Chapter 10: The Rampage and the Oath

The morning dew dotted every leaf and petal in the meadow. Due to the wetness of the grass, Gohan had to pull on a pair of slightly oversized boots from a shoe capsule that Mrs. Briefs had packed for him. He unzipped his tent door all the way and stepped out into the fresh mountain air. "Ah!" he said, stretching. "I feel so much better. Gee, I can't wait until Dad gets here. We're going to have so much fun!"

He heard some laughter coming from the designated fire pit and turned in that direction. The Namekian children were running around the pit in circles, chasing one another in a game of tag. The group included Dende and his brothers Cargo and Cara. Gohan laughed out loud when Dende tagged Cara and zipped off in the opposite direction. "Good morning, guys! Can I join your game, please?" he asked, running over.

"Sure!" Cara replied, chasing after Gohan. The demi-saiyan dodged him and ran around the sitting logs.

"Good morning, one and all!" came a familiar and friendly voice from an approaching hover vehicle.

The children all stopped playing and turned toward the red car zooming in their direction against the backdrop of the sunrise. Krillin was at the wheel. In the front passenger's seat was Launch and in the rear were Master Roshi and Oolong. "Hiya!" came the gruff voice of the anthropomorphic swine.

All four kids ran over to greet the new arrivals with Gohan out in front of the pack. "Launch, Krillin, Oolong, Master Roshi! How are you all doing? Are you here to join the camping trip?" Gohan asked.

Krillin turned the wheel and gently pressed the brakes, parking the car neatly behind Gohan's tent. "If you'll have us! Mrs. Briefs called Launch up to chat and told her about the camping trip yesterday. We think camping sounds like a great idea! Plus, we can always find our own site if you prefer to keep the party private," he insinuated with a nervous chuckle. All the passengers in the car immediately started to disembark. Master Roshi stepped out of the car and took a whiff of the fresh mountain air.

"Don't be silly!" Gohan replied. "The more, the merrier. Right, guys?" he asked, peering back at his Namekian companions. "This is going to be so much fun! Thank you all so much for coming!"

Dende waved to Krillin. "Hi, again! Thanks for joining us, Krillin. Piccolo and Morely are here, too. Piccolo is off doing his morning meditation at the waterfall to the north and Morely is digging holes for golf. Maybe you guys can play together later? We have a ton of fun activities planned."

"Sure, I can swing a club or two," Krillin replied, popping open the trunk as the others went to start unpacking their supplies. The former monk straightened his baseball cap, strode up to Gohan, and leaned over to whisper in the young boy's ear. "Did you get the thing with your mom resolved yet?" he uttered under his breath, peering around warily as the Namekian children returned to their noisy game.

Gohan's eyes widened. "How… How did you know about that?"

Krillin flushed slightly. "Well, uh… let's just say she called us up on the island and more or less accused us of kidnapping you. We had no idea what was going on. All we gathered was that you had disappeared."

Gohan peered down at the ground. "I don't want to talk about it. I went to see Dad and he promised to take care of it. He said it was his mess to clean up, not mine. He's going to join us later today."

Krillin raised a brow in confusion. "Oh, okay… I guess I should wait and ask him what's up then?"

Gohan nodded. "That would be best. I'm not a grown-up and those things aren't up to me."

Krillin reached over and patted the shorter male on the head. "Don't worry, kiddo. I can tell something's not right and I'll try to help however I can. In the meantime, have you had breakfast yet?"

Gohan looked up excitedly and shook his head. "Nope, I just got up!"

"Well, what are you in the mood for? We can have fish, pancakes, eggs… You name it!"

The young boy looked excited. "I want fish for lunch. How about pancakes and eggs?"

Krillin called over to the purple-haired woman who was helping Oolong set up the tent. "Hey, Launch! I'm going to go gather some wood with Gohan and get the fire started. Do you mind cooking us up some eggs and pancakes? Gohan hasn't eaten yet and he's half saiyan with a full saiyan appetite!"

"Sure thing, Krillin!"

…

Chi Chi had been doing breathing exercises for the last five minutes of the car trip, but as soon as she spotted the Capsule Corporation compound, the dam burst and her anger and fear spilled over. She tore off her seat belt and did a flying leap out of the vehicle, landing in front of the intercom. With a furious finger, she smashed the button such that it refused to pop back out again. "This is Chi Chi, the Ox King's daughter. Where's my son?! Tell Gohan to get his sorry hide out here at once or I'm coming in!"

The buzzer broke and kept buzzing nonstop and the computer voice came out severely scrambled. "Zzz… Gohan…zzz… not… zzz… on…. premises… zzz… Receptionist… zzz… on…" it replied.

Chi Chi screamed and barged into the compound, leaving her fiancé in the dust out front. He quickly encapsulated the car and tried to follow her, but one of the security cameras out front did a scan of his face. In an instant, a series of lasers pointed red dots all over his forehead. "Unfriendly competitor detected. Do not enter or you will be shot, intruder. Step off the Capsule Corp grounds, please," warned a very hostile-sounding computer voice. Mr. Cardinal backed up slowly, one footstep at a time until he was on the public sidewalk. Then the security system disengaged itself and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shoot, I guess I'll just wait here," Mr. Cardinal said to himself, wiping the sweat from his brow. He was about to text Chi Chi on his phone when he suddenly remembered that she had broken hers last night.

In the Atrium of Capsule Corp, the terrified Namekians, a few weekend employees, and hundreds of frightened animals were running around in a panic as the world's strongest woman rampaged the interior garden, turning over boulders and ripping apart tree foliage in an attempt to find her missing offspring. "Gohan, where are you?! You're in big trouble, young man!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Every possible escape route was bulldozed by the stampede, smashing the interior automatic doors into rubble. Humans, green men, and crazed dinosaurs roamed the first-floor halls of the compound, seeking escape from the disturbance in their normal place of sanctuary. After Chi Chi had completely torn the Atrium apart and found no sign of her child, she set her sights on the back hall and the door leading out to the Gravitron. I swear, if that kid is training in the Gravity Room, he's grounded for life! she thought in anger, racing through the chaotic hall like a bat out of hell as person and animal alike evaded her.

