Fog From the Mirror
by Moonraker One
CHAPTER FOUR – Fire and Water
Krillin finished the last of his plate of pancakes and eggs as Goku worked on the last bit of his twentieth. Neither him nor the Kents had any surprise, as they each knew the punk-haired warrior very well. Martha took the empty plate and put it into the water. "Goku, you've got to get ready for school," she gently reminded. "You and Krillin can catch up later, ok?" The bald monk handed the backpack over.
"I guess you have to train your mind as well as your body," he joked. "I mean, what good is defeating Piccolo if you won't be able to do anything afterward?" His comment drew a mild stare from Jonathan.
"You have no idea how many times we've had to remind him that his homework had to be done," the farmer shot back. "You should've seen him in grade school." He looked over at his adoptive son. "Goku, I know you might be the greatest fighter in the world one day, but can't you at least put your studies a little higher on your list?"
"Yeesh," he argued, laughing. "Talk about your relentless assaults." He waved to his friend as he took off. "Krillin, make sure you meet me out in the barn after three thirty, so we can get some more training in!" He took off at lightning speed.
"I think I'll take a look around this city for a bit, ok?" He stood up and headed for the main road of Smallville. They waved him goodbye.
Martha glanced over at Jonathan while she washed the dishes. "At least our son won't be fighting Piccolo alone." In truth, she felt slightly at ease knowing there were honest warriors like the monk willing to stand alongside Goku. She'd heard about them from him numerous times, but to see that he'd journey all the way to America just to visit him meant much to her.
Jonathan turned to another page in the newspaper. "The biggest help a man can get sometimes, is his friends. Remember the time your cousin helped with the housework when you had that wrist injury? It's the same type of thing." He thought about his words briefly. "But then again, I can't imagine what kind of will it must take to be willing to die for your fellow man." He himself had never had to sacrifice that much. Yet, he hoped that, if the situation arrived, he would have the same strength.
Goku managed to come to a stop behind the large trees near the school that served as his usual cover. Gently moving through a large group of students with the swiftness of a fox, he covered his entrance as he walked lockstep with his friends. Once more, Pete and Chloe looked at him with the familiar glance of confused shock. Every day he arrived on time, yet never took the bus. "It seems the process never ends," Chloe stated. "I do have a question, though, Goku. You said you run the whole way from home, and me and Pete never would have believed you, if we hadn't seen the youtube video of the tournament you were in. What was it, again? The 'Budokai?'"
"It's Japanese for, 'Strongest Under the Heavens tournament,'" Goku answered.
She shook her head. "I know what it means. We saw you and this Tien Shinhan guy moving faster than the cameras could effectively pick up. Then, you were shooting light at each other. Either you're some kind of super man, or this is some really good hoax. Can you tell me which it is?"
"Some kind of 'Superman?'" Goku laughed. "That sounds like a comic book, Chloe. You don't believe in that stuff, do you?"
She folded her arms. "No, but I know what I saw. You're going to explain, right?"
He rolled his eyes. "Why don't you two meet me outside right after lunch, and I'll explain it." Darn it, I should've known the Budokai would show up on the internet, he thought. "You have to promise me, Chloe, that you won't publish this."
She chuckled at him. "Goku, this has to be a huge story, a martial arts genius in this little corner of the world!"
He donned a stern look. "Chloe, I mean it. You'll ruin my family's privacy."
Her humor went away. Shit, she thought, he's right. I don't want to kill our friendship. And he'd probably respect me in a similar way. "You're right, Goku."
"Man, this is some kind of movie-stuff, you know that?" Pete put in his two cents with. "Next, we'll be finding out that you're an alien or something. That you get super strong when the sun shines on you or something."
"No, if you think about it, having to get your power from the sun would be a major drag. What if the enemy fought you in the dark?" He heard the bell ring. "Well, see you soon!"
Pete glared at Chloe. "What?" she replied. "You know you're as interested as I am."
"Yeah," Pete answered, "and I believe him. You act like this is all a bunch of cartoon stuff."
She took serious offense to his words. "Pete, I care for our friend as much as you do, it's just that common sense tells us this isn't possible, so there must be some way to explain this in a feasible manner."
He raised an eyebrow as he headed off to class. "Since when has 'feasible' been used to describe our friend Goku?"
She moved in a separate direction for her class, and it weighed on her mind exactly how quickly the normally cheerful Goku's mood changed when his family's privacy found a threat in her reporting. It put into perspective very quickly just how dedicated to his loved ones he was, to threaten a friend out of defense. His devotion impressed her as much as it scared her. It served only to enhance her feelings for him. If such haste to act in protective service could eventually come over her like a security blanket, she believed, she wouldn't need anything else. Yet, she dared not voice such thoughts; his child-like naiveté might not understand, or worse, not accept.
Several miles away, in a private room of the Luthor mansion, Roshi sat in a chair as he watched the young heir to Luthorcorp perform one arm pushups in weighted clothing. The aging master found the man's dedication impressive. It didn't seem as driven as Goku's—obviously—but something seemed to be forcing him to push himself past his limits repeatedly. He believed it had to do with the man's father, Lionel, but it probably had more to do than that. He saw a sense of urgency in his mind, as though there were a time limit on when he could achieve physical greatness. He didn't quite understand it.
"You're going to burn yourself out, Lex!" Roshi warned. "I know you're trying to make yourself as developed as you can, but if you keep pushing yourself, you'll get injured." He hoped his words would ring true to the young man's mind.
