Dragonball: Insurgent

Red Dawn

"No religion on earth condones the killing of innocent people; no faith tradition tolerates the random killing of our brothers and sisters on this earth."

-Feisal Abdul Rauf

*Edit* This chapter was lacking line breaks when it was first uploaded, this has been corrected.

For some the sound of a pterodactyl letting out a hunting cry at the dawn of a new day would be terrifying thing to behold. But to any resident of Mt. Pazou, it is simply a part of everyday life. The mountain region is a place of mystery and legend. In the mornings and in the evenings a mist can be seen blanketing the forested slopes, casting a long shadow on the land. It is a land that remains untouched by the passage of time. The sound of the distant West City cannot reach the ears of its residents, nor does its urban lights pollute the sky. On any given day one might see a dinosaur hunting its prey, or one of the mountain's many monkeys playfully moving about the tree line. As much a part of the landscape as any of the trees, there exist a modest dwelling. A white dome marked with the symbol for "wisdom". Despite the plain appearance, any traveler would be welcomed readily into the home of the Son family. Steam constantly rises from the chimney as meals are prepared and house work is completed. Like the mountains upon which it rests, the house is entirely self-sufficient. Its residents are a people without want.

The matriarch of the Son family, Chi-Chi, busies herself with house work as she waits for her husband to return home with firewood. In the early morning sunlight her husband had said that she was exceptionally radiant. Her black hair is tied into a bun, though her eyes reflect anything but domestic complacency. They are the eyes of a mother, always alert and ready to do whatever she must to nurture this life she and her husband had worked so hard to build. Her arms are toned, reflecting the years she had spent learning martial arts under the tutelage of her father as well the last few years spent building their home. Even after five years of peace, four of which she has spent raising her son, her skills as a fighter have not totally degraded. When a darting dragonfly flies through an open window, Chi-Chi grabs its wings out of midair. The movement is so fast that the insect does not struggle for a moment. Chi-Chi lets it outside, no harm done. Something about such a wonderful day, a day without a single cloud in the sky, makes Chi-Chi feel wonderful.

"Where is that man?" Chi-Chi says to herself as she washes the last of the dishes, "I've never known him to be late for breakfast."

She takes a step outside and cups her hands around her mouth, "Goku! Gohan! Come on in and get something to eat!"

Chi-Chi needs only to wait a moment before her husband starts running towards the house like a madman. She cannot help but smile as he swoops in and picks her up. When he presses his lips against hers, it feels like the very first time all over again. Everything from his wild self-cut hair to the constant grin on his face makes Chi-Chi's heart grow fonder for the man she had fallen for when she was just a little girl. His ignorance and naivety were only matched the capacity for love he has in his heart.

Still something seems off here, Chi-Chi thinks to herself as her husband begins wolfing down the plate she had set aside for him, Gohan should be here by now.

"Hey Chi-Chi this is great!" Goku says between mouthfuls, eating another plate of eggs in a single motion, "Did Gohan already eat?"

"You mean he's not with you?" Chi-Chi asks, raising her voice and slamming her fist on the table, "I thought that you took him out with you today for some exercise."

"I thought he was still in bed. The little guy just doesn't feel like training I guess," Goku tells her nonchalantly, "Hope he doesn't make a habit of it"

"For his sake I hope he does. A child's education comes first," Chi-Chi tells her husband, "But he's not here. I checked his room an hour ago."

A thousand horrible scenes run through her mind. Flashes of dangers that could harm her only son flash though her head, ranging from a drop off a cliff to one of Goku's old enemies taking their frustration out on her boy. Panic grips her, "Goku!"

"What's on your mind Chi-Chi?" Goku asks as he starts to stretch, "Gohan will be fine for a few hours. Give the kid some room to grow. I wasn't much older than him when I met Bulma and we started having adventures."

"You were twelve! And besides, he's just a little boy. Something terrible could happen to him! What if he tripped and hurt himself or maybe one of the dinosaurs got to him," Chi-Chi yells at her husband, running towards the door, "We have to find him before he gets hurt!"

In the back of her mind, Chi-Chi knows that she is making it sound worse to both herself and her husband. She cannot help it though, in order for Goku to do anything besides training and fighting it has to be an emergency. These last few years had taught Chi-Chi that despite her husband's good nature, nothing ever came easy with him.

"Don't worry Chi-Chi, I'll find him," Goku assures her, smiling as he steps past her, "Nimbus!"

The faithful yellow cloud streaks through the sky obeying its master's call. Goku jumps onto it, rising a few feet into the air. "I'll be back soon with Gohan soon Chi-Chi. He'll be safe, I promise."

With that he streaks through the sky, leaving behind a yellow trail from where he left his wife standing in the doorway. Like always, her husband puts a smile on Chi-Chi's face when she imagines what he must be thinking. A warmth seems to well up inside of her, knowing that in the back of her mind that Gohan is probably fine. It comforts her to know that if worst ever came to worst, Gohan could in all likelihood look after himself.

After all he is your son, Chi-Chi thinks as she takes a spot on the porch, You be careful too Goku. Even if you are the strongest man in the world, you're not invincible.

