Dragon Ball Z: The Catalyst

by Drakthul

Catalyst: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change. A traditional encounter is changed, and begins a series of events which will alter the fate of millions. From the beginning of the Saiyan Saga forward. Rated T for violence and themes.

92. Chapter 92: Dishonoured

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 VI

Chapter 92: Dishonoured

Raditz:

The air passed by them as the three bald warriors flew with him towards the Lookout's position. He'd never really been invited here before, and he was guessing this wasn't much of an invite.

The shame he had was that he'd only fought against one of the Androids, and it was apparently the weakest remaining one, and still lost. It'd been a good plan on his part. The only problem was that he guessed he could last more than a few minutes, he thought he was going to be able to buy at least 10 minutes worth of time. He was wrong. What was remarkable to him hadn't been what he thought was the most horrifying power he'd ever felt, Vegeta's full rage when he'd fought the Androids, but when he sensed Piccolo's peak power, dwarfing Vegeta's highest point of strength by a multitude of levels.

There was a recognition after the new heights that Turles, Kakarot, Vegeta, and now Piccolo had climbed to, that his time in the sun as a relevant fighter was over. He could see it for himself now more clearly than ever. He feared his ability to keep up for some time, and could see this day on the horizon, but they'd climbed well past just being the level of Frieza, or a Super Saiyan. All of them had reached a level his mind barely grasped. Even outside of their enhanced forms, Raditz knew he couldn't compare. Piccolo could defeat him right now without his demon ken, and would do so in a convincing fashion. It'd not even be a challenge.

The mockery he'd lay at the feet of the humans was now more than ironic, he'd become the king of the humans, barring their hostility. He did note that Krillin hadn't been casting him the dirty glances that Tien had, and Piccolo was remaining impartial to his presence. It was more than ironic that in his attempt to revenge himself upon Vegeta, he had turned Vegeta into a monster he could never hope to overcome, and at the same time thrown everything away that he knew he would as well. He paid double the price for his gamble, and his life hadn't even ended.

The entire flight no one had been speaking, and it was more than awkward. He had no questions for the Namek, as he guessed what he'd focused on to increase his power. There were certainly no questions for Tien or Krillin. The fact he was coming with them at all seemed to just be at Turles's behest, who seemed to have enough sway to ensure his partnership, even if brief, with the others.

They'd already confronted him about the destruction of much of West City, and his attempted murder of Bulma before. The contempt was still there, but no words were needed. No one remarked how he'd saved their friend Yamcha, prior to his death only an hour later however. Some people just couldn't be helped, or had no place on a true battlefield. Still, they were clearly upset about it… Hell, even he was upset about it, if he admitted it. The human hadn't ingratiated himself to Raditz in any recent times, in fact they'd nearly fought, but there was the era before that where they'd trained for almost two years.

"Anything noteworthy about the Androids?"

"I'm pretty sure one was General Blue," Krillin said quickly before turning his attention ahead.

"General Blue?"

Really, he had no idea what a "General Blue" was, or why a General Blue mattered in the slightest. Just announcing something like that seemed to be the height of pointlessness. Raising a brow towards Krillin, Raditz waited for someone to give him a credible amount of information about why this person was supposedly a problem. The wait lasted another full minute, seemingly, before sighing, Krillin continued.

"He was a general in the Red Ribbon Army, the people who Dr. Gero was angry about being destroyed by Goku when he was a kid. General Blue was a powerful warrior at the time, and he disappeared after Goku and I got the better of him. People who failed in the Red Ribbon Army however, usually got killed for failing," he explained. "So, I always thought he'd died."

The irrelevant information did little to give Raditz any kind of interest on the subject before he peered forward, seeing a single pillar reaching up from the forests beyond, rising into the skies. It wasn't every day you saw something like that.

When they stopped, hovering above the canopy below, but near the base of the structure, Raditz looked up into the air before the two human warriors stopped in front of him.

"We're not so sure you should come any further," Tien commented.

"It doesn't matter," Piccolo pointed out, implying that he could destroy him at a whim, and it was true. "I think its obvious he's not going to cause trouble. Come if you want Raditz, don't if you don't want to. We're only going to be a minute."

