Raditz let out a roar as he thrust out his arms wide, sending out a wave of energy in all directions to drive back the Earthlings.
"I have to admit, brother, you have grown stronger!" Raditz raced towards Goku, driving his remaining fist at his brother's head only for Goku to quickly dodge the blow, twisting in the air before moving to try and kick Radtiz. But it was his turn to avoid the strike, only he managed to grab Goku's leg and throw him towards the ground. His brother bounced once but then was back on his feet, the little wince he gave being the only sign that he had felt the attack at all. Raditz shook his other arm; while the blast that Krillin had fired had kept his wound from bleeding it still ached fiercely and he would need to have it attended to soon as he could tell it hadn't actually healed up the wound. "And these pests you have dubbed your friends? They are far more powerful than I had thought." He fired off several quick KI blasts, trying to knock his brother off his feet, but Goku merely did a few backflips to avoid them, landing in a defensive position once again. "But it won't be enough!"
"That's where you're wrong though, Raditz," Tien said, suddenly come on the Saiyan warrior, throwing several punches before raising his hand, causing a boulder behind Raditz to lift up and come hurtling at him. The fighter just ducked under it, trying to get it to smash into Tien, but the triclops merely smashed the rock in half before quickly catching the two halves, considering them for a moment before throwing them with all his might right back at Raditz, so fast he wasn't able to avoid them in time. Raditz grunted as they smashed into him, knocking him back but not wounding him greatly. "We aren't his friends… we're his family."
Raditz snarled at that. "I am his brother! Not you! Kakarot is my blood!"
"Then where have you been these last few decades?" Chiaotzu asked as he suddenly popped up in front of Raditz, using Tien's Witches Style to double his legs so he could give a flurry of kicks right to Radtiz's face, smashing his nose and leaving him wobbly. "I think I would have remembered you hanging around, especially with that hair!"
"We are the ones that have been with him!" Krillin declared, having snuck up on Raditz. He delivered a strike to his side before forming a ki blade around his left hand, driving it towards the other fight's stomach. Raditz though saw the blow coming and quickly spun out of the way. He launched himself back at Krillin, kicks and punches flying wildly. "I trained with him and Yamcha! I watched him grow up into the great man he is now! You don't get to come here and declare none of that matters just because you have the same parents!"
"You think your pathetic little moments mean anything?" Raditz answered as the two continued to trade blows. He could tell that Krillin was far stronger than he let on, hiding his power level, and he was almost curious on how the little bald human was able to do it. He'd never met another being in the galaxy who had been able to hide their power level so effectively as Krillin. One would almost believe that he had no real power beyond what he was showing but the attack the bald man had used to cut off his hand proved that theory wrong. No… Raditz knew he was strong. And he was holding that power back, reserving it for the right moments.
If he wouldn't submit though… he would suffer.
"This was just a childish game, living on this world! What I have in store for him will be a true life! A better life!" He suddenly grabbed Krillin's head, pressing his thumb into the fighter's eye. Krillin let out a scream of pain and Raditz cackled as he began to dig his digit in harder. He wanted to see the orb pop like a piece of fruit-
A long green arm grabbed him and ripped him away, flinging him across the field.
Before Raditz could react Piccolo was now the one on him, sending a maelstrom of kicks and punches at his body, forcing him to once more go on the defensive.
"Oh yes, what a wonderful life," Piccolo mocked. "Destruction for the sake of destruction. I want to rule this planet… I at least have plans. Goals. Things I want done beyond 'blow this up and go get something to eat'. I have spent years thinking about what I will do with Earth. How I will reshape it into my perfect kingdom. You don't think 2 minutes beyond your actions." He smirked. "Heh… maybe you are Goku's brother."
Raditz snarled, unable to answer as he had to focus on dodging.
"Are you okay, Krillin?" Kayos asked, landing beside him as Piccolo continued to pound on Raditz.
"I'm fine," Krillin snapped though for once it had nothing to do with feeling annoyed at the blond man. He pressed his hand to his eye, face twisted in pain. "Just give me a minute…"
"No way," Kayos said, moving to stand in front of Krillin. "Get to Chichi right now. Even if he completely destroyed your eye the senzu bean should be able to heal you up."
"I canfight-" Krillin protested again.
"Admit to me right now that you won't be better off fighting with depth perception," the mage demanded. Krillin glowered at him but finally turned away to go get to Chichi.
