Chapter 4: Earth's Last Stand
Yamcha screamed in agony as he flew through the air. He didn't have time to gain control of his descent before crashing into the side of a rocky crag. His body slammed through the hard granite shattering it into pebbles, and ended up bursting clear out the other side of the plateau. He landed on the ground, and bounced, skidding to a stop. In his wake he left a trail of bear earth, blood, and tattered flesh.
Raditz landed neatly on the ground and popped his neck. He looked down as Yamcha shakily attempted to rise to his feet. Raditz smirked as he noticed that his unfortunate opponent seemed to have lost at least 5 pounds of flesh from crashing through the rocks and skidding over 20 yards across the ground.
"I suppose I won't be able to play with you much longer," he mocked, "you look just about finished to me."
"You...scum..." Yamcha hissed. Everywhere hurt.
He had heard on the news that many cities were being destroyed by an unknown force. Yamcha had rushed out of the stadium where he played baseball just in time to see the series of explosions that destroyed East city. He had expected some kind of diabolical army, and was shocked to see one being. He had engaged the stranger in combat, only to end up in his current predicament.
"At least you could try to run away," Raditz continued as he began walking towards Yamcha, "give me target practice or something."
Yamcha struggled again to get up, but couldn't find the strength inside himself. The last kick Raditz had delivered had to have broke his collar bone or maybe something else. Yamcha could not endure the intense pain of his wounds.
"I won't...give you...satisfaction." he said and then flopped back to the ground. He could do nothing more then lay there and wait for death to wrap its cold fingers around his heart.
Raditz was at last standing over Yamcha and admiring his handiwork. He had held back in the beginning, as is a habit of Saiyans who know when their opponent is much weaker then them. However, as Yamcha began to bore him more and more, Raditz began to pound the doomed Earthling into the dirt.
"You already have given me much satisfaction human." Raditz said grinning his crooked smirk, "But all good things must come to an end."
He held out his arm, palm down, over Yamcha's body and then screamed thrusting his arm downward. He projected his Ki into Yamcha's body as he did this and Yamcha gave one last blood curdling scream before his chest cavity violently exploded from the inside-out.
Raditz looked around at the devastation before him, then activated his scouter. It indicated no life within 300 miles. Raditz smiled at his accomplishment. He knew he had planned his unwarranted trip to earth, so that he would arrive on the eve of an Earth full moon. If Kakarot was performing as well as he was on his side of the planet, then becoming an Oozaru tonight would be all he needed to do to finish the job.
Who knows, Raditz thought to himself, maybe we can even let his brat of a son have some fun as well...nothing wakes a brat up like his first transformation.
Raditz levitated into the air and studied the sun's position. There was still a good four hours of daylight left. Satisfied with this fact, Raditz expanded his scouter's range with the push of a button. He swivled his head slowly back and forth looking for his brother's power level.
Beep! The scouter registered a reading at 43000 distance units.
Raditz zeroed in on the reading. Power Level 325, that was Kakarot all right. Puny power, but still the next strongest being on this world aside from himself.
Raditz zoomed off to meet his brother.
...
After Goku had cleaned up most of the suburbs of West City, and gone on to destroy South City, he had set his next goal on Karin Tower. When he arrived, Tien and Chiaotzu had been awaiting him.
"Goku." Tien spoke calmly, staring at Goku steadily with all three of his eyes, "What on Earth are you doing?"
"Tien old buddy," Goku laughed, his arm behind his head, "long time no see."
"I could feel your life force Goku," Tien shouted suddenly irate, "I know it was you blowing everything up...how many have you killed now? Millions, Tens of Millions?"
Goku considered for a few moments then shrugged, "Yeah, I'd say somewhere in that ballpark."
"Why Goku, Why?" Chiaotzu demanded.
Goku assumed his fighting stance and grinned, "because I can. So...which of you will be the first to die."
