Grab the tissues, and listen to Outset Island from the Wind Waker soundtrack. Get ready to cry.

SSSS: Oh Kami, I'm crying just typing this. I hope this gives everyone a view on what pain everyone close to Riko is going through right now. Oh! I just can't! *Falls into Bardock's arms, crying*

Ice: ...Anyways...as you can tell what SSSS said, she wrote practically this whole chapter. So, I'm just gonna ask, IS JUNE BECOMING A MARY SUE!? In this chapter I tried flawing her up a bit. plz PM me your view on this. Thz :)

Chapter 6

Bardock sauntered into the kitchen. He had A LOT to ask his son, who was sitting at the table eating a raw fish.

"Hey." He said bluntly.

Raditz looked at him for a second. "Hey.." He mumbled.

Bardock took a seat. "Raditz, are you, I don't know...not telling me something?"

Raditz choked. "Of- of course not!" He lied. "What would I be hiding?"

The father shook his head. "You told me quite a while ago, that you would tell me a secret you've been hiding 'later,' It's late enough, I think. So tell me now.

The boy began shaking. His head was throbbing, he couldn't deal with this right now, yet he didn't have any choice. "I-I can't" He stammered. He looked out the window to the darkening sky. "I can't."

Bardock shoved him. "You can, and you will. Tell me!"

Raditz stood up and ran for the stairs. At the third step, Bardock grabbed his son's ankle and yanked him to the ground. "Tell me, idiot!" He snarled. Raditz darted to his room, his father dead on his heels. "TELL ME BRAT, NOW!"

"NO!" Raditz shouted. "IF I DO, EVERYTHING WILL BE RUINED!"

Bardock lunged forward and grabbed his throat, pinning him against his bed.

"Dad..." Raditz barely rasped, turning blue in the face. "You're hurting me...I can't breathe...dad..."

Bardock realized with mild horror what he was doing and let go of his son, who panted and gasped for air. The father shook him hard. The boy's migraine was killing him, pounding in his brain and making him feel sick. "STOP" He gasped, curling into a ball and weakly covering his face with his hands. "Please, just stop..."

Bardock shook his head and backed into the doorway. "Tell me, son." He rasped.

Raditz got up and stared defiantly back at his father, hurt lighting his eyes. "No dad!" He shouted, "I can't tell you! It'll just bring bad luck. I won't tell you!"

Bardock stayed silent for a few moments, his eyes locked on to his son. Finally, he sighed. "The Warrior's Code."

Raditz cocked his head, his throbbing head resting a bit. The Warrior's Code...?

"The Warrior's Code...there's one rule in it, and that is...to tell your comrades everything that is happening." Bardock turned to his son. "No matter how miniscule or non-important a detail about something is, you need to tell me. Trust is something that you and I do not share, but maybe we can start right here, right now, and I understand. Life isn't fair sometimes, but if you keep this secret bottled up inside you, it might actually be important for all I know! What if you never tell me, and that little secret you kept from me could've saved me in the future? If that detail is so hard to keep from me, your own father, then maybe you aren't my comrade. Maybe you aren't my son."

Bardock walked up to Raditz and placed both hands on his shoulders, shaking him slightly. "You can't keep this secret from me forever, Raditz! If you don't tell me, it could be my demise in the end. However, if the words 'comrade' and 'trust' mean nothing to you, then forget everything I said, right now, and go on living in the shell of your life, knowing that with each passing moment, that secret is trying to break free from it's prison, longing to be told. I trust you, Raditz! I trust you with my life, my spirit, my blood! And if you don't feel the same way, then what kind of comrade are you presenting to the world!? One who won't protect the people he cares about, or the ones who try so hard and get so far. But to you, it doesn't even matter. Even if they fall and lose it all, to you, it doesn't even matter. They put their trust in you, and pushed as far as they can go, but to you, that doesn't even matter. Be the comrade I know you are, loyal, trustworthy, and above all, a man of your word. Be the son that I long for, Raditz."

Raditz was baffled. Did his father just...tell him the truth? Raditz put his head down in terrible shame. Maybe he was untrustworthy. Maybe he was just letting everyone down. But no more! He raised his head to stare at his father. He solemnly shook his head. "Am I...a bad son, dad?"

