A/N: Final word count- 11.8k Pre A/N's.
Oi, once again we got a big chapter here folks! Mind you a good chunk of it actually comes from the intro i once again had fun writing, got about 4.6k through it ^^
Before going any further, I would like to mention this may not be my best writing towards the end. Idk why but the closer I got to the end of the chapter, the more mixed up my mind started to get with thoughts such as "should I go by the script or change it up since a new character is here now" and such. Because of that i made several swaps and alterations between the middle and the end and for all i know i ended up deleting one or two paragraphs and forgot to refill them with something else or something along the lines.
I think from this point on, i'm going to add in my own two cents in terms of storytelling instead of being strictly by the episodes (granted still keep to them obviously to an extent) cause when I write the intros, i have next to no problem with them and it gets pretty fun ^^ I do the present day stuff though, and thats when the stress starts out. So i'll be spending the next few days watching the series again to get my juices flowing once more and so im more planned ahead of time, seeing how im rewatching Dragon Ball and near ep 100 and its coming to me nicely, should help a lot ^^
So with that said, and knowing i inevitably messed something else up down here, enjoy ^^!
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...
"...Ngh... mmmhhhh..."
"-akin-...p ...cha! She's waking up!" A familiar voice announced as the figure slowly came to.
'My head...' The person thought to themself as their consciousness started to return to them. 'What... happened...' Their vision was a bit hazy as they came too, but they started to make out their surroundings a bit. There was an ice pack over their head as they felt rough cotton sheets over themselves, as well as a somewhat rickety-feeling bed. It was almost like they were sleeping on a bed made out of solid rock it felt so uncomfortable.
Actually... that's exactly what they realized they were on as their vision started becoming clearer. Slowly leaning up, body still a bit weary from their endeavor, they scanned the vicinity to see where they were. By the looks of it, they appeared to be in someone's home, from the inside at least. There was a table at the center where someone else was, some furnishings along the walls, a hole to the side of a ladder's bottom that acted like a window, and the ladder lead to what was presumably the entrance of the place. If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn this was...
"Y... Yamcha's place?" She mumbled to herself, rubbing her eyes away.
"Hey, you're awake!" She heard Yamcha say as the sounds of footsteps approached. "We didn't think you'd wake up so fast, boss."
"Mmmh... My head's killing me." Caulifla complained, setting the ice pack on her head to the side as she tried to rub out the chill on her scalp.
"That's no surprise- you took a pretty nasty bump to the head." Yamcha reminded, handing the girl a cup of water.
"How long was I out?" She asked accepting the drink without hesitation.
"About half an hour to an hour I think." It was hard for the notorious thief to keep track of time around here without an actual clock. "Honestly I can't believe you woke up as soon as you did, I thought you'd be bedridden for at least a day or two at most."
"Bedridden? From wha-" Caulifla's eyes opened a little as she started to remember what happened. "Wait a minute..." She stared at her reflection from the cup's water as it all came rushing back to her. "I remember now..."
The fight.
The fight that she had with just about every member of her gang as a sort of initiation, and as a way to assert her authority to prove she was the strongest around. Up till now, each and every one of these fights resulted in her utter victory, the longest match she's had lasting a total of 30 seconds. She was unstoppable, and she made a nice little group for herself filled with people she came to see as outcasts like herself, giving them a home and something akin to a family in their lives. That's how she saw it anyway. And while she ran things, she made sure every one of her friends and henchmen had a place to sleep and eat day in and day out.
To many it was more of a criminal organization, a group of malicious bandits that forced a sort of "toll" on the desert road in exchange for safe passage through the sandy area. To her, it was just a means to keep herself and her cohorts from winding up in the slums and gutters of some rundown city, to keep them from growing up like she did. And till now, that's how things just ran. She'd beat someone, they'd join her, then it'd be a couple days to weeks before she repeated the first two steps. And nothing would change that.
Until it happened.
"I... I lost the fight..." She continued to stare into the water as her hands began to shake a little, small ripples forming in the mound of liquid seen within the glass.
"Yeah, pretty badly." Yamcha said as he pulled a chair over. He could still recall the swollen bump on her head a near-hour ago before he applied the ice pack, and how she moaned for most of the time she was out as if she was in pain. "You got hurt in the fight and were out cold till now. And that wasn't the worst of it." She zoned out of his continued explanation as she slowly put the last few seconds of her memories together from before she felt unconscious.
No sooner did she begin losing consciousness did she find herself starting to get surrounded by the very henchmen she came to gather, the people she beat previously in the past. All of them, without an ounce of hesitation, wanted to pounce on her, to make her pay for humiliating them like she did when she beat them, and for the following weeks of labor she put them through. To them, losing to a little girl in a fight was more infuriating than having to put up with the work that came with maintaining the warehouse and collecting tolls. They'd much rather be treated as slaves than live down the embarrassment.
And they would've gotten their revenge too, if it wasn't for two brave people who stood by her side even after she fell unconscious. Yamcha, the desert bandit, one of the last new recruits she welcomed in, and the only one she didn't fight to force him to join, if only because he had a cute animal friend she may or may not have wanted to play with...
The other, was the one whose name she had yet to forget, the person that knocked her out cold to begin with, and the one responsible for her being here as she was.
"-and after, they all pretty much took off an left." Yamcha said as he finished the explanation. He still couldn't believe everything that went down, or how fast the group disbanded after that. Sure, the kid was a little stinge at times, but, from his perspective, she always treated her workers with care. She always took their health to notice and always made sure they were at least safe before doing whatever. And for all of them to suddenly gang up on her the moment she was down? Even if she was a jerk to anyone in particular, she was still just a kid! There's no way he could've allowed anyone to hurt her while she was unconscious, his honor wouldn't allow that.
He didn't know what was worse for her at the moment- to find out they all left her organization as soon as they could after getting beaten up by him and the kid, or the fact Caulifla pretty much lost everything else in the process. Some moron found the trigger to the warehouse and took it away as soon as they could, and the rest of them filled their pockets with whatever loot they could find lying around the warehouse fast enough before making a break again. There was barely anything left, and what little there was left that Yamcha had on hand would last them less than a week or two at most.
And still, wouldn't you know it, she wasn't paying attention.
"I... I lost the fight..." She repeated again, still shaking her hands a little.
"H-Hey, don't worry about it! We'll think of something!" He promised, trying to keep the mood positive. In truth, he found a bit of benefit for working for her. Like she boasted, she was, indeed, the strongest fighter he every fought before, and the way she ran things did make things a bit more profitable, even if everyone had to split whatever earnings they got while she had the rest delivered to who knows where. As far as he was concerned, sticking with her was his best course of option, at least until he thought of another plan.
"I lost..."
"Uhhh... Boss?" It was only now that Yamcha realized she wasn't paying attention to him. "Are you okay?" Was she still delirious from everything that happened? Was she still taking the loss of her entire gang hard? He tried lowering himself a little to look at her expression, seeing it was out of his view, but he couldn't make out how she was feeling.
"Lost..." She just couldn't stop repeating it again, the word 'lost' being etched into her mind.
