The Symbol of Peace and Justice

Chapter 2 – Vigilante

Chi-Chi hummed a jaunty tune as she flipped a pan over the stove with practiced ease, watching with satisfaction as the wide variety of vegetables blended together. When she had deemed her task complete, she poured the finished stir fry onto a serving plate and brought it to the dining table, placing it amongst a plethora of different dishes.

Letting out a content sigh, she looked up at the clock and pursed her lips. She then walked over to the open window and looked outside, where she spotted her husband roasting a massive fish over a fire. "Goku, how's it coming along?" she called out. "It's almost time for lunch."

"Nearly there! Just give me a minute!" he shouted back.

Chi-Chi crossed her arms over the windowsill and watched her husband work, a bright smile on her face. When Goku was finished with the fish, he lifted it off the spit and carried it to a large table, where he proceeded to expertly cut it up into edible pieces and stack it onto a gargantuan platter. With that done, he carefully balanced the oversized plate in his arms and hobbled towards the door, doing his best not drop it.

Chi-Chi giggled at the rather comical scene and hurried to the door, opening it wide so that Goku could enter. When he was in the house, he placed the plate of fish beside the veritable buffet of food and wiped the sweat off his brow.

"It looks great, dear," Chi-Chi remarked, smiling at the sight. "Now go and wash up. I'll get the cutlery sorted."

With a nod of affirmation, Goku set off towards the bathroom. Chi-Chi walked back into the kitchen and rummaged the cabinets for some plates, only to frown when she saw that a few of them were smudged. "That won't do at all," she murmured in mild annoyance.

Hauling the dirty plates out of the cabinet, Chi-Chi carried them to the sink and started washing them, going back to humming the same tune as before. She let out a small yelp when two large hands snaked around her waist to rest gently on her stomach, and then giggled when Goku placed a chaste kiss on her temple.

"Go sit down. I can take care of the dishes," he said softly. "You already have enough to deal with."

Chi-Chi smiled warmly and patted his cheek. "Thank you, Goku."

With her job taken over by her husband, Chi-Chi walked over to the couch and sat down, reclining elegantly against the cushions. After a few peaceful minutes, the sound of the doorbell reverberated through the house.

"I'll get it!" Goku called out from the kitchen, making his wife smile once more.

He walked towards the front door and swung it open, giving the visitor a cheerful grin. "Piccolo! You made it just in time!"

The Namekian chuckled in response. "Naturally. Is Chi-Chi around? I brought cake," he said, showing his friend a box he'd been carrying.

"Ooh, that's great!" Goku commented as he reached out to grab it greedily, only for Chi-Chi to swat his hand aside, making him yelp.

"Dessert comes at the end of the meal," she scolded good-naturedly, before turning to smile at their guest. "It's good to see you, Piccolo. Come in and take a seat at the table; we were just about to get started on lunch."

The Namekian handed her the cake and did just that. Soon enough, the trio had dug into their meal.

"Your cooking is as delightful as always, Chi-Chi," Piccolo stated after swallowing a spoonful of fried rice.

"Yeah! Chi-Chi's cooking is the best!" Goku agreed, his cheeks bulging as he chomped down on a mouthful of meat.

The woman blushed lightly at the praise. "Oh! You two flatter me!"

Piccolo chuckled amusedly and wiped a bit of soy sauce off his chin with a napkin. He then turned to regard Chi-Chi with an inquisitive look. "How are you coming along?"

Her eyes lit up at the question. "It's certainly been an adventure! Luckily for me, Goku's been very helpful."

The Namekian gave the man in question a curious raise of his eyebrows. "Is that so? Son, I didn't know you had it in you!"

Goku just grinned sheepishly and gave his friend a thumbs up before going back to his food.

"Honestly, we were caught completely off guard by the news," Chi-Chi began, staring at her stomach with warmth in her eyes. "But after we got over the shock, we were overjoyed. I've always wanted a child, and Goku quickly warmed up to the idea."

"You got that right," Goku said with a wide grin, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm going to train the kid to be even stronger than me!"

"Oh hush, you," Chi-Chi admonished, although her tone held no hint of malice. "Our child will be getting a proper education first and foremost. I don't want our son or daughter growing up to be a jobless delinquent like you and your buddies."

Goku pouted at the verbal jab, only for his wife to break out into a small giggling fit. "Although, I wouldn't mind you training him or her every now and then. It'll be good for our child to know how to defend themselves if the need arises."

At that, Goku's grin returned full force. "You're the best, Chi-Chi! I can't wait!"

Piccolo just laughed and took a sip of water. "Don't I get a say in this?" When they turned their gaze to him, he smirked. "I'd like to be involved somehow, too. I can help Goku with training, or if you want, I could teach the kid meditation techniques to help improve their focus with, uh, studying."

Chi-Chi smiled fondly at the Namekian. "That'd be lovely, Piccolo. Thank you."

She reached across the table and clasped a dainty hand around one of Goku's, while her other hand latched onto the Namekian's green one. Her eyes shifted between the two males before her, glimmering with unshed tears of happiness. "We're really going to make this work, guys. We're going to be one big, happy family."


Gohan awoke in a cold sweat, panting as though he'd run multiple marathons of the planet. He clutched at his beating heart, his eyes darting frantically in the dark as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.

When he was cognizant enough to recognise that he was in his bedroom, he let out an exhausted breath and plopped back onto his mattress, trying to get his breathing under control.

It was just a dream. A horrible, horrible dream. 'No… not a dream,' he quickly reasoned. 'A nightmare.'

He'd had his fair share of those when he was left alone in the wilderness for six months as a young child, and because of that, he knew better than to try and go back to sleep. He needed a shower… and a distraction.

With a strained groan, Gohan rolled out of his bed and turned on the lights. Upon seeing the tattered remains of his purple gi by the pillow, he frowned at the reminder that he'd literally cried himself to sleep the night before. A quick glance at the clock on his bedside table only made his frown deepen, as it revealed that it was two in the morning.

