A/N: Nostalgia has kind of driven me to write this fiction. I've not written anything in a long while, never really have the time. We'll see how far I can get in this however.

Now then, just a heads up. There are so far no original characters in the story. There may be eventually, but anyone whose currently presented, is not a product of mine for the foreseeable future.

Really, the story focuses on tons of characters, it was hard to say "Hey, this is the main character." As given how I want to write it, the focus will shift as the story goes forward. I would say however, just because of how prominent he is going to be in the Saiyan Saga, that Raditz is a "main character", Goku, Piccolo, Gohan are 'main characters'. But later on Vegeta may be a main character, or others.

This will be a very, very long story if I keep my motivation up. Its by all means an Action Adventure, but there will be drama playing a big role as well. I never quite know when my stories will end when I start them.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or titles and ect.

Dragonball Z: The Catalyst

Act 1:

Chapter 1: The Catalyst

The cries of the young child below meant little to him.

At last, he could grab something to eat.

Raditz had been starving now for hours, his saiyan appetite ravenous for food, even if it was just scraps he could find. Kakarot had been easy prey, ridiculously so. Vegeta's plan to have him brought back into the fold was going to do what for them exactly? Already, Raditz was having second thoughts about all this. There were some residual thoughts of the fact that Kakarot was his sibling, however to be blunt, Raditz was a professional. He would kill Kakarot if need be, and reeducate the boy and replace him, one low level Saiyan was as good as any other.

His scout began beeping, giving a crazy reading, it started to spike madly before he turned his head, looking for whatever the hell it was. The signal calmed within seconds as Raditz looked about. It'd started near 5,000, and only went up, before disappearing into nothing? He didn't trust that, not at all.

"Hello there, Raditz, was it?"

Raditz felt his blood go cold, that deep voice was somehow eerie, it thrummed with authority and the fact it knew his name sent a chill down his spine. The figure that was now before Raditz stood there, conveniently covered by a cloak, though he could see his hands. They were green, and had claws, similar to the alien before. Eyes narrowed on the figure as he moved his hand up to the scouter, looking for a reading.

2.

He didn't believe that for a moment. Where did this guy come from for starters? They were in the middle of a field. He didn't look like the weaklings on this planet either.

"How do you know my name, Green Man?" Raditz responded gruffly, his sneer firmly embedded in his features. He could feel the self confident smile appear across this creature's face.

"I know many things, Raditz. For instance that you are going to die here, today. Die at the hands of that demon you ran into earlier, and your little brother."

Raditz's eyes widened upon hearing the words. He was going to die? What foolishness, he could crush that green idiot like a bug. But there was an authority behind his words that had an element of truth to them, despite how sceptical Raditz was.

"And how do you know that?" Raditz asked. "Tell me now, or you'll die before I get a chance to." Raditz then added, a red orb beginning to glow in his right hand as he stood there, preparing to teach this scum a lesson.

When the laughter started, Raditz decided he'd had enough playing around. This freak was laughing at him, him of all people. With the flick of his wrist, the bolt of red energy came free from his hand, being sent to incinerate this being. When it stopped in mid air at the gesture of the creature's hand, Raditz stood there in shock, almost unable to form words.

"Miraculously, I appear to be alive."

Raditz now began to understand his situation, his eyes locked onto this creature, for the briefest of moment, he could have sworn his scouter had a failure. It beeped rapidly, its readings went past 15,000, and before it could continue, it was back down to 2.

Power level 15,000 or more.

Raditz could barely stand there as he tried to grasp what he was dealing with. 15,000, that was more than most of Frieza's elites.

"What are you?"

The figure seemed to ponder for a moment, his smile only intensifying.

"You may call me the Catalyst, Raditz. You see, I need to you hear this. I am not here to kill you. I am here to in fact, encourage you." The tone was sinister, if anything it sounded more reminiscent of Frieza. He clearly wanted something from him.

"Firstly, let me start by telling you that even if you win this coming battle. Your foes will simply use the Dragon Balls to fix whatever damage you do."

"Dragon Balls?"

"Mystical items that will allow he who possesses all 7 to summon a Dragon, who will grant the bearer any wish. From reviving the dead, to eternal life or eternal youth."

Raditz heard the words as his eyes glanced at the old creature. Eternal Youth? Immortality? These certainly were concepts that he enjoyed the sound of. His eyes remained focused on this green freak however, he could only think of these Dragon Balls so much with this creature here. His existence in life was certainly at jeopardy with a creature that had over 10 times his power level.

