A/N: Okay, first, I would like to say something about another fanfiction on this site, Book 1: The Wrath of The Earthling Saiyan, by Espeon804. I haven't finished that fanfiction, nor have I read the other books, and, from what I read at the beginning of it, he started writing it when he was 16. BUT… I've been so stuck on my other writing projects, that, when I started to read his fanfiction, I got EXTREMELY inspired, and churned this one out. It is based on his/hers, I shamelessly steal some elements from their story, and I've received NO PERMISSION to do so! However, no one's getting paid for this, and I'm freely telling you guys, Espeon804 is the one with the great idea, go read their fic.

This is a darker version, probably going a different direction (don't know, haven't finished reading their fic), and, while it follows the canon DBZ at first, I make no promises other than that it will NOT follow canon at all once it gets going.

To set things up, this would be, what if Raditz's arrival happened a little bit differently?

Goku smiled down at his son, sitting in his lap on the flying nimbus. Gohan was so excited to see the waves of the ocean, he giggled in glee whenever the sea would spray him in the face. It made Goku happy to see that look in his son's eyes. He wished he could spend more time with Gohan… Chi-chi was jealously possessive of their son's time, ever since he learned how to talk. She always had him studying this or that in his room. She wouldn't even let Goku teach Gohan how to fight, claiming she didn't want him to grow up to be a karate bum, and that he had taken care of the worst threat to Earth so far, so there was no reason for Gohan to need to learn.

It just… didn't feel right, not teaching him…

"Hey, Daddy! Are the people we're gonna see nice?" the little four-year-old asked, tilting his head back to look up at his father, careful not to dislodge the hat with the four-star dragonball he wore on his head.

Goku blinked, then grinned at his son. "Well, sure, son, they're my friends!" he said reassuringly. Gohan had never really met anyone else, Chi-chi didn't bring him anywhere because his tail raised too many questions, and she only occasionally left home anyway, usually to get groceries. Goku hadn't ever met anyone other than his Grandpa Gohan when he was Gohan's age, so he didn't really see anything wrong with it… but his son's personality was a lot different than Goku's had been. Gohan tended to get nervous about little things. Remembering how awkward it was at first for him meeting new people, Goku rubbed his chin. "Just… if you have trouble telling the girls apart from the boys, just ask them, okay? They get mad if you try to touch them to find out," he said sagely.

Gohan giggled at that. "I can tell girls from boys, Daddy! They look and dress different from each other. Mommy says just to bow and say 'Nice to meet you!' to everyone," he said.

Goku grinned wryly. "Yeah… your mother knows more about this stuff than I do. When I first met Bulma, I tried to beat up her car," he said, laughing as he scratched the back of his head.

Gohan's eyes widened. "Why'd you do that?" he asked, wondering if she was the violent sort.

"Well… you have to understand, I'd never seen a car before. I thought it was a monster. When she hit me with it, I thought it was attacking me. Especially when she came out of it and started shooting at me!" Goku said with a laugh.

Gohan frowned. "Daddy… are you sure these people are your friends?" he asked hesitantly. If they were mean to his dad, he didn't want to think about how mean they'd be to him…

"They're my best friends, Gohan. Don't worry! Bulma hasn't tried to shoot me in years!" he laughed, causing his son to cast him a dubious glance. He sighed. "It's really okay, Gohan. Just, be brave for me, okay?" he asked gently. He hated seeing his son this scared of something as safe as meeting new people. He didn't want his son to be scared of anything!

Gohan bit his lower lip, but forced a smile. "I'll be brave, Daddy! I'll make you proud!" he said, scowling.

Goku smirked down at the boy, and, lifting his hat off his head with one hand, ruffled his hair with the other, causing the boy to squeal. "I already am, son…" he said warmly.

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Wake up, Raditz.

The long-haired Saiyan groaned, starting to get feeling in his stiff limbs again.

Wake up, Raditz.

"I'm awake," Raditz grumbled, opening his eyes to see a blue planet speeding towards him.

Arriving at Earth. Atmosphere breathable. Approximately 3.465 billion humans present, more than 12 billion lower life forms.

"Hnh. So, Kakarot didn't do shit, basically," he said, frowning. "Computer, read life signs for Saiyan biology."

...One point eight Saiyan life signs present.

"One point eight?" Raditz remarked, rolling his eyes. "Re-scan."

...One point seven six eight four Saiyan life signs present.

"Stupid computer," Raditz grumbled as he braced himself. When the pod hit the ground, it made a crater. He felt it shake the pod, but the internal dampeners absorbed most of the shock. Raditz sighed. One point seven six eight four Saiyan life signs. Saiyan genetics were pretty obstinate. Saiyan hybrids almost always favored their Saiyan heritage over their other half. Which was why, even though the computer didn't read them as a full Saiyan, it would always read them as more than half. "So… Kakarot not only shirked his duties, but he took a mate among these weaklings," he said, shaking his head. "Well… hell, it's not like anyone was in a hurry for him to get back, I guess…" he sighed again, and pressed the control to open the pod, stretching as he got out. The sleep gas always made him feel stiff, as well as leaving a funny taste in his mouth. Damned pod travel.

So lost in thought was he as he put on his scouter, he almost didn't notice the human approaching him, until he pointed some type of primitive weapon at him. His scouter showed him a power level of 5. With the weapon. Raditz blinked.

"Stay back! You-you don't belong here!" the human said, bravely pointing his weapon at Raditz.

Raditz smirked. "Is that so?" he asked, taking a step forward. The startled human pulled the trigger, and a projectile came straight for Raditz's chest. Catching the bullet with ease, he balanced it on his thumb, and flicked it towards the human, far faster than his own gun would have shot it.

The hole went through the human and the vehicle behind him.

"Damn it, Kakarot… why the hell would anyone choose to live among these weaklings!" he muttered as his scouter picked up another reading. "Huh. If an armed human is 5, then 322 must be Kakarot," he said, scowling at his brother's pathetically low power level. "PREPARE YOURSELF, KAKAROT!" he cried out as he took to the air, speeding towards the power level.

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Goku smiled as he saw Kame House in the distance. "Gohan, we're here!" he said excitedly, and jumped off the flying nimbus with Gohan in his arms, just as the carefree clouse passed over the island, then sped off to wherever it liked to wander. Gohan pressed himself against his father's chest, a new wave of nervousness passing over him. Hoping to alleviate his son's fears, he called out, "Hello! Anyone here?"

He could hear voices from inside, and suddenly there they were, Krillin, Bulma, Master Roshi, all coming through the door to greet him happily. He grinned. These were his friends… whenever he felt too strange or out of place, these were the people who always made him feel like he belonged.

Krillin was gazing at him, confused. "Goku… are you babysitting?" he asked, hesitantly.

Goku blinked. "Oh, no… this is my son," he said, lowering Gohan to the ground to stand on his own two feet. "Gohan, say hi," he said helpfully, knowing his boy was nervous.

Gohan swallowed hard, then bowed low, just like his mother taught him. "Hello, it's nice to meet you all," he said politely, holding the bow for a long time, before standing back upright. Nearby a giant turtle moved towards him, and Gohan moved closer to his father nervously, afraid it might bite him.

Goku's friends gazed at each other nervously, but Master Roshi broke the awkwardness. "So, Goku, you named him after your grandpa, huh?" he asked, thinking his old student would be quite proud of that.

Goku's smile widened. "Yup!" he confirmed.

Bulma knelt near Gohan. "Well, hello, Gohan! How old are you?" she asked, remembering having this very conversation with Goku when they were kids.

Gohan clutched his father's leg, but held up four fingers. "I'm four and a half," he said shyly.

Bulma smiled. "Wow, are you gonna grow up to be a great fighter like your dad?" she asked, knowing what the answer would be.

To his surprise, however, Goku's face fell momentarily. "No… Chi-chi doesn't want him to train," he said, feeling that odd feeling inside again, but pushed it down.

Bulma raised an eyebrow in surprise. "No martial arts, huh? Well… what do you want to be when you grow up, Gohan?" she asked the boy.

"A great scholar," Gohan said automatically, causing her to blink in surprise. Bulma glanced between Gohan and Goku, astounded at the difference between them. When Goku was twice Gohan's age, he could barely even count, and she was convinced that, to this day, the man had never cracked open a book. Gohan's look was very serious, however, and almost… excited? Bulma was about to ask what things he liked to study, when she noticed his tail waving behind him. "Hmm… you have a tail…" she said softly, a feeling of dread beginning to wash over her.

Goku glanced at his son's tail. "Yeah, he was born with it. Just like I was," he said, momentarily missing his tail. How many years had it been since it was last removed? He'd gotten used to being without it, but, sometimes, when Gohan wrapped his own tail around Goku's arm, he would remember what it felt like to have that part of him back. But, Kami wouldn't train him with it still attached, so that was that. Kami's training had helped him defeat Piccolo, that had been worth it.

