Dragon Ball Alpha

by Jokermask18

What were things like before the time of Goku and his friends? Witness the origin of the Dragon Ball universe and all the events that occured before the adventure began. From the birth of Majin Buu to the first Super Saiyan and Roshi's youth. It's all here.

10. New Age Saga

The New Age Saga

After winning the Grand Strength Budokai, things changed for Roshi: he was ready to accept himself as a martial arts Master. He bought furniture and modern conveniences into his home and painted it so it looked like a true house, the "kame house" as he dubbed it. It was here that he would dedicate his extended life to teaching students the way Mutaito had and combating any evil that arose. He spent the first fifty years of it mastering the Kemehameha and making it his signature move. After that, his fame grew and young men and women came far and wide to seek his teachings.

But Roshi's extended life also had several drawbacks. The first was the loss of Kitsune, who died of old age after fifty years of being sparring partners, comrades in battle against evil, and lovers. Roshi may be known as an old pervert now but he was more that capable of genuine love. His feelings for the Fox Master were powerful, even more than those he'd had for Fanfan. He wanted to marry her but could never ask because he knew that she would die too soon while he continued to live.

The second drawback was that the world continued to change around Roshi at such a fast pace. He had seen the reigns of every World King since Akio, he had seen the various forms of currency be replaced by the universally accepted Zeni unit, and he had seen the rise of the five major cities, Central, North, South, East, and West, as they grew to envelop much of Earth. Roshi kept up with the times expertly but it did little to stop him from feeling like a relic at times.

Then again, the third drawback was that some parts of the past refused to die. Tsuru and his brother Tao had also found a Pheonix Egg to extend their lives with and the Crane School persisted in bringing Roshi hardship. Tsuru had been exiled from Mifan and disgraced years ago but his power had allowed him to sway many young people down a dark path. It sometimes felt to Roshi that he and his old rival were constantly at war for the hearts and minds of each new generation.

This was the fourth and final drawback to Roshi's extended life as far as he was concerned: the longer he lived, the more he felt as though he'd outlived his purpose. Mutaito had said the new generation would need him but that was long ago and that generation had passed several times over and each one after was stronger than the one before. Chi using martial artists were rare in Mutaito's lifetime and small in number in Roshi's youth. Thanks in part to him {and begrudgingly, he'd admitted, Tsuru} there were many all over the world, teaching and being taught. Their power was great, great enough to handle the new threats that would surely arrive, so what use did Roshi have? When would it be time to pass the torch as his master had done so long ago?

One day, when Roshi was around two hundred and seventy-five years old, a man in a soldier's uniform came to the island by boat. He said little but bowed before the old Turtle Master, now Turtle Hermit or Kamesenin to most, and handed him a letter with an official looking seal. Roshi read the contents quickly and groaned in annoyance.

"What is it?" Umigame, Roshi's constant companion through the centuries, asked "does Prince Furry want you for bodyguard duty again?"

"First off, Prince Furry became King Furry just last month and I was bodyguard to his grandfather when he was Prince. Secondly, this is much worse: it's from the Ox King!" The Ox Dynasty was one that had started back when Roshi had first turned a hundred years old. He had been out touring the world as a birthday present to himself when he came across a village being terrorized by bandits. Each one was a skilled martial artist and had beaten the village protector, a hulking man clad in Ox skin and carrying a mighty battle axe, with embarrassing ease. It was so embarrassing that after Roshi had driven the bandits away, the same man begged to be taught by the Turtle Master. Roshi accepted and the bandits returned months later, the man who came to be known as the feared Gyumao, Ox Demon King, restored his honor with their defeat. The village itself however was damaged beyond repair and forced the people to relocate to a huge mountain west of what would be called the Diablo Desert, a region of Mount Paozu. Gyumao continued to serve as their protector and ruler from a castle he'd built himself and passed his duties and title down through his family.

Roshi had been good friends with the first Ox King and those that followed but the current Ox King was a bad tempered and bolsterous brute who, while not entirely unkind, was difficult to like at any rate. Now, he was summoning the Kamesenin to his home on Mount Frypan for what he deemed as "important business." Roshi became indignant when he realized that this was written out as an order rather than a request.

"If that big ape thinks I'll come just because he commands it, he's got another thing coming! I fought an Oni twice his size and won while he was still learning to walk! There's nothing he can do or say that will intimidate me!" The irate Roshi threw the letter to the ground and and stomped back towards his house while Umigame took a second look at Ox King's message.

A few minutes later, the ancient turtle called out to his old friend: "hey, wait! Did you read the whole thing? It says that if you do as the Ox King asks, he'll reward you with your own harem!"

Roshi paused instantly, perverted images flashing through his head. Ever since the death of Kitsune, he had slowly but surely returned to his old ways. He had started to collect dirty magazines and was a little too interested in watching a women's exercise program. The thought of his own harem however, was enough to make blood begin seeping from his nose. "My…own…harem? WELL, WHY DIDN"T YOU SAY SO!? NIMBUS!"

The mystic cloud appeared to Roshi's summons but when the Kamesenin tried to mount it, he fell through and landed face first in the sand. The slow return of his pervert nature had been making it harder for Nimbus to carry him in the past few years and his current impure thoughts made it impossible. "Keep your head out of the gutter Roshi" Umigame advised as his friend picked himself up to try again, only to fall through a second time. The ancient turtle sighed. It was going to be a long day.

…

It was near sundown before Roshi was finally able to keep his thoughts clean enough to mount Nimbus. Even as he soared towards Mount Frypan, he knew the time was coming soon when he would never ride the mystic cloud again. Landing before the gate of the Ox King's castle, the Kamesenin was escorted to the dining hall by a pair of guards. It was there that he saw the descendent of his former student sitting at the head of a huge table, clad in full armor an in the midst of a grand feast.

"You're late Master Roshi" Ox King grunted with barely contained annoyance as he chewed a huge turkey leg "I'd hoped your schedule wouldn't be too busy these days, what with your age and all." Ignoring the younger man's disrespect and keeping the thought of his harem in mind, Roshi shrugged.

"I was doing some last minute training" he lied "got to stay in shape you know,especially at my age." Ox King grunted in response, obviously disbelieving, but nodded none the less. "Right. Speaking of training, how long has it been since you last had a student?"

This question caught Roshi off guard. He suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Well, I guess it's been about ten years…why?"

The Ox King sighed. "It's my son" he admitted, using the word with no attempt to hide his distaste "he's become much too soft since his mother died and he needs toughening up if he's going to take my throne one day. I tried to do it by naming him protector of the lands but he has no skill whatsoever! That's why I called you here, so you could take him as a pupil and make him a man at long last. I'll make it worth your while."

Roshi once again tried to think of the harem but the perverted thoughts wouldn't come. All he could think of while listening to Ox King talk was memories of his own father and the constant pressure he'd put on Roshi to become a priest. Roshi had hated that and vowed that if he ever became a father {something he KNEW was still quite possible}, he would never do so with his own child.

"Well…perhaps I could. May I meet the boy before I decide?" Ox King nodded and ordered a guard to fetch the Ox Prince from his room. The guard returned a moment later with a chubby teenage boy wearing a horned helmet and armor similar to his father's. He was clearly nervous and even a little frightened as he eyed the two older men.

"Straighten up boy!" Ox King bellowed "you're in the presence of a living legend. This is Master Roshi, the Kamesenin." Ox Prince gave a respectful bow though he trembled slightly and was even stuttering. "H-H-hello sir."

Roshi smiled and returned the bow. "Hello Ox Prince, it's very nice to meet you. Tell me, are you interested in martial arts?"

"Of course he's interested" Ox King scoffed before turning to his son. "Listen boy, you're doing a poor job at protecting the lands and I refuse to coddle you any longer. Master Roshi here will whip you into shape and make you into a true warrior Prince!"

"Well, yes but it may have to wait until tomorrow" Roshi spoke up in an effort to ease the tension "I've traveled a great distance and I tend to tire easily these days. Perhaps a bite to eat and a place to sleep would help me be better prepared to teach?"

Ox King scowled but once again nodded just the same. "Very well, you may have a room for the night. Just repay me by working the boy that much harder tomorrow. Roshi said nothing and dug into a newly brought plate of food. The Turtle Hermit did notice one thing however: Ox Prince has quietly left the room before he was noticed. The young man probably assumed that any friend of his father was the same as him. Roshi would have to do something about that.

At dawn the next day, the Kamesenin and his new pupil set out. Roshi had instructed Nimbus to fly slowly and leisurely so that the two could talk but Ox Prince was very shy and kept to himself for most of the trip. Finally, Roshi asked "So how do you like riding Nimbus? I'll bet you've never traveled like this before."

"It's alright I guess" Ox Prince said sullenly before going silent again. Roshi couldn't help but groan slightly. He'd forgotten how antisocial teenagers were. But at least he wasn't so timid anymore and the Kamesenin had a feeling it was because his father wasn't around.

"Would you like some breakfast when we arrive?" Roshi tried again "your father wouldn't even let ME have anything before we left so I know you must be famished. Can't train with empty stomaches, now can we?"

"I'm not hungry" Ox Prince replied tersely. He turned around to glare at Roshi when he said this and the Turtle Hermit was surprised to see anger in the young man's features.

"Are you sure? Because-" "LOOK, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING FROM YOU!" Roshi was taken back by the outburst. Was this the same timid boy he met last night?

"I know what you're going to do to me" Ox Prince continued "all my Dad's friends are the same, always trying to force me to fight and beat up anyone they don't like. The only reason Dad put me in charge of protecting the lands was to make sure that nobody he deemed 'unworthy' would come near his castle. I've actually had to chase away young kids who only wanted a little money to buy medicine for their sick mother, not that you care! My Dad can be such a bully and he wants you to make me into one with these martial arts, but I won't do it!"

Roshi was silent for a while. His heart ached for the boy and all he had obviously endured. His father, while not abusive, was clearly a difficult man to live under. The Kamesenin could relate.

"Ox Prince, I know you probably won't believe me but I'm not what you think. I don't intend to make you like your father, or have you bully anyone. That's not what Martial Arts was meant for, even if others do use it that way. I have devoted my life to fighting these people, as well as teaching others to do the same. Surely you've heard stories of my exploits, like how I defeated the terrible King Gurumes?"

Ox Prince raised an eyebrow. "That was you?" Roshi nodded. "Yep, got called on by a young girl to free her land after Gurumes had almost destroyed it searching for Blood Rubies. He used their power to become a horrible creature with incredible strength but few things can stand up to my Full Power Kamehameha for long."

Ox Prince studied Roshi for a moment, as if to decide if he was telling the truth. "My Mom used to tell me stories like that" he said softly "she loved martial arts and knew all the old legends. She also knew a few moves herself but Dad never let her train, said it wasn't meant for women, especially one of her status. I wanted to believe her stories but it got harder since the only martial artists I ever saw were jerks, like that Tsurusenin that Dad almost sent me to a few years ago."

That clenched it: Roshi HAD to teach this boy. He knew that it was the death of his mother that had planted the seeds of darkness in Tsuru and the Kamesenin knew that his rival would gladly have used this common ground to convert the Ox Prince to his side more easily. Roshi had already seen what Tsuru had come close to doing in the court of Mifan, he shuddered to think what having the future Ox King under his thumb would cause.

"Well Prince, I am different, as are those I teach. I can give you the power to defend yourself and others from the bullies of the world. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Ox Prince was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I think I might want that." Roshi smiled warmly and placed a comforting hand on the young man's shoulder. "Good, because we're here."

Nimbus touched down softly in front of Kame House and allowed master and student to dismount. They were about to head inside and eat when Roshi paused, a troubled look appearing on his face.

"What is it?" Ox Prince asked, feeling a bit nervous at the sudden mood shift. Roshi didn't answer at first and pushed the younger man behind him protectively.

"I just sensed someone here on the island, someone with considerable power." Roshi replied after a moment "I can feel them in the house right now. Stay behind me."

The Kamesenin and his new student slowly approached the front door of the Kame House, the former ready for anything. After realizing the front door was wide open, he cursed his forgetfulness, It had been so long since he'd been attacked that he'd gotten careless.

From what Roshi could sense however, this intruder would only give him minor trouble. In fact, it seemed that Umigame should have been able to handle the situation. Where was the ancient turtle anyway?

The duo entered the house and what Roshi saw shocked him: someone was rifling through his magazines! "HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" The intruder dropped the magazine he was rifling through and stood up straight amid the pile of magazines he'd gathered around him. The first thing Roshi noticed was the cat mask the intruder wore to hide his face.

"Oh, forgive me Master Roshi" the stranger said with a bow "I wasn't expecting you at this time." Roshi scoffed at the stranger's attempt at a cover story. What sort of fool did he think he was dealing with?

"I'm sure you weren't" the Turtle Hermit said as he assumed a fighting stance "now, why are you here? Did you think you could steal my precious treasures!?" The stranger seemed confused at first but after a moment, held up his hands defensively.

"No Master, perish the thought! I was merely admiring your wonderful collection. You have amazing taste."

Roshi raised a disbelifing eyebrow. "You were 'merely admiring' eh? Then what's with the mask?" The stranger wordlessly rermoved the mask in question and the Kamesenin could see he was fairly young, only ten years or so older than Ox Prince.

"My sincerest apologies master. My name is Son Gohan of Wukong Village and I've come a long way to find you. I humbly request to become your student and learn as much as I can from a legend like yourself."

The man called Son Gohan bowed again as he said this and Roshi relaxed his stance, but only slightly. "You say you're from 'Wukong Village'? I've never heard of such a place."

Son Gohan shrugged. "It's a rather obscure village Master and was only founded a century ago in honor of my ancestor, Son Wukong." At the mention of this name, Ox Prince scoffed. "Son Wukong is only a legend, he never existed and even he did, he never had a family."

Son Gohan sighed. "My family is as obscure as my village I'm afraid. According to our legends, Son Wukong fell in love with a girl in his village but had to marry in secret due to being taught to adhere to abstinence by his Master. His son was born shortly after he vanished and his wife believed it to be a punishment for his disobedience so she raised their son to never stay with a woman, no matter how much he loved her. The boy grew up and ended up siring an illegitimate son of his own because of this and that son did the same. This continued for years until my great- grand father, Son Goran, who ended up having more children than most, had a change of heart and spent years tracking down his children and the children they had left behind. He gathered them all together and built the village we've lived in ever since. I left because I wanted more than my current Master was giving me. He's the one who makes me and all his other students wear animal masks."

Ox Prince scowled as the story finished. He didn't believe a word of the legend but Roshi wasn't so sure. Son Wukong had been proven real to him long ago so he saw no real reason to doubt his liniage, no matter how strange it sounded. Still, he had to be sure.

The Kamesenin quickly began looking into Son Gohan's mind, reading his thoughts for any deception. He found none and said "well Gohan, I'm sorry to say you've come all this way for nothing. I already have a new student in Ox Prince here and I can't take more than one at a time."

Gohan smiled sadly. "I understand Master, I suppose I am a bit too old for your liking. It was an honor to meet you at least." The martial artist then turned to Ox Prince and bowed a third time. "Good luck young Prince, I am sure you'll become quite a warrior one day. You're learning from the very best."

The descendant of Son Wukong began trudging away when Ox Prince suddenly called out "wait!" He then turned to Roshi and asked "Are you sure you can't take one more student? I can handle a little competition."

The Turtle Hermit was torn: he had pledged to devote all his time to Ox Prince, both for his own harem and the Prince's sake, but he was also proud of the yong man's kindness and couldn't help but feel honored that a descendent of his mentor's mentor had sought him out. What could he do? "I'm not so sure about this Ox Prince. I mean, what if…?"

"Oh, give the poor guy a chance Roshi." Umigame's voice sounded sympathetic as he stepped from the kitchen "what have you got to lose?"

"Where have you been!?" Roshi demanded at his friend's sudden appearance "you just let people waltz into our house while I'm away now!?

Umigame shrugged. "He said he was your new student" the ancient turtle explained, never noticing Gohan's sheepish look. Roshi turned sharply to face the martial artist.

"Oh he did, did he?" The Turtle Hermit's voice started out stern but softened considerably a moment later. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

Ox Prince pumped his fist in the air while Gohan's face lit up. "Oh, thank you Master! I promise you won't regret this!"

"Don't think me yet" Roshi advised "I'll be treating you no differently than the Ox Prince, regardless of who you're realated to. I expect dedication and hard work from every student, is that clear?" Gohan nodded and Roshi turned to his youngest student "you got that too Prince?"

Ox Prince nodded and Roshi sighed. "Now that that's settled, can we please have some breakfast? How about it Umigame?" The ancient turtle nodded and wandered back into the kitchen to prepare a meal for four.

…

East City wasn't known for much, especially when compared to it's western sister city, but it was notable for having the famous Orin Temple as a landmark. The Orin Temple was in turn famous for one thing: the Sleeping Princess. The Sleeping Princess was not a woman like most believed, but a giant diamond capable of absorbing incredible amounts of energy. It had already done so for untold centuries and had amassed so much of it that it was believed that if the diamond was ever broken, it would unleash a force capable of destroying half the planet!

It was because of this that Orin, the warrior monk who founded the temple, elected to safeguard the diamond after he discovered it many years ago. As he grew old, this task fell to his very best student, who continued the tradition down through the years.

The current guardian was a man named Lychee. Lychee was a human based Earthling but had a genetic quirk that left him with small, beady eyes, no nose, and rather short. He was also rather timid and tended to avoid training with the larger monks. This caused many at the temple to question his status but he had proven time and again to be the Sleeping Princess' most dedicated protector, perhaps even more so than Orin himself.

Lychee currently sat in meditation on the floor of the Princess' Chamber while the other monks trained. While at first glance he seemed to be attempting to block them out, it was actually quite the opposite. So great was the warrior monk's chi senses that he could feel where each of his brethren were in any and all parts of the temple. When every chi except his own vanished, Lychee instantly snapped to attention.

'That's odd' he thought 'everyone's gone all of a sudden. Could they have left for the city and not told me? That doesn't seem right and why would everyone leave at once? I'd better investigate.'

Lychee stood up and prepared to exit the chamber. Before he did, he cast one last look at the Sleeping Princess, glowing brightly as it sat on it's pedestal. For a moment, he felt as though it were trying to warn him.

The warrior monk entered the temple hall to be met with complete and utter silence. He once again attempted to sense someone, anyone, but it was in vain. A feeling of dread arose in Lychee's stomach even as he decided to search the grounds.

