Risk
Chapter 19
Months passed and Goku returned from training with Gohan acting normally as he possibly could. The boy was still in the dark about Kakarrot much to everyone else's relief. At times, he would see his father leave though in order to excuse himself in order to be alone for awhile due to his headaches. Gohan told his father to get better and went along with Piccolo to train while the Earth-raised Saiya-jin was left alone to his own devises to deal with the voice in his head. The whole co-existing thing wasn't working out well and it left the warrior with larger headaches than needed.
Goku had only stepped in the door when he saw an irritated Chi-chi was standing there glaring at him for something he should or should not have done in the first place. Gohan looked at them with the giant fish over his head; wondering why his mother was upset with his father this time around. As innocent as any child his age, he assumed that the look of irritation was towards his father and sighed in relief. That day, Chi-chi had taken a break from fighting to do something else she normally enjoyed to do: shopping. Sadly, it did not seem she was happy returning home from the said trip she had gone on hours earlier.
"What did I do wrong this time?" Goku questioned, almost wondering if Kakarrot was going to explain.
'What? I didn't do anything…' Kakarrot muttered within Goku's mind in the same confused tone the Earth-raised Saiya-jin spoke in.
"I'm tired of having to walk home with these groceries!" Chi-chi pointed to the counter where the torn broken or otherwise dented merchandise was sitting on the counter. "I want you to get your license Goku so we can get a car."
"What?" Goku was perplexed. This is why his wife was upset?
'A license? Is that more along the lines of something a pet wears?' Kakarrot questioned. Goku kind of repeated it in a softer and more confused voice.
"No! One to drive a car!" Chi-chi exclaimed. "I bet even Piccolo could get one if he tried."
"Don't bring me into this argument!" Piccolo growled at the woman. He barely tolerated her on Namek and now she's wanting him to get a license. The Namekian warrior thought that he wouldn't have the time to use this license with an impending threat coming in two and a half years.
"You're the one that's staying here and if I say you need a license, then damn it you're getting one!" Chi-chi yelled at the Namekian warrior.
"So much for your Instant Transmission…" Piccolo growled beneath his breath. He wished that the woman still feared him and he was still evil at times. If this wasn't Goku's wife or the fact that the said warrior could easily go Super Saiya-jin whenever he felt like it, he would have taken the female's life in a heartbeat.
'So tell me again why she insists on you having this 'license' when we can fly or teleport anytime we want?' Kakarrot questioned the Earth-raised Saiya-jin while they waited patiently for the driving instructor to show up. Unlike the normal clothes Goku was wearing, he was wearing something a bit more casual than usual; which seemed to irritate Kakarrot slightly. If he had to choose between the gi and the fruity clothes, the darker nature would have chosen the gi hands down and wouldn't mind having to be buried in it.
'I'm sure it's because she wants to ensure that we're 'normal' under false pretexts,' Goku mentally sighed and attempted to explain the situation to his darker persona. He had to agree that this was a stupid thing his wife could set them up with; however, he truly couldn't argue if she wanted him to do something important.
'You know we're not normal, so why pretend to be what we're not?' Kakarrot attempted to persuade the Earth-raise Saiya-jin to his side of viewing the situation.
'Because…' Goku's mental conversation with Kakarrot was interrupted when he saw his driving instructor come up.
"Son Goku, right?" The aged instructor asked the Earth-raised Saiya-jin.
"That's me!" Goku grinned. He assisted the older man in case he tried to fall.
'Let's see how long it will take for you to forget the basics…' Kakarrot mentally chuckled at the idea of this old man planning to teach the seasoned warrior how to drive. Goku watched the young, brown-haired female hit on Piccolo. 'Glad I didn't get her or I'd be wanting nothing more to do with these bimbos hanging all over me…'
'That's not nice!' Goku scolded Kakarrot for the way he was talking.
'That doesn't mean she heard it…' Kakarrot muttered almost though he was whispering in Goku's ears.
'True. I guess it wouldn't hurt anyone if you just thought it instead of saying it…' Poor Goku had no idea that the darker persona was corrupting him in some way that couldn't be helped.
