Hello all! And welcome to a new chapter! There is a bit of a time skip here. I believe if I wanted to fit all of Shepard's adventures in here, I would need to write a side story. With this being my absolute main focus at this present time, I have no desire to try and write any of those adventures. With that being said, I am trying to bring out chapters every 2-3 weeks now. Though 2 is a bit of a stretch to be fair. As we can see, we are now entering the big game. Dragon Ball Z. Shepard has been training hard for this fight! Events are still playing out similarly, yet the timing is off. Before anyone asks, I will explain that little paradox in a distant chapter. Raditz is coming! With Shepard being the only one aware, what will he be able to do to stop this menace? Find out, on this chapter of Dragon Ball: BtG!
P.S.- If you have a problem with the potential of children being harmed in this story, I would suggest you not read this chapter. I know, I know. This is a M rated story for various reasons, and these next few chapters will illustrate why. Again, I give you forewarning and caution that anyone who has a child that reads these, that they be made aware of what is going to happen. Thank you, and please, enjoy the story!
Reviews
Drunken Hamster- Hey it would be nice if it worked that way, but Time has a funny way of bending things back to the way they were before. As much as I would love to see Raditz get busted down quickly, Shepard is going to be having a hard time trying to make that happen, because he agrees with you. And being in a relationship is a complicated, but potentially special thing. I have been in one now for over 3 an a half years, and I love her more then I did when we first got together. And Tights has been realizing, with Shepard's utter determination through his training, that he is pretty serious about the safety of Earth. Also, there is a massive Time Skip this coming chapter. Again I would probably have to write a side story to detail all of what has happened between the two. But believe me sir, they are committed to each other, through thick and thin. A spark is all it takes my friend. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you for your review!
savitarrsurffer-I really appreciate those kind words. It is people like you that make me happy to go through the efforts of bringing my vision to life. I hope more people see how impressive it will continue to be in the future. That's the goal anyway! As for Broly... I have something cooking for him. Though everyone remembers there are 2 different versions of him, there may just still be 2 different versions of him! As far as Sarada goes, I believe she may pop up on Namek! Ho ho ho ho ho ho. My Frieza laugh will surely bring you for the ride. I hope you continue to like this story. Thank you for your review!
firefire199:- Thank you for your kind review. I definitely don't want to let this story dry up in anyway. I am several chapters ahead of this at this current time. So there will definitely be a lot more coming! I feel like I have improved. At least with certain parts. The first chapter was definitely not my funnest one to write, but I'm glad you found this! Stick around, tell a few of your friends on here to check it out, the fights that are coming are going to be gut wrenching;-O! Indeed we are finally at the 'beginning'! The Raditz Saga is going to be an explosive one. Stay tuned!
Age: October 28, 761
Location: Shepard's Islands, Earth
'These last 8 months have been tough! Tien and Chiaotzu pushed me hard for 6 solid months. I'm stronger then I ever thought possible!'
Pushing through a series of 1000 push ups and sit ups, Shepard's mind had been racing the last couple of weeks. Getting back to his home after a hard training expedition had been easy enough, it was dealing with the angry blonde harpy known as his now girlfriend Tights Brief. She had called him nearly 60 times, concerned that she had not heard anything more from him since he had gone to Goku's and promptly left to seek out the Crane students. By time he had gotten back home, Tights had several capsules, with her stuff, packed in his mailbox. When Shepard called her back, finally, she had left East City and immediately came to his Islands, now theirs. Her anger had quickly evaporated when he explained what he was doing, and noticing how toned he had become, Tights had all but moved herself in his, now their house.
'1,497, 1,498, 1,499-'
"Helloooooo!"
"WAHH!" Falling out of the branch he was hanging from, Shepard got up rubbing his head. Looking into the sky, he thought he recognized the voice but it didn't sound local.
"You look awfully confused for someone who already knows who I am."
"Wait, is that you King Kai?"
"Indeed, indeed. I've opened up a telepathic link for us to speak. I was told to let you know when a certain Saiyan would be coming to your planet. You have about 5 days or so. I hope you've been training lots, because he is certainly an angry one!"
This is what Shepard had been waiting for. He had been putting in so much time getting ready he had almost lost track of it. He was definitely stronger then his older self was when he fought Raditz so long ago. He wouldn't fail!
"Thanks for the heads up King Kai. I'm sure I'll be ready."
"Good luck. You're certainly gonna need it!"
Feeling the link end, Shepard grabbed the BanHammer from where it sat a few feet away.
A few minutes later, Shepard had floated up to his house, landing at the front door. Opening it to a wonderful smell, he looked in the living room to where his girlfriend had an array of different foods laid out on the big table.
"Damn Tights, you weren't kidding when you said you had some new recipes to try out." Tights turned her head around, sticking her tongue out as the saiyan walked by, taking off the vest he was now strong enough to walk around with. He also placed his prized Katchin weapon in the magnet slot located on the side of the living room, a resolute warning to any and all who would dare attempt to desecrate this beautiful home and Island.
"You could've helped if you weren't so busy destroying the smaller islands with your training. Here, try this." Picking up what looked like some kind of roll with meat in it. Tights handed it to her boyfriend. Who sniffed it for a couple seconds before stuffing the whole thing in his mouth. Hearts started pouring out of the young mans eyes as he saw the other 30 plus rolls. Tights, amused as she was, scooted back as she watched Shepard begin to wolf down the other rolls.
"They're barbecue pork buns. W-what do you think?" Tights was hesitant to say anymore as she watched her boyfriend dismantle what she had made. She couldn't help but giggle when the man turned to her, still with a minimum of 3 stuffed in his mouth and gave her a thumbs up.
"Tsh r awshum!" Shepard, laughing while he tried to swallow down the last few still in his mouth. Taking the bottle of water on the table, Shepard took a big swig to wash the rest of it down.
"Ahhhhhh, Tights you sure are a great cook. I dare say you rival your mother in that department."
Tights blushed at the praise, but took it in stride. "I have a saiyan boyfriend who will eat out of a dumpster if I don't keep him properly fed. So what took you so long this time? I had them ready minutes ago for you."
"Well, this... This deity I guess you can call him, sent me a message from the Otherworld. There's another saiyan heading here. 5 days from now. I plan to take him out before he can become a threat."
"A threat. How do you know he's a threat?" Tights asked, a chill running down her spine.
Gaining a dark look, Shepard looked straight, looking at the table. "I'm not so much worried about me, it's Goku I'm worried about."
"Hasn't he been training for it too?" Tights asked, rubbing her boyfriend's shoulder.