"Next, allow me to explain what is going to happen. You are going to lose. I won't describe how, I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." He said confidently, before locking his eyes onto Raditz's scouter, with a red flash from his eyes the device exploded, bits crumbling from Radtiz's face as the Saiyan stepped back, reaching his hand up to the scorch on the side of his head.

Raditz clenched his fist and snarled.

"You have two choices. Either you and your brother can die. Or your brother can die. Either will result in your defeat. If you wish to live another day Raditz, you will do as I tell you. Kill Goku, and then escape."

Raditz heard the words as he rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"And why are you doing this Catalyst? I am sure it is for my benefit of course!"

The sarcasm dripped from each word as the green skinned figure narrowed his eyes on him.

"Hardly. Your benefit is a mere coincidence and little else. However, the Dragonballs are useless if the Green One dies. I am sure Vegeta and Nappa would want to hear about how you cost them their chance at eternal life by killing him,"

Raditz froze, looking at the hooded figure and grit his teeth.

"How did you know about Nappa and Vegeta?" He then asked, the moment dawning on him.

Behind him, two figures landed from the sky, their bodies braced for combat.

Raditz had barely recognized their arrival, his head quickly turned back, to see that the hooded figure was gone. GONE?!

"Where is my son!?" Goku demanded.

The words drew Raditz back into reality, it was as if he'd been in a dream only seconds earlier.

"Ah, I don't see a pile of dead bodies Kakarot, so I am going to assume that you didn't do the little job I asked of you."

"No I didn't! Now where is Gohan!"

Piccolo stood next to him, his eyes cold as steel as well.

The Alien-Demon-Whatever was supposed to kill him? Impossible, his power level was barely above 300 when they first met. But that figure had known about Nappa and Vegeta, and he knew the Scouter would have communicated about the Dragon Balls. Dragon Balls he must have intentionally mentioned to him. He even made sure to let him know the Namek couldn't be killed, or the balls would disappear. And if they disappeared he'd die as a result of Nappa and Vegeta's fury.

It dawned on him in that moment...

He'd just been set up.

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Goku was such a fool. Even now Piccolo could only think of how to not only destroy Raditz, but Goku as well. Piccolo knew full well of course, the chief priority had to be the strongest of his adversaries, however his day would could only get better if Goku managed to get mortally wounded in all this.

There was something different however, about Raditz. He noted almost immediately that his scanning device seemed gone. He also had looked unprepared for their arrival. Something must have happened. Either way, it was fine by his standards.

"The kid is in my space pod. The brat wouldn't shut up."

"Are we going to do this already?" Piccolo asked, tossing aside his weighted clothes.

"You wear weighted clothes too Piccolo?"

There was no time to answer, clearly Raditz had enough small talk as he started to power up. Both Goku and Piccolo felt the waves of force coming off the older Saiyan as Raditz almost snarled at the pair of them.

"You two are mine!" Raditz shouted, his body blasted through the air towards the two. His image passed through them as they both attempted to block him, only to have him appear behind them, dropping his elbows into their backs. The two fighters bounced off their stomachs and flipped to their feet, turning to face Raditz.

There was a pause in the fighting, Piccolo could feel Raditz appraising his next moves, and he knew Goku could feel the same. Within a second the decisions by both sides had been made. It was clear Raditz had the initiative. The motions of the saiyan's body blurred as he blasted first towards Piccolo, and then veered into Goku instead.

The two aliens came to blows, Raditz clearly having the advantage as he drove Goku back, each attack Goku launched was immediately countered by the faster elder. A fist was thrown in response by Goku. Finally Raditz landed a kick on Goku's side, sending the younger brother flailing to the ground.

Without his scouter, Raditz was finding keeping track of his opponents more difficult, as he soon found out even more once Piccolo's boot firmly planted itself on the side of his face. The world seemed to almost slow for a moment before the saiyan warrior could even get his bearings back enough to address the Namek. By the time he recovered and turned his frame Piccolo had already landed another punch on his face.

With a furious snarl Raditz launched his own assault back into the Namek. First dropping a knee into the abdomen of Piccolo, and drawing his own arms up to lay in an axe handle smash. Instead, he found two arms locked behind his own.

"Kakarot!" He shouted, before Goku pulled him back and slammed him head first, upside down, into the earth. Raditz rolled back, barely recovering in time, breathing heavily as he looked at the other two labouring warriors.

Without the ability to track their movements outside of his vision, he was finding the situation increasingly difficult.

And they knew it.

"Goku, have you noticed what I have?" Piccolo said quietly, looking briefly to his rival.

