Disclaimer: I don't own the Dragon Ball franchise or it's related concepts and characters, but Akira Toriyama and his affiliates do.

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Dragon Ball: Kakarot Brief

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Chapter One: Child of the Stars

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Capsule Corporation Headquarters, West City, Earth, Age 737, August 18

Having been in business for twenty-five years at the time and valuing in more than a billion Zeni, Capsule Corporation was founded upon Doctor Brief's invention of the signature capsules that made objects from equipment to entire houses compactable for easy travel. Headquartered at one of Earth's major cities known as West City, Capsule Corporation's main building also served as the home of Brief, his family, and their numerous pets of diverse species. As night had fallen over West City, the company's employees were going about their jobs of providing security and janitorial services as well as testing the newest inventions in the scientists' case. Meanwhile, Brief and his wife, Panchy, had tucked away their youngest daughter, Bulma, to sleep after a private party of their own for Bulma's fourth birthday and were persuading their oldest, Tights, to get some rest as well.

"I know, but I can't help but feel pressured that I'll need to be ready for the big test at college." Tights responded to their requests. At fifteen years of age, Tights had very long blonde hair, large dark eyes, and was already attired in a nightgown despite her own refusal to go to sleep then. Inheriting her father's academic giftedness, she was expected to graduate from West City College in the next year. Although, because of the circumstances, she couldn't help but feel insecure over her own development.

Panchy, who also had blonde hair in addition to bright blue eyes in a bright blue dress, raised her hands up for calm. "We know that, dear, but you probably won't be prepared at all, if you show up for college half-asleep at best."

On Panchy's left, her husband, who prematurely had the appearance of an older man with his bluish-gray hair, large mustache, and rectangular glasses, nodded. "Listen to your mother, Tights. Lord knows that I didn't graduate from that place immediately. Just take your time to unwind every now and then, and I'm positive you'll do fine."

Thinking it over, Tights eventually nodded in agreement. "Okay, I'll go to bed."

"That's a good girl." Panchy teased with a pat on Tights' head. As soon as the latter left the living room, the former sighed in worry. "Honestly, I'm worried that poor girl will give out eventually."

Showing a sympathetic look, Brief placed his right hand over Panchy's and said in a soothing voice. "No need to stress it, honey. Tights just needs something to be confident about. Until then, she's got us to keep her up."

Smiling gratefully, Panchy kissed her husband on the cheek and replied. "Thanks, dear." Deciding to change the topic before it was time to truly call it a day, she then said. "So, how's work going?" Even if her mind was worlds apart from Brief's scientific knowhow, she didn't mind giving him someone to talk to every now and then.

Brief smiled. "It's been going quite well. The boys in R&D actually offered to put their time off on hold, so that they can add the finishing touches to the new tractor beam about to be rolled out soon."

"That's great." Panchy chirped in pride before then adding. "And a tractor beam is something gravity-related, right?"

Brief restrained a chuckle at his wife's continued lack of scientific knowledge before he then explained. "It's used to attract other objects from a significant distance, if that's what you're referring to." He then shrugged. "Just something I wanted to make because no one else had been able to put it off before, but I'm sure our marketing people will find some use for it."

Panchy shook her head knowingly and commented. "You know, Brief, sometimes I don't think I'll ever understand why you want to make things that can work for the space industry, but don't bother constructing rockets and all that sort of thing."

Brief then finally released a chuckle. "Now you're starting to sound like our girls. Still, I suppose you do have a point. I guess I just never been all that interested in them because I can imagine several scientists out there are already having their own ideas to improve on them and I'd rather not mess up their ambitions." He then stared wistfully at the night sky through the nearby window. "Nonetheless, I do remember days in my years as a budding prodigy thinking about what's out there on other worlds we have never imagined. As we speak, there may be entire civilizations with great achievements and brilliant minds that are observing Earth from a distance as we've spent our history searching for them with telescopes and all that."

"And, of course, you probably thought if there were any sexy alien women out there as well." Panchy suggested with a teasing tone in her voice.

Brief did what he could to force back his brush. "That's absurd, Panchy."

His wife, however, was quick to embrace him. "Aw, don't try to deny it, you dirty old man. Besides, you heard Bulma's birthday wish. She wants to have a younger brother or sister of her own."

Giving in to temptation, Brief returned the hug in spite of their difference in height and said. "Alright, you flirt, but only if it makes Bulma happy."

Laughing together, they were about to share a kiss before the nearby phone rang.

