A crackling noise caused the Saiyan's closed eyes to twitch. Slowly, the man opened his eyes and stared at the wooden ceiling for a while. His dark spheres shifted to the left. There was a poorly made fireplace with dried meat hanging from a rope attached to the ceiling. Upon seeing the meat, his stomach produced a loud noise. The warrior moved to the edge of the bed, and as he tried to get up, he felt an invisible force pushing him down. An annoyed snarl escaped from his mouth as he fought back. Sweat slid down his bruised face, but he managed to get on his feet after almost a minute.

However, when he was on his feet, Raditz could not move. He clenched his teeth and squeezed both fists so tightly they almost began to bleed. The warrior fought against the force and made a step forward. It required every bit of strength he had to stand, let alone move. He placed a hand on the small table and supported himself as he dragged his feet forward. The sweat dripped from his chin while he took a little break.

He even had trouble breathing. It was almost as if his lungs were on fire. "O-Of all planets to crash on... I-I had to crash-land on a one with higher gravity than I'm used to!" He cussed as he felt every muscle in his body ache.

Despite that, the Saiyan pushed his body over the limit. A fierce determination shone in his dark eyes. After everything he went through, he would not fall here and die of hunger. With a tremendous shout, Raditz pushed himself off the table and took two steps before falling. The warrior cried out in pain once he slammed against the floor. The pain was so much to bear that he almost passed out. Instead, a weak smirk appeared as he pulled his hand closer. In his fall, he managed to grab a piece of dried meat. While the gravity kept him pinned against the floor, Raditz was about to eat when he heard footsteps.

"Two low energies are coming in. Must be the ones living here... Despite the gravity, I should be able to kill them if the need arises."

The warrior let go of the meat and shut his eyes. He pretended to be unconscious while the two figures walked inside. His ears twitched upon hearing a gasp. Suddenly, he felt hands over his body. Shortly after, he found himself back in the bed. He opened his eyes a little while they weren't looking. The warrior saw a short, bald, older man with a gray beard talking to a younger-looking man wearing a helmet.

"Phew! I forgot how heavy he is. Oh, I am exhausted!"

The older male sat in the chair and removed the goggles and the gear. As he put the stuff on the table, he gazed at Raditz, who quickly shut his eyes. The older man wanted to say something, but his younger companion intercepted him.

"I don't like this, Turmeri! We should've left him to get eaten by wild beasts! Having this guy here's gonna bring trouble!"

While the young male fidgeted around, visibly afraid of the Saiyan lying in bed, Turmeri sighed before talking. "Cardamom, please sit and calm down. We went through this already. Before passing any judgment, we must talk with the man and see where it gets us. Remember, we are not in the organization anymore. We are safe here." He spoke softly and managed to convince his companion to sit.

"Remember Turmeri! That guy's a Saiyan! W-What if Lord Freeza sent him here!? M-Maybe he's here to kill us for running away! I-I say we kill him while he's still..."

Before Cardamom could finish, Turmeri slammed his fist against the table, startling the younger male. "Enough! You are letting fear cloud your mind and gaining control over you again!" He placed a hand over Cardamom's and continued.

"When we left, I made sure they wouldn't be able to track us. We did everything to cover our tracks. So, please, believe me when I say that no one from the Freeza Force could ever find us."

A moment of silence has prevailed in the little hut. Once Turmeri felt Cardamom's shaking stopped, the older man spoke again. "As for him... I am positive he crash-landed here by accident. Something must have happened to his ship." He gazed at the sleeping warrior and wanted to know more about the Saiyan.

"I-I will rely on your judgment one more time, Turmeri. But I can't trust a Saiyan..."

While the two continued their conversation, Raditz carefully listened to all of it. "A couple of deserters, interesting! I can't trust them, but I can use them for my needs!" The Saiyan contained his chuckle while he bid his time and thought about how to deal with this situation.

