A new day and another lecture followed by the usual ridicule. Gradually, the behavior of his companions towards him grew worse by the day. Ever since Korn's death, he felt isolated. As usual, the little prince ignored his existence while Nappa only issued commands to him. He got used to that somewhat. However, Okra's ongoing scorn and death threats started to take their toll on his psyche. He couldn't stand it anymore. While he stared at the bright stars in the sky, he wondered if he should and somehow could get away from them.

"Pfft! And where would I go? Face it, I'm stuck with them. After all, they're all that's left. I have nowhere to go."

The long-haired boy turned to the side and shut his eyes. He ignored Nappa's and Okra's annoying voices in the distance and tried to fall asleep. However, his thoughts ventured elsewhere. He could remember how ecstatic and prideful he felt for being selected for Prince Vegeta's Elite Squad. It was his chance to prove himself and climb the ranks, to be the only one to go from low-class to an Elite Saiyan warrior. He could hear the chants and glorious songs written about his conquests. But naturally, that wasn't the case.

"Tch! Nothing but stupid, childish dreams..."

While being overtaken by anger and disappointment, his fuzzy tail moved around. His ego got shot down, and he didn't know if he could pretend everything was fine. He tried to act tough, and their actions didn't bother him, but inside, he was screaming and looking for a chance to leave. If only it were that easy, he would have done it already, even if it might seem disgraceful.

A tear slid down his bruised cheek as the boy closed his eyes. He knew it wasn't proper for a warrior to behave like this; it was shameful, and he acted like a weakling. Oh, how he despised that word. He tried to restrain himself so the others wouldn't hear his whimpers, and luckily, they didn't notice it. The boy was mere seconds from crying himself to sleep when the scouter produced a warning sound.

Just as he got up and checked the device, a fireball came crashing from the sky. The skinny boy managed to get out of the way with a mild burn on his right arm. He immediately looked for Vegeta, who was sleeping right in the spot where the fireball hit. But naturally, his worries were for nothing. The flame-haired prince emerged from the flames without a scratch; only his cape slowly burned away.

"Those lousy, double-crossing bastards! Vegeta, it seems the negotiations are off. Do we have permission to slaughter them?"

Raditz looked from Nappa to the little prince who walked in front. "Freeza gave me full authority to exterminate those insects if they don't pledge their loyalty to us... So, yes, Nappa. Kill them all!" Upon hearing the order, Raditz shifted into a battle stance and waited for the older warriors to charge first.

"Alright! Time to have fun!"

Naturally, Nappa was the first to charge and strike the enemy forces. "Hm, if you could, try not to cause problems for us. Better yet, die so it's easier for us!" Okra shouted as he bumped Raditz away and punched the enemy.

The boy lost his footing, allowing the enemy to go after his head. Raditz acted swiftly and ducked, thus avoiding a fiery sword from slicing his head off. He jumped in the air and growled as he kicked the opponent in the head. The young Saiyan propelled himself toward the next target and headbutted the creature. Raditz landed safely but instantly slid to the side. He countered with a fierce elbow in the eyesocket, which caused the enemy to cry out in severe pain.

Sweat flew off his bruised face as he stood in the middle, surrounded by enemy forces. The boy clenched his teeth and dashed at the approaching opponent. Suddenly, he jumped above the confused enemies and fired a barrage of ki blasts. His little energy blasts took most of them out until the remaining opponents gathered together and raised their energy shields. Somebody threw a spear at him before the boy could stop his prolonged attacks. Since the scouter couldn't detect an object, the boy didn't see it coming. The spear pierced his left shoulder and caused the boy to fall to the rocky ground.

"Ahh! It hurts! Ugh! I need to take it out before they..."

He just put his hand on the spear, ready to pull it out, when an enemy soldier rushed toward him. "Tch! No way I'm going down like this!" The boy twirled, avoiding the strike, and countered with a kick to the back of the head.

However, that maneuver hurt like nothing before. "Ack! Ughh! It hurts so much! I might pass out..." Raditz dropped to the ground and slammed his head against the rock so he remained awake.

