On a faraway world consumed by constant snow storms, two warriors walked through the brightly illuminated corridor within the station. While the flame-haired teen marched onward and paid no attention to anyone, his large companion glared at every passing soldier. Seeing the others flinch caused the burly and bald male to smirk and chuckle. The prideful giant shifted his black spheres to the younger male and wondered what was troubling the smaller warrior.
"Hey, what's troubling you, Vegeta? If you are worried about Raditz, then..."
Before the goliath could even finish the sentence, the flame-haired teen scoffed. "Pfftt! As if I give a damn about Raditz! He was an embarrassment to the Saiyan race and a constant thorn in my eye!" A throbbing vein surfaced on Vegeta's temple at the mere thought of the fellow Saiyan.
"That sorry excuse for a warrior kept dragging us down! If his pod hadn't broken down in the middle of space, I would have killed him sooner than later!"
Upon hearing such harsh words, the bald colossus laughed instead of feeling sympathy toward the third-class Saiyan. "Well, you are right. Raditz always slowed us down, and the lousy low-class would eventually get in our way." The burly warrior stroked his mustache as they walked into the cafeteria.
Once inside, they took large portions of food and sat on the nearby table. They devoured the food like it was the last meal they would ever eat. However, after only four plates, Vegeta halted, surprising his bald companion. The flame-haired teen put the plate away and leaned against the chair while his tail furiously thrashed behind him.
"Freeza and his lackeys will mock my leadership because I lost a weakling and couldn't conquer a planet! It's all because of..."
Seeing how his young companion was about to lose his composure in front of everyone, the large Saiyan quickly spoke. "All's going to be alright! I bet Freeza and those bastards weren't even aware Raditz was with us! No one even knew the furball existed except us! That's how useless and unimportant that insect was!" He laughed between the bites while Vegeta thought about the said words.
"Besides! That was definitely a S-Rank mission! Zarbon withheld that information from us!"
The powerful prince seemed to have cooled down upon hearing that. "Hm. Even you can be right sometimes, Nappa." Vegeta crossed his arms, and just as he was about to add something else, a voice emerged from their scouters.
"Vegeta! Report to Lord Freeza's chambers at once!"
A low growl emitted from Nappa, who immediately slammed the plate against the table, causing the other soldiers to look at them. "Tch! If there's one thing I hate more than weaklings, is these meetings with that pink lizard and his goons!" Nappa's temper got the best of him, and the others could clearly hear what he said.
"Agreed. Let's go and get this over with. We will request a new mission and complete it as quickly as possible so we get those morons off our backs!"
Nappa nodded in agreement and followed the teen warrior. The two marched fast to the Freeza's private chambers. They moved from one side of the station to another in a record-breaking time. However, their already sour mood turned even worse, if possible, once they saw two familiar figures standing in front of the room.
"Well, look who we have here, Zarbon. Our precious little prince made it back after that debacle."
Nappa shot a deadly glare at a pink and quite fat soldier, who noticed his scowl but responded with a chuckle. "Tch! You bastards! You knew exactly what you were doing!" Nappa moved past Vegeta and shouted at the pink creature.
"Hm. Please keep your dog on a short leash, or something might happen to it. It would be a shame to lose another one so soon; after all, you just lost a member of your little squad, didn't you?"
Vegeta fired a deadly and hateful glare in Zarbon's direction. The flame-haired Saiyan wanted to kill the handsome soldier, but the Saiyan prince knew it was impossible. Instead, he kept his cool and ignored Zarbon's words.
"Calm down, Nappa. They are trying to mess with our heads before we meet with Lord Freeza. Don't let them have their way with you."
Upon hearing Vegeta, Nappa backed away and stood behind the short Saiyan. "You are right. These guys will get what's coming to them." The bald warrior followed Vegeta and walked into the room.
As they stepped inside, Vegeta and Nappa immediately lowered to their knees. "Lord Freeza! Vegeta and Nappa are reporting in as requested!" The Saiyan's voice echoed within the large, dim room.
On the opposite end, a creature with two sharp horns sat inside a hovering vehicle and stared through the window at the snow-covered land. The pinkish creature raised a cup of the finest red wine and sipped. The terrifying tyrant let out a satisfied groan as he licked his lips. He put the crystalized cup on the nearby table and finally turned around. His crimson eyes fell upon the Saiyans, Vegeta in particular.