It took a little while for Raditz to come up with a plan. The Saiyan let out a groan as he slowly opened his eyes. He acted confused and disoriented while he stared at the ceiling. As he tried to get up, he quickly gave up and fell back in the bed. However, he noticed Turmeri immediately get closer to the bed while Cardamom observed from a safe distance.

"Easy! Your wounds might have healed, but the gravity of this world is too much for you now. Luckily, we have this little gadget which reduces the gravity within a small radius."

The Saiyan looked at Turmeri and held tightly onto the man's arm. "W-Where am I? What happened? Who are you?" Raditz spoke quietly and with a worried tone as he looked elsewhere.

"Hm. You are still shaken by what occurred to you, so I will explain what we know... First, let me introduce my shy companion, Cardamom, and myself, Turmeri. You see, while hunting for food, we heard a loud explosion in the sky and saw you crash nearby."

Once the Saiyan nodded, Turmeri resumed talking. "It was a miracle you survived the explosion and the landing. We took you in and mended your wounds. It was quite a work, but we managed to keep you alive with what we have here." Turmeri pointed at the wooden crate filled with medical supplies.

"I was fortunate, and good people took care of me! Thank you!"

With Turmeri's help, Raditz leaned against the pillow and continued. "I don't remember exactly what happened, to be honest... I was traveling back home when all I heard was a loud noise, and I felt terrible pain. I apologize, but other than that, I don't remember much besides my name, Leek." He placed a hand over his head, acting as if deeply troubled by the events.

Once he felt a hand over his shoulder, the Saiyan gazed at the older male. "Do not worry, Leek. Cardamom and I will help you. Now, sit back, and I will bring you some food; after all, you must be famished." Raditz nodded while Turmeri got off the bed.

"Again, thank you for what you do for me, a stranger. I'm curious, though, what's the name of this world?"

While Turmeri prepared food on an old-looking stove, Cardamom spoke for the first time. "Planet Litt." However, Cardamom looked away and again went silent when the Saiyan gazed at him.

Noticing that his companion was silent again, Turmeri turned to the Saiyan and laughed. "Excuse my friend, Leek. He is timid and has difficulty getting used to new people. I am sure he and you will have long conversations soon." Turmeri grabbed the dried meat and placed it with boiled potatoes and rice on a plate.

"This world harbors only a tiny population of people, thirty-seven to be precise. It's a small group of outlaws living in the mountains. We tried to make contact when we arrived, but they retaliated when they noticed we had nothing to offer. Quite a savage bunch."

Raditz expected the gravity to get in the way, but it wasn't there since Turmeri turned on the device. "There we go, much better, right? But yes, other than those people, there are only wild beasts and monsters... I traveled across many planets but never encountered such beasts! They are truly fierce and terrifying!" As he took a bite, Raditz could see the strain in the older male eyes.

"Where are you two coming from? If you don't mind me asking."

When Raditz asked the question, he saw Cardamom nervously bite his nails. "Oh, from far away. We grew tired of working for a troublesome person and decided to quit and search for a peaceful world. And as fate can be funny sometimes, we ended up here." The warrior almost burst out laughing but managed to contain himself.

"Hm. I understand what you mean. However, unlike myself, you guys don't seem troubled by the heavy gravity of this world."

Turmeri smiled while he took the plate and walked over to the table. "Well, we have this little thingy to help us, but we have been here for so many years, our bodies adjusted to this planet's gravity. Would you believe me if I said I was taller than you fifteen years ago?" The bald man laughed as he leaned against the table and picked up a yellow fruit.

"Forty-five times more than normal. Please take your time and let us care for you for a while. And don't worry, once your body gets used to it, you will pay us with interest."

The older man ate the yellow fruit and grinned. He picked up the goggles and the gear from the table. "Now, if you will excuse us, Cardamom and I have a job to finish. You rest; we will return before the sun sets... unless the crimson serpent gets us." Turmeri winked while Cardamom meekly followed.

