The conveniences of a rapidly changing world were not to be underappreciated. These were the thoughts of a young Son Goten as he dashed through the sky at full speed. Sporting his father's iconic hairstyle, Goten had matured considerably since the debacle with Majin Bū. He was as tall as his father had been during his battle against Piccolo Junior — Goten's stern teacher, who he merely knew as Piccolo — though he possessed a more muscular build, he was still leaner than his father had been when the man had left for the afterlife. He wore a navy-blue shirt with a collar, button up to only the second button, similarly coloured jeans, and red trainers tied tightly. After all, today wasn't one of his strictly regimented training days; no, the young man had just finished applying for a university, as even at the age of 17, such things couldn't be overlooked.
It was only when he took in the appearance of the Western Capital — now more commonly called Metro West — that he'd begun to think about just how the world had changed in ten years. The skyline was an immensely impressive sight. The Western Capital, which had certainly been the most developed city in the world before Bulma had taken it upon herself to lead a one-woman reformation of the entire global culture, was now the literal capital of the world; referring to it as the Western Capital or Metro West were now artefacts of the past. Taking in the city completely, Goten saw a sight that had long become familiar to him: a city of utterly blinding majesty. The city was almost entirely skyscrapers now. Metallic behemoths that rose into the sky, making quite the impression on anyone who bore witness to the city from this angle. Some were more taller than others — the Capsule Corporation was now the Capsule Tower, and it dominated the entire skyline; a blinding spire with the Capsule Corporation's logo emblazoned at the top.
The roads had almost all been converted into highways of a sort; sleek and metallic in their design, they were catering to traffic in the form of a new form of hovercraft; but this was only for those who could not fly themselves, which, in a world where martial arts was now commonplace, was becoming fewer and fewer. The new hovercraft was a byproduct of another invention of Bulma's — which Capsule Corporation had dubbed the Material Wave, shortened to the MatterWave™ — electromagnetic, or EM, waves, that coalesced to form tangible objects. These waves became immensely popular, and were used to create all sorts of devices from vehicles to interactive assistants.
They hadn't entirely replaced Hoi-Poi Capsules, which were still used to store regular matter within their confines; in fact, Goten had a set of Capsules on him, not that he ever bothered with vehicles when there wasn't a need to cover up his supernatural abilities now. Crossing over the Metro West, Goten saw the additional set of traffic; air traffic of Earthlings who could freely use the Air Dance Technique. Some were indeed martial artists; Goten could tell by the way they carried themselves. But some, however, were Earthlings who had decided to simply incorporate ki into their daily lifestyles.
It's very weird to see accountants flying to work rather than down there in a MatterWave hovercraft, thought Goten. Though I suppose it just means you succeeded in the end, right Gohan? He began to descend, lowering himself towards the ground, in front of the Capsule Corporation's entrance. Landing neatly, Goten noticed several large shadows overhead; inclining his head upward, he saw large craft high in the air. This would have bothered most people, but Earth had grown accustomed to it; these were interplanetary trade craft coming from some distant planet. He could only assume that they passed the stringent regulations of the Galactic Patrol and Earth's own personal customs officials if they were actually flying in Earth airspace.
Goten sighed; it was kind of amusing to imagine Jaco struggling with this. He was quite the character, and had tried to rope Trunks and himself into the Galactic Patrol only two years ago. It wasn't a memory he was fond of. The Galactic Patrol Uniform left a bit to be desired, and Jaco had a similar taste in poses to Gohan. Passing through the automatic doors of Capsule Tower. He was greeted by a humanoid looking woman with white hair, but she was glowing, which made it clear she wasn't human.
"Oh, a MatterWave assistant!" Goten gasped aloud. The assistant spoke well, though there was an echoing portion of its voice that gave away its inhuman quality.
"Are you Son Goten?"She inquired, holding up a holographic clipboard.
"Um...yeah," replied the youngest son of Goku.
"The President has been expecting you; please, come this way!"
Goten followed the MatterWave assistant through the crowded lobby of the Capsule Tower, towards the lift. At her prompting, he stepped in first, and she followed suit. With the press of a button towards the uppermost floor, they were whizzing to the top at incredible speed. Goten barely had time to yawn when the lift had come to a fll and complete stop.
"You may now exit," instructed the MatterWave Assistant.
