Chapter 12: Saiyanthropology 101

Vegeta was working on a set of one-armed pushups in 80x gravity when he heard a knock on the door to the Gravitron. He jumped up without a moment's hesitation and powered down the gravity machine before pressing the button to open the external door. "Come in and sit down," he instructed, nodding to a set of mats that he had placed in the middle of the floor a few feet from the weight rack.

Goku and Gohan poked their heads in and then entered. Goku smiled and waved at Vegeta as he followed his son over to the mats. They sat down cross-legged and faced the prince. Once they were inside, Vegeta shut the exit door and turned on the gravity machine to 10x Earth's gravity.

Gohan wobbled a bit in place. "Whoa, so that's what extra gravity feels like? Weird…"

"Why are you turning on the gravity, 'Geets?" Goku asked. "Is it part of the training?"

Vegeta finished fiddling with the controls and turned toward the others. "For you it is, Kakarott. This is the normal gravity level that we had on Planet Vegeta where you and I were born."

Gohan scratched his head. "Is this training going to be hard, Vegeta?"

The prince walked over, shrugged, and leaned against a nearby wall. "It depends on your natural aptitude, but one thing is most certain. It will be considerably harder for Kakarott than for you."

The child raised a brow. "Why's that?"

"The younger you start learning, the easier it is. Much like with new languages, youth have a notable advantage in learning the Control Technique. I myself started learning shortly after birth." He paused. "So, tell me, are either of you familiar with the concept of lucid dreaming?"

Goku blinked cluelessly, but Gohan enthusiastically raised his hand. "Ooh, I know this one. Pick me!"

"If you know, then just say it, kid."

Gohan lowered his hand and bounced up and down excitedly on his mat. "A lucid dream happens when a person who is sleeping becomes aware of the fact that they are asleep and dreaming. He or she can sometimes even exert control over what happens in the dream. The term 'lucid' refers to awareness."

"That's right," Vegeta replied. "Have either of you ever experienced a lucid dream you remember?"

"I have!" Gohan declared. "That's how I found out about lucid dreaming. When I was three, I remember dreaming about a carnival. I started tapping balloons and realized I had the power to change their colors at will. It was then I realized I wasn't awake, that it had to be a dream. The next morning, I told my grandpa about it and he told me that I had had something called a lucid dream. I thought it was so cool!"

Vegeta nodded, turning to Goku. "What about you, Kakarott? Have you had any lucid dreams?"

Goku narrowed his eyes and scratched the back of his head in concentration as he tried to remember. "Uh… maybe? I'm not sure, to be honest. Ooh! I remember having this amazing dream a few times about being on a planet made entirely of food. I don't think I was aware that it was a dream though. I was actually really disappointed when I woke up and realized I wasn't in Ramen Land anymore."

Vegeta stared blankly at Goku for a moment. "Right… Yeah, I've had the food planet dream, too," he slowly admitted, glancing down at his feet for a moment. The prince straightened up and cleared his throat. "Anyway, your first assignment is to start recording what you remember of your dreams as soon as you wake up. You can either do this with a journal of some kind or a voice recording device. You must do this every morning without fail for a few weeks to start with. Bring it to every training session."

A panicked look overtook Goku's face. "But, Vegeta, I don't usually remember my dreams!"

Vegeta shushed Goku. "You have to start somewhere, Kakarott. I'm having you do this the moment you wake up because you're most likely to remember your dreams at that time. As soon as your day begins, your thoughts turn to your plans and you start forgetting. So, the moment you open your eyes, whip out your journal or recording device and talk about what you remember, if anything at all. Maybe, you won't remember anything that happened, but you'll have a certain lingering feeling or sensation. Record that. Have a moment of mindfulness. Do a body scan. Search your thoughts and try to put what you remember into words. Sometimes, you'll remember a singular event or the face of a person. Do your best. If you truly remember nothing at all, state so in your recording, then do a ten-minute meditation to see if anything comes back to you. If it doesn't, leave it at that. But always bring what you have to training."

"Mm," Goku replied thoughtfully. "Okay. Is that all we have to do then?"

"For now, yes."

"Great!" Goku declared, hopping up. "You wanna start your training now?"

Vegeta shot a glare at Goku. "Sit your ass down, Kakarott. Your own training session is not over yet. We have a lot of information to cover, so you had better settle in and quiet down."

Goku plopped back down, puzzled. Gohan snickered, then paused and scratched his head. "Hey, what other training are you talking about?" the boy asked after processing Vegeta's words.

"Nothing that involves you, kid," Vegeta shot back. "Once noon rolls around, you're dismissed for the day. Midday is still hours away, so listen up!" he added, clearing his throat. "I have some history that will help you two understand the relationship between lucid dreaming and the Control Technique."

Goku and Gohan sat up, listening intently.

Vegeta looked pleased. "Saiyan society throughout the recorded ages was always very hierarchical. Social status was based primarily on strength and prestige and secondarily on wealth. The first two were the main factors in gaining and maintaining the third. While low-class saiyans were never left to starve by the ruling bodies, they did lack access to specialized higher-level training opportunities. In fact…"

"Wait!" Gohan blared.

Vegeta drew his brows together in irritation. "What is it? How dare you interrupt me, kid!"

Gohan looked sheepish. "Sorry, Vegeta, but… this all sounds really important and I didn't bring a notebook or pen with me. I think I ought to be taking notes! Is it okay if I run to get that stuff from my backpack in the main building? Please! I'll be quick," the boy pleaded, pressing his palms together.

