Intelligence thy name is Goku

Disclaimer-I do not own Dragonball Z or any its characters *sigh*



Chapter 1 Baka?





“Hey dad!” Goten shouted as he came running into the house excitedly. “Dad!? Where are you?!”

“In the kitchen!” Goku shouted back.

“Guess…What..!” Goten panted in between breaths when he got to the kitchen and found Goku.

“What?” Goku asked amused. “Did you finally learn how to breathe again?”

“No!” Goku snapped glaring at his father.

“Nothing like that dad. Me and Trunks have decided to compete in the upcoming fighting tournament!”

“That’s great son!” Goku exclaimed. Then his eyes narrowed. His son knew that he wouldn’t mind if he competed in a tournament. Something was up.

“What’s the catch Goten?” he asked suspiciously.

“What?” Goten’s eyes went wide with feigned innocence. Though deep down he was surprised. His dad had really seemed to get smarter after his mom had left. There was really no point in trying to trick Goku anymore.

“Don’t ‘what’ me Goten. I know how you work.” Goku went on. “Now tell me what’s really going on or you’re not going to compete.”

“Okay.” Goten admitted. “The thing is that me and Trunks wanted to compete as Gotenks.”

“Absolutely not.” Goku said. But you could tell it wasn’t a very strong no.

“But why not?!” Goten asked angrily. “It isn’t as if we’re cheating or anything.”

“I know.” Goku allowed him that. “It isn’t that I think of it as cheating. You just haven’t given me a good reason why.”

Goten rolled his eyes. This was getting really annoying. Yeah it was cool that his dad was really smart and everything now, but he demanded a reason and explanation for everything.

“Hello dad,” he said in an anyone-would-know-the-answer-to-that voice “With me and Trunks combined we’ll be stronger and have a better chance at winning.”

“Very well.” Goku agreed “You can compete as Gotenks.”

“Thanks dad!” Goku could hardly contain the excitement from his voice. Before he ran to the phone to call Trunks to let him know they were on he gave Goku a funny look.

“You know dad.” He said with a strange look of bewilderment on his face. “It’s like after mom left you became a different person. You’re smarter and a lot more cool than you used to be.”

Then he hugged his dad and went to call Trunks.

Leaving Goku staring after him with a grin on his face. Happy that he was finally able to be his real self and still be a good father. Life was good.

Then he thought about what he had just consented to. He would of course be there at the tournament for moral support. But more than likely so would Vegeta.

He hadn’t seen Vegeta since Christmas. Four months before Chichi left him. He remembered what Chichi said

“I can’t wait to see the look on Vegeta’s face.” She had chuckled. “When he realizes you’re not the stupid baka he’s believed you to be all this time.”

It would be awkward seeing him. Goku assumed that Bulma had left Vegeta to be with Chichi. So that meant that Bulma had probably left Vegeta around the same time as Chichi had left Goku.

He wondered how Vegeta would react when he saw him. And how he would react when he saw the real Goku for the first time.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“Dad, I’m going to compete as Gotenks for the upcoming tournament, okay?” Trunks half asked half just told Vegeta as he walked into his house that evening. He knew his dad didn’t give a shit either way.

“Whatever brat.” Vegeta grunted his acknowledgement to his son not even looking up from his computer where he was figuring out how to use the Internet. Who would have thought Vegeta, the mighty prince of the saiyans would have trouble sending e-mail? Giving up for the moment he looked up at his son and asked

“When is this tournament?”

“This Saturday.” Trunk replied surprised that his dad had actually asked about it.

“Well, I guess I could spare a few hours to come and watch you seeing as how my schedule is clear on Saturday.”

“Really?” Trunks asked, his tone doubtful. This wasn’t the first time Vegeta had said he would come to an event that Trunk would be in. All the times he had said he would be there he hadn’t. Trunks had gotten used to being let down by his dad.

“I said I would didn’t I?” Vegeta scowled, knowing his son was questioning his word.

“Yes sir.” Trunks replied.

The phone rang and Trunks went to pick it up.

As Trunks waskingking Vegeta started thinking about Saturday. So, The baka’s brat and his were competing huh? That meant that the baka would definitely be there. He was always there for his offspring.

Vegeta sighed. This wasn’t going to be pretty. He hadn’t seen the baka since Christmas. And that was before Chichi left. Oh, he knew all about Chichi leaving the baka. Running off because she was in love with Bulma. Not that he cared that Bulma had left him. He’d never loved the bitch. Sure she was a good lay, but after they had sex he always felt as if something was missing. The only good thing that had come of his marriage to her had been his son Trunks.

