"That's his name? Kakarot?"
"That's right. Your father chose it as soon as he saw him."
"He seems almost… runtish."
A mother and her son, standing before a large incubation chamber. They peered through the glass, watching the child inside. He slept so peacefully, floating amidst the golden fluid that kept him sustained.
"You're one to talk about being a runt." She chuckled.
"H-Hey!"
His mother placed her soft hand onto the glass, a smile on her face, "He isn't strong. Not at all. His power reads way lower than yours when you were a baby. Still," she continued, "he's family. Your brother. I want you to take care of him when he's older. Train him, teach him. You boys gotta stick together, you know."
"Yeah, yeah." The young Raditz spun around, holding his hands behind that large mane of hair on his head, "I just hope he can pull his own weight! Not really looking to be dragged down."
She raised an eyebrow, facing him with her tail swinging around behind her back. Shaking her head, "You really care that much about your pride? You know your father learned to swallow it sometimes. It isn't about strength when it comes to your family."
Exiting their home, she gestured to her son to follow behind. When he emerged, she pointed to their neighbors. All of the people around them. Walking from place to place, working simple shops, and more. There was one thing that was consistent between all of them.
"We always help each other. I get it. You want to be big and macho all the time, strong and arrogant or whatever it is you like. You still gotta learn who to stick your neck out for. Weaker people like your brother, for starters."
"But why?"
"Why? I mean, it's kinda simple, really. Working as a soldier in an army, simply being known for being a strong warrior, that doesn't seem like the type of appreciation you should strive for. But if you use your strength to guide those weaker than you, to really help them… that'd be genuine gratitude, right? It's about wanting to be seen as some stone-cold brute like every other saiyan or being… I don't know how to explain it right."
"You're softhearted, you know that? I'm not getting your point. We're conquerors, after all! Why should I care about helping weaklings?"
There was a silence shared between them for a minute. She stared off into space, her expression blank, before returning her focus to the child. "I guess you're right. But maybe you'll understand when you're older. There's a lot more to this life than being a meathead." She smiled once more, scooping him up with ease into her arms. It embarrassed him, she could see that, "Just a maybe though. After all, I love your father but I don't know if he's learned much about saving people in his adulthood."
"Gine." Speak of the devil and he shall arrive, one could say.
The two turned immediately, now reunited with the head of their family. The scarred warrior, Raditz' father.
How long did it take? He couldn't remember, but as he exited stasis, Raditz knew that he had finally arrived. However long it was, the trip didn't matter anymore. His destination had finally been reached. The pod that carried him opened wide and slowly, he rose to his feet. When he opened his eyes to the world around him, the sight that greeted him was… unexpected.
Rising out of the crater made by his ship, he saw… life. For miles upon miles. Pink egrets running across the plains to get away from him, other wildlife living freely. Grass as green as far as the eye could see. But the biggest offender was the thing that stood before him.
Quivering just under his nose was none other than sentient life. A short and stocky man, clutching a gun tightly in his hands. A farmer. Carefully, he backed away. The saiyan warrior just watched him cower, "Kakarot failed. What a shame." He scoffed.
The human raised his gun, his breathing heavy as he took aim, "Y-You're on my property, alien…" He tried his best to sound brave, but his fear was more than evident.
With a sneer, Raditz took a single step forward, "Oh? You own this land?"
"S-Stay back!" The farmer shouted, firing his rifle straight ahead. It was sudden.
He closed his eyes from the fright just for a moment. The man was so sure he had gotten him, shot him straight in the head. When he opened his eyes, however, he was met with a most unruly outcome. The very same bullet he had shot off came flying right back towards him, hitting the barrel of his gun and breaking right through it before hitting the man himself. Launched into his truck, the man let out one last cry of pain before silence came.
Raditz hadn't moved from his spot, yet he still knocked the man outcold with a single flick of his fingers, "What a fragile breed, this species. Yet that brat still…" It was at that moment, he had been met with an alert on his scouter. A power level reading! Not something he expected to come to him so soon after this display of weakness, "A reading of… 322? Not particularly noteworthy, but if it's that high on a planet like this, then it must be him..!"
With that in mind, he took to the sky.
Though what he'd find may be something more surprising than the life on this planet, yet still disappointing all the same. A familiar face found himself seated in the middle of the wastelands, eyes closed as he seemed almost deep in trance. Almost. He rose so abruptly, his eyes widening as he felt something unlike anything before. It shook him to his core.
