Chapter 2: West Genetics

"How is the kid doing, nurse?" Yumi asked with concern. "Is he going to be okay?"

The nurse was a long black-haired Japanese woman in her mid 20's with a slender figure. She examined Gohan from head to toe and made sure; the boy had enough stitches to cover his wounds, especially his head, to avoid bleeding. He had a neck brace for his injured nape. His eyes were still black and blue. The boy just got out of being treated by the doctor, who said it'll take a month for him to fully heal. He needs to rest before they can continue operating on him.

"He will live." She replied while examining the young Saiyan. "I am glad you ladies were careful when you brought him here. If you had carried him by his neck. This could've been much worse."

"I have been studying how to be a doctor, sensei," Elize replied proudly. "I was thinking about being the new nurse of this school."

"Someone as lazy as you wants to be a nurse?" Yumi snorted at her roommate's idea, which caused the German to be annoyed. "I fear for your patients."

"Elize can be quite competent and reliable when she puts her mind to it, Yumi." Shion defended casually, allowing Elize to have a smug smirk as she stared at Yumi. "You should know that by now."

Kazuha remained quiet throughout the exchange as she was still staring at Gohan.

"It's been over ten minutes now." The nurse commented. "I am going to get a new bag of ice for him, so please keep an eye on the child until I get back."

"Yes, ma'am." Everyone but Kazuha replied before the woman left the room.

"So..." Elize spoke since there was an awkward silence. "Is nobody going to comment on how ripped this kid is despite his age? I mean, he is jacked!"

"Indeed..." Yumi replied, "I've never seen anyone his age have a physique like that... I hope he hasn't been taking steroids..."

"I don't think so..." Shion commented as she carefully examined his body from head to toe from a distance with her arms crossed. "This child looks really healthy from the structure of his body. It seems like he was pretty well-trained... I wonder how old he is..."

"I guess we will find out when he wakes up and learn who was responsible for these wounds..." Yumi said in a deep voice. "Even if he isn't being abused and has a good mentor, there is no excuse for this..."

"Yumi..."

Shion turned her attention to Kazuha, who did not take her eyes off Gohan or even say a word the entire time. She examined Kazuha's expression and could tell something was clearly on her mind.

"You're awfully quiet... care to share your thoughts with us?" Shion asked as she caught everyone's attention, especially Kazuha, who turned to look at her.

Before Kazuha could say anything, Gohan started grunting as he opened his eyes to reveal he was staring at a ceiling with the light illuminating his face. The child was breathing rather weakly as it seemed to hurt his chest and ribs from his movements.

"Hey! Take it easy!" Yumi said with concern as she came closer to him as Shion and Elize followed her.

Gohan slowly spun his head in her direction.

"I-I'm alive? But how?"

"We found you and brought you to the Recovery Center, child." Shion informed, "I am just glad we found you when we did."

"Wh-Where? Where am I?"

"You are safe now," Yumi assured him. "You're in West Genetics, and it seems you will be here for a while."

"I wouldn't move around too much if I were you," Elize advised Gohan as her voice was full of concern. "Those injuries are still severe, especially for your neck and broken ribs. You'll only make it worse."

"I need a Senzu Bean..." Gohan said weakly, "My-My sash..."

"Huh?" Was all the girls could say.

"Hid-Hidden underneath my sash, there should be a Senzu Bean..." Gohan elaborated to them. "I-It's an sp-special kind of bean that can recover any psychical injuries as long as you haven't lost a limb..."

The girls looked at each other for a moment. Except for Kazuha, who didn't leave her spot as she raised a brow at this statement. Yumi and her friends then turned to look at him again.

"I think the doctor needs to examine you again..." Yumi replied

"I know this sounds crazy, but I am telling you the truth. If you would just let me-"

Gohan grunted from the pain in his body.

"Seriously! You need to stop moving and rest!"

While Yumi and others quickly dismissed this info because this could be the result of his head injury and told him to relax, Kazuha was interested in this Senzu Bean.

