Here we are, guys...Chapter Two! I hope you guys enjoy it.

Chapter Two: The World's Strongest Team!

Piccolo and Goku closed in on the area where Raditz had gone, pursuing the invader. "We're close," Goku said. "We should probably start moving lower."

"No," Piccolo replied, "we shouldn't."

"Why?" Goku asked, a bit confused. "Because our enemy has a device that can track an opponent's power and position," Piccolo replied. "Wait?! What?!" Goku replied, surprised. "Where is it?"

"That thing he's wearing on his eye," Piccolo said. "That's the device I'm talking about. As long as he has that, then we can't surprise him."

"So…that means…" Goku started, only for Piccolo to immediately cut him off. "That he knows we're coming? Almost certainly," he said. "Right, then! We'll just have to attack him head-on!" Goku replied. Piccolo smirked, preparing himself for battle. "Finally. You've said something worthwhile, Son Goku," he said, a bit smugly. Goku just laughed, readying himself for battle. This wasn't going to be easy.

Down on the ground…

Raditz arrived at his pod, still carrying his young nephew under his arm. "Shut up!" he snarled, annoyed at the child's incessant crying. "And you've got Saiyan blood flowing through your veins?! Pathetic!"

This only made the child cry more, serving to further annoy him as he descended into the hole where his Attack Ball was. "I said to shut the hell up!" he snarled, viciously shoving the kid into his pod. With that, he closed it up and leapt back out of the hole. "Now…I'm hungry…" he muttered, noting that he needed to find some food. "Needs of the body and all that…"

But all of a sudden, his scouter picked up a power level that he'd not detected before. A power level that seemed to be coming from the sniveling brat locked away in his Attack Ball. "A power level of 710…?!" he said. "This damn scouter must be broken!"

He grumbled to himself, noting that the scouter was picking up the reading again. "That can't be right…even for a Saiyan child…that power level cannot be!" he muttered, starting to become frustrated. And then, he noticed that his scouter was detecting two more incoming power levels. "Two more incoming? Power levels 322 and 344?!" he said, stunned. "One matches Kakarot's power exactly…but would he bother coming back? He knows he can't beat me…unless…"

He then looked up into the sky, seeing Piccolo and Goku approaching him at a high speed, clearing intending to attack him. "It is Kakarot!" he seethed. "He's more foolish than I thought…I'll have to end him after all…"

With that, he stretched his neck and cracked his knuckles. "I suppose that my tender young nephew will do… to be raised as a weapon…" he thought. "I'll just have to dispose of Kakarot and his pet Namekian…"

He smirked to himself, pleased with that idea. He stared upwards, narrowing his eyes as he waited for his brother and his new partner to arrive. He'd simply kill them both and take the boy for his own. "Though, the boy will need a proper Saiyan name…" he thought. "Taro or Brass will do well, I'd imagine…better than whatever Earthling drivel Kakarot would have given him…"

A small cackle escaped Raditz' throat as he continued plotting, preparing himself for battle. If Kakarot and the Namekian wanted a fight, then he'd give them hell. And then he'd send the both of them there for their insolence. He wouldn't feel a lick of remorse for it, either. And then, he'd cleanse this planet of its useless natives and sell it for a hefty profit. He'd just have to try not to tear it up too much when he killed the humans off.

Goku and Piccolo soon descended to meet him, both sporting determined looks on their faces. The Saiyan invader stood opposite them, smiling smugly with his arms crossed over his chest- he was dripping with arrogance. "I see that you weaklings have found a common cause," he sneered. "It won't do you any good, however."

Goku and Piccolo remained silent, merely staring at the long-haired Saiyan. "Tell me…how exactly did you find me?" Raditz asked a few seconds later. "We did. That's all," Goku said, tersely. Raditz rolled his eyes, a bit annoyed. "Fine. Then let's try a different question," he scoffed. "Why did you want to find me, exactly? You stood no chance against me before."

