Dragon Ball Z: The Beast Within.

[CORNBRINGER]

I loved hiking. It was liberating.



Up here, the air was just better, cool enough to keep the sweat on my brow from sticking, fresh enough to make me feel alive. My boots crunched over the rocky trail, dodging roots and loose stones. I always liked these hikes: nothing but the open sky, leaves rustling, and the steady rhythm of my dog's paws beside me.



Max—or Sir Max the Third, as I liked to call him—trotted along, his golden fur catching the sunlight as we wound up the mountain path. His tongue hung out in that blissful way dogs do, convinced they're on some magical quest. He'd dart ahead, nose twitching at every corner, then glance back at me as if to say, "What's taking so long you two legged dog?"



"All right, all right," I muttered, grinning as I pushed a branch aside. "I'm coming."



We'd been out here for hours. Normally, this solitude cleared my head, but today... Everything felt wrong. There was a heaviness in the air I couldn't shake, a fog that clung no matter how high we climbed. Maybe that's why I pushed us further than usual, up into the rugged trails where even seasoned hikers were rare.



The sun dipped low, splashing the sky with orange and red. We were close to the summit now—a few more turns, and we'd have the view. Instagram-worthy, as Aunt Mary would say.



I wonder what Aunt Mary's up to... Probably posting her lunch on Instagram.



Max barked, yanking my attention back. Tail wagging as he waited for me to catch up. He really liked these little adventures we had every now and then.



"Almost there, buddy."



Then as pretty much anything in life… It happened. As we rounded a narrow bend, something shifted under my boot—a sudden, sharp lurch. Gravel scattered, my foot slid, and before I could react, the ground vanished beneath me.



My hands shot out, grabbing at nothing. The world tilted, and in a heartbeat, I was falling. Above, Max barked—a frantic sound that faded as the distance between us grew. His golden blur shrank as I tumbled through open air.



'This isn't real. This can't be happening.'



But it was.



The mountainside blurred—a chaotic mess of sky and rock. My body spun, weightless. Memories hit in a rush, snapshots of late-night gaming, walking Max, the warmth of sunlight on my face. Too fast to make sense of. Too fleeting to hold onto.



'I'm going to die.'



There was no time to scream, no time to fight it. Just the quiet, awful realization: this was it.



And then, with a final, violent jolt—nothing.

---

I don't know how long I was out... but by the time I came around... a single thought echoed in my mind.



I... was alive?



Everything felt heavy, like my mind was trapped in wet cement. My body floated, weightless yet burdened by some kind of resistance, as if submerged in thick liquid. The only sound was a muffled drumbeat, a dull, rhythmic pulse that was almost soothing.



I felt alive, but... different. Wrong, somehow. Not in a painful way, just... off.



I forced my eyes open, struggling to do so. Light seared my vision, a pale green glow blurring into focus. Slowly, the shapes around me sharpened, taking form and it was here when I realized. I wasn't anywhere familiar. I was… floating in thick, clear fluid, drifting like a fish in a tank.



'What the hell...?'



I looked at my hands—small, pudgy fingers, clumsy and unfamiliar. Panic welled up as I flexed them, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Beyond my hands, rows of pods lined the walls, each one holding... babies? Yes… babies. Newborns, their eyes closed, most of them floating peacefully, while some squirmed around.



'What is this?'



I didn't know what to think of this, the entire thing felt… surreal, like a Sci-Fi setting or something similar.



Unsure about what to do, I pressed a hand against the glass encasing me, feeling the liquid resist, it felt like jelly but softer. Beyond the glass, figures moved among the pods, people in dark clothes, wearing something that I assumed was some kind of armor. As they moved around the pods, I managed to catch a glimpse of their faces, seeing a weird device over their face, a familiar device.



'I'd seen that thing before…on a Dragon Ball. It was a scouter… What in the Sci-Fi hell is going on?'



My heart pounded as I looked at my tiny reflection, barely visible in the green glow, a baby's face stared back, wide-eyed and terrified. 'Is… that me?'



I… died in that fall, didn't I?



The realization hit just as two figures stopped near my pod, speaking in a language I couldn't understand at all. They looked human enough, but not quite— there was something savage about them, they were muscular, with dark wild hair, armor and... tails wrapped around their waists.