He sighed and plodded morosely towards the bathroom, annoyed that he'd fallen asleep in his regular clothes, which were now gross and sticky. Upon reaching the room he quickly disrobed, threw his clothes in the hamper, and stepped into the shower, turning on the cold water.

Another sigh left his lips, and his body shivered briefly as it tried to adjust to the sudden chill that racked it. Cold showers didn't bother him, as he'd been exposed to much harsher conditions throughout his life. Instead, he found them to be opportune moments to clear his head and reflect on whatever was troubling him.

As the frigid droplets of water pelted upon his muscular figure, Gohan's thoughts turned to the devastating dream he'd just had. He knew it wasn't real, but the mere concept of his parents and Piccolo forgetting about him completely and replacing him with another child chilled him to the bone far more than any ice-cold shower could. Even now, just the thought of it was enough to make his heart race.

He shook those worrying feelings from his head. It was foolish to think that the dream had any basis in reality; he knew his father, mother and Piccolo well enough to realise that they would never forget him. If anything, they'd be hard at work figuring out a way to bring him back. That was a far more logical outcome.

But still, a small part of him couldn't help but wonder… what if the power that had ripped him from his own world and thrust him into this one didn't stop there? What if that very same power wiped his existence from the memories of his friends and family, and the dream he'd just had was a vision of them going about their lives without him?

No… that didn't make sense either. As much as Gohan loved his father, he knew the man wasn't the most physically affectionate person. Furthermore, while his mother had softened her stance towards Piccolo over the years, she'd never willingly hold his hand and essentially treat him as part of the family. As for the Namekian himself… while he had indeed mellowed out significantly, he would never in a million years bring cake to a luncheon he was invited to.

That last thought was humorous enough to lift Gohan's spirits slightly, and a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips. If- no, when he saw Piccolo again, he would bring up this dream, as he was genuinely curious to see his mentor's reaction. With that in mind, he finished up his shower and dried himself off with a quick flare of ki.

Stepping out of the shower, he walked into his room and threw on a dark blue tracksuit. While he was feeling a bit better, the prospect of going back to bed wasn't an appealing one. Besides that, being startled awake in the middle of the night had shaken all the tiredness from his body. In the past, whenever he was feeling down about something, going out to explore nature usually brightened his mood. Despite this not being Mount Paozu, surely there were some nice sights to see here and there. The Earth was massive after all.

Once he'd slipped on his sneakers, he exited his apartment and locked the door behind. He then sprinted up the stairs, making sure to keep his footsteps muffled, and stepped through the door that led to the roof. Immediately, his skin was assaulted by the chilly night winds, making his eyelids flutter, but he paid it no heed and simply cloaked himself with a thin ki barrier.

Without any dramatics, he rocketed into the sky and kept ascending until he was just below the clouds. From this elevated position, he could see the city of Tokyo almost in its entirety, and the sight made his breath hitch.

Tokyo was big – very, very big – and even now, in the early hours of the morning, it was alive and breathing. A smorgasbord of lights from far-off buildings and vibrant advertisements dotted the more active city districts, with the taller structures towering high above others. Cars and other such vehicles were lined along the distant highways, making the busiest roads appear as though they were being traversed by giant caterpillars. The stars sparkling in the clear night sky, contrasting heavily against the manmade lights below, made for a breathtakingly beautiful picture.

Gohan felt his eyes simmer from staring so much, forcing him to blink and snap out of his stupour. Tokyo from above was indeed a spectacular sight, but there nothing overly unique about it that set it apart from a place like West City. Pretty thought it may be, this wasn't the kind of place he could take solace in. The world he wanted to see lay past the borders of Japan, across the vast oceans, and away from any bustling metropolises.

Driven by the need to escape to nature, he set off towards the south. If what the internet had told him earlier in the day rung true, he was on course to reach a large country called Australia. Wind swirled around his speeding form as he accelerated, and before long his features were completely invisible to the untrained eye as a trail of white blazed behind him. Were any hapless denizen to look towards the sky at that moment, they would think he was a shooting star hurtling through the cosmos.

Within seconds, the sparkling surface of the ocean came into a view, and Gohan felt a ghost of a smile spread across his lips.

This was the world he sought to see.

This was the feeling of freedom he so cherished.


Gohan's impromptu journey around the world had taken him to him to many weird and wonderful places, each leaving their own distinct impression on the demi-Saiyan. He had seen the more natural side of this version of Earth, and as such could say with certainty that it had its own unique charm and beauty. It bore a few similarities to his home, but the differences were numerous.

'For one, this world doesn't have anywhere near as many barren plains with large rocks that often end up serving as battlegrounds for superpowered warriors,' he mused with a chuckle.

It was also incredibly diverse in terms of culture and architecture, and while Gohan stayed well away from people so he could have his privacy, he'd seen enough of the planet to come to this realisation. It was a somewhat of a foreign feeling, as his own world was a lot more homogeneous, but that was by no means a bad thing.

He now found himself flying back to his home in Japan, his mind at peace and his heart at ease. As he soared along at a steady pace, his thoughts trailed to the sights and landmarks that stood out most.

Australia's glowing sands and crystalline beaches were a thing of wonder, so much so that the boy couldn't help diving beneath the waves to swim with the diverse marine life. It was an eye-opening, if not truly magical experience.

South America was quite similar to Mount Paozu in its terrain, and was home to a staggeringly remarkable rainforest that was gargantuan in size. A quick expedition through its vibrant interior revealed a prosperous ecosystem brimming with flora and fauna just begging to be sketched, documented and shown off to the world.

North America was significantly more urbanised than its southern counterpart, but nevertheless it had some incredible natural wonders to see, with the most notable being a colossal canyon spanning hundreds of kilometres. Gohan made a mental note to come back here someday so he could fly directly through the canyon, at a time when he wasn't trying to be stay hidden.

