Prologue : Gemini Saga Eclipse
A/N: Greetings, or welcome back to those who have already read this story, and are just now reading the prologue. :) I have at last begun the story the 'right' way, even though it's out of order. I feel like all prologues should be written in post, right? After all, we don't always know exactly how things are going to go, no matter how we plot out our ending.
That is to say, don't be surprised when you read this story and it doesn't at all happen according to Canon storytelling. Let's begin, shall we?
4 years ago
Raditz grimaced, adjusting his bracer anxiously as he knelt on one knee. He was in the throne room, prostrated before Lord Frieza and his henchmen. Vegeta and Nappa were bowing in the same fashion on either side of him. Even with their titles, they still remained below everyone else in the room.
"Good evening, Your Grace. How may we serve you today?" Raditz intoned respectfully, showing his brow to them with a small bow; a traditional show of subservience in Saiyan tradition. There was no greeting back.
"You may serve Lord Frieza by listening well and good to what he has to tell you for he will only tell you once. You three are assigned to go to whatever planet he requires your presence on, to whatever end whether or not it ails you. Correct?"
"Understood, Elite Officer Zarbon." The three chanted in unison.
"Good, now perk up those ears and listen to me." Frieza announced, taking back the attention of the room. "Today, you are to travel to Planet Lystraya. It is an unconquered treasure trove of Zynïthe-Caharadit¹ Truffles, or brown gold – rare delicacies that cost a fortune," the Galactic Emperor informed them, swirling the wine around in his crystal highball glass. The two muscle bound grunts beside him stood at either flank as trophies of his great influence.
"The savage Lupines inhabiting the planet do not listen to reason. They have no need for material gain, nor are they smart enough to understand how a trade mission would benefit them. These Lupines are imbeciles at best to foolishly choose to ignore my requests. They are an uncivilized, primitive society; they have no use, nor a monetary system for economic growth. Herbivore mongrels." He paced as he said this, his long, segmented pink tail slithering across the floor before the saiyans.
They looked between each other with baffled glances, Raditz nodding in confirmation. He knew for a fact the Lupines were vegetarians, and in effect, non-violent. Frieza continued his speech, licking his lips after taking another sip of wine.
"Because they've chosen to be so stubborn, I am to assume I have no choice but to plunder their planet. The cost may come at the expense of many lives, but the rewards will be very desirable. It matters not how you accomplish this task as long as the truffles go untarnished." He finished, and turned himself about to look out the window. Raditz's eyes widened, and he glanced to Nappa, who in turn looked at Vegeta and saw him gritting his teeth in frustration.
"My Lord, when do you expect us back?" Vegeta asked, tamping down his rage as did the others. Each knew the danger they were dealing with and saw it as a death sentence. Frieza hummed to himself, taking a long sip from his wine as Dodoria and Zarbon side stepped to block their view of the small tyrant.
"Dodoria, would you be so kind?" He asked, and the pink skinned alien nodded, walking over towards the saiyans, then walking behind them as they still remained prone on the floor. His heavy boots thudded as he walked over their recumbent tails, each one flinching back as his heavy footfalls echoed throughout the circumference of the oblong ship.
"The length of time is inconsequential. Knowing your penchant for tardiness, we have decided to give you all a sort of… survival test. You saiyan monkeys are quite resilient. I'm sure you're wondering how you'll match up to a planet of Lupines that transform at the full moon just like you?" Dodoria questioned; knowing that as saiyans, they instinctively hated to turn down a challenge, and they nodded slightly.
Frieza tapped his black claw tips on the window, gazing down at the vast blackness of space below, before looking back at them in his reflection, with a cloying voice that hissed.
"Yes...though the truffles are precious, they grow even more valuable with time. Once their planet is eliminated from existence, what we'll have are rare artifacts from an extinct planet, and they shall be all mine. Return the Zynïthe-Caharadit Truffles unscathed, that's all I ask of you. A full scale purge. I want not one whimpering mongrel left, understood?"
"Understood," was their unanimous answer.
I never thought I'd set foot on this god-forsaken planet again…
The familiar landscape Raditz had seen as a child was now before him, the tall, grey mycelium trees, the black tar lake. He recalled it from when he was just a young pup, and there had been an attack staged on Castle Vegeta by the Lupines. He had been taken by Borgos and Shugesh to be safe on a neutral planet, which was this planet. The reason why they were there then was something that he hadn't fully understood when he was just a little runt...
Raditz curled up in the pod, wondering where he was being sent. Borgos and Shugesh said a neutral planet, but not which one. He didn't know if Kakarot's pod would land near his, would he find him? What about his mother and father, were they still back there, fighting? All these questions would be answered very soon, as Raditz gasped, seeing a massive planet looming before him.
Its marbled surface was made up of light green and milky grey, swirled with black. Raditz placed his hands on the ruby glass, his breath making beads of condensation form.
Soon, the pod landed at last, landing in a thick, white alien substance that sucked the pod slightly in, before slowly releasing it from its soft interior. Raditz felt an overwhelming amount of stillness as the pod hatch door opened with a hiss, and he felt the warm air blowing in, tickling at his skin as if to encourage him.
He gripped the edges of the concave ship and pulled himself up, then stepped out carefully. As he did, he bounced slightly–to his surprise. Raditz walked across the soft, malleable ground, then looked back at the ship. He frowned, then resumed his path. He had to find Kakarot. He rubbed his nose, sniffling a bit from the large, bluish spores that floated slowly down from massive white trees, stretching up high into the cloudy green sky, with grey spiky leaves fluttering on the languid breeze. Planet Lystraya. ²
There was a loud crunch of aching bones, and a deep groan coming from behind him that made Raditz startle from his reminiscing, seeing Nappa stretching out his back and neck after being cramped from sitting curled up in his tiny pod. Beside him, Vegeta stood observing his surroundings, arms crossed as he focused on the readings showing up in his red scouter lense.
Raditz approached them, his hands on his hips. "Well, it hasn't really changed one bit. I was here as a brat… I can lead the way towards the Lupine's fortress." He said, gesturing which way he believed it to be from memory. Nappa nodded and began walking towards that direction with him, but Vegeta stopped them.
"There's much larger power readings in the lake over there. I say we should start there." He said, pointing at the surface of the black tar lake. Raditz laughed, muffling it with one hand. He knew there to be giant water krakens here, they were a challenge as a child, but as an adult he supposed they wouldn't be much of an effort for Vegeta.
"Why don't you check over there? We'll head this way." Raditz responded, and Vegeta nodded in agreement, taking off.
Nappa turned to him and grumbled, eyeing the woods before him with a clear dislike for what he knew was in them.
"I suppose that means we start by clearing the dens." Raditz said bitterly, staring off into that direction. He faintly wondered if the lupine girl, Yuhi he had befriended as a child was still living there. If she was…he would have to kill her.
Raditz's fist clenched as he recalled the first time he'd met Yuhi.
"What's your name? Mine's Yuhi."
"My... my name is Raditz." He answered, sitting back farther as she padded towards him, and sniffed.
"You smell familiar. But... you also smell like blood." She said curiously, and he stuttered to answer.
