Chapter Text
The mission was always going to fail.
He knew that it was supposed to fail from the start. Nappa sabotaged his space pod; it was supposed to detonate during hyper-sleep. For reasons he wasn't sure, he repaired it before Nappa's plan could take place. Maybe it was the last sliver of hope left in him, untouched by Freeza's icy grasp.
Either way, it didn't matter.
They doubted that Kakarot was still alive; Freeza didn't like unfinished business. Even so, the possibility was enough to make Vegeta send him out. The fact it was alone alerted him to the obviousness of the situation.
They deemed him useless from the moment Planet Vegeta perished. He was the weak one, the disappointment. His only use was to either entertain Nappa or be a punching bag for Vegeta - they didn't care. He could die, and they'd never noticed.
Nappa's attempt on his ship only assured that they couldn't be bothered anymore.
Even so, he went to Earth anyway. The planet was untouched, one of the few to avoid spatial conflict. Kakarot failed in his mission, only proving Nappa's dismissal of potential help.
They needed it, but nobody would ever give it.
Kakarot was alive; he even had a half-breed. Maybe that was when he decided that he'd had enough.
Maybe he gave up long ago but only realised it with his supposed nephew.
It's crushing meaningless, the acceptance that your existence doesn't matter - If he never existed, what would change? Nothing would've changed; his existence meant nothing. All he was, was the one who took most of the crap instead of Vegeta. He was the scapegoat, the punching bag.
Without him, there'll be a replacement who serves the same lack of purpose. What purpose is there in hopping from planet to planet? There's no sense of home, no feeling of belonging. The only ones who understand your loneliness wished you died with the rest of their race.
Earth was a pretty planet; it wouldn't be a terrible place to die. It'll be astounding if the others have noticed. Nappa will get a new toy, Vegeta will get a new punching bag. He was expendable.
It took them ten fucking years to remember his name. Why would they give a damn if he died?
He had a slight rush, fighting his brother and the green guy. Maybe it was letting Kakarot know what was to come in the future? Even though they didn't give a shit, Nappa would probably want to keep his tail; he always had a weird obsession with it.
Finally, Kakarot and Greenie were about to deal with the killing blow. He didn't expect Kakarot to die in the process; that was stupid.
It hurt like hell.
Raditz felt as it drilled through his skin, his sternum. His armour melted into his muscles and lunches, his heart shredded to pieces. It burned through his back, eviscerating his spine. He felt it go into Kakarot, felt his destroyed flesh mix with his. The knowledge that death was finally coming was a calming sensation.
As much as it hurt, it was freedom - Finally, he's free from all of it.
Free from Freeza, from Nappa, from Vegeta, from not worth the air he stole. His death wouldn't even leave a vacancy; it would matter as little as his life.
Unfortunately, the spite of the universe isn't through with him. He hasn't suffered enough to earn death.
Raditz was expecting nothingness, but he could hear beeping. That's not an indication of death, which is strange. Even with Saiyan healing, his body is fucked. There isn't anything that can save him from something like that. It isn't like he wanted to survive, either.
If he wanted to live, he would've flown out of the way.
The fact that the feeling begins to grow throughout his body is distressing. Was it a hopeful dream? Was it another failed try at escaping? Freeza didn't like it when they tried to escape.
Maybe Nappa beat him up too bad again, leaving him in a healing tank. That's unfortunate; it's a waste of valuable recourses.
While Raditz's body is present, he isn't able to move. His senses are starting to return, sound entering his ears. That's proof that he isn't in a tank - those got designed to deprive your senses. It's a punishment while healing for being a failure.
Everything slams into him like a train. There's so much noise, screaming and screeching against his eardrums. Alien smells burn his nostrils, the scent of smog stinging his lungs like bugs. That beeping is panicking as well, adding to the cacophony of noise.
There's too much noise - He must've died; this must be the underworld.
Have his eyes opened? He isn't sure. Something is burning them; is it light? All he can make out are blurred splotches. The noise is hammering in his head, as are the strange smells. His body is reacting; it's in fight mode. Regardless of what he wants, his Saiyan instincts yearn for survival.
Every cell in his body demands victory, regardless of his choice.
There's the demand to breathe, but he can't. His body is fighting to take a breath, to survive. It feels like something's choking him; it reminds him of Nappa when he's in a mood. That asshole always liked to try and make Raditz's face turn different colours between blue, purple and red.
Given that experience, it only made his body fight harder. Something's keeping his arms and legs bound, furthering the distress.