Vegeta blinked and raised a brow. "You… want to take notes? Why? Can't you just listen?"

Gohan looked down at his crossed legs. "I just don't want to forget anything…"

Vegeta huffed slightly, flipping out his phone. "I have a better idea. My issue is that the information I'm going to share is for saiyan ears only. I'll make a recording of this session. If you need a refresher, you can come and listen to it anytime you'd like. But if you write it down, there's the risk that some nosy human might find and read it. That said, let me make it clear that you both are sworn to secrecy about what goes on in these sessions," the prince decreed, giving them both a warning look.

Goku made a reassuring lip-zipping gesture. "My mouth is sealed, Vegeta. You have my word."

Gohan nodded in agreement. "I won't say anything."

"Good," Vegeta replied, setting his phone on the floor between himself and his two pupils. "I'll repeat what I've already said for the recording. Any questions before we start?" Both father and son shook their heads. "Alright." He peered down at the phone. "Slavebot, start voice recording now."

A red light flashed and a robotic voice said, "Yes, Master. Starting voice recording in 3, 2, 1… beep!"

"Slavebot?" Gohan murmured.

Vegeta ignored the boy's utterance and repeated what he had stated previously, starting at "Saiyan society…" He went on to explain the history lesson's relevance: "You see, I mentioned to Kakarott previously that I believe the biological differences between saiyan elites and the common people were exaggerated. It was said that only elites were able to master something like the Control Technique, but even at a young age, I questioned the truthfulness of that statement. Now, between the three of us, we'll get to test my theory. If either or both of you succeed, you will have proven by suspicions correct. I…" Vegeta elaborated, pausing when he noticed Gohan flapping his hand in the air again. "What?"

Gohan looked down sheepishly and poked his fingers together. "S-Sorry to interrupt again, but I really have to go pee and I don't want to miss any of the information…" he uttered.

Vegeta's right eye twitched when he heard this. Without breaking hard eye contact with Gohan, he said, "Slavebot, stop the recording." Then he flashed a glance toward the ladder to the lower level where the Gravitron's bathroom was located. "Go, kid. Hurry it up. I mean it. You have one minute."

Gohan jumped up and ran off, looking bashful under Vegeta's intense gaze. When he returned, he had a light blush on his cheeks and initially tried to avoid eye contact with the unrelated saiyan. "Okay."

"Good," Vegeta snapped. "Now, I'd like there to be no more interruptions until noon, the only exception being if you have questions relevant to the lesson or need clarification on anything." Goku and Gohan both nodded silently. Vegeta cleared his throat and restarted the recording. "Anyway, as I was saying, due to either nature and/or nurture, there were no saiyan commoners known to be capable of exerting conscious control over their Giant Monkey form. However, unlike the two of you, they all grew up well aware of their saiyan heritage and culture and also very much aware of what they were capable of at the sight of a full moon. Many commoners reported having vague memories of being in their transformed state and they often described the experience of reverting as 'waking up from a dream.' Indeed, the transformation can be a very dream-like and surreal experience, even for me. This is why we're starting from a place of you two recording your dreams. The ultimate goal of the first half of your training is to achieve the lucid dreaming experience. If you can do that, you can then proceed to apply that knowledge and ability to gain lucidity during your Giant Monkey transformation. Understood? Any questions?"

Gohan smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "It all sounds pretty straightforward to me. This seems exciting!" he replied, turning to his father. "Hey, Dad, I think this training sounds really interesting and I'd like to continue it instead of doing the surgery. Can you help me make Mom understand?"

Goku blinked and met eyes with his son. "Of course, let me worry about your mom."

Vegeta raised a brow of confusion. "What's this about surgery?"

Goku and Gohan turned back to Vegeta, mirror images of each other as they rubbed the back of their necks in unison. "Oh," the former explained, "Gohan was just worried about going ape again when his tail eventually grows back and was thinking about getting it permanently removed. But, because of you, it looks like we won't have to resort to that. Thanks again, 'Geets!"

Gohan quivered and wrapped his arms around himself protectively. "Yeah, and I hate hospitals."

"Hm," Vegeta replied. "Indeed, amputation is always a drastic measure."

"Hey, Vegeta?" Goku spoke.

"Yes?"

"I know this doesn't directly relate to what you've been teaching us, but do you think you'll ever get around to telling me those stories you mentioned?" the orange-clad saiyan inquired.

Vegeta scowled. "Fairytales are in no way necessary to your training, Kakarott! The deal we struck excludes such extraneous things. What we do here is for practical purposes, not entertainment."

"What stories?" Gohan chimed, bouncing up and down slightly. "I like stories!"

Vegeta's eye twitched once more, but Goku looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Vegeta! Can't you tell just one after dinner or something? How about the one about the heroine Karotta?" He turned to Gohan with a quick explanation, "Vegeta knows thousands of stories about our ancient ancestors."

"Wow, neat!" Gohan returned.

Vegeta's eyes widened. "No way! The story of Karotta is an epic, Kakarott! It takes weeks to recount the whole thing!" he blared, earning a pout from Goku. Vegeta returned a growl. "Why should I, huh? I told you such stories aren't part of the deal because they aren't part of the control training."

Goku flashed Vegeta a smirk. "If I have to bribe you again, then fine. Name your price."

