Working out the Kinks
The Prince of the Saiyans frowned even more deeply than normal. The Namek was beginning to be a pest. Every day...at this exact hour...minute...second. Every day, for almost nine months now. He knew it would come. It had slowly been driving insane. It was almost as if the fool were trying to force Vegeta to crash headlong into a planet if only to end the monotony.
Vegeta laid back, voicing a silent prayer to any god there may have been that maybe today it would be silent. He'd know in about three seconds.
Two...
One...
"You will fail."
A low, gutteral growl escaped Vegeta's throat again. Those were the only three words he had heard from the Namek...the only words he'd heard from any living creature...for the past eleven months.
He toyed again with the idea of shutting off the radio. He knew it wasn't wise, even though the Namek was restrained. He'd heard of too many fighters disappearing from the depths of space to take any chances. Should the Namek actually get free or gain the ability to use his energy, it was one of those rare times when Vegeta, the Prince of the Saiyans and their strongest living warrior, was vulnerable.
It had started when they were about two month into the journey. The Namek spent most of the time meditating, but he seemed to have been able to sense the particular time of day that Vegeta awoke to recieve his daily rations. Vegeta had spent a good part of his conscious time in the past nine months trying to figure out how.
It certainly didn't have anything to do with the time the Namek received his water injection. There were three hours difference between the automatic rationing system in the Namek's pod and Vegeta's own rationing system.
Perhaps it is linked to the way they sense each other over great distances, he thought. Sensing was one of the abilities that he and Nappa hadn't encountered before. So was the hiding of power levels. Energy-reading devices such as scouters were of no use to the Earthlings. They almost seemed to have such things built into their systems naturally. That had to be it.
"Grr....that's what YOU think, Namek! It ends now! You'll be sorry you ever opened your mouth once we get back to my planet! But in the meantime...I think we need to make a little pitstop."
No answer...go figure.
Vegeta started searching the sky for a suitable spot to take care of some business. Spotting a low-level world that needed cleansing anyway, he decided to take a break from the bores of long-distance space travel.
Finally, he thought. This stop is long overdue.
* * *
"So...you're finally back, I see."
Goku cringed. Chi-Chi's voice was so cold, it actually sent a chill down his back.
"Chi-Chi...you have to understand, honey. Gohan might be the key to this whole thing. Piccolo was right...there's a power in him that..."
"So now you're taking Piccolo's judgement over mine?! Goku, the man...err...Namek tried to kill you! On numerous occasions!"
"Chi-Chi...I know that Piccolo and I have had our differences in the past...put you've got to remember that if it wasn't for him, Gohan wouldn't even be around to help or study right now."
Chi-Chi looked at the ground, her frown fading a little.
"And of course I wouldn't take Piccolo's judgement over yours in matters about our son. You're his mother. You've got as much of a say in things as I have. But at the rate we've been going, I wouldn't be surprised if Gohan were even stronger than Krillin right now. Krillin may have more skill, but as far as raw power, Gohan goes beyond anything I've ever seen."
Chi-Chi sighed and walked into Goku's waiting embrace.
"I know...and I know that if you don't have all the help you can get, Gohan may not even have a future to prepare for. I just worry about him, Goku. He's our only son."
Goku smiled a little and hugged Chi-Chi tight.
"Well...if you remember correctly, we Son men have always been a bit resourceful...not to mention lucky."
Chi-Chi let a tiny grin slip through, despite herself. She couldn't remember how many times Goku's sheer luck had gotten them through tough situations as kids.
She wrapped her arms around her husband. "I love you, Goku. And I trust your judgement. I know you love Gohan as much as I do, and you wouldn't let anything happen to him that you didn't think he could handle."
She stepped back and looked directly into his eyes. "I'm trusting you to take care of our son, Goku. Do you understand me?"
Goku smiled, then let his face fade into a serious expression. "Gohan is a resourceful boy, Chi-Chi. But if he gets in over his head, you've got my word that I'll do everything in my power to rescue him." He smiled again. That smile always made her feel better. "Remember what happened with Garlic, Jr?"
Chi-Chi smiled slightly. That threat to the entire universe had been taken care of simply because he had kidnapped Goku's son. Suddenly, Chi-Chi was a bit less worried that she'd been before.
"Ok, Goku. I trust you." She walked to the table and picked up his bag. Carrying it over to him, she said, "I guess you'd better take these to Satan City now. Bulma's probably been waiting for a while.
"Huh? Oh my gosh! I nearly forgot! Thanks, honey."
Goku grabbed the bag and darted for the door. Reaching it, he stopped, turned, and blew Chi-Chi a kiss. "Be back soon," he said.
Chi-Chi reached up and mocked catching the kiss. "I hope so, Goku. I hope so."