"Oh, my dear Vegeta. I don't particularly appreciate being disappointed; for you to cause that is heart-wrenching. I had high hopes for you, my most talented warrior. I was certain you would conquer that world, but I put too much trust on your fragile little shoulders."
Naturally, Vegeta remained quiet while Zarbon and Dodoria chuckled on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Freeza slowly approached the prince and his companion. "Vegeta. That planet was of high value and importance to my empire. Your failure set us back. Quite infuriating, am I right?" The emperor's tail slammed against the black vehicle two times as he halted just five steps from the Saiyans.
As silence prevailed in the room, it was Vegeta's cue to start talking. "Lord Freeza, this will be the last time I have failed you! Give us a chance to redeem ourselves and prove we are your best soldiers!" The teen prince spoke with determination, resolve, and fierce dedication, which caused the ruthless galactic overlord to grin.
While Freeza stared at the flame-haired prince, Zarbon decided it was the right moment to chime in. "Apologize, my lord, but there is a matter of Vegeta's leadership. You might not have noticed, but a Saiyan is missing." The golden-eyed soldier smirked evilly upon making contact with Vegeta.
"Huh? Are you sure about that, Zarbon? I could've sworn there were always two of them."
Zarbon scoffed at Dodoria's simple mind and elaborated further. "A low-class Saiyan named Raditz went missing after they failed their mission. Apparently, his pod sustained heavy damage and fell apart before it could reach the station." As he finished the report, the long-haired man placed both hands behind his back.
"Hah! Looks like the tyke's not fit to be a leader or a prince if he can't take care of two soldiers."
Upon hearing Dodoria's provocation at Vegeta's expense, Nappa couldn't hold it anymore and snapped. "Shut your ugly mug, you bastard! The only reason we lost and got ourselves in this situation was because of that weakling Raditz! It was only a matter of time before that weakling got killed..." The giant suddenly felt a firm grip around his arm and looked down. Once he saw Vegeta's expression, Nappa immediately slumped on the knee and apologized.
"I-I'm sorry, Lord Freeza!"
Freeza took his time as he thought about the missing Saiyan. "Raditz... Oh, yes! I remember him! Well, no great loss there, if I'm being honest. We can replace someone of his caliber whenever we want." He didn't care about the low-class Saiyan whatsoever. Instead, he focused on Vegeta some more.
"However, what worries me is your leadership skills, dear Vegeta. Should I appoint someone to lead you and your sidekick? Or will you prove to me otherwise?"
The little prince bit the flesh inside his mouth out of anger. Instead of letting his fury get control over him, he responded calmly. "I will prove my worth to you once again, Lord Freeza! Give us a new mission, and we will leave for it immediately! We are ready and eager to prove we are the best!" He raised his head and looked straight into Freeza's eyes.
Freeza nodded and turned around. "Dodoria will inform you of your next assignment shortly. You are free to go. However..." He halted for several seconds as he leaned back and admired the view. "Fail again, and the punishment will be severe, Vegeta. Don't take my kindness lightly." The tyrant reached for the cup while the Saiyan prince nodded.
With the Saiyans and Dodoria out of the room, Zarbon quickly approached the emperor. "My lord. Is it wise to leave them just like that? After all, they failed the mission, and one is missing." The handsome soldier picked up the bottle of wine and poured some more for his master.
"Zarbon, I'm well aware of what I'm doing, thank you very much. What of the missing Saiyan?"
Zarbon nodded and, a second later, responded. "We lost the signal of the tracking device installed within the pod. It could be that the pod exploded or the device got removed." The soldier placed the bottle on the table and gazed outside as a gigantic, bear-like creature approached the window.
"Hmph. And were you able to pinpoint the last whereabouts of the signal?"
The trusted officer remained silent momentarily as he watched Freeza lift a hand and slowly begin to close it. As he looked at the creature outside, it was evident the beast was suffocating. "Ahm! Yes, we were able to locate the last transmission. The signal last emitted near a small world called Vampa." Cold sweat slid down his face as the monster fell and no longer moved.
"The planet holds no value. It's a world with wildlife and a harsh environment. However, I can send someone to inspect the nearby area if you would like."
Freeza placed his head upon the palm and thought about it. "There is no need to waste time and resources searching for a little insect. Besides, a low-class could never survive life on such a planet, even if he, through some miracle, survived the crash-landing." A devilish chuckle escaped from Freez'a mouth as he stared at his reflection in the glass.
"Your services are no longer needed. You are free to return to your chambers."