"For this, no. But it's not just that. He's Goku's older brother." Shock ran through Tights. But she urged Shepard to continue.
"He's a ruthless warrior. He may try something that I'm not expecting. I need you to promise me that what I say doesn't leave the house."
"Ok Babe, you have my word. I won't tell anyone unless you tell me that it's ok." Tights looked sad, she had not seen Shepard so crestfallen.
"Well, it's just that... Goku. Well Goku is fated to die in the ensuing fight. And before you ask how I know this, there are things about me that...that just wouldn't make sense to you, namely how I would know these things. I will explain it to you when there is time, but right now I need to get in every amount of training I can get for the next few days."
Tights didn't know how to respond to that, but she was a supportive woman. She had grown to love the saiyan, and would be patient.
"Whenever you are ready to tell me everything, I'll be here." Touching Shepard's face, she could all but feel that tenseness leave the man, who smiled at her, before picking her up and taking her to the bedroom, her giggling and him laughing as she was carried effortlessly away...
5 days later
Unbeknownst to all but a handful, a pod was traveling along in space, the being inside was sleep, having been gassed for nearly a year.
"Arriving to Coordinates in 15 minutes."
"Arriving to Coordinates in 15 minutes."
The being inside, slowly roused from his slumber, opened his eyes to take a look at the planet before him.
"Hmm, it doesn't look like it's been damaged. What the hell Kakarot! What have you been doing all these years?"
Shepard was in the middle of meditating when he felt it. The energy was so strong it took him right out of his meditation. Standing up, he walked to the edge of the main island, feeling the power come down to the planet. He hoped that no one was around where the saiyan space pod would land. But he couldn't be sure. Studying it for a couple more minutes, he was about to leave, but before he could call his weapon that was right next to where he was sitting moments before, a powerful sensation rushed through him, so strong it overwhelmed his senses, sending him to the ground and knocking him out cold...
Mount Paozu
Happening at the same time
"Come on Gohan, ya ready? We're gonna go see Master Roshi and the others." Donning his infamous orange gi, the saiyan from Earth was standing outside, taking in the fresh air.
"Coming Daddy." The little boy said as he ran outside to join his father.
"Make sure you get back home before dinner time Goku, look out for Gohan!" Goku could hear his wife saying from inside the house.
"No problem Chi. Love you! NIMBUS!!!" Over the last 8 months, the couple had grown stronger in affection, Goku having recognized what love was really meaning now that he could process his emotions much clearer since Old Shepard had unlocked his memories. Seeing his parents, and the love they had for each other had made Goku curious. Curious and brave enough to sit down with Chi Chi and explain how he felt. Upon confirming his feelings to be true, him and Chi Chi had began going out some nights, rather it be to see the stars, or to camp out. Discovering that his love for her had grown even stronger over time, he had poured every ounce of his being into training, sometimes even sparring with his wife. He took it easy on her for the most part, but she was getting better. And Gohan? Goku was absolutely overjoyed at the little boy's progress. He was so proud of his son, rather with his training, or his studies.
In moments as he processed this, a familiar yellow cloud zoomed down towards the father and son.
"Allllright Gohan, up ya go." Setting the 4 year old up on The Flying Nimbus, Goku jumped up and landed on top of the familiar cloud. Grabbing his son and placing him in his lap, he looked down as the cloud ascended, waving to his wife who had came outside to see them off. Little did she know that this would be the last day of their peace...
Minutes Later
Location: The Spinach Wastes
An ostrich chicken farmer was busy tending to hay bales, slowly but surely chucking them with his pitchfork into the back of his pickup truck when he heard it. As he had stopped for a few minutes to take a smoke break, he saw it. A spherical looking ship of some sorts, barreling in the sky past him, heading towards his farmland.
"What in the-!"
BOOOOOOOOOM
Feeling the Earth tremor beneath him, the farmer quickly tossed his pitchfork in the bed of his truck before jumping in and taking off towards his farm.
As the space pod's door began to open, the farmer arrived near the huge crater, taken aback by the damage.
"Oh, oh no, all this damage, what am I-" before he could finish, a hand grabbed the lip of the pod. Stepping back, the farmer watched as a human-like man stepped completely out of the pod. But what shocked him even more is that the alien then floated in the air over the crater before landing on the ground.
"Oh!" Shock was plastered all over the farmer's face. The alien stood 6'5" with incredibly long, black and spiky hair, easily going down to his knees. Wearing black body armor with brown shoulder and leg protectors, as well as sporting 2 red bands, one on his left thigh, and the other on his left arm, he barely glanced at the farmer before hitting the device over his left eye, a green lens covering it.
"Wh-who are you? What do y-you want?"
"Hmm, a power level of 5? Pitiful." The alien said as he slowly walked towards the portly farmer. Cocking the shotgun he had brought with him, the farmer took aim.
"Stay back! D-don't you c-come any closer! I'll shoot. I mean it!" However, the farmers threats were wasted as the alien took another step.
"HAAA!"
BANG
The farmer had closed his eyes as he shot. He didn't like the idea of killing another human, let alone an alien, but the damage that was done to his farm coupled with the shock of the day, his fear had enabled him to pull the trigger.
When he opened his eyes, he saw that not only had the alien not fallen, he had caught the bullet. Before the farmer could react, the bullet whizzed by him, nearly missing his head, as it plowed into the truck, sending it several feet away and onto its side. Falling down in fear, he watched as the alien continued to walk towards him, stopping short.
"A race of utter weaklings. How the hell did Kakarot let you live?"
"Uh, uh, uh, uh I don't know any carrot! Please don't kill me!"
The alien looked disgusted for several moments, contemplating if he wanted to kill the farmer or not, but before he could decide, his device on his face started beeping a series of numbers.
"136- what? It disappeared. What is this? Damned scouter. Piece of junk. Of course they give saiyans such lowly trash." Caught off guard by the supposedly high power level, the alien clicked a few buttons on the side of the device once again, his face taking on a thoughtful look.
"I don't understand. Hm? 766. Hmm not bad I suppose. Well it's your lucky day human. Enjoy them for however long you have left to live!" An aura exploded around the alien as he leapt into the air.
"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU KAKAROT?!"
Zooming through the sky on the Flying Nimbus was always fun for Gohan, however as he looked up at his Dad, he noticed Goku looking far off in the distance.
"Daddy is something wrong?"
Goku thought he had sensed something...off somewhere far behind him. But he couldn't pinpoint it.
"It's nothing son, saaay, we aren't too far off from where we need to be. Do ya want to try to use your senses to see who is out that way?" Goku asked, attempting to keep Gohan distracted so he could try to find the source of whatever was bothering him. Closing his eyes, the little boy used his ki like his Dad had taught him, trying to get a feel for what was in the front of them not to far away. Opening his eyes, he let out a big smile.
