Within a dim room, a small child drifted inside a strange-looking machine. Abruptly, lights began to flicker across the board and the greenish liquid started to evaporate. Raditz, a Saiyan warrior, opened his eyes and emerged from a long session in the healing apparatus. He feels re-energized and ready to take on any challenge as he clenched his little fists with a cocky smile on his face.
However, his joy is short-lived as he is startled by Nappa, an Elite Saiyan combatant, who barged into the room. The fierce expression on the warrior's wrinkled face caused the little Saiyan to take a step back.
"Hmph took you long enough... Because of you, we had to miss a highly rewarded mission! This isn't the first time your weak ass cost us!"
Raditz had to bite his tongue and hold back while Nappa berated him in front of everyone else. He stood firm on the spot as the drops of water fell on the crimson tiles. His dark orbs shifted toward the others, especially Korn and Okra, who couldn't stop sneering. The young one clenched his teeth as the humiliation turned into anger.
"Tch! You better get a move on and train harder, because if there's no improvement, you are cut off from the squad!"
The long-haired Saiyan nodded and stared at the floor while able to hear the nearby chuckles. His little frame shook with anger and was mere seconds from an outburst, but a simple sentence from the short prince put the fire out.
"Be grateful to Nappa... If it wasn't for his nagging, I'd leave you here to fend for yourself. Let me be clear, I have no use of weaklings and I won't be slowed down by you or anyone else."
Vegeta opened his eyes and glared at Raditz but also at Korn and Okra. The youngest in the squad wasn't particularly fond of the two either. Vegeta turned around and walked toward the exit.
"Just pick up your armor already and fetch something to eat. We're leaving in fifteen minutes."
Upon hearing that, Raditz dashed to the nearby table and quickly dressed into his new clothes. Naturally, he got some old battle armor and boots, along with black gauntlets. On his way out, he picked up a green scouter and rushed to get some food.
-X-
A few months went by and the space pods were about to reach the small, yellow planet. The pods turned into fireballs as they breached the world's atmosphere and caused a loud bang across the sky. Within a minute, all five objects fell on the ground safely. However, once they were out and saw the landscape, the Saiyans were quite surprised.
"Tch! Nothing but sand all around us... They only keep sending us to barren worlds."
Raditz agreed with Nappa, but the long-haired boy ignored anything else for a moment. There was a weird feeling of uneasiness deep within his tummy. He didn't like it while he looked around. They were surrounded by sand and dunes. As he looked up, it was impossible to even guess the color of the sky because of the sandstorm.
"Alright, everyone listen closely! Since we don't want a repeat of last time, we're gonna stick together and finish this mission as quickly as possible... Move out!"
Upon hearing Nappa's commanding voice, everyone quickly got into the air and blasted to the south.
However, the sandstorm proved to be quite an obstacle, even for a group of strong Saiyans. They tried to navigate through it, but it was tough to see anything in front of their eyes. To no surprise, one of them slammed into a dune and almost got swallowed by the sand. They kept flying until it proved to be treacherous. On Nappa's command, they descended and decided to proceed on foot.
"Unbelievable! Why do we always get this kind of mission?! The higher-ups must be doing this on purpose!"
Korn shouted as he and the rest marched onward. The warrior was visibly irritated, but he wasn't the only one. However, others kept their mouth shut and moved forward.
Raditz tried his best to keep up. He was walking just in front of Korn who kept complaining and shouting. The boy kept his mouth closed because he didn't want sand in his mouth or to be shouted at by Nappa. He tried to keep his mind occupied as they trespassed across the desert, however, a faint tremor caught his attention. The skinny boy halted for a second and shifted to the side.
"Keep walking brat! What are you looking at!?"
Raditz didn't reply, which annoyed the older warrior. Suddenly, the scouters came to life as a massive thing tried to break out from the sand.
"What the hell...!"
A giant serpent with several horns across its crimson body emerged from the sand. The Saiyans stared at the beast for a few seconds, mesmerized by it. However, they snapped out of it once the beast lunged at them. They moved out just in time before the enormous tail slammed against the ground.