A half-hour passes before her husband and son return. Chi-Chi scoops her baby boy into her arms, kissing Gohan on the cheek before sending him off to wash his face. While they were gone, she had tirelessly worked to cook a quick meal for the two of them. Goku leads her into the house, smiling and relating to Chi-Chi about how strong Gohan was become. Despite herself, Chi-Chi is happy to hear about how similar the two of them are to each other. She can see it in the way Gohan smiles or when he begs her to let him take in some injured woodland animal or another.

"So where did you find him?" Chi-Chi asks, pouring some rice into a bowl, "Nowhere dangerous I hope."

"Relax, the waterfall would have caught his fall,' Goku says, immediately regretting his choice in telling his wife the truth. He narrowly dodges a swipe from her wooden spoon, "What was that for?"

"Because the edge of a cliff is no place for a child!" Chi-Chi yells, "Honestly Goku, you can't encourage this type of behavior. He could have been hurt, or worse."

"Chi-Chi I haven't shown him anything. Look, we were really strong when we were little kids. Maybe he's just starting to learn his own strength," Goku justifies trying to please his enraged wife, "You know, the gang was going to meet up today anyways. Why don't I take Gohan with me, maybe I can ask Master Roshi about it? He'll know better than anyone about when I should start training Gohan."

"There is no way I'm letting that pervert have any say about how to raise my son. Knowing him he'll turn our little boy into some kind of delinquent pig."

"Chi-Chi come on. Oolong won't even be there." Goku says with a smile, "Don't you think you're being a bit harsh?"

"I just want what's best for my boy," Chi-Chi tells him. She lets out a sigh, "Maybe you're right though. It couldn't hurt to teach Gohan how to control himself. Besides, isn't that the first thing your Grandpa taught you?"

"Why don't you come with us today?" Goku suggests his grin growing wider at the thought, "Yeah! That's a great idea! You haven't really had a chance to meet everyone. Junior kind of messed that up."

"I don't know, there's so much to do around here. Besides I really don't know them and they probably don't want to see me," Chi-Chi tells her husband, wringing her hands with a towel, "You teaching Gohan how to fight is one thing, but I can't imagine sending him away to the Kame House for months at a time."

"Then we won't worry about that right now. It's just going to be a party. There'll be games, and food, and everyone will be there. And I haven't spared with Krillian in forever," when Chi-Chi says nothing, Goku smiles at kisses her on the forehead, "Did I mention there'll be food?"

She rolls her eyes, The big oaf. How did I ever get so lucky?

"Fine, I'll go," Chi-Chi tells her husband, "If only to make sure Gohan stays out of trouble."

"You're the best!" Goku tells her, running outside, "I love you Chi-Chi!"

Chi-Chi smiles, blushing like she used to when she was a little kid. A simple life and a happy one, to Chi-Chi this is the only thing that matters.

Raditz awakens as soon as his attack ball begins to enter orbit. The planet's atmosphere is surpassingly thick, causing the attack ball to shake violently as his attack ball begin to pick up speed. The attack ball's view screen becomes transparent, allowing Raditz to see the white fog surrounding them. Various bits of information begin to stream onto Raditz's scouter, detailing everything from the density of the planet to the exact composition of the atmosphere. Once it becomes apparent that the atmosphere is breathable, the Saiyan warrior turns all of his nonessential systems off. The further and faster they fall, the more excited Raditz becomes.

His companion on the other hand, does not seem nearly as enthusiastic. Olve had also awoken from his hibernation and the look of sheer terror on his face makes Raditz laugh. The younger Saiyan is holding onto his seat as a way to steady himself. True to his nature though, the boy does not let out any screams or any sound whatsoever.

Raditz decides to ignore the boy, focusing his energy to lessen the impact the landing will have on his body in a few minutes. There is a slight vibration beneath his feet followed by a hum, indicating that the attack pod's shields had been deployed. He closes his eyes.

There is an explosion as the attack pod slams into the Earth's surface. A cloud of dust and debris is kicked up into the air. Shockwaves rock the immediate area, blowing away anything that is not pinned down. Memories of previous conquests flood back to him, filling him with a euphoric feeling that only the possibility of nearby bloodlust can offer him.

"Stay in here," Raditz tells the boy, "You are not to interfere with my mission."

Olve says nothing, simply giving Raditz that same angry look which had become so common.

I almost wish he would say something, Raditz thinks as the front of the pod opens up, For what it's worth the prince's boastings are at least entertaining.

It had happened so suddenly. One moment it was another calm day in the Spinach Wastes, the next a fireball had slammed into the planet. The farmer's legs are still shaking from the force of the impact.

Jeb finds himself trembling as he approaches the site of the crater. His brow glistens with sweat, a result of being out herding his ostriches on such a hot day. In the breast pocket of his overalls is a pack of cigarettes. Right about now the farmer would really like to light one up, it always seemed to calm him down before. Something in the back of his mind tells him to run away, to get into his blue pick-up truck and drive to the furthest place he can. Curiosity though had overridden his rational senses, and all he does his grip the handle of his trust pea-shooter.

