Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.

The Cataylst

Act V

Chapter 69: Second Guessing

Vegeta:

It was dark. The only thing down here was him. With his power focused, the thick liquid around him put pressure on him on all points. It was trying to crush him and force him into a smaller form. The pressure was intense, perhaps 800 or 900 times that of being on the surface. Even now as he focused his energy to move, fighting opponents in his mind's eye in the extremes of this planet's conditions, Vegeta was left with a sense of inadequacy.

If Kakarot's little display thought he was going to impact him, then that fool was even more delusional than Vegeta originally thought. If anything, it'd helped commit him to his actions even more than before. The fact Kakarot cared enough for this human to care that her position was compromised was almost reason enough to never look back. Of all of his concerns, that was at the bottom. It was further down his priorities, than he was feet below the surface of the ocean.

Divorcing your feelings from actions was simple, when you were trained from birth to annihilate entire races and species from the face of the galaxy in the name of a galactic space tyrant. That also meant divorcing your feelings either way.

The main thing the Prince was worried about, was what he could use to his advantage, under any circumstances. It was the driving force behind his initial alliance with Turles. It was apart of his willingness to work with Kakarot's idiot friends and family on Namek. It was he'd tried to assert himself after Frieza died. It was all about Vegeta, it was all about his position, and his power. It was about what he could get within his grasp that was useful, and anything that was he would own, and anything that was not he would crush, and discard.

Only for the first time in his life, he was the ruler of nothing but himself. And that was fine. Truthfully, his own strength had always been his only desire. All he needed to do was scrape himself to the top. He would surpass Kakarot, Turles, and the future warriors.

I will not be second place.

… Third… third place…

The second thought that passed through his mind had his eyes flash with fury. Blue energy wrapped around him, illuminating the sea as if a star had emerged from beneath the water. A bubble of force pushed out in all directions as he shoved back the sea with his anger, doming the sea above him.

Blasting straight up, the bubble moved out further until Vegeta blasted through the sea, shooting straight into the air as fast as his body would take him, deliberately keeping his body and gases together with the power of his ki. Pain still rushed through his body as the difference in pressure nearly made him literally explode. When he reached past the heavens, he almost flew himself into space once again as he held on the edge of the world, letting his ki adjust the pressure in his body safely within a few moments as he stared out into the void, into the stars beyond. There were countless billions of them in the Milky Way Galaxy alone, and they all should have belonged to him. Or at the very least, they should have been fearful of him.

And instead of that, he was stuck here on this blue and green marble, left behind by the two people he despised most. Both of them had humiliated him at multiple events. They'd tried to rip his pride away from him. Even Kakarot's intervention the other day, was just another blow to his pride. It was as if the universe had spat in his face and was laughing at him. But it would be Vegeta who laughed last.

Already, the dark visions of what he would do when he achieved supremacy came to the fore of his mind.

He lingered almost too long, before falling back down towards the Earth. When his body splashed against the water at terminal velocity, Vegeta felt himself plunge into the freezing water before just laying beneath the waves, taking in the moment of reflection as he started at the surface from below.

It was quiet here for a few moments, letting his thoughts spread away from his singlemindedness for even a few seconds. There was only the ocean, the ocean and himself. Briefly, he felt regret of having even bothered to protect the woman. He'd have been better off shunning her equipment and delving into the extremes of this world. The arrangement was never going to last, especially once he killed her friends after he finally became the strongest warrior. The humans on this world appeared like Saiyans, and they were clearly compatible, but they weren't. They were soft. That softness even explained the failure of his future son.

Even as the legendary Super Saiyan, you were not enough. And you were not enough to stop some pitiful machines.

If he ever had a son of his own, and ever deemed it worth his time, which he doubted given he'd already seen the results of what humans and Saiyans produced not in power, but in spirit, he would see his son raised as a Saiyan should be. The world was harsh, and power was the objective of all Saiyans. Ambition, strength, and relentlessness were the most important traits for anyone to have. Mercilessness and detachment were equally important. But the last two were reason enough not to be involved in such a foolish venture.

