DBZ: Married to Another Saiyan (AU)

by Monokub

Stories unravel in a multitude of ways. Some see our heroes become evil. Some see Villains become Heroes. And others simply add another character to the mix. What happens when a new character is thrown into the plot? What changes from the original version? Most importantly: What would happen if Goku married Caulifla instead of Chichi? Rated T for Safety

5. Ep3: A Life or Death Battle! Pt1

A/N: Final Word Count: 10.4k Pre A/N's.

What up what up what up! Back to you guys with another exciting episode of DBZ! As opposed to the usual trivia today, i have something else I feel slightly necessary to discuss. It mostly relates to the genderswap bit of this series related to gohan. If the genderswap doesn't bother you, feel free to skip the next 2 paragraphs. If it doesn't bother you but you're curious about the reasoning behind it, feel free to read too ^_^!

Among the last couple reviews I had, I had 2 people take issue with the fact I made Gohan a girl (well one was an issue with the girl part, I don't fully know if the following one was an issue with him being a girl, a name specifically, or what, it felt kinda confusing...) to which I'd like to address: I get there are die hard fans to this series, heck it was my freaking childhood and one of my all time favorite animes, and continues to be so to this day. I also get a lot of people aren't into gender swapping which I'm also just fine with, some people like it when you keep to the original stuff which I am totally for ^^ And to the first of the 2 guys I salute with a hearty handshake and hope you find a fic you enjoy ^^ To the 2nd guy... I hope you clarify a bit more on your complaint or make it something more understandable. Seriously- im just fine with critiques and everything, but given this is a T-Rated fic, please refrain from cursing with Rated-R language and whatnot, just in case there's kids on here.

With that said, to the point I want to address, I want to state wholeheartedly that the genderswap thing actually was intentional. Without getting into too much detail (seriously I could go into WAY TOO MUCH detail in biology and whatnot..), I will like to state that I went into this fanfic with full research and consideration ahead of time... though im still questioning if my consideration is that i know nothing which is most likely the case XP I made Gohan a female was to balance out the personality. If i made him a full-on male Saiyan, his personality would be vastly different from the anime. Then people would be complaining "oh, hey, this is nothing like the gohan from the show! This sucks!" (and you know people would point that out). I basically went in with a no-win situation from the get-go but accepted that. At the same time, to balance out the scales, I made him a girl to, as said, balance the character out so he/she would still maintain some of their shy/nervous side of things while still maintaining more bravery befitting that of a fellow Saiyan.

In short: Gohan + Full Saiyan = too much personality. Fem Gohan + full Saiyan = closer to current personality. and no this isn't me ripping on girls or something or saying they can't be tough. ItS A KID'S SHOW PEOPLE. SETTLE DOWN.

Hooftah, glad i got that off my chest ^^ Apologies to those whose time I just wasted. I just want people to know I didn't half-chuck this anime without taking how serious people take the series, it's literally the only fanfic i've done to date that forced me to do legitimate research on it (i hate homework T_T...) I hope everyone continues to enjoy the latest episode/chapter, and the oncoming fight scene i have listed as I haven't wrote fight scenes in a long time, and the first time for a dragon ball Z fanfic, so here's hoping it turns out well ^^! With that all said, enjoy!

(Oh and PS before i forget- I used the Kai version of the fight so im not stuck spending 10 chapters on a single fight T_T, so if it seems sped up at certain portions, now you know why. It also lets me give a valid excuse for Goku cursing during fights too~*)

P.S.S.: And now I re-upload for the THIRD time because the first two times around, i completely forgot to edit the words i had with points before and after them like *this*. For those wondering why i use those, it's to help me go back and the fic so when im either using a sound effect word or a character is talking with a tone to their voice, I can quickly find the word again and edit it- otherwise im stuck re-reading 10k fanfic to find like 10-20 words XD

Now assuming and most likely failing to miss something else I missed, please enjoy the fic ^^!

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*hop*

*hop*

"Amy, get down here you little monkey!" Chiyo ordered as she waved the wooden spoon, watching the five-year-old continue to disobey her, as was every day. "You're going to get hurt!"

The 'monkey' in question waited until she grabbed onto the rope of a nearby chandelier before turning around. She was wearing the usual long pink shirt she's worn most of her life that stretched down to her ankles, with the same black hair and monkey tail she was known for, and her wild antics that borderlined an actual monkey with the body of a child. Turning around on the rope, she gave a cheeky grin before sticking her tongue out. "Nyeeeeh!" She taunted. "Make me!" She challenged her aunt as she scurried the rope to another window. "And my name's Caulifla!"

Chiyo just sighed as she watched the young girl, playing around without a care in the world as she looked outside through the window. Life had been pretty wild since the day Amy, or "Caulifla" as she liked to call herself, came into her life, with every year seeming less manageable than the last.

The first few years were relatively simple taking care of a baby. Thanks to the salvage they managed to bring back, there was more than enough funds left over for her friend Rodger to leave her to help her last a couple years, which soon became less than two years given the surprising amount of food the little girl ate. Top that off with the air filters she had to by each month followed with the supplies it took to just manage caring for a baby, and she quickly found her five-year-fortune slowly dwindle to just two years at the most.

The real challenge behind this and the next year and a half that followed was caring for Amy in it's entirety. Ever since the child showed up within the city, there were two things that Chiyo struggled to manage with. One was keeping the child hidden from the army that ran it, which wasn't too terrible thanks to her friends and fellow city folk. Nobody cared one bit for the army that forcefully took over their island. Why would they So whenever it was a matter of keeping Caulifla's identity a secret, everyone was more than happy to pitch in, if only as a means for them to get back at the stupid army in some small way.

The second challenge came in with the girl herself. Thanks to the constantly polluted air within the city and the lack of nutritional foods, Chiyo found her little girl almost constantly sick growing up, always running a fever every two or three months and a cold in-between. She needed constant medicine on hand just to keep the illnesses away, to give the girl a fighting chance. Honestly, Chiyo was actually surprised how well the girl was doing regardless of the medicine. The fact she was as sick as often as she was and yet still survived made her nothing short of a Miracle Child in Chiyo's eyes, one that could survive anything. And very rarely there were one or two months she went sick free.

