Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ Payment in Full: Saiyan's 2nd Chance ❯ Raditz takes his cut ( Chapter 2 )

Payment in Full

By StarbearerTM aka Trynia Merin

Beta'd by Bardockgurl!

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Full metal alchemist. Funimation brings us these master works of anime on DVD. Toriyama created DBZ, and Full Metal Alchemist belongs to its own creators. I can only claim responsibility for the plot and the character of Tomic, Parsnip, Fermi, Bohr, Merlot, Cabernet and other fan characters here. The only pay I get is your reviews so please keep them coming! And my thanks to those who have already reviewed, and to Bardockgurl for her beta! Kudos and hugs to you!

Raditz Takes his Cut

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Later they emerged, and she felt the smoothness of her skin beneath. She wore a robe of what seemed like silk around her body, watching him as he removed the tangles from his impossibly long hair with a massive brush.

Glancing over his shoulder he asked, "Did you enjoy your bath?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Assist me," Raditz grunted, motioning her over to him. He pressed her shoulder down so she knelt beside where he sat, handing her the brush. He waited; glaring at her sidelong till she realized that she was supposed to drag the tangles from his massive spiked mane. Grumbling she set about the nearly impossible task of brushing his hair.

As she worked, she remembered the cylindrical space lined with a fine steely surface like a lab counter. The floor had large holes as the walls had a fine mesh of tiny jets. Alcoves on the wall held containers with various colored liquids, some gels, some freely moving. It slid between her fingers, and she smelled and sensed it was surfactant or soap.

The touch of a circuit, drenching an occupant in a light mist. It coalesced, surging with gusts of air to bathe them and saturate them with what smelled like oil and water. Combined with the surfactant she rubbed all over a being's skin, the dirt and body soil rose and dripped down, then dissolved into the vapors that surrounded them. A pulsing whir agitated their skin, sounding like the small agitators using sound waves.

What was worst was combing fingers through her hair. Great drips of grease were blasted away into the floor mesh to be vaporized to component molecules. Next a strange musk scented surfactant sprayed out. Lastly oil pummeled the bather, leaving a fine waxy coating on the top of their skin. She felt that second cycle was like sand, for the top layer of skin was stripped away.

"Talk about a facial all over the body," she said, feeling the smoothness of her skin beneath. Raditz was glowing with health, his hair soft, but his muscles stretching under tight skin. He wore a sleeveless tank top and shorts that showed off his massive muscular form.

"We must fit you with a scouter. Those primitive sight adapters are not necessary. In time I think you'll require corrective surgery. Implanting new lenses," he said.

"I don't want anyone touching my eyes with a scalpel," she said. "If you will let me keep the glasses."

"The scouter will compensate for your weak eyesight and magnify images. But the ability will be modified to enclose both eyes. Some species have your sight impediment."

Raditz saw her stubbornness as she retrieved the discs and put them on the wire frame before her face. "I want a pair of glasses like these. They will do fine," she said.

"As you like, human. But you will have a scouter because you cannot sense energies for battle. And you have some knowledge of combat. I will have to train you in the basics of Saiyan forms if you stand a chance of survival. Although your body's strong for a human, you are still weak."

"Weak?" she asked. Suddenly she drew back her fist and slammed it into his chest. Raditz gasped because it suddenly felt as if she had hit him with a rock. He saw the gleam of her arm, like glittering crystal smoothed before it became flesh.

"Some organic molecules form plastics that are tough and almost as hard as diamond," she said quietly.

"But it's not permanent and you waste energy transmuting when you can use ki itself," he smirked. "Your power is a curiosity, but it cannot withstand Saiyan might."

"We shall see," she said. "Show me your gravity chamber. I can and will get used to ten times gravity. My bones will be able to take it."

"We shall see. Perhaps your bones will be able to take it, but your muscles will have to become accustomed to it. Your body is sturdy and compact, it might survive," he smirked. "But I'm weary of this. WE will sleep now and resume in the morning."

"Sleep with you in the bed? Or on the floor."

"Here, of course," he said, dragging her towards him with his tail still around her waist. He lay down first, yanking her to lie on top of him and binding her close in his arms.

To her annoyance he teased and groped at her body. "I'm damned sore."