"How are we doing, Isco?" Kayos asked as he watched Piccolo and Raditz trade blows; at some point Piccolo had left himself open for a strike and now the two were going at each other in a back and forth of body blows. Piccolo was unleashing a series of kicks and punches, only for Raditz to suddenly lash out with a single powerful strike that was worth ten of Piccolo's hits.
Isco, in his upgraded secondary body, hummed to himself.
"Perfect, sir," Isco stated.
"…I meant all of us when it comes to defeating Raditz, not just you and your survival."
"Ah, I see," Isco said, making no move to apologize for misunderstanding. "In that case we are doing well enough. If we-"
"NO!" Kayos snapped, jabbing a finger in Isco's face. "Do not fucking jinx us or I swear I'll use the Dragon Balls to wish you into becoming a toilet. One of those fancy ones that shoots water up people's asses."
"…point taken, sir," Isco said.
~MC~MC~MC~
'He's stronger than me,' Piccolo thought in frustration as he sent several more punches at the Saiyan followed by a kick. Raditz had his forearms up, blocking the blows from hitting his face, and was able to duck and weave enough that he couldn't get a good shot in on his torso. 'Damn it… even with how hard I trained he is still stronger than I am.'
He had worked as hard as he could to surpass his limits and then surpass what he found beyond that. The 13 months had been dedicated to that. He'd even used the Scroll of Knowledge… though that had been of little help. It had simple informed him that his true strength would come from understanding who he was. Piccolo knew who he was!
Or he had… til he had learned he was no demon at all but an alien. One from a planet he couldn't even remember.
But that didn't matter. Understanding himself didn't matter. All that mattered was growing stronger. To mastering new abilities and finding ways to push himself to new heights. And while he was far more powerful than he had been before the fact remained that he was still weaker than Raditz. Not overly so; Radtiz wouldn't be able to just run right over him, completely flattening him and giving Piccolo no hope of being able to defeat him. No, Raditz had to treat their fight seriously. But their power levels weren't the same. Raditz was stronger than him and by a noticeable amount.
'All I have is my skills,' Piccolo thought. 'That is what is going to let me beat this bastard.'
The last 13 months had seen him working on new ways to use his moves. To strike not just harder but in ways that made it impossible to block his blows. That would not just rattle an opponent but give him other benefits as well. Open him up for new assaults, lower defenses, allow him to power up other attacks. Hits on vital nerve clusters. Strikes on weak spots that would ache hours afterwards. Taking out the joints so a foe became slower. He'd known that he wouldn't be able to win by brute force.
Piccolo smirked.
'Just how I like it,' he thought. 'My father might have liked to just crush someone like Raditz under his boot… but I want to go beyond that. Not just defeat their bodies but their minds and souls as well. Leave them so defeated they know they have no hope of every matching me!'
Raditz suddenly went for a forearm smash and Piccolo… allowed him to do just that.
"HA!" the Saiyan cackled as Piccolo was sent hurtling towards the ground. "Pathetic! You're like a child beating their hands against a door, demanding it to open! Well I hate to break it to you but I will not be moved." He snickered. "What am I saying… I am THRILLED to break that too you! No matter what you do you will never be able to overcome me!" Piccolo slammed into the ground, dust kicking up all around him, making it hard for either fighter to see their opponent. "Namekian… a Namekian thought he stood a chance against me! While you do have a bit more of the fighting spirit in you than the rest of your pathetic race there was never any hope of defeating me! Not here! Not on your home planet! Not anywhere! You-"
Piccolo smirked as he locked onto Raditz's location, sensing his energy.
The Saiyan had thought that he'd managed to knock Piccolo down, leaving him bruised and battered in a crater. But Piccolo had absorbed the blow and allowed it to drive him down before bracing his legs, allowing him to hit the earth hard… but uninjured.
And launch his next attack.
The Special Beam Cannon once took 5 minutes to charge.
He had managed to get it down to seconds.
"DOUBLE SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"
Two of them required a minute.
From his two index fingers launched out two spiral beams of energy. They cut through the dust cloud and Piccolo smirked as he saw Raditz's eyes go wide in shock, trying to dodge the attacks but finding himself pinned. Piccolo spun the two beams around the Saiyan warrior, boxing him in before clapping his hands together, bringing the beams together. Raditz screamed beautifully in Piccolo's opinion as he was hit from the sides and sent flying into the air.
