Chapter 2: FUCK OFF, KAKAROTT

MONDAY, MAY 4, 763

Krillin woke up the next morning in the guest room he had been offered as he had planned to return to Master Roshi's island the next day. He wanted to talk to Goku when he was neither hungry, exhausted, nor surrounded by people. Krillin got dressed in his normal orange gi getup and paced out into the hall of the Briefs family quarters. Though he lacked a sense of smell, he could detect a sort of delicious savory 'taste' in the air. Bacon was the first thought that came to mind. The Earth fighter headed toward the kitchen, where he found Bulma and Goku already seated at the table. Mrs. Briefs was humming away in the kitchen, washing dishes in the sink. "Good morning, Krillin!" chirped the happy blonde.

Krillin waved to her and flashed a smile. Though Goku's mouth was full of food, he turned his head and waved a greeting. Bulma blew on the hot cup of coffee in her hands and smiled. "Good morning, bud. You sleep well?" she asked before taking a sip. "We're so glad to have you both back."

Krillin nodded, observing that Goku appeared to be most of the way done with his breakfast. "Wow, the cherry blossoms sure are stunning this year," Krillin noted as he took his place at the table with his childhood friends while peering out the sliding glass doors. "Was the winter that cold?"

"It was pretty cold, but not too bad," Bulma indicated, straightening up. "Oh! Krillin, you've been dead all this time. Did you hear that Goku actually became a Super Saiyan? It's how he defeated Frieza."

Goku grinned with stuffed cheeks as Krillin's eyes went wide. "Really? Oh, wow! You mean that stuff that Vegeta was spouting was actually true? Gee, Goku, how strong are you now anyway?"

Goku stuffed another whole fried egg in his mouth and swallowed, then wiped his face. "Well, I'm not sure. Stronger than Frieza was, though. Maybe we can have a sparring session sometime later and I'll show you my new tricks. I owe them to you anyway. If Frieza hadn't killed you in front of me, I don't know that I would have ever been able to transform," Goku pointed out cheerfully.

"Yeah, that'd be great! Whenever you're up for it, call me up!" Krillin replied, piling sausages and toast onto his plate. "That's so cool. I wish I could've been there when you changed the first time."

"Gohan was," Goku replied. "He can tell you all about it. I only barely made it off the planet with my life though. Did you know that Frieza destroyed Namek? He blew the whole thing to space dust!"

Krillin nodded. "I figured seeing as the whole Namekian population seems to be here on Earth."

"So, how did you make it off, Goku?" Bulma inquired.

Goku smiled. "I almost didn't. I tried to go to Frieza's spaceship first, but the thing was busted thanks to Vegeta. Then I tried to go to mine, even though it was farther away. The planetary surface was almost entirely molten at the time, so I was scared it might have fallen into the lava. But then I spotted a little space pod at the last possible second and grabbed it. I believe it belonged to a member of the Ginyu Force. It smelled like that big guy Recoome, the one who beat up Vegeta. It must have been his."

"Lucky!" Krillin exclaimed. "Thank goodness. It's bad enough that you had to die once. Dying twice ain't no picnic. So where did you go after you launched yourself off the planet?"

Goku shrugged. "Not sure. I must've been traveling for months. I wasn't familiar with all the controls and I didn't have time to set coordinates before I took off. I think I flicked a switch by accident that put me in stasis. Next thing I knew, I woke up on a cold barren planet with little gravity and little air. My ship was busted, so I tried to find some life forms for food and water. Didn't turn out to be edible. I figured the planet must've just recently been born, or perhaps it was in its death throws. It's hard to say. But the longer I traveled, the more winded I felt from the thin atmosphere. I couldn't have been there any more than ten hours and I was so sure I was going to die. But then–POOF!–I fell into a vat of water. When I surfaced, I realized I was back on Earth in the Atrium of Capsule Corp. So I knew pretty much immediately that I had been wished back. Thank goodness! You guys sure saved my tail."

"Believe me, Goku, we couldn't be any happier to have you back," Bulma emphasized. "Now, let's thank your lucky stars that we were able to get the dragon balls together in time to save you!"

"Thank you, lucky stars!" Krillin echoed in agreement, laughing.

"So, Goku, are you excited about Gohan getting accepted to that fancy-schmancy school?" Bulma asked, smoothly changing the topic of conversation. "I know the tuition is extremely expensive because it's one of the schools my parents considered sending me to when I was a little kid. How are you all planning to pay for it? Last I heard, Chi Chi's dad had lost the bulk of his fortune in that horrible fire."

Goku's eyes popped open as he thought. "Paying for it?" he uttered, puzzled. "Don't know."

Krillin snapped his fingers. "You know what? I bet that smart kid of yours earned a scholarship."

"Yeah, that's probably it," Bulma agreed.

Goku chuckled and placed a hand behind his head. "Heh, yeah. I'll ask Chi when I stop by home later."

Bulma took another sip of her coffee, then put the cup down. "Stop by? I assume that means you plan to go look for Vegeta after, right?" she inquired. Goku nodded. "Thanks, Goku! Oh, before you head off, I need to give you something in my office. And before I forget…" she added, reaching into her purse. She pulled out a small orange device that Goku immediately recognized. "Chi Chi left your cell phone for you. You were so exhausted last night, she didn't want to bother you. They figured you'd come home when you woke up. I'm sure they would have slept over with you, but Gohan needed to get back to his studies." Bulma tossed the flip phone to Goku, who caught it and slipped it into a pocket.

"Thanks, Bulma! That's no problem at all. Man, I can't wait to find Vegeta. For once, I'll have a training partner who offers a real challenge. I'm so excited. Woo hoo!" Goku expressed.

After breakfast was concluded, Goku went with Bulma to her office. She gave him the lowdown on everything he had missed in his time away, as well as a brand new device that looked like a watch with a screen the size of a golf ball. "This is a special GPS unit I designed just for fliers like yourself, Goku. I've already input the coordinates of Vegeta's approximate last-known location which I detected with the scouter just the other day. He might still be in the area for all we know," Bulma explained, showing him how to snap the GPS watch on his wrist with the magnetic strip. "See? Easy as pie. Now, when you find Vegeta, promise me you'll bring him back here. There's something I need to talk to him about."