After she had flown out the back door, a lone employee hiding under a desk pressed the big red button to put security on alert. "Call the West City Police Department! There's a dangerous madwoman rampaging our headquarters! Hurry, before she returns! We need police backup!" he cried over the security phone.

Out back, Chi Chi turned the whole Gravitron upside-down quite literally before deciding that no one was hiding there after all. She circled back, crossed the lawn, and leaped up onto the back patio just as Mrs. Briefs opened the sliding glass door. "Oh, Chi Chi! Quick, come inside! There's an alarm going off downstairs. We think there might be a gunman. Hurry, get in here where it's safe!" she said, waving.

"Where's Gohan?!" Chi Chi blared, powering up. "Bring him out here now!"

Mrs. Briefs' eyes were stark. "G-Gohan? Oh, he went out with his little Namek friends."

"Halt!" blared a police helicopter hovering overhead.

Chi Chi paid it no mind as she charged across the patio, heading for the sliding glass door where Mrs. Briefs stood frozen in terror. The black-haired woman yelped at the top of her lungs and collapsed half a meter from the blonde's feet, her ass in the air with a tranquilizer dart pinned to her right butt cheek.

Mrs. Briefs brought a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my!"

…

Thirty minutes later, the Briefs family stood on the patio as a few police officers uncuffed Chi Chi. She rubbed her wrists, staring down at the floor of the lanai. "Are you sure you don't wish to press charges, Dr. Briefs?" one of the boys in blue inquired. "Though we've managed to wrangle the animals back into the Atrium and barricade them inside, the damage is rather extensive on the first floor, not to mention the big round contraption out back. I don't know how a single woman was able to do so much damage."

Dr. Briefs waved the man off, puffing his pipe nonchalantly. "It's alright, Officer Sefa. This young lady is a friend of the family. We can see that she's in obvious distress and I think I speak for my wife and daughter both when I say we'd prefer to take a more compassionate approach," the doctor explained. "Plus, we have quite an excellent insurance policy or two. I'm sure the damage will be fixed in no time."

Mrs. Briefs timidly walked up to Chi Chi and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright, dear? Please, you can talk to us. This is a safe place," she expressed, lines of worry creasing her face.

Chi Chi seemed to be barely holding back tears. "I j-just want to see my s-son," she uttered, her lips quivering. "He's been missing for over twelve hours! What am I supposed to do? Go on vacation?!"

Officer Sefa creased his brow. "Is this a minor, ma'am? Did you file a report?"

"Yes, I did!" Chi Chi blared at him. "We went to the Orange City Police Department!"

The officer straightened his hat. "We, ma'am?"

"Yes, my fiancé and I. Where is he anyway?" she said, glancing around. "Rust!" she called out.

Bulma seethed. "We don't allow hostile competitors on our property! He's probably waiting for you outside our grounds," she bit out. Then she crossed her arms and spun in the opposite direction. "Hmph."

Another policeman's radio buzzed and he put it to his ear. "Yes, this is Officer Cure."

"A gentleman with red hair and a mustache is asking about a black-haired woman named Chi Chi on the sidewalk out front… bzzt… What should I tell him?… bzzt…" came the younger male voice.

Officer Cure turned his attention to Chi Chi. "Ma'am, is that your fiancé?"

She nodded, staring angrily at the ground. "We've been out of our minds with worry. I heard from Mrs. Briefs over the phone that my son was here, so we came all the way around the world to find him. Do you understand? Maybe it was just a miscommunication," she said, turning her attention to Mrs. Briefs. "Did you really see Gohan here? Or did I just mishear you? If he really was here… I can press charges for kidnapping, you know! I did not give my son permission to leave home! What was he doing here, huh?"

Mrs. Briefs brought a hand to her cheek. "Oh, my! I think the poor kid was just looking for his father."

Officer Sefa raised a brow. "So the man out front isn't his father then? Do you have the biological father's name and number? We'll need to contact him to clear this all up. It seems a confusing mess so far."

Still facing the opposite direction, Bulma stiffened slightly. "Gohan's father's name is Son Goku, the world-famous martial artist. He should be back soon, but I can give you his number if you want."

"That deadbeat never answers his phone! Don't bother!" Chi Chi shouted.

Bulma rounded on the woman, her blue eyes full of rage. "Goku's no deadbeat, you dolt! How dare you accuse him of that! He's the best man and father I know!" she roared back at the other female. She turned her attention to the officer again, taking his notepad and pen briefly to write the number. "There, give him a call. He almost always answers when I call. I advised him not to talk to Chi Chi directly. Better to let their divorce lawyers do the communications for now while emotions are so high," she indicated.

Officer Sefa nodded, taking his pen and notepad back. "Sure. Ah, I'm starting to understand. So there are messy divorce proceedings going on? I'm guessing a child custody agreement hasn't been reached yet…"

"Not yet," Bulma replied.

Chi Chi's eyes turned stark and tinged with red. "Yes, it has! I agreed to give Goku weekend visitations during the school year and as much visitation as they want during the summer, but I have full custody. It's only natural. I'm the boy's mother and he's not even six years old yet!" she snapped back, glaring at the blue-haired scientist. "And don't be stupid, Bulma. You know as well as I do that Goku can't afford a lawyer. He doesn't have a job! A man who doesn't support his own child is by definition a deadbeat!"

"If Goku wasted time on a nine-to-five job, you know as well as I do that we'd all be dead!"

Officer Sefa smoothed back his chestnut mustache. "Goku… Goku… Ah! He's the one who defeated that green demon! I remember. You're right, miss. We would all be dead if it weren't for that man! Oh, they're even making a musical on Baudway about him. I can't wait to take the wife. She's going to love it."

Bulma looked smugly between Chi Chi and the policeman. "That's right, Officer. Goku's a hero, not a deadbeat. We all owe him our lives. And unlike some people, I'm grateful enough to pay him back for the dozens of times that he has saved mine. I'm getting him a lawyer for the divorce, a damn good one so you can't use the legal system against him as a weapon, Chi Chi! Shame on you for trying to use the courts to take advantage of someone so pure and innocent as Goku. You won't get away with it!"

