Dragonball: Insurgent

The Day the Earth Stood Still

"Indecision and delays are the parents of failure."

-George Canning

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

That's my mother. The beeping. The word mother keeps getting into my head more and more lately. The blue woman, she plays with a lot of beeping things. maybe that's why.

The beeping is my mother's heart beat. Sometimes, when it was dark, I'd sit on one of my branches and listen to my own. The planet was...lonely. I was there, as long as I could remember. Sometimes, I'd just have my own heart beat to listen to. It had surprised me, that first day, that mine didn't sound like that at all. It's a softer sound. Dum dum. The blue haired woman, Bulma, that's what her's sounds like. Dum dum. Soft, queit. Like birds. And Master Roshi's sounds like that too. Dum dum. And Launch's, no matter what she looks like. Dum dum. Even Radtiz had the same heart beat. Dum...

I killed him.

They sound just like me. My mother didn't sound like that at all. It wasn't soft. It was loud. Constant. It was on all the time. Sometimes I saw her face, an old man like Master Roshi. Long beard. Green. Everything looked green when I was little. The suns came later.

Saiyan. Maybe that's why. My mother was Saiyan. A strong warrior with a powerful heartbeat. My father had been one too. His name was...well her name was...maybe that's why Bulma looks so frustrated. I know the words 'mother' and 'father', but that's not what she asks about when I go to bed. My mother. My father. Olve. Leek. that's all I got. Those are the only names I knew, so that's gotta be it. Olve sounded strong.

I like to climb on the palm trees sometimes. Planet had an ocean too, but it made me sick. Earth's is nice. Soft. Rhythmic. Like music. Or a heartbeat. The water tastes bad, but it feels nice. Things are different here. Clothes. Food. Talking. They're gonna be here soon, I know that. I want to protect this place. It's like a heartbeat.

Five more months pass on Earth. Babies are born, people get married, and life continues as it always has. Time passes along at the same lazy pace that it always has. Very few are aware of the horrible monsters that, even now, are on their way to Earth. Those that do know are beginning to feel the pressure that they are under. Not a moment is wasted, not a move done without the looming ax above their heads, and not a second of rest is tolerated. It is with this mentality that Master Roshi uses to push forward the last steps of Olve's training. As with Goku and Krillin before him, Roshi had moved them to a more spacious island to continue their training. The fantastic scenery of colorful flower and clear pools of water is the scene for the hell Roshi puts Olve through on a daily basis. Their days begin with physical challenges that were as extreme as Roshi could think off, paired with some of the classic exercises that he had come up with for his previous students. After a large meal at noon, Roshi would drill Olve in the basic fighting arts making sure to critique, every aspect of the boy's technique.

However, all things come to an end. Roshi had initially intended to finish Olve's training by sparring with him in the same manner he had Goku. That had proved to be pointless though. Since their battle with the demon Cinnamon, Olve had grown exponentially powerful overnight. After a week of recovery, the only amount of time Roshi had allotted for the boy to lay in bed, Olve had nearly doubled in speed and strength. The scale of his rise in power defied everything Roshi could have anticipated; summarizing that his Saiyan ancestry gave him abilities that Roshi may never fully understand. That had happened with Goku after he drank the Ultra Divine Water to defeat King Piccolo. Somehow, it would seem that Saiyans actually grow stronger after near fatal injuries.

Today, they had gotten up at sunrise to begin the final test. A familiar sense of pride fills Roshi's chest when looks at the transformed young man before him. Half a year ago, Olve had been a savage little alien who looked under fed and abandoned. He had arrived with scars from whatever world he had come from and practically sunken ribs. In those early days, they had been lucky to get any sort of response from him. The child's technique had been sloppy, an unrefined mess. Today, it is a different story.

On the edge of one of the cliffs, Olve stares out into the expanse of the ocean. Dressed in a grey gi with a black belt, Olve would pass for a human were it not for his tail. Unlike Gou's, it retains it's patchy unhealthy look to it. Olve moves it a lot to indicate his move, but the sort of sickly nature of it makes Roshi question if there is an underlying condition. Other than that though, the boy seems to be in perfect health. His body is coated with lean muscle hidden beneath a healthy bronze skin tone. Only one flaw stands out now; the lack of a left arm. The Senzu Beans are unable to restore limbs to beings that cannot regenerate, and this had left the boy crippled. Launch had helped nurse him back to health. For a month, he had been forced to relearn how to fight with Roshi. Some combos had to be retooled, and other abandoned entirely. However, as Roshi expected from the Saiyan, he had adapted. Now his moves are more fluid than ever.

"Are you ready to show me what you've learned?" Roshi finally says to the boy, smiling despite himself, "There is one technique I have shown that you have yet to master. Before I send you to train with Kami like the others, I would like you to demonstrate it for me."

"The Kamehameha," Olve says, his voice loud and confident.

"Yes, my ultimate technique. All of my students," Roshi pauses and shakes his head, "Well all of my students and those Crane boys, have mastered this attack. Its power is what you make of it. No two users of the Kamehameha are alike. As you grow as a fighter, it will prove to be a useful tool. "

Olve looks down at his where his phantom limb should be, but Roshi interrupts him before he can protest, "We have gone over this. Your lack of an arm will not stop you. This is a move of the heart, one that goes beyond any physical limitations. I used to think that I would be the only one that could master it, but I know that you can do it as well. Just believe in your own power, this is the last thing I can teach you. These battles are for the young, you will have to rise to meet it."

"Thanks Master Roshi," Olve says with a nod, facing out towards the ocean.