Zarbon nodded and bowed before he walked out of the room. Once outside, the tall male seemed lost in thoughts. While he was confident his master was correct, something about the missing Saiyan bothered him. There was a strange feeling within his gut telling him something was wrong. Freeza's most trusted officer squeezed his fist as he lost himself in deep thought.
He snapped out of it and walked through the corridor at a quick pace. "Tch! I won't be able to sleep at night if I don't do something about that! I will send a single soldier to inspect Vampa and the nearby planets! Lord Freeza doesn't need to know unless we find the monkey!" He raised his hand and pressed the button on the scouter, calling for a particular soldier to report to him.
.
Under the scorching sun of planet Vampa, the long-haired warrior ran across the ground and leaped over the large hole. The Saiyan shouted as he fired a ki blast at the green beast. His energy attack missed the target and caused the green monster to retreat underground. The warrior grinned and followed the creature. He was behind its tail when the big hound was suddenly gone. As he floated within the tunnel, he looked left, right, up and down. There were a bunch of holes and tunnels all leading somewhere. While the Saiyan wondered which way to go, he was unaware of the threat below. A gigantic hound slammed the young male into the rocky wall without warning.
"Ahh! Y-You're going to pay for that!"
Raditz shook his head and freed himself from the wall just in time to avoid another strike. He slid under the monster's long neck and hit it with a knee. However, there was no reaction from the enormous beast. The Saiyan quickly moved to the right and narrowly avoided getting bitten by the animal's sharp fangs. With no patience left, he twirled in the air and fired a barrage of ki blasts. The energy attacks caused strong tremors and the tunnel to become unstable. Naturally, the beast knew it was a dangerous place to be in, but the same couldn't be said for the Saiyan. While the beast fleed, Raditz shouted at it.
"Come back here, you coward!"
The Saiyan was about to chase it but stopped when a heavy boulder hit his back. Raditz cussed loudly and had no other choice but to retreat. The warrior flew fast and exited the collapsing tunnel before getting buried. While he floated in the air and tried to catch some air, he gazed to the right and saw the same hound emerge out of the hole and wiggle its tail at him.
A throbbing vein appeared on his forehead while a single strand of hair hung over his temple. "I won't forget you, you bastard! Mark my words, I will skin you and wear your fur as a coat!" His furious shout rang across the sky as he clenched his left fist.
However, the Saiyan shifted his focus to his gut as it produced a loud growl. He forgot he hadn't eaten anything all day. He hoped he would catch one of those green beasts and eat them instead of the spiders. However, it was more challenging than he initially thought. Defeated, the Saiyan flew back to his hideout.
The Saiyan reached his home within thirty minutes and walked into the cave. Raditz released a disappointed sigh as he picked up a piece of spider meat and lit it on fire. Once a few seconds passed, he blew away the flames and waited momentarily. He took a bite and, with no enjoyment, chewed on the meat.
"Tch! Yet another miserable day went by on this mudball! Ugh! If only there were a way out of here! But wait! There was, but a high-class idiot ruined it!"
Annoyed and irritated by the situation he found himself in, Raditz violently tore a spider's remains and set it on fire with his energy. "I hope you die a wretched death one of these days, Paragus!" He uttered the man's name with so much venom it would poison even the deadly spiders.
Having enough food, the Saiyan stood up and punched an invisible enemy. He swiftly turned around and delivered a round-house kick. The warrior jumped and spun before he landed. Upon touching the ground, he ducked and slid across the cave. He catapulted himself over the rocks and struck the invisible target several times.
As he landed again, he immediately dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups. "With all the time in the world at my disposal, I will get stronger and kill that idiot Paragus!" Sweat slid down his face and dripped on the cold floor.
As he continued to train, several faces flashed before his dark eyes. "And if by some miracle I manage to get out of here, I will hunt you all down! Wretched scum!" The Saiyan screamed as his muscles began to ache.
The Saiyan bit his lower lip as he pushed his body to the limit. For the past week, he realized just how weak he indeed was. It was no surprise. After all, he never trained because others deemed it useless for him and a waste of time. For whatever reason, he agreed and went along with it. While he was angry at those who put that in his head and made fun of him, he was furious and disappointed at himself for allowing such a thing to happen. If there was any good thing about being stuck on Vampa, then it was the fact that he had lots of time to reflect upon many stuff.
