Last time on 'Chronomancer's Games', After having an unexpected, but welcome reunion with Kiryo and the alternate Trunks, Logan and the Z-Fighters regrouped at Capsule Corporation. Joined by Gohan, Bardock, and their crews, they had informed everyone about the situation, including the Soldiers of the Silver Empire. Logan then reunited with his former friend Charlie Nash, but the reunion was all but welcome as the two rivals fought it out with Logan emerging victorious. Another reunion, this time with the speed demon Blur, resulted in Gohan knocking him out after the efforts of Logan, Android 18, Goten, and Future Trunks have failed, he now finds himself in need of rescuing after being discovered by his classmates Erasa and Angela as the Gold Fighter. How will he get out of this one?
The Gold Fighter Discovered! Videl to the Rescue!
At Capsule Corp., a nervous Gohan was in the middle of a staredown with two classmates who, while hanging out like they were friends, also argued over him. Naturally, Logan and Yamcha had no idea what was going on while Vegeta was getting irritated. Erasa and Angela were both confused as well since they knew that Gohan normally had black hair and black eyes. "G-Gohan?" Erasa asked. "T-That is you...right?"
"Who are these two?" Yamcha asked.
"They're my friends from school," came the answer from the hybrid.
"And you never told them?" Vegeta questioned as Gohan changed back.
"Tell us what? That he's some kind of mutant?" Angela asked, unknowingly irritating Vegeta more.
"Not quite, little girl!" To emphasize this, Vegeta transformed into his own Super Saiyan form. The temper and the transformation frightened Erasa, but Angela, though scared she may be, stood her ground. "I'd leave if I were you," Vegeta said in a menacing tone. "Otherwise, you'll be on the receiving end of a blast from the Saiyan Prince!" As Vegeta held out his hand and created an energy sphere, Gohan stepped between him and the two girls. "Get out of my way, kid!"
"Not a chance, Vegeta," said the hybrid. "Not until you've calmed down."
"You're lucky fighting you is the next best thing to fighting your father; Otherwise, I'd kill you where you stand. If you want me to spare them, then tell them your life story or take them as mates. I recommend the redhead."
"'Mates'?" Angela asked.
"Gohan, are you some kind of alien?" asked Erasa.
"Now you're on the right track," Vegeta said, crossing his arms with a smirk.
"Leave him alone, Vegeta," Yamcha said.
"I suggest you two follow the same advice!" said a female voice. They looked at the entrance and saw Videl standing with her hands on her hips, figuring out that she was talking to hers and Gohan's classmates.
"V-Videl!?" Erasa exclaimed. "But I thought you didn't like Gohan!"
"Read my lips: Get the hell out!" Not wanting to deal with Videl's wrath, the other two girls high-tailed it out of there.
"Thanks, Videl," Gohan said.
"Anytime. Now how did they manage to find their way here?"
"I think they followed me, Trunks, and Tomita after my fight with Nash," Logan said, finally speaking up.
"And you just let it happen!?" Vegeta shouted.
"Hey, an intense rivalry and fatigue after a grudge match leaves you prone to making mistakes. It wasn't my intent, but then again, neither was fighting Nash." As Logan walked off, Vegeta was getting even angrier. However, Gohan restrained him from trying to kill the Assassin.
At the park on the other side of town, While Angela was trying to find a way to find out more on their mutual crush without Videl or Vegeta getting in the way, Erasa was still trying to process what she saw. One minute, she saw Gohan transform into the Gold Fighter, and the next, her best friend was sticking up for him when she initially saw nothing special about him. The two girls were pulled out of their thoughts when some more Silver Soldiers appeared. "Who are these guys?" Angela asked.
"By the order of the Silver Emperor, you two are now recruited into our army!" one of them exclaimed.
"I don't think so!" shouted a voice. Out from the shadows leapt a young man with long brown hair, an orange mask, a purple ninja outfit, and black mesh shirt under the top. He had on a pair of geta sandals and gray socks. "You two stay behind me. I'll handle these idiots."
"Right, like we're going to trust a ninja," Angela said sarcastically.
"Gohan, help us!" Erasa desperately shouted. "Please!"
"Let's get the ninja first! Then, we'll take the girls!" said the squad leader. "We'll deal with this 'Gohan' character when the time comes!" The others nodded as the ninja got ready. The soldiers made the first move by firing energy blasts from their rings, which he dodged. The ninja then rushed over and knock two of them down, using his elbows to knock them out. He then saw the rest closing in, so he picked them up and threw them at their teammates. The soldiers got up and charged for the ninja again, prompting him to slam their throats and kick their stomachs.