For as long as she could remember, from day one, she has never lost a fight. Ever. She's fought crooks, the occasional beasts, a whole assortment of things, yet she always managed to overpower them. She was at the top of her class in terms of fighting, a true roughneck through and through. And now, because of one particular young boy, one with a tail like hers, one practically the same age as her she had lost.
She lost her gang.
She lost her valuables.
And she lost the fight.
"This... Is..." Yamcha and Puar gulped a little to themselves as they noticed her whole bodily beginning to shake, her tail shooting straight up as if she was ready to explode. Not once has he seen her like this, and it was beginning to scare him. Who knew how she was about to react?!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAMAZING!" Her eyes with stars as she looked straight at the ceiling squishing her cheeks together.
"Huh?" It was the last reaction he would've expected from someone like her. Then again he's only known her for less than a month.
"I finally found someone strong... Strong enough to fight me..." This was like a dream come true! For the first time in her life, she experienced the taste of defeat. Not just that, she actually found someone capable of keeping up with her in a fight to begin with! Till now, every single person she fought was a weakling or a coward, or in most cases both. Not once has she managed to find someone that could not only match her strength, but possibly surpass it as well!
Most importantly, she had fun!
Fun in the experience she had that lasted more than 30 seconds, fun in the different tactics her opponent employed no matter how seriously he took the fight. It didn't matter to her if he employed some matter of trickery towards the end, at least from her perspective. The fact he managed to stay on his feet for the first minute or two of the fight while they were exchanging blows was enough to tell her how strong he was- not quite at her level, but just enough to keep her on her feet.
Jumping from one train of thought to the next, Caulifla jumped to her feet off the rocky bed, looking all around the small makeshift hideout frantically. "Where? Where is he? I wanna fight him again!" She drove on, zipping across the room in a flash from one spot to the next.
"Wha- Wait! Hold on boss, just a second-" Yamcha tried to calm down as he got to his feet again. "You just took a nasty hit to the head, now you wanna fight him again?"
"Where is he? Tell me! Tell me!" She demanded, completely ignoring him.
"I said to calm down-!"
"You," she pointed directly, "flying kitty, tell me!"
"My name is Puar!"
"Don't care! Tell me! TELL ME!"
"Ahhh!" Puar meeped, hiding behind Yamcha's shoulder.
"Wait. How long did you say I was out for?"
"A-About an hour or so." Yamcha answered. "But you really shouldn't-"
"An hour?" She gaped. "They might still be near! Let's go!" Without waiting for a response she quickly hopped to the ladder leading out of the place and made a mad dash for the top, excitement filling her eyes as her tail wagged like a dog's.
"Wait! Boss!" By the time Yamcha even made it to the bottom of the ladder, Caulifla was already out the doorway and running across the ground outside, practically at the same speed as a jeep.
"Should we follow her?" Puar wondered.
Yamcha crossed his arms weighing his options. "Well, even if we did try to get a new gang together, there's no guarantee it wouldn't end up just like this one." He paused for a moment rubbing his chin. "Then again, I am a little curious about what those Dragon Ball things are..."
...
"How much longer do we have to walk..." Bulma moaned as she trudged through the sand with Oolong and Goku.
"Ah relax, Bulma, it's a nice day." Goku commented, ever the optimist of the group.
"There's no such thing as a nice day in the desert, Goku!" The teen wiped the sweat of from her brow, still exhausted from the escapade they already dealt with awhile ago. "You either melt outside in the burning sun, or you shrivel up and die from the cold nights. There's never a day where it's 'good'!" And that's not even to mention the bandits they ran into earlier that day. Of all the places to run into a bunch of thugs, the desert was honestly the last place she'd look. Seriously, what was the point of hiding somewhere you're likely to die of dehydration or freezing temperatures?! You'd be spending anything you'd earn just trying to survive!
"Maybe we'd be better off if someone didn't lose their capsule case in the chaos..." Oolong mumbled, trying his best to deal with the intense heat too.
"Well maybe we'd be better off if SOMEONE grabbed my stuff when they went for the bag!"
"Hey, I kept the Dragon Balls, so show some appreciation!"
"I'd be more than happy to give up any one of those balls for a nice capsule house at this point!"
"Like the one you used that attracted those bandits to our location to begin with!?"
"CAN IT PIG-!"
"Heheheh." Goku chuckled at the sight as the two continued to bicker back and forth with each other. To him, it was just two good 'friends' having an argument. To anyone else, it was a contest to see who would pull a gun on each other first if they were both armed.
"...eeey!" All three pairs of eyes were caught by attention at once as they looked back down the trail they walked. Each of them hearing the same familiar shouting, they were surprised to see what appeared to be a dust storm heading straight in their direction. "HeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY!" The voice shouted louder.
"What is that thing?" Bulma did her best to make it out as she shielded her eyes a little from the sun, the blinding light still making it hard to make out with the rays reflecting off the sparkling sand.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIT!"
"Doesn't that voice sound familiar?" Oolong wondered, trying to use his own hat to block out the sun like Bulma, to little effect.
"Hey, I recognize that voice!" It surprised everyone that Goku was actually the first to pick up on the detail instead of being one of the last like usual. To be fair, he is the only one of the three who didn't block out the whole incident from his memory.
The fact that Goku remembered the voice at all was nothing short of surprising. Giving a brief look at the boy before each other, Bulma and Oolong looked back to the approaching dust cloud that as getting bigger with each passing second, the figure at the head of it becoming more noticeable as it approached. Sure enough, to the dismay of both travelers, what appeared as a random dust cloud turned out to be a young girl by the name of Caulifla, a girl who zipped passed the two before grinding to a halt, stopping a few feet ahead of Goku who was at the head of the trail.
"Ahhhhh! The psycho-kid is back!" Oolong oinked, trembling a bit like Bulma was.
"What does she want now?!" They thought they had seen the last of the young terror and she would've slinked back to whatever darkness Yamcha brought her to. Now here they were again, face to face, too little too soon.
"Huff... Huff..." The girl panted, clearly out of breath from the nonstop running she performed for the last 20 minutes. "Man... Huff... You guys got a lot... huff... a lot farther than I expected..." It was one of the few times something made her break into a sweat, another reason she was starting to enjoy all this.
"Hey, you're that carrot-girl!" Goku said with the same happy look on his face he usually had.
"My name is Caulifla!" She grumbled, pointing to him accusingly. "I demand a rematch!"
"A rematch?" That was a first. Normally whenever he beat a monster or a bad guy, that'd usually be the end of them one way or another. Nobody usually came back for round two.
"Yes!" Caulifla was getting excited as she crossed her arms proudly, closing her eyes. "I've decided that you're a worthy opponent! Therefore, we should fight again." That'll definitely get him going! After all, what bigger honor could there be than being complimented by yours truly? He'll practically be begging at her feet to fight her aga-
"No thanks, we're kinda busy." He casually walked passed in reply.
