"Uncle Raditz, come inside! You'll catch a cold!" Gohan yelled as he leaned out the back door of the Capsule Corp. residence, making sure he didn't lean out too far lest he get wet. Like before, I ignored him and continued my training. I could sense that my oldest nephew was getting more and more irritated as I continually ignored him. "I know you can hear me!" he yelled, and I rolled my eyes, finally giving in. I turned to look at him. In this rain, I knew he wouldn't be able to tell I'd been crying. Vegeta's comment about me getting a girlfriend had stung, because I knew that it was impossible.
"Yes, Gohan?" I asked. He sighed and walked out, not caring if he got drenched. "I won't catch a cold. And I don't feel like being around people," I said. Gohan sighed.
"Uncle, please! You're absolutely soaked!" he exclaimed, tugging on the front of my shirt. I frowned and flicked his hand away. That didn't stop him. Persistently, he grabbed my arm and – quite literally – started dragging me towards the house. I knew there wasn't really much point in struggling, but that didn't stop me. It helped that I was a lot stronger now, so I was able to break free of my nephew's grasp.
It didn't help me to get away, however. He still caught me and continued dragging me towards the house. I huffed in annoyance and crossed my arms as my feet dragged across the ground and tore up the lawn. He pushed the door open and tossed me inside. I don't think he meant to throw me as hard as he did, because I slammed headfirst into the wall. Saiyans don't really take well to head trauma.
"YOWCH!" I screamed, clutching the top of my head. I saw Vegeta poke his head out of a nearby room, and Kakarot walked out of another. Gohan looked panicked as he leaned down near me. I looked up at him, teary-eyed. "Why'd you go and do that?! That hurt!" I exclaimed. Gohan apologised over and over as I eventually managed to stand. I rubbed the top of my head gingerly, and when I pulled my hand down I saw a dark, slick substance on the tips of my fingers. "I'm… bleeding…?" I murmured, my shock not really allowing me to register my pain.
"Who's bleeding?" I heard Piccolo say, and I looked up to see him standing behind Gohan. I saw that everyone had gathered, and I saw that Chi-Chi was looking at my bloodied hand. Vegeta walked over and forced me to kneel so he could have a look.
"Shit, Raditz," he murmured as blood came away on his glove. I stared, shocked. It had been a while – years – since I'd seen my own blood. Not to mention that it was in my hair, but that would have to wait. I started to feel as if pressure was building up in my skull, and I rubbed my temple. Vegeta picked up on my movement. "Are you alright?"
"Headache… I think," I murmured, standing. I tried to turn on my heel, but dizziness overwhelmed me and I stumbled instead. God I was a klutz sometimes. Kakarot caught my arm to steady me, and I shook my head wildly. "I'm good," I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. I stood, shaking Kakarot off, and sighed. "I was probably better off dead," I said. I forgot that people could hear me.
"Why do you say that, Raditz?" Vegeta asked. I looked up at him.
"Trouble seems to follow me like a lost puppy. Haven't you noticed?" I said. I think I sounded a bit insane, because Vegeta's face changed. "You know what? Never mind."
"I think you need to go to sleep. You seem tired," Piccolo said, and I turned to face him. He locked eyes briefly, before I turned wordlessly and headed to my room. However, a plan took root in my mind. I stopped walking and looked behind me, at the room I'd walked out of. I couldn't bear it anymore. I didn't really want to do this, but I didn't want any of them to die because of me. I turned away and balled my fists.
I broke into a run as I headed towards my room. I'd made my decision. I couldn't stay here any longer. While they'd all been hospitable towards me, I couldn't stay any more. I ran into my room and grabbed a nearby bag. I shoved what I could in there and hastily scrawled a note, giving no clues to my whereabouts. Anyway, they'd be able to sense me. They'd come for me and demand to know why I'd left. And I'd tell them. But until that day came, I would keep looking for that creature.
The creature that cut my leg open and put me in hospital.
Hopefully I'd be able to find that black haired man who'd called Eighteen his sister. Maybe then I'd get some answers as to why he'd been here the day I'd made the isolation chamber.
