Desert Wastelands
The quiet of the desert wastelands was interrupted by the clashes of a fierce battle. Goku panted, glaring ahead at his elder brother as he wiped the blood from his mouth. Raditz merely returned the glare with a smug grin, his arms folded. There wasn't even a hint of battle damage on the Saiyan brute's body.
"Come now, Kakarot! Is this really necessary?! All this Saiyan blood spilled for some measly Earthlings?" Raditz chided in an attempt to reason with his younger brother, mild, but definite, genuine desperation present in his voice. "Let go of this foolishness and join me, brother!"
Goku spat onto the ground next to him before getting into a fighting stance. "These measly Earthlings that you're talking about are my friends and family… You expect me to betray them for some villain who claims to be my brother?!" he retorted, before glancing to his side.
Piccolo had asked Goku to distract Raditz for a few minutes so that he could charge up a special attack, but the difficulty of that request was becoming increasingly difficult – Goku was nearing his limit.
"Piccolo! How much longer?" Goku questioned, as Raditz glanced towards the Namekian. The brute was very aware of their little plan, but he paid it no heed. There was no way an attack from a slug-man could do any meaningful damage to him.
Piccolo grit his teeth as he stared down Raditz. He could sense that Goku was struggling, but he needed more time. "Just a little longer, Goku! I need to be sure it'll be enough to take this brute down."
Goku nodded, before charging at Raditz with a punch aimed towards his stomach. Raditz saw this coming and so he braced himself, ready to counter after blocking Goku's charge, but he was surprised by Goku stopping just before the impact and delivering a gruelling kick to the elder Saiyan's side. Raditz winced before he clasped his hands together to form a sledgehammer fist, smashing it downwards and delivering a devastating blow to the back of Goku's head sending the Saiyan crashing downwards.
"Very well, Kakarot. I had hoped that you would see reason, but I suppose I'll just have to beat it into you," Raditz sighed before grinding his boot into Goku's spine, eliciting an agonized scream from the younger Saiyan. Raditz winced ever so slightly at his brother's pained screams but continued nonetheless – this was a necessary evil.
However, Goku's torture ended abruptly as a sudden blow to his exposed back propelled him towards a nearby rock structure. At the last second, Raditz wrenched himself to a stop and twisted to face his assailant.
"A mere Earthling thinks he can lay a hand on me?!" Raditz scowled, genuinely seething with anger as he leered at the bald, three-eyed man hovering in the air that was facing him with a still, determined visage.
"Tien!" Goku grinned as he struggled upright, looking up towards his friend. "Good to see ya, bud!"
Tien smiled softly before returning his gaze to the villain in front of him. "We'll save the greetings for later, Goku. Master Roshi filled me in… that guy's your brother?" Tien questioned, refusing to look away from Raditz.
"Yeah, I'm just as confused as you are. I've been holding him down whilst Piccolo charges this special attack of his, but I'm nearing my limit. You came just in time!" Goku explained as he got into a fighting stance, once again. Despite the damage he had taken, he knew he couldn't afford to stop until Raditz was defeated.
"You know… now that I look at you, Earthling. You're of the Triclops, aren't you?" Raditz questioned, raising his brow. "This planet seems to be a hub for forgotten races," he sneered, before rocketing upwards into the sky, his hands wreathed in a deadly pink energy that seemed to be gathering in his palms.
"Triclops…? I have no idea what you're talking about, scum. I'm here to defend my home!" Tien announced, confidently, though he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in what Raditz had to say.
"Regardless, I've had enough of this bullshit! I'll send you to hell with my DOUBLE SUNDAY!" Raditz bellowed, firing the massive, roiling beams down towards the warriors below. The beams crashed into the ground, leaving fiery destruction in their wake as they scorched the earth that they came into contact with.
Goku and Tien both hurled themselves out of the way just in time as the ground exploded, avoiding the shockwaves by an inch. They exchanged a grim look of understanding, aware that neither of them could withstand a direct hit.
"We can't take it head on, Tien!" Goku yelled over the roar of the beam, to which Tien acknowledged with a silent nod.
However, to their horror, Raditz redirected one of the searing beams towards Piccolo, who was still charging his attack. For an instant, time froze as the beam lanced down, certain to engulf the Namekian.
"Piccolo!" Goku shouted, ready to throw himself into the fray, but before he could, he was interrupted by a flash of yellow light.