"Why do you think?!" Goku snarled. "I'm here to take back my son!"

Raditz sighed in response. "Then you still refuse to affirm your Saiyan birth by joining us?" he said. "What a shame. I hate having to kill you, but you're leaving me without a choice, Kakarot. I'll make it quick!"

Goku ignored that, naturally distrusting anything that the Saiyan invader said. "Give me my son!" he demanded. Naturally, his opponent was unintimidated- he didn't even flinch, coldly moving on with the conversation. Raditz chuckled, though it rang hollow and mirthless. "Sticking to your convictions…even if it means disobeying your own brother?" he said. "I don't have a brother! You're no family of mine!" Goku snarled. "Really, Kakarot?" Raditz said, sounding vaguely disappointed. "I expected better things from you, brother…how can a Saiyan be such a fool?"

The only response he got from his brother was a silent glare, much to his amusement. "Surely you don't think that the two of you could possibly defeat me?" he said, his tone sounding rather gloating. Goku and Piccolo shared a brief glance at each other in one instant- and then prepared themselves for battle in the next. "Raditz…you talk too much," Piccolo said, cracking his knuckles.

The Namekian warrior swiftly discarded his cape and turban, revealing that they were both heavily weighted. "You were armored too, Piccolo?" Goku said, smirking slightly. "As are you, boy…" Piccolo replied, stretching a bit, "...and I have not felt so light in a long while…"

Goku chuckled, beginning to remove his own weighted clothing as Raditz observed Piccolo with his Scouter. "What? His power level has jumped to 408…?" he thought, a bit confused and slightly surprised. "Well, well…looks like we've both been training hard…" Goku said, discarding his weighted undershirt. "Anyway, I'm just glad…that you're on my side," he added, dropping his wristbands and pulling his boots off as well. "Because this is gonna be a hell of a fight!"

"And Kakarot up to 416…?" he thought, a little stunned at the sudden increase. But he didn't let any of that show, instead showing off his own bravado. "Wa ha ha ha!" he laughed, rather irritably. "You think that makes a difference?!" "Huh?" Goku said, wondering what was so funny. Piccolo even seemed confused, briefly adopting a surprised expression. "Add hundreds more degrees, the both of you!" Raditz gloated loudly. "You'll still be no match for me!"

"If you think power is everything, then you're no fighter!" Goku retorted. "At least, no real fighter! Not in my book!"

"Youth I might be able to forgive, Kakarot…" Raditz said, coldly, "but idiocy has no place on a Saiyan mission! You're a disgrace to our race, brother! You shall die!"

Goku said nothing, and he and Piccolo assumed their battle stances. Raditz smirked again- and then charged them with blinding speed! Neither found themselves able to do anything as he struck both with an elbow strike, sending them reeling. Goku and Piccolo quickly recovered, putting some distance between themselves and the alien invader. With a flip from each, they put some distance between each other, hoping to mitigate the Saiyan's ability to do that again. "He…he's so fast…" Goku thought. "So fast that I can hardly believe it!"

Piccolo was equally shocked, silent as well. "He charged from the fore…" he thought, stunned, "...and yet, his blows struck our backs…"

Opposite them stood Raditz, his stance wide and his arms raised over his shoulders, biceps flexed. He held this pose for several seconds, taunting them once again. "Your defenses aren't bad…" he said. "That will keep you alive for a few more minutes…as I increase the power of my attacks!"

"He showed no such power as this before…" Piccolo thought, shocked. Goku was equally stunned, his face dripping with sweat. "His strength's in his tail…but how do we get to it?" he wondered. Raditz chuckled in response to this, knowing what they were likely thinking. "Oh…one more thing, should you still hope to win this engagement," he said. "The other two Saiyans…my two partners…are both superior to me in strength."

Goku and Piccolo both immediately adopted shocked expressions, stunned by what they'd just heard from the invader. "Ha ha ha!" Raditz laughed, staring both of them down. "How do you like the taste of despair, eh?! It'll be the last taste you fools will ever know!"