"Yea, he can't detect energy without that device he had earlier."

"Good, keep him off balance and he's finished."

They could see his teeth grit with frustration as well, it was showing.

"Do you two idiots really think you can keep this up?" He finally said. "Allow me to show you how wrong you are."

Two energy orbs appeared in his hands, their white-blue energy rippling out of his hands as he powered the attack. The power spike was enough that both fighters opposite to Raditz prepared to dodge. When the beams blasted from Raditz's palms, they went flying straight towards Goku and Piccolo.

In the blink of an eye both fighters went skywards. Below them the two beams shattered into the earth and released their energy. Two huge plumes of blue fire erupted below them, the brightness of the explosions nearly blinding them. Before Piccolo could react further, Radtiz's elbow had found its mark crashing into the side of his skull. The Namek's head slid unnaturally back as his body almost started to rocket to earth, only to be accelerated from a vicious diving knee from Raditz into the top of his chest. The green combatant's form descended into the smoke towers before crashing into the craters below.

By the time Goku noticed this, his head turned rapidly to see Raditz hovering in the air. He dove through the air towards him, feet first, locking his feet together. With a bone shattering impact he drove his feet into the back of his older brother. Raditz flipped in the air from the impact, instinctively drawing up his arms in defence as he turned to face Goku, blocking the fist his brother sought to follow up with. Now Goku found himself with a fist in his own face, warping the shape of his cheek from the power of the impact, before Goku too found himself descending towards the caters with a powerful kick from Raditz.

When Goku struck the ground his body hit the earth with a dull crash, and then flopping onto his back. Before he could even try to get up, a knee found its home in his abdomen, as Raditz had dived after him from above. The ground cracked around them before the eldest of the siblings pulled himself up, leaving Goku to cough.

Piccolo had found his feet, and braced himself.

Just buy me some time Goku. He thought.

Goku managed to grab Raditz's foot from his position on the ground, starting to pull himself up.

"The Green Man looks constipated, and you look half dead. What exactly are you going to achieve fighting me?" Raditz scoffed. He kicked his brother over again, grabbing him by the hair and pulling him to his feet.

The blows which landed next were sadistic, brutal body shots and harsh blows to the head as Raditz laughed at the weakness of his opponents, before he turned to fire an energy blast into Piccolo, who was still standing there just as he'd been.

"What kind of strategy is that? Standing there like a fool! Here, let me help you Namek." The red orb forming in his palms began to glow vibrantly, as the orange-blue electrical bolts began to be seen as visible on Piccolo's fingers. It was strange to see both Piccolo and Raditz looking confident.

"Saturday Crush!"

"Masankosappo!"

When the wave from Raditz collided with Piccolo's beam, the two forces met with a shockwave, the deadly beam cannon grinding into the energy wave from Raditz.

For his part, Raditz hadn't understood the full amount of power Piccolo had gathered, he hadn't understood concentrating that much power in one point to raise one's power level. Once the initial shock-wave ended, Raditz could see the result, after only two, perhaps 3 seconds, his own beam was being torn through, the Beam Cannon driving it back its helpless counterpart. Raditz panicked, his eyes filling with fear like a bottle of water under a tap.

"No way!"

When the beam hit Raditz it'd been much diminished from its original form, the Saturday Crush had dulled the attack, furthermore the beam collided with Raditz's gauntlets at the last moments as he urgently raised his defence. The gigantic blast that came out in shock-waves a second later resulted in Goku being blasted aside, his body bleeding and burned, and Raditz disappearing in the heart of the explosion.

Piccolo was left standing there, his body breathing in and out heavily from the exertion of his attack.

"Let's see you walk away from that you bastard." Piccolo breathed.

When the smoke cleared, much of his armour destroyed and split off, Raditz fell to one knee, his arms bleeding and trembling. He looked utterly wrecked. He looked up at the "Demon" with clenched teeth as he tried to get up, before almost falling back.

"You. Green Man. You are dead." He managed to utter hatefully as Piccolo suddenly smiled confidently.

"Is that so? From here you are looking pretty rough."

Evidently not rough enough however, as Raditz managed to send a massive energy blast in Piccolo's direction.

Piccolo's jaw dropped before he put up his defence. The explosion was nowhere near as impressive as the one just prior, but it was impressive enough to send the Namekian flying back covered in smoke, before he crashed to the grassy fields beyond.

It was then that Goku faced towards Raditz, the two of them bleeding, torn, ruined.