Europe was a melting pot of different countries, cultures and people, and Gohan was amazed that a continent so small could house so much diversity. Russia was the outlier because of its immense size, but it too had a certain charm to it. The Son boy took particular solace in the snow-covered plains of Siberia, and took advantage of the solitude they provided to reflect upon his situation.

Africa's sprawling deserts were beautiful to behold, and its savannahs were home to a wide array of wildlife. While the more vicious beasts that roamed the sun-kissed grasslands couldn't begin to compare to the hulking dinosaurs present in Diablo Desert, they were still majestic and imposing creatures worthy of their status.

Antarctica was a marvellous place that perfectly encapsulated just how distinct each continent was, its towering glaciers and ice-covered lands giving credence to the fact that even in a world ruled by humans, there were spots of nature that remained untouched.

Asia was gigantic, housed architecture not unlike Gohan's own world, and was home to a monolithic behemoth of mountain so grand it pierced the clouds like a spire. Unable to help himself, the boy flew to the summit of the colossus and expelled his doubts, frustrations and fears by screaming at the world below.

A faint tinge of pink coloured Gohan's cheeks at the reminder that he'd literally shouted off a mountain at the top of his lungs. Thinking back on it now, it was a mildly embarrassing thing to do, and he hoped that no one heard him, but it was definitely cathartic.

A pillar of smoke in the distance interrupted Gohan from his musing, and with a newfound frown on his face, he altered his trajectory and set a course for the disturbance. Upon reaching the destination, his eyes bulged and his heartbeat quickened.

The reason for the smoke was a large mansion that had been set alight, and was now spewing thick black fumes into the atmosphere. Gohan's eyes hurriedly surveyed the surroundings, and he noted with much horror that the enflamed mansion was located smack dab in the middle of a forest. If the fire ended up spreading, the result would be catastrophic.

From his elevated vantage point, Gohan couldn't see what exactly was going on down below, but he knew there were nefarious matters at play; nothing about this screamed a natural occurrence. Cursing under his breath, he shifted his head from left to right, hoping to see a hero of some sort about to leap onto the scene and save the day, but there was no luck on that front.

His body was screaming at him to do something, but Doctor Shuzenji's warning from the day before made him freeze, the man's words acting as a rope that kept him tethered. His heart was now pounding, and he clenched his fists hard enough to draw blood. What if he went down to help and was spotted by a pro hero? He had read up on the consequences of unlawful use of Quirks in public, and being sent to a juvenile hall for reformation would set him back tremendously.

'Damn it, damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!' he screamed in his head, his mind warring with his heart on what to do.

The roaring fire below burned into his brain, triggering an image of a smiling Son Goku with one hand on a bulbous Cell and two fingers on his forehead. A tear slid down Gohan's cheek at the awful reminder that his inaction and hesitation to do what was right had cost his father his life.

Wind swirled around the conflicted demi-Saiyan, and the air around his shaking form simmered from a sudden influx of heat. The memory of his past failures gnawed away at the restraints holding him back before the tether finally snapped, and an array of pulsating energy sprang to life around him, bathing him in a cloak of golden flames. His onyx eyes morphed into a dazzling teal, and his spiky black locks jutted out even further and turned a solid gold.

Consequences be damned, Son Gohan was not going to let another innocent soul die on his watch.

Fuelled by the thoughts of those he'd failed, the Super Saiyan shot towards the ground with the force of a sonic boom, and slammed his feet into the hard earth before the burning mansion. The ground shook upon impact and a crater formed beneath him, but the enraged boy paid it no heed as he glared menacingly at the perpetrators of this horrific crime.

"What the hell are you supposed to be? A human flashlight?"

Gohan's narrowed eyes snapped to the source of the voice, which belonged to a slim woman with a thin waist and curly blue hair. She was clad in a revealing outfit that showed off a curvaceous figure, including a black bikini top that drew attention to her sizable chest, but that was the last thing on his mind.

"Who are you people?" he fired back. "Why are you doing this?"

"You're in no position to be asking questions, brat," another criminal sneered in a condescending tone. The time, the voice belonged to a tall, broad-shouldered man who dressed in a style reminiscent of a mafia boss. This image was further punctuated by the stitched scar at the bridge of his nose that ran across his cheeks, as well as the cigar hanging from his mouth. In place of his left hand rested a large golden hook that glimmered dangerously in the night, giving the man a most threatening visage. "Daz, gut him so we can be on our way," he ordered.

A hulking brute with tanned skin and the kanji for 'one' tattooed across his muscular chest nodded at the instruction and rushed at Gohan. Upon reaching his target, his right arm transformed into a blade that he lifted into the air and swung down in an attempt to bifurcate the boy.

To Gohan, the man was moving in slow motion, and as such he had plenty of time to grab the blade with one hand, stopping it mid-swing. Before the attacker could even process what had happened, the Super Saiyan had struck him in the chest with his free palm, launching his bulky form into the distance like a cannonball.

Despite himself, Gohan winced as the sound of snapping trees permeated his senses, heard even after the tattooed man had disappeared from view. He had severely overestimated his opposition. Unless he wanted to downright kill the crooks – which he didn't – he needed to hold back the bulk of his power. In the meantime, he could only hope that the tanned man's Quirk was sturdy enough to keep him alive.

The man's allies were stunned at his swift defeat if their slack-jawed gazes were any indication, but the boss managed to compose himself enough to issue another order. "Paula, Bentham, Galdino… kill him now!"

A male dressed like a female ballerina dashed towards Gohan with his leg pulled back for an acrobatic kick, but the Super Saiyan was able to catch the flying foot with one hand and slam the man into the ground. Spittle flew from the cross-dresser's mouth upon collision with the rough dirt and his eyes rolled into the back of his head, signifying his unconsciousness.

Gohan then had to tilt his head to avoid being hit by a grey and sticky projectile. Tracing the trajectory of the attack led him to a frail-looking man with hair shaped into the number 3, his arm extended in the boy's direction. The man was trembling in apparent fright, so the Super Saiyan saw fit to put him out of his misery by sticking out his hand and channelling a tiny bit of energy into a kiai wave, slamming him harshly against a tree trunk and promptly knocking him out.