"Woah! That's quite a big snake! I wonder if it would taste good if cooked properly..."
Nappa licked his lips and without any fear, propelled himself at the serpent. The experienced warrior laughed as he closed the distance. He managed to avoid the beast's attacks and found himself in front of it. The bulky man took a deep breath and struck the beast with full force. He smirked as the thing shrieked, however, it caused a different reaction from what he hoped. Instead of succumbing to pain, the serpent changed positions and tried to wrap itself around the Saiyan.
"Oh, no you won't!"
The older warrior released a mighty battle cry and unleashed the force from within. The outburst of energy stunned the creature as it was forced backward. The other Saiyans took this opportunity and fired ki blasts at the beast
"Tch! Weaklings..."
Annoyed, the little prince put a hand forward and released a strong, purplish blast at the giant serpent. Just the sheer force behind the attack knocked the others away as it headed toward the beast. The serpent noticed the danger and quickly tried to retreat into the sand. As it dug into the sand, the blast grazed its tail and caused the creature to release an agonizing cry before it disappeared.
With the thing gone, the Saiyans regrouped and formed a circle. They were on guard just in case the beast returned, but Vegeta didn't seem interested in doing that. Instead, the flame-haired prince stood in the center and just closed his eyes.
"Damn, that oversized worm gave me a scare... Do you guys think it's coming back for more?"
No response to Korn's question for at least a minute. "Hmph, I think we're in the clear..." Okra checked the scouter while Nappa and Raditz carefully looked around.
"Heh, scared of snakes? Tch, so pathetic. And you pride yourself to be a middle-class warrior... Ridiculous!"
Korn turned red in the face as Nappa continued to laugh and mock him. Raditz couldn't help himself and smirked at the ridiculed Saiyan. Naturally, Korn saw it and wasn't thrilled about it.
"Stop smirking or I'll do something about it, lousy brat!"
Korn lost his cool and grabbed the boy by the armor and lifted him. Raditz snarled at the older and much stronger male and tried to land a blow. Korn was about to deliver a punch that would send the boy flying to the other side of the planet, but Nappa intervened.
"Enough! As much as I'd like to see the circus, we have a mission to complete! You two can finish your annoying bickering later."
Korn immediately released the hold and Raditz fell with his face against the sand. Korn just chuckled at that and turned away, while Okra bumped into the child and pretend he didn't see him.
"I swear to make you all suffer one day..."
The boy got up and tried to clean himself but had to keep up the pace as nobody waited for him. They barely made any distance when suddenly sand collapsed and a giant hole appeared in front of the warriors.
"Hm, I guess the tremor from that snake caused the ground to become unstable..."
Okra approached the hole and inspected it further. "Wait a minute... Can you guys hear that!?" The man flew in the air and moved into the hole.
"No... No, wait! There's some noise coming from below. Just what could it be?"
While Raditz pondered about that, the prince scoffed and levitated in the air. "Cleary there's something else living underneath the sand beside the giant serpent... And we're heading there!" Without even giving anyone a chance to protest, Vegeta flew into the hole, and others followed.
It took almost thirty minutes for the Saiyans to reach the end of the tunnel. The merciless group halted in their tracks upon gazing at the sight in front of their eyes. Twinkling glow and bright lights enchanted the warriors who floated above the underground city.
"Woah, that's amazing! Can you see it, Ve... I mean, can you see it, Prince Vegeta?"
The young Raditz immediately corrected himself. He was so amazed by the incredible sight that he forgot to properly address the grumpy-looking Vegeta.
"So, the inhabitants of this planet found refuge underground and created a prosperous environment, one not affected by constant sandstorms... Impressive!"
The group observed the inhabitants and their rich habitat. "I say we blast them and turn everything to ash, so we can leave this sandbox." Korn placed a hand forward, ready to fire a blast, however, Nappa had something else in mind.