The young Saiyan takes a deep breath, moving his back foot a little bit. He had seen and felt the attack several times, and Roshi has no trouble believing that this Saiyan is ready to take control of it. Everything about his form his perfect, from the legs to the way he is holding his hand. Though it will be more difficult to pull off without his left arm, Roshi knows that it is possible. Goku had done it while one of his limbs had been indisposed and Olve himself had used a powerful beam with only one hand. The human, or in the case Saiyan, body had to be overcome regardless. This had always been Master Roshi's core tenant of his philosophy.

"Ka…me…ha…me…" Olve begins to chant, causing the ground around them to shake as the young Saiyan gathers his energy. Roshi holds his breath, expecting to see the tell-tale blue light of the technique he invented. The ground actually begins to shake, nearly knocking Roshi over.

"HA!" Olve screams, thrusting forward with his hand.

And nothing happens. The ground stops shaking, the winds stop blowing, and Olve lets his hand goes limp. Both student and teacher look out into the ocean as if expecting the Kamehameha wave to appear. Olve slowly opens and closes his hand again, dropping hastily back into his stance.

"Kamehameha!" The young Saiyan yells again. Nothing.

"Kamehameha!"

Nothing.

"KA-ME-HA-ME-HA!" Olve screams at the tops of his lungs, sweat running down his face as he once again tries in vain to produce the Turtle Hermit's technique.

"Olve, enough. It'll come with time,' Master Roshi assures his pupil, though he is unable to hide the quiver of doubt in his own voice. Goku was able to copy the move in a few minutes, and it only took Yamcha and Krillin a few months of training. After all this time, after what we saw a few months ago, he should be able to produce something. What could be holding him back?

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Olve continues to scream until the boy falls to his knees, exhausted from his exertions. The boy punches the ground, threatening to break the cliff away from the rest of the island. He gets to his feet, taking the position yet again. The ground once again shakes, and the faintest bit of light can be seen in his palm, but when he pushes forward nothing materializes.

"Try that God's Wrath move," Master Roshi suggests. It is possible that the technique itself was the problem. Much of the mysteries of ki required that the user be able to visualize. Performing a two handed attack with one hand might just be too much for a learner, "That one sure packed a wallop, and the same principles apply to the Kamehameha. If you can master one, I'm sure that the other will come just as easily. Remember, ki energy comes from within. Feel the power coursing through all life, and you will find your way." The Saiyan shakes his head, choosing to fall silent rather than try his other technique. Olve walks away and heads into the jungle. Instead of pursuing him, Roshi allows the boy to go. Part of him blames himself. They had put so much pressure onto Olve to master every aspect of the training in half a year, and the boy had been too naïve to protest.

"You know, it took me fifty years to master it," Roshi yells out to try and reassure the boy at the last minute, "Besides, it's just one technique!"

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I yell at myself, swinging through the trees as fast as I can. I like feeling the wind on my face, the dir tof my feet. It's simple. It makes sense.

Every day, I tried every day to make it work. Nothing ever comes. I feel th energy, the ki, in me but I can't make it come out. Little burtst here and there when punching, but nothing else. The old man can do it no problem. Kakarot could do it no problem. Radtiz could do it no problem.

"Why not me?" I ask the jungle, stopping to catch my breath. I look at my tail, slowly moving up an ddown.

"Saiyans are the strongest race in the entire universe", He says to Olve. Olve picks himself up from the dirt, a busted lip his reward for the day. "Always remember that your pride and the pride of your people is always on the line. We are warriors. We are the rightful masters of this world. Without power, you are nothing. Without pride, you are no Saiyan. So stand, my son. A Saiyan would never abandon his pride."

My head hurts so I slam it into a tree trunk. More memories. My father had taught me how to use energy attacks, they are a sign of strength. I had been the best at them back...I know them. I'm sure I do. The lightning, the power. I've felt them before.

I shake my head and clear my thoughts. Taking a running start, I leap for a branch. My hand seems to go right through it and I crash on the forest floor. It takes me a second to remember that my left hand is no longer there. I stare at the stump I have left and use my other hand to feel where it would have been. Maybe that was the problem. I'm...

"Another broken one. Such a shame. Dr... dispose."

"Broken," I mutter to myself, laying in the dirt. Why am I even still on this planet? Why don't I want to leave?

I hear the ocean, picking myself up as I do. My fist clenches and I wipe some sweat off my face. Because it's a challenge. Every day that I waste letting the other two Saiyans on this planet get stronger, is another day that makes me angry. The ones that are coming wanted to use me. Like a tool. They tried to take away my pride by calling me weak.

"And I Saiyan would never abandon his pride.

One month later

Goku's Kamehameha had done less than he would have hoped it would have against Piccolo. Ignoring his eyes, Goku tries to sense his rival's energy, locking onto Piccolo's through the smoke. However this is of little use when the Namekian's claw comes racing towards his throat. This attack, however, is a bit to slow. Smiling from ear to ear, Goku gives Piccolo's arm a good pull and brings him nice and close. Before his roval can reach him however, he ribs his arm clean off. Purple blood oozes as the momentum forces Piccolo to keep flying right toward's Goku's next attack. His fist connects with Piccolo's jaw, giving him a nice ticket back to where their fight had started. Not allowing his sparring partner to catch his breath, he charges forward recklessly. His bare foot crashes into the Namekain's rib-cage. As Piccolo yells out in pain, Goku grabs his head. He begins to apply pressure, forcefully moving the green man's head to the right. He can faintly hear the sound of muscles tendons beginning to tear.