What kind of crazy whoo-ha is this? Jeb the farmer thinks t himself as he inches closer to the crater, Why's this got to happen on ma property?

A man starts to rise out of the crater. Jeb blinks a few times to confirm what he is seeing. A man in brown armor is flying out of a crater with most ridiculous hair he'd ever seen a man and a strange green thing on his right eye. Fear strikes his heart as the farmer remembers seeing other monsters with this ability. The horrifying face of King Piccolo flashes through his mind as some part of him tells him of the evil that is now in his presence. All he can think to do is cock his shotgun, his shaking hands making it difficult to aim his weapon. He involuntarily takes a step back when the outlandish man lands.

"What is this?" The alien, because that's the only thing that would make sense to the farmer, says when he notices him, "The natives are still alive? What has Kakarot been doing all this time?"

"Um…you're on… ma property," Jeb struggles to say, fumbling with the safety.

The alien sneers at him, tapping a button on his strange eye piece, "Hmm, a power level of five. The people of your planet aren't very impressive are they?"

"I'm warning you!" Jeb desperately yells, aiming his weapon directly at the alien's heart, "I'll use this thing!"

Jeb fire his weapon, letting out the best scream he can. He closes his eyes, praying to any god that his bullet will protect him from this dangerous visitor. To his horror the shot is snatched out of midair by the alien. Jeb feels his heart sink into his chest as the alien looks at his bullet, simply tossing it aside.

"Pitiful," The alien says, "Kakarot should be ashamed, letting weaklings like you live."

"Oh no," Jeb says in despair, "I'm...I'm gonna die aren't I?"

"I wouldn't waste any energy on you, but this provides me with an interesting opportunity," The alien says, turning his back, "Boy! Get out here!"

Olve is at Raditz's side in a second, leaping out of the attack ball. Something about seeing this earthling tremble before the two of them makes Raditz almost forgets about his anger towards Kakarot. Though not entirely, Raditz thinks to himself as he clenches his fist. Still, the older Saiyan cannot deny that fighting next to another lower-class Saiyan makes him feel nostalgic.

Turning towards Olve he points to the quivering earthling, "See that man there."

The earthling struggles to reload his gun, dropping the bullets all over the grassland. As he tries together them up, Olve nods in acknowledgement.

"Kill him," Raditz commands, "Show him the full terror of the Saiyan race."

Olve silently approaches the man, fists clenched. Wordlessly, he picks the man up by the collar. The earthling struggle, kicking and screaming for mercy. The younger Saiyan does not flinch, nor does he hesitates. Olve throws the pudgy human into the air. The display of strength makes Raditz smile. Cruelty, force, and pride above all else are values deeply held in the hearts of all Saiyans. Despite the circumstance that I found him in, the boy still has the heart of a Saiyan warrior, Raditz thinks to himself as the boy catches the earthling by the throat.

"Finish it," Raditz tells the boy.

Olve tightens his grip, causing the earthling to spit and sputter as he tries to cling to what little oxygen he can suck down. The boy does not squeeze any tighter though. His tail begins twitching, and the child hangs his head. To Raditz's disbelief, the younger Saiyan drops the earthling on the dirt. Olve turns around, his head low and begins walking back towards the ship.

"Pointless," The boy says.

Raditz grabs him, his patience spent. The younger Saiyan is violently thrown back towards the earthling. Raditz begins gathering a ball of energy and points it at the Olve. "You will do what you're told! There's nothing I cannot stand more than a weakling who doesn't have the stomach to do what is necessary. Kill the earthling or I will kill you."

The child's energy briefly spikes up, causing the ground to tremble. Raditz braces himself for a fight, ready to put this boy down like a mad dog if he defies him again. It never comes though. In the blink of an eye, Olve turns around and snaps the neck of the earthling. It is bloodless, quick, and brutal. Raditz smiles, patting the boy on the back as he sits down on the edge of the crater. Out of curiosity, Raditz reads the boy's power level. It had risen to 234, no doubt the boy's slight increase came from the thrill of having taken another life. The child shows no emotion, no sign that he was even capable of process what he had just done. Raditz does not know if this is due to the child's idiocy or a practiced ease.

"This was your baptism in blood," Raditz tells him, rising from the ground and tapping his scouter, "You've taken your first step towards becoming a Saiyan warrior. Just like me."

"Kakarot!" Raditz yells as he locks in on the high power level, "I'm coming for you! The Saiyans have arrived!"

Piccolo Jr. nearly vomits when he feels the power approaching him. It had woken him from a deep meditation. Something was coming his way. Something far worse than he could ever imagine is coming his way. And for once in his life, the fighter feels like he might not be able to match it.

AN: Hey guys! Thank you to everyone that has read and reviewed this story. You're all awesome! Your support makes this all possible! Hopefully this chapter wasn't too dry, trust me the next one will be way more exciting!

Power Levels:

Raditz - 1500

Olve - 209 (234 when angry)

Chi-Chi - 101

Goku - 350 (relaxed)

Gohan - 7 (calm)

Farmer with Shotgun - 9001