After their meeting, the team broke for a much-needed break. Time to collect themselves and truly process what was going on. Bulma sat on the edge of the Lookout, her feet dangling in the open air. A cool, gentle breeze blew against her cheeks, as she looked at the ground below. From up here, everything below seemed so small and insignificant. The people there, regardless of what problems they had, weren't aware of such a huge threat to their home.

Gero, whatever his endgame was, was an even bigger threat than she had initially thought. If it had just been the murders, that would have been one thing. He would have been a danger, but one that could be easily contained. But now that she knew the Earth hung in the balance, as well… if he was willing to wreck his homeworld, then there must have been something truly sinister motivating that. Something that they weren't seeing.

And figuring that out was a matter of life and death.

She heard footsteps behind her. Piccolo was walking up next to her, his eyes glued on the horizon. "How are you holding up," he asked.

She sighed, leaning backwards. "I don't know. It's just… I've been looking for this guy for months, and now I find out he's trying to come after me. And that he's attacking both of my homes? It's a lot."

"No one expects you to think otherwise. Anyone would feel the same way, if they were in your situation."

"I know, I know." She slumped forward, holding her cheeks with both hands.

"But you're not fighting this alone, anymore. You have allies - just as eager to end this as you are. Kami might have a point when he says he can't guarantee our chances. But we'll be a hell of a lot stronger fighting it together."

"I hope you're right…"

Just then, a loud whooshing sound echoed from above. A yellow cloud shot up from the ground below, and a pair of feet landed on the Lookout with a thud. Goku ran up to Piccolo. He had an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. "I came as fast as I can. What happened? Did the androids already come?"

Piccolo turned around to face him. "One of them, at least."

"But didn't that guy from the future say that they weren't supposed to be here until May?"

"Yes, but they came early anyway."

Bulma's brows furrowed, as she listened to their conversation. Kami didn't say anything about someone from the future. She scooted back and stood up on her knees. "Guy from the future? What are you talking about?"

"Another time, kid," Piccolo said.

Goku leaned to one side, to look at her. He immediately perked up, with a big grin on his face. "Hey, Bloomers! What are you doing here?"

Bulma nearly fell down on the spot. She took a deep breath and sighed. "It's Bulma."

"Oh, right," he said, scratching the back of his head and laughing. "Guess I forgot!"

Piccolo rolled his eyes. "Anyways, the android that attacked was trying to go after her. Krillin and Yamcha were there and managed to fight him off. While you were on your way, we all agreed that we'd start taking shifts so we'd be better prepared. Two of us will be with Bulma, in case the androids try to get her again, another two will be training, and the last two will be trying to find Gero and stop him before he can do anything else."

"Wait, aren't there only," Goku paused to count all of his friends on his fingers, "five of us? That's not enough."

Piccolo nodded his head towards the temple. "When the androids attacked, one of her friends got caught in the crossfire. He's a strong enough fighter that he'll be able to join in, as well. Yamcha's going to be going with him, Krillin will be with Tien, and you'll be with me."

The look in Goku's eyes became serious and he frowned. "I guess that means we can't train Chi-Chi and Gohan anymore. I hope they'll understand."

Bulma stepped up next to him. "I'm sure they will. If they've understood all of this, so far, then this isn't that much of a change." She smiled up at him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Goku put his hand on her shoulder. "But don't you worry: we'll make sure this guy doesn't hurt you or anyone else!"

His optimism was contagious. After feeling so dejected and helpless, with all that Kami had told her, she felt a new wave of hope come over her. If Goku thought there was a chance, then maybe they could beat this.

Krillin and Tien approached them. "Glad you could finally make it, Goku," Tien said. "We were beginning to think you chickened out, for once."

Goku laughed, as he walked over to them. "You know I couldn't do that! If there's a really strong bad guy out there, I wanna fight him and beat him. But Krillin: is it true that you and Yamcha fought the android?"

Krillin nodded. "And you're not gonna believe who it was. You remember when you fought all of those guys from the Red Ribbon Army, right?"

Goku put his hands on his hips. "Sure I do! Man, that was a really long time ago."

"Well, it was one of the guys that worked for them: Mercenary Tao."

His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "Mercenary Tao?! Tien, didn't you beat him in the tournament all those years ago?"

"I thought I did," said Tien, "but he only went away with Master Shen when the fight was over. I guess it makes sense that he could still be alive, but it's hard for me to comprehend that."