"Not at all." Bardock said, patting the young boy on the back.

"But...it seems that way."

'Trust me when I say that I know the feeling. The bastards who betrayed me when I was your age are all dead, all because they chose not to listen to me. Don't make the same mistake they did."

"Then, dad...I guess...there's no more point in keeping the secret from you." Raditz sat down on to his bed, taking in his father's words. "On Planet Aduminta..." He started, his father perking up with interest, "When I was laying half dead in a puddle of my blood, I could feel the pain that both of us were feeling. When my heart appeared like it had stopped, I saw what I thought was Kami himself, but no, it wasn't. It was you, dad."

Raditz took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"I saw you..." He turned his head to look at his father. "As a Super Saiyan."

Bardock's eyes went wide in unbelief and he shook his head ever so slightly. The boy went on.

"I wanted to keep this a secret from you as long as I could. I knew that if I told you, you'd just beat yourself up for being so weak. But, when I was ascending into Heaven, I opened my eyes in life. I sensed determination, desperation, and indignation. I knew that you, my father, were trying to revive me, and when I saw that you were successful, I put a smile on my face to let you know. At that moment, I knew that you cared, but before, I thought that I was just a throwaway to you, but after that, I knew I was wrong." Raditz's eyes began to tear up and his voice cracked. He clenched his hands onto his pants leg, too sad to continue. "At that moment," He sniffed, "I knew that you had accepted the fact that you would do ANYTHING to save me, no matter what. But I couldn't bring myself to tell you, and here I am now, pouring out the words of how I truly feel. Warriors don't cry and yet..." He took in a shaky breath, "Here I a-am, prese-presenting my weakne-ness to you, that I re-really am just a no-nobody to ever-every-everyone!" He closed his eyes and looked at the ground, trying not to keep eye contact with his father, but he felt warm hands press against his shoulders.

"It's not your fault, Raditz." He heard his father say. "You were only confused of what to do. And just because you're crying doesn't mean you're weak. When Tora lost his son, do you think he kept the grief and the pain bottled up inside of him? No! He shared it with me, and, to me, I understand it. The feeling of losing a son."

He squeezed his son's shoulders tighter. "I need you to be strong Raditz. Do it for me. You're my son, and I won't let the feeling of caring escape you. We're Saiyans, who kill in cold blood, but deep down, every single one of us knows the feeling of losing a comrade, a son, daughter, or even their wife or husband. You told me what you needed to tell me, and now I know as well, that I can protect my own son from his life ebbing away from him. Be strong. For me."

And Raditz let it go. All the grief, the pain, the feeling of loss, all of it pouring out. He took his sleeve and subconsciously rubbed the tears from his eyes. He felt his dad ruffle his hair, like he did when he was a child.

"Dad..." Raditz spoke through tears. "I love you."

"I know." His father replied, faintly smiling. At this moment, Raditz still hadn't picked his head up. "Dad, I need a few-"

"I got the message." His father spoke, walking out the doorway of Raditz's room.

Once his father was gone, Raditz placed his head into his hand, giving a big, rattling sigh, feeling angry at himself. Damnit! Warriors don't cry! He mentally shouted, throwing his pillow across the room. "Damnit! Why am I so weak to everyone's eyes!"

All of a sudden, he heard tapping on his bedroom window. He looked out to the darkness of nighttime to see June, with her eyes glowing in the darkness.
Raditz walked over to the window, rubbing his eyes to remove all the tears. He tried to toughen up and opened the window. June set her feet down onto the roof. "Are you alright?"
"Fine" Raditz snapped, turning his head away. "How much did you hear?"

"All of it." June sighed. "I never knew your father felt that way about you."

"He doesn't." Raditz shook his head. "He's just saying that to make me feel better."

"Come outside with me real quick." June said as she grabbed Raditz's wrist, pulling him onto the roof. They both sat down, staring at the two circles of light navy suns in the yearning nighttime.

"I think your dad was telling the truth." June finally spoke up. "He seemed like he was telling the truth to me. Actually, it even seemed like he was holding back tears. He wanted you and him to be strong. Why can't you see that in your father?"