Officer Sefa sighed when it looked like the two women were about to throw down. He wedged himself in between them. "Alright, listen, ladies! If I see either of you throw a punch at the other, there will be big consequences. Don't make things worse. The right way to do this is in court, not here." He made eye contact with Bulma, who calmed down a bit hearing his words. "I hope Goku's lawyer will get in contact with this young lady's attorney forthwith. For now, I think we ought to escort her off Capsule Corporation property. The boy clearly isn't here." He turned to Chi Chi. "Ma'am, if you'll give me a number to get in contact with you, we'll let you know as soon as we locate the boy. Will you be staying at a hotel?"

Chi Chi nodded, barely containing her anger as she glared at Bulma. "Yes, Officer. Give me your notepad. I'm going to go buy a new phone today since mine is broken. In the meantime, you can call my fiancé's phone. I'll be with him," she said, taking the pad and pen to jot on it. She handed it back when done.

"Thank you, ma'am. We'll give you a call as soon as we know anything at all," Officer Sefa said, taking the items. He gestured to his fellow policeman. "Officer Cure, escort this young lady off of the property and back to her fiancé. It seems that he's waiting on the public sidewalk in front of the compound."

Chi Chi and Officer Cure walked off together, cutting through the Briefs family quarters with Mrs. Briefs' assistance. Meanwhile, Dr. Briefs breathed a sigh of relief as Officer Sefa dialed the number he had been given for Goku. "Dear me, what a messy situation. I hope we're able to remain friends with both parties after everything is said and done. Don't you think you were a little hard on Chi Chi, Bulma? Perhaps she said some awful things, but how would you react if you had a young son who had gone missing?"

Bulma raged at her father. "That's no excuse! Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna fetch my bikini and catch some rays while it's still sunny out," she snapped, stomping into the compound with a hair flip.

Dr. Briefs remained behind looking deflated.

…

Goku was doing his morning stretches out on the platform. He was still waiting for Vegeta to emerge from the capsule house when he felt a buzz in his pants. He straightened up and pulled out his phone, pressing it to his ear. "Good morning! This is Son Goku speaking," he said, answering the call with enthusiasm.

"Hello, Mr. Son. My name is Officer Sefa and I'm doing an investigation concerning a missing person report. Can I have a few minutes of your time to get some information?" came the unfamiliar voice.

Goku's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, no! Someone's missing? Well, I'll help in any way I can."

"Thank you, sir. Son Gohan, aged five, has been reported missing. This is your biological child, correct?"

"Uh, yeah… But wait, Officer, I think there must be some mistake. Gohan isn't missing. He's off camping with a few friends right now. I saw him just yesterday and he's perfectly safe, trust me!"

A moment of silence reigned. "Ah, that's a relief to hear," replied the policeman. "Do you know the boy's exact location? Perhaps one of the friends has a cell phone number I can contact to verify?"

Goku scratched his chin. "Actually, I'm not sure if any of the Nameks have their own phones, but I can sense where they are. In fact, I was about to go join them. Would you like to come with me? Then you can speak to Gohan yourself and find out for sure that he's okay. It's a great camping spot between West City and Ginger Town. Are you much of a nature guy, Officer Sefa? I could show you where it is!"

Officer Sefa cleared his throat. "No, no, that's alright. I'm working today. You said you were going to see your son, right? How about you give me a call back on this number when you get there and let me have a quick chat with the lad? That should suffice. It seems that a miscommunication occurred and your ex-wife didn't realize your son had gone camping. To avoid the hassle next time, I'm going to have to ask you to notify her before making plans for your shared child," he said, not sounding overly worried.

Goku stretched his back. "You're right. I should have. This was kind of an unusual situation. You see, my son was really upset about something and I was just trying to help him calm down. Things are a bit tense right now. Chi Chi sort of did something that affected our son in a bad way and she forgot to ask me if it was okay first, too. We both made a mistake, but don't worry. We'll get things worked out in no time. I would contact Chi Chi directly, but a mutual friend advised me against it. She thinks we should just talk through our law people until we figure out an arrangement with our son and stuff. Anyway, as I said, I'll give you a call back as soon as I join my son on his camping trip. Two hours tops! Sound good?"

Officer Sefa sighed with relief over the phone. "Yes, sir. That sounds perfectly reasonable. Thank you for taking such an open-minded and compassionate approach to this problem, especially in regard to your ex-wife. You have no idea how many separated couples fight like cats and dogs over their children and end up hurting each other and the little ones in the process. I hear horror stories all the time!"

"Oh, no! That sounds awful. I'd never try to hurt Chi Chi or Gohan. I love them more than anything."

"That's good to hear, sir. I'll be expecting your call back. Have a nice day."

Goku grinned. "You, too!" he replied, closing his phone. He heard a husky throat clearing from behind him and turned around. The capsule house had disappeared and Vegeta was standing there with an impatient look on his face, tossing a DynoCap up and down. Goku turned toward him fully, looking excited. "Good morning, 'Geets! Are you ready to head back? Oh, before I forget… I'm going camping with Gohan this weekend, so our training arrangement can start Monday morning. Gohan's summer vacation has started, so he should have plenty of time to learn the control technique with me."

"How long have you been awake, Kakarott?" Vegeta asked, looking him up and down.

Goku rubbed the back of his head. "Um, maybe half an hour. Do you want to get breakfast now or later?"

"I already ate," Vegeta replied. "Wiped out the fridge in the capsule house," he added with a chuckle. The prince put the DynoCap in his pocket, zipped it shut, and took a flying leap off the platform, free-falling.

"Great idea, Vegeta! That looks really fun!" Goku called, following the slighter saiyan in a burst of speed. "Geronimo!" He bounded off the edge of the platform, launching himself into a series of forward somersaults that ended in a twist as his body started to descend. "Woohoo! I love gravity!" The Z fighter started into a sharp nosedive and peered down below him, trying to catch up with Vegeta. The prince was in a rapid spin, causing him to plunge at full speed. Goku observed as Vegeta threw his arms and legs out, entering a belly-to-earth position that rapidly slowed his descent through increased air resistance. Goku gradually took on the same pose as he reached Vegeta's position, coming to hover next to the saiyan royal. "Hey, 'Geta. I promised a guy I'd book it to Gohan's location. I wish you had invited me to breakfast! Now I gotta wait until I get there," he shouted jokingly against the wind. "Oh, so how do you think we should split up our training days? You said we'd discuss a schedule once we spoke to Kami."