"Weakling. I suppose I'll push your body's healing faster," Raditz mumbled, concentrating his ki. She gasped as he infused her with enough to tingle her nerve endings with radiant fire.

Sighing, Atomique slid into the bed as he lifted the sheets. She braced her hands on his broad chest, as Raditz reached up to draw her into his arms. Their lips merged in a kiss causing Raditz to moan softly. Raditz' desire was pleasing, but that odd feeling of sorrow filled her.

"Look at me, woman," he snapped. "I want your full attention on this task!"

"It's not easy, you lummox," she gritted.

"I want to see your desire for me in your eyes," he said.

She pulled off her glasses and handed them to him to put someplace safe. Dimmed by myopia, her shortsighted eyes gleamed in better view. He saw his reflection in the brown eyes, surprised because Saiyan eyes were bottomless pools of black. They glanced up blurry but filled with something akin to soft sympathy. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she drew her face within inches to discern protectiveness towards her. She sensed he was glad she was his, and not the Commander's.

"Raditz," she whispered, succumbing to desire.

"Good, very good, woman," he panted, drawing her close. But this time Raditz was weary from his return and the voyage to mate with her. Strangely she felt disappointed, yet thanked her luck because she ached.

"Just sleep," he murmured, turning his head to the side. He tugged her to lay flat on his chest, snaring her with his tail to his body. Massive arms the diameter of her thighs weighed her to him.

"I don't know if I can get used to this," she mumbled in emotional exhaustion. Sniffling she lay her face into his neck, stifling her tears. As Raditz dozed off in she finally let the tears drip free that she held back for so long.

"What am I doing," she sniffled, gripping handfuls of his hair and squeezing tightly. Tears landed on Raditz scarred chest. He grunted and readjusted her in his arms, dragging the covers around them.

"Sleep female,” he yawned. "Cease your whimpering for I will not harm you."

"I'll try," she choked. "But it's so hard Raditz. You ask so much of me. I can only turn it off for so long."

"Females cry," he mumbled. "Keep it silent if you must. Just sleep and don't rouse me because I require rest."

"Son of a bitch," she growled, beating his chest with a fist.

"Shh," he mumbled. "Sleep now. Tomorrow I will expect much more of you."

"You have no comprehension with what I gave up," she said.

"It will not be so bad in time," Raditz mumbled sleepily. "You might even begin to like it. Obviously it got your blood going or you wouldn't have even thought of making what you thought was some noble sacrifice, replacing yourself for my brother. You like adventure, and you cannot lie and say you do not."

"Will I be expected to kill with my powers?" she asked.

"In time," Raditz said. "But you are far too weak to be of much use in a purging job. Rather you will serve Professor Bardock in R and D. Perhaps by the time your training is finished you will accompany me on one of the larger jobs. It will be most invigorating. Did you not kill as a state alchemist?"

"Yes," she swallowed.

"That disintegration technique will serve you well. But you can learn to have fun in the hunt, woman," he yawned. "I'll make a warrior of you perhaps because you are a soldier of some repute. You would do well to forget what life you left behind on that paltry planet in that backwater dimension. There is much you can gain by cooperating. Now enough talk. Sleep."

"I'll try, but I won't like it," she murmured. Shivering she curled up, feeling Raditz arms bind her to him like a possession.

"We'll see," he chuffed, nipping her ear. Soon he rumbled deeply like a great lion on the veldt, his black mane spilling over the bed's pillows. Atomique swallowed the lump in her throat and cried herself to sleep. Although he was so warm and he held her close she felt the full magnitude of what she had left behind. All she had in this world was this arrogant savage pirate who claimed her as his property. Survival was the first order of business, and then perhaps getting back home when she was strong enough.