"Are you really sure about this Piccolo, this is where we get the Senzu Beans, what if he tries to attack Korin, or the Lookout!"

"Yes, because I'm doing that, right after I defeat Kakarot and crush the Androids," Raditz mocked, rolling his eyes. "Even if you think I'm malicious, don't think I'm stupid."

"Trying to kill Bulma was very stupid," Tien warned, his own arms crossing. "You think we'd just forgotten that?"

"Oh no, I most certainly didn't, I'd not noticed after I was thrown out by all of you, and my own brother won't speak to me anymore," Raditz spat. "You have no right to judge me, three-eyes. I don't answer to you."

"Maybe you'll answer to Piccolo then," Tien challenged.

"It's not my place," Piccolo warned. "Now let's head up."

The other warrior's form tensed as he prepared to fight. The humans, Raditz knew he could defeat, but there would be no fight. The Namekian wouldn't allow it, they all knew it. The only reason Piccolo was still loitering was to make sure there was no violence. He doubted it was to protect him, but he still felt appreciation for it in some small way. Even in his currently diminished state, the Namekian wouldn't allow this to spill over. As a response, Raditz just crossed his arms before looking at the Namek.

"Just go without me, these children are too busy whining to tolerate my presence," he said, his tone irritated. "I have better things to do than waste my time being glared at."

"Was killing Bulma really your only option, Raditz?" Krillin asked, his tone harsh. "We went together to Namek! You were there with us, we fought the Ginyu Force, Turles's men, and Frieza! We trained together, and Bulma was right there with us. Why? Why would you even try to do it? Because she was with Vegeta? Are you that petty?"

The man who'd once perhaps called him friend tore a strip out of him, but he kept his composure. Kakarot, Turles, and Gohan knew, that was enough for him. These humans didn't deserve more of an explanation, nor was he going to give them one. All Raditz did in turn was just avert his attention from the humans to the Namek.

"Get more of the beans," Raditz said to the Namek before looking off to the distance, he could feel Vegeta's power rising once more.

Every time he sensed it, he felt himself tense with anger that it was allowed to be what it was. His fist tightened as he felt himself uncontrollably begin to reveal his derision for the so-called Prince. It was even more angering as he'd already come to terms with the fact that he was never going to be the Prince's equal in any respect now. In opposition to Vegeta's obvious disdain for everyone where, they had little open issue with the Saiyan. Was it his power that shielded him? The only ones brave enough to want him dead were himself and his nephew. Turles might provide some lip service, but he doubted very much he'd kill Vegeta unless he saw a benefit in it. He didn't hold the same hatred Raditz did, or the fear his nephew did.

And no matter how angry he was over it. No matter how much he wanted to rip Vegeta apart, he… he never changed. He never became the Super Saiyan, as Kakarot, Turles, and… Vegeta, had. He was left here, behind… comparatively powerless. Powerless, and alone.

Piccolo looked off as well, clearly annoyed, before looking back at Tien and Krillin and launching himself upwards, the three-eyed warrior following him. The midget had stayed behind, leaving Raditz to take a glance at his counterpart, seeing him still hanging there, expecting an answer.

"I'm that petty," Raditz answered bluntly. "You can follow the others now."

It was half true, whatever else didn't matter. In a way, these last months had showed him the loneliness that he always expected his brother Turles suffered. A man with no friends and no one who cared about their existence. Raditz himself had tried to forge a bond with his brother, but he knew that he viewed him as a tool and little else. Perhaps there was some familial obligation between them, in fact he knew there was, but their bond was forged in convenience. He knew what a real bond was. Kakarot and his friends were mostly his allies. They stood by one another against the forces of the universe that sought their destruction. Even the weaker among them were respectable warriors. Now all he had was his nephew, and he rarely saw him.

The human took note before preparing to fly upwards, just shaking his head in disappointment.

"I don't think you believe that. You have to regret what you've done."

"I regret the consequences," Raditz admitted honestly. "I made Vegeta more powerful, and I destroyed the life I had built here. Those are my only regrets."

