Bardock was on edge. This old man seemed harmless on the outside, but Bardock's instincts were on high alert. And Bardock always listened to his instincts. Honed from countless conquests of various planets, the signals his body gave him were the most reliable warning system he had. He ignored the old man's question, and kept his stance up. Keeping himself firmly between his family and the potential threat.

"Please, lower your ki! I assure you, I am no enemy." The old man slid his hands out of his sleeves and held them up in a placating manner.

"Ki?" Bardock had never heard of such a term.

"The energy you are emitting! Do you not know what you are using?" The confusion of the man's tone seemed legit. Still, Bardock didn't quite understand what he was talking about. He looked down at his right fist, white energy flaring around it. Was that energy this 'ki?' Bardock glared at the man, but extinguished the power.

"Thank you sir. I am sorry I assumed your knowledge, it is just that I didn't think any human wouldn't know what ki is. Especially someone as proficient with it as yourself. I thought I knew every master of ki that is alive right now." Bardock could hear the gears turning in the old man's head. Those sharp eyes darted from Bardock, to behind him, to the craters to the side and back to Bardock.

"I have to ask again: who are you?"

"...I'm Bardock."

"Is that your first name or your surname?"

"Huh? It's Bardock. Never had anything else." Saiyans only had one name. It was given to them at birth. What was this old man talking about?

"You are not from around here are you?" The old man said it like a question, but it was more of a declaration. As if he already knew who Bardock was, but just had to hear it from the man himself.

"That depends. Where is this exactly?"

"This is the forest of Mount Paozu, on the border of Musutafu." Bardock opened his mouth to continue this little song and dance, but a cry broke the conversation,

Bardock and Gohan turned to see Kakarot crying in his mother's arms. Hungry no doubt. Saiyans needed tons of calories to sustain themselves, and several days trapped in pods would test even adult Saiyans. Bardock could feel the dreaded cold claws of hunger himself, but he was trained to ignore it. Gine was faring decently, but a closer look at Raditz showed Bardock that his son was barely holding it together. Kakarot was already crying.

"Is that your child?" Bardock turned his attention back to the old man.

"Yes. What of it?" Bardock could barely hold back his hostility.

"If you and your family are in need of food and shelter, I can offer it to you. I live alone, in a humble home of my own creation, but I am willing to share what I have with you." Gohan seemed honest. But this was too good a deal to be true.

"What's the catch? What do you want in return?" Bardock realized from an early age that no good deed came without the expectation of something in return.

"I would like to hear your story." Gohan smiled at Bardock.

"What else?" Bardock refused to believe that was it.

"Sir, I am not heartless. Your baby is crying, and your eldest looks almost dead on his feet. I know I may seem suspicious, but all I can do is assure you that I have no other motive. What else can I do to prove my inventions?" Gohan sounded like he was pleading with Bardock to allow this help.

Bardock clenched his jaw. His instincts screamed to eliminate this potential threat immediately, but the cries from Kakarot were getting harder to ignore. What convinced Bardock was looking over his family members. Raditz was looking at the ground, holding his left arm with his right hand. Was his face always so pale and thin? Kakarot was crying into Gine's chest. Kakarot was already considered weak for a Saiyan child, how long would he last without food? Gine looked up and met her husband's eyes. While she kept a strong front, the reality of the situation must be overwhelming her. There was desperation surfacing.

For the first time ever on a foreign planet, Bardock choked down his instincts. He had to make sure his family was secure. He turned to Gohan. "Very well. As soon as I retrieve our method of transportation, we will follow you."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about anything you leave this far into the forest." Gohan's smile returned. "I'm the only one who lives in this forest. There won't be anyone coming around anytime soon."

"Why is that?" Bardock started walking, and his family followed. Gohan took this as a sign of agreement and began to lead the way to his hut. Bardock moved up to walk beside the old man, so that he would be close enough to intercept him if he made a move.

"Well, this forest is a wilderness reserve. To slow down Earth's deforestation due to human modernization and expansion, many large areas of wilderness were designated to be protected by regional governments. Mount Paozu and its surrounding forest were chosen because it is the last place dinosaur-like creatures roam." Gohan explained.

"Is it safe here?" Gine called out from behind.

"Not to worry, the beasts are much less of a threat than their size would make them appear. I've lived here for over 2 decades, and have not once felt threatened by them. If anything, we are the greater threat. I am able to take on one in a fight, even at my age. With your strength, I'm sure they will be a non-threat."

"How can you gauge my strength?" Bardock raised an eyebrow. The only measure of strength he knew of were power levels, which were measured through Frieza Force scouters. Obviously this planet did not have those. So what method did this Gohan use?

"Hmm. Tell you what. Once you tell me your story, I'll tell you anything you want to know. If I know the answer, that is." Gohan turned right to go up a hill. "This type of talk can wait until we are comfortable. How hungry are you? Once we arrive, I can begin food preparations right away."

