Raditz Strikes
Gohan felt miserable. As soon as Raditz had brought him here, he had been confined inside a strange, metallic sphere. His chest ached from all the crying he had done. Now, he sat in silence, his throat parched from thirst and his heart heavy with fear. The material of the sphere was soundproof; his desperate cries for help were unheard in the desolate wasteland that surrounded him. Shadows lengthened as the sun began to set, casting an eerie glow over the barren landscape. No one was here to hear his prayers and pleas for water—no one, except one.
'Oh God, help,' he thought, tears brimming in his eyes.
"Mmm," Raditz was enjoying a meal of deer flesh, the savory scent mingling with the cold evening air, when...
BEEP! BEEP!
"A power level of 656? No, there are two of them. One is 334 and the other is 322. Interesting..." He snickered to himself, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Goku and Piccolo were flying at high speeds, the wind howling around them as they cut through the sky. Their plan was to catch their enemy off-guard with a sudden surprise attack. Raditz would never expect them to show up so soon after their last encounter.
"Hey Goku," Piccolo called out over the rushing wind. "Check out your GPS; we should be nearby now."
"I'm sorry, Piccolo," replied Goku, his voice strained. "But I've only got a keypad phone with me."
Piccolo scowled and pulled out his phone, reluctantly revealing his new device. "It shows we are near," he said, glancing at the screen.
Raditz smiled as he tracked Goku and Piccolo on his scouter. Yes, they were here alright. However, they were still not slowing down, which meant that they intended to attack him at their current speed.
Whoosh!
Raditz ducked just in time as both Goku and Piccolo missed their punches and went flying past him.
Goku and Piccolo landed on one foot, spun around, and sprang back toward their opponent with renewed fury.
Raditz smiled as his opponents closed in, launching a flurry of punches and kicks. He easily blocked and dodged their attacks. "Is that the best you can do?" he jeered, his voice dripping with condescension.
With a swift motion, he elbowed Goku in the chest and punched Piccolo in the face, sending both of them soaring.
Goku and Piccolo recovered mid-air, landing on their feet.
Raditz looked amused. "Oh come on, Kakarot! You thought you could beat me by teaming up with the green man?! I expected my brother to be smarter than that!"
Goku and Piccolo stood panting for breath, their eyes locked onto Raditz.
Raditz continued, his tone darkening. "I didn't come here to kill you, Kakarot, but it appears you have left me with no choice."
Goku grinned, a determined glint in his eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself." With that, Goku took off his weighted wristbands, boots, and undershirt, each item thudding heavily onto the ground.
Raditz was slightly startled as he looked at his scouter. "Power level 450."
Piccolo removed his turban and cape, tossing them aside. He cracked his knuckles and massaged his neck, preparing for the battle ahead.
Raditz checked his scouter again. "His power level has jumped up to 430."
Goku rotated his wrist, feeling much more at ease without his weighted clothing. "He doesn't look so comfortable now, does he?" said Goku, a hint of a smile on his face.
Piccolo remained silent, his focus unwavering.
Raditz stood there, bewildered as he looked at both of them. Then, he smiled. "Just what material is this weighted clothing of yours made of, Kakarot?"
Goku raised his brows. "Huh? It's made of the metal Ragon."
"I didn't know you were so rich, Kakarot," Raditz remarked, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Goku looked puzzled.
Piccolo frowned. "Just stop this nonsense..."
Raditz observed his brother silently, ignoring Piccolo. He then asked, "Tell me, is this metal easily available on your planet?"
Goku looked serious. "Yes..."
Raditz's smile turned into a scowl. "Fool! You don't even know how valuable it is! It's one of the most precious metals known in the galaxy! We require it to build our spaceships, our scouters, and most of our sophisticated equipment!"
Both Goku and Piccolo looked taken aback by the sudden change in Raditz's tone as well as his revelation.
Raditz then smiled wickedly. "Well, I never knew I would hit such a jackpot when I landed on this planet. This planet is going to be sold for billions... easily..."
Piccolo growled. "Enough talking." He fell into his battle stance, eyes narrowing with determination.
"Right," said Goku, dropping into his own battle stance, his muscles tensing in preparation.
Raditz merely stood in his place, staring at his opponents with a smug smile. The setting sun cast long shadows, and a breeze rustled through the surrounding trees, adding an eerie stillness to the scene.
Then, both Goku and Piccolo dashed towards Raditz. With a smirk, Raditz simply floated backwards and upwards in an arc. Goku and Piccolo followed him, the wind whipping past their faces. The battle had been taken to the air now, but Raditz was just too fast, moving with a blur against the darkening sky.
