Yo! Son Goku and friends! The Cell Saga (Prologue)
Dr. Gero
The room was a dull blue. Metal flooring clanged in response to the pairs of footsteps moving every which way erratically. The room was drained of colour and only the large computer monitors and small LEDs lit the dark space. A man typed feverishly on the computer. His bushy white mustache'd lip wavered like a caterpillar as he clicked on the buttons. He wore a black vest, long horizontal black hat with a red bowtie logo on it. The logo had the letter R on each side of the small symbol. He wore an orange pinstripe button up underneath the vest and brown slacks. His fit was complete with black and white bowling shoes.
Another man paced around the room behind the keyboard. He played with his lips as he stepped, the metal clang of the flooring rang out again and again. The man was bald from the crown down to the ears which was then preceded by shaggy white hair. He wore a white lab coat with a brown dress shirt complete with a red tie. He possessed black pants and brown dress shoes. He walked with a cane as well, providing less echoey sounds as it tapped lightly against the metal.
"Nearing completion, Kochin. If, Cell, doesn't die in the embryonic state we should be golden." The man with the black hat stated.
"Excellent." The balding man replied.
Kochin looked down at a compass-like device in his hand. It showed green scan lines that refreshed slowly. He pressed down on the button at the top and it zoomed out. After completing a rotation it showed an orange blip far on the top left side.
"Not far now, Gero." Kochin stated. He tapped on the metal paneling in anticipation, palming his cane with both hands.
"We just sit back, and watch." Gero stated, backing off from the computer.
Just behind the large console Gero was typing into was a round glassy cylinder. It glowed a mesmerising green hue. Bubbles floated and came into existence around a small creature. The head almost took up its entire size.
Gero crossed his arms and looked up at the small being in the tube. There seemed to be a glossiness to his view as if he were looking past the green cylinder.
The pair looked to each other for a moment and then resumed their focused gaze at the little creature in the tube. Bubbles gyrated and swirled around the small being. Gero frowned and stepped back forward, feverishly typing into the computer terminal once again.
"Last minute adjustments, Gero?" Kochin asked.
"I just want to make sure he comes out understanding our language. It would be easiest on us to have to teach it the least amount of things. Wheelo, is going to be taking over his body anyway so we might as well speed the process up." Gero stated.
"Affirmative." Kochin replied.
Kochin took a wide arc around the tube with his walk, he eyed the creature. There was data displayed over the cylinder prison the baby was locked in on the right side. It had stats laying out:
Time until Birth: 3 Years
Growth Potential: Very High
Estimated Lifespan: 800 Years?
Fighting Potential: Very High
Estimated Full Height: 6 foot 8, 203.2 Centimetres
Estimated Full Weight: 200 lbs., 90.7 kilos
Genetic Shareholders: Son Goku, Krillin, Unknown tailed being, Unknown purple-blooded being-Likely Demon King Piccolo, Tienshinhan, Yamcha, Cicada, Cockroach
"If you look at this, Kochin, it suggests that, Son Goku, and the, Unknown tailed being…" Gero stated as he brought up another screen on the left side.
The screen was cut in half with a top and bottom section showing Goku and Raditz' face.
"...Are brothers, and it also suggests that they are not of this planet."
Kochin walked back around to Gero's position and eyed the photograph of the two fighters.
"Interesting…" Kochin stated.
"It would appear a lot of, Cell's, fighting potential came from the fact that we have the two of them. And…" Gero pulled up a photograph of young Gohan. "The genes of that little boy you gathered at, Mei Queen Castle. Whatever they are, they have very strong genetic carry overs with dominant genes and have at least triple the amount of testosterone of the average male human. Those three and the purple blooded creature…"
Gero cleared the left screen and replaced it with an image of Piccolo.
"Those four are what will make, Cell, the perfect body. As I've run the tests without that subject and it appears that the purple blooded creature is what gives our creation its fantastic lifespan." Gero stated.
A slow smirk crept across Kochin's face. He brandished the sonar device and clicked on the top part twice. It scanned a very wide area, wide enough to show 3 orange blips on the green scanlines.
"Fantastic." Kochin stated. "Wheelo's vision is right in our grasp."
Lao
A girl ran under a large archway with the letters:
Chazke Village
Carrying a small orange orb with stars on it. She smiled with the exuberance that only the young carry as she carried on.
"Granpa!" She yelled with her squeaky voice, chesnut brown braided pigtails bobbing up and down.
The hyperactive girl barged right through the saloon doors of what looked like a general store, various boxes and bottles stacked at the walls on shelves.
"Hmm?" An older and distinguished gentleman raised his brow at the girl's excitement.
"Look!" She shouted loudly as she hopped over the counter and presented the Dragon Ball.
"What's this?" The man questioned as he palmed the orb, his white mustache squirming like a caterpillar.
"I don't know!" She giggled out with high energy. "It sure is pretty though!"
"That it is… Here you go, Lime."
The girl smiled, sitting down on the counter and staring deeply into the beautifully crafted item, her reflection clear as could be, even in the somewhat dusty department store.
"Where did you find that thing?" The older man asked as he leaned over the counter, full of smiles.
"Down by the ravine~" She answered quickly, her mouth probably running faster than her brain, seeing as she winced after she said it.