Piccolo scoffed in annoyance. "So…should we succeed in striking you down, we face twice your power and more…" he said. "Y'know, Piccolo…I coulda waited to hear that," Goku said in response. "Does it not thrill you, Son Goku?" Piccolo asked. "Heh…'thrill' isn't the word I'd use. 'Spitless' is probably a better one…or maybe 'terrified'..." Goku replied. "Still, I will take back my son!" he added, returning his attention to Raditz. "Where did you hide him?!"

"Hide indeed," Raditz said, a bit smugly. "I locked him up to keep him quiet. He's in that hole behind you. Still alive…probably."

Upon hearing that, Goku briefly ascended into the air with his ki. "I'm here, Gohan! Daddy's here, and I'm gonna save you!" he shouted. Raditz laughed as he descended. "Don't get the poor boy's hopes up! No dead daddy will be saving him!"

"Piccolo…ready?" Goku asked, touching down. "Have we a choice?!" Piccolo replied, a bit incredulous. Both then let out a battle cry and rushed towards the Saiyan invader, and the battle was on. They soon began peppering their opponent with a barrage of blows, but he blocked them all with little effort on his part. "Is this all you have?" he asked, rather smugly. Neither Goku nor Piccolo said a word, merely continuing their assault.

Subsequently, he evaded a kick from Goku and a ki wave from Piccolo, forcing them both to move quickly in an attempt to avoid his retaliation. But they were nowhere near being that fast…and he shot in front of them, his back turned towards them.

Both stared at him, wondering what he'd do. They got their answer a few seconds later when he kicked them both simultaneously, one with each foot. "Perfect…" he said, smirking. He then shot forward, baiting Goku and Piccolo into following him. As soon as they'd almost reached him, he shot high into the air, hanging above them. He soon raised his arms back up over his shoulders, flexing his biceps and closing his hands into fists once again. "Let's see how you gnats enjoy this!" he snarled, slinging his hands down to face them, palms open. "DOUBLE SUNDAY!"
Two massive beams of ki shot from his hands, leaving Goku and Piccolo stunned. They scrambled to evade the attack- as not doing so would likely have fatal consequences for them…which was counterproductive to their goals, for obvious reasons. Goku managed, just barely, to avoid the beam that was aimed at him- but Piccolo wasn't so lucky. The beam sheared his left arm clean off, leaving him with only one arm to face their opponent with. A stunned Goku landed on the ground, pushing himself back to his feet. He stared into the sky, searching for Raditz. But that was all for naught- his opponent soon revealed himself- right behind him!

"Behind you!" Raditz said, laughing. Goku had no time to react as the invader kicked him in the back, sending him skidding across the ground, stopping next to Piccolo. "Heh…heh…heh…" Raditz chuckled. "Do you believe me now?"

Goku ignored him, struggling to his feet. "Piccolo…are…you…?" he asked, panting heavily. "Quite an inconvenience…having to fight with one arm…" Piccolo said, as a bit of blood dripped from his arm stump. Raditz laughed again, rather maniacally. "I'll take your wretched head next!" he said, an air of smugness about him, "Son Goku…have you no secret special technique?" Piccolo asked, casting his attention to the Saiyan hero. "For once, Piccolo, I'm fresh out," Goku said. "You were always…a lazy one," Piccolo replied, breathing heavily, "we should both…be thankful that I…am not…"

"Making secret plans, are we little friends?" Raditz said, mockingly. "If that's how you wish to waste the last moments that you have alive, then so be it! Wa ha ha!"

