Chapter 26: The Beginning of the End

Even going into the fight, Goku knew he'd have a challenge on his hands. This would be the most gruelling battle he'd ever take part in, and yet despite reminding himself constantly of that, it did nothing to prepare him.

Around smooth pillars of primary colours Goku was thrown, barely able to get the upper hand for more than a few moments before Alpha Vegeta turned the tables. Every time the prince took flight his body was aflame with a robe of darkness, his once vivid energy waves polluted with the mark of evil.

Having experienced it many times before, Goku could safely confirm that Vegeta's Royal Assault technique had gotten far more powerful in the last three years. Every ki-enhanced blow was a mallet, tenderising the saiyan's diamond-hard body as though it were an overripe fruit with each attack.

Three minutes into the battle and Goku was already exhausted; a great chunk of his energy was devoted purely to staying alive and what reserves he utilised for offense were wasted in the dragon's shadow. With Alpha's strength Vegeta was simply a notch up in every area – his energy potency, strength, speed and tactics bested the saiyan's at every turn, and any clever tricks Goku pulled out were transparent to the piercing eyes of Porunga.

Once, Goku found himself on the winning side for long enough to give him hope. After tasting blood in his mouth, he decided to match Vegeta's incoming kick with a punch of his own, gaining a lucky reprise when his longer reach permitted his attack to land first. He was as surprised as anyone else to win the exchange.

Not letting it go to waste, Goku met the face of his old rival with the brightest and most luminous Dragon Fist he had to offer. The golden visage of Shenron tunnelled Vegeta through countless breaking stalks of farspace goo before exploding in spectacular fashion at the end of its reach, dooming a stretch of the void to smoke and eternal nothingness.

Over the course of his fighting career the saiyan found that most of his enemies tended to either laugh or erupt into a fit of rage whenever he made a comeback. Alpha Vegeta did neither.

When the mist capered away he stood there still, slouched back with both hands forming a pillow for his head. A vague snigger was traceable, like he was mildly amused and truly cared little for whatever just happened.

Upon seeing this Goku's eyes grew wide in dread; even with charging time, there was little he could do beyond that much power. All that energy, and the total extent of his damage only amounted to some light scorching. Alpha's attacks were different; he wasn't exactly gentle with them, yet at the same time Goku could tell he was trying to avoid exerting himself too much. Even his half-hearted efforts never failed to colour the saiyan in purple and red.

If he unleashed everything at once Goku favoured his chances. At his current strength Alpha bested him by a margin, but a surprise attack using the saiyan's trump card would probably be enough to see him into oblivion. Goku, however, knew it would be foolish.

Alpha was just so calm, so smug and so confident for his current position. He had to be hiding something; otherwise such self-assurance would be mistaken. With the way he swaggered about, Goku felt he might have just been shown the tip of the iceberg. Vegeta's energy was simply his way of gathering firewood. The flames hadn't even been lit yet – the true Alpha still hadn't emerged, and yet still there was such a gap in strength between them.

As the battle wore on Goku finally began to get used to the pace of his opponent. He was still slower, but the longer the saiyan fought the more accustomed he grew to higher levels of power. The pair continued for a time; twin comets of orange and blue ricocheted across the web of farspace, each clash giving a thunderclap that shattered the nearby canes.

Normal eyes wouldn't see anything, only destruction and a few flashes. The speeds of a maxed-out Super Saiyan 5 were such that a pair of them could crash together, trade a dozen punches apiece and then fly apart for another run faster than the human eye could register.

Fortunately Goku's spectators were quite far from normal. As blue and orange bounced to and fro, laying waste to the net of colour in their wake, they were suddenly joined by a blood-coloured burst of red energy. The pair hopped away from it and landed simultaneously atop different shapes in the void. The red fighter touched down too, turning down the volume on his aura to put his features on display.

"Raditz!" cried Goku. Boyish joy filled him as for a brief moment he allowed himself to forget all pain. His brother was back, and to top it all off the elder had gone and ascended to a Super Saiyan 5. The prospect of fusion occurred to Goku, although without any of Popo's special elixir the phenomenon would last but a few moments. It mattered little; what counted was that Raditz was here, the ally and brother he hadn't seen face to face for three years.