Goku examined the GPS in curiosity. "Ooh, nice. Thanks, Bulma. It'll be so much easier to navigate with this thing than without it. And sure, I'll let him know you want to talk to him when I see him."

"Oh, and if he gives you any trouble, let him know that I've had a very important scientific breakthrough with the Gravitron that will really kick you guys' training up a notch if you catch my drift. That ought to grab his attention," Bulma added with a wink, opening the glass door to her office balcony. "That's all I've got that I know can help you for now. Good luck, Goku!" The blue-haired genius waved farewell to Goku as he took off into the bright blue sky overlooking the bustling metropolis.

Goku thoroughly enjoyed the flight home. The sun shone over the endless landscape of soft pink cherry blossoms. The shimmer of ponds, lakes, and rivers below looked like a trillion diamonds from the Z fighter's bird's eye view. Goku breathed the fresh spring air in deeply and exhaled slowly.

Though he could have made it home in less time if he had flown at Super Saiyan speed, Goku preferred to slow down and smell the flowers. It was past midday by the time he spotted the glimmer of his own Mount Paozu on the horizon. He could hardly wait to greet his wife and son again, certain they would both want to know much, much more about all of his recent adventures. When Goku touched down in front of his humble family home, the first thing he noticed was how quiet everything was.

Goku chuckled. "Gohan must be studying. Chi Chi always tries to be as quiet as a mouse to avoid breaking his concentration," he noted. He closed his eyes to try and search out their locations, but when he did he realized the place seemed to be deserted, aside from the multitude of wildlife. Huh, he thought to himself. I guess they're out. I'll bet Chi left a note saying when they'll be back.

Goku stepped up to the front door and reached for the knob, twisting it gently to open it. He pushed the door inward and stepped inside the entrance to his house, detecting immediately that something was off. His eyes scanned the interior. Various things appeared to be missing. A lot of things, but not everything. It was quite strange. Goku gasped. "Oh, no! We've been burgled!" he said aloud in panic, his gaze rapidly darting around. But how? he wondered. We live in the middle of nowhere… There's never been any crime out here in the mountains. With his superhuman speed, Goku flitted from room to room. The living room was mostly untouched, with the exception of a few framed photos on the walls. All the Son wedding photos had been left untouched. However, most solo photos of Gohan were gone.

As it turned out, Gohan's bedroom was empty. In a panic, Goku checked the kitchen next. Not much was missing, just a few knickknacks here and there that had belonged to Chi Chi, Gohan, or the Ox King. Next, Goku ran to the master bedroom. The marital bed remained, but Chi Chi's things were all gone, including a few notable Ox family heirlooms. "What the heck…?" Goku uttered to himself as he surveyed the mostly bare room. He checked the closet. All of his clothes were still there, but none of Chi Chi's. He paused and pivoted himself around slowly. His eyes came to rest on the pillow that lay on his side of the bed. A clean white envelope lay there with nothing but the word 'Goku' written on it.

Goku's face fell as he approached the bed and sat down. He carefully picked up the envelope. Holding it in both hands, he stared at it for a while. At last, he resolved to open it. He flipped it over and slid a finger under the flap. It had not been sealed. He proceeded to pull out the paper within.

Dear Goku,

I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this in person, but I feared it would upset our son. Ever since that no-good 'brother' of yours showed up on Earth, I've hardly seen you. First, you were dead (not your fault, I admit). But during that horrible year when you and Gohan were ripped from my life, somebody else came in to fill the void and give me the emotional support I needed to get through the trauma. I admit I've slowly fallen in love with this person over the past year. He has proposed marriage to me and I intend to accept his offer pending our divorce. While I believed him to be just a humble soul at first with a good heart, I had begun to develop feelings for him. However, when he got down on one knee to ask for my hand, he revealed the truth. Mr. Cardinal is a very wealthy man, the heir to a vast fortune, and the current sitting CEO of Red Pharmaceuticals, a major global supplier in the medical field. Mr. Cardinal has bought me a gorgeous penthouse in Orange City. Gohan and I moved in early this morning.

Naturally, I'll grant you weekend visitations with Gohan that require one stipulation. You are not to give him any more martial arts training whatsoever, nor will you allow Piccolo or anyone else to do so in your stead. Gohan's fighting days are done. Everything that happened on Namek–I admit, I myself am mostly to blame. I should have followed my gut by putting my foot down and saying no when he asked to go. So let me make this clear, Goku, I do not hold you in any contempt. That can change easily if you refuse my one stipulation for your visitation rights with our son. I'll take you to court for this if need be. You're not likely to win as you don't have the money to hire a lawyer, so I suggest you just go along with it. You should receive the divorce papers in the mail in about a week. Please sign them and send them in. Alternatively, you can turn them in at any circuit court in Orange City in person. Please call or text to let me know when you've turned them in so I can go ahead with the wedding plans. Most likely you'll have to leave a message if you decide to call. I know it may hurt now, but in the long run, this is all for the best, Goku. I hope you'll be able to see that one day. Goodbye, my dear old friend.

Chi Chi

Goku's jaw was on the floor by the time he finished reading the letter. He could hardly believe what his eyes had gleaned. He lowered the papers to his lap as he lifted his head slightly and just stared into space. Never in a million years did he think something like this would happen to his family. They had been so tight-knit. Though, now that he thought about it, perhaps he had not been as able to meet his human mate's needs as he might have liked. He was a saiyan, after all, and the average saiyan tended to have a different set of skills than the average human. Goku had been very happy. He had loved Chi Chi. He had been drawn to her spirit and passion. But perhaps their relationship still was not all that it could have been. Perhaps, they had been too young when they had fallen in love to know better.

After spending a good half hour in silent reflection, the Z fighter sighed and put the paper down on the bed beside him. He picked up the envelope that had been underneath it and felt something inside still. He stretched it open and glanced in to find a few thousand zeni, raising a brow in curiosity. Goku grabbed the letter again and looked at it, front and back. On the reverse side, something was written.

