Footsteps echoed through the brightly illuminated hallway. The short martial-artist apologized as he bumped into a nurse. He wore a big smile on his face as he moved forward. After four days of being stuck in here, he was finally able to leave the hospital. Before he left the building, he decided to pay a visit to his best friend. On his way to the room, he noticed a familiar voice calling his name. He halted and turned around, only to see the former desert bandit waving at him.
"Hey, Krillin! You got released as well, huh?"
He responded with a nod and continued to walk together with his friend. "Yeah. I just came from the doctor's office and figured out to pay a visit to Goku and others." The bald warrior moved to the left and allowed the person in a wheelchair to pass by.
It seemed like both of them thought the same thing. "Me too. After all, we're leaving in five days and I'm thinking of working out in the meantime. Do you want to join me? I could use a sparring partner." Yamcha stirred his black pupils down as they walked.
Krillin remained silent for a couple of seconds, thinking about the offer. "Hmm, sure! I was just thinking about that the other day. We need to be prepared for anything on planet Namek..." Sweat slid down his cheek as the image of the Saiyan prince flashed before his eyes.
Yamcha couldn't agree more. They needed to be mentally and physically prepared for it. With Vegeta and this Freeza guy on planet Namek, who knows what kind of danger awaits them. His hands shook nervously just thinking about them, but he tried his best to hide it from the others. The long-haired martial artist suddenly gazed forward when he heard a loud shriek coming from the room.
"What was that!?"
The two martial artists rushed in there. After Yamcha opened the door, Krillin jumped in there, only to be confused. "Master Roshi, what's going on here?" He approached the old turtle hermit and whispered.
He received no answer from the old man. Confused, he glanced at Yamcha but the scar-faced martial artists didn't know as well. They tried to get some explanation, but it wasn't needed. The two were terrified when Chi-Chi's loud voice echoed inside the room.
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about!? You don't need to do these kinds of stuff! What about your studies!? You're going to fall behind, again! Gohan, you're just a little child! "
No one dared to say a word. Everyone was quiet until the unexpected happened. "Shut up!" His childish but powerful voice shocked everyone, even Raditz and Piccolo.
While Chi-Chi was lost and shaking, the little boy tried to explain himself. "Mom right now isn't the time to talk about this! We need to bring back everyone who protected the Earth! I can fight too. I want to help..." His voice was filled with determination as he stared at the white sheets, feeling bad for yelling at his mother.
Seeing his son express himself so strongly, Goku couldn't but feel proud. "Chi-Chi, I know this isn't what you wanted, but Gohan's stronger than you think. Besides, he'll have Krillin and Yamcha by his side until we get there." The wild-haired warrior tried to ease up the situation the best he could.
"Y-Yeah, Goku's right! Krillin and I'll watch over him!"
Chi-Chi didn't like it one bit and turned to her father for some support. In the meantime, the long-haired Saiyan was staring at his nephew. Just when did the little crybaby grow up? Did he miss something or just didn't pay attention? Completely unaware, a smirk appeared on his wrapped face. However, he knew better than anyone how dangerous this mission was going to be.
"Anyway, where's the woman? I don't want to explain things twice."
Upon hearing his grumpy voice, the group turned toward the immobilized warrior. "Well, she's not going to come. She's having her hands full with Kami's spaceship and with the other for you guys." The explanation came from Yamcha who almost forgot to tell them that.
"Phew, good thing Mr. Popo figured out there was a space ship we could use. This way, we have a chance!"
He shot a glare in the old man's direction. "A very slim chance..." The moment he said, the mood changed. "Listen, I couldn't care less what happens to any of you. But, since we have a common enemy I'll help." He couldn't but grin when he saw their expressions.
"First and most important thing, don't even think about challenging Vegeta or Freeza's soldiers! If you want to survive, hide and lay low until an opportunity to find a dragon ball present itself."
Yamcha and Krillin instantly agreed. Neither of the two wanted to fight Vegeta or Freeza for that matter. "Second, when you get a chance and find a dragon ball, hide it and retreat to a safe place. Without all of them, Freeza and Vegeta won't be able to get their wish. It should buy you some time until we get there." Or at least he hoped so.