Her grandpa picked her up and set her on the counter, pointing a stern finger at the girl.
"You know I don't like it when you play over there, it's dangerous."
"I know."
"I've got work to do Lime, you can stay here if you want but today's gonna be boring just like always."
Krillin
Krillin stood in a line with several other men, each wearing more athletic type wear, focused and determinately staring at a dog in a police uniform with various badges and gadgets on it. The dog-man was clearly decorated, grey hairs here and there. The yard was bustling with activity as uniformed guards trained and ran drills on the track and various pieces of work-out equipment.
"We only take the best of the best of the best here in WCPD! Hercule and his squad are one of the major reasons West City still stands here today. Over three years ago now a hideous blight rocked this side of the Earth and turned everyone into frothing lunatics at the inhalation of a mysterious gas."
The dog walked by every man, looking them up and down as his dog whiskers and nose bounced with vigour. He stopped on a dime and met Krillin's heroic-looking eye contact. The dog-man nodded.
"Scientists have still yet to discover what the mystery gas was and where it's gone. The reason I tell you this is if you look to fight crime with us in the WCPD it's going to be a long and hard road full of tough decisions that you're going to have to make regardless of how you feel about it!"
The dog-man gave one final once-over before he got out a stopwatch and clicked it in.
"You know what you have to do! We've already briefed you on the placement test! Get to it!"
Krillin watched everyone dutifully at the starting line, making sure to find any weak links or especially well-prowessed individuals.
"Get goin'!"
The New Turtle Grandmaster gave a half-hearted jog as he still made sure to check his roster's proficiency.
"Your ears work, boy!? If you don't want to fail I suggest you get moving!"
Krillin didn't really pay him much mind, slowing his advance even more.
"You clearly lack discipline! You can't even follow orders!"
DOOMM!
The dog-man was blasted on his ass as a burst of wind screeched out in all directions, the sheer power rippled out into the entirety of the enclosed courtyard. Everyone saw it. Krillin hopped through tires, jumped gaps, climbed up ropes, hit on punching bags, caving them in and causing them to drain of their contents before finishing the lap and stretching out his limbs at the starting line.
"What the~"
"I'll do it a hundred times if I have to for you to believe me but I really did run the full course just now. Look." He said as the punching bag just started to pour with sand.
Kshhhhhh~
"..."
"I understand your skepticism… sir."
"Do it again."
"Yes sir."
FwufufufufufufufufufufufufuSkff~
Krillin was nonchalant about the whole ordeal, cracking the side of his neck like it was another day on the job.
"Just in case you don't think I'm capable of the supernatural."
Vzhh~
"This arm's not even real." He stated calmly as small orbs of ki fluttered into the wind. "Lost it in a fight a few years ago."
"Whoa~"
Krillin raised a brow as a particularly rotund man in uniform walked over.
"Are you the Krillin from the world tournaments?"
"Hah! Yeah, that'd be me." Krillin replied with a sly smirk.
"This guy's the real deal, boss."
"By gawd." The dog-man fixed his glasses and stared at Krillin in awe, in fact, the whole force did.
"Do that laser beam thing. I saw you do it at the 22nd."
"I'm not sure I should fire the Kamehameha in front of civilians. Do I need a permit for that?" He asked cheekily as he shifted eye contact to that of the elderly dog.
The dog-man just rolled his eyes in killer disdain.
"The good ones always gotta have an attitude."
"Tsss~heh-heh-heh."
Yamcha
"Come on bruh, you ain't never gonna catch me at that rate." The Wolf taunted from across the loft at a little toddler wobbling all over himself, giggling all the while.
"I cannot Believe you are taunting a baby."
"He's not a baby! He's been existing on this bitch of an Earth for a whole year now, ain't that right?"
"Heh-huah!" The little boy giggled out as he fell over.
"See? Takes falls like a chad too." Yamcha shot back with a cocky smile as he picked up the messy black haired boy off the carpet. "You hurt little guy?"
"Hee~"
"Of course nooot." Yamcha gave the little boy the lightest of noogies which of course provided more youthful giggles. "Why do I even ask?"
Chu~
"Oh~"
"You know it's really sexy when you go into dad mode."
"Bruh."
"... Don't bruh me." She got into a defensive stance, hands on her hips, a smile creeping across her lips that she didn't want to give to him.
"I'm just doin' my job, bitch. Are you really down that bad?"
She shook her head, cheeks flushed red and tongue in cheek.
"You're something else, Yamcha."
"Hagh-hagh!"
Yamcha plopped down on the couch and rested the small infant in his lap. The little one didn't want to stay still however, The Wolf being forced to provide a jungle gym service with his arms and shoulders.
"You're kind of heavy, bro. You know that? You gettin' fat as hell too."
"Huah-hee~"
Yamcha smiled and kissed the boy on the temple, resting him over his chest and shoulder. He patted on the boy's back in a rhythmic motion, forcing the baby to lull into rest. Bulma lifted her glasses and looked over at her man, an uncontrollable smile tearing across her face once again.
"I'm pissed."
"Why?" Yamcha's goofy hollywood smile almost shined in the loft lighting.
"I had that little guy in my body for 9 months and he gets to look like you?"
"Hagh-Hagh! He's got your eyes, I don't know why you're so pissed!"