Vegeta harrumphed. "You've already promised me the only two things I want, so no bribery!"

"Aww, surely there's gotta be something else within reason…" Goku suggested.

"No! Now, drop it. Your control training lesson isn't done for the day, so let's get back to the topic."

Goku's face flushed slightly and he looked down at his feet. "Okay…"

Vegeta cleared his throat with an unnecessary degree of loudness. "Anyway, there will be some such stories relevant and even important to this training, I suppose. We'll get to those every now and again. Both the lore and what I'd translate as the 'saiyanthropology' behind the Giant Monkey form do have some importance when it comes to…" he began again, instantly regaining his pupils' rapt attention.

…

Riiiing… Riiing…

A slender hand reached out from under a pile of untidy bedlinens, grabbing a phone from the nearby nightstand and dragging it back to her warm, dark lair beneath the sheets. "Hullo?" came the croak.

"Hey, Chi Chi! Happy Monday morning, sweetie. It's your dad. I'm just checking in on you, Goku, and Gohan again," the Ox-King spoke cheerfully. "Have you had a chance to break the good news yet?"

Click! Chi Chi groaned as she pressed the end call button, crinkling her face with guilt. She clumsily managed to text the Ox-King something about connection issues along with a trumped-up apology through tired, squinting eyes. The young mother squeezed her dark eyes shut and sighed. She was not a habitual coffee drinker, but on this particular day she was at a loss for how else to face the world, so she proceeded to dial the hotel's room service on speaker phone and order the necessary caffeinated beverage along with two sunny side-up eggs and a piece of toast. Ten minutes, they said.

Chi Chi threw the blankets off her head in the dark room. After checking the time on her phone, she grimaced. "Ten o'clock," she uttered in a weak voice. "Monday morning, ten o'clock…" She sighed, unwilling to wait any longer. She dialed the Briefs family home and pressed the receiver to her ear.

It took only three rings. "Briefs residence! This is Panchy speaking. How can I help you?" greeted the familiar and friendly voice of Chi Chi's fellow housewife. Sizzling could be heard in the background.

Chi Chi coughed a bit to clear her voice, but then found that she was tearing up against her will. She sniffled a bit. "Panchy, this is Chi Chi. I just wanted to offer another heartfelt apology."

"Oh, Chi Chi dear! It's such a relief to hear from you. Think nothing of it. Almost all the damage has been repaired by now anyways. What I'd like to know is if you're feeling any better after that fiasco. I don't think I've ever seen you so upset before, you poor thing!" Mrs. Briefs exclaimed.

Chi Chi's bottom lip started to quiver just before she burst into tears. "It's t-terrible, Panchy. The police told me to wait to hear from my husband's lawyer, but they wouldn't let me see my own son. I'm s-so worried," she sobbed over the phone, using her bare wrist to rub the tears away from her face.

Mrs. Briefs gasped. "Oh, Chi Chi dear, don't worry. Gohan is perfectly fine. I saw him at breakfast. As a matter of fact, he and Goku are training in the Gravity Room as we speak."

Chi Chi's end of the line went stark silent for a moment. "Th-The Gravity Room?"

"Yup! Everything'll be okay, Chi Chi. Bulma mentioned that she made contact with a…"

Click!

Mrs. Briefs blinked. "Chi Chi? You still there? Hello…?" she said into the speaker. Then she heard the disconnection tone. Panchy sighed and put the phone back on the hook. "Darn reception problems…" she uttered to herself as she returned to the relaxing task of food preparation for the midday meal.

…

"Back on Planet Vegeta, there was a vast virtual network not unlike Earth's internet. Instead of just a worldwide phenomenon, however, this one extended to developed planets all over the known galaxy," Vegeta explained. "Earth is not part of this vast network as of yet. We're very much out in the boonies in this solar system. If I had access from here, I would gladly show you both pictures and recordings of all the things I've been talking about to help make the concepts clearer to you. As a child, I remember seeing some jaw-dropping simulations of what ancient saiyans looked like. To access any of that, I'd have to leave the planet and go to the nearest former Frieza colony. I can't do that at present, but perhaps in a few months. For now, all we have to go off of is my mem… Kakarott, what the hell are you doing?"

Goku looked up from his phone. "Bulma just sent me a text, 'Geets. Sorry about the distraction. I am paying attention, I promise," he replied, sending his blue-haired friend a quick reply and putting his phone away again. "Just out of curiosity, what would it take to add Earth to this galactic network you speak of? It sucks that you'd have to make a space trip just for a few teaching materials."

Vegeta chuckled. "Oh, that would be an astronomical task indeed. Each solar system wishing to join the network needs to dedicate a whole celestial body to be developed into a sort of giant satellite that can send signals lightyears away. It would also make your planet far more vulnerable to invasion, as many warlike races have access to this network. You would need an enormous army of fighters near Krillin's level to keep the planet defended from all the threats the galaxy has to offer. Unfortunately, most Earth fighters are too weak, so it's best to keep your planet hidden from the larger galaxy for now."

Goku snapped his fingers. "Well, darn."

"If we were gonna do that, we would have to convince the government of Earth to stop covering up everything they know about alien life. Most Earthlings don't believe in or have any knowledge of aliens at all," Gohan chimed. "In fact, there was a huge coverup after you and Nappa came."