Eventually, there was only one left. Scared as he was of the ninja, he blindly charged him. The ninja grabbed the soldier's arm, struck his underarm, struck the back of his head, and threw him to the ground. He turned to check on Angela and Erasa. Before he could ask if they were alright, he saw Gohan, Logan, and F. Trunks approaching, the three having seen the battle. "Wait, is that...?" Logan asked before catching the smirk through the ninja's mask. "Master Zeku?" In response, the ninja put his hands together and a puff of smoke appeared. When the ninja reappeared, his mask became an orange scarf and he gained a green haori, white hair, and an elderly appearance, freaking out the girls and shocking the hybrids. "It is you!" Logan exclaimed.
"It's good to see you, my friend," Zeku said. "How've you been?"
"Well, other than running into Charlie Nash again, I've been fine."
"Ah, so you're still upset about what happened to Cammy, are you?" Logan merely nodded with a scowl. "Well, I hope some more action comes soon. Those horrid excuses for Silver Lanterns were mere warmups."
"Hold on a sec!" Angela said, getting the attention of the visitors. "Before you start looking for a fight, old man, Gohan has a bit of explaining to do!"
"Oh yeah," Gohan said in realization. "Dad and Vegeta's origins. Good thing we brought Trunks with us." Answering Erasa and Angela's questions, the two hybrids explained to them about Saiyans, a topic that Logan learned more about. In the process, they grew more afraid of Vegeta than they already were. They also learned about the true reason why Hercule was labelled 'The Champ': It was because Gohan's own father, Goku, was fighting the one responsible for the Saiyan Genocide and Krillin's second death on another planet. "...There. Now you know about my Saiyan bloodline and who my dad was."
"Damn that Hercule!" Angela said, surprising Erasa and Gohan. "Gohan, you don't need to tell us the rest of your life story! Now I'm going to tear that jerk limb from limb for stealing credit for killing Cell from you! And I'll do the same to his daughter."
"It's a good thing Atrocitus and Gardner aren't here," Logan said, getting a nod from Zeku.
"Hold it, Angela!" Gohan said, a firmness in his tone that made the redhead stop. "Just because Hercule downplayed our abilities and acted like a jerk towards us during his press conferences, it doesn't mean Videl should be a target for your wrath."
"And what will you do to stop me?" Gohan responded with a mighty shout before turning Super Saiyan 2. "What the-? I can't sense energy like you and yet, I can feel that!"
"Dad got the original Super Saiyan form during his fight against Frieza. I got that training with him and this during my fight with Cell." F. Trunks, deciding to do a bit of show-and-tell himself by transforming into a Super Saiyan as well.
"Y-You know, I should've remembered that you completely outclass us in your base form alone. And I'm not just talking about your intelligence. O-Okay..." All along, Erasa looked at Gohan in wonder, feeling the power emitting from him. This didn't go unnoticed by Logan and Zeku, who gave the two a smirk. The two human martial artists were about to get into their stances, but Zeku noticed something taking aim at Gohan. A blast headed towards the half-Saiyan before the elder could give him a warning. Gohan merely put his hand up and blocked it, noting the energy generated to be artificial energy as opposed to natural ki. "Are you okay, Gohan?" Angela asked.
"I'm fine," he answered before directing his gaze towards the bushes. "Give it up, Tao! You aimed that blaster at me before seven years ago before running off!" At Gohan's words, a cybernetic man came out. Wearing a black outfit with pink garments on top, black slip-on shoes, a pencil moustache, cybernetic arms, and implants on his head, including red telescopic eyes.
"Ah, Son of Goku," said the man. "Very perceptive, I see. Still got the blonde hair?"
"Slightly different, but yeah." Gohan got in his battle stance, but Zeku stepped in in the Saiyan's favor. "Zeku?"
"Master Zeku, what are you doing?" Logan asked.
"Do not waste your energy, Gohan," said the old master. "I'll take care of this one." Zeku took his stance as the Saiyans powered down. Tao responded in kind. "It's time you learned your place in the pecking order, mercenary."
"Tch. I have little time for old geezers such as yourself," Tao scoffed. "I'll make this quick and painless for you." Tao lunged forward to strike Zeku, but the latter parried the punch before using an upward palm strike on him. Zeku disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared in his younger form to kick Tao down. The cyborg jumped back and fired several of his new 'Ultra Dodon Rays' to try and hit him, but Zeku kept dodging and getting closer, much to the shock of everyone except Logan. Tao's left hand fell, revealing a knife to slash the ninja with. Zeku grabbed Tao's arm and kicked him, tearing off the arm in the process. Tao fired the 'Dodon Ray' again, but like last time, it failed. Zeku got up close and delivered a series of punches before kicking him into the air. He attacked Tao from the front and the back, switching forms as he did. He then got to the ground and dash punched from every angle before kicking him down in his younger form.
