Here we are...chapter one of a new story. Not that I really need another one weighing my writing efforts down, but here I am nonetheless.

This story is directly inspired by Feraligreater328's Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty- though I do not intend to entirely rip that story of/copy it in any way, even if it will naturally end up a bit similar to that story. This is an alternate universe take on my other story of this type, A Saiyan's Pride. For this reason, we're starting with the Raditz saga, as opposed to the Saiyan/Vegeta Saga.

I am as of yet unsure of whether this will be part of the multiverse that I'm planning for DB Warriors and A Saiyan's Pride to be a part of or not, leaning towards not-making it a separate continuity.

Chapter One: The Arrival!

Twenty years ago, Planet Vegeta...

Bardock walked down the hallway of the medical facility where his youngest son was being kept. He'd make it to his room soon enough, and then he could spirit him away. His paranoia was growing that Frieza may soon destroy Planet Vegeta. And he was stressed about his next mission.

He took a deep breath, centering himself, as he grabbed the handle of the door to his son's room. He'd expected it to be empty (sans Kakarot), so it came as a surprise to him when he found his wife already there.

"Gine?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"The same thing you are," Gine replied, a bit of an edge to her voice. "I'm trying to get our son out of here."

Bardock nodded, looking at young Kakarot, who was only three years old. "We need to find a way to get him off of the planet, and fast," he said. "He's been here without us for a while, but I don't want him on this planet any longer."

Gine nodded in return, though she seemed more pensive than her husband was. "Where will we send him?" she asked. "There aren't a whole lot of places that we could send him."

"I know of a place," Bardock said, "way out of anyone's way. They'll never find him if we send him there. And we're soldiers, Gine. Not really fit to raise a child."

Gine sighed, running her finger across the battle scar that marked Bardock's cheek. "I know," she said. "But I don't like this idea."

Bardock sighed, hugging her close. "I know you don't," he said. "Neither do I, but this is what we need to do. It'll be a few more months before everyone gets back here, but I suspect that Frieza is going to destroy us."

Gine's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" she asked, stunned. "I'm sure," Bardock said. "So grab the kid. We're gonna smuggle him off world in an Attack Ball."

"Right…" Gine said, pulling back and moving to open the nursing capsule so that she could hold her three year old son for the first time in months. "I'm sorry, Kakarot…" she muttered softly, as she scooped him into her arms.

"Where are we sending him?" she asked. "The planet is called Earth, if I'm not mistaken," Bardock said. "It's relatively unadvanced. He'll be fine if they turn on him- he could just wipe 'em all out."

Gine nodded again, her fears mildly assuage. "Right. Then how are we getting him off the planet?" she asked. "I procured an Attack Ball. Were you not listening earlier?" Bardock replied, a bit confused.

"Oh…that's right," Gine said. "How'd you get one with no-one noticing?"

Bardock chuckled. "Turles helped me," he said. "I didn't know that your brother was still around," Gine said. "Neither did I," Bardock said. "I thought he'd deserted. But anyway, he got us a pod that we could use."

Gine nodded, exhaling deeply. "Right, then. Let's go," she said. "Before I change my mind about letting you do this."

Bardock nodded in return. "Come on. I'll lead the way," he said. "The place where I hid it isn't far from here- an abandoned launch area."

Gine acknowledged that with a brief nod, remaining silent. She spared a glance at her son, who looked up at her with a confused look in his eye. She smiled weakly at him and hugged him tighter, moving to follow Bardock.

A little later, at the abandoned landing pad…

"This is the place," Bardock said, leading them to a rusty, partially overgrown landing area. An Attack Ball glinted in the moonlight. "I've already got the thing pre-programmed, so we'll just put him inside and launch it."

Gine nodded, slowly approaching the pod as Bardock produced the remote and opened the hatch. "I still don't like this, but I want him to survive…" she said, placing him inside. "I know. Neither do I, but it's our only choice," Bardock said. "We'll go and get him if I'm wrong about all of this."

Gine nodded again, watching as he produced a small recording device and placed it inside the pod with Kakarot. "What's that?" she asked, as he stepped back from the pod. "Just a little something I made for him. So he'll know about his family."

Gine nodded. "So he'll know we cared," she said. "Exactly," Bardock replied, pressing a button on the remote and closing the hatch. Kakarot stared at them through the glass, pressing his hands against it. "I'm sorry, son," Bardock said, mashing the button to launch the Attack Ball, which was programmed to carry the young Saiyan to Earth. It began rising into the air as Bardock wrapped his arm around Gine and pulled her close. "This had to be done," he said, as Gine began crying onto his shoulder. "I know," she said. "But that doesn't mean I like it."

Bardock nodded, gently patting her back in an attempt to comfort her. "I told Raditz that we were sending him away. Hopefully his brother can find him if something happens to us," he said, mildly comforting her. "That is…a bit…better…" she said, choking back tears. Bardock smiled at her, watching the pod ascend out of sight. Once it had, he tossed the remote to the ground and smashed it into pieces with his foot.