Raditz jumped on his feet and took hold of two large boulders. The warrior's muscles strained as he started doing situps and jumps. However, as he was halfway through the set, his ears picked up a noise from outside the cavern. He instantly dropped the boulders and rushed out of the cave. Thinking it was a horde of spiders, Raditz already had a ki blast formed on top of his palm. His eyes widened at the scarred Saiyan hiding behind the rock.
"Huh!? Broly!?"
By the time he realized it was Broly, Raditz already fired the blast. The attack took the taller warrior by surprise and hit him head-on. Raditz floated in the air, wondering if he had killed the Saiyan, but once the smoke cleared away, it revealed Broly standing in the same spot with no scratch.
"That was one of my strongest attacks, and yet nothing... He truly is on a different level."
Raditz clenched his teeth and descended to the ground. He landed only a few steps from Broly, who didn't know what to do. "What are you doing here? Are you spying on me!? Or did Paragus send you here to finish what he started!?" Once he mentioned the old Saiyan, Broly finally made a reaction.
"Aha! I knew it! That pathetic excuse of a father sent you here to do his dirty work! Well, both of you can go to hell!"
Consumed by anger, Raditz lunged at Broly and landed a punch. However, the moment he slammed his fist against the man's cheek, he felt a few finger bones breaking. The long-haired warrior pulled his fist back and growled at Broly, who seemed worried that Raditz hurt himself and wanted to help.
However, Raditz barked at the younger Saiyan. "Back off! I don't want anything from you! I'm stuck on this stupid planet because of your treacherous father and you! You went along with his plan when you clearly had the power to stop him!" Despite the pain and broken fist, Raditz punched Broly once again.
Broly absorbed yet another strike and felt nothing. That, of course, infuriated Raditz but also made him realize he could do nothing to the taller Saiyan. He could try all day and fire a blast with all his might, and the result would be the same. Exhausted from working out and trying to fight the scarred male, Raditz backed and sat on a nearby stone.
"I give up... I guess getting killed now is better than living on this miserable rock until old age."
He waited for the killing blow, but nothing. Raditz lifted his head and saw Broly just standing in the same spot with a visible conflict on his face. "Well, what are you waiting for!? Either kill me now or just get away from here! Don't you want to be a good boy and listen to whatever dear old daddy says?!" Raditz sneered and leaned against the wall while waiting for Broly to decide.
However, Raditz was quite surprised when he heard an annoyed snarl from Broly, who turned away. It was quite a vicious sound, which caused Raditz's tail to quiver with fear. Raditz stared at Broly with nervous, cold sweat running down his bruised face. Suddenly, the scarred Saiyan turned around and gazed at him with soft and kind eyes.
"Father can't move or see well. He won't be able to search for you."
Raditz blinked a few times, needing a moment to process what happened. "Wait! Why would you go against your father's wishes!? Is it a trick!? Are you trying to lure me into a trap!? Is this some amusement to you and your sick father after spending decades here!?" Unable to understand, Raditz stood up and approached Broly.
"No trick. No trap. Father was wrong and shouldn't have done bad things to you."
The long-haired Saiyan stared at Broly and tried to find an ounce of deceit. However, there was none. "And yet he awaits you to bring me to him, correct!? How will you explain to your father that you, the strongest creature in this world, couldn't find an insignificant low-class Saiyan!?" Raditz's voice cracked as he yelled at the kind warrior.
"That... I don't know."
Raditz lifted his hands in the air and turned around. He could feel an intense headache arising from interacting with Broly. The long-haired Saiyan closed his eyes and tried to calm down. He took a deep breath and exhaled. The warrior repeated the process until he noticed Broly standing near his right shoulder and mimicked what he was doing.
After he mumbled several swear words, Raditz came up with a plan. "Alright, there could be a way out of this. You will take this to your father and say this is all that remains of me. Listen carefully! You found it in the spider's nest! He will probably believe it because of my low-class status..." He removed the accessory band around his leg and gave it to Broly.
While Broly held it gently and admired the band, Raditz continued to talk. "There's some blood splashed on it, in case he starts to wonder about details. Now you can leave and let me be alone." The long-haired Saiyan turned around and slowly headed back to the cave.
Once he heard the Saiyan leaving, Broly opened his mouth, but nothing came out. The scarred male squeezed the band tightly as he seemed troubled by the man leaving. After summoning enough courage, he vanished and materialized right before Raditz, who almost fell.
"Come with me. I have something to show you."
Before Raditz could protest, Broly grabbed his hand and blasted into the sky. "What the hell! Where are you taking me!? Let go..." Raditz couldn't finish the sentence because they had already slowed down and landed on a cliff. "Where are we? What's this place!?" As he gazed down, the warrior saw thousands of cocoons and eggs over the ravine.