"I-I just ate a whole den of rabbits. That's all." He said, lying. The Lupine grinned in a non-threatening way, and dug in the bank with her paw.
"Truffles. This Planet has a wealth of nutritious fungus on it. Did the elders not teach you?" She said, and nudged the truffle towards him.
"Um.. yes. I was just craving rabbit today. I like meat, don't you?"
"Ew, no way. I'm like, a vegetarian." She said, and licked her paw haughtily. Raditz got the mushroom down, grimacing.
"But, yeah.. We do need meat for our diet, or else we wouldn't have these sharp fangs. My mom and pop are always trying to get me to eat it.
"Well, come on, Raditz. The moon is out, we should go home to the den before it's too late." She said, and Raditz avoided looking up at it, knowing what happened when a saiyan looked at the moon.
"Uhh.. Ok." He said, and followed her down the trail. ³
"...Why here? Why on Lystraya, where the Lupines mean no harm to anyone?" Raditz growled aloud, and Nappa shrugged, flying up a bit to ascertain the population hidden within the trees.
"Because they have something Frieza wants, and what he wants, he gets." He said lowly, covering the speaker of his scouter with one hand.
"Yeah? Well, we'll be lucky to make it out of here alive." Raditz spat, then flew to join him, bitterly beginning his mission.
4 Years Later
The forests of Mount Paozu were lush with greenery, which shook from the powerful winds blowing leaves into the stark blue sky above the treetops. Rivers and streams burbled with activity, dragonflies landing on the surface, then buzzing away before being swallowed up by the freshwater fish thriving in the rolling depths. Chi-Chi hummed an energizing tune as she hiked with a walking stick to help her up the great hills and down the crooked paths of the forest. The wind blew back her raven locks and she held her straw hat to keep it from blowing away, shading her fair complexion from the bright sunlight as she walked in and out of the shade. The large rucksack she hauled on her back was meant for storing herbs in, the pronged pike she used as a walking stick to dig up roots, as well as emergency protection against predators.
Currently, she was on the hunt for such things, her sharp eyes scanning the landscape as she continued her journey. While she was out gathering herbs and wild roots to grind into seasoning and medicine, Goku was in charge of Gohan, and she trusted her husband to take care of him. For five years they had been wedded, and not once had she known Goku to tell a lie, as long as he knew the truth. Chi-Chi's eyes lit up, and she gasped, seeing a large patch of blackberry bushes. She hurried down the path happily, a small pouch ready to begin picking blackberries. Should I make muffins, or a pie maybe? I suppose it depends on how many I can pick… Chi-Chi pondered as she began to pick them, popping one in her mouth to sample the flavor. It was just the right amount of sweet, with a tart punch at the end. Perfect for muffins, she concluded, and continued to pick her berries.
Soon, the bag was beginning to swell, but she wasn't finished yet, so she took out another bag, and began to fill it. Chi-Chi knew it was always a good idea to have a backup, for in the case Goku or Gohan snatched the berries up before she could cook them. She smiled and brushed aside the leaves, leaning in on one leg to grab a large blackberry that was just so juicy and ripe she was sure it was about to fall off the vine.
Just as Chi-Chi's fingers clasped around the berry the ground beneath her gave and became slippery. Chi-Chi gasped as the ground became concave, and large chunks of dirt and vines snaked through the earth in gaping openings that hadn't been there before. A giant crack ran past her feet down to the center of a crater where a white object was wedged in the center, too large to fall through.
"No..." Chi-Chi uttered, shaking her head, then backpedaled, her eyes wide with fright as the entire section of berries fell away, and she tottered at the edge of the precipice. She began to turn to run away, then felt her ankle give, rolling the tendon with a shrill scream as she felt her feet leave solid ground, and she fell down the slope. Chi-Chi cried out for Goku as she dug her fingers into the soil, grabbing stray roots and grass, but the angle was much too steep, and the roots slipped out of her hands.
"Heeelp! Gokuuuu!" Chi-Chi cried out in terror, wishing at that moment she was able to fly like he could. The sky wheeled overhead as she scrambled to keep her body from whirling around, her feet before her as she dropped, closing her eyes in preparation for the long fall down the ravine that was sure to be a rough landing, riddled with agonizing pain. At last she landed, the wind rushing out of her as Chi-Chi's back arched with multiple crunches, and she screamed out again in pain.
"Chi-Chi!" Goku cried, flying over the hill with Gohan riding on his back, worry written clearly on his face. He and Gohan had been on the other side of the mountain fishing when he heard Chi-Chi's cry pierce through his mind and send a chill through him.
"I'm here, Chi-Chi, don't worry!" He said hurriedly, and quickly flew over her, picking her up gingerly from where she'd broken her fall on a large white ball, the herbs and wild parsnips filling her rucksack all crushed and broken now after cushioning her fall.
Goku deposited her carefully on level ground, afraid to cause her any more harm.
"How did this happen? I had a funny feeling you were in trouble and came right away." Goku spoke softly with concern, removing the pack from her back so that he could assess her wounds.
"I was… walking down the path picking berries when I slipped and fell.. but I landed on something." Chi-Chi panted, Goku pulling the back of her shirt back down after seeing no blood or visible injury.
Goku and she turned their heads to see what was blocking the sheer drop off: a large, white object was wedged in the ravine where the blackberry bushes had been concealing it and the sunlight fell, along with her husband's familiar silhouette that made Chi-Chi sigh in relief.
"That thing stopped me from falling farther down, thankfully." She responded then sat up, rubbing her back with both hands, wincing. She'd be icing it later, that was for sure, but she had been worse for wear.
Goku let Gohan off his back, and the little child ran to her, hugging her tightly with tears budding from his eyes.
"Mommy, I was scared! You were hurt real bad?" He whimpered, but Chi-Chi shook her head.
"I'm alright, sweetie. It's ok." She soothed, hugging him. Goku walked towards the edge of the crater and mused with a thoughtful hum. His heart beat quicker for some odd reason as he examined the impact, resolving that it must have made a crash landing.
"I'm going to get a better look at that thing." He said to her before stepping down, and Chi-Chi gasped.
"Goku! Watch your step. It's slippery down there." She warned, and he nodded. As she was staring down from above it, she could now see the clear ring that was an indication that whatever that thing was, it had made a dent in the earth around it.
"Mom, berries!" Gohan enthused, reaching up to grab the bunch hanging from her hand. Chi-Chi leaned down to pluck them off the vine for him, as Goku stared down ahead.
"You two stay here." He said sternly, then stepped down into the concave, looking around and seeing where the earth had weakened from the impact, making large gaps in the ground where dirt was pouring down.
"Ah, ah, slow down! You'll ruin your dinner." Chi-Chi said gently as Gohan put a red berry juice-stained hand back in the sack then popped it in his mouth. She laughed, brushing his hair back from his brow, before peeking over her shoulder to see what Goku had found.
He had decided the ground was too unsafe to walk on and had floated over to where he was positioned now, hovering over the large, white object. He cleared away the remaining vines and took a deep breath upon seeing what he somehow knew was a ship. Goku felt an odd cold chill go through him as he touched it, feeling the divots and scratches, his fingers grazing over the scars that had been filled in with moss and dirt over time. He brushed away a thick layer of dirt to reveal a crimson window, where as the sun filtered in, he could see the interior, untouched by the elements.