Come age 4 and the child's true colors started to show, in more ways than one. What appeared at first as a sweet, albeit rough, little angel removed any sense of angel inside of her and replaced it with more rough. She was always getting into little mayhem here and there, whether it was breaking a kitchen table to see how durable it was, scurrying around the city out of simple boredom, or trying to challenge one of the few other children that were around here to a fight simply to prove she was the strongest. Because of it, there were no ends to the complaints of fellow parents.

And, for whatever reason, she absolutely refused to accept the name "Amy" as her own!

To Caulifla, even she didn't understand herself or why she refused anything other than the name "Caulifla". It didn't make sense to her, but for some reason it just felt right, like it was supposed to be "Caulifla". It was probably the same sense that made her protective of her tail, too. If there was one thing many people around had learned about the young girl, it was that YOU DO NOT TOUCH HER TAIL. EVER. And it didn't appear to simply be because of the strange sensitivity she had to it, as Chiyo found out over the years.

Top all of it off with a small rundown household dead center in the middle of the world's possibly-most polluted city, and you had the recipe for a perfect little nightmare that was their day to day lives.

"Honestly Amy, you're going to get yourself hurt." Chiyo warned again as she walked towards the window.

"Nuh-uh, this is easy!" There was no way the incredibleness that was Caulifla wouldn't be able to handle this! After all, she was no higher than a bookshelf at the moment, and with the view she had, there was no way she'd want to leave this spot! I mean sure, there was the murky purple air that greeted them day in and day out, but it was still cooler than anything in this house.

Which was basically nothing save for the few rooms they had.

"And did you take your medicine today?"

"I don't need the medicine anymore! I'm tough enough withou-ack! Ough-!" The proud girl suddenly let out a cough as she placed a hand to her mouth. That little action was just enough for the young girl to lose the small grip she had on the window, sending her head down towards the hard wooden floor. "Aaaaaah-!"

*thump*

There was a brief silence as the girl blinked before looking to the side, seeing the cheeky smile of her dear old aunt who had just caught her in her arms.

"So, what was that about being tough enough, my little Amy?" She teased, finding it humorous as the little girl just crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks, looking away with a small blush.

"I-I would've been fine!" She assured, though the screaming said otherwise.

"I'm sure you would be." In all honesty, Chiyo actually enjoyed the little antics Amy got herself into, admiring the sense of adventure the little girl had despite the lack of privilege they lived with. "Now come along, Amy. Take your medicine, wash your hands, and then we'll have a nice warm meal." Chiyo smiled as she set the girl to her feet, taking her hand as she walked her over to the cabinet where various bottles were stood.

"Awww but I don't like the medicine, it's yucky." She complained. She didn't know what vile concoctions were in these bottles, but she knew they were definitely created by an evil scientist of some sort! That's the only explanation why something that was supposed to be good for you tasted so horrible! Even now as she drank the small blue spoonful her aunt gave her, it tasted like dish soap mixed with soup it was so distasteful. "Bleck!" She wiped her tongue against her arm in disgust.

"Heheheh, I know it doesn't taste the best but you'll get used to it when you're older." Chiyo assured trying to cheer the girl up. "Now, go wash your hands while I prepare for dinner."

"Oh fine.." The little girl huffed as she marched on over to the sink, using the small wooden stepstool to reach since her aunt didn't want her jumping on the counter with dirty feet. As strong as she was, or thought herself to be, she was powerless to the irresistible might that was hunger, always gnawing at her with an annoyance like no other. "Can we go outside sometime soon?" She asked as she made her way over to the table, kneeling on top of one of the chairs so she could reach the slightly taller table.

"Now why would you want to do that, Amy?" She old woman replied as she set the wooden utensils and cups in front of the two chairs. "You could play with your toys inside or color a picture. It's much safer that way."

"But I'm borrrrrrrred!" She laid her head against the table dejectedly. "It's always the same thing everyday."

"Speaking of same thing..." Chiyo began as she brought over the covered wooden bowl, the steam still rising off of it.

"Oh no..." Please tell her it wasn't what she thought it was...

"It's dinner time!" And sure enough, it was exactly what she dreaded.

"Beans, again!?" There was no god. This was proof of it. No amount of proof would convince her otherwise.

Yesterday it was beans. Last month it was beans. Last year it was beans. Beans. Beans! BEANS! She can't remember a single time in her life when beans wasn't on the menu, and even on the rare occasions she could count on one hand, anything else she ate always came with a side of beans! It's like they were following her every day just to annoy her!

"Can't we eat something elllllllllse?" The sad girl already knew the answer as she grabbed a wooden spoon, hand trembling a bit as she brought it to the bowl.

"Now Amy, you know how difficult it is to get something different around here." Chiyo reminded as scooped a smaller serving for herself. "Those Red Army people provide just enough food for us each and every day. We should be thankful."

"But it's their fault we're eating like this anyway! Just because they make something doesn't mean everyone here should be forced to eat it!" The girl moaned silently once more as she brought the full spoon to her mouth, forcing herself to down the disgusting brown and green beans like past times.

"I know dear but with all the pollution their factories create, it's very tricky to get any other sort of food to grow here. You know that."

"Yeah, but... Ughhhh!" Chiyo let out a small sigh as she watched Caulifla plant her face into the table. "I just want something new around here for once..."

Providing for a young child was a lot of hard work. Dealing with them was another. Dealing with a child you could barely provide for in the first place was near torture at this point. Chiyo tried her best to provide for her adopted daughter with what little money she could scrape by, but it was never enough. She didn't mind Amy or Caulifla's or whatever she wanted to call herself attitude. How could she when most children of the world didn't live anything like this? Or when there were barely any children around here at all to play with?

It just hurt her a little every time she saw Amy in a depressed mood, wallowing over the fact they had so little even for the poor people who lived on the very same island. She wished there was more she could do for her to lift her spirits, to see her smile for a change to something that didn't involve breaking apart a table or pulling the cupboard doors off their hinges.

Thinking about it a bit more, Chiyo smiled. "I'll tell you what sweetie. If you promise to break less things around here, I'll look into getting us a nice small TV this weekend. How does that sound?"

Caulifla lifted her head at this with actual curiosity in her eyes for a change. "What's a TV?"