P.S. Here's the money from our savings. I won't be needing it anymore. Don't give it away mindlessly, Goku. You might need a new set of clothes or shoes one day. I know you think money is useless, but it isn't. It's always a good idea to keep a rainy day fund just in case. Good luck.

Goku raised a brow in surprise. After a few more moments of hesitation, he finally sighed and stuffed the money as well as the letter from Chi Chi back into the envelope. Then he folded it in half and put it in the right pocket of his orange gi. It was a lot to process, but he did not want to worry about it now. In fact, he would much rather do anything else than worry about it. His first thought was to find a distraction. He remembered the promise he made to Bulma, to find Vegeta and take him to go see her.

He shook his head clear of any distressing thoughts, refocusing his energy. He could not feel Vegeta's ki offhand, but perhaps the man was resting at present. It would be easier to sense him if Goku got closer to his most probable location. The Z fighter turned his attention to the GPS unit on his wrist that Bulma had given him. An arrow pointed due west. Goku opened the bedroom window and took off.

…

Bulma sipped at her fifth cup of coffee that day. It was well after lunch and she struggled to maintain her focus in light of all the dry, boring women she had to interview, one after another. She groaned internally and snuck a glance at the clock on her computer screen. 4:30 PM, it indicated. Should be done soon, she thought to herself, crossing her fingers under the desk so her interviewee could not see.

She focused her attention on the current candidate, a tall slender blonde with a flawless updo. "Thank you very much, Ms. Pang. We'll call you once we've sifted through all the applicants. You have a lovely day now," Bulma spoke, rising from behind her desk to shake hands with the young woman.

She was presented with a plastic smile. "I've enjoyed our talk immensely, Ms. Briefs. It has been an honor to meet you in the flesh. I've followed Corporate Capsulary magazine since I was a teen. Even if I don't make it in, I'll treasure the memory of this interview forever. You have a blessed day."

Bulma's lip curled up into a genuine smile. "That's wonderful to hear. Never stop reaching. Like my dad says—where there's a will, there's a way. I do hope to see you again, Ms. Pang," she replied.

After they had finished shaking hands, Bulma showed Ms. Pang to the door. She returned to her desk and pressed the red button for her robotic secretary. "How many candidates left now, Rosebot?"

"Just one, Ms. Briefs," replied a familiar robotic voice. "Her name is Aloha Long. Sending her in."

"Ah, yes, the Papaya Island native. This one ought to be interesting," Bulma said aloud. She pressed a button on her computer keyboard to bring up the last candidate's profile. "Our youngest candidate yet! She must be an absolute genius like me. Yup, I remember reading through her profile last week."

A few seconds later, a young woman in a clean pantsuit stepped into Bulma's office. She looked a bit disoriented, or perhaps overwhelmed, by the Capsule Corp environment at first, but then her chocolate-brown orbs met Bulma's and she emanated a smile that extended all the way up to her big round eyes. "Good afternoon, Ms. Briefs," she squeaked out. Her face flushed for a moment before she cleared her throat. "My goodness! Forgive me, I got over a case of laryngitis a few weeks ago, but it still seems to be affecting me. How embarrassing," she expressed, gently patting her chest with a palm.

Bulma smiled. "That's no problem at all. Come on in and get yourself comfortable, Ms. Long. Thank you so much for coming," she greeted, straightening up at her desk and intertwining her fingers.

Aloha walked over to the interview chair. Standing in front, she placed her briefcase down at her feet. Then she brushed her pants off and gently sat down. Again, she met eyes with Bulma and smiled.

Bulma took a moment to observe the young woman's appearance. She was well put-together, though clearly lacking quite a lot in the realm of confidence. Aloha's skin was a beautiful medium mocha tone and her curly, dark brown hair was well-controlled in a very short boy cut above her ears. Her eyes were large, innocent, and endearing. "Thank you so much for taking the time to meet me, Ms. Briefs."

Bulma chuckled. "It's my pleasure. So, Ms. Long, you're very young, I see. Only eighteen by the looks of it and your resume says you got your last Master's at seventeen? You're our youngest candidate yet."

Aloha's face flushed slightly. "Well, uh, yes, but don't underestimate me. I've always taken my studies and the sciences very seriously. For example, I have a great passion for the aerospace sciences and engineering. It's always been a dream of mine to be the first person on Mars ever since I was three."

Bulma's grin widened. "Heck, you might get even farther than silly old Mars if you set your mind to it, my friend. I sense you're going to do great things. And don't worry, I wasn't underestimating you in the slightest. From one prodigy to another, I think you're the most promising candidate that I've seen yet based on your resume and cover letter alone," she explained, clicking a button on her keyboard. "Don't mind my typing, Ms. Long. I need to keep notes of my thoughts on this interview. In addition, I am required to notify you that our whole conversation is being recorded for later review, okay?"

Aloha nodded. "That's perfectly fine."

Bulma mirrored the nod. "Great! Now, let's get started. Ms. Long, is that your preferred name? Oh, right, I see you have a doctorate. Do you prefer to be called Dr. Long?" she inquired.

Aloha giggled. "Sort of. You see, my father is Dr. Long, but with friends, I often go by Al. So, to tell me apart from my dad, perhaps my colleagues could call me Dr. Along? Would that be okay?"

"Certainly! So, Dr. Along—clever, by the way. I like that compromise. Fun fact, I have a doctorate as well, but I go by Ms. Briefs to avoid confusion between me and my dad, too!"

Aloha giggled again. "I figured."

Bulma bobbed her head. "Moving on with our interview then. Dr. Along, to what or whom do you credit your success thus far in life? Don't worry, it's not a trick question. Just answer truthfully."

