The next morning.
Vegeta opened his eyes and immediately wished he hadn't. The sunlight streaming through the windows of the air-minivan was blinding and painful, and he had a nasty headache.
Narrowing his eyes, he slowly began to sit up from his makeshift bed of the back seat. Kakarot and Bardock were snoring away in the front two seats. Nappa was sprawled over the middle seat. Raditz and Iroke...
...were nowhere to be seen.
The Saiyan prince, clutching his throbbing temples, noticed various items of discarded clothing scattered throughout the van. And unless he missed his guess, he was sensing their ki powers on the floor below Nappa's "bed." It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened last night. Vegeta was just glad he was drunk enough to miss everything.
*I'll be damned. Looks like he doesn't despise her TOO much then.* He tried to smirk, but it hurt too much.
***
Once his hangover was gone, and once Raditz and Iroke had gotten dressed--Vegeta had carefully averted his gaze, not only for Iroke's sense of privacy but also because he did NOT want to see Raditz in a state of undress--the group continued on their way.
***
A few hours later, Vegeta sighed. It was time for the torture again.
"Kakarot, get the map."
They were currently driving through a large, thick forest.
"Soon the road will be branching off into several different paths. I need to know which one to take.
"No problem!"
*Great,* mused Vegeta grumpily, *he was cheery and self-confident when he said that. We're going to get lost, I know it.*
***
A few minutes later, they reached the fork.
"Kakarot! Which way do I go?"
"Take the one all the way to the left.
"You're sure?"
"Yep."
"All the way to the left?"
"Yep."
"Very well then."
***
Thirty minutes later.
Vegeta scowled. "Brilliant, Kakarot. We've come to a dead end."
Kakarot grinned sheepishly. "Oops. Well, at least the scenery is nice..." he stopped under the prince's withering glare.
Vegeta turned the car around. "Now, get it right this time. Baka."
"Oh, I see the problem! I was holding the map upside-down!"
Vegeta went Super Saiyan out of habit.
***
They arrived back at the fork.
"What is the *correct* way to go?"
"The farthest to the right. I'm sure this time."
***
Thirty minutes later.
Vegeta didn't say anything. He merely stared at the third-class fool sitting beside him. Then he looked out of the car at the sign that said "Dead End," and the road that terminated not long after. Then he looked back to the fool.
"Heh heh," said Kakarot. "I got these two tiny little lines mixed up. Sorry."
The prince went Super Saiyan 2.
***
"Kakarot, only the two roads in the middle are left. Which the hell one do we take?"
"The one on the right."
***
Thirty minutes later, at the not-unexpected dead end, Vegeta didn't say anything. He didn't even look at Kakarot. He simply got out of the car.
He turned Super Saiyan 3.
He started beating his head on the pavement.
***
Having finally located the correct road by process of elimination, they drove on.
It wasn't long, however, before they had to stop again.
***
The Saiyans and Iroke soon found themselves in the middle of a huge traffic jam. They weren't moving at all.
"What the hell is going on? Kakarot, get out and see why the hell we aren't moving."
The low-class Saiyan did as he was ordered.
"Umm...looks like...there are three giant robots blocking the road up ahead."
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Great. Just wonderful," he muttered.
"Hang on...I think I can make out who it is...Pilaf!"
"We don't have any food on us! Now who is it?"
"Emperor Pilaf! And Shu and Mai!"
For a moment, silence. Then--
"You don't mean those nuts you told us about? That you fought back when you were a child? That kept trying to get their hands on the Dragonballs to take over the world?"
"Yep, that's them."
Vegeta sighed. "Get back in the car, I'll handle this."
***
A few miles farther down the road...
Three giant robots were indeed blocking the road. Vegeta smirked. This should be somewhat enjoyable. As he flew, he could distinguish the occupants. He remembered the tales Kakarot had told at Chi-Chi's dinner.
One was what appeared to be a dog in a ninja costume. That would be Shu. Another was a good-looking woman. That was Mai. Which meant that the last, a small blue midget, must be Emperor Pilaf himself.
Vegeta stopped in front of the robots. The occupants were all looking at him with more than a touch of fear.
"Get those damn things off the road," he said simply.
"Who are you to speak so to the all-powerful Pilaf?"
"Do you remember a small child named Son Goku?"
"Yes..." Shu answered hesitantly.
"And do you remember how he would always foil your plans at the last moment?"
"Yes..." Mai responded reluctantly.
"Well...I'm his prince."
There was a pause. Then Pilaf spoke up. "We shall move, but be warned...you have not seen the last of the great Emperor Pilaf!"
"The way things are going lately, I don't doubt that at all," Vegeta muttered as he flew back to the minivan as the robots began to move.