He got a funny feeling in his stomach as his friends started fixating on Gohan's tail. "Goku… nothing… strange has happened, has it?" Bulma asked, standing up, her eyes wide.

Goku blinked. "What do you mean, strange?" he asked, confused.

Master Roshi was looking at him closely. "She means, has Gohan ever looked up at the full moon, at night?" he asked, his voice almost panicked.

There was that feeling again. Goku frowned, thinking about it. "No… we usually go to bed pretty early," he said thoughtfully. Usually Gohan was put to bed at least a full hour before the sun went down. Chi-chi always said, early to bed, early to rise…and something else about Gohan getting smarter because of it. "How come?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, no, no reason!" Master Roshi laughed nervously, causing Goku's skin to crawl.

By this time, Gohan had relaxed as far as the turtle was concerned, and had even started making friends with it. Goku breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't want to spend this whole time with Gohan hiding behind his leg. As if reading his mind, Krillin remarked, "Gohan sure is a lot different than you were, Goku."

Goku's face fell. "I know," he said, getting that feeling in the pit of his stomach again. "Chi-chi's pretty protective of him. She makes him study all the time, and won't let him train at all. She says fighting's just a waste of time," he said sullenly. At first, he and his wife had seemed to have so much in common. Chi-chi even liked to fight, once upon a time. But… when she had Gohan, it was like she became a different person. He wanted to train Gohan, he felt like he needed to, but she became so obsessed, he found himself having to choose between making his thoughts heard, and Gohan having a peaceful home. He usually ended up going off to train when that happened, which made him feel terrible, but at least it kept his wife happy.

He even had to work to convince his wife to let him take Gohan with him on this trip. It was starting to feel like Gohan wasn't his son anymore… he was hers.

When the conversation changed to the dragonball on Gohan's hat, Goku perked up. He explained he'd been looking for the dragonballs for fun over the years, and he'd collected a total of three, with the four-star ball being the one on his son's hat. Bulma remarked about the crazy adventures they'd had as children over those dragon balls, when suddenly…

Goku's face fell, his eyes wide. "Gohan… take that off!" he said quickly, snatching the hat from the boy's head in an instant, as the light began to fade from the four-star ball on his hat. Krillin gasped. Before their eyes, the dragonball turned completely to stone.

"Daddy?" Gohan asked, nervousness taking over once more. Goku cast him a glance, then shared a knowing look with Krillin and Bulma. Gohan swallowed hard, looking at the rock on the hat his father now held in his hands. "What… happened to my dragonball?" he asked softly, worried the whole hat would turn to stone.

"Kami…" Goku said softly. He clenched his jaw. "This means… Kami… and Piccolo… they're dead," he said grimly, causing his son's eyes to widen, then water. He glanced at Bulma. "Hey, can you guys keep an eye on Gohan? I need to check out Kami's Lookout," he said.

"I'll come with you," Krillin said grimly, earning a nod from his friend.

Bulma reached out her hand to Gohan. "Gohan, come here, I'll take you home to your mom, okay?" she said softly.

Gohan sucked on his lower lip, clutching his father's leg tightly. Goku looked down at him, scowling. "Gohan, go with Bulma," he said, trying to keep his temper with his young son.

"Daddy…. I…"

Whatever he had been about to say was interrupted, however, as Goku and Krillin both looked up suddenly. "That power level… it's… it's huge!" Goku breathed, the feeling in his stomach getting stronger. There was something… something savage about it… like…

"I sense it, too…" Master Roshi said, as they all looked up to the sky. In the distance, a dark shape took form, speeding ever closer to them.

"Bulma, get Gohan inside," Goku said, knowing that, whatever was coming, it was not likely to be merciful.

"Daddy!" Gohan protested when Bulma quickly scooped him up. Gohan struggled, and it was everything Bulma could do to hold onto him.

"Shh, Gohan, stay with me, where it's safe…" she said softly as a man with long, spiky hair and strange armor landed on the beach.

Goku couldn't escape this feeling in the pit of his stomach. This was… this was….familiar…

"Kakarot," the man said, and Goku felt like ice water had been dumped on him, with that name. "I told you we'd meet again," the man said, smirking.

Goku blinked. "Do… do I know you?" he asked, confused. He wanted to say the man's name, it felt like it was on the tip of his tongue… yet, at the same time, he knew he'd never met this guy, or experienced a power this intense.

The stranger stepped forward, scowling, causing the others to get in battle stance. "You can't hide from me, Kakarot. I expect you to tell me what you've been doing all this time. You were supposed to wipe every life form off of the face of this planet!"

There it was again. That cold feeling inside. Goku scowled. "Why… why would I ever do that?" he asked, dreading how strange, yet familiar, this all was.

Krillin stepped forward. "Look… you obviously have the wrong guy. This is Goku, not this Kakarot person you keep talking about. And Goku would never hurt anyone!" the short man said, taking another step towards the stranger.

Goku could sense it before it happened. "Krillin… look out!" he exclaimed, but by then, the stranger's tail had come unwrapped around his waist, and struck Krillin in an instant, sending him flying into the side of the house.

Goku stared at it. "A… tail…" he breathed, that feeling of familiarity washing over him again.

"Now do you remember me, Kakarot?" the man asked, smirking. "You can't hide behind these pathetic humans, you're going to have to face me, you know," he said.

Goku frowned. "I… I don't know who you are… but I won't let you hurt anyone else," he said, scowling. It had been him, it had to be… this stranger was the one who killed Kami.

The man blinked, frowning. "Kakarot…. It's me, Raditz. Your older brother," he said, his expression worried.

"Brother!" Master Roshi exclaimed.

"I don't… have a brother… I was found in the woods," Goku said, trying to figure out why this seemed so familiar to him. Could… could what the stranger said be true?

Raditz cried out in frustration. "Stop lying to me, brother! This won't help you! You are the Saiyan warrior Kakarot, son of Bardock, of the planet Vegeta. Admit it!" he said angrily.

Saiyan…. "I don't know what any of that means. My name is Goku, and I'm from Earth!" Goku responded, scowling.

Raditz shook his head. He knew this was his brother… he smelled like his brother, and scent didn't lie. What was the point in continuing to deny it? Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "Wait… tell me, Kakarot… when you were young… did you suffer an injury to your head?" he asked, getting a bad feeling.

Goku frowned, his hand instinctively going towards his oldest scar on his head. "Well… I mean, yeah, but I was too little to remember anything about it," he said, frowning. "Why?"

"You forgot," Raditz grunted. "So… that's why you failed your mission. You forgot you even had one!" he lamented. How was he going to explain this to Prince Vegeta? The prince was unlikely to show his brother mercy… or Raditz, for that matter.

"Goku…" Master Roshi's voice said from behind him. "There's something you should know."

Goku glanced at Master Roshi sideways, refusing to turn his back on this powerful stranger. "Your grandfather told me once that he found a strange metal ball in the woods, in an impossible place, and that inside the metal ball, was a little baby boy with a tail. He told me that, at first, the baby was violent, no matter what Gohan did to try to console him, but that, one day, the boy fell and hit his head. Gohan was sure the boy wouldn't survive, but miraculously, he pulled through. And, after that… the boy was kind and loving, just like a human child," he revealed.

Goku blinked. "That… was me?" he asked. He scowled. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded, turning towards his master.

Raditz's eyes widened just then as he noticed something. "Kakarot… what happened… to your tail?!" he demanded, starting to feel sick.

Goku's hand instinctively went to his tail bone. "It… was cut off…" he said, frowning at that feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"You let them cut off your tail?!" Raditz demanded."Kakarot, do you have any idea what you've done to yourself? What you let them do to you?!" Raditz turned his glare to the people around him. "Have you people had your fun, turning my little brother into your own personal guard dog? Did you think you'd be safe from him if you just crippled him a little, and made him think he was one of you?!" he demanded angrily. He snarled at their silent shocked expressions. "I should kill you right here… but I have a better idea," he said, turning his eyes back to Kakarot.

"Look, Kakarot, I came back to get you, because we need your help. But…" He frowned at the look of anger he was getting from his brother. "This way is pointless. It does no good to tell you the truth, if you won't believe me anyway. I'll just have to get you to remember," he said, his eyes landing on the small boy hiding behind the woman's legs. The boy had a tail. He blinked. "Is that your son?" he asked, looking the timid boy over. He certainly didn't act like a Saiyan. "Raised to think you were human, and now your own son thinks he's one as well," he said with a sigh. Testing the waters, he took a deliberate step towards the boy. Kakarot was directly in front of him in an instant. He smirked. At least his weakling brother was brave, he'd give him that. Raditz drove his knee into his brother's stomach, causing his brother to collapse to the ground. We'll have to work on that speed…. And taking a fucking hit… he mused as he swiftly snatched up his nephew by the back of his clothes.