Aloha swallowed and straightened up. "Yes, of course. Well, I've always been blessed with a natural aptitude and drive in my area of interest, but I don't think I would've come nearly so far if it weren't for my adoptive parents, Dr. Adios Long and Mrs. Hola Long. Though they've always been very strict, I believe I never would have achieved so much academically if it had not been for their rigid discipline. Ever since preschool, they've always pushed me to be the best in academics. It was easy in early elementary school, but being the best in class wasn't enough for them. Once I was recognized as an exceptionally high achiever, I was put into a very intensive private school with a scholarship. Things got much tougher, but my parents never let up on the pressure. I ended up skipping multiple grades and becoming a top competitor for the Papaya Island Mathletes. When I was twelve, I helped our team win the biggest international competition in the world. So, all in all, I credit my parents. They invested so much into my upbringing and, though their rigidity has been very frustrating at times, I owe so much to them and would never dishonor them in any way," she said, then smiled again. "I've also had many excellent teachers throughout my school years that made me feel empowered and inspired, too. Too many to name. Perhaps, if I ever write a book for publication, I'll put them all in the acknowledgments section. That's one of my smaller life goals, get published one day," she added with a shy chuckle.

Bulma's eyes popped open in surprise. "Oh, so you like to write?"

Aloha nodded. "My dad discouraged me from including that in my resume since he didn't think it was relevant to the job, but it's always been a little hobby of mine on the side. I've written screenplays and novels, but never tried to get them published or anything. Just a little side note. Hehe."

"Well, to be honest, Dr. Along, I think adding that to your resume would make you stand out even more. But that's just my opinion. I'm glad you thought to tell me, though," Bulma replied. "My father always says that innovation requires a large degree of creativity. So, if anything, being a writer in your spare time would strengthen your case for employment here at Capsule Corp. Did you know that my older sister is a writer? Tights Briefs, the famous sci-fi author! Perhaps you've heard of her, too?"

Aloha leaned forward slightly. "I've read literally everything that amazing woman has ever published."

Bulma's face lit up. "Really? Awesome! Heck, if you stick around, you might even get the chance to meet Tights in person. She's very friendly and absolutely adores her fans, each and every single one!"

Aloha's eyes sparkled. "Ms. Briefs, you just guessed another one of my short-term life goals."

"Great!" Bulma declared. She had a very good feeling about this candidate indeed.

…

Goku was passing over a desert when he started to recognize his surroundings. The ruins of Pilaf's old castle lay down below. He stopped to think. I must have been the one who did that. I didn't know at the time. Why didn't anyone tell me? I need to remember to talk to Bulma and Krillin about this. He frowned and kept flying. After he had passed over a vast lake, he closed his eyes to focus again and tried to feel for energy signatures. A blip. There it was. It had to be Vegeta, as he could sense Piccolo's ki much farther northwest where Capsule Corp was located in West City. Goku flared his energy to fly faster, zooming off in the indicated direction. He hoped to meet up with Vegeta before sunset.

Goku was daydreaming by the time he reached another recognizable destination. The GPS on his wrist beeped and he looked down at it. It indicated he had reached the spot. Goku peered around at the damaged terrain from a brutal battle. This was where he had first met Vegeta and Nappa after the latter had already slaughtered several of his friends. It was also where Goku had detected Vegeta's energy signature. The Z fighter dropped down to the ground and focused his mind again, seeking out Vegeta. He surveyed the area, finding nothing. The saiyan prince's smell lingered in the air. Then he widened his mental search and quickly discovered Vegeta's ki flying off southwestward at a rapid pace.

Goku raised a brow. Vegeta must have sensed him coming, and he was not heading in the direction of West City. In fact, he seemed to be going more in the direction of Baba's Palace, not that that was his destination necessarily. Is… he avoiding me? Goku thought. He shook his head. Nah, who knows? Maybe he's off on some silly little adventure. I'll just keep going after him. He'll stop eventually when he realizes I'm looking for him. Goku turned Super Saiyan to increase his speed and raced after Vegeta.

It was only a few minutes into his pursuit when he felt Vegeta flare his own ki as if to speed up his movements as well. However, he was not moving as fast as Goku. He was not strong enough, but it did appear that he was trying to evade Goku after all. Why, Vegeta? Goku thought. What's your problem?

He pushed himself to the limits, roaring through the sky at supersonic boom levels of speed. The wind resistance started to burn his skin, though he was strong enough to weather it. He kept going and going, passing over the ocean and finally coming to another desert dotted with oases. He would outfly Vegeta, he would wear him out. Whatever it took to catch up to the saiyan prince, he would do it. Though he did not understand why Vegeta was so intent on avoiding him. When Goku came to the next ocean, he stopped even though he sensed that Vegeta was tiring and slowing down. He powered down to his normal form as he stared out over the blue expanse. The time was wearing on, though they seemed to be outflying the sun. It was mid-afternoon already. He gave an aggravated sigh and redoubled his efforts, crossing an ocean for the second time that day. Early afternoon turned to sunrise turned to night. Eventually, he found himself right back where he started at Mount Paozu. It seemed Vegeta had passed right over it, not realizing he was anywhere near the home of the only other living full-blooded saiyan.

Goku felt his temper start to rise. He was getting tired of this chase. He was going to end it. Vegeta would tire soon and stop being so avoidant of their confrontation. When he finally caught up with him, Goku would break the ice and act all friendly. Then Vegeta would realize how ridiculous he had been. Again, Goku blasted off in the direction of Vegeta's ki. It was sunset in the current time zone when he realized he was catching up with the runaway royal. Then, all of a sudden, Vegeta's ki dropped to zero.

Goku grinned, realizing Vegeta must have gotten so tired that he had given up. The Z fighter picked up his speed and arrived at the location where Vegeta's ki had disappeared in under ten minutes. He had chased the prince all the way back to the battlegrounds where they had first met. With the last glimmer of sunlight below, Goku glanced down at the barren ground and gasped when he saw large letters etched there as if by a powerful blast. FUCK OFF, KAKAROTT, it said. The words were still smoking.

Goku drew his brows together. Meanie, he thought in irritation. He brought his hands to his face to amplify his voice as much as possible. "Vegeta! I just want to talk! Please, come out!" he called at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing endlessly through the battle-induced wasteland area.