Amongst the nobles and higher orders of Saiyans on Planet Vegeta, Vegeta knew beyond securing resources for your family, family held little importance. It was even expected that a Saiyan of sufficient power, would kill his parent to inherit his position if necessary. Violence, even when controlled, was an incredibly important part of the society that birthed him. No child he had on this planet, with the weak people here, would ever climb the mountain as he had. And none would ever take his position from him in battle, so why bother wasting time and resources on it?

Rising out of the water after several minutes of dwelling on his inner thoughts, Vegeta remained hovering above the ocean waters below. For the first time in his life since he was a child, he longed for the place of his birth. To be surrounded by people like him, with his values, was something he genuinely missed. Even though Nappa had been an idiot, it'd at least been a connection to an older world and a life he could no longer see or have. Even Raditz had been apart of that connection in his own way.

Inside Frieza's corporation, at least the universe still made sense, even with a lack of Saiyans and their values of strength and pride in it. Here, his pride stood alone above the waves. The only one on this miserable rock who even tried to stay true to their customs beyond himself was Turles. And Vegeta had far too much bad blood with him at this point to have any reason to train with him, given that he wanted to usurp his power and kill him. He also suspected Turles was still sore over Vegeta's near killing of his nephew.

He'd spent enough time wondering about what was, or what he could be doing other than what was truly important to him. However long he needed to train, he would. He would train harder and longer than anyone else. None of them had his dedication.

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Turles:

Finishing taking off his suit jacket before walking into his kitchen, Turles observed the world from the lens of a man who had spent the last few weeks trying to determine the best course of actions…

It was going to be incredible once it kicked off, wasn't it? If it kicked off, that was. The answer his brother had given him was something he'd never expected to hear. He'd be willing to discard everything to kill Vegeta's spouse, including jeopardizing Kakarot's life and he was sure everyone else on the planet. That kind of dedication was dangerous. But he most certainly did see the look of "Abil" in his brother's eyes. Honour meant very little to him, if anything at all. But Raditz's plea for help was something that even if he didn't find compelling as a mechanism of Saiyan honour, he did find interesting in so far that Raditz would ask him.

There was something just as important to Raditz in this as anything in his new life. Even Turles understood that Raditz didn't have the most positive view on the culture which had created them, but there was something primal about revenge. It was something Turles himself could understand quite well, even if at times it needed to be ignored for greater purposes. It was clear though that Raditz took this more seriously than anything else. Every day which passed, he felt Raditz's power rising as he focused himself.

So that would mean for Raditz to gain his revenge, it was his responsibility to fight Kakarot? That was very interesting. The desire to fight his brother was something Turles had definitely felt since becoming a Super Saiyan. His own revenge for Kakarot defeating him outside of the Capsule Corporation could perhaps be obtained. Then there was the fact that he despised everything Kakarot stood for. His friendly nature, and complete lack of ambition for anything important outside of fighting was real. The fact he'd been badgered about how important Kakarot was for over a year as well did his brother no favours, or how he'd been setup to die for him without his own consent in the plan. The final straw was the fact that Kakarot took his power from him.

It wasn't just his strength that was sapped. It was that Kakarot took from him his power over the others here. Turles enjoyed being the one in charge. Even now he wasn't in charge.

Even if I decide to spare Kakarot, out of my best intentions, I'll be the one in charge here. My strength will be the one to hold true.

Though in all honesty, he was still on the fence on whether to help Raditz at all. For all of that passion and anger he displayed, the outcome would just be his brother's death, and the only possible gain for him to make was defeating Kakarot and potentially just twisting a knife in Vegeta's back. Was that really worth the risk? If he lost… which he wouldn't,it'd mean Kakarot may finally actually kill him.

