Inside the deep cave, the long-haired warrior opened his eyes. The Saiyan wanted to change positions but halted once the pain surged through his body. He bit the flesh inside his mouth as he tried to endure the pain. Once it faded away, the young man frowned and mumbled a few swear words under his breath. As his dark orbs drifted to the side, he noticed Broly. He was confused at first to see him sleeping curled like a ball, but then he remembered the scarred Saiyan helped him yesterday and decided to stay. Raditz was glad not to be alone, which compelled the warrior to stop his thoughts and shake his head.
"Tch! I'm going soft! I should be thinking of getting stronger and when to kill Paragus, not letting some stupid emotions control me!"
Raditz radiated a growl from his throat while he glared at Broly. However, the wild Saiyan played a big part in his plan. He needed the kind male to get stronger, much stronger than ever before. If he genuinely intended to progress, push himself over the limit, and surpass Nappa and Vegeta, he required Broly to train and spar with him. He closed both fists tightly as images of his former companions flashed before him. Their mocking voices echoed within his mind, on which Raditz slammed his fist against the ground, thus waking up Broly.
"Had a good sleep? I'm sure you did since you didn't have to worry about that scum. Broly, did you decide what you want to do about Paragus?"
Raditz's words reached Broly, who was stretching. The Saiyan grabbed some food and sat down. While devouring the meat, the wild-haired man wore a troubled look in his gentle eyes. He spent the entire night thinking about his father's words and how the older male had treated him throughout his life. Just thinking about it made him tremble with fury, which scared him.
Seeing Broly's turmoil, Raditz sighed and said, "Listen, I have a proposition for you. I want to grow stronger, but it's painfully obvious I can't alone. However, if you agree to train and spar with me, once I get stronger enough, I will eliminate Paragus for you." Raditz's tone got serious, which caused Broly to stop eating and look at the long-haired warrior.
At first, Broly was surprised and delighted to hear that Raditz desired to train and spar with him. In his mind, that meant that Raditz wanted to spend more time together and that the long-haired Saiyan didn't despise him. For the first time since meeting Ba, Broly felt such a thing. However, his moment of delight lasted momentarily. He shifted the focus onto his dreadful father. The tanned Saiyan wanted to find any reason to object to Raditz's proposal but couldn't. Broly's mind was racing, troubled with what to say. He bit his lower lip and growled out of frustration while a wild look substituted his gentle expression.
Sweat slid down Raditz's bruised face. He swallowed hard as he stared at Broly's menacing eyes. "Y-You don't need to decide right away. Just know my offer stands, and it's up to you to decide what's better for you: living free without someone constantly ordering you around, treating you like garbage, or continuing to live miserably." He let out another sigh and thought Broly was surely going to leave.
"I-I will train with you, but you're too weak to spar with me. You should start fighting baby spiders before we can spar."
The long-haired warrior was pleased to hear that Broly decided to train with him after all. However, his morale went down upon realizing that Broly bluntly insulted him, probably not even realizing. For some reason, Raditz couldn't help but let out a soft laugh and smile for a second.
"I may be weak now, but I'm a proud Saiyan warrior! Now that others do not hold me down, I will become the strongest!"
Raditz's eyes glowed with resolve and belief. Now that Nappa and Vegeta weren't here, constantly ridiculing him and planting doubt in his mind, he would get so strong they would regret ever mocking him. But not just them; everyone else in the Freeza Force would regret ever picking on him and tormenting him.
"What's your training routine like? How did you get so powerful on this puny planet?"
Broly chewed on the food while he thought about it. "Fighting giant spiders and mature hounds. And father forced me to work out for hours every day." He swallowed the orange goo and wiped it away from his mouth while he threw the spider's leg to the side.
The long-haired warrior sweated nervously at the thought of fighting those giant spiders and beasts. However, he also got excited. He clenched his teeth and smirked while wishing his wounds would heal already.
"We have all the time on this stupid rock; we might as well go step by step."
Since there was no way out of this world, he might as well begin from zero. He would do it right and become what he always wished. The long-haired Saiyan tried to get up and grab some food but failed. He moaned out of pain and sat back. The warrior cursed out loud when Broly approached him and put the shell with the ooze in his lap. Raditz nodded and took the food while Broly crouched beside him and stared. Before he could shout at Broly, the kind Saiyan asked a question.
