Chapter I

The New Saiyan! Earth's New Nightmare!

The remnants Z Fighters stares in shock as they see Goku impaled. Beat's arm remains speared shoulder deep through Goku's abdomen. For once, it's raining during the battle. It adds to the misery of the moment as everyone watches in awe.

"D-dad . . ." Goten tries. He is unable to move. Better than Trunks. Every bone in Trunks's body is broken.

"Goku," Piccolo screams.

The two Super Saiyans seem locked in time. Frieza. Cell. Buu. None of them compare to this man. Goku had to force himself to Super Saiyan 4 to fight this enemy who didn't even pass Super Saiyan 2. "This could have ended differently, Kakarot," Beat says with no remorse. He's right. This all could have ended differently . . .

Two Hours Ago

Goku watches Gohan and Videl load up the car. "Goten! Trunks! You stop that," ChiChi yells to the sparing teenagers. Friendly combat is fine but she draws the line at energy blasts.

"Mom, let them have their fun," Gohan smiles. "You can't baby Goten forever."

"Actually, I'm not worried about the boys," ChiChi says looking over to Vegeta.

"Destroy him, Trunks," Vegeta commands. "Show him where our family sits in the Saiyan hierarchy!"

"I think you're taking this too seriously," Yamcha attempts.

"Silence!" Vegeta fires off an energy blast in Yamcha's direction.

"Vegeta!" Goku yells.

"Oh, shut up! It was harmless." The blast sails off into the distance before destroying a mountain.

"Why can't you be nice?"

"Why should I?"

"We've been friends for nearly two decades and-"

"Guys!" Bulma calls. She is on the phone with her dad. "There is an object entering Earth's atmosphere. It looks like a pod and from the energy readings, it's a Saiyan!"

The lone pod speeds through the atmosphere. Before it even breaks through the clouds, the door opens. A Saiyan clad in black flies out. His red cape streaks through the sky. The Saiyan lands miles away from his pod.

The rough terrain spans out in all directions. His buzzed red hair glints as he looks around. He runs the back of his hand over his stubbly beard. "Here I am, cousin. The wrath of Planet Vegeta."

Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Krillin, Goten, and Trunks fly full speed towards the crash site. As they approach, it becomes clear that the new Saiyan and the pod are separate. "Trunks," Vegeta demands. "We'll continue on. You check on the pod."

"Goten, go with him," Goku suggests.

The young Saiyans diverge from the others. Krillin watches them fly down. "You sent them there for a reason," Krillin says following his friends. "There's something going on."

Goku and Vegeta exchange momentary glances. "This Saiyan is scary powerful," Goku says. "Don't you feel that?"

"Of course but Cell was stronger than this guy."

"No, Krillin," Gohan says. "With a power level like this guy has, we can expect a fight. As we get closer, it continues to rise. By the time we reach him, expect this guy to be as strong as Buu when he first arrived. And we have every reason to believe this person is resting." Krillin almost stops in fear. A Saiyan as strong as Buu? How?

Vegeta stops. "He could be stronger than Majin Buu? Really? Shit!" The Saiyan Prince exclaims. "Krillin, go back! You're usually worthless in the fight but what Gohan says is true, you can help. Go back to Kakarot's home. Take Bulma and ChiChi and the others to some place safe!"

"W-where?"

"I don't know! Mars. Namek. Perceon-8. I don't care. Just get them far away from here!"

"B-b-but-"

"Go, you bald little queer!" Vegeta comes dangerously close to firing a Galic Gun at Krillin before Krillin takes off in the opposite direction.

Vegeta takes off, attempting to lead the remaining trio. Goku grabs his leg. "Hold it right there, Vegeta," Goku says. "What's going on?"

Vegeta starts to answer but something rises. Though far away, the whisper carries all the way to Vegeta's ears. Little Prince Vegeta. The distant voice stabs into Vegeta. "You bastard!" Vegeta goes after the fiercely powerful new Saiyan without explaining himself. Goku and Gohan are careful to keep up with him

"Krillin?" Yamcha says in surprise. "What are you doing back here? Where are the others?"

Krillin pants from flying so fast. "Vegeta sent me back. He was being really strange. He wants us to take Bulma and everyone someplace safe."