The blue-haired woman – Paula, if Gohan heard correctly – curled her body into a ball as needle-like spikes sprung from her pores and covered her like a blanket. With her attack prepped, she rolled menacingly towards him at great speed, but he simply stuck out a foot in her path to make the human wrecking ball rebound towards her boss.

The hook-handed man's eyes widened imperceptibly at the unexpected projectile, but much to Gohan's shock, he didn't move out of the way. Instead, he let Paula's ball-like form strike his torso, which turned into sand upon impact. As a result, the woman's body went sailing through the air and collided with a distant tree, rendering her as unconscious as her allies.

"Desert Spada!"

A momentary bout of stunned hesitation from Gohan allowed the villain to thrust his right hand forward and send forth a blade of sharpened sand that split the ground like an earthquake. The Super Saiyan nimbly leapt to the side, easily avoiding the attack, and launched himself forward with a burst of speed. Once he got within range of his assailant, he drilled his finger into the man's shoulder, but was met with resistance in the form of more sand, leaving the criminal unscathed.

Still moving at a speed untraceable by his adversary, the dumbfounded Super Saiyan retracted his finger and unleashed a vicious barrage of punches at the hook-handed man, all of which ultimately amounted to nothing.

Gohan leapt back before the criminal could retaliate and glared at the man, trying to mask his astonishment. "What in the world are you?" he growled. "How are you able to nullify my attacks?"

The fist-shaped holes marring the man's torso repaired themselves, making it appear as though nothing had happened. His body shivered, and a brief look of bewildered panic flashed across his face, but it was quickly suppressed, leaving him with a menacing glare. "I don't know who the hell you are, or how you're able to move so fast, but I'm through playing around! Ground Sec-"

A sudden kiai wave obliterated the man, interrupting him mid-attack. However, just as Gohan expected, the dispersed particles of sand quickly swirled together and began morphing into a human shape, reaffirming his belief that this man was somehow made out of sand. He could work with that.

Imbuing a good amount of ki into his right fist, Gohan dashed forward just as the man's features started to fully form, and drove a punch into his left kidney. Like before, he hit a barrier of sand, but this time, he kept his fist where it was, opened it, and charged a compact ball of energy in his palm that steadily grew hotter.

The criminal clasped a bony hand around Gohan's wrist, and the Super Saiyan felt the uncomfortable sensation of moisture leaving his body. However, before his arm could shrivel up like a prune, the dastardly man's face turned gaunt, and he let loose a shrill scream of unbridled agony as two bulging eyes shot to his waist, where what looked like a glowing lightbulb was burning a hole into his body.

Gohan winced at the piercing shriek that flooded his ears, but ignored it as best he could in favour of concentrating to make sure he didn't go overboard with his attack. When the criminal's screaming had become deafening, and the Super Saiyan felt nothing but his own energy, he ceased the flow of ki to his hand and wrenched it from his adversary's body.

The man's screams died down and he slumped to his knees, sweat streaming down his face and a gaping hole in his left side that was fortunately cauterised. "H-h-how?" he whispered feebly, coughing up a glob of blood.

"Your entire body is made of sand," Gohan replied sternly, unaffected by the gruesome sight. "A strong enough heat will turn ordinary sand into glass, so I figured it was the same with you. I just had to regulate how much heat I put out so your entire body wouldn't disintegrate. It was the only way to take you out without killing you."

"Monster…" the man spat before collapsing.

Gohan sighed and gingerly rubbed his right wrist, noticing that it had started to flake. Somehow, the criminal he'd just defeated had the power to absorb water from people's bodies. Had the man kept a hold of his arm just a little bit longer, the aftermath would've been dire. For all his Super Saiyan strength, he'd almost been mutilated by a single attack.

He shook that disturbing thought from his head and turned towards the burning mansion. His frown then narrowed, the possibility that there were still people trapped inside flitting through his mind. Growling at the implication, Gohan flared his aura and sped into the enflamed building, cursing his inability to sense ki.

Time seemed to slow as the Super Saiyan searched through the mansion with as much speed as he could muster in his transformed state. His surroundings passed him by in a blur of red, brown and orange, but his highly honed perception and depth of field ensured his vision was clear as glass. Flames licked at his body from every angle, but the golden cloak of pure energy that covered his muscular form shielded him from harm. All the while, his ears remained primed for any sound of struggle. High and low the boy looked, his panic level rising with every second that passed, until he eventually stumbled across a large wardrobe in what looked to be the games room.

Praying to whatever deity was listening that his search wouldn't be in vain, Gohan flung the door open, and let out a sigh of relief when he spotted two young children huddling together beneath a bunch of hanging clothes.

Upon having their hiding place discovered, the children screamed in terror, so Gohan crouched down to their level and gave them his most pleasant smile. "Please, there's no need to scream," he pleaded, trying to keep his tone as soft and gentle as possible. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to help you get out of here."

The children looked at each other, then back at him, allowing Gohan to see that they were a pair of dark-haired twins – a boy and a girl, perhaps about five years of age. His heart went out to them, but he kept that sadness at bay lest he distress the kids even further.

He held out his hands invitingly. "Please grab on. It'll just take me a second to get you guys out of the house." When the children didn't move, his smile faded, and desperation seeped into his tone. "Please… you have to trust me. You don't have to worry about the bad guys anymore; I beat them all up! It's perfectly safe!"

The children's eyes widened at the revelation, but the hesitation was still there. "Wh-who are you?" the girl asked shakily.

"I'm one of the good guys," Gohan responded warmly. "I'm your friend."

"You're too little to be a hero," the boy spoke, his voice trembling. "What's your name?"