Pods. Scouters. Saiyans.



My eyes darted to the other babies, for the first time seeing something, the fact that all of them had tails too, short and downy. I tried to move, but my neck was too weak. Then, I felt it—a tickling sensation at the base of my spine. A fuzzy appendage drifted into view.



A tail. Mine.

---

[Cado - Saiyan Scientist - POV]

I walked along the rows of pods, scanning each one. The data looked good—every infant was progressing as expected. Their power levels fluctuated, absorbing the data, adapting to the pod's simulated environment. My fingers tapped along the console, checking the readings reflected on my scouter. Behind me, Rado was busy logging power levels.



Then, one pod caught my attention. The readings were... off the charts. The scouter numbers jumped wildly, spiking to heights I'd never seen in a newborn.



"Rado," I called, keeping my voice steady despite my surprise.



"Yes, sir?" Rado joined me, adjusting his scouter as his eyes widened. "No way... This has to be a mistake. He's just a newborn."



"Check it again," I ordered, folding my arms.



Rado fiddled with his scouter, recalibrating. A tense silence settled over us, broken only by the hum of machinery.



"Well?" I pressed.



"Power level... 1,275," he said, voice trembling.



I couldn't blame my assistant for his shock, the fact a newborn was stronger than him was a hard pill to swallow. Even among our warrior race, such a figure was unprecedented in newborns. That number was usually the peak of what most low class warriors could ever hope to achieve, and yet, a newborn was already outclassing them.



"Who are his parents?" I asked, unable to mask my curiosity.



Rado skimmed the data. "His father is... Paragus."



"Paragus?" I echoed, surprised. He wasn't anyone special—just a cunning warrior known more for strategy than strength. "And the mother?"



"Tomat, a low-class warrior," Rado replied, paling.



"Impossible," I muttered. "A mid class warrior and a low class warrior shouldn't produce this kind of power on their off-spring."



The baby in the pod twitched, tiny fists curling with a strange sense of awareness, as if he sensed us watching.



"Could it be... the legend?" Rado whispered.



"I doubt it," I almost snorted at the thought. This power level, while high, was nowhere near mythical proportions. "That being said, he will be a strong warrior. Based on projections alone, he could reach around 10000 to 13000 units of power as an adult."



"That's… close to the elite class," Rado said, awe creeping into his voice.



"It is, but still keep in mind that these estimates are mostly wishful thinking, there's a lot of variables we can't account for," I replied, my eyes never leaving the infant Saiyan. "Many of our warriors die young on dangerous missions. Others have their growth stunted due to injuries or lack of training."



"Still, this is... a new record," Rado stuttered, his gaze still fixed on the scouter's fluctuating figures. "Before today… The highest recorded power level at birth was 712."



"712…" I frowned, wracking my memory. "That was Onio, the son of Sallot, wasn't it?"



Rado nodded.



"He's a child prodigy, that one..." I mused aloud. "Contact his father."

---

[Paragus - POV.]

The message from the nursing hall had come as a surprise. They rarely contacted parents directly, especially if the child had one low-class warrior parent in the mix. But the words were clear: -Paragus, report to the nursing room, immediately.-



I made my way quickly, my mind running through the usual concerns. An injury, an illness, a genetic mutation perhaps… These things happen every now and then, and to infants especially, they could be dangerous. But when I entered, none of the staff looked like they had news of an emergency.



Instead, the head of the nursery staff, Cado, gestured me further inside with a nod. No pleasantries, he just led me down one of the main rows and stopped in front of a particular pod.



My son's pod.



"Here we are," Cado said simply. He kept his tone neutral, but I noticed a spark in his eye. Perhaps my son had been lucky to inherit my strength, being born as a Mid Class Warrior instead of a Low Class Warrior like his mother.



As I looked at Escarot, I couldn't help but feel a jolt of pride. He was small, Saiyan cubs always were, but there was a solidness to him. His tiny fists were clenched, and his face was set in a scowl. Even asleep, he looked fierce. A warrior just like his old man.



Eager to see how strong my cub was, I tapped the scouter to measure his power level. And almost immediately, the numbers on the screen hummed to life, whirring softly as it read the energy radiating from my cub. Then, with a soft beep, a number flashed across the lens: 1279.



