"Call the med-team! Get these men to the nearest hospital, stat!"

"Careful where you step; we don't want any evidence to get muddied from external interference."

"Are you guys from the forensics team? Good, let's get you to the scene."

"Detective Tsukauchi? Follow me if you would."

Tsukauchi Naomasa lifted his hat and tipped it in greeting to his fellow officer. He pushed to the front of the crowd of other police investigation members, apologizing as he went. Detective Tsukauchi went forward, following the officer while the other team was pulled aside. Brushing past branches and stepping over brambles, the two police officers walked away from the street where the armored police cars were parked. The Mount Paozu forest cleared out into an unnatural scene of bustling police activity. The usual serene and peaceful protected forest was crawling with people, all centered around one spot in particular.

"How bad this time?"

"Pretty bad. Only three this time, but they were more heavily armed. Our mysterious individual must have taken this as a challenge, so they responded with more brutality than normal."

Tsukauchi opened his mouth to talk, but was interrupted by a loud call, fueled by frantic and desperate energy.

"Make way, make way!"

Tsukauchi and the police officer immediately reacted by darting to the sides of the rough path they had been walking through. The rumblings of a gurney and the call-outs of emergency medical responders came and went. An officer pushed the gurney at a desperate speed, with a second officer holding the gurney steady on the left, and a doctor holding some device to the patient's chest on the right. Tsukauchi knew this had to be one of the three individuals his guide told him about, so he chanced a look down as the gurney passed. He wished he hadn't.

The man's face was beaten to a pulp, barely recognizable as human. A cheek was bashed in, sunken and bruised to a nasty purple that had no right to be on human skin. Speaking of skin, the entirety of the face was cracked and bloody, as if what connected with it was moving so fast the skin just broke on contact. One eye was rolled back, the pupil gone and only showing veins. The other was shut tight, swollen to a comical degree. The man's hair was a confusing mess of red and brown. His tongue was rolling out of his mouth, as there was nothing holding it in. It looked like the man's jaw had been shattered, if the small shards of bone jutting out from under his skin were any indication. The rest of the body was covered in a blanket, so Tsukauchi was spared seeing the rest of the body. Just seeing the face was enough.

"The Vigilante really did a number on these guys." The officer Tsukauchi was following shook his head as he watched the gurney rumble down the path. "I know their style is brutal, but this is something else."

"You said there were three right? Have the other two been moved?" Tsukauchi asked.

"No. One is in... a difficult location. We are getting him down now. As for the third, well, it's best you see for yourself. But, if you didn't like what you just saw pass us by, you definitely are not going to like what you are going to see."

Tsukauchi didn't know what to think. Difficult location? Not liking what he saw? He was a veteran police detective, and had more than his fair share of atrocities during his years of service. Still, he kept silent as they finally broke into the scene, although the amount of noise gave it away long before they arrived.

A clearing in Mount Paozu's forest showed a focused police effort, with all kinds of officers working side-by-side. A red and white tent was swarmed by medical staff. A couple emergency responders were working a mechanical life by a tall tree. More heavily armed officers stood guard around the site. They were visibly armed, a rare sight these days. Technicians and analysts were taping off sections of the clearing, with others from their teams just arriving with new equipment needed for further study.

"Is that...!" Tsukauchi narrowed his eyes and lifted his hand to his forehead to shield himself from the early morning light. His eyes were locked onto the top of the tree where the lift was operating. There was something high in the tree, near the peak, illuminated by the first morning rays. His eyes then widened in shock at what he realized that strange shape was.

"Yeah, that's one of the criminals. The Vigilante somehow knocked the guy 20 or so meters into the air, landing him in the tree. He's unconscious, so we have to be careful how we get him down, don't want to open up any wounds that we know he has."

"Sigh." Tsukauchi dropped his hand. "And the last one?"

"In the tent." His fellow officer pointed at the hastily set up tent. "That one had it the worst of all. His condition is too critical to be moved."

"I understand. I'll go investigate the site now. Thank you for your assistance." Tsukauchi once again tipped his hat towards the officer, who responded the same.

"Best of luck detective." And the officer walked away.

Tsukauchi watched him go for a second before turning and walking over to the taped off area. At this approach, he was immediately confronted with security. This didn't last long, as Tsukauchi lifted his hat and showed his badge and identification. This easily got him access, and Tsukauchi stepped past the tape and towards the center of the clearing. From the disturbed soil, to the unusual amount of forest debris and the blood splattered around, there was obviously a fight.

"3rd one this week, 12th one this month." Tsukauchi muttered to himself as he walked over to where a couple shining bullet casings littered the ground. "I guess this makes this incident 31? Or was it 32? And to think we don't even have a name."

It all started back almost two months ago. A crime occured in one of Musutafu's many residential areas, where a small convenience store was robbed by three young adults, one man and two women. The first woman used her quirk, which emitted some high-frequency waves to distract the staff as the store was devoid of customers that day. While the two running the store were confused, the second woman used her quirk to incapacitate them. Her quirk let her knock someone unconscious if she managed to lock her hands around their heads, which was easy when the staff were isolated and distracted. Then the man, whose quirk let his pinky fingers extend and thin, picked the lock for the registers where they made off with the money. A passerby noticed this robbery from afar and notified the police.