'Piccolo vs. the seat belt and car…' Kakarrot laughed when the disguised Namekian warrior smacked himself in the face with the said seat belt that he tried to get on in vain the first time. Shortly after he managed to get the seat belt under control, the woman screamed as she started up the car. 'Now I'm totally glad I didn't get her…'
'You and me both…' Goku sweat dropped at the scene and felt sorry for Piccolo's dilemma. The car flew off as he heard Piccolo screaming in utter fear and surprise; the baseball cap flying off his head and into the wind. At that moment, the Earth-raised Saiya-jin started to wonder what kind of driving school they were at.
'One that deals with road rage?' Kakarrot suggested.
"Yeah sure… I guess I can do that…" Goku absentmindedly replied while the older man dealt with trying to open the door of the other vehicle.
"Your first lesson for today: opening the door," the old driving instructor comically replied. Goku stared at this scene before face vaulting at the scene.
'Dammit! I rather be training than dealing with this shit!' Kakarrot cursed at this poor display of a driving lesson. 'Let me take control and I'll show him how to open a car door!'
'Alright…' Goku allowed Kakarrot to take control; not knowing that it wouldn't be a great idea to let the more aggressive nature to approach the vehicle that the older man attempted to open moments before.
"Move aside," Kakarrot strode over to the car and pulled the door open. Of course, not counting his super strength, he tore the door right off the hinges, startling the driving instructor. "Flimsy doors…" He tossed it away carelessly as he went to the other side of the vehicle and did the same thing. After his actions, he grinned rather darkly and seemed satisfied at a job well done. It seemed his first objective was complete. "Much better."
"Hey! You ruined the car!" The old man exclaimed at Kakarrot's recklessness.
"Well it was either that or wait for you to open them," Kakarrot glared at the driving instructor in pure annoyance. If looks could kill, the man would have had a heart attack right now and left the Saiya-jin warrior without a driving instructor.
About fifteen minutes later, Goku was behind the wheel of the car staring at the odd contraptions in question. Kakarrot had given the Earth-raised Saiya-jin control of his body again since he knew that he would need time to figure out how the car worked.
'Inferior piece of junk…' Kakarrot mentally growled at the way Earth's technology seemed to work compared to the other stuff he was used to dealing with.
'Remind me again how I start this again…' Goku pleaded to the darker persona.
'I knew you would forget!' Kakarrot exclaimed. 'Forget it, I'm not telling you anything if you're not going to pay attention!'
'Let's try this then…' Goku thought before he asked the instructor who yelled at him for forgetting how to do it.
'He yells more than our love…' Kakarrot mentally laughed.
'Quiet, I'm trying to listen,' Goku hushed Kakarrot in an attempt to learn what he needed to do in order to start the car.
"…just turn on the ignition , step on the gas and let it break out slowly," the old man finished his explanation.
"Oh," Goku nodded before making the car fly backwards and into a pole. Insane-like laughter was in Goku's head courtesy of Kakarrot seconds after the crash.
'This… is priceless…' Kakarrot jeered at the idea that this might be much harder than the lesson of Instant Transmission.
'At least I won't be walking around naked this time,' Goku picked up these thoughts the darker nature was thinking.
"Shift it in drive!" The old man exclaimed above Kakarrot's laughter echoing in his mind at the moment.
"Okay, okay," Goku did as the old man asked; however, he was still unfamiliar with how much pressure he had to put on the gas and forced the car to go flying.
"You're going too fast!" The old man complained. "Slow down before we crash!"
'No! Keep driving fast! I want to see how fast this thing can fly!' Kakarrot mentally grinned in anticipation. If he were in control, his tail wouldn't be hidden under the fancy shirt and would be twitching in content behind him.
"Hit the breaks!" The old man yelled at the Earth-raised Saiya-jin.
"But I thought I was hitting the breaks!" Goku protested. They noticed that they were about to crash; however, Goku turned the wheel rather quickly to avoid the other driver and passenger just in time. The car did a barrel roll in mid-air before turning back on its bottom and struck a car before nearly colliding with a few others.
