At Kame House, Alex and the others were resting. Bulma sat at the table, tinkering with the broken scouter, while Krillin had gone to Goku's house to inform Chi-Chi about Goku and Gohan.
"So, Alex… you had a Senzu Bean. Why didn't you use it on Goku?" Mellon asked, arms crossed.
Alex, lounging on the couch and watching TV with Master Roshi, glanced over. "About that… I didn't really give it much thought. I figured we could just bring him back with the Dragon Balls," he said. "I actually went to Korin's yesterday to get more beans, hoping to spar with Goku during the reunion. But… he only had one."
'Can't exactly tell you guys that I knew Raditz was coming… now can I?' Alex thought, keeping a calm expression.
"But wasn't it dangerous to just let Raditz go like that?" Bulma asked, looking up from her tools. "What if he attacked again?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah, I thought about that. I was trying to intimidate him into backing off. But you're right—it could've been dangerous if he had decided to fight."
"Don't tell me you didn't have any plans to stop him," Master Roshi said with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course I did, Master Roshi," Alex replied with a grin. "If it came to that, one Solar Flare would've blinded him long enough for me to grab his tail. Easy."
Roshi leaned back with a sigh. "Hmph. Well, I guess you're pretty good at this after all."
Alex chuckled, stretching. "Unless he finished everyone off in one blow. That would've been... horrible."
"You—" Roshi started, then paused, completely at a loss for words.
---
The Next Day
Krillin had returned, empty-handed and nervous.
"You're hopeless, you know that?" Bulma scolded, arms crossed. "All you had to do was tell her. It's not hard."
"Easy for you to say! Try looking Chi-Chi in the face and telling her Goku's dead. It's impossible," Krillin replied.
"I can't say I blame you," Roshi said. "How about this—we write her a letter instead?"
"You mean I'm off the hook? Now that's a great idea!" Krillin cheered.
"Did you at least grab the Dragon Balls from Goku's place? There were six," Bulma asked.
"Uh… I forgot," Krillin admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
"Totally hopeless," Bulma muttered.
"You guys are fun," Mellon said with a smile. "There's a world-ending threat coming, but none of you seem stressed at all."
"That's because we're used to it," Bulma replied casually. "Things always work out. No need to stress."
She focused on the scouter in her hands. "Anyway, I'm almost done fixing this."
---
A few hours later…
"There! That should do it!" Bulma announced, rising from her seat. "Hey guys, up and at 'em—I think I got it working!"
But everyone was fast asleep.
"Ugh!" Bulma grumbled then She whipped out a gun loaded with rubber pellets and fired.
"GAH!"
"Ow! My eye!"
"Bulma! That's not legal!"
Once everyone had scrambled to their feet, groaning
"Listen," Bulma said sternly. "I've been up all night, and I'm a little irritable. You do not want to test me this morning."
She held up the repaired scouter. "Now then, let's try this again. On your feet!"
"Hop where?" Master Roshi asked.
"Just stand up so I can test this baby out. It should show your power level," Bulma said, scanning him. "Hmm… 139. Not bad for an old man."
"I don't know what hurts worse—the lousy power rating or the commentary that goes with it," Roshi muttered.
Krillin stepped forward. "Try me next!"
"Alright… 229," Bulma read. "Not bad."
"Hey! I'm stronger than you!" Krillin said, looking smugly at Roshi. "The student has surpassed the master!"
"That proves it—the gizmo's busted," Roshi scoffed.
Bulma smirked. "Let's find out. Alex, your turn!"
The scouter beeped.
"Power level… 504. That's the highest so far."
"That thing's definitely busted!" Krillin shouted.
"That reminds me… I think I forgot my weighted clothes on the battlefield," Alex mused aloud.'Ah well. I'll get new ones soon enough.'
"No way!" Krillin said as he looked at Alex. "There's no chance you're twice as strong as me! How'd you even beat me?"
"Training. Discipline. Good hair," Alex said casually.
"...I shaved my-"Just then krillin was interrupted, Yajirobe's voice called out from outside. krillin went outside followed by everyone to meet yajirobi
He told them to head to the tower for special training he said. "Bring yamcha and tien somebody and cha-whatever Oh—and almost I forgot don't bring Goku back yet. There's some kind of special training in the Other World. Some lady named Baba will fill you in."
With that, he hopped into his flying car and took off.
An aircar approached from the other direction—it was Ox-King and Chi-Chi. Master Roshi explained everything to them as soon as they landed
"You let that green monster take my son?!" Chi-Chi shrieked.
"So you're saying Goku… he's…?" the Ox-King started.
"Yep. He's dead," Roshi said bluntly.
Chi-Chi fainted on the spot.
---
Elsewhere…
In a deserted area, Gohan was left to survive on his own under Piccolo's orders. Currently, he was asleep on a high cliff.
He stirred, rubbing his eyes. "I hate this place. And I don't even know how I got up here…"
He stepped out to relieve himself and noticed something odd.
"Huh? I have a shadow… but the sun's not up. It's night."
Then he looked up. "Whoa… that's the biggest moon I've ever seen! It's so bright. Is that a full—"
His words cut off as his body began to transform into a Great Ape. The cliff beneath him crumbled under the sheer weight of his new form.
The Great Ape rampaged, firing energy blasts and destroying everything in sight.
"I don't understand… if I don't stop this monster, there won't be an Earth left to defend!" Piccolo shouted as he dodged a blast.
Then it hit him—Raditz's words about the Saiyans' transformation.
'The moon… they need the moon!'
Without hesitation, Piccolo blasted the moon out of the sky. The Great Ape form shrank, and Gohan collapsed, unconscious.
"So that's the secret of the Saiyans' power. Their tails… they let them transform at the full moon," Piccolo muttered. "It's a good thing I destroyed it. Without the moon, they can't transform anymore. That puts us on more even ground. Actually… we've got the advantage now. We know their weakness."
Piccolo approached the unconscious boy and removed his tail. Then, using his clothes beam, he dressed Gohan in training clothes and left him a small sword.
"If you can survive six months out here alone… you'll see me again. And when that time comes, I'll teach you the art of fighting—the hard way," Piccolo said coldly. "You're going to be just like me."
With that, he flew off into the distance.