"It's a small box that lets you watch things from around the world." Chiyo's explanation sounded much cooler to the young girl's point of view, comprehending it in an exaggerated way.

"It can fit the whole world inside it?!" She gasped. The notion of it gave Chiyo pause to chuckle with a slight nod.

"Yes, dear. The whole world. But you have to promise to stop breaking things around here or I won't be able to- ough!" She was interrupted as she let out a brief cough.

"Are you ok?" Caulifla tilted her head. It sounded like a strange sort of cough compared to the ones she would get.

"Yes dear, it was just a small cough. As I was saying, I won't be able to afford the TV if you keep breaking things. So, will you promise to break a little less around here if I get you something fun?"

"Ah! You mean it?" This sounded wonderful! Finally there would be something she could do around here, like capture an entire world inside of a small box!

"Yes, I promise." She could already see the sparkles in her little girl's eyes, her mouth gaped open with excitement.

"Yaaaaay! I promise!" Caulifla thanked before she gobbled up the rest of her beans. She hopped off her small chair immediately after and made a dash for the living room, trying to find something to do to make the time pass by faster. After all, she had a weekend to look forward to! And if getting something fun for a change was the reward, then she was gonna be on her best behavior!

Thus brought one of the few moments that warmed Chiyo's heart with a soft smile. Amy was a rambunctious child whose origins were a mystery to her. She liked exploring as much as she could within the small house, she loved doing whatever she could to work out, mostly in the form of running around the house and inadvertently knocking things over, and she was always quick to change her mood on a dime. And it was one of those times she changed her mood into something brighter for a change, instead of one of those usual sour moods that were a bummer to look at.

Best of all, she finally had a chance to breathe with relief, knowing that Amy would go the rest of the week, if not longer than she could, without breaking a single thing around here. It would be relaxing for once to not have to worry about whatever Amy could get her hands on or what she could do with it after. Plus, if she really stuck to her guns and didn't break anything, maybe she could even afford to get them something new to eat around here like-!

*crash!*

"It wasn't me!"

... Well, it was a nice thought anyway...

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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...

The 5-year-reunion was cut short by the immediate arrival of a mysterious stranger who turned out to be Goku's very own brother, Raditz! After multiple revelations of both his and Caulifla's past, the festivities were cut short as both parents were subdued before their very own daughter was abducted, with Raditz threatening the parents to join the race of Saiyans if they ever wanted to see their beloved girl ever again. After a brief discussion, the two parents devised several plans to take on the dreaded Raditz with the help of their old adversary, Piccolo. Will the trio manage to defeat this terrible menace? Or will Raditz be their undoing...

Raditz continued to grin as he laughed to himself, watching over the pathetic three that could barely keep up with his first attack. Even with the additional weight removed from their persons', none of the three were prepared for Raditz's immense speed, save for Caulifla, who barely managed to block the incoming strike with her arms. And while it was impressive to him that she managed to do so, he could tell from the bruises it left behind that she wouldn't be able to withstand a full-on assault.

"I tried to warn you two. I asked you to see reason." Raditz reminded as he surveyed the wary fighters. "But you both failed to see reason, and you'll pay for that."

"Heh, and even if we don't, there's still two more Saiyans after that, right?" Goku needn't a reminder of the terrible threat already heading to their planet regardless.

"Each of them having a power level higher than all of ours combined. Isn't that what you said?" To be honest, Caulifla couldn't tell if the thought of it interested or terrified her. On the one hand, it was the chance to fight a strong opponent which both parents relished. On the other hand, it also meant the destruction of the human race.

"Personally, I find the prospect exciting." Piccolo grinned as he commented. "One way or another we get two incredibly powerful fighters landing on our planet after we've dealt with this guy."

"I call dibs first."

"The only thing you'll be getting first is a head start to the grave." Raditz cracked the knuckles of both his fists, curious to see what two survivors of his race could pull off on a weak planet like this. "Out of respect, I'll at least try to make your death painless, but I tend to be careless in that detail."

Caulifla just rolled her eyes mentally at the comment. "Oh how thoughtful of you. I'll try to do the same THING!" And with a ferocious yell, she charged.

Followed quickly by Goku from behind, the two Saiyans swarmed the space warrior as best they could as a flurry of strikes were flung directly at the fearsome foe, Raditz managing to evade each and every blow they attempted to land. While it was mere child's play to contend with these two, he did note that the female did, in fact, appear to be faster, finding himself almost requiring to block physically half the time as he danced around their strikes. When Piccolo joined the fray, it became a necessity as he now had three fighters to contend with at once, two of which had a definite increase of speed compared to the green demon.

Yet not a single one of them proved effective.

Each and every blow they threw his way was almost like watching a ball of cotton being blown in the wind to someone like him, watching as their feeble strikes attempted to hit him. Even the blows he felt being blocked from Cauli felt like nothing more than mere bumps to his arms when he had to block them.

"If this is truly the best your world's fighters are capable of, it's a wonder any of you have managed to survive as long as you have!" If he could commend them on one aspect, it's the fact none of them appeared to be slowing down in their assault. If there was another thing they could improve upon, it was everything else. "It'll almost be too easy to take your pathetic lives away from you!"

"Wanna bet?" Without another word, Caulifla disappeared from the trio in a rather surprising burst of speed that caught the young invader off guard.

"What the-?" Were the only two words he managed to let out before Piccolo and Goku both dispersed from the area itself, leaving a bewildered Raditz to wonder what they were up to.

*tweet*

"Hey! Up here!" He heard a voice to above, looking surprised to see Caulifla floating about 50 feet above him. Putting both her hands together forward, she concentrated as much energy as she could into the palm of her hand. Growing from a simple speck to an entire orb of red energy, the mother shot forth a direct burst of energy at the combatant, creating a wave of pure red energy almost half the size of herself directly to the target below, crashing upon ground with a thunderous roar.

The light illuminated from the grand spectacle was almost blinding as Piccolo and Goku shielded their eyes. One of the many props Goku had to give his wife was her use of energy manipulation. While he carried the physical side of their strength, she had a knack for the energy end of it, being able to call forth most of it at a much faster pace. Granted, majority of it tended to be slightly out of her control half the time, but in moments like these, he couldn't argue with the results.