"Hey Goku," he replied, looking up towards their foe. "It looks like I'm too late. I wanted to warn you about this."

"You knew?" Goku asked.

Raditz looked solemn as he nodded. "Yeah. But at least I can tell you this much; it isn't too late for him. We can still save him – he wouldn't let Alpha kill me."

Goku nodded back, his brow creasing as he fell back into a serious persona. "I figured as much. Vegeta's too stubborn to be controlled forever."

"Pfft-HAHAHA!"

Bemused looks crossed both brothers as they glanced back to Vegeta. He'd been trying so hard to contain a laugh that the thing burst from him like an explosion. With tears in his eyes the Dragon of Pride had to use the yellow column of the farspace stalk to hold himself up. He then doubled over, clutching his stomach as he collapsed to both knees, laughing in hysteria as if a joke kept coming back to him.

Goku and Raditz looked to one another. The same thought crossed their minds: that Vegeta would be beside himself with rage if he saw someone using his body to behave so undignified. Alpha began literally rolling about on the surface in a fit of giggles, a sight which, in Vegeta's body, almost made Goku crack a smile.

"Care to explain what's funny?" Raditz demanded.

"It's you – you saiyans! You're so pathetic! I mean look at you!"

Raditz bared his fangs in a snarl at being mocked, but Alpha carried on chuckling until his fit subsided.

"There really are no straws you won't clutch to! Hehh, if you knew what Vegeta has been through you wouldn't have a hope left. That little act of defiance was a whole week ago, but right now he's in far too deep to be saved. He's been stuck in nothingness for. . . Hell, even I don't know how many years it's been."

"Yeah, Hyperion said the same thing." Raditz grinned slyly. "Well, my father always said I was a slow learner."

As Alpha took amusement in the saiyan's quip Goku noticed something amiss. The transformation wasn't the only thing different about Raditz; the second thing he noticed was the unsightly scar covering most of his brother's chest. Goku winced upon seeing it.

"Are you sure you should be fighting?" he asked. Telling a saiyan warrior to take it easy in a battle was amongst the most insulting things one could do, although Goku hardly cared for his race's tradition – his brother was wounded recently, that much was clear.

"Oh, this?" Raditz looked down and shrugged it off. "It's nothing. Doesn't hurt that much anymore, but I guess that's the price I paid for giving Frieza a second dose of saiyan vengeance."

"You got to fight Frieza?" cried Goku.

"Yup."

"Man. . ." Goku shook his head and looked to his boots in lament. "I beat him, Future Trunks beat him, and now you beat him! Vegeta won't be happy when he finds out he didn't get a shot."

"We might as well send Bulma after him the next time he comes back."

"Now that would annoy him."

If Alpha enjoyed one thing it was being at the centre of attention. Intercepting calls, addressing the nation, showing off his strength, destroying planets; he used any method he could to inspire fear and awe in his opponents. Being ignored then, was not something the dragon took kindly to. The idea that these two saiyans could be so offhand in the face of his strength annoyed him to no end.

Alpha Vegeta burst from the ground so fast that neither saiyan saw his feet leave the ground. In an instant he'd crossed the void of farspace, leading with a gut-busting fist that drove fountains of spittle from Raditz as the saiyan pitched forward, eyes spinning to their sockets in a momentary loss of consciousness. Sensing the danger, Goku's fingers tapped to his forehead.

The saiyan vanished, moving as only particles of light in a rush invisible to even the most powerful saiyan. The Instant Transmission had never failed him; it had been his trademark teleportation method since the day he learned it on Yardrat, and in all that time not a single adversary – not Omega or even Chronus – had been able to develop an effective counterattack.

At the hands of Alpha Vegeta though, the Instant Transmission was no match.

In one moment Goku was streaming in a haze of colours and warp-lines, and in the next he found himself back to normal, seized by the neck and held aloft by Vegeta's dextrous hand. It tightened around his throat, giving him barely enough time to register what just happened.

"Ahhhh, the Instant Transmission, capable of propelling the user at the speed of light," said Alpha. "A useful technique for sure – unless of course, your opponent can move faster than that."

If Goku hadn't experienced it for himself he never would've believed it, but the iron grip around his neck was proof enough. Alpha had actually caught him in the middle of an Instant Transmission – he'd plucked him out of the sky as easy as catching flies. In a single display of power, one of his most prized attacks was made useless.