"Daddy they feel strong, are they also fighters?"
Looking down at his son with pride, Goku sensed several different people on his mentors island.
'I thought Shepard lived out here somewhere.'
"Yup, they sure are. They are my friends from when I was a kid myself. Without them I wouldn't be anywhere near as strong as I am now, especially Master Roshi and Krillin. Don't worry, you'll meet them shortly."
Minutes later, they touched down. No one was outside until the door cracked open.
"Goku, is that you?"
"Heyaaa Krillin, how ya been?"
As Krillin stepped outside, he was followed by Master Roshi, Oolong, Turtle, and last but not least, Bulma Brief.
"Hey Goku, oh my Kami it's so good to see you." Giving her oldest friend a hug, she couldn't help but notice the toddler that was in Goku's other arm. "And who is this little guy?"
"He he he well this is Gohan, he's my son."
Everybody looked shocked to hear that, with the exception of Krillin, who already knew about the boy.
"Well hi there Gohan, how old would you be?" Setting the boy down, Gohan looked up at the bluenette, holding up 4 fingers.
"I'm 4 and a half Ma'am." Gohan said.
"Wow he's so well mannered." Bulma said, surprised at how formal the little boy was.
Goku laughed out loud at that. "Well Chi Chi makes sure he studies hard." Even though Goku was cheery on the outside, his senses were going haywire. Someone was coming...
Minutes earlier
'I know I can make the Special Beam Cannon charge faster! I know I can, but how? How can I make it useful in a life or death battle?'
Piccolo had been meditating like usual, trying to discover a path to more power. He didn't like his performance against Yamcha, Goku and Shepard all those months ago. He was so disgusted in fact that the only time he went to the Son house was to train and spend time with Gohan, who had slowly begun to break his cold exterior. The boy was a prodigy!
'Gohan can definitely be stronger then Goku, but I need him to turn to MY way of thinking. The demon clan will not accept anything-'
Standing ramrod straight, Piccolo snapped his head around.
"Goku? No. No wait. That can't be right. This power feels dangerous." 'Whoever this is, he's coming straight for me.' Fight or flight mode had become a thing for the namekian since his encounter with the older version of his hated rival so many months ago. He was a lot more cautious with his actions, but unfortunately he had sensed this threat too late. Moments later, the being who had messed up his meditation was right in front of him.
"Well, so you're the one with the power level of 766? I suppose you could possibly answer some questions for me green man."
"Who the hell are you and what do you want?" Piccolo growled out.
Smirking in return, the being was more then willing to answer. "My name is Raditz, as for what I want, you will tell me where Kakarot is. Have you done something to him? With your power level, I can only assume that you've defeated him long ago and he's not a threat to this planet anymore."
'Kakarot? What the hell kind of name is Kakarot? I wonder...'
"Would you happen to be a saiyan?" The smirk left Raditz's face immediately, followed by a momentary look of surprise.
"So you know of the saiyans? Hmm. Well I guess it does not matter. Tell me where Kakarot is, now!"
"Hmph, even if I did know I wouldn't tell you. Now get lost. You've interrupted my training enough."
Raditz was put off by the namekian, so much so that he crossed his arms and glared at Piccolo. "That's not what I wanted to-"
"YAHHHHH!"
Firing a powerful wave of yellow energy at the saiyan, an explosion followed by smoke and ash billowed up as the namekian waited to see what his blast did. Moments later, an arm waved through the smoke, dissipating most of it.
"Ha ha ha ha well that was enough to tickle my arms. Maybe you got rid of an arm hair or two. You may have a little bit of power Greenie, but you pale in comparison to me. Hahahahaha. Now. Let me show you a real blast." The saiyan began to charge an orb of pink energy in his hand.
'Damn! Not even a scratch. If he's anything like Goku I guess I shouldn't be surprised.' The namekian was thinking a mile a minute as his demise was sure to come, trying to figure a way out of this dread. His luck came moments later by a series of beeps on the burly saiyan's device, which prompted Raditz to cancel his energy blast.
"Hmmm, 788. Maybe this is Kakarot. Well it's your lucky day green man. You get to live, for however long we decide to let you. HAHAHAHAHA!" Flying away as fast as he could, Raditz left a stunned and shaken Piccolo behind.
"If he's heading where I think he is, Gohan may be in trouble." Deciding to follow after the saiyan, Piccolo gave chase...
"So are you gonna be a fighter like your dad Gohan?" Krillin asked, looking down at the little boy. He could tell that he was quite strong for his age. Stronger then Goku was when he was a kid.
"Umm. Well. I want to be as strong as Daddy, but I really want to be a scholar." Gohan said, beaming as he did. Rubbing the back of his head, Krillin looked at Gohan with a bit of surprise, before settling on contentment.
"If you're anything like your Dad, I'm sure you'll-'
"Someone's coming!" Goku interrupted.
Master Roshi closed his eyes behind his glasses, getting a feel for what his pupil had said. Moments later Krillin did as well, before getting into the Turtle stance.
"Bulma, get Gohan away. Get him in the house. Whatever this is, it's not friendly." Goku demanded, not taking his eyes off of the beautiful blue sky.
"Is that Piccolo?"
"No, this definitely isn't Piccolo." Master Roshi answered. Krillin opened his eyes, looking in shock and nearly unveiled terror.
"THERE!!" Goku yelled, seeing a being heading straight for them.
Moments later, the 'man' descended, landing as he looked directly at Goku. Goku followed Krillin into stance, getting horrible vibes.
"You've grown Kakarot. You really have. You look so much like our father, but I remember you when you were but a small brat."
Goku had many thoughts race through his mind, but one thing kept ringing clear. His father's recording. It had mentioned that his brother "had hair longer then his body," so was this who he thought it was? There was only one way to find out.
"Are you Raditz?" The group behind him looked at him with shock.
A ghost of a smile appeared on the armored warrior's face. "So. You do remember? Then how come this population has not been turned to ash? More importantly, WHERE IS YOUR DAMN TAIL?"
"No, I don't remember you. I hit my head when I was small kid. I lost my memories for a long time until they were restored recently. As for my tail? I got rid of it. I nearly killed my grandpa when I was a kid. He was able to cut it off, but it grew back and I had it cut off again."
There was momentary anger, before a smile was plastered on the saiyan's face. It was not a positive one, it was one of a feral nature. Stepping closer to Goku, Raditz uncrossed his arms, before he could speak, he was interrupted.