"Amondo!? Kurumi!? Pinattsu!? Where are you!?"

None of Lychee's fellow students answered but for a moment, he thought he saw a movement in the darkness. Then a strange, inhuman hiss reached his ears. The warrior monk instinctively began charging a chi blast. "Who's there!?"

The hissing only grew louder and Lychee hurled his attack at the darkness. He next heard what was surely a cry of pain, the source of which leaped out at him. The warrior monk received a shock as he beheld a creature no taller than himself with black and dark blue skin. It's head was large and bald with pointed ears, it's mouth hidden by a metallic mask and it's eyes pure red. It's hands were odd three-fngered claws and it's feet roughly the same. Lychee could swear he was looking at the face of a demon from Hell!

The warrior monk was just barely able to dodge the thing's attack and backed away as much as he could. He was surprised to find that it didn't attack again and seemed to be sizing him up. "Well, it looks like we missed one" it said in a raspy, mechanical voice "you're a lot smaller than the others but I guess you'll do as well."

Lychee gathered his courage and assumed a fighting stance. "Alright, I don't know what you are but…wait a minute! Did you say 'we?'" A horrible, laugh-like sound answered the warrior monk's question as several more creatures identical to the first emerged from the shadows. Soon, there were at least a dozen.

"What are you!?" Lychee exclaimed "and why can't I sense your energy!?" A second laugh answered this question. It sounded normal, but no less sinister.

"That's an easy one my friend: they have no energy for you to sense." Out from the darkness appeared a very old man dressed in a lab coat. In his hand he carried a cane that was topped by a golden dragon's head. "Greetings, I an Dr. Kochin and these are my Bio-Men."

"You're a scientist? Why are you here and what have these 'Bio-men' of yours done with the monks?" Lychee was struggling to hide how scared he really was, especially since he couldn't feel any chi from his new visitor either.

Dr. Kochin laughed again. "Straight to the point eh? Very well." He held out his hand and allowed a Bio-man to deposit a small silver orb into his palm. Lychee was shocked to discover he could sense a fellow monk's chi coming from it.

"This orb is capable of converting any and all mass into energy to be contained inside and your friends were kind enough to volunteer, though my Bio-men were rather persuasive." The creatures in question chuckled mechanicly at their master's joke and Lychee felt his anger rise. "Enough! Release them and get out of here before I make you!"

Kochin smiled coldly. "I'm afraid I can't do that. My employer requires their services indefinitely on a project of great importance but as you seem to have considerable power yourself, I'm sure he would not object to you joining them!"

The Bio-men raised their hands and shot several more silver orbs from their palms at Lychee. The warrior monk knew that each one was meant to capture him and moved swift as he could to evade them. Those that couldn't be dodged were destroyed with chi blasts. Kochin quickly became annoyed with this opposition and motioned for his minions to attack directly.

The Bio-men advanced on Lychee but the warrior monk gave them no chance to attack. Powering up, he thrust both hands forward and shot out a large, slow moving chi sphere. It had nearly reached the confused creatures when it changed course and floated upward. When it reached a certain height, the cry went out: "Scattering Bullet!"

The chi sphere burst into hundreds of high power chi blasts that poured down upon the shocked Bio-Men. Each one gave a high pitch whine that sounded vaguely like a scream as they were destroyed. Lychee could see from their remains that they were mostly machines, which explained their lack of chi, and some kind of plant, blended together by a form of science that probably shouldn't have existed. This only strengthened his secret fear of their mysterious master.

Kochin looked at the remains of his creations nonchalantly. "It seems the next batch will need some improvements if it's to capture the other targets. No matter, this is what test runs are for." The rogue scientist then turned his attention back to Lychee and smirked. "And besides, this means I'll get to have a little fun with you myself!"

The strange old man raised his cane high and pointed it at the warrior monk. The golden dragon head on top began to glow and shot out a beam of energy that streaked towards Lychee at frightening speed. He was just able to dodge the first few shots with the After-Image technique before managing to get close for his next attack: "Rabid Squirrel Strike!"

Lychee assumed a stance just like the attack's namesake and rushed Kochin on all fours. He the begin swiping at the rogue scientist at a rapid pace, occasionly mixing in a kick. Kochin used his cane to block or parry the attacks and fired another energy blast to knock the warrior monk backwards.

Lychee clutched his side in pain from the attack and began breathing hard. 'This old guy is tougher than he looks! I gotta get rid of that cane but how!?'

With these thoughts in mind, the warrior monk took a chance and began powering up. Both of his hands glowed bright with chi as his energy level reached it's peak and he extended them forward. "Double Tsuihikidan!" With this cry, Lychee sent twin energy waves from both hands, each one zeroing in on Kochin from both sides. They collided with the rogue scientist simultaneously and created a blinding flash.

When this flash faded however, Lychee received a shock: Kochin was not only unharmed but half his flesh had been ripped away, exposing some sort of robot within! The terrible secret of the old man's lack of chi was revealed in horrifying glory. "W-what are you!?"

The remaining half of Kochin's face smiled coldly. "I am the future!" The false scientist raised the machine gun that stood in place of his left hand and opened fire. Lychee was slower because of his injury but was still able to dodge the hail of bullets with little difficulty. While the warrior monk did this however, his enemy used his remaining haind to launch another Containment Orb.

Lychee tripped over the orb in the midst of dodging and was engulfed in a burst of green static, vanishing into the miniature prison by way of a science too advanced to be real. Kochin wordlessly collected his trapped enemy into the storage unit built into his hand. He then did the same with the orbs containing the other Orin Temple monks, which were mixed in with the Bio-man's remains,

With this task done, he moved on to his real target: the Sleeping Princess. Kochin moved to the massive chamber doors and pointed his machine gun hand at them, causing it to retract into the stub of his arm and be replaced by a plasma grenade launcher. It fired a small but incredibly powerful explosive at the chamber doors and effortlessly blew them open.

Kochin approached the massive diamond and gave a wicked smile as he bathed in it's glow. He then activated his scanning mode and studied the object of his quest more thoroughly. Once this was completed, his smile grew wider.

'I've found it Doctor! It's power is even greater than we first believed!' These thoughts were in fact a telepathic message to Kochin's employer, sent out across the entire city but heard by only one.

'Excellent! Did you get the monks guarding it as well? We can't afford any lose ends' the cold, calculating voice reminded Kochin as it entered his mind. The false scientist chuckled a bit in response as he lifted the Sleeping Princess from it's pedestal and walked out of the chamber.

"Yes sir, one of them even put up a fight. He took down all Bio-men and left me in need of repair, rather impressively I'll admit. Perhaps he could be of use in the Final Phase?'

'No!' Kochin's employer reprimanded sharply 'I've spent the past three years researching those who will be needed for the Final Phase and it can't be altered! Anyone else who is strong enough to be of use will be a guard, understood!?

Kochin winced at his employer's anger. 'Understood Doctor, forgive me. I am on route to base now.' So saying, Kochin ended his communication and activated his built in thrusters, taking to the air in the next minute.

He flew high above the city and out to docks where a massive craft that resembled a giant robot emerged from the depths. This was the base used by Kochin and his employer, capable of traversing both sea and land. While originally meant solely for exploration, it's creator had modified it to serve less noble purposes over the course of three years.

Kochin swooped down into the vessel and entered the laboratory within, the most advanced in the world. He then marched up a large staircase until he reached the craft's uppermost level. Once there, he walked over to where a large metal tower stood waiting. Despite it's simplistic design, this tower was the result of decades of work done by Kochin's employer. All it lacked was a sufficient power source.

Kochin walked up and placed the Sleeping Princess in a large opening in the tower's center. It now resembled a massive eye that glowed red as it peered out from the structure. With this done, he then turned to a nearby computer counsel and took note of it's readings. 'It's done Doctor, our energy leverls are off the charts! The Final Phase can commence at any time.'

'It will begin now! Report to your capsule for repairs.' Kochin nodded at this telepathic command and entered the containment capsule close by. Once he was inside, it sealed shut and activated it's maintenance programming. While this occurred, a door on the other side of the room slid open and a new unit of Bio-men soon entered. They crowded around the capsule for several moments until it opened and a fully human looking Kochin emerged.

'These are the latest, most advanced Bio-men ever produced." Kochin's employer telepathicly explained 'I had them made in advance on the chance that you failed to retrieve the diamond. They shall be your Elite Guard during the Final Phase and thus, give you no excuses for failure. I have sacrificed far too much for that.'

Kochin nodded and locked eyes with his employer, a very large disembodied brain kept in a protective dome mounted to the far wall. This brain was the last remains of the base's creator and could operate it all with a mere though. It carried within it all the memories and knowledge of the man it had once been as well as a dream, a mad dream that a once truly human Kochin had pledged his life to almost fifty years ago. "Yes Dr. Wheelo, the Final Phase will be completed and Earth will soon be yours."

In the six months that followed, Kochin and his Bio-men struck all over the world, capturing the martial artists that Wheelo's data suggested were the strongest. Once all one hundred were subdued, the Final Phase could truly commence. Even Seach, the North Kaio, began to grow weary as rumors of the activity reached his ears in the After-Life. It seemed as though history was repeating itself and someone was attempting to create a second Majin Buu if the legends about the monster's origins were true.

It was during the quest for the final ten candidates that some rather unusual characters were encountered. The first was a young woman named Baipora whose village was defended by the great samurai Shikasen. She was a very timid thing, easily frightened and appauled by violence of any sort. She was also very pretty despite the fact that most in the village considered her brown hair dull.

On the day that Kochin attacked, Baipora was innocently tending to her garden and bit less innocently watching Shikasen practice his stances. She had always had feelings for the powerful samurai and made frequent yet ultimately innocent attempts to gain his attention. This was the reason she had chosen that day to wear her best dress and a wide brimmed sun hat but the warrior was oblivious to everything except his own training. That is, until the Bio-Men appeared.

The bizarre creatures first decided to draw out their target by creating havoc. They had already destroyed at least a dozen homes and taken just as many lives by the time Shikasen confronted them. The samurai's trusted katana fought off the first few that attacked him but eventually, their sheer numbers began to overwhelm him and he was captured in a containment orb.

Baipora, who had followed close behind to see her beloved in action, was horrified by the scene. All that remained of Shikasen was his prized sword, which he had dropped just before his capture. The young woman was suddenly struck by a moment of naivety and came out of hiding to retrieve the weapon, alerting Kochin to her presence.

"Seize her, she's seen too much!" At their creator's orders, the Bio- Men charged at Baipora just as her hand gripped the katana. She picked it up and tried to run but two more of the evil creatures blocked her path, trapping her on all sides as Kochin approached. "It's nothing personal my dear, but my employer wishes that his work be kept under wraps until it's complete. If you were to tell now, I'm afraid the reprecusions would be rather… unfortunate on your end."

As he said this, Kochin leaned forward to get a close look at the frightened young woman. A dark smile stretched out across his synthetic face. "You are quite pretty however" he continued "perhaps I can find some kind of use for you. The false scientist stretched out a hand towards Baipora and she almost screamed, only to have him start to tickle her nose. It was clear he took enjoyment in her torment.

Suddenly, Baipora sneezed and an amazing change took place: her dull brown hair turned a fiery red and her frightened expression dissolved into an enraged scowl. Gripping Shikasen's katanna, she slashed at Kochin's arm in one swift violent motion. The synthetic limb was severed instantly and fell to the ground in a clatter. "Try and touch me like that again old man and I'll do far worse!" Baipora snarled in a venomous tone, her timidity from moments before completely gone.

This was Baipora's curse, placed upon the women of her family by the witch Mamba centuries ago. Whenever she sneezed, she would change appearance and her personality became angry and violent. This had caused the village many problems over the years and more than once caused here to get into a brawl with Shikasen. It was only because she had no no memory of her dual persona that no one had forced her to leave the village.

Kochin looked down at his arm before turning to glare at the transformed woman. "I don't know what just happened but destroy her!" The Bio-Men attacked, only for Baipora to leap into the air and cause them to crash into the ones behind her. She then produced a dagger and hurled it at the pile of creatures while still in mid-air. It struck the nearest one and caused it to explode, taking the rest with him.

"Not again!" Kochin cursed just as Baipora landed in front of him. He fired at her with his remaing machine gun arm, only to have the violent young woman deflect the bullets using Shikasen's katana. She then rushed towards the false scientist and and began slashing at him violently.

Kochin eveded her attacks for the most part but Baipora was considerably skilled and was eventually able to slash him across the chest diagnolly. The false scientist gave a cry of pain and clutched at his newly exposed circuitry. "Damn you!" Kochin cried out as he glared at his foe.

Baipora was less than sympathetic. "Wow, so you're some kind of robot? Too bad, guess that means you won't bleed. " She then smirked sadasticly. "Oh well, beggars can't be chosers."

With that said, she slashed at Kochin's leg and forced him to his knees with a groan of pain. The false scientist, built to hold his own against Earth's greatest fighters, was now helpless before a sadistic yet ordinary woman armed with a sword. The humiliation was enough to make him wish for a quick end and she looked ready to deliver.

"Say goodnight old man!" Baipora bellowed as she prepared to bring the katana down on Kochin's head. Suddenly, a blast of artificial chi came out of nowhere and knocked the sword from the violent woman's hands. She turned around in anger and was surprised to see the Bio-Men standing where their remains should have been.

"Hey,what gives!? You guys should be scrap!" Baipora snarled as she picked up her weapon "guess I'll have to-Ahchoo!" This sneeze caused Baipora's hair to turn brown once more and she looked at the katanna in confusion.

"What in the world? What am I-?" Baipora suddenly caught sight of the Bio-men and flew into a panic. "Oh no, not you again!" She turned to run and caught sight of Kochin, letting out a horrified scream just before she was sucked into a containment orb.

The Bio-men soon gathered around their leader, who seemed genuinely happy with their presence. "How can this be?" Kochin asked "I watched you be destroyed."

"We are far more advanced than the other unit" one of the Bio-Men explained "Dr. Wheelo has programmed us to be self repairing. As long as the nucleus in each of our heads in intact, we can come back from almost anything." Kochin smiled with dark pride. Was there no end to his employer's brilliance?

"Excellent! Perhaps he can upgrade me with the same features during my repairs, eh? Take me back to base and we'll ask."

The Bio-men moved to obey Kochin when the angry voice of Dr. Wheelo sounded in all their heads,making them wince in pain. 'Dr. Kochin, what has happened!? According to my readings, you haven't moved to your next target as scheduled. HOW DARE YOU DELAY!?'

'Forgive me Doctor Wheelo. There was an unexpected occurance that lead me to need repairs once again. I shall return for repairs at once and continue on from there.'

'ABSOLUTELY NOT! I HAVE SPENT FAR TOO MANY YEARS PLANNING THIS PHASE AND HAVE DEFIED DEATH ITSELF TO SEE IT THROUGH! THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER DELAY FOR ANYTHING, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!?'

Though his employer was miles away, Kochin found himself terrified of his anger. 'But sir' he pleaded telepathicly 'the damage was far more extensive this time. My body will shut down in a few hours if not repared soon!' It was this that Kochin feared most of all for it was his current body and nothing else that kept him from the grave. He was already on his last legs when Dr. Wheelo had saved him years ago by copying his brain waves onto a robotic shell and he'd been told the process could only be done once.

'Bah!' Wheelo scoffed 'deal with it, I don't care how, and get moving! Only the Final Phase matters, understood!?'

'Yes sir, as you say' Kochin replied and the conversation ended. Deep down however, the false scientist was feeling enraged and betrayed. Had he not served Wheelo faithfully? Had he not saved Wheelo's life years before the disembodied scientist saved his own?

Despite these facts however, Kochin's fear and loyalty outweighed his anger. He shifted his gaze to the near Bio-man and said "there has been a change in plan. Half of you will continue the mission while the other half escorts me to West City. There is a company there said to employ what thay believe to be the world's best minds. Their technology is nothing compared to our own but perhaps they can keep me alive. Move out!"

The Bio-Men were quick to obey and split into two groups, one of which headed in the direction of Mount Paozou. More specificly, they ventured into the Diablo Desert region. They scoured the vast wasteland and attacked any settlement they came across but none of them held the warrior they sought. Soon, night fell and the artificial soldiers began to grow irritated.

"This is pointless! We've been at this for hours and there's been no sign of this Wolf Master! Are we even sure he exists?"

The Bio-man elected to lead the group rolled his eyes at his companion's complaints. "Of course he exists, Dr. Wheelo's data is seldom wrong. Our target's name is Okami and he is very mysterious, seldom seen except for a passing glance. He's also said to protect the people of this region from bandits and the like. If we haven't found him yet, we've surely drawn him out by now."

Suddenly, the full moon rose in the sky and a shadow streaked across the desert, just barely seen but detected by the Bio-men's sensors. "Someone's around, someone strong" the leader noted "stay alert. We may be able to catch him off guard."

"Not likely." The Bio-men turned in the direction of a notably female voice and saw a woman standing before them. She was tall with a muscular, atheletic physique and dark hair tied in a ponytail. The most notable thing about her however was the odd black gi she wore, inscribed with the symbol for "wolf." The leader noticed this right away.

"You are the Wolf Master!? Okami is a female?" The mystery woman gave a strange, knowing smile at the Bio-man's confusion and assumed a fighting stance.

"You can call me Tsuki. I am the protector of this desert and you're going to pay for the destruction you've caused, whatever you are. Wolf Fang Fist!"

The woman called Tsuki gathered her chi as she called out her attack and an aura shaped like a wolf ignited around her. She then ran forward and began hammering the Bio-men leader with chi enhanced punches and rapid swipes, ending with an open palm strike to the chest. The Bio-Man leader was sent flying into one of his "brothers", both of them crashing into a nearby sand dune.

The two artificial creatures pulled themselves up a moment later and the one who was attacked scoffed. "Is that the best you can do? We were expecting someone stronger."

The other Bio-man shot him a glare. "Are you serious!? Have you already forgotten the woman we faced just hours ago? Don't underestimate this one!"

"You friend is right" Tsuki said "the Wolf Fang Fist is far from my best move. It's been a while since I fought someone who could take it so easy though. This just might be fun."

The Bio-Man who had first spoken chucked. "My thoughts exactly." He and his companion opened their mouth guards and shot out twin waves of chi that Tsuki easily rolled out of the way from. The other Bio-men used this distraction to move behind her and launch steel cables from their hands that gripped her ankles and pulled her to the ground.