When Goku looks into his eyes however, the Saiyan stops himself. His kindness is rewarded with Piccolo firing an energy wave directly at Goku's face with his mouth. As Goku is sent flying, he tries to readjust himself, using his ki to get into a more advantageous position. Cupping his hands together, Goku fires a Kamehameha back towards Piccolo. As he had expected, the green man had not simply let him fly off like that. Their beams clash with a thunderous clap, striking the Earth with bolts of blue and yellow lightning. Ignoring the pain forming in his arms, Goku lets out a scream to dial up the intensity of his wave. The Saiyan's attack overcomes Piccolo's; the Namekian disappears. Stopping short of celebrating his victory, Goku quickly flies over to where Piccolo ends up falling to. Their training easily allows him to focus in on Piccolo's energy rather quickly.

"Hey! You ok?" Goku asks, standing over Piccolo while offering him his hand, "Sorry 'bout that! I guess I…"

Twin energy beams pierce his shoulders as Piccolo's eyes snap open. Holding his wounds out of instinct, Goku leaves himself open for Piccolo to slam his fist right into his crotch. Coughing up blood from the mind numbing pain, Goku looks up to see his rival holding his hand out in front of his face.

"You gonna do it this time?" Goku says with a smile. For a moment, the former demon king gathers his energy. Piccolo only scowls, crushing the energy ball in his fist before turning away. Goku gets to his feet, "Knew you were a good guy all along. So what does that make this, three for me two for you?"

"Shut up and eat your bean," Piccolo says, tossing one from his little belt pouch.

Goku shrugs, popping the Senzu Bean and instantly feeling his energy return. He looks out towards the ruined mountain range that they had been training in for the last half a year. In only a few months, the former highest peaks in the world had been reduced to rounded stumps of their former glory. Craters pocket the landscape from stray blasts exchanged between the two. Had it not been for Piccolo's fabulous 'Clothes-Beam', their outfits would likely have looked the same. All of this is worth it though, Goku realizes when he briefly flexes his arm. A combination of grueling training regimes designed by the seasoned warriors and frequent, usually intense, sparring sessions had done wonders for them. I could easily beat Raditz by myself now, Goku thinks to himself as he picks up a stick of smoked meat he had made a few hours ago, I can't believe how strong we've become in just a few months.

Smiling at the results so far, Goku leaps to his feet begins to gather his energy. There is a satisfying cracking sound beneath his feet as the earth tries to cope with the level that the Saiyan raised on Earth has obtained. Something in his blood gives him a craving to test his powers once again. He tries to get Piccolo's attention, but the Namekian simply brushes him off. Now thoroughly confused, Goku sits down next to his rival. Piccolo once gain turns his head, clearly trying to ignore Goku's presence. There is a squishy sound as Piccolo's arm pops out from his socket, fully healed. Goku laughs a bit, thankful that he did not cripple his partner. Fighting with one arm would be suicidal.

"What's wrong Piccolo?" Goku asks, "You're not upset because I beat you right? I mean it was really close again."

Piccolo shakes his head, suddenly flying into the air. Even Goku has a hard time of not falling over from the power of Piccolo's aura, "You're too soft Goku!" Piccolo screams from above, a savagery in his voice that Goku had not expected, "You said that you were willing to do whatever it took to defeat the Saiyans. So far, I haven't seen it!"

"Hey, I'm trying okay," Goku says, floating up to Piccolo's level, "I do want to defeat those monsters, but I don't understand how blind rage is going to do it. All of my life I've trained to be a martial artist, savagely beating my enemy just doesn't sit well with me."

"You think it's savagery that I've been preaching to you?" Piccolo laughs, "You obviously haven't been paying attention."

"Well then explain it," Goku says, crossing his legs in midair, "Teach me Mr. Piccolo."

"For an idiot, you sure have a smart mouth don't you?" Piccolo grunts, "Fine, I'll try to explain what I'm talking about."

"You're a fine martial artist Goku, but a lousy warrior. You're still stuck in the mindset that every fight should be like one in the Tournament, and for the most part I actually agree with you. Honor and 'fighting fair' is something that should be held in the hearts of all those that possess our type of power. However, this is not going to be the case most of the time. People like your brother Raditz are drastically different than my father. Where the former King Piccolo would fight your fairly, though not without some degree of brutality, the Saiyans appear to be a different breed," Piccolo pauses, giving Goku enough time to refocus his attention from a bird he had been watching, "These Saiyans will do whatever it takes to win. In many ways, it would be foolish to see your brother as a superior martial artists or fighter, think of him as a soldier in a war. Their tactics are justified so long as they obtain their goals. In order to defeat them, you will have to respond in kind. This means taking the occasional cheap shot, or putting all your power into each attack. You cannot allow yourself to give them a moment of mercy, compassion will be your undoing."

"If that was true Piccolo, you wouldn't be standing here today," Goku counters, "Most people deserve a second chance. You and Tien for example."

"And yet your wife was killed by me in the end," Piccolo says with a sneer, no doubt enjoying Goku's flair of anger. Out of the blue, the Saiyan rears up and punches Piccolo, sending the Namekian flying back a few feet. Instead of getting angry, Piccolo actually smiles, "Good! Allow your anger and hatred to flow through you. Do not fight those emotions, use them! They are going to be expecting a soft earthling, show them otherwise! At this level we cannot afford to be soft. Hesitation, in action, means death not only for you but for my entire kingdom."

"You mean the Earth right?" Goku interjects, still clenching his fist, "You still going after that old dream?"

"Once this is over, we'll fight for real," Piccolo says, his smile betraying the malice in his voice, "I have a vested interest in this planet. So, shall we begin again?"

Goku drops to his stance, though with a noticeably more aggressive feel to it. For the first time in his life, he allows all the memories that hurt him to well up inside of him. Both of the warriors explode towards each other, attacking with a new found ferocity.