"Gohan!" Bulma exclaimed. "Give him back!" she demanded.

Raditz narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm not letting you use my brother, or his son, ever again," he said darkly. With his other hand, he grabbed his brother by the hair, and lifted into the air with them. "Enjoy your lives, or what's left of them. By this time tomorrow, you'll all be feeling my brother's wrath… when he remembers who he is, he won't be happy with what you've been doing to him," he said darkly, and flew away.

"Goku!" Master Roshi cried out, but it was too late.

Bulma sank to her knees, just as Krillin began to groan as he regained consciousness. "He… he's an alien… all this time, I… I should have known… should have asked questions…" she sobbed. "He didn't have to find out this way…"

"Would that really have been best?" Master Roshi asked her softly. When she looked up at him, he said, "Goku was happy. Wasn't it better to let him live a happy life, thinking there was nothing wrong with him?"

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Raditz flew around for a while before his scouter picked it up. There…

Swiftly he flew down into the ravine, and landed near a large metal ball, overgrown with vegetation. Smirking, he deposited his brother and his nephew on the ground. Gohan rushed to his father's side. Raditz ignored him. "Here we are, Kakarot. Your home away from home," he said, ripping vines off of the pod. "Tell me… does this look familiar to you?" he asked.

Goku had managed to sit up, shakily, and was staring at it. That feeling was back, that cold feeling inside… "It… it talks…." he said, wondering how he knew that, but it was knowledge he knew more than he knew even his own name.

Raditz smirked. "That's right, brother. It talks. A lot, actually…" he said, pressing a button on the side. Suddenly the metal ball came open, and inside was a chair and a small blanket. Raditz picked up the blanket gingerly. "I remember mother making this for you," he murmured.

Goku swallowed hard. "I… had a mother?" he asked, holding his son close to him as he gazed at the blanket. Raditz responded by handing it to him, and Goku lifted it to his face, breathing it in…

An image of a woman flashed across his mind, a woman who smiled and who always made him hungry…

Goku blinked. "I saw her," he breathed, his face feeling wet for some reason.

Raditz grunted. "Mother always hated these things. She gave you that blanket so you'd remember her. Infant training isn't exactly…pleasant," he said, stepping towards him.

Goku stood, placing Gohan securely behind him. "I won't let you hurt my son," he growled.

Raditz stopped, blinking. "I have no intention of hurting my nephew. Why do you think I took him from those people? You're the one I came for, but I won't leave him to be used as a hostage against you," he said, frowning. "Look, this thing is just gonna jog your memory. I'll keep your son safe, I promise," he said.

Goku frowned. "Why should I trust you? You killed Kami!" he exclaimed.

Raditz blinked. "The… the human with the weapon? Or… do you mean the green guy with the turban? Those are the only people I've killed on this planet. Purging the Earth isn't my job, it's yours," he said, rolling his eyes. With a sigh, he grabbed Goku by the shoulder, and pushed him into the pod. "Computer, activate infant training program. Set alarm for twenty hours," he said, and the door closed before Goku could get back out.

Suddenly the pod began to fill with gas, and Goku slumped against the seat, completely unable to move. He didn't feel sleepy, however. A sound began, and it set Goku's teeth on edge, and he was filled with the overwhelming urge to destroy something. Lights appeared on the ceiling of the pod, and those lights turned into pictures, and he was unable to look away...even when the pictures became those of aliens being ripped apart and blown up. "Destroy all life forms, Kakarot," the voice began.

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Raditz walked with Gohan through the woods. "So, one day here is twenty-four hours?" he asked.

Gohan nodded. "Yup. And one rotation of the Earth around the sun is 365.2425 days. Which is 8765.82 hours," he said, glancing up at his uncle. "Why do you wear that?" he asked.

Raditz blinked down at him, still getting over how intelligent his nephew was. His hand came up to his face. "This scouter, you mean?" he asked. The boy nodded. "It provides data about my surroundings and the power levels of my enemies. It also works as a communication device," he said, shrugging.

Gohan's eyes lit up. "That would be so much easier than reading books all the time," he said in awe.

Considering the boy for a moment, he pressed a button on his scouter. "One. Really? Pathetic," he sighed. "Gohan… hasn't your father taught you how to fight yet?" he asked.

Gohan blinked. "No… Momma doesn't want me to fight. She wants me to grow up to be a great scholar," he said, as if stating a fact.

Raditz groaned. "Stupid humans. Tell me, Gohan… how great of a scholar will you be when you're dead?" he asked, steel in his eyes.

Gohan swallowed hard. "Are… you gonna kill me?" he asked, his voice small.

Raditz's eyes narrowed. "Someone will. If you're weak, it's only a matter of time before you'll be dead. And you, Gohan, are very, very weak," he said in disgust.

Gohan's eyes widened in terror. "Then… how do I… get stronger?" he asked, not wanting to die.

Raditz regarded him for a long moment. "Well… we've got twenty hours to kill. How about this? You help me hunt something for us to eat, and when we're full, I'll train you 'till your father wakes up. Deal?" he asked.

Gohan fidgeted nervously. "Won't… momma get mad?" he asked, not wishing to face her wrath.

Raditz smirked. "We'll let that be your father's problem."

Gohan bit his lower lip. "Okay, deal," he said, looking forward to eating.

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Chi-chi paced back and forth in her kitchen. Goku was late coming home, they were only supposed to be gone for a few hours, and it was almost supper time! She would have some strong words for her husband once he got home. Gohan was missing so much time studying! He still hadn't finished the history book she'd started him on last week.

She would not allow him to be a karate bum like his father!

Chi-chi sighed as she slid into a chair. She used to be so in love with Goku, she couldn't imagine life without him when she was a young girl. She'd even trained herself to fight, just so she could get his attention. But, she was young, and naive, and it took a lot more than fighting skills to take care of a family. Sure, they were safe, but the days of the Red Ribbon Army and King Piccolo were over! There just weren't that many battles to fight, and frankly, they needed money to survive. The tournament winnings Goku brought home last time weren't enough to feed and clothe the lot of them, and her father had nearly gone bankrupt trying to support them all. She would go out and get a job herself, but she had a child to raise, and damn it, she would NOT let him grow up to be a drain on his family like Goku had turned out to be!

Of course, it wasn't that she didn't love her husband. She had made a vow to him, and took that vow very seriously. She was doing her best to make it work, and would continue to do so. She just… wished he'd step up.

Making a decision, Chi-chi scowled and reached for the phone. "Hello, Daddy? I need you to take me somewhere…" she said. Her boys were coming home, if she had to drag them both behind her!

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"Kakarot… destroy all life forms…" the voice droned on in his head.

"NO! My name is Goku, not Kakarot, and I won't-"

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms…"

Goku hated this, more than anything he'd ever experienced. He couldn't move, he couldn't look away, and this sound, it was making him want to rip his way out of this pod and rip straight through whoever came near him. And… that wasn't the worst part….

Earlier, the pod had said something about an injury, and ever since then, what felt like a long needle had lodged itself into his back, just above his tail bone, and the pain from it was excruciating. Every now and then, it would send electric shocks straight into his spine, which caused him to cry out. Even if he could move, he didn't think he'd be able to with that thing in his back.

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms," the voice continued.

"MY NAME ISN'T KAKAROT!" he yelled, but the computer wouldn't listen to him.

The images shifted again. It was that woman, the one that always smelled like something really yummy, and a man who looked a lot like him, only with a scar on his cheek. Then the little boy, with hair just like Raditz's, leaning over him, telling him he'd be back for him, with that smirk. Then his father looks away, concerned, and his mother reaches towards him-

And the images change, and he's seeing aliens ripped apart again. "Kakarot… destroy all life forms…" the voice repeated.

"My name… is…." it took him a second to remember. How long had he been in this thing? "It's Goku, I'm… I'm from Earth… and…"

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"I'm…. I'm…"

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

His friends. His friends would come and get him out of this. They were probably already working on a plan. They'd use the dragonballs -

No. No dragonballs, Kami was dead.

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

Another zap to his back had him crying out. He wanted to make it stop, oh, how he wanted to tear this pod apart….

No. He had to focus. His friends….

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

Tears fell down his face. Why… why hadn't they told him? Warned him? Why did they-

The images shifted again, and there were the giant ape monsters, stomping on buildings with people still inside them, firing great blasts from their mouths. All wearing the same armor as Raditz. All…

With the same tails…

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

The image changed to the full moon, and his teeth were on edge, and… in the back of his mind, a warning… his grandfather's voice…

Never look up at the full moon, Goku. There's a terrible monster who comes out on the full moon, you must never look at it!