"And just when things were getting good, too." Panchy sighed in disappointment as Brief went over to answer it.

"Hello?" He called into it with a calm voice. Although Panchy couldn't hear the occurring conversation, she could see Brief's facial reactions of confusion followed by shock and even worry. "Uh, alright, keep the pod within range and bring it near the building. Yes, I know it's risky, but it's probably best that we act now before it gets out of sight and crashes somewhere else. Have someone call the King of Earth about what's going on while you're at it. I'm heading down to see the whole thing shortly."

As soon as Brief hung the phone up, Panchy asked him. "What's wrong, honey?"

Her husband, however, couldn't make eye contact with her in his distracted state of mind. "No time to explain, dear. Just keep an eye on the girls and pets for me. I'll be back soon."

Panchy frowned in concern, but said nothing as Brief left the room.

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Having exited the building as quick as he could, Brief was soon next to a group of similarly lab coated scientists, who were operating a machine that what some science fiction movie fans would probably compare to a laser cannon, but was actually a tractor beam. Turning to the nearest scientist, he said. "How goes the UFO fishing?"

The scientist, a female Human in her twenties, replied with respect to her boss. "We've locked the beam on the pod, Dr. Brief. With the rate of speed, it should be on Earth in five minutes at the most."

Another scientist, an anthropomorphic male dog around Brief's own height, added. "We recommend, though, that we keep the landing at a slow pace, sir. If we're not careful, it could make for a bad collusion with us and the entire city."

Brief nodded in agreement. "That's good. We must do all we can to prevent a total disaster. Has anyone reported to King Furry, yet?"

The dog scientist answered. "We did, Doctor. He's arriving with a contingent of his Royal Guards as we speak."

Exhaling a breath, Brief then took out a cigarette and lighter out of his coat before allowing himself to smoke and then said aloud. "Well, people, in the words of an old computer expert I used to know, hold on to your butts. Things are about to get bumpy."

Ignoring the others' gulps and sweat, Brief waited as the minutes rolled by and a round spaceship only five feet in diameter appeared in his direct view before it was then lowered to the ground gently by the tractor beam. Thinking back on the prior phone call he received, Brief considered it a lucky break, or perhaps even good fortune, that the tractor beam had homed in on the moving pod while it was in space, which alerted Capsule Corporation's scientists that it was approaching the planet. Otherwise, it would've landed somewhere further east of West City which might've caused even greater problems. Analyzing the situation even further, it was commendable of his employees to have completed the tractor beam in time for a silent first contact with otherworldly life.

"So, why hasn't it open yet?" One of the scientists asked no one in particular at the sight of the pod after a moment had passed.

"You don't think it's a bomb set to go off, right?" Another questioned in fright.

"No sense worrying when we should be doing, everyone." Brief inputted as he stepped forward. Ignoring his workers, who were practically begging him to turn away, he studied the pod before finally finding a means of opening it. Upon looking inside, he became shocked before growing worried out of compassion. Turning back to the scientists, he called out. "Call an ambulance, you guys! He needs help! Now!"

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Wukong Hospital, The Next Day

While a police protection detail being stationed at a hospital wasn't unheard of, many of Wukong Hospital's patients and staff members couldn't recall a time when the personal guards of King Furry, the Earth's highest political leader, had been sent as extra security for a "confidential matter" that few of the attending medics knew the details of. At first, there were rumors that Furry may have been on Death's door from either an illness, or a recent assassination attempt, but they were dispelled when many of them saw the King walk up and about perfectly healthy alongside another visitor some recognized as the head and founder of Capsule Corporation, Dr. Brief.

Having assumed power four years earlier, the anthropomorphic canine, King Furry, was described by the people as a cautious and responsible, yet easy-going and open-minded, kind of person well respected by his subjects. Although slightly shorter than the stocky Brief, he nonetheless carried himself in his practical suit with glasses as a well-versed politician willing and prepared to undergo any and all actions to keep Earth and its people protected from all internal and external threats.

"An alien child that looks like a Human boy, but with a monkey's tail." Furry commented to himself in the presence of both Brief and one of Wukong's top doctors, who knew when to keep sensitive matters regarding his patients to himself. Turning back to their private conversation, he then started to ask questions. "How old is he?"