"Then why did you do it?" Krillin asked, turning his head almost furiously. "Come on, you don't really believe it was because you saw Vegeta had a girlfriend so you decided to kill them and turn West City into a warzone. You tried to save Yamcha from the Androids, and you did until one killed him once you were gone. I don't think you'd just ruthlessly do that for no reason."

"You, human, wouldn't understand," Raditz said bluntly, before crossing his arms. "And I am not interested in discussing this with you. If you want to know more, ask Kakarot."

The bald warrior sighed preparing to depart. Kakarot clearly wasn't talking much about it either, which was fine as far as Raditz was concerned.

Only, Krillin turned back just before he prepared to take flight upwards, halting his ascent, clearly indignant.

"All of those people Raditz, all those innocent people died. Thousands of them, tens of thousands! Thank goodness it was at night, if that'd happened during the day you could have killed hundreds of thousands with that stunt! We have no Dragon Balls, they're dead! You're going to pay for that Raditz, either in this life or the next. You only escaped justice because Goku let you…"

"Kakarot left me to die," Raditz said sternly, giving the dwarf a fraction of what he wanted, maybe it would satisfy him. "As was his right. He left me to Vegeta's mercy. Vegeta let me live as a punishment. You don't understand, and you don't know what happened. You have as much right to judge me as that three-eyed moron. Now I have told you as much as I am going to. DROP. IT."

There was surprise on Krillin's face when he heard the truth of one aspect of it. Kakarot had left him to die, and Raditz had already long ago come to terms with that. He was the stronger brother, and Raditz had betrayed him. If Kakarot had killed him himself it'd have been justified by any interpretation of law he could remember from his time on his home world. Even if his people were brutes, he had become one of them long before he tried to murder Vegeta's woman. When he, Turles, and Vegeta died, what had been the Saiyan race would pass into the next life. Gohan was influenced by Saiyan blood and his uncles, but he was more human than Saiyan. He didn't seek combat to gain strength the way the others did.

And that was probably a good thing.

It took him several seconds to realize that Krillin was looking at him with pity, and that was even more infuriating.

"Get lost," Raditz ordered, and there was almost ten seconds as the smaller warrior remained, though looked uncomfortable. He was not going to be the object of someone's pity, that was a bridge too far. "I said get lost, before I make you!"

This time the smaller warrior looked scared, obviously sensing his power beginning to rise. Just as Krillin prepared to take off, the Namek and Tien swept in.

"Is there a problem here?" Tien asked immediately, his three eyes locking onto him with a deadly stare.

"It's fine, Tien," Krillin said nervously. "We were just talking, it's not a big deal."

"We're probably going to have bigger problems anyway, Vegeta's power rising like that along with Trunks shows they're in a fight. If Vegeta kills Trunks, that is going to create a whole host of problems."

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Trunks:

Blood welled up around his eye before another hard punch connected with his abdomen, this time sending him flying back as his body skidded across the open grounds outside west city, before cracking through several trees. Breathing became almost impossible as he gaped for air, trying desperately to suck anything in but with no success. He'd barely laid a hand on Vegeta, except one punch that clipped his jaw and a kick that hit his ribs. Beyond that, it'd been a one-sided affair. Trunks was increasingly approaching the shape Android 22 had left him in not even a few hours ago now.

Coughing, Trunks pulled himself up, grabbing the edge of the tree as he glared at Vegeta. The disappointment of who he was had been overwhelming for him to deal with. Why was his mother even with him? It was obvious why she'd never told him about him now. It was obvious why Gohan didn't even want to go into it. This timeline was different, and his mom was different here, he could see it in her eyes.

Managing to find his feet again, his shoulders slumped down as he brushed his face, seeing some of the blood dripping down across his brow as his eye started to swell around his cheek and brow. Blinking through the haze, he saw Vegeta approaching him with a determine strut and tried to keep himself together.

"Stay down," Vegeta ordered him as he just tried to catch his breath. "You're out of energy. This hasn't even been a challenge."