A terrible monster….

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

Aliens being ripped apart. Not aliens… people. Giant ape monsters ripping people apart. And the moon was full. And…

"Grandpa…" he whispered, and suddenly, he understood.

He was the monster.

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

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Gohan soon wished he hadn't agreed to this.

Hunting had been hard enough. Uncle Radditz had done the hard part, and had knocked the saber tooth tiger out, but he'd wanted Gohan to make the final kill. His uncle just wouldn't take no for an answer. The boy had to pick up a heavy rock, and drop it on the animal's head.

It was still alive.

After three attempts, the tiger had woken up, and Raditz had refused to help Gohan anymore, stating it had been the boy's fault the tiger had been able to wake up in the first place. Gohan had run in fear for a while, but when the tiger had grabbed ahold of Gohan's leg with his teeth, something changed inside him… and suddenly…

There was only a burned carcass where the tiger had been.

His uncle had been impressed with him after that. They soon hunted down a rather pudgy triceratops, and this time, Gohan didn't hesitate, slamming the rock repeatedly into the creature's head, until its eyes and brains were just a red smear on the ground. Nodding in approval, Raditz had cooked up the triceratops flesh, handing Gohan a few strips of the raw meat before it was finished. Gohan hadn't been sure about eating it, but his uncle claimed it would be good for him, so he did.

He felt… terrific….

Once they were full, his uncle Raditz had told him they could train now. And that's when hell really began, because his uncle didn't go easy on him, not at all. Gohan spent most of the time trying to keep from getting hit over and over. At one point, when he was too weak to stand, Raditz threw him into the water of a nearby stream, and Gohan fought not to drown. The moment he managed to pull himself out of the water, his uncle would kick him into it again. Twice this happened, until, Gohan got tired of it, and….

Suddenly, he was on dry land, holding his head, which was throbbing, and Raditz was ten feet away, gazing down at his cracked armor.

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"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"Not… I'm not…"

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"Not… Kaka...rot…"

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

Pain in his back. He slid his eyes down to a strange fuzzy feeling against his leg. His tail…

His tail had….

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

He had his tail back, and the needle slowly pulled itself out of his spine, and he hissed in pain, but when it was gone…

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

He had his tail back. Oh, how long had it been… why had he let Kami remove it? To beat King Piccolo? To get training?

Kami was dead.

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

Did he kill Kami? No… it wasn't him… no, he killed…

He killed Grandpa Gohan.

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

Strange… somehow, deep down, he always knew it had been his fault. Why else would he have searched for the four star ball all those years? Just to be closer to his Grandpa… or… to apologize?

I'm so sorry, Goku… it was your fault for struggling… please don't die…

Where had that come from?

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

This was what he'd heard as a baby, was it? When he first came here? He could see why he was such a violent kid… right now… whoever opened this pod had better be ready…

'Even my friends?' he asked himself.

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

Has Gohan ever looked up at the full moon at night?

They… they knew…

Did you think you'd be safe from him if you just crippled him a little, and made him think he was one of you?

His… his grandpa… he'd… when they fought, he'd…. Yanked it off, didn't he?

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

And… before that… at Pilaf's castle… the castle was destroyed… his tail was gone… his friends were acting strange… like they didn't know, but… they'd….

And… the tournament? That was him, too, wasn't it? How many times… had they lied to him?

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"They… knew I was a monster. And… they kept…"

Have you people had your fun, turning my little brother into your own personal guard dog?

"...they kept me," he said, swallowing hard. "They… cut off my tail… and kept me… like a pet.."

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"Is it true, Grandpa? Was… was that what I was to you? Some animal you found in the woods, and made into your pet?!" he demanded.

Images of his family again. Same thing, his mother smiling over him, his father glancing at the door, Raditz telling him he'd be back…

"No… you… you weren't my grandpa…" Tears streamed down his face.

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"I… I had this, to remember them by… these images, and… and you came… and… I fell... and…"

Anger welled up inside him.

"DID YOU DO THIS TO ME, GRANDPA?!" he screamed.

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"All the stuff you taught me… was it….was it garbage? Just… to make you safer…around me?" he asked the empty pod, asked his long-dead grandfather.

His friends… he'd thought… but… Bulma had found him, too, didn't she? Just like Grandpa Gohan had? And…

She wanted the dragon balls, so…

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

Everyone had used him, hadn't they? Bulma used him to get the dragon balls. Krillin used him to get training from Master Roshi. And he'd let them, because he didn't know any better. Because he'd hit his head. Because he'd forgotten the things his parents had left him with…

None of this would have happened, if he'd…. If he'd….

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

Kakarot's eyes turned hard. That's… that's what he was supposed to do, wasn't it? What he didn't do? And instead, he'd let the life forms use him, let them lie to him…

The image of his family was back. His father's eyes held his, in those first moments, looking at him with pride, with… intent. He had a job to do.

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"I… I…"

You are the Saiyan warrior Kakarot, son of Bardock, of the planet Vegeta. Admit it!

"I… am… Kakarot…"

"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"The Saiyan warrior… son of… Bardock..."

All those people, the ones he fought, they'd all treated him like some kind of monster, and they.. They had no idea…

"Kakarot...destroy all life forms."

"...they… have no idea… what's coming for them…" he breathed, his teeth clenched, and slowly, his fingers twitched. "I… am….Kakarot…"

This was going to end soon. His brother would come back for him. And when he did…

"Kakarot…"

"Destroy all life forms. Yeah, I know," he growled, watching the images, only this time, it wasn't aliens he saw being ripped apart…

It was humans.

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Gohan slept soundly, curled up in Raditz's lap. Raditz just stared down at him, the fire light casting a red glow on the world around them, making it look like he was seeing through the eyes of his oozaru form. Which, of course, if he wasn't careful, could easily happen tonight… the moon was full, his scouter told him as much, and his tail bristled with the blutz wave energy in the air. Carefully he studied the fire, and his nephew, and made sure the boy stayed asleep. The time would come soon to teach Gohan how to control his oozaru form, but tonight…

There was just too much going on.

The boy had lost a lot of his nervousness today. For a little while, he'd been worried about his mother, but Raditz soon made him realize he was better off worrying about his own hide. He had amazing potential, but almost zero control. He could fix that. With enough time, Gohan could grow to be an amazing warrior.

His thoughts turned to his brother, and he wondered how Kakarot was holding up. Infant training was highly unpleasant, and was done on infants only because they were the only ones small enough and stupid enough to be willing to get into the pod for it. For an adult to go through infant training, it was next to torture. But… Kakarot had been severely injured, and his infant training would be all that remained of his memories of planet Vegeta. He needed to remember who he was, or, even if he did choose to join Raditz, it would always be to fight someone else's war, not his own.

"Hang in there, Kakarot. It will be over soon…" he murmured, allowing his tail to wrap gently around his sleeping nephew. The last time he'd seen his brother, he'd been younger than this. He'd pulled Raditz's hair, and Raditz had knocked him down for it. Kakarot had repaid him by biting his brother's tail. That had been when his mother had broken up the fight, picking Kakarot up, placing him back inside the baby ball, telling Raditz to get ready for his next mission. Raditz had leaned over the ball, promising his brother he'd be back, to pay him back for biting his tail.

Then they'd come for him. His first mission…

The mission he'd been on when his planet… when his parents….

When his life had forever been changed.

Now, all he had left of that life was Kakarot, and he didn't even remember him. His mother had said she planned to slip recordings of them into his training feed. She'd never been a big fan of sending children out to strange planets. Maybe she'd been successful? Maybe Kakarot was seeing recordings of their lives together, even now?

Or, maybe, when he opened that pod in the morning, a monster would come out.

Raditz's tail brushed against Gohan's. "Sleep well, nephew. One way or another, I'll bring your father back to you," he sighed, then leaned against the tree behind him and closed his eyes, trusting his scouter to alert him should anyone come near.

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"Kakarot… destroy all life forms."

"I know."

"Kakarot...destroy all life forms."

"If you let me the hell out, I will!"

"Kakarot… destroy all- Infant training cancelled."

Kakarot's teeth were on edge, and he forced himself to move. He could move his arms, a little, but not enough to reach the button to open the pod door. There was no need to do that, however, as the pod door began to open itself, and Kakarot prepared himself to rip the throat out of the first person he saw.

The air hitting his skin was cool, and he had no idea how much he'd been sweating. Fresh air filled his lungs, and he gasped it in, beginning to feel his limbs come to life. When the bright light faded, his eyes adjusted to see…

"Raditz," he said, between clenched teeth.

Raditz eyed him warily. "What's your name?" he asked cautiously. He really didn't want to have to put his brother through that again, but if he had no other choice…

Kakarot scowled. "I'm the guy who's gonna rip your throat out for leaving me in there," he hissed.