"Hey pal, Goku isn't gonna do your dirty work, get lost!" Krillin said, stepping up and moving past his oldest friend.
Raditz clicked the device on his ear, looking down at the noseless human.
"364. Respectable for your race, but you are just a big fish in a little pond, Earthling. Stay out of this conversation or else."
"Or else-"
"WATCH OUT!" Goku tried to warn Krillin, before Raditz lashed out, attempting to hit the monk with his tail. Krillin, already on guard, dodged just in the nick of time.
"Damn th-that was way too close." Krillin said, standing next to Goku again.
"You shouldn't have cut off your tail little brother. That is the pinnacle of our race! You fool!"
"You're no brother of mine. Krillin is my brother, Yamcha is my brother. You think that you can destroy planets and hurt innocent people and claim you're related to me? Guess again!" Reaffirming his stance, Goku angrily looked upon his so called brother.
Raditz, taken aback by his brother's words, looked at his brother. For just a few moments, he felt Bardock's presence within him, seeing the pure similarities in the two. Beginning to seethe, Raditz saw red, before looking over at the blue haired earthling with a little boy behind her legs, looking terrified. An idea started to form in his head. Clearly if Kakarot would not join him, maybe this saiyan child would. Clicking his scouter, he made his decision in that moment.
"268, not bad for a small saiyan hybrid child. If you will not join me Kakarot, then I guess your son will have to do."
Goku grew cold in that moment, looking back at Bulma with fury.
"GET GOHAN OUT OF HERE!"
"AHHH ok ok. Let's go, Gohan. Let's get out of here. Come on!" Bulma said, trying to pry the little boy's grip off of her leg, but the fearful boy wouldn't move.
Before Goku could turn back, Raditz made his move, phasing in before the younger saiyan could prepare himself. A knee blasted Goku in the stomach, sending him away to the other side of the island and nearly knocking him out cold.
"H-HEYY not so fast!" Krillin said, charging the saiyan, before being backhanded into and through the house, near Goku. He was barely clinging to life.
"I can't let you take the boy son, stop this." Master Roshi said, getting into the turtle stance as well.
"Son? Do I look like I am a seed of yours old man? I have already crushed Kakarot and that noseless bald trash. Get out of my way now or you're next." But Master Roshi stayed exactly where he was.
"So be it old man. AHHHHH!" Looking to punch through the old hermit, Raditz was surprised when he was misdirected, parried away by the Turtle Master.
"What the? His power level is only 139? Impossible!"
Turning to face him, the Master smiled. "Over 300 years of martial arts training boy. No matter how strong you may be, you're not winning this. Stand down. Let's talk this-!"
"DIIIIIIIIIIE!" Summoning a pink blast and firing it, Raditz watched in glee as the Hermit disappeared in the ensuing explosion.
"MASTER ROSHIIIIII! Yo-YOU!" Goku, struggling to get back to his feet, couldn't believe his eyes. The very master who had taught him so much had died for the 2nd time.
"He-he can't even be brought back with the dragon balls! I'll ma-make you pay for this!"
"Oh Kakarot. Hahahahahaha you will do nothing in the state you are in." Walking towards Bulma and the now crying Gohan, Raditz stood in front of the two, towering over the bluenette. "Now, Earthling, hand me my nephew, or you will be next."
"YOU MURDERING PSYCHOPATH! ROSHI DID NOTHING TO YOU. I WON'T LET YOU HAVE HIM. RUN GOHAN GET OUT OF HERE!" Bulma screamed, peeling the boy off of her throwing him towards his father, who could barely struggle to his knees.
"DADDY!" Before the boy could make it to his father, Raditz used his speed to catch the boy by his tail.
"WAHHHH! LET ME GO LET ME GO!"
"QUIET BRAT!" Before Raditz could monologue to his fallen brother, he received a punch to his face. It didn't hurt, but he was shocked. Gohan wouldn't take this lying down!
"You've trained your son's tail to withstand the weakness?" The saiyan asked, holding Gohan up by his tail to look him in the face, taken aback by how young the boy was, yet being capable of overcoming a weakness that still plagued even him.
"YAHHH!" Throwing another punch, it was caught in Raditz's palm.
"That's enough of that." Slamming the boy to the ground one solid time, it was enough to knock Gohan unconscious.
"NO! Go-Gohan." Holding his hand out to his son, while still clutching his stomach, Goku's hand was kicked down by his brother, before he stomped on it! Screaming in pain, Goku was close to tears, his hand broken and battered as he looked at Raditz, who in turn was smiling viciously.
"Now Kakarot, since you are done fighting, you will listen. Your son will be coming with me. You have one Earth day to kill the rest of these people on this island here. I would say go out and kill some earthlings, but you seem far to soft for that, so we will start off small. Kill the people on this island, then come and find me. If you do this and come with me willingly, your son can stay on this pitiful backwater ball of mud for however long he has left until my comrades come to prepare this planet. Fail to do so, and I will come back and finish the job. You stand no chance against me brother. Oh, and I will kill the boy if you fail as well."
"Prepare? Prepare f-for what?" Bulma asked, ashamed of her cowardice.
Raditz looked over to her, a gleam in his eye not seen yet by the group. "Kakarot here was supposed to have already destroyed the inhabitants of this planet. We are planet traders. We travel to various planets, or in Kakarot's case, are sent to planets throughout the universe to... deal with the populace so that the planets can be bought. This planet is a D class. Meaning the people of this world have an average power level of 5, and Kakarot over there was sent here because it was a planet that he should have been able to conquer, even from the time of being a small child, but I see that he is so much of an idiot and forgot his mission, that he left you people alive. A shame really, I had been expecting to come to this planet where there would be blood and bodies everywhere, and yet, it just might fetch a rather nice price. Hahahahahaha."
"Fr-fr-Frieza won't reward you."
Snapping his head around, Raditz looked at his beaten brother. "What was that Kakarot? You're actually still conscious after that blow?" Walking over and putting his foot on Goku's chest, he dared his younger brother to say what he thought he heard again.
"SAY THAT AGAIN KAKAROT!"
"Gi-give me ba-back my s-son."
"That's not what I heard from you." Raditz said, lifting his foot.
STOMP
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Goku screamed again, having his arm stomped into the ground.
"FR-FRIEZA WON'T REWARD YOU!" Goku screamed painfully. Raditz, to his credit, took his foot off of Goku's arm. Stepping back away from the fallen saiyan.
"Doesn't really matter. The way you talk, you will die long before you ever meet Lord Frieza. Now then, remember what I told you Kakarot. These people on this island, and your obedience, for your son's life. See you soon Kakarot. HAHAHAHAHA!"