By the time it was said and done, Tao was knocked out. Zeku changed back into his real form. "And that's that. Normally, I have issues with attacking unarmed opponents, but I decided to make an exception in this case."
"That old man's pretty mobile for his age," said Angela.
"That's Zeku," Logan pointed out. "He's the 38th Grandmaster of the Bushin-style Ninjutsu. By tradition, if the Grandmaster loses a battle with a student he deems worthy to succeed him, he's normally to die. Zeku chose to spare his own master Genryusai. Likewise, his own apprentice, Guy, did the same."
"It's because Genryusai was like a father to me," Zeku said. "There are two Grandmasters left, myself and Guy. Now, I believe we should be going on our way."
"Hey, that was some impressive fighting, old man," a voice said, one that was unfamiliar to everyone but Gohan and F. Trunks.
"What's going on? Who is this?" Logan asked.
"I'm pretty impressed with you too. Gohan really knows how to pick his friends. If I wasn't dead, I'd fight you myself." Suddenly, it dawned on Logan and the hybrids who it was talking to them.
"Dad, is that you?" Gohan asked in an excited tone, shocking Zeku and the girls.
"Yeah, it's me. You look like you've been keeping in shape since you killed Cell. I'm proud of you, Gohan. And Trunks," Goku said to the Saiyan of the Future. "It's nice to see you again. You look like you've been through a lot."
"Yeah," F. Trunks responded. "Truth be told, I have been since you and I left."
"Hold on," Erasa said. "Gohan, that's your dad speaking?"
"Yeah. He's in Other World right now. Been there since the Cell Games," Gohan explained.
"Believe it or not, the Gohan in Trunks' Future was killed. However, this Gohan is the only one of us who has yet to die at all," came the explanation. "He's actually the lucky one."
"Aw Dad!"
"Hey, whatever's going on, I'm sorry I'm missing out on the action. I'd like to join in, get a few fights in, maybe even spar with Piccolo or Vegeta again. Unfortunately, you know my circumstances."
"If you do find a way to come back, Dad, we'll be waiting for you."
"That's good to know, Gohan," said Goku. "Here's hoping I see you soon." With that, Goku ended the conversation, leaving Logan, Zeku, and the girls wondering what happened.
"I don't get it," Angela said. "What happened?"
"That was Gohan's father Goku," F. Trunks explained. "Both of his deaths were because of a self sacrifice. First to hold his evil brother Raditz long enough for Piccolo to kill him. The second was because he used a technique called 'Instant Transmission' to teleport Cell somewhere else. Cell blew up, taking Goku and a planet with him. Goku's been in Other World since then."
"Well, however you brought him back last time, can't you do it again?" Erasa asked. "If there is a crisis going on, don't you think we need your dad, Gohan, and not Videl's?"
"I'd like nothing more than to use the Dragon Balls to resurrect dad again," Gohan said with tears in his eyes, much to the girls' shock. "Unfortunately, it has to be the ones on New Namek and he has to agree to it. The Dragon Balls here on Earth won't grant the same wish twice if the target's the same."
"How many Dragon Balls are there?"
"There's seven," Logan said. "A former friend brought one to me when he followed Gohan to Capsule Corp."
"You mean that 'Frankenstein'-looking guy?" Angela asked.
"So you saw that, huh? That's Charlie Nash. He was a friend of mine who taught me the 'Sonic Boom'. The man's...undead at this moment. He's kind of on my bad side, though. I'd rather not talk about it." The others nodded in understanding, though Zeku knew why.
Back at Capsule Corp., Vegeta and the others waited for Logan, F. Trunks, and Gohan to get back with the girls. They had no idea they were bringing another friend with them. Much to the Saiyan Prince's irritation, Videl kept pacing the floor, worried about their comrade. Before he could tell her off, a certain squad leader beat him to the punch. "You're worried about my grandson, aren't you?" Bardock asked.
"Y-Yes, sir," said the girl. "What if he's come across a really great threat? Greater than this 'Frieza' character?"
"I'll admit that Frieza's a tough one. From what I heard, he's even more powerful than his father."
"That may be true, but there was a threat greater than Frieza that terrorized the Earth looking for Androids 17 and 18," Vegeta pointed out. "His name was Cell, and for good reason: His body consisted of cells from myself and Kakarot, Frieza, and a Namekian named Piccolo. Gohan, naturally, had a tough time against him."