A bead of sweat trailed down Gohan's temple at the question. He couldn't give the children his real name lest they rat him out to the authorities, but he couldn't refuse them either. He needed to gain their trust. Sighing, he ran a hand through his golden locks. After some deliberation, he decided to just be honest.

"You're right," he admitted, surprising the kids. "I'm not a hero yet. I'm just a guy who's trying to do the right thing even though it's against the rules. I was in the area when I saw your burning house, but I couldn't just stand by and do nothing." He swallowed thickly. "I don't want to lie to you two, but I can't tell you my name either because I can't risk getting caught. I know it's hard, but you have to trust me... I just want to help."

The twins glanced at each other for a few seconds, before finally reaching out and grabbing a hold of their saviour's offered hands. Gohan's smile returned and he hugged the kids close to his body. "Thank you. I'll take it from here."

With that, he shifted his position so that he was facing a side of the room that wasn't on fire, tightened his grip around the children, and bulldozed through the wall at blinding speed. Unable to withstand the brunt of the Super Saiyan battering ram, the brick splintered as though it were made of deadwood, and the trio found themselves at the rear of the house by the edge of the encompassing forest, safe from the flames.

Gohan wiped the sweat off his brow and smiled at the children once more. "See? I told you guys I would get you out of there!" Much to his surprise, though, they didn't look happy. Instead, they seemed to be on the verge of tears. That was worrying. "What's wrong?"

"M-M-Mummy an-and Daddy are s-still in the house," blubbered the boy.

"Ye-yeah! Save them t-too!" added his sister.

Gohan's heart sank at the request. He'd hoped the kids wouldn't ask this of him. While searching the mansion for survivors, the first place he looked was the bedrooms, one of which contained the grisly scene of a man and woman lying in bed with their throats slit. Whatever the crooks he'd taken out had wanted, it involved killing the parents.

Gohan didn't know how to respond, nor did he have a clue about what to do. He briefly considered lying to the kids so they wouldn't find out the gruesome truth, but immediately cursed himself for even toying with such a though. It was the coward's way out, and neither the children nor their deceased parents deserved that.

With a resigned sigh, he nodded at the twins. "Alright. Wait here."

It took only a few seconds for Gohan to zip back into the burning mansion and find the room with the murdered husband and wife. He wrapped them tightly in a clean blanket so that they were completely covered, and took them outside with haste. After laying the bundle gently on the ground, the children's' eyes widened as they put the pieces together, and the waterworks started.

Gohan said nothing, choosing to let them express their grief as there was nothing else he could do. This went on until a sudden boom was heard from the house, and the fire swelled in size. That was cause for concern.

Moving quickly, Gohan shielded the terrified children from any errant flames with his body and furrowed his brow at the sight. That was definitely cause for concern. The blaze had now spread beyond the boundaries of the mansion and was encroaching towards the surrounding trees, and a potential forest fire was the last thing he needed right now.

Gohan's face remained steely as he realised what he had to do. When he was younger, his father had regaled him with tales of adventures from his childhood. Now, a particular story came to mind – one which detailed the day Son Goku learnt his signature technique, and taught Gohan that the Kamehameha was more than a mere weapon of mass destruction.

"You kids might want to step back for this," he said, his tone strong and confident. "I apologise for what I'm about to do to your house… but I can't let this fire spread and burn down the forest."

The children nodded and allowed Gohan some space. He gave them a small smile in thanks before his expression turned serious. He shifted his feet into a square stance, his right foot pointing to the side while his left foot faced forward. He then lowered his body and cupped his hands at his right hip, joined at the wrists.

"Kaaa meee…" His palms opened ever so slightly to compensate for the small ball of simmering white ki that had had formed.

"Haaa meee…" More ki was summoned from his centre and forced into his cupped hands, where it was moulded into a spherical shape. The miniscule ball of energy ballooned to the size of a basketball, now pulsating with a dazzling amount of burning energy and shooting out rays of light in the dark of the night, much like a miniature sun.

He then thrust his cupped hands at the inflamed building. "HAAAA!"

From the ball of ki shot a cylindrical blue beam of searing hot energy that sped towards the devastating flames at blinding speed, and struck the mansion with the force of a tsunami. Before it could drill a hole through the burning structure, Gohan expertly manoeuvred his hands upwards, and sent the Kamehameha spiralling through the roof of the building and rocketing into space.

Vibrations emanating from the targeted structure ran along the ground, creating the effect of a small earthquake, and the blazing fires in and around the mansion were quelled, giving birth to a billowing pillar of smoke that rose into the atmosphere.

With the danger extinguished, Gohan relaxed his hands and stood up straight. He then glanced at the twins, only to see that they were staring up at him with awestruck expressions, dried tears smudging their cherubic faces. He smiled softly, pleased that he was at least able to take their minds off the tragic fate of their parents, even if only briefly.

Before he could do anything else, the sound of sirens reached his ears, and his eyes narrowed slightly. That was his cue to leave. Before he could take off, though, two small hands clutched at the sleeve of his jacket, making him stop in his tracks. He cast his gaze towards the kids, whose eyes were once again brimming with tears.

Sighing, Gohan gently pried off their hands. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but I can't stay here or else I'll get in trouble," he said dejectedly.

The twins paused momentarily, but eventually nodded and stepped away from the Super Saiyan. "We understand," the boy said, sniffling a bit. "We won't get in your way or tell on you."

"Thank you for helping us," the girl remarked, looking just as forlorn as her brother.

Gohan grinned brightly. "It was my absolute pleasure, guys!"

"I'm Jasper," the boy then stated.

"And I'm Amethyst," his sister added.

"You both have lovely names," Gohan exclaimed with a hint of sadness as his smile wavered. "I'm sorry I can't tell you my own name right now… but maybe one day I won't have to hide who I really am. In any case, I definitely won't forget you two."