Tsuki thought quickly however and reached behind her back, pulling out a broadsword. It's official name was an Azure Dragon Saber but she had renamed it a "Lycan Saber" to be more fitting with her style. Charging it with some of her chi, she raised it and called out her next attack: "Lycan Saber, Fang Slash!"

One quick swipe cut through the cables that held the martial artist captive and the Bio-men groaned. "Not another sword!" They leaped out of the way when Tsuki attemped to slash at thm and one of them managed to kick the blade out of her hands. Tsuki was undaunted however and simply gathered her chi once more.

"Howl of the Alpha!" Throwing her head back, Tsuki unleashed a long, loud howl. The technique was similar to a Kiai and released pure concentrated force. It was so powerful that it literally caused some of the Bio-men's heads to burst, destroying the nucleus in each one and preventing their self-repair function.

When the attack ended, the surviving Bio-men were shocked to find their numbers reduced by half! The one who had been in charge felt what could've been called a sense of loss for his "brothers" and anger towards the smug looking Tsuki. He turned to his fellow survivors and said "this woman is even stronger than the other one. We must use Dr. Wheelo's emergency protocol is we are to win."

The others turned to each other and looked unsure but nodded a moment later. Tsuki could only watch in confusion as they allowed their leader to trap them in their own containment orbs. He then placed each one, five in all, in his palm before opening his mouth guard once more and swallowing them!

Tsuki was digusted by the sight and the Bio-Man knew it. He flashed her a smirk before his mouth guard closed and he yelled out "Bio Fusion Upgrade!"

In the next minute, the Bio-man began to grow at an alarming rate until he was a giant. His limbs became more muscular and his appendages grew longer and sharper, becoming more menacing in appearance. Finally, a blade resembling a shark's fin burst from his back and sprouted upward until the tip of it extended from his engorged head.

Tsuki gulped as she took in her foe's new form. Unlike their predecessors, the latest Bio-men had artificial chi that could be sensed by those that could do so. Tsuki was one such person and was amazed at the Bio-man's increased power. He looked down at her and chuckled, his voice now much deeper.

"So little wolf pup, ready to surrender? My brothers and I are one and our powers at at that peak. Come quietly and help realize Dr. Wheelo's dream."

"Whoever that is, forget it!" Tsuki cried defiantly "I'll fight you with everything I have!" She swiftly retrieved her Lycan Saber and began hacking away at her giant foe. The Bio-Man felt nothing this time however and easily swatted her away.

"You're just one lone wolf" the Bio-man taunted "what hope do you have to win?" Tsuki ignored these insults and climbed to her feet. She turned her attention to the full moon in the sky and stared at it for a long moment. Then, she turned back to him with a smirk.

"You think I'm a 'lone wolf' do you? Don't you know there's no such thing?" Tsuki laughed as she said this and asuumed a power-up stance. Her aura ignited in minutes, big and bright and yellow. She then shouted out "Call of the Pack!"

With that, Tsuki's aura suddenly detatched itself from her body. It then split into a dozen smaller auras that took on the shape of wolves, large, fierce, and glowing. They growled and snarled at the Bio-Man as they took their place behind their creator.

"Meet my pack" Tsuki explained "I can only call them on nights like this, when a Wolf Master's power is at it's strongest." As she said this, the full moon seemed to glow even brighter, along with her eyes. The enhanced Bio-Man understood almost instantly.

"So you gain strength from the full moon huh? No wonder you gave my brothers such a struggle! Well, it won't help you against me!"

Tsuki assumed a fighting stance while her wolves crouched down, ready to strike. "Don't be so sure! Hunting party, attack!" The wolves and their leader leaped high into the air and struck the Bio-Man as one, attacking everywhere they could. The artificial creature's self repairing mechanism was more powerful in his fused state however and healed any damage almost instantly.

The Bio-man eventually grew tired of the the pack and shook them off before swatting their leader away. "I haven't time for any more games" he said "all of you will be contained now!" Multiple containment orbs were shot out all at once and begain raining down upon the desert as Tsuki climbed to her feet. She was able to destroy a few but felt her strength ebbing even as the onslaught continued.

"Only one chance left!" Tsuki called to her wolves, who were starting to fade as she grew weaker and unable to maintain them "Alpha Lycan Mode!" She then closed hery eyes and began to concentrate. As she did, each wolf turned back into chi and became a part of her, causing her aura to reignite

While this occurred, her hair came loose from it's ponytail and flowed freely, as if blown by the wind. Fur began growing along her arms and legs while her fingernails became longer and sharper. Fangs began sprouting from her lips and her ears elongated. Her transformation was complete when she opened her eyes and they glowed bright yellow.

This was Alpha Lycan Mode, the state of maximum power for masters of the Wolf Style. It was said to be an inherited trait from the werewolves who created the style, the true werewolves and not the type that remained wolves most of the time and became human during full moons that you saw these days. Only one master in a generation could access it and even then, only during full moons. Tsuki's personal goal was to learn how to enter this state at any time but at the moment, all that mattered was beating the Bio-man.

Letting out another long, loud howl to cap off her change, Tsuki assumed a familiar stance. "Alpha Wolf Fang Fist!" Surrounded in a crimison silhouette of multiple wolves, the more advanced version of her signature move sent the Wolf Master plowing through the Bio-man's chest just as a cloud covered the moon.

Cut off from the source of her power and exhausted from using so much chi, Tsuki reverted to normal and fainted just as she entered the Bio-man's interior. This allowed his self repair programming to kick in and undo the damage while trapping her simultaneously. He then trapped her in a containment orb to prevent her from attacking within once she awoke. An unconventional capture but effective none the less.

The Bio-man turned his attention to the West. He knew his next target lay in that direction, just outside his current location. According to his data, the place was called Mount Frypan.

…

Two days later, Kochin and his own team of Bio-Men arrived in West City. They flew high above so no one would see them and continuously scanned the area for their target. Finally, one of the Bio-man said "I've found it sir! Red Ribbon Industries is dead ahead. Where shall we land?"

Kochin craned his neck to look down at the impressive facility, a massive building that was painted an ugly brown color with twin towers extending from both sides. On it's front was a giant crimson ribbon with twin copies of the letter "R"painted in white at the center. Kochin had heard that Red Ribbon Industries was a leader in world industries and the scientists they employed were the most brilliant on Earth. He had always dismissed such ideas, believing no one came close to either Wheelo or himself in terms of intelligence. Now, he hoped he was wrong.

Activating his enhanced sight, the artificial scientist could see the building's entire interior. A lab packed with scientists caught his eye. They seemed to building weapons, which seemed odd for a corperation that had once publicly declared itself "the whole world's best friend." However, it could do for some lovely upgrades.

"Land and enter through the back exit" Kochin ordered "we must get this done as swiftly and inconspicuously as possible." Soon, the Bio-men had blasted the back door open and cornered the room full of scientists. One such scientist was grabbed and placed in poing blank range of a charging chi blast. "Do as we say and you shall not be harmed" the Bio-man who had done the deed hissed "first thing's first: absolutely no one is to know we're here."

…

Days later, Kochin lay on the makeshift operating table cursing his luck. The scientists of Red Ribbon Industries were morons! He hadn't expected them to fully comprehend Wheelo's technology by any means by he thought they could at least handle a simple patch job! Even with the Bio-men assisting him, Dr. Baka, the corperation's chief scientist, was still struggling with the most basic part of Kochin's systems. Worst yet, the man was late today!

The artificial scientist had just about run of patience and was ready to order his Bio-men to wreak havoc when someone finally entered. He was surprised to find that it wasn't Baka but Brief Lin, the head scientist's personal assistant. Lin was a mousy little woman with purple hair tied in a bun and thick, horn rimmed glasses. She was officially little more than a secretary but she clearly had more intelligence than she let on, always studying the Bio-men and taking notes via an electronic notepad while Baka worked. More than once, she had even given Kochin himself a rather analytical glance.

Today however, she looked nervous and even a bit frightened. She also had a toolbox rather that her notepad. Without a word, she rushed to the stool Dr. Baka usually occupied and began tinkering with Kochin's systems, much to his horror. "What are you doing woman!?"

"At the moment, saving you. Would you rather I stopped?" Lin asked sarcasticly even as she worked. A Bio-man attempted to stop her, only to be swatted aside before he could attack.

Kochin rolled his eyes. "Since you clearly have no idea what you're doing, yes. If Baka can't do it, you certainly can't!"

Lin scoffed. "Why? Can't wrap your head around the idea of a female scientist? You sound like my father. Anyway, you'd be scraps by now if it wasn't for me!"

"What are you babbling about!?" Kochin snapped "and be careful! Those circuts are irreplaceable!"

Lin merely rolled her eyes. "Look, you don't know half of what really goes on around here. Our boss has had us making weapons for the past five years so he can invade Central City. When you showed up, Baka told him everything and had me take notes on you and these…things to see if he could reverse engineer your technology for added fire power." She cast a glance at the Bio-men as she said this and they glared back.

Kochin barked a laugh. "That is popostrous! Baka is an imbecile and even if what you say is true, he will never come close to comprehending me or my Bio-men. Besides, why the sudden change of heart? Shouldn't you be helping him instead of repairing me as you claim to be doing?"

"I'm helping you because Baka's given up and they've called in someone who can do the job right" Lin explained "I never wanted to work for this company or be part of any Army. The only reason I'm here is because the pay keeps my son in West City Collage. He's studying at ther Department of Science and Engineering to establish his own business one day and I'd do anything to help him succeed."

"What a wonderful mother you are" Kochin said sarcasticly "and this comes back to me how?" Lin scowled in response and began putting her tools away. It was obvious that she was used to not receiving gratitude but clearly didn't enjoy it.

"You're the missing piece in building their army. Without you here to study, their plans get set back by at least a decade. Now go, before I change my mind you old rust bucket!"

Kochin sat up and was surprised to find his systems worked better than new. Even Dr. Wheelo couldn't do a faster job. He turned to Lin and saw her grinning smugly at him, arms crossed. "Well?"

Kochin gave a stiff nod. "You've performed adequately for a woman. I suppose I will spare your life in gratitude. Also, whatever so-called army your employer intends to build will be crushed by my employer before long. Please tell him I said so, won't you?"

"Tell me yourself old man." Lin and Kochin turned to see a very short man with red hair dressed in a business suit standing in the doorway. He wore a confident, rather arrogant smirk and gave off a feeling of authority despite his stature. "Hello Dr. Kochin, I am Mr. Aka, owner and president of Red Ribbon Industries. I just came by to inform you that I have so enjoyed your stay and to regretfully say that neither you nor the lady will be leaving here without my sayso."

"Oh? How exactly do you intend to stop us little man?" Kochin asked as the Bio-men prepared to attack, an amused smirk on his face.

Aka seemed to bristle at the comment on his height but his smik soon returned. "Oh, I won't be stopping you" he said "I have people for that. More specifically, I have this guy," The little man pulled out a remote control and pressed a button, causing a section of wall to slide up and reveal a passage way.

Out of the passage way stapped a tall man dressed in a white karate gi and a mask similar to a professional wrestler. The mask had a large imprint of the Red Ribbon Industries logo on it. He looked at the assembled group with a blank stare. "He may look ordinary but he is far from it. Allow me to introduce the world's first Android, a prototype for a new wave of artificial human!" Aka announced with a flourish "he can mimic any fighting style and has the strength of a hundred men so I suggest you back down now."

"An empty threat" Kochin scoffed "he is a prototype and you would not need my 'help' as it were if he were that powerful. You were obviously being shortsighted with you created him." Lin went pale at Kochin's words. "Shortsighted" was one of many phrases that pushed Aka's buttons and despite his size, her employer's anger was a terrible sight to behold.

"HOW DARE YOU USE THAT WORD!? NUMBER ZERO, ATTACK!" The Android, now identified as Number Zero, shuffled forward and assumed a rather generic fighting stance. His sensors studied each of the people in front of him in an attempt to find a style he could mimic. After several minutes, he finally found one. "Brief Lin Style" he announced in a mechanical voice "preparing to mimic."

To everyone's shock, Number Zero walked towards Kochin and slapped him in a rather effeminate manner. While this would have easily killed a normal human, having the strength of a hundred men behind it, Kochin felt nothing. The Android then proceeded to beat his fists against Kochin's chest in the same manner and get the same result.

The Bio-men watching let out an electronic chuckle while Lin was extremely insulted. Aka on the other hand was furious. "The stupid Android can only copy human fighting styles!? Damn that Flappe!"

A now unamused Kochin proceeded to fire several rounds of bullets into Number Zero wih his machine gun hand, causing the Android to collapse in a head. He then turned back to Aka and sighed. "Well little man, this has been an amusing distraction but I must go and frankly, you are not even worth killing."

Aka became even more furious at that remark and drew a gun from his jacket. "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S WORTH KILLING!" Before he could fire however, the dimunitive executive was attacked by a Bio-man. The artificial creature slashed at his face as he knocked the weapon from his hand, making him cry out in agony. "MY EYE!"

The dimunitve man sank to his knees, clutching his right eye in pain. He struggled to raise his head and glare at a smirking Kochin. "T-this isn't over!"

"Oh, but it is" the artificial scientist replied with a laugh before turning to Lin. "Well Ms. Brief, this has been interesting. So interesting in fact that not only will I let you live but I will also give you a gift." Kochin then gave a nod and a Bio-man walked up to Lin, dropping a containment orb in her hand.

"Give this to your son. Perhaps he could use it to start that little business you mentioned and my employer could find a use for him." With these parting words, Kochin and the Bio-men took their leave, ready to resume their mission. Lin felt an immense knot in her stomach watching them go. Had she prevented one disaster only to cause another?

She turned back to Aka, writhing in pain. He was grunting something unintelligible about his size and still clutching his eye. Not waiting to see what he would do next, Lin ran for the the police station. She had secretly made copies of the plans for each weapon and various other company secrets on a disk concealed in her pocket, everything that would interst even King Furry himself in Aka's business affairs. She also kept the containment orb, having the odd feeling that whatever it did could be improved upon and made very useful in the future.

….

"Status report:what have we missed?" Kochin asked his second-in-command as they flew away from West City. All Bio-men were able to uplink with each other across the globe and share information. Kochin's second used this ability and a minute later, his eyes widened.

"We've missed quite a bit sir, our brothers are already engaging the second strongest target, the Crane Master!" Kochin scowled at this revealation. They had only started the hunt for the final ten when he was damaged. Dr. Wheelo would be furious at him for being out of action for so long.

"We must catch up! To South City on the double!" The crew of artificial beings activated their thrusters and shot forward at their maximum speed. In a little under two hours, they reached South City and moved on towards the large mountain that lay on it's outskirts. It was at the top of this mountain where the Crane School, deadliest martial arts academy in the world, was located.

Having been run for over two hundred years by the seemingly immortal Crane brothers, the School was famous for turning out assasins that were nearly unbeatable. They were clearly unprepared for the Bio-Men however as Kochin could see the bodies of several students scattered along the mountainside. Even so, the artificial scientist knew that their true target would be another matter altogether.

The group entered the temple through an opening in it's walls, something that had obviously just been made. Kochin could not hide his shock when he saw a giant Bio-man holding his own against a pair of martial artist dressed in hooded cloaks, the only ones stii standing. "What on Earth is that!? I don't remember creating any giant Bio-men!"

"It's the result of the Bio Fusion upgrade sir." Kochin's second answered "it allows one of of use to assimilate the rest of the unit and gain a considerable power boost. Dr. Wheelo installed it to be used in cases of extreme emergency."

Kochin glanced at the fused creature for a moment then turned to his second. "Can you perform this function as well?" The Bio-man nodded. "Then do so and help your brother. One of them has got to be the Crane Master!"

The Bio-men obeyed and soon, Kochin was looking at yet another giant version of his creation. The enhanced Bio-man arrived in time to aid his "brother" against the pair as they began unleashing Crane School techniqus. The Four Witches technique was especially brutal as eight fists rained down upon the artificial creature. The new arrival took the mysterious pair by surprise and swatted them aside, allowing his "sibling" and he to attack together.

Kochin watched the fight so intensely that he failed to notice the figure lurking above in the shadows of the temple rafters. The figure smiled maliciously as he drew a switchblade knive and dove down to attack the artificial scientist. Kochin noticed at the last moment however and unleashed a hail of bullets with his machine gun hand. His attacker surprised him by dodging every shot in mid air and landing in front of him, back turned. Kochin could see he was wearing a pink overcoat with the words "kill you" written in bold red print on the back .

"Well now, what are you supposed to be? A robot or just someone with cybernetic implants? I myself would never resort to such methods to gain strength." As the mystery attacker said this, he turned to face Kochin, showing the artificial scientist a smug face with a pointed nose and thin moustache. His black hair was done up in a long ponytail.

"You are however, willing to resort to cheap sneak attacks " Kochin pointed out "and you're not very good at it either. Rather odd for a student in a school of assasins, don't you think?" The smug look vanished from the mystery man's face, replaced by anger and indignation.

"I am no mere student! I am Tao Pai Pai, master of this school and your destruction!" Kochin was surprised by this statement until he saw the "crane" symbol that Tao wore. It seemed he had found his target. Before he could respond however, someone behind them scoffed.

"You are hardly a 'master' little brother and your clumsy attempt at assassination proves you've little chance of being anyone's destruction." Both men turned to see an old man dressed in a yellow and dark green version of Tao's outfit and sunglasses. He also wore not only the "crane" symbol but a headpiece modeled after the bird. Tao scowled at the new arrival with a look of familiarity and hate.

"Well, look who is it. Has my all important brother actually come out of hiding to face his enemies? Hell truly has frozen over."

Tao's brother scowled at his sarcasm. "I am not hiding! I was merely waiting to see how long you could last before I had to bail you out…as usual!"

"Ha! How quickly you forget that YOU appointed ME your bodyguard after that Wani fool tried to kill you over two centuries ago. Me, your four year old brother! Of course,father always said I was a child prodigy, unlike you!" Tao concluded smugly.

His older brother bristled. The fact that Tao had started martial arts so much earlier than his eldest sibling had always been a sore point, even if most refused to believe it. Whenever the youngest Crane Brother was spoken of, his age was never directly referenced. The fact that he had eventually become a partner instead of a student as intended only made things worse.

"You are NOT my bodyguard! That was a training exercise meant for a STUDENT, one you have had to keep at because of your poor skill! I would gladly give up and work with my more promising students if you weren't my flesh and blood!"