He grabbed hold of the spear and finally pulled it out. A masked soldier appeared from behind as he tossed the bloody spear away. The scouter detected the enemy too late, and Raditz had no time to react. Suddenly, the boy suffered a heavy blow to the head and slammed against the boulder. Raditz coughed blood and slowly opened his eyes, only to see the masked enemy shoot a fireball at him.

"Ahhhh!"

The little boy screamed as the fireball hit him and burned his skin. He tried to endure it and gathered the strength to throw the thing away, but it was challenging for his weak body. He cried and shouted as he tried to push the fireball away before it burned him to ash. However, just as he was about to lose the battle, in the corner of his eye, he saw the Saiyan prince sitting on a rock and doing nothing. Raditz's eyes widened as Vegeta sat there, yawning out of boredom while he struggled to survive.

At that very moment, rage swelled inside of him. His body trembled as he slowly pushed the fireball away. The bracelets and half of his armor burned out as he fought back. A tremendous roar escaped the boy's throat as he threw the ball high in the sky. Sweat dripped on the ground as he fell to his knees. His weary eyes remained locked on the prince, who finally glanced at him. He wanted to shout at him, even strike down the entitled flame-haired boy, but it was impossible. His shaky orbs drifted back to the masked enemy walking toward him.

Raditz closed his fists tightly and rose from the ground. He focused on the approaching opponent and dashed at the enemy with a childish growl. The boy suddenly dropped and slid underneath the masked soldier. Raditz clenched his teeth as the sharp pain spread over his body. He coped with it and got up. The long-haired Saiyan kicked the enemy in the back, but the soldier absorbed the attack. All of a sudden, a firm grip was around Raditz's throat. The boy tried to get free, but the enemy didn't budge.

"L-Let me go! If I-I weren't w-wounded, I'd beaten you already!"

Bravado and the masked soldier called him on that. A punch to the gut rendered Raditz speechless. Blood dripped from the boy's chin as he was on the verge of losing consciousness. He saw the prince, but Vegeta didn't care what was happening to him. Why did he even expect any help? Saiyans are ruthless; they kill even someone related to them without remorse. He modeled himself after such strong warriors and swore to be an Elite like them. And yet, now he expected a helping hand from Vegeta, of all people.

The boy tried to lift his hand and utter the prince's name but couldn't. Raditz lost consciousness, and the masked soldier was about to deliver a finishing blow. The creature's fist was seconds from sending the skinny Saiyan to hell when a body crashed into them. Raditz fell to the ground, and his limp body rolled down the hill while the masked soldier shifted the attention to Nappa, who accidentally sent the opponent flying in their direction.

-X-

The child floating inside the healing chamber finally opened his eyes. The Saiyan boy removed the oxygen mask from his face while the green liquid disappeared down the drain. Once the lid opened, the skinny child walked out of the chamber. He ignored the doctor beside him and gazed at the nearby table. The new attire was already there and for him to use. He approached the table and began dressing. While wearing the new combat attire, he tried to remember what had happened on the last mission. The only thing returning to him was the fight against the masked soldier and how Vegeta didn't care about anyone but himself.

"Tch! Prick!"

Raditz's tail lashed behind his back as he violently picked up the scouter. "Hey, doc! What's the status of my squad?" He adjusted the device properly while the reptilian doctor got closer to him.

"Um, Nappa left a message for you a few days ago. The other Saiyans left for another mission and instructed you to stay put until they returned. Oh, yes! And you are to train harder than ever as they expect you to be useful, as they said."

The boy's face twisted angrily, and he was ready to kill. He stormed out of the room and hurried down the corridor. The child ignored the other soldiers and marched toward the break room. First, he would fill his belly and then go to the training area. He would do it not because he got told so but because he had had enough of their continuous mockery. And besides, it was clear now that he couldn't count on anyone but himself. He had to grow stronger to survive because he was alone despite being a part of a squad.