Gohan was not prepared for what awaited him.

Son Gohan's Residence-

"Kami help me..." Gohan whispered, his hands shaking with shock as he packed more rice into one of his bowls. The moment he so much as extended his arm a fraction of an inch, the bowl was snatched from his hands, it's contents devoured, and the bowl placed back in his hands, licked clean.

Gohan had seen large eaters before. At the Tenkaichi Budōkai he had seen fighters with massively built bodies that had crazy calorie needs, and those with animal-quirks that had high metabolisms. However, even those fighters paled in comparison to this strange family of four. Salt, spices and other means of flavoring had long been put aside as all Gohan could do was put bowls of carbohydrates in front of them in hopes that it would fill their bellies. The fish he had caught earlier that day had been stripped down to the bone, as a perfect skeleton could be found cast aside. The game he had stored from a week ago met a similar fate. His store of vegetables and fruits had long been exhausted. All he had left was rice and various noodles in simple broth. Still, the four ate like they had never seen food before.

Even in his shock, Gohan noticed key behaviors that gave him more insight on these strangers. Mainly, they ate like barbarians. Only the wife, Gine, Gohan believed her name was, managed to use utensils. But it took her a couple minutes of Gohan's instructions to get the hang of it. The forks, spoons and knives were left untouched. Bardock and his two sons stuffed whatever food they could reach for into their mouths with their bare hands. Gohan swore they didn't even stop to chew. Even the baby ate like a ravenous beast. Who didn't know what utensils were, and didn't know how to use them?

The youngest suddenly stopped eating. His eyes started fluttering and then closed shut. With food stuck around his mouth, Kakarot fell asleep, his stomach full for the first time in days. That seemed to start a chain reaction, as no less than a minute later, Raditz finished as well. Then Gine, and finally, Bardock stopped eating as well.

"Looks like he's out for the night." Gine grabbed a spare cloth and wiped Kakarot's mouth clean. Hoisting him onto his shoulder, she turned to Gohan. "Is there someplace I can put him down for rest?"

"In the corner is fine." Gohan gestured to where he kept his bedsheets and blankets. His house had only one room, so it would be cramped with a whole family now inside.

"Alright, Raditz, you too." The eldest pulled himself up at the sound of his name. He was showing the same signs of sleepiness as his younger brother, but he managed to fight it off for the time being. The young Saiyan turned to look at his father, as if asking for permission. Bardock gave him a curt nod.

"Alright mother." Raditz walked over, wrapped a blanket around himself and fell asleep almost immediately. Gine carefully wrapped Kakarot as well, and put him beside his brother. Stroking both her son's cheeks, she hugged them before sitting back down at the table, which Gohan had just finished cleaning.

"Thank you for your hospitality Gohan." Gine bowed her head. Glancing to her side, she scowled at Bardock, who remained sitting upright, arms crossed over his chest. Jabbing her elbow into his side, Bardock grumbled and muttered a thanks under his breath.

"Think nothing of it. You were obviously in need of aid! It was the least I could do." Gohan gave a pained smile. In truth, the damage they had done to his food reserves was problematic to say the least. He would need to work overtime to stock back up.

"Alright, you kept your side of the bargain, so we'll keep our. You wanted our story correct?" Bardock cut straight to the point.

"Yes." Gohan brought a kettle, and poured out 3 cups of a steamy green liquid. He gently pushed them in front of the Saiyans. "Tea. Have some, it will keep you warm in the cold Paozu nights."

"Bardock." Gine faced her husband. "We should tell the truth. All of it."

"It could break him. Remember who we are and who he is." Bardock grunted. He picked up the cup, downed it's contents, and scrunched his face. He put the cup back down on Gohan's side.

"I would rather not live a lie." Gine would not relent. Bardock rolled his head back and groaned. He sighed and looked at Gohan who quietly put Bardock's cup away.

"Alright. Imma tell it to you straight. We are, probably what you would call, aliens."

Bardock, per Gine's request, spared no details. He started at the top, that they were Saiyans from planet Vegeta. How they were a warrior race, uplifted by other civilizations due to their incredible fighting prowess. This eventually got them noticed by the galactic tyrant, King Cold, who employed the Saiyans in his business of exterminating and selling planets. After decades of service under King Cold, the Saiyans were then transferred over to the leadership of his youngest son, Lord Frieza. The Saiyans would not work long under the young tyrant, as soon Frieza started to work the Saiyans to the bone. Mission after mission, planet after planet, exhausting the Saiyans, causing needless casualties in the process. This all accumulated to the breaking point, the order Frieza gave only a week ago. Planet Vegeta is destroyed, the Saiyans on the run, and Bardock's family stranded on Earth.

"...and then we met you. That's it. That's our story."