Vegeta scoffed. "Earthlings are primitive. It would take a lot to prepare them to join the rest of the galaxy. Anyway, we've gone off on quite the tangent. I only brought that up because it would make it so much easier to demonstrate the concepts that I'm telling you about. Even though Planet Vegeta is gone, much information about it remains if you dig deep enough into this galactic network."

Gohan raised his hand. "I have a suggestion. I think maybe it would be a good idea to get a whiteboard in here. I'm kind of a visual learner, so I think that would really help me understand better."

Vegeta stared at the boy blankly. "What, pray tell, is a whiteboard?"

"Oh, it's an item found in Earth classrooms with a big white surface that you can write and draw on. I thought it would help you illustrate some of these things you're talking about, Vegeta," Gohan said.

Vegeta raised a brow and then shrugged. "Very well. If you think that would help, feel free to bring one. Anyway, now that we've covered all these important topics, I'm going to turn down the lights and do a mental regression exercise with Kakarott. Gohan, feel free to either take a break or sit and observe," the prince instructed, strolling over to the central control panel. "If you choose to stick around, no talking."

Goku raised a brow questioningly. "A mental regression exercise?"

Vegeta nodded as he turned down the lights, leaving the chamber dim. He pressed a button and the automatic shutters on all the windows closed, blocking out sunlight. When Vegeta turned a dial, the lighting in the room changed from blue to purple to a ruby-reddish hue. "That's right, Kakarott. As I recall from overhearing your conversation with Radditz over a year ago, you mentioned you had once hit your head as an infant. As a result, your programming was scrambled and you forgot your mission. Depending on where and how bad the damage is, this exercise may prove impossible, but it's worth a try. Learning the Control Technique depends heavily on the learner's ability to remember past events. The mind of a saiyan under the age of about eight Earth years has a great deal of plasticity…"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Goku interjected.

Vegeta glanced over his shoulder with a raised brow and locked eyes with Goku. Then he turned around to face him fully. "What is it, Kakarott? Have you a problem with the plan?" he asked.

"Are you trying to make me remember my mission? Is that what this is about?" the orange-clad saiyan protested, his dark eyes full of suspicion. "Like I told Radditz, I'm not going to purge Earth!"

Vegeta snorted slightly in amusement. "No, that's not the goal. And even if it was, that would be impossible. The programming you received as a baby cannot override free will in a mature saiyan. My aim here is actually to help you remember before the programming, when you were still a child in the infant ward on Planet Vegeta. That's why I set the gravity to ten and adjusted the lighting. It's the best I can do to simulate the environment you were in before you were shot off into space. If I can get you to remember back that far, then remembering your previous Giant Monkey transformations should be easy by comparison. Memory is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets."

Goku's face lightened and he raised a brow. "Oh, really?"

Vegeta nodded.

Gohan bounced up and down. "I wanna watch! This regression thing sounds neat."

The prince strolled over to where Goku was seated. "Before we begin, show me the scar on your head, Kakarott," he instructed, standing over the other full-blooded saiyan.

Goku brought a hand to the back right side of his head and felt around. "There's a three-inch ridge under my hair right about in this area," he explained, parting his dark locks so Vegeta could see.

"Do you mind if I touch it?"

Goku glanced up at him. "Go ahead."

Vegeta used two fingers to palpitate the ridge. "Do you have difficulty forming new memories?"

Goku's gaze rose in thought. "I don't think so… Oh, but some people seem to think I do sometimes, like Chi Chi. I think I mentioned it to you once, but I'm not sure that you were paying attention."

Vegeta raised a brow in interest and then turned to Gohan. "Hey, kid, have you noticed anything?"

Gohan brought a finger to his lower lip. "Well, I have noticed that he tends to remember anything related to fighting or food better than most other things," the boy readily admitted.

"Hm," Vegeta returned with a slight head shake, "well that sounds like selective memory and it's not entirely abnormal. We remember things we pay attention to better and we pay attention to things that hold our interest." He withdrew his hand and stepped away from Goku. "Anyway, I'll ask a few other people as per your suggestion, Kakarott. The reason I want to know is to help assess how difficult this training might be for you in the long run. Anyway, let's move on to the exercise. Kakarott, close your eyes. Gohan, try not to make any noise. The fewer distractions for your father, the better. Ready?"

Just as Goku and Gohan nodded and readied themselves, there came a knock at the door. Vegeta growled, glaring at the Gravitron's sealed exit. Goku's eyes snapped back open and Vegeta shot a glance to his pupils. "My apologies for the interruption. It's probably a maintenance person. I should've put up a do not disturb sign. I'll send them away," he said, turning toward the control panel. He pressed a button and barked into the speaker, "Occupied! Come back during the lunch hour or after 6 PM!"

"No worries, 'Geets," Goku remarked.

Vegeta turned back, nodded, and checked the time on the nearby clock. "Alright, let's try this agai…"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Vegeta's eye twitched. He growled and pressed the button again. "I said buzz off!" He backed away from the control panel and glared daggers at the door, as if daring it to make another noise.

Someone started pounding at the door to Vegeta's great surprise and even greater fury. "Please, let me in! I only want to see my son!" came a muffled female voice unknown to the saiyan prince.

Vegeta growled low in his throat and approached the closed door with both fists clenched, not even casting a glance to his pupils. He stomped his foot loud enough to make the whole Gravitron shake and shouted through the door. "By all means, keep causing a disturbance if you have a death wish!"

"Who are you in there? Piccolo?!" retorted the angry woman. "Open this door right now!"