Kakarot.
A rustle of leaves whispered to him, and he glanced anxiously to the side.
"Goku, what is it?" Chi-Chi called down to him, and he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.
"Uh, I dunno. Some type of spaceship, maybe?" He guessed, shrugging. He truly didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about the thing.
"A spaceship? Grab it! It could be worth something!" She said eagerly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. Goku nodded, and looked back down at it, floating down a bit so that he could fit his arms around it.
"Hey, would you look at that? There's a little number on it. Number 276." He said, then felt another cold chill going down his spine as he did.
Number 276, come in. The rustling leaves whispered to him once again, and he turned quickly, an ache beginning in his forehead. Goku placed a hand on his brow and winced, his old head injury acting up. He glanced down at the cracks of darkness that were beginning to grow larger by the minute, and he swore he saw stars flickering at the deepest pit. Goku grew pensive as he pondered the possibility that the Darkness he had gone into as a child could possibly exist out here, in the real world. He'd never thought to ask Korin where he found it. Maybe it was just water down there, the sun hitting it just right.
"Goku?!" Chi-Chi shouted, having already said his name ten times now.
He snapped out of the trance he was in and scooped up the ship as quickly as he could, pulling it away from the ground and snapping the vines that had grown to be entangled around it. He landed beside them on solid ground, then hefted Gohan and Chi-Chi up on his other arm just as the ground behind him fell, the earth dropping into the deep sinkhole.
Goku flew away from it just in time, looking back to see where the earth had opened up and letting go of a deep breath. He turned to look at Chi-Chi and kissed her brow where a small line was creased with worry on her forehead.
"Don't worry, Chi. I know just what to do. Wait 'til Bulma gets a look at this!"
Once green and bright, Planet Lystraya now was a grey and black planet, Frieza's crimson gaze observed from space. Camera monitors lined a wall above him in the bubble-like dome that was Frieza's favorite observation window to stand and look out at the galaxies whilst keeping tabs on his soldiers. At the moment, the cameras were filled with bloodshed, as all three of the Saiyans swarmed around a behemoth of a creature that looked much like their Oozaru form.
Frieza smiled and sipped from his wine glass, his tail swaying along the floor contentedly. He was rather pleased with his Saiyan team; they had impressed him greatly with their strength and survival skills. They had indeed succeeded on their recovery mission as well, digging up a gold mine of Truffles from the blood soaked earth once they were done. As he observed them strategically taking down the gargantuan werewolf-like creature, he almost felt giddy with his excitement, knowing they would be returning to base soon.
"Zarbon! Come in here immediately!" Frieza shouted over the scouter chatter, as the Saiyans reconvened over the body.
"Is this the last one?"
"Yeah. I'm not getting any other readings."
"Coming momentarily, Sire!" He called back, hesitating to take off just yet from where he had been called for assistance to investigate a strange reading. Captain Raep explained to him the situation, zooming in on a green and blue planet.
"We got a distress ping from this Planet… Planet Ee-arth? It's not worth much, the inhabitants here are just low level bipeds."
"A distress ping? From what, a ship?" Zarbon murmured, leaning down to observe what the Captain was typing in on the console.
"It's odd… Ship... 276? Gotta be an old model for sure by the number."
"What's more important than my demands, Zarbon? What's that about a distress signal?" Frieza interrupted rudely, switching channels on his monitoring system to see what was in Zarbon's lense, at the same time he was still watching the saiyans.
"It's, ah…" Zarbon began to explain, but Frieza's attention was caught by what he overheard Raditz saying to his monkey brethren.
Nappa and Vegeta turned to him; Raditz had gained their attention now with what he had to say.
"You know, we almost would have died here on this planet if it were not for the healing and hunger staving capabilities of these Truffles." He gestured, a brown truffle in his hand as he brought it to his mouth and took a bite out of it, the others doing the same.
"Yeah, we'd all be dead now if not for them, no wonder they're worth such a fortune." Nappa nodded, tossing the entire truffle in his mouth.
"It was a suicide mission, we may as well admit it. He was trying to kill us." Vegeta snarled, tossing his half eaten one to the ground. "How many days and nights were we reduced to hiding in the shadows in fright? We were greatly outnumbered. The three of us even in our Oozaru forms were barely enough against them." He spat angrily, tossing his scouter to the ground so that static came over Frieza's screen.
"I don't doubt it, Your Majesty. If there were only more of us, then maybe we'd stand a chance against Frieza's army." Nappa supplied, Frieza observing from his ship with a smug smile. He was unphased by the saiyan's threats, knowing it was all just monkey jabber, and that he had done away with the saiyan race already.
"Wait… Listen. I just remembered something…." Raditz began, his hands gripping his hair at the roots, blocking part of the camera just as Zarbon walked back in with the Captain.
"There are more of us. My younger brother, Kakarot. He was sent far away to a neutral planet in the North Galaxy. In one of the last messages I received from my mother, she told me how Bardock sent him away."
"Do you think he's still alive?" Nappa shouted, storming closer to stare at Raditz. Vegeta shook his head, doubtful.
"If he's still alive, wouldn't you think he would have destroyed it and come back by now?"
"You're right… It is certainly odd." Raditz said softly, and all three saiyans were silent a moment as they pondered this.
"The planet he was stationed on is called Earth. It's not too far from here, less than a year's journey." Raditz supplied carefully, taking off his scouter as he talked, covering the microphone. Frieza's other monitors blinked out as the saiyans all turned their scouters off to discuss it further, static going over the screens as an angered scream was heard.
"They think they can fool me? Overtake me?! After all I have done for them?!" Frieza screeched angrily, tossing his wine glass, it shattering on the floor.
"Wait, your Highness. Perhaps we could use this information to our advantage." Zarbon said slyly, picking up a fresh glass and pouring wine for himself, Frieza and the Captain.
"If that ship and the one his younger brother was sent in are the same…" Captain Raep began, curling his clawed green digits around the crystal stem.
"Then… that means that Kakarot is calling for help, that he could perhaps be… alive." Zarbon gasped, Frieza taking his fresh glass and smiling into it as he drank.
"Well, then. The saiyans aren't as clever as they thought. Tonight, when they return, we shall throw a grand welcoming back party for them. Pretend we know nothing of the sort about their conspiracy. We shall celebrate their great battle prowess and nothing else. Then, by morning come, we will give Raditz, Nappa and Vegeta all their new orders. Raditz will be the one to go on the rescue mission and recruit Kakarot into our troops." Frieza said in a low, curdling voice, his eyes matching the shimmering, blood like quality of the burgundy wine. He smiled, and the others did as well, before looking back down at the planet just as it exploded.
"Well, that's the signal. Let's be sure to not let them know of our intentions. Tonight, we celebrate!"
Annotations
1: Caharadit is a play on Caharadas, a location in Middle Earth. J.R.R Tolkien is one of my writing idols. Reading The Hobbit when I was 11yrs old ignited my passion to read.