"That grinds my gears, you even get to have a boy too! That's not fair!"
"Aww, it's almost like I told you we weren't having a girl."
Bulma stood up and walked her way over to The Wolf, falling onto him.
"I could just strangle you right now."
"Do it, end my shit."
They laughed quietly and melded into a family unit of weird angulations, Yamcha beneath, Bulma across his chest and their little one sitting atop Bulma's head on Yamcha's face. The trio was content to just lay there and zone out to the numbing infomercials on the television.
"..."
"Hey."
The Wolf looked down.
"They're doing the 25th tournament this year."
"Oh."
"Yep."
"How bout that."
"Mmhmm.
Sapa
A determined yet drained-looking brown man checked the mail. He filed through all the items not addressed to him until he got something labeled:
25th Tenkaichi Budokai
Sapa had been putting up with it for a long time, perhaps too long and he finally snapped.
"Trash!" He yelled as he ripped the letter apart utterly.
His father was there to see him in such disarray, wearing his yellow training robes the same as always. The King walked the bridge in a hurry, water rippling out on either side of him as he tried to catch up with his boy.
"Sapa…" He cooed with hesitancy.
"What!?"
"This isn't… like you..."
"It is father! It is like me! I'm just good at hiding it! I wanted to believe you know!" He snapped back, his forehead veins showing through in his immense malice as he pointed with declaration.
"Believe what?" Chappa called out, concerned, carefully stepping forward towards his boy.
"I wanted to believe our martial arts wasn't garbage, that we could still win!"
"... Sapa…"
"You used to stand at the top! You saw what that man Tien did to me! A mockery! He used me to practice his technique in front of an audience! Our family is reduced to laughing stock! A little fucking kid gatekept you in the prelims of the 22nd! I'm done!"
"Sapa, listen to me! Martial arts isn't just about winning…"
"Pretty ideals like that are why you got the clan killed by that demon!"
Whoa.
"I got a hell of a lot stronger once I started taking sessions outside of the dojo and practicing on my own. I'm done! Fuck this!"
Chappa desperately wanted to call out to his son but the words failed to come out his throat like it was padlocked by an ethereal force. The King could only watch as his son walked towards the sunset, his white robes gallantly wavering into a mirage.
"Sapa…"
The most unfortunate part is that King Chappa and his family are no questions asked some of the most skilled martial artists Earth has to offer but the fact of the matter is that The Z Fighters set an unrealistic benchmark.
Goku
"Dad!" Gohan yelled from the living room.
"What?" He poked his head out from the master bedroom, walking over to meet up with his son in the kitchen.
Gohan lifted up a device that looked to be Capsule Corp. merchandise.
"Oh! Is this from Bulma?"
"Yeah. We're about five weeks out. Well… give or take."
"Yes!"
Goku let out a happy breath through his nostrils before looking down at his son.
"Dad?"
"What is it?"
As the pair conversed, a well encumbered Chi-Chi waltzed into the kitchen and waved to the two of them, pouring herself some steaming tea from the kettle on the countertop.
"Well…" He brushed the back of his neck.
"Come on, you know you can tell me anything."
"I want you to teach me the basics."
"Yes! Huh-Haaaa~"
Gohan shook his head, face beet red.
"It's not for me or anything. It's just in case."
"..."
"I'm very proud of you, son." Goku put a warm hand on Gohan's left shoulder. "That's how martial arts should be used. Responsibly. I'm very proud to have such a smart young man."
"Eh-heh-heh…"
"Is it because of your soon-to-be brother or sister?"
"Yeah… I think so. I didn't think much about it before but like~" He looked at his mother's bulging stomach covered by her purple apron. "You know, just in case you aren't here. Mom's pretty much given up on the training too. I want to have the experience if I ever need it."
"You've only ever made me proud, you know that?"
Gohan's face ran red again as his father smiled warmly down on him.
"Come on." Goku patted his son harshly on the back, the silky white fabric of his son's kung fu shirt providing a satisfying touch. "Let's get outside and we'll start with the very basics. No ki. Bye Hon!"
Chi-Chi waved the two of them off and shook her head at the pair.
"That man really doesn't age… No wrinkles no nothing." She scoffed, blushing a bit, pulling some loose strands from her tight bun out of her face. "Well I'm only 29!… I'm not nearly old enough to be concerned about that…"
She was very concerned about that.
"Alright!" Goku proclaimed loudly as he and his son stepped out onto the grassy plains in front of their capsule home. "What do you want to start with first?"
"Uhh~ I get to choose?"
"Of course! Training's no fun if you can't get to choose what you want to practice."
"Oh! Hmm~" Gohan sat in thought for a while as his father stretched it out on the ground, taking off his blue undershirt and blue boots, just wearing the traditional turtle hermit gi.
"Hmm! Eungh!"
"I guess just teach me what grandpa taught you."
Goku was caught off guard by the sincerity, his gaze shifted back to that of the small house on the hill. A sweeping sense of nostalgia hit the man and he laughed it out.
"Got it. Come on."
"..?"
"Get closer! Can't teach from all the way over there! We're not practicing ki, remember?"
"Ri-hight…"
Gohan stood face to face with his father.
"On three."
"Wha~"
"Rock, paper, scissors, silly!" He ruffled through Gohan's hair.