Silence. Bardock kept his arms crossed, Gine held her hands in her lap, her tail anxiously twitching. Gohan said nothing, his face expressionless. Nothing could be heard except for the gentle breathing of the sleeping brothers in the corner of the room. The silence continued for a minute, then two. Gohan finished his tea and placed his cup in front of him, but did not reach for the kettle.

"I see." Gohan said simply.

"That's all? I would have thought your world view would be in shambles right about now. You know, confirming the existence of intelligent life in the universe, all that crap. I've done this before. You know, conquering planets and all that." Bardock probed Gohan, trying to get more out of him.

"What my husband is trying to say." Gine glared at Bardock. "Is that we understand this story borders on unbelievable. We expected you to laugh us off, or assume we are lying. This is not the reaction we anticipated."

"Why shouldn't I believe you? Yes, at first I was in denial, but everything seems to work in your favor. The reason I found you in the forest was that I tracked 3 strange falling objects from the sky. Those strange white pods at your landing site are unlike anything I've ever seen. Your strange ki is otherworldly, as well as your ability to control it. No human has ever been able to control ki as you can, even those that trained all their lives. Your lack of knowledge of basic Earth customs like utensils, lack of a family name and the fact that you didn't know where you were all indicate that you are telling the truth."

"Then you should have realized by now that what I said about what I did before coming here is true as well." Bardock tensed his body. "I won't deny or hide it: I'm a trained killer. I have killed countless people, civilians included. I literally have ended civilizations. Are you alright with having one in your house, or even on your planet?"

Gine looked at Bardock in horor. She was about to speak when Gohan gave a large sigh, at which she gave him her attention.

"Truthfully, I am unsure what to think of that information. On one hand, it wasn't like you were given a choice. If what you told me about your Saiyan race is true, then you were expected to fight as a mere infant, sent to conquer a planet before you could even walk or talk. What you are now is a result of circumstances out of your control. Yet, on the other hand, you don't seem bothered by what you have done. You may have lacked choice, but your very nature lended itself to your success as a warrior. If you could have chosen your future, would you really choose something different?" Gohan paused, and looked down. Then he looked at Gine. Then, at Raditz and Kakarot. A small smile graced his face.

"Even with those thoughts, I can not help but think that the person who landed on Earth wasn't the planetary conqueror Bardock, but someone different altogether. You undoubtedly have the strength to do as you said, but you chose to not. You could have killed me at first contact, but here we are."

"So you are ignoring my entire past just because I spared you?" Bardock couldn't believe that.

"Even if I wanted to fight you, what could I really do? I don't think you haven't noticed Bardock, but I am old. Far past my prime. You are in the best years of your life, at least by human standards, and outclass me in almost every way. You have more experience in battle than me, are a far better user of ki than me, and are martially superior. My hut is old and serves to house me and store what little I own. I can not call for help, or notify anyone from here. I simply chose to believe that there is more to you than a bloodthirsty killer." Gohan finished by pouring himself some more tea.

"Well, as long as I'm here Gohan, I won't let Bardock kill." Gine attempted to wind the conversation down. "We can't attract unnecessary attention after all."

"Then I thank you for not letting your husband kill me." Gohan replied, his grandfatherly smile returning.

"What should we do now? Do you know of anywhere we can go, to hide out?" Gine asked.

"I see no reason why you can't stay here for the time being. Mount Paozu is out of the way, hidden from the public. The mountainous terrain is perfect for training and maintaining strength. Plenty of fresh water and fish if you know where to look. Animals to hunt, as long as you do not take any more than what you need. I have a small farm that you can assist in, if you wish to dabble in agriculture." Gohan listed off his fingers the many advantages of his isolated home.

"Really? You-you'd put up with us?" Gine held her hand to her mouth.

"Certainly. I must confess that I do get lonely from time to time. I've lived here, alone, for multiple decades. Having such vigorous company would be entertaining for sure." Gohan gave a happy nod.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" Gine bowed her head again and again.

"Hey old man-"

"His name is Gohan Bardock! If he is going to be gracious enough to let us stay at his home, the least you can do is call him by name!"

"Fine. Hey Gohan, since we told you our story, what's yours? Why is an old man living alone in the mountains surrounded by miles of forest? Shouldn't you be with a family or something?" Bardock emphasized Gohan's name, at which Gine was satisfied.

"Well, this old man's story pales in comparison to your own. My name is Son Gohan, and I trained under Master Roshi, the Turtle Hermit. I learned the ways of the Turtle School martial arts to learn how to defend myself and to find purpose in my life. I entered the Tenkaichi Budōkai several times, a martial arts tournament. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I always placed in the top four. I never did win one though. However, my material arts skill and ability to use ki attracted the attention of too many heroes. All that attention accumulated to a single event that led to my public reputation plummeting. So, one day, I left my master and best friend, the one who trained by my side since the beginning, a note of my departure and settled down here. I have lived here ever since." Gohan recounted his life in quite a condensed format.