Raditz remained still for five minutes until he felt they were far away. "Hmph, fools! They don't know what awaits them once I conquer this gravity!" He seized the blanket and tossed it away. He approached the bed and, without hesitation, turned off the small device.

The Saiyan gritted his teeth and solidified himself as the powerful force tried to push him down. "I will not lay back and do nothing! Moving and training under such heavy gravity could help me grow stronger! Yes, stronger, so I never again need anyone's help!" He squeezed his hands while memories of what transpired weeks ago resurfaced.

"I-I don't need anyone! Neither do I need to accept anything! I am Raditz, a ruthless Saiyan warrior! T-That's all I am!"

Just as he made a step forward, Raditz dropped to his knees. His arms quivered as he prevented himself from falling completely. The veins appeared across his muscular arms and forehead. His dark orbs quivered, but the warrior didn't falter. With a vicious roar, he slowly arose and felt immense pain surge all over his body. A few seconds later, Raditz found himself again lying on the wooden floor. His struggle continued for the entire day until the sun set over the mountains.

While the moon got hidden behind the clouds, the Saiyan rested in bed inside the hut while Turmeri and Cardamom returned from the hunt. The two brought a large bird with sharp, white feathers with red markings at the ends. He observed the dead animal and was surprised by the sharp fangs and talons. His orbs drifted to Cardamom, who stared out the window while Turmeri plucked the feathers away. With each feather plucked, Cardamom winced. Raditz found it rather strange but lost interest as Turmeri began to talk.

"Ugh. These birds are so tricky to deal with. Not only are they aggressive and eat whatever moves, but their feathers are a weapon even once they lose their life."

Raditz observed Turmeri do the job, but the older male cut himself on the sharp feathers despite being careful. "Tsk! No matter how often I do this, I always cut myself... But it's something only I can do." The Saiyan raised a brown and found himself curious to know why.

"What do you mean? If it's something you don't like, why are you doing it?"

Turmeri laughed as he halted and wiped the sweat off his temple. "Because Cardamom can't do it, and if I don't get rid of the feathers, we can't have the tasty meat." The bearded man resumed working when Cardamom suddenly rushed out of the hut.

Raditz wondered what was wrong with the younger male, and Turmeri explained. "Pay him no mind. Cardamom is a troubled young man. He went through a lot, but he is far better than what he was. Give him time." The Saiyan remained quiet and responded with a nod.

While Turmeri did his thing, Raditz leaned against the pillow and thought how he would fare against such vicious beasts. Facing such strong creatures could be an excellent workout under the high gravity of this world. However, even he was aware at this moment it was impossible. He needed to focus on adjusting to the heavy force and doing the usual training routine.

"Leek. What do you do for a living? Before you got here..."

The Saiyan, however, snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Cardamom. He stared at the younger male who walked back inside, surprised that the Cardamom spoke to him. After the surprise faded, the warrior coughed before answering the question.

"A bodyguard for hire. Such are times that even the scums dabbling in secretive activities require someone to protect them. It's a dirty business, but as a Saiyan, I get to fight often, which satisfies my needs."

Raditz couldn't but smirk as he noticed Cardamom shiver. "Hm. That may be why you crash-landed. It might be a conspiracy theory, but perhaps a rival gang or someone who doesn't like your client caused your ship to explode, so they get rid of you?" The Saiyan shifted his attention to Turmeri, who cut deep with the knife.

"Hmph. You might be onto something, old man. I often received death threats, but I always dealt with them. However, they bested me this time."

Turmeri shook his head as he stared at Raditz. "Well, this is a sign for you. Start from nothing and get a better job. You can always satisfy your needs in a fighting arena. God knows they are almost on every other planet." The older male took hold of the well-rolled cigarette and lit it up.

"Hm. That could work. I have never thought of it, to be honest."

Raditz smiled back at Turmeri, who lifted a validating thumbs-up. "Turmeri, you are a good person. Not only did you save a stranger, you brought me to your house and gave me advice for a better tomorrow. Why? Aren't you afraid I might do something to you or Cardamom?" His smile quickly faded and was replaced by a serious expression.