"Because he's a lying idiot." Raditz spoke up. "Ever since Kasai died, people have been accusing Dad of killing him, and I think that's gotten to his head." A pang of guilt hit Raditz. "Do you think I'm the problem?" Raditz asked June.

"Not at all." She spoke softly. "I think that he only wants to protect you. To show you that he's strong. Look, Tora's son just died three days ago. I'm sure he's trying his best to keep his emotions held back. I don't know what he's going through, but I know the pain. It's like when I lost my mom and my brother. I was comforted by my dad, who then beat me senseless. You were the only friend I had, you

and the spirit of Hirox, though I don't know why he would care about me." It's probably the Gold Tree and the handprint that kept him around me. She thought to herself.

"But...I don't know what to do!" Raditz shouted to June, placing his hands into his hair. "I'm so confused! I need guidance!"

June took up Raditz's left hand, holding it tight. "Go to your dad. In the way that he comforted you, try to do the same. If he needs space, let him be. It's the best you can do for now." June finished, looking at her scouter. I should really train.. She stood up, cracking her back. "Well, I gotta go back to the orphanage, they're probably looking for me." She lightly laughed. "It'll be alright, Raditz. Just let your dad be. Maybe you should go visit Tora too." She suggested, hopping off the roof and taking off towards the forest.

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Kakarot poked his head around his father's room in the dim of the night. He cocked his head, for he had never seen his father seem so...out of it.

Bardock had his hand resting on his hand. Naira was asleep next to him.

The father sighed and picked up a photograph next to his bedside table. Kakarot couldn't see it in the dim light, but he knew which one it was. It was a photograph of Bardock, Naira, Raditz, and himself. It showed Bardock holding Kakarot's bright-eyed 7-year-old brother. Naira was holding an infant Kakarot.

The little boy blinked as he stared at his father. Why was he looking at that picture?

"What's up, Kakarot?" His father spoke solemnly, placing the photo back down quickly. He didn't make eye contact with his youngest son, but he could sense his presence. Kakarot slowly walked up to his father, grabbing his left wrist behind his back and staring at his feet. He moved his eyes up to look at his father.

"'Tosan...'you alright?" He asked, frowning. All his childish glee escaped him at the sight of his father seeming so...sad. "You seem...out of it." He used a phrase that his brother often used.

Bardock sighed at patted his youngest on the head. "Nothing. It's nothing. Just a lot on my mind right now." He spoke, staring out the window.

Kakarot took his father's hand off his head and climbed clumsily onto the bed, crossing his legs. He stared out the window as well, but his father seemed lost in his own world, staring at something that Kakarot couldn't quite see or grasp at.

"Is it something about Riko?" Kakarot asked out of the blue. He kept hearing his name around town and when he went to the training center. "I kept hearin' 'bout him."

Bardock didn't speak, but flicked his eyes towards his youngest son. Truth be told, he actually was concerned for his father. Bardock gave a long sigh, turning towards his son and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Well..." He began, "It is about Riko. You see, I know how you and Riko were good friends, but, last mission...he came back..." He was trying to find the right words to make it sound soft and not harsh. "With multiple wounds. That's when Fasha showed up."

"To come and let you see Riko?" Kakarot asked.

"Yeah. And, well, when I was there, he was already in a healing pod, and well..." He closed his eyes in pain at the memory of the kid, "He didn't...survive."

"So...what? Doesn't that mean he'll come back?" Kakarot asked.

Bardock felt a pang of guilt hit him. Kakarot hadn't been introduced to natural death yet. "Well...you see...when someone...doesn't survive, it means they die. In other words, no...he's not coming back. Ever."

"So..." Kakarot had tears in his eyes. "I'll...never see Riko...again?" He asked his father, hoping it wasn't true.

"...no." Bardock answered back. For a Saiyan, he definitely took close deaths hard. And trying to explain it to his youngest son was difficult.

"But 'tosan!" Kakarot yelled. "Riko can't die! He told me he was immortal! He said so!"
"That was a joke Kakarot. This is what death feels like." He told his son. Kakarot opened his mouth, but Bardock pressed a finger against it to silence him. Quiet silence split the tension in the room as emotions of all sorts welled up inside Kakarot. A lone, warm tear rolled down his cheek, landing onto the ground.