"Not yet. I think we should look around and see if there's anything for us down there... I mean, look at all that shiny jewelry and decoration. Its value must be enormous and it can all be ours!"
A devilish smirk appeared on Nappa's face as the older male played with the mustache. The giant gazed at the short prince and approached him.
"What do you think, Vegeta? Wanna look for treasure or just start the killing?"
The boy's tail moved around as he stared at the humanoid-looking lizards and scorpions living alongside, in a well-built society.
"Hmph, do as you like... However, don't take it too long."
Nappa's satisfaction was clear as a huge grin surfaced. The giant turned around and instructed the others to follow him and be stealthy.
They quietly landed behind a large building and took a peak. The gleaming lights captivated the long-haired boy, who wanted to take it all. He imagined himself wearing impressive golden battle armor and a bunch of diamond and golden armbands, necklaces, and other decorations. The boy was so lost in his daydreaming that he didn't pay attention to what the others were doing. Instead of sneaking around, the boy just walked around until he got spotted.
"Ahhh! Alien!!"
Almost instantly, officers appeared and tried to apprehend the boy, who finally snapped out of it. He jumped above them and kicked the officer who crashed into the other one.
"You damn fool! For the umpteenth time, you screwed us over! I swear, I'll..."
Nappa had to halt as they were quickly surrounded by a group of fighters. The men looked around and noticed these were different from before. Nappa's gaze remained locked on a tall and muscular lieutenant with lots of decorations.
"Heh, I take it you're the strongest one among your people... I'll take you on and mop the floor with your ugly face!"
While the Saiyan shifted into the battle stance, the reptile closed his fists tightly and released all the power at his disposal.
"You're free to try, alien. However, I suggest you and your friends surrender and come with us peacefully, after all, there are children with you."
Upon hearing that, the Saiyans burst into a laugh. "Fool! They might be kids but they're Saiyans, and we start fighting from the moment we are born!" Nappa took a step forward before attacking the man.
"I see... I've heard stories of your kind before, and they were not pleasant... Men! Go all out and be on the lookout, we're fighting against highly savage and dangerous people!"
An all-out brawl started and caused lots of casualties. Buildings fell apart and the tremors emitting from each delivered punch damaged the city. Explosions occurred all over the place as the battle lasted for hours. The Saiyans despite being low in number held their own, but even with Prince Vegeta on their side, they started to slowly lose the battle. As the battle kept dragging on, the Saiyans were backed into a corner, exhausted and covered in wounds. Meanwhile, there were more and more enemies and almost no end to them.
"Shit! Who'd thought they'd be this strong?!!"
Okra ducked and countered with an uppercut. He grabbed the enemy and sent it crashing into Korn's opponent.
"Don't talk! Preserve your energy and just fight!"
Meanwhile, Raditz tried to take on the weaker soldiers. The boy relied on his small stature and out-maneuvered the enemies with his wit and sneaky attacks. However, his plan crashed down in flames when a powerful opponent caught his long hair and slammed him against the floor.
"Ack! Y-You bastard... L-Let go!"
Instead, the opponent laughed and slammed the boy once more. Blood and tears flew off the child's face. The soldier stopped and brought the Saiyan closer.
"No mercy, not even to a child. You brought this upon yourself!"
A heavy fist landed into Raditz's gut and caused the boy to lose air. The soldier unleashed several punches until he got bored and kicked the boy into a boulder.
"Hmph, what a waste of time. Perhaps, I should try and fight those two, they look like proper warriors."
The soldier dashed at Korn and Okra who noticed the man and lunged toward him as well. They clashed and soared into the air as their blows caused the nearby facility to crumble.
While everyone was fighting for survival, even Nappa and Vegeta, who had to join forces against the strong lieutenant, Raditz tried to crawl out of the rubble. The boy's entire face was covered in wounds and the blood rolled down his cheeks as he slowly moved forward.
"M-Move body, m-move! I've to f-fight or t-they'll leave m..."