The medical doctor scratched the back of his head in uncertainty. "Honestly, Your Majesty, we aren't quite certain ourselves. At first glance, he appears to be almost a toddler, but the DNA samples we gathered from him indicates that his development was artificially accelerated. We don't think he's the result of cloning, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was born this year and was made to "grow up" to the point that he can speak and do math at a slightly older Human's level." He then sighed with a forlorn feeling. "Assuming, his mental abilities aren't damaged too badly."

"His head injury." Brief inputted knowingly.

"From what we were able to gather, he banged his head on the top of his pod when it was pulled into your beam, Dr. Brief." Seeing the look of guilt on his scientific counterpart's face, the Wukong doctor added. "I'm not pointing fingers, though. We did an X-ray scan, and from the look of things, the boy's head is quite durable against a head injury, but that doesn't mean it didn't affect him in some way. We're just going to have to wait until he awakens to see the depth of his potential impairment."

"Thank you, Doctor." Furry told him before adding. "If you'll excuse us."

Taking the hint, the doctor bowed his head before moving elsewhere, politely giving the remaining two privacy to talk.

Once alone, Furry turned to Brief. "Dr. Brief, were you able to get any information from the pod about the boy, or where he came from?"

Brief, slowly pulling himself through the knowledge that he indirectly gave a young child a head injury, shrugged in uncertainty. "Bits and pieces, unfortunately, Sire. The tractor beam was an experimental device, and we believe that when it came into contact with the pod, it fried its onboard navigational computer, depriving us of the point of origin. The kid was wearing full body armor made out of a stretchy, yet durable, material we have never encountered before when we picked him out of the space pod, but it hasn't provided much information either. However, in a compartment inside the pod, we did find a kind of wearable computer that seems to have been modified prior to his arrival, and after deciphering the native language stored inside, saw that it had a message indicating it was a gift for a "Kakarot" from his mother."

"Kakarot, huh?" Furry said as he put his right hand on his chin in consideration before he then showed a kind enough smile. "At least we know the boy's name and that he had a loving family."

Brief smiled as well. "Yes, that is true." He then frowned in thought. "Still, I would appreciate it if we knew why he's here on his own in the first place."

Before Furry could reply to that comment, Tights peeked her head out of the nearby hospital room where she, her mother, and her sister were keeping watch over the young space traveler. Although Brief was at first concerned about letting his family near the alien child when they didn't know how dangerous he was, he ultimately yielded to his wife's point that friendlier faces greeting him would've been preferable in more ways than one compared to wary soldiers.

"Dad, the kid's waking up." Tights informed him with an eager smile, excited about introducing herself to an actual alien.

"I'll leave this in your hands at the moment, Dr. Brief, while I go get the medics." Furry said before leaving to do just that.

Steeling himself for what was to happen, Brief then entered the room as Tights closed the door. Inside, Panchy was sitting in her chair with a kind smile towards the stirring, spikey black-haired boy on his hospital bed, while the excited youngest of the family, the turquoise-haired Bulma with matching blue eyes sat in the chair on Kakarot's right. With a groan, the latter soon opened his eyes to see those surrounding him with a confused expression on his face.

"Where am I?" He started to ask after finding the words. "Who are all of you? Who am I?"

Approaching closer to the non-Human, Brief held his hands up for calm. "It's alright, little boy. Just tell us what you remember and maybe we can help you."

The child thought hard as his look of concentration suggested, but he soon placed his hands on his head as if his mind was hurting, which prompted Brief to tell him to stop. "Okay, that's enough of that. Perhaps we can tell you what we believe your name to be?"

Thinking the offer over, the boy nodded. "Okay."

"From what we learned from your spaceship, we think your name is Kakarot. Does that ring any bells?"

Standing up from his bed and showcasing his brown-furred tail, the child thought over it before then nodding again, but with a brighter smile. "Yeah, that's right. I'm Kakarot."

"That's good." Panchy chimed, happy that Kakarot was happy knowing who he was.

"Are you a good alien, or a bad alien?" Bulma asked Kakarot when she had her chance.

"Bulma, you should be more careful about what you say to him." Tights chastised her sister, who didn't seem to understand what was wrong.

"Alien?" Kakarot muttered to himself before he spotted his tail, looked closely at the four Humans around him, and then said. "If an alien is someone different from you, wouldn't you people be aliens to me?"

That silenced the family of four briefly before the three oldest laughed at how smart Kakarot's question was while he and Bulma looked at them confused.

Coughing into his right shoulder, Brief brought his laugh to an end and turned back to Kakarot. "I believe we are forgetting something important." He then took his hand out to him which Kakarot then tentatively took into his own. "My name is Brief, although pretty much everyone not a relative calls me Dr. Brief. I am a scientist native to Planet Earth and this is my family."

