Episode 7: The Next Big Steps
The mystery behind the whereabouts of Gon was finally solved after visiting the Looneys, the Powerpuff Women, Avalice's heroines, and the newly married American grappler and kunoichi with their twin boys. Thanks to all their clues, they were able to finally track down the former dinosaur to the Galar region, where he was dramatically transformed into an obstatricity with dragon wings basically.
Now that Gon's been found, he, Jin, and Nina can finally get to Stephanie to make sure she's safe from any danger as well as protect her from it. The three warriors had just arrived at the gates of Norfolk University and it was at the quiet time when every student was in class. Gon nodded once with satisfaction towards that factor before he put his new wings to excellent use and carried Jin and Nina over the gates, placed them down at their feet among the campus grounds, and remained in mid-air before them as he spoke.
"Well, we finally made it." Gon declared proudly in a soft tone of his voice, so as not to disturb any classes. Those windows weren't soundproof. "I know where Stephanie is, but you two have to go inside and sign in as visitors. Don't want ya to get into trouble, ya know."
"What about you?" Nina asked in wonder.
"Oh, the entire staff knows and respects me ever since I saved Steph from so many naughty boys on this campus since she was a freshman. Even her parents gave me their blessing after three of those saves. Hell, they wouldn't even mind if I happened to say that I'm her boyfriend rather than her pet. Heh, heh… honestly, I'd rather be both. She's quite a catch, but only I respect her the way a woman should."
"Huh!" Jin exclaimed. "Quite the gentleman for someone who should be a wild animal."
"Thaaaank ya much. Anyway, once you do get in there, tell them that you're here to see Stephanie Veronica Fredrickson. They'll lead ya to her in no time."
"Thanks, Gon. Will do. C'mon, Nina. Let's hurry and make things right for the two of them." After that last word, the two human warriors made their way to the entrance while Gon flew to the exact location of Stephanie's veterinary medicine class.
Meanwhile, in that same class…
"…it can be torture for dogs sometimes, but with a little patience, checking their temperatures should be a breeze." Concluded the gruff male Asian American professor. "Don't know if it applies to cats yet for you cat people in this class. Once I get that information, I'll let you know. Now, does anybody have any questions?"
"Yeah!" Gon came in with his usual humor in his newly human voice, making everyone turn towards him with smiles. "How come dogs don't like it up the ass as well as you horny humans do?" A burst of belly laughs sounded as a response from the entire room, including the professor and Stephanie, who got up from her desk and was just stunned to see his new look. "Hey, everybody! I'm back!"
"Gon?" Stephanie asked in wonder and in a cute female voice with a hint of deepness after the thirty second round of laughter calmed down and everyone just became spectators to the reunion. "Wha… what the hell happened to you? You look like two of my favorite Galar pokémon fused into one with a side of dragon wings for added measure."
"I wanted to look better for ya, Stephanie-babe. Besides, I knew that being in this kind of relationship at my height of only 12 inches wouldn't really work out and I don't wanna lose you. I love you, Stephanie. And I'm gonna protect ya at all costs. If there's one guy you deserve that truly admires you for so much more than your looks, it's me."
"Awww, Gon. I love you more." The two gave each other the warmest embrace they've ever done since their first meeting, which made the rest of the class calmly applaud with appreciation and respect. During that time, Jin and Nina had just arrived at the doorway, but never went any further to admire this adorable scene before them for a moment. It lasted for another 30 seconds before they slowly parted and the two human warriors were finally noticed by everyone and they were silently stunned, except for Stephanie, of course.
"OMG! It's Jin Kazama and Nina Williams!" She nearly tackled both of them as she managed to wrap her strong, but slender arms around them, making them keep their warm grins. "I am a HUGE fan of Tekken! Glad you took it easy on Gon, though."
"We… kinda had to." Jin admitted with pink cheeks of embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head in the same manner. "Having him being so short at the time, we couldn't really lay so much as a finger on him, but he sure did prove to us humans that dinosaurs were indeed stronger long before our existence."
"That's my little tough man." The woman cuddled Gon's face between her hands at that comment, which made him blush as well.
"Dawww, shucks." He added. "Anyway, Steph, I need you to meet us in your dorm room as soon as you can, okay? I need to talk to you about something."
"Sure thing. Give me ten minutes." A tender kiss on the nose from her this time and Gon never shivered. "I'm just so glad to see you again."