Vegeta glanced over at Goku and nodded. "Yes, Kakarott. So here's the deal. The first phase of your control training is almost entirely a mental exercise. There are very few physical aspects to it. I think we should split our days 50/50 between your Great Ape training and my Super Saiyan training. For example, on Monday as you mentioned, we'll do your training in the morning and then we can switch and work on mine in the afternoon. I think we need to pace ourselves so I ascend just before it's time for Kami to restore your tail. The second phase of your training will be much safer for both of us if I am a Super Saiyan before it starts. Otherwise, when you transform again for the first time off-planet, things could get out of control. You might end up killing me and then killing yourself in the process by blowing up the planet you're standing on. However, if I'm powerful enough when you transform, I should be able to protect both of us by deflecting any attacks you make on the ground below us. Do you understand?"

Goku scratched his chin. "Yeah, I think so," he replied, thinking. Then he drew his brows together and narrowed his eyes at Vegeta in suspicion. "But wait a minute… how do I know you're not going to leave me hanging once you ascend and refuse to complete my training? You've duped me before, Vegeta."

Vegeta smirked at Goku. "Not to worry, Kakarott. Wait until we reach the ground. I'll teach you how to make a Vegetan Oath. It's the one way to guarantee honesty out of any saiyan and it's not something we tend to share with outsiders. The only thing that can render a Vegetan Oath invalid is literal coercion."

Goku raised both brows. "Really? So… it's a saiyan thing?"

"That's right."

Goku pointed down. "Look, I see Korin's Tower! Hey, Korin!" he called, waving as they plummeted past.

Vegeta chuckled. "Heh, that fluffball is hilarious."

"Shh!" Goku replied, shushing him. "He's got good hearing."

"Good luck, Goku!" Korin called back, waving his staff. "Keep that jerk in line!"

"Sure thing!" Goku replied as they disappeared into the clouds below the tower. A refreshing and invigorating moment followed as they fell through the line of vapor and emerged on the other side.

Vegeta tucked his legs in, sending himself into a somersaulting spin. He maneuvered around, performing different free-falling tricks until the ground came surging up to meet them. "Kakarott, when we land you can open your DynoCap and get some food from the fridge if you're that hungry. Yours should still be fully stocked. I'll take both capsules back to the blue-haired woman's place and tell them to restock the supplies. Meanwhile, let's aim for that clearing right over there," he said, pointing to an area at the bottom of the tower. He flattened out his free fall again by throwing his limbs out and then used his ki to slow his descent once he reached the top of the tree line. Both saiyans landed gracefully in the clearing.

"Whew, that was better than surfing!" Goku exclaimed, looking pumped and ready for action. He pulled out his DynoCap, clicking the tab. Then he tossed it and watched it explode into a capsule house. "Be right back, 'Geets," he said, walking up to the door. He went inside and came back out a minute later, his arms loaded with sausages, bread loaves, apples, rice balls, and all other manner of ready-to-eat foods.

Vegeta raised a brow. "You're not going to eat in the house?"

Goku shook his head. "Nah, it's a beautiful day. I don't want to miss any of it," he expressed, peering around to try and find a place to unload. "Hey, Vegeta… can you do me a favor and grab the folding table inside? I'd have done it myself if I still had a tail. So much easier to carry stuff with an extra limb."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and walked past him, strolling inside. He came back out with the low folding table and set it up in front of the house. Goku set his breakfast down and sat cross-legged. "Thanks, Vegeta!"

Goku was about to start chowing down when Vegeta pointed behind him. "Kakarott, there's a human."

Goku glanced over his shoulder in curiosity and spotted a dark-skinned teen dressed in a loincloth. The boy held a spear raised in a fearful pose. The Z fighter lifted his brows. "Upa, is that you?"

The boy lowered the spear as recognition dawned in his eyes. "Goku?"

"It is you, Upa!" Goku exclaimed, dropping a sausage back onto the table and hopping up. He ran over to greet his old friend. "How's it hanging? It's been a while. Wow, you look great. Is your dad around?"

When the two met, Upa stuck his spear into the ground and clasped hands with Goku. "You look stronger than ever yourself! I'm so glad you stopped by. Who's that guy?" he asked, nodding to the prince.

Goku peered back at his saiyan accomplice, who was waiting several paces away with his arms crossed. The orange-clad warrior turned back to Upa with a big smile. "That's my buddy, Vegeta."

"I'm not your buddy, Kakarott," Vegeta shortly retorted in a bored voice, glancing around the area. He spotted a tree with low-hanging fruit and went over to investigate, ignoring Goku and Upa.

The teen boy gasped. "Is that a tail?" he asked as the prince retreated, pointing to his backside.

Goku grinned, bouncing up and down slightly in excitement. "Yes, it sure is! Since I last saw you, I found out that I wasn't born on Earth. I'm not even human. Vegeta and I… we're called saiyans and all saiyans are born with tails. That's why I had one when I was a kid. Isn't that neat?" he exclaimed.

Upa's mouth fell open as he locked eyes with Goku. Then he slowly nodded. "Wow…"

"Yeah! Have you had breakfast yet, Upa? I was just about to eat before heading off to meet my son."

Upa's eyes widened. "You're an alien and you have a son? That's pretty neat! Well, I have eaten, but I can sit with you and chat. It would be nice to catch up," he replied, following Goku back to the table. They sat down together as Goku started gorging himself. "So how many kids do you have? Just the one?"

Goku nodded. After swallowing a bite, he glanced over his shoulder at Vegeta again. "Hey, 'Geets! Can you bring some of that fruit over here? It looks really good!" he called over to the prince.

Vegeta was on his third helping when he heard Goku's request. He tossed the fruit core aside and started throwing the juicy reddish-yellow fruits at Goku in a rapid-fire manner. "Catch, Kakarott!"

Goku's eyes widened. He spun around in his spot in a panic and started catching, one after another. Upa helped him, quickly piling up the fruits on the table. "Thanks! That's enough, Vegeta!" Goku cried.