He waited a few seconds, but there was no reply. At last, Goku snorted in annoyance and dropped to the ground by the first K in his birth name. He sniffed the air. Vegeta was just here. He has to still be close, Goku thought. At this point, the Z fighter was sufficiently frustrated. Finding Vegeta should not have taken so long on his first full day back from space. The saiyan warrior decided to try and call Bulma to update her on the situation. Perhaps she had some insight into the goings-on in Vegeta's mind. He flipped out his cell phone and found her in contacts. The phone rang only once before she picked up.

"Hey, Goku! You found Vegeta yet?" came the voice of his female friend. "I would've expected you two to be back before now. What's taking so long? You guys stop to spar on the way back?"

Goku frowned. "Actually, no. I haven't found him. Vegeta is avoiding me. I've been after him for hours and hours," he explained before summarizing the whole ridiculous search he had done for the prince. He was sure to censor the dirty word that Vegeta left in the former battleground. "So, he's basically telling me to go away like the little meanie he is. I feel rejected," he groaned into the flip phone.

Bulma giggled slightly. "Oh, Goku, don't take it personally. Vegeta is a weird guy. He's obviously got deep-seated trust issues. Maybe… I don't know, but… you're very powerful now, right? You're a Super Saiyan. I guess it's possible that Vegeta's afraid of you. Maybe he thinks you're out for revenge."

"What?" Goku cried out in a high-pitched voice fraught with indignation. "Gee, you think he'd know me better! I kind of have a reputation for revenge not being my thing, don't I?" he objected.

"Of course, you do," Bulma said reassuringly. "But you're missing the point, bud. This thing with Vegeta is clearly a him problem and not a you problem. So don't sweat it, Goku. You're a good guy."

"Okay. Well, Bulma, I'm pretty sure Vegeta is hiding in the area where I am right now. I'm going to try to use my nose to sniff him out. If I can find him and then be nice to him, I'm sure that he'll realize just how silly he was being. Will call you back if something changes. Thanks for the moral support!"

Bulma chuckled. "No problem, Goku. You know you can always count on me."

"Bye!"

"Later, gator," Bulma said, ending the call.

Goku snapped the phone shut with a small smile and put it away before refocusing on his task. He started sniffing around and it was not long until he came upon a very distinctive bootprint. This led to a trail that seemed to indicate the prince had fled on foot, running and hopping over the terrain and then into the unblemished stretch of forest beyond. The scent trail was strong and recent. Goku followed it on foot as rapidly as he could. It was almost sunrise again before he came upon a vast river with a steep bank. Goku used a glowing ball of ki to light his way. As he glanced down the bank, right at the river's opposite edge he made out the letters written into the sand: STOP FOLLOWING ME, ASSWIPE.

Goku knitted his brows in annoyance and made a big leap to the side of the river with the writing. He sniffed around, trying to pick up the saiyan's trail, but there was nothing except in the exact spot where the rude words were written. A watery bootprint pointed toward the water. That was when the obvious occurred to Goku. Vegeta had jumped into the river and swam away to mask his scent. "Ooh, that clever little…! Darn it! How am I gonna find him now? This river branches off in every conceivable direction. He could be anywhere!" he griped aloud, practically pulling his hair out in frustration.

Goku dropped to the ground on his rear end right in front of the word ASSWIPE, using the heel of his boot to erase the rude insult. He thought for a bit. There had to be a way to find Vegeta, even against the other man's wishes. Goku flipped his phone back out and typed up a text to his genius friend.

Me: Plz encapselate GR. Dont want V fleeing Earth w/o chat, TY!

Goku sighed, resting his chin on a fist. It had felt like a long day. He had encircled the whole planet more than once in twelve hours, which had to be a record. Soon Bulma texted him back a thumbs up. Goku smiled and went back to thinking. It took a good fifteen minutes of thought, but a light bulb switched on in Goku's brain. "Eureka, I've got it!" he declared. "Hehe… Vegeta won't see it coming. All I have to do is appear to give up and go home. Then I'll come back and catch him off his guard."

Suddenly, Goku felt his stomach growl and he placed his hands on his vibrating belly. "Oh, man… I'm starved! I haven't eaten since breakfast at Capsule Corp. Hmm… Too bad I don't have my tail anymore," the Z fighter uttered to himself, peering at the river below. The fish were not yet jumping. If only he had arrived at twilight. Goku looked out over the water. Can't go tail fishing, he thought.

Goku resolved to head home, knowing his fridge would be chock full of goodies since his wife and son had left. He flared his ki as he retreated to make Vegeta think he had given up the search. Yeah, let your guard down, you little meanie. But I'll be back, rest assured, he thought, grinning mischievously to himself. Eventually, Goku got too tired to fly and called on his nimbus to finish the journey.

…

TUESDAY, MAY 5, 763

Goku woke up all the earlier the next morning, determined to finish what he had started. He rounded up a hearty breakfast of pterosaur eggs, fish, and ripe hanging tree fruit before he set his plan into motion. He jumped to the top of his house and sat cross-legged on the roof, intent on honing an important skill that he had first learned in childhood. Keeping his spine straight, he entered a state of meditation. He hoped his heightened awareness would sensitize him to the presence of Vegeta's ki on the planet. Without moving a muscle, he ascended to the level of Super Saiyan in a burst of energy that rustled the trees and bushes surrounding his home. He used the transformation to heighten his senses even more.

Goku slowly and patiently surveyed the whole Earth with his meditative energy. The search yielded nothing at first, except the usual characters. He detected Krillin and Master Roshi to the south on the latter's private island. To the northwest, Piccolo and the Namekians. To the northeast, Gohan. Yajirobe seemed to be off gallivanting somewhere near Korin's tower. Goku growled low in his throat. Vegeta, wherever he was, appeared to presently be masking his energy level for whatever reason.

Goku stayed atop his house for hours in deep meditation. The more he practiced, the more adept his senses became. He could hear, smell, and feel things that he was normally oblivious to. The footsteps of a wild fox, the beating of a distant hummingbird's wings. He made a three-dimensional map of it all in his mind. Gradually, he became more and more impressed by his own abilities and smiled to himself.