Krillin continued. "And that's not even the weird part. You remember how at the tournament, he was, like, a robot and had all of those metal parts on him? He didn't have them anymore: he looked normal. And the weirdest part was that I couldn't sense any of his energy. That's why Kami thought he was an android. Luckily, Yamcha and I managed to scare him off for a while."

"Whoa. If he can fight with you two after all your training, then he must be really strong!" Goku jumped in place. "I hope I'll get a chance to fight him, too!"

Bulma did a double take at Goku's words. This was something that threatened to end the world as they knew it, and all he could think about was the fight he'd get to have? She looked up at Piccolo. He just sighed, with a look on his face saying 'yeah, he does that'.

Tien shook his head and he chuckled. "You really haven't changed a bit, have you, Goku?"

Goku just laughed. "By the way, where is Yamcha? I thought he'd be with you."

Krillin pointed his thumb at the temple. "He's inside, with the big guy. I think his name is Raditz. Kami asked him if he could stay there with him until he's woken up."

Goku's eyes lit up. "I thought I felt another energy here. He seems really strong, too! I can't wait to meet him!"

As soon as the meeting was over, Yamcha had done as Kami had asked. He was waiting in a room, sitting on a stool while Raditz was lying down in a small bed. He was still out cold. As soon as he was awake, he'd have to tell him everything that was going on. Knowing nothing about him, he wasn't sure how he was going to handle it.

Yamcha didn't know why he had taken the chance and agreed to be his partner. It had nothing to do with the others. Krillin was always a great friend to have by your side, and he knew Tien's fighting style inside and out. He would have worked well with either of them. And yet, he still chose to be with a complete stranger. He had felt some kind of pull to do so, and he couldn't explain what it was.

He leaned his cheek against his hand, crossing one leg over the other, as he kept staring at him. He really had no clue what he was getting himself into. Kami said he was a Saiyan, and they seemed like fine people to him. He'd never actually met one, before, but that was the impression he got from all the stories he heard. They were a warrior race, so he could probably hold his own in battle. But aside from that, he knew nothing. For all he knew, he was a complete asshole.

At least he was a good looking one.

Yamcha blinked, as the thought came into his head. Where did that come from? Sure, he'd always been interested in guys, but now wasn't the time or place to think about that. The world was at stake: he needed to focus on that. So what if he was handsome, with his chiseled cheeks and long hair and big muscles-

He smacked his forehead. "Get a hold of yourself, dude. Now's not the time."

Just then, a groan came from the bed. Raditz's eyes were shut tightly, as he slowly brought his hand up to his temple. Caught off guard, Yamcha quickly stood up, accidentally knocking the stool onto the floor, where it collided with a loud bang.

Raditz's eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up, his eyes immediately meeting Yamcha's. He froze on the spot, his heart skipping a beat. Time seemed to slow, as they just stared at one another. He forgot about everything he told himself about now not being the time or place. In that moment, he couldn't help but be entranced by his dark eyes.

Without breaking their stare, Raditz threw the blankets off of him and stood up. He practically towered over him. Yamcha's feet were glued to the spot, as he slowly approached him. The look in Raditz's eyes wasn't that of anger or confusion or any other kind of emotion that made sense in this situation. It was more akin to wonder and amazement than anything else. Yamcha could feel his face growing warmer, as he was looking at him.

He leaned down, bending his knees to meet his level. He reached his hand out and cupped his cheek in his hand. Oh lord, was he going to kiss him? Finally, Yamcha found his voice and spoke up. "H-hey! How are you feeling?!"

Raditz blinked. As he realized what was happening, he lowered his hand and stood up straight, again. Yamcha let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Fine," he said. He looked around the room. "Where am I?"

"Oh, yeah. Right. That," Yamcha said, laughing awkwardly. He side-stepped until he wasn't so close to him. "You're in a place called the Lookout. It's where the Earth's guardian is. You were getting beat up kind of badly, so… we brought you here!" He cringed. That was smooth of him.

He nodded. Then, his eyes went wide and his body went stiff. "Oh gods, Bulma!" He burst open the door and went running down the hallway.

Yamcha quickly caught up with him, grabbing his arm and stopping his forward motion. "Hey, hey, calm down. You don't need to get wound up. Bulma's okay: she's just outside with everyone else. We managed to scare off the guy that was trying to kidnap her. Everything's gonna be okay. I promise."

His shoulders went slack, and he exhaled. "Good." He turned around and leaned up against the wall, crossing his arms. "So, are you going to explain why you brought me here?"

Yamcha frowned and his brows furrowed. He told everything about Gero and the androids to Raditz.

