Dragon Ball Z: The Catalyst
Act II:
Chapter 27: Lord Frieza
"Three Saiyans and three earthlings, and a Namek, two of which are children, managed to kill the Ginyu Force, did they?"
The seven figures stood there looking up at the tyrant as they all trembled, even the Saiyans. Slowly Frieza jumped from the small plateau he stood on, landing in front of the group gracefully. Each one of them stepped back as soon as he did.
"Well, we should probably get this started. I can sense how anxious..." Frieza's eyes trailed to Turles, shocked as he started at the Saiyan warrior. "You."
To Frieza, it was as if it was yesterday.
"Frieza! Come out and fight me!"
Lingering still, Frieza's eyes remained locked onto Turles. He looked almost entirely like... that Saiyan who'd come to challenge him, the one who Dodoria failed to kill.
Bardock, but there is no way this is him. He lacks the scar, but the resemblance is too close.
"So, Vegeta, I see you found yourself another Saiyan lackey."
Immediately Turles shifted angrily at the remark.
"I'm not his lackey," both Raditz and Turles announced almost exactly at the same time, scowling at Frieza.
Both Vegeta and Frieza gave smirks at the remark ironically.
There was clear disunity amongst the groups involved here that faced him. This could be played as an advantage in the eyes of the World Trade Tyrant. However, united or divided, these fools would all die by his hands. Vegeta would have to suffer the most, his Saiyan counterparts next. The Earthlings and Namekians would be able to watch until it was there turn.
I wonder if I can make them grovel for their lives?
All the same, the Saiyans were now beginning to look increasingly defiant, instead of terrified. Well, that was to be expected.
When his scouter started to notice all of their power levels idling over 100,000 however, Frieza smirked to himself.
"My, how you monkeys have improved. I'm truly terrified," Frieza mocked, reaching his hand up to cover his laugh.
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Turles could feel Frieza's power, it was epic, like a great sea spanning the horizon. It grew and grew in front of them, almost arching in a wave of power around him as that ocean of strength violently began to shift. It was incredible, this sense to feel the powers around him. Before he'd thought Raditz, Vegeta, and his own power levels were huge, but now?
Now he didn't know what to think as this horned little bastard's power began to swell.
There was a dark laugh from Frieza his the world around them began to shake. The waves of the nearby seas of Namek violently twisted and turned about in the water itself.
At the head of their little group, Vegeta braced himself. Even Turles would admit, having Vegeta at the head of the three of them made sense. He knew Frieza, he understood him much better than either he or Raditz. It also meant he was going to be Frieza's first target, something that Turles was more then happy to not be given the power they were all feeling right now. He was strong enough to hold his own, and he doubted Vegeta was much weaker than he was. Raditz wasn't much weaker than Vegeta either, which meant that they may just have a chance.
Even though he hated to admit it, if they worked together, they would win.
"Raditz."
It was strange, but he actually felt his thoughts projecting, moving through the space around them. It'd been worth a try, it was probably just a foolish-
"... how are you doing this?"
Raditz's mind responded. Turles hid his own shock before narrowing his eyes on Frieza again.
"Kakarot did it to me. I thought I'd try. Now listen. Once Frieza finishes powering up, he's going to attack Vegeta. We are going to have to put aside our... grievance for the moment if we want to live. We will need to flank him and attack when he's not expecting it."
Raditz reluctantly nodded. It was clear that the two brothers were going to have more than a little to 'discuss' if they survived this. But there was no purpose in killing one another, while Frieza killed them.
"Just say when."
As soon as that was sent, Frieza started to speak again.
"Now look at me Vegeta, have you forgotten what I really am? Do you think having two more pathetic Saiyans and Earthlings was going to change the outcome of this battle?" Frieza laughed.
Bracing himself, Vegeta just smiled back at Frieza. "You don't know what you are dealing with Frieza, you fool, you don't stand a chance."
Immediately the tyrants face twisted into a hateful scowl, looking directly at Vegeta. Energy still licking off Frieza's body, the tyrant smiled nefariously again.
"Alright then Vegeta, let us see who is the bigger fool." Frieza pointed his hand out, forming a red energy blast.
Finally, the battle was upon them.