"Just… step on the break!" The old man pleaded this time. Goku looked at the petals.
"The break? Which one was that?" Goku asked again.
'I wonder how he'll fare in a car accident…' Kakarrot mentally mused at the old man's predicament. 'Maybe he'll survive only to be in a full body cast for a few months…'
Goku incidentally stepped on the gas; flooring the car and causing it to fly down the tunnel. Even in the tunnel, they avoided by luck more cars while driving.
"Cut the engine!" The old man was practically begging now; wanting this horrific and out-of-control ride to end.
"Huh?" Goku stopped laughing at what Kakarrot had said along with the fun time he had with the upped gas. The old man repeated what he said with urgency. "Okay, whatever you say!"
When driving with a Saiya-jin who has never driven a car before, it is always important to tell him exactly what to do and not expect him to do anything to endanger yourself further. No sooner did Goku get the order, he pulled his right hand away from the wheel of the car and summoned his chi. Seconds later, he succeeded in punching the steering wheel off instead of cutting the engine. The old man was mortified of this behavior and wanted nothing more to do with this insane driving lesson with a student who failed to even do as he requested. The car left the tunnel, hit the guardrail before skipping across the water like a stone.
"I know that was a bad start, but how long do you think it will take for me to get my license?" Goku questioned.
'By the way your driving, another year!' Kakarrot laughed within the Earth-raised Saiya-jin's mind. 'This is priceless…'
"I'd say at the rate you're going, probably a hundred years…" The old man muttered while the car sank in the middle of the water.
'Doubtful old fart,' Kakarrot growled mentally. 'We're not that stupid…'
"Really? That long? But I still need to get into shape for a big battle against some killer androids and my wife is going to kill me if I don't get my…" the rest of Goku's words were muttered underwater. If any mercy were expected, it wouldn't be from a driving instructor that you were with in a sinking car filled with water.
About twenty minutes later, Goku was sitting in the car with the driving instructor again as he dried off. The Earth-raised Saiya-jin was eager to try again despite his first failed attempt at driving. Kakarrot was in the meanwhile muttering how much he disliked the idea of trying again.
'Would you like it if we didn't have any food?' Goku complained.
'You're forgetting I can fend for myself if the need arises,' Kakarrot muttered.
"…take it slowly…" Goku had heard the driving instructor's last words and of course, he still wasn't sure what 'slowly' meant in his term of words.
"You got it," Goku confirmed; almost half-sure what that meant.
'On your marks, get set… GO!' Kakarrot's voice sounded like he were hinting the start of a car race.
"…and remember to put on your seat belt…" the old man muttered before the car was floored and he yelped in utter fear. His complaining was ignored and Goku continued to gun the car down the stretch of road.
As Goku's car passed Piccolo's car, Kakarrot decided to telepathically send a challenge to the Namekian: 'Bet you can't beat us in a road race!'
'Oh it's on Kakarrot!' Piccolo growled mentally. "Is that a challenge? If it's a race you want, it's a race you'll get!"
'Why are you wanting Piccolo to race us?' Goku questioned.
'For sport and for more fun…' Kakarrot chuckled darkly. This would be so much fun. The cars flew through the parking lot and past other drivers and their cars at a maddening pace. Rounding corners and sending challenging glares at one another, it seemed like their lesson had escalated into a race between the two warriors in their vehicles.
In an unexpected move, Kakarrot decided to take a bit of control and flipped the bird at Piccolo; much to the Namekian warrior and Goku's surprise.
'What the-?' Goku was perplexed. He knew he could give Kakarrot control when desired, but for him to take control without waiting was a bit freaky.
'Like I said, I wanted to have fun.'
"How dare you give me the finger Son!" Piccolo growled and rammed his car into Goku's car.
"It wasn't me! Honest!" Goku tried to pull his car away from Piccolo's before something bad happened.