"YOUR students!?" Tao scoffed "I am the one in charge of training while you laze about in your office! That includes your little prodigies!" As he said this, the youngest Crane Brother cast a disgusted glance at the two hooded students fighting the Bio-men.

"I am in meditation, preparing myself for the ultimate confrontation with my arch nemesis! If the Kamesenin is to truly realize my superiority, I must be at my peak!" Tao's brother snapped, only to receive a laugh in response.

"You mean the same Kamesenin you've been preparing to challenge for over a century? You two will be on your death beds by the time that happens! Actually, I'd love to see that" Tao taunted.

"You won't be able to see it if you go first!" Tao's brother sneered "and I can arrange that!"

"ENOUGH!" Kochin finally snapped "which of you is the real Crane Master?" Both brothers stopped their argument to gare at the artificial scientist.

"Isn't it obvious? I am!" Tao's older brother announced as he announced a fighting stance "I am the Tsurusenin and if you and your monsters have come to kill me, it's you who should be worried!"

The Tsurusenin attacked, charging straight at Kochin. The artificial scientist was in the midst of preparing himself when Tao assumed his own stance behind him. "Not so fast brother, this one is mine!"

The Crane Brothers attacked all at once, coming at Kochin from both sides. He took advantidge of this and leaped into the air at the last moment, causing them to crash into each other. Tsurusenin climbed to his feet a moment later and glared at his younger brother.

"Stay out of this Tao! Can't you see it's me he wants!? It's obvious he's here for a superior opponent."

Tao glared right back at his brother. "Obviously, which is why I should fight him! I've clearly surpassed you by now in your old age."

"Old age!? You are only a decade or so younger than me! Don't forget that I was your teacher while father was busy pampering that fool Yuki!"

"True, you were my master" Tao admitted even as he reassumed his fighting stance "but as I said, I've long surpassed you. I am the true Tsurusenin and the only one fit to run this school!" The eldest Crane Brother resumed his own stance in response. A challenge had just been made and accepted.

"Hey! Are you two going to fight me or each other!?" Kochin yelled out in annoyance. He had no idea siblings could be this annoying.

The Crane Brothers turned their attention to the artificial scientist, their rivalry seemingly forgotten for now. They extended their pointer fingers toward him and yelled out "Dodonpa!" The twin yellow beams shot toward Kochin but he was unafraid. He was determined to convince both Dr. Wheelo and himself that Baipora had been a fluke.

Leaping down at the last minute, the artificial scientist avoided the attack and caused a rafter to come crashing down behind him. He then converted both his hands to weapon mode, laser pistols this time. The Crane Brothers were able to avoid the first few shots but then Kochin surprised them by combining both hands into a single weapon. The shot it fired was powerful and would have done much damage if it hit. It was because of this that Tsurusenin chose to grab his brother at the last minute and use him as a shield.

Tao let out a cry of pain as the attack hit and fell to his knees. His brother ignored him and took to the air, lauching himself at Kochin to engage him personally. The artificial scientist lifted himself into the air to confront the Crane Master and launched another energy blast, this time from his mouth.

Tsurusenin merely smirked at this and evaded the attack with the After-Image Technique. He reappeared directly in front of Kochin, who proceeded to separate his laser pistol hands and take aim with his right. The Crane Master was surprisingly quick however and managed to grab the weapon just before it fired, aiming at the ceiling instead. He then proceeded to pummel the artificial scientist before another move could be made.

From below, the youngest Crane Brother scowled at his sibling. 'How dare that old fool use me as cannon fodder!?' Tao thought as he forced himself to his feet 'it would serve him right if I allowed this machine man to capture him!' An evil smirk suddenly formed on the younger Crane Brother's face. 'In fact…I shall!' The only question was how? Tao couldn't fly yet and he couldn't perform a long range attack more powerful that the dodonpa.

Suddenly, Tao glimpsed the fallen rafter and an idea came to him. He ran over and retrieved it using his chi enhanced strength before going back and taking careful aim at the combatents above. With very little effort, the youngest Crane Brother hurled the rafter through the air and began chasing it. Once it was half way to it's target, he leaped on and rode the rest of the way.

Tao tackled his brother just as the rafter smashed into him, sending them the both the ground while hammering Tsurusenin with punches of his own. The two brothers wrestled for a while before Tao was able to gain the upper hand and restrain his older sibling. He soon stood behind Tsurusenin, pinning his arms behind his back with one hand and putting him in a one armed headlock with the other.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOT!?" Tsurusenin screamed even as he struggled to break his brother's hold. Though he hated to admit it, Tao truly was the stronger of the two.

"I am teaching you who the true Master is here!" Tao hissed in his brother's ear before turning his attention to Kochin, who hovered in the air confused. "Hey, you there! You wanted the Crane Master? Take him now and be quick about it!"

While still confused, Kochin was not about to question this turn of events. He fired a containment orb at the Crane Brothers with the intent of capturing them both but Tao was too quick and leaped away at the last moment. "TRAITOR!" Tsurusenin yelled just before he disappeared and the orb fell to the ground.

Tao smirked in satisfaction and picked the miniature prison up to inspect it. Kochin landed before him and wordlessly motioned for him to hand it over. "Don't think I didn't see you aiming for me as well" the youngest Crane Brotther said with a sneer even as he complied "the only reason I'm letting you live is because you did me a favor. Now, off with you!"

Kochin said nothing and turned his gaze towards his Bio-Men, who had just been defeated by the hooded fighters. The artificial creatures lay side by side, their opponents standing triumphantly atop their huge chests. The mysterious pair clenched their hands into fists and ignited them with chi as they prepared to drive them through the creatures's chests.

Before this could occur, Kochin called out "come Bio-Men, our work here is done!" The huge artificial warriors responded to this command by splitting into their individual forms, causing their opponents to fall from their perches as their attacks missed. The hooded fighters wearily climbed to their feet and were shocked to find themselves surrounded by miniature versions of the monsters they fought.

Rather than continue the battle however, the now separate Bio-men rushed towards Kochin and gathered around him. The artificial scientist held out his newly obtained prize like a parent presenting a new toy to a child and the creatures reacted in kind. The hooded warriors watched this scene in confusion and wondered why Master Tao was doing nothing.

This confusion only grew as the youngest Crane Brother actually escorted their attackers outside the school and they flew off. All the while, Master Tao continued to smirk in satisfaction. One of the hooded fighters, a deep voiced male, turned to the older fighter and asked "what has happened Master Tao!? Who were those warriors and what have they done with Lord Tsuru!?"

Tao rolled his eyes at the the prententous title that the two hodded students insisted on giving his brother. "your 'Lord' has been kidnapped for whatever reason. Frankly, I don't care. All that matters now is that I am the one, true master of this school and your alliengence belongs to me! Stand guard until I can find a use for you."

With that, the youngest Crane Brother calmly walked back into the temple with even more arrogance and authority than he usually demonstrated. The two hooded students watched him go for a while and waited until he was out of sight to remove their hoods and face each other.

One student was a man in his late twenties with bronze skin, a bald head, and a short goatee. The other was a woman around the same age with much paler skin, an atheletic physique, and a long, braided up ponytail. The man's name was Ochoru and the woman's name was Nueva. They looked mostly like normal Human-Type Earthlings with the exception of the third eye in the middle of their foreheads.

They were descendents of the long lost Three-eyed Tribe, whose members were still in hiding to this day. Having found each other at a young age, the two had spent many years traveling together to find more of their kind and eventually married. It was around that time that they were discovered by Tsurusenin, who agreed to train them in hopes learning their secrets for himself. So far, neither of them had achieved their goals but the married couple had become the Crane School's top students and even found evidence that one of them may have been descended from Primus, the ancient tribesman who became Earth's first Kami.

"Master Tao is lying" Ochoru told his wife bluntly "he was obviously responsible for our Lord's loss against those creatures and his kidnapping. We must restore the honor of the temple by destroying them and their master!" As he said this, the martial artist removed his robe to reveal his Crane School uniform.

"Agreed" Nueva said as she did the same "but how? Whatever those creatures were, they had no chi and neither did the old man. We cannot track them."

"Perhaps we can by using the Gift" Ochoru replied as he stared out at the horizon. What he and his wife called "the gift" was the power of the Third Eye both had unlocked as children. It granted them various abilities such as mind reading, telepathy,copying moves, and much more. It was because of this that they excelled in the martial arts.

Ochoru used "the gift" to extend his sight far byond the normal range. He peered far out past South City and several miles beyond until he finally saw the old man and his creatures flying over the ocean. He was about to report this to Nueva when he saw a massive craft not unlike a submarine emerge from the depths and usher their targets inside. His enhanced vision became clouded once the craft submerged itself beneath the waves once more.

"We must hurry! The old man has become hidden by the ocean and his trail can only be picked up again if we follow." With that said, husband and wife took to the air, flying at top speed until they reached the ocean.

…

Kochin was weary as he entered the mobile base and stood before his employer. Dr. Wheelo seldom took an active role in his schemes unless he felt things had gone too far off course. When that usually happened, he got angry.

'Uh…sir, I appreciate you coming to meet me but it wasn't necessary. I already have-UGH!' Kochin suddenly gripped his head in pain as he felt a psychic attack on his sysyems. Dr. Wheelo's preferred method of punishment.

'What you have Kochin, is no excuses for your idiocy! Thanks to your bungling, we are behind schedule and almost lost the Crane Master! It is obvious I can no longer trust you with the completion of my plans so I will capture the final target myself. It is time to face the legendary Master Roshi,the world's strongest man!'

…

The sun beat down on Kame House that day but Roshi didn't mind the heat. He was engrossed in only two things at the moment: his latest magazine and the progress of his students. The later was sometimes so impressive that it caused that order to reverse.

In the past six months, Son Gohan and Ox Prince had grown stronger than most of Roshi's students did in six years. Son Gohan in particular proved to be something of a prodigy, having all but mastered the kamehameha in a number of weeks. Ox Prince proved unable to use chi attacks but had shown great improvement in his overall fighting skills and could use his chi to augment his strength and speed when necessary.

Roshi felt great pride in their growing power but knew he couldn't take credit for much. From day one, a rivalry had grown between his students that was friendly but fierce. Son Gohan's desire to prove worthy of his master's teachings and Ox Prince's desire to prove he could keep up with the older boy often lead to a game of one up's manshp in almost everything they did. The Kamesenin quietly encouraged this because it brought out the best in them both, just as it had for two other young warriors long ago. He only hoped the friendship that had also grown between the two would be enough to keep them both off the dark path.

He looked up from reading just in time to see the two boys land on Nimbus, just returned from the morning's training expedition. Roshi had used the mystic clound to send them to a neighboring island, where they woud collect milk bottles from the local milkman and deliver them on foot to everyone on the island. It was a grueling task meant for beginning students, one they had in fact already done but the Kamesenin had something special in mind that day.

"We've returned Master but why did we need to go at all?" Son Gohan asked "we did milk delivery on our first day after all. It was too easy this time."

"Speak for yourself!" Ox Prince, still looking winded, gasped out "I think that island actually grew since last time!" Despite his new fitness, the young heir to Mount Frypan had never been a fan of exercise.

Son Gohan turned to his rival with a smirk. "What's the matter kid? Don't you have chi-enhanced speed or have you had a relapse in your training? That must be why the Master wants you to repeat the simple stuff."

Ox Prince rolled his eyes. "Very funny Gohan, how do we know YOU haven't had a relapse? This was your exercise too."

"Actually boys, you're both fine." Roshi said with a slight chuckle "truth is, today was a diversion. I needed you away so I could find a couple of old things I want to give you." The Kamesenin got up then and disappeared into his house, leaving his students confused.

He returned a moment later carrying weapons, two weapons to be exact. One was a battle ax and the other was a long red staff. As their master placed them on the ground, both young men felt a deep connection to them both.

Roshi smiled and picked up the staff, holding it out to Son Gohan. "This is the Power Pole, a magical staff belonging to your ancestor, Son Wukong. It was given to me as a young man and served me well but I've no more use for it's power. It's only right that I return it to your family."

Son Gohan's eyes widened as he reached for the Power Pole. He cradled the ancient staff in his hands gently as though he were handling saced treasure. "I've heard stories but I never…thank you Master."

Roshi nodded and turned to his second student. "Ox Prince, this ax belonged to YOUR ancestor, the first Ox King. He had problems with using chi attacks like you so he used it to compenstate until he learned. I got it after he passed and since it was just gathering dust, I figured you could put it to good use."

Ox Prince took the ax and was surprised to find it was heavier than it looked. He was slightly disappointed that it lacked the same power and legacy as Son Gohan's weapon but he felt pride as well. The first Ox King was the one member of his family besides his late mother that he looked up to.

"These gifts have a second purpose" Roshi continued "for the next hour, I want you to spar with them and only them. It will help you test them and earn you a bit of armed combat experience. Sometimes, normal martial arts is not enough."

"Yes Master" both students said as they bowed in union. They then moved away from each other and assumed fighting stances, staring each other down. While Son Gohan held the Power Pole with ease, Ox Prince seemed to struggle with the weight of his ax.

Roshi looked them over and nodded in approval. "Very good. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my programs. Umigame will keep watch over the match until I get back." The Kamesenin nodded once again at his ancient companion before heading back to his house, the voice of a young female aerobics instructor blaring from his television.

With their Master gone, Son Gohan and Ox Prince began circling one another, waiting for the opportunity to begin their spar. Umigame noticed their impatience after a few moments and finally yelled "fight!" The two young warriors wer charging one another a second later.

The match began as a simple duel between ax and staff. Ox Prince swung his weapon clumsily at first and allowed Son Gohan to easily parry his strikes. The younger warrior was surprisingly adaptable however and became more used to the ax's weight as the spar dragged on.

"Give it up Gohan. There's no way a staff can defeat a battle ax, even if does have magic, which I doubt!" Ox Prince ground out through clenched teeth as their weapons met and began clashing with each other.

Son Gohan suddenly broke away from the struggle and smirked. "Oh, there's magic all right but unless you know the legends like me, you're pretty outmatched right now. Power Pole, extend!"

The Power Pole did as commanded, shocking Ox Prince. Son Gohan's smirk widened as he swung his weapon like a baseball bat, knocking his rival into the air. Ox Prince crashed to Earth on the end of the island with a large thud.

Son Gohan chuckled and let the Power Pole return to it's normal length before jogging over to check on his rival. He immediately noticed a large hole in the sand where the Ox Prince fell and peered down into it. "Don't feel bad Ox, you just gotta know how to use the element of surprise."

No resonse. A confused Son Gohan looked down further into the hole while trying to sense his rival's chi. He eventually did…but not inside the hole. The descendent of Son Wukong looked up just in time to see Ox Prince plummeting to Earth, poised for an aerial strike. Son Gohan raised the Power Pole to block the attack, only for his rival to land a few feet in front of him, the resulting shockwave knocking him backwards.

"How was that?" Ox Prince asked with a smirk "surprised enough?" Son Gohan laughed out loud in response as he climbed to his feet.

"Nicely done Ox, you've really improved! Your father would be proud." Ox Prince's smirk melted instantly and he grunted gruffly in response.

Son Gohan frowned. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"It's not you, it's my dad. He was sending Master Roshi letters asking about my progress when my training first started but he hasn't done it in weeks now. I guess he doesn't think it's worth it anymore" Ox Prince muttered, eyes downcast.

"I remember those" Son Gohan said with a slight smile "Master Roshi wrote back some very nice replies too. I don't see why your father would suddenly lose interest." Ox Prince just shook his head. There were some things his friend/rival would never understand.

"Then you don't know my dad. He never wanted Master Roshi to teach me, just make me more like him. I've always known that's the only way to earn his approval and whatever the Master wrote obviously showed him it wasn't happening. I doubt he'll ever send for me to come home now. He's probably working on making another heir with a concubine right now!"

Son Gohan was at a loss for words. He and his own father were quite close and never had he imagined any parent holding their child to such harsh standards. It just didn't seem natural.

"If what you say is true, then your father is foolish." Son Gohan said firmly as he clasped a hand on his shoulder "From the day we met, you have shown yourself to be loyal, diligent, compassonite, and brave with a heart as big as your body. These are fine qualities for any son or ruler to have and if you have been raised to believe otherwise, then coming home surely can't be worth it. Stay here and continue training. Master Roshi will need a successor someday after all."

"Yeah right" Ox Prince said even as he slowly began to smile "Master Roshi is practically immortal and we all know that if there is a new Kemesenin one day, it will be you. You're most likely to be an old pervert anyway."

Son Gohan scowled at first but knew it was true. He and his Master shared a "fascination" with women that had led to them becoming quite close. The two spent many hours after trainng gazing at Roshi's collection of magazines and more than once, the Kamezenin had sent Son Gohan into town for new material.

Thinking of this made Son Gohan smile and soon, both he and Ox Prince burst into laughter, the earlier tension gone. Their laughter was cut short however when the whole island suddenly shook. Along with Umigame, they turned to see what looked like a robot walking towards them. It looked at least eight feet tall with massive clamps for hands and strange, three toed feet. Spikes extended from it's back that looked like the quils of a porcupine and gave it a strange, slightly hunched appearance. There was even a long tail extending from it that dragged along the beach. But the most bizarre and frightening thing about the newcomer was the groteste brain that occupied the glass dome that served as it's head.

As the thing approached, both students fell into fighting stances. Only Son Gohan could sense it's chi but Ox Prince could tell it obviously wasn't friendly. 'Greetings, I am Dr. Wheelo Satoshi. Is this the home of the famous Kamesenin?'

Son Gohan and Ox Prince winced at the newcomer's telepathic sppech, not quite used to it just yet, but stood firm. "It may be. What is your business with our Master?"

'That is none of your concern' Dr. Wheelo responded, his telepathic tones growing sharper 'now stand aside!' The robotic being swung his tail as he said this, forcing the two Turtle students to leap aside. They then turned to each other and nodded, readying their weapons for battle.

"Power Pole, extend!" Son Gohan yelled as he leaped into the air to bring his elongated weapon down on Dr. Wheelo's dome. At the same time, Ox Prince rushed forward and began hacking away at the robotic being's leg with his ax. Dr. Wheelo staggered back slightly from these attacks by was quick to retaliate with energy blasts fired from his clamp-like hands.

The two Turle students were stunned and fell to their knees in pain. A dismissive scoff soon entered both their minds. 'You are students of the great Master Roshi? Absurd! Is this all you have?"