"How can we hit him when we can't even catch him?" asked Goku, straining to keep up.
Piccolo gritted his teeth. He threw a punch, and his arm stretched like rubber, shooting forward to hit Raditz in the abdomen.
For a second, it looked like the wind was knocked out of Raditz, but he recovered quickly and grabbed Piccolo's outstretched hand.
Piccolo looked horrified. "Oh no," he said as he was helplessly pulled towards his opponent, his arm snapping back to its original length.
"You are dead!" shouted Raditz, punching Piccolo hard in the stomach.
Piccolo gasped, shockwaves of pain radiating through his whole body from the single blow.
Raditz then raised his arms and hammered Piccolo down with both of his fists, sending him plummeting towards the ground below.
Raditz began to charge energy in his hand, his anger flaring. "NOW DIE!"
BEEP! BEEP!
"KAMEHAMEHA!"
DISHOOOOOMM!
Raditz was slightly pushed forward as a Kamehameha wave exploded against his back, scorching his armor.
Raditz gritted his teeth as he turned around. "Looks like you want to die first, Kakarot!"
Goku was panting, worry etched across his face. "It didn't work..." He had no time to think as Raditz crashed into him with a flurry of attacks.
Goku was forced onto the defensive, dodging and blocking his brother's onslaught to the best of his ability. But still, many of Raditz's punches got through, and Goku's condition deteriorated rapidly.
Raditz growled as he beat upon his little brother. "Why. Wouldn't you. Listen. To. Me..."
Goku winced with each blow, his body marred with multiple bruises, his orange gi shredding.
Raditz pulled back his palm, forming a shining orb of energy. "Goodbye, little brother... TUESDAY TREAT!"
BAM!
Raditz was startled as an elbow hit him on the head, causing his attack to dissipate. His scouter alerted him to another presence.
Goku, who had expected the end with his eyes shut, now looked up. A familiar figure stood there. 'Tien!'
Tien placed a finger on Raditz's back. "Dodon ray!"
Goku barely dodged as Raditz was sent flying past him.
Tien followed up with another couple of Dodon rays. He turned to Goku. "Are you alright?"
Goku chuckled weakly. "Almost..."
Raditz stopped himself just a few meters before the ground, turning to face his brother and the newcomer. For the first time that day, Raditz looked truly furious. "That is enough, Kakarot! I will no longer be humiliated like this. HAAAA!"
Both Goku and Tien fell into defensive stances as Raditz dashed towards them with full might. Tien couldn't even register the attack as Raditz closed the distance and punched him in the cheek, breaking some of his teeth.
Next, Raditz kicked him downwards, and Tien crashed into the ground, creating a crater.
"Tien!" exclaimed Goku. Suddenly, Goku's mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened. He wanted to scream, but words failed him as Raditz kneed him in the stomach.
Raditz then began to knee his brother repeatedly, finally stopping to allow Goku to double over in pain. With a scowl, he grabbed his brother's hair and dashed towards the earth.
BAM!
Dust kicked up as Raditz slammed Goku headfirst into the ground. Raditz then stood beside Goku, who lay on his back, cuts and bruises covering his body, his shirt nearly torn off. Raditz placed his foot on Goku's chest. "I am going to make you pay," he growled, stamping his foot.
"AARGH!" Goku shrieked as his ribs cracked.
"YES, KAKAROT! SCREAM!" Raditz began to repeatedly stomp on his brother with a sadistic grin.
Piccolo, meanwhile, had gotten up. However, he couldn't find it in himself to interfere. Not that he cared for Goku, anyway.
Raditz grinned viciously as the reading of Goku's power level on his scouter continually dropped with each hit.
BEEP! BEEP!
"Huh?" Raditz looked around. "There's no one there..."
.
.
.
"HAAAAA!"
Everybody was shocked as an enraged Gohan jumped upwards from Raditz's spacepod, breaking it into pieces.
The boy landed in front of them, sobbing with fury.
Raditz was shocked beyond words. "Impossible! Power level one thousand and—"
"HYAAAAA!" Without a word, Gohan flew towards Raditz, enveloped in energy.
Raditz groaned as Gohan slammed into his chest, feeling one of his own ribs crack. "How?" said Raditz, losing his balance and falling on his back.
Gohan dropped unconscious following his attack.
Goku blinked, surprise on his face. "Gohan?"
Raditz stood up, panting. "That brat! Such power at such a young age... I will have to kill him first, I guess."
"No," Goku said, wincing in pain. "He is just a boy."
"A boy indeed, my little brother, but one who is stronger than all of us," replied Raditz. "This has to be done..."