When a local patrolling hero arrived, backed by a police squadron, the crooks panicked. One made a dash for their hideout in the alleys of the inner city while another tried his luck in the forest by the city's edge. One was so indecisive that the police captured her in minutes on arrival. The hero chased the other woman to the city, where she was apprehended after a small chase. The police tried to catch the guy, but he managed to escape into the forest. Since he was the one with the stolen money, a man-hunt was issued. Local heroes Death Arms, Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods responded, and the next day they went out to search. Nobody was prepared for what they brought back.

Death Arms and Mt. Lady did bring the criminal back, but in a terrible state. A nasty head wound, that cracked his skull, and lots of lost blood. But it was the report that really made this case stand out at the police station. It wasn't unheard of for a hero to accidentally wound a criminal in a fight. Heck, Death Arms and Mt. Lady were two prime examples of heroes who could inflict grievous injuries with their quirks if they had just one second of carelessness. But Death Arms grimly shook his head and told the hospital staff and police officers present that they hadn't been the ones to do this. They found him like this in Mount Paozu's forest. Mt. Lady then told them Kamui Woods was still out there, doing some investigation work of his own. A small team was dispatched to meet with the hero. Tsukauchi remembered that he wasn't chosen, as while this was an abnormal case, it still was too small to direct any real man power towards. An officer and another detective met with Kamui Woods, but nothing was found. The case bounced around for a couple days, with no one really put to work on it, but remaining unsolved.

Then the next case came in.

This time it was a park ranger, a simple worker who patrolled the forest and made sure no trespassers were running around. They mainly stopped teenagers from making their friends do stupid dares in the forest, or people illegally dumping their garbage in the forest borders. This time however, they reported something serious. Another crook, found in a similar state to the one Death Arms brought in earlier that same week. Her shoulder was shattered, broken to a degree where the doctor working on her regretfully reported that her right arm would never be used again. Tsukauchi never thought he'd see the day where he'd feel bad for a criminal, but he wouldn't have any time to think about that. Not a day later, a third case was called in. It wasn't just a single run away crook this time. A small drug ring was having some goods airdropped in the forest, but the mysterious stranger found them. Bloodied and bruised, they were found the next morning along with broken containers of the illegal substances they were smuggling in.

By the week's end, the situation was clear. Someone was in the Mount Paozu forest and was going around beating escaping criminals to near death. No one knew why or how, but this was a dangerous individual who the law enforcement of Musutafu knew nothing about. Word was spread to all hero agencies and police stations in the city, alerting everyone to the situation. The Mount Paozu area was to be avoided at all costs. Rangers were immediately recalled, and they quickly obliged, fearing for their lives. This was the number one case, and Tsukauchi was finally put on the team. Three questions dominated the team's work: who, what and why?

The who was impossible to tell. Whoever this person was, they were fast and efficient. The teams sent out to the sites reported no vehicle tracks, so it was either on foot, through the air, or under the ground. Nothing was found above or below, so the team deduced it was someone whose quirk would let them move fast. However, the quirk registry did not show anyone with a quirk that fit that description who was not already accounted for. So, this must be someone off the grid. A criminal, perhaps?

The what did not agree with that conjecture. If it was a criminal, then why didn't the person take goods from the scenes? The first and second cases were thieves with stolen money, and the third case had illegal goods that could be sold for a pretty profit. Yet, in every case, the contraband was just left there. Not a Yen out of place. What was going on? An act of vigilantism, perhaps?

The why was something the team could only guess at. Vigilantism was suggested, and stuck, because that was the only reason why anyone could link these together. But not enough fit that description. Why station in Mount Paozu? There was nothing there. If one really wanted to do good, the city was where everything happened. The name, 'The Vigilante' stuck because people were sick of just calling this person, 'they.' The name really didn't work once the rest of the cases started coming in.

As weeks went by, incident after incident occurred, but they all boiled down to the same thing. Criminals found themselves in Mount Paozu, then The Vigilante beat them up. Frustration in the station was building. There was nothing they could do to stop these events. Tracking criminals and crime was too slow. By the time they were found and a team was dispatched, The Vigilante was already done and gone. A suggestion came forward about setting up a fake scene to lure out The Vigilante, but that was quickly scrubbed. There was no way the police would send their own to the hospital for months with potentially life-altering, or life-ending, injuries.

The heroes in the area were at a loss as well. With All Might taking care of the local crime, plenty had the time to patrol the area in groups for safety. They found nothing, not a soul. Some debated going deeper, like to the base of the mountain itself, but that was too dangerous. That far in and medical staff may not make it in time if the heroes did come across The Vigilante.

A month passed, and Tsukauchi was now working on this case full time. He usually didn't come out to sites like this, but the cases over the past two weeks had taken a turn for the worse. Despite the police and heroes best attempts at not leaking the story, the press had gotten wind of the rumors and pounced. Tabloids went wild over someone deemed so dangerous that both the police and heroes hesitated. Even standard media outlets like news channels were picking up. But that wasn't what had Tsukauchi concerned. It wasn't the public's opinion that scared him, it was the villains.

Obviously The Vigilante was not a vigilante at this point. The best Tsukauchi could come up with was that this person just wanted to fight for the sake of fighting. But the villains of Musutafu were getting pissed. At first they paid no mind, as The Vigilante was only beating up small-time crooks who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But soon, their operations in the Mount Paozu forest were getting disrupted. First it was a small drug ring, but then it started hitting everyone. No matter how big or small the criminal, whoever ended up in the forest was getting beat up. Naturally, some crime circles started sending people to deal with The Vigilante. And these people were the type that were willing to sacrifice people to do so.