Taking several steps forward, Trunks shook his head before spitting some of the blood out of his mouth and trying to recentre himself. All he needed was a second to catch his breath… But before he even got a chance, Vegeta was in front of him. It took no time at all for him to have his legs kicked out from under him before his father had already punched him in the side before he hit the ground. Bones almost broke as Trunks gagged in pain, rolling across the tall grass before sliding to a halt almost fifteen metres away. The dirt slowly piled up around him as he slid before he managed to look up, his Super Saiyan hair diminishing before he could even think to get up.

Shakily, his arms started to push himself up, trying to get to his feet as he saw Vegeta's boots land in front of him. When he looked up, Trunks coughed, feeling his entire insides resonate in pain. The look on Vegeta's face was still written with disdain, and it drove Trunks to push himself up to his feet.

"Are you trying to prove some point then? Is that what this is about?" Vegeta pointed out with a condescending tone. "Do you really think I won't kill you?"

That would be the ultimate irony, wouldn't it? The man he'd idolized his entire life killing him, instead of the androids. It might even be fitting. It took him a moment to really collect himself, almost falling forward as his legs nearly gave out from the exertion so far. His own features hardened as Trunks tried to reignite his Super Saiyan aura, but it didn't work, there just wasn't any ki left. The smug look on his face said it all for Trunks. Striking out, his fist connected with Vegeta's cheek, doing nothing. Trembling for a moment, his arm held in place, acting as if he pushed harder, that somehow, it'd do something. Vegeta's hand reached up, plucking it away, holding his arm in place against his own determination.

"Is that all?"

The self-confident stare his father was giving him was enough to make him spit. Taking that idea and running with it, Trunks spat forward, shooting blood and saliva at his father, hitting him in the eye. Vegeta's left eye closed as the 'attack' landed, to much greater effect than his fist could have. The other Saiyan's nostrils flared before Trunks felt the kick land on his sternum. He rocketed back before Vegeta appeared next to him mid-flight before thrusting an elbow into his chest, sending him further back before he appeared again next to him, this time Trunks only slaw a blur of the fist that blacked out one half of his vision. He didn't know what happened to the left side of his face.

When he hit the ground this time, he felt warm all along the left side of his head. The light-headedness caused him to be so dizzy he didn't know which way to get up. His arms limply tried to pull at the grass as he rolled over, groaning as he did. He could hear Vegeta walking away, breathing angrily as he did. Managing to half get up, Trunks barely was able to get to one knee, trying to get to his feet completely. Vegeta didn't so much as turn to look at him. Anger drove Trunks as he grabbed a rock while getting to his feet, throwing it with all the force he could. When it collided with the back of Vegeta's skull, the Saiyan's head tipped forward slightly as the Prince's walk halted.

It took Trunks a second to shake his head, sweat was rolling down his head, not from nervousness, but exertion and exhaustion. Blood had mixed with it as he noticed it dripping down onto his new, now shredded and ruined clothes. When Vegeta took two steps to turn and face him, he could see the outrage at him before Trunks tried to raise his defense. It was a farce and he knew it. He'd not even known the blow had him before he found himself back first in the mud, his body ripping through almost a kilometre of the ground as he felt two of his ribs break and his spine nearly twist, a series of vertebrae fracturing as his body tore through the ground. He wasn't sure where he was anymore. There was light above him, and it was warm everywhere, but cold at the same time. The only thing he knew was that he had to get up.

Getting up would prove to himself that Vegeta had been wrong. He wasn't a coward, or a weakling. It hurt to move, but it hurt more to try and imagine getting up to be killed by the man who, until today, he'd dreamed of saving the world. A Super Saiyan, a Prince, and a warrior-hero who had been vanquished by the Androids because he'd been cheated. Not because he'd been overconfident, arrogant, prideful, and spiteful.

When the light was blocked by a shadow, Trunks knew what it was. He tried to get up but his legs wouldn't move, and his body spasmed in response. His arms had become so weak he could barely even prop himself up, signals from his head to his nerves were being interrupted by damage to his back. His left arm shakily managed to move out, reaching for the shadow as he started to tremble, his vision hazy on one side, and pitch black on the other.

An angry hand grabbed him by the front of his shirt, hoisting him up from the ground as Trunks tried to stare into the face of the blur that was angrily holding him. He could make out Vegeta's face as it barely came into focus, and he could see the rage staring back at him. The other Saiyan's arm was up in the air, forming a fist at the end of it for the final blow.