As she tried to sleep the events that brought her to Raditz' side ran through her head:

 

With no way to return home except for Bulma's inventions, she had settled into a life with her two sons at Capsule. Son Goku trained her twin boys in martial arts, helping them hone their skills to be great warriors so they could fight at her side when she eventually returned to her own world. During the day she worked as a scientist for Capsule inventing new plastics. As many days before, Atomique had pushed herself to the limit streaking forwards in her flight. Every day she could move further and faster, yet not sufficiently enough to match the other Z fighters. A refugee from a world where alchemy was the main science, she had unwittingly ended up in what she called the Dragon Ball universe by a stray blast from the Temporal Alchemist. Up ahead, tall misty mountains gave way to more rocky ones. White snowcapped peaks jutted up into the blue sky, looming ever closer in the distance. Paozu's features gave way to the irregular rice patties, then more conventional squares of gold and brown. Already she had flown close to one hundred miles, saturating her clothing with sweat. One large peak ahead stunned her when she saw a jagged crescent moon shape carved inside its top. A realization dawned that no natural phenomenon could cause this.

She ground to a halt, hovering several thousand feet over the field. Slowly she drifted to a landing next to what appeared to be a huge meteor crater. Long since filled in with grass, its bowl shape dented the whole field for miles around. Tentatively she touched down on the rim, glancing left and right with curiosity. As a scientist she always enjoyed investigating unusual features, even if they weren't chemistry related. One of her second loves was astronomy.

"What caused this? I can't help but wonder if it was one of the Z soldiers, or some sort of energy weapon," she wondered.

Ki shifted. Her mind tingled with multiple traces that appeared out of nowhere. Aware she was not alone; she froze still, tensing her muscles. Again she launched herself into the air, glancing wildly around. "Kuso," she cursed, inadvertently in Japanese.

Instantly she dampened her true nature, pinpointing the locations of the traces. Still it was hard to completely discern, but they appeared to increase geometrically. Reaching down she felt the silver pocket watch around the waist of her patched Military uniform. While she knew it was somewhat risky, she preferred it when working out for any great length of time because it was ideal for fighting in many situations.

Within the crater materialized a large metallic sphere. Oddly enough nothing seemed to inhabit it. Another strange object suddenly appeared out of nowhere, resembling the first stuck in the bottom of the huge depression. Time and space seemed to shift and blur momentarily. Then she took in the appearance of the second craft that had appeared.

"It's like a metallic baseball," she told herself. Atomique resisted the urge to slide down into the crater and investigate. After all there was one sitting just to the right of the crater's rim. Steam wafted off the curved metallic surface. Carefully she trudged over towards the one nestled among the rocks but stopped when she felt the radiant heat within ten feet in proximity.

She approached the steaming craft, forming a sheet of Teflon on her hand. An insane urge to hide INSIDE the pod overtook her. They were after all space ships, and she could find some way of opening them since they were free of any occupants. At least she sensed nothing from the ki detection powers that Goku and Gohan had taught her.

"Over there!" called a voice that made her blood freeze. She zipped behind the space pod pressing herself down in the lee of it. All her shutters she clamped down on her battle power, lowering it to nearly zero.

Footsteps crunched, as boots landed. She was aware that a huge ki flared into existence. Several of them, in the midst of the ki that designated Destroyers. Yet those other two… they were Saiyan!

"How?" she asked, blinking up from behind the round pod. She ducked behind it, peering around its surface.

"They arrived, just like you said," grunted a deep voice, unfamiliar. The way in which is pronounced the words strangely reminded her of Vegita's odd accent.

"OF course, third class! What did you THINK?"

"Just because you're elite doesn't mean that I need to take your verbal crap, Napa," said the first voice. "It was MY idea we adapt our space pods to make the transdimensional jump."

"Oh, just cause your old man's a SCIENTIST you think you have something to prove, whelp? I already know you, so don't go trying to show your shit smells better to your superiors. Save it for when we find the Prince…"

Two armored figures had touched down in the field, opposite a squad of six Destroyers. They raised their radar and trained them about while the strange massive giants towered over them, standing as still as statues. Both wore black armor on their shoulders, with shoulder pads that stretched way beyond their waists. Armored groin and hip pieces matched the shoulder guards, while their boots were also massive, encasing huge feet.

The taller of the two figures was bald, with a moustache, while the man next to him had a long mane of shaggy black hair that hung past his waist. Both them wore strange headpieces over their right ears, covering one eye with tinted glass while concealing the ear like a headphone. Around their waists wrapped shaggy thick belts of brown fur. They carried no weapons, but from the ki she sensed they had no need for them.

"Kuso… those… are Saiyans… but there are only two. Goku said that he and Vegita were the last ones left," she blinked.