My heart stopped.



That couldn't be right. I checked it again, but the scouter gave the same reading. 1279.



This was… unheard of. A power level this high in a newborn? I had expected strength from my bloodline, I mean, sure my mate, Tomat, was a low class warrior, but still she was no weakling. But this? His power far exceeded my wildest dreams for him.



A laugh rose in my throat, low and disbelieving. My cub was a warrior, born strong. Stronger than most. In one day, my son had surpassed even some veterans. It was a clear sign that he was meant for greatness.



"He's… strong," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.



Cado nodded, his expression unreadable. "He's stronger than every other newborn that has come before him by a large margin at that, Paragus. You're looking at the highest recorded birth power since Onio, the son of Sallot. Needless to say, we've moved him to the high-class wing."



"The high-class wing," I repeated, glancing around. The newborns here were one in a million, destined for royal service, specialized missions, and positions of command. Never in my wildest dreams did I think my son would be among them.



"This level of power isn't typical," Cado continued. "Especially considering his parentage." His words were measured, careful. The underlying message was clear: a low- and mid-class pairing didn't typically produce anything close to this level of potential.



"I… I am aware," I admitted, unable to move my eyes away from my cub, Escarot. He twitched in his pod, his fist clenching tighter.



"His body's already adapting to the atmosphere in the pod, and learning his programming at an amazing rate," Cado replied. "Most infants spend weeks if not months getting used to it all, but your cub is learning quite fast."



"I expected no less for my child," I replied, a smile on my face.



Cado watched me for a moment, the hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. "You should be proud. But understand, Paragus, that with this strength, he'll be expected to do more than most. His training will start early, and it will be intense. That kind of talent… it has to be honed."



"I understand." My hand rested on the cool glass of Escarot's pod, tracing the outline of his tiny, sleeping form. This was a son worth fighting for, worth risking everything for. "Whatever it takes to make him stronger, I'll do it."



Cado's smile faded, replaced with the hard expression of a man who had seen generations of Saiyan infants rise and fall. "Just remember, Paragus—expectations are a double-edged sword. The king himself will likely take an interest in Escarot's progress. He has no tolerance for weakness, especially considering your cub will be expected to serve the royal family directly."



I nodded, keeping my face neutral. There was nothing to worry about, I knew our King would see the potential of my cub.

---

If you like my work and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out here: Cornbringer
I have until chapter 12 posted there for everyone to read, completely free.

Discord invite: Join the CORN CORPS Discord Server!

Enjoy you sexy bastards.

 

[TimelordLucario]

Damn, you're gonna be Brolys older brother huh? Nice. Excited for more.

 

[Nalu4life]

Damn, you're gonna be Brolys older brother huh? Nice. Excited for more.

Click to shrink...

Or he is going to be Paraguses new kid. King Vegeta's Paranoia isn't an idle thing

 

[Hyperionthetitan]

Aww,so he aint legendary . Oh well baby brother broly sound like a fun dynamic

 

[CORNBRINGER]

[Escarot - POV]

Light spilled into the pod as it cracked open, a thin mist rolling out into the air. For a brief second, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't even think straight, it almost felt as if every part of me had frozen up, not knowing what to do, until eventually I took a sharp painful gasp, blinking hard as my eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room.



My body, stiff from being curled up, straightened out, muscles waking up on their own as the thick, gelatinous fluid inside the pod drained away, sliding down my skin, leaving me oddly cold and exposed.



Then I saw him. A tall man with wild black hair, a fierce scowl, and a dark battle-worn uniform. My father, my… new father, it was confusing. Despite this being the first time I had ever seen the man in my life, I just knew that I knew who he was before he even spoke, he was Paragus, a mid class warrior, and my father. Somehow, just seeing him felt right, like my instincts lined up and filled in the gaps.



The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up, almost proud, though his face stayed sharp and mostly unreadable. "Escarot," he said, his voice low, but there was something in it that demanded attention. The name felt strange but somehow… familiar, it was like hearing someone call me and knowing it was me, even though it was new.



I was pulled out of the pod by two hands gripping under my arms. I tried to stand, but my legs wobbled. My balance was off, everything felt off. The air was different outside the pod, it was… heavier, pressing down on me. It didn't feel bad, but it definitely felt different. Less comfortable, perhaps?