"I know it's a huge honor, bu-" Caulifla's eyes snapped open. "Wait what?!" She quickly hopped in front of him again, blocking his way. "B-But you have to fight me again! It's only fair!" This can't be happening! He's supposed to accept her challenge! It's a warrior's way, just like on the TV shows she used to watch!
"Sorry, but I'm getting pretty hungry. I can't fight on an empty stomach." He explained, continuing to walk on as the girl followed behind him. She barely even knew the other two were part of his group as they just stared at this.
Or more likely, she didn't care.
"T-Then eat something! Anything! Then we'll fight again!" She grumbled a little as she grabbed the back of his pants, trying to hold onto him to stop him from leaving. All it resulted in doing was leaving the scene of a young girl getting dragged through the sand as her shoes scraped across the ground, Goku continuing to walk on at his normal pace, in their minds as Bulma and Oolong watched on.
"We don't have any food left, we lost it all at your place." He was still a little confused as to why the three of them were even dragged to her warehouse to begin with. Did she need a favor? Just want to play with him? The answer wasn't clear to the warrior Caulifla was interested in. The only thing he knew was that there wouldn't be any fighting till he ate, otherwise he wouldn't be able to give her a satisfactory rematch.
"Oh..." The reasoning hit a bit closely to Caulifla for some reason as she finally let go.
"Sorry kid, but once Goku's hungry, his mind is made up." Oolong remarked as he walked passed her.
"Yeah, we really need to get going." Bulma added following along. Somehow the fear that once filled the pair dissipated when the imagery of a little girl whining like she wanted a toy replaced the harrowing memories.
"Then... Don't worry about that! Just leave it to me!" She insisted, getting Goku's attention again as she started digging through her clothes. "Come on, where is it... has to be somewhere..."
"What are you looking for?"
"Here it- no... Dang it! Where is it!? Hold on..." With little to no patience, the young Caulifla decided to look for it the best way she knew how!
*swiff*
"DAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Bulma screeched panicking, face going red as she covered Oolong's face. Thankfully even the pig knew better as he covered his face. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" What was she supposed to do if some pervert was watching them right now? Or worse, what was she supposed to do if they thought the three of them were making her do this intentionally?!
"KID, KEEP YOUR PANTS ON, SERIOUSLY!" Oolong has never been more literal in his entire life.
Desperate for a better chance at finding one of the random capsules she seemed to be dropping from her person, the young Caulifla, as casually and naturally as anyone could, took her pants off completely in front of the trio, shaking her pants violently in the hopes of finding the solution to her current problem.
And no, currently wearing a pair of pants over her panties was not one of them.
"You have weird underwear." Goku commented, still never seeing a girl's undergarment before save for Bulma's.
From afar, viewing through the spyglass Puar turned into, the same look of embarrassment and fear went through the mind of a young Yamcha. Hiding from behind one of the tall boulders that practically stood on several pillars like legs, the bandit tried to remain out of sight as both he and Puar yelped from a quarter mile away, Puar transforming back to his previous form and helping Yamcha cover his face. "What is she doing over there?!"
"They must've forced her to strip down to search for weaponry! It's the only explanation!" It had to be! While never being an issue back when the gang was around, he could only imagine the horrible things she would do to people if they ever saw her in her underwear if touching her tail alone was enough to warrant a bite!
"Ah-ha!" Caulifla finally cheered as a blue dynocap fell to the floor. "I knew it was here somewhere!"
"Great! Fine! Whatever, kid! Just put your pants back on!" Oolong practically begged. Even he had his limits back when he tried to form his own harem of girls.
Caulifla just stared back in confusion as she picked up the capsule. "What's wrong with those guys?"
"I don't know, they get weird about clothes for some reason." Goku shrugged.
"Oh well. Anyway, here you go." With a smile, Caulifla clicked the small button at the top of the capsule before throwing it a few feet away.
*POMF*
"FOOD!" Goku shouted, dashing right for it. To clarify, it was an open, completely cooled, fridge that stood before them, the chill of cold still emanating from the doorway as the air came into contact with the desert's heat.
It was like an oasis in the desert to the three, seeing the fully stocked and loaded fridge filled with an assortment of goodies from head to toe. Cooled yet edible meats on the top shelf, the juiciest varieties of fruits and veggies in the middle, different condiments and creams and snacks on the bottom shelf, and in the doorway, an array of drinks from beers to pops to juices.
"Is that... lemon water?" Bulma's eyes lit up at the dozens upon dozens of different beverages. Immediately, the girl went from being the most terrifying evil in this desert to the group's salvation, at least to Bulma.
"Kid, you're a lifesaver!" Oolong's never been so happy to be in the presence of a gang leader. If she ordered him to, he would've quickly switched sides right then and there.
Though to be fair, given his current track record with Bulma, he wouldn't need much convincing.
"Fully stocked fridge. Never leave anywhere without it!" Caulifla stated proudly, nodding as she crossed her arms. "So, will you fight me now?"
"Meah, mure mhing!" Goku mumbled through mouthfuls of food. He took a moment to swallow as he continued. "After we're done." And went head first right back into it, stuffing his face with whatever fruits could fit easily in his mouth.
"Yes!" Caulifla cheered, seeing her plan coming together.
This was exactly what she wanted, everything coming along perfectly from beginning to end! First, she would tempt the young boy with whatever he desired until he agreed to fight against her! Then, the aforementioned fight. And finally, she would beat him in said fight and prove herself the strongest again! And after that-!... She didn't really know what her plans were after. Maybe reorganize the gang again? Do something else? She was gonna need to find a new way to make money now, as well as check in at some point if her deliveries went through.
And all the while, a certain someone was still watching them, a lone bandit that was shocked by her sudden generosity to the random people she barely met. Already "buddy-buddy" with them by the looks of it, giving them some of her stuff, food in this case. He wouldn't be surprised if she just up and quit the gang life at the rate things were going.
Yet one thing was most troubling of all, something he felt the need to shout to her and immediately hide behind the boulder again.
"PUT YOUR PANTS BACK ON!"
And leaving the young girl bewildered and confused as she looked back. "Huh?"
...
...
Don't stop, don't stop, we're in luck now
Don't stop, there's so much to be found
We can find paradise, all we have to do is go, go
Free your soul
Mysteries abound, made of a deep energy (Energy)
Foes all around, but I will go fearless and free
I'll give you strength, you give me love
That's how we live (That's how we live)
Our courage won't fade if you're with me
My enemies will never win
We will fight for love and glory
We will live to tell the story
There is nothing we can't live through, nothing ever dies
We will rise again
Don't stop, don't stop, we're in luck now
Don't stop, keep your spirit proud
And ride upon the wind, all we have to do is go
Don't stop, don't stop, we're in luck now
Don't stop, there's so much to be found
We can find paradise, all we have to do is go, go
Free your soul
~Dragon Soul~
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...
Last time on Dragon Ball Z, Son Goku and his family took off to a get-together with all their friends they haven't seen for over 5 years; Krillin, Master Roshi, Launch, and Bulma. But what started as a happy atmosphere quickly turned into a nightmare as a mysterious stranger descended from the sky, claiming to have ties with Goku and Caulifla. Attempting to remove the stranger from the small island, Krillin was struck by the madman, revealing that he, too, had a tail. Does this mysterious stranger come simply to deliver messages? Or does something more sinister lurk in his future...