Slowly, Raditz walked towards Gohan. He raised his hand, charging it with energy. 'You are a true Saiyan, my nephew... much better a warrior than your disgrace of a father...'
Goku groaned in pain. 'No, Gohan...'
BEEP! BEEP!
"What now?!" exclaimed Raditz angrily. He turned to see that the green man was charging an attack. His jaw dropped. "No! I have underestimated these guys! Power level 1400! I can't block that! But... I can... dodge... Ah!"
Raditz's eyes widened with horror. He turned his head.
"Gotcha!" exclaimed Krillin, standing behind Raditz. "I had some scores to settle with your tail." With that, the short fighter squeezed the furry appendage.
Raditz felt all his energy leave him. He began to fall, but Krillin grabbed his long hair to keep him standing.
Raditz had turned pale. He knew what was coming. 'No, it can't end like this...'
Krillin looked towards Piccolo. "Never thought I would say this, but it is now up to you, Piccolo."
Piccolo snickered. "It's a pleasure." Piccolo had two fingers placed upon his forehead and was glowing with energy. An ominous dark aura surrounded him.
Krillin gritted his teeth. He was scared. There was no trusting Piccolo. What if he took out both of them with his attack? 'No,' he told himself. 'This has to be done!'
Piccolo smirked. His attack was almost ready. His fingertips crackled with golden ki. From where he stood, Raditz was facing perpendicularly away from him. He could only see the side of his body. His aim had to be spot-on. 'It's done.' ..."SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" Piccolo screamed, throwing his fingers forward. A spiraling beam shot towards Raditz.
Krillin had his eyes shut. 'Oh God, please, s-save me...'
The beam of energy collided with the side of Raditz's arm. It then proceeded to drill through his arm, torso, and the other arm, escaping out of his body.
Krillin opened his eyes and released Raditz.
Gushes of blood spewed out from Raditz as he fell.
Raditz dropped to the ground, chest down. He coughed blood.
It was over.
Piccolo walked towards Raditz, satisfied with his handiwork, and stood in front of him.
"You fools," said Raditz, coughing blood. "Rejoice all you... want... but... it won't be... for long."
Piccolo raised his non-existent eyebrows. 'What is he talking about?'
Raditz continued. "This device over my eye is also a transmitter... my comrades have heard everything... a planet... full of ragon... they would never let this opportunity pass..."
Krillin was shocked. 'C-comrades?'
"When will they be here?" asked Piccolo.
"One year... is... all... you... got... Hehehhe," Raditz chuckled weakly. "I wish I could see you die with my own eyes... but a man can't get... everything he wants, can he? Hahaha..."
"RAH!" With an angry yell, Piccolo punched Raditz, finally killing him.
On a distant planet...
A barren, rocky landscape stretched out under a blood-red sky. Jagged mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks shrouded in mist. The air was thick with the acrid scent of smoke and decay.
"Raditz has died, Vegeta," said a huge bald man, his voice echoing in the desolate silence.
"Yes," replied a short, spiky-haired man, chewing his meal with a nonchalant expression. Both of them were seated on a rock, and the ground in front of them was littered with carcasses of their fallen enemies. The shorter man was currently gnawing on the limb of one of the dead bodies, blood dripping from his mouth.
The big man grunted. "Too bad. We will now have to do everything ourselves! Can't believe Raditz let himself get killed by such weaklings. Can I go to Earth, Vegeta?"
"No, Nappa," Vegeta replied, his eyes glinting with a cold, calculated light. "We will both go."
Nappa smiled, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "Yes. I love it when we go on missions together! With so much Ragon on our hands, we could finally stage our long-planned rebellion!"
"Exactly," replied Vegeta, his voice tinged with excitement. "I am fed up with eating dead bodies. I want some land to grow grains on, a farmhouse for meat, and a cook..."
"That sounds soooo good," replied Nappa, snickering as he imagined the possibilities.
Vegeta and Nappa stood up, their movements fluid and powerful. They walked towards a couple of white spherical objects nestled among the rocks. Each of them pressed a button on a pod's side. The doors hissed open, revealing the sleek, high-tech interiors. They both settled into their own spaceships, the seats conforming to their forms.
"Set a course to planet Earth," said Vegeta, his voice resonating with authority.
"Set a course to planet Earth," Nappa repeated, his grin widening.
With a thunderous roar, both spaceships took off, leaving behind trails of smoke and fire. The ground trembled as the powerful engines propelled them skyward, disappearing into the vast expanse of space.
To be continued...
Author's note: Since there are no Dragon balls and less of some other super-powers, the Z fighters are relying on smart-phones which come with their limitations, and will make for some interesting situations. Hopefully the readers will get used to it.