"Hold yourself up," Paragus all but barked. He let go, and I nearly pitched forward before catching myself. My knees locked, muscles steadying. And once more, instinct kicked in; I adjusted without really thinking. This body was smaller, but solid, which I suppose was to be expected seeing I was now an alien, one built for fighting at that.



It was a strange feeling stronger than I have ever been… despite being a literal toddler.



Paragus studied me, his expression a mixture of impatience and scrutiny. "Can you understand me?" he asked.



"Yes." The answer came out clear, a reflex more than a thought. And it hit me… how was I even speaking their language? I have no idea how long I was in that pod…. But it probably had something to do with the fact most of what was happening felt… natural.



"Good." He took a step back, arms crossed. "Let's see if you know anything else." His gaze sharpened. "Follow me."



He turned, not waiting to see if I would, and my feet moved on their own. I kept pace behind him, feeling my body adapt as we walked. Each step felt easier, more controlled.



We moved through a corridor, walls lined with rows of pods like the one I'd just come from, each holding a baby with their eyes closed, floating in the green liquid. I shivered briefly, remembering I'd been one of them, though my circumstances had been a bit different to theirs. I had died… and somehow, I was… here now.



I still didn't know what to make of the situation.



Nothing felt like it should. I wasn't panicking… or even worried for that matter, at least not as much as I felt I should be worrying, I was… way too calm for the circumstances. A part of me felt I should feel more, after all, I died, and was now part of an alien race of an old anime I watched as a kid, and yet, I wasn't worrying or even questioning my situation too much.



Perhaps it was for the best.



Finally after a minute or two of walking, we stepped into a larger room, bright and open, with harsh lights hanging overhead. Paragus stopped and faced me, crossing his arms. "Show me what you can do."



I hesitated, unsure what he meant, but before I could ask, I felt a rush in my hands, an energy sparking up, warm and intense. I didn't know why or how I was doing it, but I lifted a hand, watching as a small sphere of light formed in my palm, before shooting at him.



"Good," Paragus said, nodding slightly as he swatted the blast with the back of his hand. "You know the basics."



It wasn't a compliment; more like a confirmation, as if he'd expected this. Without warning, he flung a hand toward me, sending a small ki blast my way. My instincts took over, and I sidestepped, the blast hitting the wall behind me. My feet moved fast, weight shifting easily as I found my balance.



Somehow, my body reacted faster than I could think.



"Not bad," he muttered, watching me closely. "Basic reflexes are there." He fired another blast, larger this time, and I leaped back, a defensive stance forming without me even thinking about it. The movement was smooth, automatic, like I'd done it a thousand times.



This was all second nature, like I'd been doing it forever. But I hadn't, yet somehow my body knew each move, every shift in balance and every flick of energy, as if I had trained for years. That didn't make any sense, unless… Could it be they had programmed me? Some sort of prenatal programming to teach me the basics?



I might not have seen Dragon Ball since I was a kid… but I still remember some bits about the anime, like Raditz reprimanding Goku for forgetting his mission of conquering Earth, and considering Goku arrived to earth as a baby, there had to be some kind of programming imprinting the infants with the information they required.



"Good," Paragus said, a satisfied smile on his face as he reached into his armor pocket and pulled out a small device, putting it over one eye. A Scouter. The tool used to measure power levels. He stared at me for a brief moment, the scouter beeping quietly.



"What's my power level?" I asked, and honestly… despite how bizarre everything so far had been, I couldn't help it, I always wanted one of those scouters as a kid. So yeah, I wanted to know how high my power level was.



I didn't know what to expect, the anime never went too deep into these things, and if it did, I didn't remember, what I did remember was that Goku was considered to be super weak by Saiyan standards, having a power level of one or something similar at birth.



Perhaps my power level was around one hundred?



"Your power level increased," He observed, his voice sounding almost... proud? The numbers on the scouter must have been satisfactory, maybe it was a bit higher than one hundred, not bad. "It's at 2298. A substantial increase from your birth."



Did… did he say my power level was 2298? I… was already stronger than Raditz? But… how?



Paragus smiled, crossing his arms. "I expected no less from my child. We'll start real training tomorrow."