The children burst into tears just as the nearby sirens intensified, and faint voices could be heard in the distance. With one final wave at Jasper and Amethyst, Gohan flared his golden aura and sprinted through the forest, not stopping until he reached its outskirts. Upon bursting from the woodland, he deactivated his transformation and let out a weary yawn, his tiredness finally having caught up to him

Deactivating his transformation, Gohan took to the sky and flew home, taking care not to be spotted by anyone. After reaching his apartment, he took a quick shower to clean himself of all the soot and sweat from being around a burning building, and collapsed onto his bed. He was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.


The sound of flesh pounding against wood awoke Gohan from his slumber, making him groan in frustration. He briefly contemplated covering his ears and going back to sleep, but another rattling at the front door told him that wasn't an option. With a sigh, he rolled himself out of bed and rubbed his eyes.

"Alright, alright, I'll be there in a bit! Just please stop knocking!" he called out, grumbling under his breath. He stumbled towards the door, yawning as he did so, and unlocked it. After seeing who his visitor was, he raised an eyebrow. "Dr Shuzenji?"

"Indeed it is!" the elderly doctor greeted jovially. "Good morning, Gohan… or rather, good afternoon!"

Gohan stared blankly at the man, rubbing his eyes one more to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "Huh?"

Doctor Shuzenji chuckled and showed Gohan his watch, revealing that it was just past midday. The demi-Saiyan's eyes widened dramatically.

"Sleeping in so late is a bad habit, son," the elder chided gently. "If you keep this up, the next thing you know, you'll have slept half your life away."

Gohan frowned and scratched the back of his head, now wide awake. "Sorry, I had trouble sleeping last night. I don't know when I eventually managed to fall asleep."

None of that was a lie. By the time he returned from his… trip, he was so exhausted he didn't even care to register what the time was. That aside, waking up so late was a completely foreign concept to him, as he'd always been conditioned to have a relatively normal sleep schedule. His mother would've blown a gasket if she found out what he'd done.

Doctor Shuzenji smiled sympathetically at Gohan's explanation and patted the boy on the shoulder. "I apologise for my hasty assumptions," he said sadly. "I know it must be hard trying to adjust to your new living conditions, especially after everything you've been through."

Gohan shook his head and forced a shaky smile to his face. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, would you like to come inside?"

"If you insist," Doctor Shuzenji replied kindly, stepping foot inside the apartment once Gohan moved out of the way. "The reason for my visit is that you've just been enrolled in a nearby elementary school. I offered to show you the way there, as well as help you get your school supplies sorted."

"Oh," Gohan mouthed, a bit taken aback by the news. "That was quick."

"Yeah, the guys in charge of this program are adamant about getting kids in school as early as possible," Doctor Shuzenji explained, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry to spring it on you so soon."

"It's okay, I don't mind," Gohan admitted truthfully. He had always enjoyed learning, and after being homeschooled his entire life, was genuinely curious about what going to a regular school was like. Perhaps he'd also be able to make some friends to stave off the crippling loneliness he felt.

Before he could say something else, his stomach rumbled ferociously, reminding him of the fact that he hadn't had breakfast yet. He scratched the back of his head, a crimson tint on his cheeks, and averted his eyes from the grinning doctor. "Sorry about that."

Doctor Shuzenji barked out a boisterous laugh. "Gohan my boy, if your enthusiasm for learning is anything like your appetite, I think you're going to do just fine!"


"No matter how many times I see it, I still can't wrap my head around just how much you can eat," Doctor Shuzenji remarked as he and Gohan walked down the street, shortly after the latter's late breakfast.

"Yeah…" Gohan mumbled in slight embarrassment. He had always chalked up his voracious appetite to being a 'Saiyan thing', and as a result none of his friends and family thought much of it. But here, in this strange world where Saiyans didn't exist as far as he was aware, it wasn't surprising that people would make a big deal out of it, much to his annoyance.

The two walked in pleasant silence for the most part, breaking it only to make small talk, until Gohan spotted a crowd of people huddling before a large monitor, much like with Visionary's eulogy. He looked towards his companion with a worried frown. "Umm, Dr Shuzenji… did someone else die?"

"Oh, heavens no!" the doctor replied, startled by the question. "We actually have good news for a change! Come, let me show you!"

His curiosity piqued, Gohan followed Doctor Shuzenji into the crowd. Soon enough, a woman with red skin and pointy ears appeared on the screen, sitting behind a desk that showed her to be a news anchor.

"We are delighted to announce that early this morning, law enforcement apprehended the notorious Gator Gang, which has been at large for almost a decade," she spoke in a businesslike tone.

Five familiar faces then flashed across the screen, making Gohan's jaw drop. 'No way… those guys were that big of a deal?'

Indeed, the five criminals whose names were being displayed on the giant monitor were the very same arsonists who he'd beaten up just mere hours ago. A surge of pride coursed through him at the information, reaffirming his belief that he'd done the right thing in getting involved.

"The villains were found unconscious at the scene of a burned mansion belonging to a wealthy family," the news anchor continued, drawing Gohan's attention once again. "Three of the members had sustained minor injuries; their boss had a moderate injury; and Daz Bones, the chief henchman, was in critical condition. Upon medical examination, he was revealed to have severe internal bleeding and is currently in a coma. Doctors are unsure if he's going to recover."

Gohan's mood suddenly dropped and guilt welled up inside him. He never liked hurting people, and even though these criminals were horrible human beings who deserved to be punished, he had no right to dish out their punishment. After all, it wasn't like these guys were galactic level threats like Cell or Freeza; they were just small-time crooks in comparison.

"Unfortunately, the two custodians of the destroyed residence were found dead, but their two children are thankfully safe," the news anchor added, earning a slight cheer from the observing public. "It's not yet known who took down the Gator Gang and saved the children, but police and pro heroes arriving on the scene revealed they saw a giant blue beam of some sort shoot into the sky, followed by a golden flash of light leaving the area at tremendous speed."

Gohan's heart skipped a beat at that, then began racing at how close he came to being caught. He just had to hope that his Super Saiyan form was an adequate enough disguise to keep his identity a secret.