"Are you saying that you have a new technique, Piccolo?" Goku asked, ignoring Raditz's gloating threats. "Indeed," Piccolo replied. "Can you do it with one arm?" Goku asked, a bit unsure. "The lack of a limb will be no obstacle…but I require time to concentrate my power…and so, I require you to keep him occupied alone," Piccolo replied. "You'd better be sure that it's going to work," Goku said. "Certainty is not the lot of us mere mortals…" Piccolo responded. "But what choice do we have? Pity…I planned on using this technique to kill you, Son Goku…"

"But it'll help me instead! I like that!" Goku said, smiling like a dope. "Once this foolish creature is slain…I will turn my powers on you, Son Goku," Piccolo said. Goku only laughed in response, not retorting at all. "Life never fails to amuse, does it?" Piccolo observed, preparing himself. "Laughing?" Raditz said to himself, observing this. "Are they insane?"

"All right!" Goku said. "Do what you gotta do! I'll keep him busy!"

Piccolo smirked. "Hold him off for as long as you can. This'll take me a while to fully charge…but when I do, it'll be worth the wait!" he said. Goku nodded. "Right," he said, before leaping into battle. The veins popped out on Piccolo's forehead as he thrust his hand out to the side and began gathering his ki. "LIGHT…OF DEATH!" he shouted, pressing two of his fingers to his forehead as he began channeling all of his energy into them.

Goku, meanwhile, did his best to distract Raditz, unleashing a barrage of nasty blows onto the invader. But the Saiyan blocked them all, smirking as he did so. Goku soon found himself on the receiving end of a beatdown, suffering several retaliatory blows from the Saiyan. They were soon followed by a kick to the face, sending him flying backward- though he soon recovered. A perfectly executed backflip flung him into the air as he began charging his ultimate technique.

"Persistently foolish wretch…" Raditz grumbled, watching this unfold. "KA! ME! HA! ME….!" Goku began, gathering his ki into his hands, much to Raditz's shock. Kakarot's power up to 924…?! And increasing?!" Raditz said, in complete disbelief. "Somehow…he can focus all of his energy into a single point?! How!?"

The invader contemplated doing something about it, but soon found himself distracted by yet another power level reading. "That one…it's unbelievable…1020…no…1030! It can't be! It's impossible!" he stammered, detecting Piccolo's power. "And he focused all of it into his fingertips!"

But he found himself unable to do a thing about that as Goku unleashed his Kamehameha, loosing it with a shout. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" he screamed, loosing the brilliant blue beam of ki, which bared down on Raditz. "ARGH!" Raditz grunted in frustration, moving to dodge the blast. Only for Goku to redirect it with his mastery of ki. "You dare?!" Raditz snarled, bracing himself and preparing to block the attack, palm extended.

The attack struck with a mighty boom, leaving Goku stunned. "He…he caught it!?" he said, his eyes open wide. When the smoke cleared, Raditz was entirely unharmed. "What is he made of?" Goku said in disbelief. "Try this!" Raditz shouted, flinging his arm and unleashing a shockwave of ki, sending Goku falling to the ground. Raditz soon rushed forward, his fist drawn back to strike his brother. "DIE!" he snarled, looming over him.

"Someone…will die…this day!" Piccolo interrupted, his hand now glowing with yellow ki. The stunned Raditz turned his head to look at Piccolo, noticing his power level once again. "Power level 1330?! And all of that still focused in his fingertips?!" he shouted angrily. "How!? How do they do it?!"

"NOW, DIE!" Piccolo snarled, firing his attack, which took the form of a large beam with a smaller one spiraling around it. "MEET THE LIGHT OF DEATH!"

"AUGHH!" Raditz grumbled, his hand still drawn back, as the battered Goku sat nearby, his gi mostly shredded by this point. Both Saiyans soon noticed Piccolo's move, though, which barreled towards Raditz at a high speed. Both were left stunned by its power, gaining shocked expressions as it continued on its path of destruction. Raditz let out a shocked grunt as the beam approached him, realizing its damage potential. But at the last second, Raditz effortlessly sidestepped the blast, resulting in his shoulder pad being blasted off, but otherwise leaving him unharmed. Apart from a slightly burnt and bloody shoulder, that is.