Maybe it was better to let sleeping dogs lie. Besides, without the opportunity to distract Kakarot, Raditz wouldn't make an attempt on the blue harpy's life.

Walking out onto his balcony, Turles stared up at the night's sky before noticing movement in the corner of his eye. He kept his power level low around here, and only Raditz knew where he lived. So, the real question was, who thought they were clever by coming to his home uninvited. The humans of this planet couldn't fly, and they couldn't move as fast as he'd just observed. Looking to the building across the street, another high rise, Turles noticed the movement of a figure he'd most definitely not expected.

Gohan.

His nephew was dressed in his training gear, looking around for something, which he probably guessed was him. Putting one hand in his pocket, and holding his water in his other hand, Turles stood perfectly still, seeing if his nephew was good enough to track him. It took another few seconds, but the kid finally made him, and Turles couldn't help but give a one-sided grin as his nephew jumped to his balcony.

"I'll give it to you kid, tracking me down like this wasn't something your father was able to do," Turles admitted, opening the door for his nephew as he walked in. "If you ran away from home though, I'm going to send you back."

"No, it's not that," Gohan answered honestly. "Oh, and hey. It's that we need help. Those androids are coming to kill everyone, Uncle Turles, including you. Piccolo's been missing from his usual training with my dad, he's only around sometimes. We really need someone there to help everyone keep up."

To help everyone? That's rich.

Still, it was amusing to see his nephew coming to make the case that he come to help his father, and his father's friends, ostensibly. Still, it was the 'innocence' of a child, he supposed. This was an important time for another of life's lessons.

"Why would I help your father, exactly?" Turles asked honestly. "You know very well that he and I have a… issues in the past."

"You can get past that, I know you can. You're a Super Saiyan, Turles! You can do anything if you put your mind to it. You could help us stop the Androids, just like you helped us stop Slug. I know you want to help, you're not as bad as everyone keeps saying. If you were as heartless as everyone says, why did you help me? And why did you help my mom?" Gohan challenged. "I saw you do it. I was there."

It was a stirring speech, Turles would admit as he listened to his nephew, essentially argue for virtue and plead with him to help their case. It was a fascinating contrast, wasn't it? His nephew was begging for him to help, and his brother was begging him to tear down the established order. It was adorable, if it wasn't so blindly wrong.

"I am a Super Saiyan, aren't I?" Turles responded honestly. "But I also have my own interests. I needed to help stop Slug because it threatened my life. I saved you, because you're my nephew. I saved your mother because I felt like it."

Walking over to his fridge, Turles pulled the stainless-steel door open before grabbing a red apple, taking a bite out of it as he closed the door. It was a familiar crisp crunch, only lacking any power or regenerative energies that he'd longed for now that he'd lost the Tree of Might.

There was a silence, a disappointment from his nephew as Turles sighed, opening the fridge again and throwing an apple towards him. The fruit was caught out of the air before he shut the fridge again. Acting like the disappointment was from a lack of inclusion with the food was an easy play to keep himself at a distance, but still be involved.

We'll make a Saiyan out of you yet.

"When those Androids get here, I'll be more than powerful enough to just deal with some machine," he then added. "And if not? Well, Kakarot is probably still going to be around by then, isn't he? I'm far from worried."

"But we know they're stronger than the two Super Saiyans who came here from the future," Gohan urged.

"And I am stronger than them," Turles commented defiantly. "There is something you should know, Gohan. Strength brings about more strength, and it isn't reliant on others. Don't get dragged into supporting these weaklings. Only help people who you think could be useful to you. Don't help those who aren't. And if they aren't useful to you, they either have enough strength on their own and they are fine, or they are pruned from the tree."

"So, we're not useful to you?" Gohan's voice challenged him, clearly looking back at him with a hurt expression. "And you only saved me because you thought I was going to be useful for you later? That's contradictory, first of all. Worse, it means you've just been using me, just like you use everyone?"

"Kid's got you there."

Yea, he does.