"That should be good enough to hide the evidence…" he said, hugging his wife with both arms. "Come on. Let's go home and rest."

Gine nodded, knowing that they'd likely be sent on another mission soon- they'd been assigned to assault Planet Meat for Frieza. Hopefully, this campaign would go better than Kanassa had- there, Bardock had been struck by a weird old man spouting nonsense. And then, he'd complained about headaches and being able to see the future. Weird stuff, but it wouldn't have necessarily been the weirdest thing that they'd ever seen.

Present day, Earth…

The Earth had known five years of peace, thanks to its champion and greatest hero, Son Goku. But little did anyone know that said peace would soon be threatened by a mysterious invader, who was en route for the planet…

An Attack Ball rocketed through space, occupied by a long-haired man wearing tan battle armor. His goal was to find his brother, who'd been sent to this planet a long time ago. He didn't know what his parents had been thinking when they did so, but he sincerely hoped that Kakarot had conquered it and proven his strength.

Otherwise, he'd have to punish him for being weak, and he'd rather not do that. As far as he knew, his brother was his only living relative. Killing him was thus an unappealing option- he'd rather recruit him. Now, Raditz had no idea if his brother was even alive, but he held out hope that he was.

This was because this planet was such a backwater that there was no way that the natives could have been able to kill him, even if he had been a child when he arrived on it. He smiled to himself as he thought that over.

He'd have the recruit that he wanted, very, very soon. And with him, he'd be able to conquer the planet they'd been struggling with quite easily. If Vegeta and Nappa didn't finish it off without him, that is.

Vegeta's power was quite impressive when he fought seriously…but he didn't tend to use his full strength that often, especially on weaklings. So, he'd headed off to find Kakarot, turn him to their side as a fourth Saiyan warrior.

All of this was…not what he wanted, per se, but it would all be worth it. As far as he knew, only four Saiyans remained…himself, his partners, and his long-lost brother. And should Kakarot, for whatever reason, deny his offer, then he'd have to be eliminated.

It wasn't ideal, because it would mean that he'd come all this way for absolutely nothing, but he wouldn't tolerate such a disgrace to the Saiyan race. Weakness was unacceptable.

A short time later, Spinach Wastes….

A lowly farmer was out working in his fields, collecting hay to feed the ostriches that he was farming, when a mysterious object came shooting overheat. "Hunh..? What's that?" he muttered, watching it speed over him.

"I've gotta see this!" he said to himself, hopping in his truck and heading to investigate. "It looked like a meteor…or an alien spaceship…"

He soon arrived near the crater, hopping out of his truck to investigate. He clutched his rifle in his hands, nervous as to what he might find. "It's incredible," he said, approaching the massive hole in the earth. "Not a meteor…" he muttered nervously, peering over the edge of the hole. No sooner had these words left his mouth did the door of Raditz's Attack Ball open and permit the Saiyan invader to exit. With a burst of flight, he exited the crater, landing near the farmer, who flinched back in surprise and fear. "So the natives of this world are still alive…" he muttered, surveying the farmer. "Curse you, Kakarot…you damn weakling…"

In the meantime, the farmer found his bravado, brandishing his weapon. "Stop right there, buddy! Just who the heck are you?!" he demanded. Raditz scoffed, regarding him with the utmost contempt. "A power level of five…" he said, checking his scouter. "This is a planet of weaklings, just as I thought."

"Stay back! I'm only gonna warn ya once!" the farmer said, moving his finger to the trigger. "Stay right there, or I'll shoot!"

He took a few steps back, keeping his weapon trained on the Saiyan, who watched him with something resembling amusement. "You can try," he said, his tone smug. "It won't do you any good, though."

The farmer swallowed hard- while he was intimidated, he refused to back down, instead firing his gun. Raditz smirked smugly, catching the bullet between his fingers. The farmer nearly fainted from the shock of seeing such a thing.

But fate was cruel today, and he had no time to process that- because Raditz flicked it right back at him, killing him instantly. "Projectile weapons…what a bunch of weak fools…" he muttered derisively. He turned to leave, soon picking up a power level in the distance. "A being of great power! At a distance of 1880…could it be Kakarot?!" he thought, excited. "No matter…I'll find out soon enough!"

He then took off towards this power level with a burst of laughter. His goal was in sight, at long last. Kakarot would join him or die.

Piccolo stood atop a rocky spire, whipping his head around upon sensing a large incoming power level. "I sense someone coming…someone with great power!" he thought. "Could it be Son Goku?"

The wind suddenly picked up, causing his cape to billow in the wind as the figure drew closer, allowing him to see that it was not, in fact, Son Goku, his nemesis. "No…it's not Goku…but who is it?"

Soon, though, the long haired man descended to face him. "Tch…you're not Kakarot…" he scoffed. "And just who might you be?!" Piccolo demanded. "Have you business with me, stranger?"