"W-What's out there? Are there many worlds like Vampa?"
Raditz was taken aback by the sudden questions but humored the fellow Saiyan. "Hah! The universe is vast and filled with countless worlds, planets, stars, and satellites! Worlds are beaming with civilizations and riches! Vampa's a speck of dust compared to some other planets!" Raditz almost burst out laughing upon seeing Broly's mesmerized reaction.
"A-Amazing... I'd like to see other worlds! Where would you like to go!?"
Broly's curiosity and sudden ability to speak surprised Raditz. The warrior wondered if Broly had ever talked properly with Paragus during all these years on Vampa. Most likely not, as Paragus was a loner who went insane. Raditz pitied the wild-haired Saiyan and continued to answer his questions.
However, Raditz didn't know how to answer the last question. With Planet Vegeta gone and refusing to return to Freeza Force, the Saiyan pondered where he would go. He had never thought about it until now. Broly patiently waited for Raditz to answer, even if it took a while.
"Hm, I don't know... Perhaps I would go to some frontier planet far from here. A world filled with natural resources and a weak species, like planet..."
Suddenly, it hit him. Raditz sat there with a gaping mouth while a word kept lingering in his mind. "Earth". He placed a hand over his bandaged head and tried to figure out why that name sounded familiar. Before he could figure it out, he felt Broly poking him with a finger as if checking if he was okay.
"Earth, maybe I would go to planet Earth."
Broly nodded and repeated the name while Raditz grew annoyed that he couldn't remember. "D-Do you think there are more Saiyans in other worlds?" Upon hearing the inquiry, Raditz snapped out of it.
"No, at least that's what I thought before landing here and meeting you guys. Maybe there are more of us scattered on far-away planets. Like, those pitiful low-class kids who got sent off planet Vegeta for being so we..."
It was then that Raditz finally remembered why he knew of planet Earth. "Kakarot! Kakarot's on planet Earth! I completely forgot about it!" The realization was so strong that he had to get on his feet.
Raditz bypassed the pain for the moment and thought of Kakarot. Meanwhile, Broly wondered what was going on and got up as well. "Who's Kakarot?" The tanned Saiyan asked as he stared at Raditz in confusion.
The wild-haired warrior snapped out of it and gazed at Broly. "Kakarot's my little brother! My parents shipped him off to Earth because of his low battle power! I assume they saw the species inhabiting Earth as too weak and realized Kakarot had a better chance of survival there!" A smirk surfaced on Raditz's face as he paused for a second.
"Broly. I think if by some miracle we get off this hellhole, we should go to planet Earth."
Just the thought of that excited Broly. The scarred Saiyan tried to imagine what planet Earth could look like. He wondered if there were creatures similar to Ba and if they would welcome him the same way Ba did when he was a child. The kind male thought of the people living there and if there were some. He also wondered what Raditz's little brother could look like and if the boy would get along with him.
While Broly was daydreaming, Raditz lost strength and almost fell. Broly caught him and helped him sit, but the long-haired Saiyan didn't object this time. Thoughts consumed Raditz. He couldn't stop thinking of his younger brother. The warrior wondered if Kakarot could survive until they somehow got off Vampa. Raditz couldn't believe he had forgotten Kakarot entirely, but how couldn't he when he constantly fought for survival?
"I shouldn't have high hopes since we're stuck here without any means to leave the planet and Kakarot's pitiful power level... But if there ever comes an opportunity to leave, planet Earth it is!"
.
Months passed on planet Vampa, and the Saiyan warrior Raditz worked hard to grow stronger. He trained diligently and fought against the baby spiders daily while Broly trained on the side and observed Raditz. The two spent hours outside in Vampa's harsh conditions with the sole purpose of growing strong. Raditz benefited a lot from it. He could tell he grew stronger despite only training for a few months. That encouraged the long-haired Saiyan, who only took breaks to eat and sleep at night.
"Take that, you ugly beast!"
A kick to the side sent the baby spider colliding against the sharp wall. Despite being exhausted and sweaty, Raditz smirked as he lowered his foot. The warrior didn't have time to pause as several spiders assaulted him. He stood in the middle of an infested spider nest, fighting for his life, but the Saiyan didn't complain. Inseated, he welcomed the challenge and wore a grin during his battle.