"There you go again with that word: ki." Bardock raised his hand, and summoned his energy. With his hand now bathed in the white aura, Bardock held it out to Gohan. "You said this energy is ki, but I've never heard of it before."

"That energy that you summoned is what we call ki: the energy of life." Gohan explained. "It's name and description change depending on what culture you ask. On this planet, it has gone by many names: ki, mana, chakra, source, the font of life, and so on. Every living creature has some amount of it, and they all have the capability of manipulating it. The Turtle School's signature technique is the Kamehameha, where you focus your ki into a single point between your hands, and turn that focused energy into a wave as an attack. Other schools have signature techniques as well, such as the Crane School's Sky Dance, which allows them to fly, and their version of the Kamehameha, the Dodon Ray. I myself have figured out a way to use my ki to sense the ki of others. That was how I gauged your strength when we first met. An individual's strength is mirrored in their ki. The stronger you are, the more ki you have and the stronger it is."

"I see." Bardock extinguished his hand and looked down at his palm. "So, all humans can use ki?"

"Well, every human has ki but only masters know how to use it. Very few people actually know it exists at all. It is a dying art." Gohan mourned. "These days it is all about quirks. People are not willing to dedicate decades to master ki when one can just gamble that their quirk is strong enough."

"Quirks?" Gine tilted her head in confusion.

"Ah, I may as well tell you the story of the current era of Earth. Quirks are superhuman abilities that manifested in humans, bringing in a new age. They are unique to each person, although many share similar properties no two are exactly alike. Powers over the elements, telekinesis, enhanced body functionality, almost everything you can think of has been found in a quirk or will be one. In the modern age, quirks are everything. Laws, education, career paths, everything now revolves around quirks. While general quirk usage is banned to preserve the peace, there are still those who use their gifts for nefarious purposes. To combat this, a group of law enforcement emerged: heroes. Allowed to use their quirks to fight crime, these heroes have been turned into our police, military and emergency responders."

"Wow, that sounds amazing!" Gine's eyes sparkled with wonder. "I've never heard of a species with such a diverse array of powers!"

"Sounds too complicated." Bardock grunted. "With these quirks, the average power level of a human is misleading. Someone could have a powerful quirk and be abnormally strong or someone could have a weak quirk and be weak. At least with us Saiyans you can expect the same thing from all of us."

"You are right, Bardock. With the emergence of quirks, a sort of divide has developed in human society. You are judged based on your quirk the moment it manifests and your value as a person is determined there. That isn't even mentioning that it is only 80% of the population that has quirks. While that percentage rises every year, that doesn't change the fact that quirkless people exist, and the treatment of those individuals is honestly abhorrent. Despite how far we have come, humans can still be unnecessarily cruel to one another."

"It's not just humans Gohan." Gine spoke up quietly. "Saiyans were the same way. Strength was everything in our society. If you were strong you rose through the ranks; even the low-class warriors could achieve positions of power. If you were weak, you were tossed aside. If Bardock wasn't there, I would not have lasted as long as I have."

"Well then, we are kindred spirits. As it happens, I am quirkless Gine." Gohan's smile wavered. "It is another reason I couldn't bear the hero culture around me. People saw my performance at the Tenkaichi Budōkai and assumed I got that far thanks to a quirk. A quirk I didn't have. When I told them of my quirklessness, they either thought I was lying to get them off my back, or looked at me with such disgust and started treating me no better than an animal. My opponents that I had beaten, who had treated me with such comradery suddenly demanded that I withdraw from the tournament. Next they came for Master Roshi, asking him why bother taking in a quirkless student. They then attacked my partner and best friend, the Ox King, about his relationship with me. While they fought for me, I couldn't take seeing their lives turning so dark. That is why in my note, I did not say where I would go. I wonder if they still think about me?"

"That's horrible." Gine's emotions completely turned around. She put an arm on Gohan's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It is all in the past at this point. A past that likely has been wiped from history. I have no doubts that my placements at the Tenkaichi Budōkai have been erased. I only live on in a few people's memories. Perhaps that is for the best." Gohan's shoulders sagged and he hung his head as the weight of the memories of his past once again bore down on his aged body. "I grow tired. I think we should sleep, much was said today and I think a good night's sleep will help us process it."

"Yes, let's." Gine agreed. She stood up and along with Gohan, started laying out blankets for themselves. Gohan noticed Bardock walking out the door.

"I'm going to keep watch." Bardock stated as he paused by the doorframe.

Gohan made no motion to stop him. "Do what you must."

Bardock exited, shut the door, and pressed his back against the side of the hut. Sliding down until he hit the floor, Bardock finally nodded off to sleep. Even with the promise from Gohan that things could be different on Earth, old habits die hard. Bardock slept as he always did on a potentially hostile planet. With one eye open.