Vegeta opened his eyes and immediately wished he hadn't. The sunlight streaming through the windows of the air-minivan was blinding and painful, and he had a nasty headache.
Narrowing his eyes, he slowly began to sit up from his makeshift bed of the back seat. Kakarot and Bardock were snoring away in the front two seats. Nappa was sprawled over the middle seat. Raditz and Iroke...
...were nowhere to be seen.
The Saiyan prince, clutching his throbbing temples, noticed various items of discarded clothing scattered throughout the van. And unless he missed his guess, he was sensing their ki powers on the floor below Nappa's "bed." It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened last night. Vegeta was just glad he was drunk enough to miss everything.
*I'll be damned. Looks like he doesn't despise her TOO much then.* He tried to smirk, but it hurt too much.
***
Once his hangover was gone, and once Raditz and Iroke had gotten dressed--Vegeta had carefully averted his gaze, not only for Iroke's sense of privacy but also because he did NOT want to see Raditz in a state of undress--the group continued on their way.
***
A few hours later, Vegeta sighed. It was time for the torture again.
"Kakarot, get the map."
They were currently driving through a large, thick forest.
"Soon the road will be branching off into several different paths. I need to know which one to take.
"No problem!"
*Great,* mused Vegeta grumpily, *he was cheery and self-confident when he said that. We're going to get lost, I know it.*
***
A few minutes later, they reached the fork.
"Kakarot! Which way do I go?"
"Take the one all the way to the left.
"You're sure?"
"Yep."
"All the way to the left?"
"Yep."
"Very well then."
***
Thirty minutes later.
Vegeta scowled. "Brilliant, Kakarot. We've come to a dead end."
Kakarot grinned sheepishly. "Oops. Well, at least the scenery is nice..." he stopped under the prince's withering glare.
Vegeta turned the car around. "Now, get it right this time. Baka."
"Oh, I see the problem! I was holding the map upside-down!"
Vegeta went Super Saiyan out of habit.
***
They arrived back at the fork.
"What is the *correct* way to go?"
"The farthest to the right. I'm sure this time."
***
Thirty minutes later.
Vegeta didn't say anything. He merely stared at the third-class fool sitting beside him. Then he looked out of the car at the sign that said "Dead End," and the road that terminated not long after. Then he looked back to the fool.
"Heh heh," said Kakarot. "I got these two tiny little lines mixed up. Sorry."
The prince went Super Saiyan 2.
***
"Kakarot, only the two roads in the middle are left. Which the hell one do we take?"
"The one on the right."
***
Thirty minutes later, at the not-unexpected dead end, Vegeta didn't say anything. He didn't even look at Kakarot. He simply got out of the car.
He turned Super Saiyan 3.
He started beating his head on the pavement.
***
Having finally located the correct road by process of elimination, they drove on.
It wasn't long, however, before they had to stop again.
***
The Saiyans and Iroke soon found themselves in the middle of a huge traffic jam. They weren't moving at all.
"What the hell is going on? Kakarot, get out and see why the hell we aren't moving."
The low-class Saiyan did as he was ordered.
"Umm...looks like...there are three giant robots blocking the road up ahead."
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Great. Just wonderful," he muttered.
"Hang on...I think I can make out who it is...Pilaf!"
"We don't have any food on us! Now who is it?"
"Emperor Pilaf! And Shu and Mai!"
For a moment, silence. Then--
"You don't mean those nuts you told us about? That you fought back when you were a child? That kept trying to get their hands on the Dragonballs to take over the world?"
"Yep, that's them."
Vegeta sighed. "Get back in the car, I'll handle this."
***
A few miles farther down the road...
Three giant robots were indeed blocking the road. Vegeta smirked. This should be somewhat enjoyable. As he flew, he could distinguish the occupants. He remembered the tales Kakarot had told at Chi-Chi's dinner.
One was what appeared to be a dog in a ninja costume. That would be Shu. Another was a good-looking woman. That was Mai. Which meant that the last, a small blue midget, must be Emperor Pilaf himself.
Vegeta stopped in front of the robots. The occupants were all looking at him with more than a touch of fear.
"Get those damn things off the road," he said simply.
"Who are you to speak so to the all-powerful Pilaf?"
"Do you remember a small child named Son Goku?"
"Yes..." Shu answered hesitantly.
"And do you remember how he would always foil your plans at the last moment?"
"Yes..." Mai responded reluctantly.
"Well...I'm his prince."
There was a pause. Then Pilaf spoke up. "We shall move, but be warned...you have not seen the last of the great Emperor Pilaf!"
"The way things are going lately, I don't doubt that at all," Vegeta muttered as he flew back to the minivan as the robots began to move.