She seemed to believe him as well. This child made her feel like he was different from everyone else. Far different from anyone else Kazuha has met or been with until now. This wasn't anything; new to her because Kazuha had always been instinctive since childhood. Kazuha's mindset had caused her some problems along the way. Even so, she decided this was worth hearing out, whether the boy might not be in his right state of mind.

"If what he says is true, then maybe we should hear him out and give him this bean," Kazuha commented, causing her classmates to turn to look at her.

"You can't be serious..." Yumi replied to the Aoi granddaughter.

"I am..." Kazuha replied as she walked towards them and looked at Gohan; with a curious expression. "You said it must be hidden in your sash, correct?"

"Yes, there should be one in front of it. I hid it to avoid letting those two destroy the beans like last time," Gohan replied weakly.

"Those two?" Shion Yumi and Elize asked in unison; as Kazuha went through his blue sash and found it. The bean was broken into two pieces.

"This is the bean?" Kazuha thought to herself as she looked at them with Yumi, and the others decided to see for themselves.

"Please give it to me..." Gohan said politely; as he opened his mouth for her to put it in his mouth. "I don't know who you guys are, but I appreciate you saving me, and I have to stop those Androids..."

The females were completely bewildered at Gohan's words and the mention of androids.

"Androids?" They all asked bizarrely; while looking at him and then at each other. Before anyone could get him to elaborate on this topic, Kazuha spoke to Gohan.

"I will give this to you if you promise to remain where you are and answer our questions." She bargained with him. "What do you say?"

"I promise..."

"Very well..." Kazuha replied as she gave Gohan the two broken bits of Senzu Bean; to make sure it would fully heal the half-Saiyan as the child said.

Gohan chewed on the bits until he was able to swallow. Kazuha and Shoin had a poker face on if this would actually work. Elize had an inquisitive look at the matter, and Yumi had a raised brow skeptically. It took a few moments. Gohan's facial wounds started to disappear, surprising the females. He moved his body around as if nothing had ever happened to him.

"Alright!" Gohan cheered as he jumped up and down from his sickbed. He then processed to take off his bandages and neckbrace. He started doing air flips to further convince the girls that his strength was back to normal.

"See? I told you I would get better after eating the Senzu Bean!" Gohan cheerfully said as he was doing air flips while looking at the older females.

The Pandoras were shocked as they stared at the child, while Kazuha didn't look as surprised as them as her eyes were still on Gohan.

"Not only was he telling the truth, but it worked too...?" Yumi asked

"Amazing..." Shion muttered

"That's one useful bean..." Elize commented

Kazuha said nothing as she had a stern expression on her face.

"I can't believe I am still alive..." Gohan thought to himself as he kept jumping around. "These girls must be strong to rescue me from 17 and 18. I don't know how I've never met or seen them before..."

Kazuha put her hand to her mouth and coughed before speaking.

"Our agreement..." She said in a firm tone which caused the girls and even Gohan to tense up a bit before the young half-breed attentively and comically sat on the bed.

"Good!" Kazuha said with a bright smile causing Yumi and Shion to sweatdrop at how quickly she changed her demeanor while Elize fought the urge to laugh at how obedient Gohan was toward her.

"Now then... would you kindly tell us your name?" Kazuha asked him as Gohan's eyes widened.

"Ye-Yes, of course," Gohan replied as he was a little more surprised by his own behavior than anything else. He got off the bed, stood up, and bowed his head to the older females. "I'm so sorry! Allow me to properly introduce myself!"

As he bowed, which startled the females because of how rare it is to see someone his age show such manners towards their elders. They were surprised yet impressed by the parenting of whoever raised him.

"My name is Gohan. Thank you for helping me, and I am pleased to meet all of you."

"Gohan? That's an interesting name..." Kazuha and Shion thought to themselves mildly. Given that the girls are Japanese, they both know what the word "Gohan" means.

"My name is Kazuha."

Gohan decided to lie on the bed and lift his head to look at her.

"Kazuha?" Gohan asked curiously as the women nodded.

"Yes, my name is Kazuha Aoi." Kazuha informed with her hand on her chest. "The female with the glasses is Shion, The side pony girl is Elize, and the busty one is Yumi."

"Greetings."

"Nice to meet you."

"Why did you refer to me as "the busty one"?"