Piccolo's car went flying up a hill as the Earth-raised Saiya-jin sighed in relief; however, it was only a temporary thing when Piccolo's car barreled down the hill straight into the side of Goku's car. Metal met metal and control was lost between the drivers and their cars. They spun into the air and collided into a fiery ball of destruction and chaos. Had it not been for their strength and power, Piccolo and Goku would have perished.
'Does that mean this stupid lesson's over now?' Kakarrot questioned his pacifist nature; not wishing to continue another minute of this maddening lesson.
'I guess…' Goku looked at the unconscious old driving instructor in his arms. He noticed the crowd and decided to reassure them despite the singe marks on their clothing. "Fortunately, they're going to be okay!"
"You two are by the worst students in the twenty years of this driving school," the old man complained in irritation under the stormy skies.
'Yap, yap, yap… honestly, shut him up already!' Kakarrot growled in irritation.
'No,' Goku mentally hushed the complaining voice in his head.
"…one last chance. Anymore stunts like the one you pulled yesterday and I'll see to it personally that you never get your driver's license," the older driving instructor's tirade finished.
Minutes later, Goku and Piccolo were driving in their vehicles in the unfavorable weather they were forced to drive under. Neither one went over the speed limit or even tried to pass one another on the narrow road they were on. In front of them was a bus filled with children from a school.
"Boy, this road is slippery!" Goku was worried. What if they failed here on this pass? It would mean that Chi-chi would get on both warriors for failing their driving lessons and fail to obtain what she wanted them to get.
"Both hands on the steering wheel, minus one point," the driving instructor caught Goku waving happily to the children.
"What? You can't test me now!" Goku looked away from the road for a brief instant at the instructor.
"And you're not keeping your eyes on the road, minus another point," the instructor marked down the points the Saiya-jin warrior lost. In irritation, Goku forced his eyes on the road again and hit the break hard. "What are you doing? You almost knocked my false teeth out! Minus ten more points!"
'Can we just get out of this damn car already? He's irritating the hell out of me…' Kakarrot growled mentally at this man's irritating tone of voice.
It was then the lightning struck the cliff's side in front of the bus; causing water to strike the side of the bus and force it through a guardrail. Had they kept driving, they would have been going over the side also. Goku floored the car despite the voices around him before crashing and causing Piccolo to hit the back of Goku's vehicle. Unable to move, Goku gripped the steering wheel while watching the bus starting to slide closer and closer past the edge of the cliff.
Within a split-second, Goku lunged from the windshield and flew towards the bus that was about to fall from the face of the cliff and possibly kill the children inside. Piccolo, taking the same cue, broke the door off the hinge of the car and flew after Goku and caught the bus that was plummeting down the cliff. Piccolo held up the bus from the other side to ensure that it was supported evenly in the air.
'Of all things, why did you risk failing the test to save these… these… children?' Kakarrot was perplexed. Normally, he wouldn't mind if things die, but he knew Goku wasn't that type of person to let something like this happen.
'They're innocent,' Goku told the darker nature in himself. 'If they died while I sat there worrying about passing a driving test, I would have rather failed and never get my license than let these lives go to waste.'
'You and your logic…'
"Piccolo, stay here," Goku warned before flying out from beneath the bus and firing a blast at the giant rock that threatened to crush the bus that was within their grasp. Piccolo lent a hand and fired his own blast at the rocks and debris that threatened to take the innocent lives on the bus. Goku powered up and fired a blast at the rock before destroying it into smaller pieces.
Shortly after ensuring the children were safe and as though Kami had sent it, the skies cleared and both warriors had managed to secure the bus was back on the road. The children cheered happily at their rescuers. Kakarrot watched and felt an alien emotion wash over him; one he normally wouldn't feel unless it was around Chi-chi. As the bus drove away, Goku waved happily and said his goodbyes in a rather childish way.
'I… I think I understand…' Kakarrot muttered weakly; his voice almost too quiet for Goku to hear. 'In a way, they're a part of this world that you wish to protect…'
"I guess we won't be able to finish the test," Goku apologized to the instructors who were staring at them like they were angels instead of their students.