Goten stepped out of the lift, finding himself inside a spacious office that he still wasn't familiar with. It had a domed ceiling, with glass windows that let in brilliant light. The desk, which appeared to be wooden, was in fact a MatterWave construct; the faint glow gave it away. The same applied to the chair that was behind the desk and at the fore. The office was bare, though the occupant was still adjusting to having it. As Goten walked over to the desk and took a seat in the MatterWave chair, the larger chair spun around, and he was greeted with the face of his best friend.
Trunks, the son of Bulma and Vegeta, was dressed smartly in a business suit; it was black in colour, the white collared shirt tied to the first button, with a black necktie resting tied around is neck. His hair was longer than it had been years ago, easily framing his face, and tied back in a ponytail. Numerous times had his mother insisted on giving him a haircut, as such long hair wasn't befitting of the president of a company, but Trunks liked it this way. Straightening the glasses he wore, Trunks grinned at his best friend.
"Goten! How'd applications turn out?"
"Not as easy as you'd think," replied the half-Saiyan, grinning back. He gestured to his outfit. "I'm not used to dressing to impress, and you think that in this day and age, we'd do an application digitally, and send it through the PSA." Goten rather helpfully pulled a sleek, mechanic device from his pocket. Like other devices in this modern age, the PSA — Personal System Assistant — drew power from an Infinite Energy Generator — and he casually twirled this cutting edge piece of technology around his index finger. "How hard is it to fill out an application from a MatterWave holo screen and forward it to a University? But apparently, first impressions are important, so they insist on meeting with the hopefuls!"
"It doesn't hurt to take a break from all that training," replied Trunks, unable to contain his broadening grin as his friend groaned on and on. "I can't help but find it too funny that you can handle Piccolo throwing you through a mountain, but applying for University is too much?"
"Even when I'm not training, I feel like I should be," said Goten, realising just how much he was becoming like his father. His mother never stopped mentioning it either, and he knew it wasn't a compliment. "I feel more comfortable when I'm wearing my gi than in something this constrictive. And those are two different scenarios entirely!"
"Yeah yeah," was the casual reply. At that moment, the PSA that Trunks owned went off with an alert. Pulling it from his breast pocket, the Capsule Corporation president activated the device, and a MatterWave screen materialised, displaying what Goten recognized as schematics. He didn't know what they were for, but it was obvious that Trunks understood them; with the touch of a finger, he enlarged the holomonitor, made adjustments across the board, and forwarded back to the department from which the notice had come from in the first place. "Sorry about that; business."
"What was that?"
"The blueprints for a space elevator," replied Trunks. "It's been an idea Mother was tossing around for awhile, and when she abdicated and let me take over, I never did let the idea die. The Capsule Corporation Space Center that orbits the Earth? This elevator would connect the world to it. The plan is to build it in the centre of the Western Capital, and it will be the first building made entirely out MatterWaves. An activation key on both sides, Earth, and the Station, could generate the elevator freely for travel between the station and Earth — providing authorization, of course."
"Now that is pretty cool," Goten said with an impressed exhale. "So, how is Bulma doing? It hasn't been that long since she appointed you the President, so is she enjoying retirement?"
"I don't know," Trunks leaned forward, folding his hands. "To be honest, Mother's been holed up in the laboratory ever since she appointed me at the president. I honestly think she's just using me as an excuse to dedicate even more of her time to research. I just wish I knew what it was."
"Speaking of overworking, I hope you're not working yourself into the ground," the tone was accusatory, though Goten smiled. "I can't exactly train with someone who is too bugged down running a company to throw a punch."
"I never thought you've grow into a muscle-head," replied Trunks. "Don't worry, I haven't been away from training for that long, it's just taking some time to work out my schedule. Besides, I'm not devoid of a personal life."
"Oh? Have a date today? With her?"
"W-What's it to you if I do?!"
"Nothing, just never expected it to actually work," grinned Goten. "How did you bribe her? Or did you just seem that desperate? I know she's not interested in you for the money—"
"W-Who said anything about bribing or desperation?!" Trunks stammered, thoroughly indignant. "I'll have you know I can ask a girl out without it turning into an utter disaster!"
"You've asked out one."
"And it worked, didn't it?"