"Well, it's true," Kazuha replied as Elize snorted, which caused Yumi to be annoyed.

"Ladies, please..." Shion reasoned with them.

"The busty one...?" Gohan asked in confusion as he looked at all the girls, but the child unintentionally looked at Yumi's boobs. His eyes widened in disbelief at the size of her cleavage. There were undoubtedly the biggest ones he had ever seen.

"An-Anyway, thank you all very much for helping me..." Gohan said blushingly and embarrassedly as he quickly turned his head away from the females as his hair covered his eyes.

"He totally looked at her boobs..." Elize, Kazuha, and Shion thought to themselves.

"I know that look..." Yumi thought to herself with minor annoyance. "I've seen it plenty of times to be aware that guys are staring at my chest..."

"So..." Shion spoke this time. "Why don't you tell us more about yourself, Gohan? Like what happened to you and those androids you mentioned earlier."

Gohan snapped out of his embarrassment and got back to normal.

"Yes, I don't know how long I have been out, but before I answer your question, could you please tell me where I am again?"

"You are in West Genetics, and you've been unconscious for three hours," Shion answered.

"West Genetics?" Gohan asked confusedly, "What's that?"

"You don't know what West Genetics is?" Yumi asked confusedly.

"No, it's my first time hearing about it," Gohan replied with genuine honesty in his expression and voice.

"That's impossible!" Yumi exclaimed, causing the boy to comically flinch at the loudness in her voice; it almost reminded Gohan of his mother and Bulma. "There isn't a single person on Earth; who doesn't know about Genetics! It's a worldwide military school for us, Pandoras, and Limiters fighting off the Nova!"

Gohan was very bewildered by this information. He may have been a bit of a shut-in, given how Chi-Chi raised him, but he was allowed to hang out with Krillin, Bulma, and the others (except for Piccolo, who Gohan would secretly visit, even if his mother was against it). They would've told him about a place like Genetics and all these other things if they were as renowned as Yumi claimed.

"Pandoras? Limiters? Nova?" Gohan repeated in confusion. "I honestly don't know what you guys are talking about. What are those things?"

Now the girls beside Kazuha were looking at him with an equal amount of confusion at his response. This confirmed Kazuha's suspicion, but even she wasn't aware of how different Gohan was compared to them.

"Wha-?! Is this kid for real?" Yumi asked as she looked at her peers and back at Gohan.

"I recall that we were the ones asking you the questions first," Kazuha said as she narrowed her eyes at Gohan. "Answer Shion's questions. Now."

"I was beaten up by Android 17 and 18! Those twins have been causing worldwide pain and devastation for a long time!" Gohan shouted as he surprised the females this time. "They brought the world into ruins with destroyed cities and countless lives being massacred!"

"Android 17 and 18?" Kazuha repeated with interest yet with some confusion in her voice.

"Seriously, what is going on here?" Yumi asked. "We've never heard anything of this "Android" stuff causing any of these things! Chevalier would've informed us about it much sooner!"

Gohan couldn't fathom how they got no idea who 17 and 18 were. Bulma told him that their infamous reputation was spread across the globe on television from the amount of killing and destruction they've done before they brought the world to ruins. Wherever he was, these people should have a basic idea of who they were. Nothing was adding up.

"Chevalier?!" Gohan asked the females in a confused manner. "Okay, now you really lost me!"

"You don't know what Chevalier is either?!" Yumi asked him.

"I hope you don't take any offense to what I'm going to ask you, but are you homeschooled?" Elize asked him.

"Is it that obvious?" Gohan asked her with some embarrassment.

"Painfully..." Elize and Shion deadpanned.

"Well, that explains it," Yumi commented. "You need to get out more, kid."

"But that doesn't explain this whole "Andriod" topic," Shion said with a conflicted voice as she pondered how to make sense of the matter.

"I go out sometimes, and my loved ones would've told me all these from the beginning!" Gohan countered innocently.

"Are you sure you weren't watching too much television or something?" Yumi asked with a raised brow.

"My mom is heavily against me watching tv because she said it pollutes and corrupts your mind from reality," Gohan replied sincerely with a straight face.