"Hmm? With you, no," the man said dismissively. "Why have you come here, then?" Piccolo asked, bristling. "Do you wish to die?"

The man outright laughed at that, brushing Piccolo's threat off. "Heh… quite the feisty one, aren't you, Namekian?" he said. "A power level of 322…higher than I expected on this backwater…but you're still no match for me."

"Namekian?" Piccolo thought, mystified, "I am a demon! Nothing else! And I will be the judge of my own chances, not you!"

"What did you say?! Do you have any idea who you're messing with?!" he snarled, now angered. "Do I care?" the invader replied, still dismissive. That set Piccolo off even further, and he snarled another threat. "I am Piccolo, the Demon King! I will not tolerate such insolence!"

The mysterious man did not respond- his expression did not change- he merely stood there, a confident look on his face. A drop of sweat rolled down Piccolo's brow. "He thinks himself that powerful? The insolence! I'll show him real power!" he thought.

Piccolo raised his hand, letting out a battle cry. The blast he fired rolled out, impacting the man head-on. When the dust cleared, he was entirely unharmed, much to Piccolo's shock and horror- his boasting was not unfounded.

The man wiped his nose, smirking. "That was a fine display of dust, if such was your intention, Namekian," he said."Is it my turn? May I show you some real power?"

Piccolo flinched back as he raised his hand, clearly intending to attack him in return. But then, the device he wore over his eye beeped, and he stopped. "Another power level…a greater one than this fool…" he muttered, ascending into the air.

Piccolo could only stare in dumbfounded shock as he did so, wondering where he was going. There was nothing he could do, for his attack did nothing to his opponent, not even a scratch- not one. "Aha…that way…distance 12909…" the invader muttered to himself. "Such vast power…the greatest on this planet by far. Could it be anyone other than Kakarot? You'll be mine soon enough, brother!"

With that, he took off at top speed, leaving Piccolo behind. The Namekian was left stunned, trying to catch his breath. "Impossible…I was left petrified…paralyzed…" he thought. With a labored breath, he moved to get up. "I need to follow him…see where he's going…"

Elsewhere, the mysterious warrior shot off through the air. "Have you lost your pride, brother?! The pride of a Saiyan warrior?! Have you, Kakarot?!" he shouted, angrily. "I'll force you to shape up!"

With that, he took off in a burst of speed.

Kame House…near simultaneously…

Krillin and Master Roshi sat in the old hermit's living room, watching television and not doing much else. Soon enough, though, the door opened, catching their attention. Its movement revealed their old friends Bulma and Launch.

"Hey, there, ladies!" Roshi said, staring at them a bit. "Bulma! Launch!" Krillin added, carrying a tray of drinks.

"Long time no see," Bulma said, stepping inside first. "It's been far too long," Roshi said, approaching them. "Though, you're a bit cold, ain'tcha? Only showin' up when we ask you to come over?"

"Yeah, well, I've been busy," Bulma said. "But I brought you some snacks."

"Snacks…well, you didn't have to do that," Roshi replied. "I'd have been fine with a ki-"

His response was interrupted by the sound of a pistol clicking, and Launch cleared her throat. "None of that," she said. Roshi nodded sheepishly, taking a step back. "Still as ornery as ever…" Bulma scoffed.

"Still no sense of humor…" Roshi muttered, ignoring the pointed glares that both women were giving him. Krillin laughed nervously and changed the subject. "So, Bulma, where's Yamcha?" he asked.

"Yamcha? That jerk?! I have no idea, and I don't care!" Bulma replied. "After what he did, I don't need him! And neither do you!"

"Getting along as well as usual…" Roshi muttered, keeping his voice low so as to avoid getting in trouble again. "So…what about Launch, here?" Krillin asked, changing the subject again. "Oh. She works for me, now," Bulma replied. "I thought she was off looking for Tien?" Krillin asked, surprised. "Well, I didn't find him," Launch said, a bit bitterly. "I ran into Bulma instead, and started working for her."

Krillin nodded, turning his attention back to Bulma. "So what does she do for you?" he asked. "She's my secretary-slash-bodyguard-slash best friend," Bulma replied. Krillin again nodded, absorbing that information. "What did you do about…well, you know?" he asked. Launch sighed, preempting Bulma's response. "She helped me merge my personalities so I wouldn't randomly flip between them," she said. "Oh…I see…" Krillin said. What followed was an awkward silence, before everyone let out a nervous laugh. With that, they started interacting and conversing- none of them had seen each other in five years, after all.

Outside, Goku flew towards the island holding Kame House atop his Flying Nimbus. He was accompanied by his young son, Gohan. "See, that's Master Roshi's house!" he said to his son. The boy nodded as they descended towards it.

A short distance away, Raditz continued flying towards the island as well. "The power source is moving at a high velocity…this time, you're mine, Kakarot!" he sneered, staying his current course. "Here we are," Goku said, leaping down to the ground, his son in his arms. "Hey, guys!" he called. "Huh?" Bulma said, a bit surprised, turning her head to see where the voice came from. "Hey! It's Goku!" Krillin said, looking outside.