"Yeah, but Gohan killed Cell," Videl said.
"A monster created from the cells of a Namek, two Saiyan survivors, and the universe's most fearsome tyrant? That is more powerful than Frieza. I bet this 'Piccolo' character is a Warrior Clan member."
"Mostly, Bardock. Piccolo's a case of being both Dragon Clan and Warrior Clan, but given that he was a fighter since he was born, with his first battle being against your son, he leans more towards the Warrior Clan."
"Wait, there's a difference?"
"Sorry," Bardock said to Videl. "Guess we got caught up in the conversation. The Warrior Clan Namekians, such as Gohan and Kakarot's friend Piccolo, are fighters. The Dragon Clan Nameks are wizards of sorts, with the Grand Elder being responsible for the creation of the Dragon Balls. Your Guardian of Earth is a Dragon Clan Namek."
"Hey, we're back," Gohan said as he, Logan, F. Trunks, and the girls came in.
"What took you so long?" Vegeta asked. "Your girlfriend here was worried about you. You didn't run into Cell again, did you?"
"Please, if we ran into Cell, Trunks, Logan, and I would've wiped him out. No, there was an unnoticed distortion that brought this guy here." At that signal, Zeku entered, baffling the full-blooded Saiyans as well as Videl.
"Allow me to introduce myself," said the ninja. "My name is Zeku, the 38th Grandmaster of the Bushin-style Ninjutsu."
"A ninja?" Videl asked, getting a nervous chuckle from Gohan. "He's not like Frankenstein down there, is he?"
"If you mean Nash, no he's not," F. Trunks said. "Zeku dealt with an old enemy of Goku's named Mercenary Tao so Gohan wouldn't waste his time." Bardock got a closer look at the ninja and found that he wasn't afraid, or didn't show it anyway. The Saiyan squad leader felt of Zeku's muscle and found it to be the perfect size. "So, what do you think, Bardock?"
"Honestly, Trunks," Bardock began. "His age hides his strength well. Seasoned fighter, experienced teacher...He's what we need to help deal with this distortion issue."
"I would be honored to help in any way that I can," Zeku said with a bow, getting one from Bardock in return.
"Hey, where are Cammy and the others?" Logan asked.
"Babysitting," Vegeta said, giving them a clue as to who they were dealing with. "A little warning: Trunks and Goten can cause quite a bit of trouble when they're together."
"I figured as much. Given Goten's innocence and Trunks' penchant for mischief, I'm not surprised in the least."
When Logan got outside, he was shocked to see Trunks and Goten playing 'Monkey in the Middle' with Cammy's beret as the ball. Naturally, Cammy was getting ticked off, but she knew she shouldn't hit children whether they had Saiyan blood or not. Guile, Chun-Li, and Abel were worn down, but it was obvious that Soifon hasn't had a crack at it yet. "I mean it, Trunks! Goten!" Cammy shouted, her temper starting to get the better of her. "Give me back my hat this instant!"
"Why?" Trunks asked as he spun the beret on his finger while he and Goten were in the air. "It's stupid. And so is the name 'Delta Red'." Suddenly, Logan appeared behind Trunks, took the beret back, landed on his feet, and gave it back to Cammy. They greeted each other with a kiss, with the Saiyan kids acting like they were sick from the sight. "Really, Logan? First you ruin our fun, then you go and do that?"
"Didn't Bulma teach you not to play with something that isn't yours? This beret literally has Cammy's name on it!" Logan exclaimed. The kids landed on the ground next to them.
"So, when are the babies coming?" Goten asked.
"A little young to be asking us that, don't you think?" The hybrids merely chuckled at that. "Vegeta wasn't kidding when he said that these two cause trouble."
"If only we could get enough alone time," Cammy said.
"By the way, when Trunks and I went with Gohan to find his classmates, guess who we ran into."
"Who?" Soifon asked.
"Master Zeku."
"The Bushin-style's 38th Grandmaster? He's here?" Logan confirmed with a nod as he helped his friends up. He spotted Kiryo and Yamcha taking their turns to spar with Blur, the latter proving to be fast enough to give them a challenge. "It looks like Seconds is getting well-acquainted with everyone here."
"Yep," said Logan. "We also talked with Gohan and Goten's dad Goku, but Angela and Erasa heard him as well. He had nothing but good things to say about us."