"So, we're here on this joy ride," said the taller of the two, the bald one. "Where's our prince?"

"Patience," said Leader. It had to be, judging from the harsh rasping female voice like nails across slate.

"This had better be worth our time. If Commander Turles discovers we've bailed we're history," said the other, with a deep rasping voice sounding similar to Goku's in a way. If Goku had been speaking an octave lower, that is.

"Turles doesn't have to know! He's in another dimension. That's the beauty of it. The natives of this world have information about your missing Prince! And the quarry we're after is the key to us divulging it to you!" Leader said.

"These creatures are puny. I have a hard time believing any of them are capable of…" said the longhaired Saiyan, raising his hand to the earmuff. He punched something, and then mumbled as lights flickered across the green lens of his eyepiece.

"Any significant battle powers?" asked his companion, punching his own headpiece. "Cause I'm reading zip. A bunch of puny gnats…"

"Of course they could be masking their power," said his friend. "All the more fun for us, and unfortunate for them."

"Napa, Raditz, those are your names, correct?" asked Leader.

"That's Lieutenant Commander Napa to you, Leader."

"And Sgt. Raditz, of Commander Turles special mercenaries for hire," said the other. "We purge and deliver planets in ANY condition. Which my Lt. Commander informs me that you forgot to pay us for last time."

"This is part of the payment we agreed on. You will get information about your missing Prince Vegita and the chance to assess and see if this world has any value in this dimension. Any riches or wealth you find here is yours for the taking," said Leader.

"Tell us something we don't know, female. What's in this for us again? How do we know you're not going to dump us here? Frieza's after Commander Turles, you know. And if Frieza gets Turles, you're next," asked the bald one.

"Patience, Lt. Commander. You will find your prince easily. We shall divide our forces into two, one of you each,” said Leader.

"What's bothering you, whelp?" asked Napa, turning to the shaggy haired fellow. Oddly if he wore face paint and dribbled blood he'd bear a striking resemblance to the Demon, thought the alchemist. She struggled to hear as much as she could. Someone had to inform the Z fighters that they were in trouble. Serious trouble!

"I'm sensing something nearby," muttered the other, named Raditz. His dark eyes flashed, angling across the landscape as he punched the buttons on his scanner side.

"I'm getting it too. Several traces of note. They're coming this way. I think this might be fun after all," Napa laughed, cracking his knuckles.

"Here, take these. Your 'scouters' are only good for tracing ki, while these will give you the locations of the items of interest."

"Philosopher stones, huh?" asked Napa. "You said our prince would be at the location of concentration… I'm reading more than just seven."

"Thing must be broken," Raditz grunted. "Damn it, I ASKED for a new scouter! Is it too much to…?”

"Rank has its privileges. Deal," Napa laughed. "If you hadn't blown up the vendor on Orchydsei."

"There are false echoes. Only by going to the source can you find them. There is an alchemist among them who can make fake Philosopher's Stones. Whatever you find, bring to us. Whoever holds it, bring as well, and don't hurt too much… unless they annoy you… we need intact specimens."

"Fine then. But when we find our Prince, that's higher priority. No fooling around, because you may be powerful… but we're capable of taking you out in a heartbeat," said Napa with a cruel grin.

"Shit," she mumbled. Glancing around she hoped that she could somehow wait till they vanished.

"I'm sensing one over this way…" Raditz whispered.

"There's a high concentration of battle power to the west… I'll take that. You go that way, Raditz."

"I can't help but wonder if it's possible that… remember that pod we sent here and never heard from… in this dimension maybe Kakkarot is still alive," Raditz whispered.

"Kakkarot," whispered Atomique. She had heard Vegita use that name to call Goku when he was angry with him. Was it possible that these two knew him?

"We meet back here in several hours. Take a few of our squad with you," said Third.

"No, we work alone," said Napa harshly. "You'll get in our way. If we need you, we'll call. But that won't be likely."

"Remember we're your only way out of this dimension," said Leader. "Good luck."

"Whatever," said Napa, rising into the air.

