For the first time since the damn thing started, Vegeta found he was having a good time. Raditz seemed to have adopted an expression of permanent vacuousness, always staring off into the middle distance at nothing. This despite the attentions of Iroke, who seemed to have quite the crush on the Saiyan warrior; she constantly had at least an arm around him, and often she would sit in his lap.
Bardock seemed to have some mild interest in his surroundings, but this was not shared by Nappa, who was currently asleep.
Kakarot was babbling away excitedly about all the places they were going to visit. Vegeta had to admit that he was having a difficult time coming up with a way to get revenge on him for wishing the others back to life; Kakarot was not easily embarassed.
*Well, I'll think of something. Just you wait Kakarot, just you wait. But in the meantime, I need you.*
"Kakarot!" Vegeta suddenly yelled out.
"Yeah?"
"I need you to read this map and tell me which way to go. I can't do it and drive at the same time." Letting Kakarot have the map probably wasn't the best idea he'd ever had, but at least he was somewhat familiar with the world. The three other Saiyans had no idea about the planet; and as for Iroke, well, it would be a cold day in hell that Vegeta accepted help from a human female not named "Bulma." And so the cruel arithemetic boiled down to letting Kakarot have the map.
Vegeta had no idea how cruel the arithmetic would prove.
***
"All right Kakarot, I need to know which way to turn here in order to reach Route 81."
"Left."
"Left?"
"Right."
"I thought you said left."
"Right."
"So I turn right?"
"No."
"I thought you said left."
"Right."
"I thought you said I didn't turn right."
"Right."
Vegeta smacked Kakarot upside the head. "Do I turn left or right?"
"Left."
"Good."
"Right."
"SHUT UP KAKAROT!"
Vegeta turned left at the intersection. It wasn't long before they reached Route 81.
"OK, there's the Kabuki theater."
"I prefer Noh theater myself."
Vegeta opened his mouth to reply before his mind could set off the warning alarms. "No theater? You don't like any?"
And so it went...
***
Once the Kabuki presentation was over, the next stop was the ballpark that housed the Titans, Yamcha's old baseball team.
As they filed into their seats near the top of the stadium--the so called "nosebleed" seats--to await the beginning of the game, Vegeta was grumbling, Kakarot was excited, Raditz, Nappa, and Bardock were indifferent, and Iroke...was Iroke. Enough said.
To the Saiyans' displeasure, it appeared they were seated so high up that the food vendors didn't get to them. Blast it.
Finally, the game was about to begin. The opposing team was introduced, then the Titans; the latter with a fanfare that was normally saved for warriors returning from an epic battle.
"And now, to throw out the game ball--Yamcha!" announced the large speakers.
"What? Him?! HERE?!" yelled Vegeta. "Baka! That fool probably made sure we came here today just to watch him!"
Indeed, it appeared to Vegeta that Yamcha cast a quick glance and a grin at him. Vegeta fumed.
"Why does that idiot get to throw out the 'game ball?'" groused Vegeta to himself.
As if on cue, the speakers blared to life again. "Yamcha, ex-player for the Titans and a hero of the planet, celebrates his birthday today. Today has been declared 'Yamcha Day!'"
The prince of all Saiyans laughed so hard that it could be heard throughout the stadium entire. "Him? A hero of the planet?!"
Yamcha shot an angry glare in his direction.
***
Once the game had started, Vegeta was mildly surprised to see Yamcha striding toward him through the row of empty seats.
"You!"
"Yes, human?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Simply informing the crowd."
As Kakarot and Iroke looked puzzled, and the other Saiyans snickered, Yamcha began to snarl. "I've had enough of you. You killed me, but I came back and you died too, so no big deal there. Bulma chose you, but I've found someone else, so no big deal there either. But you still have that huge ego, you always have. You have to belittle others to get your kicks, and it seems like I've been your favorite target since Day One!"
Vegeta laughed. "Do you want to settle this now? I won't even have to go Super Saiyan to beat you."
"We'll see about that."
"Kakarot, take the others and clear out of here. This is between him and me."