Meanwhile, Broly sat outside the nest and observed Raditz from above. The scarred Saiyan chewed on the leg of the giant spider and followed Raditz's movements. A faint smile surfaced on his dirty face when he saw the fellow Saiyan finish off a spider in one blow. Suddenly, a violet glow emitted from the nest. The energy released from Raditz caused the area to tremble, but that didn't faze Broly, as the young man was lost in thoughts.
After so many years, he was content. He had someone to spend time with that didn't constantly try to harm him. While occasionally returning home to his father, he realized he couldn't stay there longer than a night. Ever since he heard Paragus wanted to kill him, he couldn't even sleep there anymore. The nights that he spent at his father's cave, he spent sleepless. Naturally, his father sought an explanation as to where he was going and spending days without returning, but Broly wouldn't answer, which would result in getting punished. However, at this point, he didn't care about anything but spending time with Raditz.
Broly snapped out of his thoughts once Raditz emerged from the nest, covered in spider's ooze. While the scarred Saiyan glanced at the other male, Raditz complained about the goo stuck in his hair.
"Blah! Dsiquasting! I can't believe this god-forsaken planet has no water source!"
Raditz cussed while he tried to remove the sticky fluid from his long hair. The warrior wished there was water because he wanted to drink and wash himself. He remained annoyed until he gazed at the green beats far in the distance. The Saiyan couldn't help but wonder if those monsters lived solely off the spiders. He frowned and thought about it until he felt a nudge. Looking to the right, he saw Broly offering him a piece of the spider egg.
He took the offered food and devoured it. While he wiped the sweat off his face, he noticed a look in Broly's eyes. He glanced where the Saiyan was looking and saw the green beasts. The curiosity got the best of him, and he asked Broly a question.
"Why do you like those beasts so much?"
Broly took his time as the memories surfaced. "When I was little, my father forced me to train and fight those spiders to grow stronger and get food. Over time, father said they were too weak and told me to fight the green ones." The Saiyan halted as he reminisced about when he first met his furry friend.
"Ba and I grew closer by sparing. I liked Ba, and Ba liked me. We spent time together sparring and playing. But father didn't like it! He ordered me to kill Ba, and when I didn't follow his order, he shot Ba's ear off, and Ba never came back..."
Raditz stirred his gaze onto the green pelt tied around Broly's waist. "I see. So, the hide tied around your waist is part of Ba. Hmph. As I said, Paragus needs to be removed from this world. It's a fact you can't ignore much longer." He crossed his muscular arms and observed Broly, who let out a displeasing grunt.
Broly's story only solidified Raditz's thoughts about the kind of Saiyan. The wild-haired male was so unlike any Saiyan. Some of him wanted to laugh at Broly for making friends with a beast, but then he remembered he played around and kept beetles at his house as a child. Raditz scoffed at the memory of him playing with the bugs as he scratched his head. The warrior shook his head and gazed at the wild male again.
"Let's fight, Broly! I want to see how much stronger I am and the gap between us!"
Upon hearing that, Broly stared at Raditz for a few seconds before looking away. "No, you aren't ready. Go fight bigger spiders if the babies are easy to beat." Broly resumed eating and ignored Raditz's fierce glare.
Unhappy with the response, Raditz raised his voice. "I'll fight those bastards later! Now, get up and fight me! I want to know how strong I am!" He grabbed Broly firmly by the arm and forced the Saiyan to look in his direction.
Broly gazed at Raditz and saw the warrior's need and fire to test himself. The tanned male felt unsure if he should agree to it, but he didn't want to lose his companionship with Raditz. The last thing he wanted was to be cast aside by the only person on this planet with whom he got along. Broly released a sigh and lowered the food to the ground. The massive warrior rose from the ground and stared at Raditz with a soft look.
"About damn time! You better not hold back, Broly!"