...
"He-He has a tail!" Goku stammered. "Just like Cauli and Gohna... Just like I did!"
Nobody at the party could contemplate what was transpiring here. Until now, the happy atmosphere was filled with old and new surprises alike as everyone gathered together, celebrating their reunion and all that's transpired within the last 5 years since the world was at crisis. But just as it seemed like things would really kick off, this mysterious stranger appeared from the heavens above, literally crashing the party, courtesy of Krillin's thick skull getting smacked through the Kame House.
To make matters worse, this stranger, this man, left a mysterious fear in Caulifla's heart that she couldn't explain. Something about him, about his personality. Somehow it resonated with her in a way she couldn't understand. It's as if she knew who he was yet was foreign to him all the same.
And what really frightened her, was the nostalgic, unexplained, sense that this was perfectly natural.
"Hmhmhm," the man chuckled smugly, crossing his arms as his tail wriggle in the wind, "that's right. Very good. You've finally realized who I am."
"I have? What are you-? I..." Goku couldn't explain it. Much like Caulifla, to a lesser extent, a strange sense familiarity was circulating in his heart, telling him he knew everything and nothing about this man at the same time. Caulifla kept a close hand, or in this case tail, on her daughter, keeping her eyes firmly locked on the man while ensuring Gohna stayed safely behind her legs. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"So what if you have a tail?" Caulifla shrugged off, trying to maintain her composure. "It doesn't explain anything!"
"Get over here." Thankfully the Blonde Launch took note of the situation as she pulled Gohna away and closer to the rest of the group, keeping her other hand firmly on the trigger of her SMG.
"Have you two been on this planet for so long that you've forgotten even that?!" The sheer disgust he had with these two was steadily beginning to rise. He squeezed his fist in anger, wondering which of the two angered him more at this moment.
"My memory is fine!" Goku declared. "And you can quit calling me this 'Kaka'-whatever it is you're saying. My name is Goku!"
"And it always has been!" Caulifla agreed.
"This is absurd..." The man couldn't tell what was transpiring here. If this was supposed to be the universe's greatest joke then he was definitely falling for it. Yet just by looking at the two, he could tell he wasn't the only one not laughing. He began to wonder.
"Mommy!" Gohna cried out, squirming from Launch's grip as she ran to Caulifla's leg, hugging it frightened. This man terrified her far beyond the previous fear and nervousness she had when she met the rest of the group. Just by looking at the man she could tell he was dangerous to all of them.
"Not now, hon." Caulifla shushed softly as Goku looked back, never keeping her attention off the man.
"Hey!" The man yelled again snatching their attention. The man pointed to his own forehead as a thought occurred. "Tell me. Did either of you suffer any serious blows to the head when you were young?" Though it couldn't be seen through the shades, there was a glint of realization in Roshi's eyes at the question.
"Huh?" The man kept asking one confusing question to the next, Caulifla growing confused at a speed reaching heights with her current fear. "What does a head injury have to do with anything?"
"Are you stupid too?!" It took all of the man's patience to keep him from simply obliterating all of them, ignoring the rest of the group as Bulma pulled the child back towards them. "I'll ask you again: did either of you hit your head when you were children? Now answer me!"
"Yeah, I hit my head." Goku answered. "But it happened when I was really little. I don't remember anything about it. Why does that matter?"
"I see... That explains it."
"Explains what? What do you mean?!" Goku was getting frustrated as the questioning went on. The man spoke practically in riddles with every reply, only asking more questions instead of answering ones Goku had of his own.
"Goku..." Master Roshi suddenly spoke up. "There's something... your grandfather told me once that I think you should know..." It would appear the time had come for the young man, that Roshi was certain of. He wished he didn't keep it secret for this long, but with his grandfather's age catching up to him, at first, he thought it was just the ramblings of an old man.
Now, he knew for certain.
"A long time ago, your grandpa Gohan was walking through the woods when he came upon a strange object that appeared to have fallen from the sky. When he went to examine it more closely, he found a baby boy with a tail, sealed inside a little round pod." The group's gaze magnified as Roshi went on, especially Caulifla's. "Gohan decided to take the child home and raise him as his own. But the boy had an angry, violent nature, and before long, the man was at his wits' end. "
This is all sounding familiar... Caulifla thought to herself.
"Then one day, there was a terrible accident. The child fell into a deep ravine and hit his head. The injury was nearly fatal. But somehow, miraculously, the boy had survived. What's more, after that, he was no longer violent. From that day on, he became a happy, loving boy."
"That boy was me, wasn't it?" Goku finally realized. There was a lot to take in with all of this. Coming out of a pod from outer space, being adopted by an old man who found him by pure luck. There were figments and flashes of memories that came swirling in his mind, yet remained closed off in their entirety as he tried to recall them.
"Yes..." Roshi said solemnly, wishing he had took more heed of Gohan's letters.
"But if that's true, then what does it mean?" Bulma asked, trying to make heads and figurative-tails of the situation. "Are you saying Goku and Cauli have some sort of connection with this guy? How is that even... possible!"
"And it doesn't make sense!" Caulifla butted in. Her pupils rose upwards as she rubbed her noggin, recalling the first of what would be many times she hit her head. It was hard to forget the day she met the man that would eventually become her husband. "I hit my head a few times as a kid but it was nothing ever serious. But if what you're saying is true, then how come my memories are no better than his?"
"Yes, that is a conundrum. Although..." Roshi stroked his beard as he tried to surmise. "You did have a harsher upbringing than Goku did until the day you met him. It's possible you subconsciously forced yourself to forget most of your early childhood memories, leaving them repressed."
"Repressed...?" Caulifla was drawn into her own thoughts at the statement. Were they really repressed? She couldn't picture herself trying to make herself forcefully forget her own upbringing, or at least any of it during the first several years of her life. Then again, if she did it subconsciously, who knows what sort of memories she had? The furthest back she could even recall to was when she was about six or seven!
"You must be kidding me..." The man scoffed, once more glaring more firmly on the girl. "You actually found life so unbearable on this backwaters planet that you forced yourself to forget? Pathetic..." Cauli winced at the words. She couldn't understand, but she almost felt ashamed for some reason.
"Enough!" Goku yelled in Caulifla's defense, sensing the small bit of distress. "It's time you did some explaining. First- who are you?"
For some reason, the question made the man chuckle, grinning once again at this 'Goku's' questioning. "Let's start at the top. The truth is, neither you nor Caulifla are from this world, Kakarot. You were both born on a planet called Vegeta. Home of the Saiyan race, the most powerful warriors in the universe. You're both one of us!" The rest were taken aback by the revelation, the two individuals of the conversation especially.
"And as for your other question," he continued, "my name is Raditz. I'm your brother!"
"N-No way! Goku... has a brother?!" Krillin tried to wrap his shiny head around it. Now there was nothing less than shock filling the air.