His hands slowly tightened into fists. "So the guy who sent that android after us is the same bastard who's killing Saiyans back on Planet Vegeta. And we can't even tell them about it because the alliance is paused." He slammed his elbow into the wall, causing the hallway to shake.

The sudden outburst startled Yamcha. He hadn't expected him to be that strong. "Hey, it isn't all bad. We've been talking, and we've figured out a way to try and fight this. Your friend's gonna try to figure out how to get back in contact with the Saiyans, while the rest of us are gonna be training." Remembering how scared he had gotten over Bulma just then, he added, "And we're gonna be taking extra care to make sure she's safe, too!"

He raised an eyebrow at him. "How so?"

"Well, there are six of us: you, me, Goku, Krillin, Tien, and Piccolo. And we're gonna be pairing up to do kind of, like, shifts. Two of us will be with Bulma, the other two are gonna be training, and the last two are gonna be trying to find Gero and stop him."

"I see. And I assume you've already chosen partners, so who will I have to be dealing with?"

Yamcha laughed, awkwardly. He scratched the scar on his cheek with his pointer finger. His heart was racing, as he tried to explain everything. "Yeah, there's the thing. Kami, the guy that lives here, said that it was gonna have to be one of us… and by one of us, I mean me, Krillin, and Tien. And, you know, I figured that, you know, I'd… go with you. I-if that's not okay, that's fine! You can totally meet the other guys and find out which one you like-"

"I accept."

His eyes widened as he looked back up at him. "You do? I mean, you do! Great! I'm sure we're gonna work really well together!" He laughed more, his cheeks burning as red as a beet.

Raditz pushed his hand against the wall next to him. Yamcha let out a squeak, as pressed his back against it. Raditz's lips turned up in a playful smirk, as he leaned down closer to him.

"I don't think I caught your name," he said in a low voice. "Who do I owe the honor of working with?"

Yamcha swallowed. "I-it's Yamcha."

He chuckled. "Well, Yamcha, I suppose I should thank you for saving me. Maybe when this whole thing is over, I can find another way of showing my appreciation." He winked at him.

"Raditz!"

They looked down the hallway, seeing Bulma running and waving her hand. Raditz immediately stepped away from him and ran down to meet her. Yamcha heaved out a sigh. His head was spinning from their closeness. If that was what working with him was going to be like, this was going to be a long few months.

Raditz got down onto his knees and hugged her tightly. She hugged him back, wrapping her arms over his shoulders. "Thank the gods you're okay," he said, breathing out a sigh of relief. If he hadn't been able to protect his best friend, especially as she was now, he didn't know what he would have done.

She nodded. "I'm glad you're okay, too. When you had fallen, I thought…"

After the near panic attack he had over her, he couldn't believe she was the one who was worried. He chuckled, breaking their hug to look her in the eyes. "I'm still a Saiyan warrior, Little Blue. I'd thought you'd have more faith in me than that."

She smiled. "You're just like Vegeta." She looked behind him. "I see that you've met Yamcha. Did you tell him about everything?"

"I did," Yamcha said. Raditz tried not to laugh - he still sounded nervous. "Just like Kami asked."

Bulma nodded. "That's good. Goku's here, now, and they're just about done explaining things to him, too. You two should come out and see them: we're about to finalize everything that's going on."

Raditz frowned, as he stood back up, again. "Bulma, is it true that the man who's going after you is the same man who's killing Saiyans?"

"He is. Which is why we all need to work together to stop him. And it's why I will need to find a way to contact everyone back on Planet Vegeta and tell them what's going on. There's clearly something bigger at play, if Gero's attacking both of us. Plus, if anyone can help us beat these androids, it's Vegeta."

She was right. Vegeta was one of the strongest beings alive. If anyone could show those tin cans who was boss, it would be him. He nodded down at her. "We better get moving, then."

She smiled, confidently. "Exactly what I was going to say." It was times like this that he was reminded of why Vegeta loved her so much.

Raditz, Bulma, and Yamcha made their way down the corridors of the temple, heading back towards the outside. It didn't escape Raditz's attention that Yamcha was stealing glances at him every so often. He was more amused and flattered than anything else. Raditz had always fancied himself a tall, dark, and handsome Saiyan, and it felt good to know that others felt the same way. If he was who he was going to be spending the next several months with, he was looking forward to it.

It didn't take long to reach the outside. Near the edge of the Lookout, everyone else was standing in a group. Among them were Piccolo, a short, bald human, a tall bald human,

And then, his heart stopped.