The cases started having more people. Where at first it was only one or two bodies, now it was four to five, and the largest one had eight! The people changed to; where they were once nobodies looking for a quick payout, now seasoned and feared criminals were being sent out. It was unclear if they were paid to do this or just savored the idea of a worthy foe to kill, but the one thing that became clear was that nothing changed. The Vigilante still brutalized everyone who entered. Danger ranked C and B criminals were easily dispatched, and even a couple ranked A criminals were found. Tsukauchi was a little grateful to The Vigilante for these opportunities to put criminals behind bars, but nothing was being done about the vigilante itself. These criminals weren't just those known and having strong quirks either. They were being armed. Evidence from previous cases supported this, and what Tsukauchi saw right before his eyes.

"A lot of casings." Tsukauchi ran his hand through the shining amber bullet casings that covered the ground. These weren't pistol bullets, Tsukauchi knew those by memory and heart because they were what the police used and he was familiar with all police equipment. No, these were serious weapons. Assault rifles, if he were to make a guess. In the age of quirks, guns were traded in for quirks. Why bother with a device that could be traced back to you when you could just use your own power? Still, that didn't mean guns were any less dangerous. Only a handful of the population had a quirk that would let them deal with a gun somehow. Maybe The Vigilante had one? Tsukauchi wasn't so sure. From the shattered black parts of the gun neatly piled in a corner of the site, it looked like The Vigilante took a more direct approach.

Tsukauchi didn't know what to think. There were too many unknowns for him to make a reasonable guess at who this person was, what they were doing and why. He did ask a friend of his to assist in the case, but he was busy with a very important personal project. This friend was the only person Tsukauchi believed was capable of safely investigating, but he couldn't be selfish. He'd do as much as he could, as was his job.

"I am here!"

Or maybe not.

Shouts and screams rang through the morning air as a large figure cannonballed through the air and landed at the edge of the clearing. The police were startled, many dropping what they were holding and working on and guards moving in with weapons drawn. Once the dust from the impact settled, though, everything changed. The tense atmosphere dissolved into one of amazement and child-like wonder. Not even adults were capable of withstanding Tsukauchis friend's charisma.

The man rose from the ground, standing at a mighty height, heads above even the tallest officer. A body built by the gods themselves bulged against a colorful skin-tight bodysuit. An iconic suit, one that promised peace and safety upon first glance. A stand-out hairstyle that was replicated everywhere, yet still nothing could stand to the original. Then, there was the smile. One that never seemed to leave the man's face and became a symbol that the symbol of peace was built on.

It was All Might! The number one hero! The symbol of peace! And Tsukauchi's dear friend.

Friend or not, however, Tsukauchi knew this gawking was holding up their work. Clapping his hands together with a holler, he called all attention to him.

"Everyone, now is not the time! Autographs later, there is work to be done!" And like that the spell was broken. Officers went back to their posts, and continued their work. All Might sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and Tsukauchi approached him, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

"You know, you could have just walked. Like a normal person. Without causing a scene."

"Ah, but I thought this was an emergency? I thought your email said this case was your office's number one priority." Tsukauchi couldn't fault him for that.

Tsukauchi must have shifted his expression, because All Might's smile dropped just a bit. He had been, of course, informed along with all the other heroes about the incidents happening at Mount Paozu. But unlike the other heroes, All Might was very busy. Not with crime fighting, which is what most people assumed, but with one thing that only Tsukauchi and a couple individuals knew about.

"So how did you make time for this today?" Tsukauchi dropped his voice to a whisper. "Isn't UA's entrance exam in a couple weeks? Shouldn't you be training your successor?"

"Ah, about that." All Might lowered his voice to match Tsukauchi. "Young Midoriya has been pushing himself too hard. He's been going beyond my plan, and his body couldn't take it. So, I forced him to take the day off. I figured it would be great for him to rest, and for me to assist you."

"Well, I won't waste any time." Tsukauchi swept his hand around the site. "You've been getting the information we sent out, so you know the basics. What we need is to find out who The Vigilante is, and why they are doing it. Now, the only thing left to do is scout for their base of operations, which we hypothesize is deep in the forest, maybe even on Mount Paozu itself. We don't know for sure, but-"

"Very well!" All Might interrupted, bringing his hand up into a thumbs up and flashing a smile. "I will investigate the base of the mountain, and attempt to find this villain's lair!"

All Might spun, turning to face the mountain. He brought his arms down and out, looking like an airplane ready to take off. In a flash, All Might broke into a sprint and leapt high into the air, to whoops and cheers. He disappeared into the sky, soaring towards the mountain.

"...I didn't finish." Tsukauchi rolled his head and sighed. "Well, better go after him to make sure he doesn't kill anyone. I doubt The Vigilante will bother with me while All Might is rooting around."

Tsukauchi started gathering his things and equipment when a squeaky voice shocked him.

"Heading out, are you? Would you mind if I tagged along?"

Tsukauchi looked down, shocked!

"Why are you here?"

Son Gohan's Residence-

"Ka... me..."

Two pale, soft hands were thrust forward, held together at the wrists, fingers arched to form rough claws, palms outstretched.

"Ha..."