There was a pause on Turles's part before he took another aggressive bite into his apple, turning his head and looking at the kid who thought he could talk to him that way. It was all the more frustrating that he was right. Discussing anything approaching feelings was not acceptable, especially with an outside source.

"You're the future, Gohan," Turles told him honestly. "Why would I let the future die? One day, I'll be dead and gone, and the legacy of my people and family will only have you to carry on it, even if it comes through your father."

Taking another bite out of the apple, he discarded it a moment later before giving the kid a hard look.

"But your right," he said, sounding annoyed. "I'm not using you, but you will be useful later. I want you to be strong, because as I said, you are the future. One day you might be the most powerful being alive, you may even become stronger than me. If that day comes, I hope its because of my helping you. It's as much of a legacy as I'm going to have outside of my reputation."

Walking into his room, he briefly closed the door, discarding his clothing over the course of several seconds as he used his speed to disrobe himself, Turles slipped into his Saiyan undersuit and armour before walking out of the room. There was a moment of stunned silence from Gohan as his eyes widened.

"You're… you're going to come train with us?" Gohan asked, stunned clearly at his turn of position before his smile grew from ear to ear.

"I'll concede the point."

Besides. I'm going to need to watch how Kakarot fights more, aren't I?

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Raditz:

"Hey! Everyone! Look who I brought to training today!" Gohan's voice echoed over the clearing where Kakarot's home and farm resided.

It'd been being here that'd helped him find his place in the world, he'd come to realize over the last few weeks residing here. It felt almost surreal. This would all be gone for him soon. The trees around this place would continue to bristle in the wind, but he'd not be there to hear it. Kakarot's wife would still make grand meals every day, but he'd not be there to eat it. There would be training off in the woods at Kakarot's frantic, but somehow easy-going pace. Perhaps it'd remain unchanged, as far as he'd know, for an eternity. This place would be a pleasant memory to look back upon.

In a battle against Vegeta, he doubted he would have long to live. Maybe he could make a fight of it if he were lucky. The dignity he'd find in his own death, even knowing others would revile him for it, was reassuring almost. These past few days of certainty had created an air of satisfaction around him he couldn't conceal.

Should he have been able to let it go? That was the only question he asked himself at night as he finalized his plans. Living by the standards of the people on this Earth, yes. But he wasn't from here. Even knowing what he knew now of the flawed place he called him, even with the illusion stripped from him of what his people were… he was a Saiyan. He was not an ambitious one by nature. He was someone who'd done his duty and been betrayed for it. The only pride he had left was born of his revenge.

He would be proud to take revenge, even though it was killing another who'd never harmed him. Because it wasn't about them, it wasn't personal. They just happened to make the mistake of entangling themselves with the wrong person. But people made mistakes every day, whether they knew they were making it, or not. And he'd been trained to detach himself… or at least had learned how to after years of genocide and carnage, to handle these sorts of matters.

They'd be training again soon after the mid day break, and at this point it seemed like a wasted effort. He'd already determined the day he would take his revenge, so long as Turles upheld the obligation he expected him to, through a debt of blood and through familial obligation. There was even something in it for Turles himself, in that he might defeated Kakarot.

"Man, it's been nuts so far," Krillin remarked from a nearby tree. "No Tien today. Gohan ran off to who knows where, and Goku and Chi-Chi had errands to run."

"We'll be back to it shortly," Raditz commented uncaringly.

A distinct sense of energy arrived within seconds, two waves of energy rolling off the ground as the two fighters appeared. Much to Raditz's surprise, it was Turles and Gohan. Even more surprising, Turles was wearing his training attire, his armour. For a brief moment he almost thought Turles was pulling the trigger early on their little exercise, but the look on their nephew's face said otherwise.

This was going to harm his nephew, he knew. Killing the woman would be traumatic for him, especially at the hands of his uncle. Then there would be his shamed name amongst his father and friends. But from such wounds, character was developed. In a strange way, it may help his nephew grow into a better man. At least, that's what Raditz told himself.

