The Soul and The Flesh Part V "Yes! Goku, I knew you had a trick up your sleeve! Now hold that tail tight!" Piccolo gloated as he powered up again.
"You shouldn't do that! You wouldn't kill your own brother would you Kakarrot?" Raditz began to plead with his little brother, whining like a child. "I never meant to really hurt you or the boy, I was only trying to test you, as soon as I realized you really were not going to come with me, I was going to let you both go! I swear I'll leave, I'd never hurt my own flesh and blood, I swear it, I'll go!" The giant man was groveling, as Raimi shook her head, disgusted at his behavior. She knew he was desperate, fearing that Piccolo would attack him before he could recover from the pain in his tail.
"Goku, don't listen to him! He's lying to you, he cannot be trusted!" Raimi warned, but knew she was probably not being heard.
Goku hesitated. Piccolo also started shouting at him to not release the tail, to not believe his brother; but Goku had always preferred to end a fight with all parties alive, and was feeling moved by the fact that this was his brother, the only blood relative he had, besides his son. Slowly, his fingers relaxed, as he made the Saiyan swear once more to go back where he came from, and release Gohan.
"No! Goku, he's lying, he'll tell you anything to get free! Don't do it!" Piccolo cried, but it was too late. As Raditz rose to his feet, Goku backed away, but Raditz spun around, and slammed Goku into the ground. He jumped onto Goku's prone body and stomped on his ribs once more. The sound of them snapping made Raimi shudder in horror, and Goku's scream was so loud it hurt her ears. Raditz grinned above Goku, and leaned his weight on the broken ribs. He shook his head in disbelief.
"I can't believe how stupid you are...You let me go? A true warrior never hesitates to kill, not even to kill his own brother! Now then, I want to hear you beg!" Raditz lifted his foot again, and stomped on Goku's chest. Goku couldn't move, he could only howl in pain as his brother kept smashing his ribs.
Raimi felt Gohan behind her, his anger at the abuse that his father was taking nearing its peak. She turned back to the brothers, and heard Raditz taunting Piccolo.
"Why don't you try your trick again, Green Man? Go on, try your luck!"
Raimi nodded. "Just a few seconds more I think," she whispered.
"Well, I guess you won't beg after all. Oh, Kakarrot, you're no fun at all! I think it's time to end this. Besides, you're too soft to be a Saiyan warrior! Say goodbye, little brother!" As Raditz got ready to power up again, they all heard a strange sound, like metal being stretched and bent. The scouter beeped, and started to run incredibly high numbers. Raditz paused, looking around for this new power source. Then there was an explosion. Debris and metal shards flew out of the crater, and then little Gohan could be seen, executing a perfect flip and landing at the edge of the hole.
"Well, well, I see you have taught the boy a few tricks, Kakarrot…" Raditz mused. They all stared at the child, whose anger and power shimmered around him like a heat mirage.
"Goku, look over by the crater, it's your son." Piccolo called. Goku turned his head and stared in amazement at Gohan. Raimi, Piccolo and Goku could feel the boys' energy level rising, and Raditz was staring at his scouters' display in wonder.
"The boys power level is at 1200 and rising! Now it's at 1300! It's impossible! No child can be so strong!" Raditz said, baffled by the readings.
"You leave my Daddy alone!" Gohan's voice was a roar, frightening coming from a child. He suddenly leapt at his uncle, flying so fast that Raditz, despite his own incredible speed, couldn't dodge him. Gohan hit him in the chest, dead center, and his protective armor caved in. Raditz stumbled backwards, and only kept to his feet by luck. Little Gohan fell to the ground by his father, and sat up, confused. He seemed to have no memory of what had just happened. He stood and stepped towards his father.
"Daddy?" Gohan whispered plaintively.
"Gohan? Gohan, run, run away now! Get out of here! Raimi, get him away!" Goku called. She ran forward, but Raditz strode forward angrily, and pushed on her chest, knocking her away. She stumbled and barely kept her feet. She started forward again, when Raditz leaned over the four year old menacingly.