"Heh," he muttered as he kept track on his foe, waiting til he'd just begun to descend before launching himself up and delivering an axe handle kick to the middle of Raditz's back, sending him crashing to the ground.
Unlike him… Raditz hadn't been planning for that.
"Wow!" Goku exclaimed, flying over to him. "That was amazing, Piccolo!"
He smirked at that. He knew it was wrong. He knew that he should hate it. But… he had to admit… hearing Goku praise him always brought a smile to his face.
"If we keep this up then we're going to defeat him," Goku said.
"DON'T FUCKING JINX US!" Kayos yelled out to him.
"What does that mean?"
Raditz let out a scream from the crater he was in, the ground buckling under him. He began to launch out ki blasts, Tien and Yamcha both getting hit and sent screaming towards the ground while Piccolo and Goku found the sky filled with glowing death.
Piccolo's smile fell. "I think it means 'don't assume you've won until you've won'."
And with that he launched into another assault.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Why don't you sit down and have something to eat?" Yajirobe asked, reaching over and grabbing another pork bun, stuffing it into his mouth. He took a moment to chew on it before adding, "But only if make some yourself. This is mine."
"How kind of you," Isco stated; even with his secondary body fighting he was still able to communicate with the others on the island. The drone just couldn't power up his body, needing to dedicate those resources to maintaining the link to his fighting form. "You ensure with such kindness that my lofty opinion of humans is well placed."
"Whatever," Yajirobe muttered before looking back at Gohan. "Come on kid, your pacing is making me dizzy!"
"I just wish we were out there…" the little boy said nervously, glancing back at Baba who was watching the entire fight in her crystal ball. "We could be helping them. You have magic like Mr. Kayos, Miss Baba-"
"That I do!" the witch declared with a cackle, Gohan having grown so used to that noise that it no longer bothered him. "Far more than your showy little friend Kayos. That boy needs to learn how to be more subtle when it comes to showing off his powers."
"Heh, like you are subtle?" Yajirobe guffed.
"What did you say, blubber butt?" Baba snapped, glaring at the ronin.
Yajirobe though merely continued to eat his food. "The way you dress and the way you use every witch cliché... you're the last person that should be talking about subtle!"
Baba merely pressed her lips together before waving her hand and Yajirobe let out a cry when his pork roll turned into a small angry looking pig. He dropped the beast only for it to charge across the table and lunge at him, Yajirobe screaming as he ran as quick as he could, the pig biting at his butt as it chased him out of the room.
"Hmmm… how's that for subtle?" the fortune teller asked with a huff.
Gohan didn't say a word as, in his opinion, that hadn't been really subtle either but he didn't want to be chased by his food so it was better just to remain silent.
"You can watch your father and his friends fight if you want," Baba stated, returning to her crystal ball.
"No thanks," Gohan said, turning and looking across the room. Except it wasn't walls or ceilings that he saw… his gaze was far further out, past not just the building but the entire island, across the ocean where his parents were. He could sense their energy… and that of Raditz.
And it terrified him how powerful the other Saiyan warrior was.
'They can do it though…' he thought to himself. 'They can defeat Raditz! I just need to have faith!' He worried his lip though all the same. 'I… I just wish I was there though to help them. Even though I know that I'd probably just get in the way… I'd feel better if I were there helping mommy and daddy and everyone else.'
~MC~MC~MC~
"I swear I'm going to get pamphlets printed up," I growled to myself as I watched Goku and Piccolo work to tagteam Raditz. The two of them were working well together… far better than their first fight against him. Back then they truly hadn't known how to fight together and had relied upon instinct to see them through. Understanding how fighting worked. Like how a drummer and a guitar player could follow sheet music and get into the rhythm. But now, after 13 months of training, they were like bandmates who had been putting on shows for years. They knew what the other was capable of and were able to easily adjust their strikes to help the other. "They are going to explain all about jinxes."
"Right," Bulma said, standing next to the small flying car she'd come in. She had remained out of the fight so far, reasoning that it was far wiser for her to remain as a surprise if things began to go bad than to reveal what she'd brought to the party early on and let Raditz adapt.
"I am going to make all of you study them. There will be tests, Bulma. And not pass/fail either. I'm gonna base them on the ones Chichi makes Gohan take. There will be fucking essay questions about how you don't jinx people!"
She shot me a look. "Are you okay?"