Vegeta stopped and hopped up onto a low-lying branch to sit and eat. Meanwhile, Goku spun back around and stuffed himself. "Mmm! I love manganoes. They never grow near Mount Paozu or West City, but they're sooo good," he expressed, filling his face. He offered one to Upa. "You want one?"

Upa took the item. "Sure, but just one. I'm still pretty full from breakfast," he indicated, flipping out his flint knife. The teen peeled the fruit expertly, wasting as little flesh as possible in the process. "You know, my family has been cultivating these mangano fruit trees for hundreds of years. You want to know a secret?" he asked. Goku nodded, his cheeks full as a hamster's. "The pit of this fruit contains a chemical that has powerful psychogenic effects when combined with the dried peels. Since time immemorial, my people have used this concoction to heal the minds of our warriors returning from bloody conflict by drying both parts, pounding them into powder, and burning the powder in smudge bowls. The defenders then go on an intense spirit quest to uncover and heal the root of their trauma. It even works on survivors of extreme torture and it has allowed us to remain peaceful amongst ourselves. We put an end to ongoing conflicts by not reciprocating the wrongs done against us out of anger. In fact, my people have many medicinal secrets in our ancient traditions. Some could even cure cancer. My father wants to share our secrets with the rest of the world to help promote health and peace, but he's concerned that they might attract colonizers with less than noble intentions to our lands. What do you think we should do?"

As Goku chewed, a thoughtful look befell his face and he rubbed his chin. Then he swallowed. "That's really neat, Upa. Hmm, maybe there's a way for you to get your ancient remedies to doctors without telling them where they came from? Oh, I know! I can't recall if you've ever met Bulma, but let me take some of these fruits back to her. She's a brilliant scientist. Maybe she can find a way to reproduce the psychogenic chemical without exploiting this sacred land in the process? If anyone can do it, it's her! And I know she won't do something unethical just to achieve a result or make money. She's not like that. I've known her even longer than I've known you! Well, what do you say, Upa?" he happily proposed.

Upa's eyes lit up. "Yes, I like your idea. But remember, just having the fruit isn't enough. You need to know how to prepare and use it. Perhaps if you come for a longer visit, I can show you how it's done. Then you can pass the knowledge on to your scientist friend. My father would be so happy if we found a way to share our secrets without endangering ourselves. You see, some of our early ancestors were chased out of their native lands to the east by violent settlers when valuable resources were discovered in their territory. I don't want that to happen again here. We don't have many suitable places to go where we can practice our traditions and honor our culture in peace," he explained, biting into his fruit.

Goku nodded and continued stuffing himself. By the time he was almost done, Vegeta had gone on a self-guided tour of the area around the tower and returned to pester his fellow saiyan. He hung by his tail from a nearby tree branch, surprising both Goku and Upa in the process. "Kakarott, are you done eating and socializing with your weird friend yet? We need to make the Oath and then get back," he interrupted.

Goku swallowed his current bite. "Yes, almost done!" he replied, turning back to finish the rest of his meal. After five bites, he had devoured everything on the table, including the manganoes. As soon as he finished, he hopped up and dusted himself off. Vegeta strode up to him and placed his hands on his hips.

"Ready?" inquired the prince.

Goku drew his brows together and nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Get rid of your friend. Like I said, this is not something we share with outsiders," Vegeta replied.

Upa raised a brow, but then he gradually got up and walked away. Goku waved goodbye. "Thanks, Upa!"

Vegeta smirked. "Good. Now, first things first. A history lesson. The Vegetan Oath was forged the day our saiyan ancestors fled our native planet in a fleet of ships called the Ark Squadron. Believe it or not, they were led by a pair of women named Vegeta and Chevis. They were two of the fiercest warrioresses…"

"Wait," Goku spoke, receiving a glare from Vegeta for the interruption, "did you say there was a woman named Vegeta? That threw me off," he said, tweaking one of his ears. "I think I must've misheard."

Vegeta drew his brows together angrily. "No, Kakarott, you didn't mishear. The leaders of the Ark Squadron were two women, Vegeta and Chevis. Like I was saying, they were two of the fiercest warrioresses in the history of our world of origin, Planet Sadala. Some of the ancients believed them to be witches because they were so freakishly powerful for females. I won't go into too much detail about the series of conflicts that led to Sadala's destruction. Needless to say, a great world war occurred that rendered the planet unlivable. Nothing survived, except perhaps the tiniest microbes. The two knew what was going to happen and Chevis had access to alien technology that enabled space travel. They recruited hundreds of saiyans to build a fleet of space-worthy vessels designed to get as many people off the planet as possible before the worst could come to pass. The Squadron only barely managed to escape in time. There were well over a thousand saiyans aboard the ships. Each and every one took the Vegetan Oath, a vow designed by Lady Vegeta and Chevis to affirm fealty among all the refugees both to each other and to their leaders, Vegeta and Chevis. All those who broke the Oath were put to death. After the Squadron crash landed on Planet Plant, the Vegetan Oath passed into history and became a longstanding tradition among elites and commoners alike. Eventually, it became law as well that anyone who broke their Oath should be executed. Hence, the Oath was never taken lightly. Do you understand?" he asked.

Goku scratched his head. "Uh, yeah. I just have one question though."

"What is it?"

"Why was there a girl named Vegeta in your story? Isn't that a boy's name?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "No, it's unisex. Or, rather, it used to be. Ever since the first King Vegeta, only male heirs have been named Vegeta. It became a name used only for crown princes and kings. No one else was allowed to use it thereafter. Historically, however, it was unisex. Does that fix your confusion?"

Goku nodded slowly, scratching his chin. " Is Kakarott unisex, too?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes lightly. "No, the feminine of Kakarott is Karotta. There is also the neuter Kakantin. In the ancient tongue, the root of the name means protectress… You see, the feminine version was far more common back on Old Sadala. On Planet Plant, that switched and the male name was more popular in the centuries before we gained control of the planet. There's even an old legend of a heroine named Karotta from long before the Sadala dynasty began, but I'm not going to get into that. It's ancient, ancient history," he decreed with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, back to the topic of the Vegetan Oath. I…"

Goku frowned. "Aww! But I wanna hear it."