"We're back!" Goku said, waving to his friends as Krillin, Bulma, and Launch stepped outside, soon followed by Roshi. "Goku!" they said in unison. "But who's the kid?" Bulma asked. "Yeah. Did you start babysitting?" Krillin added. "Nah. He's mine," Goku replied, to the shock of his friends. "Yours?" Launch asked, confused. "You mean you had a kid?"

Goku nodded. "That's right, Launch," he said. His friends and his old teacher stared at him in shock for several minutes, unsure of what to say.

Up in the air, Raditz celebrated. "Yes! He's stopped!" he said to himself. "And he's close by! This'll be easy!"

Eventually, Bulma, Roshi, and Krillin processed this, expressing their shock simultaneously. "YOURS?! As in, you HAD A KID?!"

"Yeah," Goku replied. "Nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Y-yeah…" Krillin said, nervously. "Say hi, son!" Goku said, setting the boy down. "Hello!" he said. "H-hello," Bulma said, on behalf of the whole group. "His name's Son Gohan," Goku said. "We liked it, and it was fitting."

"Son Gohan? Your late grandfather's name?" Roshi asked, intrigued. "Yeah. We couldn't figure out what to call him, and he liked it. It also helps honor the old guy," Goku said. "Hi, Gohan," Bulma said, crouching down to look him in the eye, "how old are you?"

"This many," Gohan said, holding up four fingers. "Even for four years old, he seems too polite to be yours, Goku," Bulma said. Goku chuckled a bit. "Chi-Chi has been teaching him and all," he said. "Uh, Goku, is he occasionally sort of…odd, I guess?" Bulma asked. "Odd?" Goku asked in return, surprised. Launch looked equally surprised, entirely unsure of what they were talking about. "Does he ever… change…under a full moon?" Roshi asked, broaching the question nervously, complete with a drop of sweat rolling down the side of his head. At once, Goku knew what he was referring to- from the message that his real parents had left him in the pod.

Grandpa Gohan had shown it to him one day when he was about ten. And he'd still lost control and accidentally killed him. The grief haunted him to this day, so he decided to play dumb for now. "Full moon? No, we go to bed fairly early at our place. Why?"

"Oh! In that case, nothing! Never mind!" Roshi replied, quite obviously backpedaling. But Goku didn't want to talk about that any more than he did, so neither said a word. Bulma, Launch, and Krillin remained equally silent for a while, until Krillin spoke up and broke the ice.

"Is he, uh, strong, like you?" he asked. "I know he's got it in him," Goku replied with a frown,"but Chi-Chi says we should wait to train him until he's older. Says that he should focus on school for now."

"That's a waste," Krillin said. "I'll say," Goku said. "She says that because Earth's at peace, that he doesn't need to learn martial arts. I say he should, because that peace may not last forever," Goku said.

Roshi laughed. "So the daddy's girl has turned into super-mom, huh?" he assembled group ignored him in favor of moving on, however, leaving him a bit deflated. "I just noticed something…" Bulma said. "Is that a Dragon Ball on Gohan's hat?"

"Yeah," Goku said. "I found the Four-Star ball since it was my only reminder of my grandpa. Fitting for his namesake to have it. I also found the Three and Six Star ones too. They're both at home."

"Dragon Balls? Those sure bring back memories," Bulma said. Goku nodded in reply, but he felt a sudden shiver before he could say a word. He spun around to the side, as if something had caught his notice. "What's the matter, Goku?" Krillin asked, a bit surprised. "Something…or someone, is coming! Somebody strong!" Goku said. "I don't see any-" Roshi began, only to be cut off by Bulma. "It better not be Yamcha," she scoffed.

"No…much more powerful than that…super powerful…" Goku said. "But what could possibly be that strong?"

Soon enough, a long haired man swept overhead, soon descending to face them. The whole group was left stunned, unable to do anything. He stared them all down, his expression stern. He seemed interested in Goku in particular. "My, my…all grown up, aren't you, Kakarot? I'd recognize you anywhere," he said. "You look just like our father."

"Huh?" Goku asked, confused. "What's he talkin' about, Goku?" Krillin asked. "And just who is this guy?"

The stranger shrugged off their stunned looks. "Your duty was to wipe out the weaklings that live on this planet," he said. "Has something here distracted you, Kakarot? What the hell have you been doing?"

Krillin approached him nonchalantly. "Look, pal, I don't know who you are, but you can't stay here. Get lost," he said. "What you're sayin' is nonsense."

"Krillin! Get back!" Goku called, realizing the threat. The invader responded by smacking him straight into the Kame House itself with a furry tail, stunning them all. "Krillin!" Goku called, stunned. "Why you…!" Goku seethed. "Why did you go and do that, huh?!"

