Chapter 1: The Missing Saiyans
"Then I guess… it's up to me to finish this," Goku said with a solemn countenance.
"Hey, Dad? Please, come home. You have to win," Gohan pleaded, peering up with worried eyes.
"Don't worry," Goku replied.
"Well, of course, you'll come home, Goku. After what I've seen, there isn't anything that could stop you," Krillin declared, his voice and face full of confidence and pride for his childhood friend.
"Thanks, Krillin. Well, it's time. Try not to worry about me! I'll be just fine!" Goku replied reassuringly.
"You can waste all the time you want with your pathetic 'goodbyes', but you're simply postponing the inevitable," Vegeta called out mockingly from ground level, grinning up at them with crossed arms.
"It's too bad," Goku remarked to Gohan and Krillin, observing the invading saiyan down below. "It seems he's totally determined to end things this way. He sure would make a good sparring partner!"
Goku glanced at Krillin as the human fighter reached out a hand. "Hey, Goku…" he said. "You're my friend. We grew up together! Just make sure that we both grow old together, too!"
A look of determination fell over Goku's face as he turned his full attention to Krillin and gripped the offered hand tightly. "Right! I couldn't have asked for a better best friend than you, Krillin!"
"Goodbye, Daddy!" Gohan said, gripping his father's pant leg.
Goku placed a hand on his boy's head. "Goodbye, Gohan! I'm very proud of you! Hey, I'll bet your mom is over at Master Roshi's! Go give her a big hug for me, 'kay? Can you do that for me, Gohan?"
Gohan smiled with tears in his eyes. "Yes!"
"Go get him, Goku," Krillin said.
Goku turned his attention back to his saiyan adversary as seriousness once again befell his visage. He dropped closer to the Earth's surface to meet his rival head-to-head. "So, Kakarott," Vegeta began, "you ready to get this over with?" The invader did not appear to be playing around in the least at this point.
Goku was forced to suppress a wicked grin. "I know a better place than this!"
"Wherever!" Vegeta acquiesced. "Just lead the way!"
Goku took off and Vegeta followed. The Z fighter flew as far out as he could away from civilization with the troublemaker in tow. It was only a couple of hours, but the Earth dweller could not help grinning to himself the whole way. Hehe… Now my plan has been set in motion. Way out here, there won't be anyone to hear him scream, Goku thought wickedly, cracking his knuckles. He dropped to ground level in a vast canyon with rocky pillars dispersed throughout. Then Goku turned his attention back to the cocky saiyan, relishing the fact that he was about to wipe the arrogant smirk off the other man's face.
"Kakarott," Vegeta spoke up first before Goku could speak, "I have a proposition for you. I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully. I, Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans, would like to offer you, Kakarott, the opportunity to stand beside me in this conquest. With Nappa gone, I could use a good man! Think about it… We would rule the planets. You could have anything you desired. There's no one in the universe that could touch us! Nothing would be out of your grasp! Well, what do you say, Kakarott?"
"Vegeta," Goku replied in a confident tone, gaining his rival's displeased attention, "On the contrary, I have a proposition for you… I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully. I, Goku, Earth's strongest fighter, would like to offer you, Vegeta, the opportunity to apologize for all the bad things you've done. If you say you're sorry now and pledge never to harm the innocent again, I'll spare you the bitter punishment you're about to receive at my hand." The Earth fighter stretched out his broad fingers before clenching them into a fist, watching in enjoyment the effect his words were having on the prince's visage. Vegeta's smirk gradually morphed into an angry scowl. "Instead of being a galactic terror, you could join me here on Earth and become a protector. Train with me and we can exchange our knowledge and fighting techniques. We'll both become so much stronger. I need a good training partner and no one on this planet is a challenge to me anymore. If you say yes, I'll be grateful enough to overlook all the evil things you've done since you arrived and before. Well, what do you say, Vegeta?" Goku retorted.
By the time Goku finished talking, the saiyan prince appeared absolutely livid. An aura of powerful purple energy erupted around the royal saiyan as he screamed, "How dare you speak to me that way, witless peasant! I'll teach you who you're dealing with, you fool! I'll make you beg for mercy!"
The left corner of Goku's lips turned upward in triumph. He naturally meant every word of what he had said. Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu were all dead as a direct result of this invader's actions. Although they could theoretically be wished back with the dragon balls, what was the use of such a wish if the holy terror was left unchecked to wreak more havoc on them and others in the future?
When Vegeta shot toward him at blinding speed, Goku wasted no time in executing his simple plan. As the miscreant approached, Goku floated backward a few feet and prepared himself in a solid sideways stance. Just as the enraged royal reached him, Goku powered up to his golden transformation in the blink of an eye and grabbed Vegeta's wrists with strong arms. To Goku, time seemed to slow down as he watched with clear focus as the troublemaker's features transformed from enraged to horrified. Using the elite's own speed and momentum against him, Goku was able to haplessly flip Vegeta around until the shorter fighter came to land belly-down across one of Goku's muscular thighs. The Super Saiyan then used his left arm to gather the flame-haired warrior up underarm. Meanwhile, Goku's right hand was employed in the necessary task of harmlessly twisting and pinning Vegeta's two wrists behind his back.
The saiyan prince started to kick his legs with great fervor as Goku took full control of the situation, much to Vegeta's dismay. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, Kakarott?! What is this?! Release me at once!" he roared in anger, twisting and squirming every which way in a desperate attempt to reposition them both to the royal saiyan's advantage. The more he kicked and thrashed, however, the more it became apparent that his efforts would go unrewarded. His heart rate sped up in a panic as reality dawned on him.
The Earth dweller could feel his captive's pulse hasten as Vegeta seemed to become aware of the precarious situation he had gotten himself into. Holding the other man firm, Goku called over his magical flying nimbus cloud. With the miscreant still in custody, he plopped down on his cloud and squared his shoulders. "Now, now, Vegeta…" Goku spoke. "I'm sure you had to know that all your dirty little deeds would come back to bite you in your cute rear end one day. Think of it as a self-fulfilling prophecy that's merely coming to fruition through yours truly. There are always bigger fish in the sea. It was only a matter of time until you were destined to meet your match and learn a lesson you won't soon forget."