"I'm nervous as fuck, that's my problem," I growled as I watched Piccolo suddenly get caught in an arm hold, the Namekian warrior struggling for a moment before Raditz began to kick him repeatedly in the side. Piccolo cried out when Raditz hit him just below the arm pit and the Saiyan, with a smirk, delivered two more blows to that spot before he hurled Piccolo to the ground.
But Raditz wasn't in the clear and soon he and Goku found themselves having to square off. Goku fired off a ki blast (not the kamehamaha… I had a feeling he was saving that as his final push to defeat his brother) while Raditz launched out a sphere of energy from his remaining hand. Goku's blast managed to drive away Raditz's, which had me breathing a touch better… but not by much.
"We're winning though," Bulma pointed out. "We're wearing him down. And Chichi is ready to heal up anyone that gets too injured…" She gestured over at Chichi, who had hurried over to Piccolo to make sure he was okay. All her time making sure Gohan was safe, as well as piecing Goku back together when he pushed himself far too hard, had taught her how to make sure people were ready to get back up. And without needing to drain our senzu beans. Of the 10 we had been given by Korin we had been forced to use only 2 during the 13 months and another now for Krillin's eye. Otherwise she was focused on other things, such as basic field combat medicine and limited use of Ki sharing, to get the fighters back on their feet.
"NEVER assume a fight is done until the opponent has surrendered… and sometimes not even then."
Bulma waved me off. "You're just being pessimistic! We have this in the bag! Nothing can-"
"BULMA!" I roared
"-go wrong!"
She looked to her right and then her left before once more focusing on me.
"See? Nothing happened. No jinx."
Raditz and Goku collided in mid-air, fingers wrapping around each others' as the struggled to push one another back. Goku's other hand had grabbed onto Raditz' wrist, keeping his arm from doing down on his head.
"So, this is your strength then, brother?" Raditz taunted, pressing his forehead against Goku's so that they could whisper to each other and still be heard. He wore a vicious grin, all teeth and plenty of bite to his words. "I see now why you need to rely upon these cheap tricks."
"Cheap tricks?" Goku asked.
"Aw fuck," I muttered, my stomach sinking.
Raditz chuckled even as he worked to push Goku back. "Of course… you have no hope of defeating me so you call upon these pathetic Earthlings to distract me, getting in pathetic little strikes to try and soften me up so you can make it seem like you actually defeated me when you fire off a single final blow. Pathetic brother… you truly have no Saiyan pride."
"No no no no no…" I began to repeat.
Goku… broke off from Raditz.
"Is that so?" he asked.
"No! No! No!" I screamed.
"I guess you're- now Yamcha!"
"What?" Raditz said only for Yamcha to come barreling into him, slamming his fist right into Raditz' chin and causing his body to jerk upward.
"WOLF FANG BITE!" Yamcha roared as he surrounded both his hands with Ki. He slammed them both together, fingers curling inward, and caught Raditz in the middle like the claws of a crab. The Saiyan let out a gasp before Yamcha hurled him away. That was perfect for Tien, who had come sweeping in, as it allowed him to give a side kick right to Raditz's head, causing him to go flying sidewise… just in time for Krillin, healed up by Chichi and ready for action, to come hurtling at him and send him crashing down into the ground.
"You were saying?" Bulma asked with a smirk.
I didn't have time to celebrate being wrong as Raditz was already pulling himself to his feet. "You… you won't-"
"Black Parade!" I shouted, sending out my shadow clones which crashed into Raditz, causing his body to flail about as he was hit multiple times. I was already moving as soon as I performed the spell, Piccolo's suggestion to keep on the run while performing Black Parade a good on and something I had adopted. "Black Parade!" I called out again and once more I sent out another set on magical constructs; while not as strong as the first set, because of the lack of wait time between the two spells, it was enough to leave Raditz a bit battered and dazed, unable to track exactly where I was and unable to focus on the location of everyone on the battle field.
Which was perfect for what was coming next.
Goku landed on the ground and pulled his arms back. "Ka…me…ha…ma… ha!" He thrust out his hands and the blue energy beam blasted from his palms, striking the dazed Saiyan full on. Raditz let out a scream as he was hit, disappearing in the brilliant light of the beam, and it was only when Goku finally finished the attack that he became visible again, teetering on his feet and glassy-eyed. It was a testament to his strength that he was still alive, let alone still on his feet, but there he was… wobbly, perhaps, but on his feet still.