"Is this what you wanted, boy?" Vegeta snapped, his voice clouded by the concussion Trunks was suffering from, his eardrums ringing from the last blow. "With the disrespect you've shown me, you'll get what you deserve."

All I wanted was to meet my father.

The thought was deafening, Trunks felt warm on the right side of his head as his vision started to blur again. Breathing became erratic, even more so than ragged, as his weak arm grabbed Vegeta's hand. The tremble in his body got worse as he tried to not sob, but it was too late.

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Vegeta:

Every moment since he'd stepped foot on his property, when he didn't want him around, Vegeta was getting angrier and angrier with this leach. Every word he'd told him before was true, as far as Vegeta was concerned. This thing from the future was a coward. The only problem was he kept getting up. He'd first laid the other Super Saiyan out four times before the damage started to mount and become more serious. It wasn't in his own training or demeanour to stop if his opponent wouldn't surrender.

Honestly, he thought it was over when he'd blasted the side of the kid's face in with a punch. He was relatively sure his left eye was gone, and it was an ugly, bloody scene. Then the idiot decided to spit on him. Then he couldn't just let it go, and he threw a rock next. Well now Vegeta was going to have to follow through on his threats.

It was strange though, pulling the teenager's broken body up by his shirt, Vegeta looked at him and still saw a defiance there, and something was slowly starting to sink into his mind, despite his anger at the afront that had been put at his feet. Admitting he was wrong Vegeta would never do. He was right. When he'd called the boy a coward, it'd been true. Admittedly, he guessed he was a coward based off his humiliating performance against Cooler.

The ragged breathing body in front of him had been trying to fight back against him, long after it was futile, and Vegeta just saw a bloody mess in his hand. His other arm remained poised to strike and he paused. For a brief moment in his mind's eye, he could see himself in the boy, and it was both angering and sad. There was enough insight in the prince to realize how far he'd overstepped the boundaries from his pride, but even how he'd been wrong, even if he didn't vocalize it.

The furious sneer he wore slowly bled away to one of someone who was quietly ashamed. Kakarot's future son had shouted at him years ago in the human medical facility when the body had barely been alive. Despite the Senzu bean, Vegeta could still see some of the blade scars on the boy, if only faintly.

"All he's ever wanted was to be as strong as you were. He asked me every time we saw each other, what his father was like, and I told him you were a proud warrior, Vegeta! Vegeta get back here! VEGETA!"

Lowering his striking hand without a word, Vegeta held the front of the boy's torn shirt and looked at his surroundings, at the destruction of this patch of the nature world outside of West City. So, this was where he was? All of his power called into question by a bunch of toys built by an old madman. He was put in second place behind some green freak apparently, who had the audacity to outshow him completely, and still could, supposedly. Unconsciously, gently, his fingers let the fabric of the ruined top slip from his fingers as the boy slid back against the ground.

This was where he was. Standing over a broken boy who'd been trying to prove him wrong? He might not have proved Vegeta entirely wrong, but he had proved something to Vegeta himself. Letting go of the boy, Vegeta took a step back briefly before beginning to put things together, for himself. The fading power of the teen was unmistakable. This was a problem, not only did it mean that the others would recognize it, bringing scrutiny on him, but the boy was dying. He wasn't even sure he was conscious anymore.

Pacing for several seconds, Vegeta's anger boiled to the surface again as he turned angrily towards the other Saiyan.

"You couldn't just let it go, could you?" he snapped, asking the unconscious body, though in reality he might have even been asking himself.

At every turn he was faced by disappointment. Never to have defeated Kakarot, to have fallen behind Turles, to have found out his future son was weaker than Kakarot's and had failed to defeat Frieza's family, and now to have failed in the battle that his future self fought, and to be supposedly saved by the NAMEK of all people. Now in despite of the woman's protests before he left, he'd beaten the boy to death, it was only a matter of time. Worse, to go and try to find one of those damn beans, he'd be revealing that he'd made an error.

Perhaps his disdain for the boy came from his own self-loathing. He could see all the failures the boy had been faced with, and saw how they mirrored with his own, both in his past and present.