Ten minutes later, in Stephanie's dorm on the second floor…
"What did you need to talk to me about, Gon-sweetie?" Stephanie asked tenderly, making her mutated lover smile without the pink cheeks. Jin and Nina were spectators as they stood at a good distance from the couple on her full sized bed.
"My sixth sense." Gon confessed in a more serious tone of his newly human young male voice. Stephanie kept a look of concern to match as he continued, even as they held hands. "I know I'm excited to finally see you graduate and pursue your childhood dream of taking care of animals, but somethin' keeps telling me that it's not gonna go down as smoothly as a waterfall."
"What do you mean?"
"Well… let me put it this way: Even though you're about be away from these horny dogs on campus in two weeks, your path there is still gonna take that turn somewhere. If any safety measures have to be taken and some rules have to be bent in the process, then I'm the one to do it."
"You're saying this like it's gonna be a much older adult coming after me before I even get my hands on my diploma." Gon frowned even more after that was said and this even made Jin and Nina widen their eyes with absolute shock. Stephanie was as well, but she sure wasn't speechless. "Are… are you serious? How can you be so sure that it'll happen? It's never happened before since I first got enrolled here. Every single member of the staff have treated me with all the respect, just like with the other students."
"I know, but since you're about to graduate soon, well… those so-called 'respectful treatments' are gonna go flying out the window by some desperate old perv with a Lolita complex. I'm only telling you this because I love you, Steph. And I don't want anything to happen to you before you start your official lifelong journey."
"Well, that explains the 'extremely personal' task that was mentioned in the letter." Jin whispered low enough for only Nina to hear, who nodded twice in agreement.
"…oh, wow." The brunette gasped with realization. "I guess you're right. You really take the phrase 'looks can be deceiving' very seriously."
"More than any other phrase on life's challenges that I know." Gon admitted with no remorse. "Now, I'm not saying you should ask questions to the staff about it directly because of this. That'll strike shitloads of suspicious chords. Just trust your own sixth sense, baby. You'll soon see who's truly proud of you because of your success in your education, not because of your sexy ass."
"Thanks, Gon. I better keep my eyes and ears open, then." The two shared a small peck on the lips after that was said, which made the two warriors smile with admiration. "This is exactly why I love you so much. You keep a sharp eye out for my well-being without even thinking sometimes."
"I've been doing it since I hatched from my egg during the Jurassic era."
"No kidding! That's awesome!"
So, within the next two weeks, Stephanie's been keeping her word. She's kept a sharp eye out for any suspicious men among the staff while she was getting everything prepared for her leave from the campus after her graduation. Jin and Nina secretly observed every move as well and, so far, they were impressed. Gon did the same thing, but within the air with his newfound wings. So far, everything was going smoothly. Despite that, however, Gon's sixth sense exaggeration wasn't just a waste of breath towards the kindhearted creature. He did truly feel that the other members of the campus staff were indeed truly excited about all of the students' upcoming graduation and how far they've come to get there, but he felt a negative vibe from only one… and it wasn't even a janitor. He decided to share this with another staff member, which happened to be the assistant dean, Mrs. Yvette Vanderbilt.
"You're concerned about Stephanie's safety before the graduation ceremony within three days?" The beautiful light-skinned African American woman asked with a slight country accent in her tender voice. She and Gon were in her own separate office that was right next door to the main dean's office. Gon nodded twice without any hesitation. "Why, honey bun?"
"Don't make it seem like it's your fault before I say this, but it's about…" Gon started, then paused for just five seconds before he continued in a whisper: "…your husband."
"My husband? The dean himself? What about him? We've been married for 20 years now and we have a son together, for God's sake. Why grow apprehensive of him, sweetheart?"
"Don't tell anyone, but I think he secretly has the hots for my girlfriend, Stephanie… as well as all of the other cute girls that are about to graduate soon, but mostly Steph."
"Oh, hell no! That better not be the case. He tells me that I'm the most beautiful woman in the world every day."
"Yeah, well that statement might be a lie at this point. If I were you, I'd keep a sharp eye on him." They both looked at the door that connected her office to her husband's with utmost observation. "He's one odd duck."
"And I can't say I don't believe you in the least, honey."