"She sounds like one strict mother..." Yumi, Elize, and Shion thought grimly; they looked at Gohan in a somewhat sympathetic manner.

"I think there is something more to it than that," Kazuha spoke as she got everyone's attention, "Gohan must be from a parallel world."

Everyone widened their eyes in shock at Kazuha's declaration.

"A parallel world?" Gohan asked confusedly.

"Okay, now I know you are joking," Yumi commented. "Have you been watching or reading too many isekai stories or something? This isn't a fictional story! It's real life!"

"I don't think she is far off on her idea, Yumi," Elize stated.

"Huh?"

"I mean, the Nova came from another dimension and caused problems for us since their arrival in the 1st Nova Clash." Elize elaborated. "So the idea of someone or something else coming from an alternate reality shouldn't be hard to believe."

"He doesn't look delusional and doesn't seem to suffer from memory loss," Shion commented with her hand under her chin to put all the pieces together as she kept talking.

"It would also explain why we don't know anything about this "Andriod" situation. As you said, Chevalier would've informed us about these killing machines from the beginning if they were doing all the things this child said they had done. He has nothing to gain from lying to us." Shion further explained to her friend.

"Wait, hold on a sec!" Gohan spoke up, catching their attention. "I really have no clue what you guys are talking about! What is this talk about a parallel world?!"

"Gohan..." Elize said his name calmly as she touched his shoulder; it got him to settle down as she looked at him at eye level. "Have you ever heard of the multiverse theory?"

"I've somewhat heard about it from Bulma. I didn't care too much about it at the time."

"There's a person named Bulma now...?" Kazuha and Shion thought with a sweatdrop and uncomfortable smile as they knew what the word "Bulma" meant in Japan.

Elize had a conflicted facial expression as she tried to figure out the best way to explain things without confusing the child.

"Before I explain this to you, I need you to promise me to remain calm, not go anywhere, and not do anything reckless." Elize bargained. "Understand?"

"I understand..."

"Very good..." Elize replied with a smile as she moved her hand away from him. "Now, Gohan, care to tell us more about your world besides what you have already told us?"

"My world? Why?"

"Gohan..."

"Alright, have you ever heard of a place called Capsule Corp?"

"Capsule what?" Yumi asked.

"I've never heard of a place like that..." Shion commented.

"Where is it located?" Kazuha asked him.

"In West City."

"There is no Capsule Corp or West City in our universe, Gohan..." Elize confidently informed as she surprised and confused him. "The multiverse theory is where countless people live different lives and possibly meet alternative versions of themselves. In this case, the things that are common knowledge in your universe may differ from the ones we reside in. This means you are in our universe where everything is potentially unknown."

"?!"

"Have you heard of America? Maybe Japan or China? Germany? Russia? England…? Do any of those places ring a bell? They're major countries on my Earth that everyone knows of."

The realization sank into Gohan's mind and body as he shook from taking in all of this information. He then looked at the window from the side of his bed to see what it was like outside. Elize's and Kazuha's words hold the truth, the city was still intact, people walked around without a care, the grasses were still green, and even some wildlife creatures were seen in the area. Above all, when Gohan looked in the mirror and saw his reflection, he looked different. He looked more detailed, defined, and mature compared to his usual appearance.

It was official to the young half-breed Saiyan. This place is nothing like the world he came from. He backed away slowly as his body fell on the bed, his eyes still glued to the window view.

"I-I don't understand how that is possible..." Gohan said as he shook his head. "How could this have happened..? Is there a way for me to return to where I came from?!"

"Do you remember how you got here?" Shion asked him as the boy spun around to look at her.

"No..."

"You don't remember anything at all?" Yumi asked curiously.

"All I remember is being beaten half to death by 17 and 18 before they tried to kill me, then I woke up and found myself in a hospital."

"Technically, this is a Recovery Center. Not an actual hospital." Elize clarified. "We are on school grounds."

"So these androids are the ones who did that to you?" Yumi asked him

"Yeah..." Gohan said in a defeated tone as his body shook with the anger of those two. "I am glad to be alive, but I must return to my world and take them down! They need to pay for killing all those people, especially those I held sacred and dear to me!"

