Second Life

Chapter 4

Life is Hell

The long haired saiyan could only stare at his surroundings. The wall opposite of him stared back, then it blinked. He was startled until he realized it was a creature, and a strange looking one at that, with something green behind it. It seemed the creature was hiding a Nemekian child. He let a brief hope grow that they were not even on Earth and that the old ogre king had messed up but he knew it was in vain. There was a Nemekian here the first time, too.

Most importantly, they had reappeared in their actual living bodies. The sun could hurt their eyes, a punch would be followed by pain, they could feel the rush of battle again. They needed to breathe and eat again.

Raditz let out a long sigh and sat on the cool stone.  He felt a bubbling mix of uncomfortable and dread. He laid back and closed his eyes to the bright sunlight.

Bardock’s mind was racing, he hadn’t seen anything of his son’s life after Freeza’s defeat. Raditz was still moping, did his sons really form such a deep-seated hatred when they had only been in each other’s presence for an hour at most?  That was going to be problematic, he didn’t want his sons fighting, but he knew Raditz could be very stubborn. Would Kakarot want them in his life? And what was so bad about the ogre king’s timing. Where exactly on Earth were they anyway?

As the last question passed through his mind, Bardock took in his surroundings. They seemed to in a palace in the sky. Stepping to the edge Bardock could see they were a great ways up, it was an inspiring sight.

Raditz was laid out on the ground with his eyes closed, moping.

“Welcome to the lookout,” greeted the strange black being with a bow.

“I am Mr. Popo, and this is Dende, the Guardian of Earth,” said the creature, turning slightly so more of the green child could be seen cowering behind him. If that was what passed for a guardian, Earthlings were very strange.

“Ok,” said Bardock eyeing both the creature and child suspiciously. Dende, as he’d been introduced leap back to hide himself completely behind Popo again. Raditz let out frustrated sigh and turned on his side facing away from the conversation.

“King Yenma has informed us your resurrection, you have come at a most inauspicious time however we will do our best to make you both welcome,” continued the creature. There it was again the sketchy hinting of trouble without saying what, oh well Bardock could play along. He needed time to kick some sense into his eldest anyway.

“We have sent a message to Goku, he will be by shortly,”

Bardock smiled at that, finally something he wanted to hear. Just as he was about to thank the creature, Kakarot shimmered into place right beside him. Bardock stared in surprise at his look-a-like. Kakarot’s, when he’d noticed Bardock beside him, mouth gaped comically. Raditz did not stir from where he chose to lie.

“Wow, you look just like me,” said Kakarot

They decided collectively to have explanations over lunch, they being Bardock and Kakarot. While the other two attacked their food like true saiyans, Raditz ate at a sedated pace, the Saiyan equivalent of picking at his food.

“So King Yenma brought you both back to life, now?” asked Goku incredulously around a mouthful of dumplings.

“Yes, and what is so bad about now? No one will say directly,” replied Bardock after force swallowing a mouthful of pasta.

“An evil android called Cell is planning to destroy the earth, we’re going to fight him in a few days,” explained Goku clearly though his cheeks were full of rice.

“How powerful is this android?” asked Bardock with a dumpling hanging halfway to his mouth.

“Freeza can’t even compare to Cell,” said Goku with a little glee. He surely had the saiyan love of a challenge. Bardock smirked in response, “Well, bad time or not we help out anyway we can,”

Raditz let out a snort as he took a bite out of a roll. Goku looked at him curiously. Bardock was pleased to note that at least on his end there was no aggression.

“Ignore your brother, he’s been in a mood since we left Hell,” said Bardock as dug back into his food but Goku wasn’t paying him any mind. He leaned in close to elder brother’s face, though the other saiyan tried hard to ignore.

“You’re not still sore about dying are you?” asked Goku seriously.