Two afternoons later, in Stephanie's dorm…
"Gon, I'm just so excited!" She cheered as she had just finished the last of her graduation papers and was ready to deliver them to the dean. "Tomorrow, my future with you will be so much brighter when I start my first day as a vet tech. I already got the job offer and I passed my interview with flying colors yesterday!"
"Damn! That was fast!" Gon cheered as he gave her a loving embrace as they both sat on her bed. Again, Jin and Nina watched them from afar with full observation. "Did ya get a place of your own, too?"
"Yep! I'm all set, thanks to my Dad. I told him about your concern for my safety and, as rich as he is, he just couldn't resist. Not only did he pay for my adorable single story house in full with no mortgages to pay, he's also given you permission to let you live with me." Hearing this made the two human Tekken warriors slightly jump with surprise. Same for Gon, except he nearly fell off the bed. "I know, right?! My family already trusts you enough to make that happen, baby."
"Wasn't expect all that, but wow! That's great! I'm guessing this new place you got is just at the right distance from your job."
"It's about a ten mile drive, but totally worth it. We're gonna be like a married couple, except we're not actually married… yet."
"Heh, heh. Ya read my mind, Steph. We're gonna be a-okay. Now, remember what I told you about the Dean." The two got serious after that last statement, even as they both stood up simultaneously. "Just keep a cool head, do everything that needs to be done with those documents, and get out as quickly as you can without suspicion. Got it?"
"Yeah, but I'm still a little scared."
"Don't worry, Stephanie." Gon gently held her wrists with all the compassion his heart could hold. "I've got you covered. Just scream at the very top of your lungs when you see just the slightest perverted moment." They both nodded with courage after that, hoping for the very best for each other.
A ten minute walk to the Dean's office later…
"Dean Vanderbilt?" Stephanie came in with confidence. He was a lean muscular Caucasian man in his mid-40s with short chocolate brown hair with a shiny luster, blue eyes, and wore a silver suit fit for a millionaire. He had just gotten off the phone at his desk when he saw the young brunette and smiled with, what seemed like, an augmented stare, but Stephanie looked past it by remaining as casual as he spoke.
"Good afternoon, Stephanie Veronica Fredrickson." He greeted with a polite tone of his deep, gruff voice that sounded uncomfortably eerie towards the young woman, but again, she never let that give away her suspicious feelings. "Since you're about to graduate tomorrow, you don't have to call me Dean Vanderbilt anymore. Just call me Kenneth."
"Oh, okay, Kenneth." She slowly took her seat, so her skirt wouldn't reveal too much to the seemingly perverted man before her. "It's been a long journey for me here, but I'm so glad I'm finally graduating tomorrow. I just wanted to give you my final papers here and get your approval right away. You see, I've just gotten a job offer as a vet tech at the local five-star veterinary hospital not too far from here and…"
"Say no more. Time is of the essence and we shouldn't hold you back from the first day of the rest of your life tomorrow. Let's see what you've got here." It became silent within the office for the next three minutes and Stephanie kept her brown eyes on Kenneth the entire time, making sure he wasn't up to any tricks. After the final minute, he looked up from the papers and kept his strange smile of approval. "Well, Stephanie. You look like you've got quite the promising future ahead of you. You love animals, eh?"
"More than anything else in the world… well, in addition to my family and Gon, of course."
"Gon? That short yellow dinosaur that's cause all a buzz around here?"
"Yes, but he's not a short dinosaur anymore. He's much taller, stronger, and cuter than ever. He's become a combination of a dinosaur, a dragon, an obstagoon, and a toxtricity. In other words, he's so handsome. Nobody here judges my relationship with him and neither should you, even after I permanently leave this campus."
"I see. Well, I'm not one to judge, sweetheart. Where is he?"
"None of your business." Stephanie started to see the perverted glow in his blue eyes and tried to walk out. "Now, I've gotta get ready to go."
"What's the hurry? Especially since you won't tell me where Gon is. I haven't seen him in his new form that you're talking about yet." Kenneth miraculously moved quickly for someone nearing his fifties and grabbed Steph's wrist, which made her take a breath for a scream, like she was told, but… "And don't you dare scream! Since your so-called 'handsome' mutation of a boyfriend isn't here, I might as well tell you that I'm stuck in a marriage that I don't want and you're gonna satisfy me one way or another."
"Let go of me!" She tried to break out of the grip, but it was no use. "Besides, aren't you married to a black woman?! I think she's beautiful!"