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A lone figure stood as the wind picked up around him.
So this was it, this was his home. A place he'd wondered about his entire life.
"Namek, my home."
This was what he'd been looking for his entire life, but he'd never known it. This world, this now distant battleground, was made real as his feet found their way to the planet itself. This was the world that had spawned his father, and in reality, a part of himself. This was the world where his people came from, a people that were all but gone now. Their power barely existed in the world.
With eyes narrowing, Piccolo began to try and feel out the powers on this world, trying to find Gohan and Krillin. The Dragon had clearly placed him randomly on Namek, which meant-
Four, huge powers, absolutely massive, with one particularly large one. However, Piccolo smirked as he realized something about this power.
We'll see just how strong you are, Frieza.
"Well, looks like I'm back in action!" he shouted, before blasting off, making his full speed towards the battle.
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The hellish red blast screamed through the air as it hit another plateau behind Gohan and Krillin. The two of them having dodged the incoming blast. The first order of business had been for those two to get Bulma and Dende to safety. To say Bulma had protested would have been a complete lie.
... Dende had also found his way back to the battlefield, much to the irritation of the Earth fighters.
However, another blast came shooting towards them, this time Vegeta appeared in front of it, punching into the beam, sending it flying off into the distance.
Frieza stopped in that moment, smiling to himself.
Above, Raditz and Turles stopped moving as well, each one to one of Frieza's flanks. So far, Frieza had been the one dealing out all the aggression. It was clear now however, that the tyrant had more power to deal with than he originally realized.
The Saiyan prince and the despot stood across from one another.
"W-what're we going to do?" Gohan asked.
"He's too strong, I don't know how we can overtake him," Krillin added.
"Ridiculous," Vegeta cut in immediately, staring at Frieza with a smirk across his lips. "Defeating Frieza is completely in our favour right now."
It was Frieza's turn to use the word of Vegeta's choosing. "Ridiculous? You were all dead the moment you challenged me."
"No way," Vegeta responded with a dark smile. "You are so blind, haven't you noticed yet? We Saiyans get stronger the longer we fight, every time you've attacked us, our fighting power has only increased, not decreased. You fool, arrogantly firing energy waves in the blind hope of hitting, you disgust me."
Frieza's eye twitched for a second as Vegeta spoke, however his calm didn't disappear.
"Are we going to talk, or are we going to fight?" Turles called down from above. "Because if its the former, perhaps its my turn to go on the offensive."
"Get back in line, Turles," Vegeta shot back hotly, before turning back to Frieza, his smirk reappearing.
"I've become a Super Saiyan, your worst nightmare," Vegeta then boasted.
Frieza seemed to take in the information with a small smile.
"A Super Saiyan? Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it... That is if we ever come to it! FOOL!"
With that, Frieza lunged at Vegeta, the two locking their arms, a huge aura flaring around them.
"We should attack now." Raditz sent, sounding irritated.
"Give the Prince a minute. I'm sure he's been waiting for this his whole life. We'll just be ready to deal with the aftermath." Turles sent back with a cunning, dark smile as the two other warriors circled the engagement like vultures.
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Frieza. You're reign will end at my hands, the hands of the Prince of all Saiyans.
The ground beneath the two titled nobles began to crack as they tested their strength, blue auras flaring violently in the air around them. Stray rubble began to scatter in all directions, before being launched like bullet projectiles. The ground beneath them even began to cave in, forming a crater as the two continued their trial of strength.
I've been terrified of you my whole life. You've ruled over me and all the others with nothing but that pathetic smile on your face. We feared you and all this time we should have challenged you. Now I am strong enough Frieza. I will strike you down. I am the Legendary Super Saiyan!
The thoughts fuelled Vegeta's power as he pushed himself towards Frieza yet harder. All those years of being loyal, instead of advancing his own power. All those years of doing the worst jobs for Frieza, only to be rewarded with disdain. And finally, the knowledge that despite all that, despite all the loyalty, doing all the jobs, doing everything he asked, he would always look down on you as nothing more than a monkey.
It wasn't hard to see the real anger Frieza felt, Vegeta could even feel it as the two of them stood there, trying to gain the advantage over one another. Frieza's scouter was going wild as well, the two of them bolstering their power more and more sending the device further into madness.