Gohan had never felt more tired in his entire life. The five year old had been pushed to his absolute physical limit and beyond; the Earth's Guardian does not relent in his training for even a day. Before the sun even has a chance to rise, Gohan is awoken by Mr. Popo to begin a series of brutal physical drills. Even falling during training was not an excuse to simply give up for the day. One of the fighters is always there to force the young boy to stand; either through a word of encouragement or a reminder of what they are all about to face. The evenings were no source of relief as well. In the rays of the setting sun, Gohan would often find himself up against Mr. Popo. Occasionally Kami himself would spar with the boy. Those were the nights Gohan would stay up late crying as he nursed his injuries. The aged god has a gentle heart, but a brutal hand in the heat of battle.

Being formed in the fires of combat by the veteran warriors had changed Gohan. Slowly, the softness of boyhood began to give way. While nowhere near the physical appearance of grown warriors like Tien and Yamcha, the hybrid Saiyan can see himself beginning to develop. While the others might remain at the Lookout the entire time, Gohan was sometime spirited away to various corners of the world by Mr. Popo. In these remote places, Gohan would perform herculean tasks that previously he would have seen as impossible. Before his training Gohan could never have dreamed of moving gigantic boulders a single inch, now he can crush them with a simple tap. The fastest beasts of the Earth can no longer even nip at the child's heels should he allow it.

The physical changes are nothing compared to what the training had done to Gohan's mind. His mother had made sure to provide a strong academic background for the young boy before her death. The martial arts training under Kami had not degraded Gohan's mental processes, as Chi-Chi had feared, but rather enhanced them. During combat, Gohan's can now calculate exactly when and where an opponent would strike. Backed up by some of the physics he had learned, the young fighter could simply 'deflect' the attacks of much more skilled fighters. Before one of his fellow pupils would even begin to throw a punch or kick, Gohan could predict just how much force is being put into the attack. Using this information he could go on to predict exactly where the blow is going and react accordingly. In other words, Gohan had begun to feel like he was operating on a different level than most of the other humans on the planet. He is beginning to see through the eyes of a warrior.

This last week has been different from all the others though. Kami had kept the young warrior largely isolated from the rest of Earth's Special Forces. Not in any geographical sense, but Gohan was forbidden to spar with any of the earthlings. Kami had offered him no explanation for this, and Gohan would be confined to testing himself solely against Kami or Mr. Popo. With the attack of the Saiyans only a half a year away, Kami had thought it prudent for Gohan to square off against a different sort of challenge. All this week Gohan has been worrying about this confrontation. His uncle's cruel eyes and brutish laugh still haunted the corners of his nightmares, along with Piccolo snuffing out his mother's life before his eyes. Now Gohan finds himself wondering what he might do when he finally does confront the unwitting killer of his mother. More so, he cannot seem to stop the feeling of butterflies fluttering about in his stomach. The worst part of the whole ordeal being that he can not take any action against Piccolo. Should Piccolo die, so will Kami. And if Kami dies, so does Shenron.

Another thing bother him is the rest of his friends. When Kami had brought him to the Lookout, it had not been a fun time. Yamcha would occasionally stare at him or frown when he walked into a room that first week. Gohan had asked him, but the former bandit denied having any ill will towards him. Mr. Krillian had been lost to the Dead Zone, and Gohan can not help but wonder if he's just become the monk's replacement. No wonder Yamcha was upset, Gohan would have been upset too. Kami gets the brunt of it though, as Yamcha and the guardian rarely speak anymore.

Gohan focuses on finishing his dinner as fast as possible. Yamcha and Tien had told him that he was going to down to Earth to get someone. Kami had promised him that he would be giving him a Saiyan to fight, and if Gohan wins they will take his training to the next level. Given no details about his adversary, the young boy had briefly hoped that it would be his father. Kami had said nothing to confirm or deny it, but Gohan knew that his dad could not be brought out of training so early. Despite wearing his uniform, Gohan himself is worried about what his dad might think about his blatant disregard of his orders. Still, part of him is still hopeful that it will turn out to be his father that comes through the clouds.

"Am I going to fight this Saiyan now?" Gohan asks Mr. Popo as they remove a plate from Yajirobe, nervously twisting his belt, "Is he strong?"

Mr. Popo gives Gohan a wide smile and motions for him to follow, "Well course this Saiyan is strong, though perhaps my view on the matter is bias. Most of your father's friends have become far more powerful than Goku ever was. I have no doubt in my mind that this will be an excellent challenge."

"No way," Gohan says in amazement, watching as Yajirobe belches loudly, "Even Mr. Yajirobe and Mr. Yamcha?"

"Is that so surprising?" Mr. Popo asks, a grim tone to his voice, "My my, only a few months of training yourself and you're ready to pass out judgement on strength."

"I never meant that they were weak!" Gohan whispers, his face turning red from embarrassment, "I'm really sorry Mr. Popo, and I didn't mean anything by it."

Mr. Popo lets out a deep laugh and instructs Gohan to sit down and listen, "I know child, but we must watch our thoughts. Underestimating, or overestimating, a fellow fighter can be dangerous. Even your father is not invincible. Worry not about matters of strength and weakness in others, simply focus on bettering yourself with every step you take. While it is natural to make assumptions based on traits like energy or raw strength, do not wholly rely on this. Do you know what the most valuable lesson Goku learned from his old Master Roshi was?"

"What?" Gohan asks, thoroughly enchanted by Mr. Popo's words.

"That there is always someone stronger than you in this world," Mr. Popo tells the money tailed boy with a smile, "If it makes you feel better young Gohan, your father would be very proud of the strength you have already obtained. When you see him next, you will be ready."