The image of a cruel grin from a reflection staring back at him he briefly saw in his mind's eye. Behind it he could see Kakarot and Turles grinning at him with amusement. He could even see Frieza, giving him that self satisfied smug look. But why? He was stronger than anyone now, he'd proven himself the superior to Kakarot and Turles. He didn't need this boy around. But did he need to kill him? Did he need to question how he got here? His destiny was to stand tall above all others. Only now he was softer than ever, wasn't he? He was so fragile that he'd beaten the boy mortally. He was so soft that he never felt secure in his power.

The Android, 22, Raditz's human witch from when he'd arrived on the planet, was going to pay for what she'd done to him. Kakarot was going to die at his feet, and so was the pitiful Turles. After that, he'd decde the fate of all the others.

But he needed to decide on the fate of the boy now. In disbelief of himself, Vegeta took a step back towards the body, examining it before reaching out his hand to grab the unconscious fighter's arm. He didn't even know where he'd take him even if he was going to try and save him. In a strange way, he felt guilty for it, maybe for the first time he could think of.

Before he could make contact, there was a window of power that opened up to his senses. Even as his mind rushed to measure it, Vegeta felt the hardest blow he'd ever felt in his life connect with his cheek. Consciousness faded in and out for a split second as green fire flashed in front of his vision. His feet slid for almost one hundred metres, trees shattered and splintered in his wake before he lost his grip on the surface of the world, blood shot out of his nose and mouth as he felt the full impression of the foot address his cheek. When his feet lost the ground, he felt his frame continue for almost three kilometres, spinning through the air before he roared, throwing his energy in the other direction as his golden aura burned. Grabbing the ground to stop himself, Vegeta still slid for another dozen metres before slowly grinding to a halt, his body slick with mud and the refuse of the forest.

The entirety of his frame felt like it'd just been crushed by a moon landing on it. How… how could he have taken so much damage? He'd not been paying attention in the area. He could sense the Namek… THE NAMEK!?

Whatever pain he was in slowly subsided as Vegeta managed to climb to his feet, scowling furiously before he launched himself back down the pathway his body had made through the forest and fields. Standing there, his cape pillowing in the wind, Vegeta saw Piccolo standing over Trunks, seemingly about to reach down for something.

"Namek!" Vegeta shouted.

When he was about to collide, Vegeta instead found himself flying straight through where Piccolo was, flying into the forest. Blurring to a stop and turning his head furiously, the alien was now kneeling, before turning to look at him.

I just passed through him. How can this be? I'm a Super Saiyan. This can't be the Legend that was spoken about.

"That's enough, Vegeta," Piccolo ordered. "I thought I had to worry about Turles doing something stupid, but as always you need to outdo him and Goku at behaving stupid."

Snarling almost like a hungry wolf, Vegeta prepped himself to make another attack, when he saw the dazed Trunks slowly start to sit up next to the Namekian.

A senzu bean?

Pausing his attack, Vegeta saw the Namekian implying that it would be extremely foolish to attack at that moment. His cooler head prevailed as Vegeta was forced to swallow his pride. Other powers were nearby, principally the humans and Raditz, not relevant powers, but still noteworthy for him to consider.

Clapping echoed over the forest as Vegeta turned, looking up at the source to see Raditz looking down at him in disdain while clapping.

"The father of the year everyone, the Prince of all Saiyans, and hopefully last of his name, Vegeta," Raditz said with a cold amusement. "For his next trick, he's going to drown a satchel full of puppies and kittens."

There was a long pause for Vegeta as he felt his teeth grind a moment later, glaring at the least relevant of his species.

For a brief second, Vegeta considered charging again, until he sensed the Namekian's power flicker to its true form behind him. When he sensed it for himself, it was as if he sensed a giant looming over him. It was enough that Vegeta froze up before he could make another move, turning and looking back at the Namekian in disbelief, who now was standing again over the still dazed, yet recovered Trunks.

That was the power that had collided with the Androids?

"Today's not the right day to test me, Vegeta," Piccolo warned. "Do I make myself clear?"

