Author's Note: This is the last chapter I will update for Mirai Marvel for a hot minute. I'm going to be going back and fixing mistakes in past chapters and making them read more fluidly. My wife likes when I read out loud before we go to sleep so I've caught a lot of mistakes as I read this back, lol.
No plot changes, just minor flow on dialogue and typos and whatnot. Admittedly most of my typos are homophones so that's not too bad. I'll probably edit two to four chapters of this for every chapter of Midgar Ranger I post. Then I'll update this once I've finished this edit. I also need to outline the next arc, as this chapter wraps up Trunks's mini-arc after Gohan's solo-gigs arc. This chapter is titled after a song written and performed by my godfather, Matt Sigmon, formerly of Rain People (1989).
Chapter 20: Leaving Day
Trunks had passed out after his initial transformation into Super Saiyan overwhelmed him, as well as the systems in what was apparently a hollowed out skyscraper in the middle of New York City where they had been being kept.
He blinked his way awake to discover he was in the infirmary of Avengers Tower, Gohan hovering nearby.
"Trunks!" He called out, "You're awake! Thank goodness, you scared me buddy!"
Trunks put a hand on his forehead and groaned, "I feel like I went two rounds with the Androids..."
Gohan scooped him up into a big hug, "I'm so glad you're safe, Trunks. You're like a little brother to me, I don't know what I'd do if you'd been lost."
Trunks went a little red out of embarrassment but hugged Gohan back, "Yeah, I know. It's okay, Gohan."
Gohan pulled back and held onto Trunks's shoulders and grinned down at the boy, "But hey! You're a Super Saiyan now!"
The blue-haired boy balked, "I'm a what?"
"Wait, did you really pass out before you realized what you had done?"
He blushed again, "Uh...maybe?"
Gohan laughed, "Oh wow...yeah Trunks you're a Super Saiyan now, buddy! We're going to be training for a week after you get all better before we send you back to the Institute so that you can somewhat control the transformation."
He grinned up at his 'big brother', "Hell yeah!"
"Language!"
"How is everyone else?" Trunks asked, finally coherent enough to remember the state everyone was in before he ascended.
"They're fine Trunks," Gohan reassured him, "Everyone was exhausted of course but no injuries were out of Elixir's powers to get back to one-hundred percent."
Trunks sighed, "That's good..." He'd have to call Hope and Mikhail later though to get specifics.
Trunks was completely back to himself by the next morning, not too unusual for a Saiyan that was only tired and not heavily injured.
The next week was, as Gohan promised, spent in sparring and meditation to try and get a grasp on transforming on purpose.
By the third day Trunks was generally able to force the transformation, though it was very wasteful and didn't last more than half an hour, less in intense combat.
Finally, once they were done and Trunks could attain and hold the transformation to satisfaction he went back to the Institute and Gohan had time to reflect upon his previous mission.
Once more magic had blindsided him. The mystical resistance of that demon had been insurmountable. Those necrotic and radioactive magical attacks had been terrifyingly dangerous even to him.
And furthermore it was almost mid-February, putting K'un Lun's opening only four months out. He certainly needed to make sure he was at the pass when it opened up. It would apparently stay open for some time during each of its randomly spaced but also somehow predictable openings. So if he got there when it first opened he could observe, train, and trade knowledge with the Masters there. And perhaps get a look at this Iron Fist.
He was fairly certain that the other Avengers could hold down the fort while he was on a bit of a walkabout.
Rhodey was even working directly with the US military at the moment so the Avengers were really only called in for extreme events unless they were just coincidentally nearby. Heck Tony was out in California for the winter.
Even Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye were often running SHIELD ops.
The only ones constantly in the Tower were he and Banner. And needless to say the Hulk was a bit of a nuclear option.
But if he left word with Fury the others should be able to cover New York City, plus there were a few extra vigilantes running around since the Chitauri Invasion.
He'd heard of a guy in a red suit in Hell's Kitchen, a detective with super strength, and another enhanced seeming individual over in Harlem so far.
Hmm...perhaps he could talk to Xavier and Fury to see if SHIELD was willing to help create a vigilante cover for one of the X-men to work publicly in New York City while he was gone?
He knew the Tower had enough guest rooms and that Wolverine had done some semi-public work with the SSR and later early SHIELD.
Perhaps Trunks was old enough to...no no Trunks would need someone to watch out for him. Perhaps Nathan and Trunks together if none of the older X-men wanted to? Nathan had just turned eighteen and was feeling constrained in the Institute he knew. He'd showed great leadership skills during the kidnapping from the debriefs everyone had gone through.
Yes, patrolling New York City in his absence would be a wonderful test for Nate and Trunks. They'd need costumes…
Gohan pulled out his phone and started making his calls, first to Fury to pitch the idea and plead his case for needing to take a stricter approach with his mystical responsibilities, and then afterwards to Xavier to get the green light for Nate Summers and Trunks to come out to the Tower.
It was another week, putting them at the twenty-second of February, before all the needed stuff was in order.
It turned out that they wanted to induct Nate, or X-man, as an honorary Avenger for the duration, while Trunks, or Saiyajin an alternative spelling and pronunciation of Saiyan, would be acting as a sidekick of sorts.
X-man's uniform was a blue and white variant of the typical X-men leathers with a golden X on the belt to contrast the blue outlined-x on the jacket.
Trunks was wearing the slimmed down Saiyan armor that Gohan had previously worn as Ox Knight, though without the helmet. He did however have a prototype scouter variant to work with facial recognition software, SHIELD communications, and a security cameras.
X-man's presence was going to be billed as a "powerful psionic" with no explanation but with the idea to give the general population a positive Mutant example for when that went public. Trunks was already semi-public as Gohan's identity was fully public. In fact they explicitly connected in the press conference Trunks to saving his school in the Invasion.
With New York in safe hands the next day Gohan was able to take off to Kamar Taj.
He quickly put himself before the Ancient One, "Teach me the next stage. I need to know more."