"I'm still wondering how." With a broad smile that looked so much like Goku's, Goten leaned back and relented. "Nah, I hope it all works out man." Standing up, he flexed slightly, still trying to adjust to his shirt. "I won't keep you; Mom certainly would want to know how my application went and all."
"Leaving already?" Trunks looked surprised. It had been a pretty short visit for coming so far. "Don't want to stay longer?"
"Mom will get pretty bent out of shape if she doesn't find out how it went," replied Goten. "And she doesn't have a PSA, so I actually have to go tell her in person. And then after that, it's back to training. Should I tell Piccolo you're unavailable?"
"Please," Trunks smiled. "See you later then, Goten."
Goten headed back towards the elevator, and, with the MatterWave assistant, found himself rushing back down towards the first floor. Trunks leaned back in his chair, his gaze on the elevator, before turning around to look out the glass windows. What he saw beneath him was a glistening city; the product of his mother's hard work. And now, as President, he carry on her position and push Earth forward as she did. But at the same time, he was still a Saiyan, and one of the strongest fighters on Earth.
But we've had peace for ten years, he thought. Is it okay to finally relax? Is it okay to just stop fighting? He recognized the irony of his decision in a world where more and more people were adapting to ki. Gohan's book had revolutionised how people viewed ki, and even martial arts. Tenshinhan, Yamcha, and Erasa's schools were the three biggest martial arts schools on Earth, and students vied for their teachings. But there were smaller schools cropping up as well — genuine schools of martial arts, and those who wanted in on it to make a quick buck — but the idea of fighting and ki was permeating the culture.
In a way, it was very Saiyan. And he knew his father wouldn't want him to quit training, simply to sit idly by while other people fought and became stronger. Gohan wouldn't do it, Trunks thought of the man who had become a scholar. The strongest man on the planet by far, who still trained while working a proper job. It seemed inconceivable, but when your wife ran a dōjō, not entirely impossible.
His PSA flashed an alert. "Oh! She's messaging me?" Trunks released the MatterWave holoscreen, and read the message with an utter smile on his face. He drew up a reply, and sent it to the recipient. As he set the PSA down, he knew he couldn't entirely quit training. But just for now, he'd enjoy this peace.
Northern Capital, Doqu University
"—and that is one of several ways that ki can be applied to every day living, and not just the use of martial arts," Gohan walked across a podium, speaking loudly to the lecture hall. He was wearing a maroon cardigan, khakis, and black dress shoes. Like Trunks, he was bespectacled, and the glasses were more for reading than needing them to improve eyesight. Behind him, a MatterWave holoboard displayed a diagram that showcased ki, its various components, and how it could be utilised not only for martial arts, but for every day practicality.
The audience applauded, some more vigorously than others; aspiring students of Ontopneumalogy, who had been paying rapt attention, had now proceeded to fire questions rapid fire towards Gohan, who answered to the best of his ability. He'd found a new sort of confidence as a lecture professor, and spoke with a resolution that seemed to attract the students to his words.
As the lecture reached its conclusion, and the students began to file out, Gohan dematerialised the MatterWave holoboard, the lecture notes filing away into the PSA. Before he could even move from the podium, a young woman floated onto it, looking slightly bashful. She was had cropped blonde hair, and dark black eyes. With a bright smile, she said, "Professor?"
Gohan looked over towards the girl. Her presence didn't surprise him; it wasn't hard to isolate a solo ki signature moving in the opposite direction of a larger group. "It's...Charlotte, right?" Gohan, as a professor, did his best to remember the names of those who attended his lectures. "Do you need help with something?"
Her voice was light as air when she spoke, but it was quite clear the girl was nervous. "N-No," she said. "It's just...I really wanted to say I enjoy your lectures." She made a gentle motion with her hands, and there was a glow that followed — a simple display of ki that even those with basic knowledge could do. "The entire concept of ki...it's really fascinating, and you explain it in away anyone can understand..."
"O-Oh, really?" Now it was Gohan's turn to be embarrassed. He had exited lecture mode, and wasn't used to these sorts of compliments from what amounted to a stranger. "Thank you, though I'm just doing my best..."
Charlotte fished into her backpack, and pulled out Groundbreaking Science. "Um...I know it's a reference book, but it is my personal copy; w-would you mind signing it?"