As Gohan is about to say more, Yamcha reapers on the Lookout. It appears that he has brought nothing with him, save a not yet faded red lipstick stain on his neck. The scar-faced bandit looks happier than Gohan has seen in a long time. Gohan moves to greet him, but Mr. Popo puts a hand out and goes in his place. They begin talking in hushed whispers, and Gohan can only catch scraps of the conversation like '…idiot wanted to climb by himself'. Frustrated that the grown-ups are leaving him in the dark again, Gohan is about to stand up when Kami suddenly appears and places a wrinkled green hand on his shoulder.

"Patience boy, you'll get your chance soon," Kami instructs, looking towards the horizon, "Yamcha has brought your challenge today to us. Like you he's young, but I feel like this will be an excellent test of your new found abilities. You two met briefly, bu the has been away learning the basics. I had thought about what I should do to get yo prepared to face an actual Saiyan. After reviewing the battle with Radtiz again, I came to the conclusion that he fought more like a solider. So, I figured that this one's simpler approach would be an excellent test."

Gohan frowns a bit and remembers what Mr. Popo had told him, "But Mr. Kami, wouldn't underestimating him be dangerous too? I mean, he is a Saiyan after all. And Mr. Yamcha says he was actually kind of smart when they fought."

Kami considers this for a moment but shrugs, 'It remains to be seen. As it stands, you and your father are who we should be putting our faith in. This one has shown all the tact of a barbarian wielding a cudgel. I'll admit that he has a quite a bit of raw power in him, but I feel as though our energies are better directed preparing you for the coming battle."

"I'm not that special," Gohan starts to say, looking at his feet. He grips his tail, "I just...I just want to protect the earth. That's all."

Before they can say anything else to each other, they turn to hear small frunting noises. Yamcha is floating just above the ladder to the Lookout. Tien flies up behind him, looking down with dissatisfaction. They occasionally offer their assistance, but are refused every time by a voice so quiet that Gohan can barely make it out over the constant wind on the platform. Gohan senses a power level about on par with his uncle Radtiz. Before that would have scared him, but now it just makes him excited.

"You want some help buddy?" Yamcha asks the climber, offering his own hand.

"There is no shame in seeking help when it is needed," Tien says, hovering next to the new arrival, "Here just let me..."

There is a small grunt, and a figure leaps into the sky. For a moment the sun blocks the figure, obscuring him in shadow. With a light tap, the arrival lands and Gohan recognizes him as the boy that had been with his uncle. His former jailer looks fundamentally different now than when Gohan had first laid eyes on him. The armor had been traded for a grey uniform, and most striking of all the Saiyan is missing an arm. As Gohan struggles to remember this boy's name, the older Saiyan begins stretching and looking around. Keeping Mr. Popo's advice in mind, Gohan tries not to allow this boy's obvious physical handicap to cloud his judgement.

"Ya' know if you had just let me fly ya up it wouldn't have taken the whole day," Yamcha lectures the Saiyan, "Did you really have'ta climb the damn thing."

"If Goku could do it, then so can I," The boy protests, his voice barely audible.

"Yeah but Goku had two arms," Tien points out, "Sometimes I get overwhelmed when I have six, isn't it far more difficult with your condition?"

The Saiyan simply glares at his stump of a left arm. Had the others been more familiar with Saiyan physiology, they would notice that the other boy's tail is moving in the same short movements that Gohan's own tail does when he is frustrated or angry. Before his uncle had arrived, having a tail had simply been a 'boy thing' according to his father. Even though Chi-Chi had made sure that Gohan had studied the basics of human anatomy, the young hybrid had never found a scrap of information that the differences between boys and girls included a monkey tail. Even now Gohan does not feel ashamed of this difference, the thought of hiding it had never crossed his mind. His mother, who had done seemingly everything in her power to prevent Gohan from becoming what he is working to become, had told never once suggested that he hide it or called it "strange" herself. Now that he is aware of his genealogy's extraterrestrial origins, it had given him something to think about in regards to his own identity. Gohan knows that he will never not be an earthling, but he also an inkling to learn more about his Saiyan half too. At least from an academic point of view. That other boy is kind of like me, Gohan happily thinks to himself as he watches the older Saiyan, and I can't wait to get to know him better!

"Oh lay off him will ya?" Yamcha says, stepping between Olve and Tien, "Everyone should be given a chance, you should know that better than anyone.

"I didn't mean…" Tien stops himself, taking a deep breath and giving the Saiyan boy a quick bow, "My apologies. You should be commended for this, not scolded. I am Tien Shinhan, we meet before briefly at Kame House, and your name is Olve correct?"

The boy does not answer, which surprises Gohan. To dismiss someone like Tien while he is apologizing just seems so wrong. Even Chiaotzu, who had floated over to be by his friend's side, actually looks a bit angry about this. Gohan is suprised thta sparks do not actually start to fly as the two stare each other down. Olve begins looking around at the rest of them, but Yamcha grabs his shoulders and forces Olve to confront the triclops.

"Remember what Master Roshi said," Yamcha reminds him, laughing and awkwardly patting his back.

"Bring back a cute girl or don't come back at all," Olve replies, still glaring at Tien.

Yamcha laughs at him and moves closer to his ear, "Fine, then remember what Bulma told you."

The effect is imediate. Olve's tail goes straight up and he has a scared look on his face. The Saiyan's nose practically touches his feet as he bows to the other warrior, "Sorry!"