"That's what you still don't get, Raditz," Goku said as he walked towards his brother, the rest of us slowly moving to stand behind him, ready to attack again if needed. "You keep thinking that it makes me weak to rely upon others. But it doesn't… it makes me strong. A year ago you might have convinced me that the only way to prove one's self was for the two of us to fight, one on one. Test ourselves against one another. Nothing else interfering. My friends watching as I took you on all alone. But that's not me. Not anymore. My family and I… we will always work together. Fight to protect our home. We are at our strongest together. And nothing you say, no scorn or insults, will change my mind."
Goku reached out and flicked Raditz's head, causing his brother to pitch back and fall to the ground.
"WOOHOO!" Krillin proclaimed, thrusting a fist into the air.
"We did it!" Yamcha cheered. "We defeated Raditz!"
"Hmmm… like there was any doubt," Piccolo said, folding his arms over his chest. But even with his little comment I could tell he was pleased with the outcome and rather proud.
"Is it over?" Chiaotzu asked, floating up from behind Tien. "Is it really over?"
"Well…" Bulma said, looking down at Raditz, "…I'll need to figure out a way to restrain him so he can't cause any more trouble for us but yeah… I think its over."
"Killing him would solve that quick enough," Piccolo commented only to earn glares from the others.
"We are NOT killing him!" Krillin declared. "We don't do that."
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, because King Piccolo was defeated with a hug and that is why he is now retired and living in Florida."
"Of course you'd say that," Krillin grumped. "You probably are… I don't know… thinking about how to skin him and make him into a coat."
"I was going to suggest we shave his head and donate the hair to you Krillin but hey, you don't want it…"
Krillin growled before shouting, "I shave my head!" He flailed his arms about and I merely raised an eyebrow.
"…and?"
Krillin glowered at me; frankly I was done trying to make nice with him. Everyone else had realized I was an ally and I was tired of dealing with his jabs because of a single comment… which had been a DAMN GOOD POINT!
He wanted to spar with me verbally? Fine.
"Nothing about Chiatozu and Tien? No insults towards them?" he asked.
"They pull it off," I commented, making a clicking noise and winking at them. Tien merely raised an eyebrow at that and Chiaotzu ducked down with a yelp.
"We still need to figure out how to deal with Raditz," Chichi commented. "Restraint or imprisonment."
"There… is no need… for that," Raditz groaned out, slowly rolling onto his belly. We all tensed as he slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees.
"I don't think he's talking about a wig…" Bulma whispered as Raditz dragged himself over to Goku.
"You… defeated me brother." He looked up at him, eyes still filled with defiant fire. But there was something else there… an acceptance that spoke of a pride that refused to be doused no matter what was done to try and remove its flames. "But there was no honor in it. You didn't defeat me on your own. I will… never submit to you."
"Submit?" Goku asked, tilting his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"It doesn't matter," Radtiz ground out. "Kill me and be done with it. Because I swear to you, brother… if you leave me alive I will escape any prison you put me in. And I will use my time to get stronger… and fight you again. I will force you to submit. Through my strength."
Knowing I needed to speak up before Goku got any ideas in his head (he might have avoided the first challenge to single combat but I couldn't trust him to not leap at it a second time) I stepped forward. "Raditz… why wasn't it honorable for Goku to have us help him?"
"Because… it wasn't."
"Why not?" I pressed.
"A human would never understand. I have seen much of your kind… researched your planet these last 13 months. You are an honorless and savage species with no concept of the greater universe."
"Try me," I challenged.
Raditz considered me for a long moment and I began to worry that he wouldn't explain. That he would remain silent and not give me the opening I needed to try and get him to understand. Because I knew exactly what he was thinking. I understood his point perfectly. But I needed him to vocalize it.
"A warrior… a true warrior… fights his battles alone. He couldn't defeat me on his own so he had to rely upon all of you. That shows he has no honor."
"Raditz…" Goku began but I held up my hand.
"Why aren't you naked?"
That caused Raditz to start. "W…what?"
"Why are you wearing clothing right now?" I asked. "And this armor. Unless you made it on your own. Did you?"
"Of… of course not," he got out, the last word ending in a harsh cough. "You take me for a weak seamstress? I am a warrior-"
"So you got help," I pointed out. "That weak seamstress helped you fight."
"Its not the same," Raditz glowered, glaring at me with enough fire in his eyes that I was growing a bit nervous. Still though I pushed on, understanding that this might be my best chance to get him to see reason and stand down.