"Ha-ha~"
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
"Bam! Huh-Hah! Rock beats scissors! Okay, so, we're gonna start with punches. Cause they're like rock."
"Oh~ was it gonna be whichever of the three won was going to be a different lesson?"
"Yup!"
"Well what are the other two?"
"Scissors." Goku mimed a cutting motion with his index and middle finger. "Since there's two blades, it's like your legs. See?" He mimed another motion, standing his fingers upright over his left palm, gesturing kicking movements.
Gohan leaned in close.
"Ohhh~"
"And paper is chops, as well as defence." Goku performed defensive maneuvers, weaving his forearms through the air gracefully.
"Cool."
"So, since I won it with rock, we're gonna practice punches."
"Okay." Gohan backed up a bit as his father showed him the form.
"The most important thing when practicing martial arts is your center of gravity and your alignment with the ground. You can't get any power if you're flailing around with no balance. Another thing. When you strike you have to find the right level of commitment that works for you, because it's not always about being the first to the punch, or punching the hardest. That being said-"
Sapa
Sapa had enough, he was going to get stronger, strong enough to compete with those at The Tenkaichi Budokai. Getting strong enough by the 25th was an impossibility, or so he thought, but he was going to try anyway as it was due to his strong will that he harbored such feelings. Sapa was a natural competitor.
"A legend as old as time…" Sapa pondered aloud as he walked regally through the crystalline labyrinth.
This is The Divine Crossing. It is where Master Mutaito developed The Evil Containment Wave. Due to his father's rich martial arts history Sapa knows about the old legends, Korin's Tower, Master Roshi, Old Man Gohan and his Power Pole, The Ox King, and especially Master Mutaito. He was drawn here because:
"What was it about this place that led Mutaito to developing such an attack? Was it just the scenery? Or is there something mystical about this icy cavern?"
This was first on his list, little did he know it would also end up being his last.
The brown man walked through the empty halls of ice. It was beautiful, streams of light banged off of every skyblue surface, some gold, some pink, it provided a rainbow of glitter to the otherwise focused and angry man. He took in steady breaths and kept on trudging, he winced a bit at his bare feet making contact with the sometimes jagged and uneven frozen terrain. Sapa marched on regardless. He walked for what must have felt like hours until he came across a giant stone slab that looked out of place being fitted against the wall. The son of King Chappa looked around and noticed that there were no other paths to follow.
Renewed with determination, Sapa focused his stance low and shattered the block of concrete into nothingness.
"eHhhhe~YAGHH!
WHOKK! Krrrunkcle~
Grey debris flew everywhere and some of the larger stones impacted the ice, cracking it and settling into a new home. The son of King Chappa looked on in awe as the stone slab seemed to be hiding something; A staircase.
"What is this? Did Mutaito make this?" He questioned to no one else but himself as he climbed the beautiful sky blue steps.
They were impossibly well maintained considering. As if someone was still there sweeping and cleaning them, but Sapa found no evidence to suggest it other than its stark cleanliness. Sapa took calculated and wondrous steps up the path, looking at the massive spanning cavern before him. Gemstones and stalagmites glittered in beautiful decor.
"Wow…" He let out, calmed a little by the sights.
Tp. Tmp. Dm. Tp. Dmp.
Sapa finally shifted his focus to that of the staircase, making slow but steady headway up its magnificence. It had several archways made of ice, capitalising on the wonderment. Sapa just shook his head at its majesty.
"This is crazy~"
A creeping feeling of unease snuck up on him like a bug nibbling on his calf. It was like he could swear there were spiderwebs but of course, nothing. The sinking feeling only continued to mount as he climbed the steps, nearing the very top. He took the final step, slamming his foot on the ground, causing an echo to ring out all around the cavern. He took stock of his surroundings:
The top platform was a circular ring, it looked to be like a fighting arena of some sort, punctuated in the middle was a large brown jar with a wooden lid overtop. Sapa widened his eyes as he made eye contact with the grey statue behind it.
"Mutaito~" He called out, stunned, taking a forceful backstep.
Mutaito's form was massive, the statue erected there was clearly made out of deep respect. For a moment, Sapa almost believed it looked right at him, but he pushed that thought away, assuming it to be just his active imagination.
"Foolish…" He shook his head, poking at the red dot just above his brow ridge.
Sapa put his hands on his hips and examined all the little items around the circle, seemingly placed there to honour his memory. He dusted some of the older items off only to discover:
"No way…" He said unintentionally, it just slipping out of him due to his hype. "This is… The Bansho Fan. What is this..?" He asked aloud as he brushed his hand along a mysterious brown spot on the green feathery fan.
He laughed at the absurdity of it.
"The legendary Bansho Fan… has a stain on it..? Hah~ha. Unreal." He got up and placed the item back down onto the ice.
After scouting out the rest of the circular platform, mysterious and chilling whispers called out to him from out of nowhere.
"You want to win the 25th… huh? I can make that happen…"
"Who are you!?"
"Sorry but I can't say… You're going to have to undo that seal in the middle there."
Sapa didn't turn his head voluntarily, it was as if a force compelled him to.
"What?"
"That's right… I'm right here. Your ticket to being the strongest in the under the heavens… Sapa…"
"How do you know my name!?"