After another several seconds, she finally let up in her attack to check the results. Instead of the charred corpse a part of her was hoping to see, she was met with a confused scene of nothing more than a smoldering crater of blackness no bigger than the size of her energy burst, fresh steam still lifting off the charred ground. "Where'd he go?!"

"I'm right here." He answered proudly.

"Cauli!" Goku tried to warn too late. "Above you!"

*Wham!*

*Crash!*

No sooner had she turned around to locate her victim did her face meet with the bottom end of his combat boots, taking it in full force that sent her hurling to the ground like a bullet. She couldn't tell what hurt worse, the kick to the face or the impact of her face smashing into the ground, dragging across the ground for a good couple yards before she managed to regain her self of sense again, jumping out of the dirt trail she was leaving and skidding her feet and fingers across the ground to slow herself down. She had several scrapes against her body and a trickle of blood trailing down the left side of her mouth that she rubbed, but at least she was alive.

"Are you okay?" Goku asked, although he couldn't afford to take his eyes off the invader that descended back to the ground casually.

Caulifla spat a bit of blood from her mouth before trying to give an assuring grin with a nod. "No worse than before."

"Awww, now isn't this touching?" Every second he watched the two worry for one another's being was another moment of joy and laughter it brought to Raditz. "The proud husband looking out for his matriarch. Honestly, it's almost makes me sad how distraught your daughter will be when I tell her mommy and daddy are dead." He grinned wickedly as he clenched his fist. "But don't worry. By the time I finished training her myself, she'll be devoid of any and all useless emotions."

"You're not doing anything to her!" With another growl, Goku charged Raditz on foot, this time with Caulifla following his lead.

What would've been what Raditz assumed to be a do-over of the previous engagement quickly turned into a game of surprise for him as he suddenly felt a harsh grip on both of his arms. "What?!" Turning his head, he was shocked to see the demon's arms stretched from the near thirty feet distance from where the former demon king stood, all the way to Raditz's very own wrists, intending to keep the man on hold for the two parents to engage with ease. Truly, it would've been a marvelous plan, one that certainly caught Raditz off guard.

If only they hadn't underestimated Raditz's resourcefulness.

"Don't get full of yourselves!" It was almost insulting to him how much they underestimated him. Instead of wasting his time simply overpowering the green man's arms, he opted to teach all three of them a lesson at once as he suddenly raised his right leg over the left arm, slamming it down with full force in a way that left Piccolo screaming in pain from the shattered bones, loosening his grip enough for him to break out of his grip from the same arm and grab it himself.

With a much tighter grip on Piccolo's own arm, still stretched a good distance away, the man pulled Piccolo off his own feet in a tremendous swing as he swung the holder directly into the oncoming Goku and Caulifla in a full loop around himself, slamming them a dozen yards further from himself all in a group pile. Freeing his other wrist of the demon's grip, Raditz gathered a small ball of energy in his left hand, quickly charging and firing a ball of blazing fire directly at the three of them.

Thankfully, the swinging they all suffered resulted in minimal damage and a hasty recovery which they all needed as they jumped away from the oncoming ball of fire, narrowly avoiding the ten-foot explosion that scattered dust and debris in every direction, creating an annoying haze of dust that clouded their vision. It was what gave Raditz the opportunity he wanted to perform his own counterattack as he lunged ahead, taking advantage of the fact none of them had touched the ground yet.

From Piccolo, to Goku, and Caulifla respectively, each of them were subjected to a harsh strike, each worse than last. From the immense headbutt the Saiyan felt no need to protect slamming into Piccolo's green dome launching him several yards away with a small burst of blood emanating from his forehead, to the lone punch directly delivered into Goku's bottom left chin, launching him the farthest out of the three with a speck of blood escaping his mouth. And Caulifla, the one who he held the most disdain for, was powerless to prevent the knee she took directly to the ribs, causing the girl to gasp as she let out all the air within her, more blood pooling out the sides of her mouth.

Grinning, he followed it up with a strike to the back of her head directly with his fist, slamming her face-first into the ground below her. All of this, done within the time they each leapt away from his previous blast, and he still managed to end things off by landing on the ground where he once stood before starting all of this, watching with glee as all of them hit the ground in a painful manner in unison.

"Grrrrr... How is he... so fast..." Piccolo growled as he wiped his brow, trying to stem the small piddle of purple blood that was almost blinding his eyes. Out of the three, he was the most dazed from the literal head-on collision. Combined with the slightly shattered left wrist and he was the least effective fighter thus far.

"Wish I could... say I saw him coming..." Goku hacked a bit rubbing his chin. Like Piccolo, there was a small disorientation from his vision after the blow he took, but he managed to shake it off much faster.

"Trust me... You're better off not seeing it..." Caulifla shriveled as she spat up a bit of dirt, clutching her stomach shakily from the pain. Just from the pain alone she could tell there was either several bruised or one shattered rib. "It hurts worse that way..."

"Come now, is this really all you got?" A part of Raditz actually hoped this fight would continue. It would make up for the extreme boredom he suffered since getting here, not to mention the trip to the planet itself. "How about I promise to fight with only one hand? That should make things entertaining." The fighters kept their focus on the warrior while drowning out his taunts, thinking of what to do.

Thus far a direct head-on collision proved useless and while they could get some air with what little flight control they had, it was nothing compared to Raditz's mastery over it as well as the increased speed. Weighing their options, Caulifla and Goku looked to one another before giving a silent nod, sprinting forth as the two sprint on ahead in opposite directions until Raditz was right between them a good distance.

"Oh, trying to go for a pincer attack, are you? Whatever will I do?" He wondered if these two really hadn't learned anything from their fighting with him if they thought this trick would work twice.

As it turned out, they had learned a good deal.

And they were ready to put one of their plans to action as both Saiyans prepared themselves.

"Kaaaaa..." Goku began as they clapped their wrists together, keeping their palms open.

"Meeeee..." Cauli continued as the two went back and forth, focusing their energy as they brought their hands to one side.

"Haaaa..." It was only now that Raditz noticed the energy gathering by both parents' side, a strange blue aura that started to manifest from their palms and slowly grew in size with every passing moment.