Vegeta snorted. "Maybe some other time if I'm ever in the mood to recount fairytales. Can we stay on topic? We're discussing the Oath. If I make it and break it, you are well within your right to end my life. In our traditions, despite my status, you wouldn't even be considered a traitor. Quite the opposite. Because of the potentially lethal consequences, we have to be careful about how the Oath is worded. For example, I'm going to swear to teach you the control technique using all possible means, but it is your responsibility what you do with those teachings. If you cannot master the technique, then that is not my fault and I can't be killed for a broken Oath on that basis. And the same goes with you for my ascension."

Goku nodded. "Okay."

"So it works like this. I speak the Oath, then you speak the Oath, and then we seal it by coiling the ends of our tails together and giving a light mutual squeeze and up-down shake. Since you don't have a tail yet, I'll allow you to use your hand as a substitute. Normally, the Oath is spoken in Saiyago, but we can speak it in the common tongue this time since you don't know your native language, Kakarott. When Planet Vegeta was still around, the law was that all Oaths had to be recorded and uploaded to a global archive. That archive no longer exists, but we will record the Oath nonetheless," Vegeta expressed, pulling a camera phone out of his back pocket. He went to set it up on a boulder nearby and then returned to Goku. "Now, first I say: I, Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans, vow to do everything in my power to teach you the Ape Form Control Technique in exchange for the training needed to ascend to Super Saiyan. Now, for your Oath, you must use all the names that you're known by. Both your birth name and your Earth name, and then a title based on your greatest status or accomplishment. For example, you can call yourself Super Saiyan, or maybe Defender of Earth. Whichever you take more pride in. What title do you choose?"

Goku thought for a moment. "Defender of Earth."

Vegeta gave Goku a look of mild annoyance. "You could've gotten more creative with it, Kakarott, but whatever. Defender of Earth it is. In that case, you say: I, Kakarott and Goku, Defender of Earth, vow to do everything in my power to assist you in ascending to the level of Super Saiyan in exchange for the training needed to control my Giant Monkey. Does that sound simple enough?" he asked.

Goku nodded confidently. "Yes, I got it. I, Kakarott and Goku, Defender of Earth, vow to do everything in my power to assist you in ascending to the level of Super Saiyan in exchange for the training needed to control my Giant Monkey. There! I said everything right, didn't I? Okay, I think I'm ready!"

Vegeta smirked slightly and stepped closer, facing Goku. "Good. Now, hold out your right hand diagonally to your body with your fingers together," he instructed, demonstrating with his right hand. Goku copied him as if they were mirror images. "Uh, no, Kakarott. I mean your other right hand." Once Goku corrected his stance, Vegeta coiled his tail around the right side of his body and extended the length of it to curl into a corkscrew shape around Goku's hand and wrist. "This is how the Oath is sealed. We lightly squeeze and then shake up and down once," he said, demonstrating the act alongside his words. Then he released Goku's hand. "Alright. Simple enough, right? Are you ready to do it for real now?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah!"

Vegeta turned to the camera phone he had set up. "Slavebot, start recording video now."

"Slavebot?" Goku uttered.

A flashing red light on the phone flashed and then a robotic voice spoke. "Yes, Master. Starting recording in 3, 2, 1… beep," replied the device. Then the red light turned solid as the camera started rolling.

Vegeta turned his attention back to Goku, facing him fully with his arms folded over his chest. "I, Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans, vow to do everything in my power to teach you the Ape Form Control Technique in exchange for the training needed to ascend to Super Saiyan," he enunciated, nodding to Goku.

Goku smiled, rubbing his chin to remember his line. "I, uhh… Kakarott and Goku… Defender of Earth, vow to do everything in my power to assist you in ascending to Super Saiyan in exchange for the training needed to control my Giant Monkey," he said, his shoulders falling. "Darn, I think I messed it up."

"It's fine, doesn't have to be perfect," Vegeta replied, curving his tail around his right side and extending it toward Goku. The Z fighter did likewise with his right hand. "Now, we seal this Oath in the customary fashion and in accordance with the laws and traditions of Vegeta. Extend your limb and bind our words." Goku reached out to meet Vegeta's tail, which coiled around his hand and wrist again. They exchanged a light squeeze and then a single shake, up and down, before parting. "Now, it is done." He backed away and walked over to his phone, ending the recording with the press of a button. "I can get you a copy of the recording later if you would like. Now, let's head back," he said, putting his phone away.

"Okay!" Goku enthusiastically replied. "Let me just put this stuff away real quick." He got to work putting the folding table back inside the capsule house before encapsulating it all. Then he tossed the DynoCap over to Vegeta. "Would you mind returning that to Dr. Briefs for me? As I said, I have to go meet Gohan on his camping trip. He's expecting me sometime today, the sooner the better."

Vegeta caught the DynoCap and stashed it in a pocket. "Yeah, sure. The timing is good. I'll spend the next couple of days weight training. Maybe by the time you get back, I'll be back to the physical state I was in on Namek. Then we can start pushing it to the next level," he said just before blasting off.

Goku followed him. As they flew in silence, the Z fighter tried to reach out to King Kai with his mind. He received no answer at first and resolved to try again later. After a while, Goku was enjoying the scenery when he felt a buzz in his pocket. Apparently, Vegeta had heard the noise because he glanced up at Goku from his slightly lower flight position. Goku grinned at him awkwardly and then reached into his pocket for his phone, putting it to his ear. "Hello! This is Son Goku speaking. Who's this?" he asked.

"Goku!" blared a shrill voice.

The orange-clad saiyan cried out and dropped the phone, holding his ear in pain. "Aw, darn it! That really hurt! I had the volume all the way up. Owie, owie, owie!" Goku bellyached, cradling the side of his head.

While Goku was distracted, Vegeta watched the orange device drop and took the chance to grab it. He turned the volume down and brought it to his ear out of curiosity. "Where is Gohan?! Listen here, you sorry excuse for a saiyan deadbeat! If you think you have the upper hand now, you're sadly mistaken! Do not you dare think for one second that I won't rake you over the coals in court because I absolutely will!"

Vegeta had no idea who was speaking and he did not particularly care. "Blow it out your ass, harpy," he calmly replied before crushing the phone to powder in the palm of his hand. He sneered and flew up to check on Goku. "Hey, Kakarott, you should be more careful about the friends you keep," he chided.