"Demons like me have a knack for finding out people's desires… Come on now, open up that lid! I'm just dying to help you out here!"
Sapa looked at the jar in the middle of the icy platform, before he took any steps his vision was torn away and he stared up at the giant statue of Mutaito.
"Mutaito was pretty good, I'll have to give it up. He did a bang up job with that Evil Containment Wave. The test run worked flawless on me~"
"So you're~"
"Mmhmm. Evil as sin."
"Why would you tell me that, you think I'm gonna help you!?"
"You think I've got anything to lose, kid? Hell no! I'm stuck in this pot for the rest of eternity, likewise however~ You're stuck being nothing more than a mid-card to those boys at The Budokai. But it doesn't have to be that way forever, Sapa."
"..."
"Come awnnnn~"
"..."
"You may disagree with your father a bit, but the real reason is that you just want to make your father proud and prove his martial arts correct."
Before he knew it, his hands were already on the wooden lid.
"Whoa~" He took them away and looked at his sweaty palms. "...Eh~ Am I dreaming?"
"HyahahahahaHaaaaaa~ Nope! I'm still in the jar waiting. If that's not you, move along. I'll wait until my next chance."
"What?"
"I've no use for someone who's got shaky feet and definitely doesn't want to win any tournaments."
"SCRAMM!"
Sapa was practically knocked onto his ass even though the jar didn't move an inch.
"Oh~ You're still here."
At first the demon's voice sounded like whispers but now, they sounded like a salesman with a major in human psychology. His cantor was inviting and believable.
"Look kid. I'll be honest with you, I can't do it on my own here, we both know that."
"..." Sapa said nothing, brushing off his white pant legs.
"And when I get out, I'm going to need to use your body as a host for a while."
"What!?"
"Hey! Don't clam up on me now, Sweet Cheeks, at least I'm being honest with you, Sheesh!"
"..."
"Tell you what, I use your body to win the tournament, and as soon as we win, you drop me off in someone else's body and we'll call it even, sound good?"
"Why..?"
"Cause You Can't WIN! That's Why! Why else did you even come here, bro!? I'm Waiting…"
"..."
"Exactly! You'd be at your father's dojo right now if you thought he had all the right answers!"
Sapa swallowed harshly and took a few dramatic steps forward.
"There we go! Now you're getting it!"
He put his hands on the lid and turned it slowly.
"Yes! Oh, my heart just can't take it! You don't know just how much this means to me, Sapa! You're a lifesaver, buddy! Let's go!"
Eeeeeaarrrnnnn~Pom. FWUOFFFFFFFFFFF~
"AH-HAAAAAAAAAAA~"
The large red beast flared out of the jar in a burst of flame. The sweltering heat was hard to take and Sapa broke out into a sweat immediately, sitting under his majesty.
"You're the best, Kid!"
Mwah~
The flame demon brought him in close and kissed him on the forehead, leaving a slight singe on the area.
"What the fuck..?"
"Ha-Haaaaa~ So we got five weeks right?"
"You're really gonna help me?"
"What!? Of course I am! I may be a demon but I'm certainly no liar. What the hell do you take me for!? That's kinda racist."
"Uhh~"
The demon extended his left hand for a shake, smiling wickedly.
"What's your name, devil?"
"Cala-Meite"
"Cala-meat?"
"Yes. Sort of a play on words, my mother was ever so much the punster. Calamity is technically what my name is in Spitfire."
Cala-Meite is not from this world. He is an escapee from Hell. When a being is less than 500 or so battle power it is technically very feasible to escape due to having a low-profile signature. Spitfire Demons are also made up of pure ki so they have a much easier time pushing through the barriers that separate the living from the dead. It was also why Cala-Meite was also so easily done in by The Evil Containment Wave. He wasn't even all that much weaker than Demon King Piccolo, but due to being all ki he couldn't really do much but eat the beam once it made contact with him.
"Come on Sapa, we've got a tournament to win."
The son of King Chappa smiled with exuberance and hope as he shook the hand of the fiery beast.
FWUOFFFFF~
Tien
Tien walked around the humble cabin-wood abode with a prideful smile. Launch walked into the large living room area with a cheery smile and hot chocolate.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Tien took a large drain from the mug before bursting with excitement.
"Let's go!" He hollered loudly to the only other person in the room, arms raised high in victory. "Ha-Ha-Ha!"
"Still needs some fixing up but good job, honey."
Launch kissed him on the cheek and he blushed.
"Needs a little more than some but. We did it."
"We did do it, huh?" Launch giggled out smoothly, shaking her blue curls out with her head movement.
Tien and Launch had been building their own log cabin in Jingle Village for over a year now. Everything was working as intended and they even had electricity. The only thing they needed now was to furnish the building and polish the wood.
"Tile was a good idea for the bathroom, Princess. Would have been a bitch to go in there needing to shit and get a splinter."
She giggled lightly and Tien brought her in close.
"Tien?"
"What's up?"
"I can still remember everything, but like. It feels like a different me when I sneeze. Gosh, I probably sound so silly saying it like that but… You know?"
Tien nodded and swallowed harshly.
"Yeah…"
"I love you."
"Love you too."
Krillin
"So that's it, huh?"