Piccolo remained silent, utterly stunned. "He…he sidestepped it…but no one can move that fast!" he thought, shocked and confused. "Right through my armor…quite the blast," Raditz said. "Imagine if I'd let it hit me. Wouldn't be much of me left, eh?"

"That…that was my last hope," Piccolo said, gritting his teeth. "Do you see now, little boys?" Raditz said, patronizingly, "our playtime is over…"

Piccolo remained silent, again thinking to himself. "By gods…is this the end of Piccolo?" he wondered, watching the invader. "..in one blast!" the Saiyan finished, rather smugly. With that, he raised his hand skyward and began gathering his power. "Farewell!" he shouted, laughing smugly once again. But all of a sudden, his power faded away, and he found himself helpless. "Unh….what…what happened?!" he said, surprised. "You got careless!" Goku said. "And I got your tail!"

Raditz looked at his brother in shock, unsure of what to do or say. He and the Namekian now had him dead to rights. He was toast if this turn of events continued. "You…you'll never….!" he said, falling to the ground. "Do that thing again!" Goku shouted to his partner, who seemed briefly confused. "Oh…yes!" Piccolo said in response. "Well done, Goku! Hold tight to that tail! I can only do this once more! Keep him immobilized!"

"Kakarot…" Raditz said, his tone begging. "You wouldn't kill your own brother, would you?"

"I told you before! You're no brother of mine!" Goku replied. "And who tried to kill who first, huh?!"

"You… you didn't take me seriously, did you?" Raditz said. "I was only bluffing. Let me go, and I'll leave this world…you can even have your little brat back…"

"Close your ears to him, Son Goku!" Piccolo shouted. "He's lying to you! No matter what he says, hold that grip!"

"Please, little brother…I know I've done terrible things, but…please let me live," Raditz said. "I give you my word that I'll leave!"

"ALL LIES! HOLD HIM!" Piccolo shouted. "Please, Kakarot! I swear to you!" Raditz said, seeming desperate. But Goku gave in, releasing his hold on Raditz's tail. "Son Goku!" Piccolo shouted, as Raditz sprung to his feet and sent Goku to the ground with a nasty elbow strike to the face.

The younger Saiyan was sent skidding across the ground once more, suffering even more damage than he already had. Raditz soon leapt over to him, planting his booted foot on his chest. "What a treat! Such idiocy is all too rare!" Raditz said, once more the smug superior that he'd been before. "You…scum!" Goku gasped out, betrayed. "How could I have thought you could be a warrior?" Raditz said. "The true warrior never hesitates to kill! Not even his own brother! Care for a demonstration?"

"No…you fool!" Piccolo cursed, watching all of this. "Here!" Raditz chuckled, beginning to crush Goku's chest with his foot. Goku let out a cry of pain as Piccolo watched helplessly, unable to intervene. "No hurry, brother! Suffer more!" Raditz said, rather gleefully. And then he turned his attention to Piccolo, who was still watching. "Be patient! You'll get your turn!" he said. "But why not take a shot at me in the meantime?"

"Because you'll just dodge it again," Piccolo said. Raditz opened his mouth to retort, but soon found himself distracted by his scouter beeping. "What?!" he said, turning his head to see Gohan burst upwards, towards the top of the hole, destroying his pod in the process. Raditz and Piccolo alike gained a shocked expression as they saw this. "What..?!" Piccolo said, stunned. Gohan soon leapt out of the hole, landing on his feet to glare at Raditz.

The boy grunted in frustration, not averting his eyes from the target of his rage. "Son Goku's boy!" Piccolo said, observing the new arrival. "I'd forgotten about him!"

"You…" he said, glaring at Raditz as his tears started to well up. "No…Gohan…run…" Goku gasped. "Run…away…"

"YOU…HURT MY DADDY!" the boy shouted, tears falling like rain. "Power level…1307?!" Raditz said, shocked. With a burst of ki, Gohan rushed forward and headbutted Raditz in the chest so hard his armor cracked. He fell backwards, off of Goku. "OOH!" Piccolo exclaimed, watching Raditz stumble to regain his footing."G….Gohan…" Goku said, looking over at his son. "AA! Daddy!" Gohan said, looking over at him.