"Huh?" Goku asked, tilting the side of his head with the good ear toward Vegeta.

"I said you should be more careful about the friends that you keep," the prince repeated.

Goku blinked, turning to face Vegeta while rubbing his ear. One eye was closed. "Which ones?"

Vegeta shrugged. "I don't know. Whoever that banshee on the phone was."

Goku's eyes widened and his eyes dropped to the terrain below. "Oh, no! My phone! I dropped it!"

"You did," Vegeta replied. "And it probably broke from this height. Don't worry, Kakarott. You can get a new one from Bulma. Come on. You can stop by Capsule Corp before heading off to meet your kid. And, for the record, I recommend you block the number of whoever that loud screeching female was."

Goku tweaked his ear with a finger. "Yeah, okay. Let's go." Again, they blasted off. After a few minutes, Goku's hearing had pretty much recovered and he glanced over to Vegeta. "Hey, 'Geets, how come you call your phone Slavebot? Is that its name from the phone company?" he randomly asked.

Vegeta peered at him with confusion. "No, I named it that. Its default name was Ziri for some reason."

"So why did you name it Slavebot?" Goku inquired.

Vegeta grinned. "Because it does whatever I tell it to."

"Oh…"

…

Chi Chi stood in her hotel room flabbergasted, staring at the new phone in her hand. The words repeated in her mind. "Blow it out your ass, harpy." It did not sound like Goku's voice at all. Had she misheard? Was it in her head? She drew her brows together in anger. No, maybe it was Piccolo. The voice was gruff, but not quite deep enough to match the Namekian. Who would have had the audacity to say such a thing to her? She drew her brows together in anger and dialed the number again. At least someone had picked up that time. She pressed the cell to her ear. It did not ring. "This number cannot be completed as dialed. Please, check the number and dial again. Our apologies for the inconvenience," spoke a recorded female voice before the line went dead. Chi Chi was tempted to destroy the new phone out of anger, but she held herself back. She had already demonstrated more of her natural temper than she had intended to in front of her fiancé. While he had headed back to Orange City for a business meeting, he had left her a credit card to meet her monetary needs while she waited to hear from or about Gohan in West City. She did not want to take his generosity for granted by destroying his gift. The smartphone was brand new.

She sighed in frustration. All she could do was wait for the police to call with word of her young son's whereabouts, so she flopped down on the bed and sighed. After a few minutes of staring mindlessly at the ceiling, she remembered what she and her father had most recently talked about. I can't believe he already has matches in mind for Gohan. I'm going to have to shut that down somehow. Gohan's way too young for any of this. Why does it feel like the whole world is trying to force my son to grow up so fast? Hmm, maybe I should call my dad to let him know my new phone number… but then he would be able to contact me and hassle me about this coronation thing. I still don't know what to tell him. Nah, I think I'll just wait on it for now. Ugh, but I have to do something! I'm going to go stir-crazy here if I just sit here and wait.

Chi Chi was just about to start browsing the features of her new cell when it started to ring. Caller ID indicated Mr. Cardinal was on the other end. She smiled. "Rust?" she spoke, pressing it to her ear.

"Chi Chi, I'm glad you picked up so quickly. I just wanted to let you know the police department called me back and said that they spoke to Goku on the phone. He knows where Gohan is and he's going to let the police talk to him as soon as he can to confirm that he's safe. It seems that he is on a camping trip."

Chi Chi ground her teeth together. "I never gave him permission to go on a camping trip. He should be grounded for the whole summer. In fact, he will be if he doesn't straighten up and fly right."

"Mm, yes. I know you're angry. You have every right to be. Don't worry. I'm making sure all of this is documented so we can use it against your ex-husband in court. If he doesn't make contact soon, you might want to reconsider giving him such generous visitation rights. Hopefully, it won't come to that."

Chi Chi let her eyes slide shut, trying to calm herself. "Actually, I just called him. He said hello and then… Well, the line kind of went dead," she replied, too abashed to mention what she heard.

Mr. Cardinal paused. "Really? Did you try again?"

"Yes, but there was something wrong with the connection. A recording said the call couldn't be completed as dialed," Chi Chi explained, sounding a little miffed. "All I can really do at this point is wait to hear back from the police. It's really frustrating. I just don't know what to do with myself."

"Hum," Mr. Cardinal replied thoughtfully. "You know what I do at times like that? I read the newspaper. It's always a good distraction. If you don't have a hard copy, you can always read news from your new smartphone. Just go to the news app on the first page. I purchased you a subscription just in case."

Chi Chi smiled. "Thank you! That's a great idea. I should keep myself up to date on recent events."

"Ah, I got a call coming in from my secretary. I'll check in again later, dear," Mr. Cardinal said.

Chi Chi giggled. "Sure. We'll talk later. Goodbye, Rust."

"Bye, my dear."

Chi Chi ended the call and started perusing her smartphone. "Hmm, reminders, weather, clock, maps, mail, settings, notes… ah, news!" she uttered to herself, clicking the icon. The application opened a new window with more icons. "World News, Orange City Gazette, Central City Communications, and West City Weekly. Let's go with West City Weekly," she decided, clicking the icon to open it. Naturally, the front page was all about Capsule Corp and its most recent business ventures and upcoming products. She kept reading until she came upon an article at the bottom. LGBT Community to March for Gay Marriage Rights June 1st. Chi Chi felt bile rise in the back of her throat. "Blah!" she spat, closing the app. "If that's really true, I better keep Gohan out of West City somehow. That place is way too liberal. Sick pervs…"

…

Goku and Vegeta could tell something was amiss as they neared the compound from a lofty distance. All the Namekians were out on the back lawn and the Gravitron appeared to have been turned on its side. The two saiyans blinked and peered at each other questioningly. Vegeta raised a brow. "That's weird…"

"I wonder what's going on," Goku said.

Vegeta growled slightly. "Those damn Nameks better not have damaged the Gravity Room!"

Goku squinted. "I don't think Nameks would do that."

They both flew down into the yard amidst the Namekians. The Gravitron had been very roughed up indeed. Vegeta turned his glare on the talkative green crowd. "Okay, who did this? It better still work!"