The girls looked at the boy; Kazuha and the others each had a facial expression as they looked at him. Each female's facial expression was filled with sympathy, stoicism, concern, and sadness. They turned to stare at each other for a moment before turning their attention back to Gohan.

"Were any of your comrades close to defeating them?" Kazuha asked Gohan in a curious manner

"No... none of us could stop them..." Gohan said in sadness. "All of my Earth's Mightiest Warriors were easily killed by them..."

"Then I guess it is for the best you remain here until there is a resolution to send you back and a method to defeat them..." Kazuha replied stoically. "Your loved ones and fellow citizens wouldn't want you to die for them. They would want you to live and defeat them when the time is right. Fight the androids when it is to your advantage, not theirs."

"I completely agree with everything Kazuha said," Elize commented.

"As do I." Shion joined in

Yumi nodded with a grin.

As much as it pained Gohan to admit it. He knew Kazuha was right. He was helpless against them. If Gohan plans to return to his world and kill them, he must become a Super Saiyan.

The child also realized he had to be smart about this whole thing and learn to master it despite Vegeta and his father not accomplishing it before the arrival of the androids. If he wants a chance at finally defeating 17 and 18, he must take Kazuha's advice.

18's words echoed into Gohan's mind as he bitterly recalled what she said to the boy.

"Even Vegeta couldn't beat us as a Super Saiyan, so what can you hope to accomplish where he has failed?"

Gohan clenched his fist in the fabric of the blanket.

"I will have my revenge..." Gohan thought bitterly

"I... you are right..." Gohan replied. "I guess I should make the best out of a bad situation..."

"I also think we should keep Gohan's identity a secret from the school," Kazuha stated.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best. Unless more people are coming into our universe without our knowledge, we should keep this to ourselves," Shion said. "We will help you any way we can, Gohan."

Gohan smiled.

"Thanks, you guys!"

"And another thing..." Yumi said with minor annoyance. "Will you please stop calling us "guys"..? We are women, not guys..."

Gohan felt uncomfortable hearing this statement since he has always been around guys more than girls his whole life, so this was a new experience for him. The girls' demeanor didn't help either. The half-Saiyan remembered there were times; when Bulma and his mother would get annoyed when he would say that but chose not to say anything.

Maybe it was because of how young and new he was to it at the time. Gohan felt this would be challenging for him. He heard his father was horrible at dealing with girls himself. Gohan was confident that he was much better at this than Goku.

"Right... sorry guys-"

A black aura emitted from the females as they glared at him with comical white eyes; however, Shion's glasses sharpened at Gohan's words as she ominously adjusted them.

"Sorry... it's a force of habit..." Gohan replied timidly, while he let out an awkward chuckle until the girls settled down. The half-Saiyan let out a sigh of relief and scratched the back of his head.

"By the way, how old are you?"

"I'm 11."

"Care to tell us more about yourself?"

Before Gohan could respond, they heard footsteps quickly coming to the door.

"I'm sorry for taking so long, ladies. I was-" The nurse said as she entered the room with a new bag of ice, but the woman was in disbelief at the sight of Gohan back to normal.

"What happened while I was gone?!"

A few moments later...

"Since Kazuha is a new student, I'll be showing her around campus; you two can keep Gohan with you for the time being," Shion informed as the five of them were in the hallway with Shion next to Kazuha while Gohan was between Elize and Yumi.

"You can count on us, Shion," Elize replied.

"Sounds good to me; come on, kid. Let's go," Yumi said to Gohan as she motioned her hand for him to follow them as they walked away.

"Follow me, Kazuha," Shion said as she walked to the opposite side of the three individuals; before Kazuha followed her upper-classmen, she looked at Gohan one last time from the corner of her eye.

"Wow! This place is amazing!" Gohan said as he looked around inside the building from top to bottom.

"I am glad you are enjoying your stay here so far, Gohan," Elize said to him.

"So where are we going?" Gohan asked the older females.

"We are taking you to our dorm room," Yumi said without looking at him.

"You gu- you ladies live here?"

"Yes, and Elize is my roommate. The boys and girls live on campus but not in the same dorm room."