Even with all his efforts, Vegeta's whereabouts remained unknown. Then, quite unexpectedly, the early evening yielded an almost imperceptible blip of saiyan activity. Goku locked onto it and his eyes snapped open. A grin curled the sides of his mouth upwards as he gently powered down to his normal saiyan state. He rose up to his feet and jumped down to the ground from his home's rooftop. Bide your time, Goku. Be patient, he thought as he stretched and sauntered inside to get himself a nice big meal. He would need to procure more food for the next day, as his fridge was almost empty already.

After devouring all the remaining food in his house, including the condiments, Goku stopped and sighed as nostalgia overtook him. He already was missing Chi Chi's cooking. Thoughts of her food and one day eating it once more had really helped power him through his punishing workouts in the Gravitron on his way to Namek. Chi Chi had really spoiled him and Gohan with her gourmet cuisine throughout their marriage. It was the number one perk of being the headstrong woman's husband.

Mr. Cardinal. That name brought a sour look to Goku's face. Who was he? Some wealthy CEO of a major company, but somehow Goku had never heard of him. Now this mysterious man was going to receive all the love and delicious meals that Chi Chi had reserved for Goku. He growled low in his throat again at the thought. Who in his right mind would just approach and woo a married woman? Chi Chi had described him as a humble soul, but Goku did not buy that. Something smelled off.

Well, best to look on the bright side. At least, I'm full, Goku thought to cheer himself up. He stood up, patted his stomach, and flexed his muscles. At last, it was time to put his plan into action. If everything went off without a hitch, he would have the saiyan prince in his clutches in a couple short hours. Goku then hopped in the shower for five minutes, got out, dried off, and dressed in a fresh gi. He was not sure how long it would take to find Vegeta and he did not want to take any more detours back to Mount Paozu, so he packed a suitcase with two changes of clothes and encapsulated it, stashing it in his pocket along with his phone and Chi Chi's letter. Feeling back to a hundred percent, he left out the backdoor of his house, cupped his hands around his face, and called into the sky, "Flying Nimbus! Come to me!"

Half a minute later, a recognizable whizzing sound delighted Goku's ears. His yellow nimbus flew down from the heavens and stopped right in front of him. "Time to go on another little excursion, old pal!" he declared, hopping up on the magical cloud. "Westward and step on it! Full speed, Nimbus!"

The two of them zipped off into the sky and disappeared on the horizon.

…

Hours later, Goku reached Vegeta's last detected location. He sensed that he was once again near the old battlegrounds. He instructed his nimbus to stay hidden inside a much bigger, slow-moving cloud. The weather was calm, the sky partly clear and partly blotted with cloud formations. Goku kicked off his boots and placed them beside himself. Then he moved his body into a meditative pose, cross-legged and straight-backed. He allowed himself to fall into a light altered state as he hovered over the forest.

Most of the clouds surrounding him felt cool, misty, and moisturizing on his face. For a long time, Goku felt nothing, but he had patience enough to spare. It was morning where he was when he rose from his trance with a tired yawn. "Rise just above the cloud, Nimbus," Goku uttered, rubbing his eyes. His nimbus did so and Goku laid down on the fluffy cloud like a bed mattress, pulling a flap of it over top himself for a blanket. Just like that, Goku fell asleep in perfect comfort while floating in the sky.

It was late afternoon when his eyes snapped open. He had detected a flash of ki activity north of him. Goku grinned and hopped up, careful to keep his energy level suppressed beyond detectability. He put his boots back on, gazing northward. "Alright, Nimbus, go north. Not too fast. He's near. Try to stay hidden among the other clouds where possible," Goku instructed, tapping a heel to push it into his boot.

The nimbus started moving, staying high in the air at the level of other clouds until Goku asked it to pause. He started to meditate again and felt another blip. Vegeta was well practiced at hiding his location, but he was not perfect. "Nimbus, to the ground. I'm going to search on foot. Stay downwind."

When they reached the ground, Goku hopped off and started sniffing around. He could smell Vegeta's scent faintly. He followed it for about a mile, his nimbus following behind him at ground level. Eventually, he came upon another river's edge where he discovered the remains of a campfire and a giant half-eaten fish on a spit over the dying embers. The area smelled strongly of Vegeta.

A bootprint leading down to the water indicated where the prince had gone after he had finished his meal. Goku checked the other side of the river but found nothing of the prince. After exploring for a few minutes, Goku rapidly came to the realization that Vegeta had been relying on the waterways for transportation as a way of consistently avoiding leaving a scent trail behind that the Earth fighter could follow. Ooh, that clever little saiyan… I'll still find him though. He can't outsmart me forever.

Goku turned around and patted his cloud. "Don't worry, Nimbus. We'll find him for sure." He looked at the half-eaten fish. "Hmm, I wonder why Vegeta didn't finish his meal. I'm sure he can eat a heck of a lot more than that." Goku took his nimbus and hid in a tree overlooking the abandoned campfire. He hoped that Vegeta intended to return for the rest of his meal later. After eating a few of the tree's fruits, Goku fell asleep up in the branches as he got bored waiting. It was maybe an hour or two before noon by the time Goku roused and peered down at the abandoned campsite. The fish had been reduced to a skeleton. Goku hopped down and raced over, examining the evidence, but was disappointed to find what looked like bear tracks leading away instead of bootprints. He snapped his fingers. "Darn!"

Goku plopped down on his rear in frustration when he felt a buzz in his pants. He pulled out his cell.

Bulma: Any luck?

Goku sighed and started typing back with his thumbs.

Me: Still looking.

He snapped the phone shut, yawned, scratched his shoulder, and moved his body into a meditative pose. Vegeta could not be far. Goku would find him, one way or another. The Earth saiyan remained in meditation for what felt like hours. A cool breeze brushed his face when he felt the moisture in the air rise suddenly just as the temperature dropped a bit. When he looked up, he noticed storm clouds on the near horizon. It was already dusk. A whole day had passed since he had arrived in this general location. "Darn," he said. "And me without an umbrella." He opened his cell again and checked the weather app. It was looking to be a really big thunderstorm. Not that he was afraid, but he preferred not to get struck by lightning if possible. He got up and went to look for some shelter, his nimbus still following. When it started to drizzle, Goku realized that there was not enough time to build or find shelter.

