#indigo raditz

“Raditz?” Janven turns to him in quick concern as the growling starts, “Is something- left star of Kareedos!”

That’s all Raditz catches before the blood is pounding too loudly in his ears to hear anything else as he grows and changes and finally roars in triumphant challenge before stretching and centering himself, regaining the mental equilibrium necessary to control the heightened aggression of this form and use ki efficiently. It feels good, being in Oozaru again after so long, and he’s a bit relieved because he’d half thought the ring-

The ring.

Oh yeah.

A quick feel with his thumb reveals his Indigo ring to still be there, feeling the same size it ever has (meaning that it’s grown somehow), but then, of course it is, his staff is still proportionate in his hand, after all.

…it suddenly occurs to him that it’s been very quiet for a battlefield ever since the change finished and he looks around. Everyone’s staring at him. And there’s a lot fewer Yellow Lanterns than there were before. They all stare at each other for a few minutes.

Someone swears.

Well, not his problem. Raditz shrugs, brings his staff forward, and forms a spherical construct around a group of Yellow Lanterns clustered together, effectively trapping them. There is an instant squaller inside the sphere and the battle resumes.

One of the things Raditz has always taken pride in is that he can manipulate ki with both hands – he’s ambidextrous. This is a trait that serves him well in this battle, as he maintains the prison sphere while other Yellow Lanterns try to attack him and he creates blasts with his other hand to keep them at bay. A little nudge in his mind, of the sort he’s come to associate with his ring trying to indicate something he should be doing, makes him look down. The battle has been in mid-air, but it’s taking place over a city, and a crowded one at that from the looks of things, full of frightened people. Frightened. Yellow rings are powered by fear.

…he’s never tried anything like this, but-

“Janven, I have an idea, I’m going down!”

He barely waits for them to nod before he drops to the ground, taking his captives with him, careful to land in an area without anyone running about. From what little he’s experienced thus far, channeling the emotional spectrum seems to be very similar to channeling ki in that he has access to so much more of it in Oozaru, and while he’s not the best with constructs, there are two types he’s good at: armor and shields.

The indigo dome blossoms over the city, protecting it from stray blasts and purposeful ones meant to inspire more terror and panic. He can almost feel the fear-based suffering easing as the inhabitants notice the dome, realize what it is, and realize that it’s keeping the fight away from them. That, for now at least, they’re safe.

As for Raditz, well, he’s never made a construct this big before, but it’s a simple one, of a sort he’s had plenty of practice with, not that different than holding a shield against a storm from the barrens. Only, just him, instead of a dozen or so of the Tribe working together.

…he really hopes the fight ends or moves on before moonset, because otherwise he has a feeling he’s going to be totally screwed once he loses the benefits of Oozaru. As it is, it rankles a lot to be so close to a fight yet not be able to participate, but he can do more good here for now. So he stands guard, watching the fight and shaking the sphere construct occasionally when the Yellow Lanterns inside start getting too feisty.

The moon is dangerously low in the sky by the time the last of the foes are defeated or fled. Raditz releases his shield and gladly turns his prisoners over to the custody of the Green Lanterns, which just leaves the fact that he’s still in Oozaru form to deal with, because being a seventy foot tall ape is not the most convenient thing in the world for everyday life.

“So…” Janven flies up so they’re on eye level with Raditz, “This is… a normal thig for saiyans, I hope?”

Raditz snorts. “Yeah. Taking the Oozaru form is one of the thigs we’re best known for, actually, so I’m surprised that you’re surprised by this.”

Janven twirls their staff, a touch embarrassed. “I had read something that, in hindsight, I realize was speaking of this, but your race is less well-known in this sector of the universe. In all truth, I believed the author was being metaphorical.”

“Nope.”

“Yes, I see that now. If I may… how long does this last?”

“Until about half an hour after I get out of the moonlight – sooner if I get rid of some of the energy as well, but that tends to be kinda… showy. And destructive.” Not to mention the fact that, while there are beings with all sorts of strange powers in this sector of the universe, ki manipulation seems to be almost entirely unheard of, and people tend to be get very uncomfortable when they first hear about it for some reason. Thus firing off a mouth blast of lunar energy would probably be a bad idea, especially since the local population has only just calmed down.

So instead they fly out of the city to get out of the residents’ way and wait for the moon to set in an open field not too far away, along with the other two Tribe members who had come with them. One jokes that she’d thought Raditz had a lot of hair normally, and they all laugh. The moon finally sets, the appropriate amount of time passes, and then, finally, the transformation ends.

Entering Oozaru is amazing, a rush of strength and energy and eagerness for battle (also bloodlust and aggression, but you learn to control those).