"It's... gotta be some kinda joke!" Bulma spoke in denial, refusing to believe Goku had any relationship with this 'Raditz' character.
"If it is, it's not funny." Goku almost wished it was a joke. At least then he could get some of the air's heavy weight off his chest.
"Of course it's not funny, cause it's not true!" Launch shouted angrily. "If Goku and Cauli really are aliens, then why the hell are they on Earth?"
"It's not hard to understand." Raditz replied "These two were sent to this world with a simple mission not long after they were born; destroy every human being on the planet."
"What?!" Goku knew he was joking at this point. He had to be! Him? Destroy all of humanity on this planet?!
"That's insane!" Caulifla refused to believe it. Nothing about it made sense even if it *was* the truth! How were a pair of infants even expected to destroy the planet in the first planet all on their own? Or at the very least every human in this world.
"We Saiyans may be a proud warrior race," Raditz boasted, "but we're also businessmen. We scour the universe searching for planets with habitable environments, and then use our skills to eliminate the native lifeforms. Once cleared, the planets are then sold to any alien race willing to pay the price."
"For those planets with high power levels, adult Saiyans are sent in to subdue the territory. But to planets like this one, whose life forms are pathetic and weak, we send our infants. That is how you came to be here, Kakarot. Even by yourself, a year or two was more than enough time to liquidate these human pests. You could've done it easily if you hadn't lost your memory."
"Then why was I sent here?" The female of these supposed Saiyans interrupted, recurrently. "You make it sound like Goku was the only one intended to come here here in the first place."
"That's because he WAS the only one intended to be here!" He scowled.
"Cut that out!" Goku had enough of his directed hatred. "Why are you so mad at Cauli? She's never met you before!"
"Because thanks to that insolent woman, our mother disgraced herself for nothing!" Just thinking about it filled his body with rage, taking everything he had not to lash out and destroy her at this very instant. He could still recall the memory perfectly, even as young as he was when it happened.
"The day before you were sent here, something was going on with our father. He started speaking madly for some reason about the planet's impending doom, about some catastrophe that would destroy us all. After he disappeared, your mother went directly to the King himself and pleaded with him."
...
...
"Please, let me go with him, just in case! He needs someone at his side!" He remembered her voice clearly and the tears in her eyes. There was a look of complete disdain in the King's expression, watching the woman who was part of a proud race groveling at his feet. It was unbecoming of anyone of their race, made worse by the fact of the several councilmen and guards still stationed around the throne room.
"That boy's power level is incomparably weak, even for a lower class like you." The king mocked, hands squeezing the arms of his chair as anger welled inside of him. "He will be given no better treatment than the average saiyan warrior. If he can't handle a planet as pathetic as that one, then that'll be the end of him."
"But what about what Bardock said? What if it's true?" The mother that would only be known as Gine to Raditz questioned, eyes and ears whispering among each other with a sense of unease. "If something really is going to happen to us, then he could be in danger regardless of whether or not he could handle the mission!"
"I don't care about the ravings of that madman you call a husband. Now begone from my si-"
"PLEASE!" And it was then she disgraced herself, in such a way that would sicken any noble warrior who saw her. With nothing else to lose, Gine got to her very knees and begged, grabbing the king's cape as she cried her eyes into it. "I'll do anything, I'll pay any price. I don't care what happens to me, but Kakarot's life could be in danger no matter how strong he is. I'm begging you, your majesty- please don't send my boy out there alone... please..."
"..." No one could tell what was going on through the king's mind at the moment, not even the child Raditz as he watched from afar.
Here he was, standing at the side of what would eventually be his future ally, Prince Vegeta. He had a noble station that was well earned through his hard work and effort despite his lower status. Anyone would be envious to hold a position like he did. Along with the work came the recognition, not just for him, but for the entirety of his family. And now, because of one single gesture, his mother was ruining all of it in one fell swoop, all because of how insignificant and weak his brother was!
If there was anything redeemable about this moment as is, it's the fact it wasn't the mother's own life that she was worried about. She didn't care if she went with Goku herself or not. If what her husband was saying was true, then she would accept her fate along with the rest of the planet about the doom that was approaching them. But she would never be able to rest easy if Kakarot's life was truly in danger, from one threat or another. For all she knew someone could follow him to the world he was being sent to and attempt to kill him! Thus, she would gladly sacrifice her own life to save her son's, like a Saiyan should.
Part of her prayed her husand's ramblings truly were just that. Yet the love and trust she had for him convinced her all the same.
Finally, the king spoke. "...Councilor." The man to the right of the chair stepped forward, clad in a white robe and purple hair.
"Yes, my King?" He wondered just what was about to transpire.
"See to it another one of the female infants is sent to the same planet, one with a higher power preferably."
"Yes, my King." The Saiyan nodded without another word as he exited the room.
A king must be as wise as he is powerful, and King Vegeta was no exception. If there was any truth to what Gine's husband had said before, then sending off at least two infants to the same world would be preferable. If for some reason the planet was truly wiped out, whether with each other or with the native species, they could potentially repopulate the race, never realizing how close the two really would become in the future. And if it did turn out to be nothing more than the ramblings of a madman, then her husband would be put to death immediately for making the king look so foolish.
"Will that suffice?"
"Y-Yes!" A cheerful Gine smiled, tears of joy streaming down her eyes. She was aware of a mission Raditz was going to attend the following day with the young prince. Therefore, her fears and worry for her strongest son were abysmal. As long as both, if not one, of her children were at least safe, she could accept whatever fate had in store for the planet. "Thank you, my Ki-"
*SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF*
"Ah-!" Raditz nearly gasped as he took a step forward.
Weakness was never tolerated among the Saiyan race. In front of the king himself, even less so. No amount of pleading or begging would ever be permitted in front of someone like him, he who represented the entirety of the race. He was merciful, and he was also savage. Once the ordeal had been settled, he dealt with the miserable wretch the only way he found appropriate.
By blasting a hole straight through her chest with a blast of pure white energy.
There was no hesitation from his majesty. The moment he raised his hand in front of the young woman, her fate was sealed. It was swift, painless, but lethal. Gine barely had the time to registered it before she fell back, near motionless, upon the steps of the leading up to the throne. It took all Raditz had to avoid making a scene himself, not allowing himself to shake, to look sullen, to look angry in the slightest.
And despite the grim coldness washing over her, the last thing Raditz saw on his mother's face was a small smile as she looked at him, tears still fresh in her eyes before her pupils lost all light. For whatever reason, she was happy. She was happy that she was dying by the looks of it. It was almost revolting to some of the guests within the room, confusing to many others. The only one who didn't care in the slightest was the King of this planet, and ruler of all Saiyans.
"Get this garbage out of my sight." The King ordered, not even bothering to refer to her name as several others did as ordered. He turned his gaze to the young boy within the room, noticing his gaze still glued to the very spot his mother once was. "Do not let your mother's foolishness demean you, Raditz." He practically ordered, stealing his focus. "A Saiyan must uphold their pride beyond all else. To forgo all that is to make us as weak and inferior as the inhabitants we slay. You will do well to remember this..."