He streaked off towards West City, the alchemist realized. While the destroyers vanished, she waited to see if the other would take off. As he had his back turned, she quickly masked her ki and ran as fast as she could. Throwing herself into the air she shot out towards the Son house. Mt. Pauzo was 100 miles away. If she could just get away and warn the Z fighters.

"What the hell?" Raditz mumbled, punching his scouter button. "I could have sworn there was something for a second… of 1000!"

Grumbling he levitated off the field, and happened to glimpse the bowl shaped crater. He blinked and then disregarded it in favor of the battle power trace he'd received. In his hand he carried the talisman tracker, bleeping with ten traces. One was very close by, he realized, almost in an identical place to the flare of ki.

"All right, it seems fortune is on my side," he grinned. For a moment he punched his button again, picking up a trace that was streaking at good velocity over the farm fields. Launching himself into the air, he blazed after it.

A flare of ki touched her senses. It was flying rapidly after her, she realized with horror. Under her the farmlands still stretched, fanning for miles. In the distance she saw the gentle misty hills undulating. Within her breast her heart pounded, and she realized she was running out of steam.

"Kuso! And I forgot that I need to rest because I wear myself out too fast. At this rate I won't have enough gas to get back to West City!" she gasped, dropping altitude. Glancing behind her she saw a shimmering speck of ki blazing into view. Every second it grew more intense, till she could see the armored figure rocketing at a ferocious velocity to close the gap between them.

She veered her course down into the edge of the forest underneath them. Wild beasts of every description lived here, according to Goku. Up in the distance the misty rounded needles of rock jutted in contrast to the more conventional mountains, resembling a Chinese wall scroll. Perhaps she could lose that warrior or whoever was after her in the monstrous jungle.

If the monsters didn't' get her first, that was. Massive kis flickered under the canopy, while she ducked lower. Overhead the trace suddenly winked out, and she dipped into a tree for cover. Clamping down her energies she struggled to gather them again. While she had no hope of outrunning that warrior, she might elude it long enough that it would give up.

Unfortunately a loud bellow shook the tree. She shivered; glancing through crackling branches at a medium sized saber-toothed tiger crashing through the trees after several large flightless birds. Close behind them something streaked, hurling a ball of yellow ki in their midst.

She shrieked, dropping from the tree. Flipping over she landed in the forest floor. Anxiously she glanced around, reaching out her perceptions to sense the ki nearby. Hands rose as she generated a long staff of translucent polymer to whirl around her head for a weapon. Movement flickering in the bushes turned her attention, and she flickered around to see a large tiger drop out of the trees.

"Kuso!" she yelled, hurling her arm, sending several large spikes of plastic towards it. Pressing her pole to the ground she levered herself out of the way.

A loud snarl sounded behind her. Something dropped between her and the feline. Shaggy hair concealed its back. In seconds there was a loud flash of gold energy, and the smell of burning flesh and hair. She whirled around to see it was the Saiyan with the shaggy mane of spiky black hair.

He spun about, dark eyes fixing on her as she began to run. She wheeled just in time to hear his loud voice speak, "So, there you are. No use running from me… whoever you are."

Military training kicked in. She attacked first, generating a hail of razor sharp quills that sizzled towards him. With one wrist he batted them away, and gave a slight smirk. "That's unusual. How did you generate those feeble darts?"

She did not answer. Instead she let the shards of plastic do the talking that she hurled next. Zipping out of view, the figure was nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately for him she could just discern him moving at hyper speed in the same manner Son Goku did. As a large hand dropped down to grab her, she whirled and slammed her staff into it. It smashed like a matchstick against his raised gauntlet. His other hand flashed out, but she quickly blocked it with a kick, and then threw something into his face that made him shout in anger.

Raditz cursed as something sticky and hot shot over his mouth and nose, sealing it off. He tore at the plastic cutting off his air, gagging and unable to breath. Momentarily he raised his hand, generating a small grade blast that sizzled towards the female. She whirled, bringing both fists before her face to block it. By the time she generated another plastic shard to throw, Raditz had heated the plastic up with one hand enough to melt it away.