Vegeta's face went pale as he paused and slowly craned his neck to peer up at his captor, the whites of his eyes stark and bloodshot. "You know of the prophecy? Who told you?! Is that what… this is? A year ago you didn't even know you were a saiyan and now you know all about the Legendary Super Saiyan? How? It's inconceivable!" Vegeta blared, the look in his eyes wavering between rage, confusion, and fear.
Goku raised a brow in confusion. "Legendary hooba whatty? No, Vegeta, I'm talking about karma."
"But your hair… and your power level… it's astronomical! It has to be well over 900,000!"
"Stop trying to delay the inevitable," Goku shot back with a light chuckle. Vegeta tensed as Goku adjusted his position, using a single hand to anchor him down across the Z fighter's orange-clad thighs and keep his wrists helplessly pinned to the small of his back. The captive started to hyperventilate a little bit, not sure what was about to happen to him yet dreading it all the same. What did, in fact, happen was the very last thing the spoiled prince had expected. Vegeta yelped at the top of his lungs when the golden warrior brushed a warm broad hand over his firm backside. The royal instantaneously reacted by unwinding his tail from around his waist, intending to use it to whip Goku square between the eyes. Unfortunately for him, the Super Saiyan's reflexes were too sharp and Goku caught the brown-furred tail in midair with his right hand before transferring it to his left along with the prince's pinned wrists.
"Nuh uh, Vegeta. Don't think there's any way for you to avoid your just deserts," Goku chided, having to brace himself as Vegeta flared his ki like a rocket trying to fly away. The Super Saiyan countered with his own equal and opposite flare of energy and kept the other saiyan firmly in place as he raised his open palm with a singular purpose in mind. "Whether you like it or not, you're getting a spanking, Vegeta."
Goku's hand flew with a thunderous crack that was soon echoed by the royal's scream of pain, fury, and indignation. More importantly, the pert cheeks laid out across his lap performed the most satisfying jiggling dance in response to the punishing blow, which was the icing on the cake for Goku. The respite between the first swat and the next was all too brief, as Goku raised his hand again and brought it down with the force of a nuclear bomb across Vegeta's defenseless posterior. This action sent both fleshy globes bouncing and jouncing once again to Goku's visual delight. The scream that followed echoed through the canyon along with the crack that had produced it, going on for miles through the empty space.
Goku felt his heart rate and energy rise in excitement as he raised his hand yet again and brought it down, only to be greeted by the same ingratiating combination of sights and sounds as before. Grrr, Goku thought in mild frustration. Not enough. I need more. Instead of following up with another smack, he balled his fist on the back of Vegeta's stretchy dark blue pant material and tried to pull it down, only to discover that it was a full-body unitard of some kind. He tried to tear it off instead, only to have it stretch out to impossible lengths. "What the…? What is this?" he griped to himself. It looked like the only way to bare Vegeta's bottom was to bare the whole Vegeta. Goku growled. Fine, he thought, reaching for the top armor. Just as he did, the Super Saiyan's vision started to turn brown. He struggled to keep his grip on Vegeta's wrists and the bizarre alien armor. His fingers felt like they were covered in butter and the whole scenario started to fade. No… No! Not again! Hold your focus, Goku! he told himself, concentrating.
It was no use. If it had not happened in real life, how could his imagination conjure up such images in his dreams? Goku heard an explosion and suddenly he was falling. Vegeta had slipped from his grasp and flown away to freedom, a gloved hand now covering his backside protectively. "No… No, get back here!"
Goku woke up under a dark sky with tiny meteorites buzzing overhead, sprawled out on his back. The stars were stark against the blackness. The saiyan's breath caught in his throat, detecting the thinness of the air supply. He painfully sat up and looked around, perceiving that he was on some desolate-looking planet like the moon. But if he was able to breathe at all, there had to be life. Only life could create an air supply, however thin. It had to be like a desert. Or perhaps it was a dying dwarf planet. The surface was littered with crags and indentations and the gravity was light, much lighter even than Earth's.
Goku painfully sat up, his injuries from his fight with Frieza had left him sore and unable to heal fully without sustenance to renew his energy. He ruffled through his clothes and found he had not a measly speck of a senzu bean on his person. As his weary eyes shifted around, he noticed parts and pieces of what appeared to be glass and machinery dispersed over the barren terrain. Whipping a look over his shoulder, he saw his saiyan space pod in severe disrepair. The window was broken and scattered, meaning it was unflyable. If he could not find any intelligent life with space travel capabilities on this planet, it would mean he was stranded. And if there were also no potable water and food, it would mean death.
He pushed himself to his feet, the light gravity making it a bit easier despite his pain, and peered around. Miles of flat lifeless terrain stretched out before him in all directions. Though after dark, the stars shone the way. There was no sign of a moon, but some nearby planets could be seen dotting the heavens. A cold breeze blew and brought his attention to the wetness in his pants. He peered down and pulled his waistband open. "Yuck, and me with no tissues! Now what am I going to do?" he thought aloud, turning to search through the wreckage for any type of equipment that might be salvageable and useful. He found nothing offhand, unable to see well with the little starlight. "Oh, man. I'm all alone. What a fool I am… I shouldn't have told Dende to change the wish. Surely the planet's explosion would've finished off Frieza just fine. What a dumb decision. What was I thinking?" he uttered, placing a hand on the back of his head to scratch an itch. He winced, realizing he had likely hit his head in the crash as there was a sizeable lump there and it throbbed painfully. "Ouch! Darn, where could I possibly be? I took off so suddenly I didn't even have a chance to set any coordinates. If only my arm hadn't bumped that stupid switch to turn on the cryogenic sleep system. I really need to get my act together if I ever want to see anybody again…"
Goku backed away from the wreckage and closed his eyes, concentrating. For hundreds of miles around him, there was nothing. Nada. But very very far in one singular direction, he thought that he sensed the barest hint of weak kis. Whether those kis originated from intelligent life or not remained to be seen, but perhaps it could lead him to food. With too little energy left to fly or leap, he began jogging in said direction. The gentle gravity made the task more bearable. With his fingers crossed, he zipped off.