Morning arrives-

"Sixty four... sixty five... sixty six..." Gohan exited the hut at the crack of dawn, as he normally did. The usual Mount Paozu morning chill was absent with three additional bodies giving warmth. Maneuvering through the sleeping Saiyans, Gohan then heard the voice of a fourth outside. There, doing one arm - no, one finger - push ups was Bardock.

"Good morning Bardock!" The Saiyan paused and pushed himself back to his feet. Looking down at Gohan's wrinkled face, he saw no traces of the pain from last night. He was dressed in the same clothes as yesterday, but this time he had a woven basket on his back. "Have you been working out all morning?"

"No. The first thing I did was retrieve our pods. I put them over there." Bardock pointed out the three large white spherical space pods, in a neat line. One lacked a door, which was tucked in the side. Gohan caught a brief glimpse of the complicated machinery inside. He quickly turned back to Bardock. Electronics were never his strong suit.

"I was going to pick some fruit! Care to join me?"

"Not now. I haven't done any training in the past few days. I can't get soft, not here. But simple exercise won't cut it for me." Bardock needed something more. Previously, he had not gone a day without a fight. Whether it be with an alien of a planet he was invading, a fellow Saiyan in a spar, or a drunk elite in a bar brawl, there was always somewhere Bardock could go to fight. Not here though. And Gine forbade him from killing.

So, with no options left, Bardock knew he had to at least ask Gohan. "You said you were a martial artist last night. Care to spar?"

"Oh Kami no!" Gohan held up his hands with a nervous laugh. "I need my body intact to collect food! Those vegetables and fruits don't just magically appear on the table, you know!"

"Seriously, if I can't find someone to fight I think I'm going to go insane." Bardock picked up a large rock off the ground and crushed it between his bare hands. "Wait, you said that there were large creatures roaming this forest. How much of a fight would you think those would put up?"

"Please refrain from attacking the endangered animals as well." Gohan then perked his head. "Although, there is one way but I can't say for sure it will work, and it may not be a fight you will enjoy..."

"At this point I will take anything. Just tell me."

"Do you remember where I told you about heroes and how they work to fight villains?" Gohan asked. Bardock nodded.

"Yeah. Oh, I can just challenge them to a fight? Well, if they are law enforcement, then they should always be expecting a fight. Good, that will save me time."

"No no no! Don't do that! That is the fastest way to get yourself on a watch list! Just- listen to me first then ask questions, alright?" Gohan implored Bardock, to which he shrugged and agreed.

"The city that borders this forest, Musutafu, is a hotspot for hero and villain activity. Lots of villainous people are attracted to the high economic activity of the city. There are plenty of alleyways and congested urban areas for criminals to hide in. This caused a large hero presence to form and hunt them down. Many run to the inner city, but some flee out of the city, to the forest where we are now. They hope to lose the heroes trailing them, although none are successful. As long as you keep a low profile and don't cross into the city, you may run into some. Seeing as how they are already on the run from the law, I don't think the heroes would mind you knocking them unconscious." Gohan looked up to see Bardock thinking hard. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing big. It's just that I've never really fought without the intention to kill. Even in spars, that killing intent is what trains our instincts that we Saiyans rely on in the heat of battle. Guess I'll have to seriously hold myself back." Bardock cast a sideways glance at the hut. "Are Gine and the kids still asleep?"

"When I last saw them." Gohan confirmed.

At first Bardock wanted to wake up Raditz and bring him along. Some early morning training would do him good. But, a small part of Bardock reminded him of what his eldest son had gone through the last few days. Maybe Raditz still needed time to recover. Just for today, he could sleep in.

"Don't worry about them Bardock, I'll have them help out with gathering food. Raditz can hunt some game if you need him to practice fighting." Gohan broke Bardock out of his thoughts.

"I'm not worried about them!" Bardock snapped. In a burst of ki, Bardock surrounded himself in white energy and flew off in the direction of Musutafu. He tried to ignore the chuckles from Gohan as he sped off.

'Alright, clear your mind. Treat this like a mission. Get in the zone.' Bardock shut his eyes as he was flying. He remembered his training. The battles he had fought. A familiar sense of calmness washed over him. He opened his eyes. 'Search and destroy.'

Once the buildings of the city grew in size, Bardock started to fly to the side. He could hear and see the bustling working of an urban city, even in the early hours of the morning. Usually those sounds were an invitation for an attack, but the Saiyan repressed those urges. He scanned the forest, flying lower than usual, the wind whipping his hair.

'This is a chore. If only I had a scouter, this would be a lot faster.' Bardock was starting to grow irritated. Almost half an hour in, and he had already scanned the border between city and forest twice over. Did Gohan lie to him? Or was there just no one trying to escape that day? Bardock didn't know enough about Earth and humans to come to a clear conclusion. So the Saiyan just kept patrolling, making sure to keep distance between the city and himself. It took a full hour of mindless flying for Bardock to finally call it quits.