Bardock let his son deal with the pain of losing a close friend, and he looked away, shutting his eyes. He wanted to look tough in front of a son like a Saiyan should. Then he shook his head. To hell with this 'cold, emotionless warrior' crap. Naira isn't watching anyways...

Turning back to his son, he slowly unfolded his arms, and shifted his hands in the 'come here' way. Kakarot turned to look at his father with mild shock. He was motionless at first, but his father shook his hands again, beckoning him to come forward. He rubbed his eyes, already faintly red from tears, and scooted his way over to his father. He looked up to his father, his eyes boring holes into his soul. Then, to Bardock's surprise, his son wrapped his tiny arms around his father, attempting to give him a hug, although his arms wouldn't exactly fit around his waist. Kakarot put his head against his father's chest with his head down, his tail sitting in an unmoving position behind himself.

It was at this moment that Raditz slowly poked his head into the doorway, and just in time to see his father return the hug that his son was giving him. He was going to ask dad if he was okay, but it seemed that Kakarot beat him to it. A faint smile grew on his face. Thanks, kid...He thought before stepping out of the doorway to his room.

"Dad..." Kakarot's muffled voice spoke. He raised his head to look at his father. "D'you think Riko'll be okay? You know..." He took his hand and pointed at the ceiling. "Up there?"

Bardock nodded. He didn't feel like telling his child about Hell. "He will." Bardock sniffed. "I know he will."

The little boy whimpered against his father's chest.

Bardock stared at his child. He unravelled his tail from his waist and wrapped it around his son, allowing the fuzzy tip to stroke his tail. This was a comforting move, usually reserved for deep emotions such as death. A flashback hit him in the face like a bad strike.

A 3-year old Raditz tugged his father's wrist bands. His father was sitting on his bed, letting his right arm lazily float off the bed. He was enjoying his time off when Raditz climbed up onto the bed.

"Daddy!" He squeaked. "I tried flying today. I was really good!"

Bardock brushed him off. "Yeah, yeah, I've flown a billion times before. You don't see me broadcasting it."

Raditz sniffed. "That was mean!" He shouted at his father.

"Well, a Saiyan's ability to fly is an important one, but also the most easiest to learn. Next you'll master ki."

The small boy sniffled again. "Not like this, I won't." He held out his arm. It was badly bruised and bent the wrong way. "I think it's broken...I fell and now I can't feel it."

Bardock scoffed. "You shouldn't have fallen. Go bug someone who cares."

Raditz reached out his good hand toward his father's. "Daddy!" He cried.

His father slapped his hand away, laughed, and walked away.

Bardock resurfaced with a lump rising in his throat.

His oldest son, who had near begged for affection, had been brushed aside. Unloved, he had passed into the oblivion of his parents. He had grown up alone, never knowing. Never knowing the affection of a father to his son.

Bardock swallowed hard, and looked at Kakarot. He made a promise to himself. Even if it was too late to do right by Raditz, with Kakarot, he still had the chance.

He sighed and held his son tighter.

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June sauntered through woods. The sunlight reflected her scouter, she took it off so she could see through the glare. She brushed frizzy spiked hair out of her face, letting the warm night air calm her nerves. At least she understood Kasai's message now, but she was still worried about Raditz. She had never seen him break like that, but it made sense. He had let everything go, his universe crumbled in that one moment.

June shook away the fretting thoughts. Suddenly, she saw a shape flicker in the corner of her eye. "Hello?" She called into the night, raising her fists. "Who's there? Come out or I'll make you!"

Out of the shadows, Kasai stepped out, his usual demonic grin scored across his face.

June jumped back, ki charging in her hands. "What do you want with me?" She roared.

Kasai laughed. "Well, what did you learn about Raditz's father?"

She shook her head violently. "I'll never tell you!"

The man phased behind her. "I already know." He hissed in her ear. "I was listening the whole time."

The girl scrambled backwards. "Creep! Don't touch me!" She shrieked.

Kasai advanced on her. "You can't hide from me! I'll always be behind you! Keep looking over your shoulder, June."

June took a deep breath, left with no options, she let out a blood-curdling scream.

Kasai slapped a hand to her mouth, and let go when she stopped struggling.