"Are you perchance that alchemist they speak of? Unfortunate that they told me I had to kill you…" he said with a small smile. Easily he breathed. How long could this guy hold his breath, she wondered. A small smile came over his face, while he took deliberate steps towards her. Unfazed by anything she threw, he simply batted the plastic missiles away with a flick of his wrist. "Impressive, female. You actually almost suffocated me. If I was a delicate creature like you might have killed me. But unfortunately for you, I'm not a weakling like you are, human."

"You're a Saiyan warrior, aren't you?" she blurted out.

"You've heard of us in this world?" he laughed.

"What do you want?" she demanded, glaring at him through her thick glasses. They were set in gold wire frames before her dark brown eyes, gleaming in the sunlight. Her navy blue State Alchemist uniform fluttered in the breeze. Raditz's eyes seemed to trace every contour of her uniformed body. Although the pants were baggy the jacket was form fitting across her sizable bust. Long brown curly hair was half pinned up, while long tendrils hung down from the braid in the back to blow in the wind.

"You're a warrior of some sort… and a female I see. Too bad that your techniques are nowhere near powerful enough to match me seriously," he chuckled.

"That's what you say," she said firmly, holding up her hands in defensive posture. She was glad for the transmutation circle inscribed on the inner sleeve of her jacket. Taking a cue from Roy Mustang's flame circles on his gloves she had made sure to do so on strategic points of her uniform.

"What's the name of this world--not that it won't be soon both reduced to ashes and sold to our customers. I have the honor of serving the Destroyers," he asked.

"Chikyuu, by its inhabitants," she said calmly. "We know all about what Saiyans do. Or used to."

"Do you now? Interesting. But I've not come here to chat. Apparently you've got some friends looking for you. If you give me little resistance I might convince them not to kill you,” Raditz said with a mischievous smile.

"I'm no use to you dead, Saiyan," she said quietly.

"Although if you WISH to fight me, I do like the sport of it," he said. "I'll give you a sporting chance and a head start. If you can evade capture I'd enjoy hunting you down."

"Wait… don't... you can't kill me! I know where Kakkarot is!" she shouted.

"What?" he blinked at her, stopping short. "What the hell did you say?"

"I know where you can find Kakkarot! I overheard that you're looking for him. If I take you to him… will you promise NOT to attack me?"

"I don't make deals with natives, I order them!" he growled, reaching out his hand to grab her. She blocked his next move, leaping back to hold up her hands crackling with purple ki.

"I'm serious…. I know where Kakkarot is. He's alive… and those beings you're with… they're just using you," she gasped.

"Enough of these childish games, female. You had better NOT be lying… or I'll be very angry," Raditz said, dodging around the small ki ball she hurled at him.

"That was just a warning. If you try and attack or hurt me the next one won't be!" she yelled.

"That merely tickled, female," he laughed deeply, blocking it and hurling it back towards her. Raising one palm to face up, he stared ahead with an evil grin. Gold power crackled into a slightly larger ki ball, which he hurled towards her.

"If you want to play catch, here's some REAL power," he said with a chortle. She crossed her wrists again, bringing them up to intercept the blazing ball he generated. His eyes widened slightly to see her successfully reappear from the dust generated by his small blast.

"That only burned. Look, do you want me to tell you or not? Or are we going to throw ki at each other all day?" she asked, looking more irritated then afraid. Raditz was mildly impressed. Since when did he come across females who could channel ki, other than Saiyan females?

"What manner of female are you?" he wondered, rising into the air. Soaring towards her, he reached out his hand to scoop her up. She hurled another blast towards him, which he easily dodged before zipping out. From several directions he appeared, throwing more blasts to disorient her. At the last moment when she turned to block his punch, something shot out from his waist and snared her legs. She hit the ground, spitting out dirt.

"Blah… ugh!" she coughed.

"Too bad you little ningens don't have tails," he cackled, reaching down and sweeping her up with ease. She yelped when he tossed her over his shoulder and rose into the air quickly.

"Hey… wait a minute!" she yelled.

"Struggle all you want, female. But I don't think you'd like it if I dropped you… would I?" he taunted, keeping a firm hand on her backside. She yelped, glancing sickly down at the movement of the forest below her. Raditz flared his ki envelope around both of them, rocketing off towards the direction where they had first materialized.

"No… but it won't be long before you get a rude welcoming reception from some more powerful beings than I," she shouted.

"I highly doubt it,” he laughed.