"Gah, what a waste of time." Bardock flew down into a small clearing and rested in one of the trees. With his back against the trunk, he let a leg dangle below and his arms hung loosely at his side. He looked skyward, considering his options.

'Gine isn't a fighter, so there is no chance of her sparring with me. She also needs to be in a good enough condition to care for Kakarot. He was taken out of his nursing pod a little too early thanks to the evacuation. Gohan already refused. All that's left is Raditz. I could train him, but he's still too young to give me a proper challenge. Maybe I need to find a hero on the downlow, and force things a little. Get a bead on how strong there so called heroes are.'

Crunch

The sound of dry leaves and fallen branches cracking snapped Bardock to attention. Pivoting to get into a better position, Bardock strained his ears. He could hear the approaching noises, but no footsteps. So, whoever this was, they were light. The noises only came from a single direction, so it was probably only one person. They weren't hunting for Bardock personally, they would have attacked from the air. If they were going to launch a ground attack, the Frieza Force was more than capable of being stealthy. This was someone from Earth.

Thump Thump Thump

Now the rapid thumps of footsteps could be heard. The crunching of natural debris was louder than ever. Whoever this was, they were in a hurry. So much so that they were not bothering to hide their tracks.

Thump Thump Brsssh!

Bursting from a bush on the edge of the forest clearing was a small human. Well, they looked fully grown, but there was a lack of muscle or protective gear. Clad head to toe in tight black clothing, complete with a cap and a facemask. Less of a fighter and more of a thief. Clutched in their lands was a black sack full of something. Bardock wasn't sure of what yet. The last part of the outfit was a strange holster attached to the belt, with a strange black object hanging in it. The person was heaving, hand on their knees and dripping in sweat. Were they that winded from just running?

'Wimp.' Bardock sniffed. The Saiyan watched as the presumed thief struggled up, and started wobbling forward in an attempted jog. Closer and closer to the tree in which Bardock resided. He silently watched as the human stopped again, putting their hands behind their back and arching forward. This pushed their head back and let them look up. Their eyes met.

"Wa! W-w-who-who are you?" So this was a human male. He leapt back, but was off balance from the early stretch. He tripped over himself and landed in a tangled heap on the forest floor. Bolting upright, the human held the black sack protectively behind him.

"Are you a hero? You're a hero, aren't you!"

"So what if I am?" Bardock smirked at the human's panic. The thief oozed weakness, so the chance of a good fight was miniscule. At the very least Bardock could have some fun with him.

"I-I'm too far in it now! I got out of the city, escaped the police with the spoils! I won't let you-!" The thief scrambled back, then dashed to the left. He was trying to make a break for it.

Pshoosh!

Bardock wasn't about to let it happen. In a flash, Bardock flew down to intercept. Landing with a heavy impact that sent dust flying everywhere, the thief was flung back, the sack escaping his grip. Landing in an ungraceful heap, the thief looked up, fear showing clearly in his eyes. He looked up at this stranger, in an outfit he had never seen, with arms crossed. A smile dancing on the edges of his lips. The human shuddered involuntarily. He was scared.

"Work on cardio before the next time you try this again. If there is a next time." Bardock raised an arm.

The thief broke into a full-on panic. Was this the end? Did this stranger have a quirk that fired from his arm? No! The thief's remaining pride fired up and steeled his nerves. This would not be the end! He would make it big, and become a name feared throughout Japan! He made a quick decision. He gripped the handle of his gun, and with a quick pull, brought it out. The stranger raised an eyebrow. The thief grinned. He wasn't expecting this, was he?

"Eat lead!"

Bang!

"Huh? The hell was that?" Bardock watched as that strange device the human fired emitted a bright flash and a loud bang. This was followed by a small sting on his palm. Small and painless, no more painful than the sting of an insect. Lifting his hand to his face, Bardock couldn't see any signs of damage. Looking at his feet, there was a small, but brightly shining crumpled remains of the projectile fired. Bardock bent down and picked it up, and held it between his fingers. Bardock looked at the bullet, to the thief, who was in shock. The visible part of his face was pale, his eyes wide, and the hand holding the gun shaking violently. Then, Bardock put two and two together.

"Ballistic-based weaponry? Really? Even the oldest blaster models the Frieza Force use do more than that!" Bardock felt what little hope for a good fight die inside him. If this was what criminals on Earth used, then there was no point to this endeavor. He squeezed his fingers, crushing the bullet and tossed it down.

"No- no way! Die! Die!" The thief gripped the gun in trembling hands and fired.

Bang!

Again.

Bang!

Again.

Bang!

And Again.