"Oh, you two seem pretty close..."

"We are!" Elize replied as Yumi just rolled her eyes.

As Gohan followed Yumi and Elize down the hallway, they got a bunch of students looking at them with confusion, mostly Gohan, who was still in his battered gi. They heard about a little boy, who was seriously injured and found on campus, but they thought he would still be in bed from his wounds. Not only that, they couldn't believe he was as built as the rumors claimed Gohan to be.

"Whoo! That kid is ripped!" A Pandora student commented

A Limiter student just whistled at the sight of Gohan. "I don't know what I should find more impressive; our doctors' medical skills or that child's physique..."

"It's only natural. We are in a military school to fight off the Nova, so we would have the best doctors who can bring out the best results." An older Limiter commented

"I wonder why he is wearing pajamas, though..." Another Pandora whispered but was little loud enough for some to hear, especially Gohan himself. "Was he attacked at night or something?"

"I'm not sure, but I am glad he is alright now."

"That kid is going places, that's for sure."

"Looks like someone is getting pretty popular around here..." Elize teased.

"Ignore them," Yumi said without looking at her and kept walking as usual.

As the students kept talking among themselves about Gohan. Elize lightly chuckled as she saw Gohan get a little embarrassed at the attention he was receiving. She slowed down for the child as he was right next to her before she spoke to him.

"What's wrong, Gohan? Not used to getting this much attention from people?" Elize asked with a cheeky smile.

"No... I'm not..."

"Maybe we should stay a little longer to boost your confidence."

"Eh?"

"Knock it off, Elize! We don't have time for this nonsense!"

"Come on, Yumi. It seems like we have plenty of time for me. Besides, I don't see the harm in it."

Before Yumi could say anything, they heard a Pandora speak from the crowd who was the same year as them.

"You should work out more, Gavin!" Another Pandora yelled at her Limiter. "Why can't you have a physique like him?"

"Come on, babe. I am pretty fit myself. So why does it matter?"

"Doesn't it make you feel as if you are less of a man that a child is in better shape than you? He could kick a grown man's ass with a body like that!"

"Does it make you feel like less of a woman when younger girls have a more desirable body and personality than you?" Gavin replied

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Yumi, Elize, and Gohan processed to keep walking away awkwardly with uncomfortable looks on their faces. As they sped away, a certain Korean girl with her black hair tied in a similar design to Kazuha's hairstyle was curiously staring at them. Her gaze was on Gohan in particular as her red eyes bore into his retreating back.

"Hmm..."

"Finally! We are at our dorm room!" Yumi said with relief as she got out her key. "Hm?"

Yumi noticed Gohan looking a little nervous as his body stiffened. "What's wrong?"

"I-It's just my first time being in a girl's room by myself..."

"Don't worry about it, Gohan," Elize replied reassuringly. "We'll make sure your first experience is a pleasant one."

"That sounds kinda lewd when you say it like that..." Yumi deadpanned, which caused Elize to let out an awkward chuckle.

"Yeah... it kinda does..." Elize replied as Yumi unlocked the door. Before she opened it, the Korean turned her gaze to look at her.

"What?"

"You did make sure our room wasn't a mess before we left, right?" Yumi asked as she turned her head to look at Elize. "I left earlier because I didn't want to be late because of your laziness, so I don't want him to have the wrong impression about us or see "anything" of ours out in the open."

"Don't worry, it's fine," Elize said as she brushed off Yumi's concern like it was no big deal.

Yumi stared at her with squinted eyes before letting out a defeated sigh, turning her head to the door, and speaking.

"Alright, I trust you."

Yumi opened the door wide for everyone to see, examined the room, and everything looked fine until she saw Elize's dark green bra and panties on the floor.

Yumi widened her eyes in shock, quickly moved behind Gohan, and covered his eyes with her hands.

"Wha-Mi-Miss Yumi?"

"Wh-What the hell?! You said it was fine!" Yumi yelled at her friend as she spun around to look at Elize, who was scratching the back of her head sheepishly with her left hand.

"Hahaha! Sorry, I forgot those were there after what transpired."