"Gohan…run…." Goku said, weakly. Behind them, Raditz glared at them, clutching his chest. "You…dirty…little…" he seethed, clearly angry. Gohan looked back at Raditz as Goku started to get up. "Run away, Gohan…now!" he said. "Your power level…it's dropped to a mere 1!" Raditz snarled. "It changes with your emotions, doesn't it?"

With that, he effortlessly batted Gohan aside. "Stop…he's…" Goku started, only to fail to finish due to his weakened state. "Only a child? Give me a break! He's got more power than you!" Raditz replied, moving towards Gohan as Goku futilely attempted to grab his ankle."Pity that he'll never learn to use it!"

Goku grit his teeth, cursing his inability to intervene. "But don't worry…you'll be with him soon! In the afterlife!" Raditz said, gripping his hand into a fist. But before the long haired Saiyan could do anything, Goku grabbed him in a full-nelson hold. "What? You still have power left?!" he said, in utter disbelief. "Ungh…Piccolo, do it again!" Goku said, glancing at his partner with a grunt of pain. "I am building up to it! But I need time! Why did you not seize his tail?!" Piccolo replied, a bit incredulous.

"Cause he can cut his tail off…" Goku replied, much to Raditz's shock. "You…you know?!" he stammered. Goku let out another groan of pain as he glanced at Piccolo. "Hurry up, will you?!" he said. "Curse the whelp…that strike of his left me weakened…" Raditz grumbled. "Let me go, little brother! You'll die too, if he kills me!"

"Heh…it'll be worth the trade off…!" Goku replied, smiling. "What…?! What did you say?! You're insane!" Raditz said. "If it's the only way to defeat you…then I'll take it," Goku said. "Son Goku…I will not hesitate! To kill you along with him is merely a bonus for me!" Piccolo said, interjecting. "Of course…if your friends still have their Dragon Balls…" he thought, smirking a bit. "Aren't you ready yet?!" Goku asked. "My ribs are broken! Do it now!"

"Let me go, Kakarot! I'll leave here forever!" Raditz begged, one last ditch effort to escape. "Y-you won't fool me twice!" Goku replied, refusing to budge. "Sorry to keep you waiting!" Piccolo said, finishing his attack. "DO IT!" Goku shouted, watching him. "NO! WAIT!" Raditz shouted simultaneously. "LIGHT OF DEATH!" Piccolo shouted, unleashing his attack at long last. Both Saiyans were mortally wounded by the attack, which burst through both of their torsos.

Both collapsed to the ground with large, bloody holes in their chests, falling apart as they did so. "CURSE YOU!" Raditz shouted as he fell. "Heh…" Goku said, in calm contrast to his brother's outburst. "How…ridiculous…that the greatness…of Raditz should end…on this stupid…little…world…" Raditz gasped out. "Take that!" Piccolo said, breathing a bit hard as he approached the downed Raditz.

"Heh heh heh…I've got to hand it to my little brother ...being willing to die like that just to get rid of me…it's a bit impressive…" Raditz said. "You fool…" Piccolo said, glaring at the dying invader lying at his feet. "Son Goku will not be dead for long."

"Huh? What?" Raditz replied, surprised. "The seven Dragon Balls, my friend," Piccolo said. "They can grant any wish, even bringing someone back to life."

"C-curse him…but I'm glad you told me…because I have just transmitted that information back to my partners in the depths of space…" Raditz said, gasping out his last breaths in defiance of the Namekian who'd slain him. "They know…that I've been defeated…and they will come here...to sweep this planet clean of its Earthling vermin…including you…and then they'll no doubt bring me back to life…"

"Wh…when…are they g…going to get here?" Goku asked, weakly. "In your terms, one year…" Raditz replied, chuckling. "...In one year…two warriors even stronger than you…" Piccolo mused. "And how do you like your odds...eh..? I hope you enjoy your last year…" Raditz said tauntingly. "Tr...transient joys are the sweetest…just ask your fellow vermin."