...
...
"Our mother died a miserable whelp," Raditz came to a finish, "and by the looks of it, it was all for nothing." It was by chance that he caught the name of the girl that would be going with Goku, but it's been seared into his mind along with the death of his mother since that very day. "If there was some manner of results by the time I got here, then maybe it would've been worth it. But from the looks of it, the two of you have accomplished nothing but leaving a major headache for me to fix. Even with the massive size of the moon, you two somehow still failed to clean up this planet."
"What does the Moon have to do with anything?" Goku wondered, still trying to wrap his head around all that he was just told. To find out that he was an alien, one sent to destroy the friends and family he's grown along the way, and to discover that his own mother was killed simply because of how much she cared? There was too much to understand at once!
As for Caulifla, her heart continued to race randomly as the conversation went on. She refused to accept any part of what Raditz was telling her, believing that he was just some lunatic with a crazy story. But no matter how hard she refused to listen to him, there was a single pang in her chest, her heart telling her that every single thing she was told was the truth.
And that she should've done what this man was telling her earlier in life.
"Kakarot, you idiot!" Now Raditz was convinced these two were playing some elaborate prank on him. It's the only explanation for why he squeezed his fist so angrily. "You both lived on this planet your whole life! The full moon is key to unlocking a Saiyan's true potential!"
A flash, a memory, shot through the minds of the actual earthlings from behind, everyone shaking in terror as they heard this. Immediately a flash of imagery played in their heads, remembering the terror that unfolded whenever these two looked at the full moon when they still had their tails, what transpires nearly every time one of them would eventually transform. Even though there was only a handful of experiences, each one was more memorable than the last.
And not for the best reason.
"Why would the moon do anything for us?" Caulifla was getting more defensive in posture as the conversation wore on. "We got stronger on our own, the moon had nothing to do with us!"
"Inconceivable..." It's official. These two were absolutely trying to make him for a fool. Why else would they...? "Kakarot... What the-?!" Raditz's eyes widened as he saw Goku's waist. "Kakarot... Your tail!"
"Wha-?" Goku looked back in confusion where it used to be. "Excuse me?" Gohna took the moment to look back at her own, swishing it a little in wonder at what the big deal was.
"That? It got cut off a long time ago. What's it matter?"
"Grrrr you fool!" He grumbled, clenching his teeth. "How could you let that happen? Do you even know what you've done?! That explains how you've been able to fit so well with these miserable humans!" Like before countless times, he turned his anger back towards Caulifla, almost sickened that the bigger of the disappointments still retained hers. "And what's your excuse? Did you simply decide you could no longer afford to go on a rampage?"
"That's enough!" Goku had just about had it with all these feelings of anger and confusion directed to the people he cared about. "Even if it is true, and we're some kind of alien from another planet, or even if you really are my older brother..." Goku shook his head dismissively. "It doesn't matter. Anyone who'd do the horrible things you say is no brother of mine! My name is Goku and this is my home. And you're not welcome here!"
"So what if we're supposed to be some warrior race? Caulifla yelled defiantly. "We've spent our whole lives here, and we're not gonna throw it all away just so some stupid aliens can put a price tag on it!"
"You guys tell him!" Bulma cheered from behind, the others rallying in spirit as Master Roshi took a step forward.
"And who cares if they're aliens!" He huffed. "Whatever their past, we don't care for it. These two are more human than anyone people on this planet! In fact, they're better than most!"
"And they made us better, too!" The blonde Launch threw in. "There's no way a damned race like yours could possibly be connected to these two!"
"In fact, these two saved most of the people they came across, and even saved the whole world on another occasion!" Krillin revealed. "Do you think a pair of rampaging aliens could possibly be so selfless?! I don't think so!"
"Hmhmhmhm, amusing." Truly, it was to the space warrior. All these people with just wonderful, thoughtful, things to say to the two who were from a murderous race of warriors. It was almost enough to move his cold heart to the point of breaking it into pieces. The group began to step aside as the mysterious Saiyan began walking through their little support group towards the house. "I'm afraid it'll take more than shouting to convince me to leave."
"Powerful though we are, we Saiyans have never been strong in number. What's more, our proud race was almost wiped out entirely when a giant meteor struck our home Planet Vegeta. There weren't any survivors. Everyone was vaporized." If there was any solace Raditz took from the apocalypse, it's that the meteor, presumably, took out the bastard king that killed their mother with it. "That includes our father, Kakarot. And suffice to say, yours as well, Caulifla."
Caulifla wasn't entirely sure how to take that. How was she supposed to care for a couple that she never knew to begin with? Did they do it knowingly to save her too, like Gine did Goku, or was it simply a matter of orders, one they refused to object to given from a barbaric king?
"Counting you two, there are only 5 Saiyans left in the Universe who are of Saiyan descent. I was away on assignment with another of our warriors when the meteor hit. We lived. A third Saiyan also survived. He'd been sent to conquer a distant planet, like you two were. Recently we happened upon an inhabited world that we think could fetch us a nice price. But there's just one tiny problem. Even with the three of us, it won't be an easy fight." Already, Goku and Caulifla could assume where this conversation was headed, especially after he grinned to them.
"And that's where you two come into this, my long lost brother, and the outcast of a Saiyan."
"I'm not an outcast!" Caulifla shouted irritated. "I'm Caulifla, and we're married!"
For once, Raditz looked taken aback by their statement than the other way around. "Married? Then you're... Mhmhmh... AHahahaha! Oh, how humorous! I suppose I should be referring to my sister-in-law more politely then?" He teased.
"Eck, don't call me that, it sounds wrong!" The very mention that these two had any sort of relationship past tails left her with shivers.
"Regardless, the point remains, we could use your help." Raditz observed the two in more detailed as he pinpointed the tracker's scan over each of them separately. "While it's barely half of what I'm capable of, I will admit it is at least pleasing to see you two have something close to a decent power level."
As it happened, all their time together with the past five years of training while married truly paid off. So far it proved to be the only uplifting side of his arrival thus far. Like he said, there was a decent amount on both parents' levels, with Goku leading at an impressive 623. "Although I will admit, I thought the female's would've been much higher than this." It was still decent in it's own right, sitting at a level of 617, yet it should've been far above Goku's by a couple hundred at a minimum. Regardless, it was more than adequate for the proud Saiyan himself.
"It's not as much as I would like, but together, the 5 of us will be more than enough to wipe out the planet's inhabitants!" He grinned wickedly as he marched up straight to Goku, looking him dead in the eye.
"Stay away from me..." Goku warned, leaning back from his brother. "Back off!"
"Kakarot, Caulifla, can't you see? Open your eyes!" He continued to grin, convinced Goku just needed some *enlightening* about joining their mission. "You two were born for this! The fact you two have trained yourselves to be as strong as you are is living proof of the Saiyan blood that runs through your veins. You were trained to be warriors, just like our brethren!"
"Mmmmh..." Gohna whined, still clinging to the protective Launch.