Chiaotzu suddenly thrust his limbs at Goku levitating into the air. If he could get hold of Goku with his psychic force, he could make Goku's heart stop and end this madness.
Goku didn't move and for a second, just a second Chiaotzu believed he got him.
Suddenly Goku's boot collided with the back of Chiaotzu's head, sending the little guy tumbling head over heels. The Goku Chiaotzu thought he had hit flickered and vanished. Goku had employed the One-Pattern technique, one of the first moves he had ever learned.
"Chiaotzu!" Tien bellowed in shock as he saw his little friend smack against the hard ground and roll to a stop.
"He made his choice, you'll have your turn." Goku spoke and leapt at Chiaotzu.
Tien screamed in terror and leapt after Goku, desperate to stop him. But the Saiyan's speed was far superior to Tien's.
Goku landed knee-first on Chiaotzu's back, snapping the spine like a twig. He hopped right off Chiaotzu as Tien was closing in.
Tien fell to his knees and cradled his long time friend and peer in his arms.
"Chiaotzu speak to me!" Tien shouted, shaking his friend.
But alas, there was no response, the little man's arms hung limp at his sides and his head flopped back and forth like a lifeless doll. Tien slowly put Chiaotzu down his head hanging low, his face concealed.
Goku stood, his hands on his hips tapping his foot impatiently.
"You know, I could have killed you just now," Goku spoke matter-of-factly, "but I want to fight you one last time. This will be our biggest fight, because this time the loser will DIE!."
Tien stood up and faced Goku. Goku wasn't at all surprised to see a look of utter outrage and hatred in his eyes. Tien clenched his fists and began heaving.
"You...you son of a..." He hissed between clenched teeth. A single vein popped out on his forehead.
Goku looked in awe as blood began trickling between Tien's fingers.
"I'll kill you!" The three-eyed warrior shouted and leapt at Goku with blazing speed.
He hit Goku head on, with a flying head-butt and sent Goku flying backwards. Goku quickly regained control of himself and put both of his hands forward ready to fire a ki blast as Tien undoubtedly followed him through mid air. Instead Tien winked out of sight, performing a flawless Zanzoken and appeared right behind Goku. Goku didn't have time to spin around before being kicked in the back.
The wild-haired Saiyan was sent flying forward and landed face-first in the dirt, sliding forward.
No sooner then he stopped sliding forward was Tien directly above him and powering an obscene amount of Ki inside himself. As soon as he saw Goku began getting up he unleashed it all at point blank range.
Goku shouted out as he was engulfed in a blazing light. Tien too was engulfed and for the two warriors everything faded into whiteness. The explosion expanded rapidly and threatened to destroy the base of Karin Tower. Finally it subsided and Tien was laying on his side several yards away, breathing heavily.
"Chiaotzu...I'll be with you soon." he whispered.
Suddenly, Tien's two regular eyes bulged open as he saw Goku rise up from the smoking crater. Goku was not without a scratch, indeed he was bruised and bleeding. But for the most part, he had no serious bodily injuries.
"That's the spirit Tien!" Goku cracked, "give it your all! Hold nothing back! The true spirit of a Warrior."
"Muh...monster!" Tien gasped. The battle with Piccolo had pushed Goku over a new barrier. Where once they had been an even match, now even Tien's greatest attacks couldn't really harm Goku. Tien realized with sinking dismay that he was the loser before the fight had even started.
He closed his eyes, all three of them, and asked Goku simply to, "kill me."
"Aww come on, you sure you don't want to fight a bit more?"
"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE," Tien screamed suddenly and leapt up. He tackled Goku and wrestled him to the ground. Goku grabbed both of Tien's arms and forced him under himself. Goku squeezed Tien's hands hard until the bones gave way and snapped in his grasp.
Tien howled in pain and then Goku released his hands and slammed his own hands down over Tien's neck.
"I'm trying to prove that when you beat me at the Tournament, it was dumb LUCK. And besides I was just a kid, and I still did that good against you, you FREAK!" Goku squeezed harder, not hard enough to break Tien's neck , but hard enough to slowly strangle his former comrade to death. "Now...just...shut...up...AND DIE!"