"When?" Turles's voice whispered through his mind, that was almost unnerving.

"Next week. November the third," Raditz responded.

"Why then?"

"That's the day he took her from me."

"Wow, look whose back? Here to eat some humble pie?" Krillin laughed, before noticing the dead silence from everyone.

"If you talk to me again, human, I'll break both your arms and use you as a flail," Turles responded coldly.

"Right. I'll just. I'll just wait for Goku right here and mind my own business," Krillin stuttered.

Finally committed in full, throwing away his present for his past, Raditz stared into the forest absently for a few seconds before smiling a bitter smile.

You'll experience exactly what I did, Vegeta. And even if you don't, at least my honour will be restored.

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Author's Notes:

So, lots of news! Firstly, I'm finally almost done Chapter 74 of The Long Road, and after that I've got tons of plans for shorter, consistent content coming out for it. I'll finally be free of long chapters for a long time. Chapter 74's going to be kind of a mind fuck, which is one reason why its been taking so long to write. I hope people appreciate it, though some people might think its too strange, we'll see, lol

For The Catalyst, we've got two important Chapters coming up. I'll spoil the title for Chapter 70, it's a real good one, it's called An Eye for An Eye. Take from that title what you will :)

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Reviewers:

Perfect Carnage: It'll be an interesting read at least, I hope :P

FabDuwangisFab: I got a terrible mental image from that. Lol

OuterSpaceHooker: There is one interesting point behind all of this that you may be forgetting. You'll see in Chapter 70/71 what I mean. :)

Thomas-The-TMC: Bardock's not fully tuned in, but he knows where this kind of thing leads to. Turles himself even, seems not to be fully invested funnily enough…

Anonymously96: Turles is approximately on par with Goku in raw fighting, though I'm not sure if he knows that. Goku's got one big problem, which will come up, I promise.

Luke: Turles to the rescue? Hardly, lmao.

Anon: Gero is a monster. And Raditz can't get over it, it's sad.

AquarianKing: Gero's got a big arc as a villain. I'm really looking forward to getting into it. He's got 2 dedicated chapters still coming for him and the origins of the Androids. As for Raditz, he really can't let it go. His desire for revenge moves the blood through his body as much as his heart. When Vegeta betrayed him, along with Nappa, it was the breaking point for Raditz, even if he came out "better", it doesn't matter, he can't get past what happened I don't think.

KagariAsuha: Best advise Bardock could give him.

Blades of Fury: I don't think people need that ever, really, lol.

Spades231: I aim to make things make sense. It doesn't always work, but it's really about these characters and how they grow, and that includes failures and successes.

Warga: PC Fight! PC Fight! GM: TPK! TPK! Lol

Guest1: I'm really glad you caught all the things I put in there! All of them do have different brands of honour, well, except Turles, lol.

Guesto: It's hard for him to chill out when he's still haunted by Violet's Ghost.

Michael Stone: So do I :D

SpiderGod766: We're happy to have you back :)

Ki: Oh, there won't be any nerfing waves of Majin Buu Candy eating monster Android 21. I'm just using her humanoid form, don't worry about that. :)

Tevi: I am, soon. I'm about 35 pages deep into chapter 74. It's a hard thing to write. Lol

Guest2: Raditz never forgave him, and Vegeta only antagonized him more. This was going to happen.

Maximussj: So many problems, lol

Ardee: You say that now, but wait for Chapter 74 of TLR to come out XD

K: Sorry. Gotta stagger content until I get Chapter 74 done.

DarkFalconZ: I don't think Raditz can, and I think he might get scared he would be talked out of it. Why? Because it'd be another failure for him, another thing he didn't do. And in his view, it'd be another victory for Vegeta over him. No, Raditz is gone when it comes to seeing much reason on this sadly

Anon: He's got plenty of good things coming in terms of story :)

Lord: He might. But Raditz has his reasons for doing this.