He snapped his fingers in revelation and jumped on his cloud. "Hey Nimbus, take us above the clouds until the storm passes, why don't you?" he suggested. It was like riding a very fast elevator to the top of a skyscraper and Goku was airborne for a moment as they reached their destination. "Woo hoo!"

He peered back down at the ominous clouds as they enveloped the darkening landscape below until there was nothing but gray fluff covering everything except the blue sky dome above. Goku could see bursts of lightning. He could both hear and feel the rumblings of thunder that soon followed. "Gee, I hope Vegeta knows to stay out of the water in a thunderstorm like this. Not that a strike would kill him, but he might get an unpleasant zap that'll make his hair stand on… Oh, wait." Goku sat on his rear end and sighed. "Wow, I really wasn't expecting it to take so long to find Vegeta. Why is he being so difficult? Is he really that scared of me?" Goku asked aloud as if expecting his nimbus to answer the question, verbally or otherwise. He snorted and rolled onto his belly, peering down at the storm below.

After a few minutes, he checked his phone again. "Dang, I can't believe the service is so good around here. Bulma found us a great plan," he said, checking the weather app again. "Darn! It's supposed to storm for a few hours past sunset. Guess I'll have to wait to grab dinner then. Shoot, if I had thought this far ahead, I might've procured and encapsulated some extra food. Well, hindsight is 20/20, as always," he uttered to himself, patting his cloud. "Thanks again, buddy." He sighed. "If only you could talk." He put his phone away, sat up straight, and closed his eyes. This time, Goku fell asleep from boredom while meditating. A big bubble expanded and contracted near his mouth as he slept. When the bubble popped, the storm had ended and the skies had cleared, but night had settled over the forest.

Goku rolled to his knees and peered down at the moonlit landscape. "Nimbus, go back to the campsite we found earlier. I want to see if he might have returned to it," Goku instructed. The wind rushed up against him as they descended back down to the river's edge. Goku hopped off, finding that the fish skeleton had collapsed since he had last been there. Some trees were down from the storm and the rush of the river was fierce with all the extra water added to it. He could hardly hear anything over it. He sniffed the air, smelling nothing but ozone. "Don't think he's been back since the last time I was here."

Goku frowned. He would have plopped down on the ground, but it was still wet and muddy. Instead, he sat on his nimbus like a chair. "If this keeps up much longer, I might have to go see Fortuneteller Baba," he murmured, scratching his head. Then he shook it. "I'm not giving up. Vegeta may have won this day's battle, but he's not winning the war. I am going to find him!" he said in determination.

Goku returned to his meditations. After midnight, he felt another blip to the northeast. His eyes snapped open. "That way, Nimbus, and fast!" he instructed, sitting back. They whizzed off in that direction as fast as Goku's cloud could fly. Before long, Goku found himself in the mountains. "Down there, Nimbus," Goku instructed, pointing. Once they reached ground level, he did not dismount the cloud. Keeping his power level suppressed, he sniffed around. "Nothing here, try over there," Goku said, pointing to another peak just southwest of them. Once they arrived, he glanced around looking for clues but refrained from making a ki ball to avoid putting out detectable energy. He thought he detected a faint scent. With the wind drifting west, it seemed to be coming from the massive peak just to the east.

Goku pointed the way and they were there in half a minute. This time, there was a much stronger scent. "Ah, yes. Vegeta must have swam up the river to its source. This little mountain stream right here," he uttered, hopping down from the nimbus. He sniffed around some more and ended up following the trail to a high waterfall. Soon enough, it was easier to see as the few clouds disappeared. The moon was almost full and with a pinkish tint to it. He smiled up at it and then glanced down. Lifting his foot, he realized he had stepped directly on top of a very recognizable bootprint. He dropped to his knees and sniffed it. Recent… yes, he was here maybe a few minutes ago, Goku thought, crouching.

Suddenly, a massive crashing sound from an adjacent mountain peak caught his attention. He hopped on his nimbus and rushed over to find a bunch of rocky rubble, but no Vegeta. It looked like a catapult had launched a boulder into the mountainside. Looking at the evidence, Goku extrapolated that the source of the boulder had to come from the bottom of the waterfall he had just been at. "A diversion!"

Goku rushed back over to where he had been with the nimbus and jumped down to find himself at the mouth of a massive cavern. Shoot, he must have smelled my presence! He glanced down to see muddy bootprints entering the cave before breaking into what appeared to be a sprint. He was moving fast, though it was dark inside. Pitch black. Goku flipped out his cell phone and turned on the flashlight before running after him at top speed. "Get back here, Vegeta!" he called, his voice echoing to the ends of the Earth. He darted through a passage big enough for a tyrannosaur, which eventually led to an even bigger chamber in what appeared to be the heart of the mountain. Inside, Goku squinted to make out many branching passageways. Darn it! he thought angrily. He cupped an ear and listened. An echo of padding seemed to be coming from a branch on the left. He followed it for a few paces before tripping over the very pair of muddy boots that had left the prints he discovered earlier. Gold-tipped boots.

Vegeta's alluring scent was strong. Goku grabbed the boots and quickly followed the trail, going Super Saiyan to increase his speed and light his way. The passage gradually got narrower and narrower and then shorter and shorter until Goku was scrambling on hands and knees, still holding the muddy boots in his possession. Then he came to a fork. A muddy trail appeared to go left at first, but Goku stopped and sniffed. It seemed Vegeta had rolled around there briefly to throw Goku off because his scent was going right. Perhaps he had rolled in mud in an attempt to mask his musk, but it was just too strong.

Goku followed as fast as he could, his senses piqued. Even with his own rapid breathing, he thought he could hear the echoing of fast-paced breathing up ahead. Goku felt and heard a massive crash, but he kept going and came upon a rocky area in the cavern that looked like some stalactites had been freshly demolished. As soon as he passed one area, the scent trail stopped. Goku blinked and peered around, sniffing. He backtracked a few paces to the rocky, demolished area. The scent was powerful. The Super Saiyan gritted his teeth together. Oh, what? So now you're a mole, Vegeta? he thought, kicking aside a few rocks. Dummy coulda caused a cave-in. Double darn! He's really determined to avoid me.

