Note: It's a short chapter this time because of the limited time I had to write. Starting chapter 4, the chapters will be longer. I also want to thank everyone for the kind reviews! I'm glad to see people interested in the story!
Under the sun's hot rays, the long-haired Saiyan ran across the rocky wasteland. The young warrior leaped over a stone and released an annoyed groan as he looked behind. A horde of mature spiders was right after him. He fired a quick barrage of energy blasts, but the deadly creatures pursued him while the purple attacks bounced off their hard shell. The tall teen cussed loudly as his attempt bore no fruit. He shifted his gaze forward and noticed the end of a cliff. The son of Bardock clenched his teeth and coped with the pain surging through his body. He let out a cry as he jumped and took flight.
It took all he had to stay afloat while the first wave of spiders fell down the cliff. Before he could relax, the spiders extended their long, needle-like, sharp tongues at the Saiyan. He manages to avoid the threat, just barely. However, the wounds inflicted by Paragus still didn't heal properly. He halted momentarily as the pain was too much. The warrior held his injured arm when, from the corner of his eyes, he noticed the incoming attack. He moved to the side in time and only escaped with a scrape. However, it still hurt a lot. The young male quickly flew to the solid ground where no deadly creatures existed.
The moment he touched the ground, he made only two steps before falling to his knees. Sweat dripped from his chin and created a small puddle underneath him. He was out of breath and in lots of pain. Yet despite that, he knew stopping here was not an option. He had to find a safe place to make a camp and get much-needed rest. During the past few days, he was on the run from the lethal beasts of this tiny world.
His face lost color, and dark bags formed under his eyes. It was visible the warrior needed food and water of any kind. The teen forced himself on his legs and resumed walking. At times like this, he wished he still had a scouter as it would be easier to avoid the troublesome varmints. However, the monsters weren't his only problem. The heat from the nearby sun took its toll on the young warrior. He dragged his feet across the wasteland while his brown tail hung limp behind him. His eyes were slowly shutting down when a tremor caught his attention.
The teen lost his balance and fell. Upon falling to the ground, he slammed his head against the rock and instantly lost consciousness. His body rolled down and crashed into a stone wall. The impact woke him up. He moaned out of pain because of an intense headache. However, as he looked around, he noticed an entrance to the cave. He got up and realized it was a deep cavern. His ears twitched, hearing heavy footsteps. Having no other option, he jumped into the dark cave and hid himself. As he lifted his weary head, the warrior saw many small and medium-sized spiders rush somewhere. Once the creatures were gone, the tremors finally stopped.
He remained on his guard for almost five minutes. Once he realized everything was alright, the long-haired warrior relaxed. His black spheres stirred forward and caught a glimpse of the cave. Because of the large hole, the sun's light reached deep within the cavern. What the Saiyan found pleasant was the coolness within the cave. As he walked further, he noticed a small patch of grass. A weak smile appeared on his face. However, it quickly faded as the fatigue caught up with the teen.
The young Saiyan dropped on his rear and let out a tiresome sigh. "Finally! I'd probably be a goner if I didn't find this place." He leaned against the cold wall and released a pleasant noise as he closed his eyes.
Now that he had time to relax, he couldn't help but think of his situation. "Because of that moron, I'm stuck on this stupid rock! I swear I'll kill him when I get the chance!" He picked up a rock and angrily threw it against the ground, where it shattered to the tiniest pieces.
His thoughts shifted to the scarred Saiyan. He wondered just how strong Broly truly was. Maybe Paragus lied, but something told him that the silent Saiyan was a force of nature. He wanted to know how the burly teen managed to get so strong while stuck on this rock. Raditz wanted to hold a grudge against the taller male. But then again, Broly was too attached to Paragus and followed orders. The Saiyan gave him food when they first met, even though Broly knew nothing about him.
Raditz found himself conflicted. Annoyed by it, he shifted his thoughts to Paragus. He couldn't care less that the older Saiyan was a respected officer. Those days were long gone, and he would make the man pay for the treachery. However, the warrior's anger subsided as the little voice in his head reminded him of his low power level. The teen clenched his teeth as memories of constant ridicule surfaced.
Raditz shook his head and tried to ignore the voices in his head. "Tch! Enough! I know Paragu's battle power must be somewhere around Nappa's, which means revenge's out of the question." His voice carried a disappointed and depressive tone as he curled together.
His thoughts shifted to his long-time companions. "I wonder if they'll bother to search for me. Knowing them, most likely not." The teen's tail lay lifeless across the ground as he thought of Vegeta and Nappa.