2,3: Excerpts from A Runt Named Raditz
Chapter 1
A/N: Welcome to the first fanfiction I've ever written! This will hopefully be a continuing series, beginning with the Saga of the Geminis. Even though this is AU, my story will touch upon similar points in the series, and go by Sagas. The prequel is currently being written in post, if you're interested check out A Runt Named Raditz. Feel free to read in whatever order desired.
Mature Content Warning: Graphic depictions of violence, language, and sexually suggestive content, mentioning and implying non-consentual sex. Don't like it? Don't read it, but keep the nasty comments to yourself.
I do not own Dragon Ball Z, nor any of its wonderful characters. It's all thanks to Akira Toriyama that we have been blessed by his gem of a story. Without further ado, I give you my alternate twist on a tale that we all know and love.
Update 3/31/20 : This has been Beta Read by the lovely MariIvyFenta! I'm so glad to have her spend her time on this to help make my story better for you all! Please give her some love, her works How it Happened and When Her Scent Changed are two of my personal favorites!
Update Oct 2021: This story is undergoing edits before its completion. Each chapter will be polished and I will attempt to remove all grammatical errors. If anything is changed in the story, I'll be sure to alter all future chapters to match, but overall, there should be little difference.
The massive, elliptical space shuttle spun slowly through the vacuum of space - its white, glossy paint reflecting the many colors of the nebula. Each golden porthole window was luminous with the radiance of the stars passing over its glass in fleeting streaks of light. The Imperial Army's home base for all of Lord Frieza's operations loomed before the long, cold darkness of space, a beacon of impending destruction before all of the Galaxies in the known Universe.
An alien female with slick, blue skin traced lazy circles on a broad chest covered in wiry black hairs with a long webbed finger, admiring the Saiyan hunk with her glowing yellow eyes. He had brought her to his chambers late last evening after the celebratory party Frieza had thrown for Raditz and his fellow saiyans, who had purged her once beautiful planet in just a few minutes and many others after four long years of nonstop war with the Lupines, a species much like the Saiyans themselves that had been deemed a threat to Frieza.
No peace negotiations could convince him to stay his hand. The three Saiyan warriors were valued merely for their strength and nothing else, thus remaining the lowest and most underrated amongst Frieza's ranks. The one known as Raditz, who was at times too daring for his own good, took her as his reward to flaunt his achievement before Frieza, and to royally piss off Prince Vegeta. Frieza, in a good mood, enjoyed a laugh at the monkey prince's expense and allowed Raditz to board the frightened Saldonian girl; he found Vegeta's disgust at Raditz's taste in otherworldly females quite humorous.
"How pitiful, you would bed a creature with a genetic composition that is nearly identical to the worms beneath our feet!"
Vegeta had spat, grimacing in disgust, causing Frieza to cackle and entertain Raditz's new guest, calling for rounds of strong liquor for all of the nervous soldiers. They knew that a party thrown by Frieza normally consisted of making them fight whether they wanted to or not. There were copious amounts of alcohol and whores for everyone–which normally harbored nasty diseases or were simply too disgusting to bear. But of course, some poor soul would be their source of entertainment—If they made it through the torture games.
Raditz had had his fill of alcohol and vehemently refused any of the females Frieza provided, leaving the party sated with a belly of liquor and mind full of lust, which sometimes was hard to discern from bloodlust. He had slung his arm over the blue-skinned female and brought her back to his chambers for a long night of ecstasy with the strange Saiyan man.
Raditz stirred with a belch, rolling over to scratch his hairy, blue liquid covered abdomen, now dried. By throwing one heavy arm across the bed, he unknowingly threw the Saldonian slave girl onto the floor when he sat up to slug down the remainder of dark green liquor on the bedside stand and munch on the carcass of a large rotisserie bird.
With a grunt, Raditz jumped out of bed, accidentally crushing the poor lizard-like female before she could even screech in protest. He simply shrugged then wiped his feet across the carpet. He paused, hearing the telltale steps of a soldier at his door. Then, the buzz of the intercom.
"Just a moment, I'm not decent," He smirked, intending to flash the poor soldier, although, on second thought, if it was who he thought it was...
Raditz frowned and grabbed a soiled sheet, holding it loosely over his privates as the door swung open. Zarbon flinched at the bloody mess on the floor, holding one pale green hand over his nose to cover the stench of rutting, body odor, and gas released from her body when she was unfortunately squashed.
He gave a rather feminine cough, diverting his eyes from the mess on the floor and to Raditz, who smugly sneered. "Erm...Good morning, Lieutenant Raditz. I see you've enjoyed your spoils...Lord Frieza has given orders for you to fly to Earth at once to find your younger brother, Kakarot. We received a distress signal last night from Earth. He has been deemed either dead or has failed his original mission. Locate his shuttle and track him down at once. We expect your prompt report back and his return, alive. "
Raditz gave a curt nod and responded,
"Understood, Elite Officer Zarbon."
He turned to walk into the shower, tucking his tail just slightly between his legs to shield himself from the wandering eyes of his guest. Zarbon chuckled, his eyes not shying away to travel down past his unruly mane of umber-black hair and glance at his steel-hard glutes with a flick of his reptilian tongue on his lips before rolling his eyes and halting Raditz's progress.
"Also, your monkey brethren will not accompany you on this mission. They have already been sent to the North Galaxy to purge Planet Arlia. It's time we split up your little pack and you learned to fend for yourself. After all, you can't trail behind your Prince of All Nothing's coat skirts forever. Ta..ta~" He teased with a wink and promptly turned about, allowing the door to slam closed behind him.
Raditz snarled, lashing around and pulling down the blinds and crumbling them in his hands, allowing the darkness of space to seep in through the window. Wait, how did they know about Kakarot…? They must have been listening in on our scouter channels! He thought, agitated, but then smirked to himself. Frieza was playing right into their hands, then. It hadn't been planned for him to overhear, but now instead of sneaking off to retrieve his brother, he was being sent there on purpose. It was all almost too perfect.
Then the thought came to him about how Kakarot would react upon seeing him. Would he be… glad to see him or… would he not even remember him?
I don't need him, Raditz thought as he stared out the porthole window with a far-away gaze.
I don't need anyone.
He stormed away from the sight to swing open the bathroom door and step into the large shower, switching on the hot water and allowing it to slick his masses of spiked hair down flat to his sinewy back. Raditz shook his head, droplets of water spraying onto the shower tiles as he turned and the shower switched on its soap jets, which began spraying his hair with disinfecting foam and scrubbing it with small robotic hands, ridding himself of the salamander female's offensive scent.
Raditz wasn't picky about females; he liked all species, they all were good to him. Especially if it rubbed Vegeta in the wrong way. Although he found himself unsatisfied with the resulting intercourse; normally slaying them immediately afterward to prevent unwanted pregnancy, or being too drunk to care, they inevitably died from internal bleeding anyways, due to their vast differences in anatomy. It was hard to find a woman in space that could properly...take a saiyan's anatomy and survive, with so many different alien races and unique ways of breeding that simply did not match his. So, Raditz made do, as cruel as it seemed, it was just what he had become accustomed to, ridding himself of his urges to mate in the quickest way possible.