What's this? His adjusted his scouter's settings as he noticed a peculiar spike in their power levels. *Their power is rising again...* It didn't make any sense. He scanned both parents carefully just to make sure the device wasn't faulty but sure enough they were steadily rising without any indication of slowing down. 1013...1118?! For a split second he almost trembled a bit, noting how the power levels were almost on par with his own at 1200.

Then he remembered one crucial fact that made him grin: he was a proud Saiyan Warrior, not one of these lowlifes who forsook their race. Fine, I'll play their little game.

"Meeeee..." The two attackers continued their chant as they watched the bold Raditz ascend to the air again. Did he think they couldn't aim from up there? That they couldn't manipulate the blast to turn if needed? Whatever the reason was, he stopped dead center still between them, now a short 70 feet in the air, still grinning wickedly. It was only then Piccolo realized something was wrong.

"Wait-!" He warned, too late like the previous warning before it. The next sound he heard basically sealed both the warriors' fate.

"HAAAAAAA*" And with a scream at the top of both their lungs, they fired.

*SHROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

In a dazzling display of power, Goku and Caulifla fired simultaneously, releasing a massive burst of energy directed at the lone man in the air.

At the same time, a young Gohna was still reeling from all that had befallen her as she silently sniffled to herself, trapped within the confines of the pod. It was only when she noticed the strange burst of light starting to enter the pod that she looked outside, noticing the two familiar beams of energy that belonged to the two most important people to her. "Moooom! Daddy!" She cried out, pouding on the glass again to little avail.

As was always the case, the two beams were bursting with power, yet separated by notable differences.

Goku's blast was almost the size of a truck's wheel in terms of diameter. While being smaller, he always managed to concentrate all his energy into a narrow point, giving his shots the precision they needed to focus in on one target, allowing him to pierce with more efficiency if needed, as well as manipulate the movement of it in a time of need.

Caulifla's on the other hand was more about raw power as demonstrated from the blast that shot from her hands. With a diameter that was almost the same size as her, she managed to fire a surprising burst of energy at her target, the wider radius giving her an increased impact of which she could hit. However, unlike Goku's, it lacked the crucial concentration on a central point, making it much harder to fire ahead with as much precision as Goku's. In addition, as opposed to the concentrated energy Goku's displayed, because of the broad range of which her blast fired, it took almost twice as much energy to maintain.

Basically, if Goku's blast was a pistol, then Caulifla's could be considered a shotgun; sporting more power up close but losing efficiency at a distance.

And even without this, it did nothing to sway Raditz's own courage as he saw the two blasts coming.

"You must be joking!" The plan stemmed from one simple piece of logic- if he was busy defending one side, there would be no way to defend himself from the other blast coming behind him. And in some respects, it was a solid plan. Even on the off chance he could've somehow, they both assumed he wouldn't be able to do so effectively while coming out of it unscathed. It was a solid plan for sure, just with one minor setback neither of them saw coming.

He could defend both sides with the exact same amount of power at once.

*shoooooom!*

"WHAT!?" Goku yelled at the sight before him.

With one swift motion, Raditz fired from both his hands a blast on par with Goku's in both directions, the tip of each resounding with a pulse of energy that tore through both kamehamehas as if they were paper. Goku nor Piccolo could believe what they were seeing as the blast trailed forth as if it was nothing, already tearing through Goku's attack at twice the speed he managed to unleash. With little choice, the young warrior was forced to back away at the last second before impact, shielding himself from the following explosion that left a crater nearly 1/4th of the size his ship made when he landed.

The small distance from the explosion did little to help Goku save for keeping him alive as he was enveloped in a massive burst of light, the energy pulsating all around him as it tore at him from every side, throwing him a good distance away where he landed harshly on his back. When he came out of the dome of light, the right half of his gi was torn to shreds, exposing parts of his now-scarred sides that took multiple bursts of energy at once, leaving cuts, scrapes, and bruises almost half a foot apart at every angle of his body, arms included.

And it was still better compared to what came after.

"Cauli!" He struggled to call out as he strained to lift himself off the ground. If there was any leeway to the current predicament, it's that Caulifla managed to hold the blast at pay for a brief second longer, the energy from Raditz struggling to push through just a tiny bit in comparison to Goku's.

But even that mattered little as Raditz noticed this, his grin never leaving his face as he took solace in the fact that the female had some ounce of strength, however little it was compared to him. The little amount turned out to be nothing as Raditz barely increased the output of his energy directed at her, increasing the blast of energy a tiny bit and shredding through the attack faster than Goku's. By the time Caulifla saw the blast right in front of her, it was already too late. All she could do was cover herself with her bare arms.

*BOOM*

"NO!" Goku shouted worriedly as the blast enveloped her, hearing Caulifla's scrams of pain as the light enveloped her. It felt like hot searing metal being rammed against her body as a hold while somehow being slammed with a hammer at the same time. None of the other three could make out how she faired against the blast as the smoke enveloped her, blocking her of their vision completely as Raditz landed on the ground once again.

"Did you truly think you could overpower me if you attacked me from both sides?" Raditz wagged a finger at his brother tauntingly, taking great delight in the prospects of their failure. "Oh, Kakarot. If only you decided to join us, I could've taught you something. Like knowing when to hold still for a painless death! Hahahaha!" He enjoyed the sight of the "heroes" that continued to fail time and time again, all without landing a single scratch on him. If they didn't disgrace their proud lineage, he would've almost considered leaving them alive as spare punching bags for training. At least then they would've been useful as something!

"You bastard!" Goku yelled, squeezing his fist to control his anger. He wanted to lash out with as much strength as he could, to make him pay for what he did to Caulifla. But he knew the moment he lost his composure his defeat was assured, something he couldn't afford when he needed to save his daughter too.

"Aww, don't worry Kakarot. You'll be joining her soon, I promise-"

"You shouldn't keep a promise you can't keep." The voice caught everyone off guard as it spoke, the familiar sound bringing hope to Goku once more as Raditz turned around in shock.

"Impossible!"

"Cauli-!" What happiness he felt welling up inside of him slowly dimmed as the smoke began to dissipate, revealing what stood.