Raditz walked into the break room and moved to the large table containing all sorts of food. He picked up a bunch of meat and vegetables. The long-haired warrior sat by himself on the nearby table and ate all alone. A permanent scowl on his face caused the passing soldiers to wonder what was going on with him. He devoured all the food within five minutes and went to pick up more. After thirty minutes, he was done and ready for intense training.

"I'll show those bastards! I'm going to grow stronger and survive no matter what!"

-X-

Explosions erupted all over the surface of the planet. Despite the enemy numbering only four, they proved too much for the defense force. However, they took down one of them by sacrificing a highly trained regiment. But that was all they could do before the invaders wiped out their entire race.

"Hah, did Okra finally kick the bucket? That's a twist; I always thought you'd be the one to die a miserable death, Raditz."

The giant warrior Nappa wiped the blood from his bald head as he glanced at the tall, teen Raditz, who blasted off the remaining survivor. "Kinda weird the way he went out, tho. Weren't you two supposed to work together?" The veteran Saiyan shot a suspicious glare at the muscular companion.

Raditz turned around with a smirk on his bloody face. "Nothing weird to me. I tried to give him a hand, but Okra wouldn't take help from a "low-class trash." Quite unfortunate what happened to the mighty Okra." The young man stirred his head away and hid his true expression.

He gazed at Okra's lifeless body, only several steps away from where he was standing. "Good riddance! You finally got what was coming to you!" Raditz walked by the corpse with a triumphant grin.

"I'm going to head out and catch something to eat!"

The long-haired man was about to enter the forest when he stumbled upon the mighty prince. Despite so many years gone by, Vegeta didn't go through the growth sprout as Raditz did. However, the same couldn't be said about the flame-haired man's battle power. The arrogant prince was miles ahead of him no matter how hard he trained. It drove him mad to still be stuck with the same status despite being way past it by new standards. They still used him as a laughingstock despite his strength and skills.

Consumed by jealousy and hatred toward his comrades, Raditz kicked the rock on the ground. "Tch! I can't do this anymore! I did my best for the past sixteen years, and it's still the same!" The Saiyan closed his fists tightly and punched the tree.

"I endured all of their demands, went through hell and back, and for what!? All for nothing!"

They held not even an ounce of respect towards him. "Even after I went and risked my life to cover for Vegeta's mistake, I got repaid with disdain!" The fuming warrior didn't even notice he got near the lake.

To cool himself, he decided to go in. He removed and tossed the armor and the boots on the ground and went for a swim. After swimming, he floated on the surface and stared at the sky. What else could he do so they would finally acknowledge him as a warrior?

"Hm, I may just go and become a Super Saiyan... Maybe then they would treat me differently."

Raditz couldn't help but laugh as he slowly swam back to the shore. "I thought getting rid of Okra would make a difference, but nope, same crap." The Saiyan dived and shortly after emerged from the lake.

However, he turned around as suddenly something arose out of the water. He secured his tail tightly around the waist as the giant beast growled at him. The muscular warrior crossed his arms and observed the scaly animal.

"Hmm, I'm curious if you taste any good... Only one way to find out!"

Raditz vanished out of sight and appeared right in front of the beast's belly. The animal tried to tear him apart with its sharp teeth, but the warrior moved out of the way. With a cocky smirk, Raditz leaped over the beast and landed behind it. He grabbed the creature's small tail and spun around. Once he gained enough momentum, the Saiyan tossed the beast into the sky. He materialized above it and killed the monster with a simple punch.

"Humph, I guess I should share it with Vegeta and Nappa unless I want to hear another lecture from the bald moron."

The Saiyan wore the armor and boots before dragging the creature back to the camp. Walking through the forest, he couldn't help but think of a way to abandon Vegeta and Nappa. The idea was always present, but he needed to learn how to do it. He liked what he was doing, fighting and killing the weaklings. However, living under Freeza's rule and being in constant company with Vegeta and Nappa was torture. Now, he understood when the old Saiyans complained and badmouthed Freeza.

"Would they even care if I just disappeared?"