The stranger remained silent, saying nothing as Goku realized just what he'd struck his best friend with. "A TAIL?!" he exclaimed, shocked. The stranger merely smiled smugly, leaving his arms crossed over his chest. "You've got a tail! Just like I used to have!" Goku exclaimed, stunned. "Heh…heh…now that you know who I am…" the man said, smirking. "What? Who are you?!" Goku asked in return, still confused. "I don't get it!"

The man rolled his eyes. "Are you really that dense?" he snapped. "You could have never forgotten me, Kakarot! Or our mission! Did you hit your head or something?"

Goku rolled his eyes in return. "I have no idea who this 'Kakarot' is that you're looking for!" he said. "My name is Son Goku!"

"You're insane! You must have brain damage!" the man snarled. "Okay…maybe I did hit my head as a kid, but I don't remember it. I do have a scar, after all…" Goku replied. "Damn it…that would explain it, though…"

"Explain what?!" Goku demanded. Master Roshi sighed, feeling the need to explain something important…

Deep space, some alien planet….

Gine approached the small hut that she and Bardock had been using. It was better than nothing, but it was far from great. "We're almost out of food," she said. "I know," Bardock said, looking up at her as she entered.

"We need to leave. The natives don't seem to like us too much, and aren't gonna help us any more."

Gine nodded. "Of course. We should go and see if Kakarot survived on that planet we sent him to," she said. Bardock suddenly grew pensive. "I haven't thought about that in a long time…" he said. "It'll take a while for us to get there from here."

"I know. And I don't care. Do you have the coordinates?" Gine asked. "I do," Bardock replied. "Never let myself forget them."

"Then let's program our Attack Balls. It's high time we headed for Earth," Gine said. Bardock nodded, moving to get up. "You're right. Let's move," he replied. Gine nodded in response. "Right. Let's get moving."

Bardock smiled, getting to his feet. "Come on. Let's get everything we want to take with us, and bail," he said.

Gine nodded. "Right. But that's not a lot," she said. Bardock laughed. "I guess not," he replied.

Pretty much all they had were their Attack Balls, their old armor, and their scouters- they'd defected and gone into hiding after the debacle on Planet Meat that had led to the rest of their team being slaughtered.

"I hope nothing bad has happened to him," Gine said as they exited the hut and began walking towards the spot where they kept their ships. "Let's get the hell out of here, then. Go and find out," Bardock replied.

Gine smiled at him, liking that idea.

Soon enough, they arrived at their pods, which were somehow still fueled and flightworthy. "Let's go," Bardock said. "Their nav computers are synced, so all I have to do is program mine and yours will auto adjust to the same course."

Gine nodded. "I remember," she said. "Just program your computer already. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to be." Bardock nodded, opening his pod and climbing inside. Gine did the same, readying herself for take off.

After a few seconds, everything was ready. "Let's go," Bardock said. "Right," Gine replied. "Let's get out of here."

With that, both closed their pods and waited for the hibernation systems to activate as their ships powered up. They'd hopefully make it to Earth within a few months, give or take. And they could be reunited with their son at last.

Back on Earth…

Goku continued staring down the stranger as Roshi began speaking. "Goku…your grandfather…Son Gohan…he once told me that he found a child in the woods…a child with a tail," he said. "A wild, uncontrollable child. Until said child fell into a gorge and hit his head. Almost died, but he was a tough little monkey! He survived and pulled through! Afterwards, he was the sweetest little thing you could imagine!"

"Sweet?!" the stranger said indignantly. "So that kid was me?" Goku asked, surprised. "...He was. Or is," Roshi said. "B-but what's that all mean?" Bulma asked, watching Gohan. "Who's this guy, and what's he have do with Goku?"

"Answer me!?" Goku demanded. "Who the heck are you?! And what do you want?!"

"Take warning!" the man snapped. "If there are any memories within you, I will find a way to bring them out! We need you, Kakarot…your people need you!"

"Oof.." Krillin muttered, recovering. "Krillin! You okay?" Goku asked, noticing him. "Yeah. Not sure how, though.." Krillin replied. "Careful! He's not human!"

"Yeah, I noticed. He's got a tail," Goku said. "Just lookin' at him makes all of my hair stand on end…and that's never happened to me before…"

"That's because you and I are the same!" the stranger shouted. "You are no Earthling! You are a Saiyan warrior! A member of the most powerful race in the universe!"

"No…it can't be…" Roshi muttered softly, shocked. "And my name is Raditz! Your older brother!" the stranger said, a few seconds later. Goku flinched. "You're lying!" he said. "Take it back! You're not my brother!"

"Yeah! If Goku's an alien, why'd he be here?" Krillin asked. "You might not like that answer…" Raditz said. "We are a simple, yet entrepreneurial race! We dominate suitable planets and sell them to people who need living space! But first, the inhabitants of said worlds must be exterminated!"