Son Gohan, who had taken less damage than Ox Prince, struggled to his feet. "Not even close! Ka…me…ha…me…ha!" The signature attack of the Turtle School shot forward, only to be canceled out by a red, flame-like energy shield that surrounded Wheelo's body. Son Gohan grew angry and attacked the robotic being with a meelee assault. This included the famous "rock,paper, scissors" move taught to him by Master Roshi.

This did nothing to Wheelo however, who merely swatted him aside. Umigame attempted to intervene but shared the same fate. The robotic form of Dr. Wheelo soon towered over three beaten fighters lying in the sand.

'You have made an amusing disctraction' Dr. Wheelo's condescending voice said in their minds 'but this is the end. I must find my true target.' With that said, the robotic being raised a single, massive foot and prepared to crush his foes beneath his heel.

It was at that moment that something halted Wheelo's advance. Ox Prince weakly lifted his head and the sight made him sigh in relief. "M…Master Roshi." The Kamesenin had indeed arrived, stopping the robotic being's foot with a single hand. He then proceeded to throw Wheelo to the ground effortlessly.

"I dunno who you are of where you came from, but nobody harms my students!" Roshi yelled as he assumed a fighting stance "get off my island before I make you!" A dry chuckle within his head was the Kamesenin's response.

'Oh, I have every intention of leaving and you're coming with me' Wheelo replied as he climbed to his feet. A faint buzzing sound began to emit from the robotic being's body. At the same time, Roshi could feel his energy rising. 'I have just set my suit's power core to overload. In less than four minutes, this island and everything on it will be wiped out! I can stop it but not unless you agree to my demands. And if you think attacking before then is a good move, I suggest you think again!'

Roshi's heart almost stopped. He knew Wheelo wasn't joking and from the amount of energy he was senseing, even he wouldn't survive the explosion. Looking back at his students, the choice was clear. "Alright, you've got me.

Almost instantly, the buzzing stopped and Wheelo's energy returned to normal. 'Splended! I knew you would be reasonable. Now, come forward.'

Roshi did as instructed while Son Gohan struggled to stand. "Master, no! You can't do this!"

The Kamesenin turned and smiled sadly at his student. "This is how it has to be Gohan. Now it's up to you and Ox Prince to lead the next generation like your forefathers did. I know you will make them and me proud."

'Enough talk!' Dr. Wheelo snapped as he reached out and grabbed Roshi in his massive clamp of a hand 'the Final Phase is almost complete!' The robotic being then took to the air with his captive , going out onto the ocean and diving into the depths below.

"MASTER ROSHI!" Son Gohan's anguished cry echoed through the air and he pounded his fist into the sand. "D-damn it! We failed him!"

Ox Prince stared grimly out into the ocean. "We're miles away from civilization, there's no telling where they could've gone to. We just have to hope Master Roshi knows he's doing."

"NO!" Son Gohan proclaimed "I can still sense that thing's energy, as well as the Master's. I Will find him! NIMBUS!"

The mystic cloud promptly appeared and Gohan took a moment to compose himself before mounting. Nimbus wouldn't judge him as pure hearted unless he could control the anger and frustrsion he was feeling. Ox Prince suddenly grabbed him by the hand.

"Gohan, wait! You saw how easy Wheelo beat us, we can't do it alone. Let me send word to my father, have him and his soldiers come back us up. Surely he'll respond if the great Master Roshi is is danger."

"They would never arrive in time!" Son Gohan insisted stubbornly "we must go ourselves or not at all. Stay here if you must but I won't let our Master down!"

Ox Prince sighed in defeat. "Oh, I'm coming all right. I have to go along so your dumb idea doesn't get you into any more trouble. I learned long ago that even if the martial arts deal didn't work out, I'm an excellent babysitter.

In spite of himself, Son Gohan smirked. "Hey, I'm the babysitter here, KID. Don't you forget it." Both young man laughed for what felt like the final time before heading off on their first and possibly last adventure. Umigame watched them go but he wasn't the only one.

…

The Crane School couple had trailed Lord Tsuru's captor for at least a week, using "the gift" to track his movements under water. They were rather surprised to find themselves at the legendary Kame House and even more so to see a robot of sorts appear in place of an old man. Nueva had merely dismissed this as their enemy's true form and prepared to strike but Ochoru held her back, having felt the immense power building up from the robot's kamikaze gambit a few moments before she did . They masked their chi and kept out of sight, hovering above the clouds and enhanceing their senses via "the gift" to observe and hear everything. They came out of hiding just as the Kamesenin's students vanished,

"Those Turtle School fools will never succeed" Nueva told her husband with a scoff "they do not have the strength to do what must be done." Ochoru nodded absent mindedly, knowing she meant the strength to kill one's enemy and do so without mercy or regret. It was the same strength that Lord Tsuru and Master Tao worked hard to instill in every pupil.

"The one called Gohan has potential though" Ochoru reminded his wife "he may go all the way. We cannot allow him to dishonor use by killing our enemy before we can!" Nueva gave a firm nod in agreement and the two powered up, blasting after Nimbus at top speed. The then resumed their position above the clouds to stay hidden. The one called Gohan and his friend were of a rival school after all and neither Ochoru or Nueva would dishonor their Lord further by associating with the pupils of his sworn enemy.

…

Days later, Dr. Wheelo's base arrived at the Tsumisumbri Mountains in the Far North. This arctic region had been the Doctor's home for many years and Kochin had been his only companion before the creation of the Bio-men. They both agreed that no mere outsider was worthy to be a part of what they were creating and the few that entered were to be sacrificial lambs for the Final Phase. It was because of this that Kochin felt betrayed when he witnessed his employer enter the base with a human outside a containment orb, instead placed within the grasp of Wheelo's battle armor. It didn't matter that the human was the famous Master Roshi.

Dr. Wheelo carried Roshi to the uppermost level of his base, where the strange tower that was at the center of his plans stood waiting. A series of large glass domes arose from the floor as this happened and opened as if they were waiting to be filled. The Kamesenin found himself dropped into one before it sealed shut.

'Make yourself comfortable Master Roshi, this will be your home from now on.' Wheelo announced as he stood before his captive, nearly towering over him as he did. The Kamesenin said nothing in response and fired a kamehameha at his prison. He received a shock however when his legendary attack did no damage whatsoever.

'Don't bother. I have studied you more than any other subject and have spent many years devising a prison to outmatch even your considerable power. Any attempt at escape is futile.'

Roshi weighed his options. Whatever this domes were made of, it clearly wasn't ordinary glass. He considered using his Max Power state but doubted it would do anything than severely drain him. Resigning himself to captivity for now, the Kamesenin stared defiantly at his captor.

"Dr. Wheelo…I know that name. He was a brillant scientist that disappeared over fifty years ago. You can't possibly be him, can you?"

A telepathic chuckle was Roshi's answer. 'The same. I was once the greatest scientist on the planet,blessed with a genetic mutation that causes my brain to grow and evolve over time. I was even able to develop abilities like telepathy and telekenisis. But while my mind grew more powerful, my body was unable to handle the mutation and was slowly shutting down as a result. I constructed this mobile base and left the public eye to find a cure but was unsuccessful, as you can plainly see. Only my mental powers and this robotic suit enable me to function anymore.'

"Quite a sad story" Roshi grumbled sarcasticly "but what's it got to do with me? If you've really studied me, you should know I'm no scientist. There's no way I can help you."

'Oh, but there is. You and every last one of your comrades!' Roshi turned and watched the domes beside him open while strange looking creatures walked up to deposit a small metal orb in each of them. He estimated that, counting himself, there were at least a hundred to fill. Once this was done, the Kamesenin received a shock when the orb in the dome directly beside him opened to reveal his old rival Tsuru. The aged Crane Master looked to be in a daze until he caught sight of Roshi and became furious.

"So you're behind this!? I always knew my miseable brother would betray me but I never thought he'd stoop so low as to join you!" Roshi rolled his eyes behind his shades. No matter how many years passed, his rival remained the same.

"Believe me Tsuru, I'm in the same boat as you right now. We're not alone either." The two rivals looked to see other famous martial artists emerge from the orbs, all furiously attempting to escape their prisons. Roshi could see several familiar faces amongst them including the Ox King. The usually bolsterous monarch looked more terrified than anyone there.

Dr. Wheelo looked over his "collection" and a single phrase entered everyone's mind: 'it begins now!' Before anyone could find out what "it" was, an alarm suddenly sounded throughout the base. Kochin turned to a nearby radar screen and his artificial face turned grim.

"Dr. Wheelo, there are four unknown entities of considerable power entering the area. They will be within range of us in under an hour. I'll send out the Bio-men to dispatch them at once!"

'Don't bother.' Wheelo's telepathic response was curt and tactless 'it's quite obvious that, even with my improvements, your creations are unfit to serve me any further. However, their training facility might still be of some use. What say we give our visitors a workout?

As he heard Wheelo say this in his mind, dread formed in the pit of Roshi's stomach. His senses were being closed off somehow by his prison so had no way of knowing who was approaching. He had his suspicions though and prayed they were ready for whatever they would face.

…

Son Gohan and Ox Prince had seen many impressive things during their time under Master Roshi, things most people would consider too fantastic to be real. Despite this, their eyes still went wide when they gazed up at the mountain they stood before. Nimbus had set them down in front of the largest one in the region and it's peak was just barely visable from where they stood. "Um…Gohan, are you sure Master Roshi's up there?" Ox Prince asked his friend, fighting back both the intense cold and his own nervousness.

Son Gohan narrowed his eyes as he tried to concentrate. "Not sure" he admitted to the Ox Prince "his chi's getting harder to sense by the minute for some reason. But I can still feel him somewhere in the general area, him and that Wheelo guy."

"But how are they even still alive!?" Ox Prince asked franticly "I've read that this is the coldest place on Earth. The snow and ice will never melt at any temperature and there are terrible blizzards at least twice a year! I'm surprised we haven't died yet!"

"Just lucky I guess" Son Gohan replied sarcasticly, adding a bit of dark humor to the situation. "I know Master Roshi was lucky too and it's our job to bring him home, no matter what!" Ox Prince didn't respond, still staring uneasily at the mountain peak.

"Er…okay. But where do we start?" Son Gohan looked incredulously at his friend and rival. "Where else? We climb." The descendent of Son Wukong drew his Power Pole and planted it firmly in the snow, never releasing his grip on one end. He stared at the mountain with purpose.

Ox Prince was confused by this until he came to a sudden realization. "You can't be serious! Are you actually going to-? Are you insane!?

Ignoring Ox Prince's rambling, Son Gohan cried out "Power Pole, extend!" He then rode his ancestor's mystic weapon to the top of the mountain and effortlessly jumped onto it's peak as the Power Pole returned to normal. Looking down expectedly at his friend and rival, the young man asked "well? You coming or not?"

OX Prince scowled and folded his arms across his chest. "show off" he grumbled under his breath before calling up "Couldn't you have at least carried me? I'm not as heavy as I look!"

When he received no answer, the young monarch groaned in frustration. Drawing his battle ax. He began scaling up after Son Gohan like a mountain climber. The descendedent of Son Wukong could hear the echo of his cursing from where he stood and chuckled to himself.

Suddenly, Son Gohan felt the mountain rumble beneath him, almost sending Ox Prince falling to his doom. It almost felt like it was beginning to crumble! The descendent of Son Wukong received a shock however when the peak he stood upon opened like a hole and he fell inside. Hearing his friend cry out in alarm, Ox Prince climbed as fast as he could. By the time he reached the peak however, it was normal and he was alone. "GOHAN!"

…

Dr. Kochin switched on the monitor that allowed them to view the old Bio-Men training area, located beneath a mountain that was on the opposite side of the region from where the base was hidden, and got his first look at the newly arrived intruder. He looked like a hapless young fool who would be no match for the Bio-men. How could Dr. Wheelo not trust him anymore!?

Kochin turned to quietly glare at his employer, who was giving telepathic orders to the Bio-men. The artificial creatures swiftly unloaded the remaining containment orbs, the ones used to capture those who opposed theim but had no part in the Final Phase, out of their systems and into a series of tunnels. These tunnels lead directly to the old training area.

…

Son Gohan's eyes snapped open and he leaped to his feet, instinctively drawing his Power Pole. He didn't know where he had landed but it looked to be a kind of arena that had several large openings on all sides. He could sense several strong powers approaching from the same sides and prepared himself for an attack.

The descendent of Son Wukong received a surprise however when he found himself surrounded by dozens of small metallic orbs. Yet, he could still sense strong powers within almost every one, save for a rather small amount of chi that stood out from the others. Son Gohan was very confused but became even more so when the orbs opened and full grown people emerged!

The majority seemed to be monks, xaolin monks judging by their power. The smaller chi Son Gohan sensed belonged to a frightened looking young woman with dull brown hair. She clearly wasn't a fighter but clutched a samurai's katanna to her breast as she trembled in fear.

Son Gohan sensed these people meant him no harm and relaxed his stance, but only slightly. "Who are you? What is this place?"

One of the strange monks, an elder and the strongest one there, stepped forward and bowed. "I am Grand Master Kashu of the Orin Temple. We do not know where we are, only that we were taken captive by a mysterious man who wished to steal the Sleeping Princess."

Son Gohan raised a skeptic eyebow and turned to the lone woman of the group. "You mean her? She's very much awake and doesn't really look like a princess if you'll pardon my frankness."

"No, not her!" Grand Master Kashu exclaimed, becoming more stern "the Princess is-ARRRRGH!" The whole area was suddenly bathed in eerie crimson light, causing the monks and their female friend to double over in pain. Son Gohan felt nothing however and had no idea what was happening.

As quickly as it came, the crimson light faded, leaving Son Gohan confused and nervous. "What was that!? Is everyone alright?" No answer came from anyone in the group, which was still doubled over.

"Uh…Master Kashu?" After a long moment, the elderly monk lifted his head to face Son Gohan. His eyes were glowing red and his aged face was twisted into a look of extreme hostility, almost like a wild animal. This was further punctuated by the low growl that issued from his throat just before he attacked!

…

Dr. Wheelo telepathicly chuckled as he watched the intruder and his other prisoners fight amongst themselves. 'It seems the Submission Ray works as well on humans as it did on your creations, eh Kochin?" The Submission Ray was a hidden device Wheelo had personally included in the construction of the Bio-Men training area. It was meant to help instill complete obedience in the artificial creatures after they were first created. It worked, but only after a series of exposures, the first of which induced a violent rage in the Bio-men and made them attack each other mindlessly.

Kochin was about to comment when he noticed something strange: someone was first glance, it seemed as though every unexpected fighter the Bio-men encountered was there. Even that strange woman, who had once again changed into a violent red head because of the Submission Ray, had joined the fight with her katana. Then suddenly, Kochin thought of something: Where was that other monk who put up such a struggle?

…

Neither Kochin nor Wheelo noticed that a single orb sat alone in a darkened corner, having rolled away from the others when it came tumbling down the tunnels. It had also rolled out of range of the Submission ray when it struck. After a moment, the orb was forced open and Lychee of Orin Temple stood ready to fight. "I'm finally free! Now to find that Dr. Kochin and…huh?" Lychee was surprised to find himself in this strange new arena and even more surprised to find his brothers free, fighting in a massive brawl.

"What's going on here? Why is everyone acting so wild!?" The warrior monk used his advanced chi senses to read his brothers' energies and found that they felt corrupted somehow. Even his mentor, the wise Grand Master Kashu, had been transformed into a mindless berserker.

'That red headed swordswoman and the guy with the staff are new though.' Lychee thought to himself 'I wonder who they are? In any case, the guy's the only one who feels clean. I'd better help him out if I want answers but how?'

Studying his new environment, the warrior monk spied several pillars surrounding the place. Darting over to the nearest one, he climbed nimbly to the top like squirrel and leaped over onto the next. He repeated this until he came to the pillar that was directly overlooking the battle scene. Lychee then assumed a power-up stance and began preparing for his ultimate move: the Thunder Bomber.

This move was created by Grand Master Orin himself and passed down to only the best students of his temple. It was often thought that only the guardians of the Sleeping Princess had knowledge of it's existence. Grand Master Kashu personally taught Lychee the technique before stepping down as a guardian and the irony of having to use it on his mentor was not lost to the younger monk.

"Thunder Bomber!" The attack's announcement caused everyone to look up just as Lychee's body crashed down in the center of the battle. The impact sent out a massive burst of crimson chi as it scattered everyone.

Lychee stood up from the crater that he had made and studied his handiwork. Seeing his brothers, including those who had always intimidated him, lying in unconscious heaps filled him with an odd sense of pride and guilt. He turned to see the young man with the staff using his weapon to keep balance and offered him a joking grin. "Sorry to 'drop in' like that. I just can't resist a good brawl."

The staff wielding young man assumed a fighting stance and Lychee backed away. "Hey! I know 'drop in' isn't the funniest stuff but it seemed appropriate."

"Don't think you can fool me! The others were friendly too just before turning savage. Whatever you and that Dr. Wheelo have planned, it won't work!"

Lychee raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Did you say 'Dr. Wheelo'? Don't you mean 'Dr. Kochin'? That's what the old man called himself when I met him."

Now the young man looked confused. "Are you crazy? That was no old man I saw! It didn't even look human!"

Lychee nodded slowly. "Well, you're right that he wasn't human. Look pal, there's obviously something going on here so why don't we start over? I'm Lychee of the Orin Temple."

The young man we know as Son Gohan was hesitant. Lychee seemed trustworthy but what if he went berserk like the others? He decided to test his training by looking into the somewhat older man's mind to see his true intent. Though not as proficient in this technique as his master, he could at very least detect falsehoods.

After a moment of sensing no lies at all, Son Gohan shook Lychee's hand. "You can call me Gohan. Any ideas on where we are?"

"No clue" Lychee said with a shrug "but those tunnels just might be our way out." The two martial artists moved closed to inspect the tunnels in question. The minute they did, both staggered back as their senses were assaulted.

"Whoa! I just felt a massive amount of chi eminating from somewhere up above." Lychee said as he shook his head "who could be up there?"

"That's gotta be Master Roshi!" Son Gohan exclaimed in joy "no one else is that strong. I knew he was alive!"

"Wait, did you say 'Master Roshi'? As in, the legendary Kamesenin!?" Lychee's eyes went wide as he gazed at Son Gohan, wondering just who he had saved.

"The same." Son Gohan replied proudly "my friend and I came here to save him from Wheelo…or Kochin as you call him. Whoever and whatever he is, he must be stopped!" Lychee nodded but then his gaze shifted back to his unconscious brothers. "What about them? We can't leave them here, wherever 'here' is."

