Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball.

The buzz of excitement resulting from Raditz' appearance lingered in Kame house. It had been a full day since his departure after the promise of extraterrestrial visitors in a year's time. While Bulma, Krillin, and Master Roshi had spent most of this time arguing over what to do, and failing to come to any sort of agreement, Goku had seemed strangely distant since the encounter. Even now as he stared out over the ocean, Krillin wondered for the first time what was going through his head. It was definitely a lot to take in. Krillin could only imagine what it must be like for him coming to terms with everything he'd been told. They'd all decided to leave him alone for now.

Gohan still had no idea what was going on. It still hadn't really sunk in that he was a human alien hybrid, and Krillin didn't expect that to change anytime soon. The mind of a child was much more flexible than that of an adult, but it was also far less durable. He wasn't sure what a realization like that could do to someone of Gohan's age. It didn't help that Chichi sheltered him so much. He shuddered as he thought of Chichi. He could only imagine how she'd react to all this. It wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to.

Silence permeated the room as the trio ate breakfast along with Gohan. Needless to say the same thing was still on all of their minds this morning. The three greeted Goku as he walked into the house and started eating without a word. After another minute of silence, Goku spoke up. "I've been thinking," he began after emptying his plate of it's contents. The three gave him their undivided attention, wondering what Goku planned to do about all this. "I'm going to go find him," he continued. They looked at him in surprise.

"Find him?" Krillin repeated. "What do you plan to do after that? If you want to know more about the saiyans or whatever, he doesn't strike me as the type to sit around telling stories."

"I know," Goku replied. "I'm going to take him up on the offer to train." Master Roshi's eyes widened. Goku hadn't trained in years. Was all this so shocking to him that he suddenly felt the need to start again even after he'd settled down?

"Are you sure about that Goku?" he asked reluctantly. Goku nodded.

"I know it may seem strange, but it's been bothering me ever since he first showed up. The amount of power he had is something I never thought I'd see firsthand. At first I wondered how he could have possibly attained it. It can't just be because he's an alien. I'm one too after all. So then what was it? What made us different? That's what I wondered at first, but it's so obvious to me now." He looked up and met Master Roshi's eyes. "I've been slacking off. For the past 5 years I've done nothing to further my own strength. I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the way I grew content with my own limits, and instead of pushing passed them like I would always do as a kid, I let them restrict me. Meanwhile, my brother has always been training to break those limits. That's why he's so far away."

"Goku…how can you say that?" Bulma asked in worry. "You don't really regret settling down do you? Marrying Chi-chi and raising Gohan? Isn't that worth it?"

"Of course it is," Goku said. "And that's exactly why I need to do this. For the same reason I always pushed myself to the breaking point as a kid. So I can protect everyone. His arrival was like a wakeup call. If there are people even more powerful than him out there, what would I ever do if the life I've created was threatened by someone like that? I need to be ready. I could never give back what I've gained with Chi-chi and Gohan. I'll do anything to ensure their happiness." He looked up to the ceiling, knowing that Gohan was sleeping soundly on upstairs, as Bulma stared at him in wonder, Krillin in pride, and Master Roshi in understanding. He turned back to them. "When Gohan wakes up, explain that I'm going to be gone for a while, but that I'll be back within the year. Can I trust you guys to take care of him until Chi-chi comes looking for him?"

"Of course," Krillin said quietly. "You can count on us. Do what you have to do." Goku smiled at him in thanks, and then walked out of the house before flying off. Krillin watched him leave, wondering just what the future had in store. Whatever was coming, he was sure of one thing. He could count on Goku to confront it head on when the time came. The least he could do in the meantime was endure his wife's wrath…

Raditz focused on the feeling of the energy as it radiated off of his body, willing it to intensify. He let out a roar as the ki reached it's peak and the mountain sized iceberg in front of him was liquified and evaporated by the energy waves. He grimaced. Not good enough. He had used far too much energy to achieve the desired effect. If he continued wasting that much energy on the battlefield, he would tire too quickly. He was wondering how he should go about working on his ki efficiency when his scouter started beeping. He grinned at the familiar number in satisfaction. So he'd decided to show up huh? How long had he been at this anyway? He stared up at the sky, but it wasn't much help. The sun didn't set over this region of the planet, so it was hard to tell. He estimated it had been about a day and a half since he'd found Kakarot. He waited patiently as said man drew closer before finally coming within range of his sight and stopping in front of him soon after.