It seemed like a good plan. "Okay, but couldn't we ask the Namekians to help us? King Kai did say they're nice and peaceful people." Krillin glanced at Yamcha and the others for their thoughts, however, Raditz's shout shattered that.
He couldn't believe the naivety of these people. "Moron! Even if you did ask for their help, it wouldn't change a thing! Against Freeza and his top soldiers, they stand no chance even if you brought an entire army!" The Saiyan wanted to smack the bald fool for even suggesting that.
"B-But, we can't let them fight those bad guys on their own. T-They'll die if we..."
Gohan didn't even dare to finish the sentence when he felt a murderous intent aimed at him. "Don't make me repeat myself, boy! If you don't wish to die, you'll follow my advice and maybe even survive to get back here and study." The little boy shook his head and weakly nodded.
Just like his son, Son Goku didn't like the idea of letting innocent people get killed. However, he understood what his older brother was saying. Despite trying to seem like a cold and selfish person, he wanted to believe that Raditz cared about them in some way. Besides, his brother was the only person here who knew with what kind of people they were dealing with. And he was grateful to the older Saiyan for agreeing to help out.
"Don't worry, Gohan! We'll think of something after we deal with everything."
Upon hearing his father's voice, Gohan's face lit up with hope. The young boy smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you're right dad!" Gohan was at ease now. The dark thoughts from before vanished.
Meanwhile, Piccolo just glared at the long-haired Saiyan. "Not counting Vegeta and Freeza, who are the soldiers they should watch out for? You said there were warriors stronger than Vegeta." Everyone gazed in his direction when he said that.
Raditz closed his eyes and released a sigh. It took him some time to explain and describe the soldiers' appearances. Everyone remained silent as the warrior laid down the rest of the plan.
0oo0
Finally, there was some peace. He got tired from explaining everything to them, twice. They just couldn't grasp how dangerous this entire ordeal was going to be. Even he had some doubts, but now it was too late to have regrets. The gears were set in motion. With a brand new ship and a gravity simulator, they might come out of there alive. It all depended on them. If Gohan and the earthlings managed to find one ball and hide from Freeza and Vegeta, their chances were good. He could only hope that Freeza cared about getting the wish so much that he wouldn't dare destroy the planet.
Raditz let out a long-held breath and opened his eyes. Just who would have thought something like this could happen to him. Not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine going not only against Vegeta but Freeza of all people as well. It was a death wish, a fool's errand. However, when he saw the progress his younger brother made, maybe it wasn't impossible. It sparked something inside of him. A desire to surpass all of them. Force the people who mocked and looked down on him for years acknowledge him as the strongest warrior.
It wasn't going to be easy, but he didn't care. He experienced all kinds of harsh and violent things during his life, so training under a strong gravity pressure wasn't going to scare him. If anything, he couldn't wait to start the training. His entire body trembled, excited by the thought of gaining new strength. Sure, he would be forced to share the space ship with his brother and Namekian, but it was a small price to pay. After all, he could use them to improve himself.
A chuckle escaped from his throat as he imagined that. He shifted his eyes to the left and stared at Kakarot. The poor fool wasn't even aware he was simply using him. After he finished this task, beating the younger Saiyan was next on his list. Slowly, he stirred his dark orbs to the opposite side. The moonlight crept through the curtains. He observed the calm-looking Namekian but he knew better. Over these past few months, he noticed the warrior wasn't sleeping at all.
Just as he was about to turn his head away, a voice startled him. "Would you stop staring? It's annoying!" A smirk appeared on his face when he heard that.
The Saiyan turned away, but not without saying something. "You didn't talk much during the meeting. I'm curious to know your thoughts." Raditz glanced at Piccolo for a moment as he waited for an answer.
Piccolo simply stared at the dark ceiling. "Humph, there's nothing left to say. You covered all the potential threats and laid down a well-thought plan. Now, it all depends on them." He had some doubts but there was nothing they could do until they recovered.
Raditz narrowed his eyes, he knew there was something else bugging the green warrior. "But? Something is bothering you." He released a soft chuckle when he heard a low growl from Piccolo.