"Well, not me. I don't know what I saw in her! Now, calm down." He had her pinned up against the door. "I'm not gonna hurt you."
"Yes, you will. I'm a virgin, you bastard!"
"Another lie to try to escape me? We'll see about that." He kept his strong grip on her slender arms as he slammed her down on the desk after he pushed everything off.
Meanwhile, in the office next door…
"Oh, hell no!" Yvette exclaimed as she saw this from her door's window before she frantically called up to Stephanie's dorm room first. "He says he's stuck in a marriage with me, huh?! And we have a son! I ain't standing for this! I'm gonna need all the back up!"
Up in the dorm…
"Brrrr!" Gon shivered as he felt trouble brewing, but didn't want to believe it. Jin and Nina were on stand-by with him. "What the hell? Why this sudden chill, Sixth Sense?"
BRRIIIIIINNNG!
"Does that answer your question?" Nina asked with partial humor as Gon rushed over to the phone near the door.
"Yvette?! What's happening?!"
"Your suspicions were correct, honey… and in way more detail that you thought." The soon-to-be ex-wife replied on the other line in a darker tone of her sweet voice. "Need I say more?"
"Nope! I'm on my way! Call the police right now!" He hung up the phone and flew out in no time with nothing but bravery written all over his face. Jin and Nina looked at each other with determination before they nodded once simultaneously and ran out just as fast to see if they could provide assistance.
Back in the Dean Kenneth's office…
Stephanie's panic shot through the roof as she was now silenced by a torn long sleeve from Kenneth's suit jacket tied around her mouth as she felt her panties being pulled down and fall off her feet while she was vigorously being held down by the horny man above her, ready to unzip his pants and ruin her innocence in the most violent way possible. Her frantic movement within his arms was working every ten seconds, but to no avail.
"Keep still or it will hurt, you bitch!" He screamed in her face before continued his futile effort to hold down the panicky Stephanie in one arm while try to expose himself with the other. It took him about a full minute before he finally did the latter, but before could commit the final act…
RRROOOOOOOOOOAAAARRRRR!
"Wwwhat the-?"
"LET HER GO!" Gon screamed after that almighty dragon roar that echoed all over the campus as he just busted down the door and wasted no time tackling the dean off of Stephanie and onto the floor as it turned into a massive brawl. While that was happening, Jin and Nina ran in and the son of Kazuya carefully pulled Stephanie up from the desk and untied the ripped sleeve from her mouth. Nina volunteered to pick up her underwear and give them back to her before the still shaking woman slipped them back on and was held back by the two warriors as they all watched the now bloody and violent fight between Gon and Kenneth.
Five minutes later…
It became silent enough to finally hear about ten police officers rush towards the office while Stephanie was kneeled down before her exhausted mutated lover, who looked up at her with an adorable smile she just couldn't ignore. He was smothered in blood from both him and Kenneth, but that pervert was nowhere to be seen. The reason?
"Gon, thank you so much for eating that bastard rather than just let him rot here to die." Steph started sweetly as she was gently stroking his face with all the love in the world. "You were right about him being the only one and he even confessed that he was-"
"-stuck in a marriage he never wanted?" Gon finished immediately for his girlfriend, who nodded twice in response. "Yep. I had a gut feeling about it the whole time and Yvette…" That said woman came out of her office at that call of her name. "…you knew this whole time."
"He knew that having him being married to a black woman would be frowned upon within his racist family." She confessed. "I would've been satisfied with a divorce, but he had to force the stay with me, just so he could get rich from a lawsuit on the side. Ugh! The fucker!"
"Move over! This is the police!" One male officer finally came in, immediately telling Jin and Nina to move out of the way. "What happened in here?"
"A man named Kenneth Richardson Vanderbilt tried to rape me, but Gon here came in just in time and ate him alive before you all got here." Stephanie replied. One tall, Asian officer gently pushed himself through the rest of his squad as they tried to clean up the place and even escorted Yvette out with them to answer a few questions.
"Gon?!" The mutated dragon widened his eyes with surprise as heard a familiar young male voice he hadn't heard from in a while.
"Raikhan?!" Gon finally spoke since the fight. "I haven't seen or heard from you since I helped you maintain your sanity after the death of your younger twin sisters five years ago. I thought you didn't listen to a single word I said and killed yourself anyway."