The hands were brought back to the right hip, still held in that particular formation.

"Me..."

A spark of blue energy manifested, swirling like a storm, held within the two hands.

"Ha!"

With a shout, the hands were thrust forward again, letting the blue energy fly forth! The narrow beam of energy shot forward, shining in the morning air, before hitting a dirt mound with a ring target crudely sketched in. On impact, the beam singed the dirt, sizzling it slightly before fading out.

The silence that followed was quickly broken by two people clapping. The first was Gohan, with a happy smile on his face. The other was little Kakarot, his head still swaddled to protect the massive bruise on his head. The baby did not seem phased by this at all, and continued to happily clap, gargling some infant nonsense.

"Well done Gine!" Gohan walked over to inspect the target. "Every attempt is getting stronger. Remarkable progress."

Gine did not share the same sentiment. Holding her arms stiffly by her sides, puffing her cheeks in a pout and stomping her foot, Gine looked uncharacteristically frustrated.

"I've been practicing this technique for almost two weeks! It always looks the same, can you really call that attempt any stronger than what I did yesterday, or the day before that?"

"Your ki did rise though mother!" Raditz called over from where he and Bardock were meditating. "I'm not that great at this ki sensing thing, but I do think that you are getting stronger!"

'Don't say anything, don't say anything, don't say anything.' Badock chanted in his head. Raditz wasn't wrong per say. Gine was indeed getting stronger. But the difference was miniscule. It was like having two bowls of rice, but one had one grain more than the other. Sure, one bowl technically had more food, but was that really a difference? But if he spoke up he'd never sleep peacefully for the rest of the month.

Bardock knew Gine wouldn't get that much out of simple repetition training. Saiyans grew strong through combat, with their adrenaline pumping. Even if they got hurt, that just gave them a chance for a zenkai boost. Practice was good for maintaining a level of power, but poor for increasing it. Especially under these easy conditions. The only way to get good results from training on Earth would be to do something extreme. Like, a chamber that warped time to allow for a year's training in a single day. Or a device to augment gravity. Something extreme like that would give Gine the results she wanted.

"Ah, if you say so Raditz." Gine smiled and went over to ruffle her son's hair. Raditz shook her off with a smile, something that was happening regularly now.

It had been about two month since Bardock's family crashed on Earth and Gohan had taken them in. All things considered, life was good. With able-bodied Saiyans assisting him, Gohan's farm had expanded immensely, and was worked on daily. Bardock was pleased to find farm work was decent muscle training that also kept him and his family fed. Gohan's unique training method of farming without tools was also a nice addition to the normally mundane task. Each member fell into their own routine. Bardock woke up early, flew his round to try and get a good fight, fail, come back disappointed, farm, train and eat. It was a simple life, and Bardock would never admit it, but it was a nice change of pace. Although, the lack of a good fight was still eating at him.

The only thing that kept that desire satiated was ki training with Gohan. As promised, the Saiyans taught Gohan what they knew, and Gohan taught them several Turtle Hermit techniques. It wasn't a balanced exchange, as Gohan was a bit too old and weak to get a hold on most of what they taught. The best he could do was hovering above the ground for about thirty seconds, but he was so ecstatic about it that the Saiyans considered that a win. Learning something new, and experiencing flight, no matter now limited or small, made Gohan's day. And what he taught the Saiyans surprised them in usefulness as well.

The first was his own technique, sensing the ki of others. The family, minus Kakarot, joined Gohan in meditation often to hone the skill. Gine and Raditz quickly grasped the technique, but Bardock lagged behind. This was not the kind of training he was used to, but it was a challenge, so he tackled it with determination. First sensing the life of small animals around them, like birds and rabbits. Then, sensing large lifeforms like the Mount Paozu dinosaurs. The final test, about a week ago, was navigating the forest with a blindfold to find a hiding Gohan. The family passed the test, demonstrating their newfound mastery, although it did take Bardock a couple days longer. Gohan was simply delighted to have new students to teach, aliens or not.

The other second technique was the Kamehameha wave. Gine was excited about this one as she lacked a ki-based move to call her own. Bardock and Raditz already had moves of their own, so they moved on to different topics. Bardock was sure that he could mimic the move if he wanted, so he went back to practice sensing ki. Raditz started reviewing human culture through some books Gohan had bought him.

Bardock had no idea how long they'd be stuck on Earth, so it was best to prepare for an extended stay. Raditz was the most tech savvy of the group, so he had investigated the pods, but came back with troubled news. The pods had heated up on entry and the crash was not kind to the aged pieces of technology. Modern attack pods are durable enough to withstand such forces, but these were from an age before the Saiyans integration into the Frieza Force. No, there was system and hull damage which made exiting Earth's atmosphere suicidal. Raditz did say because of the pod's more simple nature, if he had access to time and resources he definitely would be able to fix them, but that may take years. Gohan did not have anything close to the materials needed either, so they couldn't even start.

So, in light of that information, Gohan started teaching the family Earth 101. Bardock now knew he was in Japan, the age of quirks, heroes and villains, culture and customs, and everything Gohan could think up. Bardock was perfectly content with staying isolated, but agreed that this was important to know just in case.

The rest of the family was integrating into Earth life better than he. Gine and Raditz liked this simple life much better. Gine in particular was much happier than Bardock had ever seen her, and Raditz was smiling a lot more. While Raditz did keep on training, it was not forced by Bardock, rather it was his own Saiyan nature. Even if Raditz was like his mother, he still showed that Saiyan blood.

