Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ A Troubled Path ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

WHAM! "Kaie! What do you think you're doing?!?" A short squat woman stood yelling in the doorway she had just slammed open. A furious look had overtaken her already ugly face as she glared at the figure crouching on the floor. "Child! I'm talking to you. Turn around this instant!"

The figure flinched and stood up, pushing back her wild, shoulder-length hair black hair. In her hands were clenched the remains of a large Fricta leg. The girl managed a guilty look as she attempted to talk around the food in her mouth. "Mmmt..shlep…wrotbach…" Swallowing the food in one large gulp, Kaie smiled sheepishly at the woman in front of her, letting out a nervous laugh. "Madam Schnater! What a surprise…. Hehe…" Kaie gulped in apprehension and hid the remains of the Fricta leg the back of her shirt. She put on her most innocent look, trying to weasel her way out of another sticky situation. "Really, this isn't what it seems. I prom…oww!!!" Kaie never had the chance to finish her sentence as the Madam grabbed her by the ear with a growl and proceeded to drag her towards the board house, carrying on the entire trip about all the grief Kaie always gave her. "Really, Kai! One day its fights in the mess hall, the next sleeping during instructions. Not to mention the bucket of dren that 'fell' on Housemaster Creido's head just this morning!! Now its stealing from the store house. Next chance you get, you'll have the entire Freizian Enforcement Corp shutting us down! Well, you won't get another opportunity for mischief around here. I'm going to do what I should've done a long time ago." This last comment, accompanied by a glare that once silenced the entire mess hall by itself, was hissed in Kaie's face as they reached the detention quarters the girl already knew so well.

Kaie rubbed her throbbing ear and cast a pitiful look across her face. "Awww... c'mon Madam S! Housemaster Creido wasn't supposed to be anywhere near that doorway. It was an honest mistake. And its not my fault Instructor Yadda is sooo boring. Besides, I was hungry!!" Kaie continued to whine as the stocky woman pushed her into a room and slammed the door. "C'mon Madam S; cut me some slack here, we go way back!" Kaie was now reduced to shouting through the door. "You know that you can't seriously get rid of me. This place just wouldn't be the same without me; I'm an essential part of the community!" She jumped back in surprise as Schnater's eye appeared in the door's small window. "That's a pile of dren, Kaie, and you know it. Ever since you were dropped off at this orphanage years ago you've been nothing but trouble. This is the last time you'll cause mischief around here again. First thing tomorrow, you're going to the detainment center on Planet Dred where you'll have a disciplined, structured lifestyle and learn to become a productive part of the universe. I can't I'll miss you around here. I'm sure Planet Dred will whip you into shape in no time." Or scare the dren out of her, whatever comes first. Schnater thought smugly as she locked the window and stomped off with a self-righteous huff.

Kaie stared at the door in disbelief, still processing what she'd just heard. The detainment center on Planet Dred? That hell hole? Planet Dred was where the worst juvenile detention center in this part of the universe was rumored to be, where only the most disruptive and delinquent of young personalities earned a visit. The overseer had to be bluffing. Either that, or she'd finally lost her marbles. But, of course, Shcnater did say she'd put Lit the Zenetian in solitary confinement for a 2 weeks next time he released the Brells from their pen. And now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen the guy around lately…

Kaie sat down on the hard bed with a sigh. She'd really done it this time. Chances were she wouldn't survive the center long enough for her term to be up… according to the rumors at least. A flash of anger swept through Kaie as she pictured the being behind this whole mess. Zera… this is all Zera's fault. she thought. Dragging Kaie into her little scheme to scrounge for extra rations and abandoning her at the first sign of trouble. Some partner in crime she was. And now Kaie was being shipped off to live with the worst juvenile lowlifes of the universe (not to say this whole ordeal didn't appear fairly exciting) while the little blue-skinned Lort would prance around the orphanage like a little saint. Zera will probably take all my stuff too. Like my new radio transmitter. The one that had taking 7 months of extra kitchen duty to get. Man, would I ever like to teach that stupid Lort a lesson she'd never forget…