"You wretched Saiyans! How dare you not just roll over and die?!" Frieza seethed openly, before his scouter exploded violently, shifting his head to one side.
Finally, the two of them broke their grapple, each one jumping from the hole they'd formed, landing opposite of one another.
This is it. I must be ready for this.
Frieza just seemed amused still however, despite all of that.
"Why don't you transform, Frieza? I want to fight the real you, not this pitiful shell," Vegeta demanded.
Frieza's eyes widened for a moment as Vegeta spoke, clearly surprised by his knowledge.
"So, you've found out my little secret?" Frieza smiled in response.
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Above, Raditz looked to his brother Turles seriously.
Yea, they were already weaker than Frieza, any individual one of them was weaker than the tyrant. What kind of fool was Vegeta being? Did he somehow think his own power would rise just because he was fighting Frieza? If he hadn't already intended to kill him, he'd have killed him for making such a stupid remark.
They needed to kill Frieza now.
"No more waiting, we start the assault now," the elder brother sent, knowing full well their time was up.
It took a lot of Raditz's control not to head straight for Vegeta while his back was turned. Striking down his supposed Prince would be a moment of liberation, but it would have just divided them for their battle with Frieza. The fact he couldn't stop thinking about it even now however told volumes of how much he wanted to make at least one of his wish's come true.
Diving down at full speed, arching himself towards Frieza just as the tyrant pulled his arms behind his back while staring at Vegeta, Raditz struck.
"Very well Vegeta, but don't say I didn't warn-"
The crunching sound of Raditz's fist hitting Frieza in the cheek echoed out. To his opposite side, Turles appeared and swinging his knee up. It slammed into Frieza's gut before Raditz's blow could send him flying. The momentum of the two hits caused his legs and lower body to want to go one way, and his head and shoulders to go the other.
What ended up happening was his armour cracked in the side, his legs fell out from under him, and his head violently hit the sweet fertile soil of the Namekian ground, right horn first.
As soon as he made contact with the ground, all three of them disappeared with pure speed as thundering collisions were heard booming around the battlefield.
In a flash Frieza appeared finally, slamming Raditz into the ground with a furious look on his face.
"I wasn't done making my transformation yet, you worthless monkey!" he shouted furiously, preparing to make the death blow.
However, even as he lay on his back, Frieza's hand on his chest preparing to gather energy, there was a smirk on Raditz's face.
Within a heartbeat, Frieza's head violently slammed into the ground next to Raditz as Turles appeared, grasping the Tyrant by the head and making sure he once again met the soil.
"Who said you get to transform?" Turles asked, his voice hinting amusement.
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Turles was in agreement with Raditz. What kind of fools would they be to let this monster transform when his power already eclipsed their own? Especially with the dire warning that he would indeed kill Turles if he came to battle him. Well, so far the battle was going well, and he was sure if he prevented this little procedure of Frieza's, he'd live longer than this day.
The beast in his hand struggled violent, hissing angrily as he continued to hold his head.
"I want you to remember something before you die, Frieza. I am Turles, mightiest of the Saiyan Warriors," he pompously declared.
Suddenly, there was a snicker from Frieza his tail lashing out behind him, slapping away Turles's legs and sending him back. Both Raditz and Turles now rolled back before hopping to their feet. Each one of them bracing themselves as their power began to rise to the surface.
Quickly, they found themselves joined by Vegeta.
The three Saiyans began to radiate power, the ground beneath them cracking and splitting violently around them.
Turles felt himself preparing for his assault. This was it, this was where they had to finish off Frieza.
"It's do or die," Turles told his comrades.
Chuckling, Frieza slowly rose up a blue aura flaring around him. "I think it'll be die, then," he chuckled. "How dare you interfere with my plans?!"
For a brief moment, Turles felt memories that weren't his own bubbling around the surface.
"Oh yea, there is one last thing. This is for all the people we killed in your name," a blue orb appeared in Bardock's hand. "I wish we were never foolish enough to obey you. Here, have it!"
Within a millionth of a second of the dream ending before his eyes, Turles, Raditz, and Vegeta threw themselves into Frieza.