No. No not again. His power was enough to stop the Androids but… The Namekian can't be… he can't be that much stronger than I am! NO! This can't be my limit!

He felt his jaw go slack as his breathing caught as he saw the real Piccolo, the real power hovering behind him. He was a mountain, only Vegeta wasn't even sure he could see the peak. Three times stronger at least. That was what he determined by the brief glimpse. Three times stronger than himself? He might have even been stronger, and that thought was horrifying. Three times stronger than a Super Saiyan, or more!? NO!

"Piccolo?" Trunks asked. "Wha… what are you doing here?"

The Namekian didn't even answer, instead just keeping his black eyes on him.

"Am I clear, Vegeta?" Piccolo repeated, clearly looking for an answer.

"… Yes," Vegeta managed to say, his voice, and pride, choked in disbelief.

He knew the Namekian was his superior for the moment, but he'd thought he was perhaps a quarter stronger than him, or maybe at most half stronger… but he eclipsed him multiple times. Any fight between them would be decisively one sided. Worse than decisive, he'd be utterly humiliated. Worse than the Androids themselves. It was less… disgraceful… to quit the field as he was, with what was left of his dignity in tact. The Namek had given him that, at least.

The confused look on the dazed boy was… a relief, even if Vegeta wouldn't admit it. It was time for him to leave. A golden aura wrapped around him as he prepared to go, the force of the wind from his power was blasting the environment back, but for the display, he felt… hollow. When he got back to the woman's residence, there would be another fight of a different kind, that much he was certain of.

Somehow, the Androids had become a distant memory… his own ambitions becoming front and centre, though there was a crack forming in his armour as he began to question something his approach to the boy, and began to see past the arrogance shielding his mistakes. All of them seemed to be culminating around him now.

He'd yet to decide how he was going to deal with all of this, but even Vegeta wasn't so arrogant to think that he didn't need some course correction.

Before he launched himself away, Vegeta heard one more thing from above, from Raditz.

He heard him laugh at him.

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Author's Notes:

Well, Vegeta's competing with hepatitis-C right now for popularity, and I think Hep-C might be taking the lead, lol.

I do enjoy the small moments of Raditz taking pleasure in Vegeta's failing too. Even if they're toxic, it's good to know it infuriates Vegeta. Lol

So, I've got up to Chapter 98 written at the moment, though I've really gotta do a bunch of editing over the next few weeks as things come out, but I really do want to reach chapter 100 first.

I think there is an important element of writing I should add here. Characters develop believably relationships with one another (friendships, romances, ect) largely by just interacting and being in one another's sphere. It's not so much the big moments, it's the quiet moments inbewtween. The big moments are the payoff. One important thing for me while introducing all these characters, is really focusing on dialogue between them, so there has been a big focus on that during the 90's so far.

Also, anyone who's read The Long Road, knows that I hate writing romance. I find it's cheap 99% of the time, and it's usually not what interests me. But because The Catalyst does take place in a bent of the story that kind of has that, in some capacity, there are certain things kind of out of my control regarding it in this story, so there is going to be more of that in the Catalyst, but I just wanna stress it's not my great passion to write it. I'll endeavour to not make it awful, lol.

Also, just for some fun during the Quarantine, I'll go over a few things for that inspire me to write characters in certain ways. Just because we're doing the whole quarantine and isolate thing at the moment, I think I can provide a few extra notes for you guys. When I get back to The Long Road as well, I'm planning of doing similar nots. And yes, Chapter 80 has had a bit of work done to it, but I scrapped it in favour of a new approach.

Music Notes:

One thing that's very important for me when writing is music. It sets the theme for certain themes, chapters, characters, arcs, ect. It can really help me write, and when I play it, I can often see the scenes I want to unfold play through my mind in a cinematic way. It's always helped me when writing fights, and of course, characters.

However, one thing I really noticed was that I also can't use the same music for two different stories. I find it corrupts my writing process. So, for instance in The Long Road, there are a lot of bands, songs, themes, ect, that I really can't use for The Catalyst, as those things in that story tend to go on to a theme that helps me write that story. Where as with The Catalyst, I've most quarantined it from the musical influences that I'd used for The Long Road, just due to its very different tone. Improving my character's lives substantially, lmao.