"What are you up to? I know you're not doing this because you care... So, what are you trying to achieve by going to Namek?"
As always, the Namekian was very astute. "Well, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just trying to get stronger and kill those bastards... Good night, Piccolo." The long-haired warrior closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.
Piccolo frowned at the given statement. He stared at the Saiyan for a couple of minutes before he shifted his eyes elsewhere. The reincarnation of the Demon King Piccolo stared at the moon on the dark sky. He would never tell this to anyone, but he was worried. His thoughts were focused on Gohan and how was the little child going to fare out there. Piccolo tried not to think too much about it, however, there was something else. He didn't know why, but he felt a weird sensation within his body. Just the thought of getting on planet Namek and met his kind for the first time was strange.
0oo0
The warm sunlight shined upon the rich land. It was a nice and peaceful day until a loud yelling scared off the animals. A fast-moving shadow moved through the forest. The thing tried to avoid the trees and attacks from behind. Once the light was cast upon him, Krillin jumped from the branch. While in the air, he fired a ki blast, hoping it would stop the following orb. The two orbs collided and exploded. Krillin protected his face, however, he could sense him approaching.
Yamcha emerged from the smoke and lunged at his sparring partner with a fist. Their fists met and from there they continued to fight. Both of them wore a serious, focused look in their eyes. They exchanged blows as they began to run. Neither of the two showed signs of giving up.
Krillin ducked after he noticed a kick coming his way. From below, he tried to surprise the former bandit, but Yamcha jumped in time. The bald martial artist didn't allow his friend to put some distance between them. He increased his speed and surprised Yamcha by appearing behind. Krillin's kick slammed against Yamcha's back, sending the taller warrior to the ground.
The long-haired martial artist groaned, but he didn't have time to doze off. Acting quickly, he shook his head and immediately rose on his feet. By sliding to the side, he dodged a fist. From there, he struck Krillin with a knee to the chin. A smirk appeared on his face, pleased with that. However, he soon regretted that.
Krillin recuperated from that and flipped backward. The moment his feet touched the solid ground, Krillin vanished. His friend concentrated and swiftly spun, but Yamcha's leg only pierced an image. The scar-faced martial artist quickly turned to the side and punched another image. Yamcha repeated the same thing several times, until he realized it was a trap.
His sensed danger, but too late. He stirred his pupils up, but only to feel a strong punch crash into his face. Yamcha was forced to take several steps back, but Krillin wasn't going to allow him to recover. Before he could blink, he was shot with hooks and a kick to the abdomen. Exhausted, he dropped on his knees and gestured to his sparring partner that it was enough.
He needed a break as well. "Woah, I'm out of breath... Let's take a break, I'm tired." Krillin sat on the ground and leaned against the tree. "Are you alright?" He glanced at his friend who lied down.
It was painful, he could feel his entire body burn. "Y-Yeah, just give me a minute or two." Despite the pain, he removed the weighted shirt and armbands. "Man, we've been going at it for three days... Do you think it's going to help us?" He was worried about the trip to Namek with each passing day.
Krillin was thinking about that as well. "Well, if we stick to Raditz's plan we should be alright. As much as I don't like going out there without Goku, it's something we must do." After all, Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu were their friends and waiting for them.
"I guess. Haha, even Gohan's coming with us. That kid's just like his dad."
Both of them couldn't but smile. "Yeah. Which is why we must get focused! Sneak, grab a dragon ball and wait for Goku and the others to get to Namek. With our energies concealed, their scouters won't be able to pick us up." That was the only way they could fool Freeza and Vegeta.
Yamcha didn't respond but he agreed. With all the information they had about their enemies, this shouldn't be that hard. He thought about some things, mostly about Namek, Tenshinhan and Bulma, but he snapped back to reality when he heard Krillin talk.
"I just don't know if we should trust Raditz that much..."
The long-haired martial artist glanced and Krillin. "I know he helped against the Saiyans and all, but I'm not sure if he's truly on our side." Yamcha thought about it for a few seconds.
"Well, I guess you're right. But he does seem to have a strong grudge against Vegeta and that entire organization. Maybe he's slowly turning around, just look at Piccolo! That guy also helped and took care of Gohan!"