Struggling under the pressure, Goku cast a sideways glance to catch Raditz, still reeled over at the force of Alpha's punch. In a few seconds he'd recover, but it would take less than that for Alpha to snap his neck. The saiyan flailed about, kicking and punching at random to release the lock. When that didn't work he tried to pry Vegeta's fingers from his neck, yet the prince's clutch was an immovable vice.

Just when Goku began to charge a Kamehameha wave, hope came from the heavens. Another fighter intervened, his aura of white and gold commanding the spectrum as he launched into the fray. Alpha Vegeta saw it and matched with his free tail, though at least the ensuing shockwave sent Goku and Raditz to safe distances.

After another burst of power Goku found himself in exactly the same stalemate position as before, only with a fourth fighter joining them. In a skewed diamond shape they each stood at ten metres apart atop separate surfaces – within range for any kind of attack. Goku stopped to inspect the newcomer.

"Hyperion! Long time no see!"

The old god gave a brief acknowledgement of the saiyan's presence as he continued to stare down his foe. A slow, drawn-out scraping noise filled the void as Hyperion freed his claymore from its scabbard, a decorated instrument of giant proportions as shiny and regal as his armour.

"What took you so long? Did I leave you behind?" joked Raditz.

"I merely lay in wait for the opportunity," said the man. Just as always, Hyperion's archaic speech made Goku pause for a few moments, just to translate it in his head.

"I hope you're not trying to kill him. I told you, that's Vegeta's body. You might not think we can save him but I do."

"I never said he couldn't be saved," Hyperion answered, running a hand down the length of his blade. "I just said he won't hear your voices."

"Oooh," whistled Alpha, cocking his head and sneering. It seemed he understood something Goku and Raditz didn't. "I know what you're trying to do now. Think you can reach me do you?"

"I know it."

Goku looked back and forth for a few moments before shrugging and resuming his stance. Three against one and the odds were now in their favour. Alpha may have been strong, but Raditz and Hyperion seemed to have gotten more powerful as well. It didn't take an expert to see it; their combined energy was almost his and a half.

Yet in spite of that knowledge Alpha remained cool, a staunch look of smugness plastered over Vegeta's face like a bad caricature.

Almost without thinking Goku took off, letting instinct take over. The golden impression of a dragon erupted from his fist, engulfing a walkway of red and blue as Alpha took flight. From evading he was met by Raditz. The dark-aura Super Saiyan intercepted, dishing out every new trick mastered within some kind of new Kaio-Ken.

Whatever it was, Goku thought it looked impressive. Wave after wave of fists left blurry afterimages in their wake, raining down upon Vegeta like a tirade of scarlet hellfire. After every blow was a loud thump, and as he finished hitting nothing but a mirage Raditz reared up his leg for a final attempt. When his foot reached the peak of its climb however, the shroud of energy fled him like a cloud carved apart.

"You're really not all that proficient with that technique yet are you?" Alpha sniggered.

After seeing the terror in Raditz's face Alpha Vegeta brought back a fist and smacked a giant haymaker to the cheek of his opponent. He then turned, folded his arms and hopped up just a few feet to ensure the lunging Hyperion soared right under him. In the chaos Raditz was nearly impaled, the old god's sword beaming a golden shine right by his side.

"You trying to kill me?" cried Raditz.

The saiyan's sentence was barely over when a boot careered into each of the cluttered fighters. With a two-footed kick Alpha slammed into both simultaneously, pouring out a world of pain before swirling in time to bat aside Goku's Dragon Kamehameha. The saiyan stopped, eyes bulging; he could've sworn Alpha was defenceless.

"Damn it!" Raditz swore as he pushed himself up. He dusted a flaky lump of blue from his stainless outfit. "This isn't getting us anywhere!"

Just try and get me an opening. Goku looked around, confused by the sudden voice until he realised Hyperion was speaking inside his head.

Raditz spoke up. You got a plan old timer?

I do not have time enough to explain. Can you do it?

The two brothers traded looks, then after an eager nod, Goku replied, Sure.

Then go.

After one more glance of excitement the two took off. As a pair they swarmed Alpha with as much speed as their bodies could muster. Thousands of punches were thrown down as the two switched turns in synch with the other, showing their foe no quarter with which to attack.