"Is that so?" Chun-Li asked. "That was awful nice of him." Logan nodded in agreement as they watched the sun set. The Assassin still wondered if he'd be able to stand a chance against Goku if the two fought. The moment was broken when they heard a crash, so they looked and saw that Blur was knocked out. They also saw that Kiryo, who was normally a swordfighter like F. Trunks, had his foot extended and his swords sheathed.
"Huh," he said. "Must be rusty."
"You know, I don't think Bulma would appreciate her yard being torn up," said Krillin. "Then again, even worse has happened."
"I don't even want to know."
Later that night, Gohan, Goten, Videl, and Bardock and his crew went back to the Son house, leaving Logan and his friends at Capsule Corp. Tomita happened to have come back after a trip to the grocery store. Needless to say, she had to slug a few guys for hitting on her, her Saiyan strength also frightening even the cashier. The Saiyan girl was happy to pay for it, though, seeing as she didn't want to be accused of being a thief. Once Logan heard that, the two of them shared a laugh. He even introduced her to Zeku, who was now in his quarters. Logan couldn't sleep, so he went outside and stared out at the moon. 'I wonder if this would still have happened if your plans came to fruition, Gill,' he thought, clenching his fist. 'Either way, my friends and I would've stopped you.'
"Something on your mind?" a voice asked. Logan looked and found Tomita standing behind him.
"Nothing much," he said. "Just had my mind on an old enemy of mine and hoping he wouldn't show himself."
"Have you sensed any more anomalies yet?"
"Not since Blur arrived, no. I haven't even sensed Zeku when he showed up."
"But you're looking like you're on high alert."
"I am. I'd like to be ready." Suddenly, Logan's phone rang, so he looked at the screen and was shocked at who was calling. It was a man with blonde hair and skin that was red on the right half and blue on the left. He had a gem in his forehead as well. "Gill?"
"Ah, so I have reached you after all, Logan," said the man. "I wasn't sure if you were in this dimension or not."
"What do you want from me? I thought after Shadaloo fell and Nash was destroyed again, your little ice witch disbanded her squad."
"She did and yet, Nash lives. I need to know what is going on. That is why I am calling you. Meet me at these coordinates. Bring your friends as well." After they hung up, Logan received the coordinates from Gill.
"You're not really going to go, are you?" Tomita asked.
"What choice do I have? I've known Gill for a good while. When he needs me for something, such as comparing notes or fulfilling certain tasks that his right hand woman Kolin can't do, I'm the one they usually rope into it. This case is little different, save for the fact that I have to bring my friends there too."
"Then who's going to watch Nash?"
"We'll get Krillin and Yamcha to watch him. I don't exactly trust Blur with guard duty."
The next morning, Bulma gave Logan and his friends a ride to the spot that Gill told Logan to meet him at. The Saiyans came along as well, with Vegeta anticipating a fight. When they got there, they saw Gill sitting on a tree stump reading his Book of Miraha. He had on a tan robe. He looked up and saw that Logan brought quite the crew, including both Trunks, Goten, and Videl. "Ah, just what I needed," Gill said.
"So that's the one you had us come along for?" Vegeta asked Logan.
"Yep," Logan said. "I'm here, Gill, just like you wanted."
"You didn't bring Nash with you?" Gill asked.
"I would've killed him again."
"Fair enough. It's funny you would bring some Saiyans along. I actually wanted to show you this." They saw a carving in the mountains. It was a group of five people with a tail transferring their power to a sixth one. "I learned about the Saiyans while you were having your showdown with the past versions of three of them."
"How did you know about..." Logan began until he saw Kolin, giving her a scornful look, which earned him a sorrowful one. She wore a woman's business suit with her hair in an asymmetrical style.
"Sorry for the apparent deception, but if I told you over the phone, you wouldn't have come. However, we do need to compare notes. First thing's first, though: I need to challenge the Saiyan among that group who has the noblest of hearts. That Saiyan must be of pure blood, however."
"But the only one who's like that is Tomita."
"I can tell."
"So you mean that Gohan and I don't even get to fight?"
"Probably for the best in your case, Vegeta," Gohan said. "You still have quite a mean streak in you."
"What about that carving?" Tomita asked.
"It would seem that the Saiyans depicted in those carvings are performing a ritual of some sort."
"Wait a minute..." Vegeta said. "That's the Super Saiyan God ritual!" The revelation took the others by surprise and intrigued Gill. This was going to be interesting.
CHAPTER 7 END
A reunion between two enemies results in the discovery of the Super Saiyan God ritual and a desire for a match against Tomita shocks the others, as Tomita has yet to be in a battle herself. What will happen next? Stay tuned for the next chapter of 'Chronomancer's Games'.