The murder in his brother's eyes assured Raditz that, if it hadn't been for the lingering affect of the paralysis gas, he'd already be dead. He had to work quickly. "Your name," he insisted, stepping forward, prepared to do whatever he had to.

"Kakarot," the man in the pod replied, his fists clenched. "Son of Bardock, of the planet Vegeta," he said, struggling to pull himself out of the pod. It was getting easier to move, second by second.

Raditz sighed in relief, stepping back. "I warned you it would be unpleasant. Sorry to have to do that to you, brother, but I had to give back what the humans took from you," he said, noting with pleasure that the pod had been able to restore Kakarot's tail.

His brother's eyes still spelled murder, and he smirked. "Feeling a powerful urge to rip someone to pieces, I take it," he said, looking him over. "I don't mind if you want to try to kill me, but you're gonna need to work your way up to it," he said, and pressed a button on his scouter. He pointed to their left. "Should be a small village not too far that way. Kakarot, what is your mission?" he asked, hoping his brother's training feed hadn't been completely replaced by family photos.

"Destroy all life forms," Kakarot said automatically, his eyes going the direction Raditz had pointed.

Raditz nodded in approval as Kakarot first stumbled, then started to run, in that general direction. He took to the air, following at a more leisurely pace. He was glad he'd decided to open Kakarot's pod early. Seemed like, any longer, and his brother really would have gone insane.

The devastation that followed once Kakarot reached the village was all the proof Raditz needed that his brother had been recovered. The dirt path that led through the main part of the village was stained red with blood and bits of human, and every house or building was on fire. He landed just as his brother had come out of one such building, dragging half a corpse behind him. "This is too easy," his brother said, his eyes hooded."

"Of course it is. This is a child's mission," Raditz replied, smirking at this version of his brother, covered in blood. "How do you feel?" he asked.

Kakarot leveled his gaze at him. "I still want to rip you to shreds," he said.

Raditz winced. "Hey, I apologized! It's not my fault you fell and hit your damned head," he groused. His scouter beeped at him. "Oh, hey, you missed one," he said, pressing the button on the scouter.

And old woman ran from her hiding place, and soon Kakarot had ripped her in half, blood spraying the wall of the building behind her.

Licking the blood from his lips, Kakarot turned, casting his senses out for any more. Finding none save his brother, he relaxed, walking back towards him. "I'm starving," he said, and suddenly he remembered something, and stopped.

Raditz frowned. "What? What is it?" he asked, using his scouter once more to check for nearby power signatures.

Kakarot frowned. "Chi-chi," he growled, and glanced around at the devastation around him. "She's… gonna be pissed…."

Raditz wasn't dumb. "Your mate?" he asked. At Kakarot's nod, he said, "It would be more merciful to kill her here. You can't take her with you on purges, and Lord Frieza has a way of using your family against you," he said, but soon stopped talking, as a blood-soaked, growling Kakarot was in his face.

"She's mine," he hissed.

So, reason wasn't going to work. Raditz sighed. "Are you sure she's yours, brother? When she sees what you really are, she might not want to be your mate anymore. I… might know a place we can hide her. But I won't put my neck on the line unless you're absolutely sure she's yours, got that?" he insisted.

Kakarot thought about that for a moment, then walked over to a horse trough, using the water from it to wash the blood off himself. His orange gi was a mess, and he removed it, leaving it in a wadded up heap next to the horse trough. More or less clean, and completely naked, he turned to his brother.

Raditz rolled his eyes. "Can't go to her like that," he said. "Follow me. We'll go see if your pod still has your armor in it, and then we can go pick up your son," he said, and took to the air.

Kakarot focused his ki, following his brother, but at a much slower pace. Raditz facepalmed. "You're fucking kidding me with this, Kakarot. Don't tell me that's as fast as you can go!" he exclaimed.

Kakarot scowled. He usually… flew with the flying nimbus… but… he was pretty sure the cloud wouldn't hold his weight anymore. Could you rip apart a whole village, and still say you were pure of heart?

Pushing himself harder, he managed to coax a bit more speed, but he could feel he was losing energy, and quickly. Raditz was soon at his side. "You're doing it wrong, Kakarot," he said, gripping his brother's shoulder. "Look, you have to understand how the air works. Position your body so that it's like an arrow flying through the air, and focus your ki at your feet, not your belly. Only let it out a little bit at a time, use your own momentum to keep yourself going," he coached him.

Kakarot followed along as best he could, and found he was less tired. "Better. We're here," Raditz said, and landed near the pod, Kakarot following soon after. Reaching into the pod, Raditz pressed a button on the inside, and a small drawer opened up. Two sets. Raditz smirked. "Mother packed you extra armor," he said, pulling two metal boxes out of the pod. "I'll set one aside for your son, though I should keep it for myself, after what he did to my armor," he said, causing Kakarot to look at it more closely.

"Whoah… Gohan…. My son did that?" he asked, really hating the name Gohan right now.

Raditz grunted. "I trained him a bit yesterday. He's not bad, once you make him angry enough. Otherwise, he's pathetic," he said with a sigh. He scowled at Kakarot. "Why have you never trained him, Kakarot? Were you hoping the animals would eat him?" he asked, needing to know how attached to get to the boy.

Kakarot scowled. "Of course not. Chi-chi-" he began, then shook his head, trying to clear it. "I was an idiot. I let her do whatever she wanted, 'cause I'd rather Gohan be miserable than for me to fight with my wife. What the hell was I thinking?" he mumbled to himself. He clenched his fists. "And that stupid name…" he growled.

"Put this on," Raditz said, tossing the contents of one of the boxes over to his brother. "It stretches. It will even stretch over you when you turn oozaru," he said. At Kakarot's confused glance, he grunted. "The giant ape creature you turn into at the full moon," he explained.

"Oozaru," Kakarot said to himself as he pulled the armor on. "That's what I was, when I killed him," he mused aloud.

Raditz raised an eyebrow. "Killed who?" he asked curiously.

"That asshole who found me. Who kept me like a damned pet. The one my son's named after," Kakarot growled.

Raditz's jaw clenched. "Good, at least he got what he deserved," he said darkly. "Too bad about your son's name, though. You can change it… might oughta, so you don't get mad one day and end his existence accidentally," he suggested.

Kakarot frowned. "Change it to what?" he asked, blinking.

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It didn't take them long to get to where Gohan was sleeping. Kakarot gently nudged him awake. When Gohan saw him, his eyes widened. "Daddy!" he exclaimed, jumping up into his father's arms and holding him tightly. He blinked. "Ow… my body hurts…" he whimpered in surprise at the soreness that simple action had invoked.

Kakarot grimaced. "Yeah, that's my fault, son. I should have been training you more… your first time doing something new, your muscles will feel sore," he said, and pulled his son away for a moment to look him over. "Your Uncle Raditz told me you were training with him. He said he saw your hidden power," he said with a smirk.

Gohan blinked. "Yeah… but… I can't control it.." he said sadly. He brightened up. "But I did kill a triceratops!" he exclaimed excitedly. "He was yummy!"

Kakarot laughed at that. "I'll bet he was," he said, looking his son over. "Listen… son… there's some things I need to tell you. This… this isn't my planet, and my name isn't Goku. It's Kakarot, and I was sent here to kill everyone on this planet," he said darkly. "I've let them live for far too long, but it's time I finished what I started," he said.

Gohan's eyes went wide. "But… you said… it was wrong to hurt other people…" he said, feeling like his whole world was crumbling around him.

Kakarot scowled. "I said a lot of garbage that I learned from the human who found me… I even let you get named after him," he said, clenching his fists. His eyes were hard as steel as he regarded his son. "But I swear to you, from this day forward… I will never lie to you again, son. And I won't let anyone else keep me from being a good father to you. I will teach you to survive, and when it's all said and done, you'll be stronger than me one day," he said. He glanced over at Raditz for a moment, then back to Gohan. "The… the man who found me… his name… it makes me angry just hearing it," he said, eyes flashing. "But you don't make me angry, son. So I'm gonna give you a better name, okay?" he asked.

Gohan frowned. "A new name?" he asked, fidgeting. "Ok. I don't want you to get mad 'cause of my name, Daddy," he said. "Whatcha gonna call me?" he asked.

Kakarot smirked. "Your Uncle Raditz told me my real grandpa's name was Kohl. He said that Kohl was really strong, and also really smart!"

Gohan grinned. "I wanna be strong and smart, too!" he said. "Kohl, huh? Kohl. I can get used to it," he said.