As if Freeza cared for a measly foot soldier, he thought. The ruthless emperor probably wasn't even aware of his existence. "Hm, maybe I should explore my options... How to do it, and where would I go?" Raditz thought about it until he emerged from the forest and joined his companions.

"About damn time! What took you so long, runt?"

Raditz ignored the bald Saiyan and dropped the creature on the ground. He walked past Nappa, sat on the log, and thought of things while the older male tore the creature to bits.

"Oh, damn! For once, you did a good job! This oversized fish is good! Hey, Vegeta! Come and eat!"

The long-haired Saiyan caressed his chin while the companions took portions of meat. While Raditz stared at the flames, he overhead Nappa talking about something interesting.

"H-Hey, Vegeta... What are we going to do? We're a man down now that Okra died, and I had the right idea how to fix that problem."

Now that was something unexpected, Nappa coming up with an idea. Raditz peeked at the giant warrior who had trouble keeping the food in his mouth. Even he found the way of Nappa's eating to be repulsive.

"I think... We should recruit your brother... Now, I know he got sent to a backwater world... But I'm sure his royal blood awakened a proper warrior in him by now!"

Raditz's eyes widened upon hearing that. He completely forgot about Vegeta's younger brother and his own. "Kakarot! I wonder what happened to him? Could that weakling still be alive? What was the name of the planet Mother told me they sent him to?" Raditz looked elsewhere and tried to remember.

"Doubt it. We would need to run it by Freeza first. And I've had enough babysitting weaklings."

Raditz ignored that shot and got up. He walked toward the creature and tore a piece of meat from it. "Eh, that's a shame... Hey, don't you also have a brother, Raditz!? Then again, we don't need another low-class dog following us around." He dug his teeth deep into the meat and tried his best to let it go.

The long-haired Saiyan stared at the ground as he chewed the food. His eyes seemed vacant as this entire conversation brought back memories from the past. He wasn't a fan of it as he tried his best to forget about all of them. After all, he was a ruthless killing machine, and having feelings would make him weaker. However, suddenly, it hit him as he thought of his mother.

"Earth! It was planet Earth! A frontier planet so far away from here that they didn't place any hopes in it!"

Gears began to turn in his head. "It's been only sixteen years, and a child of Kakarot's power level couldn't possibly wipe out all life forms... Even with the power of Oozaru at his disposal. That is if the inhabitants didn't already kill him." Raditz rose and walked away, totally ignoring Nappa's question.

He needed to be alone and think this through. "I could go there, take over the world, and rule it, with or without Kakarot. Freeza would never think of sending troops far away to a world without value. I can go there and live how I want, do what I want, and more importantly..." Raditz paused for a second as he gazed at his tightly closed fist.

"No more taking orders and being ridiculed!"

It was tempting, very much so. Raditz wanted to do it but couldn't just run to the pod and blast off to Earth. "No, not like that. They would know I just ran away, and they would hunt me down." He tossed away the remains of the creature and walked in a circle.

"Hm, it's risky, but that could work perfectly... And more importantly, they would buy it because their egos are overblown."

The Saiyan halted, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "It's either that or be stuck in this hell forever... I'll do it on the next mission!" His entire body was trembling; it was a considerable risk and decision, but he needed to try.

-X-

"Move it, Raditz! You sorry excuse for a warrior! You're dragging us down!"

The long-haired Saiyan could barely breathe as he pushed his tattered body forward. Suddenly, he ducked and avoided a surprise attack. He cursed himself for making Vegeta and Nappa go on this mission. It was part of his plan. Rile up those two, saying that he is ready and wants to prove he can take an Elite-level mission to get away from them and Freeza's grasp. However, things could have gone better.

The moment they landed on this rock, they were attacked by savages. They didn't care if they died as long as they managed to kill one of them. He never saw such ferocity and bloodthirstiness. It sent shivers down his spine each time they encountered one of them. Before long, he got separated from Vegeta and Nappa and had to fend for himself. Somehow, he managed to take the enemies down through sheer will, but he suffered heavy injuries. And now, the bald Saiyan found him, and they tried to regroup with Vegeta.