Tien frowns, "Apology accepted. You are young, and you are just starting down the road of the warrior. I will forgive you, and look forward to helping you grow as a warrior and a person any way I can." He bows again, this time Olve reciprocating.

Finally, Olve turns to Gohan. Upon seeing his tail, the hardened expression returns. Something in the back of Gohan's mind makes him want to knock that smug look right off his face. He remembers how Olve had watched over him, neither helping or hurting him. back then, they had been total opposites. But now, Gohan wants to show that he can be an equal.

"You're the cry baby that Radtiz kidnapped," Olve says as a way of addressing him.

Cry-baby? Gohan thinks to himself, surprised at his own quick flash of anger. He feels his chest tightning a bit as Yamcha gives him a lecture, Why would he say something like that?

"Yeah, but I'm a lot stronger now," Gohan tells him, puffing his chest out a bit as he says it, "I'm Son Gohan pleased to make your…"

"Don't care," Olve interrupts, looking from Yamcha to Tien, "Which one of you is Kami? Is it the old Piccolo man there?"

"I am Kami," The Guardian curtly introduces himself, evidently the mix-up with Piccolo striking a rare nerve in the aged Namekian, "I am the Guardian of this planet and will be training you until the rest of the Saiyans arrive in half a year."

"So, you are the one that is going to train me. You don't look very strong at all though," Olve says with a smirk, now ignoring Gohan entirely, "But okay, let's fight."

To everyone's shock, Olve speeds towards Kami with his one fist raised. He moves so fast that Gohan can barely follow it with his eyes. I'm going to have to fight this? Gohan frightfully thinks to himself as Olve leaps into a kick. Gohan himself is ready to intervene when Mr. Popo catches Olve's foot and holds the Saiyan upside down. Evidently realizing that this a being that can humiliate him this easily is not to be trifled with, because Olve calms down and becomes passive once again. With a nod from Kami, his assistant puts the Saiyan down. Instead of being angry, as Gohan would have guess, Olve just bows to Mr. Popo and remains silent. The remaining Z-Fighters begin watching Olve with a critical eye, ready to jump in should the Saiyan try anything like that again.

"As I was saying, the rest of the Saiyans will be arriving in half a year. These earthlings have been training with me while you studied under Master Roshi. We thought it prudent to teach you the basics of martial arts. Due to your inexperience, it is unlikley that I will be able to teach you. Only veteran warriors, or the gifted like Son Gohan would get anything out of my training," Kami says to the Saiyan boy, clearly agitated by his earlier offense, "However, should you win I will reconsider."

Olve looks Gohan over, but in an annoying way that makes Gohan want to punch him, "He still looks weak."

"I'm not…I'm not weak," Gohan says, looking at his feet. Something about this Saiyan lights a fire in his belly. His fists start to itch as he waits for the match to start.

"Enough of that," Kami barks, causing the young boy to jump back in surprise, "You cannot freeze up after such a petty insult. You will fight, and you will win."

Olve gets an amused look on his face, as though he were hearing funny joke. A little coal of white-hot anger flairs up in Gohan. The hybrid Saiyan gives Olve a short bow, barely dipping his head. He drops into the stance Kami had taught him. Olve does the same, his one arm down low. They lock eyes. It all seems unreal to Gohan as he tries to focus on his breathing. Whereas his Uncle had a sadistic look in his eyes during a fight, this boy seems different. It reminds Gohan of videos he's seen of scientists doing equations; the young half Saiyan realizing that Olve is fact studying him. Self-conscious of his footwork, Gohan clumsily tries to perfect every little aspect of his position. Evidently this was a mistake. Olve must have seen his movement as a cue to attack, because the one armed Saiyan begins running towards him.

CRASH! Olve's elbow slams into Gohan's face, sending the boy flying. As he uses his ki to try and readjust himself, Olve appears over him and simply slaps him away. Gohan hits the ground hard, feeling the tiles tear at his skin as he slides to the edge of the Lookout. Spitting out some of the loose rocks that had gotten in his teeth, Gohan stands up. Now breathing heavy, the young by begins tearing up as Olve begins sprinting towards him again. Even with one arm, the Saiyan's strikes are swift and accurate. Gohan can barely duck under one of the jabs aimed at his forehead. Seeing an opening, he head-butts his older adversary. Much like Raditz before him, Gohan's attack is enough to stun Olve. With a kick, Gohan knocks Olve back to Kami's feet.

His tutor smiles warmly at him, ignoring Olve as he tries to stand up. The other boy looks from Kami to Gohan and growls, moving the reengage.

"Gohan sure has improved," Tien says, nodding his head in approval as the other boy leaps back to his feet, "That last kick had a lot of power in it. Incredible considering his age."

"Scared of a kid?" Yamcha taunts, squatting down to watching the battle, "I think Olve has this one. He's older and he was knockin' Gohan around like a rag doll a minute ago."

"Care to make a bet?' Tien smiles, "One week of chores on Gohan."

"Fine, but make it two weeks! I wanna see you scrubbing pans for longer than that."

The two men shake hands, returning their attention to the spar in front of them.

"Are you ok?" Gohan asks despite himself. He was worried that he had lost control again, the last thing he wanted to do was really hurt this kid.