Kakarot nodded in satisfaction. "Oh, right, almost forgot… why don't you take that stuff off that you're wearing. It's all ripped up anyway," he said, and took the box Raditz handed him. "This armor will help keep you safe, and it's stretchy, so as long as you don't damage it, you won't have to replace it as you grow up," he said, watching as his son excitedly pulled the armor over his head.

"Wow! It's way more comfortable than my suspenders," Gohan said, stretching and jumping up and down. "I feel stronger in this, too!" he exclaimed, causing Raditz to smirk.

Kakarot ruffled the boy's hair. "Okay, then. Let's go home and see if your mother's made any food," he said, standing up.

Gohan bit his lip, looking worried. "Uh… Dad? She's… gonna be mad… that I spent the night in the woods…" he said.

Kakarot glanced his direction. "Leave your mother to me, Kohl," he said, then picked Gohan up, and took to the air.

With a sigh, Raditz hovered near him, holding out his arms. "I'll take him, you can't keep up as it is," he said. Kakarot scowled at that remark, but allowed Raditz to take Gohan, and focused his energy on keeping up with his brother.

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Chi-chi woke up, bleary eyed on Master Roshi's couch. Her father was asleep nearby. How did she get here, she wondered? Suddenly, she remembered, and had to fight to keep herself conscious. Her husband and her son, kidnapped by an alien!

She still couldn't believe the things Bulma was telling her. Her Goku was an alien? Sent here as a baby, to kill everyone on Earth? It just seemed… too unrealistic. Not her Goku… he would never hurt a fly! Well… not unless the fly had entered a tournament against him…

Her gaze landed on Krillin, who was awake, and watching the news, looking as though he'd seen a ghost. "Krillin? What…what's wrong?" she asked, hoping against hope her husband and son weren't found dead somewhere.

Krillin swallowed. "He… he didn't… it must have been that Raditz," he said to himself, watching the gruesome scenes before him. Chi-chi's hand went to her mouth. Those were pieces… of people…

It was the next scene that had her ready to faint again. One of the investigators had found blood in the horse trough, and, wadded up next to it…

"That's Goku's!" Chi-chi exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Is he…my Goku's dead?!" she cried out, waking everyone up.

Krillin was frowning at the television, though. "No… I'm afraid it's much worse than that…" he said grimly, and Bulma and Master Roshi came behind him, watching the images. Oolong had been sitting next to Krillin, unnoticed by Chi-chi until he spoke.

"Huh… it's like he… washed the blood off… and took off his clothes," the pig said, surprised at the punch he got in the back of the head from Bulma. "Hey, what was that for? I didn't kill those people!"

"Goku did…" Chi-chi said, her voice almost a whisper.

"I told Gohan keeping that boy was dangerous…" Master Roshi sighed, shaking his head. "And what did I do? I went and trained him to be even stronger. Shoulda stayed on my damned island."

"If he'd listened to you, I might still have my memories of my family," a voice said darkly from the doorway.

Chi-chi's eyes went wide as she saw him. "Goku!" she exclaimed, recoiling at the dark look he sent her way. On the one hand, she was relieved he wasn't dead, on the other, she wasn't sure this man was really her Goku at all. She swallowed hard. "Where… where's Gohan?" she asked, fearing the worst.

Kakarot scowled at that name, but tried to hold back his anger. "Our son is fine. He's waiting outside with my brother," he said, stepping towards her.

Krillin stood in his way.

"I won't let you hurt her, Goku… like you hurt those people…" Krillin said bravely.

"Krillin… move," Kakarot said dangerously, seconds before he backhanded Krillin straight through a wall. With nothing between him and Chi-chi now, he leaned in close to her. "Are… are you mine, Chi-chi?" he asked.

Chi-chi swallowed hard. "Goku-"

"That's not my name," Kakarot said, his face now inches from hers. "My name is Kakarot."

Chi-chi scowled at him. "Did you kill all those people in that village? The one on the news?" she asked, needing to get the answer from him.

Kakarot's eyes were dark as he nodded.

Her breath quivering, Chi-chi prepared to ask him another question. "Did… did Gohan…"

"Not yet," Kakarot said. "But I'm training him now. And soon… he will, Chi-chi. He's going to help me kill them all," he said, noting the tears that ran down her cheeks. "Now, answer my question, Chi-chi," he asked, their foreheads nearly touching. "Are. You. Mine?"

Chi-chi's eyes never left his. "I hate this person you've become, Goku."

"Kakarot."

"I don't care!" Chi-chi exclaimed angrily, fire in her eyes. "Call yourself whatever you want, you're still the man that I married, and you're still the man that I fell in love with, and you're still the man that I hate right now, and you're still the father of my child! You don't change any of that by changing your name, Goku, or Kakarot, or whatever the hell you're calling yourself now, because all that matters to me is that my husband has gone crazy and now he's on a killing spree!" she shouted, and began to sob angrily.

Kakarot took her anger in stride, and leaned in closer, his mouth almost touching her ear as he whispered to her, "So… you are mine."

Chi-chi didn't speak, she was too busy sobbing, but she nodded sullenly. Kakarot smiled wolfishly, and pulled her to him tightly, whispering into her ear once again. "Go outside to our son," he instructed her, stroking the hair on the back of her neck. She ran out of the house, and Kakarot turned his attention to everyone still inside, wolfish smile still in place.

Chi-chi was holding her son close and sobbing as the noises from inside the house indicated there was a fight going on… no… not a fight.

A massacre.

A large, old turtle was frantically trying to make its way to the beach. Raditz glanced its way, then said, "Kohl?"

Gohan looked up from where he was being held by his mother. "Yes, sir?" he asked.

"Turtle," Raditz said, indicating the turtle's presence with a point of his finger.

Gohan looked at the turtle, and set his face into a grim expression, nodding. "Right," he said, carefully extracting himself from his mother's embrace, and picking up a large rock. Before his mother had time to object, the turtle's head was a blood smear on the beach. "Momma… is turtle good for eating?" he asked, turning his gaze to his ashen-faced mother.

She promptly fainted.

Gohan rushed to her side. "Momma?" he asked. Hadn't she been proud that he found dinner for them?

"Kohl," Raditz said, glancing his way. He pointed to the boat docked nearby. "Is that her vehicle?" he asked.

Gohan blinked, looking it over. "I think that's my grandpa's. He must have brought her here, so…" His eyes went to the house. "Daddy…" he breathed, and was about to rush in, but Raditz stopped him, a strong hand on his shoulder.

"But… my grandpa…"

"He's already dead," Raditz said, his scouter now reading only one life sign in the house.

Tears ran down Gohan's face. "No… Grandpa!" he yelled.

Raditz sighed. His brother really couldn't control himself, could he? "Kohl… there was no way to spare him. We're taking a risk sparing your mother. Your grandfather died fighting for his life… like a warrior. You should be proud of that," he said.

Kakarot stepped out of the house, his expression grim as his eyes met his son's. Gohan scowled at him, tears streaming. "Is it true?!" he demanded. "Did you kill Grandpa?!"

Kakarot met his gaze head-on. "I killed him first. It was quick," he said darkly.

Gohan began to cry once more, and Kakarot's eyes went to his wife. He could still sense life from her… so she must have fainted. Or Raditz knocked her out…

Raditz shrugged when Kakarot turned his gaze to him. "Your son killed a turtle. She fainted," he said.

Grunting, Kakarot turned his attention to Kame House. "Goodbye, everyone," he said softly, then fired an energy blast at it, causing it to catch fire. He turned his eyes to his son. "Wanna say something?" he asked.

Kohl gazed at the fire, tears still streaming down his father's face, and took his hand. "Goodbye, everyone," he sobbed, repeating his father's words. Kakarot scooped him up in one arm, then grabbed the turtle with the other. He cast a glance back at Raditz, who picked up Chi-chi and slung her over his shoulder. With that, the four of them made their way back home.

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That night, they had turtle stew, and Chi-chi had woken up halfway through their meal, but refused to eat any. Once Kakarot had gotten Kohl off to sleep, he gestured for Raditz to take the couch. He then promptly scooped up his wife, and flew out the door with her, careful not to look at the moon, as Raditz had warned him it was still full enough tonight to turn him oozaru.

Once they came to a tree near a still pond, Kakarot landed, holding her closely, breathing her in. She was still, and he could feel the soft falling of tears against the skin of his neck. He thought about trying to console her, but there was no point, really… she had every right to be angry at him. He decided he would just take it.

"Say what you need to say to me, Chi-chi," he said softly, his mouth very near her ear.

Chi-chi responded by hitting him. Then… hitting him harder.

And harder.

In a few seconds, she was screaming wildly, and trying to beat him senseless. Kakarot took every blow, refusing to fight back, even when she managed to cut the skin of his lip with her knuckles. Seeing that she'd actually hurt her husband, Chi-chi sank down to her knees, crying again. "Why, Goku? Why… my father… WHY?!" she screamed, hot tears burning her cheeks as she sobbed.