Piccolo entered a stance, that white cape of his blown back by the wind while he bared his fangs. Something was coming and it was moving fast. He braced for it as best he could, understanding that whatever it was, he needed to be ready for the worst.
Faster than a speeding train, Raditz arrived on the scene, stopping just about a few feet away from the supposed earthling. Just the force of him coming to a halt in the air was enough to shake their surroundings. Their eyes met and Raditz scowled, "You're not Kakarot. But… what's a Namek doing all the way out here?"
The green-skinned alien towered over the saiyan, his claws pressed into his palms while his eyes narrowed. He thought about that word. Namek? What did it mean? Whatever it was, it didn't matter right now. He had questions and he would be getting answers.
"Who the hell are you? What business do you have with me?"
"I could care less about you, slug."
"Then why are you here? Got some kind of death wish?" He snarled.
Raditz only laughed it off, "You act like you're something special."
"What's that?! Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!"
The other alien was starting to sweat. He could see that. Raditz tilted his head a bit, crossing his arms, "Should I care?" That was the tipping point. Simply out of rage, he fired a golden blast of energy straight ahead, aiming to scorch the warrior alive. However, when the smoke cleared, this proved to be nothing but a distraction. He remained unscathed, as if the attack hadn't even hit him.
It left Piccolo in a state of terror. An attack like that should have at least done something! Anything! Still, this foe didn't even seem to flinch. So for the first time, he felt like something was wrong. So terribly wrong.
Raditz' arms returned to his sides before he raised his right hand, bending his fingers as if he were gripping something, "A lovely dust show, if that was your intention. But you wanna know real strength? Trust me, I'll be glad to let you learn hands-on!" Pink static began to manifest, emanating out of his palm and wrapping around his fingers. Though before it could grow any further, his scouter went off.
Numbers quickly flashed across the screen and he turned his head to the left. As if Piccolo didn't even exist, he soared high into the blue sky and scanned further. It was only thanks to his advanced hearing that he could make out whatever the man was going on about. Something about the greatest power level on the planet and… Kakarot? Who was that?
Did it really matter? In a moment's notice, he shot straight ahead, completely abandoning his opponent in favor of this new hunt. Once he was gone, Piccolo felt… weak. He dropped to his knees, his breathing heavy and his fingers digging deep into the dirt.
"T-That man… it's unbelievable… I felt so frozen..!" After regaining his bearings, he came to his feet and tried to focus. How could he let himself be reduced to that? He could think more about that later. Right now, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't waste anymore time. He rocketed off, flying right after the saiyan warrior.
It was a race of some sort. To see who could reach Kakarot faster. Unfortunately, however, Piccolo was outmatched. The invader found himself moving at breakneck speeds, tearing through the sky and splitting clouds in his wake.
He soared over the seas, his energy creating ripples in the waves as he made his way across. His scouter continued to light up, blips appearing and disappearing over and over again. Kakarot was moving fast, but the path was straightforward now. He began to scream, his energy swelling around him, "Kakarot! I don't know what you've been doing all these years, but clearly, it hasn't been good enough!"
It stopped. Kakarot had stopped.
At this rate, that meant he was going to catch up in no time. Despite his understanding of his brother's failures, there was a smile on his face. A smirk. One might wonder why. Just a moment ago, it seemed he was outraged with the man. Now all of a sudden, he's excited. There was only really one thing that could explain it. One plain and obvious reason why he was so interested. The closer he got, the closer he was to seeing it. That face. Standing there, waiting for him.
Like a rocket, Raditz came in, crashing down to the shores of the tropical island he tracked his brother to. A bit of a cackle parted his lips as he rose to his feet more properly. Soon enough, the sand he had kicked up cleared and allowed for a better look at his brother, "As expected. Even after all these years, you really haven't changed a bit." That face. Everything about him. Even the scowl he currently had, "You look just like our father."
They were at a standstill, staring each other down, "What..? Who are you..?" Goku questioned, his fists by his side. Raditz' eyes darted from side to side, examining his surroundings. There were more people here. More earthlings. Disgusting. There was a small one, baldheaded and adorned in the same orange Gi that his brother wore. A woman, standing far off to the sides with purple hair. An old man with a ragged beard. What a bunch. But there was one more he noticed…
"I'm the one asking the questions here, Kakarot! I've barely arrived and already I hate what I've seen! Not only have you failed to exterminate the worms on this dirtball of a planet, but you've found yourself squirming around among them! What sort of game have you been playing here?!"