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They were fast, very, very fast. Frieza's eyes were able to keep up, but this frail form was not able to. His right arm moved up, blocking a strike coming from Raditz, his left blocking Turles, and his leg rising to block Vegeta. The three were completely static before both Raditz and Turles drove their knees into his back, forcing him forward into a vicious uppercut from the Saiyan prince.
It wasn't hard to feel his body spinning up into the air, the three Saiyans giving chase.
Vegeta had seemed so eager to allow him to change, but evidently his allies had other ideas. This was very precarious, he needed time to change forms. Unless they could be fought off him soon, he wouldn't get that time.
Feeling a pair of powerful hands grasp his tail, his body stopped in mid air, looking down with a scowl, he saw the very amused Raditz holding on.
"I've always wondered what it would be like to drag you around by this," Raditz chuckled.
Suddenly, the world started to get a lot closer, a lot quicker. The Saiyan was pulling with all his might, driving him down towards Namek. With a final throw, Frieza felt himself whirling through the air violently. A pair of arms slammed into him as he ascended, close-lining him across the head sending him into a descent instead. The pain was extensive, his back violently slapped the ground at the last moment, causing the ground below to split.
That was it. Rage filled Frieza's every fibre and the despot roared. The ground around him exploded, the entire small island he was on torn apart, and became lost to the Namekian sea. The blue aura flared, his damaged armour almost ripping apart around him as his red eyes stared up with deadly intent.
"I have had enough! I am Lord Frieza! You are nothing but a bunch of Monkeys!"
Crossing his arms, opposite of Frieza, Vegeta just smirked.
"My colleagues have apparently opted to not let you transform Frieza, so, this miserable encounter will be short lived. Prepare to die."
The three Saiyan's auras flickered to life, as all four figures disappeared.
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It was exhilarating, Vegeta felt Frieza's every motion as he moved out to strike down Raditz first. Eliminating the weakest adversary first was a wise choice, if Turles, the stronger of the two brothers hadn't been in such close proximity. The blur of fists around the fight couldn't be seen by anyone whose power was insufficient. The children, the woman and the bald human would be left at a complete loss he was sure as they tried to follow this battle.
It was time for their prince to get involved.
Suddenly the melee became the three of them, fists flying in all directions. The Saiyans coordinated by knowing where to be, and knowing where not to be. All the same, Frieza's power was still high enough he was able to keep up... largely.
Just as the tyrant landed a vicious blow on Raditz's head, following by a punishing elbow in Turles's gut, Vegeta knew it was his time to strike out. Before Frieza could make his attack on him, the Prince had already kicked the pink and white alien in the side of the head. A strong left strike then came from his head, slamming in Frieza's face.
I've waited for this my entire life to kill you Frieza. Today will be that day.
Rage drove Vegeta's next hit, dropping both his legs into Frieza's gut, smashing through the remains of his torso's armour. Frieaza's eyes bulged in pain as this happened, flipping backwards, the horned monster hit the ground once again, this time on his front.
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It wasn't hard to notice the dying power.
It was hard to avoid it, some soft nature of Gohan's had managed to find its way to Piccolo, and he doubted that he could just avoid it. Worse, he may have turned back. This could be one of his friends, this could be a Namek, or it could be one of Frieza or Turles's men.
It was a Namekian warrior, he could tell as he floated down from the sky, his black eyes staring down at the bloody wreck of a body.
Slowly, Nail opened his eyes, giving a weak chuckle.
"Hello brother," he greeted, his lips turning into a pained smile. "I see the earthlings got their wishes."
"I see. So you know me then? If that's the case, you know I'm out of time. Best of luck," Piccolo offered, turningt o leave.
"Wait, I sense how powerful you are, I'm just not sure it will be enough."
Piccolo froze in place.
How can it not be enough?... I'm stronger than Frieza right now. I could- wow.
There was something behind Frieza, almost a layer below the layer he displayed. It was huge, massive, it almost boggled Piccolo's mind at the power he felt somehow hidden in the layers of power of Frieza. The others probably couldn't feel this dark, hidden power, perhaps Goku could, but he wasn't around that battle right now. Piccolo could feel Krillin, Gohan, Raditz, Vegeta... and someone else, whose power was very similar to Goku's, but much, much darker. Their powers were incredibly high as well.