The boy finally got out of the rubble and shook the rocks off his back. He clenched his teeth and forced his poor, injured body to get up. The young Saiyan cried and winced out of tremendous pain as he got on his knees. He took a little break and did all he could to not faint. The loud noise from above forced Raditz to lift his weary head and look up. His eyes opened wide when he saw Vegeta crash into the wall.
"Vegeta! Grr! Why you... I'll kill you!"
Nappa's pupils diluted as rage consumed the warrior. Engoflued in the wild aura, the Saiyan roared as he closed the distance within five seconds and struck the opponent in the gut. However, his attempt was well blocked and caught. The veteran warrior growled and pulled out, only to try and land a high kick. His boot grazed the lieutenant's head and broke one of its horns. The two continued to battle and exchange blow after blow until the scouter on Nappa's face started to go crazy.
"Huh!? What's going on... W-Wait!"
Cold sweat trailed down the man's face as he looked below. Nappa's panicked expression and stammering didn't go unnoticed by the lieutenant. The scaly creature looked down and only saw a massive, incoming blast.
"Dear Lord! If that hits the ceiling, everything's going to crumble and cause a chain reaction... All the cities will be devoured by sand!"
Acting swiftly, the lieutenant dashed past Nappa, surprising the Saiyan, and screamed as he placed his hands against the powerful blast. He struggled but couldn't give up as billions of lives depended on him, without them even being aware of it. The strong creature gained control of it and was about to propel the blast back to its owner, but a heavy blast from behind threw him off balance.
"Take that, you ugly bastard! Finish him off, Vegeta!"
Just on cue, the angered prince roared and unleashed all he got. The blast carried the opponent toward the ceiling. However, mere moments before making contact with the rooftop, an explosion occurred thus causing the Saiyans to fail.
"No way! That guy detonated the blast earlier just to protect everyone else... Tch, bastard!"
As the smoke cleared away, it revealed the lieutenant covered in deep, bloody wounds and with a torn outfit. The man's breathing was heavy and the explosion took its toll on the fighter.
"E-Everything alright. I managed to stop them from causing our people's demise... Now that their strongest is weakened, I can put an end to this..."
Before the man could finish a strong quake caused him and everyone still breathing to look behind. Just as the lieutenant turned around, the giant serpent from before emerged, breaking the restrictions put across the ceiling, and went after the man.
"Oh no!"
The lieutenant didn't even have time to properly move when the beast swallowed him whole. While the remaining soldiers cried for their leader and panicked, Nappa quickly landed and grabbed the exhausted prince.
"Hey! Stop daydreaming and get the hell out of here! This place is falling apart!"
Upon hearing Nappa's frantic shout, the remaining Saiyans quickly followed the command. However, all but one managed to take off. Raditz still struggled to get up and fly away from danger.
"C'mon, c'mon! M-Move stupid body!"
The long-haired boy screamed at himself while slowly getting on his feet. Panic and fear overcame the boy who froze upon seeing a large amount of sand coming in his way. Relying on nothing but sheer willpower and the desire to stay alive, the little Saiyan got on his exhausted feet and carried it into the air.
Sweat slid down his bruised cheeks as he dreadfully stared at the sand devouring everything in its wake. However, the boy shifted his attention to his companions and tried to keep up. He attempted to catch up to them and needed fast because the giant serpent noticed him and started to chase him.
"Crap! If you weren't so weak and slow, that damn thing wouldn't even notice us!"
Korn, who was heavily wounded yelled at the boy who was just behind him. The middle-class warrior had clear fear installed into his eyes. Steadily, he was losing speed and he knew it was over if he dropped here. It was then when an idea popped into his head. He glanced up and saw Nappa who was far ahead get into the tunnel while carrying Vegeta. Right in front of him was Okra, but he didn't have to worry about his long-time partner. A devious grin surfaced on his bloody face as he turned toward the young Saiyan.
"W-What's wrong!? Do you..."
The boy wondered what was going on with his older companion. However, once he saw the man place an open palm forward and grin, Raditz realized something was afoot.
"Tough luck, brat! This is where we part ways and you finally prove to be useful to us!"