"Welcome, brother," Raditz greeted. "I assume the fact that you're here means that you're ready to train harder than you ever have before in your life," he said. At Goku's immediate nod, he smirked. "Then let's get started."

Krillin stared in horror at the familiar figure hovering over Kame island. "Master Roshi!" he shouted. "We have a problem!" Gohan, who was still too inexperienced to recognize the obvious signs of fear in his current babysitter, stared up at the man in wonder. "Mr. Krillin, who is that man? He's green," he said, oblivious to the threat. It wasn't long before Roshi rushed out of the house with a magazine in hand, struggling to get his pants on as he hurried out the door.

"What is it Krillin? I'm sure you can handle Chi-chi on your own. It's not as if she's actually as dangerous as she is terrifying. Just man up and tell-" He froze as he caught sight of Piccolo staring down at them with an unreadable expression. "-her," he finished absentmindedly before paling.

"I've come for the boy," Piccolo stated, getting right down to business. Krillin's eyes widened and he instinctively moved in front of Gohan while keeping his eyes on Piccolo. "Forget it," he said without a single stutter despite the fear etched onto his face. Gohan looked back and forth between the two in confusion. Piccolo chuckled at Krillin's open defiance before appearing right in front of him slightly faster than he could react. Krillin, though caught off guard, jumped and aimed a roundhouse kick at his face, but Piccolo simply caught his leg with one hand before tossing him aside.

Krillin crashed into Kame house but quickly recovered. He charged back at Piccolo, but was intercepted by an identical copy of the green man. The multi form technique. Krillin tried to move passed the doppelganger, but was cut off at every turn, and he could only watch as Piccolo walked up to the now petrified Gohan and picked him up with one arm. Gohan began kicking and screaming frantically, but his struggles were worth next to nothing, and he was knocked out effortlessly by a quick chop to the back of the neck.

"Dammit Piccolo! Why now!?" Krillin shouted in desperation as the doppelganger continued to hold him off. The real Piccolo ignored the question and took to the sky with Gohan tucked under one arm.

Goku was getting more discouraged by the second. Every punch he threw was easily blocked, every assault he attempted effortlessly thwarted. They had been at this for hours now, and he had yet to land a single punch. What was even more humiliating was that his opponent had yet to try any attacks of his own, choosing to simply block, dodge, or parry his every move. Feeling out someone's power was one thing. Experiencing it first hand was quite different. To top it off, he was actually starting to get tired. His even breathing had escalated to a light pant, but Raditz looked no worse than he had when they'd begun sparring. If this could even be called that. He had long since abandoned his weighted clothing, and Raditz had watched in slight interest (apparently his power level had risen), but the increase in speed was hardly making any difference, and the increase in strength was completely useless if he couldn't land a single hit.

Suddenly he drew back, giving himself some room. He had never been airborne this long, much less fought this long in the air before, usually having some dry land to work with, and this was quickly becoming a learning experience in that regard. He brought both hands to one side and slipped into the traditional stance for Master Roshi's signature move. "Ka...me...ha...me…" Raditz's scouter started beeping frantically, and his eyes widened slightly. "Ha!" The blue-white energy blast crossed the space between them almost instantaneously, only to be batted away by Raditz' fist. The ki wave was sent spiralling downward before it finally made contact with the sub zero water below them, resulting in large waves spreading out from the disturbance in every direction. Raditz seemed completely unphased by the attack but was nevertheless staring at Goku in open fascination.

"How'd you do that?" he asked curiously. Goku looked at him in confusion.

"Do what? The energy blast?"

"No, not the confounded energy blast," Raditz said in annoyance. "You spiked your power level momentarily. It came close to a thousand for the duration of that attack, and then plummeted back down afterwards."

"Well...yea?" Goku said, not really seeing what the issue was. "That was my best technique, so I put a lot of power into it. That's why I have to use it sparingly. It drains me quite a bit."

Raditz looked taken aback for some reason. "Are you telling me you can raise your power level at will?" he asked. Goku shrugged.

"Yea, I guess. By a certain amount," Goku confirmed.