"Just put those things away! He doesn't need to be seeing those!"

"Mi-Miss Yumi..."

"Quiet!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Elize said as she walked to grab them, and Yumi closed the door behind them with her foot. Before Elize could put them away before the German had an amused smile on her face.

"Looks like I wasn't the only one who forgot something here..."

"What are you-"

Elize picked up and revealed a big purple bra that looked like it could be an F through H cup size belonging to Yumi near their bunkbed at the bottom section of the floor.

"Wha-Why is that there?!"

"You left it there, genius."

"Why didn't you take care of that for me?!" Yumi replied.

"I am your roommate, not your maid!" Elize retorted.

"Miss Yumi..."

"Just put that and your things away for me, will you?!"

"Ugh, fine!"

"Miss Yumi..."

"What?!"

"Th-They are pressing up against me..."

"Eh?"

Yumi looked down completely and noticed Gohan's head was pushing up against her boobs, as he was almost sandwiched between them.

Yumi blushed hard as she looked at Elize, as she was smiling at the scene, and confirmed everything was okay.

She backed away from Gohan and then let go of him.

"Sorry about that..." Yumi said as she walked to the opposite side from Gohan and Elize and looked to see if anything else was on the floor from her spot.

Gohan's face was red as he meekly looked at Yumi's chest.

"I can feel you staring at my chest..." Yumi said without looking at Gohan as she was still embarrassed.

"S-Sorry, Miss Yumi..." Gohan replied as he looked away and fidgeted around meekly.

"Ara Ara~ it looks like our little dimension-traveling friend has a crush on Yumi the Gorilla." Elize teased with her right hand slightly, covering her mouth.

Gohan's whole body shook as he blushed red like a tomato at her statement, as Yumi got a little irritated, more by the nickname than anything else.

"How many times; do I have to tell you I am not a gorilla?!"

"It-It's not like that!" Gohan replied a little loudly with embarrassment at her comment. "I-It's just-"

"Just?" Elize asked in amusement with a sly smirk on her face; as she approached the child. The boy backed away from her, slightly with his head down and eyes looking away from the German female.

Gohan's face turned bright red as steam comically came out of his head as he replied to her question.

"I-It's just that I've never seen a female chest as big as Miss Yumi's..." Gohan said meekly; while hiding his face from the girls as he pushed his index fingers together.

There was silence in the room until Elize burst out laughing with comical tears coming out of her eyes as she held her stomach. Yumi was shaking in embarrassment and anger as her hair covered her face. Gohan was hoping it wasn't directed toward him and his comment.

"Hahaha! I like this kid!" Elize said as she wiped the tear from her eye.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Gohan pleaded with innocence and embarrassment in his voice.

"You're kinda cute when you are embarrassed," Elize said with a smile as she poked his cheek with her index finger. "Don't you agree, Yumi?"

"Don't involve me in this!"

"You're already involved, gorilla."

"Why you-"

"Miss Elize! Please stop harassing her!" Gohan said with concern in his voice.

"Aww! He is sticking up for his crush!" Elize remarked playfully. "Looks like Yumi has a knight in shining armor!"

"Can we talk about something else?" Gohan asked nicely

"Alright then, what's up with the damaged pajamas?" Yumi asked as she pointed at his purple clothing.

"With all due respect, Miss Yumi. It's not a pajama; this is a gi." Gohan replied to her. "But enough about me, why don't you guy- I mean ladies, tell me about yourselves and this world full of Pandoras?"

They looked at each other to see which one should explain this to him.

"Should you explain things to him, or should I?" Yumi asked Elize curiously.

"I think it is best if you explain things to him, Yumi," Elize replied as she walked to sit on a chair near their desk. "You told me a few days ago. You were planning on being a physics teacher at this school. Think of this as practice for your teaching skills before you get the job in the future."

"Miss Yumi wants to be a teacher?"

"Yeah, and I want to be a doctor in this school."

"I hope you both get the job."

"Alright, before I talk about the importance of Pandoras, I'll let you decide which topic is the most interesting. Shall we talk about Pandoras? Novas? Or Limiters?"

"I'll stick to learning about Pandoras."