And just like that, the planet trader was gone, leaving behind a massacre. Nothing was said for several minutes, before Bulma heard a splash in the water. Looking over, she was stunned to see Master Roshi, clinging to consciousness barely. Running into the water, she helped to get him back onto his island, where he began spitting up water.
"We thought you were dead! What happened? How did you survive?"
"COUGH COUGH... A-afterimage. T-that boy is angry. Powerful but angry. He's only skilled in using his energy t-to throw energy blasts. COUGH COUGH COUGH. I am lucky. I... I don't think he used his full power."
"M-master Roshi?" Goku called out.
"He-hey buddy, he sure beat us down didn't he?" Waking up holding his eye, Krillin noticed the saiyan on the ground not far from him, one arm stuck and not moving.
"Y-yeah. H-he took Gohan. I h-have to get him back."
"Bulma, I think there are a couple senzu beans in my drawer in the living area. Grab them up will you?" Roshi said, having cleared the water out of his lungs and standing somewhat steady again. There was no room for argument. Bulma nodded instantly and ran into the house. Moments later, she came out with 3 senzu beans, holding them out.
"H-here Goku. Kami, your arm is in bad shape." She said, before handing one to Krillin as well.
"I-it should be alright. Th-thanks Bulma." Gulping it down, Goku felt instant relief from his arm, as well as his hand. Pulling his arm out of the ground and standing up, he felt stronger then he did before, like Old man Shepard had described.
"Man, we stand no chance against that guy." Krillin said, having taken his senzu as well. "What do we do?"
"You'll do nothing. Goku can't beat him by himself. He'll need my help." A voice said from above.
"PICCOLO?" Krillin said, instantly on edge. As the namekian touched down, Krillin noticed out of the corner of his eye that Goku hadn't moved.
"So Piccolo, it's just like 'he' said isn't it?" Goku said wryly.
"Yeah. That bastard actually showed up. I didn't get here until he had taken off. I would've followed, but I'm not strong enough to take him on alone either." Piccolo said, clenching his fists until he nearly broke skin.
"What about Shepard?" Krillin asked.
"YOU KNOW HIM?" Piccolo yelled.
"Well yeah I know him. I fought him! Late last year I believe. He wasn't that strong back then but he definitely grew stronger not to long ago. I didn't feel his power for months. But lately when it seemed like he was training, he was becoming a lot stronger. I certainly wouldn't want to fight him now. It was weird though. Earlier his energy just up and disappeared. He's not to far out west. You'll see a big mansion like house that way." Krillin explained, rubbing his head.
"Dammit. Where the hell is he now? He would certainly make a difference, even with that stupid little hammer."
"Heeeey that thing hurt! You didn't get hit with it Piccolo." Goku said, sticking his tongue out.
"Regardless. We don't have time to figure out where that bastard went. We got to go after Raditz. You can say that him and I...had a bit of a misunderstanding earlier today, and I want payback, not to mention that he has your son."
"Right, hey Master Roshi, you want this last senzu?"
"No I should be alright my boy. He barely got me with that blast of his. You better take it. And be careful."
"Thanks Master. Hey Bulma do you have that Dragon Radar? I'm gonna need it to track down Gohan."
"Uh, uhhhh, oh right! Here ya go!" Bulma said, pulling the device out of her pocket and tossing it to Goku.
"Thank you Bulma. Alright you ready Piccolo?"
The namekian looked down at his rival. As much as he had started to appreciate the saiyan for his growing in strength, he would still love to kill him in combat.
"Yeah. Sure."
"Alright, then let's go! See you soon guys! NIIIIIIMBUUUS!"
In the desert, a man was seen on the hard, dusty and hot ground, pushing himself up on 4 fingers, 2 on each hand. He had been oblivious to much of what had happened today, but he was not going to be for much longer...
"Uhhhh.. UHHHH... 999... uhhh.. ahhhooowewww.. damn this hurts...1...thousand."
Falling to the ground, hands weighed down by a heavier gravity then normal, pulled his hands up, dialing down his gravity gauntlets from 4G back down to 1G.
"Holy...crap... my fingers feel like they're gonna fall off." Reaching into a sack that was tied to his obi, the man pulled out a senzu bean, his last one. Putting it in his mouth and chomping down, he instantly felt better. As he was relishing in the fullness the senzu bean provided, his senses went crazy. Looking straight up, he saw what looked like a man flying past him, and fast.
'Hmmm.. who could that have been? Wait. That feels evil. It feels like Goku, but. But there's no way he could've gotten that strong! I have to find out what the hell is goin on!'
Igniting a white aura, the being from the desert rose from the dusty ground and took off...
Raditz had been flying for nearly 45 mins, wanting to get to his pod and drop off his still unconscious nephew in it before finding somewhere comfortable to eat and wait for his younger brother. He was not that hungry, but this planet, with its lush sustenance, would do nicely for his cravings.
As he was thinking about his next meal, his scouter beeped. Slowing down but not stopping, his curiosity was peaked.
"Hmmm, 527. Where is that coming from I wonder?" Starting to look around, Raditz was not prepared for a yellow ball of energy to hit him in the back, singeing his armor.
"WHO DARES!" Turning, a punch had landed in his stomach, pushing him down towards the Earth. Several hundred feet down, he grabbed the fist, hurling the stranger away, who had righted his flight. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" He roared.
"You can call me Yamcha, and you will hand that kid to me now."
"Oh? And why the hell would I do that? Your punch did nothing to me. Kakarot mentioned you I believe. You, are nothing to me, and neither is the brat. He is MY nephew, and since Kakarot is stupid enough to let this planet breed weak warriors such as yourself, I have just enough time to deal with you now."
"Maybe I won't be able to do much to you. But this will." Waving his hand around in a simple motion, Yamcha directed the same ball of energy he hit Raditz with moments ago into the back of his head, sending the saiyan forward, where Yamcha kneed the bigger warrior into his crotch.
"OWWWWWWWWW! You-you BASTARD!" Sending a pink energy blast at Yamcha, the Desert Bandit was fortunate enough to dodge.
'If something like that hits me I'm toast. He's way to strong to take on like he is. What can I do? I can't fight him with Gohan in his hand.' The Bandit thought, knowing he couldn't handle the stronger warrior in a straight up fight. He came up with a plan on the fly, hoping it would work somehow. He had seen Tien use it to great effect in the past, not to mention being lucky he didn't get caught in Shepard's attempt.
"Here goes, SOLAR FLARE!"
"AHHHH MY EYES, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Instinctively using both hands to hold his pained eyes, Raditz dropped Gohan, who was falling at a haphazard speed unconsciously, before being plucked out of the air by Yamcha.