Kakarot was the only one who had a significant event. While playing around with Gohan, he had stumbled over a tree root and fell into a small ravine and hit his head hard. Gohan rushed him back, worried, but found Bardock and even Gine indifferent. Bardock scoffed at Gohan's worry, stating that at his age he had already subjugated the planet he had been sent to. Gine had laughed and informed Gohan that Saiyans, even as infants, were very tough. Gohan was still unsure, especially since after Kakarot woke up he seemed... different. More happy, cheerful and loud. More like a human child than a Saiyan. But he liked the change, so he shrugged and moved on.

"I don't get it though." Bardock refocused on hearing his wife talking to Gohan. "Why is saying the name of the attack so important? Bardock does it, Raditz does it, and now Earthlings do it!"

"It's to help guide your ki into doing what you want it to do. Like muscle memory." Bardock chose this time to open his eyes and push himself to his feet to stretch. Gohan nodded in agreement, but Gine still looked confused.

"Ki can be used for nearly endless things. Firing it as a blast, manipulating it for flight, empowering you power level, focusing it into a single melee attack, and as we recently learned, sensing others ki." Bardock tried to explain. "Being so flexible can often result in it being difficult to control for specific moves and techniques. By saying the name of your attack aloud, it helps focus your body into doing a specific move. It's not necessary, but it helps."

"Exactly. The Kamehameha can be done without the verbal component, but many find it much smoother to do with vocalization." Gohan turned his kind smile to Gine. "And don't get hung up on your progress. While you may think you are slow, in reality you have picked up the technique far faster than anyone I know. It took me over fifty years to even be able to focus my ki into a visible state! You, on the other hand, are already firing ki beams within two weeks, truly an incredible accomplishment!"

Gine faintly blushed, bashful at the compliment. She turned to respond, but then she felt it. Everyone felt it. A burst of power!

"Wa-!" Raditz jolted up from his book. The book fell to the ground, pages shifting, losing Raditz's place. But the child didn't care. He was staring wide-eyed in the distance where he felt such a power jump.

"What was that?" Gine couldn't help but feel worry building in her gut.

"This power! I've never felt this type of raw energy from anyone before!" Gohan could also feel a sense of dread building within him.

"Finally." Bardock felt a feral grin emerging. This was it! The fight he had been looking for! This power still paled in comparison to his own, but that didn't mean this couldn't be a good fight!

"There!" Raditz pointed at a small black object flying through the air, landing with a loud crash a good distance away from Gohan's hut. Judging from the dust cloud and the startled birds crying out and flying away, this was a sizable person.

"Stay here everyone!" Bardock strode forward, cracking his knuckles. He bent down, firing up his ki. "This one's mine!"

Fshoosh!

Bardock soard away, flying out and towards the new challenger.

The others did nothing for a few minutes. They gathered, with Gine picking up Kakarot, back into the hut. It was stressful, not hearing anything. Their imaginations went wild. Gohan hoped that this could be solved without violence. Raditz hoped that this wouldn't blow their cover. Gine hoped that Bardock wouldn't kill this person.

Smash!

The earth shook, rattling the foundations of the hut. Everyone stuck their hands out to find their balance after the surprise shake. That was no earthquake. Smaller hits could be heard that didn't quite shake the ground, but definitely could be heard. Whoever that was, they were fighting Bardock and it sounded like a devastating battle.

"What do we do now?" Raditz was the first to speak.

"What can we do?" Gine murmured while stroking Kakarot's hair. "I know Bardock can handle himself, but that fight is loud. Will we be able to remain under the radar after this?"

"I doubt that." Gohan loathed to be the one bearing bad news, but he couldn't exactly lead Gine on false hope. "Barock and whomever he is fighting are hardly being subtle. At best, it gathers the attention of a patrolling hero. At worst,"

Gohan was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Knock knock

"Huh?" Gohan turned, confused. No one had ever knocked on his door. Never. Not in his decades of living on the mountain, had anyone ever knocked. And the sounds of fighting were still there. That couldn't be Bardock. Then who?

Gohan rose, carefully, and made his way to open the door. Gine and Radtiz held their breath, not knowing if there was a friend or foe outside. Even Kakarot was silent, sensing the room's mood.

Gohan braced himself and swung open the door. A strange sight greeted him. A small off-road police vehicle was parked outside. It was obviously driven by the man in front of him, who was dressed in a detective's outfit. But Gohan's eyes were drawn down, and his brow creased in confusion.

"Who- what are you?"

The base of Mount Paozu-

Fshoosh!

Tap

"Well, this is as good a spot as any." Bardock landed at the base of the mountain, where the forest parted to rock. The area was open and wide, without trees getting in the way. It was on an incline, which Bardock didn't like, but that was the price for an open arena. He could feel the ki of the approaching person, far larger and brighter than any he had felt before. But he really didn't need to sense this person. The loud stomps and the disruption of wildlife gave away their location easily.

Bardock sat down on a large nearby boulder, bringing his right leg and leaving the left one dangling. He fidgeted with his armor, making sure the shoulder straps were comfortable. Unlike the rest of his family, who had accepted Gohan's clothing gifts, Bardock alone refused. It wasn't out of malice, it was just how Bardock, as a Saiyan warrior, operated. He didn't gauge clothes by their comfort or style. He judged clothes by their ability to save his life and deflect blows that got through his guard. A simple white shirt and brown trousers were comfortable, but offered no protection. So Bardock stuck with his armor.