Memories of what they went through resurfaced. They conquered many worlds and fought hundreds of enemies in their time together. And yet, the Elite duo couldn't care less about him. Even after he saved Vegeta's life at one point, he was still made fun of by anyone. There was not even a shred of gratitude or the tiniest amount of respect toward him. All because he was deemed a Third-Class warrior from birth.
Frustration and anger swelled within him. He wanted to do something horrible to all of them. Tear their limbs apart and make them pay for all those years of ridicule. His anger again took a nosedive as he thought of the current situation.
"Heh! It's pointless to think about it now. I'm forever stuck on this miserable rock with nothing but some disgusting spiders to live off of. This must be what rock bottom feels like."
Raditz's eyes slowly shut as the exhaustion took hold of him. The bloody and dirty Saiyan slid onto the ground and immediately fell asleep, dreaming of a better place with plenty of food and water.
The sleeping warrior was completely unaware someone was watching him. A tall figure hovered in the sky and stared at the cave. The man's black hair swayed on the wind as he wondered if he should help the other Saiyan. He followed the long-haired male for days, curious about what the teen would do. Seeing him fight fiercely against the creatures and survive so long was fascinating. He wanted to get into the cave and help the wounded warrior, but he knew his father would punish him.
Once a thought of his father flashed before his soft eyes, dread consumed his being. It was getting late, and his father would yell at him again for being away for so long. He wanted to stay and maybe even talk with the other Saiyan. He didn't like how his father handled things. It was wrong of his father to betray the Saiyan like that. What his father did reminded him of a similar event from the past. However, as he placed a hand on the gray necklace, the tall teen shook his head and flew back home.
While the sun was setting down, the tanned Saiyan landed in front of a cave. Before going in, he could hear his father's pained voice. He sighed and entered the cave while holding some food he had gathered before returning home.
"Ughh! B-Broly, is that you?"
The young Saiyan tossed the spider's remains on the ground and confirmed. "Yes, father. I brought food." He crouched and shattered the shell. Broly approached his father, wanting to give him some food, but the older male smacked it away.
"No! I don't want to eat garbage anymore! I should have been far away from here by now! Everything I wanted got ruined by some low-level scum!"
Broly remained silent while his father threw a tantrum. He picked up the thrown food and placed it on a stone near his father. Broly couldn't help but feel sorry for his father. Seeing the wounded man like this wasn't pleasant.
"Broly, my son! Tell me you found the wretched insect! I want him on his knees before me so I can kill him!"
The teen shook his head, on which Paragus's expression darkened. "You're worthless!" Broly remained silent even after his father threw rocks at him. "All these years I spent training you, and you can't complete a simple order!?" Broly endured the harsh words and ignored the thrown rocks as he felt no pain.
"You will find that runt and bring him to me! If you don't, your punishment will be severe, Broly!"
Broly's eyes widened as his father brought out a small device. "Y-Yes, father." The young male looked down and squeezed his fists. He didn't like threats like that. However, the fear of being electrocuted took hold of him. His black pupils quivered as he stared at the rocky ground. While fear prevented him from saying anything, enormous anger towards his father rose within the messy-haired Saiyan.
"Hmm, thought so! Yes, killing the son of Bardock will ease my pain and suffering! Ahh! If only that stupid runt didn't interfere, I'd be eating delicious food, drinking fine wine, and sleeping in the proper bed! Everything got taken from me!"
While Paragus continued to shout and blame everyone for what happened to him, Broly thought of Raditz. He wondered if the long-haired Saiyan had woken up by now. The scarred teen wanted to leave, see what Raditz was doing, and maybe even talk with the older warrior. He wanted to know how different life was compared to Vampa. He also wanted to know if the food was better than here and what kind of people were out there. Broly was curious and wanted to hear the stories from someone else for a change. However, he won't learn anything if he brings Raditz to his father. For the first time in years, Broly was conflicted.
.
A strong tremor woke up the long-haired Saiyan. The warrior looked disoriented at first until he realized the monsters might be after him. He jumped on his feet and let out a groan. Raditz coped with the pain from the injuries and limped his way to the exit. He snuck carefully behind the stones and approached the entrance. As he peaked over the rock, he saw the spiders hurrying in the distance. Seeing how the beasts weren't coming in, he slid down and relaxed.
While he inspected the bruises, a loud growl emitted from his gut. "I need to eat. I should be able to take down a smaller spider." However, the Saiyan wasn't thrilled about it. "Ugh! I despise putting that in my mouth, but what other choice do I have?" Raditz rose from the ground and walked out of the cave.