"When a Saiyan warrior reaches adulthood, he is sent to difficult worlds to wipe them out- worlds with stronger natives- but first, he has years of battle experience! Even as children, we are sent to depopulate weaker worlds!"

Goku flinched again, unable to make himself interrupt Raditz's speech. "Worlds like this one! It's a lucky thing this world has a moon…you'd have wiped out all of these vermin in the space of a few years! Had you not hit your soft little head, damn it!"

"If these…if all these things are true…" Krillin said, utterly shocked, "then they make Piccolo look like nothing!"

"Is your brain that badly damaged? When a Saiyan with a tail sees a full moon, he shows his full powers! Then and only then!" Raditz snapped. At the same time, a realization dawned on Roshi, Krillin, and Bulma.

"I know…" Goku said softly, "that I'm an alien."

"What?!" Bulma asked, incredulously. Raditz smirked, a bit curious. "How, pray tell?" he asked. "And why didn't you do your job?"

"I…my parents sent a small device that came with some information about me, my family, and my past…with me to Earth," Goku said. "Good. Then join me," Raditz said. "Hold on a minute! Just because I know doesn't mean I'm joining you!" Goku replied.

Raditz grew angry again. "You should, if you know what's good for you!" he snapped, only to immediately become distracted by his brother's lack of a tail. "Your tail! What happened to your tail?" he demanded. "Tell me!"

"Got cut off years ago," Goku replied. "Why?"

"No wonder you've become so comfortable with the weaklings of this world!" Raditz snarled. "You're passing for one of them! My own brother!"

"Shut your mouth!" Goku snapped. "I don't care what I am! And I don't care if I'm an alien- I came to terms with that long ago. Krillin was right! People like you are wrong! I'm Son Goku now! Get the heck off my planet!"

"You tell him, Goku!" Bulma said. "Nurture over nature, my boy!" Roshi added. "Goku's not just an Earthling…he's the best dang Earthling I've ever met!"

"He even saved this planet once! So do us a favor and just leave, will ya?" Krillin said, adding to the sentiment. "Yeah!" Launch said, brandishing her pistol. Raditz openly scoffed at that, not backing down.

"Heh…heh…heh…" Raditz laughed, eliciting an angry look from Goku. "In all seriousness, how do you expect me to do that?" Raditz asked. "I suppose you've forgotten that our homeworld, Planet Vegeta, was destroyed via asteroid collision. Our race was destroyed, sans four individuals.."

The assembled group flinched back as he revealed this, enabling him to continue. "Even our parents, Kakarot," he said. "Only four Saiyans remain- me, you, and my two partners, off in deep space."

"We survived because we were on other worlds, doing 'wrong', as you put it, brother. Because of our actions, we are alive! Us remaining Saiyans have found a world that we know would seel for a high price, but the natives are tough. Three Saiyans may have trouble. But four? Thank the gods that I remembered you! Even my weak, amnesiac, lost and ill trained little brother ought to help us enough to tip the scales!"

"Picture the carnage!" Raditz gloated. "Feel you Saiyan blood stir! Picture it, Kakarot!"

"Never! I'd die first!" Goku replied. "Such a shame, but very well. How very sad that I have to get rid of you."

Goku glared at him, annoyed by that insinuation. "You can try," he said. Raditz laughed, ignoring him. "Tell me something: is that your whelp just over there?" he asked. "N-NO!" Goku exclaimed. "Oh? Is that so? I guess all miserable Earthlings have tails, then?"

"You leave him alone!" Goku snapped. "Sorry, can't be done," Raditz said. "If my own brother won't do it, then I'll have to borrow my tender young nephew instead."

"ONE MORE STEP AND I'LL KILL YOU!" Goku snapped, desperate to protect his son from this monster. Raditz merely smirked, kneeing his brother in the gut as hard as he possibly could, causing Goku to slump to the ground in pain. Bulma flinched back, and Gohan attempted to run. "DADDY!" he called, crying. "Oh, no you don't!" Raditz said, grabbing him. Launch soon leveled her pistol at the Saiyan's chest. "Drop him!" she demanded. "No," Raditz said. "Drop the weapon, or I'll wipe you all out without hesitation."

Properly cowed, Launch lowered her weapon. "Fine," she said, dropping it at her feet. "Good. Don't interfere again," Raditz said, directing his attention back to Goku. "If you wish to see him alive again, Kakarot, then you will follow my orders. Is that clear, brother? Let's make it simple: kill a hundred humans by this time tomorrow. Pile them here, and don't think we won't count."

"Arg…" Roshi grumbled, watching this unfold, helpless to intervene. "He…he beat Goku…with one kick, no less!" Krillin stammered, shocked and afraid. "I'll give you a full Earth day to…shall we say…agonize over it. When, not, if, you decide to join us…and you will decide that…we shall require…proof…of your good intentions, Kakarot. Did you hear me? I'll be looking forward to tomorrow. This is, after all, my only nephew. I'd hate to have to kill him."

"You wouldn't!" Krillin stammered. "You can't!"