"Guess so." Yulin replied solemnly, a bag slung over her shoulder.
"Thanks."
"Heh-heh. What?" She laughed in disbelief. "I was kind of bitch and you-"
"Kind of?" Krillin joked back immediately.
"Okay fine, I wasn't very easy to teach. But you're just gonna let me go?"
"That's part of teaching. The whole reason you teach someone anything is so that they won't have to rely on you anymore." He patted Yulin on the shoulder with some oomph. "You might not have completed the two on one spar but hey! Sweating the details is for when it's down to the wire, not training."
"..." She let a laugh-breath out through her nose as they walked down the stone steps of the large mountain.
The very same Krillin and Goku used to deliver milk on.
"It's not like we were gonna win."
"You never know."
"I think I know."
They smiled at each other.
"You're stronger than us still by a fair amount, we need to get stronger on our own if we want to measure up."
"Speaking of which… where's Pao? Haven't seen her in a long time."
"Well… She felt like joining me in my venture."
"So you're going to space together?"
"Yeah…" Yulin replied as she turned her focus to that of the slow moving cotton balls dotting the sky. "I don't know when we'll be back to be honest… Could be a long time. Hell, might never even come back."
Krillin raised his brows.
"Oh~"
"If you've got anything to say to Pao. Now might be the chance."
"Huh…" He stared up at the sky just the same. "..."
"..."
"Nah. I'll tell her when you guys get back."
"Guy I just told you we might not~" She said while holding back laughter.
"You're coming back to fight Raditz."
"Am not!" Yulin fired back immediately, face beet red.
"I can tell. You don't even want to fight Tien that bad either, you just want to rub Raditz' smug face in it. And I can tell a trip to space isn't gonna clear your mind of that goal."
She smiled as bright as could be and knocked him one on the shoulder.
"You win this time, Krillin."
"Feels weird hearing you call me that."
"Get used to it, we're through that phase of our lives startiiiiiiing~ now! Later, Krillin!"
The New Turtlegrandmaster said little, only laughing as he waved his ex-pupil off.
Sapa
The now slightly steaming brown man walked a sunset path of orange and purple hues. He raised a brow and asked aloud.
"Where are we going?"
Sapa's head shook violently and his more african centric features sharpened unnaturally, his facial hair sparking into flames just before Cala-Meite spoke.
"Our first order of business is to see if Lucifer is still kicking it in The Devil's hand and if he isn't~" Cala-Meite led on with a devilish smirk. "Then we do some feeding."
"Feeding?" Sapa broke through a bit, his head violently contorting as they swapped control with each back and forth.
"We're gonna steal their Chakras."
Not every race calls it ki.
"..."
"HyahahahahahaHaaaa~ You don't know what Chakras are, do you? What a sad existence. And you claim to be a martial artist no less." Cala-Meite couldn't keep it to himself, busting a gut laughing as he neared the ridge and as such the open ended cavern before the large stone monument in the distance.
"Is this the place?"
"Yup! Little Lucy put me in my place when I first got here, became stronger than him in like a day though. Hah!"
Sapa looked on as the crows, bats, and other winged animals swarmed around the foggy desolation.
"Now before we head in, I've got to get you up to speed seeing that we're going to be partners going forward."
"And that means?"
"Look, Kid. I'm strong but unlike you, I'm a spirit. I'm Made of Chakras. I can't just punch something and make solid contact with it like you can. We'll need to work together to achieve the desired results. You pickin' up what I'm putting down?"
Sapa's fiery brows turned back to normal as he nodded slowly, full of intent.
"So the best outcome is a fusion of our powers. If I can get you to cast on your own, we won't have to fight for control everytime we want to do something different, and then that means you don't feel left out in your own damn body."
"You know, you really don't seem all that bad."
"What a sweetheart, nowshutthefuckupandpayattention. Since I got control I can cast without you which means you actually get to skip a couple steps on your way to learning how to cast."
"Sounds good."
"Yeah! It's great! So… first order of business."
Fwuoff!
Sapa conjured a fireball in his left hand.
"Now this is a bit different from how Earthlings cast, they use beams and stuff but I use mostly fire. From what I understand, this is harder to do for your kind so if we start with the hardest first."
Fwof!
"Then it should be smooth sailing! Chop chop!"
Sapa stood there for a long time, staring down at his left palm and focusing.
"Triggers! I hear Earthlings can control easier by triggers! That mustached man actually called out his attack by name when he sealed me up."
"Really?" Sapa laughed out loud.
"He yelled Evil Containment Wave with his whole chest. Hyeheheheheh~"
The eldest son of King Chappa remembered the 24th and how all the combatants called out their moves.
"Huh… that does check out."
"Yep! So maybe all you need to do is come up with some silly name and believe in it. Or don't. I'm not gonna tell you what to do."
"Maybe I don't have to do names, but I can still do a trigger…"
"Hey, be my guest."
Sapa focused up for a long time, furrowing his brow and closing his eyes as he tried to gather the otherworldly energy in the small gap between his thumb and middle finger.
Snatt~FWUOFF!
"Alright! Now we're cooking with gas! Show me something! Extra credit! Don't be shy!"
"RrrrrrrrrrrrrAGHH!" Sapa roared into the sky, his entire being consumed by flame.