"We have no have no idea what else is at the other end of the tunnel, or even if they will attack us again" Son Gohan pointed out to his new ally. Lychee knew he was right but was still hesitant to leave anyone behind.

"At least let me take the woman." Lychee insisted "she's less dangerous than the others and will be easier to deal with if she attacks." Son Gohan was hesitant at first but gave in after a moment. He always believed in being nice to girls. Lychee walked over to the girl in question and was surprised to find the swordwoman's hair was brown rather than red as he first thought. Paying it no mind, he knelt down to pick her up when she suddenly opened her eyes.

"Ooh…where am I? " Lychee backed up a bit in surprise. The Thunder Bomber was capable of knocking out people for at least a day and it took a strong warrior several hours to recover. To see a woman with an average amount of chi wake up in only a few moments was something of a shock.

"Um…your guess is as good as mine Mam, but don't worry I'm a friend. My name's Lychee and that's Son Gohan." The swordswoman sat up and looked at Lychee with doe-like eyes, a smile brimming with naievity etched across her face.

"You do seem very nice…and handsome too. My name is Baipora." A blush crept into Lychee's cheeks. He had sworn off women when he joined the Orin Temple and had forgotten how to deal with their flirtations, not that he had much practice.

"Uh…nice to meet you. Listen, can you tell us exactly who brought you here? Or even where 'here' is?"

Baipora frowned and her brow furrowed in thought. "No. I remember monsters attacking the village and there was a horrible old man with them who tried to grab me."

"That sounds like Dr. Kochin alright." Lychee said gravely "those monsters you saw were what he calls his 'bio-men.' Anything else?"

Baipora thought as hard as she could, suddenly standing up in alarm. "Oh no…Shikasen!" Lychee blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Shikasen is a very hunky samurai who protects the village. Those things captured him and all that's left is his sword over there!" Baipora ran over to where a katana lay on the floor and picked it up. "I remember trying to get it when those things saw me. It's been in Shikasen's family for centuries and I just couldn't let them have it. Those things surrounded me, the old man came closer…and next thing I know, I'm here. The only other thing I remember is seeing your friend over there."

Lychee turned to Son Gohan, hoping for an explanation. The descendent of Son Wukong looked sheepish. "Uh…yes mam. You came down here with some others and attacked me with that sword of yours.

"What!? I've never attacked anyone in my life!" Baipora exclaimed defensively "I don't even know how to use a sword."

"Hey now, take it easy" Lychee said soothingly "no one's blaming you. My friends here are all monks and they did the same thing. You were all obviously under hypnosis or something." The warrior monk gestured to his fellow monks as he said this but deep dow he wasn't so sure. Baipora's strength was average but her chi still felt odd. It almost seemed like it was being split between two people.

"We can worry about who did what later. Right now, our main object is getting out of here and taking back whoever and whatever was stolen from us." Son Gohan announced as he turned back towards the tunnels. His companions nodded and the newly formed group began their descent into the tunnels.

This was the last thing the two mad doctors saw before their monitor went blank. Wheelo gave a telepathinc growl of frustration. 'Kochin, send your Bio-men into the tunnels to finish this nonsense. We can waste no more time!'

The artificial creatures rushed to obey before the order was even given. Kochin was otherwise occupied by the activity on the radar screen…or rather the lack of it. "Dr. Wheelo, There's also the matter of the three others we detected. One seems to still be on top of the training facility and inactive but the others have all but vanished. Something's happened!"

Before Wheelo could respond, the entire base shook. Everyone turned to the far wall behind them just in time to see it explode and two figures emerge from the new opening. They were a man and a woman dressed in Crane School uniforms with distinctive third eyes in the middle of their foreheads. Roshi couldn't help but notice that Tsurusenin actually looked glad to see them

'MORE INTRUDERS!? IMPOSSIBLE!' Dr. Wheelo raged 'NO ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND THIS PLACE!'

The three-eyed man smirked. "It's true. This wasteland is so vast and your technology is powerful enough to distort the senses of those who can feel chi. It's quite impressive but we were guided here by a much greater power. Now return the Tsurusenin to us or face the consequences!"

Dr. Wheelo was silent for a moment, then spoke again. 'A higher power than chi control? Impossible and yet…I CAN sense something else about you. You must be detained for further study.'

The two Crane School students quickly assumed fighting stances. "You can try" the woman spoke up "but don't think we aren't looking forward to it." Dr. Wheelo merely began to laugh.

'There's no need for me to get my hands dirty. In fact, why don't I show you two just why I need your master?' The disembodied scientist's bran began to glow, lighting up the dome which contained it. The strange tower began to pulse with the same glow and every martial artist present was overcome with a sense of dread.

They watched as Ox King and his neighbor, Master Same of the Shark style, were suddenly given an electric shock from nowhere. The two fell on their backs and allowed metal shackes to clamp around their wrists and ankles. Now held in place, they could only watch as two strange hose-like devices with pointed ends descended from the ceiling above their prisons and drop lower by the minute.

The two dome prisons suddenly opened and the hoses soon hovered directly over the martial artists' chests. A minute later, their points sank deep into their hearts. A unified scream echoed throughout the entire base as Ox King and Master Same writhed in pain.

After a few minutes, a change occurred. Both Ox King and Master Same began to age and shrink as if the life was being pumped out of them. If anyone at the moment could properly have sensed chi, they'd have said it was.

The hoses retracted themselves back from where they came and their victims were released from their bonds. Ox King tried to stand but his strength had left him. He fell to his knees and struggled to lift his head and stare at Dr. Wheelo. "What-what have done to me?" The monarch's deep voice sounded as aged and weak as he now looked.

'My machine has extracted your essence, your dna in it's purest form. Both you and Master Same's powers will now be combined into something much greater.' So saying, Dr. Wheelo turned back towards his machine. The tower's glow brightened for just a minute before it split open and two new figures emerged.

They were seven feet tall humanoids with bright green skin, bald heads, and insect-like eyes. The chi they radiated was so strong that it broke through Dr. Wheelo's scrambling technology. All those who could were shocked by what they were feeling. 'it can't be!' Roshi thought 'those creatures have the same energy as Ox King and Master Same combined!'

The two creatures silently took their place beside their creator, staring blankly ahead at the mortified Crane School students. 'These are my Gene Warriors, the result of combining the very best from two of earth's greatest warriors.' Dr. Wheelo announced with a flourish 'they are two of the most advanced life forms to ever exist!'

The disembodied scientist then turned towards his captives. 'Of course, these two are only the result of a short session. Ox King and Master Same have much more to give, as do you all. Every single one of you will soon contribute to the creation of my ultimate project: my new body!"

Dr. Kochin's eyes widened in surprise. "What!? But sir, that wasn't in our plans."

Dr. Wheelo scoffed. 'Perhaps it was not in your plans Kochin but did you truly believe I was content in this metal shell? I have a superior mind that must be housed in a superior body. Only then can I be fit to rule over the new world I will create with all I've built."

Kochin scowled, his anger suddenly roused. "I see, and what about me? Do you think I'M content with my current body!? I've served you faithfully for so many years, given my very humanity for your cause, yet you dismiss me now that it's within your reach. Is this how you reward my loyalty!? I demand to have what's owed to me! "

There was silence as Kochin's rant ended. After a moment, Dr. Wheelo raised one of his mechanical appendages and pointed it at him. 'And so you shall.' This was the last thing Kochin heard in his mind before he was blasted. The synthetic skin that allowed him to appear human was instantly burned away, revealing the robot within. Seconds later, there was nothing.

Dr. Wheelo then turned back to the still mortified Crane School students. 'Now then, shall we begin? Gene Warriors, Contain these two by any means necessary!'

…

Son Gohan and his allies had been crawling through the winding tunnel for what felt like hours. Though he and Lychee were conditioned for such things, both men worried for Baipora. The obviously delicate girl was struggling to keep up with them and the weight of the sword on her back wasn't helping.

His natural sense of chlvary kicking in, Son Gohan asked "you need a little help Baipora? Perhaps I could carry you on my back? At the very least, let me carry that sword."

Baipora forced herself to smile. "Nonsense! You boys have enough to worry about without fussing over me. I'll be perfectly fine as long as we don't run into more of those-EEK!" Baipora let out a frightened scream as Bio-men began raining down on the trio.

One of the artificial creatures latched onto Son Gohan's back, grabbing the Power Pole in the process. After a minute of trying to shake the Bio-man off, the descendent of Sun Wukong commanded the mystic weapon to extend, sending the artificial creature flying into the roof of the tunnel and obliterating him. Son Gohan then stood up as best he could in the narrow tunnel and joined Lychee in battling the rest.

"Stay down Baipora, we'll protect you!" The young woman obeyed and tried her best to ignore the fight raging around her. The same fight was kicking up dust on the dirt path of the tunnel floor and irritating her allergies. In spite of her efforts to keep quiet, she soon let out a loud sneeze.

The sound went unnoticed in the din of battle, as did the change that followed. The now red haired Baipora stood up and drew her katana, smirking wickedly at the scene before her. "Well, what have we here? You boys having a party without me?"

She began slashing away at every Bio-man that came near her, making sure to be extra thorough after her last encounter with the creatures. This meant destroying every part of them, including the nucleus that unknown to Baipora allowed them to repair themselves. She then hurled throwing stars at the ones Son Gohan and Lychee were fighting, striking them in the head and destroying them in much the same way. The last bit of Dr. Kochin was gone for good.

Son Gohan and Lychee stared in shock at their formerly meek companion. "Wha…? How…? Where did you get those throwing stars!?"

Baipora shrugged. "Trade secret." She had no way of knowing that part of her family curse was the ability to produce weapons from nowhere. The magic behind the curse was so strong that the effects lingered, allowing women of sufficient tempers to produce weapons as well from time to time, even to this day.

Baipora then glared at her two companions. "Well,are you going to stand there gawking all day!? Get your asses in gear and let's get out of here!"

…

Ochoru and Nueva had encounted many strange enemies in their lives but nothing could have prepared them for what they witnessed at that moment. The two had just seen Ox King and Master Same, two considerable martial artists in their own right, drained of their very life force to create twin abominations! The two Crane School students could feel the bizarre blend of chi emminating from the creatures and knew it was greater than their own, even combined!

'Only Lord Tsuru could have a chance against these things! What can we do!?' Nuevea asked her husband telepathicly. Ever since they were children, this had been their method for communicating in secret. In fact, it was the first thing they learned to do with "the gift."

'We musn't show fear. All that matters is freeing our lord' Ochoru advised before speaking out loud. "You are a coward Wheelo, hiding behind these monstrosities. You wish to see our power? Come and taste it!"

Rather than rise to the bait, Dr. Wheelo motioned for his Gene Warriors to attack. One of the creatures assumed a power-up stance and a brown aura ignited around it's body before it rushed towards Ochoru at alarming rate. The size of the aura increased along with the creature's speed until it completely obscured his form, taking on the form of a charging ox.

Ochoru did his best to keep calm while using "the gift" to analyze the attack and reveal it's secrets. It was predictably called the Ox Charge, a signature move of the monarchs of Mount Frypan. The user was reportedly able to smash through anything while being rendered immune to damage from either obstacles or oncoming attacks.

Ochoru knew of only one way to counter such a move: mimic it. Assuming a power-up stance and activating one of his most incredible abilities, the descendent of the Three-Eyed Tribe was soon surrounded by the same brown aura. "OX CHARGE!"

The two identical attacks collided in the center and began struggling for dominance. Eventually, Ochoru won out and barreled through the Gene Warrior, causing it to disove. The descendent of the three-eyed tribe stood still, breathing heavily but triumphant.

Nueva found herself fighting strictly hand to hand against the Shark Style of Master Same. This style had no chi attacks and would normally have been no challenge to her but her opponent combined it with the superhuman strength and endurance of the Ox King. Even the Tri-beam did little more than stun the creature.

Now forced to focus on merely evading attacks, the three eyed female warrior was growing frustrated. All she needed was one strong enough attack to win according to her husband's victory but how to do it? Dodging a more powerful version of Master Same's signature Hammerhead Punch, Nueva backed away in an effort to gain some space and think.

Suddenly, inspiration struck. Nueva realized if these creatures possessed other warriors' strengths, why not their weaknesses? She knew little of Ox King but had once heard that Master Same suffered from vertigo. Dare she hope that this could work to her advantidge?

Once again calling upon "the gift", Nueva unleashed a power she had only recently discovered:hypnotic suggestion. It was only meant to be used as a last resort due to the fact that only the weak willed were suceptable to it. The Gene Warriors were nearly mindless however and the perfect test of the ability.

Closing her first two in concentration, Nueva's third eye began to glow. Spiraling waves of bright blue chi began pulsating from it and hitting her foe as it stalked towards her slowly but surely. The Gene Warrior seemed unaffected but the assault didn't let up, instead being coupled with an oddly soothing telepathic message.

'The room is spinning. You are falling.' This same phrase echoed in the creature's head over and over until dizziness soon overtook it. It's vision blurred and it felt unable to stand. Nueva was quick to take advantidge of this and began a relentless assult upon her opponent. Mercy was a weakness after all, according to her Lord.

Nueva decided to end the battle in an unique way by first utilizing the Four Witches Technique. She then assumed a stance for the Dodonpa using all four pointer fingers. "Dodonpa…Supreme!"

The advanced version of the Crane School's signature technique tore through the Gene Warrior's arms and legs, destroying them. Nueva smirked as she retracted her extra limbs and fired a single high power chi blast at the creature's head to finish it off. It's remains quickly dissolved into a puddle like it's twin.

Ochoru flashed a quick, admiring glance at his wife before smirking at Dr. Wheelo. "Those pathetic creatures are your idea of a master race? You really are insane!"

Dr. Wheelo gave no reply and a sense of dread suddenly rose in the husband and wife's stomachs. What were they missing? Ochoru's gaze landed on the puddle that was once his foe and suddenly he felt it: a spark of chi. It struck his sixth sense sharp and strong as he watched the formerly lifeless puddle begin to move.

Ochoru followed it's trajectory as it oozed across the floor towards it's twin. He could see his wife undergoing a similar experience, horror written just as plainly on her own face. The two blobs met in the center of the room and began merging together, forming a single growing mass.

The mass slowly changed into a towering humanoid shape. It then sprouted facial features that had already become very familiar to Ochoru and Nueva both. Standing before them was a giant Gene Warrior, many times stronger than the previous two had been.

Fighting back their fear, the descendents of the Three-Eyed Tribe stood their ground. They were surprised however when their new foe didn't attack. Instead, the creature turned and lumbered towards it's creator. Dr. Wheelo actually seemed awestruck by the turn of events. 'What are…? Yes.I can read your thoughts, your intentions. I know what you wish to do and I…accept!'

A beam of bright pink chi shot from Dr. Wheelo's mind and struck his creation dead center in the forehead. It's eyes began to glow the same shade of pink as evil telepathic laughter echoed in the heads of all who could receive it. After several minutes, the laughter stopped.

The Gene Warrior turned back towards it's enemies and something had changed. It's eyes no longer glowed but there was an intelligence to them that was nonexistent before. A hideous imitation of a smile stretched across it's face and it spoke. It's voice was that of Dr. Wheelo.

"I really must thank you. Even I had no idea what would happen if the bodies were destroyed. The fact that the Gene Warrior chose to merge minds with me shows that it was much smarter than I anticipated. I see now that if were I to create more from the genes of superior warriors, they would be even more intelligent…and more likely to betray me. With this new body already in place, such an army is no longer necessary. I can simply improve upon myself until I am the ultimate liifeform! Now, which of you is next?"

Wheelo reached down to grab his next victims but they took to the air to avoid him. He responded by firing blasts of psychic enegy at them that were avoided with minimal difficulty. 'He's much stronger than us but we still have an advantidge.' Ochoru told his wife telepathicly 'he wishes to capture us for use in his experiments. He'll hold back considerably to avoid injuring us.'

'Wonderful.' Nueva responded sarcasticly 'but how is that an advantidge? He's still stronger and will capture us eventually at this rate.'

'I can analyse him for weaknesses.' Ochoru replied evenly 'something we can exploit. Until then, we strike hard and wear him down before he gets serious.'

Nueva nodded in agreement, a smirk forming across her face. 'Leave that to me!' This was the three-eyed woman's last thought before launching herself straight at Wheelo.

The mutated scientist locked eyes with his foe before firing a large chi blast. There was surprisingly little real power behind it however and Nueva made no effort to evade it. Instead, she focused intently on the oncoming attack as her third eye began to glow.

"Optic Flash!" A razor thin beam of white chi, similar to the dodonpa, erupted from Nueva's third eye. It expertly pierced through Wheelo's attack and struck the mutated scientist in the face. The attack wasn't very strong but excellent for stunning an opponent.

The three-eyed woman used the distraction to rush forward and deliver a swift kick to Wheelo's chin, making the giant stumble backwards. The mutated scientist let out a growl and his eyes began to glow. Bits of rubble and discarded machine parts also began glowing as they floated up into the air, suspended by a psychic aura.

Wheelo made several motions with his huge hands that caused the bits and pieces to come together, melding into a single large construct. He now held a massive ball in his telekinetic grip. His still glowing eyes narrowed as he sent it flying straight toward Nueva.

Once again, the three-eyed woman made no move to avoid Wheelo's attack. She instead gathered her chi and began focusing it through her arm. Raising her hand above her hand and extending a finger, Nueva brought her arm down in a slicing motion. The giant orb was sliced in half just as it reached her.

Roshi in particular was surprised to see this particular move. In all his years of living, only two people had ever used that technique: the mysterious boy from long ago and Master Mutaito.

Knowing his rival had not totally abandoned their mentor's teachings would've filled the Kamesenin with hope had he not been focused on the battle at hand. Though Nueva had sliced Wheelo's projectile in half, both parts were still under his control. He quickly maneuvered them around her and encased her inside, grinning smugly as he did.

This only lasted a minute or so before the three-eyed woman burst free in an explosion of power. She then proceeded to plow into Wheelo with everything she had. The mutated scientist could scarcely land a punch and seemed almost helpless against the onslaught. Roshi actually felt sorry for him, having seen the Crane School's cruelty too many times to count.

Ochoru however wasn't so sure. While it seemed Nueva was dominating the fight, his scans using "the gift" showed his wife steadily losing chi. An inspection wih his normal eyes only confirmed that she looked fatigued and weakened. What was happening?

'Nueva, what's wrong!? What's he doing to you?' No response came. Something seemed to be blocking their telepathic communication.