"GOTCHA. I gotcha kid. I gotcha. We need to get out of HEEEERRREE, shit shit SHIT!" Yamcha could not finish his sentence before the angered, blind saiyan started hurling energy balls all over the place. Quite a few getting close to the human, who got away, but barely.
"Ugh..ugh.. wha-?"
"GOHAN!"
Looking up in fright, the little boy saw a familiar face. Smiling up, he hugged the Bandit, who returned it with one hand while flying as fast as he could away.
"Not now Kid. It'll be alright, just hang on for me ok?"
"O-o-ok!" The little boy had woken up frightened, unaware that he was so high in the sky, and Yamcha didn't want to scare the kid anymore then he had been already.
"What happened today Gohan? Whoever that guy is he seems awful mad."
"He-he's a big meanie Mister Yamcha! He hu-hurt my Daddy, and Mister Krillin and he-he...he killed that really old man!"
Stunned cold, Yamcha couldn't believe what he just heard, but he kept flying. Master Roshi, dead? It couldn't be! It just couldn't! He couldn't be wished back by the dragon balls again.
"Master Roshi is gone?" Yamcha asked as stonily as he possibly could, holding back an immense amount of anger.
"It was h-horrible Mister Yamcha. He-he-"
"It's ok Gohan, you're safe-!"
"GUESS AGAIN!"
Yamcha, barely able to react in time, braced for the impact, having sensed the maniacal saiyan just a moment before. Raditz, having caught up with the Bandit, began to deliver a brutal beating on him, punching him in the stomach repeatedly until he started coughing blood. Dropping Gohan in the process, the boy screamed for several seconds before righting himself in the air and flying away as fast as he could go, tears pouring out of his eyes.
Lowering himself to the ground, Raditz dropped the scarred human, watching as he clutched his stomach in agony.
"You dumbass! You flew towards where I wanted to be. Perhaps if you had flown in a different direction, you might have got to live a bit longer. But now, it's time to just die."
Standing up, Yamcha, still in a lot of pain and clutching his stomach, started laughing.
"What's so funny Scarface? I seemed to have missed the joke." Raditz said, beginning to anger.
"Hehehehe, it doesn't matter what you do to me today. If not me or Goku or even Piccolo, then Shepard will surely get your ass." Removing his weighted wristbands, Yamcha powered up to his maximum.
"Huh...604. Your power increased from removing your garments! They must be weighted! The gravity on this planet is pathetically low. And just who is Shepard?" Raditz asked
"Uhh, uhh, uhh. It doesn't matter. He'll deal with you! HAAAAA!" Yamcha said, charging straight at the saiyan. Dodging easily, Raditz palmed Yamcha in the chest, sending him away before speeding behind him and kicking him across his back, sending him towards the ground. Landing on his feet somehow, Yamcha charged again, throwing punches at Raditz, who laughed as he dodged. After having enough of it, Raditz grabbed Yamcha's extended hand after he missed, kneeing him in the chest, making Yamcha cough up more blood, before slamming his forearm into Yamcha's back, sending him to the ground.
"Too slow human. Your power level pales in comparison to mine. Do you give up yet?"
"N-no!" Getting up, Yamcha, through gritted, blood soaked teeth, began to gather energy.
"KAAAAAAMEEEEEE!"
'His power just climbed to 1,012. What is this?' Curious, Raditz let the Bandit gather as much energy as he could.
"HAAAAAAAMEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAA!"
A blue beam rocketed forth towards the saiyan, who stared in surprise. 'His power climbed to almost 1,100. It seems this species can channel all of their energy into a single point, but it's not enough!'
Covering his hand in his energy, Raditz ran towards the blast, punching it with his ki coated fist. There was resistance for a couple seconds before he felt it lift, sending the blast far away into the air before a massive explosion occurred. Yamcha, shocked at the powerful display, could only watch in stunned silence. "H-he deflected it like it was nothing? Dammit." Before he could process, Raditz came through the hazy smoke that the kamehameha left behind, fist still coated in energy, before nearly taking Yamcha's head off, sending him through a series of trees before landing on the forest ground, hard...
Gohan had been flying for several minutes, hearing the explosions behind him. His tears had started to dry up and he was thinking as clearly as he could. Dropping to the forested area, he started running, having used up a lot of his energy. He didn't look back, afraid of what he may see behind him. A blast flew high above him, destroying several tree tops and setting them aflame.
"WAHHHH!" Gohan cried out as torched branches began falling around him.
"I HAVE ALREADY DEALT WITH YOUR LITTLE FRIEND NEPHEW, SO YOU MAY AS WELL COME OUT NOW!" Gohan heard Raditz yell from somewhere above. Lowering his ki like his mentor Piccolo had taught him was keeping him from being discovered immediately, but he didn't know how much longer he could stay in the forest until he started inhaling smoke.
"I WILL BURN THIS FOREST TO THE GROUND BRAT! I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE SOMEWHERE!" Another blast was fired, only a couple hundred feet away from where Gohan was hiding... Having had enough, the little boy decided to make his move. Using the technique that Yamcha taught him months ago. He had practiced immensely with his control over the last few months when he wasn't studying.
As Raditz prepared another blast, his scouter went off again.
"513, wh-?"
"MASENKO!" A yellow blast was launched from below him. Having just seen it, Raditz dodged it, looking down and seeing Gohan flying up and charging at him.
"YAHHHH!" Dodging it easily, he dug his knee into the little boy's stomach, followed by an elbow to the top of his head, knocking the boy away and sending him to the ground.
"You little troublemaker! How dare you attack me. If you weren't such a wonderful bargaining piece, I'd have dealt with you already." Looking down at the burning forest, Raditz clicked his scouter, looking to locate his space pod. "Only a few miles out. Good. I've already seen enough of this dirt planet to last me a lifetime. As he started to walk towards the boy, his foot stepped down, only for it to be caught in an explosion.
"What the?" Several more yellow balls of energy had exploded out of the ground, catching the saiyan warrior off guard. One hit him in his shoulder, another on his leg, one hit him in the side of the head, knocking him a few feet away. "What kind of trick is-?" Raditz tried to say before he was hit dead smack in the face with one, knocking his head back. Snapping back, he saw Gohan trying to move away again. He would not let him escape a 2nd time. Having had enough. Raditz was done toying around. As another Spirit Ball hit him in his jaw, he gathered all his energy within himself.
"YAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Forcing his energy out in a dome of intense energy, much like his Prince had taught him, the pink field of energy destroyed the spirit balls effortlessly.