"Real training?" The words came out before I could stop them. Not only that, but my tone… I was excited about what he had said… Why the hell was I excited about that? I mean, I guess the idea of becoming stronger sounded very appealing, so training sounds fun— holy fuck, just how much these bastards programmed into me?



He looked at me, the hint of a smirk forming. "That's right, son. I will make a powerful Saiyan warrior out of you."



That's right… that's what I am now. A Saiyan. No longer a human, but a member of a warrior race who wipes planets as an 8 to 5 job. A race of battle junkies who are pretty much psychopaths, who just happen to work under an ever bigger psychopath.



"Tomorrow, we'll see what you're really made of," Paragus said, patting me in the head. "For now, feel free to explore."

---

Taking Paragus' suggestion, I decided to explore. The air hit me like a slap when I stepped out of the nursing area and into the open world outside as waves of heat and dust hit me in the face.



The first thing I noticed was the color of the sky, red, like a sheet of fire stretched endlessly above me. The ground matched it in tone, a deep, burnt reddish-brown, cracked in places like an old scar.



The place looked drier than a camel's crotch on a desert storm.



This was Planet Vegeta.



The name floated to the surface of my thoughts. My body knew this place, but my mind was lagging, playing catch-up. The environment was alien, sure, but there was something else about it, an undercurrent of violence, of raw, untamed power in every crack of the earth and every swirl of the wind.



Even the red sky seemed angry, like the planet itself was in a perpetual state of battle.



I took a few steps forward, my new boots crunching against dirt. My tail flicked behind me, and I tried not to flinch at how natural it felt, like a third limb I hadn't asked for but already couldn't imagine being without. No idea how that made any sense, but it did.



There were Saiyans everywhere, most of them in armor like Paragus, some flying off into the sky, others sparring in small groups or barking insults at each other. Surprisingly though, not every Saiyan was fighting, as I had imagined, most of them were just walking or talking, it… was oddly welcoming to see to be honest.



My gaze drifted upward again, to the unnaturally red sky, and my stomach twisted as a name came into mind. Frieza.



I remembered just enough from the anime to know how this tale ended, and it wasn't with a happy-ever-after for the Saiyans. This planet, the people, the culture, all of it… including me now, was living on borrowed time. Frieza would destroy it all, eventually. I didn't know when, just that it would happen.



Not that it mattered if I knew anyways, I suppose… After all, what could I possibly do to stop him? Warn them? I doubt they would believe me. Fight Frieza? I would die… There wasn't much that I could realistically do.



I was still grasping at the concept that this was real, and beyond that, I knew how powerless I currently was in the big picture.



I wasn't even sure how much time I had, before he decided to kill everyone here.



Well… time to explore, no point in worrying about something I can't fully predict or prepare for right now.



As I walked, lost in my thoughts, wondering what exactly I was supposed to do now, I felt something slam into my side.



It happened so fast that, and so suddenly, that for a split second, I didn't process what was going on. Something, no, someone, had run into me at full speed. The impact pushed me slightly, but it didn't hurt. In fact, it barely registered. It was like being hit with a pillow, a soft one at that.



I turned my head, confused, and saw a kid, no much bigger than me, sprawled on the ground a few feet away, groaning as he tried to push himself up. His armor was scuffed, and he was clearly dazed.



I blinked, glancing between him and where he'd hit me. I hadn't even staggered, but the kid looked like he'd run face-first into a wall.



"Hey... uh... you okay?" I asked, stepping closer.



He let out a low groan in response, shaking his head before slumping back down. His tail twitched weakly, and for a second, I thought he'd passed out completely.



Did that really just happen? I crouched down beside him, not entirely sure what to do.



I poked his shoulder lightly with a stick I had found on the floor. "Hey. Wake up."



The kid groaned again, one eye cracking open. He glared up at me, his expression somewhere between frustration and embarrassment. "What the hell... are you made of... steel?"



I held back a laugh, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Not that I'm aware of."



He blinked at me, looking me up and down as if trying to figure messing with him or not. No idea what kind of conclusion the kid came up to, but his scowl deepened, and he sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his head.



"Damn it," he muttered. "That's the last time I try to race through the market."



"Race?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.



The kid shot me a look, his tail flicking sharply behind him. "Yeah, race. What, you've never tried to dodge through a crowd at full speed? It's basic reflex training."



