Dragon Ball: Uprising (Original)

Chapter 0: An Introduction to Kaido

It wasn't exactly pleasant to wake up because of a punch to the stomach, but it wasn't unusual for the young Kaido. That, and it wasn't like he had much of choice. Either he learned to wake up earlier, or he had to get used to the pain, because his father certainly wasn't going to change his behavior. The punch was actually much softer this morning, but still not something the boy could just ignore. Coughing heavily, the boy sat up, obviously trying to avoid further attempts to 'wake him up'.

"W-what?"

It was a dumb question, but it was the first to come to mind following the sudden punch. He knew full well the reason he was supposed to be up. He'd been preparing pretty much his entire life for it. So of course his father didn't sound too pleased about him apparently forgetting.

"Kaido, if you miss the fights, I'll beat you to a pulp myself. I promised King Vegeta you'd show him a good fight, and I will not be made a liar."

Rubbing his eyes now, the boy could just barely see the expression on his father's face. He was.. Excited. It was strange to Kaido, as usually his father was quiet and serious. The only times he ever saw the great Artiko with even a small smile on his face was when he was training with other members of the Royal Guard. Kaido could definitely understand where the excitement came from, however. For years, he had watched the same fights occur, and only now was he himself old enough to participate himself.

"I would never miss them, father."

Satisfied, the older Saiyan backed off from the bed, giving his son assurance that he wasn't about to strike again. It wasn't wise to, anyway, as it might just harm the boy's performance later that day. Then, he was out of the room, without another word.

This gave the still-a-little-sleepy Kaido some time to think about what was ahead. Every year, children in the capital like himself had the opportunity to show their strength and capability to the older Saiyans, as well as officials from the Planet Trade Organization. While there weren't many Saiyans eligible at moment, it was still a big deal. It would decide which one of the Saiyans coming of age would be selected for Royal Guard, which meant that once upon a time, Artiko himself had competed and won. So his father certainly wasn't going to be very happy if his son failed to live up to his example.

Getting out of bed now, Kaido's thoughts turned to his older sister Nachi, and how she had failed at the very same competition he was now expected to win. She had made it to semifinals before being knocked out, so she certainly wasn't a failure. Her display of power was still enough to attract the attention of Lord Frieza's men, but it wasn't enough for Artiko. Once she was taken off-planet, Kaido never heard from her again. If he lost like she did, he suspected his father would treat him the way. He couldn't have that. Conquering planets alongside other Saiyans in the Planet Trade Organization's name probably wasn't that bad, but it would make his father think less of him. He'd rather train and fight on Planet Vegeta then lose his role model's support and go anywhere else. He had to be stronger than his sister...

When he was finally dressed in his armor and ready to deal with his father once more, Kaido left his room, confidently striding out like the punch from earlier wasn't still hurting him. He was greeted by the sight of his father sitting at a large table, alone. It had been a long time since his sister or mother had joined the two of them to eat. His father usually had places to be, so his waiting was definitely because of the day's competition.

Eager to break the awkward silence that would've likely ensued once he sat down to eat, Kaido decided to voice his concerns to the only other person who'd care.

"Father, what was my power level the last time we checked?"

As if he would actually forget such a thing. He just needed to know if it was satisfactory, for that small boost in confidence it would give him to hear his father praise him once more. Rather recite the number, Artiko tapped a button on his green scouter, before reading off what it said.