Even under pressure Alpha moved flawlessly though. In such a short space of time he'd managed to master Vegeta's body as though he'd lived in it his entire life. The subtle nuances and rhythm in his movements echoed Vegeta's, playing everything to the strength of his energy and build for a perfect utilization.

He made dodging look easy, hair swaying as he bobbed back and forth. In the few instances that he needed to defend, Alpha's left arm snapped up to absorb all the damage – just like Vegeta did. No matter how hard they tried landing a clean blow seemed impossible. The two threw punch after punch without success, hoping desperately for a lucky shot.

In the end Goku spied a look from his foe that struck fear; Alpha grinned in malice, like he was in on some secret. Goku slowed his pace, convinced he was about to attack until Vegeta vanished into thin air, speed quicker than that of light.

In his place rushed Hyperion. The old god had lunged in from behind, seeing a chance and hoping to catch Alpha unawares with a single thrust of his glowing blade. When Alpha disappeared however, the trio clashed once more, only this time with far worse consequences.

A sudden sensation washed over Goku like he'd walked through a ghost. In reality the truth wasn't far off, for when the saiyan looked down he found the edge of Hyperion's sword rammed clean through his stomach, its tip protruding from the small of his back. He heard Raditz cry out as fear took over; could he really be killed like this? The fight had barely started and he was already decommissioned by friendly fire.

As usual though, Goku was slow on the uptake. A whole five seconds of trembling dread passed before he realised there was no pain. He felt queasy and nauseas at being stabbed, but there was no agony – no blood either.

Alpha's childish laughter filled the void. His ruse worked even better than he expected; as far as he was concerned he'd just taken out his greatest threat without having to lift a finger. He seemed to be having difficulty breathing over the hysteria, tears flooding his eyes as he pounded his chest in amusement.

Hyperion removed the blade, and almost immediately Goku drew himself back up to full height. There was no wound, and Raditz and Alpha seemed just as confused as he was.

"A holy sword like this could never cut someone noble such as Goku!" declared Hyperion, pointing it back towards his foe. He allowed a few moments to pass as Alpha's expression sobered, before adding calmly to Raditz, "It probably would have killed you though."

"Hey!"

"Ahhh, interesting," said Alpha, clearly in awe. "Oh well, you can't fault me for trying."

Hyperion said nothing as he narrowed his eyebrows to a glare. Even after their stroke of luck, one glance at the man told Goku that something still troubled him. He seemed confused – curious even. Something had definitely piqued his interest. It wasn't until Alpha got back into position that he decided to speak up.

"Goku, I can't believe I failed to see it before. I'm right am I not? Inside you – you've got-"

"-Yeah, but keep it down," said Goku. He waited for Hyperion to turn his way before elaborating. "He's not using everything either. We need to wait until he does."

The god gave a warm smile. "It seems I underestimated you yet again Goku. We may yet win this."

"Huh?" Raditz's eyes darted to and fro between his two companions. "Someone wanna fill me in?"

"Later, he's coming," said Goku.

One quick movement put the saiyan back on full alert. Alpha hadn't moved from his spot, but instead he'd assumed a pose Goku knew all too well. Both his wrists snapped together, his fingers curled to a claw-shape as red sparks bounced from the surface of Vegeta's gloves. An energy ball then bloomed to life in his palms, an angry red and in danger of bursting with all the raw ki gushing from it.

"Oh, crap. . ." muttered Raditz.

It appeared as if only Hyperion had never seen this attack before. In seeing that both saiyans adopted defensive postures however, he decided to drop into one of his own.

The power radiating from Vegeta's hands became enormous; Goku thought he'd never felt anything that big, even the Universal Spirit Bomb he'd mustered up three years ago didn't compare. Such levels of power he once thought impossible, yet Vegeta's strength in addition to a Dragon Ball made it frighteningly real.

"CRIMSON!" he roared, "OBLIVION!"

In a matter of clicks the overwhelming force of Vegeta's attack bore down upon them like a tsunami. Goku held out his hands, as did Raditz and Hyperion, yet the sheer power of it still almost knocked all three of them from their feet.