It's a strange feeling, having no control over what your body is doing. You've taken a backseat, only able to observe the chaos. In this instance, Raditz can't even see what's happening.
His instincts are screeching "danger".
Through the shrieking of noise, he manages to decipher a voice.
"-the fuck out!" someone yells, possibly male.
They're panicking; are they at a base? Is it under attack?
It feels like there are thousands of bugs crawling on his skin. There's a sharp bite in his arm, forcing it to swing somewhere. There was a breaking sound; was that his bone or the restraint?
From the sting was flooding of coldness.
He could feel it in his veins, washing throughout his body. That cold sensation went from his arm to even his teeth, numbing his body. Once again, it was unable to move. That horrid beeping is only freaking out more, though.
The noise keeps getting worse; how can something be so loud?
Though his body is cold and numb, something changes. Something is over his head; the noise is almost gone. That scorching light is gone, too. While he can hear that beeping, it isn't as panicked as before, though it's still annoying.
Oh, he's breathing now. He can't do it manually, however.
"How'd you do that?" came the muffled sound of a female. Why was that voice familiar?
The face of a pale woman with blue hair flashed in his exhausted mind.
"Easily," came an older voice, likely masculine. "It looked like a sensory overload." Sensory overload is an understatement. "You'll be alright, chap - I'll give you something to sleep this off."
He sounds strange. Nobody's spoken in such a way; it's unnerving.
He could feel a hand pat his shoulder gently. The care was frightening; he didn't understand what it meant. There was a pressure, barely a sting and his mind started wandering. His distress started fading.
It isn't like the doctor's concoctions; it's relaxing. As the mysterious voice said, it was to help him sleep.
He's never heard of such a concept. There's something to assist in sleeping?
"You should be more careful!" squeaked another familiar voice, though more masculine.
He can't remember a face; everything's drifting away. Why does someone need to be careful? Has something happened?
No being in the Freeza force would speak like that.
If he's not dead, where is he?
"He's my patient; I'll do what I bloody well like," the kind voice argued.
Was that a defence? Was something defending him? Why would someone waste their efforts?
He can't think any longer; there's only the pull back into a silent, dark sleep.
Right, that's where that face is from - she was one of Kakarot's companions. The other voice, he was the one that he slapped into the pink building.
It's clear that death, the escape, did not come. He's alive, though in a place he doesn't know. For whatever reason, Kakarot's companions saved his life. There's no benefit to doing this since they stand no chance against him. He could crush them with ease.
Why would they save him? Why waste their time?
There's no point.
Unexpectedly, his eyes shot open. Unlike last time, there isn't a scorching light. His eyes adapt to the dark, instinctively absorbing details. It's what he got trained to do, regardless of choice. There's never a choice when in Freeza's servitude. You follow orders, or you die, and even then, you'll still die.
Why did he fix that stupid pod? It would've been better to let it go off when in hyper-sleep.
He's in a dark room, the only light coming from machines beside him. So, that's what the beeping was; it's a heart monitor. He doesn't have a heart, though; it got vaporised.
Unlike last time, he has more motion in his body. He tried sitting up but found something over his chest. It seems to be a restraint, though there's a screen attached to it for some reason. It's detailing something, his vitals?
There's a tube in his throat attached to a respiratory device. There's a mask on his face, providing oxygen and obscuring his sense of smell. Why would he need both if he's got a tube in his throat?
Someone's gone through a lot of effort over nothing.
He can tell that there's a level of soundproof in this room. There doesn't seem to be a reason for it.
Though muffled, he can hear someone approaching. He's instinctively nervous about footsteps, having learned the owner of each overtime.
Dedoria is fat, so he's got heavy steps, while Zarbon practically skips. Freeza seldom walks, but his freaky feet sound like slapping. Vegeta's got shorter legs, so the steps are frequent, while Nappa takes strides. The Ginyu Force galavanted wherever they went.
Out of those idiots, Jeice was alright. He followed orders, but he's the least psycho. That's not a high bar, given Ginyu and Racoom. Those two are the definition of insane, next to Freeza himself.
Cooler's minions are cool' they're even friendly. Cooler only hangs around if it pisses off Freeza.
King Kold is somehow more of a creepy ass than Freeza. It's crazy how Cooler is the decent one out of the three.
It would've been nice to never worry about them again, but alas, the universe hates him.
The title of the punching bag for galaxy and universe - what an "honour"?
"I'm just saying that somebody should guard it."
That sounds about right.
"Do not refer to my patient as an "it". He has a name."