He washed his broad chest, staring blankly at the ceiling. He hadn't thought of his younger sibling Kakarot in ages, nor cared to, only remembering the small whining brat in brief before being sent far away to the North Galaxy, where when he landed, he immediately slaughtered the inhabitants of the pathetic planet in a violent spell of rage at the young age of seven.
He had ensured his survival in the only way he knew how: eating whatever prey in his way, whether humanoid or not and moving onto the next planet and to the next - conquering the outskirts of North Galaxy until he was in his 10th year, and his presence could no longer be ignored by Frieza's army.
His reign of destruction did not end when he met his Senior Officer Nappa, former General of the Saiyan army, who came and took him on his first official mission for Frieza, regrettably having to pass on the falsity that their planet had been destroyed by a meteor. Raditz had just nearly missed Bardock's sacrificial death and Frieza's subsequent destruction of Planet Vegeta.
Nappa taught him much about Saiyan culture and shared his vast experiences of purging and war with him and his younger partner, Prince Vegeta. Young Raditz was eager to be enlisted in the Lizard King's Empire. For the most part, he appeased him as much as possible, yet could never truly have the rare freedom from Frieza's undiscerning tail lashing him; because of the sole reason that he was a Saiyan. No matter what, the truth was that they were no more than slaves, working to no end for a lord that would carelessly dispose of them.
As Frieza liked to say, 'In the end, you're all just monkey trash, no better than the filthy apes you descended from.'
He was a proud soldier, nevertheless; until this very day. He remembered his home for the first time in over 25 years. His planet, his fond memories of his time there; the faint images of his mother Gine and his father Bardock were fleeting–hardly much to tell, as he seldom saw his father, having a strained relationship with him, and his mother commonly left him to the care of other Saiyan females.
There were very few precious times when he did remember them being altogether, as a family...
Raditz shut off the soaping mechanisms and twisted one of the mechanical hands backward until it snapped off and turned on the cold water. He had no home. No family. Not that he cared. He snorted, pushing the pathetic thoughts back down deep, to the dark recesses of his mind, as the soap swirled down the drain, so did those thoughts along with it. The icy water awoke his senses and numbed all those unnecessary feelings. He didn't need Vegeta, Nappa, or Kakarot. He only lived to kill, to see the next day and not care what, or who he left behind in his wake. There is no future left for the Saiyans, so why would I bother?
The misty waterfall stirred with a strong gust of wind, the meditative state that the Namekian man was in only slightly interrupted as he levitated down to the ground, looking up to the sky from his high mountainside peak and narrowing his eyes, closing them and sensing what he could from the universe.
Something is coming.
Piccolo snapped his eyes open, jerking his chin toward the beam of light streaking across the sky, and grinned.
Hmm, this could be an interesting challenge…
Kame House was in a state of utter disarray as a blue-haired girl scrambled to stir the vegetables frying on the stove, shake the pan of steaks sizzling, and spoon out great masses of white rice into towering bowls. Rice dappled her cheeks and pink fluffy apron that helped partially cover her black unitard; as Master Roshi had informed her, she must always wear her bunny ears and Playboy bunny costume while cooking and her French maid costume for cleaning. Launch sighed, wiping the perspiration from her brow, then dished out many portions for all the hungry fighters, adding an extra scoop to one with a faint flush of pink on her cheeks.
"Wow, Launch, I sure hope that tastes as good as it smells!" The short, bald one named Krillin announced innocently as he took his seat. Tien, Chaiotzu, and Yamcha all piled in, after a long day of training.
They trampled in here, without even wiping their boots! Launch quietly steamed to herself, putting on her demure expression as she set the many plates and bowls in front of the hungry warriors.
Master Roshi strolled in after a loud flush in the bathroom, sighing in satisfaction. He had a red flushed face and a slightly bloody nose, not even pausing to wash his most likely very filthy paws before ogling her backside and pinching the small fluffy tail. Launch shuddered, feeling a jolt of sheer disgust shoot up her back.
"What's cookin' good lookin!" He cackled, as he walked over to the stove to pluck a steak directly out of the pan. He then danced in pain as the hot meat burned his dirty fingers.
"Ouchiieeee ya ya!" Roshi screamed, dropping the steak on the floor and sucking on his throbbing red thumb.
Men are such stupid pigs! Oh, what am I thinking? Launch shook her head, just in time for Oolong and Turtle to walk in, and felt her ears burning as they left two sets of muddy animal footprints as they came to all sit at the table, Puar floating along behind them. She dished out more food until all but one measly bowl of rice was left for herself. Launch took her seat at the end of the table with a sigh, glad to finally rest her aching feet.
She stared blankly as rice went flying everywhere and pieces of steak and vegetables flew from their open mouths as they talked and laughed without even chewing. Launch plastered on a small shy smile and looked over to Tien, who was shoveling food in his mouth at an inhuman rate, allowing Chiaotzu to take a portion of his rice as they all chatted enthusiastically. She sighed, placing her chin dreamily in her hands as she watched the three-eyed, mysterious man, hoping perhaps he would compliment her cooking or glance her way even for a second with one of those dazzling eyes of his.
"Hi guys! Room for a few more?"
"Goku!?" Everyone clamored. This was the first they had seen of him in 5 years, and he had a 4-year-old son with him at that!
Oh no, not Goku. She hadn't forgotten about his voracious appetite. Launch squirmed, quickly scooping as much rice in her mouth as she could before the big oaf ate everything, including the table.
"Hi everyone, I'm glad to see you! This is my son, Gohan!"
Everyone talked excitedly for a while, some of the questions centered on where Goku's first travel companion, Bulma was and what she was up to. Bulma said she had to finish working on an important project of hers, and would catch up later if she could. Tien smiled at his old friend and handed him his second bowl of food.
"Here Goku, you can have mine. My stomach doesn't feel so good." He said, then groaned as his stomach burbled and the others followed suit, pushing away their food and holding their rumbling bellies. Goku plucked the bowl of rice from his hand and started devouring it.
"Don't tell Chi-Chi, but I just love your cooking, Launch! Beats me why it gives all these guys a bellyache, I feel fine!" He brightly enthused, patting young Gohan on his bright, Dragon Ball bejeweled cap.
"Here, take mine, Goku. I can't have another bite. I'd rather eat Bulma's cooking." Yamcha sneered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Yeah! Let's go see what Mrs. Briefs made for lunch!" Krillin said, handing little Gohan his bowl then standing up and running out the door with Yamcha in tow. That's just fine, less trouble for me. Launch thought innocently.
"Oh man, make way I gotta use it!" Oolong squealed and Puar hissed, fighting for the path to the bathroom, transforming into a ball of flying fists and knocking over the lampshade, shattering the lightbulb as they wrestled.
Launch let out an unladylike growl, then caught herself and put her hand over her red lips and giggled. I'll take care of it later. Besides, now's my chance!
She stood nervously and walked over to where Tien was sitting and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Oh, yeah what did you need, Launch?" He grunted, only looking at her a second and returning to rub his hard, sculpted abdomen to try and relieve the cramps. She giggled.