…
Bulma brought her hoverbike to a stop in the midst of a beautiful meadow. It was early May and the flowers were out in abundance, including the cherry blossoms framing the grassy field on two sides. She dismounted and clicked the button on the side of her scouter. The numbers did not look good. "Damn it, he's even farther away now. What's your problem, Vegeta? Are you trying to avoid me on purpose?!" she snapped angrily. She let out a sigh of frustration and looked up and then around, spotting a telltale sign of a saiyan's passing: boot prints and discarded animal bones left to bleach in the sun. He clearly had not been there in a while and it did not look like he was planning to come back anytime soon.
"I don't get it. I offer the guy a warm bed, delicious food, and state-of-the-art training facilities. Not only do I get no thank-yous in return, but the bozo only stays a few months, gets in a shouting match with Piccolo and the other Nameks, and then takes off like a rocket and I haven't seen him since. He better not be off making mischief somewhere. I swear…" Bulma thought aloud, kicking a detached rib bone away from what appeared to be a disjointed pterosaur skeleton. She crossed her arms to think. Well, I don't believe I'll be catching up with him anytime soon. I better just go after that dragon ball I saw on the radar earlier. It can't be far. "Oh!" she blurted as the cell phone in her pocket started to buzz. "Hey there, Dende? Yes, I'm getting close to it. Ah, you found the other one? Good job, kid! That makes six and mine is number seven. I'll send you a text as soon as I find it. Hm? Oh, no, I didn't find him. But I still don't think it's a good idea to send Piccolo out looking. Those two hate each other's guts. I'm guessing it would most likely end in a blood bath. But you know what? I bet Goku would be happy to help. I'm going to go get that last dragon ball now so we can hurry up and wish him and Krillin back. Be in touch!"
As Bulma ended the call, a look of determination fell over her face. She turned around to get back to her hoverbike, but not before checking the scouter's reading one last time, only to snap her fingers in disappointment to discover the psycho saiyan prince was even farther off than before. She shook her head. "I swear, it's like he knows I'm looking for him and he's trying to avoid me at all costs," she murmured to herself as she straddled her bike again. "Well, he won't be able to outfly Goku, that's for sure."
She kicked her vehicle into gear and sped off toward the indicated radar blip. Fortunately for all parties involved, the two-star oversized ball was laying out in the middle of a tiny desert island covered with nothing but sand. The blue-haired Earthling could even see it shimmer from about a mile off. Once she had retrieved the coveted item, Bulma sped back in the direction she had come. She phoned in on the return trip to let her parents know to gather everyone for the summoning. It took several hours on the whole for her to get back to Capsule Corp in West City. It was the afternoon by then when she added the dragon ball to the lot and they all began to glow together. All the Namekians were gathered as well as Bulma's parents. "Gosh, are you guys ever lucky. Our dragon balls take a whole year to regenerate."
"Ours too. We Nameks just have a shorter year than you all do," Dende replied.
"Oh. Gotcha! Well, what do you guys think? I say we should call upon your Eternal Dragon while we're still young. Are you up to it?" Bulma proposed, looking excited to see her lost friends again.
"Sure, why not?" Master Roshi remarked. "But… where's… Gohan?"
"Hey, hold on! Wait for us!" Chi Chi called as she and her son came jogging over a bit flustered.
Puar laughed as Oolong held out his hands in greeting. "Hey! What's up, kid?" the pig said.
"Not a lot," Gohan said as they reached the others. "Sorry we're late. I had to finish my homework."
"Don't sweat it, kid," Bulma replied. "You're fashionably late and that's okay."
Chi Chi placed a hand on her son's shoulder, a look of pride in her eyes. "Gohan's been hitting the books a lot lately. He's almost caught up on all the work he missed while he was gone."
"Man! What a little champion! Cool! Well, Dende? Whadda ya say?" Bulma declared.
"Sure!" Dende replied, turning his attention back to the glowing balls. He held his hands over them as he loudly announced the password in the Namekian language. The balls exploded with blinding light. Gradually, the sky grew very dark and everyone looked excited as lightning exploded from the balls and grew upward into the shape of Porunga, the dragon of Namek. The dragon growled in his throat.
"Wow! Now that's a dragon!" Master Roshi blared.
"Yes! Oh, my! Dear me!" Dr. Briefs exclaimed.
Mrs. Briefs gasped at the sight. Meanwhile, screams could be heard in the distance as the creature was clearly visible from all over the metropolis. Eventually, they died down and the Eternal Dragon spoke, "You who have summoned me. I will now grant you three wishes. Now, proceed with your wishes."
Morely walked up behind Bulma. "Go ahead, my friends. We can wait another hundred and thirty days to start our new life. Besides, I think I can improve my putt," he said, giving them the go-ahead.
Gohan smiled. "It's all in the wrist. And the follow-through."
Bulma turned her attention back to Dende. "Well, shoot! Let's do it then! Please bring Goku and Krillin to Earth's check-in station in the spirit realm," she spoke, wording the wish carefully.
Dende repeated her words exactly in his native tongue and Porunga replied, "Alright. Just a sec." His eyes glowed bright red. "The one called Krillin is at the Earth's check-in station." Everyone sighed in relief, but then the dragon continued, "But the one called Goku cannot be brought to that place."
Bulma panicked. "What? Darn! What's up? Why not?"
"Because he is alive," Porunga replied. "If I moved him there now, he would die."