He was a lousy father he knew. He was never there when his son needed his the most. He was currently trying to change that.

Saturday was one day away. Which meant that he needed to prepare himself to see the baka. He was sure it would be awkward. I mean what were they going to talk about. Gee how do you feel, my wife ran off with yours. And besides the baka wouldn’t know how to have an intelligent conversation if it jumped up and bit him in the ass.

One thing was for sure. The conversation on Saturday would be a lot of things. But intellectual was not one of them.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Saturday



“I’ll see you after the tournament Dad!” Goten shouted as he ran through the gate where only entrants were permitted to enter.

“Good luck son!” Goku shouted before his son disappeared behind the gate.

Waiting for the competition to begin Goku made his way to the stands where he could watch the tournament’s progression.

Looking around the stands he found the perfect spot to sit.

And it was right next to Vegeta.

Goku shrugged and made his way over to Vegeta. He couldn’t avoid the guy forever.

As he approached Vegeta the permanent scowl that seemed etched on Vegeta’s face seemed to deepen even further.

As he sat next to Vegeta he needed to say something.

“Vegeta.” He said acknowledging the prince’s presence.

“Baka.” Vegeta replied in turn.

Inwardly Goku sighed. Vegeta never called his by his name he always called him ‘baka’. It really got on his nerves.

“So how have you been Vegeta?” Goku asked trying to make polite conversation.

Vegeta just arched an eyebrow surprised that the baka could manage an actual intelligible utterance.

“How have I been since what Baka?” Vegeta asked deliberately trying to confuse the Baka.

Ignoring the attempt to trick him, which Goku was fully aware, of he answered

“Since Bulma left you.”

“My, my,” Vegeta said sarcastically, “you really are getting to the heart of things today aren’t you baka?”

By now getting really irritated with Vegeta’s deliberately treating him like an imbecile Goku decided to bait Vegeta.

“What’s the matter?” Goku taunted Vegeta “Can’t answer the question?”

“I-I…” Vegeta stuttered.

Vegeta was pretty speechless. The Baka had just thrown his own trap back in his own face. This couldn’t be the same Baka he’d known for years could it?

Deciding he was imagining things Vegeta answered him

“I’ve been fine. Don’t miss the bitch one little bit. How about you Baka? Miss the screeching harpy any at all?”

“Not really.” Goku replied honestly. “I’ve been able to do a lot more things since she left.”

“What like tie your own shoes?” Vegeta blurted out.

As soon as he heard what he’d said Vegeta immediately regretted his words. A saiyans’ pride shouldn’t be thrown in his face like that. Even if he was a third class fool who wouldn’t know intelligent if it hit him in the face.

And he could tell what he had said had made the Baka really angry.

Goku was angry. Maybe those words weren’t appropriate. Furious, raging, fucking infuriated. Yeah, that was more like it. He decided at that moment to dismiss any more ideas that Vegeta might have that he was anything but intelligent.

“You must be irrevocably insecure Vegeta. Bulma’s leaving you must have left you with quite the proverbial stinging of the ego.” Vegeta’s jaw dropped when these words came out of the Baka’s mouth.

“However,” Goku went on in a heated voice oblivious to Vegeta’s growing amazement, “I refuse to be the instrument of your rage and grief. I strongly suggest you see a therapist if your insecurities continue to fluctuate like this. You could insult a person a great deal more important than me someday. Someone who won’t be as helpful as I in pointing out the faults that you seem to either deny or oblivious to.”

The tournament was beginning so Goku turned his attention from Vegeta toward the tournament arena. Totally ignoring the fact that Vegeta was still staring at him in open mouth fascination.

Ignoring the festivities around him Vegeta couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the Baka. No, he thought, not the Baka, Kakkarot. He would no longer call Kakkarot The Baka, because, obviously he wasn’t one. But neither would he call him – he cringed inwardly – Goku. That was his low class earth name. From now on he would call him by his given saiyan name.

How had Kakkarot hidden his intelligence from everyone all these years? Especially from him? He usually prided himself by knowing everything about the people he associated with.

The part that bugged him the most about this conundrum was the fact that he didn’t know why he cared.

Vegeta tried to turn his attention back to the tournament and to his son – and Kakkarot’s -- who he knew was effortlessly defeating his opponents.

Unfortunately his thoughts kept straying back to Kakkarot and his newfound intelligence.

With a snarl he got up and started to leave.

Only to be stopped by Kakkarot’s hand on his shoulder.

“Where are you going Vegeta?” Kakkarot demanded coldly