FOOFFFFF~
All of Sapa's hair was overtaken by flame, not because it was burning but like it had been replaced.
"Let's get to work, I'm starving."
"Huh-hah-hah~"
A genuine and malicious smile crept out of Sapa as he walked towards the edge. A flicker of doubt tore across him however as he stepped right off.
"Relax! I got us, Kid!"
Fwuoff~
Fire sprouted all around his brown body and propelled him in flight. Sapa scanned as feverishly as he could.
"I'm 26! Why do you call me Kid?"
"26 is nothing! I spent over 10 times that in the can! Spitfires live forever technically, the only way I could actually die is if someone doused my flame!"
"Oh~"
"No more questions! We've got a hideout to loot!"
"I thought we weren't going to if Lucy was there."
"I get the feeling he isn't!" Cala-Meite smiled wickedly as they tore across the clouds with their loud flame.
Sapa touched down, flame and all. A litany of demons looked on in shock and wonderment at the seemingly Earthling in front of them.
"Haw-Haw!"
"We got a freebie, boys! How quaint!"
"Is Lucy in?"
Cala-Meite's exotic and distinct voice hushed the crowd along the cliff face immediately, Sapa wearing the most cheeky grin ever.
"If I don't get an answer in five seconds, The Devil's Hand becomes The Devil's Stump. Come on now."
"..."
"He hasn't shown up in a very long time." A crotchety demon with a bulging eye hobbled over to the edge of the cliff, making eye contact.
Sapa just smiled wickedly.
"Today's my lucky day."
The Murasaki Brothers
A man with obsidian black hair tied back in a tight bun sat with his back against a large tree, enveloped by the slightly shifting shade that was casted by the green leaves. He wore what looked to be traditional ninja garb, a deep purple vest with flaring purple pants and wooden geta. He also had a red katana strapped on his back as well as a white belt around his waist in a bow. There was an intense look about the man despite the fact that his eyes were closed. Moments later, the bushes and brushes around him rustled until a man who looked identical appeared in front of him.
The purple suited man opened his eyes to see what looked to be a mirror image only wearing brown instead. The ninja-like man stood up to his full height and bowed sincerely before standing next to him. The pair lowered their heads and closed their eyes for a while until the forest started to shift and shake around them once more.
Soon enough, a third man, identical to the two others skidded across the grass, sending fritters of green up into the air in his wake before he too bowed. He spun what looked to be perhaps a flute or blow dart gun in his hands before he took his spot on the other side of the purple suited ninja. This man's suit was red.
They waited for a long time, the wind stirred and stirred until finally a blue suited ninja with a kusarigama appeared before the other three men. They all smiled sincerely.
"Well boys, it's been a long time coming." The purple suited man stepped forward, pulling their attention to him.
"That it has." The brown suited ninja interjected, twirling around a revolver at high speeds before holstering it with precision and skill.
Fwuwuwuwuw~Clicc.
"Brothers." The red suited ninja called out to the rest with a smile. "How has your training gone?"
"I daresay I went a got about 10 times better'n thought I could be by golly." The blue suited brother replied quickly, spinning the chain of his weapon before resting it on his left shoulder. "Shoot, I even went and learned a real ninjutsu."
"Excellent." The purple suited ninja lead the conversation. "As promised…" The man brandished what looked like a Dragon Radar. "I was able to obtain the device. Just as suspected, Capsule Corp. was not as well guarded during the time they went off world."
"What a great plan, Kon!" The red suited ninja patted his back.
The purple suited ninja smirked as he put the radar back into his gi sleeve.
"Thank you. Now~ You?"
"I was able to learn a technique like that boy used."
"Do tell…" Kon came forward with interest at the red suited brother.
"If I focus my chakras I can now cast two types of ninjutsu through my bow gun. It should help greatly. One is something akin to a laser while the other is like a strong billow of wind to produce more punching power in my darts."
"Excellent!" Kon rubbed his hands together maliciously. "Aka, you're next."
The brown suited ninja got out his revolver and spun the chamber with a smile.
"I've mastered all four elements of ninjutsu."
They were all stunned, taken aback at the progress.
Cha was always the most serious of the five brothers, it's no wonder he'd be the strongest of the four.
"Excellent!" Kon shouted out once more.
"Well what'd you practice for, Kon?" The blue suited brother asked with wide eyes.
"I've been honing my skills in the ninja artistry of stealth. I can now feel people's presences."
Kon's presence scouting is different to Ki Sensing as Ki Sensing is the usage of ki to gauge where other ki sources are. If an individual has never used ki, someone like Bulma. They simply cannot be detected by Ki Sensing. So Kon's presence detection is debatably more impressive in some aspects.
"It's how I got through Capsule Corp, the machines were definitely a roadblock, but I got through that easily enough. Other than that… I've been honing my swordsmanship to honour our fallen."
"Our Fallen."
They all bowed with their left hands clasped over their clenched right fists.
"Well, brothers?"
Fwu-Fuu-Suu~
Kon had not only stolen one Dragon Radar, but four whole models. Bulma was none the wiser since nobody had ever even thought to use them for anything the past 3 years.
"Who's going with who?" Kon posited to the group, hands on his hips.
"Kon."
"What is it, Nao?"