Bulma heard Gohan gasp behind her before he uttered, "Dad's really still alive? But how?"
A few of the observers erupted into cheers and Gohan laughed joyously. Bulma almost joined them, but then stopped. "Hey, if Goku's alive, why hasn't he come back yet? Huh?"
Gohan turned to her. "Well, maybe his ship's broken! Yeah, I'll bet he's stuck!"
Morely spoke up. "My friends! Look! He's alive, right? So, just wish him back here."
"Hey! Great idea!" Bulma shot back merrily.
"Yeah!" Oolong echoed.
Bulma laughed. "Now, the next wish! Let's bring Krillin back to life!"
Dende translated the wish for the dragon as Oolong and Puar celebrated in the background.
The dragon's eyes glowed once again. Moments later, Krillin appeared just the way they had last seen him in battle armor right in front of the glowing dragon balls. The short Z fighter looked like a doe caught in headlights, judging by the expression on his face. "Huh? What? How?" he muttered, confused.
"Welcome back, partner!" Gohan greeted him first.
"Oh, wow! Wait a minute…" Krillin looked down at his own hands. "I'm back alive!"
The crowd started to celebrate, but the impatient dragon quickly cleared his throat. "Hey! Yo, people! Let's move it! One more wish!" Porunga demanded, already weary from granting the first two.
"Oooh! Sorry!" Bulma replied before giving him a wink. "You're cute! I like you!"
"Oh, uh…" Porunga began as he started to sweat profusely.
"All right, then. Let's do it," Bulma declared, raising her arms triumphantly over her head. "For the last wish, let's bring Goku back to Earth… and I mean preferably right here to Capsule Corp, please."
As soon as Dende had finished translating, the dragon's eyes glowed once more. Then a rather distant splash sound was heard and the dragon said, "It is done. Your wish has been granted."
Everyone paused and looked around, especially Bulma. "It has? But where is he?"
"I have fulfilled three wishes. I am finished here," Porunga determined.
Bulma peered back at him with a panicked look on her face. "Uh, no! Wait! Please!" she cried as the dragon and his balls flew up into the air. Porunga disappeared as the balls dispersed in a flash of blinding light. Gradually, the sky cleared to blue as the weather returned to normal. Not sure what to think at first, Bulma spun around to face the whole crowd. "Well… the dragon says he granted the wish, so he must've granted the wish. Everyone spread out and search! Goku's got to be around here somewhere!"
Piccolo took charge next. "Right!" he said, turning to the Namekian children. "You all go search over there," he said, pointing. "Bulma, you and your parents and Krillin search the upper floors. Gohan, Oolong, Puar, and I can search the Atrium. As for all others, search the lower floors! Move out!"
Everybody fanned out as per Piccolo's instructions. Gohan, Puar, and Oolong followed quickly behind Piccolo and Chi Chi raced after Gohan. They approached the main building and filed into the back entrance, Piccolo holding the door for each of them. Just as they reached the end of the hall, the door into the Atrium creaked open and out stepped Goku looking like a half-dead drowned rat.
"Daddy!" Gohan cried out.
"Goku!" the others blared in unison.
Goku looked miserable, soaked, and exhausted with a big green frog on his head. Nonetheless, he grinned and gave them all a big thumbs up. "Wow! Thanks, guys. Great timing! I don't think I'd have lasted another day out there. Man, oh, man, am I ever starved," he expressed, shaking the frog off the crown of his head as he placed a hand on his growling belly. The amphibian leaped back into the Atrium, ribbiting.
Gohan tackled his father while laughing in merriment, not caring one bit if he got his clean overalls wet and dirty from the contact with the disheveled man. "Gohan!" Chi Chi chided half-heartedly.
Bulma and her parents walked up behind Chi Chi with stars in their eyes and big smiles on their faces. "Goku! Thank goodness you're okay," expressed the blue-haired genius. "Man, we were so worried. We've got a big barbecue planned this evening to celebrate bringing you and Krillin back. Why don't you go hop in the shower and I'll grab you some fresh clothes, poor guy. Whew! Party at my place!"
Dr. Briefs turned to his wife. "I'm going to go use the intercom to let the Namekians know that we found him, dear. You go get ready for the feast!" he proposed, giving Panchy a loving peck on the cheek.
"You bet, shnookums!"
Goku held his son in his arms and patted his back. "Gohan, I'm so proud of you. You were so brave on Namek with Frieza and all. How's your mo…" he began, catching sight of his wife. "Chi Chi! How are you doing, babe? Did our little man manage to catch up on all his homework?" he asked.
Chi Chi gave him a chaste smile and a small nod. "Only a few more assignments left."
"Now, now, let's not mob the poor fella," Mrs. Briefs interjected, coming between Goku and everyone else as the latter set his son down on the ground and patted him on the head. "Come on, Goku. Let my Bulma show you to the bathhouse where you can get a nice hot shower. I'm going to go get the cookout started! We got us some barbecue ribs, fresh corn on the cob, steaks, hot dogs, burgers, shish kabobs, lobster, shrimp, just about everything your hungry little saiyan heart could possibly desire!"
Goku's eyes turned to saucers and his mouth a waterfall. "Th-That sounds… a-mazing!"
Bulma pushed her way through the crowd and took Goku by the hand. "Come on, Gohan. Looks like we're going to have to get you cleaned up, too," she said, offering her other hand to the halfling.
Capsule Corp contained a small bathhouse divided into male and female halves for the employees that had to work overnight hours. Bulma took Goku, Gohan, and Krillin to the men's bathhouse and gave them each a big, fluffy towel. She peeked inside. "Alright, the coast is clear. You have the bathhouse all to yourselves. I'll be back with fresh clothes for you all. Just drop your used clothes in the laundry shoot."
"Thanks, Bulma," Gohan replied.