Coming out of Oozaru is… less so. At the end of it, Raditz drops to the ground abruptly, panting, then flops to his side. Yup, yup, just as exhausting as ever – actually, rather worse than normal, probably from channeling so much more indigo light than he’s used to (which is just blatantly unfair, it really is).

“Raditz?! What’s wrong?!” the others are crowding around him in an instant, concerned over this new development. He flaps a hand at them, but doesn’t get up. He wants to sleep for a week and simultaneously eat his own body weight I food, but as there is currently no food, the urge to sleep is winning.

“Well, if I must say, it appears that I arrived just in time.”

Raditz’s eyes snap open at the unfamiliar voice and, drained though he is, he’s still up in an instant, staff leveled at the stranger, instincts ingrained in him since childhood taking over. He’s still on his knees, sure, but he’s doing his best, and still in the position to do some serious damage if need be. You know, providing he doesn’t just keel over from the effort. The face he sees doesn’t reassure him – indeed, it has him growling and edging backwards, because the last time he saw such a face, well…

Suffice to say, he has no fondness for Namekians.

“Peace, brother, I mean you no harm,” the Namekian holds up a hand and the movement brings Raditz’s attention to the being’s chest and the crest situated there.

This does calm him somewhat, because the Green Lanterns are stubborn, but under that they’re generally good people. The pod of his staff hits the ground again, and there is a subtle lessening of tension in his surrounding Tribe members.

“I apologize for startling you,” the Namekian says politely, “I just wanted to bring you this.” And he sets down the container he’s been holding in his other arm in front of Raditz.

His nose twitches, stomach rumbling even before his mind processes the fact that that the container is full of food- FOOD, HE’S SO HUNGRY AND THE NAMEKIAN BROUGHT FOOD ALL IS FORGIVEN MAY MONSAN GRANT THEIR ENTIRE RACE WITH HER FAVOUR ESPECIALLY THIS ONE THANK MONSAN SO HUNGRY!!!

Raditz barely manages to get out a proper thanks before tearing into the gift – some sort of meat and fruit things that are currently the most delicious edibles in the universe.

“You have our thanks as well, friend,” Janven says as Raditz continues to inhale his gift, “I am Janven of Tortellia, and he is-”

“Raditz of Vegetasei,” Raditz interrupts, mouth mostly not full.

The Namekian nods. “I am Kuji of Namek.”

The rest of the Tribe members offer proper introductions as well, then-

“How did you know what he needed?” Janven asks curiously, “I should have guessed – everything boils down to food with this one eventually-” Raditz pauses in his meal to give an annoyed growl at the teasing, but Janven merely laughs and continues, “But to be so prepared for this already…?”

“I’ve had dealings with saiyans before,” Kuji explains, “The sector I patrol overlaps Cold territory and I used to run into them from time to time. So I’m familiar with their strengths and weaknesses.”

“If that’s the case, I’m surprised that you helped me at all,” Raditz says, swallowing the last scrap of meat and wiping his mouth. He’s still worn from the transformation, but the food helped enough that he no longer feels half dead. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful,” he continues, standing, “But I know how those ‘dealings’ of yours probably went, so…” he trails off, unsure how to continue.

Kuji raises an eye ridge at him. “I’ve been around long enough to know how being with the Tribe can change a person. Besides, your help was invaluable in last night’s battle, and I had a hunch from your friends’ reactions that they wouldn’t know what to do when you left Oozaru again. You Indigos aren’t the only ones capable of compassion, you know.”

Raditz blinks, then gives the Namekian a friendly slap on the shoulder before wobbling and sitting down again abruptly – his knees still feel watery and unstable.

Kuji gives him a bemused grin, then turns to Janven, “He’ll probably need to rest some more before he’s fully capable of movement. And, if he’s like the other saiyans I’ve met, he’ll say he’s ready before he really is.”

“That’s our Raditz,” Janven agrees before Raditz can protest, “He’s one with a will strong enough for Green, I think.”

Raditz glowers at both of them before laying down with a huff. “Doesn’t matter how strong my will is – as an unrepentant coward, I don’t qualify for Green, even if we ignored the very, very long list of reasons why I’m Indigo. It’s true,” he adds when they all laugh as though he’s joking, “None of you have ever seen me beg for my life and, let me tell you, I am pathetic.”

“Oh? What about that time on Sarex 1, then?” Janven asks.

“Or that time with that Red Lantern squad?” another Tribe member joins in. Half a dozen more instances are named as Kuji looks on in amusement, and finally Raditz sits up to more effectively glare at all of them.

“None of those instances count because I still had power in all of them! Helpless and in a corner? I’d turn on all of you in a flash!”

Janven comes and crouches in front of him with a faint smile. “Perhaps once you would have, but I do not think that is the case now. You have more honour than that.”