Clickclickclick

"Empty huh?" Bardock watched as the thief crumpled onto his knees in disbelief. The thief could only stare, horrified at his weapon which was now a useless hunk of metal. Shiny bullet debris littered the ground around the stranger's feet, but the person in question remained unharmed. There was only one option left. The thief turned and tried to run. Maybe he could make a break for it!

Wham!

Bardock's fist was faster. In a flash, the Saiyan lashed out, his fist connecting with the side of the human's head. The thief flew backwards, arms and legs splayed out. He slammed against a tree on the other side of the clearing head first, with a painfully loud thud and he didn't move. Back against the bark, head hanging limp to the side and blood trickling down from the area of impact. Bardock quickly darted over and put a finger under the man's nose. He could feel faint airflow; the thief was unconscious, not dead. Good enough.

'Welp, so much for a productive morning. Should have just joined Gohan, I think picking food would have done more than this.' Bardock thought, his mood souring now that his entertainment was gone. In a flash of white ki, Bardock flew up and traced his path back towards Mount Paozu. After a few minutes of fast flying, Gohan's hut slowly came into view. There was movement a small distance away, in a clearing where four figures moved. Gohan was pointing into trees, where red spherical objects hung, speaking to Raditz who was nodding along. Gine was nearby, half-listening, while watching Kakarot slowly climb through the trees. Bardock angled himself down, catching their attention. Gohan waved and Raditz bowed before they went back to their discussion. Gine took a glance at Kakarot, and seeing him secure himself to a branch with his tail, stood up and walked to her husband.

"Well? Did you satisfy your fighting urges?" She questioned, getting a scoff in return.

"I wish. No, I only encountered one human, and he barely qualifies as a fighter. I guess I'm going to have to get creative."

"Well, how about tackling a new challenge?" That caught Bardock's attention. He looked down to Gine's mischievous smile, and beckoned her to continue.

"Well, Gohan talked to me about a training exchange of sorts." Gine cast a quick glance at the old human. "We teach him Saiyan ki techniques, and he'll teach us what he knows of the Turtle Hermit school of martial arts."

"Wait, there are Saiyan ki techniques?"

"Don't think too hard about it, Bardock. It's just what you do on a daily basis. Flying, empowering your body, basic ki blasts, the works. In exchange, he'll teach us how to sense others' ki, and even the Kamehameha if we can pull it off!"

"Ah, what the heck, might as well. Nothing else is happening, so might as well have something to fill the days."

Mount Paozu Forest Border, several hours later-

"Remind me again why we are spending our afternoon searching a forest?" A female voice pierced the normal silence of the forest. A woman pushed her way through a bramble patch carelessly, her eyes lazily scanning the sky. She was clad in a skin-tight purple and tan bodysuit with orange stripes. Her blonde hair was parted by two purple horns that were attached to a domino mask. Her face was one of boredom, and she was thinking thoughts that were anything but what she was supposed to be doing.

"You sure talk a lot for someone on a manhunt. Maybe talk less and keep your eyes forward? Maybe we'd get stuff done then." A deep male voice retorted. The voice belonged to a giant of a man, easily passing six and a half feet in height. His muscular physique was on full display due to his strange blue cardigan, which had a gap down the chest and exposed his stomach and sides. His headband, thick wrist guards and belt all had the yellow and black caution pattern. Unlike his female companion, he took great care in where he stepped and was constantly surveying the forest in front of him.

"Look, all I'm saying is that searching hours after the crook ran is pointless. There is nothing out here for miles! What, is he going to run to Mount Paozu and hide out with the dinosaurs? He'd have a better chance against Endeavor than those beasts. It would make more sense for us to wait a day or two for him to tire out." The woman yawned as she cracked several branches under her feet.

"Well, if we were to wait that long that would mean that we would have to search deeper into the forest, wouldn't it? Better we find the thief now than later." The man carefully pushed several low-hanging branches out of his face. "Besides, this wasn't a given assignment. It was just announced that this convenience store thief broke through the border and made it into the forest. You didn't have to come."

"I know, I know! It's just there's nothing to do! Ever since..." The woman didn't have to say anything more.

All Might.

"I guess you're right. I mean, I'd like to think us heroes were doing alright for ourselves in these past few years. Then number one shows up and crime rates shoot down below 1%. I think I'm going to have to find a way to supplement my income. Maybe Dad could fit me in as a part-timer in his plumbing company." The man dragged a hand down his face.

"If you two are done chit-chatting, I believe it is time to get back to work." A third voice spoke up in their communication devices in their ears. "Death Arms, Mt. Lady, find anything?"

"Nothing yet Woods. Got some footprints that sent us down this path, but they're getting harder to spot. I think some wildlife muddled them. What about you, see anything up there?" Death Arms pressed a finger to his ear to talk to his second partner.

"Negative. Just miles of untouched wilderness. You know, I've never seen the forest from up here before. It's really nice. Quiet, peaceful and serene."