"No.." She whimpered. "This is all my fault. Now you know Bardock is a Super Saiyan... And it's all because of me..." She let out a sob. "I'm a terrible friend!"

Kasai tisked. "You're a perfectly great friend, and you know Raditz will love you no matter what." The man grinned. "And thanks."

June sniffed. "F-for what?"

He cackled. "For telling me about Bardock!"

The girl's eyes went wide. "No-N-NO! This isn't right! They'll get you!"

Kasai lifted an eyebrow. "Who's 'they'? I'm dead, remember?" He laughed and flew off. He truly trusted the girl, but for something this important to his master plan, he needed to confirm it.

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Bardock let go of Kakarot, pushing him back a bit and placing his hand against his tiny chest.

"Thanks, Kakarot." Bardock smiled honestly. "For cheering me up."

"Hai!" Kakarot laughed. "I don't like it when da' not feeling well." He smiled up at his father with his childish glee, but, to interrupt the special moment, Bardock's scouter phone began ringing, or rather, singing. With a heavy sigh, Bardock got up from the bed, with Kakarot turning to face him. He picked up the scouter and hooked it to his left ear.

A freakish high male voice answered. "Hello, soldier!"

Bardock sighed and walked outside. "What do you want Kasai?"

On the other line, Kasai grinned. "I just discovered the most marvellous fact about our girl!"

Bardock facepalmed. "Don't tell me you're still terrorizing that poor kid. What do you want with her?"

Kasai ignored the question. "You'll never guess- I just discovered her REAL maximum power level!

With a heavy sigh, Bardock asked "What is it?"

"20,000" Kasai responded. "She has no idea! She's clueless and she can't control it!"

"20...20,000!?" Bardock wouldn't believe it. "How do you know?"

"A sixth sense of mine?" Kasai questioned, before laughing and, finally, hanging up.

Bardock stood motionless for a second. Why would her power level spike from 10,000 to 20,000 in one day? She must have been upset, it must have driven her to maximum.

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Bardock walked back inside, only to hear a cough he was far too familiar with, having tangoed with it 3 1/2 years ago.

He walked into the living room, where Naira was coughing up a storm. She had only coughed that hard when she had the lukivazik virus. He walked up to her. "Are you okay?" He asked with full concern. "You know you only had that cough when you had the virus."

Naira nodded. "I know." She wheezed. "What if I'm contracting it again?"

Bardock shook his head, and Kakarot came bouncing into the room up to his mother. "Are you alright, Mama? You sound sick." His voice seemed to crack a tiny bit when he spoke those last few words.

His father immediately turned to him. "Kakarot, why'd your voice crack?"

"Well, 'tosan, my throat is hurting a little bit, but I'm sure it's nothing. Probably from trainin' or a dry throat." He assured his father, but then broke into a raspy cough, and, after about five seconds, he stared at his father and his mother, turned on his heels, and walked out of the doorway.

"He's got it too?" Bardock asked his wife.

"Yes..." She sighed.

Raditz then entered from where Kakarot had just left. "He seemed a little ill. By the way, are you feeling alright, Mom?"

Naira shook her head. "I'm sick, and so's your brother. So be careful, son. The last thing we need is you getting sick as well."

Raditz nodded and heard his brother's voice outside. "'Niisan! Come see!"

The teenager trotted outside to his little brother. The child's sleeves were covering his hands, and he was holding a little note of paper.

"Look, Raditz, it's addressed to you!"

Raditz took it in his uncovered hand and read it silently in his mind.

"Your girl's a 20,000" It read. Kasai's name was signed at the bottom.

The boy blinked. This was impossible! Kasai was dead, right?

Raditz's fist clenched, crumpling the paper and stuffing it angrily into his pocket. "Come on, Kakarot." He half-growled as he picked his little brother up and headed inside.

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"Raditz!" Naira called as soon as he walked inside.

"Hai?" He answered, poking his head into his mother's room.

"I need you to go to Tenso and grab me the book on Earthian Culture. Just tell him that Naira sent you."

"Got it." He ran out of her doorway, but placed the crumpled note on his desk before running back outside to Tenso.