Piccolo replied by finishing Raditz with a savage blow. "Are you still laughing?" he asked. "I thought not."

His attention was soon gained by the approaching plane above, and he shot it a glare. "Oh…" Bulma said, from the controls. "Two of them are down!" Roshi said, observing. "Who's standing?!" Bulma asked. "It's Piccolo!" Krillin said. "What happened?" Roshi asked, stunned. Launch remained silent through all of this, clutching the spare Dragon Radar they'd used to track them.

Meanwhile, in deep space…

Raditz's partners, a large, muscular man with a thin mustache and a bald head, and a shorter one with no facial hair and spiky hair, sat amongst the carnage of a world they'd been attacking. "Raditz…is dead…" the larger one said. "He deserved it," the shorter one replied. "Killed by power levels barely over a thousand. Still, these 'Dragon Balls' are intriguing. Make any wish come true…"

"We can leave this planet for later," the larger one said. "Let's go," the shorter one said. "To bring Raditz back to life?" the larger one asked. "Get real," the shorter one answered. "We're better off without him. How about immortality for ourselves? No death! No age! Only an eternity of combat for us!"

"Ah! Now that's a wish!" the larger one said, forming a fist.

Later…in their Attack Balls…

"The power of Kakarot's son…impossibly high for a Saiyan child…" the shorter one transmitted, musing on Gohan's display of strength. "Maybe his reading was wrong…" the larger one replied. "I don't think so," the shorter one said. "Not with the amount of damage Raditz suffered from that one strike…it seems that mixing Saiyan and Earthling begets a powerful hybrid…"

"A Super Saiyan, eh?" the larger one said. "Maybe we oughta spawn a flock of them ourselves? We could build a new Saiyan empire!"

"Don't be stupid. Do you want a lot of ingrate brats running around with powers greater than ours?" the smaller one said. "Oh…right…" the larger one said. "We must exterminate all life on Earth!"

"You…you mean…" Roshi asked, stunned. "Yes…I do indeed," Piccolo said, watching as Krillin tried to shake Goku awake. "Hey, Goku! Hold on, Goku! Don't give up!" the monk said. "Gohan's alright…just knocked out," Bulma said. "Good…I'm glad…you won't get yelled at by Chi-Chi…" Goku said, weakly. "Kril..lin..,dying's not fun, is it?"

"Don't talk like that!" Krillin said. "We'll bring you back!"

"Heh…thanks!" Goku replied. Krillin went silent for several seconds, and then Goku's body vanished. "Goku?" he questioned. "Waa!"

"I sense that cursed Kami's hand in this…" Piccolo said. "Huh?" Roshi and Krillin said simultaneously. "Who else could it be?" Piccolo replied. "He must have plans for Son Goku again…strange ones, no doubt." Everyone remained silent following that, none of them particularly having much to say after that- or what they'd heard and seen of the fight's conclusion.

Elsewhere…in space…

"Time for a long sleep," the shorter Saiyan said. "I can't wait to wake up!" the larger one replied, as their ships rocketed towards Earth…

In a different part of the cosmos, Bardock and Gine's pods rocketed through space on their own path to Earth. The Saiyan parents slumbered peacefully inside, unaware of the fatal brawl between their offspring. Bardock twitched within the lead pod, as if he was slowly becoming aware of what had happened. But he didn't, in truth- and even if he did, he and Gine were nowhere near Earth, and thus, unable to do anything about it.

They were in for a rude awakening, though, when they made it. If they made it to Earth before Raditz's bloodthirsty partners did, that is. They'd not seen either of their children in twenty years- they'd spent most of that time hiding from Frieza's goons.

