It had been a day since Raditz arrived, and a day since Raditz had died. The Saiyan warrior had proclaimed to be Son Goku's brother, loudly announcing his, and his partners' intentions to wipe out all life on Earth. He explained it was their job; they were assigned to planets so they could sell them to a potential client, provided they exterminate the current inhabitants. And it was then, that the large alien man abducted Goku's son, Gohan, to twist his own brother's arm into helping him destroy everything that the martial artist had known. The planet that was his home, and the people he loved were all put at stake in that one moment.

As for Piccolo, the Great Demon King that had his sights set on conquering the sorry excuse for a planet, that proposition was unacceptable. His prior interaction with the warrior Raditz left a bad taste in his mouth, and he knew that he, alone, was unable to match him in battle. Surely, he thought, the same would apply for Goku. If he wanted to rule over this miserable rock, Raditz would have to be dealt with. The only way to do that, he resolved, was to team up with his hated rival.

True to his word, the Saiyan was intensely strong, and even together Piccolo and Goku had an immense amount of trouble attempting to fight him. Piccolo had lost his arm in the struggle, and with their energy, and Ki dwindling, they needed a new plan. The great demon had been perfecting a new attack, dubbing it the Special Beam Cannon.

The problem was that he needed time to charge it, and Raditz wouldn't wait for that. Goku took it upon himself to distract the Saiyan, and once Piccolo had prepared his trump card, he let victory slip through their grasp. Raditz had tricked his brother into believing he would join their side, and once Goku had let up, he turned on him. Once more, Piccolo had to gather the necessary energy to perform the Special Beam Cannon, but Raditz would not stay in one place.

Gohan, who had been kept locked away in Raditz's ship, burst forth suddenly, rage etched deep into his face. He was only a child, and yet the power Piccolo felt in this moment was immense. The boy launched himself for his uncle, his head meeting the center of his chest like a bullet. Then, with this opportunity, Goku gripped his dazed brother around his shoulders, holding him in place long enough for Piccolo to launch his beam of energy, impaling the brothers in one swift motion.

Raditz fell, but so did Goku, and Piccolo felt it was a hollow victory. So, he decided, to prepare for the other two Saiyans that were coming to Earth, he would train his arch enemy's son to fight them. He could sense the immense Ki within the child, though he didn't think training a crybaby would come easy. Piccolo took Gohan to a wasteland, hidden from the city, to begin his training.

"Your training starts with learning to survive on your own!" Piccolo announced, looming over the toddler like a great giant. "I will leave you here for six months, and in that time I expect results. If you haven't died, I will then train you in combat personally."

"B-But I'm scared!" The child stammered his reply. "I want my Daddy!"

"Your father is dead, and I killed him."

Gohan started to cry, and Piccolo reached his arms out to the boy, startling him out of his grief. "Don't you start," he demanded, "don't you know about the Dragon Balls?! He'll be brought back to life in no time, but we don't have time to waste! You only have a year before the other Saiyans arrive, so get better quickly!" The boy didn't have the strength to argue with him, so he watched as Piccolo took off into the air, flying just out of sight. He intended to keep an eye on him through his six month survival training, after all, the kid wouldn't be any use if he was dead. Then, he felt it. A twinge in the back of his mind, a sudden sensation within him. There was another source of Ki nearby, and it could mean trouble for the both of them if left unchecked.

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A/N: I'm so sorry if the first chapter seems a bit short, I'm still trying to get the hang of this. I haven't seriously written anything in a few years, so if I can do anything to improve this, or the next chapter then please let me know. I hope to update this regularly, as a kind of AU retelling of the Z Sagas. And, thank you so much for reading.