So, for instance, in The Long Road, when writing Turles, I listen to very dark themes to get the character across. For The Catalyst, I actually listen to songs much less 'dark', but also conveying elements of the character I want to get across. So, here's the list so far.

Though I realize of course, that not everyone cares about what influences what they read, I tend to literally not be able to write until I get the right songs going. If they break with the mood, I end up having to change them out, it's a serious part of writing for me, lol, it really gets me in the right head space to take on the characters. Won't do the full list because the cast is too big.

Raditz:

Everclear, Santa Monica (Major influence to the character and story).

The Killers, All These Things that I've Done, When You Were Young.

A song that I've listened to that's inspiring me for some things coming up for Raditz is… Sam Roberts Band,If You Want It.

Turles: The Killers, The Man. Mike Snow, Genghis Khan. Drowning Pool, I Don't Care About Anyone. KMFDM, Juke Joint Jezebel (when he transformed, it just really came to mind for some reason for me, lol)

Androids 13, 14, and 15: (Yep, that means I'm far enough ahead that I'm writing them) The Terminator Soundtrack, lol.

Android 16: Typically, peaceful ambient music. He's such a genuinely good person, lol.

Android 17/18: Right now, I just use the Falconer track, though I've been listening to more instrumental music that's kind of reminiscent or sad when regarding their lapses into their previous lives, or confusing moments. Also, Alien Covenant's OST. I use those tracks for most of the Androids to some degree, outside of 16.

Android 19: No music, cuz he's dead and gone! :P

Android 20: Same as above, mostly the Falconer track, also the alien covenant track.

Android 21: She's not had much screentime, but she will be as things go forward, so less need to write it. Mostly Falconer Track.

Android 22: Ah, one of the bigger players like 17 and 18. KMFDM's Ultra of course. Android track. Also, Puddle of Mudd, Psycho.

Android 23: Only thing I listen to differently for him is if he's principally in a fight. Mostly Rob Zombie at that point.

Android 24: Three Days Grace, I am Machine.

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Reviewers:

Just because this A/N is long, for only a 16-page chapter, I responded to everyone with an account by Private Message.

Guest1: I 100% agree, Bulma was literally right, but Vegeta's just too stubborn to see it. Stubborn and just angry. However, even in this chapter, Vegeta begins to regret his rash and angry actions. He realizes it, even if not fully. And Turles 100% cares about Gohan, Chi-Chi, and even Raditz (though he'd hate to admit it). The Earth has softened him too, as has Bardock. He's not in danger of becoming a good person, but he's not completely sinister. Turles also keeps everything close to the chest. He's just not the guy to tell you anything, he's not in that game.

Luke: I don't know if I'd call him a psychopathic murderer, but he's definitely on the spectrum, lmao. I think out of all of them? Piccolo's probably the smartest, but that's not in every metric.

Red Power: Oh man, I've wanted to respond to this one since it came up. I've waited until this point to make Raditz a Super Saiyan, because it serves the story best. If it served the story for Raditz to never be a Super Saiyan, that would be the case. I've not made him the Yamcha of the Saiyans, he's clearly strong and smart. He's also one of the better taciticans and often gets results even against stronger opponents. I also want to point out, Raditz becoming a Super Saiyan will be 100% the best Super Saiyan transformation in the story up until that point. I aim for it to supersede Goku, Vegeta, and Turles's transformations. It's better for it to be 'late', and actually make sense, then it is just to throw red meat out there. I do appreciate the reviews, but trust me, be patient, when it happens, you'll be very glad I put it together the way I did.

Instinct: I think Goku's a not unreasonable husband given the circumstances. I think it's just easy to pick it apart, but I don't think he's awful, I think he's forgetful and imperfect, but that doesn't mean bad. Turles is just a dick, lol.

Guest2: I laugh when things go wrong for Turles, despite all his scheming. Lol. And yea, you hit the nail on the Head, Future Gohan isn't necessarily like Turles, but he's not like Gohan. He's just not the same person aaws he was, he had to change into someone else, someone who really lost their innocence. Vegeta removed that spine, btw, lol. See notes above for TLR.