Krillin looked up at Goku with eyes full of emotion. "I can't believe we're back, Goku. There were many times I thought none of us would ever see another sunrise. I was so lost in the Namekian check-in station. The place was almost deserted since the planet had such a low population to begin with. At least I didn't need food or anything. So how did you ever manage to survive that planet's explosion?"
Goku shifted to pull his ragged and dripping blue top off. "Ugh, let me get clean and then I'll tell you all about it, Krill. Let me tell you two, I got filth in places I didn't even know I had! I haven't gone this long without a bath since I was a kid, to be honest," he replied with a chuckle, his voice weary but upbeat.
"I can't wait to hear about it," Gohan said, unbuttoning his overalls.
Krillin pulled the saiyan armor over his head. "Yeah, and if you all want the lowdown on the Namekian afterlife, just ask me!" he said humorously as he yanked the jumpsuit down from his shoulders.
"Oh, yeah. We should all catch up and exchange stories at the barbecue. Whatcha think, guys?" Gohan proposed. "Honestly, I don't have much to share myself. Just a bunch of studying and tests and stuff. Not much excitement on my end. To be honest, I was starting to get a bit restless."
Krillin snorted. "Believe me, Gohan. That's a good thing," he said, taking off his boots and gloves. "I could have done with a little less excitement in the recent past myself. I'm just glad everything turned out okay and things are about to get back to normal. So did you cream Frieza good, Goku?"
Goku chuckled as he tossed the last of his clothes into the laundry drop. "Oh, yeah. You know it. Funny thing, though. I'm not the one who killed him. He pretty much killed himself. Anyway, I'll share all the details later. I'm sure you guys will get a kick out of it," he finished before marching into a shower stall.
Krillin looked at Goku. "Gee, Goku. You sure got a lot of injuries there. No broken bones though, right?"
"Don't think so," they both heard Goku say just before he turned on the shower and closed the curtain behind him. The full-blooded saiyan started to whistle as he stepped under the warm cascade and started rinsing the filth out of his hair. Then he sighed out of enjoyment. His mind snapped back to the topic it had been on just before the crashing of his spaceship. "Oh, hey, you guys know anything about Vegeta's whereabouts?" he inquired over the pitter-patter of the water. "Is he still on the planet?"
"Uh… I have no clue, Goku. Just before you arrived, I was wish backed from Other World," Krillin said.
"He was with us when King Kai was relaying news about your battle, Dad. I think Bulma offered him to come to Capsule Corp. That's all I remember. Maybe he's around here somewhere?" Gohan suggested.
"Ah," Goku said. "Cool, I'll just ask Bulma about it when we're done here if I don't see him myself."
Gohan laughed. "I haven't seen anything about him in the news so I can only assume he's been laying low and not causing any mischief. Then again, I don't even know if he's still on the planet."
Goku's eyes popped open. "Really? Well, that's good to hear."
"Things have been pretty peaceful," Gohan added.
"Hush," Krillin countered as he stepped into his own shower stall. "Don't jinx it. I think we all need a good rest before the next super-powered psycho shows up, including a repeat Vegeta situation."
"True," Gohan said. Instead of going to the showers, Gohan went to one of the bathtubs and turned on the faucet. Now that everything was about to be completely back to normal, he wanted to relax. He also badly needed a mental respite from his studies, so now was a good time as it was not a study day.
While showering, Goku thought to himself. Darn, I should've asked Bulma about Vegeta before she left us in here. If he's really been behaving himself, well… I guess that's both good and bad for my sake, he thought, giggling to himself. He closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling around for nearby power levels. The only large ones nearby were his own son, Krillin, Piccolo, and the other Nameks, it seemed. He did not sense Vegeta, but perhaps the saiyan prince was resting. Either way, he would find out soon enough.
He could not sense Vegeta, but a mental image appeared nonetheless. The flame-haired one stood facing out into the blackness before his dark eyes shifted over his shoulder to make contact with Goku's. He was dressed in nothing but a dark saiyan jumpsuit, boots, and gloves. The skintight garment hugged his muscular thighs and buttocks in all the right places. Goku felt a stirring in his groin and, before he knew it, his right hand had reached down to meet his rising manhood. He cleaned it with the soap and rinsed it off before gripping it hard. He started with slow thrusts as he struggled to maintain his vision.
The full-blooded saiyan subconsciously used his free hand to turn the temperature of the water all the way up, as the heat had no ill effect on his body. The searing hot water rained down on the head of his cock as he peeled back the foreskin. "Mmm, yeah…" he uttered below his breath as he thrust it into his hand.
"What's that, Goku?" Krillin inquired.
"Huh?" Goku blurted, his eyes snapping open as he froze. "What?"
"I thought I heard you groan or something. You okay?"
Heat rushed to Goku's face and he felt flustered. "Oh, yeah… Just a little sore from the fight still," he replied, placing a hand behind his head. "I've been in stasis ever since with no medical treatment. Still got cuts and bruises. But no worries! Once I get some food in me, I'm sure I'll heal right up."
All three males heard a knock on the door to the bathhouse. Bulma squeezed in with her eyes covered and rolled in a cart. "Boys, I've got fresh clothes for you all. Leaving the outfits on the little dolly by the door. I don't know why you guys have to wear such heavy garments, but here they are!" she called to them.
"Thanks, Bulma!" Krillin called back.
Bulma waved and left. "No problem."
Goku quickly got to work shampooing his hair, wanting to get the shower over and done with so that he could go get some food and find out the answers to the many questions that were plaguing his mind. Once he was done scrubbing, he rinsed the suds out and repeated the treatment since he had been so filthy to start with. Then he took a bath brush and started scrubbing all over his body with shower gel, being gentler in the places that were most tender from the fierce combat. He did this again a few times until his body was squeaky clean. He was about to turn the water off when he looked down and realized he still had a very obvious problem. His dick was still rock hard and pulsing. He needed to take care of the situation discreetly, given he was not the only one in the bathhouse. The recovering warrior leaned his left hand against the tiles as he stroked himself under the veil of noisy shower water. The sexiest images he could conjure up flashed in his mind, fast enough to bring a quick but disappointing release. It was not all that he craved, all that he hoped for, but it was enough to get rid of the problem for now.