The Saiyan observed his surroundings before he proceeded further. As he slid down the mountain, he thought about where he could find smaller-sized spiders. "Hmm, I could separate a small one from the herd and snatch it." He leaped over a crater and flew after the creatures.
Raditz swirled closer to the ground and caught up with the fast-moving pack. His dark spheres inspected the creatures; most were medium to small-sized. A grin appeared on his bruised face as he chased after the prey. As he lifted his head, he noticed a mountain to the right. He brought his right hand up front and fired a blast to the left. The explosion scared the creatures who stirred to the right, exactly how he wanted it. Raditz continued the hunt and forced the spiders to get cornered.
He floated in the air just above them and smirked. The thrill of the hunt and dominance over the weak creatures gave him a feeling of worth. He shot a blast in the center and made the spiders scatter. Raditz immediately dashed to the left and flew above a tiny monster. The young man clenched his fist and shouted as he crushed the creature's cranium. Before the big ones showed up, Raditz grabbed the baby spider and flew high in the sky.
"Ooh! The stench! I'm not taking this to the cave and having it ruin the place!"
The Saiyan found an isolated spot and landed. He dropped the spider and sat down. "Hmm, I wonder if it'll taste better if I cook it..." Raditz violently tore a piece and ignited his energy.
The soft piece got cooked instantly. Raditz brought his nose closer and regretted it. "Ugh! Smell the same; I hope it tastes slightly better." He dug his teeth into the meat and expected the worst. However, he was pleasantly surprised.
"Hm, it is a bit better! I'm not feeling the puke anymore!"
The young teen almost cried out of joy as he chewed on the cooked meat. However, he knew he still had to digest the liquid from the creature as it was the only source of satisfying his thirst. While he ate, Raditz wondered what he was supposed to do. With no way off Vampa, he had to find something to do; otherwise, the boredom would drive him insane. The last thing he wanted was to end like Paragus.
"Damn, bastard! I wish there were a way to kill him!"
Even if he found a way to eliminate Paragus, what should he do about Broly? He could not beat the scarred Saiyan, who, according to Paragus, was stronger than Vegeta. Raditz released an annoyed sigh as he chewed the food.
"Hm, it's pointless to think about it. I should think about what I will do from now on."
The warrior scratched his head with his tail as he pondered about it. "Well, I can spend my days training. At least I will have time, unlike in the Freeza Force, where all we do is travel from planet to planet. And there won't be anyone criticizing what I'm doing." He chewed harshly as he thought of Nappa, who ridiculed him for attempting to train in the past.
"Bald idiot! I'm glad I no longer have to look at his ugly mug or hear his annoying voice."
He shifted his thoughts to something else. "Hmph. I might explore this mudball and see what's up with those green hounds." The warrior spat a piece of outer skin and wiped his mouth. With his belly full, the Saiyan rose and stretched.
"Although, I need to be careful. I bet that old bastard's going to try and find me. I won't let that crazy Saiyan get a hold of me and kill me when it's all his fault we're stuck here!"
The Saiyan grabbed a spider leg filled with liquid and took off. "Before I do anything, I need to try and find something to patch my wounds. There should still be something in my pod to help me with that." Raditz changed course and flew to the location where his space pod was.
After an hour of flying, the long-haired teen located his pod. He landed on a nearby cavern and skimmed left and right for any impending threat. Once he confirmed there were no monsters, he jumped down. He approached his pod, took away a large boulder, and tossed it. Raditz crouched and looked inside the damaged vessel.
"This thing will never again fly... Whatever! There should be some medical equipment in here."
He reached under the seat and pulled out a small container. The Saiyan blew the dust away and opened it. Inside the container were bandages, disinfectant, a special tape for open wounds, a high-quality liquid for burns, and other stuff that Raditz knew would be needed. The warrior was pleased with what he had found and stood up.
"With this, I can finally get rid of the annoying pain."
Raditz disinfected his wounds and let out a groan. He opened a small tube and applied the yellowish cream over his arms and lower back. It stung, but that meant it was working. The Saiyan took the bandages and wrapped them tightly around his injuries. After that, he put the stuff back in the container and picked it up from the ground.
"Ah! Much better! I should return to the cave and rest."
The long-haired Saiyan began to levitate and soar higher. Looking around, he remembered that Broly and Paragus lived nearby. He clenched his teeth out of anger, wanting nothing more than to visit the older Saiyan. However, Raditz shifted his gaze to the west and flew back home.