Goku dug around, tossing rocks aside until he found the tiny hole Vegeta had made just big enough for his own smaller body. Goku gritted his teeth in anger. If I try to follow him and punch my way through the bedrock, I'll bring down the whole mountain around us. Now, what? he thought, sighing in aggravation. Curse it! I was so close this time! The Super Saiyan collapsed on his butt against the cave wall and groaned in aggravation. This shouldn't be so difficult! How is he so gosh-darned smart?!

The Earth saiyan was getting annoyed to the point that he started imagining himself just bending Vegeta right over his knee the moment he caught him and giving his bare backside a good Super Saiyan thrashing, instead of being nice and diplomatic like he had originally planned. The man would deserve it for all the trouble he was putting his fellow saiyan through, as far as Goku was concerned.

No, I can't think like that! Goku chided himself. If Vegeta's so scared of me that he turns into a mole to escape, punishing him would only justify his fears. I have to be nice to him no matter what. Only then will he be calm enough to see reason. Goku powered down and used a ki ball to light his way back out of the cave. "It's time to regroup and rethink my plans. Bulma's a brilliant tactician. I bet she'll help me think up something good. I'll give her a call. She's probably worried anyway," he said to himself.

Once he had made his way outside, Goku found his loyal nimbus floating there and waiting for him. "It was a bust, Nimbus. I got so close, but then he outmaneuvered me yet again. He's a really smart guy, but I'm not giving up. However, I think my screw-up here will make things harder. Whatever guard Vegeta let down before, it's back up now for sure," he said, flipping out his phone. He dialed Bulma.

A few rings later. "Goku?" came a tired-sounding female voice.

Goku blinked. "Oh! I'm sorry, Bulma. I guess I didn't realize how late it is. I didn't mean to wake you up," he said apologetically, flushing in embarrassment. Not that she could see.

"Oh, no! Don't worry, Goku. I'm not in bed yet. I was just getting tired. I've been working on this stupid thing for hours and have hardly taken a break. It's what I do when I get frustrated."

Goku suppressed a groan. "Well, I'm frustrated too. I just came so painfully close to catching Vegeta, but he outsmarted me again! I feel like such a dope now. I even found his boots! He threw them off in a cave to reduce the echo so I couldn't follow the sound. He even covered himself in mud in an attempt to mask his scent! Arrrgh, I'm at my wit's end. I don't understand why he's being so elusive."

There was a momentary pause before Bulma responded. "Wow… Gosh, Goku. I guess he must be even more afraid than we thought. I mean, I can't think of any other possible reason that he'd go to so much trouble to stay away from you. I wonder if… well, no. There's no point in speculating on that."

"What? Speculating on what?"

Bulma sighed over the phone. "Well, when everyone was wished to Earth from Namek, we all landed in the same place out in the middle of nowhere. At one point, we believed we would be unable to wish you back when King Kai sent me news from Namek about its explosion. Gohan looked really sad and Vegeta started laughing his butt off and mocked him, saying you had 'served your purpose' by 'getting rid of Frieza for him.' Then Gohan said Vegeta was nothing compared to you and you would be back somehow. Gohan basically challenged Vegeta to a fight and said that you would 'take care of him' when you got back. Gohan got in some good hits, but in the end, he was no match for Vegeta. I guess maybe Vegeta took Gohan's threat seriously. This is odd because, a while later, Vegeta's mood flipped and he decided to help us. He told us we could wish you and Krillin back by wishing you both to Earth's check-in station first. If it wasn't for his suggestion, we might not have even tried to wish you back, meaning we never would've found out you were alive in the first place. You would have died on that planet you landed on and Krillin would also be lost to us. So, on the other hand, maybe he isn't afraid of you? I don't see why he would have helped us get you back if he was. I don't know… Maybe he has another motive? He's a jumble of contradictions," she indicated, sounding quite puzzled despite her genius.

Goku scratched his chin, taking in the information. "Hmm, I think… I have a theory."

"What's that?" Bulma asked, sounding eager. "If anyone has insight into a saiyan's mind, it'd be you."

Goku smiled happily. "I think that Vegeta wanted us back for some reason that I can't place and he was hoping you all would come up with the check-in station idea yourselves so he wouldn't have to be 'nice' and help you out. He mocked you thinking that it would motivate you to think a little harder. You see, that's how things work with saiyans. A saiyan performs his or her best when challenged. He was challenging you, not realizing that humans don't necessarily work that way. When you failed to rise to the occasion, he just gave up and gave you the information you needed," Goku explained.

A moment of silence reigned before Bulma said, "Oh! That explains it… Wow! How insightful, Goku! Hehe! Now that you mention it, he got all pissy when his little 'be nice by being mean' tactic didn't work and he had to state the solution plainly. Gohan thanked him and tried to shake his hand and he just smacked it away and called Gohan and all of us 'a bunch of softies', like he was disappointed in us."

Goku giggled. "Exactly. Well, I mean that explains some of his behavior, but it doesn't really get to the heart of why he's trying to avoid me. I wonder if it's a way of challenging me… but what for? What is he trying to get me to do by keeping me stumbling after him? Now, that question stumps me."

"I don't know, Goku. But I think the only way you're going to get the answer to that question is if you keep taking him up on the challenge and searching for him. Maybe, when you finally catch him, you'll have your answer," Bulma proposed. "And please let me know what you find out when you do. This is a real mystery to me. Ever since we all got back to Earth, I've been trying to figure Vegeta out with little success. Maybe, you can help me find the key to solving the saiyan prince mystery puzzle."

Goku reached a hand behind his head, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, alright! Sure. It's a deal."

"So don't give up!"

Goku grinned. "I won't!"

"Later, Goku!"

"Bye, Bulma!"

Click! Goku snapped the phone closed. He had a lot more to think about now.