking, but that didn't matter at the moment. Goku's proposal did.

He's offering to train me. ME! Never in my wildest dreams would I dare to believe this could happen. If someone were to tell me months ago that one day Son Goku would offer to train me, I would have told them to lay off playing Xenoverse for a few days. Hell I could have been told this yesterday and still have call the person a liar. I just, I'm having a hard time accepting this information and offer as real. This isn't a once in a lifetime kind of thing. This is a once throughout all of existence kind of thing. He may not be the insanely strong and skilled fighter he is at the end of Z and in the newest movies, but this is still Goku. And only a fool would decline his offer.

"That," I started, regaining control over my voice and movement, "That would be awesome, Goku. Thank you." We started to close the gap between ourselves and Bulma, and Goku shot me a goofy grin. Saying it was no problem, he asked when I wanted to start. I took a second to think of a good time, "Either after we've stopped for the night or tomorrow morning." He nodded and a few minutes later Bulma shouted back at us. Apearently she got tired of walking after five minutes tops and had 'forgiven Goku'. The reasoning didn't really matter, at least we could drive again, and hopefully not on another stupid bike this time.

A/N: Look guys, a new chapter! Also got a bit of news for the story and it's progress, I'll be on vacation for most of October with no desktop or laptop. So, while I plan on writing the first draft some while on vacation, it might take longer than normal to get it posted. Any way, thank you for reading this, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, I love writing this and I have millions of ideas for this that stretch way into DBZ... That will be so many years down the line at this rate OTL

Dragonball © Akira Toriyama