Goku yawned as fatigue overtook him, but his growling stomach woke him right back up. The last few hours he had spent on the desolate planet breathing the thin sour air had taken its toll on his mind and body. The few otherworldly living creatures he had found in a smelly bog had looked far from edible and the 'water' itself looked very questionable as well. He was afraid even to touch it, for fear it would poison him through his skin. He intended to tell the Z crew in great detail just how close he had been to biting the dust if he had been forced to stay there even a few hours longer. The realization was just now hitting him of how close he had come to suffering a second death, one by thirst and starvation which he judged much more horrid in nature than a valiant one in battle. Secretly, he thanked his lucky stars. He knew there had to be someone or something out there in the universe with powers beyond imagining who was looking out for him. "Hey, Dad?" Goku suddenly heard Gohan's voice, snapping him out of his reverie.
"Yes, Son?" Goku replied as he vigorously got back to rinsing himself off. He turned off the faucet and squeezed the excess water from his hair before reaching blindly for the towel Bulma had given him.
Goku heard the sound of draining water. "Krillin and I are done. I'm gonna get dressed. You sure you're alright, Daddy?" came the voice of his young son from outside of the shower curtain.
"Yes, I will be," Goku replied. "It's just… the last few hours have been tough. You guys really have no idea how much of a lifesaver that wish you made was. I would've been a goner for sure if you guys hadn't had such great timing. But as a result of everything I've been through, I'm just hungry and exhausted. I'll need a huge meal and a good night's sleep before I'll be back to my old self, for sure." He chuckled.
"That's okay," Gohan said. "I'm sure we'll have you feeling better in no time!"
Goku came out of the shower stall with the towel wrapped around his waist, looking fresh as a daisy. "Well, let me tell you, kiddo, things are already looking up," he said with a relaxed smile.
Gohan was still pulling up his fresh pair of jeans. Meanwhile, a fully-dressed Krillin was kind enough to hand Goku his new gi. "Thanks!" Goku said, accepting it. He started to get dressed along with Gohan.
"I'm going to go out and let everyone else know that you two will be along in a minute," Krillin replied with a nod of acknowledgment. "Man, it's great to be back! Woo hoo! Party time!"
"Great!" Goku declared.
Once Krillin was gone, Gohan spoke up again. "So, Dad, you haven't heard about the plan with the dragon balls yet, right? The Namekian dragon balls followed Guru to Earth when he got wished here, so we were able to use them to revive Krillin and bring you home. In just another few months, we'll be able to use them again to revive Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu! Isn't that great? The Namekians said they didn't mind staying on Earth a bit longer so we could bring back all our friends. They sure are nice. I hope we'll be able to keep in touch once they get a new home lined up. Oh! Did you know it's May already? My birthday is in a few weeks. You came back right in time! Bulma's throwing me a big birthday bash! She got Mom to agree to let me go on a trip to Dream Land with friends. Oh! And you know what else? Once summer vacation is over and I'm caught up on all my work, Mom says I'm going to be able to start going to a private school in Orange City with other kids my age! I'm so excited! I've never had many friends my age since I've always been homeschooled by Mom and Grandpa. And that reminds me… I've got some fun stories to tell you about the year before the saiyans arrived on Earth and…"
"Okay, okay!" Goku laughed. "Slow down, Son. I'm glad you're excited and you better believe I'll be there for your birthday. Heck, I'll take you to every ride in Dream Land myself. I remember that time I went to Dream Land with Bulma when we were kids. It was super fun and I heard it's gotten even better since then. They've added new rides and attractions on top of what was already there," he added as he pulled his pants up and tied his waistband. "Ah, almost done. Now I just need my boots and wristbands."
"Hey, Dad?"
"Yes?"
"This may seem like an odd request, but do you think you could ask Mom if I can get a different haircut? I really hate this one, but Mom loves it and she thinks it's perfect for school. I think it'll make me look like a dork to the other kids. She said the spikes I had before made me look like a delinquent. I don't mind not having spikes, but maybe it could be shorter and less mushroomy?" Gohan remarked.
Goku blinked at the unexpected inquisition. "Uh, yeah… Sure. I can propose the idea. Yeah, I think you're right. Besides, your fringe is getting too long and it'll need to be cut soon anyway."
Father and son finished dressing and soon joined the others. The smell of barbecue made Goku's mouth water as he exited the door to the balcony. Everybody cheered for him upon his arrival and he bashfully placed a hand behind his head with a big, dopey grin on his face. "Aw… Thanks, everyone! You guys are awesome, too. Hey again, Bulma! Hiya, Puar! What's up, Oolong? Piccolo! It's been a minute. Wow, the food smells great! I can't wait to eat. Hey, can I get some first? I'm starved. Literally haven't eaten in months! I think I could eat a whole tyrannosaur by myself right now. Heck, yeah," Goku declared, taking a seat at the long picnic table that Mrs. Briefs and a robotic servant were preparing.
Mrs. Briefs made a point to serve Goku immediately, knowing how hungry he was. She started with the barbecued chicken drumsticks, which came off the grill first, and then she quickly and efficiently added new items to the table as they came off the grill. Still, she was only barely able to keep up with Goku's immense appetite, as fast as she was serving. "Here are the baby back ribs. Ooh, they're just perfect. Would you like more barbecue sauce, Goku dear? Here you go," she offered, handing over a full bottle. Goku quite literally squirted the whole bottle over his mountain of food and started to dig in again, eating with such incredible speed that the ordinary human eye could hardly see what was happening.
Bones and corncobs were flying overhead, being deftly caught in a bin by the former world-class female martial artist known as Chi Chi. "Goku, slow down! We only just got you back and we sure don't want to lose you to choking now, do we? It would be such tragic irony for all of us, I'm sure."