*drip*

*drip*

Whether a miracle or sheer strength, Caulifla was still standing, much worse for wear. Her entire right arm was completely mangled as she hugged it close to herself by her shoulder, dripping with a cascade of blood that dripped on the ground beneath her. Her pants were torn on both sides, with the bottom half of the left leg completely gone. She shuttered against herself as she tried to maintain a brave front, finding it futile as she spent most of her energy keeping her half-opened eyes from closing, fearing the loss of consciousness.

For better or worse, she was still standing heavily injured, and she was sure she could throw a few blows here and there. But in the state she was currently in, her right arm was completely useless. Top it off with the unnecessary exhaustion she exhibited from being forced to defend herself, and she was officially running on reserves.

"Hmph, I see." Just from the fight alone Raditz could already tell how she survived. "You threw out a last bit of energy at the end to soak up most of my attack before it landed. I would say it was impressive if you weren't somehow a more-miserable sight to behold than before."

"Tch, pretty big talk from the guy who has yet to beat us disgraceful warriors." She taunted back, doing anything she could to maintain her composure.

"Goku..." The man turned back as he heard Piccolo mumble quietly to him, still rubbing his crushed wrist sorely while Caulifla kept Raditz occupied. "I don't suppose either of you have anymore tricks you've been holding out on?" It was a hopeful question that proved to be disappointing.

"Heh, sorry, but I think we're tapped out." Goku unfortunately answered, shifting his eyes a bit as he kept focus on Caulifla's and Raditz's conversation. "We've mostly spent our time developing our strength, not our techniques."

"Heh, despite all that power you two have been slacking. Just perfect." He could admit there was a bit of humor to it. Even though the two definitely outmatched him, something he could gauge given their current strength, they didn't appear to be any stronger in terms of abilities or power. "Lucky for the three of us, I've spent the last few months perfecting a new attack."

"What are you two whispering about?" The two nearly jumped at the sound of the Raditz's voice directed to them. He still kept his body towards the wounded woman but shot his head back in their direction, picking up on the short mutters he could hear. "If you're trying to decide the order to die in, the least you could do is include the rest of us."

"Don't ignore me!" Once more, Caulifla lunged at the man as she attempted to swipe him, resulting in the same fate as before as Raditz easily dodged with that irritable grin to his face. At least she attempted to make things interesting as she pressed on her attack, pushing off with her legs as she continued to engage him with her one good arm and legs. She didn't know what Piccolo or Goku were talking about, but if it was something worth whispering about, then she knew they must be discussing some sort of plan. All she could do to help was keep Raditz distracted long enough for them to formulate something.

At least Raditz took joy at her pointless efforts to dance around her strikes. Like a lion playing with it's food, he was gonna enjoy her struggle before finishing her off.

"Can you do this attack in your condition?" Goku asked as he resumed the conversation.

"Yeah, even if I was down to one arm, it wouldn't be a problem." Piccolo squeezed his hand in a slight bit of annoyance as the one dilemma was about to be revealed. "The only issue is that I'm gonna need a few minutes to charge up my attack. You two are going to need to keep him occupied until I'm ready. Think you can handle that?"

"I'm sure we can manage a few minutes." In truth Goku's optimism wasn't as open as he projected. Out of the three, he was in the best state to deal with Raditz at this point and even he didn't know how long they would last at this rate.

"Heh, it's ironic that I was saving this attack to kill you two." Piccolo commented as he took a stance.

"And now you might end up saving us with it, huh?" Given their luck, Goku could assume this was the last bit of humor they were going to get out of this battle. "Help us out of this battle and I just might give you a free shot. Deal?"

"Count on it." He didn't care if he got to use it on him now, tomorrow, or a hundred years from now. Any chance they had to put this guy down he was willing to take as he began charging his attack, putting two fingertips to his forehead as he began to charge.

With Piccolo focused on his move, Goku moved in as fast as he could to join Caulifla in the fight, making a move just in time as he saw Raditz finally growing tired of the girl as he went on the offensive.

"Come on, where's all that bluster you let on awhile ago?" Raditz teased as he wailed on the girl. For every strike Caulifla managed to dodge, two more replaced it to her stomach and face. And every replacement she managed to block, a third one was delivered to her legs. It was taking everything she had just to stay on her feet, unaware of how long the conversation was going with Goku and Piccolo and too injured to care.

*BAM*

Her brief resistance came dwindling to a halt after another several seconds as she took a direct kick to the face again, sending her flying off her feet as she slammed her back against the ground. If it wasn't for Goku's timely intervention as he picked up where she left off, taking Raditz's attention by force, he would've had ample opportunity to finish her off there and then. Caulifla winced in pain as she craned her neck upwards, seeing the two men keeping on each others toes as Caulifla struggled to recover.

"Darn... it..." She gritted her teeth as she slowly rolled over onto her stomach, trying in vain to stand up.

Years of training and marriage. All those exercises they developed for one another. All the adventures and parts of the world they visited since living together. Everything they've done up to this point to grow as strong as they were now, and they still didn't have the power to defeat this guy on their own, even with the three of them together. Part of her felt worse in that regard, knowing how much stronger this man was even after all the effort she put in. And another part was still more concerned with her daughter than the fight itself, glancing back at the rim of the crater in thought.

Goku has his attention... So maybe... If she was quick enough, even in the state she was in, there was a chance she could do it. She just had to reach the pod and get her daughter out of the area. Then she could devote all her attention to the jerk who took her away to begin with!

Now she just had to actually get to her daughter in the first place, a challenge in it's own right as she limply crawled over to the crater's rim.

At the same time, Raditz noticed the slight increased in speed from his brother as he kept the elite warrior on toes a couple times, though still did nothing to actually land a blow on Raditz himself. He could easily chalk it up as him getting more aggressive when he noticed the state his wife was in. However, it's the number of times their power levels continued to increase throughout the fight that kept him guessing, ever so slightly distracting his thoughts.

"I have to say Kakarot, it would've been a pleasure to see you destroy civilizations at the rate you're going." Raditz commented through all the dodging. "If you did any better, you'd almost be worthy enough for me to call you my brother."

"I don't care about your mission or your respect!" Goku shouted back, almost managing to land a solid side kick to Raditz's face to the opponent's surprise. "I'm not letting you destroy the earth or my family!" Taking a solid kick to his stomach in turn, Goku used the momentum he provided to jump higher into the air, in the direction of the sun forcing Raditz to look into it. He didn't know what Goku was thinking, nor did he care as he rushed to the sky himself, intent on teaching his foolish brother the error of his ways.