"Isn't it?" I asked. "Your kicks are worse with your boots on than if you were barefoot. Your armor protects you and makes Goku and all the rest of us have to send out stronger strikes. You might want to think you fought alone but you didn't, Raditz."
"I did this all on my own," he said darkly, eyes narrowed at the perceived notion that he was weak.
"Oh really?" Master Roshi said, speaking up. "So you are telling me you learned how to do that over shoulder reversal all on your own?" Raditz just continued to stare at us… but he didn't say a word to protest Roshi's comment. "You had someone teach you didn't you? Show you how to fight. You might know NOW how to fight but you didn't know it the moment you were born. Someone took their time to show ya how to throw a punch. How to block a hit. All of that. You are the product of their lessons. Don't go dishonoring them by claiming that you did it all on your own with no one else's help."
"We do nothing on our own," Tien commented. "We learn from others. Get help from others. That is the way life is."
Piccolo shifted and I stopped myself from saying anything, knowing he had something to add. "I get it… you think that relying upon others makes you weak. I used to think the same way. My father drilled it into my head from the moment I came into being that I had to do things on my own. That I couldn't rely on anyone but myself." He let out an annoyed huff. "He was the same one who constantly had his minions fight for him, to soften up his foes and deal with the weaklings that he didn't want to dirty his hands with."
"And in the end he died… alone," I said. "Because that is the thing, Raditz… the only thing you can truly do alone is die."
"You… you expect me to believe that you will forget all I did to all of you?" Raditz demanded. "How I hurt you. Threatened you? Tried to kill you?"
"Please," Bulma said with a roll of her eyes, "do you realize how many of us have tried to kill Goku?"
Raditz… blinked in surprise at that.
"Shot him," Bulma pointed out.
"Tried to reduce him to dust," Piccolo commented, sounding still a bit annoyed that he hadn't actually managed to do that.
Tien and Chiaotzu merely shrugged while Yamcha weakly rubbed the back of his head.
"I didn't mean to but looking back on it some of my sabotage might have killed him," Krillin admitted.
"I did use a few attacks that should have killed him…" Roshi said, rubbing his chin in thought.
"…I know we are trying to make a point," I said, shooting a side-eyed glance at the others, "but we are having a LONG discussion about killing Goku!"
"Said the guy that wants to poison him," Krillin muttered.
Chichi rolled her eyes at that before looking at Raditz. "The point is that Goku is able to forgive very easily… and so can the rest of us."
Goku smiled, reaching down his hand towards his brother. "So… what do you say?"
Raditz considered the extended hand for a long moment.
"Heh," he said with a shake of his head. "Maybe you are more Saiyan than I thought." He lowered his eyes and said in a solemn voice, "I recognize your strength, Kakatrot. You are my better… I am yours to command."
Only then did he take Goku's hand and allow his brother to haul him to his feet.
"So… that's it then?" Yamcha asked. "Its all over. No trying to destroy the planet?"
"You'd have to ask Kakarot," Raditz declared, wincing as he rolled his shoulders. Now that he was up we could all see that he had cuts and burns all over his body from the different attacks we'd thrown at him.
"Oh no, we couldn't do that! Earth is far too great to destroy!" He wrapped his arm around Raditz and gave his brother a hard shake. "Wait till you try out all the food we have here! You're going to wonder why you ever considered blowing it up when you sample the dumplings!"
"He might need some medical care before that, Goku," I pointed out. "Isco, find Raditz' hand, would you? If we hurry we can hopefully reattach it…"
"Worse case we burn a wish," Bulma said before her eyes went wide, her hands going to her mouth.
Thankfully Raditz hadn't noticed her slip up and thus didn't comment on it. He was far too focused on Goku.
"But… what else do you want me to do?"
Goku frowned. "Well… I want you to get all healed up! And then we can probably begin training together… some of those moves you have are amazing and I'd love to learn them!"
Raditz just stared at his brother for a long time, utterly silent.
"What?" Goku finally said, tilting his head in confusion.
"That's… all you desire?" Raditz asked, utterly baffled by his brother's comments. "You just want to eat and train and spend time with these humans?"
"Well… yeah!" Goku shut his eyes and beamed, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, what else would I want?"
His brother waved his good hand around rapidly. "Look at the group you have gathered, brother! With me aiding you would could take control of this planet! Rule it!"
"…well, I guess," Goku said with a shrug. "I just don't see the need to."
"You… don't see… the need to?"