The door fell open to become a ramp, causing the black-haired woman to jump out of the way. The anger momentarily fell away from her face and she gasped at the sight of the saiyan prince. "You…"

Vegeta gritted his teeth and snarled at her. "Listen, woman… whoever you are, unless you want me to punt you into the next century, I suggest you turn around now and skedaddle. I don't take kindly to interruptions during training," he snapped at her, looking her up and down with disdain.

The black-haired woman jumped back in startlement at first, but then drew her brows together. She growled back at him, "Now, you listen here, you iron clod. I'm coming in whether you like it or not!" She tried to charge past Vegeta, but she might as well have been trying to bulldoze a mountain.

The prince effortlessly shoved her back, causing her to fall on her rear on the grass. He briefly chuckled at the sight of her face as it turned beet red with anger. "Heh, I would find this much more amusing, but I am preoccupied at present. I've no time right now to toy with a mouthy girl, but by all means come back in thirty minutes and we can continue this little chat. If attention is what you want, I'd be more than happy to indulge you then to your heart's delight. For now, though? Get lost!" he barked.

The two were staring each other down when a third voice interjected. "What the heck are you doing here?!" Bulma blared from across the lawn. They both turned to face her. The blue-haired heiress was wearing shorts and a fitted t-shirt with a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. She flipped off the shades to glare at the other woman. "How dare you come back after the damage you caused, Chi Chi!"

Vegeta's gaze kept switching between the two females. Chi Chi… he thought to himself. He returned his gaze to the black-haired woman and snorted. "You mean to tell me this is Kakarott's woman?"

Chi Chi looked as if she had been about to snap back at Bulma, only to then round back on Vegeta. "Kakarott? I don't know anybody by that name. I'm just here looking for my son, Gohan!"

"He's talking about Goku. If you'd wait a few more hours, you'll hear from Goku's lawyer before the day is out. But you need to be patient and get the hell off Capsule Corp property!" Bulma warned. "I mean it, I won't let my father get away without pressing charges a second time. You are scaring the Namekians, so leave now!" Just then, the child Dende peeked out from behind Bulma, shaking.

"You can't keep me from my son! This is criminal!" Chi Chi roared at Bulma.

Bulma's face turned a light shade of red. "Don't make me sic the lasers on you!"

Chi Chi scoffed. "You know as well as I do that I can dodge your slowpoke lasers!"

The blue-haired woman looked like she was about to completely lose her cool, but then she composed herself and turned to the saiyan prince, batting her eyelashes. "Vegeta, how'd you like to earn a little spending money? If you escort this lady off the property without hurting her, I'll pay you."

Vegeta groaned, exasperated. "Shouldn't that be Kakarott's job? This is his woman," he returned, whipping his head around to call Goku. "Kakarott!" The inside of the Gravitron appeared deserted. Only the two mats his pupils had been sitting on remained, but there was no sign of Goku or Gohan. The prince raised a brow. Huh… maybe they had to use the restroom downstairs… he thought, scratching his head.

"I am not Goku's woman!" Chi Chi blared. "Not anymore! I'm done with that lowlife excuse for a monkey-tailed space alien! All he does is neglect his family and I'm done with him!"

"Get out!" Bulma barked, her eyes barely containing a lethal threat. Dende retreated behind her in fear.

Vegeta growled, grabbed the remote control, and stepped out of the Gravitron, pressing a button to close up the door behind him. "Fine, woman. Kakarott's busy, so I suppose I'll have to deal with this nonsense myself," he begrudgingly said, slipping the remote control into his waistband. He set his sights on Chi Chi, reaching for her arm with a beefy hand. "Now, come here, you loudmouth harpy!"

"Thanks, Vegeta," Bulma said sweetly.

Chi Chi jumped back out of his grasp. "Don't touch me!" she warned, glaring at him. Then she snarled at Bulma. "Fine, I'll leave! But I'll be back if I don't hear from this so-called lawyer by five o'clock!"

The two women stared each other down for a moment before the black-haired one stomped off, howling in rage. Vegeta watched in silence for a moment. Then he shrugged and went back into the Gravitron, locking the door behind him. "The things I have to deal with, I swear…" he bellyached to himself quietly. He looked around the Gravity Room, seeing no signs of his pupils. Then he felt around for their kis and followed them down to the kitchen in the lower level. The prince tore open the over-sized refrigerator to find the two Earth-dwelling saiyans smushed in there amongst the meats and vegetables.

Vegeta grabbed Goku by the collar of his gi, yanking him out with a scowl etched across his face. The saiyan prince's voice resonated with a mix of frustration and disdain as he berated Goku for hiding from what he deemed a 'weak Earth woman.' "Kakarott, you imbecile! Hiding in a fridge like a coward? Have you lost all semblance of saiyan pride? And you!" Vegeta turned his piercing gaze to Gohan, who was peeking out from behind a shelf of vegetables. "Is this what your father has taught you? To cower from a female? Pathetic!" The air crackled with Vegeta's annoyance as he awaited an explanation.

Goku stood awkwardly in front of Vegeta, his knees trembling slightly. Shame-faced and avoiding direct eye contact with the prince, he stammered out a weak explanation about how terrifying Chi Chi can be when she's upset. He recounted a few moments when he witnessed her wrath, from smashing household objects to yelling loud enough to make grown men soil themselves in public. Gohan passively nodded his agreement in the background, still tucked into his food-filled hiding spot. Goku dared to sneak a peek at Vegeta's facial expression and, from what he could tell, the prince was not impressed.