I opened the window and jumped onto the windowsill, slinging the bag on my shoulders as I did so. I looked towards my door, and sighed once before jumping. I landed on the grass with a soft thump, and ran as fast as I could. I stopped once to look behind me, but nobody seemed to have noticed that I'd left… yet. I supressed my power to a low five, and then continued to run.
I ran through the busy streets, pushing people out of my way when I could. Some people seemed to sense that I wanted out, and simply moved out of my way. I saw someone following my movements, and I stopped briefly, just to look at them with a cold glare. They seemed to notice that they'd been spotted, and quickly averted their gaze. I continued running. There had to be a way out.
Finally I reached the edge of the city, and without thinking I ran onto a busy road, not caring if people crashed. I stumbled as a truck honked its horn at me, but simply flipped the bird to it as it passed. It didn't stop, even though the driver looked absolutely mortified. I didn't care.
Soon, I was away from busy streets and people, and I slowed my pace. I'd always preferred the emptiness of fields and forests, and I exhaled deeply as I walked down a beaten path. It seemed as if a person had walked this way very recently, and I looked around cautiously as I slowed my steps. I didn't feel like running into anyone but that black haired man. I wanted to ask him something.
Like how the hell he'd broken in without any of us detecting him.
Surely he had to have an energy signal. That meant that Kakarot or someone would have been able to sense him… Unless he was dead. Then there was no energy to sense. But when I'd seen him, he'd been very much alive. I couldn't fathom how any of this was possible as I walked. I came to a halt as I saw a little wooden shack, just off the path. I frowned. This had to be the place where the person had come. I sniffed the air. Thanks to my Saiyan nose, I was able to pick up traces of scents that shouldn't really be in a forest. Gunpowder. Metal. I even smelt human, but it smelt wrong. I wrinkled my nose as I walked towards the cottage. As I hopped up to the door, I stopped and frowned. Then I knocked. It wasn't a pissy 'ooh, I'm so scared!' knock, either. Honestly, whoever was inside probably thought I was trying to beat the door down or something.
The door opened then, and I wasn't entirely surprised when a black haired man with pale blue eyes looked up at me. He smiled a dangerous half smile, but I was in no mood for his games.
"Well, what brings you here?" he asked, smirking. I growled.
"I want to know something. That day you broke in to Capsule Corporation. How is it that not even my brother sensed you?" I hissed through gritted teeth. He stared at me as if I was stupid. Anger coursed through me. "I. Want. An. Answer," I growled. The Eighteen look-alike flinched and took a step back. I growled again, this time taking a step forward. This guy should've known not to mess with an angry Saiyan…
"I don't have an energy level," he said simply, after a few moments. I stopped. The only way that was possible was if he was dead!
"You're lying to me." It was an automatic reaction, based off what I'd been tod my entire life. Those with an energy signal are living. Those without are dead.
"I'm not. I'm an android, just like Eighteen," he said, seemingly confused that I didn't know. I took a few steps back, utterly horrified. An android? Eighteen and this guy? But androids couldn't have children… and Eighteen had a happy healthy daughter!
"Wha… How… Huh?" I stuttered, confused. Eighteen's brother laughed.
"My name is Seventeen. Your name is… Raditz, correct?" he asked, after squinting at me. All I could do was mutely nod my head. I was terribly shocked.
"I also want to ask you if you've seen a hideous, grotesque-looking monster with huge teeth and claws around. I'm looking for it," I said when I could finally speak. Seventeen looked at me with his pale, icy eyes, and I shuddered. He shook his head and turned from me. For a minute, I thought he wasn't going to answer me. Then he turned his head ever so slightly, so I could just see one of icy eyes looking at me.
"Don't waste your life. Go home."
I felt like laughing. Go home? I didn't have a home. My entire planet had been destroyed, and I'd just run away from the only place that I had on this planet.
"I don't really have anything better to do. I don't have a home," I explained. Seventeen sighed and walked inside his house, but not before giving me one piece of advice.
"Prepare to die painfully, then."