The Prince of the Saiyans frowned even more deeply than normal. The Namek was beginning to be a pest. Every day...at this exact hour...minute...second. Every day, for almost nine months now. He knew it would come. It had slowly been driving insane. It was almost as if the fool were trying to force Vegeta to crash headlong into a planet if only to end the monotony.
Vegeta laid back, voicing a silent prayer to any god there may have been that maybe today it would be silent. He'd know in about three seconds.
Two...
One...
"You will fail."
A low, gutteral growl escaped Vegeta's throat again. Those were the only three words he had heard from the Namek...the only words he'd heard from any living creature...for the past eleven months.
He toyed again with the idea of shutting off the radio. He knew it wasn't wise, even though the Namek was restrained. He'd heard of too many fighters disappearing from the depths of space to take any chances. Should the Namek actually get free or gain the ability to use his energy, it was one of those rare times when Vegeta, the Prince of the Saiyans and their strongest living warrior, was vulnerable.
It had started when they were about two month into the journey. The Namek spent most of the time meditating, but he seemed to have been able to sense the particular time of day that Vegeta awoke to recieve his daily rations. Vegeta had spent a good part of his conscious time in the past nine months trying to figure out how.
It certainly didn't have anything to do with the time the Namek received his water injection. There were three hours difference between the automatic rationing system in the Namek's pod and Vegeta's own rationing system.
Perhaps it is linked to the way they sense each other over great distances, he thought. Sensing was one of the abilities that he and Nappa hadn't encountered before. So was the hiding of power levels. Energy-reading devices such as scouters were of no use to the Earthlings. They almost seemed to have such things built into their systems naturally. That had to be it.
"Grr....that's what YOU think, Namek! It ends now! You'll be sorry you ever opened your mouth once we get back to my planet! But in the meantime...I think we need to make a little pitstop."
No answer...go figure.
Vegeta started searching the sky for a suitable spot to take care of some business. Spotting a low-level world that needed cleansing anyway, he decided to take a break from the bores of long-distance space travel.
Finally, he thought. This stop is long overdue.
* * *
"So...you're finally back, I see."
Goku cringed. Chi-Chi's voice was so cold, it actually sent a chill down his back.
"Chi-Chi...you have to understand, honey. Gohan might be the key to this whole thing. Piccolo was right...there's a power in him that..."
"So now you're taking Piccolo's judgement over mine?! Goku, the man...err...Namek tried to kill you! On numerous occasions!"
"Chi-Chi...I know that Piccolo and I have had our differences in the past...put you've got to remember that if it wasn't for him, Gohan wouldn't even be around to help or study right now."
Chi-Chi looked at the ground, her frown fading a little.
"And of course I wouldn't take Piccolo's judgement over yours in matters about our son. You're his mother. You've got as much of a say in things as I have. But at the rate we've been going, I wouldn't be surprised if Gohan were even stronger than Krillin right now. Krillin may have more skill, but as far as raw power, Gohan goes beyond anything I've ever seen."
Chi-Chi sighed and walked into Goku's waiting embrace.
"I know...and I know that if you don't have all the help you can get, Gohan may not even have a future to prepare for. I just worry about him, Goku. He's our only son."
Goku smiled a little and hugged Chi-Chi tight.
"Well...if you remember correctly, we Son men have always been a bit resourceful...not to mention lucky."
Chi-Chi let a tiny grin slip through, despite herself. She couldn't remember how many times Goku's sheer luck had gotten them through tough situations as kids.
She wrapped her arms around her husband. "I love you, Goku. And I trust your judgement. I know you love Gohan as much as I do, and you wouldn't let anything happen to him that you didn't think he could handle."
She stepped back and looked directly into his eyes. "I'm trusting you to take care of our son, Goku. Do you understand me?"
Goku smiled, then let his face fade into a serious expression. "Gohan is a resourceful boy, Chi-Chi. But if he gets in over his head, you've got my word that I'll do everything in my power to rescue him." He smiled again. That smile always made her feel better. "Remember what happened with Garlic, Jr?"
Chi-Chi smiled slightly. That threat to the entire universe had been taken care of simply because he had kidnapped Goku's son. Suddenly, Chi-Chi was a bit less worried that she'd been before.
"Ok, Goku. I trust you." She walked to the table and picked up his bag. Carrying it over to him, she said, "I guess you'd better take these to Satan City now. Bulma's probably been waiting for a while.
"Huh? Oh my gosh! I nearly forgot! Thanks, honey."
Goku grabbed the bag and darted for the door. Reaching it, he stopped, turned, and blew Chi-Chi a kiss. "Be back soon," he said.
Chi-Chi reached up and mocked catching the kiss. "I hope so, Goku. I hope so."