Raditz couldn't believe this was happening again. They tried to abandon him on the previous mission as well, just to save their own lousy assess. The boy bit his lower lip to the point it started to bleed while he closed his fists tightly. He lifted his weary head and growled at the older male.
"Screw you, Korn! I-I won't allow it! I'm destined for more, I know I am! And I won't let a coward like you get in my way!"
While he spoke, a faint and radiant glow burst into a wild aura. The small Saiyan screamed and ignored the pain as he dashed up, toward the wounded companion.
"W-What!? Stop you stupid brat! Y-You're gonna ruin e... AGHH!!"
Korn lost all of the air and puked a bit as Raditz slammed into the man's abdomen with all his might. Korn dropped lower and Raditz passed by him and hoped he was going to make it. However, just as he flew into the tunnel, Korn seized the boy by the ankle.
"H-How dare you, you filthy brat from a low-class bloodline! You think you're destined for more, on what basis?! You got fortunate when picked for Vegeta's team, that's all to it!"
Raditz got infuriated but also worried because the giant serpent was right behind them. The beast roared and opened its mouth while gaining on them. The boy kicked the older male several times, but Korn held tightly.
"If you think I'll let a little insignificant vermin be the end of me, you're wrong..."
Korn stammered as his eyes widened. Raditz's eyes and mouth were wide open as he watched with terror while the snake's large, sharp teeth sunk into Korn's flesh.
"D-Damn you, b-brat... I'll wait for you in h-hell, and I know I-I won't be waiting for long..."
Raditz didn't even know what to say to that. Instead, he kicked the weakened man and flew away while the serpent was enjoying a meal. The boy used all of his remaining strength, which wasn't much, and managed to reach the end of the tunnel. Once he was out in the open, his entire body went limp and crashed into the sand.
Within a minute, half of his wounded body was covered in sand. The boy couldn't even lift a finger, let alone do anything to prevent himself from getting buried. However, a towering figure appeared before him and harshly picked him up by the long hair.
"Where's Korn!? Answer my question brat!"
A firm slap to the face caused his entire body to ache. Raditz cried out and snarled at the stressed Saiyan.
"H-He's dead! T-The wounds were too heavy and he got eaten!"
A fist crashed into his cheek. "Lies! And you mean to tell me a weakling such as yourself survived!?" Another punch landed but this time into his gut.
"Ack! I-Its the truth... I-Its not my fault he died! L-Let me go!"
Raditz barely managed to yell and tried to sound convincing. He couldn't tell the truth because Okra would immediately kill him. The older warrior placed a hand around his throat and squeezed hard.
"Lies! You low-class bastards are known for lying and plotting behind everyone's back! Now, tell me the truth or I'll put an end to your short life!"
Tears ran down Raditz's cheeks as there was less air. The little Saiyan could feel his mind sleeping into darkness as seconds went by. His tail which is usually secured around the waist fell and hung motionless. Raditz was sure it was over, but the deep voice of a veteran warrior caused Okra to soften the touch for a moment, allowing the boy to breathe again.
"Okra, let the pipsqueak go. You heard what happened and it's that idiot's fault for being careless."
Nappa walked closer while the unconscious prince lay across his strong back. "Let the brat down and stop acting so emotional, it's not befitting of a proper Saiyan." The large male stood right behind Okra who couldn't help but feel threatened.
"Fine... However, one of these days an accident might occur to the runt. After all, it's because of him all that mess started"
Okra released the boy and walked away, right into the sand storm, and vanished. Nappa stared at the storm for a few seconds before shifting his stern gaze to a barely conscious Raditz.
"Let me tell you something, Raditz. Because of your carelessness, Vegeta almost kicked the bucket and that's unacceptable. This was the last straw and tomorrow your punishment will be severe! Get ready for the worse!"
As he got picked up by Nappa, Raditz closed his eyes and allowed the darkness to overtake him. There was no pain or worries anymore. Whatever was to happen tomorrow, he will face it and worry about it later.