"I-I was just wondering if you'd like a cup of ginger tea, to soothe your stomach?" She said, trembling a little at the close proximity. Tien looked at her, then to Chiaotzu, who was on the floor moaning, and quickly crouched down to check on his strange little friend.
"That sounds good. Actually, can you make some for Chiaotzu too? I'm really worried about him." He said, not looking away from the even paler faced boy.
"Sure, Tien. I would love to!" Launch smiled and strolled back to the stove, heating up a kettle of water, inwardly jumping up and down at the tiny glance she earned from the handsome man. She blushed, pouring the water with a shaky hand into two cups for the boys.
"Say, Launch, maybe you could visit my wife Chi-Chi some time and take some cooking lessons from her. She's a great cook! Maybe we should go there for dinner!" Goku suggested, earning agreeing nods from the turtle and Roshi.
"That's a wonderful idea!" Launch said, setting down the teacups. She smiled and closed her eyes happily as they sipped the tea.
"Ouch! Too hot!" Tien shouted, spitting out his tea, then snatched the cup from Chiaotzu. "I don't want you to burn your mouth, Chiaoutzu, better skip it!" He said, patting his round head.
Launch gasped, then glared at the creepy boy, gritting her teeth as she secretly imagined popping off his little bobblehead.
Oh, goodness me! She shook her head clear of the naughty thoughts and gathered up the empty bowls, walking away to start doing dishes.
Another meal failed. She sighed, If only Tien had a stomach like Goku. Launch thought as she started running the hot, bubbly water for the dishes, then sniffled when a tiny bubble tickled her nose.
"Oops! Not again!" She said, then let out a dainty sneeze.
"Crap! Everybody run!" Oolong shouted, running away with toilet paper still trailing from his dirty hoof as they all scrambled to get away besides Goku, who sat at the table helping himself to everyone else's abandoned food.
Launch felt herself switch, startled out of her ditzy demeanor, her hair turning blonde, and eyes turning green as she looked down at her bunny costume.
"I'll get you, pervert!" She screamed, ripping off the pink apron, then running to grab her gun from the drawer where she had stashed it. Launch wildly sprayed bullets all over the kitchen, screaming obscenities as Goku deftly avoided them, catching the stray bullets in between his chopsticks, then returned to eating contentedly.
She snarled and barreled out the door in a huff, going after Roshi and shooting at all of them in her rage, until all that was left moving was their legs, pathetically twitching, the upper half of their bodies buried partially into the sand.
"Teaches you, ya jerks!" Launch laughed, then slung the automatic over her shoulder. She angrily looked down once again at her demeaning outfit, her tiny bowtie collar, chest popping obscenely out of the black one-piece that rode dangerously high on her hips, blue stockings and kitten heels with bunny tail puffs above the peep-toe.
I should go in and change...She thought, but not before hearing something rippling through the atmosphere at a high-speed velocity. She reloaded her rifle and grinned, ready to take on any challenge.
"Approximately 5 minutes to arrive on Planet Earth. Beginning animation sequence in 10, 9, 8…"
Raditz's eyes fluttered beneath his lids, sleeping fitfully after his 10-month journey from Frieza's ship. In that time, he was only able to dream in suspended animation, to allow himself to fantasize about whatever he wanted without fear of anyone knowing...
"You found a female Saiyan?" Prince Vegeta asked incredulously, flabbergasted as Raditz looked down to the lovely dark-haired female, with large, deep eyes and long eyelashes.
"Yes and I've already claimed her, she's mated to me." He said snidely, obnoxiously groping her breast. He felt amused at his Prince's astonishment, watching him go into a rage, with blood vessels popping in his eyes.
"I should kill you for your insolence! You're nothing but third-class scum, you had no right to claim the only viable Saiyan female able to produce my heir!" He screamed, shaking his fist.
"Don't worry, there's plenty of human females here to go around. They should be good enough to match your strength." He chuckled, turning away and stroking his mate's behind. Vegeta stood steaming, ready to kill him...
"7, 6, 5, 4…" The sound of the ship's countdown made him stir, chuckling in his sleep. "3, 2, 1, 0... Approaching Planet Earth. Reanimation in progress."
The stasis gas in the ship began to drain, the porthole releasing it with a hiss. The sphere-shaped ship rocketed through the sky, roaring in a thunderous peal. Launch clutched her rifle closer as Goku popped his head out the door, scratching his spiky head of erratic hair in confusion.
"Now landing on Planet Earth's surface." The automated female voice announced, "Analyzing planet's composition: Oxygen Rich. 71% Water. 29% Land. Inhabitants: Humanoid. Approximately 6.0 million. Gravity Density: 9.8"
The impact jarred Raditz awake, and his scouter lit up and began beeping as he gasped for breath. He lifted the hatch; steam billowed out and dissipated as Raditz swung one heavy leg out from the tiny ship and pulled himself free. The luminous blue lights of the concave ship illuminated his sharp-angled silhouette as he straightened his body to his full height of nearly seven feet, cracking his back and neck. He let out a satisfied grunt then opened his eyes to see a cluster of frightened Earthlings before him.
His green scouter flashed, showing the varying power levels, which ranged at the lowest of 3 for some floating feline. But as he turned his head to look around, he saw a number in the distance that didn't seem to be from any of the weak inhabitants in front of him.
"Hm...battle power... 408?" Raditz narrowed his eyes. "Come out, come out, Kakarot..." He teased, curling up his lip cruelly.
Piccolo snarled as he ducked behind the corner of the house, feeling the large alien's line of vision pass over him briefly.
I'm not joining that... mob of earthlings as if I'm a part of them... He cringed inwardly.
"Which one of you puny Earthlings is the strongest?" He growled, scanning over the multiple cringing forms, his ebony eyes settling on an attractive blonde with large black bunny ears jutting out of her head and a weapon pointed directly at him. Blonde...?
He awed, fascinated by the color only Super Saiyans of legend were said to have. She greeted his glare unflinchingly with a hard stare, smirking attractively.
"Come at me, bucko. I dare ya." Raditz's eyes sparked with the idea of a challenge, raking over her scantily clad form greedily. He grinned, intending to saunter over to the female. A three-eyed man stepped in front of her, challenging him with his glare.
Three eyes!? Why do I feel as if I've seen such a thing before? Raditz was momentarily puzzled, trying to search his mind for the memory that was fuzzy as if he'd blacked it out completely.
No matter. Only a battle power of 389, nothing to worry about.
Then, a slightly shorter man than him stepped forward, scratching his head.
"Battle power of 416. That's an improvement at least. Sure doesn't have an intimidating air about him, though…" Raditz muttered, a finger rubbing his sculpted jaw thoughtfully.
"Ya mean me?" He asked in a good-natured question, smiling ignorantly.
"Hmm," Raditz mused, strolling forward to look over the man who fit the bill of a Saiyan for the most part, with black spiky hair much like Bardock's, and dark, solid onyx eyes.
"Hi, I'm Goku, pleased to meet you!" He chuckled, stepping forward with a hand outstretched. Raditz snarled, scenting the air around the hand in front of him, his masses of spiky hairs prickling when he found the scent was indeed similar to his own.