Thump! Thump!

Bardock didn't even flinch at the loud approaching footsteps. He wasn't trying to hide.

"Now, Tsukauchi asked me to search around the mountain's base, so that is what I will do! Wait, hold on, who are you?"

Bardock looked at the person, taking the man in. Then he snickered. The man looked ridiculous!

The first, and most obvious, characteristic of the man was his outfit. Right off the bat, Bardock knew this was one of those 'heroes' Gohan told him about. Oh, Bardock had seen them alright. From his flying routes in the morning and sometimes in the forest itself, he had seen them. They were definitely stronger than the average human (not saying much) but still nothing compared to a Saiyan. What's more is that they strut around in outlandish outfits that make them stand out in all the worst ways. Bardock couldn't understand how those men and women could walk around in skintight outfits and not feel ridiculous. This man was no different. Bright colors clashing with blonde hair, a costume leaving nothing to the imagination, he looked more like a toy than a hero.

"I'm Bardock." A simple reply would suffice for now.

"Well then Bardock, let me ask you a question." The man's smile never wavered, but his voice took a darker turn. His eyes narrowed and his face grew more strained. "Are you the one responsible for the assaults in this area?"

Bardock said nothing. He just hopped off the rock.

"Well?" The hero was tensing up. He knew the answer to the question. This was just a formality.

"If I say yes, what will you do, 'hero?'" Bardock cockily rolled out his right shoulder, taunting the man in front of him.

"..." All Might didn't answer. This wasn't how he had expected this interaction to go. Most villains he fought these days gave up just from his presence alone. This man was different. This 'Bardock' fellow acted as if he wasn't All Might, as if he wasn't the famed symbol of peace. This meant one of two things. It could just be that Bardock didn't know who he was. He couldn't be scared of him if he didn't know the name All Might. But no human on Earth doesn't know that name. So that only left the second option.

That Bardock was so confident in his own power that he felt that this was a winnable battle. All Might hadn't faced off against such an opponent in years, not since his fateful duel with Him.

"I'm sorry but I must turn you in Bardock. Intentions aside, you brutally beat those men and women. They all suffered greatly at your hands, many even sustaining permanent injuries. That is not something I can allow to pass." All Might put it out there. Both sides now knew the other's intentions.

"Oh please. All I did was give each one a lovetap!" Bardock laughed, throwing up his hands. He narrowed his eyes at All Might, his smile not reaching his eyes. "I'll give you one last chance. If you leave now and never return, I'll let you live."

All Might bent into a fighting position, rejecting the proposition.

"So be it." Bardock stood to the side, his left arm facing All Might. Bardock bent down, arcing his body left, never taking his eyes off his foe. Both arms extended out, his left close to the ground, the right high in the air. There was a pause as both fighters stood still, their eyes scanning each other, looking for an opening.

All Might moved first! In a flash, he left his spot and stormed forward, his right arm pulling back.

"Smash!" He roared, flinging his right fist in a massive haymaker, aiming to finish the fight in a single move.

Bardock saw the move in almost slow motion, lips curled up into a smirk. So, this All Might fellow was one of those fighters. All muscle, but no skill. Bardock pulled his body to the right in a single, fluid motion, All Might's fist hitting the air where the Saiyan's body was just milliseconds ago. Feeling the air pressure from the punch on the back of his neck, Bardock lashed out with his elbow, smashing it into All Might's cheek.

All Might reeled back in shock and pain. He had missed a punch, something that hadn't happened in years. What's more, Bardock's blow hurt. Like, a lot. How strong was this guy? All Might's thoughts were interrupted by a foot planting itself on his collarbone, right below his neck. The force threw out his arms as he sailed back until he hit a tree. Groaning, All Might pushed himself up, turning his head to spit. His smile grew even more strained. He had held back significantly, not wanting to maim Bardock. But now? That power was needed.

"What's wrong, big guy? Had enough already?" Bardock casually walked down the mountain. All Might finally stood back up. He'd have to bust out his Super Moves for this guy!

"Carolina...!" All Might darted forward, arms crossed over his chest. He would put down this vigilante in just one move! But as All Might kept his eyes on Bardock, his opponent's figure blurred and vanished. Then, he reappeared, right in front of him! All Might could barely process this, and then a fist sunk itself into his face.

Bardock wasn't done. While All Might staggered back, he reached forward and grabbed where the hero's arms were crossed across his chest. Then, with his other hand, grabbed the hero's neck. With a grunt and a heave, Bardock twisted his body, lifted the hero over his head, and sent him, face first, into the stony ground.

Wham!

Not giving him a moment to breathe, Bardock drove a powerful kick into the hero's side, sending him tumbling down towards the forest.

"That's twice I've hit you. What was it that you said before? That you'd bring me in? Hah! As if you could even land a hit on me!"

All Might leapt to his feet once more, his smile gone.

"Aww, what's wrong? Where'd that goofy smile go?" Bardock continued to taunt.

All Might's face scrunched up in focus before once more flashing to Bardock's location. He made a big show of pulling his right arm back, and was rewarded by Bardock's eyes flickering to that limb. That was what All Might wanted, for the right swing was a feint. All Might's left arm flew forth and hit Bardock with explosive force, sending the Saiyan far back!