It took everything to push back as the heat from the crimson beam scalded one side of the saiyan. Beside him he could see Hyperion barely holding his own end, his sword quavering under the pressure.

If he didn't act Goku feared the technique would consume them; light pooled across farspace and lit up half his body, subjecting him to a new sensation of suffering like no other. He'd received a Crimson Oblivion before, but nothing like this one. Goku was on the verge of using it when in the end another saiyan decide to bail them out.

"Kanzen Kaio-Ken Times Two!"

Scarlet power struck the lighter shade of crimson as Raditz brought out a Double Kaio-Ken. In one blow he knocked away the static attack, his strength momentarily exceeding Goku's own, if only for a few seconds. Once the beam dissipated into nothingness his armour of ki wore off. He clutched his side, wincing, no doubt experiencing the strain of his new power.

"That technique is too powerful for you," said Hyperion plainly.

"I GOT US OUT OF THERE DIDN'T I?"

Fortunately the bickering of the duo didn't last long at all, as their argument was cut short by Alpha flying into the fray. An instinctual swipe from Raditz was knocked aside and a tail lashing across his face interrupted Goku before he could even attack. Hyperion got the worst of it; after missing three slashes of his claymore Alpha rewarded his efforts by showcasing Vegeta's Royal Assault.

After twenty ki-shrouded punches found the god's abdomen Alpha ducked at precisely the right moment to allow the two intercepting saiyans to slam into each other.

Goku had to hand it to him: Alpha was a genius when it came to fighting. Despite being outmatched in terms of power against the three of them combined, he knew exactly how to move in order to turn their own strength against them. Even without Raditz and Hyperion's questionable teamwork Goku had no doubt that he'd still have the upper hand, and worst of all he made it look easy.

The next time he disappeared from view the three fighters regrouped and found him lounging leisurely against a yellow support structure of farspace. His eyes were closed and he appeared serene, enjoying the moment like a chef savouring the taste of his food.

"Mmm, I really have to hand it to your friends, that was clever, what they did with the Earth and all," he noted, barely paying attention to his trio of threats. "Transporting everyone to safety – good move, good move. In fact it was so crafty I just had to let them get away with it, after all I only promised to destroy the Earth, not humanity. We're all friends here, and I'm a man of my word. I don't really care to be honest; at least I'll have more of an audience."

Goku froze; did Alpha know something he didn't? What was he talking about? "You destroyed the Earth?" he checked. As he spoke his fists tightened so much that his nails began to draw blood.

Alpha winked open one eye. "You didn't know? HA! Man, you really are slow aren't you? It amazes me how every one of my Shadow Dragons managed to lose to you people at some point – twice actually!"

"Just like you will. I'm glad the people are safe but. . . You'll pay for destroying the Earth," Goku promised. Alpha's eye gleamed and his smile widened; he knew as well as Goku did that without any active Dragon Balls to speak of, the planet could not be restored. Shenron's power was limited at the moment. It would take him decades to gather up the energy for such a feat.

"Oh don't bother; your heroic speeches make me feel sick."

The saiyan ground his teeth together. The time for talk was over – no amount of words could stop this battle from escalating.

In a reckless move Goku charged his foe solo. Raditz had to struggle to keep up with the immense speeds at which his brother flew, yet in the aftermath of Goku's miss his own attack landed a glancing blow across Vegeta's shoulder. Snarling, Alpha seized the saiyan and hurtled him through space.

When Hyperion's turn came to attack he fared little better. A hair's breadth separated his sword and a vital point as Alpha swung back his body, wheeling back to land a solid heel to the man's chin. Blue light devoured the clearing as Goku's sudden Dragon Kamehameha hit nothing but the mismatched shapes of deep space. Alpha danced around the attack with ease, at the same time putting himself in an ideal position to send a blast Goku's way.

Small yet potent, Alpha's globe of a harsh green light struck the saiyan's furred abdomen. He careered backward through pillar after pillar of assorted colours, his stomach ablaze with pain and his lungs flattened by the impact. It took everything he had to maintain his transformation.

Fortunately Raditz intervened before Alpha could deliver a finishing blow. The chaotic rage of his aura suggested he'd once again dipped into his reserves for a Double Kaio-Ken, but even that granted him only a single blow before Alpha retaliated in force.