It had been spent planet hopping in search of a place to lay low, as each planet they'd settled on inevitably kicked them off of it at some point. That is, if the natives didn't immediately distrust them on the spot. Their existence had been a rough one, both before and after their desertion from the Planet Trade Organization. Frieza was still out there, and they figured that he'd react poorly to their survival…so Earth it was. It was their last hope of turning their lives around.

Back on Earth…

"So Kami took Goku's body?" Bulma questioned. "Who knows what he'll do…" Krillin said, a bit nervous. "But if it's the divine Kami himself, then we shouldn't have to worry," Master Roshi said, calming Krillin's nerves a bit. "But that doesn't help us now!" Launch snapped. "We're doomed if Goku can't beat them when he comes back!"

"We've just got to gather the other six Dragon Balls and wish Goku back to life," Krillin said, observing Gohan's hat. "That's easier said than done, " Launch said. "Even with Bulma's Dragon Radar."

"Argh! Where's Yamcha when you need him!" Bulma complained. "Didn't you chase him away?" Krillin said, a bit snarkily. Bulma ignored him in favor of changing the subject. "Say, how did that so-called brother of Goku's actually find him?" she asked."That odd machine mounted on his face," Piccolo said, as he put his weighted clothing back on. "It seems to track an opponent's power and position."

"You mean that?" Bulma said, observing the dead invader's face, "Krillin, you go get it for me, okay?"

Roshi and Launch remained silent, watching all of this unfold. "Uh…right. But he won't come back to life, will he?" Krillin said, inching closer. He swiftly snatched the device from the Saiyan and gave it to Bulma. "Wow…!" she said, placing it over her eye. "Hmm…got it…got it…this does that, and that…"

"This is one awesome machine," she added, a few seconds later. "It's a little banged up, but I should be able to fix it. You're my hero, you know. If we can revamp this right, we'll be able to find Tien Shinhan and Yamcha!"

"Then let's hurry back to the Kame House," Roshi said. "Yeah…we can't do anything here," Bulma said. "And then I'll head right out after those Dragon Balls!" Krillin said. "I'll go with you," Launch said. "Two of us will make it go faster."

Krillin nodded as Roshi looked to Piccolo. "What are you gonna do, Piccolo?" he asked. With a series of grunts, Piccolo soon regenerated his lost arm, stunning everyone else into silence and disgust. "Like a lizard…" Krillin commented after a few seconds. "Be sure to find those Dragon Balls. Even Kami lacks the ability to bring someone back from the dead," Piccolo said. "In the meantime…I'll take Goku's son."

"Wha- wha?" Roshi said, surprised. "You're kidding! What are you gonna do with him?!" Krillin said. "I know! You're gonna eat him!"

"I am not!" Piccolo said, a bit flustered. "That boy will be a powerful asset against the Saiyans…once he's trained. We'll need his power if we hope to defeat the two Saiyans that will be here within the year…and only I can train him properly."

"W-w-well yeah, but…" Krillin trailed off. "It's kind of a big responsibility, right?" Bulma interjected. "We should ask Chi-Chi or Goku before we-" Roshi started, only to be cut off by Piccolo.

"We have no time for that!" the Namekian snarled. "Try to stop me, and I'll kill you all!"

With that, he snatched Gohan from the old master. "Tell Son Goku to be patient…if he comes back to life, that is. I'll return him to you in a year." "B- but…" Roshi stammered. "D-d-don't look at me!" Bulma said, as they all stared up into the sky, watching Piccolo leave with poor Gohan. "If the kid's lucky, he'll only turn out to be a super villain…" Krillin said. "Don't be ridiculous," Launch said, cracking her knuckles. "We've got stuff to do, and we need to get on it!"

"Yes ma'am!" Bulma, Roshi, and Krillin said in unison, their eyes moving towards the rather large submachine gun that Launch had seemingly materialized from out of nowhere to threaten them with. With that, they all made their way to Bulma's aircraft. They had work to do, after all.