Kakarot looked concerned as two of his friends were about to fight, but did as the prince of Saiyans ordered. Soon, the upper level of stands were cleared save for the two combatants.
Bardock seemed to have some mild interest in his surroundings, but this was not shared by Nappa, who was currently asleep.
Kakarot was babbling away excitedly about all the places they were going to visit. Vegeta had to admit that he was having a difficult time coming up with a way to get revenge on him for wishing the others back to life; Kakarot was not easily embarassed.
*Well, I'll think of something. Just you wait Kakarot, just you wait. But in the meantime, I need you.*
"Kakarot!" Vegeta suddenly yelled out.
"Yeah?"
"I need you to read this map and tell me which way to go. I can't do it and drive at the same time." Letting Kakarot have the map probably wasn't the best idea he'd ever had, but at least he was somewhat familiar with the world. The three other Saiyans had no idea about the planet; and as for Iroke, well, it would be a cold day in hell that Vegeta accepted help from a human female not named "Bulma." And so the cruel arithemetic boiled down to letting Kakarot have the map.
Vegeta had no idea how cruel the arithmetic would prove.
***
"All right Kakarot, I need to know which way to turn here in order to reach Route 81."
"Left."
"Left?"
"Right."
"I thought you said left."
"Right."
"So I turn right?"
"No."
"I thought you said left."
"Right."
"I thought you said I didn't turn right."
"Right."
Vegeta smacked Kakarot upside the head. "Do I turn left or right?"
"Left."
"Good."
"Right."
"SHUT UP KAKAROT!"
Vegeta turned left at the intersection. It wasn't long before they reached Route 81.
"OK, there's the Kabuki theater."
"I prefer Noh theater myself."
Vegeta opened his mouth to reply before his mind could set off the warning alarms. "No theater? You don't like any?"
And so it went...
***
Once the Kabuki presentation was over, the next stop was the ballpark that housed the Titans, Yamcha's old baseball team.
As they filed into their seats near the top of the stadium--the so called "nosebleed" seats--to await the beginning of the game, Vegeta was grumbling, Kakarot was excited, Raditz, Nappa, and Bardock were indifferent, and Iroke...was Iroke. Enough said.
To the Saiyans' displeasure, it appeared they were seated so high up that the food vendors didn't get to them. Blast it.
Finally, the game was about to begin. The opposing team was introduced, then the Titans; the latter with a fanfare that was normally saved for warriors returning from an epic battle.
"And now, to throw out the game ball--Yamcha!" announced the large speakers.
"What? Him?! HERE?!" yelled Vegeta. "Baka! That fool probably made sure we came here today just to watch him!"
Indeed, it appeared to Vegeta that Yamcha cast a quick glance and a grin at him. Vegeta fumed.
"Why does that idiot get to throw out the 'game ball?'" groused Vegeta to himself.
As if on cue, the speakers blared to life again. "Yamcha, ex-player for the Titans and a hero of the planet, celebrates his birthday today. Today has been declared 'Yamcha Day!'"
The prince of all Saiyans laughed so hard that it could be heard throughout the stadium entire. "Him? A hero of the planet?!"
Yamcha shot an angry glare in his direction.
***
Once the game had started, Vegeta was mildly surprised to see Yamcha striding toward him through the row of empty seats.
"You!"
"Yes, human?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Simply informing the crowd."
As Kakarot and Iroke looked puzzled, and the other Saiyans snickered, Yamcha began to snarl. "I've had enough of you. You killed me, but I came back and you died too, so no big deal there. Bulma chose you, but I've found someone else, so no big deal there either. But you still have that huge ego, you always have. You have to belittle others to get your kicks, and it seems like I've been your favorite target since Day One!"
Vegeta laughed. "Do you want to settle this now? I won't even have to go Super Saiyan to beat you."
"We'll see about that."
"Kakarot, take the others and clear out of here. This is between him and me."
Kakarot looked concerned as two of his friends were about to fight, but did as the prince of Saiyans ordered. Soon, the upper level of stands were cleared save for the two combatants.