Panchy giggled as she brought her hand to pat Kakarot's head. "Don't mind my husband's big words, dear. You'll get used to it. I'm Panchy, by the way."

While he enjoyed the patting on his head, Kakarot looked confused at the unfamiliar word he heard. "Husband? Is that like a mate, or something?"

"What do pirates have to do with anything?" Bulma asked in her confused tone of voice.

Sharing a glance with her parents, Tights and the two adults agreed with a nod to explain the concepts of marriage and sexual reproduction to the both of them when they were older.

"Anyway, Kakarot, I'm Tights, and I think I'm speaking for everyone when I say welcome to Earth." The blonde introduced herself to the little extraterrestrial. "I hope my mom, dad, and little sister didn't embarrass you in anyway."

"And I'm Bulma." The turquoise-haired girl with pigtails on either side of her head said to Kakarot with a bright smile that he returned back before he then thought of something.

"If you two are sisters, do you have a brother in your family?" He asked with a thoughtful expression.

"I actually wished for either a brother or another sister last night for my birthday." Bulma explained before she then said. "Hey, can you be our brother, Kakarot?"

"Huh?" The other four in the room commented at Bulma's odd request, wondering what she was thinking.

"He may be an alien, but he shouldn't have to be alone on Earth." She explained with a proud look and then added. "I promise to be a great big sister, too."

Turning to his wife, Brief shared a knowing smile with her before Tights shrugged at them both with her own accepting grin.

"But wait." Kakarot interjected. "Don't I already have a family somewhere else?"

Brief had a look of understanding when he replied. "Well, we believe you do, so you don't have to think of us as replacing the one you were born into, but Bulma, even at her young age, is right." Placing his hand on Kakarot's head, he continued. "So long as you're with us, young man, you won't be alone."

Gauging everyone's looks of eagerness and kindness, Kakarot eventually showed a small, yet trusting, smile. "Okay."

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To Be Continued

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Behind the Scenes

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With me foreclosing my one-shots for good, I decided to give a go at writing a Dragon Ball AU story which has Goku/Kakarot raised by the Brief family with all their wealth, influence, and technological knowhow. Although, I haven't really decided if I'd be willing to continue this idea past the first Dragon Ball era and into the sequels since I plan on giving Kakarot a different love match than Chi-Chi, so the descendants he had in canon would have to be replaced with necessary original characters that fit the setting, and I'm not sure if I'd do all right in giving the roles Gohan and the like had to such a requirement that I would have to write about from scratch. Still, I have high inspirational hopes for this story, so I'll see what I can do. I'd probably mention who I have planned for Kakarot's love life, but partly because I want to develop it gradually and partly because it's probably obvious as of now, I want to keep it under wraps until I get to Kakarot and Bulma's first Dragon Ball hunt.

If anybody is wondering what's up in the chapter, allow me to say that this story will use, among other things, a combination of the Dragon Ball Minus manga shot, which introduced Goku's mother and discussed the idea that Saiyans were incubated for a time for their physical and mental growth, and the Bardock: The Father of Goku anime special, which kept Goku as a newborn for when Planet Vegeta was destroyed. It's something of a balance and I plan on having Kakarot get his pre-Earth memories back at some point, so please be patient, especially since the next chapter will introduce a certain Galactic Patrolman, two years overdue, if you don't mind the spoiler. Aside from the Jurassic Park and Superman: The Animated Series references, I also started this chapter with the intention that Kakarot landed on Earth, not only on Bulma's birthday in accordance with a wish of hers, but also on Capsule Corporation's twenty-fifth anniversary for the sake of detail, but I soon saw that if the company was having a big party at the same time an alien was showing up, it would've been even more of a hustle and bustle moment, so I removed that point for the sake of argument. There's always the next several chapters to show such a big party, anyway.

Earlier in the year, I also wanted to write an AU which has Goku/Kakarot brought to Emperor Pilaf upon landing on Earth for the sake of writing a more consistent "antagonist Goku" story than most out there. I even wrote the names of people and places that would fall under the Pilaf Gang's control as the story would go, but I'm not sure about it now. If I remember correctly, I had trouble with the lack of knowledge about how old Pilaf's partners Shu and Mai are and when in the timeline they started to work for him. Wouldn't mind getting more opinions about it, though, for the sake of having a good degree of ideas.

That's all for now. See you all soon for the next chapter.