"Hey! No worries!" The old man smiled softly; almost though he wasn't phased at the idea that they were flying minutes ago.
"You mean you're not going to yell at me?" Goku questioned.
'That will save a headache.' Kakarrot said in relief.
"Not a chance. Not after seeing that amazing rescue." The old man reassured.
"Oh, does that mean I'll still get my driver's license?" Goku nervously chuckled.
"Not likely! You're a danger to everyone on the road!" Well, so much for that idea.
"What about me?" Piccolo raised his voice.
"Nope! Sorry…"
"So we both failed?" Goku exclaimed.
'Look at it this way, the way I see it, you'll never fit in even if they offered you another chance. I mean imagine the driving trips Chi-chi might make us go through!' Kakarrot told the Earth-raised Saiya-jin.
'Well, if you put it that way…' Goku had a mental image of him carrying a horde of items around in his arms to the small car and wondering how he would be able to fit it all into the small vehicle without breaking anything.
"I'd trade my driver's license in a second if I had a chance to fly!" The old man exclaimed in excitement.
"Oh me too!" The paranoid female driver exclaimed from behind Piccolo; causing the Namekian some discomfort.
'But what's Chi-chi going to say when she learns about this?' Goku thought sadly to himself.
'Oh I have an idea…'
"You both failed the test?!" Chi-chi hyperventilated. She had hoped that her husband and the Namekian warrior had passed. Now, she was deeply disappointed and assumed that they would never get licenses in order to drive. "What do you mean you failed the test?"
"Should I?" Goku looked to Piccolo; attempting to give him a rather detailed hint and a warning of what he was about to do.
"Should you what?" Piccolo noticed Goku was thinking about releasing Kakarrot at that very moment to explain the situation. If he were alone, it would be no problem; however, he knew of a certain young child they were attempting to keep in the dark about this persona problem that Goku was having at the time. "Oh no…" He had to act fast. "Gohan, come out here for a bit. I need to explain something to you."
"Coming," Gohan called out and followed the Namekian; wondering what Piccolo wished to discuss with him.
"What's going on? Why are you taking my ba…?" The door slammed before Chi-chi found herself staring at her husband's darker personality again. He pulled away from the door and walked towards Chi-chi with heavier footsteps. A chill ran down her spine and she almost seemed to fear what he might do to persuade her otherwise.
"You truly think that us not getting a license is going to make you happy?" Kakarrot sternly spoke in a tone that was teetering towards annoyed. "If it's any constellation, we failed only because your husband decided to be a saint and save a bus filled with school children from going over a cliff."
"What? He did that?" Chi-chi blinked. She knew he had a reason for failing; however, this surprised her that he chose to fail to protect those innocent lives from being lost.
"Piccolo and I were there. He could have also let the driving instructors perished had he not stopped ahead of time."
"And I thought it was because you both were drag racing again in the bad weather…" Chi-chi muttered.
"Even they have more sense to do that again and ensure that they would never get their licenses."
"I… I guess I forgive you, but you're going to have to do it again!" Chi-chi exclaimed.
"The license thing? Of course. If you'll excuse me…" Kakarrot closed his eyes and allowed Goku to have control again.
"I don't care if you have to use Kakarrot to get your license either!" Chi-chi continued her rant where she left off.
"Fine, I'll try again," Goku attempted to reassure his wife. At least he was starting to learn more about co-existing; however, he knew there would be more trials in order to truly co-exist with his darker personality.
'I pray next time you pay attention,' Kakarrot warned Goku.
'I will as long as you don't laugh when I make a mistake.'
'Deal.'
Outside, Piccolo was walking alongside Gohan in the clothes he was still in before he summoned his normal clothes. Gohan watched in amazement as the Namekian warrior tossed the borrowed clothes in the air and fired a blast; causing them to burn to cinders.
"How come you did that Piccolo?" Gohan questioned.
"I don't like yellow," Piccolo replied in a casual voice. He did the same with the hat before materializing his turban.
To Be Continued…