I frowned, unsure if he was joking or serious. Judging by the look on his face, it was the latter. "And… you hit the stationary target?"



That earned me a sharp glare, but the kid didn't say anything. Instead, he dusted himself off, muttering under his breath about "idiots standing in the way" as he got to his feet.



I straightened up as well, watching him closely. He was a bit bigger than me, though not by much, with spiky black hair and a fresh bruise forming on his cheek. His armor was scratched and dented in places, making it clear he wasn't new to roughhousing.



"You've got one hell of a body, what's your power level?" he said after a moment, his tone begrudging. "Most people would've hit the dirt after I ran into them like that, so I'm going to guess above 150?"



I blinked at him, caught off guard. "Huh?"



"Your power level," he repeated impatiently, crossing his arms. "You gotta know it, right? Everyone gets measured on a weekly basis. So… You're what, 150? 175? Maybe 200 tops?"



The numbers didn't mean much to me in a practical sense, but judging by his tone, they were probably decent for a Saiyan kid.



"Uh... it's 2298," I said, almost casually.



For a moment, the kid just stared at me, his mouth slightly open. I could practically hear the gears grinding in his head as he processed what I'd just said. Then his eyes widened so much I thought they might pop out of his head.



"What?!" he practically yelled, his voice cracking as he took a step back.



"2298," I repeated, scratching the back of my head awkwardly.



"Two... two thousand..." The kid stammered, his tail curling around his waist as he stared at me like I'd just told him I could blow up the planet.



Wait… could I blow a planet with my power?



"Yeah," I said, shrugging. "That's what my father said, anyway."



The kid took another step back, his expression shifting rapidly between shock, confusion, and something that looked suspiciously like fear. "You're kidding, right? There's no way. No way someone fresh out of the pod has a power level like that! You're stronger than my parents!"



Huh… is it bad I am feeling pride about that?



"That's... that's insane," he muttered, running a hand through his spiky hair. "No wonder you didn't even flinch when I ran into you... I could've broken my neck! Wait… I ran into a high class warrior! I'm dead!"



"What?" I muttered.



The kid groaned, his hands dropping to his sides as he looked at me with a mix of exasperation and disbelief. Then, to my surprise, he bowed slightly, his tail twitching nervously. "Uh... sorry, sir," he said quickly, his tone suddenly respectful. "I didn't know you were a high class warrior. I thought you were just another low-class kid, please don't beat me."



I blinked at him, caught off guard by the sudden change in attitude, he went from rude to submissive in less than a second. "You don't have to apologize. It's not like you could've known."



"Still," The kid said, straightening up but keeping his tone careful. "I have to apologize, I could get in serious trouble if I pissed you off."



I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you or anything."



The kid nodded quickly, but I could tell he wasn't entirely convinced. His tail stayed curled around his waist, a clear sign of nervousness.



"Right," he said, forcing a grin. "Well... uh, good to meet you, sir. If you ever need a training partner or, you know, someone to... uh... carry your stuff or something, let me know!"



I raised an eyebrow, unsure if he was being serious or sarcastic. "I'll keep that in mind."



The kid gave me a quick nod, then turned and practically bolted, muttering something under his breath about "crazy elites."



I watched him go, feeling a strange mix of amusement and unease. The way he'd reacted to my power level was... telling. It wasn't just that he was surprised, it was the way his attitude had shifted so quickly. Respect born out of fear. And while part of me couldn't deny that it felt good to be strong, to be feared, another part of me, the one that still felt human, found it unsettling.



I let out a slow breath and kept walking.

---

POWER LEVEL SECTION.



Paragus' power level: 5157



Escarot's power level: 2298



Saiyan Kid that bumped into Escarot (Bean) power level: 133

---

If you like my work and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out here: Cornbringer
I have until chapter 12 posted there for everyone to read, completely free.

Discord invite: Join the CORN CORPS Discord Server!

Enjoy you sexy bastards.

 

[ThedudeManBro]

HAH! Escarot! I get it, you clever git you!

 

[Akuma-Heika]

I nodded, keeping my face neutral. There was nothing to worry about, I knew our King would see the potential of my cub.

Click to shrink...

lol. He is setting himself up for a very unpleasant surprise