"That's ridiculous! You can forget it!" Goku replied, much to his brother's surprise. "We'd sooner die than join a gang of ruthless pirates like you! Right Cauli? ...Cauli?" Goku looked back to his partner, suddenly noticing a far off look in Caulifla's eyes as if she was staring off into space.
In our blood... all this time...? Caulifla thought to herself, shaking a bit. The fear she felt in herself from earlier was beginning to take root.
The very idea of her blood being related to any of these savages felt insulting, but when she thought about it, many of her past and present behaviors started to make sense. She loved to fight, she loved to get stronger by training with Goku. She had a bad history growing up as a young child but she still ended up being the leader of a gang because she relied on her brute strength. She relished it. Almost felt like she needed it.
Now, after all this time, she finds out she turned out like this because of some Saiyan blood? Was she not the one in control of herself all this time? Was she simply doing what came to her as instinct? Was it like that with everything she did? The thoughts kept circulating within her mind without end, without answers.
"Cauli?" Goku repeated, trying to get her attention.
All the while, Raditz just grinned, actually taking a step toward his recently-discovered sister-in-law. "It looks like one of you has semblance of respect for our race. Face it, Caulifla. You know as well as I do that you belong to our people. The fact you kept your tail with you all this time is proof of that."
"My tail?" Caulifla looked down at the monkey-like prehensile wrapped around her waist. This also couldn't be another result of her blood, could it? Whenever matters came to her tail, she was very sensitive about it. She refused to let anyone touch her tail for any reason, always being protective of it for a reason she could never explain. It just felt like the tail was incredibly important to her for some reason, and she was starting to see the reason why.
Because of the connection it held to the world she once called home.
"Join us and embrace the pride of all our ancestors! Your blood demands it!"
"Her blood doesn't mean anything!" Goku shouted, finally snapping Caulifla out of her seeming trance, and Raditz's ire. "So what if she has some sort of blood in her or not? It never defined her! She went out of her way to help the people she came across, especially her home. That's not something she would do if she was part of some murderous race that only cared about themselves!"
"Goku..." Caulifla spoke with a soft smile. Who was she kidding? "Goku's right. I don't care what my blood demands. It never told me what to do with my life before, and it's not going to start now!"
"Hmph, have it your way." Raditz shook his head as he walked away again. It was an amusing little display, he could admit. Either she accepted the proposal and rejoined their glorious race, or she would die along with the rest of the planet. There was no real downside to this one way or another. "By the way, I've been wondering..." A look grew over his face as he tilted his head a little, looking past the two parents. Both parents followed his gaze and grew anxious at where his gaze lead. "Is that your daughter over there? The brat hiding behind the blonde haired woman?"
Already, Caulifla could tell where the conversation was going as she squeezed her fist. "Don't even think about it..."
"That girl has Saiyan blood in her, doesn't she? Don't try to play dumb either, I can see the tail from here." Already the cogs in his brain were turning as a new idea developed.
"So what if she does? Huh?" Goku started to get defensive as he felt the same intent as Cauli.
"I wanted to reason with you, but I see you two don't know what's best for your daughter." He sneered cracking his knuckles. "So... I'm afraid I'm going to have to take her with me." The large figure started to approach the group at a casual walking pace, his sights solely focused on the young child.
"Lay a hand on her and I'll kill you!" Caulifla coldly stated, charging straight ahead at the warrior.
"Cauli, wait-!" Goku tried to warn too late.
The mother didn't care an ounce for her own safety the moment Raditz made his intentions clear with their child. Without any hesitation, the young woman attempted to swipe at the man with her fist, shooting it as fast as she could straight into the man's face. But to her surprise, and that of the rest, her fist seemingly went through the man for a brief moment as if he was made out of thin air itself. It didn't take long for the truth of the matter to unfold as he reappeared to her side, kicking the woman straight in the side of her abdomen. He launched her straight through the entirety of Kame house's wall, flying through and out the other end onto the sandy beach.
"Ahh-! The woman gasped for breath at the intense pain she suddenly felt as she clutched her stomach, shriveling as a small trickle of blood dripping from the side of her mouth. Not once in her entire life had she felt such power from a single blow, not even from her past enemies.
"Cauli!" Bulma cried out worriedly.
"You sonava-!" Launch didn't care what race or planet this guy hailed from. Nobody was going to hurt one of her close friends like that, raising her SMG straight at the man's head.
*RATATATATATATA-*
Gohna cried out as she ducked down, covering her head from the gun going off above her. Launch didn't care if he was as strong as he looked, or if he was anything near bullet proof like she knew Goku and Caulifla were. If she got a straight shot right into his eyes, no amount of thick skin was going to protect him from that!
But it proved as ineffective as the rest of it did. Every bullet she shot seemed to disappear out of thin air as soon as it approached the man, the reason being only coming to light once her clip of ammo was empty. "Looking for these?" Raditz joked, opening his hand to reveal the reason why; every single bullet she fired, regardless of speed and amount, laid dormant within his hands, surprising her as much as it did worry. "Allow me to return them to you..."
*swiff*
"LOOK OUT!" Roshi yelled as he tackled Launch out of the way.
With one swift gesture, the man threw the entire handful of ammunition straight at the women's body at speed nearly quadrupling what she fired from her gun. It would've made quick and easy work of the girl, turning her into a mound of swizz cheese had Roshi not intervened right at the last moment, ducking her out of the way at the expense of one of the few shards of ammo puncturing his leg just above his right ankle. The impact to the back of her head ended up dazing Launch once she hit the ground.
"THAT'S IT!" Goku shouted in rage as he attempted to make a last stand, charging straight at the man when he was within a foot's distance. He didn't care how strong or fast he was, he wasn't about to let some murderous stranger hurt his friends anymore or harm his family!
Yet like everybody else, his resistance was for naught.
Much like Caulifla, when he saw the man about to strike with his fist, he attempted to match it with his own, hoping to gauge the monster's strength in hopes of coming up with a plan. He wouldn't even have time for that, however, as the very moment it connected, it seemed to have vanish along with the man himself. One moment Goku was just staring at the empty air, and the next thing he knew, he was being punted square in the chest by the man's massive knee, hurling him across the grassy part of the island and onto the shoreline.
And, much like Caulifla, he couldn't help but gasp in pain as he clutched his stomach, the entire sensation sending a shock through his stomach that left him nearly immobilized.
"Daddy! Gohna cried, attempting to run to her father.
"Not so fast!" This only served in Raditz's favor as she tried to run past him, making for an easy grab as he lifted her from the ground, carrying her by the waist.
"Let me gooooo!" She started to cry. No amount of bravery ever prepared her for this, to remain calm in the face of the man who laid siege to her mommy and daddy in a single blow.
"Gohna!" Krillin yelled worriedly, unable to do anything like Bulma. If two of the world's strongest fighters were unable to beat this guy, what were their chances?
"So like I said, I'll be taking your daughter." Raditz announced. "And if you want to see her alive again, you'll do what your big brother tells you." Goku strained just to lift his head up, taking all the energy he had just to do it. "We're family, so I'll give you 24 hours to think about my offer. The choice is yours, but for your daughter's sake I hope you'll decide to join us."