After sending Raditz flying the dragon turned once more to the sight of the old god. Like a blade of grass in the wind he leaned away from each swipe of the man's greatsword, although his strength surprised even Goku when he held out his palm to the fifth slash.

Without a hint of recoil Alpha caught the sword with his right hand. It glowed, rife with energy as his bare skin gripped its naked edge. He smiled at the sight of Hyperion's expression shifting to one of fear, then without a second thought his left hand flew out to the man's face.

He clutched Hyperion's head in one hand, thumb and middle finger threatening to crush each temple like a grape. Through the gaps in his fingers Alpha took joy at the look of terror etched onto his opponent. No matter how hard he tried, Hyperion couldn't move a muscle.

Goku had barely recovered and Raditz was even worse. The saiyan then realised with a start that no matter how fast they moved, they couldn't reach Hyperion in time. Goku screamed something unintelligible as concentrated light poured from Vegeta's right hand, and an instant later his technique detonated.

The space before him – Hyperion included – was incinerated, leaving behind little more than dust and ashes. In just one move he'd destroyed one of their most valuable assets. Whatever secret plan Hyperion harboured, it died with him, the only remnant of his legacy being the two-handed sword that span lazily toward the depths of farspace.

One attack? Considered Goku. Hyperion had all the strength of a Super Saiyan 5; for Alpha to annihilate him so easily spelled more trouble than he initially realised.

"You idiot!" cried Raditz, pounding the wall he'd crashed into in fury. "You just had to go and get yourself killed!"

"Awww, don't feel bad for him, I'm sure he's in a better place now," Alpha mocked.

"Why you-"

"-Raditz!" Shockingly, this time it was Goku who excelled at keeping his emotions in check. He'd fought enough times to see this before; they couldn't afford to rush. If Raditz charged Alpha in his wrath then he'd only add one more name to the fallen martyrs. "You can't beat him alone!" he went on.

Raditz stopped in mid-flight, cast his foe a look of hatred, then landed beside his brother. He was itching to get out and fight – Goku could see it all over his face – but it wouldn't do if he got both of them killed. In truth Goku had been craving the moment he'd get to play his own hand, and fortunately, that time was finally close at hand.

"Well that takes care of him. Now I can enjoy playing with you two. Honestly, he was such a stick in the mud," Alpha spat, another grin tracing his lips. "I think a celebration is in order – hmm, how about I treat you two to another glimpse of what I've got in store for you?"

The dragon didn't wait for a reply before his shadowed aura sprang to life again. Space began to rumble around them; fragments of farspace cracked under the pressure, Raditz almost lost his balance and Goku remained stoic as Alpha's power began to shoot up.

Through the volcanic surge of darkness a bright, circular light appeared atop Alpha's sternum, starting out small before growing to life. Seconds later Goku had to duck as another ball of golden radiance whizzed over his head, joining the first by rooting itself in the defined chest of the saiyan prince. Another followed shortly after from the same direction. It took a fourth before Raditz realised what they were.

"Goku, are those Dragon Balls?" he asked.

The saiyan nodded. "I figured this would happen. Omega Shenron did the exact same thing when we fought him years ago. It only makes sense that Alpha would try the same thing. He's gathering all seven – he'll be stronger than before."

"We don't stand a chance!" said Raditz.

"Just take some time to recover. I want to try and fight him by myself."

"EH?"

Goku didn't waste time replying; his actions would do that for him. Instead he took off towards the raging hurricane of wanton negative energy. As a fifth Dragon Ball merged with Alpha he released the shroud of power encasing him, showing off Vegeta's defiled likeness. Five golden globes protruded from his chest, each decorated with a different number of bronze stars.

"You don't look scared Goku!" he remarked, his eyes wild with mania. "Your own energy doesn't hold a candle to mine now, but I suppose it's that saiyan blood of yours. You don't see your death do you? You only see a bigger challenge. That's what I love about you!"

A sixth Dragon Ball slammed into Alpha Vegeta, causing his power to shoot up once again. Even in the face of such overbearing energy Goku never flinched. He heard Raditz shout something behind him. His brother must've thought him crazy – perhaps he was. There was only one way to find out.

"You shouldn't be so confident Alpha. . ." he said at last, barely above a whisper. "You might just regret it."