It was all Goku needed as he brought his fingers stretched out to each side of his face.

"SOLARFLARE!"

*shiiiiiim*

"Gahhh!" Raditz screamed in agony for the first time as he covered his eyes that felt like they were burning. "My eyes!" With a single technique, Goku temporarily blinded him with a dazzling array of light, practically shooting a direct ray of pure light into Raditz's retinas and blinding the large man in a horrendous flash. Of all the tricks the two could've pulled off, Raditz never expected one like this.

Taking advantage of the brief stun, Goku mustered up all the energy into his legs as he dove straight at his brother feet first. "Haaaaaaah!"

*WHAM!*

And with that, Goku finally managed to deal the first bit of damage to the Saiyan warrior for the first time since the fight began. From being blinded from the overwhelming light, the newest sensation Raditz was met with was two feet slamming straight into his stomach, shooting him back to the grassy pavement below. Thanks to the armor he wore, he was able to brush off a good chunk of the damage as well as the attack, and managed to rub away the last of his blindness before colliding to the ground, rolling himself back to his feet as if it was a coordinated display of skill.

"You..." Raditz hissed as he clutched his stomach. While it may not have been an effective attack, the fact he still managed to feel any sliver of pain from any of these people was nothing short of insulting.

Goku just grinned back at him, satisfied with the annoyance it brought his brother's face. "Doesn't feel so good getting hurt yourself, does it?"

"...Hmph." After all of this from the brief little exchange, Raditz simply grinned. "Congratulations are in order, brother. I now consider you respectable enough to take seriously." Raising both his fists to the air was the last thing Goku saw before he disappeared in a flash.

He didn't even have time to blink before he felt a barrage of blows against his face and stomach from Raditz's sudden onslaught, the warrior appearing practically out of thin air as he delivered one heavy blow after the other. His head was wracked with an overload to his sense as every blow connected, his entire body seizing with information as his nerves were shot from the immense torrent of pain. For every blow Goku felt somehow two more additional ones followed suit, with no signs of slowing down.

It was then Goku realized that Raditz had been toying with them until now.

"What's wrong, Kakarot? Don't tell me you're getting soft now just when we were getting started!" Like the big brother he was, he needed to discipline his younger brother for misbehaving. And he was going to ensure it was ingrained into Goku's memories for what little time of his life remained after this.

Attempting to counter his brother's attacks, Goku grasped both of Raditz's hand as hard as he could, attempting to slow down the onslaught as best he could while Piccolo continued to charge. This proved to be his own folly, however, as Raditz took even more amusement from the endeavor and began squeezing his brother's hands harshly, the sounds of knuckles crunching as his grip tightened with each second. "Gahhhhhhhh!" Goku cried out in pain, doing his best to push back as he felt Raditz pushing him down to his knees.

It was taking everything Goku had just to keep himself at pay, feeling like Raditz would and could easily push his arms right out of their sockets like a doll if he felt like it. "Come now, is this the best you got? Every time you guys start to get my hopes up for an actual challenge, you quickly disappoint me."

"We're not here for your entertainment!" Goku grumbled, slowly raising an inch or two off his knee as he barely held on.

"Then why is this so much fun?" It had it's ups, it's downs, but at the very least, Raditz was enjoying the brutality. There wasn't a single moment he hesitated to kick things up a notch, and every time he did, the two former Saiyans managed to hold on by just a hair, leaving him satisfied. "Speaking of which..." His attention shifted upwards as he noticed the battered mother continuing to make her way towards the crater, narrowly an arms length away from reaching the perimeter. "Give me a moment." He requested, more or less ordered, as he kicked Goku off to the side again, throwing him straight through a rough boulder along the plains.

So close, just a little more... Caulifla kept telling herself as she neared the crater. She was about to see her girl again, to get her out of here as originally planned. It was an endeavor she would've been glad to see through to the end, if her vision of the crater wasn't soon replaced by the stature of a tall burly man who gazed down upon her.

"And where do you think you're going?" He asked as he threw back his leg. "Leaving so soon?!"

*BAM!*

"Nghhhhhhh!" Cauli screeched through her teeth as she flew back again, further away from the crater than when she started as her face took the full brunt of Raditz's foot. Disoriented, weakened, Cauli grumbled to herself as she attempted to lean forward despite the pain that protested against her. Yet, even then, she was met with the cruelty that was Raditz as he appeared over her again, slamming his right foot over her stomach in an agonizing display that left her screaming. "Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

She wasn't a doctor in any sense, but she was pretty sure that definitely crushed a rib that time. She pointlessly struggled to use both her arms, however feeble, as she attempted to push Raditz's foot off herself. At this point, it was a fruitless struggle. It was practically Raditz's decision to decide whether to end her quickly or slowly.

And he choose the one he found most fun.

"I have to admit, for a low class Saiyan, you put up a valiant effort." Raditz complimented, slowly pushing her arms closer to her chest, letting her know who was in charge of her remaining life. "I'll be sure to give Vegeta my highest regards about you and Kakarot when I present your corpses before him-!"

"Wait!" Caulifla pleaded raising a free hand. The suddenness of it took Raditz rather off guard, blinking a bit as he paused. Cauli let out a small cough, trying to clear her throat, struggling to speak. "Look, you win, alright? I'm sorry... about your mom. I'm sorry she wasted her life for me... when I didn't complete my mission. That's on me and just me. Just... Just let Goku and Gohna go, alright? I'm the one you want to deal with."

Raditz was... rather taken back by this. This lone woman, who should've been a proud Saiyan warrior, someone ready to live and die on the battlefield, openly and willingly offered her own life up in exchange from for that of her family, some of the closest people she ever cared about. In a lot of ways, it reminded him of his own mother in his final moments, the way she would willingly accept any price or punishment if it meant disgracing herself would allow her own children to live, to avoid whatever terrible fate was soon to follow. It was brave, selfless, inspiring to behold for most people...

And it pissed him off to no end!

*CRUNCH*

"AAHHHHHHHH!" Caulifla gasped in pain once more as Raditz pushed heavily on her stomach.

