Edge of Time

Utter chaos was the only way one could describe current events. Whatever had happened between Chisaki and other members of the raid team could only be described as catastrophic. This was something Mirko knew. Her body was bloodied with bruises and open wounds all over. She was sure some bones were broken but as long as she could still move her arms and legs with no pain she knew they were fine. Right now she was struggling to breathe. Being trapped under rubble while huddling the body of Goku wasn't how she saw her life ending. However, Mirko wasn't one to give up easily and was using all the strength she could muster to lift the rubble above her. She was struggling.

"Not like this. It can't end like this" she grunted as she continued to lift, "MOVE DAMMITTTTT!" Her screams echoed throughout the area, but no one came. Chisaki was their target. All their focus was on him. The sounds of battle echoed above on the streets. Not that Mirko could see that is.

"Can't…breathe" she helplessly gasped for air before closing her eyes and giving a defeated smile, "Guess…you don't…have that problem…do you Goku?" She opened her eyes, now brimming with tears, and looked down at the lifeless body of her ward. Her first, dare she say it, true loved one. One she could rely on and wouldn't mind teaming up with ever. That one person was now lying below her with no sign of life left in him.

"You never got to apologise to your girlfriend. Yeah I said it. She may as well be. You fought well kid. Better…than…me" Mirko gave one final push before collapsing from lack of oxygen. She fell beside Goku and looked up to see a small gap in the rubble above. A small gap that she could no longer reach. A small gap that gave a glimmer of hope that no longer existed.

"Fate's a bitch ain't it?" she chuckled before closing her eyes. She opened them one last time to look at Goku before turning to face up. That was when she saw it. A light that hadn't been there before. It glowed brightly.

"Must be my imagination" Mirko said weakly before squinting. The light was getting brighter and appeared to be getting closer. That was when it hit Mirko. She weakly snapped her head to look at Goku in disbelief, "Your ki blast or whatever you shot into the sky. It was a contingency plan. You smart bastard." Said ki blast crashed through the rubble which collapsed some more but it didn't matter. It found its mark. Mirko moved to the side slightly as the ki blast collided with Goku's left side of his chest. For a moment nothing happened. Then Mirko's ears twitched. A heartbeat began. A heartbeat that wasn't her own. She smiled before passing out.

"GAH!" gasped Goku as he inhaled deeply. His eyes snapped open and he attempted to sit up straight only to find himself unable to. He also noticed that single breath was going to be his only unless he did something quickly, "Shit. That hurt way more than I thought it would." He turned his head to find Mirko huddled alongside him. A familiar look of determination came over his face and he turned back to his original position.

"Grrr….RRRRRRAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!" he roared as his clear aura burst to life, "I WILL NOT LET ANYONE ELSE DIE!" The power he emitted blew the rocks off of him and Mirko with many being turned to dust. As the dust began to clear the faint golden outline of Goku in his Super state could be seen holding Mirko by her arm over his shoulder. Both stood there alive. Mirko coughed and inhaled deeply before passing out from exhaustion.

"I've got you" he whispered before walking away from their temporary prison. It proved difficult to pull Mirko along, so Goku picked her up bridal style to not waste energy. The ki blast had revitalised him and given him enough energy to possibly sustain Super Ascended. How long he would be able to sustain it was a different matter entirely. For now his Super state would suffice. Blasting his way through rock and debris, Goku eventually came across Frost's corpse. It had been mangled beyond repair with the then unconscious villain being unable to escape. Goku pitied him.

"For what it's worth I wish I could've saved you" he mumbled before continuing on. When he reached a clearing, he placed Mirko down on the floor and collapsed to his knees next to her. That was when he saw it. The blood that was splattered across the floor and protruding rock. There was even an arm. One that once belonged to Sir Nighteye. Goku vomited to his side at the sight. He had just stumbled into the area where Togata had lost his quirk, Nighteye and been seriously injured and Chisaki had held his ground. A member of Chisaki's gang was laying down on the ground, apparently unconscious. The battle was going on overhead between Chisaki and…

"Deku?" The ki signature and power was the same. But his overall power output had exponentially increased. It far outclassed Goku's Super and Super Ascended states. It may have even outclassed his new form with a currently unknown power output.

"Remarkable. You're still alive. That attack of yours wasn't a mistake or failed attempt at all was it?" came the voice of Hit from behind Goku. The teen stood up and slowly turned to face the assassin who had killed him.

"Good to see you're still kicking Hit" Goku remarked with closed eyes and nonchalant attitude, "Guess your contract is still active." This was already a losing battle and Goku knew it. With not enough energy to sustain Super Ascended in a long fight, all Goku could do was hope that he could stall until back up, if any, came.

"It would appear so. You truly are a worthy opponent Goku. Unfortunately now I know about your little trick, I'm afraid it won't happen again" he replied with his hands in his pockets. Despite his calm demeanour Goku could just make out an excited smile on Hit's face.

"Well it was a one hit wonder. Most things don't work twice. We have to adapt as fighters though am I right?" he chuckled and Hit nodded.