Turmeri took his time as he lowered the cigarette and leaned against the wall. "Well, sometimes you need to take chances and help people. Sure, there are bad people, but I believe there is good in all of us, no matter how small that good might be. Besides, I believe everyone deserves a second chance." The bald man smiled once again as he removed the blood-stained gloves.

"But that might also stem from my guilt. When I was younger, I did many bad things I was not proud of and could never atone for. However, I want to do some good until the day I die... Well, it was primarily because of Cardamom that I changed my ways."

While Turmeri warmly grinned and hugged Cardamom, Raditz stared blankly. He wanted to laugh and mock the short male. However, a tiny part of him understood what Turmeri meant by that. Again, he was able to feel the kindly sensation within him. He bit the flesh inside his mouth out of frustration as he thought the feeling disappeared after his battle with Slug. The warrior shook his head and glared out of the window, lost in thoughts.

-X-

Cold sweat slid down the Saiyan's scarred torso as he tossed around in bed. His tail hung over the bed as he shifted to the other side. Troubled dreams continued to pester the warrior. The events from weeks ago continued to sneak through the crack in his armor and find their way to his psyche. Many things that got banished ages ago seeped through that tiny crevice. Feelings, emotions, and whatnot plagued the ruthless warrior in his sleep.

Raditz's inside torture continued until early in the morning. A loud screech and breaking woke the warrior and the other men. "What the!" As he looked up, he saw a gigantic bird tear apart the roof and squawk at them.

"Take cover!"

Before he could react, Turmeri grabbed Raditz and threw him on the floor. "Those damn birds must have tracked us down! Cardamom! My gun!" The Saiyan gazed at Cardamom, who somehow managed to sneak under the giant beak and grab Turmeri's gun.

"We need to lure them far away from here. Otherwise, we are goners!"

Turmeri caught the gun and aimed at the giant bird. Just as he was about to shoot it, a smaller creature got in front and attacked the older male. The gray bird poked Turmeri with its beak and scratched him with its sharp feathers. Before the bird could sink its sharp fangs into Turmeri's throat, Raditz kicked the animal and swiftly fired a blast. To the Saiyan's surprise, the blast did nothing to the creature.

"A simple blast won't do any good! The creatures in this world are resilient and strong because of the harsh environment in which they evolved! If you intend to fight them, you must take it seriously!"

Raditz nodded and jumped to the other side just in time to avoid a strike. He gazed at the giant, golden bird with long red feathers. The warrior wanted to try and take it down, but a bunch of small ones got in the way. Raditz cursed as he punched and kicked the creatures out of the house. However, as he was doing that, one bird slammed against the table and knocked over the antigravity device. Almost immediately, Raditz dropped to his knees.

Upon feeling the shift in the pressure, Turmeri gazed at the struggling Saiyan. "Hang on!" The short male rolled across the floor and managed to grab the device. However, he sustained wounds from doing that. "Take it and hold it! We can deal with them without it!" Despite the pain, Turmeri continued to fend off.

Raditz didn't know whatever was to be revealed or embarrassed. However, the warrior got over it pretty quickly and, with no gravity in the way, resumed fighting. He blasted high into the sky with a bunch of birds around him. The warrior halted abruptly and, with a strong shout, released a powerful kiai. As the birds got blown away, he dashed at them and delivered killer blows.

While a glowing aura surrounded his body, the Saiyan marveled at the strength acquired from his battle with Slug. "Wonderful! But there's more! And I know this world will do it for me!" He glared at the golden bird and flew at it.

He brought both hands forward and fired a big ki attack. The blast hit the target head-on but didn't even put a scratch on the creature's body. However, he gained the beast's attention. Raditz smirked and swirled under the gigantic beast just in time. The warrior yelled as he fired ki blasts at the animal's unprotected belly. Upon hearing a painful howl from the feathered beast, a devilish grin surfaced on the man's face.