Sighing in despair, Kaie laid back on the bunk, crossing her arms behind her head. Right now she'd give anything to get out this situation. She'd scrub floors, suck up to the Housemaster, apologize to that scrawny Yitew she'd punched in the face for trying to steal a part of her rations. Hell, she'd even give up a ration or two a day if she had to. Kaie mentally cringed at the thought of missing even one meal. Well… almost anything… Reaching under her shirt, Kaie pulled out the half-eaten Fricta leg and finished it as she brooded over her current predicament. I'm gonna hafta think up something good to get outta this mess. Even if its only to beat Zera to a bloody pulp.

Licking her lips a last time, Kaie tossed the Fricta bone into a corner and rolled onto her side, adjusting her shirt over the mass of fur wound about her waist. Closing her eyes and surrendering to sleep, the dark haired girl dreamed pleasant dreams of slowing extracting her vengeance from a certain blue alien…

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Back on Earth, a squat farmer took a break from shoveling hay to wipe his sweaty forehead and suck at his cigarette. With a sigh, he returned his hat to his head and gazed over his head of ostriches. Suddenly, large birds started looking about the sky frantically while squawking in panic. Seconds later, the farmer heard a growing whine that soon revealed its source to be a bright light streaking over his field. He watched in awe as it flew overhead and crashed, not too far way from where he was standing, with a resounding *BOOM* and an earth-shaking intensity.

The little man stared at the smoke rising from just a few hills over in disbelief. "I-i-i-it's a-a meteor!! Or a UF-F-F-O!!" He gawked for only a moment more before sprinting to his truck. "I gotta see!!" Bewilderment and awe surged through the farmer as he sped by, and a few times over, the birds scattered about the field as he made his way towards the spot where the…thing had landed. Moments later he arrived at the base of a huge crater where, at the bottom, a spherical metal object lay still smoking. He nearly wet himself as the object's true identity dawned on him. "N-not a meteor…" was all he could stammer before he yelped in surprise as the spaceship emitted a series of muffled beeps, followed by a hissing sound, as a portion of the sphere folded away with a soft metallic whine.

Clutching a shotgun in his trembling hands, the farmer watched as something inside the UFO shifted its weight, causing the ship to rock slightly. A hand from inside the sphere emerged and grasped a hand-hold, followed by a mass of wild, dark hair and tall, muscular, fully armed body. The being rose to its full height and launched itself into the air, landing in front of the astonished farmer. It had an appearance not unlike that of humans, excluding the furry brown tail wrapped around its waist.

The Saiyan ground its teeth in anger upon seeing a living being in front of him. "So… the inhabitants of this world are still alive? Curse that Kakarot!" Why hasn't he completed his mission by now?! Radditz thought angrily as he studied the puny being before him. Reaching one hand up to the device over his eye, he pressed a button and scoffed at the power reading he received a few short bleeps later. "Peh…only a 5. What a planet!" After a quick decision to amuse himself after such a long and boring journey, Radditz approached the terrified farmer who began screaming warnings for the alien to stay away. With a great yell, the farmer aimed his shotgun at the saiyan and fired one shot, before turning tail and running in terror.

Radditz smirked at the planet's primitive weapons as he caught the bullet in his hand. Grinning wickedly at the petrified human, Radditz flipped the bullet between his thumb and forefinger, then flicked it at the Earthling with fatal accuracy. Staring down at the corpse, he again expressed his disdain for this pathetic planet, spitting at the dead farmer. Feh… a planet of weaklings… His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when his scouter issued a small beep. Radditz studied the readout his device presented him. Two life forms… both a great power. Closest is a distance of 4880… His heart rushed in anticipation. One of them must be Kakarot! Radditz laughed wickedly as he leapt into the sky and he took off in flight. He felt himself gearing up for the inevitable "meeting" soon to come, knowing how to enjoy it all too well. "Watch out little brother," he yelled into the wind, "here I come!!"