"Crap! It's too much! I should've known this would bite me back in the ass! I might die for real!"

Fear firmly gripped Raditz as he tried to keep up with Nappa. "Move faster, runt! Vegeta's doing all the work while I'm saving your worthless ass! Tch! It's always the same with you; I don't know why we bother anymore!" Hearing that from the veteran warrior stirred something in him.

"Screw you, you bald idiot! No one asked you to..."

Before he could finish his sentence, they got out of the jungle and were in the clear. "Humph, guess we managed to put some distance... Now, what was it you wanted to say?" With all the blood in his eyes, Raditz could barely see as a fuming Nappa walked closer.

"B-Back of, Nappa! We should find Vegeta before they catch up!"

For once, the bald Saiyan listened. "Hm, I see. However, don't think I'll forget what you..." Instead of hearing the end of the sentence, Raditz heard a groan escape Nappa's mouth.

"Ahh!"

An ambush from above hit Nappa in the back. "Crap! With our scouters broken, we can't detect them!" Raditz took a step forward and fired a blast attack. He looked at the older warrior, who hit the ground and didn't move.

"H-Hey, Nappa! Are you..."

Second later, a furious Nappa rose and released a thunderous roar. Raditz knew too well what was coming and had to move out of the man's way. He jumped to the side and left Nappa to deal with the large group of enemies. While his companion got to deal with hundreds of enemies, Raditz took this opportunity to hide himself. He crouched in the tall grass and slowly backed away. His eyes remained locked on Nappa, who ravaged forward like a battle-crazed demon.

"This might be my chance to disappear..."

Raditz concealed his presence well and disappeared into the night. The wounded warrior ran through the tall grass and tried to find a good spot to hide for several days. He couldn't leave this planet before Vegeta and Nappa. They need to think these savages killed him. Considering his state and the strength of the enemies, it was believable.

"It's going to work! I must avoid those wicked savages until I can recover my strength!"

The warrior slid down the slope and found a cave. "This will do! Hopefully, no one is inside." He summoned a small amount of ki to illuminate the place.

After confirming no one was there, the Saiyan entered and sat in darkness. He reached for a small container under his damaged armor, and luckily, it was still intact. A greenish ooze poured out of it, and he applied it to his wounds. He tossed the empty bottle away and leaned against the rocky wall. The warrior remained on guard while the medicine slowly took effect.

"Without their scouters, they won't be able to find me, and knowing how impatient Nappa is and how Vegeta doesn't care, they'll leave the moment they purged this world."

A weak smile surfaced on his bruised and bloodstained face as he wiped away the red sticky ooze from his eyes. "I was worried there for a second, but I'll make it! I'll survive and get to Earth, where I will be the mightiest and rule!" The Saiyan chuckled as his weary eyes slowly closed, and he fell asleep.

-X-

"Awakening Sequence Activated! Alert! Destination Planet Earth Reached! Initiating Landing Sequence!"

The condensation inside the pod dispersed, and the lights illuminated the small object. The man's eyes twitched at first before he opened them. He released a groan as he twisted his head left and right. His dark orbs stirred forward from where he could see the giant, blue planet. A satisfied grin appeared on his dirty face as the space pod entered the world's atmosphere.

"Finally, after almost half a year of traveling, I'm here!"

It only took a minute for the object to hit the ground. The bloodstained man emerged from the pod and flew out of the crater. His long hair swayed on the wind as he floated in the air. He looked around and saw a valley covered with green grass and mountain chains in the distance. A noise from behind caught his attention. As he turned around, he saw the vast, blue ocean and the waves hitting the rocks.

The young Saiyan extended his arms and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. "This will do. Kinda reminds of planet Vegeta, just a bit." He didn't dwell on it as it brought back memories.

"Now then, what to do first... Finding Kakarot, if the brat's even alive, could be easier if I had a scouter. However, if he did his job properly, the people of this world should already be aware of his existence."

On a whim, Raditz flew to the south. "I'll find him as I explore this world, which will be all mine!" A sinister laughter echoed across the sky. For the first time, he felt free and alive.