"Oh, is that right? So, smashing things and yelling is too scary for the big bad Super Saiyan? How about if I smash a few Namekian craniums and scream to the high heavens about what disgusting green slugs they are? Would you cower then? Huh! Would you?!" Vegeta retorted, brandishing a fist.

Goku's eyes widened in shock. He backed up a step and held up his hands defensively. "Well, n-no, of course not. I wouldn't be scared. I'd stand up to you if you did that!" Goku blared back, his posture slowly evolving from defensive to offensive and his demeanor from ashamed to addled.

Vegeta returned a grin and gestured with a hint of annoyance for Gohan to get out of the fridge. "Oh, really? So, what's the difference then? Most of the people I've met all over the galaxy would consider me a hell of a lot scarier than that loudmouth wench. Maybe, she's the one you need to stand up to."

Goku helped Gohan out of the refrigerator with a hand and then rubbed one of his own arms abashedly. "Y-Yeah, Piccolo said that, too…" the orange-clad warrior admitted in a low voice.

Vegeta snapped a glare down at Gohan as the young boy went to put some fallen fruits and veggies back into the fridge and close the door. "Same to you, kid," the prince added. "She may be your mother, but there will be times when you'll need to stand up to her in the future. Keep that in mind." The royal saiyan snapped a glance over his shoulder to check the time. "Well, thanks to your damn woman's interference, Kakarott, I don't think we'll have enough time before lunch to get into the regression exercise. I suppose we should pick back up again tomorrow morning. Gohan, you're dismissed. As for you, Kakarott, you might as well go stand in the corner to think about what a bad role model you've been. I'm kidding, I'll see you after lunch. Idiot…" the prince finished before stomping off with a triumphant air.

Extremely red-faced, Goku went to help Gohan clean up the minor mess that they had made in their fervor to elude Chi Chi's wrath. "Aw, man… how embarrassing…" he uttered to himself.

"Hopefully, he'll forget about it," Gohan replied, equally self-conscious as his father.

Goku nodded his agreement. "Well, like I said before, Gohan, don't worry about the issue with your mom. Bulma's gonna help me figure all that out with a law person, so we get a fair resolution for everyone. I know things seem really uncertain right now, but I'm sure everything will be alright in the long run. Heck, maybe they'll be even better than they were. Who knows?"

Gohan seemed reserved as he took the last fallen fruit from Goku and placed it back on the shelf before shutting the refrigerator door. "Yeah, I hope so. I really just wish Mom would forget about all of this."

Goku chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't waste a dragon ball wish on it. She's one strong-willed lady. Anyway, let's head back to the compound for now. Lunch will be served soon and I'm getting pretty hungry. Maybe, we can watch some TV before it's chow time. What do you think?"

"Yeah!" Gohan replied enthusiastically. "Let's go."

…

At midday, the sun shone brightly on the Capsule Corp deck as Mrs. Briefs, Goku, and Gohan emerged from the family residence, each carrying stacks of delicious homemade pizzas fresh from the oven. "Time for lunch!" Mrs. Briefs announced in her usual bubbly manner, her enthusiasm echoing in the air. Vegeta, seated at the end of the picnic table, acknowledged the greeting with a minute nod. As the food was laid out, Vegeta loaded his plate with a tower of oversized pizza slices, in total measuring about a foot and a half high. A stoic silence enveloped him as Goku and Gohan took their seats, ready to indulge in the feast.

Goku drooled as he piled his own plate about three feet high, glancing over at the prince. "Gee, Vegeta, are you sure that's enough for you?" he asked in mild concern, having to catch his own pizza tower as it attempted to topple over and righting it. "I'd hoped you woulda had a bigger appetite than that." Acting as if nothing had happened, the Z fighter shoved the top five slices down his throat in one gulp. The prince only responded with a snort, entirely disinterested in Goku's opinion of his dietary habits.

Mrs. Briefs chuckled as she finished up prepping the table for her husband and daughter's arrival. "Oh, Goku dear. Don't worry about Vegeta. He's been eating very well," she said reassuringly.

"It's really good, Mrs. Briefs!" Gohan declared enthusiastically.

The embodiment of hospitality, Mrs. Briefs nodded with a smile before she momentarily disappeared inside, returning with a pitcher of iced tea in one hand and a pack of soft drinks in the other.

Dr. Briefs and Bulma, their minds entrenched in the complexities of their latest project, soon appeared avidly discussing the intricate details of a new power-saving invention. The former adjusted his glasses as they walked out the sliding glass doors onto the deck. "Think about it like this, Bulma. The key to this power-saver lies in the quantum flux capacitors. By harnessing the residual energy in the electromagnetic field, we can efficiently recycle and redistribute all the unused electricity."

Bulma nodded in agreement. "Absolutely, Dad. And let's not forget about the graphene-based nanomaterials we're integrating into the converter. They exhibit exceptional conductivity, enhancing the overall efficiency of the energy transfer process. I can't wait to test it out and see how the results of the formula compare to the actual output we get… Ooh, pizza! My fave," she said, noticing the feast.

Mrs. Briefs poured her husband a tall glass of iced tea as the two joined the saiyans at the table. Mrs. Briefs took her spot last. Bulma, ever the multitasker, seized a slice of veggie pizza and a can of diet cola before clearing her throat and turning her attention to Goku. "Just a reminder, Goku, our meeting with your lawyer is right after lunch, so no dawdling. It's time we got this nasty business squared away."