Kakarot knelt before her. "Because it's why I'm here, Chi-chi," he said softly, his eyes narrowed. At her scathing look, he shrugged. "I'm done with lies, Chi-chi. I'm going to kill everyone on this planet. That included your father. Whether I killed him today, or saved him for last, the result was the same. I chose to kill him quickly, because he happened to be there, and he didn't deserve to run around like a panicked animal. He fought me before he died. That was the best way to do it," he said.

Chi-chi slapped him hard. "HE WAS MY FATHER!" she screamed at him.

Kakarot nodded. "And now he's dead. Because I came," he said darkly. He held her gaze. "Before, you told me I'll always be the man you married, even if you hate me. Is… is that still true?" he asked her, his eyes searching for any sign of deceit.

Chi-chi glared at him. "I'm married to a monster," she seethed. "But I won't forget my vow. You might change who you are, but I'll always be who I am… who my father raised me to be," she said, her jaw clenched. "We're married, for better or worse. This might be the 'worse' part, but it's still a part of it. If you want me to stop being your wife, you'll have to kill me," she said, hatred in her eyes.

Kakarot smirked, then, pulling her close, promptly bit her where her shoulder met her neck, causing her to cry out in pain. Knowing it would leave a mark, he gently sucked on it, cooling it with his saliva. He could feel her struggling against him, but he took his time, gently brushing his lips against it before he pulled away. There was fire in her eyes, but he could smell her, and knew hatred wasn't all she was feeling. "Take off your clothes," he told her, breathing in her scent.

The glare Chi-chi sent him could peel paint. "Like hell I will," she spat.

Kakarot shrugged. "If I do it, they might get ripped."

Chi-chi narrowed her eyes. "You haven't wanted to so much as touch me since Gohan was born, and now, now you think this is a good time to be intimate?!" she hissed at him.

Kakarot blinked at her. "Five," he said, causing her eyes to widen. It was something she always did with Gohan when he wasn't listening to her.

"Goku, why are you doing this?" she demanded, her cheeks beginning to flush with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"Four," Kakarot said, causing her to slowly reach her hand for the clasp to undo her dress. "Because you seem to have trouble remembering my name," he growled in answer to her question. He leaned forward, causing her fingers to work more quickly. "I'm going to teach it to you," he said, holding himself back with everything he had. "Three."

Chi-chi scowled as she worked the dress off, covered now only by her underdress, and the underthings beneath that. "Just because we're married doesn't give you the right to do this to me," she hissed, keeping her voice low so Gohan wouldn't hear them. They weren't exactly near the house, but she also didn't want to attract the attention of anyone else, either.

Kakarot's fingers drummed impatiently on the ground as he watched her. "Two," he said, tilting his head to the side. "You said you were mine, right?" he asked, looking at her in a way she'd never seen him do before. She bit her lip as she pulled off her underdress.

Chi-chi blushed, hoping despite herself that her stretchmarks didn't show in the moonlight. Kakarot, for his part, didn't seem to notice. "Well?" Kakarot asked, impossibly close to her again, and she could feel the cold air against parts of her skin that were rarely unclothed, even when she went to sleep.

Chi-chi swallowed, then nodded, unable to make herself talk at that moment. Kakarot growled low in his throat, his eyes wolfish as he took her in. "One," he said.

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The next morning, Raditz awoke to the smell of food, and looked up to see Kakarot's wife cooking breakfast, her face looking somewhat flushed. Raditz knew that look, his mother had had it every morning after his father came home. Rolling his eyes, he stood and stretched, putting his scouter on his face. As he walked out the door, he heard her say, "Be back in thirty minutes, breakfast is almost ready."

Raditz blinked, then turned back to her, meeting her scowl head on. He frowned. "You… want me to… eat with you?" he asked, confused as to why she would show him any kindness at all, hers and Kakarot's activities last night notwithstanding.

Chi-chi narrowed her eyes. "Are you a member of this family?" she demanded, wooden spoon in her hand as she crossed her arms.

Raditz blinked. "I'm… Kakarot's brother…" he said, still not understanding.

Chi-chi rolled her eyes, and turned back to her cooking. "Then that means you're a member of this family. And my family gets fed three times a day, at the same time, every day. Provided they wash up first," she said, casting a narrowed-eyed glance at Raditz. "So be back here in thirty minutes, with clean hands and face, so I can feed you. That's final," she said, and then proceeded to ignore his wide eyed gaze.

"She's not kidding," Kakarot said, yawning as he walked past her towards his brother, his hand lightly trailing a line across her waist as he passed. Chi-chi blushed, but made no move to stop him or return the gesture. Kakarot followed Raditz through the doorway. "She won't let you take a single bite if your hands are dirty, and believe me, her cooking is worth it," he said, stretching.

"Gohan!" Chi-chi called, causing Kakarot to grimace. Narrowing his eyes, he set off to do his stretches elsewhere. Shrugging, Raditz flew off to where he had last left his pod. He didn't want any humans messing with it while he was away.

Seeing that it was safe, Raditz tapped a destination into the inside panel, then closed it up. On its own, the pod lifted into the air, then sped off to go join Kakarot's pod in the ravine.

Smirking, Raditz glanced at his scouter reading, then mentally cursed himself, zipping off to a nearby stream to wash up, before making it back to Kakarot's house.

"You're three minutes late, Raditz," Chi-chi said imperiously. Kakarot and Kohl were sitting there, eating, and Raditz quickly sat down near Kakarot, not believing his nose. Quickly placing some of the food in his mouth, his eyes watered, and he began eating ravenously, as Kakarot was doing.

Kohl was eating almost as quickly as they were, and Chi-chi scowled at him. "Gohan, mind your manners," she chided.

Kohl swallowed his food before speaking. "Mom… I told you, call me Kohl now, please," he said, beginning to eat more slowly, but still taking in large amounts of food.

Chi-chi blinked, frowning, then noticed the dark look Kakarot was sending her way. She didn't flinch, looking directly at Kakarot when she said, "I've been calling you Gohan for four years. I don't see why I should stop now."

Kohl stood up, causing Chi-chi's attention to break from Kakarot to regard him. "Momma… if you two wanna fight, that's your business. But I told you not to call me that anymore, and I won't answer to it, and I don't care how much trouble I get in because of it," he said, clenching his fists, his eyes beginning to water.

Chi-chi frowned, and gazed at her son with new eyes. "Oh… sweetie… does… does your name really mean that much to you?" she asked him softly.

Kohl swallowed hard. "I don't wanna be weak anymore, Momma. Daddy said that Grandpa Kohl was smart and strong. And that's how I wanna grow up… smart and strong," he said, his lip quivering. "So… can you please stop fighting about it?" he asked softly.

Chi-chi caressed his cheek. "Okay… Kohl… I might slip up a few times, but I promise, I'll try my best, okay?" she said.

Kohl nodded, and sat back down at the table, wiping his eyes as he went back to eating.

Kakarot didn't look at her, but Chi-chi quickly blushed as she felt his tail brush against her lower leg. Not looking at him, but trying to hide a small smile, she continued to eat her own food, at a much slower pace than the Saiyans at the table.

When all the food was gone, the Saiyans stood up, stretching, and complimenting her cooking. Even Raditz remarked about it, claiming that Kakarot was lucky, and didn't deserve her, which earned him a mischievous grin from his brother. Kohl pulled on his father's armor. "Dad… can I train with you and Uncle Raditz?" he asked.

A dangerous look passed before Kakarot's eyes, as he glanced at his brother. Raditz regarded Kohl. "I'll be taking over your training in the mornings, cub. Your father has work you're not ready for, yet," he said, casting a glance over to Chi-chi. "And you're gonna need something new to study," he added, catching his sister-in-law's interest.

"What new things?" Chi-chi asked, stepping forward.

Raditz grunted. "Our pods are also used to educate young Saiyans," he said, earning a growl from Kakarot. He put up his hands. "It's not the infant training program, he doesn't need that, and I don't know if it would work on a hybrid, anyway," he said, causing his brother to calm down. He looked back at Chi-chi. "It's boring as hell, but it teaches about the history of the Cold Empire, teaches basic math and science, the languages of different races, all the things he'll need to know when we leave this place," he said.

Chi-chi thought about it for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well. Go- I mean, Kohl, you'll study in the pod. And, you can train with your uncle, as long as he promises to bring you back to me in one piece," she said, narrowing her eyes at Raditz, eliciting a nod from him. "However… Kakarot… I'm going to need you to run to the grocery store for me. I'm almost out of rice and vegetables, and if I'm going to be cooking for you AND our son, AND your brother, I'm going to need plenty of it," she said, leveling her gaze at him.