The wild-haired male remained silent while Raditz assumed his battle stance. Raditz observed Broly, who stood motionless with his hands on the sides. Seeing the other Saiyan like that irked Raditz, who suddenly stepped forward and lunged at his sparing partner. His punch went straight through Broly, which stunned the long-haired warrior. He clenched his teeth, spun, and tried to land a kick to the head. The strike landed but against Broly's forearm. With a loud growl, Raditz jumped and went in with an elbow to the dome. A simple burst of ki forced the long-haired warrior to get blown away.
Raditz swirled in the air and landed safely. The moment he touched the ground, he propelled himself at Broly. "Stop just blocking and fight back!" He shot a blast in front of the Saiyan and caused the smoke to arise.
The long-haired warrior appeared behind Broly and swung his fist. Broly swiftly turned and caught the punch. Raditz wore a scowl on his face until he smirked, causing the other Saiyan to wonder. The warrior used his other hand and fired a barrage of blasts at the ground, causing the mountain to crumble.
"Got you now!"
While Broly was still astonished by Raditz's actions, the warrior hurled his fist at his opponent. The strike landed, but it did nothing to Broly. There was no bruise, scratch, or evidence that he had landed a hit. Raditz stared at Broly, perplexed but also grinning. He was enthusiastic despite being so much weaker than the Saiyan before him.
The two landed in a cave, crawling with spiders. While Broly blasted them away with a single punch, Raditz had to deal with them as he ran toward his sparing partner. He had trouble getting rid of them because they were bigger and stronger than the ones he was used to fighting, but Raditz didn't falter. Raditz blew away the weaker spiders with a fierce shout and approached Broly.
"Fight, Broly, and don't hold back! We Saiyans grow stronger when we face a powerful opponent and sustain life-threatening wounds! Facing you will only make me stronger!"
Raditz's resolute cry finally awakened Broly. The scarred Saiyan avoided a kick to the gut and raised his fist. He let go of his thoughts and delivered a vicious strike. Raditz's body shattered and bounced off the ground. The long-haired warrior eventually collided with the ground and rolled across it until he slammed against the wall.
"I-Insane! B-Broly's strength is unbelievable! He's truly stronger than V-Vegeta!"
The warrior curled into a ball while he tried to cope with the pain. He coughed blood as he tried to get on his knees. Raditz could barely lift his head and gaze at Broly. His vision blurred while trying to pinpoint the other man's location. And yet, Raditz kept smiling.
"N-No more backing away... N-No more giving up... N-No... No more cowering before those stronger than me! I will not be chained down any longer by my limitations! I will grow stronger as I'm a proud Saiyan warrior!"
Despite tremendous pain, Raditz got up and ran once again at Broly. The long-haired Saiyan stumbled and almost fell to the ground, but he kept closing the distance. Raditz appeared before Broly and continued to fight. Broly's bone-shattering strikes landed each time, but he kept returning for more.
As he deployed another hit, Broly cringed at the blood pouring out of Raditz's mouth. He thought the weaker male would finally fall, but Raditz refused and came for more. The wild-haired Saiyan attempted to hold back as much as possible so Raditz wouldn't notice. However, Broly found himself admiring the other man's will and determination. Not wanting to kill the warrior accidentally, Broly suddenly vanished and appeared behind Raditz. He took hold of the tail, which immediately caused Raditz to lose all his energy.
"Big weak spot. You should get over it."
Raditz muttered some swear words while he lay on the chilly floor. The Saiyan was about to lose consciousness when Broly released the hold. Despite that, Raditz couldn't get up. Now that he lay sprawled across the cool floor, he lacked the strength or willpower to get up.
"Y-You won this time, but tomorrow we're resuming our training... N-No breaks..."
Broly crouched and poked the Saiyan's face, but he received no response. Figuring that Raditz was out cold, he picked up the long-haired warrior and placed him over his shoulder. Broly looked up and blasted through the mountain. Up in the air, he oriented himself and slowly flew back to Raditz's cave—however, the kind Saiyan was utterly unaware that someone was watching him.
"You lied to me, Broly! All this time, you have been hanging around and playing with that wretched low-class scum! You and that vermin will pay for crossing me!"
A one-eyed Paragus was hidden behind a boulder on an opposite mountain and watched Broly fly away while carrying Raditz. The man clenched his teeth while holding a small device in his quivering hand. He had only one thought: to eliminate Raditz and his son, Broly, whom he saw as a threat more than his child.