"Try me," she said.

"I intend to," he said, voice dropping deeply. His hand tightened, giving her butt a squeeze that made her squeal.

"Terrific, I'm being carried by a homicidal, horny monkey," she mumbled.

"What was that, female?" he asked. "I didn't quite make that out!"

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Someplace you can tell me about Kakkarot. If you're lying, you'll be very sorry. But if you behave, I won't hurt you… much."

"Let's just say that it's better if I take you to him, because if he sees you carrying me around like a sack of potatoes, he'll be pretty upset."

"So he's alive is he? I suppose that he's had some major issue,” Raditz mumbled.

"He hit his head on a rock and forgot who he was, all right? So you can forget him joining you."

"Dammit," he grumbled. "Are you trying to piss me off?"

"No, I'm just preparing you for a nasty shock. They know all about Saiyans on this planet, because in fact…"

"Shit," he mumbled, touching his scouter with one hand. "We've got company. And they're most unwelcome."

"Told you so," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Shut up female."

"Destroyers," she mumbled. "Look, if you hand me over to them… you'll never find Kakkarot or your Prince."

"Is that so?" asked Raditz, squeezing her waist tightly. "Tell me more, and you'd better not be lying."

"I have no reason to lie. You're holding me at a disadvantage," she said. "Your prince is in the very direction your friend went... and he's going to be surprised as HELL to see you two."

Raditz zipped to a stop, hovering in midair near the crater where they'd first met. Three figures blurred into existence from gaping rips crackling in reality itself. Flashes of fire and lightening belched around them before spiraling shut behind each Destroyer. Unlike Raditz, they flew by the focus of glowing red hover packs on their backs. Her stomach crawled because she saw the leering face of Third glancing at her from behind Raditz's back.

"So, you've found one of our enemies. Very good," said the lizard being she recognized as Fifth.

"I thought Commander Turles told you in our contract! He said we Saiyans work alone!" Raditz said firmly.

"You've done well. We'll take over from here," said Third.

"I'm not done with her," said Raditz.

"You were told to find her. Hand her over," Third snapped.

"You're in no position to order me, Third. The contact SPECIFIES that all mercenaries can claim their own method of payment. This female has something I want, before I consider handing her over to you," said Raditz.

"It isn't wise to argue with Leader, Saiyan," said Third.

"What are you going to do, burn my body hair with those feeble hair dryers of yours? Don't make me laugh!" Raditz taunted them as they raised their blasters. Fifth and Ninth trained their laser sites on him while Third's medallion crackled with ki.

"Don't hand me over to them please. I implore you they'll kill me, and you'll get no closer to finding Kakkarot," she shivered, clinging tightly to him.

"So you say, female," Raditz laughed.

Raditz threw her up into the air, and the Destroyers tensed, whizzing about. Just as one of them moved close, Raditz zipped in, and caught her under the arms and back. She drew in her breath sharply, feeling his fingers again tightening under her thighs. Just around her back his other massive hand curled, lightly touching the side of a clothed breast but not hurting her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she gasped.

"Shut up female," Raditz hissed. "Say NOTHING if you wish to remain alive."

"Stop messing around you primate! Give her over now!" Fifth yelled.

"No," said Raditz. "I changed my mind. I want her for myself as part of MY payment."

"You stupid simian! You're as thickheaded and foolish as these weakling hairless apes! Give her over now! Or you'll be stuck here on this planet forever!" Third snarled.

"Oh, I'm so hurt by your words," Raditz snickered, clutching his prize close to him. "I'm going to need a moment alone to recover my pride."

"I'm warning you, you dirty monkey. Hand her over, or else," Third hissed, flickering his blue tongue across his teeth.

"You can't trust primates at all, Third. I told you not to," hissed one of the other destroyers she recognized as Fifth. "These Saiyans are just overgrown relatives of the humans. They're useless and uncontrollable."

"I don't think they like you, Raditz," she said. He blinked down at her, surprised that she knew his name.

"Feelings mutual. I hate lizards, especially ones with attitudes. Just why Commander Turles insists on doing business with these lower life forms is BEYOND me, but I dare not question his judgment," he mumbled.