"So, we finally meet. You've grown quite a bit... I should have recognized you at first glance, Kakarot. You look just like our father." He smiled genuinely, looking down at Goku, with those hard ebony eyes glinting with pride.
"Our f-ather?!" He responded, tilting his head.
Raditz's kind expression cracked. Outraged by his brother's ignorance, he growled, storming forward and looking the deranged brain-damaged Saiyan in the eye.
"Kakarot. Let me refresh your memory: you were sent here as a child in order to destroy this pathetic planet and return home! Have you completely lost your fucking mind!?" He screamed, causing Goku to bristle, offended.
"First off, my name is Goku! Second, I would never destroy my home! I don't know who you are, or why you're here, but I suggest you watch the language in front of my son." He said, clutching the squirming half-breed tighter. Raditz could smell it, the tainted blood. He snorted out the offensive scent.
"Fool, you must be truly corrupted by these Earthlings, to breed with a weakling human woman and soil our bloodline! Have you lost sight of your pride as a Saiyan, the mightiest warriors in the Universe, Kakarot!?" Raditz shouted in disbelief, shaking his head in disgust. He then glared at the child, baring his sharp canines and growling at him harshly. Gohan jumped back with a start, quivering.
"Hey! Don't talk bad about Chi-Chi! Who are you to say that about me! I don't know anything about these 'Saiyan' people, or the Universe, all I know is that I fight for Earth! This is my home you're talking about destroying and I won't let you!"
Raditz rubbed his face, agitated, then inhaled a deep shuddering breath and exhaled, trying his hardest not to blast all these fools to hell.
"Kakarot... is it possible you have taken a hard blow to the head, perhaps in battle, or shortly after you landed? That is the only feasible reason that you would spew this mindless drivel." He said with an irritated sigh.
Goku perked up, remembering. "Oh yeah! I did hit my head as a kid, I have a scar… but, what does that have to do with anything?!" He said, and rubbed the small mark on his forehead.
Raditz narrowed his eyes as a pitiful-looking old man came forward, leaning on a wooden cane.
"..Goku, Long ago, your grandfather, Son Gohan, told me something. One day, deep in a valley, he found something unusual, like it had fallen from the sky. When he got closer and looked at it, there was a round capsule, and inside it was a baby that had a tail.
He took him home and tried to raise him but he had a violent disposition, and never took to him, and he was utterly at his wit's end over what to do with him.
But then, one day, the boy fell into a ravine by accident, and hit his head hard, nearly dying! However, having an unbelievable life force, the baby survived. What's more, afterward, his violent nature disappeared, and he became a good little boy." He nodded, finishing his tale.
"That was me?" Goku looked at Roshi, a small amount perplexed, eyes widened with realization.
"Yup, it sure was, my boy."
He jumped when he heard a rough cough of laughter emanating from the man towering over him with his large arms crossed. Raditz looked down at him and shook his head shamefully.
"... You're being one difficult bastard, forgetting everything like this! Fine. I'll remind you, then... Kakarot, you were sent here to exterminate the bothersome humans that live on this planet!" Raditz said, lowering his face to Goku's, his hands on his hips. He sneered at his reaction almost in sheer amusement, his tail twitching.
"I was what!?" Goku shouted back incredulously. Raditz sneered at his reaction almost in sheer amusement, his tail twitching. The elder warrior then responded with a deep rumbling sigh and closed his eyes as he spoke.
"We Saiyans are a renowned warrior race... Our task is to go through space, searching for planets with plentiful environments, and once we've exterminated all its inhabitants, we sell them for a lofty price to aliens who are looking for a suitable planet. Adult warriors embark directly upon planets where those with a higher battle power live. But to planets like this one, which have a lower level, we send babies like you..." He said with a teasing sneer.
"I- if that's the truth, then you guys are awful! That's crazy! You even make Piccolo look lovable! How can you send babies off on their own!?" Goku shouted in shock, causing Piccolo to clutch the pink siding of the house with his claws and growl with disgust.
"Kakarot, given several years, you should have had plenty of time to purge these nuisances all by yourself! If only you had remembered your orders, that is." He responded and strolled forward to snatch Gohan from his arms. He dangled him from his tail, causing him to wail.
"Hey, that's not nice!" Goku said, stepping forward, ready to attack.
"This here is all the proof you need. A Saiyan's tail is his identity! His very livelihood, his link to his primal self. Where is your tail, Kakarot?!"
He dropped Gohan to the ground unceremoniously and wagged his long tail in front of him, uncoiling it from around his thick waist. Gohan ran back behind Goku, shivering.
Roshi yelled, pointing. "L-Look at that thing! It's twice as long as Goku's was!" He fell back, cringing in horror at even being in close proximity to such a creature. Master Roshi got back to his feet shakily with his cane and gasped as he observed the two saiyans.
"My tail? I woke up one day and it was gone. I think it fell off." Goku said, looking around at his own butt sheepishly.
"How? How can you be so carefree! Now you're useless to me, without your tail you can't transform into a great ape! It's our greatest advantage! When under the light of a full moon, we become as large as the mountains, strong and powerful! To crush all in our wake!" Raditz shouted, stomping one boot in emphasis. Goku looked to Raditz, then to Master Roshi, trying to piece together the puzzle that had eluded him since the death of his Grandfather Gohan. Master Roshi cleared his throat.
"I think I can answer your questions, Mr. Radish, sir. Goku's tail was cut off, after one too many incidents under the full moon... and the moon, well, I destroyed it!" He said with a self-satisfied grin, then backed away quickly behind Goku.
Raditz steamed, his eyes nearly turning red at the shocking revelation. A growl rumbled deep in his chest, his tall, armoured shadow casting down on the ground before them.
"You did what?" He spat out, his voice growing more grating with anger, eyes practically burning with ebony fire.
His feeble-minded brother gazed up at the sky, where the moon once was.
"...Wait, then, if I'm a Saiyan, and I can become big and crush things, then, did... " A look of stunned horror crossed his face, and he looked to Master Roshi with large, frightened eyes. Oolong and Puar shuffled away from the crowd, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that they both had been witness to Goku's transformation at one time.
The old man lowered his head and placed one hand on his large friend's burly orange shoulder with a sigh.
"Goku, I'm sorry to tell you this, but yes. You were the big monster that killed your Grandpa Gohan."
Goku looked at him, astonished, and Raditz continued to look down at the scene, his irritated frown turning upwards in sadistic amusement.
"No...no...it can't be! " Goku shook his head, large tears beginning to spill down his cheeks. Launch looked on at the sad scene, taking the warm refuge under Tien's protective arm that held her and Chiaotzu safely guarded. She glared at the large alien man, her green eyes narrowing hatefully as she grimaced.
Raditz laughed heartily, and spoke once again, his own laughter cut short by his rasping, gruff voice.
"Oh yes, it very well is. You and I are two of the only four Saiyans left in this universe. Our home, Planet Vegeta was destroyed by a meteor and all the people on it, including our mother and father! There are others like us, though brother! They are not far off from here, come with us and discover what you have been missing!"
"No! I won't side with you! You aren't my brother, and I'm not one of you!"
"...Fine then. If that is the way it's going to be. I will find a way for you to come with me and do your rightful duty to destroy this planet - as you should have long ago, and become a soldier for Lord Frieza's army."