But not far enough. All Might watched as Bardock didn't even stumble, not a bit off-balance. This was no ordinary foe. This Bardock was something else. The Saiyan in question didn't drop his smirk, in fact, it seemed to grow.

"Finally, a good fight!" The Saiyan warrior flung himself back at All Might. "Show me more!"

Punch!

Block!

Dodge!

All Might's concentration was unrivaled in the next minute. While his claim to fame was his unmatched strength, he was quite proud of his speed and reflexes. But now that pride was put to the test. Blow after blow, the two fighters dueled, the ground shaking from the power of their blows and the noise reaching out far into the forest. All Might took many hits but gave as good as he got. Whenever Bardock would land a blow, he'd follow that up with one of own. The hero quickly realized that this fighter was his match in many areas. Strength, speed and durability, he just wouldn't go down.

What worried All Might the most was his eyes. Bardock never stayed quiet, letting loose grunts and yells with the occasional taunt mixed in here and there. But his eyes remained laser-focused, taking in everything. All Might knew what this meant. He knew it before, from how Bardock fought, but this sealed the deal. Bardock was learning. Adapting to All Might's fighting style. He was analyzing every punch, every block, every motion and working it into the way he fought to gain the upper hand. From the beginning, All Might knew this was no ordinary fighter. Most villains just threw their power around, using their quirks to cause chaos with no real reason other than just because they could. Bardock had that strength, but also skill. His moves were calculated and chosen with purpose. He moved with grace and focus, as if he had fought thousands of battles where he came out victorious and this one would be no different.

He had to end it here!

"Oklahoma Smash!" All Might threw out another Super Move, trying to break through Bardock's guard. But All Might didn't expect for his right arm to be caught. The hero's eyes widened, his fist being held in place by Bardock's own. All Might threw out his left. Same result. Clutching his foes hands tight, Bardock threw his legs up, the top of his foot catching All Might right below his chin.

With a final flick of his body, Bardock completed a full spin, landing neatly on two feet. All Might sailed back in an arc, landing hard on his back. Flipping over, All Might threw himself back into the fray, his smile now a fierce grimace.

'Not bad.' Bardock was honestly impressed. This human had real strength. All Might's blows were doing more than he thought, the Saiyan's arms quivering under the force of each smash. He had stamina too, fighting for almost five minutes now and only getting stronger. But there was something strange Bardock had noticed. Whenever All Might fell back into a neutral stance, he always angled his body so that his left chest/torso area was guarded. Bardock tested this by shifting side to side, pretending like he was trying to bait out an attack. Whenever he moved to the hero's right, his stance never shifted. Moving to the left elicited a big response in comparison, with the hero moving his feet and arms to guard better. Moreover, the hero seems oblivious to this. Something ingrained from training? Or something more?

Bardock slapped away All Might's left fist. He knew how the big guys would retaliate, pulling back into that stance. Bardock prepared to move forward to catch him in that move, only to be caught off-guard when All Might never stopped his forward momentum. The much larger man threw his entire body weight against Bardock, who was thrust back in surprise.

"Ack!" Bardock tried to throw the hero off him, throwing his hands up to smack him away. Then his right fist came down. Bardock tried to deflect it, but was surprised again when the fist uncurled into a hand and grabbed at his neck. All Might hadn't done tackles and grabs before! Clawing at the hand around his neck, Bardock caught a glimpse of the hero's narrowed eyes before he was slammed into the ground.

"Ghek!" Bardock coughed up blood. All Might did not relent. He raised Bardock up, only to smash him down again. And again. And again!

As All Might brought him up for the fourth time, Bardock threw out his leg, catching All Might in the shin. The sudden burst of pain made the hero buckle, and Bardock took the opportunity to free himself.

"Haaa!" A burst of ki forced All Might's grip off, and the two scrambled back. This time it was Bardock who took the first move, moving forward low to the ground. When All Might threw out a punch, Bardock leaned his feet out and spun over it. The momentum carried him over the extended arm, and Bardock arced out his left fist, holding it steady. Letting the spin's momentum power his fist, he smashed it into the hero's shoulder.

All Might, undeterred, winded up a right haymaker once more. Bardock grit his teeth and did the same. The two brawlers threw their punches at the same time, and hit each other at the same time. Their heads were thrown back, spittle and blood flying out as their fists sunk into each other's cheeks. The two limped back, nursing their wounds.

"Haa, haa, I'll admit! You've pushed me further than anyone else in the past few years, Bardock!" All Might panted, but raised his fists. "But this match is over!"

"Haaa, haa, haa, sure. Sure." Bardock wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I know you haven't been using your full power, and neither have I. Let's end the warm up and fight for real!"

"What?" All Might's eyes widened.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Bardock threw his head back and screamed! White energy rolled off his body, like white tendrils of power! The power he emitted was so great that it sent wind, dust, stones, and was even starting to push All Might himself back!

"Hrng!" All Might threw up his arms to push past this new power, but even as he dug his feet into the ground to anchor himself, he was still being forced back. What was this power? Bardock's quirk? But All Might saw that monkey tail wrapped around his waist! Did he not have a mutation quirk, but some sort of emitter?

"HAAAAA!" With a final scream, a white nova exploded out of Bardock, forcing All Might to avert his eyes from the white light.