Olve spits, glaring at him for asking that kind of question. Suddenly, Olve vanishes. Gohan desperately begins looking around for where he could have gone. Remembering what Kami had told him, Gohan allow himself to open up to everyone's energy. Without even looking up Gohan is able to block Olve's kick as he reappears. Though clearly shocked, the Saiyan does not relent and bounces off Gohan's forearms and comes in from the air. Not willing to simply stand by this time, Gohan flies up to greet him. Olve's punches are almost machine like in their speed and ferocity, and Gohan ends up taking a few hits. In the middle of the Saiyan's combo however, there is a lull. Gohan sees the faintest twitch in his left shoulder. Subconsciously, Olve is still using his left arm to attack. Briefly, Gohan can see Olve's shoulder twitch as though he had intended to throw a punch with his left hand. In that instant it becomes clear to Gohan what he should do. Olve's misstep leaves his defense open, the boy's left side presenting an easy target. Rearing up for a strike straight to Olve's heart Gohan can feel an early victory on the horizon. At the last second, the young hybrid Saiyan stops himself. In that moment his human heart gets the better with him, and he can see the look of determination in Olve's face. Yet, he cannot bring himself to exploit that weakness. Something inside of him urges him to not allow himself to cheapen this victory. With his rational mind clashing with his emotional heart, Gohan holds himself back for a fraction of a second. That second is all Olve needs to dash back to the ground and brings his arm up to block his head. Instead of pursuing him, Gohan simply floats above the Lookout.

"Well, come down here and fight!" Olve yells from the ground, "I'm not finished with you yet kid!"

"No way! I don't…I don't wanna fight anymore!" Gohan screams back, feeling himself shaking. He doesn't even have two arms! This isn't even a fair fight! Gohan thinks to himself as he drops his guard, "I'm sorry Mr. Kami, but I just can't do it!"

He does not meet the elder Namekian's gaze, but the young boy can tell that it is not a look of approval. Faintly, he can hear Yamcha let out a small laugh to some of Tien's mumbling. Part of him is relieved, now Olve has no reason to fight him. Even though he is letting Mr. Kami down, it is still better than continuing this pointless battle. Besides, Gohan reasons, if Olve joins them up here they can fight as much as they want.

Instead of looking grateful though, Olve appears to be furious. The Saiyan's tail twitches in small, dangerous looking movements. "Don't you have any pride?! Why are you just giving up like this?" Olve asks, each word oozing with venomous contempt. Oddly enough, it almost sounds like pleading to Gohan. Still glaring at him, Olve takes a deep breath, "I want to beat you. I want to show them how strong I am."

"But…you don't have an arm," Gohan begins to say, "It's not…"

THUMP! Gohan's jaw cracks and blood begins to pour from his nose as the older boy's fist connects with his face. Olve had leaped into the air, taking the fight to the air without the ability to fly himself. The spike in Olve's energy is accompanied by the Saiyan's rage, which materializes as his foot being smashed into the back of Gohan's head. In what is quickly becoming a reoccurring nightmare, Gohan hits the floor of the Lookout hard. Red hot pain races through his body as Gohan tries to recover from those last attacks. Tearing up, Gohan struggles to gather his energy.

"Not broken," Olve whispers, his face briefly contorting in pain. He brings his arm back as he starts to fall, "God's Wrath!"

Without thinking, Gohan thrusts his hands out. Something about this moment causes Gohan to snap. Yellow energy flies from his hand like the roar of a dragon. Several tiles below Gohan's feet fly off the Lookout onto the Earth below. His attack races towards Olve, this time the idea of restraint is nowhere to be found. Both Gohan and Olve vanishes in a yellow flash.

Tien cannot believe his eyes. In an instant, Gohan had transformed from a crying child to some sort of demon. Even though he would have expected a large amount of power from Goku's son, this is something else. The triclops had been witness to Gou's greatest moments and he himself wields the Tri-Beam, so Tien knows what power feels like. This however, is leagues beyond anything he could have anticipate. It is all he can do to stay on his feet as the gigantic energy attack sails over his head.

"This is insane!" Yamcha yells next him, watching as the attack vanishes in the distance. The two humans look to see if there is anything even left of Olve. Thankfully a lack of training saves Olve's life in this situation. Only a foot below the attack, Olve is falling quickly towards the Lookout. Yamcha takes a step forward to help, but Tien holds him back.

"You care about that kid?" He asks, smiling, "Yamcha, I didn't think you had it in you."

His friend shakes his head and laughs, "I just wanna win the bet man." Yamcha takes another look at Olve and smiles, "I am glad he's alright though. What do you think of Gohan though?"

"I think I'm gonna win this bet," Tien simply says while smiling at Gohan, "I wonder how strong he'd be if we taught him some of our techniques."

When the smoke clears, Gohan finds himself breathing heavily. In that moment that his mind had gone blank. Burns had appeared on his hands. His stomach begins rumbling and he looks to see if Olve is alright. Luckily, the older boy had been saved by his inability to fly. The two Saiyans stare each other down, but Gohan finds himself nailed to the ground as Olve begins to march towards him. While the young hybrid is happy that his attack hadn't killed him, it does not appear that Olve does not feel the same way. All Gohan can do is close his eyes and hope that the older Saiyan shows mercy.

"That's enough!" Kami yells, appearing between the two of them. The elder Namkian glares at Olve. Everyone holds their breath to see if the boy will be provoked into attack the guardian again. Their fears are unfounded though, as Olve simply stops and politely sits on the ground as though awaiting instructions. "Glad you can see reason."

"Excellent job Gohan," Kami says, turning towards him with a smile on his face, "Your bravery and raw power are to be commended. Just by observation and basic training, you have learned not only how to fly but how to produce an energy wave of incredible magnitude."

"Kami, I believe that the moon is gone," Mr. Popo announces, looking off into the distance. Sure enough, the small sliver of moon that had been visible in the twilight sky is gone. The black jinn sighs, "Well at least we don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Yes Mr. Popo, when this business with the Saiyans has been dealt with, I will restore it. Thankfully all that nonsense about the moon controlling the tide is a human myth," Kami tells his assistant.