“I couldn’t care less about that,” stated Raditz without even looking at either his brother or father. Goku gave him a goofy smile. “Great,” he said before launching himself to hug the other saiyan. The look on Raditz face hung somewhere between embarrassment, rage, and surprise. Bardock bit off a laugh, knowing it would only enrage Raditz further.

With a hard shove, Raditz managed to dislodge the younger saiyan. He glowered at Goku, who only grinned back.

“Raditz apologize to your brother for kidnapping his son,” Bardock ordered. Raditz did honestly look extremely guilty, so that was a good sign.

“I am sorry about that Kakarot, but do NOT hug me, idiot!” yelled Raditz. Bardock sighed in frustration, but his youngest seemed to take the exchange as a true declaration of brotherly affection. How in the world had the boy survived so long without knowing the difference between aggravated hostility and affection? That was fine though, whatever was eating at his eldest truly had nothing to do with the younger so Bardock could deal with him later. He could only hope his grandson would take his uncle’s words at face value as well.

The rest of their meal went pleasantly enough. Goku had taken a permanent spot beside Raditz and shifted wildly from stealing his brother’s food to shoving it down Raditz’s unwilling throat, quite literally at some points.

Finally the three saiyans were mostly full, and the Lookout was out of food.

“Come on, I bet Chi-Chi has dinner ready by now,” said Goku enthusiastically rubbing his stomach as if he hadn’t just eaten. He took off over the edge of the Lookout. Bardock followed him after thanking Dende and Popo.

“I’m not hungry,” said Raditz but he made to follow the two anyway.

Bardock listened aptly as Goku rambled about the different cities and land structures they passed, though the descriptions weren’t very in depth. Some were simply ‘Bulma lives there,’ or “They have amazing food,’ but it interested Bardock none the less. From his visions he knew Kakarot was a warrior but outside of that he seemed very simple minded. Much different from any saiyan Bardock had ever known, much different from the very saiyan family he came from.

As they drew closer to the mountain, Mt. Pao as Kakarot had called it; Kakarot pointed out his favorite fishing spots, and spoke more about his family.

“Gohan accidentally went over that waterfall once but then he ended up on that branch far above it somehow,”

“Chi-Chi loves the flowers that grow in this part if the forest,”

“Gohan and I spar in those caves over there, so Chi-Chi doesn’t find us,”

They landed in front of a modest home, especially considering the large buildings they had passed in the city. “And this is home,” said Kakarot with flourish as Raditz silently joined them on the ground.

Bardock was almost surprised he didn’t get lost with how far he chose to lag behind them.

“Father!” exclaimed a voice. It was a boy that could only be Kakarot’s son Gohan, he ran out of the house and stood between Kakarot and them in a fighting stance. Bardock opened his mouth to say something but as he did he found himself somewhere else.

They were in a field. Cherry trees were in bloom and although he didn’t see Kakarot he saw Gohan. They were others, a blue haired earthling holding an infant, a bald earthling and an old man, and Raditz who was glaring at someone who sitting behind a tree where Bardock couldn’t see him. It appeared to be some kind of picnic, and the bald one was screeching out in a way Bardock guessed was supposed to be music.

A space ship landed and masked soldiers came out, an attack? No, something told him. He was watching the ship and found he couldn’t turn his head to see what the soldiers were doing. Apparently, this vision was about who ever would step off that ship.

                                                             

He saw the figure step down. Despite the sweeping cape, and the lone eye he recognized the figure as a saiyan. A saiyan that he knew but not personally but he knew that saiyan. He was second class, always sneered at Bardock and his crew for taking jobs above their class level, but what was his name? If only he could remember, it seemed so important to remember…

Then just that quickly the vision was over. And he was standing in front of Gohan again. He’d forgotten what he’d planned to say.

“Gohan, your Uncle and Grandfather are going to stay with us!” exclaimed Kakarot before Bardock could think of anything else. Gohan’s mouth opened and closed a few times, he was clearly as lost for words as Bardock was. Raditz rolled his eyes and huffed.