"I always worked best wit Aka, so I reckon you should go with Cha."
"Not a bad choice." Kon replied right away.
"Kon."
"Yes?"
"We've been training for all these years so that we'd be strong enough to gather the legendary Dragon Balls. I see no reason in delaying our hunt longer than necessary. If we divide and conquer, we'll cover more ground… Don't you think?"
Cha holstered his piece and leaned against the large tree with arms crossed.
"You raise a good point. Our brother should not have to have waited this long for his resurrection."
"So we're not goin' together?"
"Well, Nao. You two have always been a good pair, but me and Cha we'll go it alone. That means we'll have three parties searching. Meet up at this spot when you've new intel or Dragon Balls."
Kon threw out three little pad-like devices.
"These are Capsule Watches. Stole these from where you'd expect. They are like smartphones but on your wrist, these'll be perfect to communicate to the rest of the group with."
"Kon, you are something else." Aka laughed out loudly as the four brothers dispersed into vanishing lines.
Tao
A man with a blue mechanical head, piercing red goggle-like eyes and a long braid picked up a small orange sphere with three stars on it. The man's wispy mustache raised slightly in his hype.
"How funny, the radar seems to be functional after all."
A man with black cap adorned with the head of a crane walked forward, arms behind his back. The older gentlemen laughed a bit at the absurdity of it all.
"Crazy just how much the old radar those fools in the Red Ribbon had sucked. This thing works like a dream."
The mustached, braided man tossed the 3 Star Ball over to his assumed companion.
"Well?"
The crane capped man examined the ball and smiled, his grey whiskers shifting up slightly.
"I don't know just how powerful the dragon is but we'll start simple. If we wish to be the strongest under the heavens then that fool the turtle hermit will have no excuse but to bow his head to us. Damn that pesky kid Goku and Tien as well. After training so long I can just tell how ludicrously powerful they've gotten. It doesn't make sense, our only hope now is to see just how powerful the Dragon Balls can make us."
"There's one thing I don't understand, Shen."
"..?"
"Why are there 7 dots all together, wouldn't it have been more cost effective to go for those?" The other man mentioned as he brandished the radar from his traditional pink kung fu gi. The words 'Kill You' embroidered on the back in red.
"What?"
Shen walked forward and tipped down his black teashade sunglasses, trying to ascertain a better look at the radar. The braided half-machine, half-man turned it over and looked at the crane hatted partner.
"When did these show up?" Shen questioned as he put his glasses back on.
"I don't know. I made sure to check but they didn't appear until just now… Are there range issues on this thing?"
"Not that I know of, we checked for 7 initially… didn't we?"
"Hmm…" The braided mustached man stroked his whiskers in thought.
Gohan
"This is a big responsibility, Gohan." Chi-Chi pointed declaratively at her son, maintaining fearsome motherly eye contact. "Your father and I wanted to make sure that you understand what it's like to look after someone. If you have your own kids one day we'd like you to have the experience."
"Yes ma'am."
Goku was doing stretches and grunting near the front door as Gohan's mother lectured him, a small infant in her hands. He wore the red cap with the four star ball atop it. Chi-Chi kneeled down a bit for the hand-off.
"Gently…"
Gohan's face lit up with warmth as he held the small child in his hands, wrapped up in white cloth. Chi-Chi ran her hand through the child's messy black hair and along his rosy red cheeks. She kissed the baby tentatively and waved the two of them off, grabbing a capsule from the kitchen table as she made her way to leave.
"Feed him at 8 A.M. and then at 2 P.M. then dinner at 6!"
"I will!"
"Bye Gohan, bye Goten!" Goku cheerily called out as he tightened his blue turtle hermit gi belt.
"Bye dad!"
The door closed and Gohan grinned the cheesiest smile of all time as he walked toward the window, parted the curtains, and saw his father take off with his mother into the aether. The eldest son of Son Goku sat Goten down on the wooden dinner table and brung his fists in tight and screamed:
"YES!" He swung his fist low and breathed out a fresh gust of wind. "Finally! I get the home to myself!" Gohan put his hands on his hips over his white kung fu top. He then scratched the side of his head with a bit of mysticism. "Well I guess not totally by myself."
The eldest son of Son Goku walked over to little Goten and examined him, pointing an index finger at the small child.
"You better not poop too much."
Gohan blinked rapidly a few times and gestured to the little infant in front of him.
"Be right back~"
After a cathartic number two and a flushing of the toilet, Gohan strolled back into the dining room, tightening his kung fu pants, jaw agape.
"Uhhh~" He focused his eyes on the table, rubbing them and then peering again.
"Oh noo~" He called out, tiptoeing toward the previously occupied wooden surface.
"I messed up."
All Gohan had done was take a bathroom break and now Goten was missing.
Before he knew it, the blue suited Nao was already back at the tree chuckling to himself.
"Well I'll be. This here Dragon Ball huntin' business sure is easy."
He fumbled with a bit of hay in between his teeth as he heard a strange noise. He unsheathed his katana quickly and scanned the environment before he realised:
"Kya~"
The unmistakable cooing of a baby.
"Yew gotta be kittin' me!" Nao screamed, eyes as wide as he could be as he opened up the cloth and stared down not only at the 4 star Dragon Ball but also an infant, clearly on the newer side.