"Stay focused, Piccolo!" Tien shouted defiantly, his arms extended wide as he coated himself in his golden yellow aura, taking the brunt of the attack head on as he hovered in between the Namekian and the beam. The pink energy splayed out from the edges of Tien's aura - scorching the ground around Piccolo though, thankfully, the Namekian himself remained unharmed.
Goku grimaced as he watched Tien flare his aura to further withstand the force of Raditz' attack, knowing he was nearing his limit, though there was nothing he could do – he was already occupied dodging Raditz' second beam.
Raditz poured more power into the beam as the ground cracked below Piccolo and Tien, the Triclops' stance faltering. With a final, guttural yell, Tien pushed back and flared his aura – his muscles tearing from exertion as the beam dissipated.
"Was that… enough time…?" Tien managed to let out before collapsing in front of the Namekian, smoke rising from his savaged body.
Piccolo smirked. "Yeah… thanks!" Piccolo announced, before pointing his pointer and middle finger into the air above him as they pulsed with yellow and blue electric energy. He brought his hand down and aimed the attack towards the brute in the sky. "This is what you've been waiting for… SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"
A thin yet powerful orange beam erupted from Piccolo's fingertips, coated in a purple aura. The beam grew in size and stature as a spiral of the same energy enveloped it, applying a drilling motion to the attack.
"This is…" Raditz' eyes widened. After exerting so much energy, the brute was too tired to deflect it. He couldn't counter it with his own beam, either – it seemed far too powerful. Maybe he had underestimated the Namekian. He simply couldn't believe the reading on his scouter… that was enough to kill him!
Raditz grimaced as he dodged with a last second burst of energy, the Special Beam Cannon grazing his left shoulder in a spray of sparks. Raditz' eyes widened as he stared at his shoulder. His armour had practically evaporated whilst his flesh was quite literally torn away despite not even coming into direct contact with the beam. And then, he began laughing. It started low, but soon, it grew maniacally, echoing across the ravaged landscape.
"Incredible! You could have… no… you would have actually killed me with that!" Raditz flared his aura, flexing his muscles as the blood dripped down his left arm. "To think a Namekian could damage me so…" Raditz furrowed his brow in anger.
Piccolo growled in frustration as Goku joined him, holding Tien up with the Triclops' arm around his shoulder. Though Tien was fading in and out of consciousness he knew that the fight wasn't over. He willed himself to keep going, struggling as he stood up by himself.
"Charge up another one, Piccolo. I'll hold him in place! Tien, support him!" Goku shouted, launching himself into the sky as he left the Namekian and the Triclops with a glimmer of hope.
Goku clenched his fists, blue aura flaring as he dove toward his brother. They collided in a small shockwave, trading crushing blows at top speed. However, his injured body could not keep up with the enraged Saiyan and Raditz battered Goku relentlessly, pummelling his younger brother into the ground.
"I gave you a chance, Kakarot. I gave you many chances. Yet you continue to defy your own blood!" Raditz picked Goku up by his shirt, driving a knee into his chest, shattering his ribs. "NOW YOU PAY THE PRICE!"
Suddenly, a massive power level registered on Raditz' scouter, an explosion rocked the Saiyan pod nearby as Gohan burst free. Everyone on the battlefield had forgotten about the child in the pod, though clearly, that was Raditz's biggest mistake.
"What in the h—" Raditz exclaimed, interrupted by Gohan charging headfirst into the Saiyan's stomach. The devastating blow doubled Raditz over, spit flying from his mouth. Before he could retaliate, Gohan wailed as he ran over to his father.
Goku forced himself up, body screaming in protest. Gohan rushed to his side, tears streaming down his face.
"Dad! Are you..."
"Run, Gohan!" Goku choked out. "Get away from here!"
The boy hesitated, then fled for the pod, his sobs echoing across the battlefield. With his son clear, Goku summoned the last of his strength and grappled Raditz from behind, clutching his tail in an iron grip.
Raditz howled in pain, frozen on the spot. "Release me Kakarot!" he gasped through the agony. "You don't know what you're doing!"
Goku's response was through his gritted teeth. "Piccolo! Take the shot!"
The Namekian hesitated, but he got ready to shoot, nonetheless. Seeing his impending doom, Raditz became frantic. "Kakarot… don't do this. I promise I'll stay out of your way. I'll leave this planet. Have mercy!"
Goku wavered. There was a genuine part of him that wanted to believe his brother. For just a moment, his grip loosened.
A fatal mistake. Whirling with shocking speed, Raditz fired a massive blast towards Piccolo, aiming to disrupt his attack – but suddenly, Tien was there, once again standing between Raditz and Piccolo. Tien took the brunt force of a deafening explosion. He fell to the ground, defeated and smoking, his breathing shallow.