With a leap and a kick Goku started the assault, being blocked by his brother's knee only to find a strong fist bludgeoning his head within seconds. Blow after blow landing on him. Goku started to go limp, blood gushing from the wounds in his head and his mouth.

Raditz stopped as he took a moment to breath.

"Kakarot, give up." He breathed, Goku tried to stay conscious and just bobbed his head, looking at Raditz.

"I can't." Goku responded.

With frustration Raditz raised his hand to strike again.

Then the space pod exploded.

"What the hell is it with this planet?!" Raditz uttered, only to find his Nephew standing there.

"Leave my dad alone!" Gohan shouted.

"The kid?" Raditz asked, in shock. "The kid blew up my pod?!"

Gohan then gave an inaudible cry, before launching at Raditz with a golden-red flame around him. Raditz just stared in shock, before the impact.

His ribs broke, at least 3 instantly, before he was sent rolling back. His body lay flat on its back as he moved his burned and bloodied hand to hold his mid section. He was too injured, too torn up. Finally Raditz managed to bring himself to his feet, seeing Piccolo had returned. Goku had barely managed to get to his knees, and was struggling as he looked at him to get to his feet.

"Its unfortunate for you, Raditz. But you are done." Piccolo chuckled, crossing his arms. He could feel Raditz power lowered enough now that he was susceptible to their attacks, if Goku could attack. It didn't matter much, given that he, Piccolo, was in good fighting order still.

An aircraft passed overhead, containing Goku's friends just as Piccolo smiled darkly.

Raditz realized he needed an out. His scouter, armour, and space craft were all out of commission. Goku was badly injured and he was sure the green alien's power had to be drained. Physical injury now nagged him. Without his ship or scouter he couldn't communicate either, he was stranded on this rock.

Before he could think further, Goku stepped towards him, one hand readied for battle, the other hanging limply at his side.

"Its over Raditz, surrender." Goku urged.

"Never." Raditz responded, his eyes looking at Goku then back to Piccolo.

Piccolo just started to chuckle as energy began forming in his hands. Another assault, another blast. He then saw the two fingers form for that damned drill assault again. He was too injured to dodge it again. He stepped towards Goku, keeping his eye on Piccolo.

When Piccolo had the attack charged again, Raditz smiled.

"Finish me off then! Do it! Cowards!" He shouted.

Piccolo took the bait.

"Masankosappo!"

It was then that Raditz grabbed Goku, using all his strength to pull him in front, while diving to the ground.

It was a mess.

Kakarot was blasted through the abdomen by the Green Fool.

When his body hit the ground Raditz pulled himself up, grinning at the attacker.

Only to find Piccolo grinning back.

"Either target works for me." Piccolo said, preparing to make his next assault. Only to find Krillen having jumped from the aircraft, rushing to Goku's side.

"Goku!"

The distraction was enough that Raditz had already mustered the last of his strength, flying skyward.

"This isn't over, Green Man!" He shouted down towards him. "I will ruin this world, and when my comrades arrive we will crush you all!" He laughed, though his voice was strained. He was still faster in the air.

"Get back here!" Piccolo shouted, before Raditz blasted off, using up the remains of his power.

He looked towards Krillen, Gohan, and the dying Goku. Without saying so much as a word, he walked over, grabbing Gohan.

The kid had been stronger than Raditz, he would need that.

"I would recommend training Krillen."

Krillen just looked up.

"You monster, you killed Goku!"

"Its alright... Krillen. Piccolo, please... s...stop him. You have to, or you'll die. too."

Piccolo just gave a small humpf to Goku in response. "We'll see."

With that, he stole Goku's son, just as Goku died. He stole Goku's son, just as Bulma and Master Roshi arrived. Gohan's wales were heard briefly, before being silenced by distance, and likely Piccolo's temper.

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Stuck! Stuck out here!

These were the thoughts running through Raditz mind as he started to drag in the air, running out of energy, his body savaged and wounded. No communications, no refits, no healing tanks, it would take a year for Vegeta and Nappa to arrive. This had ended as a total catastrophe. He'd killed Kakarot, been manipulated by an old, hooded green man, and gotten the hell kicked out of him.

Still, he'd be stronger for it. And if he could learn the secret of the Dragon Balls, perhaps he could still gain Vegeta's favour. He just needed time to heal. His ribs were broken, his arms were ruins of blood and burns, Raditz knew without a regeneration tank, this would take time.

End Chapter.

A/N: Well, there is the chapter for you. I generally write 2-3 chapters ahead, or try to. I tried to launch the story strong, but we'll see.