"Really, then how does it work?" Yamcha asks, scratching his head, "I thought it had something to do with gravity acting on the oceans."

"Of course not Yamcha, that would be silly," Tien assures him, "It's so obviously controlled by magic."

"As I was saying," Kami interrupts, his tone alone silencing the humans, "You have progressed far quicker than anyone could have expected. Gohan, we shall advance your training to the next level. Besides receiving weighted clothing like the others, I will personally teach some of my greatest techniques. And I trust that the rest of you will do your best to pass along what you know to Gohan in the time we have left."

Tien steps forward, taking a deep bow. Finding himself embarrassed by all the praise being thrown his way, Gohan simply looks at his feet. None of what they're saying is true, Gohan thinks to himself as each of the humans, barring Yajirobe, promise to teach Gohan what they have learned over the years, I'm still nothing like my dad. Sneaking a look at the other Saiyan a wave of pity once again goes over Gohan. While it is true that that boy had only survived because of luck, it still does not feel right to Gohan that he is being praised as some kind of prodigy while his opponent is just ignored. Despite being more than three times his age the Saiyan still looks rather small. Gohan remembers how his father admitted to not growing significantly until he was about seventeen. It is clear to Gohan that Saiyans take longer to go through puberty than humans, so in many ways the two of them are quite similar despite their age gap.

"Mr. Kami, I can't accept this," Gohan interrupts. All eyes are on him now, so the boy steels himself for what he is about to say, "I think… think everyone should get this kind of training. All of you are a lot stronger than me, and it's just not fair that I get Mr. Kami's training. Everyone else should be treated the same way."

The aged Namekian gives him an odd look. It is not the look of praise from before, but rather curiosity. Without saying a word, he raises his hands and begins gathering yellow energy. All of them take a step back as the guardian's hands begins to glow brighter and brighter. With a small; grunt, Kami releases what he had been gathering. Instantly Gohan feels like he put on several hundred pounds. The suddenness of the weight drops the young boy to his knees. Around him, he can hear the others struggling to stand. By touching his chest Gohan can feel the new layer of thick weighted clothing that had been added to his attire. Gritting his teeth, and somewhat regretting his choice of asking for harder training for everyone, Gohan forces himself to his feet. Out of the corner of his eyes he can see Olve struggling to do the same . Sweat is running down the older boy's face. More than that is a glint of determination that Gohan had only seen on his father during his own intense training sessions. For a second, their eyes meet. It is a challenge.

"Is…is this all?" Olve asks, straining to get each word out, "Double it."

Without so much as batting an eye, Kami points his finger at Olve. The boy ends up flat on his stomach in a rather pathetic position. Still, after a minute of lying there he slowly gets back to his feet. Seeing the other Saiyan push himself like that makes Gohan feel something inside of him. Almost akin to jealousy, this feeling is something strange to the young boy.

"Double mine too!" Gohan yells out, even though he can barely stand himself, "I wanna be ready for the Saiyans!"

Six months later

Space, the final frontier. This marks the end of a voyage for the two Saiyan attack pods. Their mission, to seek out new life and conquer it. To go where no one in Frieza's army had dared to go before.

Rounding a small red planet, the on-board computer for Prince Vegeta's pod awakens the monarch. Without complaint or groaning, the Prince examines the streams of data coming his way. All of their information about Earth appears to be accurate, as it should be considering it is for Prince Vegeta himself. Even from this distance, Prince Vegeta can see that the world is covered in mostly water. Information about the planet's atmosphere also appear onscreen, but Vegeta quickly shuts that off once it informs him that the air is breathable. He rests his head against the back of his seat, running through every possible scenario that awaits them. The footage provided by Raditz's scouter had been interesting to say the least. While the human that had fought Raditz are laughably weak, one had showed a tenacity and power that should have been impossible for an earthling. It had not taken the Prince long to realize that that man must have been Kakarot. While still far weaker than Raditz, and certainly weaker than himself, there was still something about him that had excited something in Prince Vegeta's blood. Watching the battle over again brings a smile to the face of the Prince of all Saiyans.

"Hey Vegeta. We're here," Nappa's voice interrupts over the intercom, "We'll be landing in about an hour. Think we're going to find a good fight once we get down there?"

"No, I'm afraid that this planet will likely not offer us much in the way of challenge," Prince Vegeta answers as they enter Earth's atmosphere, "Still, there are three other Saiyans on this little blue ball. Perhaps they will be able to provide us with some kind of entertainment. Though, their battle power readings are pathetic."

Nappa's laughter comes over the radio, "Two traitors and a half breed. That is, of course, assuming that the other boy is still alive. Did you happen to remember his name?"

"Afraid not. Pity, he could have been a great asset."

"Still could be," Nappa reminds him, "All we gotta do is show him how much fun fighting can be."

On that day, a little under one year from the arrival of Ole and Raditz, Earth would experience the beginning of its darkest hour. At exactly 11:42am, the two Saiyans arrived. An explosion that would be felt for miles is what accompanies the coming of those demons. This was the day the Earth stood still.

AN:A bit on the power levels here. This is what they are at the six month milestone, or when Gohan and Olve fought in this chapter. As you may have been able to guess Olve got a huge Zenkai boost from losing his arm. Gohan had also likely received a few from his training with Kami, though as we all know that's not the reason why Gohan will get so strong. Another note, I will not be including characters like Master Roshi or Kami in this list. The reason...they have not changed at all. Yet...

So without further delay, here is the obligatory power level list.

Olve - 1115

Piccolo - 1650

Goku - 1703

Gohan - 950

Yamcha - 902

Tien - 1150

Yajirobe - 764