Even as an imitation, my devices covered less than ten percent of a true Super Saiyan's power. And to make matters worse, Goku hadn't reached Super Saiyan yet. So I built the left-arm unit from my impressions of what a Super Saiyan did to a Saiyan body—educated guesses, not hard data. Without a live reference, it was all conjecture. If I wanted reliable results, I needed another full-blooded Saiyan to compare against Goku.
I was thinking about how to improve the units when Goku's voice crackled through the communicator on my right wrist. "Piccolo's fighting someone strong. Their levels are close, but I want to see what's going on."
That confused me. Piccolo shouldn't be anywhere near Raditz's strength. Then I felt it—Ki, sharp and unfamiliar. Piccolo was as strong as Raditz. I couldn't sense ki well in my original timeline, so I couldn't compare precisely, but it was obvious: making Goku stronger here had ripple effects. Others were growing too, not wanting to be left behind.
If Raditz lived, I could run a proper comparison between him and Goku and add another valuable variable to my experiments. So without a second thought I launched myself toward Piccolo's ki signature. I needed Raditz alive.
When I arrived, Piccolo had already taken off his cape and gone serious. Goku had just sent Raditz tumbling with a punch. Before the Saiyan could scramble to his feet, I landed on his back, pinned him to the ground, and put my weight into it.
"You can't win here," I said, pressing my palm into the back of his neck. "And you can't go back either—if you fail to bring your brother, you're in trouble."
He spat, too proud to sound afraid. "You don't know what you're talking about, lady."
"Prove it," I said. "Tell whoever's listening on your communicator that you failed. Tell them you met someone only a little stronger than you—see how much they value you then."
He hesitated. Pride warred with logic in his face. "I am Raditz. I am a Saiyan, a proud warrior. Your words mean nothing."
I tightened my grip and smiled. "Is that so, crawling under my hand? Do you think they value you that much?" I could practically hear Vegeta and Nappa's voices in my head, mocking him through whatever scouter link he had—typical Saiyan hierarchy. I didn't need to explain that to Raditz.
"What do you want from me?" he snapped. "If not—" His voice broke off into a challenge.
"Work for me," I said evenly. "Join us, and you might survive to a ripe old age. Refuse, and you'll find out how little they care when it's just you on the ground." I let the threat hang there. He was smarter than he looked—he knew I was testing him.
"You're talking nonsense, lady," Raditz snarled. "My friends are listening right now. You may act tough, but they're far stronger than you. Kakarot will regret this."
I increased the pressure until his breath hitched. "Turn off the scouter or I'll break your neck. Toss it here."
Hands shaking, he ripped the scouter from his ear and flung it at me. I caught it and slipped it into my pocket. From my toolkit I produced a small cuff—an inhibitor modeled after the wrist units but designed to suppress ki output. I clipped it to his scouter housing and pocketed that too, then shoved the cuff over his wrist so he couldn't use ki freely.
"Goku," I called, "bring him with us to my house. I need a live subject to refine the amplifier—and to make training safer for everyone."
Goku shrugged as if this were the most natural thing in the world. He slung Raditz onto his shoulder. The Saiyan thrashed at first, then went still under my stare. He wasn't built like Vegeta or Nappa—he never pushed himself, and it showed. Without full effort, he was barely stronger than a saibaman.
"Is he dangerous?" Goku asked, concern clear in his voice as we took off.
"That's why I put the inhibitor on him," I replied. "And I built a holding cell." I didn't mention the locking protocols or the faraday dampers; he didn't need the details. "His friends will show up soon—we'll be ready."
Piccolo watched us go, silent and unreadable. He offered no words as we flew away with Raditz on Goku's shoulder.
As we headed back, I ran scenarios in my head. Data, not drama—that's what I needed. Raditz alive meant a direct comparison: bloodwork, ki signatures, behavioral reactions under the devices. If Goku could convince his brother to change, well—that would be an unexpected variable, but possibly the most valuable one of all.
For now, though, confidence held. We had the tech. We had the training. And for the first time since the other timeline, I believed we had a chance to steer the future.