"You brat! You can't be that powerful!" Raditz said, holding his ribs, which seemed to be broken. Gohan cowered before his uncle, petrified by this huge angry man that looked so much like his father.
"Wait, you're only at level one, what happened to all that power?! It's got something to do with your emotions doesn't it?" Raditz growled.
"What power?" Gohan said weakly, trying to be as brave as his father.
"You don't remember? Let me show you how you just knocked the stuffing out of your old uncle Raditz!" He backhanded the boy, easily tossing him fifty feet. Raimi shot by him to grab Gohan but felt the Saiyan behind her. She turned and blocked his way to reach his nephew again. He stopped and looked at her, smiling smugly. She looked up, and up, at him, her arms spread. She looked deadly earnest, and meant to keep him at bay this time, no matter what happened to her. Raditz looked at her, impressed by her bravery despite himself.
"You can't possibly stop me, you know." He said quietly, then his eyes widened, and he looked closer at her. He looked stunned. "You…who are you? You can't possibly be a Saiyan, but you are, there's no doubting it. No matter, I'll take you with me, or I'll kill you, but either way, the boy dies."
Raimi didn't listen to him; she was trying to control her temper. She was enraged at Raditz and angry with herself for hesitating before; if she hadn't stopped, Raditz wouldn't have been able to hit Gohan. The boy was stunned, and may have gotten a concussion from that blow. Her power level jumped up, moving higher and higher. Raditz paused, seeing that her level was almost at 1,000 and she wasn't even preparing for an attack. He swung at her with his left hand, and her right hand snapped up, catching his fist and stopping him mid swing. They stared at each other, both very surprised by this. She felt herself smiling that evil little smile, and to her surprise, Raditz smiled back.
"Well. No one has ever hit me like my nephew has. And, your speed is very impressive. Both of you have earned the honor of a death worthy of any Saiyans!" He chuckled.
He powered up preparing to blast her and Gohan, as Raimi stared unflinchingly into his eyes. Suddenly Goku appeared behind him, and got him in a full nelson. Raditz hand was pulled from her grip, and Raimi lost no time in grabbing Gohan and dashing a short distance away. She cradled the surprisingly heavy child to her, and watched as Goku and Raditz struggled. Luckily, Piccolo had been ready and was powering up once more. Raditz tried everything he could think of, but Goku just held onto him, ignoring his own pain.
"See what happens when you tell a lie!" Goku laughed. Raditz got a handful of Goku's hair, but Goku just ignored the pain in his scalp. "No way! Oh no, nope, you're staying right HERE!" With a massive effort he picked up his brother and set him down facing Piccolo.
"Kakarrot, you can't hold me and dodge that blast too!" Raditz taunted. Goku's reply shook him.
"Ah, if it's the only way to defeat you…" Goku laughed. He was ready to do whatever it took to stop this monster. "Piccolo, hurry my ribs are broken!" He yelled.
"I'm building up to it, but I need time, why did you not grab his tail?" Piccolo called back.
"Because he can cut his tail off and it wouldn't work!"
"You knew that? Wait! Kakarrot, are you insane! Let me go or we will both be killed! I swear I'll go forever…"
"And just how will you go, Raditz? Your space ship is destroyed. Do you think we believe your partners would come and get you, and then leave empty handed? You have shown us how merciless and vengeful they would be… " Raimi laughed, shaking her head. "I wouldn't even want to face them after this, if I were you!"
"Besides, you aren't fooling me twice!" Goku growled.
"Goku, I will not hesitate. To kill you along with him is a special bonus to me. Of course, if you friends have the Dragonballs…" Piccolo grinned as the light pulsed in his fingertips. "Well, it's time! Prepare yourself, Goku!"
"No!" Raditz screamed, still not believing that "Kakarrot" would do this. Raimi pushed Gohan's face into her shoulder, and looked into Goku's eyes after he looked at his son one last time. He smiled grimly at her and nodded.
"Makankosappo!" Piccolo howled and sent the beam on its way.