It was at that moment that a long, slimy tendril emerged from Wheelo's back and wrapped around Nueva, pulling her towards him. He laughed wickledy as that same tendril began to glow and the three-eyed woman howled in pain. Ochoru watched in horror as his wife aged rapidly, being drained of her essence in the same vein as Ox King and Master Same.

"NO!" Wheelo turned his attention to the three-eyed man and smirked. "Come now Ochoru, you can only blame yourself. Didn't you allow her to 'distract' me while you hid in plan sight?"

Ochoru's eyes widened at this statement and Wheelo laughed. "Oh yes, I knew all about your pitiful little strategy. Did you really think one with my advanced mental powers couldn't 'easedrop' as it were on your telepathic communication? I allowed your wife to land every hit on me she could, if only to absorb her power."

A horrible realization overtook Ochoru. "Your creatures…they were absorbing our power this whole time!?"

Wheelo scoffed. "Hardly. It's a wonderful new skill I learned of during the initial transfer. Evn the slightest bit of contact fills me with power, though the process is slow is tedious. I prefer this much more direct approach. The mutated scientist smirked and returned his gaze to Nueva, who was all but dead at that point.

This sight replaced Ochoru's fear with rage. Unleashing a war cry from deep in his gut, his power level skyrocketed and his aura blazed outward. The captive martial artists gasped at the display. Had they be able to sense it, they would have declared Ochoru was now as strong as the Kamesenin and his own Master combined!

The three-eyed man did not attack despite his new power. Instead, he calmly performed the finger-slice move his wife had done earlier. He seemed to strike only empty air but a minute later, the tendril extending from Wheelo's back was severed. Both it and Nueva fell to the ground listlessly.

Wheelo's eyes widenly slightly but then his smirk returned. "Incredible! Your power is off the charts! Come, your wife is no longer in jeapordy. Attack and show me just how far you've ascended!"

Ochoru remained silent as he launched himself at plunged deep into the mutated scientist's midsection and allowed himself to be completely absorbed. When the Tsurusenin saw this, he became enraged.

"THAT IDIOT! How could he do something so foolish after what's he's just seen!? I KNEW I shouldn't have allowed his wife to train with him! Such sentiments only make one soft!"

"On the contrary Tsuru, your young friend may be on to something." The Tsurusenin turned and gave Roshi an annoyed yet quizzical look. "I still can't sense anything or see into anyone's mind" the Kamesenin clarified "but something in my gut tells me that the tables are about to turn."

Oblivious to this conversation, Wheelo roared with maniacal laughter. He could feel Ochoru's immense power coursing through his entire body as a silver aura surrounded him. Slowly, he turned backed towards his captives.

"Isn't life funny? I spend years planning the Final Phase, mapping out every detail in my ascent to ultimate power. In the end, nothing goes right and yet here I stand, more powerful than even I thought possible. I think it's time I loosened up a bit and went with the flow. Let's start with killing all of you,shall we?"

The mutated scientist extended his arm. A swirling mass of silver chi ignited in his palm, a prelude to a much more leathal display of power. Before Wheelo could attack however, something caused him to look pained. "W…what is this?"

'I'm simply giving you what you want Wheelo. Take as much of my power as you can handle!' Ochoru's voice sounded in the mutated scientist's head as the silver aura around Wheelo brightened.

"You really think you can defeat me by giving me what I want? There is no limit to my ability to absorb!" Wheelo boasted despite looking unsure. He then assumed what looked like a power-up stance and began grunting in what sounded like exertion.

Master Roshi took in the scene and began to chuckle. The sound irritated Tsuru and he turned towards his ancient rival. "What is it now you old goat!? Have you finally gone senile!?"

"Don't you see Tsuru? The boy's plan is working. Dr. Wheelo is struggling to contain his power. Now if only there was a way to make sure he won't."

At that moment, three figures crawled out from the nearby tunnels. Roshi immediately recongnised one of them as his student. "Gohan, is that really you!?"

The young martial artist immediately rushed over and bowed. "Forgive me master, but Ox Prince and I couldn't allow you to suffer for our failure." The Kamesenin nodded absentmindedly "Where is Ox Prince anyway? And who are these people you've brought with you?"

"They're friends Master." Son Gohan replied hastily "the real question is what is that thing!?" The young martial artist turned his gaze towards Wheelo, who stood in the center of the room continuing his struggle. The mutated scientist was so focused on winning out against Ochoru that he was oblivious to the new arrivals.

"That my boy is the source of all our trouble." Roshi told his pupil grimly "right now, someone is inside fighting it. You and your new friends must help him by striking as hard as you can, though be careful not to touch him directly."

Son Gohan looked again at the creature before him, struggling to hide his nervousness. He turned to his more stoic allies who merely nodded at him. He then gathered his courage and gave the same nod to Roshi. "We're on it Master!"

The three warriors rushed towards Wheelo and began attacking in their own style. Son Gohan and Baipora attacked using their respective Power Pole and katana while Lychee used the Kienzan, another signature technique of his Order created by Master Orin's first student. It was an energy disk made from chi that could be hurled at an opponent to deal damage. It was this technique that first got Wheelo's attention after severing his arm.

"You wish to play? Fine, entertain yourself with my children!" The mutated scientist's eyes flashed and his severed arm dissolved into a massive puddle befor splitting itself into several smaller ones. The scene mirrored what had happened earlier a bit too closely and the captive martial artists feared what would happen next.

Sure enough, the remains of Wheelo's arm soon reformed themselves into Gene Warriors, only slightly smaller than his original creations. They multiplied until they were at least eight of them marching towards the trio of warriors. Lychee and Son Gohan could sense the power from each of them and knew it would take all they had to win.

"Stand back Baipora, this is our fight!" Son Gohan ordered as both he and Lychee assumed power-up stances. With a loud yell, their auras flared to life. Lychee was clearly the stronger of the two but could sense his friend was not far behind him.

The two warriors charged their foes in tandom, working together remarkably well despite only having known each other a short time. Baipora was not content to remain out of action however. 'Those two think they can order me around? I'll defeat them both after I destroy these freaks!'

With these thoughts in mind, the cursed woman readied her katana and prepared to do just that. She was distracted however when her eyes caught sight of the strange tower in the room. More specifically, the glow eminating from it's center.

Baipora crept closer to the tower and her eyes widened. She had never seen such a huge diamond in her life. A greedy smirk stretched across the cursed woman's face. Aside from brawling and causing propery damage, her violent perona was also an accomplished thief. 'Finally, something worth all this crap for! That diamond will make me rich if I can just get it down.'

Baipora latched onto the tower and clmbed to the top. Using her curse's weapon producing ability, she armed herself with a crowbar and went to work. The diamond popped out of it's small hole a few minutes later and landed in her hands. The cursed woman was amazed to find that the diamond was truly glowing and her greed grew.

Baipora's actions did not go unnoticed. Lychee happened to catch sight of her prize and the minute he did, panic set in. 'No! The Sleeping Princess could be shattered if handled so carelessly. If that happens, we're all in real trouble!'

The determined warrior monk fired a full power Concussion Wave that destroyed the Gene Warriors he was facing. This was only a setback to the self-regenerating creatures but it cleared Lychee's path for the time being. He rushed towards Baipora in a burst of chi-enhanced speed and prayed he wasn't too late.

"STOP! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING!" Baipora looked down from her perch and scowled. "Get your own haul short stack. This is m-ahchoo!"

Baipora's hair turned back to brown and she looked around in confusion. "W-where am I? What am I doing so high up!?" Her childhood fear of heights kicking in, the cursed woman grew nervous and began to lose balance. The Sleeping Princess slipped from her hands as she gripped Wheelo's tower to prevent her fall.

"NO!" Lychee's beady eyes widened in horror. Since childhood, he had been trained to prevent this very moment, the simultaneous release of the most powerful and leathal energies on Earth. This life flashed before his eyes just as the Sleeping Princess shattered.

Almost instantly, a wave of golden energy burst forth from the diamond's remains. A large portion of it shot into the air, creating a large opening in Wheelo's base and continuing on into the sky above. This display happened to catch the eye of Ox Prince, who had spent some time on the mountain Son Gohan had been swallowed by, hacking desperately at it with his axe to no avail.

"That light" the young monarch gasped out "could it be Gohan?" Determinion soon replaced Ox Prince's amazement and he prepared to go after his friend. With a series of powerful leaps, he began his journey across the mountain range.

Meanwhile, the energy from the Sleeping Princess continued to spread throughout Wheelo's base. It seemed to touch everyone and everything, bathing them in golden warmth. Those who had been drained of their essence by Wheelo found themselves instantly restored and those who had been weaked by battle were healed and brought to the height of their power. Before fading away completely, the energy was somehow able to shatter the strange glass domes that contained the captive martial artists.

Lychee took in the scene with mixed emotions. For over two hundred years, his Order had dedicated itself to protecting the Sleeping Princess, to keeping the supposedly leathal energies inside it contained and in check. He was the first guardian in generations to fail in his task and had even allowed the Princess to be stolen. Yet in the end, the very thing he had always feared was turning out to be his salvation. All he could say was "well I'll be damned."

The sense of amazement didn't last as Wheelo's Gene Warriors were soon active again. They shocked everyone by actively ripping off their own arms and hurling them to ground to morph into other Gene Warriors just as their "father" had done to create them. By the time their numbers had doubled, they moved to surround Lychee and Son Gohan. The two warriors were soon forced back to back.

"Are you starting to hate these guys as much as I am?" Lychee asked Son Gohan nervously. Before the other martial artist could respond, a figure crashed down from above and sent out a shockwave that knocked the Gene Warriors back. Son Gohan recongnised him instantly. "Ox Prince!"

"Sorry I'm late but the mountain is a very pick eater." The young monarch raised his battle axe and rushed into the fray before his friend could respond. Lychee watched the new arrival with a raised eyebrow, equally confused by his statement. "Friend of yours?"

Son Gohan nodded. "The best. Now come on!"

The duo rushed into battle despite the overwhelming odds as the senior martial artists watched on. "These kids have done our fighting for us long enough!" Master Roshi proclaimed, breaking the silence "what say we return the favor?"

The Kamesenin entered his Max Power State and went into a fighting stance. Surprisingly, Tsuru was the first to follow his lead. The senior martial artists were now free and ready to avenge their humiliation at Dr. Wheelo's hands.

Ox King was the first to enter the fray when he witnessed his son becoming overwhelmed. His earlier fear seemed to be replaced with a smoldering rage as he tore into the Gene Warriors with his bare hands. The creatures attempted to pile on top of him but he shook them off with a furious roar, his aura igniting a bit as it did so.

Ox Prince glanced over at his father from where he fought his own battle, his ancient axe slicing through several opponents at once. He felt a newfound kinship with the older monarch, something primal and older than perhaps even Master Roshi. Was this what it felt like to be comrades in battle if not friends? If just barely father and son?

Ox Prince's enjoyment of the experience was soon undercut by the thought that it wouldn't last, that this was the closest he and his father would ever get. Such thoughts proved quite distracting and left him open for an attack by the Gene Warriors who had regenerated behind him.

"Ox Charge!" The voice of his father brought the young monarch to attention and he turned in time to see Ox King plow his attackers with the family's signature technique.

"Watch your back boy." Ox Prince took note of his father's tone, hearing an uncharacteristic gentleness in place of the usual gruff disapproval. He nodded back and the battle resumed, no one knowing just how much had actually been spoken between them in that single moment

The battle raged on as a terrified Baipora watched from above. She was especially worried as she observed her crush, the samurai Shikasen, struggle to hold his own. The noble swordsman was without his trusted katana and had to rely on the hand to hand skills he'd learned while training in the ninja arts as a boy. Unfortunately, such skills proved little use against the inhuman enemies he now faced.

'I've got to get Shikasen his sword' Baipora thought to herself as she swallowed her fear and began to climb down the tower. She was about halway down when she noticed her crush and his opponent had moved their battle closer to her location. Seeing her chance, she pulled the katana from it's place on her back and called out "Shikasen!"

The samurai looked up just as he was hit with a quick punch to the face. "Baipo-? UGH!"

The cursed woman held out the katana with a proud smile. "I've kept this safe for you. Here, catch!"

With all the strength she had, Baipora threw the katana into the air. Shikasen moved quickly and leaped up, snatching his trusted sword and twisting around to unleash a killing blow on the Gene Warrior he fought in one quick move. He then turned and gave a nod of thanks to his admirer before running off.

Master Roshi observed this as he finished off his own opponents and let his gaze continue to sweep across the battlefield. The Kamesenin saw the Wolf Master Tsuki unleash her "Howl of Alpha" technique and take down a dozen Gene Warriors, followed by his rival Tsuru taking a Tri-beam upon ten more. Lychee, Son Gohan, the Oxen monarchs, and several more were having similar victories but fear still gripped the legendary fighter's heart.

'We can't keep this up' he thought grimly 'these things are on the ropes now but even if we destroy them, they can just regenerate. We must destroy the source while we still can!' The Kamesenin cast a glance towards Wheelo. The mutated scientist still struggled against Ochoru's influence but he now looked weary and sick. It was obvious that he was steadily weakening and creating his "children" had undoubtedly sped up the process.

Seeing his chance, Roshi reached out to his allies with telepathy. The message was always the same: hit Wheelo with everything they had. Only Tsuru hesitated to obey.

In the next minute, Wheelo found himself bombarded with attacks. It began with a swipe from Shikasen's katana, followed by a Wolf Fang Fist from Tsuki, an Ox Charge from the Ox King, and dozen other attacks from just as many assorted victims. The mutated scientist absorbed chi from it all and his body struggled to contain it all at once.

"TRY ALL YOU WANT, YOU CANNOT OVERWHELM ME!" Wheelo roared, his earlier calm having evaporated "I…AM…PERFECTION!" Despite this boastful statement however, the mutated scientist was soon to be on his last legs. Roshi knew this as he, his students, Tsuru, and Lychee lined up to finish the job.

"Perfection is overated. Kamehamaha, full power!" The Kamesenin cried as he unleashed the full strength of his Max Power state into his signature attack. Son Gohan mimicked his mentor and poured all his power into a weaker version of the same attack. This was followed simultaneously by a dodonpa from Tsuru and a Scattering Bullet from Lychee, all toped off with Ox Prince hurling his battle axe at Wheelo's shoulder.

The mutated scientist withstood it all depite being on his last legs. His sheer will power seemed to be the only thing keeping him alive now. Nueva, who hovered above it all just out of sight, sensed this and grew worried. 'I must stop this! Those fools cannot be allowed to destroy that monster while Ochoru is inside it!'

Nueva cleared these thoughts from her head and prepared to attack. Suddenly, a new voice entered her mind: 'Nueva…wait!' The three-eyed woman paled. Had she heard correctly? Hesitantly, she began to use her telepathy.

'O…Ochuru? Is that really you?' A soft, telepathic chuckle was her answer.

'Who else? I don't have much time with you though. Any moment I divert my energy away from fighting Wheelo gives him a chance to recover so I must make this quick.' Nueva noticed Wheelo was standing a little straighter but paid it no heed, waiting for her husband to continue.

'You must allow the Kamesenin and his allies to destroy Wheelo reguardless of me. In fact, you must help them.' 'Are you serious!? I won't sacrifice you,especially not to help our Master's enemy!'

'You must. The rivalries between schools are meaningless and always have been. The sacrifice I ask you to make will benefit not only our people but the entire world in the future!'

Ochoru sounded more serious than he ever had but Nueva was stubborn. 'What the hell are you talking about?' We ARE the future of our people.'

'No, we aren't. the Gift has granted me a vision of the future, the future of our Soul Spawn.' This made Nueva pause as memories of the past entered her mind. During her travels with Ochoru, they had heard many legends of the Three-eyed Tribe. One in particular was of Soul Spawn. It was said that when a husband and wife in the Tribe died without having children, their life forces merged together and were reborn as a new Tribe Member, a strange and unique form of dual reincarnation.

When they had first heard the legend, Ochoru had scoffed. To hear him speak of it now with such conviction made Nueva uneasy. 'You really believe we'll have a Soul Spawn?'

'I know. He will become a great warrior, stronger than us both and worthy of fighting alongside those far greater than Roshi or the Tsurusenin. He will unlock the lost power of our ancestors and save not only this world but all of creation from a terrible threat.'

Nueva fell silent as she took all this in. It all seemed far too fantastic to believe yet she trusted Ochoru above anyone else, even her Lord. 'This warrior…do we have to die to see that he's born? Surely there's a way to save you and then,our son can-' 'No. I'm sorry but this is the only way. I can't speak anymore but please, trust what I've told you. I know you'll make the right choice.'

The telepathic conversation ended and Nueva looked down at the battle below. Wheelo, who had been gaining a little strength for the past few minutes, had started to weaken again. Master Roshi and his allies had kept up their assault but they too were beginning to tire. The next move made would decide which side turned the tides. Taking a deep breath, the three-eyed woman made her choice.

"Become strong Soul-spawn." Nueva whispered before closing all three eyes. She began powering up to her max while tapping as far into "the gift" as possible. This combination was slowly converting her physical body into pure chi, a precursor to her ultimate attack. By the time she was done, she was little more than a silhouette within a massive blue aura, her three eyes glowing bright.

"Life Wave!" Nueva's voice echoed as she streaked towards Wheelo, piercing straight through his body and completely overwhelming him. "N…no! This can't be! I…I was…perfection."

These were the mutated scientist's last words before his body began to decay and dissolve into a formless mass. His Gene Warriors, already in the process of regenerating, did the same. "Wh-what was that Master?" Son Gohan asked after a moment of silence "Did we do that!?"

The Kamesenin gazed at Wheelo's remains and he could swear he saw two thin streams of chi float up from them. One was gold, the other silver and they seemed to merge together before streaking out of sight. Deciding he was only seeing thing, Roshi shook his head and replied "No Gohan, whatever it was, it was fate."

Days later, the captive warriors and their allies had returned home. For Tsuki however, this still required a harsh trek through the Diablo desert. She was traveling as briskly as she could one night when she caught sight of a jeep coming towards her. She was almost convinced it was a mirage until she caught sight of the driver, a slim man with long wild hair and wearing a green tank top marked with the "wolf."

"Okami!" Tsuki cried joyously as she sprinted towards the jeep. It came to a halt and the driver reached out to embrace her.

This was Okami, the rumored Wolf Master that Wheelo had originally sought to capture. Despite what was said about him, he was in fact rather timid and not a fighter by any means. This proved to be a problem when the men in his family had protected the region for hundreds of years under the title of Wolf Master.