"That's...enlightening. I'll have to look into that later," he said as he transmitted the potentially promising information to Vegeta and Nappa through his scouter. Goku took the time to catch his breath and stared down at his clenched fists. He didn't feel like he was making much progress.

"Hey, so that scouter thing can read ki intensity right?" he asked.

"Yes. You're at 424 now if that's what you're wondering," Raditz replied.

"How does that measure up exactly?" Goku asked with a sheepish grin.

"You'd be overwhelmed by even the weakest of Freeza's imperial forces," Raditz said bluntly. Goku's shoulders slumped. "If you really want faster results, there is another way to go about this," Raditz added. Goku's head perked up in interest.

"You mean other than sparring? What's that?" he asked.

"We fight, and I beat you within an inch of your life," Raditz answered evenly.

Goku sweatdropped. "Uh, what?"

"Perhaps some background knowledge would be helpful," Raditz said. "The saiyans, like many of the galaxy's inhabitants, evolved as a warrior race due to the harsh conditions of our world and the need to survive against our many adversaries. As a result, we are gifted with very powerful genes, which grant us some extremely useful natural talents," Raditz explained. Goku was listening eagerly, so he continued. "Among them are a primal lust for battle, unyielding vitality, and invigorating hormones that increase our natural stamina passed that of almost any other known species in the universe." He paused. "Do not think, however, that our natural affinity for battle puts us above those are species by default. While our DNA's attributes do grant us almost unlimited potential in battle, that potential must be brought forth for it to mean anything. And that brings us to the most powerful weapon that our race has been gifted with. Zenkai."

"Zenkai?" Goku repeated. It definitely sounded promising.

"Have you ever been fatally injured by an enemy or an opponent, only to feel far stronger than you were before once you fully recovered?" Raditz asked. Goku's eyes widened in confirmation, and Raditz grinned. "That is what we call Zenkai. Our unique genes have given birth to an ability that causes even the most powerful beings in the galaxy to fear our progress. Have you ever given any thought to how complex lifeforms acquire newfound strength to begin with? Why is it that even on a planet such as this, where the average power level of the intelligent lifeform is below 10, beings can experience growth by pushing the limits of their bodies? That is due to a fundamental law that governs all sentient life in the universe. Whatever doesn't kill you...can only make you stronger. When a bone is broken, it will heal with increased durability. When a muscle is overworked, it will rise to the challenge upon recovery. We saiyans experience this phenomenon to an unprecedented degree."

Raditz' grin widened as he spread his arms out at his sides. "Crush our bones, and they'll grow back tougher. Tear our muscles, and they'll knit together stronger. So long as we survive, we come back better than ever, without fail. That is why our enemies fear us. To kill a saiyan is honorable. To leave one alone is smart. To leave one half dead...is suicide. The more we train, the more this can be exploited. The more we fight, the stronger we get."

As Raditz finished, Goku thought back to all the times this had applied to him. After every fight, after every defeat, he had come back stronger, rising to the challenge each and every time. Now he understood how. Man, if he'd only known about this when he was training on Kami's lookout…

"So if you want to improve faster, I'll start attacking now," Raditz concluded. Goku grinned widely.

"Alright, let's do it!"

Krillin sighed in exasperation as the Ox King slung an unconscious Chi-chi over his shoulder. She had taken the report of Gohan's kidnapping about as well as he'd predicted. A small part of him acknowledged that this reaction was preferable to throwing a fit. He followed the Ox King into Kame house, where Master Roshi and Bulma were waiting for him.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Bulma asked. "We find Gohan, obviously!"

"Thanks Bulma," Krillin deadpanned. "I was actually wondering how we should go about doing that."

"Well don't ask me! You're the one who can sense energy or whatever. Find Piccolo!" she shouted in frustration.

"I can't sense Ki nearly as well as Goku can. I lost track of Piccolo soon after he left, and he could be anywhere by now," Krillin stated regretfully. Master Roshi adopted a focused expression.

"Didn't Gohan have the four star dragon ball on his hat?" he asked suddenly. Krillin's eyes lit up in recognition, and Bulma smiled widely.

"You're right! That's how we'll find him," she said as she pulled out the dragon radar from her backpack.

"You still carry that around with you?" Krillin asked in surprise.

"Well yea. You never know when we might need to find them," she answered as she turned it on. Now let's see, the four star ball is…" she trailed off as she zoomed in and confusion slid across her face. "Here on Kame island?"