With that, he sneered, backing up quickly. His form became a transparent blur as Goku attempted to dart away, and Raditz suddenly appeared right before him and kneed Goku in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him temporarily. Goku fell into the surf, Raditz snatching up the half-breed while Goku was still regaining his breath.
"You have one last option. If you can slay 100 measly mortals, and pile their bodies up on this shore in 24 hours, perhaps I will allow you to join us."
"NEVER, I will never use my power to hurt good people!" Goku snarled back adamantly, glaring up at Raditz fearlessly. Raditz looked down, blinking, and his hopeful enthusiasm died.
"Perhaps the death of your son will persuade you? I'd rather not slay my own brother's son, but what choice do I have?"
He smiled, holding Gohan beneath his arm like a bundle of trash. Raditz looked down on Goku with those cold, dead eyes beneath the blue-green reflection of the ocean on his scouter.
Raditz rose up into the sky slowly, the cries of Gohan echoing throughout the sky as he dangled him by his tail cruelly.
"Gohan!" Goku cried, and with that, they were gone.
Tink! Tink! Tink!
The sound of a hammer was the only sound emanating from the dome where a teal-haired beauty worked. Bulma Briefs was uncharacteristically quiet as her longtime boyfriend Yamcha and friend Krillin came over for lunch; she never left the workstation in the back of the Capsule Corps. Compound. Some months ago it had been her friend Chi-Chi's honest surprise to stumble upon an ancient spacecraft while gathering herbs out in Mount Paozu, and she and Goku immediately delivered it to Bulma, knowing she would like to examine such an amazing discovery.
The black screen came undone, and she set it aside. Bulma giggled, adding the finishing touch: the now completely rebuilt motherboard. She set down her screwdriver and held her breath in anticipation as she eagerly poked and prodded the console, which was now completely repaired, practically like new. Bulma felt elated when the board lit up in bright orange lettering.
"Finally! Now that's what I thought! No piece of equipment is too complicated for the beautiful Bulma Briefs, I am after all a genius." She giggled, feeling proud of her well-deserved accomplishment. Now it was time for celebration! Perhaps a nice, long bubble bath and a glass of champagne would hit the spot! She thought, smiling.
When she first tinkered with it 10 months ago, she was startled to hear garbled feedback from one of the speakers and faded orange lettering scrolling across the screen. She hadn't meant to send out the distress signal, not that she wouldn't have been brave enough to do such a thing. She had figured out in a short time the loose meaning of the controls and their function.
"Now all I need is some kind of alien dictionary and this baby's ready for takeoff!" She said with enthusiasm, shutting down the machine and wiping her hands with a grease rag before tossing it, not noticing the faint glow beneath the rag and the clicking of buttons as she hopped out of the spherical ship, with a look of determination glimmering in her dazzling azure eyes. She walked over to see her old friends sitting down for lunch with her mother 'Panchy', meaning Panty, or as most called her, 'Bunny' Briefs. The Briefs had an oddly long record of naming their children after types of underwear, and Bulma didn't plan on ending it.
"Oh Yamcha, you're just so um...rugged! Ya know, a girl really needs a strong man around the house!" She tittered, to both of their embarrassment.
"Hi Momma, why don't you go inside and see if there's any more of those tasty lemon cakes we like," Bulma suggested sweetly, nibbling on one of the toasted finger sandwiches set out before the two red-faced warriors, smoothing back her long, straight tresses that grazed the arch of her back, only a small spot of grease smeared on her porcelain cheek. She wore an old red tank top that bared her midriff, and paint-splattered overalls that only seemed to enhance her now womanly shape. It had been a long time since she'd been out searching for the Dragon Balls, or even seen Yamcha, and she'd been growing more inclined on thinking about what she wanted to do in her future as the heiress of Capsule Corporation, and less about playing with her childhood buddies.
"Wow, Bulma, you look... awesome!" The former desert bandit enthused, standing to give her a friendly hug, and a chaste kiss on the cheek, his rough stubble pricking her. She pushed away after a second, pinching her nose shut.
"Gosh, Yamcha, you reek! When's the last time you took a bath?" He gaped at her, startled, scratching at his long mane of hair that would soon be attracting flies to their picnic.
"Well, you know I've been away training in the wilderness for a long time, and they don't exactly have the high-class accommodations you're used to, babe." He said, hiding his dirt-encrusted fingernails behind his back.
"Oh, and how long have you been back? I know that you've been in town, I heard from Krillin! You could have at least called." She scolded, placing her hands on her hips.
"W-well, only a little over a week, honest! I've just been over at Master Roshi's getting in some more training. I really wanted to see you. I've missed you a lot." He said, lowering his eyes in a submissive way, which totally turned her off.
"Why don't you go home and take a long shower, stinky. Then maybe you can talk to me! Sorry, Krillin, you'll have to visit some other time." She huffed, looking away from him and storming away into the house. Krillin looked at Yamcha and shrugged, then they went about finishing off the rest of the sandwiches greedily until Mrs. Briefs brought out the lemon cakes.
"Did Bulma go inside? Oh dear, these are her favorites. What will I do with them all?" Yamcha wiped a smear of mayonnaise from his mouth with the back of his hand and spoke through a mouthful of food.
"We'll take care of um' missus Briefs." She nodded, setting down the tray of goodies and raising her dainty hand to her cheek, the corner of her mouth twitching and almost revealing the disgust under her sweet exterior.
What I wouldn't do to see my Bulma finally find her prince charmin'...
Far into the ever-darkening backyard, in the white alcove, a faint voice spoke across the glowing communication board.
"Message received Ship 276. This is Commander, Prince Vegeta, do you copy?... Come in, Ship 276, This is your superior officer demanding a response at your earliest convenience! Ship 385 out!"
Goku cringed, looking up to the sky.
There was no way he would ever do what Raditz asked, it was unthinkable. Goku looked over to see where a familiar Namekian stood, scoffing and looking as if he'd rather be anywhere but there. This was the same Piccolo he had fought at the Martial Arts tournament.
Goku stood, rubbing the bruise on his stomach and cocked his head towards Piccolo, feeling puzzled as to why he was here.
"Piccolo!? What are you doing here?" Goku asked, astounded.
"I have been witness to this pathetic show of complete idiocy, you do realize that you alone won't be able to defeat him? His strength is extraordinary. He's an opponent that neither you, nor I can stand up to. However, if you and I team up, then there is a slight possibility that we can defeat him." He said with a glare, turning his face away from Goku's amazed eyes.
"What has come over you?"
"Don't get your hopes up. I have not become eager for peace. I don't care what happens to your son, either. This Raditz is just an obstacle in my quest for world domination. Once we've taken care of him, I'm going to defeat you, and this time, I intend to take over this pitiful world for sure!" He snarled, eyes lighting with fury.
"Well, I won't let you take over the world, but the part where we team up sounds like a good idea. Guess we just have to put up with it!" He shrugged.
"As far as I'm concerned, teaming up with you makes me want to puke!" Piccolo said sharply and turned away from him.
Goku laughed nervously, "Oh, uh... well, let's not waste any more time then!"