"NO! TIEN!" Goku cried, before seizing Raditz in a full nelson hold. He looked at Piccolo, determined. He knew the beam would pierce him too, but he was willing to die before Raditz could do any more harm. "FIRE IT NOW PICCOLO!"
Piccolo grimaced before once again, the drilling beam erupted from his finger tips. "SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" He roared, watching as his attack tore through the air.
The spiralling orange beam was wreathed in crackling tendrils of energy. As it bore down on Raditz, the Saiyan's eyes went wide with fear. He trashed violently, trying to wrench himself free, but Goku's hold was unbreakable.
With a final, powerful cry, Raditz desperately twisted his body, managing to shift his position minutely. However, the Special Beam Cannon still tore through him, leaving a devastating blow. The beam passed through him and into Goku, damaging his insides beyond repair.
Raditz fell to the ground, silent. His armour cracked and melted by the glancing blow. One arm hung limp and useless, the shoulder a charred ruin. There was a devastating hole through the side of his body. Goku sank to his knees, before collapsing onto the ground, a horrible, burnt and bloody, visible hole through his torso.
Piccolo slowly walked over, kneeling to check Goku's pulse. He frowned. "He's gone."
Raditz let out a ragged cackle. "Guess we'll… see each other… in Hell.."
Piccolo smiled darkly. "Don't count on it. Goku's far too disgustingly good for Hell. Besides, his friends will just revive him with the Dragon Balls."
Raditz's eyes widened in surprise. "Dragon Balls…? What in the world are those…?"
"Seven magical wish granting orbs. Collect them all, summon the dragon and wish for whatever your heart desires," Piccolo stated, simply.
"The entire situation, even now… has been communicated to my two comrades up in space. They'll be sure to come here… in a year… to handle not only you, but to completely mop up every last person on this planet… maybe they'll use those wish-granting things and have me… brought back to life," Raditz let out, through ragged breaths.
Piccolo froze, eyes widened. "One year..? Two more of you Saiyans that are even stronger…?"
Raditz grinned, on the verge of passing out. "Enjoy your last year… whilst you can…" he spoke, as he closed his eyes, drifting in and out of consciousness.
Just then, Raditz' eyes widened. His scouter blared in his ear.
"That Raditz… he's gotten himself killed," Nappa spoke, not a hint of care or alarm in his voice.
"They mentioned those… Dragon Balls. They sounded interesting," Vegeta responded, not bothering to regard Raditz's death.
"Yeah. We'll use them to revive that low-class scum, right Vegeta?" Nappa questioned.
Vegeta merely laughed. "You must be joking, Nappa. Why wish back that fool when we could wish for immortality instead?"
Nappa began laughing too, alongside Vegeta. Then, Raditz, through willpower alone, managed to get up and crush the scouter, blind rage on his face. He stood up. He struggled, but he managed to stand up.
Piccolo was on guard, ready to strike at any moment. His eyes widened. By all intents and purposes, Raditz should have been dead. Yet, here he stood, clutching his side with nothing but anger and determination on his face. The only reason Piccolo hadn't already struck was due to the fact that he could not sense even a hint of malicious energy directed towards him, and after hearing what Raditz's supposed comrades had said, he wondered what Raditz's plan was.
Raditz grit his teeth as he turned to Piccolo. "Namekian. Let me be. As it stands now, I could kill you with what little energy I have left. But I won't. I will not harm this planet nor anyone on it… Just let me be for a year… and when those scum arrive… I will personally take their heads…"
Author's Note
Hey! Chapter one is out. I'm aware it's quite long and drawn out, but I kind of wanted it to be like that. I played through Kakarot recently (on hard mode), and Raditz was by far and large the most difficult fight for me. Critique me on where I can improve, though, I hope I delivered an entertaining battle chapter.
What do you guys think of the changes? Tien's dead with Goku. I feel like he was a bit of a glorified meat shield towards the end, but he did have some cool moments too. Anyways, I needed him to die so I could continue with a concept I've had in my head for a while now, so stay tuned for that.In terms of power levels, I don't think I'm going to bother with the actual numbers. Instead, I'm gonna use the system Toriyama used for BoG.In this chapter, if Raditz was 9, then Goku was a 3, Piccolo was a 3 and Tien was a 2. Piccolo with his SBC was a 9.
It's probably not accurate in terms of actual power, but hey, it's fanfiction.