Raditz turns bright red and immediately flops down on the ground again face-first in an attempt to use his hair as protective camouflage to hide his embarrassment, making indignant ‘that you would say such hurtful things’ noises while the group continues in its friendly laughter.

And maybe, a little, deep down, a small part of Raditz feels warm. He’s still not used to the concept of being so whole-heartedly trusted, not sly, slippery Raditz.

It feels good.

 OoOoOoOoO

Learning to speak the Indigo Tribe’s language changes surprisingly little at first, though it is nice to not have that buzz of half-translated-only-not-quite words in his head. The casual use of ‘nok’ makes more sense, and he begins to say it more himself – it’s easier now that he knows what it means. While he still spends a fair bit of time with Janven, he’s also making friends, proper ones for once (because he’s always been a social creature at heart), and he begins to go out and hunt for water and do similar work more often. It’s strange how good it feels to spend so much time outside – he’s spent most of his life in space due to one thing or another, and he’s always found people who prefer to live planet-side a little incomprehensible. Or, at least, he’d claimed he had, ever since Vegetasei…

The point is, he likes it here. The jungle is an interesting place to explore, but, even more than that, the dusty barrens really suit him. Saiyans are a desertous species, and once he’s learned what’s safe and okay for him to eat in terms of native flora and fauna, he can stay out a long time without having to go back to the Tribe’s headquarters for food, especially if he takes a small kit of tools and bedding with him. This means he can travel farther into the barrens than most, though there’s a few other Indigos on-planet who can handle the terrain at about his level. Two of them he gets along with quite well, an iridescent reptilian with six limbs called Komda and a plant-like saiyanine called Saguari, and the three of them start working together as often as not. It’s a bit like being on a squad, the way he’d thought it would be when he was a brat – laughing, working together, triumphant returns and less triumphant ones, casual mockery and teasing…

He doesn’t recognize any of the stars at night, though. This… is less comfortable that he would have guessed. He’s used to rearranging the stars in his head, depending on where he is in space, but this planet is in such a different section that he flat-out can’t do it. He doesn’t recognize any of the stars or planets, and he can’t find the light ghost of Vegetasei…

 OoOoOoOoO

 His staff fighting has improved by leaps and bounds since he started (and a tiny, smug part of him preens that of course he’s good at this, he’s saiyan, saiyans are naturals at fighting), and his constructs apparently finally pass the muster in regards to more than just shields and armor (only took him a year and a third), and all this, in conjunction with his learning the Indigo Tribe’s language, does lead to a big change.

His first assignment off-planet.

It’s an unexpectedly nerve-wracking prospect – he hasn’t left the planet since he got here, hasn’t seen anyone other than fellow members of the Indigo Tribe. Regardless of his nerves, though, he will be accompanying Janven, and the job is simple enough, but still… it’s been a long time, and he’s changed so much since he arrived.

He’s not get sure how they’ll get off-planet.

It turns out the answer to the latter question is teleporting. Janven can call it translocation or talk about answering a cry for help or whatever, but the fact remains that the Tortellian uses their ring, an indigo disc of light forms, the two of them step through, and they’re on another godspat planet. …it’s one of those occasions where Raditz had been told what would happen, but hadn’t actually believed it. Janven laughs as he sputters and spins around in a circle and finally turns red when he realizes there’s been an audience for his discombobulation, meaning he will be hearing about it forever.

As mentioned, the job is simple – there has been a shift in the planet’s crust and some important waterways have changed their routes as a result, causing simultaneous droughts and flooding. Raditz and Janven are here to clear the blockages and get the water back where it’s supposed to go, a task fairly similar to what he’s been doing on the Indigo Tribe’s planet, really, which is why he was chosen to go. They complete the task over the course of a few days, then return to the Tribe.

More missions off-world follow this one. The Indigo Tribe often handles natural disasters like the flooding issue, but they also help pick up the pieces on worlds ravaged by war, or act as support for the other lantern corps. And with these new activities come new lessons – that teleporting trick for one (an ability meant to be used sparingly, as it uses a substantial amount of power), and how to channel the powers of other Lanterns nearby, to either benefit or thwart them. Absorbing a Red Lantern’s construct and sending the power back at them, switching his staff’s light from indigo to green so that a flagging Green Lantern can recharge their ring in the middle of a battle… it is their ability to comprehend and mimic that often makes the Indigo Tribe so useful as allies.

In spite of their usefulness, the greetings they get tend to be a mixed bag, their presence being met sometimes with gratitude, other times hostility. One instance that sticks clearly in Raditz’s mind is an encounter with a small, yellowish being from the Red Lantern Corps. It’s causing a lot of damage even before they arrive, but at the sight of Raditz it goes absolutely ballistic. Ironically this makes it easier to subdue, since it’s tossed all form of strategy to the wind in favour of using every last ounce of effort to try and kill Raditz, and they’re in even better luck that there’s a Blue Lantern on hand to get its ring off.