"Heh... Heheh... HAHAHAHAHA!" He cackled maniacally as he threw his head back, the second most amount of damage obtained during this fight being the gut filled with laughter as he took in the scene before him. "Oh, that's rich. Truly priceless, I will admit. You actually think I care that my mother died in vain? Because she wasted her life on you?" Caulifla felt a lump in her throat as she feared where this conversation was heading.

"I couldn't care less about what happened to that woman! If anything, I'm more thankful to you for removing her weak blood from my family's honor! If she were still alive I would've probably erased her existence myself if given the chance!" Cauifla truly couldn't believe what she was hearing. The tone of his voice, the weighted pressure under his foot, he was meaning every word of it. To hear someone say that about their own family like this was just... hurtful.

"Then... why..." She winced as the soreness cut her off.

"Why I'm angry is very simple, Caulifla. I'm angry because even after all of this, despite having what should've been a higher power level at birth, a memory that shouldn't have been repressed, you still came out as worthless, if not more worthless than my very own brother." He seethed with anger as he stated. "To see a Saiyan fall so low from a place of high standing such as yourself... it sickens me to bear witness." Grinning, he casually showed his hand to her as he began to charge up his energy before her very eyes. "At least take heart that Kakarot will be following you soon."

For one of the few times in Caulifla's life, she felt the one emotion she hardly felt throughout most of her life- Fear. The fear of what was about to happen to her, the fear of what this man was still capable of, and the fear of what would befall her family. Yet even with this, she couldn't help but notice. In the far corner of Raditz's exposed eye, she could've sworn she saw something. A glint. A twinkle. Something that told her about the ruse he was letting on.

It was barely noticeable, invisible to the average person. But with all that she grew up with in her childhood, and the numerous schemes, tricks, and plans she's seen orchestrated throughout her island, she could swear she saw it. A small, simple, indication, that Raditz was lying about something, something that he refused to admit.

Whatever it was mattered little to the soon-to-be killed mother as she grumbled a bit, turning her eyes away in the other direction from the blinding light. It was then that she noticed something in the distance, something that gave her a reason to grin once more. "If that's true... then... I'm not going to feel bad about this next part..."

"What do you mean next part?"

*beep*

*beep*

*beep*

His question was immediately answered by the sound of his scanner going off, pointing off in the same direction Caulifla was facing as its readings shot off. "Wait, what is...?" His answers were given to him faster than he could ask as the scanner pinpointed on the location in the distance, the lone Piccolo who had more than ample time to charge his attack. "This can't be right... 1,122... And it's still growing!?" The word impossible didn't even come close to how he felt right now as Piccolo grinned from the other side.

All that time providing a distraction, however brief, however intended, proved effective in distracting the Saiyan from the green man, almost making him forget about Piccolo entirely. It was then Raditz realized why the parents were so desperate to keep Raditz's attention focused on them by any means necessary, at least Goku's as Caulifla was preoccupied until now. And finally at long last, did Raditz come to the realization he had yet to fathom until just this very moment.

"They've been holding back! They can alter their power levels at will!" And it was a shout of realization that came too late for the young warrior as Piccolo launched his attack.

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

In a dazzling display from his fingertips, the others watched almost mesmerized as a large beam of light shot forth at Raditz in haste, traveling faster than any of them could blink, faster than any of them could turn their head. The beam was encircled by a pure beam of energy that spiraled around it, almost like a drill seeking out it's next target. And that very target happened to be the very invader who started this whole mess.

*BOOM*

The light continued to travel further and further as it raised to the sky. Trailing along its path, the others watched as the blinding light collided with the face of a faraway mountain in the distance, possibly thousands of miles away, and consisting of a size that would put several skyscrapers stacked atop one another to shame. Just narrowly brushing against the edge of it, they all saw as a giant gaping hole tore through the sturdy rock at full force in a sudden blinding explosion, completely obliterating the side of it as it left a perfectly symmetrical opening, and shaking the earth beneath their feet as they shielded their eyes.

Piccolo had successfully demonstrated the raw power of his technique, the energy he had at his fingertips. Granted it was a slow, impractical, process that required him to charge it, no one could deny the ferocity or devastation it could bring to whoever was on the receiving end of its incredible might!

There was just one problem that became apparent as the dust cleared away from the view and everyone looked back again.

Off to the side of where he once stood, several yards away, stood the still-functioning Raditz, the man's armor having taken the brunt of the attempted kill shot as his right shoulder pad was complete dismantled, and the right side of his armor's breastplate practically melted while leaving his skin perfectly smooth.

The attack had failed.

"He... He dodged it..." Piccolo couldn't believe what he was seeing. To dodge an attack like that would require one to almost be as fast as light itself. And he just made it look so simple with that smug look on his face.

"Congratulations." The warrior had enough toying with the remainder of the group as he brought up his hand once more. "You actually managed to scratch me, and for that, you will pay dearly!" And just like before, he charged his energy into his hand, prepared to deliver a blast that was almost assured to be deadlier than anything they could imagine..

...

...

...

A/N: Whoo nelly! Whatever that means... That was a heck of a fight scene to write out. I'm actually excited for the future fight scenes i have in store for everyone, i got old fights, new fights, and special fights intended for the future of this fic, as well as some major changes and turnouts for particular fights *hint hint*.

As i said before, if people have a problem with genderswapped gohan, i apologize it's not to your taste, hope you find a fanfic you enjoy. If you don't mind it at all, I appreciate those with an open mind ^^ Speaking of open mind, we officially have our first fan-requested Intro/flashback scene coming up in our next chapter! Special thanks to Raga2 for the suggestion/request. As stated previously, if someone has a request, be sure to let me know about it in the reviews so everyone can see it. This is one of the few times I'll take one through direct messaging. Also I apologize to the several people who have done this already and haven't gotten their flashbacks yet, it's nothing out of disinterest or anything, I just can't work with them presently as I already had intentions behind the scenes suggested. But if its any consolation, take heart knowing you will at some point get the scenes you requested in the future in some shape or form ^^

With that said, thank you all for reading and hope you enjoyed! Leave a like, fave, follow, and review if you enjoyed and hope to see you soon! And let me know how the fight scenes came out, first time doing some for dragonball Z, and been years since doing it for an anime period, i think last one was the RWBY series i started and that was nearly a decade ago XD