Goku could not help himself. He just kept gobbling away, banging on his chest every now and again to force more food down his gullet than his esophagus would naturally allow in a single swallow. Chicken legs, spare ribs, he even deep-throated full-length shish kabobs on multiple occasions and then spat the skewers back out like it was nothing. "Mmm, so good!" he mumbled between bites.
Gohan joined him first. Though not nearly as hungry, he was the only other individual present with a saiyan-sized appetite. "Yeah, these ribs are great, Mrs. B. Oh, Bulma, I told Dad about the plans for the next three wishes with the Namekian balls. I think we're all looking forward to seeing Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu again. The whole gang will be complete in just a few more months. Oh, and Dad said he'd like to come with us to Dream Land for my birthday," Gohan said after he finished his first cheeseburger. "Hey, Mom, Bulma, do you all mind if the Namek kids come along? I'd love to hang out with Dende and the others. Please?" he added, directing his puppy-dog eyes at his mother in particular.
Chi Chi shrugged as she set down one over-filled rubbish bin and picked up another. "Well, Gohan, we don't have enough money for that many tickets. Dream Land isn't cheap, you know."
"I'll cover it, Chi," Bulma proposed. "Big groups get big discounts, after all."
"Yay! Thanks, Bulma!" Gohan cried. "You're the best! Oh, wow! I'm so excited. I've heard all about Dream Land but I've never gotten to go yet. Oh, it's going to be so much fun to spend all day at the best amusement park in this whole sector. Sixth birthday, here I come! Oh, Bulma, can Mr. Piccolo come too?"
Piccolo groaned. "Do I have to?"
"Sure, he can!" Bulma said.
Chi Chi frowned slightly. "Alright now, Ms. Briefs. Spoil your own future children if you want, but I'd like my son to grow up with some limits and discipline if you please," she gently interjected.
Bulma laughed. "Alright, alright. I promise, Chi. After this one, we'll save the next big event for when he turns double digits!" she spoke with a wink, holding up a peace sign with her fingers.
Chi Chi smirked slightly. "Just make sure everyone avoids my no-no list and sticks to the go-to list for the birthday gifts and we're square, Bulma. The more books, the better!" she expressed.
"Hey, Goku!" Oolong chimed. "So how was your fight with Frieza? I've heard so much about it, but I've been waiting for months to hear it straight from the horse's mouth! Did you really go blond?!"
Puar glared at the anthropomorphic pig. "Oolong, you know better than to start a conversation with Goku while he's eating. Let the poor, starving man finish first. It's the least you can do after he saved the universe that we all live in!" she squeaked at her former transformation school classmate. She suddenly turned into a clown with rainbow hair and a big, red nose. "Let's focus on the future. Gohan's big day is coming up and I can't wait! It's been so long since we've all had a trip to Dream Land!"
"Oh, Puar! You make it sound like Gohan's getting married at his tender age. It's just a birthday party," Chi Chi countered in a light tone, waving the levitating cat away. "It will be fun, but let's not blow things out of proportion. I think we should be focusing more on the fact that my brilliant little boy is going to be starting big boy school soon at a prestigious private institution for child geniuses. I'm so proud, I could just cry! Oh, Gohan!" she related, leaning over to give her son a side hug as he ate.
"'Fanks, Mom," Gohan replied with a mouthful.
Master Roshi devilishly slid up behind Goku and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "So, uh, Goku, my boy… You happen to catch a glimpse of any smokin' hot alien gals when you were out in space by any chance? I'll need a full description for, uh, scientific reasons…" he uttered under his breath, red-faced.
"What was that, Master Roshi?" Chi Chi inquired scoldingly. "I have good hearing, you know."
Master Roshi placed a hand behind his head and held up a defensive palm. "What? Oh. It's… nothing."
Goku stopped chewing and turned to Master Roshi, his cheeks puffed out from his current mouthful. He could only shake his head before turning his attention fully back to the meal at hand. About twenty minutes later, after ignoring all the chitchat, Goku finally finished and wiped his mouth. "Ah, wow! That was great! You sure are a great cook, Mrs. Briefs! Thank you so much for the amazing meal!"
The aforementioned housewife blushed. "Oh! Thank you, Goku. And you sure are a great eater!"
"Thanks!" Goku replied, drinking the rest of his iced green tea. He turned his attention to their gracious blue-haired hostess. "Hey, Bulma! Gohan mentioned that you brought Vegeta home with you to Capsule Corp after Planet Namek exploded. Where is he? Is he still around?" he asked, peering around curiously. "I'm surprised a saiyan like him wouldn't be tempted out of hiding by all this delicious food!"
Bulma frowned in response and wiped her mouth. "It's true. I did bring him here, but he disappeared about a month ago. I know he's still on Earth though. I've tried finding him using the scouter, but the jerk always manages to evade me. He's just too darn fast. Even when he was here, he hardly spoke a word. One day last month, he got into a shouting match with Piccolo and the other Nameks and then just flew off. I haven't seen him since. Do you think you could help me find him, Goku?" she asked.
Chi Chi looked absolutely incensed by the conversation and quickly interjected with, "Bulma, why on Earth would you try to find that horrible monster? I hope he stays gone forever. Good riddance! If he shows his ugly mug again, I'll just get Goku to finish him off once and for all. Yuck!"
Goku frowned. "Finish him off? But… I just wanted to spar with him. That's why I asked if he was here." He turned his attention to Piccolo, who was leaning against the wall of the house staring into the bright blue daytime sky. "Hey, Piccolo! What was that argument you guys had with Vegeta about?"