Goku applied as much pressure as he could and suddenly felt his hands close. And felt the warm wetness on them. It took a second for his own eyes to believe what he was seeing. He had pinched Tien's neck so hard, that it had severed his head. Goku let go and scrambled to his feet, grossed out by what he had just done. He wiped the blood off on his Gi.
Tien's bald head rolled away from his body leaking blood all around. Tien's body itself was still twitching wildly.
"Yech!" Goku said looking at his Gi. "This'll never come out."
He angrily regarded Tien's corpse and fired off a huge ki blast vaporizing both head and body. As the smoke cleared Goku wiped sweat off his forehead. He was smiling. What he was doing felt good, he couldn't deny it. Had these feelings really hidden inside of him this long?
Goku's thoughts were interrupted as he sensed the monstrous power that could only belong to his brother heading towards him. Even though they had joined forces, Goku couldn't help but feel nervous when he sensed a power like that one coming towards him. In a few minutes he could see Raditz on the horizon flying towards him at break-neck speed. The wild haired warrior closed the distance and landed perfectly in front of Goku.
"Well done brother!" Raditz cheered slapping his little brother on the back, "the scouter tells me you reduced the population of this hemisphere by at least ninety-eight percent!."
"One day I gotta' teach you how to sense power without that gadget of yours." Goku commented.
Raditz seemed to brush the comment off as if he hadn't heard it. He had instead turned his attention to the sky above them.
"Tell me Kakarot," Raditz began, "why am I picking up several above-average readings above us?"
"Oh." Goku said calmly, "it's Karin's tower. And above that is Kami-Sama's look out. I was about to kill all of them but I ran into a few old friends. We chatted a bit, then I killed them." Goku's eyes had a certain sparkle in them as he said the latter part.
"Kami...sama?" Raditz said looking puzzled, "ridiculous."
"No, no, It's true." Goku insisted, "he's a green man with two antenna, he looks just like Piccolo. Because to be honest, Piccolo descended from a being that used to be one with Kami."
"Ah!" Raditz said, "another Namekian huh? Well this might solve a little problem I've been thinking about. The space pod I came in won't have room for the both of us and your son. For Namekian's to be here they must have come in some kind of ship."
"Well there's only one way to find out." Goku said, "follow me."
Goku flew up along Karin's tower, with Raditz following behind him. Goku could remember how long and difficult a journey it had been climbing to the top of the tower. Now he could effortlessly fly right to the top. Soon the top of the tower was in sight. Goku and his brother swooped over the railing and landed with two thuds on the surface.
Before them stood Yajarobe; who was looking rather terrified, Karin; who looked resigned; and Mister PoPo, who had the same blank expression on his face that he always did.
"Mister PoPo, what are you doing all the way down here?" Goku asked.
PoPo remained silent. It was Karin who stepped forward.
"Goku..." he began, "I suppose you are here to kill us?"
Goku nodded casually, "you guessed right."
Raditz stepped forward now baring over the small white cat. "Going to do something about it?"
"No." Karin spoke simply, "There is nothing any of us can do. Just do what you came to do and get it over with."
"Not before I have a few questions answered." Raditz spoke, "Kakarot here tells me that one of you guys was friends with a Namekian. Green skin, two antenna, can't miss them. I want to know how it got on this world, and I want to know now. So speak up, it may mean the difference between quick and painless or slow and agonizing!"
Yajarobe just continued shaking and trembling, unable to tear his eyes off Raditz. Karin calmly looked back at Mr. PoPo.
"Yes." Mr. PoPo spoke calmly. "Kami did come from space. It's the ship you want. I see that clearly."
"Where is it Mr. PoPo?" Goku asked, "Don't make this harder then it has to be."
"I'll tell you." PoPo spoke in his calm voice, "under one condition."