Goku had no time to reply before Vegeta, hearing the news, jumped up with his fists clenched. "What does she mean you have a meeting, Kakarott?! Have you forgotten your Oath? After lunch is my turn for training!" blared the prince in indignation. "Don't think for one second that I'll let you…"

Goku held up his hands defensively and gulped down his latest bite before speaking. "No worries, Vegeta. I promise, there will be plenty of time for training. I'm sure it won't even take that long, but if it does, you can have part of my session tomorrow morning. Okay? There's no need to get upset."

The prince folded his arms petulantly over his chest and averted his gaze. "Hmph."

"Oh, hush, Vegeta," Bulma interjected. "Besides, after Goku's law meeting, I plan on calling you two into the clinic to discuss your test results. Martial arts training isn't the only important thing we have going on right now. I'm sure you can entertain yourself for a bit while Goku is busy," she chided.

Vegeta momentarily glared at her and plopped back down, stuffing his face with more fervor. Naturally, Bulma ignored the prince's spoiled behavior and turned her attention back to her parents, chit-chatting with them until the end of the meal. Vegeta was the first to finish and he promptly stomped off to the Gravitron. As the clock neared 12:40 PM, Bulma checked the time and urged Goku to finish up. Gohan, done with his lunch, scampered off to play with Dende. Goku hurriedly polished off his own plate and jumped up, intent on following Bulma and getting the important business taken care of.

…

Minutes later, Bulma ushered Goku into a pristine business meeting room with a black oval table encircled by ten matching chairs with high backs. The projector attached to the ceiling was turned off. Goku sat down at the table, twiddling his thumbs nervously. Bulma pulled out a chair to his right and took a seat, using the tabletop to set down and open her briefcase. He watched in mild curiosity as she shuffled through some looseleaf papers before finding what she needed and settling down. Hardly a minute had passed before a polite knock rattled the door. "Come in!" Bulma called out.

A black-haired man with a friendly but sober air entered wearing a clean business suit. In one hand, he held a leather briefcase and used his other to gently shut the door behind him. Goku observed that he was maybe an inch or two taller than Vegeta, but far less bulky. He appeared to be in his early thirties and he smiled as he made eye contact with the two of them. "Greetings, Ms. Briefs, Mr. Son. My name is Chin Okoya. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, approaching the table. Bulma tried to rise, but he signaled her to stay put. "Please, don't get up. I don't want to take up any more of your time than necessary, so I think we ought to get right down to business," he indicated, reaching in for a quick handshake from each of them. He set his briefcase down and took his place at the opposite side of the table.

"It's nice to meet you too," Goku replied with a genuine but slightly awkward grin.

"Thank you, Goku. I've heard a bit about your situation from Ms. Briefs here. Let's discuss how I can assist you." He brushed his pants off and opened his briefcase, his dark eyes rapidly perusing a few files. "So, I understand that you were pretty young when you married. I was as well, perhaps a bit too young. I know it all seems daunting now, but I promise you you'll be better off when we get you to the other side of this fiasco. According to Ms. Briefs, you only found out that your wife had left you a few days ago when you came home to an empty house and found a letter written by her, correct?"

Goku nodded sadly. Seeing this, Bulma placed a supportive hand on his forearm.

"I'm sorry to hear about this. It sounds like you were blindsided. Did you bring a copy of the letter?"

"Not a copy, but I have the original," Goku said, pulling it out of his pocket and handing it over.

Chin Okoya blinked in surprise and accepted the crinkled item, unfolding it carefully. In silence, he scanned the letter, the expression on his face changing subtly. He stopped and looked up, meeting eyes with Goku. "I might have to pause as I read just to clarify a few things, since I know next to nothing about your relationship with your wife. What is this mention of a brother? And what does she mean when she says that you were dead? Is that some kind of metaphor or inside joke?"

Goku blinked. "My brother Radditz? He was a real bad guy who showed up over a year ago and kidnapped my son Gohan. It's what caused our family to be separated. Gohan was only four and a half years old at the time," he explained, looking down and twiddling his thumbs sadly.

Bulma cleared her throat. "Perhaps, I should try to explain the dead comment. You see, Goku here was actually physically dead for a whole year, but a miracle of mag… I mean, science, was able to revive him. It's some complicated science-y mumbo jumbo that I doubt the judge would be interested in, but you can take my word for it as one of the world's leading scientists. I'd gladly testify in court to what I saw."