Piccolo was the one, surprisingly, who spoke up. "What do you get out of being a ruler?" The others stared at him and he folded his arms over his chest. "Its just a waste of time dealing with the humans that call his mudball home. So much better to just have a peaceful life."
"Piccolo is right!" Goku declared. "I mean… I have everything I could ever want! What would ruling Earth give me?"
Raditz opened his mouth only to click it shut.
"That's the thing about power," I said, "you race after it… wanting to claim it… but then when you get it you find that the things that made it so attractive no longer shine like they did."
To my surprise though Raditz shot me a dark look. "I wasn't seeking my brother out to rule. I was seeking him out to make right the crimes against the Saiyan race!"
Now it was my turn to stare at him in shock. 'Does… does he know? Could he know that-'
"Do you wonder why you were left here all by yourself, brother? Why no one ever came to collect you? Its because there was no one left. You are part of a nearly dead race, Kakarot. The Saiyans, once the mightiest and most feared warriors in all the universe, have been reduced to a handful, slaving away under the tyrant that slaughter our entire race… including out father."
"Our… our father?" Goku asked, utterly shocked by what he was hearing.
"Yes… our father, the great Saiyan Warrior Bardock. He alone realized what was about to happen to Planet Vegeta and sought out to stop Lord Frieza from destroying the planet. He died attempting to prevent that bastard from wiping us all out." Raditz curled his remaining hand into a fist. "I came to find you so we could work together to kill Frieza and avenge our race!"
"Well… why didn't you say so!" Goku exclaimed before narrowing his own eyes, a smirk forming on his lips. "If this Frieza is as bad as you claim he is of course I'll help take him down."
Raditz locked eyes with Goku before reaching out, the brothers clapping their hands together, forearms straining as they put their all into the handshake. "We have a long way to go then, Kakarot… but together we can defeat this Frieza."
"Not just you two," Bulma said firmly.
"We can handle this, human," Raditz said dismissively only for Yamcha to cut him off.
"No way! You think we're going to stand back and let Goku risk himself? If this Frieza guy killed his dad then all of us have a beef with him." The others all chimed in their agreement to go face Frieza while I… kept my fucking mouth shut.
'Going to have to nip this in the bud,' I thought to myself. 'We did well against Raditz but that's only because we all worked together, overwhelming him. One on one fights? He would have destroyed any of us with just a few strikes. Goku and Piccolo are the only ones that would have stood a chance against him and even then I wouldn't want to put money on them getting a solid win against him. Frieza… Frieza isn't a foe we can take on. He's a natural disaster. Maybe after another few years of training… hmm…' I narrowed my eyes. 'Maybe make a wish on the Dragon Balls to hide Earth from him? Make it so he can't learn of it? Sure, it means other planets will be attacked by him but so long as Raditz never reveals to them the Dragon Balls Namek would be safe. Maybe find a way to warn them though, suggest that they hide Namek as well.'
'Hmmm… interesting suggestions,' Kami said, making my eyes go wide in shock. I looked around but saw that the others were telling Raditz how wonderful Earth was, trying to convince him that this was the best and smartest decision he'd ever made. 'Though it does make me wonder how you know all of this, Avo Kayos. Including things about my race that even I don't know.'
Realizing that I had no way out of this, that I was dealing with a character that until Power Creep was basically the God of the Dragon Ball World for a while, I went with the only option left to me: Honesty.
'My name isn't Avo Kayos. My name is Kevin… and I am from a world where all of this, everything that is happening, was a fictional story. The tales of Goku and his friends were known by millions. I don't know how I ended up here but I promise that I am just trying to help-'
'I know,' Kami said, cutting me off. 'I can sense that your heart is in the right place and you desire to help your friends.'
'Thank you.'
'That does not mean we do not need to discuss your knowledge. What you know is dangerous, Avo Kayos, and must be carefully guarded.'
'I know,' I replied. 'Its why I chose not to say a word to the gang. Besides, I have already altered much. Goku was supposed to be the one who died when Raditz first appeared, with him also falling as well. Now Raditz is alive and might actually learn how to work with his brother and it is Yamcha who learned from King Kai.' I let out a mental sigh. 'It's a risk… but I'm willing to take it. The gang is overall far stronger than they were in what I remember. Goku might not be quite as powerful as he was but Krillin? Tien? Chiaotzu? They are far more ready for the dangers that might come.'
Kami remained silent.