Raditz stepped forward now and grabbed PoPo by throat and lifted him up. "You're in no position to make demands!" He sneered into PoPo's face.
Karin took a step back, an alarmed look on his face, Yajarobie put his hands over his eyes.
Mr. PoPo however was unshaken. He didn't lose his nerve and spoke calmly and clearly. "You can kill me or torture me if you'd like, but I can promise you my friend: I won't tell you where Kami's ship is and you'll never be able to find it. So if you would kindly put me down-"
Raditz threw to the ground roughly and crossed his arms.
"Don't even think about asking for your life! We're under contract here to kill everyone!" He snapped.
"Yikes!" Yajarobie yelped, "even me? Even me?" He fell to his knees and covered his head with his arms.
Mr. PoPo stood and dusted himself off. He looked right into Raditz's eyes. "The Look-Out that is above this tower. It is a sacred temple. It has been here long before my time, it has been here long before the one Goku calls Kami-Sama took his throne. It should remain long after we are gone. I ask of you not to destroy it, give me your word you won't, and I will show you what you seek."
"Feh!" Raditz spat, "if you're trying to hide your family in there or something-" he clicked his scouter and looked up. He panned left then right. The scouter didn't beep once. He took a deep breath and looked down at Mr. PoPo. "Fine, We won't wreck your precious temple, now bring us to the ship!"
Mr. PoPo nodded. His blank expression had never looked so grim before. But if Mr. PoPo felt any kind of fear knowing he would soon be dead, it did not show.
"Take care of these others." Raditz addressed Goku.
Goku stepped forward and pointed his finger at Karin.
"What?" he asked when Karin made no move to defend himself, "not going to run away from me again?"
"Just do it." Karin said closing his eyes.
"Goku no!" Yajarobe screamed.
"This is for lying to me about the 'super holy water'!" Goku screamed and fired a ki beam at Karin, frying the little cat man into a crispy critter. Then Goku turned his attention to Yajarobe.
"Please Goku!" He stammered, "after all we've been through, come on, you're gonna' kill me?"
"Your right." Goku said smiling, "I can't find it in my heart to kill you after all we've been through."
He took a step towards Yajarobe. "That's why I'm going to ask you to go ahead and jump off that balcony."
"Nuh-nuh-no!" Yajarobe stammered, his face going pale. "Come on Goku don't do this!"
"Jump off." Goku spoke calmly his smile becoming a frown. "Or you won't like what we'll do with you."
Yajarobe backed up to the rail and took a deep gulping breath. He turned slowly around and looked down. Karin tower was nestled in the clouds high above the earth. Yajarobe, never having learned to control his ki to the degree of flight, understood he'd be in for a long drop.
"Well?" Goku asked.
"Damn...DAMN YOU!" Yajarobe screamed and threw himself over the railing.
"Bahhaha!" Raditz laughed, "you make my day Kakarot."
Raditz leaned down and picked Mr. PoPo up by the back of his belt. He held the large man in the air as if he was as light as feather. "Now take us to the ship, and make it snappy. We'll spare your precious structure."
"As you wish." Mr. PoPo spoke calmly closing his eyes.
"Wait a second." Goku interrupted. "We may need something here."
Goku walked into Karin's home and came out with a draw-string bag.
Raditz raised his eyes in questioning. Goku held up the bag smiling. "They're called senzu beans. They'll come in handy trust me. I'll explain later."
"Whatever." Raditz said, he looked over to horizon. The sun was setting, "Let's go little man," he spoke to PoPo, "we don't have time to waste."
And so Goku and Raditz flew off with Mr. PoPo to see the ship Kami had came to Earth in.
Authors Notes-- Sorry for the delay, had a lot going on. The next chapter is already in the rough draft stage and so it will be posted tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. You'll have a lot to look forward to in chapter 5 and beyond and Raditz and Goku ditch this Popsicle stand and set their sights on rejoining the other Saiyans in space. Stay tuned!