Standing amongst all of the other warriors was a tall, built man dressed in an orange and blue gi. His dark and coarse hair stuck out in all different directions. His dark eyes were in a concentrated glare. A feeling of recognition hit Raditz like a train. His heart was racing and his eyes were wide like saucers.

"K-K-Kakarot?!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at him. Kakarot glanced around and behind him, before realizing he was looking at him.

"Raditz," Bulma asked, "who are you talking to?"

He ignored her, walking up to him. The others stepped back as he walked past them. As he got a closer look at his face, he felt like bursting into tears. Twenty years of wondering and worrying had finally come to an end.

This was him. This was Kakarot. His little brother was alive and well.

"Hey," Kakarot said, with a confused look on his face, "what are you doing?"

Raditz sighed, a smile forming on his face. "Kakarot. You're alive. I can't believe that you're alive!"

"Kaka-what?" He looked at Piccolo. "Is he talking to me?"

His heart dropped, and the smile faded from his face. Of course his brother wouldn't recognize him. He hadn't even gotten the chance to meet him, before he had been shipped off-planet. And it had been so many years since it happened. This was going to take more of an explanation than he had hoped.

"This was the big guy we told you about earlier," said the short, bald one. "He'll be helping us out, too."

"Huh? Really?" A big grin formed on Kakarot's face. "You seem really strong! Do you wanna go for a quick round or something?"

Raditz smiled. If he was that hungry for battle, there was no doubt that he was a Saiyan. His tail unfurled from his waist, relaxing and swinging lazily behind him.

"Hey, what do you know," Yamcha said. "He's got a tail like you used to have, Goku."

Kakarot leaned to one side, to get a better look at it. "Wow! Mine got cut off a long time ago. I really miss it, sometimes."

Raditz chuckled. "Of course you do. Because you're not of this world, Kakarot."

He blinked and looked back at him, his eyebrows furrowing. "What do you mean? And why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because that was your birth name - given to you by your mother. And as for your first question - that means that you aren't from Earth."

Shock spread across the plane. Eyes went wide and gasps could be heard from all around. Kakarot looked at him with his eyes wide and his jaw dropped.

"How do you know," he asked. "Who are you?"

Raditz took a deep breath. He had been waiting for this moment for years, and he wasn't going to mess it up. "My name's Raditz. And you're my little brother."

He looked even more shocked than he was, before: if that was even possible. "I HAVE A BROTHER?!" The others just looked on in surprise and shock.

Bulma ran up next to Raditz. "Is it true? Is Goku really your brother?"

"I'm sure of it."

Goku looked down at his hands, in utter disbelief. "That can't be true. If you're my brother and if I'm an alien… this doesn't make any sense!"

"He's right."

Everyone looked up to see Kami standing nearby. He walked up to them, turning to Goku. "I have been meaning to tell you this for years, Goku, but never knew the time, nor place. I suppose now is as good of a time as any." He closed his eyes, as he recalled his past and told his tale.

"Twenty years ago, as I kept my vigil, I sensed a new power crash into the Earth. Since we had few visitors back then, I went to see what had happened. I remember what I saw like it was yesterday: a sphere-like spaceship with a small infant sitting in it. I had half-a-mind to take the helpless creature with me, but before I could, an old man came walking by. When he saw the baby, he took him in and raised him as his own."

Goku blinked. "So… you knew I was an alien the whole time?" Kami nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were still a child, when you studied under me: I saw no reason to make you worry about that. And as far as I was concerned, you were more of an Earthling than anyone else on this planet."

"Yeah, but… I've always been different, too." He crossed his arms and looked up. "I guess it makes sense, but… I don't know."

"In any case, now is not the time to ponder that," Kami continued. "We have a bigger mission at hand. Now that all of our friends are together and know of the situation, we must act with haste, before anything else is lost. Yamcha, Raditz - you two will stay with me and continue your training. Tien, Krillin - you'll start our search for Gero. Goku, Piccolo - you'll be the first on guard duty.

He turned back towards Bulma. "As for you, Bulma: work on finding a way to reach our friends on Planet Vegeta. If you wish to talk to me for any reason, use this." He waved his hand and, out of thin air, a small mirror appeared in his hand. It was simple, with a plain gold frame surrounding the outside. "Simply ask to see me, and I will appear."

She took it from him. It felt like an ordinary mirror to her. There weren't any extra parts on it that would make that sort of communication possible. But the guardian worked in mysterious ways, she supposed. She nodded and stuck it into her pocket. "I will."

Kami nodded. "As I said - I cannot guarantee our success. But if we each do our part, we will get through this. That, I am sure of."