Author's Note: -sigh- Man this story is old... I still like it though. Can we tell that Piccolo's my favorite character? -innocent grin- But anyway, I hope some enjoyment comes from reading this little story I have here. Oddly enough, a lot of planning went into "The Plan" itself. Things such as who has what shift when, and little things like that that kept my 15 year old self, man that was a long time ago, occupied. This was also before I had taken any Japanese classes in High School, let alone college, so this certainly predated any abilities on my part to use extensive Japanese vocabulary in my stories. I think what I knew actually came from a Vegeta site. On it was a Japanese word section called "Japanese for bakas." It was great. Good everyday words like baka, shimatta, shinde, and kisama. (To those of you who know Nihongo, you are allowed to laugh...) -deep sigh- Gomen nasai...
The Plan
Part II
"What in Kami's name do you think you're doing?!!!" Bulma shouted at Oolong, who was attempting to put up streamers around the Son House.
"Well, I was putting up these streamers, before you came along." Oolong said as he looked up at Bulma. "And I was doing pretty good too!" The pig added in.
"I thought we agreed on the color order already, you insolent swine!" Bulma yelled down at the pig. "It was going to be green, pink, blue, purple. Not green, purple, blue, pink!" She was glaring down at Oolong. "Got that PIG?!!"
"What difference does it make, Bulma? I never wanted to do this anyway!" The pig said back.
"You never want to do anything, Oolong."
"What's going on in here?" Puar said as she flew in. "Oolong, what have you done this time?"
"It's her!" Oolong said, pointing to Bulma.
"Why you ungrateful little..." Bulma sneered, looking like she was going to strangle him.
"Guys, guys... settle down..." Roshi pleaded in a comforting tone. "It's only about three hours into this thing, let's not get at each other's necks now!" He had just come from the kitchen, and had a flour blotted apron on over his yellow Hawaiian shirt.
"What's the point of all this anyway? Piccolo never..." Oolong started to say, but Bulma cut him off before he can finish.
"Because Gohan got the idea in his head! How many times do I have to say it, you swine?!" Bulma exploded. "Now you can either do as we're telling you to do, or you can take it up with Gohan." She paused for a moment to let it sink into Oolongs thick skull, "Now, what was that you were saying Oolong?" She said with a hint of evil in her voice.
Oolong only mumbled to himself and continued putting up the colored streamers. This time he put them in the right order.
Then there was a sound of crashing pots and pans, followed by the unmistakable voice of Chi-Chi. She was yelling at Krillin for not mixing something right.
"Just give it here! Nobody can do anything right in this house! I just asked you to do one simple thing, and could you do it?! No!!!" She yelled as she picked up the fallen dishes and proceeded to chase Krillin out of the kitchen.
"But Chi-Chi..." Krillin started to say.
"Get OUT!!!!!" Chi-Chi screamed.
Krillin ran out of the room, and crouched behind an armchair so that he wouldn't be hit by Chi-Chi if she decided to throw something in his general direction. He may be a top class fighter, but he knew better than to mess with the strongest woman on the planet.
Chi-Chi stood steaming by the kitchen doorway and continued to give commands to everyone. "Let that be a lesson to all of you! Either do things right or get out as fast as you can!! Do you hear me?! Well!!!"
In unison, everyone in the room nodded and quickly got back to work. Krillin waited until Chi-Chi had gone back to the kitchen to prepare the rest of the food and drinks. Then, slowly, he got out of his hiding spot, and walked out back to help Tien and Yamcha with their job of setting up the fighting mats. "I'll do anything as long as it's away from Chi-Chi..." Krillin thought.
"Yo, Krillin!" Yamcha cheerfully greeted Krillin. "Do ya mind lending us a hand?"
Krillin walked up to the mats and looked at what they had done. "Looks to me like you two have already finished." Krillin said as he ran his had down one of the hard pads.
"Well..." Yamcha continued, "Tien and me were wondering if we should put up some chairs or benches around the edge or without, like at the Strongest under the Heavens Tournament, and just have everybody standing?"
"Depends on how long the fight takes." Krillin answered. "But knowing Piccolo, I'd say put up some seats."
"That's what I thought," Yamcha admitted, "but Tien thinks it would be better if it resembled the real thing."
"Goku's going up against him, right?" Krillin asked.
"Unless the plans have changed." Tien said.
"I don't get it..." Krillin said. 'I thought this whole thing was resolved a long time ago. Why start it up again and relive the past? I say if an old scab is already healed, don't go picking at it again. Just leave the past where it belongs."
"I never thought about it that way." Tien remarked. "This tournament was supposed to be something we thought Piccolo would enjoy."
"Not a horror ride experience." Yamcha added in.
"I don't know you guys," Krillin said in a worried tone. "I mean, what's Piccolo going to think of all this? It's not like anyone has ever pulled something together like this for him before. He might not know what to make of it all. And don't you think he'll suspect something's up after a while?"
Yamcha just smiled and shook his head. "You worry too much, Krillin. This whole thing will turn out just fine. And if Piccolo does react like you think he will, a little change of pace will do the ol' namek some good!"
"I hope you're right." Krillin said flatly. He paused and then a sparkle lit up his eyes. "Hey, Gohan and Chi-Me's watch is almost up, right?"
Tien answered him after a pause. "Yeah. Only about ten more minutes and their shift is up. Why?"
Yamcha caught on. "Tien, do you remember whose shift is after theirs?" He said smiling.
"I think it's Vegeta..." Tien answered.