"However, the children refused to reveal anything about the person who saved them, and the Gator Gang have yet to give their testimonies," the news anchor said, making the demi-Saiyan breathe a sigh of relief. "The police would like to extend their thanks to this mystery person, but they implore whoever it is to come forth and reveal themselves."

Gohan stepped away from the crowd just as the news anchor started speaking about the Gator Gang's past crimes and their rise to infamy. He wiped some sweat off his brow, then jumped when a hand clasped his shoulder.

"Gohan? Is everything alright? You looked a bit out of it."

The alarmed demi-Saiyan recovered quickly and turned his attention to Doctor Shuzenji, who was responsible for startling him in the first place. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… crazy news, huh?"

"Indeed it is!" the doctor replied with a small chuckle. "I suppose we should count ourselves fortunate that someone was in the right place at the right time. I just hope this mysterious golden person doesn't go making a habit of breaking the law."

That comment made Gohan frown. He understood the need to regulate a power as potentially dangerous as Quirks, but the way the law was now left little wiggle room for perilous situations. Heck, if he'd blindly followed the established rules, Jasper and Amethyst would've been burned alive, and the Gator Gang would've gotten away to hurt even more people.

"Speaking of which, I must say, our mysterious saviour has a truly fascinating Quirk," Doctor Shuzenji stated, breaking Gohan from his train of thought. "A giant blue beam that can be shot into the sky? I wonder if it's anything like your energy manipulation."

Gohan froze at the casual observation, and his eyes widened. However, after a deep exhalation he was able to get his spiralling emotions under control, and chuckled uneasily at the doctor while scratching the back of his head. "Huh, how about that? I guess we'll never know unless this person reveals themselves…"

Doctor Shuzenji gave him an odd look that seemed to linger for a moment too long, before breaking eye contact and smiling. "True, true. Still, I imagine this new power, as well as the ability to generate a golden light, will be a hot topic of discussion for a long time to come."

Gohan gulped and adjusted the collar of his button-up shirt. He'd wasn't exactly keen on being the centre of the media's attention, but thinking back on it, it was naïve of him to assume otherwise. After all, it was only natural that an unlicensed hero who burst onto the scene out of nowhere and took down an infamous gang of criminals would be the subject of a good deal of speculation.

The two continued on their journey to the school, with the younger of the pair deep in thought about his predicament. As they walked, Gohan could sense a buzz in the atmosphere, and the bits and pieces of various conversations he'd overheard made his heart race.

"Just what this world needs," was a comment from one woman.

"A breath of fresh air," said another.

"A good way to shake up the monotony of life," added a well-spoken man.

"Maybe this'll be the kick up the ass the rest of the pro heroes sorely need."

"I wonder if All Might finally got himself a rival?"

"I can't wait to find out more!"

"Do you think the golden hero will show up again, dear?"

"Laser beams are cool!"

The adulation kept pouring in, much to Gohan's astonishment; people seemed genuinely excited about the prospect of a new hero on the block. Try as he might, he couldn't stop his lip from quirking ever so slightly at the praise. Even though he hated being the centre of attention, it felt great to have people appreciate his good deeds instead of reprimanding him for violating the law.

He passed by a tall gentleman walking around with a newspaper in hand, and caught a glimpse of the cover page which read: 'New Vigilante Appears! Just who is the Golden Blur?'

He blanched at the name. 'The Golden Blur? That's what they're calling me? Sounds a bit unoriginal,' he mused inwardly, before his attention turned to the other part of the heading. 'Vigilante, huh?'

It wasn't a title he was particularly fond of, as he honestly meant no disrespect to the police and pro heroes who made it their job to help people. But if that was the route he had to go to be able to put his powers to good use, he would accept it. While his mother wouldn't necessarily approve, he was positive Piccolo and his father would give him their blessing. They would want him to make the best of a bad situation and use his gifts to help those in need.

The thought made him smile fondly, but it also steeled his resolve. If Crocodile's ability to absorb moisture from bodies was anything to by, this world was incredibly dangerous, and the villains running rampant in it weren't to be taken lightly. If he truly wanted to find a way back home while being a hero that people looked up to, he couldn't allow himself to be caught off guard like that again.

"Well, here we are!"

At the sound of Doctor Shuzenji's voice, Gohan fixed his gaze on the building before him, and couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the sight. Whatever he was expecting from a public school, it certainly wasn't something so… dreary looking.

The school he would be attending was a flat, multiple-storey structure in the shape of a giant rectangle. Windows dotted the sides of the grey-coloured building in an orderly fashion, making it look like some dystopian establishment that would surely have a negative impact on student morale. At the foot of the school were a few basketball courts and a football field, but the brutalist architecture of the building that loomed above it didn't inspire much confidence.

Gohan turned to Doctor Shuzenji with a shaky smile. "It's… something."

"Yeah, it's not the prettiest thing out there, but it does its job well enough," the doctor responded, albeit with some uncertainty in his voice.

Gohan gave the man a blank stare, but quickly relaxed his gaze and let out a sigh. Despite not feeling all too enthusiastic right now, it wouldn't be right of him to complain. He had already been given a home on top of being allowed to receive free education, and it was honestly more than he expected. His mother had always taught him to be respectful and gracious if the situation called for it.

With that in mind, he gave the doctor a genuine, heartfelt smile. "I'm sure it does. I look forward to starting."

Doctor Shuzenji beamed at the demi-Saiyan, and with a hand on his shoulder, led him towards the sliding double doors at the front of the building. After stepping inside, they found themselves in a long, rather wide corridor with a puke-coloured floor and drab yellow walls. Rows of rusty lockers lined the walls, separated by doors to various classrooms, as well as the occasional staircase.

Gohan followed his guide down the hall and up a set of stairs, eventually reaching a room that the door revealed was the principal's office.

"Are you ready?" Doctor Shuzenji asked, one hand on the knob.

Pushing down the slight amount of nervousness he was feeling, Gohan nodded in affirmation. Giving the boy a small smile, the doctor opened the door and stepped inside.