"Indeed we do. Neither of us are in our best condition but this is an inevitable battle. May the best man win" said Hit before entering a fighting stance. Goku happily complied with the stand-off and entered his own. The two faced off with their love for battle shining through. Hit's love for battle surprised Goku but he accepted that every now and then one likes to indulge themselves.

"Here we go" Goku said before powering up straight into Super Ascended. The two charged at the other. Each blow connected. Goku countered Hit's Time Skip with the assassin in return countering a number of Goku's ki based attacks.

"Kamehameha!" cried Goku as he fired his signature move. Hit ducked to the side and using his Time Skip, appeared next to Goku who simply smiled in anticipation. Hit went for the heart just like before but Goku flew into the air, causing his beam attack to dissipate. The battle above continued to rage while the battle below came to a standstill. Neither side could gain a proper advantage over the other.

"Time for me to end this" stated Hit. He took a powering up stance, akin to what Goku did and a purple aura, different to those of Frieza and Frost, enveloped him. Goku readied himself for the next blow but was interrupted by a sudden gush of wind. Hit's eyes opened in shock as Mirko flung herself at him. She locked her arms around Hit's back and tackled him to the ground.

"What the?! Gah!" he cried in pain.

"You don't get the chance you bastard" snarled Mirko in his ear before letting go of Hit, standing up and slamming her right foot down on his chest. Hit gasped out in pain as he felt a few ribs break. Then Mirko did it again. Goku watched on in horror as she began to brutally attack Hit who wasn't given a single second to defend himself. Mirko began to punch him in the face and blood splattered from his mouth. She had a look in her eyes. One of murderous intent.

"I said I'd get you for killing Goku!" she screamed before someone grabbed her right arm which had been pulled back to strike Hit again. She whipped her head around violently only to pause when she realised who had done it.

"Mirko stop it. You'll kill him" Goku warned with the heroine's body relaxing. She stepped away from Hit who sat up to the side slightly and coughed up blood. As soon as the two were clear, Mirko immediately pulled Goku in for a hug. The teen stood in surprise at the gesture initially but reciprocated it. When the two ended their embrace, Goku gave a goofy smile. This received a punch in the face. Goku reeled back in pain.

"What the hell?! Why'd you do that?!" he questioned.

"Why didn't you tell me your plan?" was Mirko's furious response.

"Well if I told you then Hit would've most likely suspected something. Besides I only thought of it in the moment" he nervously admitted.

"It was a smart move, but you scared the life out of me. Don't do it again" she reprimanded before grinning mischievously. Goku rolled his eyes and laughed, "Guess we should beat this guy then huh?"

"Yeah. Can do. Though doubt it will be easy," replied Goku before glancing over to Hit who was making his way to his feet with a determined look in his eyes.

"Time to end this" he said before having his purple aura spring to life once more.

"So what's with the aura?" asked a curious Mirko as she prepared for battle. Despite wincing in pain she was still going to fight regardless.

"Not sure. I think it means he's gotten stronger somehow. I reckon his Time Skip is going to improve. I could barely keep up when he first pushed his Time Skip, so I've got little chance of keeping up if it evolves more. Plus I'm running on fumes" Goku explained gravely.

"Want to use that new form of yours?" asked Mirko.

"Don't know the stamina drain which means two things," he started, "Firstly, I may not have enough energy to access it. The alternative is that I may drop out of it as soon as I transform. Too many unreliable factors" he replied before an idea popped into his head. An idea that he immediately grimaced at.

"That look means you've thought of something which isn't a particularly good idea is it?" she asked sternly. Goku shook his head. Hit's aura was growing larger with every moment. They were running out of time.

"My idea could potentially work but not for long," Goku revealed before he grimaced even more, "Then there's the major downside. It could potentially rip me apart."

"Not gonna let you do it then." Mirko metaphorically put her foot down with a glare. Goku turned back to face Hit.

"Sorry Mirko but it's not your call. This is my decision to make. I have to try it" Goku retorted sternly. Hit's aura was beginning to stabilise, and he appeared under physical pressure.

"I can only hold this for a minute. Let's finish this" he stated before taking up a fighting stance. Mirko grit her teeth in frustration.

"Fine. Do it" she relented. Goku nodded and began to charge up his energy. His golden aura blared to life. It seemed to just be a basic power up until a familiar red aura enveloped it. Goku's physical appearance retained that of his Super Ascended state but he was now cloaked head to toe in a red aura. Mirko grinned cockily when she recognised it. Turning back to Hit, she backed up slightly with her grin still present.

"You're in for it now" was all she said before Goku's overall aura burst out.

"KAIOKEN!" he screamed, his voice breaking. Pain instantly swept over his entire body with his face twisting in pain. He slowly took his fighting stance and mere seconds later both he and Hit engaged in battle. Hit's Time Skip had had a massive power boost. Goku's combination of Kaioken and Super Ascended was allowing him to keep up but only for a short time. The teen landed a clear blow on Hit pushing the assassin back but not for long. He attacked again and used his Time Skip. The world around the three, Mirko being included, began to freeze and crack. Hit, being the only one able to move freely, went for one of Goku's vital points. However, as he neared his attack was blocked by Goku who had forced his way through the frozen subspace.