Piccolo sighed and stood up to his full height, approaching the table. "Well, Morely and the others were angry at him for killing everyone in Guru's village. Thanks to him, the dragon didn't resurrect that lot because Vegeta was no longer loyal to Frieza at the time the massacre happened. I don't know exactly how the argument started, but I know how it ended. I came in right when Vegeta was threatening to 'blast' all the remaining Nameks 'into the next dimension.' I told him to knock it off. Then he shouted at me something along the lines of, 'If you want those whiny green slugs back so bad, why don't you just use your stupid dragon balls to restore Namek? Then stay here until the Earth's dragon balls regenerate and wish them all back then? Stupid Nameks!' I thought that he was about to attack me then, so I prepared myself in a fight pose, but instead, he just got a distant cross-eyed look on his face a few seconds before he sneezed really, really loud. Then he gave me the stink eye and flew off. None of us have seen Vegeta since. It was pretty weird. I still don't know what that guy's problem is," Piccolo explained.
Goku got a thoughtful look on his face. "Hm… You say he sneezed really, really loud?" he asked. Piccolo nodded and Goku scratched his chin. "Maybe he's allergic to Namekians? Could that be why he left?"
Piccolo and Bulma rolled their eyes. "Uh, Goku," the latter said, "I don't think that's it. It was April, lots of pollen. Unless he thought there was somewhere on Earth where he could go without flowers… Perhaps the frozen north? I don't know. Regardless, hay fever probably had nothing to do with why he left."
Goku hopped up to his feet decisively. "Well, it doesn't matter. I'll find him and see what's up."
Gohan frowned. "Are you leaving now, Dad? You just got back!"
Goku shook his head. "Nah, not yet. I'm way too tired to gallivant all over the planet. I'll need a good night's rest first," he said with a sudden yawn, looking relaxed. "Then I'll go find 'im."
"Oh, goodie!" Mrs. Briefs chirped. "I miss that handsome fella. Always nice to have some big, strong men around here for protection, you know? Do bring Vegeta back safe and sound, will you, Goku?"
Goku blinked. "Uh… sure."
"Who wants ice cream?" Mrs. Briefs offered to the group.
Oolong, Master Roshi, Launch, Bulma, Goku, Gohan, Krillin, and Puar all raised their hands. Dr. Briefs placed his hand behind his head. "Oh, I'd love some rocky road on a cake cone, dear."
After eating various flavors of ice cream and standing around chatting for a few hours, Bulma ushered all interested parties into the Capsule Corp home theater to watch a creepy movie called Turning Dead about panda zombies taking over the bodies of young pubescent girls. Despite the frequent shrieks of terror in the theater, Goku managed to pass out and sleep through most of it due to his deep exhaustion.
At the end of the evening, when the saiyan warrior could not be roused, Chi Chi told Bulma that she was going to take Gohan and leave. "Come along, Gohan. I think it's best to let your father rest. He'll be home after he wakes up, I'm sure. I'd rather not take him on a road trip while he's so exhausted after all he's been through," she whispered after watching Bulma place a few blankets over Goku.
Bulma came over, yawning. "No worries, Chi. I'll send him right home once he wakes up, though I might have to feed him first to get rid of him," she said with a chuckle. "Thanks for coming over."
"Goodnight, Bulma!" Gohan called back.
"Night, kiddo!" Bulma replied as Chi Chi beckoned her son to the family car. The black-haired woman waved goodbye with a small smile, started the car, and drove off into the sunset.
…
Bulma retired to her room with a big yawn. After relaxing in a hot shower, brushing her teeth, and doing her nightly skincare regimen, she flopped down on her bed with a big internal smile. It was paramount that she get plenty of rest. Tomorrow was going to be a very important Monday. She was scheduled for a long day of interviews for new prospective Capsule Corp employees. A few years ago, her father had determined that she was a great judge of character and the most astute at sniffing out spies, unnecessarily padded resumes, etc. The Capsule Corporation was a world-class company and required the best of the best. Given that Bulma's taste was questionable only when it came to handsome men, Bulma was just given female prospects on her list of interviewees. Her father and his executives covered all others.
Part of Bulma was looking forward to meeting new and interesting people, but another part of her was loath to wade through so many bores in search of the hidden gems. With a deep sigh, Bulma reached toward her nightstand and opened the drawer underneath. She pulled out a small album. Her eyes narrowed and her face flushed slightly as she opened the source of her most recent guilty pleasures.
In the few months that Vegeta had lived at Capsule Corp, he was almost always seen walking around scantily clad in nothing more than a pair of black lycra boxer shorts. Given that Bulma got glared or snapped at whenever she was caught staring, the blue-haired genius had taken it upon herself to gather a nice album of pictures that she had borrowed from the many security cameras all over the grounds.
Bulma hungrily thumbed through some of the juicier pictures, most of which consisted of well-lit close-ups of Vegeta's rear end. She licked her lips, wondering what a nice handful might feel like in her palms. She snapped the album shut and squeezed it to her chest. "I don't know what it is about this guy. If only he wasn't always playing hard to get. I know he finds me attractive. Who wouldn't? I'm drop-dead gorgeous, for Pete's sake. If only I could figure out what goes on in his head… then I could break things off with that cheater for good! I need a man strong and bold enough to not be intimidated by Yamcha."
She kept thinking back to late February of the current year. Bulma had made a bold move one night during one of their heated arguments. As the arrogant prince had insulted her technological prowess, she decided to shut him up once and for all by leaning in for a kiss when he least expected it. Instead of kissing her back, he had pushed her away, and–surprisingly–instead of wiping her essence off of his own lips, he had used his own shirtsleeve to wipe his essence off of her lips. Then he had insulted her, told her never to touch him again, and stormed off. Over the next week or so, he had avoided her like the plague, which really irked Bulma. She had taken to setting up a monitor in her lab so that she could watch him work out in the Gravitron. In the end, it had provided too much distraction from work and she had been forced to dismantle it. However, she did keep the recordings to enjoy later in her free time.
With that in mind, Bulma picked up the remote keyboard to the large monitor against the back wall of her bedroom. She turned it on and watched some of the recordings, which helped her to achieve some degree of release. The relief, though minimal, was enough to send her off to dreamland at last.