"Now look who's chit-chatting" Mt. Lady grumbled. She flipped her hair and rolled her eyes. "I thought you were supposed to be-" Then a flash of light hit her eye. An unnatural, painfully bright dot of reflected light that immediately captured her attention and changed her into her working mode. She halted every movement with a raised fist.

Death Arms froze. He slowly moved his head to look at Mt. Lady, who was staring intently forward. He silently watched as she made three simple hand gestures. He got the message, nodded and carefully made his way right, while she went left. The third party member stayed silent.

Death Arms crouched behind a large, thorny bush. Peeking through, he could see a figure clad in black resting against a tree. A black sack lay by his side. 'Idiot must have exhausted himself by running. Well, we got the man and the evidence, all in one place. Easy sweep.'

He waited patiently, counting down in his head. Mt. Lady was doing the same, from the other side. They waited, until they burst out from behind a tree and bush, ready for a fight!

"Hands up! You're under arrest!" Death Arms bellowed as he charged forward, fists slammed together. Mt. Lady swerved into view from behind two thick trees, eyes narrowed, ready to use her quirk at a moment's notice. Yet, something seemed off to both heroes. Usually low-end thieves like this would panic the moment a hero entered their line-of-sight, let alone two. But this man just remained resting against the tree. Even as Death Arms stomped his way forward, the ground shaking under his weight, he didn't even twitch. What was wrong? Then Death Arms stopped in front of the thief, eyes wide. He bent down, reached a hand out and rolled the thief's head upright. Blood trickled down the side, which was already covered in dried blood.

"Oh my!" Mt. Lady covered her mouth in shock. This man was not resting at all. He had been beaten unconscious!

"Woods. Get here now." Death Arms spoke in a thin, grim tone. There was no response over their comms, just the rushing of leaves in the wind as the person moved in response.

It took several minutes, but soon enough the third hero made it to the clearing. He was another man, but had a very obvious mutation quirk. While his blue bodysuit covered most of his body, what was exposed was not his skin, but dark brown bark. His face was covered by a mask, made of the same bark color, as were his belt, knee pads and boots. His eyes peered out from around the bark mask, eyeing the situation before him.

"I'm guessing this is our guy. And I'm also guessing that neither of you gave him that wound to the head." He took a closer look at the massive bruise on the thief's head. A disgusting mix of blues and purples, which had no place on a normal human's skin. A small trickle of blood was oozing out thanks to Death Arm's not-so-gentle handling of the criminal. It seemed that the initial blood leakage had hardened from air exposure, forming a clot that Death Arms disturbed.

"Yeah. Someone did a nasy number on this guy. Out like a light, probably for a couple hours at this point, and definitely a few more to go. Look at this." Death Arms raised a single finger and slowly pushed on the man's head with minimal force. Woods cringed as the finger pushed too far down with no resistance. "Whoever hit him didn't hold back. Skull fractures, it's a miracle he isn't dead."

"And the tree." Woods looked past the thief and brushed a hand against the bark. "Look at how it's dented, and the abnormal amount of leaves and branches around it. He must have been hit with tremendous force to cause such damage."

"Well, it may have been in self-defense. He had a gun." Death Arms reached into a pouch on his belt and produced the small handgun. "It's what caught Mt. Lady's eye in the first place. However, it is empty. Mt. Lady's looking for evidence of the bullets."

"Found them Kamui Woods." The woman's voice caused the two men to turn around. They saw her a fair distance away, on the edge of the clearing, gesturing to the floor beneath her. "Multiple rounds, all look like they've hit something."

"But no blood?" Kamui Woods asked.

"No." Mt. Lady turned back to the bullets. "Although some of them look abnormally crushed. Like someone crushed them in their hand."

A silence fell onto the trio.

"Did anyone else respond to this manhunt request?' Mt. Lady was the first to talk.

"Not that I know of. Us three should be the only ones in this forest. This forest is under government protection, so no civilians are allowed in, nor is anyone allowed to live here." Kamui Woods shook his head.

"Then who could have done this?" Mt. Lady asked, but got no replies.

"Look, let's do what we can right now." Death Arms took control of the situation, picking up the thief in his arms, careful not to gostle him, lest his wound get any worse. "I'll start moving this guy to the forest edge. Get him stable before we send him to the slammer."

"Good. I'll contact the police. This is something that requires further investigation." Kamui Woods agreed.

"Do you really think this is something big?" Mt. Lady hurried to assist Death Arms, but not before casting a look over her shoulder.

"At best, this was just some miscommunication between heroes. We report this incident, the hero in question confesses they forgot to report their actions, case closed. At worst... either vigilante or some other villain out there." Kamui Wood looked out at the vast expanse of untamed wilderness.

"Whoever is out there, we'll find them. And bring them to justice as well."