Day Five: Evening

[Raditzu]

"Tch... about time."

The saiyan looked up into the sky at the giant floating head of Karl Jak. The head rolled from side to side as it made the announcement, as though the whole thing was some incredible joke. Rad didn't get it.

When the announcement ended, the head turned back into the familiar image of Raditzu wearing tights, a cape, and flying in small circles all over the sky. In the meantime, the trees that spread across the island hurled small squirrels at the flying figure above them. Though Super Rad wouldn't normally give projectile squirrels a second thought, these were obviously very special critters. As they neared their target, they exploded. It was like watching a bizarre fireworks display.

As Rad stopped to watch himself dodging squirrels high above, he found himself thinking back to the last time he had been in this position. As his mind drifted back, people and places popped into existence right before his eyes. While it was a bit more convinient than having to actually remember the scenes themselves, Rad shuddered to think what might happen should his mind wander.

"I can't believe its really been a whole year," Rad thought aloud. "At least this time I can talk..."

One year ago, almost to the day, Rad had been in almost the same position he was in now. He could see himself slumped against a tree, holding the wound on his neck, and looking up at the mountain upon which the finale had taken place. It was almost embarrasing to remeber this sight. The emotions, the feelings, and the steadfast resolve he had had at the time all came rushing back to him. He could even remember his thoughts from then.

I wanted to be there for people. I wanted to guide them and help them. I wanted to lead them.

And what had he accomplished? Where had he gotten? Just what had he been doing for the past year? Those were all easy questions to answer. Nothing. He hadn't done a single thing other than sit around and watch replays of interviews with himself. That wasn't the attitude that pushed him to win last year. Those weren't the actions of someone who really wanted to be there for the people he cared about. He had been more absorded in going to see a statue of himself than he had been about the ones that had always stayed by his side. Without them even knowing it, he had failed them. He had failed himself.

More than anyone, though, Raditzu knew he had failed Eighteen. How could she even stand to be around him? Let alone have any kinds of feelings for him. His blatant neglect was disgusting even himself. There was no doubt in his mind about his feelings for her, but he could only imagine what she had begun to think. How even he could have grown to be so completely self-absorbed and arrogant was astonishing. He looked up to see himself and Eighteen enacting a scene from Romeo and Juliet. All he could do was frown when he realized he wasn't playing Romeo.

"So what do I do now?" Rad asked no one in partincular.

"You don't do anything," the Romeo-18 said. "Stop being an asshole."

"An asshole!? I'm not an asshole." Rad stood up, as though that action would prove his point.

"Dude," the Juliet-Rad started, "who d'you think you're kidding?"

"You think I'm an asshole, too?"

"Oh c'mon. I'm you. I know we're assholes." From atop his balcony, Juliet just shrugged. "Doesn't bother me, though. People like you 'n me have earned it."

"Tch..." was all Raditzu could say.

'Earned it'? He hadn't earned anything. He didn't deserve anything. While this whole tournament may have been one big mind-fuck, Rad had needed it. There were things that he had long since lost perspective on and, one way or another, there were things he was going to make right. He had disgraced himself and his title as "champion" over the last year, but that wasn't going to happen again. He had something to make up to the people who were watching right now, to the people who had cheered him on, to everyone who had asked him for an autograph. This game had turned him into something he never thought he could be.

Come hell or highwater, Raditzu was going to set things straight. He wasn't a tool to be used to sell posters and stuffed animals. He wasn't some weakling who would let himself be distorted by this ridiculous game. This was just the beginning for something bigger, and he was going to meet it the same way he met all challenges: head-on and holding nothing back.

Even if it took every last breath in his body, Raditzu was going to claw his way out of the Abyss. Not for anyone else. Not for himself as he was. Not for himself as he had been over the past year. For the person he knew he could be. For the person he knew he had to be.