"What are you babbling on about now?" As the final namekian Dragon Ball zoomed in over the horizon Vegeta assimilated it in an instant. With all seven poking from his chest Alpha's strength had doubled, and already he'd made a mockery of Goku, Raditz and Hyperion. What hope did the saiyan think he had alone?

There was no stopping the dragon now; Goku had a feeling that Alpha wasn't the only one who believed that. Raditz was stricken with uncertainty, and every other living Z-Fighter would surely be able to sense such an overwhelming force pervading the edge of space. But Goku knew something they didn't – something he'd kept to himself for three and a half years.

"After all," Goku continued, taking a wide stance as he prepared to go all out. "You're not the only one with a set of Dragon Balls!"

"Huh?"

Goku answered with a roar that shook the already-decimated corner of farspace as his aura danced about him. The four electrical pillars of his Super Saiyan 5 suddenly thickened, charging into overdrive and spinning in place as his surrounding veil of wildfire grew in intensity. Light radiated from his body, this time golden, shining so brightly that even a blinded Raditz had to avert his gaze.

Goku's scream became so loud that he feared Chi-Chi might hear it back home, and so drawn out that his lungs felt about to burst. It was a painful process, and happened slowly, but sure enough after he'd ravaged his vocal chords for a time he felt a strange pull from his chest.

The four-starred ball came first, acting as the centrepiece for the others that surrounded it in a hexagon. Before long all seven of Earth's Dragon Balls were visible across his chest, and with them, his power grew once more. He'd been entrusted with these long ago, but only now did he have the means to use them - and the incentive.

"Ahhhh," cooed Alpha, apparently unfazed by the development. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for Raditz; the saiyan went nearly pure white as Alpha continued, "And here I thought Earth's Dragon Balls were inactive."

"Shenron bestowed them to me three years ago, right after we defeated Omega."

"B-but Goku!" said Raditz, suddenly asking the obvious. "If you had those all this time, why didn't you use them against Chronus?"

"The Dragon Balls have been slowly gathering positive energy since I received them. When we fought Chronus, I only had them for six months, and I used most of that energy to return to an age where I could fight."

"What do you mean?" demanded Alpha. "'Gathering positive energy'? What rubbish, where did they get it from? It doesn't just grow out of nothing."

Goku smiled at the question. If this whole affair proved something, it was that Vegeta seemed to utilise negative energy – he grew stronger from it and generated it from his pride. Goku had, and always would be, his polar opposite. "They've been getting it from me," he revealed.

.

Author's Notes: And you all thought I'd forgotten about that little twist at GT's end! Bah, I forget nothing. The basic idea is that the Dragon Balls have been sapping a tiny slither of his energy every day since he received them. Built up over a long period of time, he can now utilise them to power up in a crisis. Pretty cool huh? In truth I wanted to use them last saga, but like he said, six months isn't that much time - it wasn't really conceivable that they'd give him such a boost.

I actually sort of envision that to a certain extent, every major player in the series either operates using positive or negative energy. Fighters like Vegeta, Piccolo and Gohan (especially Gohan) use negative energy; whereas others like Goku, Novus and Trunks use positive energy. Interestingly enough I also imagine Raditz uses positive, implying that Hyperion's little jab about how his sword would 'probably kill him' was completely and utterly false.

Obligatory NOOOOO! Hyperion is dea- hang on, does anyone really care? Hyperion was always a douche. Waaaay too far up his own arse. Still, I did enjoy writing him and Raditz banter in this chapter, even if I think Raditz would batter him. Hell, I like writing all four of these characters, Alpha in particular.

Lastly there was just something I wanted to pick up on – a bit of trivia if you like: in the narrative of this chapter it mentions that Alpha uses Vegeta's fighting style, an example being that he lets his left arm absorb all the damage. This is actually something in the series (anime more so than the manga).

From the beginning of the Android Saga right up to the end of the show, almost all the damage Vegeta takes is focused on his left arm. It's probably just a coincidence in the animation department, but I always liked to think it's a quirk of his fighting style – that he directs all the damage there so the rest of him can stay alive and keep fighting. It seems like a very Vegeta thing to do.

I've been super ill lately but I hope the quality of this chapter makes up for my lateness. Regardless, I want this to be the new standard for future chapters. Until then, see ya!