WshWshWshWsh

All Might looked back at Bardock to see the warrior coated in some sort of white energy. It wiggled and squirmed, almost like it was reacting to the world around it. It flickered and licked at the air like fire. Slowly the aura died down until it was just a shimmering layer above his skin and outfit. Bardock looked different. His expression was now deadly serious. Slowly, the Saiyan lifted his arms, opening his palm, facing it towards the hero.

Bwoosh!

Then, a white power shot forth! All Might's instincts screamed to dodge, so he threw himself to the side. The white energy scorched the ground beneath it, leaving burn marks as it streaked towards the forest. It hit a tree, where it exploded with terrifying force. All Might then realized he had lost track of Bardock. He whipped his head around, trying to find him.

"Behind you, fool!"

"Arg!"

All Might felt his back fold as a powerful kick sent him tumbling forward. Bardock then vanished, reappearing in front of him spinning around. Lashing out with a kick, Bardock slammed his leg into the side of All Might's face, sending him flying in another direction. Bardock appeared in front of him a third time, with his right arm pulled back. Bardock lunged forward, burying his fist deep into All Might's gut. He followed through with his uppercut, the force lifting All Might off the ground.

All Might struggled to recover from the flurry of blows. What just happened? Was Bardock's quirk some sort of universal enhancer? One that also gave him some sort of explosive shot? His speed and strength also skyrocketed! It was like fighting a whole different being. But All Might had been in worse struggles. He dug his feet in, grit his teeth and dug deep down for every inch of his power. He would not fall here!

All Might launched his ferocious offensive, his arms a blurred mess as he pulled them back and striked in less than the blink of an eye. Bardock parried what he could, took what he couldn't and hit back just as hard. But he was losing ground. All Might couldn't keep this up, already feeling fatigue from such a powerful assault. All the hero needed was just one opportunity to end this fight! He threw out a third right haymaker, but Bardock expertly redirected it aside. The Saiyan then closed the distance, his face inches from All Mights.

"You shouldn't have dropped your guard, 'hero.' Bardock whispered. He then raised his knee and bashed it into All Might's side. Right into his festering, critical wound. The results were instantaneous.

All Might's face whitened in pain and shock. All the fight left his body as he was filled with a pain he could only call indescribable. It was like every cell in his body screaming in agony. He couldn't breath, couldn't move, couldn't speak. He just stood, paralyzed as Bardock removed himself from the hero and stood stoically as All Might crumpled.

"Really? One hit and you go down? Just like that?" Bardock wasn't taunting. All Might couldn't barely hear him at all. That mysterious white energy was gone, but it wasn't like Bardock needed it anymore. He had won. But why, then, did he sound disappointed?

"How?" All Might managed to croak out.

"You always stood in a stance that protected your left. No one acts like that unless they have something to hide or protect. Your responses to my movements confirmed it. You kept up that guard during the entire fight until you got desperate in your last attack. Did you really think I wouldn't exploit the weakness of my opponent?" Bardock lifted his arm once more, white energy pooling into his palm.

"Goodbye, hero."

All Might closed his eyes.

Then a third, squeaky voice rang out.

"Now, now, I think that's enough violence for one day, don't you think?"

Bardock and All Might's heads shot to the side and up to see where the voice came from. There, on a ledge on the side of Mount Paozu, stood three figures. The first, easily recognized by All Might, was Tsukauchi. His eyes were wide in shock, his knuckles white from clenched fists as he looked down at his friend. The second was not someone that All Might knew. He was an old man in an orange themed robe and hat with black pants. He looked concerned at the scene in front of him. And the third was...

"Nezu?" All Might managed to get out. Speaking was getting difficult.

"Is that a rat in a suit?" Bardock sounded very confused.

"Now, I wouldn't call myself a rat, although you can if you'd like. After all, what am I really? A rat? A mouse? A bear? Who knows?" Nezu laughed in his high pitched giggle.

"Did that rat just talk?" Bardock was still in disbelief.

"Oh don't just stand there Tsukauchi, go help your friend! I know that's why you brought that first-aid kit." That was all Tsukauchi needed to hear. He leapt down and sprinted to All Might's side, ignoring Bardock who was just standing, confused, at the sudden turn of events.

Gohan started jumping down, with all the grace of an expert martial artist. With a last hop, Gohan hit the ground in front of Bardock, and Nezu climbed down from his shoulder. Thanking the man for the ride, the small beast-principal walked right in front of the Saiyan, his small furry paws folded behind him. For a moment, the two just stood there, staring at each other, unmoving.

"I must say!" Nezu spoke happily, as if he didn't just see Bardock fighting just now. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you!"

"Uhh, why?" Bardock was still getting his bearings.

"Why? Hmm, a good question. I suppose it is human nature to relish in exploring the unknown. But, I am not human. But I act human! Well, only when people are looking. Don't want to leave a bad impression, now would I?" Nezu hummed, a cheeky smile dancing across his lips.

"If I had to choose one reason why I am so excited to meet you, it would have to be because you are not from this Earth. You are, in simple terms, an alien."

Bardock felt the world pause.

"Come, come!" Nezu was already moving, scrambling up Gohan to rest on his shoulder. "This is not a conversation to be had in the chilly mountain air! Let us talk this over at Son Gohan's residence over some nice tea. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Bardock was starting to suspect that this talking rodent would be his toughest battle yet.