Hearing it before he saw it, Gohan looked back, terrified at the wall of immense energy coming for him. Holding his hands out to block what he could, he was stopped when a figure landed in front of him.
"RUN GOHAN! GET OUTTA HERE!"
"MI-MISTER YAMCHA! NOOOOOO!"
"It's ok kid, get out of here. And live." Bloody and resigned to his fate, Yamcha put up a bubble of energy, sending his hand back and using a kiai to push Gohan as far back as he could, he then held out both hands in front of him. "AHHHHHHHHH!" Within a few seconds, the energy barrier crashed into his little bubble, breaking through only a couple seconds later and sending waves of intense energy into his being. Screaming in agony, his life flashed before his eyes. Fighting alongside his friends, being with Bulma, playing baseball, the conversation with the older version of Shepard, training in the desert for days on end, only his water and his wits keeping him alive. All this had flashed through the Desert Bandit's eyes as he was consumed by the kiai like energy dome.
Minutes had passed, the forest had become nothing but a barren, ashen wasteland, except for two figures standing, everything else had been consumed in the blast.
"Humph...To think I would have to use my energy like...WHAT?" Raditz said, breathing a little hard from exerting so much of his energy. As the smoke dissipated in several places, he saw the Desert Bandit, still standing with his hands out, smoke pouring off of him. Wheezing and unable to breathe any longer, he fell on his front moments later, a now lifeless husk. Walking up to the now dead Bandit, Raditz couldn't help but be somewhat impressed.
"Not... Not bad earthling. If you had not challenged me, you'd still be alive, now where the hell is that brat? Walking for a few minutes through the now barren wasteland of what was once a lush forest, he spotted the boy, knocked out from Yamcha's final kiai.
"Ahhh there you are. If there are no more interruptions, then I can finally relax and wait for Kakarot. Hurry up brother, we have a planet to deal with." Grabbing the boy once again by his tail, Raditz took off towards his pod...
Goku, atop the Flying Nimbus with Piccolo flying beside him, had been traveling non stop, hoping to find some sign of his younger brother.
"I smell smoke." Piccolo said suddenly, bringing the saiyan's attention to him. Goku took a whiff of his own, catching what Piccolo smelled as well.
"Faster Nimbus LET'S GO!" Taking off towards the scent, they started to see billows of smoke from what once used to be a lush forest.
"Oh Kami." Goku said in dread, leading the Nimbus down to the ground, Piccolo following.
"I thought I sensed a fight but I wasn't too sure. It sure smells like energy was discharged. Someone's power disappeared." Piccolo said.
"Yeah I'm starting to get that feeling too." They continued to search for any clues, until Piccolo with his keen eyesight, spotted a fleck of orange in the distance.
"Goku, is that who I think it is?" Piccolo said, beginning to run with Goku right by him.
"I hope not. Please don't let it be." Goku said.
The body was charred almost beyond recognition. With the exception of a few orange flakes of cloth still visible, the person's hair, long before, was burnt and singed to the scalp. Turning the body over, Goku fought the bile that came up when he recognized the scars on the charred face of his fallen friend. "Y-Yam-Yamcha?" Falling to his knees in horror, Goku couldn't handle the smell, turning his face and throwing up near the body.
"He..he must have seen Raditz flying by, somehow caught up to him and fought him. The important thing is that Gohan is not here. Either...either he killed him and there's no evidence of his body around anymore, or Yamcha somehow saved him and he could still be near." Piccolo said, as analytical as he could be in this dreadful situation. Getting back to his feet, Goku wiped his mouth off before he put his hands together, bowing in respect to his fallen friend.
"Th-thank you Yamcha, we'll bring you back with the dragon balls as soon as we can. I promise. Thank you for fighting for my son."
Deep down, Goku was astonished that Yamcha would do so much, but he couldn't dwell on it anymore. They had to get to Raditz, and hopefully Gohan. He couldn't sense his son, but he could only assume, and hope, that the boy was unconscious and not dead. Chi Chi would never forgive him for failing his promise to her.
"I sense Raditz that way." Piccolo said, pointing out past the forest into the clearing towards the Spinach Wastes.
"We better get over there." Goku said, hopping back on the Flying Nimbus.
"It'll be pointless to sneak up on him, that device on his face is some kind of device that can read battle power." Piccolo pointed out.
"So, head on it is." They knew, as they got in the air again, that it wasn't far from where Raditz must've landed, minutes away they saw their objective, sitting on a boulder awaiting them...
Minutes ago, Raditz had landed next to his pod, unceremoniously throwing his young nephew inside. Floating back up, he found a boulder only a couple hundred feet from the crater his pod had made. Deciding to take a seat, he began to reflect on the day's events. The human had surprised him, catching him off guard on several occasions. Had Vegeta or Nappa been here, this mission would already be done with, but with them still being on Enabos, he was all alone. Listening to his scouter, he was apprised of the situation. They were making short work of the population there, and knowing that he was holding them back, really grated on him. Most of the average power levels were settled in around 1,000.
"It's a good thing we got the Runt outta here eh Vegeta? All he's done is slow us down lately."
"Indeed Nappa, but it's what Kakarot said that has piqued my interest. After we are done with these miserable wretches, we will go to Earth ourselves. If Raditz the Weakling knows what's good for him, he'll stay out of our way, or be destroyed."
"But why Vegeta? Kakarot isn't all that strong. Raditz should be able to handle those weaklings. It's only a D class."
"Hm hm hm, yes Nappa but Kakarot mentioned something called Dragon Balls. If they're what I think they are, then it must be the wish granting orbs I have heard rumors about for years. Going to Earth to get them works in our favor."
"Then wouldn't that mean there's a Namekian involved?"
"Yes, more then likely."
"So what do we do if the Runt gets killed somehow? Do we wish him back?"
"Are you kidding me Nappa? To hell with Raditz the Weakling. Why waste a wish on trash?"
Cutting off the communication, Raditz was pissed. He knew that he was the weakest of the 3, but he was strong enough to be a Mid Class Saiyan warrior, but it paled in comparison to Nappa, let alone Prince Vegeta. To know that his comrades, who he had served dutifully and faithfully since he was a child, thought so lowly of him made something in him break. He thought about taking the planet over, perhaps finding a way to train to prepare himself if they did actually show up. Before he could finish the thought, his scouter beeped out a series of numbers.
'1,628? WHAT!' Snapping his head in the direction the scouter caught the levels, he hit another button.
'Wait a moment. 2 separate power levels. 852 and 766. So one is the green man. Then the other must be-!"
"RADITZ!?"