Still, none of them there would be able to weather the storm beneath all that already horrendous power.
"What's your point?" Piccolo growled out, turning his head back towards Nail. "We need to stop him, there isn't much else I can do."
"Brother, if you'd come back as your original self, you would have defeated Frieza with certainty," Nail managed. "But... I understand that cannot happen."
Kami, that wretched old bag of bones? If he'd united with him, and returned to his original self, he could have saved his home world? Well, it was a little late for that. Kami would be back on earth, and he would be here on Namek. This was the one chance he had, and if he failed, it would be it, over. They had to get this right.
"Well I'm all you've got. I'd suggest being grateful that I bothered to show up," Piccolo seethed.
Ingrate.
"I'm not trying to anger you brother. I have a plan, I don't wish to die, and I wish to help you overcome Frieza."
Piccolo smirked. "I think you're in a little rough shape to be helping me out."
Nail returned the smile, however there was a glint of deviousness in his eyes.
"We can unite bodies. You'll inherit all my abilities, all my powers, and all my knowledge. We will become one being," the dying Namek offered. "It's all the help I can give. But if we unite, you're power will be vastly superior to what it is right now. Maybe then we can even stop Frieza."
Someone else in my body? Another mind? ... Can I risk this? I don't sense any deception, or any ill will in him, but... I'm still not sure.
"Will I still be me?"
"Yes, for the most part," Nail responded. "There will be a few differences of course, but you'll get used to them in time."
Nervously, Piccolo felt out in the distance again, feeling the powers battling, and knowing the darkness that was waiting for him when he got there. If he was being offered help, he had to take it.
I hope I don't regret this.
Kneeling down, Piccolo nodded finally.
"Tell me what I have to do."
"Put your hand on my arm. Good," Nail remarked as the hand was placed on his shoulder. "Just keep it there."
Suddenly, there was a bright light, as what made up nail slowly began to phase into energy, energy streaming into Piccolo himself. It was almost painful as it happened, like fire was flooding into his arm. It took everything in him to hold his hand on Nail's body as the two of them merged together, as the two of them almost seemed to fuse into one being, with him as the dominant personality.
Finally however, the last of the fire was gone, somehow settling almost under his skin. His eyes closed as he felt something almost settling in. His power... it was expanding. His chest almost inflated with the feeling he was developing. Somehow the world seemed to come alive.
To Piccolo, this was his return home. To Nail, this was a new life.
Slowly, the Namekian warrior began to rise, his emotions flaring as they never had before.
"This is unreal, my god."
His body tensed as he looked ahead. They were one being, one power, one mind. It was almost like waking up from a dream.
"This is amazing! I feel incredible! I can win, I feel great! I can do this!"
It was all within his grasp. This was his home, a home he'd never known, but a home that was now as familiar as anyone's. Memories of Nail's rushed through his mind. He smirked to himself, realizing just how far he'd come, from the very moment of his conception, to this exact time. The son had returned home to save his people, or at the very least avenge them. His arms spread towards one of the Namekian suns as he let his new power flow.
"Yes! I'm home! I'm alive! This is all a miracle! I'm awake? I'm wide awake!"
Finally, energy bursting from his form, he took off, his body shooting through the sky heading towards the conflict.
"Hang on Gohan!"
The first thing he needed to do, was save his student.
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Slowly, Frieza's body began to rise up, his fists clenched angrily as the Saiyans stared down from above.
"You low-life Saiyans!" finally he snapped furiously, his eyes beaming upwards with hate. "When I transform I'll... I'll..." The tyrant slowly began to trail off.
All three of them were smirking, but Vegeta most of all. Each one of them had energy twisting around them. Below, Frieza even noticed the child and bald midget gathering their strength. This was it, this was the test of their strength.
To Vegeta, this was it, the moment of revenge against Frieza.
"Galic Gun Fire!"
The huge purple burst appeared at the end of Vegeta's hands as he thrust them forward, sending the wave straight towards Frieza, who was frozen in place as he thrust his hands up, taking the beam head on.
"You're a fool Vegeta if you think-"
"Calamity Blaster!"
Another huge purple beam shot out, joining the other, the energy wave swelling violently as Frieza's grip became more tenuous.