'I know you believe that Goku is our best hope,' I continued. 'And yes, he is a great hero. But I think he can be an even stronger one with his friends able to stand with him, rather than simply remaining on the sidelines, waiting to see what happens next. If he doesn't have the weight of the world constantly pressing down on him I think he can lead a better and more fulfilling life.' I shook my head, glancing at Goku who was laughing about something, Raditiz merely glowering at his brother but making no move to remove the arm that Goku had slung over his shoulder.
Kami remained silent.
'And I know that there are risks to me using my knowledge to try and help them. I could make things worse… or there is the Escalation Issue. They grow stronger so their enemies grow even stronger as a result. Foes that they should meet years from now appear at this time, when they aren't ready. Attracted by their strength. I know that but I truly believe that this is better for all of us.'
Kami remained silent.
'…are you even still there?' I asked, wondering if I was just thinking to myself.
'I am,' Kami responded. 'I…'
He trailed off… and I got the feeling it wasn't because of what I'd said.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Kami, are you okay?" Mr. Popo said, walking over to the guardian. He was standing at the edge of the lookout, gripping his staff tightly in his wrinkled hands. But what was most concerning to Mr. Popo was how Kami wasn't looking down on the Earth, where he knew that Goku and his friends were dealing with Raditz.
Instead… he was looking upward. To the sky.
"Kayos…" Kami said slowly, eyes piercing through the blue sky above them, "tell me… of what you have seen of our world… did more Saiyans ever come to Earth?"
'…oh fuck,' Kayos whispered in Kami and, because he had placed his hand on his arm, Mr. Popo's minds.
"What is coming?" Kami asked sternly.
'Two Saiyans… far more powerful than Raditz. Kami, how much time-'
"Not long. A few minutes at most."
'Fuck!' Kayos cursed.
"Kami?" Mr. Popo asked. "What should we do?" He knew that Raditz was strong… far more powerful that Piccolo and Goku and certainly more powerful than Kami himself. If these two approaching Saiyans were as powerful as Kayos feared…
"We pray," Kami whispered. "We pray that Goku and his friends are strong enough… for what they are about to face."
~MC~MC~MC~
"Break it up!" Kayos roared. "Break it up! Who needs to be healed? Can a senzu bean regrow a lost limb?"
"Well… I guess," Goku said, blinking. "But I thought you wanted us to reattach Raditz' hand. Not that I mind… if I could just have a hand regrow I would-"
"Chichi, senzu Raditz, now!" Kayos snapped.
But Chichi merely narrowed her eyes. "Why would I do that? I thought we were saving them for emergencies?"
"This IS an emergency," Kayos said, looking up at the sky.
Raditz… paled.
"No… no no no!" he shouted. "We aren't ready for them!"
"Whoa, what's the matter" Goku asked… only to follow his brother's gaze and suddenly shiver in shock. "WHAT IS THAT?!" he exclaimed.
The other Z Fighters looked up and began to tense as well.
"Those power levels…" Piccolo whispered. "They're massive!"
"I've never felt something that strong!" Yamcha declared.
"That… that can't be right."
"It is," Kayos said and Chichi hurriedly pulled out a senzu bean and tossed it to Raditz. The Saiyan stared at it for a moment but the two approaching energy signatures caused him to at once plop the bean in his mouth.
"Ugh… not even cooked properly," he muttered. "Tastes like fish… wha?" His eyes went wide and he watched as his stump twitched and trembled before a new hand burst out of his wrist. "I… I feel amazing." He flexed his arm. "Back up to full strength!"
"Good," Goku said, smile gone and face grim, "because I think you're gonna need it."
"Kayos…" Bulma murmured, "what is going on?"
"Two more Saiyans," he said. "More powerful than all of us. Get ready… there won't be spectators in this fight."
Bulma swallowed at that but ran towards her flying vehicle to get what she needed.
"Sir," Isco stated, "should I worry that you are downplaying the situation?"
"Yeah… you really should."
"Bugger."
The Z Fighters could only stand ready and prepared as two more Saiyan pods lowered down to the ground, hitting the earth with a boom and making small craters.
"Give no quarter," Raditz warned everyone. "They won't be willing to listen to reason or cut deals like I was."
"I can't believe Raditz was the calm and rational one," Krillin muttered.
The two pods slowly opened.
"Well…" the shorter of the two declared as he stepped out, "what do we have-"
"BLACK PARADE!" Kayos roared, launching out his magical attack.
The Z Fighters, as one, launched themselves at the two new arrivals before they could say another word.