"You know I never disobey a sage, especially since this sage here just did something that he swore never to do since he saw his first set of humans back in the early 1800s." This shocked his girlfriend as she looked back down at the now slightly-sitting-up Gon, who scratched the back of his head with embarrassment.
"Gon! Really?!" She asked with astonishment. "You swore a mental oath to never eat a human being, even though you're obviously capable of doing so?!"
"Those first few humans I saw that day when I was resurrected from extinction treated me with all the love, honor, and respect they could ever give me." Gon admitted with no remorse. "And after being shocked for literally a full minute after I spoke my first words in over hundreds of billions of years, I explained to them why I did what I did to survive. I basically wanted to live as long as Mother Earth herself and see the many numerous changes in history and technology along the way… and hoo, boy! What a trip for me! Even now, I still find it hard to believe that these old cartoons like Tom and Jerry and the Looney Tunes that are being shown on TV nowadays were first shown at movie theaters back when they were first released."
"Oh, wow! You never cease to amaze me, Gon-baby." Stephanie gave her mutated lover another heartwarming kiss on the cheek after that. Raikhan nodded twice in agreement.
"Same here." He added. "So, after this massacre, you'll never do it again. Right?"
"I'll try." Gon confessed. "I only did it this time to protect Steph. I love her enough to do it, but I promise. I'll never eat another human again."
"Atta boy. Now, you go on ahead and graduate with no worries. We'll clean up from here."
"Gotcha."
The next afternoon's graduation went on as usual, even without the Dean present. Yvette took over that position as she was humbly handing out diplomas to all of the seniors of Norfolk University. Gon, Jin, and Nina were among the audience on the left side of the graduates down below them. The human warriors just admired the entire ceremony with smiles of pure happiness, but Gon only had his sights set on Stephanie as she was just called up to receive her diploma. He couldn't believe all the great lengths he had to go through to make it all possible for her and he even realized that this transformation that he went through back in Galar was just icing on the cake. He didn't have to transform, but it was just to prove to the numerous naysayers that a relationship like his would never work if he was still the two foot tall yellow carnosaur we all know and love. He decided to share this with the two warriors on either side of him and Jin sighed with expectancy while Nina remained speechless and focused on the ceremony as he spoke.
"I knew it all this time as we were searching for you." The son of Kazuya replied as he looked down at Gon from the corners of his eyes. "But, I guess those people that thought your relationship didn't work really needed a reality check and this transformation is physical proof of it. Did it actually work prior to this dramatic change?"
"Like butter on a toasted bagel." Gon replied. "But, then some witnesses saw us together while I was still in my two foot tall self and they just laughed at us like bullies at a playground. Steph and I couldn't take it anymore and I left her for a while to get this done."
"I see. Well, just to let you know, since you've only heard about one new warrior, Master Raven, we have plenty more new faces that you've never seen before and they are already looking forward to an exhibition fight against you, but with you in this form, it wouldn't be any fun for them."
"I hear ya. That's why now is a good time as any to let only you two know now: This transformation isn't permanent."
"WHHHAT?!" Both Nina and Jin exclaimed with astonishment. Gon still kept his eyes on the ceremony.
"Yeah, I know you thought it was, but actually, during that transformation process, a scientist did warn me that this is an interchangeable experiment. So, I can turn back into my true yellow short-ass self any time I want. Stephanie doesn't know that yet."
"Wow…" Nina whispered breathlessly. "…they have a chance, Jin. We can make it happen." She paused as her boss nodded twice in agreement. "How about it, then? After this ceremony wraps up and before you permanently live with Stephanie, how about a Tekken-style meet and greet for all those fighters that have never seen you before?"
"Sounds great, Nina. So, here's my first question about that Master Raven character: You say that this person is Raven's boss, right?"
"Yes."
"Master Raven's a woman, isn't she?"
"Heh, heh. How did you know?"
"Just a feeling. Only a woman would tell a cold man like Raven what to do on the daily with an earpiece that never comes out unless he pulls it out himself."
"Ha! Spot on there!"
"Indeed." Jin agreed with humor. "Well, at this rate, we're looking forward to a smooth meet and greet. Your humor will get to them faster than an actual fight."
"Ya got that right." The three fighters laughed at that statement afterwards, already hoping for the very best for the mutated dinosaur and his young brunette girlfriend.
To be continued…