The Saiyan spun in the air and landed while the beast licked its wounds. "So, that's your weak spot, you oversized chicken. You're going down and right on my plate!" The warrior's muscles bulked as the aura swirled around him like flames.

Raditz launched himself at the giant bird with a glowing orb between his hands. As he approached it, the orb grew in size. He leaped above the bird but got caught. The Saiyan snarled at the beast, whose sharp fangs sank deeper into his leg. He had to abandon the primary objective and focus on getting free. The warrior placed a hand forward and shot a blast into the bird's left eye. While the beast cried in pain, Raditz closed his fist tightly and delivered a powerful uppercut, breaking the bird's beak. The long-haired male laughed but arrogantly overlooked the creature's sharp wings and got sliced across the face.

"Ughh!"

Blood poured out of the open cut, which spread from the tip of the forehead down near the right eye and ended on the neck. The warrior held tightly and felt an intense burning sensation along with the pain. He glared at the bird, which had trouble finding him. With a mighty shout, the Saiyan ignited a ki blade and once again dashed at the hurt and disoriented beast. He slashed the creature's wing, and as he continued downward, the warrior stabbed the bird's gut.

The painful screech hurt Raditz's ears, making him immobile momentarily. He could only watch as the formidable creature swung its talons one last time. The strike was strong enough to send him flying toward the ground. However, that wasn't the least of his worries. When the giant golden bird hit him, it broke the gravity device. The warrior found himself pinned against the ground within seconds.

"Aghh!"

Raditz cried as the strike and the crash hurt like anything before. He couldn't believe it, but the bird was still alive and attacking him. He couldn't move and defend himself no matter how much he tried. He shouted at the same time as the bird did. However, much to the Saiyan's shock, a blast struck the beast in the head. Raditz shifted his eyes to the side and saw Turmeri and Camradom shooting with modified rifles.

"Hang in there, Leek! You weekend it enough for us to finish it off!"

The warrior didn't believe them, but he was quickly proved wrong. Turmeri began to run and suddenly jumped, grabbing Cardamom's ankle. The two soared above the falling bird and flew to the right side, from where Turmeri shot the bird's other eye.

"Cardamom, now!"

Cardamom used all his force and catapulted his long-time friend toward the bird. While flying toward the beast, Turmeri adjusted the rifle and aimed. There was no fear or hesitation in the older man's green eyes. When the time was right, Turmeri fired the shot through the hole Raditz created with a ki blade. Once the blast got in, the golden bird exploded.

On the ground, Raditz stared at the bald male who got picked up by Cardamom. While the two slowly descended, the giant bird fell only a few steps from the Saiyan. The warrior groaned as a large, heavy feather fell on him.

"Job well done if I do say so myself, boys. Cardamom, please give a hand to Leek. That giant creature must have broken the antigravity device midbattle."

As Turmeri placed a rifle over his shoulder, he pulled out a small silver container with cigarettes. While he ignited one, Cardamom nerveously helped a weakened Raditz. The young male trembled just by holding a wounded Saiyan. Meanwhile, Raditz stared at the weapons and gadgets on Turmeri's holsters. It was evident that these two were hiding more than they let on. He had many questions, but he would let them be for now. Without the antigravity device, he was at a disadvantage.

Suddenly, the long-haired warrior felt a touch he wouldn't usually fret over. However, it was almost like a mountain fell upon his shoulders because of the heavy gravity. "Good work, Leek. I had no idea a Saiyan could be so strong. We sure could use you during hunts... Well, first things first. Let's patch your new wounds!" Raditz could barely nod while Camradom carried him back to the crumbling hut.

"Turmeri, we need to get rid of the remains. Or they will come again, and I-I can't see them die no more."

Turmeri nodded upon hearing Cardamom, who pushed the hanging door. "Heard you loud and clear, my friend. I will take care of it after we help Leek. Don't worry." The old, bearded man gently touched Cardamom's back as they entered the tiny house.