Chin Okoya's eyes widened a bit. "Wow… I swear, I learn new things every day. Well, I'd ask you to explain, but I doubt I'd understand the explanation regardless. I was great on the debate team in school, but I certainly wouldn't consider myself to be a science whiz in any capacity. Anyway, moving on," he replied, turning his attention back to the letter. He read onward for a moment and then paused. "Hm, I'm barely three sentences in and I feel like this is already getting complicated from a legal standpoint. Did your wife know that you were… uh, dead, during this year-long period she mentions?" Goku nodded and Chin Okoya's face turned thoughtful. "Hum, well if you were in fact dead, by law that would mean that your marriage was dissolved then and there. They don't say 'until death do we part' for nothing. Marriage is considered legally over when either one or both parties are declared dead. However, Mr. Son, to your knowledge, were you ever actually legally declared dead during this period? A death has to be recorded by a coroner to be declared official. If you were not officially dead, then Mrs. Son's relationship with this man that she mentions here could be considered an extramarital affair by law. If the court determines that she was having an affair, that could be legally advantageous to you, which, honestly, you would probably need given the nature of the marriage laws in Sector 21 where you were wed. You see, the Ox-Kingdom in particular is known to be relatively conservative and courts tend to favor the wife in matters of divorce, even though divorce itself is widely frowned upon by local culture. Now, Ms. Briefs has informed me that there are no big marital assets other than the house and it seems that Mrs. Son willingly left it to you and has no plans to request it in the divorce settlement. I plan to verify that with her attorney this evening, but from what I understand thus far, it seems that settling the marital assets will not be a particularly complicated matter in this case." He paused for effect. "However, not so in the matter of your son, Gohan. Let me just ask you straight out, Mr. Son, do you plan to file for joint or sole custody?"

"Uh…" Goku began.

Bulma spoke up. "Mr. Okoya, I know we only got a brief chance to talk on the phone earlier, but I may have made an oversight when I failed to mention more about Goku's background. He never attended a formal education, so he may need you to explain what you mean by terms like 'joint or sole custody.'"

Chin met her eyes and nodded. "Understood, Ms. Briefs," he replied before turning back to Goku. "Mr. Son, what I meant to ask is if you want Gohan to primarily live with you or with your wife, or alternatively, do you want him to spend half his time with you and half with Mrs. Son?"

Goku still looked confused. "Well, uh… I'm not… I don't… I-I… I mean, what I meant to say is… I'm not sure what's best for Gohan. All I know right now is that he doesn't want to live with that man that Chi Chi wants to marry, that Mr. Cardinal. I mean, Gohan hardly knows the guy and I, for one, have never met him at all. I don't wanna judge him or anything since I've never even set eyes on him, but it seems kind of weird that he was interested in romancing a married lady. I mean, like… you're not even supposed to do that, are you?" He paused and scratched his head. "But then again, maybe she didn't tell him she was married? It's hard to say. Aw, man, this is all so confusing…" uttered the baffled warrior.

"Don't worry, Mr. Son. We'll set the custody issue aside for now since you're unsure of the right path to take. Let me just finish reading this letter so I can get the whole picture," Chin replied, glancing down to skim the rest of what Chi Chi had written. There was a slight uptick in one of his brows as he read through the second paragraph. "Ah, here is something I can easily work with. Ms. Briefs, I recall you mentioning this over the phone. Mrs. Son wants to use Mr. Son's visitation rights as a bargaining chip in controlling the boy's extracurricular activities. Well, I imagine she'll be disappointed when she finds out that Mr. Son was able to get some legal representation after all. This letter and the attitude with which it was written seem fairly manipulative and I doubt any judge in Sector 21 will like that."

Goku sunk a bit in his chair. "She always seems to mean well. You don't… you don't think she'd really try to keep me from seeing my son, do you? I mean, that would destroy us both!"

"Mr. Son, for all I know, she may try. But is she likely to succeed? I'd say not," Chin replied confidently. He glanced down at Chi Chi's letter. "Ms. Briefs, could I get a copy of this letter? I think it will be very useful to the case, as Mrs. Son signed it herself. The more documentation, the better. I'll tell you what I have in mind. It's possible we may be able to come to a settlement, depending on Mrs. Son's willingness to compromise. Now, Ms. Briefs has handed me the divorce papers that your wife sent you, so my plan for this evening is to draft a letter informing her that you are not comfortable with the stipulation or with your son's planned cohabitation with an unfamiliar man. However, I will keep the tone amicable and make it clear that your only wish is to find a resolution agreeable to all parties. We'll wait to hear back from Mrs. Son's lawyer and go from there. Sound good? I think that's a simple enough first step."

Goku's face brightened. "Okay! Yeah, that sounds good. Gee, thanks so much for your help with all this."

Meanwhile, Bulma wordlessly called in a robotic secretary. Taking the letter from Chin, she scanned it and made a copy, which she handed back to him. "Is that all you need for now, Mr. Okoya?"

The attorney checked it over and nodded. "I think that's all. I'll contact you two for the next steps in the process as soon as I hear back. For all we know, we might end up with an easy settlement and never even have to go in front of a judge. Wouldn't that be something?" Chin optimistically suggested.

"Yeah!" Goku said, enthusiastically receiving a parting handshake from Chin. "Thanks a bunch!"

"It was my pleasure," the man replied, reaching over to shake Bulma's hand as well. "Ms. Briefs, we'll be in touch," he concluded, gathering his papers back into his briefcase and clicking it shut.

Bulma nodded with a smile as the attorney made to leave, then tapped her saiyan friend on the shoulder. "Goku, it's time to fetch Vegeta and bring him to the clinic with you. I need to talk to both of you about the results of the tests I performed on him the other day. I'll meet you both there, alright?"

"Sure thing!" Goku replied, putting Chi Chi's letter back in his pocket before jumping up. Bulma was caught off guard when he enveloped her in a hug. "Thanks again, Bulma! You're a lifesaver."

Bulma almost gasped, but then smiled and returned the affection. "Of course, Goku. You're a great friend. I'd never leave you hanging," she pledged, patting his arm as they pulled apart.

Goku was jumping up and down. "Okay, I'll get 'Geets now! Seeya!" Then he dashed out the door.