"Still," he continued as the four-year-old sobbed, "I do feel a bit mistreated at the unwelcome reception, so how about repaying me as a sign of good faith. Let's see... With the both of you, I think it's only fair that you kill 200 humans tomorrow, one hundred for each of you." He decided. Simply stack their corpses on this beach once I return, and all will be forgiven. It should be easy enough once you set your minds to it. Of course, if you prefer, I could just take your daughter with me and we would be on our way off this world."
What!? Goku screamed in his mind, he and the others looking at the lunatic who made them the ultimatum. Kill two hundred people just for their daughter back? Or risk letting who knows what befall her in exchange. To Raditz, it didn't care if she was a child as long as she was a Saiyan. She would learn to fight and kill others for their race's sake, whether she was against it or not.
"I can't wait to see what fate you've chosen for your little girl, Kakarot." He taunted as he turned, walking to the shore of the beach. "Now try not to worry. I promise I won't hurt my niece unless I have to."
"Ahhhhh!" She cried again. "Put me down you big cweep!" This must've been the type of people Launch was talking about, the type who kidnap little girls from their families! "Mommy! Daddy! Please help meeee!"
Her vision was still strained but Caulifla lifted her head as much as she could, trying to push passed the pain once she heard Gohna's cries. "Nghhh... Gohna..." She softly spoke.
"No..." Goku could only rub his stomach, trying to soothe away the pain as quickly as possible to recover, but to no avail.
"You will do well to consider my offer once more, Kakarot." Raditz warned for the last time. "If you do, I'll return the girl to her loving parents, and both of you can join our team. If not, then it'll be a rather long time before you ever see each other again."
"You coward! She's just a kid!" Krillin shouted. "Leave her out of this!"
"Krillin's right!" Bulma nodded. "Besides, it doesn't matter what you'd do! Cauli and Goku wouldn't hurt anyone!"
"Oh, I see..." There was a brief look in Raditz's eyes as he turned his head back, gazing at the meager survivors he could finish off in an instant. But where would the fun in that be? It'd be more than enjoyable if they were the parents' first victims. "Then if you insist, I can just take the girl right now and these two wouldn't have to get their hands dirty!" The smugness in the man's voice would be enough to lift a hot air balloon, he was so full of himself.
"But either way, it doesn't matter. Soon every creature on this planet will be exterminated. Once we've completed our current mission, with or without their help, we'll be back to conquer Earth."
The standing duo gasped at the revelation as Krillin spoke. "Y-You will?!" If they were dealing with any ordinary man, they wouldn't put much passed them. But after seeing what Raditz was capable of on his own, they were more than ready to believe his words.
"Hahaha... Of course, it'll only be the three of us against billions and billions of humans, not to mention the proud Saiyan warriors stationed here. But despite the disadvantage we'll be at, I think our chances are pretty good. I'm sure we'll be finished in under a month."
"Ghh..." He paused as he noticed the weak grip grasping at his foot, seeing Goku barely paying him any heed. He must admit, he was rather surprised that Goku had the strength to pull himself all the way to Raditz, even with his strength being just half of his own. "You're not... taking..." He struggled to finish the rest of his sentence.
"Did you catch all that, Kakarot? Struggle all you want, you know the only way out of this is to join me and the rest of the Saiyans."
"No..." He turned around to see Caulifla at her knees, having pulled herself even further along the sand, struggling to rise to her feet at the lone palm tree just ten yards away. "Give me back... my little girl... Ahhh!" She gasped out with another trickle of blood in pain again as she collapsed, the pain in her stomach too unbearable to even stand.
"Cauli!" Bulma yelled worriedly, running to her side. No matter how badly Caulifla wanted her child back, there was no way she could push herself like this and maintain her health.
"Hmhmhm." It was now that Raditz was finally impressed. Despite their injuries, they continued to push on through for the sake of their own child. If they were capable of pushing themselves this far, there could be no end to the possibilities these two were capable of! "When I come back here tomorrow for your decision, the answer I better hear is 'Yes'. Got that?"
Kicking away Goku's hand, Gohna's cried amplified as Raditz began to ascend to the sky. "And for your daughter's sake, you better not try to fight back. Your power levels are barely comparable to a real Saiyan's. And you're definitely no match for your older brother!"
"Mommyyyyyyy, Daddyyyyyyy!" Gohna was sobbing uncontrollable at this point, fearing her death with every second.
"I'll be looking forward to tomorrow, Kakarot. See you then!" And at long last, he finally left, zooming through the air at speeds even the Nimbus couldn't surpass.
"GOHNAAAA!" Goku called out, too little too late.
The man known as Raditz came here not ten minutes ago with a history about the parents' heritage, and a proclamation they couldn't refuse. Either assist the Saiyans in their conquering of other planets, including the eventual one of Earth, or lose their daughter forever. And with a man strong enough of downing both parents in a single blow, there was next to no chance that they could ever defeat him...
...
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A/N: Fun fact of the day: POWER LEVELS ARE ANNOYING TO DEAL WITH XD Case in point- Gine, Goku's mother... Idk where but several days to a week ago while doing research, I swear to god i saw somewhere that said her power level was at or around 500; i try re-looking for the detail that said this but i can not find it now. And current ones say she was at 800-1,000 PL instead. Not a huge dif, but if they keep switching out on me and changing things up, its gonna get extremely tedious XP
At least with this new reality of world, I had no problems changing up Goku and Caulifla's power level from the 420 or so Goku was said to have at the start of DBZ to over 600, and for those wondering, yes, there is a reason why Cauli's power who was stated as being born stronger is weaker in this which will be touched upon briefly next chap, much like her upbringing was hinted at in this one.
Oh, and before i forget which I almost did (was literally about to say goodbye when i remembered XP), as of this very moment, the intros are free/open for anyone to make requests with! They can involve any point in the Dragon Ball series that you'd like to see a scene from, whether its a nonsensical adventure, a day of a tournament, or any other thing. And the best part is, there's no limitation on chronological-ness either, we could be at pilaf's castle next chp and one after that immediately taking place towards the series finale.
With that said, one note I should make: certain scenes I will not be able to touch upon. These scenes include: "Pilaf Castle", "Training with Roshi" (to an extent) "King Piccolo Saga", and the "Martial art tournaments". The reason isn't because i dont/can't do them, quite the opposite- i already have scenes intended for those through and through ^^ But they're also integral backstory pieces, and because of it, I can't change them up without interfering with the present-day story in any way. But other than that, any other scene that took place in the DB series is up for grabs, so leave a request after you finish reviewing in the comments ^^
Again sorry if the writings not the best, idk what's going on with my head lately, most likely stress, especially since i havent been writing for like 3-4 years so things are flowing once more and whatnot. Hope people still enjoyed it all the same.
So with that said, hope you all enjoyed! If you did enjoy, leave a like, fave, follow, and review if you enjoyed, and I hope to see you soon!