Kakarot stepped closer to her. "What else?" he asked.

Chi-chi blinked. "What do you mean what else? Rice and vegetables are all we have a budget for," she said, pulling out the last of the zenni from her purse.

Kakarot pushed it back into her purse, and gently placed her purse on the table. He then turned to her, the look in his eyes dark. "Rice. Vegetables. What else?" he asked.

Suddenly she realized she was having him get these things… most likely after he killed everyone in the city he was getting them from. She swallowed, struggling to keep the tears out of her eyes. "We're out of dish soap," she said, her voice weak.

Kakarot nodded, breathing her in, before pulling away from her. Then he walked out the door, and flew off.

Kohl smiled up at her. "Momma, I'll bring you some meat for tonight's dinner, if you want. Uncle Raditz has been teaching me to hunt," he said helpfully.

Chi-chi managed a smile for her young son. "Thank you, G-Kohl, I would appreciate if you could bring me a big fish or two. If you bring them to me by lunch time, I can have them ready by dinner," she said, cupping his cheek.

Kohl's smile brightened. "Okay, Momma!" he said excitedly. Raditz grunted, and the two of them left, leaving Chi-chi all alone.

Scowling to herself, she slapped her cheeks to keep herself from crying. "Come on, Chi-chi. Just take it one day at a time. Feed your family, take care of your son. That's all anyone's asking you to do," she scolded herself, and set to work washing dishes.

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West City took a lot longer to purge than that village had. By the time he was done, the sun was almost straight above him in the sky. Once he'd killed everyone he could find, he wandered into a grocery store, and took a large barrel of rice, five bags stuffed full of whatever vegetables he could make fit, and, after a moment of trying to remember, grabbed a bottle of dish soap from the shelf. On the way out he caught sight of a middle-aged man hiding behind the register. His hands full, he approached the man, then allowed his tail to unwrap from around his waist. A few minutes later, the man had been strangled to death, and Kakarot stepped over him to make his way home.

Hiding beneath a car, a little girl watched him fly away, and scowled. One day, she would stop that monster…

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Just outside South City, Tien, Chioutzu, Launch, and Yamcha watched the news feed from the massacre of West City. They'd gotten Goku snapping the reporter's neck, leaving the camera to fall to the ground, televising a street filled with dead bodies. Tien cast Yamcha a dark look, and Yamcha nodded. "Yeah… there's no denying it anymore. That's Goku," he said, swallowing hard. He looked away. "When… when I saw what happened to the others… to Kame house… I thought it couldn't be him… I mean… even the Ox King was…"

Tien's jaw was clenched. "We have to stop him, Yamcha. We can't watch this anymore. It's time for us to go on the offensive," he growled.

Yamcha scowled as he met his friend's gaze. "Yeah… I get that. But we need a plan… nothing is helped if we just go and get ourselves killed. It's just too bad Kami's gone… if there was ever a time for us to use the dragon balls, it's now," he said, frowning.

Launch smirked at that. "Well, then, it's a good thing you guys know me," she said darkly. "I've got a plan, but you goody-two-shoes ain't gonna like it," she warned.

Tien leveled a gaze at her. "All of our friends are dead, and the rest of the world will be next. It's time to start fighting dirty," he said, earning a nod from his girlfriend.

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Kohl brought his mother's fish to her by noon, sporting a black eye and a cut on his forehead. Chi-chi jumped down Raditz's throat, but Kohl insisted he was fine, and that next time, it would be his uncle who came back bruised, catching his mother off-guard. Just about then, Kakarot showed up, armor spattered with blood, with an impossible amount of rice and vegetables. Once he placed the food in the kitchen, he stepped close to her, his eyes hooded, and handed her the dish soap. He then walked to the water pump on the side of the house to wash up.

Swallowing hard, Chi-chi put the dish soap in the kitchen by the sink, and started putting the groceries away. At her direction, Kohl built a fire in the pit outside, and placed both fish on spits above the flames. By the time her husband and Raditz returned from washing up, she had the table covered in plates of food, which was quickly consumed. Then, Kohl ran off towards the ravine his uncle had taken him to, to study in the pod, and Kakarot and Raditz flew off to train.

Dinner was ready at the same time it always was, and Chi-chi gazed at the three Saiyan warriors around her table, her husband, her son, and her brother-in-law. Her son seemed to be coming into his own, and was animatedly telling her about all the things he learned. Her husband was sending her lusty glances as she listened appreciatively. And Raditz was too busy inhaling his food to say anything, really, though sometimes he would provide clarification to something Kohl didn't understand that the pod had told him.

Deep inside, Chi-chi knew she was married to the monster that was destroying the Earth. But… even so…

She was content with what she had.

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That night, Kakarot had stolen Chi-chi away again, and Raditz mentally thanked his brother for not doing that inside the house, where everyone could hear them. He was drifting off to sleep, when his scouter beeped, alerting him to a problem.

A high power level was headed straight for them.

Coming out of the house, Raditz intercepted the missile just before it hit, glaring as he threw it back in the direction from which it came. Just as he did, however, an explosion rocked the house behind him, sending the walls crashing down in a large ball of flame, and Raditz's eyes went wide. "KOHL!" he shouted, and only the readings on his scouter kept him from rushing into the flames. Assured that his nephew was fine, but pissed, he used his scouter to locate their attackers.

There.

A young boy in armor and and aura of rage all around him stepped through the flames, eyes landing on his uncle. Raditz pointed in the direction the first missile had come from, and suddenly, Kohl was gone, and he heard a woman's scream.

There were three more…

Chi-chi and Kakarot were at his side a few seconds later, and Raditz's eyes met Kakarot's. Smirking, Kakarot stepped forward, towards where Raditz showed the two strongest power levels. "Tien! Yamcha! I take it you guys wanna talk to me about something," he said, his sharp gaze not missing his son trembling over someone's corpse off to the right. From the blonde hair and the fact that everything was on fire, he assumed it was Launch. "Tien, I think my son might have killed your girlfriend," he said, feeling an overwhelming amount of pride for the boy. "Maybe don't go blowing up people's houses in the middle of the night," he called out.

Tien and Yamcha appeared before him then, their expressions grim and full of hatred. "That was supposed to be you in that house, Goku," Tien said, stepping towards him. "We had no idea you even had a kid, or we wouldn't have attacked you this way," he said darkly.

Kakarot snarled. "Liar. You attacked me like this hoping to get an advantage. And it worked," he said, speeding forward and planting his fist straight through Tien's abdomen. "You lived a whole ten extra seconds because of it," he hissed, and pulled his fist out, allowing the three-eyed warrior to fall to the ground.

Yamcha's eyes were wide, and he was backing away as Kakarot stepped towards him. "Goku… please… what happened to you?" he asked. "Why… why would you kill all your friends?!" he demanded.

Kakarot narrowed his eyes. "When I was a kid, Yamcha… I remember going up against Pilaf with you guys. I don't remember much after he locked us in that box… but I know that, when I woke up, my tail was gone," he said, causing Yamcha to go pale. "Did you really not see this coming?" he asked. "The day I remembered what you humans did to me?!" he demanded, his hand now around Yamcha's throat. Yamcha tried to fight him off, but to no avail. Kakarot squeezed harder, lifting the man higher. "Maybe it's time… for my wolf-fang fist?" he said, and suddenly, Yamcha's neck snapped as Kakarot closed his fist completely around his throat. He licked the man's blood off his fingers experimentally as he turned to see what Raditz was up to.

Strangely, it seemed as though Raditz was just standing still, facing away from all of them. Kakarot could sense someone in the darkness nearby… and for Raditz to be standing like that and not moving…

"K-kakarot!" Raditz fought to say. Kakarot instantly moved to his brother's side, trying to see what was holding him. "C-can't… move…"

Suddenly, there was a woman's scream, and the sound of something metal hitting something else, and suddenly, Raditz moved, scowling as he came near to where the sounds had come from. Kakarot and Raditz both stared wide-eyed as Chi-chi stood over the small white man-child, breathing through clenched teeth, frying pan in hand. Raditz pressed a button on his scouter. "He's still alive," he said, crossing his arms. "Leave him that way, and he might try again."

Chi-chi snarled. "This is for my home!" she shouted, and slammed the frying pan down on Chiaotzu's head, over and over, until Raditz grunted.

"He's dead now," he said, but Kakarot was walking towards her purposefully.

Raditz left to go find Kohl as his brother kissed his mate like they were newlyweds.

Kohl, for his part, had left Launch's side, and was trying to put out the fire that was claiming their home. Between him and Raditz, they soon had the fire put out.

A/N: Okay, guys, I've been writing this for a while, when I have another chunk, I'll post it. Lemme know if you guys like it, hate it, w/e. Mostly just writing it to get it out of my head...