"Exactly! I'd love to see the look on Piccolo's face when he shows up." Yamcha remarked. "That should keep him busy for a while!"
"Speaking of Vegeta, have you seen that monkey at all today?" Krillin asked them.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't." Yamcha answered. "But he's probably out somewhere either training or waiting for his part in the whole thing to come into play."
Then from inside came the ear-breaking sound of Chi-Chi yelling at Roshi. Tien, Yamcha, and Krillin exchanged happy glances and then Krillin shrugged his shoulders and said, "here we go again."
------
Meanwhile, Vegeta stood in the shade of a rocky cliff and watched the two saiyans and namek spar. He made sure to keep out of view and his power level down low enough so Piccolo couldn't sense his presence. "Almost time..." The prince said in a low voice so not to be heard by Piccolo's keen namekian ears. "Just a little longer and then it's my turn," he thought with a grin, "my turn to have a little fun." His grin grew wider as he thought about it. Then he continued watching the three warriors spar, waiting as the minutes slowly passed by. And to Vegeta, they seemed to be taking nothing short of forever.
Just as Piccolo was in the middle of a combination drill using his eye lasers and some swift beam blasts, Vegeta came into view. He hovered directly above the three of them. Soon, he descended and eventually allowed his feet to touch the ground. Piccolo looked at the saiyan prince with an untrusting glare. What did he think he was doing interrupting his training session like this? "What the hell do you think you're doing here, Vegeta?! This is my training ground, so get the..." Piccolo said in a harsh commanding voice, but was cut off by Vegeta.
"Tsk tsk..." Vegeta taunted calmly. "I haven't come here for that, Piccolo." Vegeta stated, "I have come with a message from Kakarrot to give to these two." Motioning towards Gohan and Chi-Me.
"My father's name is GOKU!" Chi-Me said with satisfaction.
"His name, foolish child, is Kakarrot. Now, he commands that you two are to return home at once." Vegeta snapped back at her.
As if on cue, Gohan joined in. "What did he go on and tell you for, Vegeta?" Gohan said in a strong voice he rarely used on anyone, let alone Vegeta.
Piccolo was surprised at this. What was going on here? Gohan would never speak up to Vegeta like that. But Vegeta didn't look in the least way angered, and Gohan looked as if he'd done this everyday of his life. Something was up, Piccolo thought. Were they planning something?
Before he had time to think anymore about it, he was cut off by Gohan and Chi-Me talking to him. "Piccolo, we have to go." Chi-Me said.
"Sorry, but Daddy needs us now." Gohan added in.
"Catch ya later!" Chi-Me said cheerfully.
Both of them were in the air about ten feet away, ready to take off. Just when they were about to go, Piccolo flew directly in front of them and they stopped in their tracks. Both had a look of intense fear on their faces. "P...P...Piccolo..." they stammered.
"What are you hiding from me?!" He commanded in a voice that demanded an answer. "Answer me!! What are..."
"Nothing! Nothing Piccolo! Dad just wants us to go home now, and sent Vegeta to tell us." Chi-Me said in a frantic tone. "That's all."
"If it's nothing, then why are you looking at me like that?!" Piccolo said sternly.
Gohan and Chi-Me fell silent.
"Well?!" Piccolo said impatiently.
"From the way you're looking at them, I'm not surprised." Vegeta said in a clam yet mocking tone. "Maybe if you would give them a chance to speak without you barking at them for every comment, they would give you the information that you desire.'
A little bit of relief spread through Gohan and Chi-Me's faces. However, it vanished as soon as Piccolo spoke again, as harsh as ever.
"And what gives you the authority to tell me what to do, Vegeta?"
"I wasn't telling, I was stating a fact." Vegeta answered.
"Let's go..." Gohan said softly to Chi-Me.
"Wait," she said back to Gohan. She gulped and looked up at the enraged Piccolo. "Piccolo." She said carefully.
"What?" He said, still glaring at Vegeta, and not even looking at her.
"We really have to go. Dad needs us at home. Please?" She asked as carefully as before.
"What does he need you so badly for?" Piccolo asked, calmer than before, but still not taking his eyes from Vegeta.
"He needs our help at home. We're working on something, and he needs our help to finish it." Chi-Me admitted.
"Is there something special about doing it today?" Piccolo asked her. He got no answer. "I take it that's all you're going to tell me. All right then, go. Go home to your father." He looked at her strait in the eyes as he said this. A look of anger showed in his intense eyes.
She winced; it was clearly not the answer she was looking for. "Ok, c'mon Gohan. Dad's probably wondering where we are." She turned away from Piccolo and then back at Gohan.
"Right." Gohan said back to her. Both of them slowly flew about ten feet and then looked back.
"See you later Piccolo." They said in unison, and then flew off in the direction of their house.
As soon as they were out of namekian ear range, Chi-Me spoke again. "This just keeps getting harder. I hope the whole thing works out."
"Don't worry, it will. In a few hours it will all be over." Gohan said and tried to sound confidant. "I hope." He added in.
"I hope so too. He deserves this, but I sure hope he doesn't get too suspicious before we're ready." Chi-Me said as they flew on. "I just wish two o'clock wasn't so far away."
"Ditto." Gohan agreed.
"Hey!" Chi-Me said in a much happier tone. "Race ya home!"
"Yeah!" Gohan remarked cheerfully as well. "Last one home has to help Mom in the kitchen!"
"You're on!" Chi-Me said, accepting the challenge. She blasted into hyper-drive and the two raced towards their home. Soon they were both out of sight.
To be continued...