"What the?" gasped Hit before engaging in a back and forth punching spree with his target.

"That won't work. At least not for now" revealed Goku as he fired a close quarters ki blast that Hit narrowly avoided. Then while the assassin regained his bearings, Goku raised his energy higher. His power wasn't enough to completely obliterate the subspace, but it was enough to crack it and cause Hit to lose concentration. Both fighters separated. Mirko unfroze and tripped over from her lack of when time would restart, prompting a snicker from Goku. She glared at him before seeing small cracks appear over his body. Hit seemed to be growing more and more fatigued. They were both running out of time.

"Damn. I can't hold this long. I've got to finish it in one shot" he determined. Hit attacked but Goku swung his right leg upwards, catching the assassin on the chin and sending him skyward. Goku then took a stance and brought his cupped hands to his side. The blue energy began to build as his aura grew higher. Hit noticed this and readied himself.

"Ka…Me…Ha…Me…" chanted Goku before his eyes pulsed red from the Kaioken. He thrust his arms forwards at a slight upwards angle, unleashing the massive beam.

"HAAAAAAA!" Goku's roar deafened both Hit and Mirko, the former flinching from the raw power coming his way. When his Time Skip failed, Hit went to move but found himself being pushed into the beam by Mirko who had bounced high into the air and then off the wall behind him.

"You don't get to escape this one" she whispered in his ear before using her full strength to simultaneously push Hit into the attack and get clear. Hit was engulfed by Goku's final attack, the blue light blinding both heroes. When the beam finally dissipated, Goku collapsed and immediately forced himself to depower. The cracks travelled along his body, up his arms and legs and his face. A dull white light peered out from each and every crack but Goku just breathed heavily. Mirko rushed over to him and helped him sit up, making sure to support his back.

"You okay kid?" she asked in concern. Goku simply smirked.

"Yeah. Any longer and I probably would've imploded. Or exploded. One or the other" Goku chuckled nonchalantly. Despite his current state, he still acted the same way. Mirko groaned in annoyance before the pair noticed movement. Hit forced his way out from the rubble and limped over to the pair. Mirko readied for battle but found herself being used as a support by Goku who had gotten to his feet rather suddenly. Both target and assassin locked eyes before chuckling. Hit held out his hand and Goku shook it. Mirko was completely lost.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Don't worry about it" Goku assured her before turning back to Hit, "Wanna call it a day?"

"I don't think I have much choice. I never fail a contract and yet here you are, still breathing" he remarked with interest, "I ended up with a better result today." Hit closed his eyes and smirked with Goku grinning. Then an idea popped into the teen's head.

"Hey Hit." The use of his name garnered the assassin's attention with him opening his eyes and giving a small nod in acknowledgement.

"When does your contract expire?" asked Goku. Although initially taken aback, Hit decided to indulge the teen.

"It doesn't. It won't expire unless my client ends it. Why?" Goku had piqued his curiosity now. Mirko was also curious.

"I want to fight you again someday. When we're both stronger than we are now. So if your contract is cancelled just know that I'm going to put a contract on myself should that day come." Goku's words left the pair speechless. He wanted to put a contract on himself? The very thought made Mirko cough. Hit smiled at the suggestion before tossing something to Goku. The teen caught it and when he opened his palm he saw it was a small greenish pill. Hit turned around to walk off.

"Hey Hit! What is this?" called Goku with Hit not stopping at all.

"It's called a Senzu Pill. It heals all physical injuries once ingested though it won't have any effect on diseases. As for where I got hold of it," he turned and smirked one last time, "That's a trade secret." With that Hit vanished, most likely from his use of his Time Skip. Goku looked down at the Senzu Pill and without hesitation, popped into his mouth. He chewed it and then swallowed.

"The hell are you doing you moron? It could be poison!" reprimanded Mirko before her eyes widened in shock. Goku felt all his power return as well as all his injuries vanish. The cracks that plastered is body healed and vanished and he was able to stand by himself.

"That's incredible" he whispered before momentarily powering up into his Super state. He was back at full power and he liked that.

"Okay that's great and all that you're fully healed but where's mine?" asked Mirko as she crossed her arms in annoyance. Goku chuckled nervously.

"Well I was in worse shape. Besides the battle above sounds to be over so you can get healed up there" he said. Mirko rolled her eyes and got Goku in a headlock.

"You better be right Xeno. Or what happens now will be worse" she mock threatened before giving Goku a noogie. The 'victim' squirmed and laughed before breaking free. He rubbed his head where his jet-black hair had been slightly flattened. Then right on cue, it popped back into his original position. He grinned triumphantly while Mirko rolled her eyes. She patted Goku on the back as she walked past him.

"Let's get topside kid. It's all over."

Author's Note

Or is it?

This was fun to right with Super Kaioken making its only appearance in this story. From the repercussions don't think Goku will be eager to use it again soon. As for the other Kaioken combo well we'll see (you know the one)

Hit has departed and the fight against Chisaki is over. For now.

Till then,

Ethan