"G-Game? I- what are you talking about?! Listen, I don't know who you are and I don't know who you think I am, but my name isn't Kakarot."
"That's right." The bald one stepped up, slowly approaching the raider, "Look big guy, whatever it is you're trying to peddle here, we aren't having it. So come on! Scram! Shoo!"
It came so suddenly. All of Goku's instincts were screaming at him. This man before him was imposing as is, radiating this monstrous presence. So when he saw his friend approaching him, he screamed, "Krillin! Get away from him!-"
It only took a second more for them to hear what sounded like the crack of a whip as Krillin had been struck straight across the face and towards the home.
He hadn't moved his arms nor his legs. No, something else did the hitting for him. Of course, it was none other than his saiyan tail, swaying from side to side after the strike. He seemed so confident, his ego only soaring as he saw the looks on their faces. The shock that came with the sight of such a thing.
"T-That tail!" The woman shouted.
"It's just like…" The old man added.
Raditz would only interrupt them though. He saw the fury in his brother's eyes after he had beaten Krillin. The fact that his own blood could care so much for a lowly being like that sickened him, "What's wrong with you, Kakarot?! Don't tell me you really have forgotten all about me, about your mission! Did you hit your head?! If so, tell it to me straight and I'll beat any repressed memories out of you!" He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he stared his younger sibling down, "Damn you! We need you! Your people need you!"
While Krillin rose, in a daze from injuries, Goku roared, "I already told you! I'm not Kakarot! My name's Goku!" The part about hitting his head definitely resonated with him. There was an incident from his childhood, one that may fit the bill. Even so, "I don't know who you are and I doubt I really want to, so once again, just leave!"
"Abandoning your name?! Damn it, you really are a fool! You're no Earthling, Kakarot! You're a saiyan warrior, a member of the most powerful race in the entire universe!"
What a bombshell. Each of them had that same look on their expressions. They couldn't believe a single thing this man had been saying. Every word that had come out of his mouth since his arrival sounded like nothing but empty words. Even so, they couldn't ignore the possible truths at hand. At a loss for words, the invader only had more revelations to share.
Raising his fist, he continued on, "If you really want to know, then fine! My name is Raditz, and I'm your older brother!"
"G-Goku's an alien? Wait, but if that's the case, why's he here on Earth?!"
"It's simple, really. Not too long before we lost our homeworld, our father had informed me you'd be sent off to this dung heap of a planet. Of course, the natural assumption was that you were sent here to conquer it! To exterminate the life on it so that we may market it across the galaxy for a profit. If only you remembered your orders. After all, this planet has a full moon on it. You'd have been done with it all in just a week or so."
A full moon? What did that mean? They wondered for a moment, but the answer clicked in their heads. Goku may not have understood it, but his friends certainly did. After all, when he was a boy, he had transformed a few times before. They weren't exactly pleasant moments, no.
All the way from when they had first met him, he had the power to transform into a colossal ape capable of causing great catastrophe. It was only thanks to luck that they had managed to properly deal with him. Even so, at least now they had some sort of answer for it all. Even if it wasn't the most comforting of answers.
Raditz, however, soon felt alarmed. He had finally noticed something that he just couldn't believe. Of course Kakarot couldn't have wiped life off this planet all those years ago. On his own, he would have been far too weak! The full moon should have powered him up greatly! If he were able to harness it, at least. He was missing one crucial element;
"Your tail! What happened to your tail?!"
"M-My tail? It was cut off a long time ago!"
"That explains it all too well… of course you've fit in with these kind! You've abandoned your saiyan pride to walk among them! My own brother!"
"Shut up! That's enough! I don't care if you're my brother or I'm an alien, it's pretty clear to me that I don't want to be like you! So I'm only gonna say this one more time," Despite how nervous he was, a smirk of his own grew as he aimed his thumb past his shoulder, "My name is Son Goku. Now get off my planet."