Turles and Vegeta could feel him struggling.
"Raditz! Now!" Turles shouted.
"Double Sunday!" Two waves of red energy merged into the purple, darkening the beam.
From below, two more beams were yet to join.
"Masenko-HA!"
"Kamehameha!"
All five beams united, blasting against Frieza, the Arcosian felt the world turn white.
"Curse you!" Frieza's voice screamed out.
The beam finally broke through, sheering into the surface of Namek itself, trailing forward for miles as seas were cut in two, massive craters forming, mountains and plateaus collapsed into nothingness, lava even burst from the rip it was so deep in the planet's surface.
Finally, the light dimmed out as the five warriors stood and floated in place, all trying to catch their individual breaths.
We did it... I did it!
Vegeta felt the shock beginning to disappear, his mind racing to find out how to even feel, finally, he started to laugh.
After years of torment at the hand's of Frieza, years of humiliation! It was over! Finally it was over!
Not as satisfying as defeating him at his best, but certainly not disappointing! He might even let Raditz live for 20 minutes or so!
However, his laughter, as it bellowed, was not joined by anyone else.
Turning his head to Turles and Raditz with a scowl, and then noticing Krillin and Gohan also trembling as they floated into the air... Vegeta felt something in the distance, in the background. It was absolutely gigantic. Twice as powerful as Frieza had just been. Turning his head back towards where the massive cut in the surface of the world was, a cut now filling with the ocean's water, Vegeta saw the hulking form of Frieza rising from his grave.
He was a giant now, his arms crossed, but his face twisted with what could best be described as real anger. In his new, deep voice, the alien lord finally spoke.
"That was very, very unfair. The three of you ganging up on me before I even had a chance to transform. I am very disappointed," his words didn't reflect his clear anger. "I will now need to repay you're kindness in full, I am afraid. So which one of you will I kill first as a mercy? Because the rest of you will die a much, much more excruciating death."
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A/N: Had to proof read this one several times, hope I got everything.
Reviewers:
fightingchampion: Answered largely by PM. But thank you as always for the review
Guest: If you actually notice, it's less than a year between the Saiyan Saga and the Namek Saga. If anything the plot hole is that they are able to summon the dragon again, less than a year later. Though I suppose that may be justified by the fact that Kami came back to life, thus bringing the balls back with him.
Jason9000: Answered by PM. Thanks as always Jason.
Super Mystic Gohan: Thanks for the review :)
Luke: You'll have to trust me when I say that Turles's story doesn't end with the Namek Saga, and is very interesting. I'll give one hint. He's the man who can't be Goku.
DaOneInDaCorner: The problem is time. By the time he'd have an opportunity to wish her back, it'll be too late to do so.
Treeger: The story was originally supposed to just focus on Raditz, but after Chapter 10, it really became a story about Dragon Ball, and characters being introduced who didn't last or make it into the main series. So, expect to see a lot of development for different characters at different times, but with Raditz, Turles... and one other who will be introduced later, being the main glue that holds the story together :)
Ness: Little Green! Why?! XD
Perfect Carnage: Well, I'm glad you found the story again. I certainly hope you enjoy it as it moves forward. Though the battle with Frieza is very long. Don't worry, I put tons of character development in it. I particularly like Chapters 28 and 29.
Dark Impaler: Thanks for the review. And watch the shenanigans continue with Turles, Raditz, and Vegeta lol
Full Power: I think your estimation on who dies first is a credible guess... even if it's wrong ;)
Demod20: The fan is officially covered in shit.
Cosmic Cannon: Thank you as always for the review, it's always great to hear you enjoyed. Over the next few chapters, watch some characters have a nervous breakdown. It's great XD
Doctor13X: Messaged. But thank you :)
coldblue: Raditz is not Vegeta. He is not Goku. He is Raditz. Just because others do something, doesn't mean he has to or will. However I can promise you Raditz will be an incredibly important character to this story, given the story really starts with him, and focuses on him the most. The only other characters who will be as important as him are Turles and... Tarble.
But yea, you're not going to get how strong Raditz will be out of me in the reviews dude XD. He will be neither weaker, nor stronger, than Raditz, by the end of the story.