The idea of someone defending him is weird - even he doesn't care about himself. He's used to hatred; he knows how to process that. What's the opposite of that? He was under the impression that it was either hatred, fear or tolerance. You don't help someone that you fear, hate or tolerate.
He could hear the possible medic pressing buttons. Is the room sectioned off? It's a wise choice since he'd kill anyone who got too close. Even people weaker than him are dangerous to a degree.
A door opened, letting in a sudden burst of light.
It didn't burn as bad as before, only catching his senses off guard.
He locked eyes with an older man with glasses and a mammal on his back. He had lavender coloured hair and a silly bushy moustache. It looked like something that Nappa used to have.
Raditz recognises glee on one's face, but something's wrong. There's no maliciousness, so what does it mean?
"Ah, good afternoon," the human said, his voice chipper and bright. It was weird.
Raditz wanted to say something, but he had a tube in his throat.
He'd pull it out, but something is keeping his limbs down.
"Oh, terribly sorry about that - I was worried that you might hurt yourself again."
He panicked the first time he became somewhat conscious. Was it the first time? Probably not; it was the one that he could remember. He recalled something breaking; he thought it might've been his arm.
The fact he was concerned about it was confusing. Why should he care if Raditz had a broken arm? If anything, it'd benefit him. You can't punch as good with a broken arm.
What is with this humanoid?
"How are we supposed to find out about the other two if he can't talk?" Kakarot's female friend grumbled.
Ah, so that's why they saved him. Raditz rolled his eyes; he would've sighed if he could.
From the sounds of it, the others are on their way - everyone's going to die. They saved him for nothing, which he already knew. They may as well make peace with whatever god or gods they've got.
There's no escaping those two.
They'll be after those dragon ball things.
"Don't roll your eyes at me!" she shouted, scraping against his eyes. Raditz scowled, finding no restraint on his tail.
He flicked the limb towards her, sending a tiny blast of ki through one of her earrings. He smirked at the colour draining from her face.
"Now, let's not fight," the doctor sighed, shaking his head. "I'm going to perform a brief examination, alright?"
The doctor released the restraints, having no fear of him. It isn't confidence or arrogance; this is something else. The stranger has picked up on his confusion but hasn't voiced it.
That woman's already revealed her motive. What is his?
He pressed some buttons on the thing over his chest. It broke apart, sinking into the side of the gurney contraption.
The Saiyan managed to sit up, cracking a soreness from his neck. The human dwarfed Raditz, though that didn't appear to concern him. He watched cautiously as the short elder examined the machinery. He turned his gaze to Raditz's body, uncomfortably asking permission.
What purpose is there to that?
He scowled at the woman, warning her to keep a distance.
"I'm afraid that I don't know a lot about biology. I've had to use Goku as a reference."
That's Kakarot's earth name, an odd-sounding one at that. His behaviour is so bizarre; it's like his instincts died. He had to have suffered immense brain damage.
"This is nice and all, but we need to know about the other Saiyans."
How can he express that they're screwed?
He pointed at the woman. He motioned the act of snapping something in half. For good measure, he slid his finger across his neck, under the tube.
"You're saying that we're dead?"
He nodded, providing a thumbs up to her.
"Great - Not only are we where we started, but we have one of their buddies in our house!"
Raditz shook his head.
He repeated his earlier miming, though added himself.
"Wait, they're going to kill you too?"
He nodded.
He tried to mime the fact they attempted to blow up his pod. The elder appeared to be following, but the woman didn't.
"He's saying that they sabotaged his pod," the man translated, sounding disappointed. What the hell is with this guy?
"Assholes!"
Pretty much.
"We wasted two weeks on this - The other two will be here in, like, fifty!"
He's not happy about this either, blue head.
"My name is Doctor Briefs, and this is my daughter, Bulma - Your name is Raditz, correct?" He nodded, tapping his throat tube. "We'll figure something out. I imagine you'd like to come and go?"
"Dad, you can't seriously want to let him wander around the place! He'll kill somebody!"
Probably.
"He is my patient, dear. Besides, since his people don't care, I might as well."
Caring is such an odd and alien concept.
"This isn't a stray cat; it's a homicidal alien!"
What's a cat?
"I'm not arguing, sweetie. He is a guest in our home."
What the hell is a guest?
There's going to be a lot of this, isn't there?
Irritatingly, his lungs still need support. The Doc's an inventor, making a special mask for him. He has to wear it, or he won't be able to breathe; Doc said it's only necessary for a month or so.
