Dragon Ball Z: Taro

Chapter Four: Invasion

One year has passed since the death of Raditz and Kakarot. The day started as any other: Taro got up, cleaned himself in a nearby waterfall, did some quick stretches and donned his training fatigues, a modified one of Kakarot's training clothes. The outfit consisted of the orange gi of Kakarot with a black weighted undershirt and his original Saiyan armor bracers and boots. It wasn't practical, but it was comfortable and familiar. In that time, he had also started to learn how to sense energy from Piccolo. Taro fastened the bracers to his wrist as he looked down from the plateau, seeing Gohan and Piccolo training.

"I can't believe I've been here a year already," the Saiyan thought. "The kindness these... these people have shown me is remarkable. Not even my own kind treated me this well." He smiled as he leapt off the plateau, landing next to Piccolo and Gohan, now given a gi to match Piccolo's.

"Morning Mr. Taro!" Gohan smiled happily. Taro smiled back, crossing his arms comfortably over his chest.

"Good morning to you too Gohan! You as well, Piccolo." He replied. Piccolo growled and looked in the opposite direction. Taro smirked with confidence, but that confidence soon drained away to nothing. The three could sense a huge power breaking through the planet's atmosphere. "It's them... they're here." Taro said, a quiver of fear in his voice. He quickly flew back up to his hut, grabbing his scouter and put it on. Thankfully, it still had enough power to listen into Vegeta and Nappa's conversation. Taro shushed Gohan and Piccolo as the metallic whoosh of the pods depressurizing was heard over the scouter.

"So this is Earth. Not a bad looking planet." Taro recognized this voice easily. It was Vegeta, the prince of the Saiyan race. The most powerful Saiyan left of the four in service to the Frieza Force. Sounds of screaming people could be heard in the background.

"Guess we should pay our respects to the little twerps, huh?" Another voice rang out. That voice belonged to Nappa, Vegeta's right hand man and muscle. Whenever Vegeta didn't want to get his hands dirty on a job, Nappa would jump in to take out the trash. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion over the scouter and the sounds of screaming people. The three warriors could sense the amount of power put out in this one attack. Then there was silence. An eerie disturbing silence that only lingers when the dead are near. Taro grit his teeth, getting angry at the loss of life.

"First things first. We'll seek out the highest power level. When we do, we'll likely find Raditz's killer. Or Kakarot's son. Or perhaps even that traitor Taro." Vegeta huffed. The two Saiyans now stood in a crater of what used to be North City. Smoke was all that remained of the once proud metropolis. Everything had been completely atomized in Nappa's Giant Storm attack. Vegeta pressed the button on his red scouter, looking around slowly for a high enough power level to read. At last, he got three strong signals in the same area. A reading of 981, 3,500 and 4,000 respectively. "Found you. Come, Nappa. Time to have some fun," the prince smirked as he and his muscular partner flew at top speed towards the signal. Taro took off his scouter, dropping it.

"They're coming!" He yelled, flying back to his hut before changing into his damaged Saiyan armor. Though it was cracked, it would provide better defense than the cloth gi he wore. Quickly, he rejoined Gohan and Piccolo as the three took off to an open field. As they landed, the bald man from the house a year before landed near them. He panicked upon seeing Taro.

"You again!? I thought you were dead!" He yelled as he was about to attack. Gohan stood in the way, defending Taro.

"Back off, Krillin! For the time being, he's on our side," Piccolo barked at the small bald human. Krillin slowly relaxed, still not trusting his newfound ally. Suddenly, the four turned to see two white aura trails heading right for them. The grouo readied in defensive stances as Vegeta and Nappa landed in front of them. Nappa snickered with a sinister grin deforming the thin mustache on his upper lip.