Once he was gone, Kakarot looked into Raditz's room and scanned for the note. He found it and approached it carefully as if it was a trap. He took the note up in his hand and read it, but was completely confused. What was so special about it?

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Tenso, as usual, was busy catching up on old scrolls of ancient times when Raditz made a very ungraceful landing into the building running up to Tenso. He was about to talk, but Tenso lifted a finger to stop him. When he was done reading to himself, he turned to Raditz.

"Hmm?" He asked.

"Oh, uh, mom needs a book on Earthian Culture. She has the virus again."

"Ahh..." He spoke in his unnaturally soft Saiyan voice, "Since you're here, I need to show you something..." He and his light blue cloak slowly drifted over to the other side of the Archives. This side of the Archives was only reserved for all chemical compounds known to Saiyans, like medicines or poisons used in attacks.

Tenso walked up to where the "L" section was and floated a bit to the top, since the LU's were at the top. He opened a long cabinet and floated to the left, finally stopping at a small pocket. He picked up a tiny vial, about the size of his pinkie, and closed the shelf, drifting back to Raditz. He showed him the tiny vial.

"Be careful, it's really contagious." He warned. Raditz took up the vial and looked at it and, to his surprise, there were tiny, almost faded dots within the vial.

"This was discovered on your lawn last night. Bardock told me and my medicine crew to keep and eye out for you guys. Anyways, what you're holding right now is the raw, untamed version of the virus that your mother had 3 1/2 years ago. But that's not all we discovered..." He hinted. Turning back towards the medicinal area, he walked over to the S viruses and opened the SU virus cabinet, letting it stretch a long way before stopping it. He grabbed a larger vial and closed the cabinet. He walked back to Raditz, but refused to hand him the vial.

"This contains a chemical known as L. Supiernko. It was found in the forest, where your girl June likes to hang out."

"Well...what does it do?" Raditz questioned, peering at the vial.

"You see, there are few cases of this virus, but we've studied it to it's entirety. This certain virus is the only of its kind to be able to take on a mutated shape of a rod, and can have adverse side effects. In it's earlier days-"

"Cut to the chase." Raditz spoke.

"It causes a person's power level to forcibly raise to it's ultimate maximum. If this were found in June's usual hang out spot, it would mean that somebody wanted to see her full potential."

Raditz shook his head. There was no way...

"N-No!" He stammered. "Kasai is the only person who would ever do that, and he got killed!"

Tenso put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Kasai is alive, ask your father. He never died."

The boy stumbled back.

June was right the whole time...! And I- I was wrong... I ignored her, now what's going to happened!?

Raditz was interrupted from his thoughts by a sharp pain in his wrist. He slapped his other hand over to it and gasped.

Tenso gave him a quizzical look, which turned to a sober concern. He snatched the boy's hand with surprising strength.

"Wha-hey!" The teenage boy shouted as the man scraped a bit of skin off of his fingertips. He quickly floated over to an empty vial case. He carefully placed the skin cells into the vial, letting them slowly drift into it. He then closed the vial air tight shut and floated over to the "X" section, which was the most unfilled section. It only had one report of a virus. Tenso carefully, and I mean carefully opened the tiniest drawer in the archives. He looked at the sole vial in it, and he looked at the one in his hand. He picked up the vial in the drawer and compared the two. And then he shook his head in realization that they were both the same.

He walked back to Raditz and showed him the vial, but strictly refused to let him hold it.

"Why didn't you tell me about the pain in your wrist?" He asked, just a tad harshly.

Raditz was taken aback. "It just started hurting right now. What's wrong with it? It's just a little pain..."
"A LITTLE!?" Tenso shouted, but then took a breather. "Ahem, sorry, I get carried away sometimes." He showed him the vial once more.

"This, my dear boy, is a chemical with a severely long name. But we just call it...Xephyr. It's real name is Xephyriotonicalysutinagoumin. Only one known other case of this virus was found, and that was during the Hiroxian Times, used in a massive genocide.

Tenso sighed. "It was also used once by a man who...who lost everything. He used it to kill himself."

Raditz's eyes widened in horror, and he began shaking, his mouth dried out. "What does that mean?" He choked.

Tenso shook his head solemnly. "It means...you touched something that was laced with the virus. Somebody wanted you dead."