Krillin tilted his head to the side, still having a tough time with that. "Hmm, I don't know... Bah, we'll see after this whole thing's over." He shook his head and tried to forget about it.
The short martial artist rose and cracked his knuckles while he moved his head around. "I'll start with some push-ups. Are you going to get up or what?" He smirked when he saw the look on Yamcha's face.
"Of course! Don't underestimate me, Krillin!"
0oo0
Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, Bulma just woke up from her sleep. After taking a shower, she dressed in her usual working clothes and went down. She worked hard during these past weeks and it was almost time. There were only a few things to adjust and fix before their ship was ready for departure. While she was tired from all the work and sleepless nights, she couldn't but feel the excitement brewing.
She walked into the kitchen and immediately grasped her favorite cup. While she poured hot coffee in it, her father and mother walked in. Her mother already had breakfast ready to which she was grateful. She didn't have any time to waste. Before she left for planet Namek, she wanted to help her father with the other ship. While she knew the man could do it on its own, she didn't want him to overwork himself.
"Bulma, honey, you should take a break. After all, you're leaving in two days."
The beautiful genius gazed at her mother and simply dismissed that. "Can't do, mom. There're still some parts to adjust and things to translate from Namekian language. Don't worry, I'll have plenty of time to relax during our trip." Just thinking about exploring the unknown was very exciting.
She ate the toast fast, just so she could get in the hangar and continue her work. This whole thing depended on her skills and she was going to show them just how good she was at it. The best in the whole world. A smirk appeared on her face as she rose from the chair. She picked up the cup and swallowed the last piece.
Before she left her parents, Bulma spoke to her father. "I'll start ahead of you dad! Just call everyone to get to work!" Her father didn't even have a chance to respond because she was gone.
Bulma marched out of her huge house and walked toward the first hangar. The weather was perfect, it matched her mood. She was confident everything would be done today. As she stood in front of the hangar, she opened it and walked inside. The lights automatically came to life and illuminated the ship. She took a sip as she observed the thing. Unlike before, it was clean and without a single scratch. She was proud of her work. However, she also had great assistants so it was easy to work.
She climbed on board and placed the cup on the floor. After she sat on a strange-looking chair, Bulma picked up the notes and began updating the translations. Thanks to Mr. Popo it wasn't as hard as she initially thought. The genie was of great help and if it weren't for him, they would never get a chance to leave planet Earth in such a short time.
"Let's see... The command for launch should be this."
Bulma typed the command into the device and added a few more. There was only a couple left to put in. While she was doing that, she wondered what was planet Namek like. She was curious and couldn't wait to see it. However, she was well aware of the danger ahead. It frightened her, but she would have Yamcha, Krillin, and Gohan by her side. And Raditz's plan actually didn't sound that bad. They could do this, she was sure of it.
And that's the end of the new chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one, even though it's a bit shorter compared to the rest. Thank you all for the reviews and follow! As always I apologize for the poor grammar.
Since there are some questions regarding the story, I'll answer the reviews here:
super mystic gohan - Thanks and I'm still glad you're interested in this story.
C. E. W - Well, luckily they had Kami's ship, right? Anyway, there's a harsh battle in front of them and it's going to be tough for some to survive it. In the next chapter, almost all the important figures are heading to Namek. As for Nappa... Thanks for the reviews!
Biku-sensei-sez-meow - Wow, thank you for such kind words. I'm glad you like this fanfiction so much. Maybe you give me too much credit since I know my grammar isn't that good, but as long as you and other readers don't have trouble reading it, I'm happy. Yes, Raditz is often forgotten but I think there's a lot of fanfiction out here with the same storyline... However, I appreciate your support!
DBZ reviewer - Well, I always wanted to see a fight between the Oozarus so that's why I wrote it here. There's going to be some slight changes compared to the original, and yes, I plan to keep Yamcha, Krillin, Tenshinhan maybe even Roshi in action. As for Chi Chi, for now, I didn't think about anything regarding her as a fighter, but maybe, I'm not sure. Nappa... Thanks for the review!