The elders of his desert tribe had tried in vain to train him since he could walk. To fail would mean to disgrace centuries of tradition and bring shame to Okami's entire family. Tsuki, Okami's sweetheart, wished to help him by practicing with him in secret, revealing herself to be a master of Wolf Style and secretly coveting the job as the desert's protector, a job specificly denied to women by tribal law.

Okami himself had no desire to take the job and so devised a scheme: Tsuki would help him trick the tribal elders into believing he had become the man they wished him to be and in return, she would get the chance to act as Wolf Master in his place. This had been the arrangement for several years.

"Thank God you're alive! I've been covering with everyone about your dissapearence but they were starting to get suspicious. Where have you been!?" Okami asked as he broke their hug.

"I ran into more than I could handle alone." Tsuki replied honestly "but it wasn't a total loss. I did get to meet the legendary Master Roshi.

Okami's eyes widened. "You met…how!? Well…it doesn't matter now. I have even more important news: I've spoken to my father and the Elders about our engagement."

Tsuki tensed. Tribal law dictated that a Wolf Master choose a wife after ten years at their post. If the Elders or the previous Wolf Master didn't approve his heir's choose, the Elders selected for him. Tsuki feared her chances for few in the Tribe approved of her spirit and passion for Martial arts. "And…?'

Okami smiled after a moment of silence. "They've approved. Our wedding may take place any time within two months."

Tsuki was speechless for a moment, then embraced her lover in a passonite kiss. She broke it only to release a long, loud, triumphant howl at the moon above.

…

That same night, Lychee left the Orin Temple for the last time. With the Sleeping Princess gone for good, he found little reason to stay there any longer. He'd packed a duffel bag of clothes and a small bit of money before leaving with Master Kashu's blessing.

As he crossed the busy street, the warrior monk spotted a diner. Perhaps he'd get a bite to eat and ask where to find a good motel. It was then that Lychee saw a group of thugs crowded around the entrance harassing a young woman. Hoping this woman didn't have a violent split personality, he burst into action.

The thugs weren't heavily armed and not very brave. All it took was knocking out the biggest one with a single punch to send the rest running. The battle won, Lychee turned his attention to their would-be victim. "It's okay miss, they won't bother you again. Are you alright?"

"Y-yes, thanks to you" the woman said shakily as he helped her off the street "I owe you one." Lychee chuckled and waved her off. "Not at all. It's just in my nature to be chivalrous."

The women giggled in response, a pleasant sound Lychee thought. "I insist on paying you back. I'm head waitress here and I've yet to see people turn down a free dinner."

Lychee now noticed the uniform the woman wore under her coat. He also noticed she had very deep, alluring brown eyes. "Well, if you insist. But I don't take charity from strangers. The name's Lychee."

The woman smiled shyly and extended her hand. "Hazel." "A pretty name for a pretty lady."

…

Three years passed and the adventure of Dr. Wheelo was largely forgotten by everyone else. Master Roshi and Tsuru in particular seemed to forget their temporary alliance completely, to the point that they couldn't bring it up if they tried. To this day, Roshi can't even recall a three-eyed man and woman ever coming to his rescue.

Son Gohan, Roshi's sole pupil now that Ox Prince had returned to Mount Frypan to court the girl he loved and prepare to take up his father's throne, had completed his training mere weeks ago and was anxious to test his skills. To do this, he ventured to Papaya Island to compete in the twelfth Budokai Tenkaichi.

The tournament had first began in Roshi's youth but it could never get a fixed date on when it could begin. Political turmoil, financial difficulties, and even war caused whole decades to go by between each "annual" event. Despite this, it never failed to draw a crowd and this year was no exception.

Son Gohan had been a crowd favorite since the first round. Without Ox Prince there, none came close to challenging him and people loved it. The descendent of Son Wukong had even started to showboat for them during the semifinals. All this changed when he faced Bryce Lee.

Bryce Lee was mysterious old man who dressed in bellbottoms and a tie-dye shirt, hs long gray hair crowned by a red headband. Despite his appearance, he was incredibly powerful and had torn through each and everyone he faced in the ring. Son Gohan was astounded by his strength and secretly hoped they would face each other by the tournament's end.

The descendent of Son Wukong was unprepared however when he got his wish. Bryce Lee countered every move Son Gohan made and was even proficemt in the use of chi. It was only through a stroke of luck that the younger man avoided being taken out by a kamehameha early into the match.

Despite this, Son Gohan didn't give up and the fight lasted well into sunset. The two eventually separated after another clash and took stock of each other: their clothes were ripped, bruises and welts covered their bodies, and each had one eye swelled shut. Even their ragged breathing seemed synchronized.

'He's incredible!' Son Gohan thought 'even sparring with Master Roshi never pushed me so hard. Why was I foolish enough to think there was no one here to challenge me?'

'What is it with this kid?' Bryce Lee, secretly Master Roshi, thought 'he's taken everything I've got and still won't quit. It's like fighting Piccolo again!'

The disguised Kamesenin felt an odd sense of pride even and he thought this and locked eyes with his pupil. "You fight well boy" he said outloud "you must have learned under quite the Master."

"I learned from a living legend" Son Gohan replied, pride seeping into his voice "the great Master Roshi!" He paused then. "In fact, it seems like you did too! I recongnise the Kame style and you even know the the Kamehameha. How didn't I see it before? Are you a former student too?"

"Well…yes." Bryce Lee replied somewhat nervously "sort of. I'm actually…a distant realative of his."

Son Gohan looked more closely at his rival now. It soon dawned on him that Bryce Lee looked VERY much like his old master. Even his chi felt the same, if quite a bit weaker. It seemed possible but something didn't feel right. "how distant exactly?"

"Distant enough that you've never heard of me" Bryce Lee replied hastily "now, what say we finish this match?" Son Gohan grinned at the implied challenge. "Thought you'd never ask."

The younger man assumed a power-up stance and began gathering chi. The disguised Roshi sensed this and grew worried. 'Crap! He's still got some power and it's enough to beat me in my condition. I've got to end this quick or everything I've done will be for nothing!'

Bryce Lee got into his own stance and began powering up as well. He was digging deep to summon up a technique he rarely used: the Thunder Shock Surprise. It was his most powerful attack, even stronger than a Max Power Kamehamaha and potentially very leathal. If anyone could survive it, it was Son Gohan.

"This has been some match" the disguised Kamesenin said honestly "it's been years since I was last pushed this hard. Now however it's time to end this: Thunder Shock Surpise!"

Son Gohan was surprised to see Bryce Lee use that leathal a move in a tournament match. When Master Roshi taught him, the Kamesenin warned that it was meant only as a very last resort. "Hey, what are-? ARG!"

Gohan was cut off as twin blasts erupted from the disguised Roshi's hands, trapping him in an electric field. The announcer for the tournament, an aging man set to retire in a few more years, took note of his pain. "Son Gohan is in trouble ladies and gentlemen but he may win by default if Bryce Lee is disqualified for this unnecessary roughness."

'That doesn't matter' the disguised Roshi thought 'all that matters is that Gohan learns from this.' The Kamesenin was surprised however to see his old pupil still standing, taking the assault full force. Even his strongest enemies hadn't lasted this long. 'Incredible! I think that, after all these years I've finally found him: the Master for the next generation.'

Pride swelled in Roshi as he thought this. With a slight smile, he ended his assult on Son Gohan and resumed his stance. "So, you're finally finished? Now I'll-" Son Gohan collapsed to the ground before he finished this sentence, alive but unconscious.

Roshi chuckled at this turn of events. "Well, will you look at that? Looks like I…win." The last words the Kamesenin heard before blacking out were "because Son Gohan was knocked out first, the judges have declared Bryce Lee our new champion!"

…

Master and pupil awoke some time later in the island infirmary. Once the physicians allowed them to leave, Roshi took Son Gohan aside and revealed his desception, much to the later's confusion. "But…why Master? Why did you do all this? Is the prize money that valuble to you?"

"It was never about the prize money Gohan, it was about you." Roshi revealed as he removed the rest of his disguise "you were sure to win if I hadn't intervened."

Son Gohan stared blankly at his former master. "I…I don't understand. You WANTED me to lose?" Roshi nodded.

"If you had won today, you would've become complacent and arrogant, thinking yourself powerful enough to take on anyone. As strong as anyone is, there will always be someone stronger. You must remember this if you're to be diligent in your training."

Son Gohan had never seen his mentor so serious. He was about to ptotest when he rememberered his earlier showboating during the semifinals. Had he truly become so arrogant in such a short time? Filled with newfound shame, he refused to meet Roshi's eyes. "I'm…I'm truly sorry master, forgive me."

Roshi smiled gently and placed a comforting hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Don't sweat it kid, you aren't the first student I've pulled this on. You ever hear of Chuck Norad?"

Son Gohan shook his head and the Kamesenin shrugged. "Well, that's a story for another time. See you around and thanks for a great last fight."

"Wait, what do you mean 'last fight' Master? Surely you aren't…are you?" "I'm not dying you young fool, I'm retiring." Roshi said with a laugh "there's a new generation now and it needs your guidance, not mine."

Son Gohan was taken back. " Me!? But Master, don't you think…?" "Now don't try to tell me you're not worthy" Roshi chided "you proved yourself today. I may have won our match but it took everything I had. Now, if you'll excuse me…Nimbus!"

The mystic cloud responded to the Kamesenin's call and Roshi was just barely able to mount it. It was clear that this would be his last flight. "Keep in touch Gohan, I look forward to hearing about your students."

With that, the legendary Master was off to enjoy his retirement. Son Gohan watched go with the same shocked expression on his face. Had he heard correctly? Had he really been charged with protecting the Earth and training the next generation of warriors? Ox Prince had mentioned it a few times as a semi-joke but neither had ever been serious. To them, it seemed as if Master Roshi would be around forever.

Already filling self-doubt overwhelm him, Son Gohan left the tournament grounds to wander aimlessly around Papaya Island. He hadn't gone far when he nearly tripped over something in the sand. He got up and scowled when he found it was some kind of metal ball, most likely a new toy of some sort. "Kids these days" he grumbled irritably "don't they ever pick up after themselves?"

He brushed the sand off to find the ball was like no toy he'd ever seen: it was golden yellow and marked with four red stars. The design alone surprised him but Son Gohan was truly awed by the energy he sensed coming from the strange orb. It was not only very strong but quite unique, almost otherworldly in quality.

Holding the orb filled Son Gohan with newfound strength and confidence. For the first time, he felt he truly could be as legenday as Roshi, his ancestor, and any other great Master that had come before him. He left Papaya Island that night with the ball tied around his neck and would not remove it for several years.

…

"Is he here yet Officer Black!? Time is of the essence." The tall African American man turned his attention away from the monitor he was watching to address his dimunitive employer as he entered the control room. "Dr. Gero's plane is on route Mr. Aka, he's expected within the hour."

"I've told you never to call me that again! I am Commander Red, supreme leader of the Red Ribbon Army!"

The Red Ribbon Army was what remained of the once legitimate Red Ribbon Industries. After Lin Brief, their former employee, had presented evedince of their plans to overthrow King Furry following the incident with Dr. Kochin, things had quickly gone downhill. The situation only worsened when Lin and her genius son had launched their own company, Capsule Corperation.

Capsule Corperation got it's name from the "dinocap", miniature capsules that could contain anything flom clothes to entire houses. The Briefs had created this revolutionary technology from their studies of Kochin's containment orbs and destroyed the completion almost overnight. They were steadily becoming one of the richest and most successful families in the world.

But Aka's own personal fortune was still vast and he was determined to continue his quest for power. Even as his company crumbled around him, he worked to construct his current location, a secret military base located in the forest southwest of the Sacred Land of Korin. This had just been the first of similar bases being constructed around the world to secure his new position as a terrorist leader.

Staff Officer Black was the only one of Aka's former employee's to join his cause rather than defect to Capsule Corperation. He had been with his employer's family for years and loyalty had taken him on far stranger places than this. Why else would he have accepted that he and everyone else in their organization would take the name of a color, no matter how predjudice his own sounded?

"Of course sir, forgive me. Shall I contact Major Pink and inquire as to the construction of Muscle Tower?" Commander Red glared at his subordinate with his one good eye, the other having been damaged by Kochin some time ago and forcing him to wear an eyepatch. He didn't mind much though, seeing as how it improved his fearsome image.

"Do so then and be quick about it! I'll wait for Gero myself." Black nodded and left the room for the nearest communication tower. The minute he did, a sleek looking jet appeared on the monitor screen and Red grinned in anticipation. "Finally!"

The dimmunitive terrorist walked outside to greet his new arrival, armed soldiers flanking him on all sides, The jet landed and out climbed two men: one a powerfully built giant with red hair styled in a mohawk, the other an older man who was balding on top yet had long white hair just the same. Both men had the same cold blue eyes.

Red took note of their height as he always did and inwardly sneered at them for being taller than him,especially the giant. "Dr. Gero I presume?"

"I am Dr. Gero Quince" the old man clarified in a sharp tone as he stepped forward "he is my son, Gero Dieci. He has interest in joining your organization as a soldier. Now, may we conduct our business as scheduled? I have traveled quite some ways and don't like having my time wasted."

"Straight to the point eh?" Red observed "very well. Follow me." The dimmunitive terrorist lead the duo down into the bowels of Red Ribbon headquarters, where a fully stocked laboratory had been set up for Gero's arrival. The remains of Android Number Zero lay rusting somewhere in the corner.

Dr. Gero peered in this direction and sneered at the failed machine. "That's Flappe's prototype? It's pathetic! You can't possibly expect me to work with that ammature."

"He has his uses and you have yours." Commander Red stated firmly "all you have to worry about is taking his designs and making the better. Can you do that?"

Dr. Gero scoffed "See for yourself." He produced a capsule, which in turn released several sets of blueprints that he laid on a nearby worktable. Commander Red's inner businessman made him flinch at the sight of his old rival's tech but even he was impressed by it, so much that he'd replicated it for the Army's use.

Dr. Gero proceeded to rattle off ideas for a new line of Androids and other projects. Commander Red saw plans for a robotic mecha called a "Battle Jacket" and even a strange mutant called "Buyon" but it was the Doctor's notes on cybernetic implants that really caught his attention. "What's this here? Do you really think it's possible to turn a human into a Android? Could you make them stronger? Faster? Bigger?"

"Yes, yes." Dr. Gero said impatiently "but my cybernetics aren't quite perfected yet and these other projects will take up too many resources. I'm afraid we'll have to settle for the fully mechanical model for the time being."

"Fine." Red conceded with a scowl, his dreams of remaking himself into a superhuman dashed "we'll leave you to your work." He turned to Gero's son and attempted to look athoritive. No giant was going to intimidate the great Commander Red.

"Alright Private Bronze, get to the training field on the double! Just because your father is our new chief scientist doesn't mean you get a free pass in this organization. Now move!"

Dieci showed no response to Red's attempt at intimidation or his new title. He just nodded stoicly and followed his new leader out of the lab. Dr. Gero watched them go for a moment before turning back to his blueprints.

'Commander Red is a fool but his resources are just what I need' the rogue scientist thought "my Androids will be invincible and once I have perfected my cybernetics, I shall become one of them and achieve immortality!'

Dr. Gero was so deep in thought that he failed to notice as he pulled a blueprint from the very bottom of his stack."What's this doing here? I thought I told Dieci to leave it behind in our old lab. Curse that boy's thick skull!"

The plans in question were meant to be a last resort should all other Androids fail. They detailed a possible fusion between Dr. Gero's technology and a man whose work he had followed for years: Dr. Wheelo Satoshi.

Even over fifty years ago, Dr. Wheelo's genetic research was decades ahead of it's time and many aspiring scientists looked to him as an idol. None were more devoted however than a young Gero Quince. Even though Gero had chosen to devote his life to machines, his hero's theories about artificial life were never far from his mind. Without them, the plans for his Androids would have never bore fruit.

Three years ago, when rumors of strange creatures kidnapping martial artists began spreading across the globe, Gero knew it was Dr. Wheelo's handiwork. He and his son ended up following these rumors to the Tsumisumbri Mountains and uncovering the ruins of a hidden fortress. It was here that they discovered the remaning data on Wheelo's Gene Warriors and the secret of combining warriors's traits into a single body. Seeing an opportunity to continue his idol's work, Gero took the data for himself and began making plans for a new type of Bio-android made of the cells of Earth's strongest fighters and able to absorb energy. It's name? Cell.

Some months later, the Red Ribbon Army made it's debut. Their first targets were the areas they had already established bases in. From there, they began attacking small towns and villages with the Androids.

But Dr. Gero's creations were flawed, often exhibiting almost human characteristics. They were at best too gentle to do what was ordered or so cruel they threatened the lives of their own allies. After seven failures, Dr. Flappe was assigned to create Android Eight alone while Dr Gero was ordered to finish work on his cybernetics technology. It would be used to turn their best soldiers into Android Nine and beyond, a much more reliable breed of Android than the faulty mechanical types, according to Commander Red.

But Red only had one person in mind to become an Android: himself. Dr. Gero had said cybernetics could make him taller and he craved that far more than even world domination. No one would look down on him again if it was the last thing he did!

The Commander soon grew impatient however and sought out more supernatural means to achieve his secret goal. He eventually discovered the Dragon Balls and their ability to grant wishes. Red soon beame obsessed with gathering the mystic orbs for himself and set his Army to work. If they believed he wanted them to achieve conquest faster, what did it matter?

Kami, Earth's Namekian Guardian, was disgusted by it all. He had created the Dragon Balls to give humanity hope but had instead ushered in an era of greed and evil. First it was the continued efforts of the members of the Rice Dynasty and now an army of madmen coveted his creations. Kami soon resolved that if no one on Earth proved themselves worthy, he would destroy the Dragon Balls himself! Little did he know that the hero he sought wouldn't come from Earth at all.

AN: I'm alive! I know it's been a long while and I'm really sorry. I'm a fan of long chapters it seems. This is however, the third-to last chapter so hopefully, things will go smoother towards the end. I also apoligise if some of the ages for the characters are off but since they barely age at all in the show, it's difficult to say the least. I've also been made aware of the new anime series, Dragonball Super. None of these events will be reflected here. Thanks to the ever changing "continuity" of Dragon Ball as a franchise, it's pretty easy to be selective about what's canon, as I've said before.

If you still are, thanks for sticking with me and hopefully, I'll see you soon.