Raditz suddenly felt sick to his stomach with remembrance of the note.

Tenso patted him gently on the shoulder. "Listen, kiddo. I don't know how I can say this, but...the Xephyr virus...is so potent..." He voice broke off. "It's a chemical that can cause a 100% guaranteed death. In other words, you have a week to live."

Raditz was an inch from blacking out. His knees buckled. "It- It CAN'T!" He choked. "It's a mistake, a fatal flaw!"

Tenso looked back at the boy, a rare hint of Saiyan fury burning in his eyes. He pulled the vest of the Saiyan and yanked him an inch from his face. "Listen to me!" He shouted. "This is serious. I AM dead serious!" Then, realizing, he let the boy go softly. Then he sighed. "Tell your father about this if you don't believe me. Mention the name, but only tell your father, and tell him that Tenso found a tiny case of it, and wanted to confirm the name. After all, wasn't he a scientist too?"

Raditz sighed and buried his face in his hands.

Tenso sniffed. "Look," He said gently. "It's gonna hurt your wrist, then up your arm, then your shoulder, then heart, then nothing. Ever again. Period. That's it."

The boy stared miserably into space. He was going to die.. His voice cracked as he spoke.

"I might not tell Dad... I can't see any good it would do, and I don't want everyone being miserably for whatever time I have left..."

Tenso nodded. "Well...besides that, there's ONE more thing I need to show you...and no, it doesn't affect you." He walked over to the "A" cabinet. His voice echoed as he rummaged through glass.

"This chemical...was apparently found..." He pulled out a vial and placed it back down, shaking his head. "...on your father's scouter! Right on the place where the ear hooks. Ah..." He sighed, pulling out a vial of a partially full cabinet. He walked back to Raditz.

"This chemical is called I. Autuminu. It enters either through the mouth, nose, ears, or pores within the face. From there, it makes its way to the brain, where it causes a quick firing of chemical responses in the brain. So, in simpler terms, it causes a Saiyan's emotions to be easily accessed, and not pushed back. They can show themselves in any case possible, unless the Saiyan has good control. The only problem is that..." He shook the vial around. "It causes the stimuli for rage to be increased two times a normal Saiyan's limit. Even the cool, calm and collected fighter might become extremely deadly and unpredictable after it. Everything else can be suppressed. Any need for this in your father?"

Raditz covered his mouth with his hand and nodded. What was Kasai playing at?

Tenso grabbed a book from a desk and handed it to the boy. "Anyways, here's your mom's book. And good luck, Raditz."

With a nod, The young teenager turned and walked out of the shop. When he got home, he gave his mother the book, and went up to sit on the roof.

"And there's the man who thought he could beat his father!" A gruff voice spoke out. Turning his head, ironically enough, Bardock was sitting on the roof as well.

Of course... Raditz thought. Father and his daydreams. And meditations.

"Say...dad?"

"Hm?"
Raditz pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Um, Tenso wanted to ask you about...a certain virus. He said it was seldom studied and wanted to ask you what you know about it. It's called, um..." He read the long word to himself. "Ah, just take the paper."

The father studied it for a moment. "Xephyriot- oh, you mean...Xephyr..." The man shivered at the mention of that name. "What about it?"

Raditz shuffled his feet. "What does it do exactly?"

"Oh." Bardock laughed. "Well, it kills you. BAM!" He snapped his fingers. "Just like that. Why did you want to know?"

The boy shrugged, trying to keep sadness and disappointment out of his voice. "No reason. Um, does it kill you an in instant? Or does it take a course in the body?"

Bardock pondered this for a moment. "Well, it causes pain, 'n that will maybe go on for about a few days. Then it reaches a vital organ, heart, brain, lungs, liver, whichever is closest, and it'll be attacking it for a few more days and and by the last 20 minutes it makes the host go somewhat deranged, then it'll immobilize them, and then, well...they die. That's pretty much it."

The boy nodded and looked up at the dark sky. "Okay...thanks Dad." He said, as pain shocked his elbow.

()()(_)(_())()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Long chapters. Long chapters everywhere.

So, now what? Raditz only has a week to live. And what is Kasai's plan?

We'll see...