It’s not the first time Raditz has seen a red ring be removed, but that one had been grateful to be free of the endless rage. For this being, however, rage turns immediately to pain. The fury of the Red Lanterns is often fueled by loss, and this one makes no effort to hide what, exactly, they have lost, or what caused it.

“Saiyan!” it shrieks, “Planet Trader! Murderer!!!”

And Raditz swallows hard, because this is the first time he’s been truly confronted with his past since he was inducted, worse because he understands the pain in the other’s frame, not perfectly but much too well. He remembers hearing about the meteor, about Vegetasei and the fate of everyone he held dear… And whatever expression this brings to his face only makes the being shriek louder.

“Don’t look at me like that, how dare you look at me like you understand, like you care, saiyan saiyan SAIYAN!!!”

“Get out of here!” the Green Lantern working to hold the creature snaps at him, and the look she gives is like acid, burning and accusatory. Raditz gets.

He can’t leave, not yet, there’s still going to be clean-up to do, loose ends to be tied off, but he gets out of sight behind a building and waits. Janven will be able to find him with their ring, and they’d had to pool their energy to teleport this far and still be effective when they arrived. He can still hear the once-Red Lantern, though, their voice carries.

“Hope?! Ha! Here’s mine – I hope to live to see them all burn!”

And- he doesn’t quite remember moving, but he must have, because he’s back in front of the being again, who even without its ring is thrashing hard enough to give the Green Lantern some trouble, and it snarls again at the sight of Raditz.

“Hey! I told you to-!” the Green Lantern interrupts, but Raditz ignores her, instead kneeling in front of the furious, pain-laced being.

“The saiyan race has already burned,” he says with quiet intensity, “It burned over twenty years ago when our planet was destroyed, and now there’s less than a handful of us left.”

“So, what, you think that makes us even,” the being growls, though their movements still some.

Raditz shakes his head, “I’m saying if your one dream is to see us all dead, all you need to do is wait a few decades and we will be. You don’t need to do anything, and it doesn’t matter if you do. Either way, we’ll still be dead.” He stands again and glances at the Green Lantern apologetically. “I thought they’d want to know.” Then he walks away again, and this time he’s followed by silence.

Eventually Janven comes to find him, along with another Tribe member that had been working with them for this mission. Raditz is sitting against the shadowed side of a building, arms wrapped around his legs, a white-knuckled grip on his staff. They come to sit on either side of him without a sound, waiting for him to be ready to speak.

When he finally does, he doesn’t meet their eyes, just asks, “Does it ever get any easier?”

“Eh,” the Tribe member he’s less familiar with makes a ‘kinda-sorta’ gesture.

“I can only speak from my own experience,” Janven says, quietly, gaze also straight ahead, “Over time a certain… resilience grows, but the pain… that does not go away. You simply learn how to handle it better.”

“That Green sure wasn’t helping,” the Tribe member mutters, sending a dark look in the direction they’d come from, “Don’t know how the Tribe members who’re called stand it – not liking us is one thing, we were scum, but they haven’t done anything, and they’re still treated terrible.”

“They’re not all bad,” Janven says in a reproving tone, “The Green Lanterns are as varied as we in temperament, after all. They have their place in the universe as much as we do, and-”

“-and besides,” Raditz interrupts, “What do you expect to happen when you take the most stubborn people in the universe and put them in charge of law enforcement?”

There is a beat of silence while the other two gape at him. Then, as one, they all crack up, and when the laughter stops it is finally possible to rise and get on with their work. The Blue Lantern also stops by to see them and offer gratitude before she leaves to dispose of the red ring she had removed earlier.

…they may be idealistic, in Raditz’s opinion, but they’re a good bunch. This one thanks them sincerely for their help, both in the fight and in subduing the former Red Lantern. And she doesn’t do anything but talk to them, but Blue must be catching, because, by the time she leaves, Raditz can’t help but feel a little more hopeful about what the future holds.

 OoOoOoOoO

 The Indigo Lanterns are supposed to be able to mimic other lanterns’ rings and abilities to a certain extent, from what I know. Given that compassion is often based in comprehension, this is a power that makes a lot of sense to me, so this is my take on it, horribly inaccurate as it probably is. In this universe I see the Indigo Tribe as generally being a sort of support/clean-up crew. In simplified terms, the way I see it is that the Green Lanterns stop the criminals and are the front-line fighters, the Blue Lanterns stop/prevent the staggeringly huge stuff and are the healers/buffers, and the Indigos come along afterwards to pick up the pieces and act as support fighters/buffers if need be.