"Just to make sure we're clear: a hundred humans better be dead by this time tomorrow, or he's dead. Got it?" Raditz said. "Do it, and we fly off together to pile up a million more bodies. Fail, and the only body will be your son's."

"You call yourself a warrior? Using a kid?" Krillin said, clearly angry. "H-he's right! If you think Goku would ever go 'n' kill anybody, then you're crazy!" Roshi added. "The choice is his. If he values a hundred humans over his son, then so be it. Although, I feel I should warn you- after my comrades and I are done with that other world, we most certainly shall return and repeat the process here," Raditz said.

"What?! You'll wha-?!" Bulma, Launch, Krillin, and Roshi chorused. "I give the inhabitants of your puny world…oh, let's say a month…once we begin the clean up process. Really, if you think about it, what difference would it make if Kakarot should happen to give one hundred of you a head start?" Raditz replied.

"Do you see now? Your 'choice' is no choice at all, dear younger brother!" he gloated. "Give me back my son!" Goku demanded. "Make the right decision, Kakarot. For your family's sake, as well as yours," Raditz said.

Around the back corner of the house, Piccolo stood, listening in. He flinched as Raditz took off, but the invader fortunately didn't see him. "And also, please don't make the mistake of trying to fight me- even if you had the power to challenge me, you haven't a fraction of the necessary training," Raditz said.

Gohan begged Goku for help, but he was unable to do anything other than stare up at Raditz in horror. "Until tomorrow, Kakarot!" Raditz shouted, and then took off with poor Gohan. Goku began banging his fists onto the ground in response. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" he protested. "You can't…do this…"

"Goku, are you okay?" Bulma asked, attempting to console him. "I'm sorry lad…we couldn't help…" Roshi added. "Nimbus! I need you!" Goku shouted, calling his flying cloud. "Wait! Don't go runnin' off half-cocked!" Roshi said, grabbing him by the shirt. "Do you think you're in any condition to fight?"

"But I need to do something," Goku said, as the others gathered around. "How awful…you finally meet your family, and it's someone like him…" Bulma said. Goku sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I know…I always imagined that my family had a good reason for sending me here, but I guess not…" he said. "And I don't care who he is- I'll never forgive him."

"But how are you going to stop him?" Bulma asked, her face taking on an expression of confusion. Goku said nothing in response as he got to his feet, merely scowling into the distance, as if he was trying to find the invader. "Look, I ain't gonna let that guy keep Gohan any longer than he already has. And I'm damn sure not gonna kill a buncha' people for him," he said. Bulma nodded. "I get that," she said. "But how are you gonna beat him? No offense, but he just kicked your ass. With one move."

Goku opened his mouth, only to immediately close it again. He honestly had no idea how he was going to do that. "You have no idea, do you?" Launch deadpanned, holstering her pistol. "Yep," Goku replied. "I've never seen anybody that strong…" Krillin said. "So, how exactly do you plan to beat him, Goku? I, mean, if he can take you down…"

"His tail. His weakness is his tail, if he's anything like me…" Goku said, cracking his knuckles and glaring off into the distance. "...then all I gotta do is grab it and hold tight- his power will drop, and we can win."

"What do you mean?" Launch asked. "Fightin' that guy is suicide."

"Yeah! How are you actually gonna get to his tail?" Krillin asked. "Now that you mention it…" Master Roshi added, trailing off quickly.

"I can't," Goku said. "Not by myself, anyway. And going alone is probably suicide, like Launch said."

"Now we're talkin'! We'll help you the best we can, sonny!" Roshi said, volunteering himself and Krillin. "Y-yeah!" Krillin stammered. "I mean, 'course, no one knows where Tien and Yamcha are, but if the three of us fight together…"

"We're all gonna die…" he thought, practically quaking in his boots. "But hey, if we do die, Bulma can just bring us back with the Dragon Balls!" he added, dissonantly cheery sounding for the topic and circumstances.

"Leave it to me!" Bulma said, taking on a serious expression and dramatically banging her hand against her chest. "No, Krillin! She can't! I learned that Shenron only grants the same wish once! And you an' Master Roshi have already died before! Death for you guys means death for real this time!" Goku said, nixing that idea. Both Roshi and Krillin went dead silent, unable to say a word for several seconds after that reveal. "I…uh…yeah…huh?" Krillin muttered incoherently. "You'll still help me, right, though, guys?" Goku asked.

"C-course we will, boy," Roshi said, a bit nervously. "S-sure…w-wi-without a m-muh-moment's doubt!" Krillin stammered, unsuccessfully getting his point across. "Death means death, huh?" the monk groused mentally, "I'll never get a girlfriend at this rate…"

Bulma soon interrupted, having apparently hit upon a great idea. "How about we just gather the Dragon Balls and ask Shenron something like 'save the world'?" she said. "Bulma, you're a genius!" Krillin exclaimed, momentarily relieved.