There was silence. The man had a newfound confidence, trying to be tough in the face of such a frightening foe. His allies as well. Would this be enough to drive the outworlder off? No, of course not. He couldn't help himself. He began to laugh. And laugh.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Let me paint you a picture, see if it'll convince you. The saiyans have always been few in number, but long ago, our world had been completely wiped out by a meteor. A cataclysm remembered by the stars for decades. All of our people were wiped away, made into cosmic dust. Nearly." He tried his best to seem more 'friendly' with the look on his face as he raised an open hand towards his sibling, "Our parents, sadly, didn't survive. But four of us remain, including you. We all lived because we were off on assignments. 'Doing wrong', as you put it, is the only reason we're alive."
That hand swiftly curled into a fist, "Now, the three of us have found a planet. One that can be sold for an incredible reward. However, we may be incapable of doing it on our own. That's why we need you, Kakarot. Four should be enough to tip the scales and continue allowing those of us who remain to prosper! So picture it! Fighting alongside your brother and comrades and wiping out an entire race of people with your bare hands! Doesn't it make your blood boil?!"
He wouldn't listen. In Raditz' eyes, he was just too stubborn. His response was quick and without hesitation, "You're insane! I'd rather die before helping you slaughter innocent people!"
No more of a need to feign brotherhood. It was clear he wasn't going to listen. No matter how many times he tried to drill it through his thick skull, he knew the message wouldn't get through. So, he just crossed his arms and let out a sigh. That was really it. Well, at least, it would have been. But there was another person he had been eyeing since he first touched down on this small piece of land.
"Really how you want this to go, huh? Well… mind answering me one question? That boy there, he's yours, isn't he?"
A child, cowering behind Bulma. He was small, adorned in traditional garbs with a terrified look on his face. Behind him, a tail wiggled, waving back and forth. A clear indicator of his relation. Goku turned his head, horror filling his face. He couldn't imagine why this so-called brother of his was asking such a question. He needed to do something. To say something. Before he could get the right thoughts in order, he found a knee planted firmly in between his ribs.
Raditz had shot towards him, sending a powerful strike towards his chest. Something he wasn't hoping to do. Something he didn't want to do. But his foolish sibling was far too gone. The best thing to do was to take him out of the picture entirely. His speed was unmatched. Goku couldn't even think of a proper way to react to it as he was tossed through the air and onto the sandy shore.
There he lay, writhing on the floor and struggling for air. He ran his hands along his torso, grunting in pain and hacking up. He could barely get any words out, "N-No..! Gohan..!" He tried to say, but in this state, he struggled to even get back onto his feet. What a terrible blow.
"Daddy!" The young boy cried before being swooped into the air by his tail.
"Now, now, your father's going to be just fine..! Well, Kakarot, seems I'll be taking your boy for the time being. If you want him back, you just have to follow my orders, understand? I'll give you a day to think about it, though I'm going to need to see some proof of your dedication."
That evil smirk of his, it was something so present on the saiyans. Something they wore to every planet like it was some sort of formal attire. A sign of their intentions and what they planned to do to every species that happened to land in their path of destruction.
"Don't worry, it'll be easy! I'm sure you'll find a way to prove to me just how willing you are to join our cause. Until then, I'll be keeping this one. I'd rather you not force me to kill my only nephew, understand?"
"You coward!" Krillin yelled.
The saiyan turned to face him, still holding the tearful child.
"What sort of warrior keeps a child hostage?! Goku would never listen to you!"
"That so? Well, the choice is his. If he values the lives of Earthlings over that of his own son, so be it. Either way, everybody on this planet is going to die soon enough. So what difference does it make if a few hundred or so get a headstart? Now then, I'll see you tomorrow, Kakarot!"
He's done enough. Said enough. The child in hand, he took to the skies once again and flew far, far away. Back to his arrival point. Though, there was another person present on the island. Someone he had failed to notice.
Gliding through the sky, all Raditz could hear was the incessant crying of the young boy in his arms. It was annoying. Such an irritating sound. It was familiar, though. It reminded him of his brother. Like father like son, he supposed. That same whining, he could still remember how it went every night.
Back then, he honestly felt a bit grateful that the boy spent most of his time in an incubator during the time they knew each other. After all, he didn't have to listen to those sounds more often than needed.
Had his feelings changed though? Hearing this sound and that odd sense of nostalgia it provided, it almost made him… regretful? Why? Perhaps it was the thought that, had he just been a stronger older brother, maybe he could have prevented this. Kakarot could have already been roaming the stars with him and the others, tearing through planets like nothing.
That must have been it