"Spiders nest. Those eggs are tasty and make you feel good."
Raditz crossed his arms and was somewhat skeptical about that. "Hmph. I find it hard to believe anything related to those creatures could taste good." He turned around, wanting to face Broly and head back to the cave, but the Saiyan was gone.
Turning to the other side, he saw the tanned Saiyan plucking the eggs off the nest. However, a gigantic spider appeared out of nowhere. "That thing's enormous! I haven't seen any like that!" Sweat slid down his temple as the dark spider rushed at Broly.
Instead of panicking, Broly dealt with the situation calmly. The tall Saiyan tossed the eggs high into the sky and moved to the left, thus dodging the creature's deadly tongue. He took hold of the tongue and pulled the monster closer. The flying spider screeched out of shock and fear while Broly clenched his fist. His fist shattered the beast's tough shell and cracked its skull in half. The spider was dead within seconds. Broly pulled out the arm and licked his fist, covered in yellow ooze. Once done, he raised both hands and caught the falling eggs.
While Broly flew out of the ravine, Raditz could only stare and admire the power. "Unbelievable! All it took was a single punch! Meanwhile, I struggle to take down a couple of small-sized spiders!" He clenched his fists in frustration and glared at the taller Saiyan, who landed beside him.
"One for you and one for me. Eat."
Raditz took the big egg and observed it for a second. He looked at Broly, who smashed the top and tossed the shell away. The tanned Saiyan put the entire arm inside and devoured the yellow ooze like a beast. Raditz raised a brow in wonder and glanced back at the egg in his hands. The long-haired warrior cracked the egg and tried it. He expected the taste to be bitter and cause him to gag, but it never happened. Raditz put the egg on the ground and used the other hand to scoop more ooze.
As they ate, Raditz gazed at Broly and spoke. "Why are you willing to lie to your father for me? What prompted such a decision." Even now, he had a hard time believing Broly was doing this out of the goodness of his heart. After all, such a thing was impossible for a Saiyan.
While Raditz continued to eat, Broly halted. The scarred Saiyan stared at the sunset with a bit of melancholy. "Because father's turning worse every day and acting strange. He did a bad thing to you, Ba, and..." Broly paused as he couldn't remember the name of yet another Saiyan wronged by his father.
"You're a Saiyan like me but traveled across the stars. I want to hear stories and for you to be what Ba once was to me."
The long-haired warrior gazed at Broly, who kept staring at the sunset. "Ba? You're a strange one, Broly. I never met a Saiyan like you. Well, actually..." His thoughts shifted to his late mother, who showed signs of kindness and a gentle approach, very uncharacteristic for a Saiyan. "Anyway! I guess your ruthless aggression got lost because your tail is missing. How did that happen?" Raditz resumed eating while Broly slowly explained.
"I transformed and lost my mind. I hurt my father, and he got angry. He pinned me against the ground the next day and pulled my tail. Father used his energy and sealed the hole."
Upon hearing that, Raditz couldn't believe a Saiyan would do that to another Saiyan. "Unforgivable! The tail is the source of our strength and pride! It's what separates us from the rest!" Out of anger, he got up and shouted at Broly.
Raditz went even further; he couldn't stop himself. "You're the strongest man on this rock. Why are you letting that man do as he pleases!? He ruined your life and mine by being obsessed with himself! We are in this situation because of him!" His tail lashed out with fury as he shouted.
However, Broly didn't know what to say or think. He held tightly onto the gray necklace and looked to the side, avoiding making eye contact with Raditz. "F-Father is still father..." He squeezed the thing around his neck and got up.
Hearing that caused Raditz's expression to twist. "Fine, I will do it since you have no courage to do anything to that madman. Even if you stand in my way, I will make that bastard pay for what he did!" Instead of yelling, the long-haired warrior spoke in a low and cold voice, threatening enough that even Broly felt uncomfortable.
Broly understood how serious Raditz was about this. He let out a loud growl out of frustration and confusion while the older Saiyan glared at him. Unable to come up with anything to say on the spot, Broly did the only thing he could at the moment: fly away.
Upon seeing Broly blast off, Raditz couldn't catch up to him even if he tried. However, he could still yell at his fellow Saiyan. "Yeah, run back to your worthless father! You coward!" Once Broly was out of sight, the long-haired male turned around, picked up the egg, and returned to the cave.