Seconds later, both warriors had dropped down. Goku looked angry, seeing his son's kidnapper being nonchalant in their presence.
"Well Kakarot, I see you brought...backup. This was not a part of our deal. Are you hard at hearing?"
"Give. Me Back. MY SON!" Goku roared out, hardly able to be excited for a fight like this. Piccolo had not seen his rival so riled up in a long time. Smirking at the Saiyan, he reached out with his senses, barely able to detect the boy in the saiyan pod.
"What have you done to the boy?" Piccolo asked, internally angered that his pupil was unable to defend himself.
"Oh. The brat? My nephew? Well he is in my pod over there."
Upon hearing this, Goku floated up in the air, looking down at the pod. He saw his son passed out inside.
"I'll get you out. Somehow Gohan I will." Goku swore.
"What good will that do when you can't even defeat me Kakarot? You shouldn't make such empty promises hahahahaha." Raditz was not even sweating the confrontation. Arms crossed, he took in the duo. They could probably give him a decent warm up, but nothing more. After he was done with them, he was thinking that he could take this planet, mold the brat into his personal warrior, and send him out to do what his father had failed to do years prior.
"I don't know about you two, but I'm done talking. After we've dealt with you, we WILL get Gohan out of that pod." Removing his headwear and cape, Piccolo let loose the full weight of his power.
"Hmmm. 917. So you did what that pathetic human did earlier?" Raditz asked, genuinely curious.
"That...human had a name. It was Yamcha. And you'll do well to remember that." Goku said, barely holding onto his calm. He began to take his weighted shirt off, followed by his shoes and wristbands.
"970. Hm hm hm. I'm somewhat impressed Kakarot, with this weak gravity you have somehow made a way to enhance your strength through weighted undergarments. But it pales in comparison to me. You see Kakarot, my power level is approaching 2,000. You don't have a shot in hell. So.. just surrender. You would be a great aid to the Prince. A new... punching bag if you will hahahahaha."
"Your prince is a coward." Raditz grew still at Goku's words. Looking at his brother as if he'd grown a 2nd head.
"H-HOW DARE YOU SPEAK ABOUT OUR PRINCE LIKE THAT!" Calming down fractionally, he continued. "Prince Vegeta is easily 10 times MY strength, let alone over 20 times yours. He could kill you with a look. You would do well to show respect."
"You're just as bad as him. Just because he is a prince, you treat yourself so lowly. With enough training, even the weak can surpass the elite."
"Enough talk Kakarot. You will wish you would've taken my offer." Raditz said, done with the conversation.
He didn't know how long his eyes were closed, but when they opened, blue skies and white clouds were not what he saw. Sitting up and looking around the white void, he couldn't help but be a little put out.
"Over here Shep!" A familiar voiced called from close by. Turning around, Shepard almost fired a blast.
"YOU! What the fuck Marc. I was getting ready to get Raditz." Shepard said, walking over to the pair of chairs that Marc must've conjured in this space.
"I know, and I want you to. But not yet. Things have to play out first." Marc sagely mentioned.
"And how the hell does that work when you got me stuck here. Matter fact, who the fuck do you think you are to pull me out of a fight?" Shepard wanted to know now.
"I did it because Goku has to die. He has to Shep. If he survives, his chances of beating Vegeta next year are slim to none. He doesn't have his tail so any advantage he would have with training would be wiped out instantly." Marc explained.
"Ok. One. Fuck you. Two. Fuck you fuck you fuck you fu-"
"WILL YOU STOP?" Marc yelled, silencing the seething saiyan.
"Just because Goku is...fated to die, doesn't mean he has to." Shepard said, shaking his head in exacerbation. Marc sadly looked at his younger, more primal counterpart.
"I know. But just hear me out. I've seen far more then you. The strain of the super saiyan will be unreal. King Kai's training will help nullify a lot of the upcoming stresses we're about to be putting our bodies through. Even if you don't believe that, then believe this: We're the only ones who even have a shot at beating Raditz right now. Goku needs to live through the experience of dying, to come out of it even stronger then before. If we are always there to help him through these ordeals, it could wane on him. He needs to be able to trust that his own power can potentially be enough. We have to grant him that chance."
Shepard was flummoxed. He could understand Marc's opinion. He really could. But deep down, it didn't sit right with him. It just didn't.
"You sound like a fucking Vulcan right now. I mean. All you're using is logic. Of things that may happen. We may have the knowledge, but we don't deserve to hoard it. They deserve the right to fight for themselves. And that means forewarning the others. It means being a friend in the shadow of lost hope. These next few years are gonna be the toughest I'll ever live. But I refuse to live them in fear. I have this body now. You may be my mind and together, we may be unstoppable. But not like this. I can't work like this. Unshackle me. Please." Shepard urged, pain in his eyes. He needed Marc to hear him, to give him a chance. He wasn't quite sure how to control this space. That seemed to be Marc's forte.
"Ok"
...
"OK? That's all you have to say? OK? Get the fuck outta here with that."
"What do you want me to say Shep? You want to be unshackled? Then that's what I'll do." With a snap of his fingers, Marc lifted the block on Shepard. "There, you can come and go when you please. Just...just don't forget about me. That is all I ask." As Marc stepped back, head down in shame, Shepard started to understand why Marc had done this in the first place.
"I'll come when I can. But my life is out there now. I need to be out there. But I will come and visit you. We can still communicate on the outside right?" Shepard asked.
"Absolutely, if you ever have any questions, or any doubts, I'll know, and I'll do what I can to help. I'm sorry Shep. I should've talked to you out there first."
"It's alright man. It'll be ok." Giving a thumbs up, Shepard sat down on the void floor, closing his eyes."
"Good luck." Was the last thing he heard before his vision went completely black...
Oooooooh damn! And that's the end. Not a whole lot of action this chapter, but things will surely be heating up. Now there may be some questions, but I'm sure as some of this continues to get written out, they will be answered. Such as why are Vegeta and Raditz stronger in this Universe instead of their normal selves. Old Shepard's words surely didn't have that much of an impact on the pair or saiyans! I really wanted to bring out the savage nature of a saiyan in this chapter. As you can see, Raditz is not one to mess around with his brother or any of his friends too much. We will see the epic fight take hold between Goku and Piccolo vs Raditz next chapter. Now, I figure with the power levels being so readily available throughout the chapter, that I would leave well enough alone with them here. Was anybody surprised by Gohan's lack of tail weakness? Was anybody expecting me to try it out? I'm seeing so many awesome things in this future for him. Please like, favorite, review, or pm me for questions about the story, or maybe ideas of what you think may happen and I'll see how right (or wrong!) you are! Until next time!