"What going on?" Tien says as he and Chiaotzu approach.

"We have to get Bulma and ChiChi and Master Roshi to a safer place," Krillin says. "How Vegeta was yelling, this battle will be bad!"

"Who is this guy?" Yamcha questions.

"I can't believe this!" Uub exclaims. "Vegeta is trying to send us away when he could need us most?"

"He has a point," Tien agrees. "Krillin. Uub. We should go and help out."

"You're right," Krillin says. "But what about the others?"

"Chiaotzu and Yamcha. Can you take the others to Grand Kai?"

"Uhh. Sure," Yamcha agrees.

"Take the Ox King too," Krillin suggests. "He'll manage to keep ChiChi sorta calm."

"Come on, guys," Tien says. Krillin and Uub follow him to face the unknown Saiyan.

"It's nice to see you, cousin," the new Saiyan says before Vegeta can even touch down.

Vegeta's jaw clinches. "Damn it! I thought it was you!" The name is reluctantly revealed. "Beat."

"Did he call you his cousin, Vegeta?" Gohan questions.

"So you're Kakarot?" Beat addresses Gohan.

Goku steps up. "That's me and my name is Goku."

"Really," Beat says with minor surprise. "You're slightly more powerful that I imagined."

Gohan and Goku are surprised. "He can read our energy without a scouter?"

Gohan notices something. "Yet he has a tail."

Beat bears a miniscule resemblance to Vegeta. They have the same eyes. However, Beat has very short red hair. Strangely, he lacks the traditional Saiyan armor too. In fact, his clothes look Namekian. "Vegeta, you've grown over the years. We always thought you'd be that short little prince forever. Now you're a slightly taller little traitor."

"Is he talking about Raditz and Nappa?" Gohan asks.

"Raditz? Nappa? Please. I was going to kill them myself. Knowing Raditz has a hole in him and Nappa is space dust makes me want to smile."

"Wait a second!" Goku exclaims. "How does he know that? Vegeta, tell us what's going on!"

"Beat is not my cousin! At best he is the son of my father's younger brother. He was supposed to accompany my team in our attack on Earth. Rests assure, Kakarot. If Beat had showed up years ago and fought in my place, you would have been defeated." Goku and Gohan freeze at the thought.

Beat looks up at the sky as if Planet Vegeta is still out the somewhere. "I was just a teenage back then."

"But he was reassigned at the last minute."

"I did scout Earth before you, Vegeta. Since Raditz was taking all day, I got to study this planet . . . though I expected it to be destroyed by now. I also thought Kakarot's son would be far stronger by now."

"Beat!" Vegeta commands.

"What?" Lord Beat says unconcerned.

"Was it true? Were you already a Super Saiyan all those years ago?"

"Little Vegeta, I am far beyond a Super Saiyan now. But if you must know, yes. I am the reason that imbecile Frieza tossed and turned. I just regret never getting the chance to tear him apart. Purple peon. I thought Bardock could handle it . . . I was wrong."

Goku is stunned. "My . . . father?"

"Where have you been? And where is Tarble?"

"I have no idea where Prince Tarble is. Dead for all I care." Goku and Gohan are too stunned by Beat's power to care about more names. "As for me, I was reassigned to the Western quadrant. But with no king or Frieza dolling out orders, I've been free to bounce from planet to planet. I danced around on Frieza's home planet before destroying it. Then, I went to New Namek. I found it semi-comfortable for a time. The clothes are far more comfortable-"

"This is not a game, Beat!" Vegeta and Beat are around the same age but somehow Beat is wiser and superior. "This is my home now! I'm no longer fighting on behalf of a king!"

"Then you no longer claim to be the Prince of All Saiyans?" Vegeta steps back. Beat's cape flows in the wind. In the time he spent on Namek, Gohan is unable to remember anyone sporting black clothing. His shoulder pads. His pants and shirt. Beat is a different kid of Saiyan. He didn't conquer Namek; he inhabited it. "Of course, you were never the prince of me."

"What?" Vegeta exclaims. "You'll pay for that!"

"Vegeta, no!" Goku yells. Vegeta is already in mid-flight. Someone else stops him. A dark hand clings to his ankle as someone else strikes at Beat. Soon, blood is splattered all over the rocks.

End...