Emphasis on momentarily, as Roshi soon burst that particular bubble. "And how do you expect to find all seven in one day, sonny?" he asked. "Oh…right…" Krillin said, feeling a bit deflated. "Alright, then!" Goku said, moving right along. "He won't be expecting an attack…so we should be able to catch him off-guard with no problems."

"But we don't even know where he is- plus-" Roshi began, his tone slightly nervous, only to be immediately cut off by Goku's next exclamation. "Bulma! You still got that Dragon Radar?!" he asked. "You're right!" Bulma replied, smacking her forehead. "Gohan's hat had a Dragon Ball on it! We can track them that way!"

"There! Moving incredibly fast!" Bulma said, as everyone huddled around the radar's screen to see what she was looking at. "Where's he goin', I wonder?" Rosh mused, seeing the position displayed by the device. "It stopped!" Goku exclaimed soon after. "Thank goodness! He's staying on Earth, which means we can ambush him!"

"Good is right! Good for us, good for him…we might have a shot of winnin' this thing," Goku asserted, staring off into the distance. "Not much of a chance, but…" Krillin muttered, trailing off. "Always better t' face death feelin' optimistic, or so I always say," Roshi added, his tone a bit snide.

Just before anyone could move, or do a thing, really, another voice soon interrupted. "You haven't a chance…" it said, startling everyone. "Wha-?" Krillin questioned, as they all turned to face the source of the voice. "PICCOLO!?" Bulma exclaimed, in shock. She began to crawl across the ground on her hands and knees, comically fleeing the menacing figure that had joined them.

"And just what are you doing here?!" Goku demanded, glaring at his nemesis.

"I want him," he said, a surprising amount of distaste focused on the last word. No-one had to guess to figure out who he was speaking of. "So, you know him? Figures," Goku replied. "We've met, yes," Piccolo said. "I despise him."

Goku chuckled. "I suppose that makes two of us, then," he said. Piccolo briefly smirked and then continued. "You three have no chance against him. Not one prayer. Place your hopes in me, or place them not at all," he said, sounding a bit pretentious and condescending.

Goku didn't react to that, allowing Piccolo to continue. "Know this well, Son Goku: his power surpasses that of you or I. Alone, we are outmatched. But together, our powers may prove just enough!"

Goku chuckled. "Could be," he said. "But what's in it for you?"

"I have no love for you, that much is true," Piccolo replied. "And I honestly couldn't care less whether your son lives or dies…but I have my own plans for this world, and I will allow no-one to interfere!"

Goku chuckled once again. "There it is," he said. Piccolo smirked in response, holding his fist out, held up in front of his chest. "As soon as we have used our combined powers to vanquish this raggedy Saiyan, I shall turn them on you next!" he said.

"You can try," Goku replied, his expression equally smug, "and I intend to play along until my son is safe…but after that, tho', all bets are off!"

"Very well, then," Piccolo said. "I only pray that I can contain my nausea at the thought of joining with you, even for a common threat."

Goku nodded, before directing his attention to Bulma. "Bulma! Gimme the radar!" he said. "Huh? Wha? O-okay…" she stammered, surprised. Nonetheless, she placed it in his outstretched hand. With that, he leapt up onto the Flying Nimbus. "Hey, Pic! Can you keep up with my cloud?" he asked. "Spare me your folly. The speed of my flight will speak for itself," Piccolo responded, glaring at him.

Goku smiled confidently at him, receiving a glare in response. With that, they promptly took off, leaving the others behind. The group remained silent for several seconds in response to this, unsure of what to do.

"Are we supposed to be happy, or…?" Krillin trailed off, stunned at this turn of events. "I dunno about 'happy', but it's a good start," Roshi said. "But if those two are joining forces…then we're in for one hell of a fracas! And, I, for one, don't intend to miss it! Bulma, we're going along for the ride! Where's that fancy radar gadget of yours pointin' at?"

"Off to the east, I think," Bulma said. "Then let's get movin'!" Roshi said, moving towards Bulma's aircraft. She sighed, nearly facepalming. "Let's go," Launch said. "Goku could probably use the encouragement."

Bulma nodded, feeling a bit relieved. "Right, then," she said. "Let's go."

Launch nodded in response, and the group moved to depart Roshi's island. They weren't sure what they'd find, but were prepared nonetheless…

And there it is, folks. Chapter One is officially in the books. This is primarily gonna be manga based, since I've got the manga on hand and no way to watch the anime again without a bit of work, but we're gonna be using the anime's character names.

This first chapter may be a bit boring/flat, but that's mostly because this saga doesn't have a whole lot of action until Goku and Piccolo start fighting Raditz, and this is only like the first three or four chapters of the manga condensed/combined into one. Chapter Two will probably be the fight and its aftermath- not sure if I'll do more than that or save it for Chapter Three.

Anyway, feel free to leave a review as always. And check out my other stories if you haven't read them and you've got the time!

As usual, signing off!

-Robbtastic01.