All eyes were on the two saiyans. Goku waved to them all. "Hey, guys! What's up?"

Schnek, one of the elders, took a step toward the orange-clad fighter. "Goku, the Atrium is in disarray. The Briefs told us repair crews are inside working. You should have seen it. It was utter pandemonium!"

"What was?"

"There was an invasion!" another declared.

The group of Namekians all nodded in agreement. "A crazed human!"

Vegeta peered at them all suspiciously. "You mean to tell me a human did this damage?" he blared in accusation, pointing at the damaged Gravitron. "Seriously?! We saiyans weren't born yesterday!"

Schnek blinked. "Well, why would we do that? We're not vandals!"

Goku stepped between Vegeta and Schnek to preemptively prevent any possible violence. "We know you aren't. What did the human look like? Was anyone hurt? This is a very strange occurrence indeed."

One child stepped forth, raising his hand high above his head. "The human was twice as tall as me with long, black hair and a very angry, angry face. They were screaming something about Gohan, but none of us really understood. It was a very strong human! The invader did a lot of damage to the compound."

Vegeta peered at the kid questioningly. "A strong human? And they were talking about Kakarott's brat?"

"Let's go see the Briefs. Maybe they can give us more information," Goku interjected, pointing up toward the back balcony. "Mrs. Briefs is almost always at home. I'm sure she'll know what's up."

Vegeta nodded, turning toward the compound. They walked over together and hopped up on the back balcony. The sliding glass doors were open. Goku stepped halfway inside and peered around. "Hello?"

The clatter of pots and pans was heard before Mrs. Briefs came running out of the kitchen. "Oh, Goku! You startled me, sweetie. Come on in. Oh, Vegeta's back, too! How did it go at Kami's?"

Vegeta pushed past Goku and handed Mrs. Briefs the two capsules. "The refrigerators need to be restocked," he declared, going to take a seat on the couch nearby. "So what happened here? Is the Gravitron usable? It appears to have been damaged in the 'invasion'," he remarked, folding his arms.

Mrs. Briefs pressed a finger to her lip. "The repair men haven't had a chance to look yet. The doors of the Atrium were damaged, you see. They're being fixed right now. I'll send a note for someone to check the Gravitron. Consider yourselves lucky, boys. You missed the earlier event. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. Did the police give you a call yet, Goku? I remember overhearing that they were going to."

"Oh, yes," Goku replied, stepping inside fully and closing the screen behind him. "A nice policeman called me and said that Gohan had been reported missing. I let him know that Gohan is fine and I'd let him have a chat with Gohan as soon as I go to join his camping party." Goku gasped. "Oh, no! I just remembered, Mrs. Briefs, I accidentally dropped my phone while flying here. The policeman's number was on the phone. Is Bulma or Dr. Briefs available? Vegeta thinks they can give me a new phone. I need to be able to contact the policeman before I head off to find Gohan. I don't like breaking promises."

Mrs. Briefs laughed. "I'm sure that'll be no problem. Bulma went to her room before you two arrived. I'm going to be serving lunch soon and she's planning to go out right after. Go knock on her door. She should help you out with the phone situation, Goku dear," she said, waving him toward the hall.

"What phone situation?" Bulma inquired as she appeared in the living room. Her dress was very casual. She wore short shorts and a summer-ready crop top. Her shoes were low-heeled sandals in white leather.

Goku's eyes lit up. "Bulma! I'm glad you're here. I accidentally dropped my cell phone on the way back."

Bulma raised a brow. "That's no problem, Goku. I can get you set up on a new one. I can even transfer over your old phone number and data, which was stored in the Capsule Corp satellite system. Should only take a few minutes," she said, glancing at her mother next. "Hey Mom, did you tell Goku about the situation that occurred earlier? I think it's kind of important that he know since it concerns his family."

Goku's eyes widened. "The Nameks told me there was an intruder, but what about my family?"

"It was Chi Chi. She was the intruder," Bulma revealed. "She busted up the Atrium looking for Gohan and caused the police to be called. It was nuts. That woman is out of control, Goku."

Goku gasped. Meanwhile, Vegeta raised a brow. "Who the hell is Chi Chi? Did she break the Gravitron?" inquired the older saiyan, glancing to the side to look Goku up and down questioningly.

Bulma nodded. "She tore it apart while looking for Gohan."

"And why is this woman obsessed with Kakarott's offspring?"

Bulma narrowed her eyes at Vegeta. "Because she's his mother, duh!"

The prince's eyes widened in revelation. "Oh, so this Chi Chi is Kakarott's woman. Understood." Vegeta chuckled and side-glanced at Goku. "Heh, nice Kakarott. You like them feisty, don't you?"

Goku's face reddened slightly. "Well, I, uh…"

Vegeta turned his attention back to Bulma. "How long will it take to fix the Gravitron?"

Bulma tossed him a DynoCap. "Don't worry about the damaged Gravitron. It needs to be updated anyway. This is the newest model yet. Do not mess with the energy bots in the downstairs closet before I have a chance to show you how they work. They can and will hurt you, Vegeta," she warned, eyeing him carefully. "I just sent an employee out to try to encapsulate the old Gravitron. If the encapsulation capacity is impaired from the damage, you'll just have to use another spot on the lawn. Please, ask the Nameks to move nicely. They're all out there right now because of the situation in the Atrium."

Goku rubbed the back of his head. "Gee, Bulma. I'm really sorry about all the damage. I…"

"You're not at fault, Goku. Don't worry about it. Capsule Corp has good insurance. Everything will be fixed in no time and my dad isn't pressing charges against Chi Chi. Now, come with me to my lab and I'll set you up with a new cell phone," Bulma offered, beckoning him to follow her with a hand gesture.

Meanwhile, Vegeta wandered out onto the back lawn. Finding a good spot to put the new Gravitron was easy because the Nameks actively avoided him wherever he went. Before long, he was back at work on his weight training, paying no mind to the newest technological additions to the ship at first. He knew he was not ready for them yet. His number one goal was to get himself prepared for Goku's Super Saiyan training, set to start in two days. It was necessary to accustom himself again to 100x Earth's gravity.