"I thought Goku worked much harder than this," Lex argued, questioning the situation.
"Goku was significantly more along than you are, so he could push himself this hard without risk. You need to start out slower and work your way up."
Lex shook his head, as he continued his repetitions. "Starting out slow was never the Luthor way. Besides, my father wouldn't start out slow." He just knew his father would be pushing himself under the tutelage of the assassin. There could only be a few motivations for such an action, and none of them particularly made him feel any better. He wouldn't get caught in a trap because he didn't prepare well enough.
"Well, just try not to injure yourself. You'll undo a great deal of progress." He stood up. "I have to use the bathroom." As he walked down the hall, ignoring the decorations, he found himself questioning his purpose. He knew Lex genuinely took his teachings to heart, but at the same time, he'd only been chosen because Tao received a check from Lionel. He'd volunteered to help Lex in exchange for money, yet he couldn't shake the feeling he had caught himself up in a war of oneupmanship between two powerful figures.
The familiar grassy turf of the sports field saw two very curious individuals sneaking away from study during the brief interlude between classes. Chloe and Pete wanted very desperately to learn everything their friend Goku had to offer. He looked rather apprehensive, as he knew the ears that would hear his words also belonged to a mouth that spoke somewhat freely at times. He used his superior senses to ensure that the surroundings didn't have ears of their own. Only once he had his mental guarantee of no intrusion did he regard his friends up front. He sat down Indian style, cupping his hands to have his fingers touching. "Pay close attention, because I really don't want to display this more than once," he warned. "If anyone sees this, I'm going to catch hell."
"Don't worry, Goku," Pete replied, quickly glancing at Chloe for effect. "We're not going to tell anyone."
She frowned at him. "Don't get on my case, Pete, I think I get the hint." She then turned her full attention to Goku. So many questions burned in her mind. Was he an alien? Why did certain people have these powers, and not others? "I have a question, first, Goku. Where do your powers come from?"
"Are either of you familiar with the idea of chi?" Pete shook his head. Chloe looked confused, indicating she had a vague conception of it. "Let me explain. Chi is the energy generated by the tissue of living beings. Anything that is alive has Chi. Some beings can train hard, and actually develop their physical fitness to the point where their chi is much greater than normal humans. Chi is the essence of life; if you have more of it than your fellow man, it is as if you have more life than they do. Your muscles are capable of strength far beyond the normal tissue because the greater chi makes them like greater tissues. Your body becomes durable to the point of nigh invulnerability because the energy flows through every inch of your body and resists damage from lesser energies. Your senses become unimaginably acute. All of this is achievable through training."
"So," Chloe replied, "it's as if you are empowered by your very body."
"Exactly," Goku continued. "Chi is your physical energy. But that's just if you have higher chi. Skilled masters can manipulate their chi, as easy as a painter painting. Horrific injuries can be healed quickly beyond the scope of modern medicine, the dreary and weary can be uplifted as though happiness entered their body cells and made them energetic. Beams of powerful life energy can be shot forth to destroy the hardest obstacles in your path. This is where mine, and the other warriors' powers come from." He concentrated his mental focus, and saw the various streams of living energy as they flowed through his tissues. A small piece he branched off, like a river dividing, and exited his palms, focusing as a ball of glowing white light in between his hands. "This is, essentially, what it looks like." Pete reached out. "Don't touch it, Pete, it'll burn you. Even this small amount is too much for an average man to touch freely."
"You're some kind of superbeing out of Asian mythology, Goku," Pete commented. "Bullets and explosions can't pierce your skin, and you can move at speeds that make the Matrix look slow."
Chloe thought for a moment. "So, your friend Krillin, that guy in the video Tien Shinhan, and that old guy that's been seen around with Lex Luthor, they all trained like you?"
Goku nodded. "Master Roshi was just the first person to train me, and Tien Shinhan trained under the Crane Hermit, but we've been learning ever since. A true martial artist does not consider the journey over once he is powerful. There is always room to grow." He stood up. "I want to get back to class, guys. If you ever want some basic lessons, I'll be happy to teach you how to defend yourself." He thought briefly, as he walked away. Now that he'd told them, what would happen next? How would this impact his ability to prepare?
Chloe stood up and grabbed his shoulder before he could get very far away. "Goku! Wait. Just one last question." He turned to face her. "When King Piccolo made his broadcast, and then he was defeated, was it you that beat him?"
He bowed his head. "Yeah. It was. And I'm preparing to go into battle with his son."
The two of them almost leapt backwards. "Piccolo had a son?"
"Please don't spread the word. If a panic ensues it will cause mass chaos. Piccolo will show up at the next tournament, held in just under three years' time." He grasped her hand and put his other hand on top of it to comfort her. "I promise you, Chloe, and you too Pete, I will win the next tournament, and I will defeat Piccolo. Just wait for me." He waited for the moment to pass before heading back to class.
From the window of the library, a pair of eyes belonging to Lana Lang watched the trio far away in the sports field. She hadn't seen the glow, nor had she heard any of the explanation. What she did see, was Goku gently grab Chloe's hand. And that alone spoke volumes. To her left, a voice inquired, "What's wrong, Lana?"
Lana looked at Whitney. She hastily composed herself. "Oh! Um, nothing. Nothing at all. Let's get to class."