Other than that, he effectively has free reign of the place. He can go anywhere he wants, which is suspicious. What's this old guy's angle?
Nobody does anything for free.
Since he can't put anything in his mouth, he needs a tube in his gut to provide food. That's irritating, but he's used to going for long periods without eating. Freeza provided the bare minimum to keep them alive, after all.
He's able to speak, though he chooses not to. He hasn't got anything to say.
He does want to know what Doc's up to, though. Why does he care?
It's only been two days, but that Bulma woman is wigging out. She's terrified of him, which is certainly odd. The only people scared of him are the ones he got ordered to eradicate. Freeza erases planets and sells them to the highest bidder.
Earth would pay immensely; it's a Class S planet.
There isn't anything keeping him here. He could fly off, find somewhere to finish the job. It isn't like there's a chance that he's going to survive those two.
The planet's gravity is weak - Planet Vegeta had ten times this.
He's been to a planet or two with three times this one.
He felt a pawing at his foot. The Saiyan looked down, finding that odd mammal creature. It's reminiscent of Beerus, though with longer fur.
Raditz only met the deity once and by accident.
He didn't get told that Beerus was visiting Freeza or even who Beerus was. Raditz bumped into him before going on a mission where he asked some odd questions. Raditz assumed that he was a buyer, so he answered his questions. The most important to the being was his desire for good food.
Raditz told him to search elsewhere. The most he'd get is a thick paste that likely came from either end of some animal. The odd person thanked him, patted his shoulder and floated away. He had a funny blue guy with him, too, who he later learned was called Whis.
After that, Raditz inquired Vegeta about the new buyer. When the Prince looked confused, he explained meeting the purple guy and his blue assistant. That's how Raditz learned who Beerus and Whis were.
Vegeta stared at him, punched him in the dick and hit his head against the wall in frustration.
The literal God of Destruction was more pleasant to deal with than Vegeta in a good mood.
Maybe this thing is related to Beerus' species?
"Ah, there you are," the Doc smiled, having been looking for his pet. "Scratch likes you."
So, that is their name - Scratch.
Scratch mewed, rubbing their paws on his ankle. The Doc picked them up, calling it a girl. She stared at Raditz with big gold eyes, making a purring sound. His instincts instructed that he purr in response, communicating with the animal. It is content, seemingly.
It's not something he should've done.
Damn his instincts.
"Fascinating," the Doc said, pleased about something. "You have a way with cats."
"Something like that."
Beerus and Scratch are the only ones he's met. One's a god; one's a pet.
"I understand your confusion about me, lad - it'll be alright. I'll prove those learned assumptions wrong."
What is he saying?
"Enlighten me."
"I've lived a long life helping others. I know a lost soul when I see one. I found many things while repairing your body that I've seen too many times on human folk. I have an idea of your predicament."
"Oh? Do you?"
"Slavery."
The Doc's an inventor and managed to fix even him up. The guy has brains. Alone, without anything from him, the Doc figured out his, well, situation.
There is no choice in Freeza's empire.
"Some of those scars are old; you would've gotten a few at quite the young age. Your identification tag behind your ear was an indication - a child soldier, no?"
Thanks to Raditz's mane, it's harder to see. He likes to think of it not being there, but of course, the Doc found it.
Scarring yourself doesn't get rid of it. Vegeta almost lost his ear doing that.
"Are you satisfied?" Raditz glared, frustrated.
"I understand that you don't trust me, but I wish to change that."
"I'm not going to fight them."
"And I'm not asking nor expecting you to."
That's difficult to believe.
"You should tell your fighters to accept their fates. Pray to whatever god they believe. They'll be meeting them soon enough."
"Having been around this lot, I know that they won't give in. Even if a god itself came for them, they'd fight it. It's what they do."
"Stubborn."
"Both a fault and a virtue of this world - They may die, but it'll be in the effort to defend those that they love. A warrior's death, they call it."
Vegeta wouldn't accept anything less than that. The Saiyan in him likely demanded he die in a fight - a warrior's death.
They're all going to die, but they'll go down fighting.
Though they don't stand a chance in hell, he can do something. He can make Nappa's life harder; irritate him immensely.
Since they're all going to die, he might as well make it as difficult for those assholes as possible.
Fuck those guys.
"Inform your "fighters" that I'm considering training them."
"Oh? What's changed your mind?"
"Because fuck it. We're going to die, so we might as well make it as irritating as possible."
The story of his life, essentially.
"Hm, that's a fair enough reason - fuck it."