Krillin's eyes widened before he closed them and sighed. He quickly walked out of the house, and several seconds later, returned with the orb in question. "He just left it in the sand," Krillin said, sounding defeated. "He's cautious, I'll give him that." Bulma slumped back onto the couch as their only hope of finding Goku's son vanished. They spent the next few minutes brainstorming ways that they could find Piccolo. Bulma asked where the most barren wasteland on earth was. Krillin wasn't really sure why she asked him that, and responded that he had no idea. It was then that Krillin felt a relatively strong Ki approaching the island and rushed out to find a familiar face walking toward the house.

"I remember you," Krillin said. "You're that guy that was at Karin's tower. Um...Orenjirobe?"

"Yajirobe, idiot. And no one is going to get that pun. I didn't come here to be insulted, you know."

"And...why did you come here exactly?" Krillin said as he rubbed his head.

"Karin sent me to find you. He has two messages from Kami."

Krillin straightened. "Kami? He has a message for me?" Yajirobe nodded.

"The first one is: Don't worry about Gohan. Whatever that means." Krillin's jaw dropped. Did that guy know everything? And why would he tell them not to worry? This was Piccolo they were talking about. The only person on earth that had ever beaten him was Goku. "The second is not just for you, but also for three others named Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu," Yajirobe continued. "He wants all four of you to meet him up on the lookout."

"The lookout? Why does he want to meet all of us?" Krillin asked curiously.

"He said something about great danger approaching the earth in the foreseeable future. I wasn't really paying that much attention, but he also said we were all going to train under him."

It took a minute for Krillin to absorb this information. Danger approaching the earth? From what Goku's brother had said, the other two saiyans were more or less coming in peace. Did this mean their arrival would bring undesirable consequences? And then there was the training bit. They were going to be training with Kami. The guardian must have been very worried about something if he was giving all four of them the same training that he had once given Goku. Not for the first time since what happened almost two days ago now, Krillin wondered just what the future held.

Gohan shivered as the wind passed by him. There seemed to be an abundance of it at the top of this plateau that he had somehow gotten himself stuck on. To take his mind off the growling of his stomach, Gohan went over the list of things that had happened to him today that he never would have imagined would happen to him. Kidnapped by a flying green man, abandoned in the middle of a rocky wasteland, chased by a carnivorous dinosaur, and finally stranded on top of this weird rock formation without any food or water. The list was steadily growing. He sincerely hoped it would stop soon.

His stomach growled again and he moaned. He briefly considered trying to climb down, but decided he'd rather be hungry then dead. Suddenly he heard two thuds and shot to a sitting position, looking around. He spotted what looked like two apples across from him, and started drooling. He rushed over and picked them up, not caring very much where they had come from even as his mind supplied that there couldn't be any apple trees this high up. He dug in greedily, ignoring the sour taste. From above, Piccolo stared down at him in apathy.

Enjoy it kid. That's the last time I help you. You're going to need to learn to fend for yourself eventually. He sighed as he wondered not for the first time that day why he had kidnapped this stupid kid to begin with. He kept telling himself that it was mostly to get revenge on Goku. Overhearing that he was a saiyan and that his brat of a child had the blood of an alien race flowing through his veins was part of it. The power of earth's visitor was unreal. If he could unlock that kind of potential in this impressionable child, he'd have that much more power at his disposal. Still, it didn't look like this kid had as much potential as he'd hoped. He still couldn't get down from that stupid rock. Flying be damned, was it so hard to climb down a rock? He sighed again.

A part of his mind that he had been suppressing recently was insisting that there was another reason why he had taken the kid. It was just a strange feeling he had had really. It was nothing to go by, but he couldn't shake the growing feeling that there was some great, unseen enemy baring its fangs at him. It was starting to get annoying. Did that fool Kami have something to do with this sensation?

It didn't matter though. He would use this kid for his own purposes, whether or not his uneasy thoughts were well founded or not. By the time he was done with him, he'd either by a great warrior or a dead brat, and while the former was preferable, he was fine with either. Chances were that Goku was currently training with the saiyan. He'd be ready for them both in a year's time. He had his own training to do.

Just wait, Goku.

A/N: Power levels

Goku - 424

Piccolo - 415

Gohan - 1.5