Following suit, the first thing Gohan saw was a bald, overweight man in a suit sitting behind a messy desk covered by papers, folders and a computer. Across from the desk were four chairs, one of which was occupied by a burly boy with large lips and spiky brown hair, who was clad in a simple grey uniform.

At the sound of the door opening, the two occupants of the room cast their attention to Gohan and the doctor, and the overweight man grinned. "Ahh, Dr Shuzenji! It's good to see you again, my friend!" he exclaimed, standing up and bowing. He then turned to Gohan and his grin widened. "And you must be our newest student, Son Gohan! Welcome! I am Tsuda Ken, the principal of this fine establishment!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Gohan replied, bowing to the man.

Principal Tsuda's grin widened. "A child with manners? How refreshing!"

Gohan found that comment slightly ominous, but still found it in himself to smile. The principal's enthusiasm was rather infectious; it didn't surprise him that the man was friends with Doctor Shuzenji, who was quite boisterous himself.

Principal Tsuda motioned towards the other boy in the room. "This is Sato Rikido, one of your soon-to-be classmates. He's going to show you around the school while Doctor Shuzenji and I finalise your transfer."

"O-oh. Thank you for that," Gohan stammered, somewhat taken aback. He didn't expect the school to be so accommodating to him.

Sato merely nodded and stood up, beckoning Gohan to follow him out of the room. With one final bow to Doctor Shuzenji and Principal Tsuda, the Son boy did just that.

"So, your name is Son Gohan, huh?" Sato asked as he led the demi-Saiyan down the hallway.

"Y-yeah," Gohan responded, still unsure what to make of the other boy.

"Interesting name," Sato remarked.

The pair walked in silence for a few moments, until Gohan decided to break it. "Thank you for showing me around. Sorry for inconveniencing you with this."

A grin spread across Sato's lips. "No problem. Thanks for giving me a reason to get out of class."

Gohan chuckled lightly at that, and found himself getting a bit more comfortable. "So… ahh… interesting school you've got here," he commented.

Sato scoffed mirthfully. "Interesting, huh? I guess I never thought too much about that. I'm just waiting until I can get out of this dump and go to U.A."

"U.A.?" Gohan repeated.

"Yeah, U.A. You know – the best hero high school in the country?"

Gohan's eyes widened. "Oh, that's neat! So you want to be a pro hero too?"

"Damn straight!" Sato boasted, flexing his arm and patting his bicep. "It's been my dream ever since I was a little kid." He then looked Gohan up and down and raised a brow. "You look pretty strong yourself, Son. What's your Quirk?"

Gohan blushed lightly at the praise and scratched the back of his head. "I can manipulate the energy inside my body to do things like increase my strength, shoot energy beams and fly."

Sato whistled, impressed. "Damn, that's a nice set of powers. I can definitely see why you'd want to be a hero. My Quirk allows me to increase my strength by consuming sugar; the more I eat, the stronger I become! It's one of the reasons I like baking so much."

Against his will, Gohan's stomach rumbled thunderously, reverberating through the school corridor like an earthquake. His cheeks turned a fierce shade of crimson and he looked away in embarrassment. "S-sorry about that. I didn't get to eat much for breakfast. My Q-Quirk uses up a lot of en-energy, so I have to consume a large amount of food," he mumbled.

Having grown tired and self-conscious of people making a huge fuss over his appetite, Gohan had decided to come up with this reasoning to explain it. He didn't know exactly how Saiyan biology worked – and he sure as hell didn't want to ask Vegeta about it – but it seemed like the most legitimate explanation, so he went with it.

Sato simply chuckled at the scene. "Man, that was impressive! Your stomach puts mine to shame!" Upon seeing Gohan's abashed expression, he grinned toothily. "Seriously though, if you're ever craving sugar, just let me know and I'll bake up a cake or two. It'll be good practice."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Gohan admitted sincerely, the flush draining from face. As though agreeing with him, the boy's stomach let out another rumbling roar, and his blush returned full force.

Sato laughed uproariously and clapped Gohan on the shoulder. "Son… I think you and I are going to get along just fine."


AN: This took a lot longer to come out than I originally envisioned, but I got side-tracked by the World Cup starting, as well as the new World Cup mode in FIFA 18. Work was also being a pain in the ass, and often left me too tired to write. Next chapter will be a timeskip up until the point where Gohan starts going to UA, so hopefully things should pick up by then, as I'm a lot more excited to write that part of the story than all this worldbuilding.

I contemplated turning the dream Gohan had into something of a parody of the steamed hams scene from The Simpsons, like I've seen another writer do (look up 12AngryMen's fic, Steamed Hams, but it's a My Hero Academia Fanfic – it's hilarious), but ultimately decided against it, as I felt it wouldn't match the tone I was going for. I wanted to make the dream seem realistic enough to sound like it could actually be happening, yet subtly suggest that something strange was up given how weird Goku, Ch-Chi and Piccolo were acting.

I also used Baroque Works from One Piece as villains to introduce Gohan to the darker aspects of this world, as I felt their powers could easily pass as Quirks in the MHA world, and I really like them as characters. I highly doubt they'll show up again, though, as they've already served their purpose.

I took inspiration for the Golden Blur name from Smallville, which is a show I enjoyed when I was younger. I felt it was rather fitting, as Gohan moves so fast in his transformed state that the only thing onlookers can pick up on is the golden streak left behind by his Super Saiyan aura.

Anyway, to finish off this author's note, I'd like to thank everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed this story from the bottom of my heart. The sheer amount of feedback I've received was far beyond anything I expected, and I can't thank you guys enough. Knowing that there are people reading and enjoying my work is one of my biggest motivational factors. I'd especially like to thank the anonymous reviewer who suggested I try to pass off Gohan's large appetite as a side effect of his Quirk.

As always, I'd love to keep hearing from you guys, so if you have the time, please consider leaving a review.