"Well they hate anything remotely resembling a hominid. Be it apes, human, Neanderthal. Anything descended from primates as you well have guessed, Raditz," she murmured.

"How do you know my name, female?" Raditz wondered.

"Do you really have to ask that?" she mumbled.

"I've got a sudden urge to see if they taste any better then they sound, female. I haven't eaten since planet fall and I've starving," Raditz mumbled, licking his lips.

"YUCK you can't be serious! If you get me out of this, I'll find you some food that won't make you puke," she whispered.

"They aren't good for eating then?" Raditz asked.

"Absolutely NOT! I know you Saiyans eat a large deal of protein. Look Raditz if I feed you, and tell you what you wish to know, and I can take you to Kakkarot myself, would it be worth your while NOT to turn me over to these guys?" she gasped.

“I would be amenable to that, provided that you'd provide something ELSE as well. I've not had some OTHER appetites satisfied for a time,” he said, nipping her ear sharply. Blood oozed out which he licked away deftly with his warm tongue. Hot breath fanned her face and the flames of desire.

“Okay, whatever you want, just get me the hell OUT of here,” she nodded.

“I have your word on that?” he asked.

“Just save our asses FIRST,” she whispered.

“You have a deal, female,” Raditz nodded.

A pencil thin beam zinged off his gauntlet that he raised before his face. Another seven or eight blasts crashed into his chest and legs. Irritated he zipped in and out, and then raised his hand to generate another sizable ki blast.

"I said NO!" Raditz barked. "She's MINE! I've made alternative arrangements."

"Fool!" Third hissed, baring his teeth. "You'll DIE for this!"

“You were the idiots who didn't pay US for purging the planet you now inhabit!” Raditz shouted, clutching Atomique closely to him. “Why do you think we ended up showing up in the FIRST place?”

“Commander Turles gave his WORD that you'd work with us! And now you reveal you're every bit as treacherous as your misbegotten race! Freiza should have killed ALL of you off when he had the chance!” Third snarled.

“You'll pay for that comment, you miserable lizard,” said Raditz, seething with anger. “Nobody insults the Saiyan race. When the Commander hears THIS, you'll beg for mercy!”

“HE wont, if you're not around to deliver the message!”

"Oh crap," mumbled Atomique, flinching.

"Kill him!" yelled Third. Reaching for their backs, they threw small rod shaped objects that whizzed end over end towards him. Snorting, he deflected each with contemptuous ease, detonating the plasma grenades with kicks and punches wreathed in deadly orange blossoms of fire. No sooner had he dealt with these then shoulder mounted cannons was produced out of quick reality rips. Swinging them to bear, all three opened up full blast with wrist diameter particle beams.

Raditz zipped upwards, avoiding the beams that crisscrossed and singed past their attackers. Reality ripped, and each one of them vanished to reappear at random locations around the Saiyan. "You're delusional…" Raditz snorted, shaking his head. "Allow me to introduce you to a more powerful attack… which is far more devastating than you could even fathom! DOUBLE SUNDAY!"

Zipping up to a higher altitude, he raised his hand, and shouted something in a harsh tongue that she didn't recognize. Twin balls of ki arched up and around, splitting off like twin comets towards their attackers. Third maneuvered out of the way, but the other two zipped off with the blazes of ki trailing them only inches from impact. Although their levitation belts nimbly ducked and wove, the blasts finally overtook each independent target. At opposite ends of a blazing Y from his beams, they erupted into bright yellow puffs of smoke and fire, vaporized instantly.

"You… you… killed them… just like…" Third gasped, raising his hands. He stretched them high above his head, screaming loudly.

"Don't insult me… you were the idiot who provoked me!" Raditz answered calmly. "What are you doing now?"

"Mental incendiary!" Third screamed, channeling ki from the crystal around his neck to his extremities. Orange lightening crackled, centering on his head. The two flickers of pulsing orange ki spread from either hand then joined the aura around his helmeted noggin to join into a devastating ball. It shot forwards towards them both.

However Raditz transferred her to one hand, and merely raised his other gauntlet wrist to send another beam of greater intensity towards third's gathered ki. The backlash lit up the entire world for a second around both beings. Atomique grabbed unconsciously to her captor's shoulder, burying her face against his neck.

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