Gohan took the book gingerly, and fished for a pen — an admittedly scarce object nowadays — and inscribed his signature, with his regards for Charlotte, within the cover, before handing it back. Charlotte flushed slightly when she took the book back, placed it into her bag; with a hurried thanks, she stumbled away, and tripped over her own two feet. Tumbling off the stage, she complete forgot to brace herself.
It was a quick blur. Gohan had vanished from his spot on the stage, and practically materialised next to Charlotte, cautiously catching the girl at the edge of platform. She looked winded, but for Gohan, such an action was pure ease.
"U-Um...thank you!" Charlotte gasped, righting herself. "Was that...also ki?"
"A by-product," Gohan replied, smiling. "Watch yourself, alright?" He stepped down from the platform, leaving a flushed Charlotte behind. With his lectures over for the day, the half-Saiyan was finally getting some downtime. Checking the MatterWave holomonitor on his PSA, he saw that, judging by the time, Pen would be in Satan City right now. With a sharp left turn, the man rushed off towards the city.
He'd arrived in minutes, landing onto the pristine sidewalk of Satan City. Much like the Metro West, Satan City had been enhanced drastically within the last ten years, due to new technologies adopted from the Galatic Patrol as well as pushed out by Capsule Corporation. The buildings shone with a lustre that was blinding, being constructed from metal the same way the other buildings now were. As the sidewalk moved him along — moving sidewalks being a more recent addition — he noticed one of the few constructs that wasn't up to date was, in fact, the shrine to Shénlóng. It was still constructed out of the same materials it had been, and it looked like new.
But of course it would.
Erasa takes pretty good care of that, Gohan noted as he passed sidewalk proceeded onward, and the half-Saiyan stepped off near an apartment complex. Stepping into the lobby, he walked towards an elevator. With the prompting of a MatterWave assistant, the elevator took him toward the 21st floor. Stepping out, he entered a hallway — the interiors of the buildings themselves were as homey as they'd ever been, unlike their sleek and metal exteriors — and gently rapped on the door.
"It's open!" the voice of an older man called out.
Gently, Gohan turned the knob, pushing the door forward...and was promptly attacked by a figure far shorter than him. Feeling the weight on his midsection, Gohan was pushed out of the doorway. Landing flat on the floor, he looked down to see a young girl with blue eyes and cropped blonde hair — so similar to his father's in style, but not exact — sitting on his stomach with a cheerful smile.
"Hi, Papa!" The child grinned toothily.
Gohan laughed, easing his daughter off of his stomach and pulling himself to his feet. "Pen! You haven't been causing Grandpa too much trouble, have you?"
"No, she's practically the life of the party," came Marque's voice. The man walked into the doorway between his son-in-law and his granddaughter. He was dressed in faded jeans, a white shirt, and his blonde hair was beginning to gray, but Marque seemed cheerful otherwise. He placed a hand on Pen's head, and smiled, his moustache twitching. "I love it when she visits — Pen could never cause me trouble."
"Grandpa and I played games, and looked at picture books, and I showed him what Mama is training me for," crowed Pen excitedly.
"Did you now?" Gohan chuckled, glancing at Marque. "Well, come on; Mama's waiting at home."
"Awww, we're leaving?"
"Yes," replied Gohan. "We can visit Grandpa again soon."
Despite feeling a little put-out, Pen turned to her grandfather, who knelt down to give the girl a hug. When Pen hugged back, however, she lifted the man from the ground slightly, to the amusement of everyone in the room.
"Bye Grandpa!" said Pen as she and her father walked towards the elevator. "We'll visit again soon!"
Marque waved, smiling before the elevator doors closed and he walked back into his apartment. It was remarkable how fast time flew; he could still remember when Erasa was a little girl, and now, here she was, with a little girl of her own. Time had a way of leaving the elderly in the dust.
As the Earthlings moved on with their lives naturally, the memories of Majin Bū forgotten, heroes buried and the world changed, in the far reaches of the Universe, someone was beginning to stir again.
The Hakaishin, Beerus.
A/N: And another chapter out! Ten years! It's been longer for the characters than it has been for me! But here we are! The Majin Bū debacle is resolved, and it's time for Beerus! I had a lot of fun in this chapter; MatterWaves aren't a construct of mine though. I was a fan of MegaMan Starforce back when it came out, so I decided to reference one of my favorite bits of tech! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always, let's thank Demod20 for proofreading this chapter! See you all in the next installment!