"Okay..." Yumi replied. "Pandoras are females possessing superhuman strength and speed ten times stronger than regular people. They are even able to break through walls and lift cars with ease. We also have enhanced durability, vision, and even regeneration."

Gohan widens his eyes in amazement at this statement.

"That sounds incredible, are you born like this?" Gohan asked with interest

"Not exactly..." Yumi explained as she scratched her cheek. "We can perform these feats because the Volt Textures and Stigmata respond to our bodies for our Compatibility Rating."

"Volt Textures? Stigmata? Compatibility Ratings?" Gohan asked in a manner that was too much for him to absorb or focus on, which worried Yumi.

"S-Sorry about that..." Yumi said with a shaky smile. "Let me go through this in an orderly fashion. The Pandora is the world military's response to the Nova threat created by Gengo Aoi. To qualify to become a Pandora, a girl needs a compatibility check to be accepted."

"Aoi? If I am not mistaken, isn't that Miss Kazuha's last name too?"

"Yes, Kazuha is Gengo Aoi's granddaughter. Thanks to his idea and contribution to the existence of Pandora, Gengo Aoi is considered the greatest scientific genius in the world or even in human history for giving humanity a chance of surviving against the Nova."

"I doubt this Gengo person is smarter than Bulma..." Gohan thought in an oddly competitive manner.

"Moving on. All young girls take a test to measure their compatibility, which happens when they are 10. It can take years for an individual to receive their test results. Compatibility with Stigmata is an inborn trait of Pandora, and not many girls are accepted, resulting in a limited supply of Pandora. Hence, the name why our military school is called Genetics."

"Where are your Stigmata?" Gohan asked as Yumi turned around and pointed at her back with her thumb.

"They are implanted into our backs..." Yumi replied casually; as she turned her head to look at him. "The number of Stigmata an individual received was based on how many she was compatible with. Most Pandora would usually have up to four Stigmata implanted into them."

"However, some females have been seen to receive up to eight Stigmata. Unfortunately, the more Stigmata she has, the greater the risk of becoming a Nova due to the quicker corrosion rate, despite being more powerful than her peers."

Gohan's body shook when he heard Yumi give him this information. He wanted to ask if there were any Pandora, who became one of those Nova creatures before, but he chose not to ask because he was worried it would bring back bad memories of loved ones who had to be killed by Yumi and Elize. The young Saiyan didn't want to imagine what that felt like despite only losing loved ones through his enemies, not by his very own hands. Either way, this was quite a double-edged sword.

"I assume this "Volt Texture" comes from your Stigmata?" Gohan asked Yumi as she nodded.

"You assume right," Yumi replied. "Volt Textures are materialized by concentrating energy through Stigmata to re-combine matter into a solid structure and are composed of elemental combinations between solid, liquid, and gas elements. With Volt Texture, Pandora can form weapons for battle."

"They are the main offensive and defensive weapon utilized by Pandora. Through it, we can increase our durability to survive wounds that would have proven fatal to a regular person." Yumi elaborated. "We can survive dismemberment and continue to fight despite our injuries. It also allows us to form powerful anti-Nova tools called Volt Weapons."

"As the name suggests, Volt Weapons are instruments of war created by the Pandora that vary depending on the female user, right?"

Yumi and Elize widened their eyes in shock at Gohan's deduction skills.

"You caught on quick," Yumi said as she was impressed. "Good job, kid!"

"That's amazing, Gohan!" Elize praised. "I am surprised you figured out each Pandora has her own weapon for fighting!"

Gohan blushed and didn't say anything. He just chuckled while scratching the back of his head.

"Hehehe..."

"Indeed, we are each given our own weapons. Volt Weapons trump conventional weapons in sheer damage output, effectively being the best choice to confront Novas. Each Pandora is shown to have her own unique Volt Weapon. A Pandora's style of combat often depends on her type of weapon. Volt Weapons can be disabled or broken by other Volt Weapons but can be re-materialized at will by the user."

"A Volt Texture and Weapon's base power is proportional to the number of Stigmata one has. A Pandora can increase the mass of their Volt Texture when materializing a Volt Weapon, which increases the weaponry attack power and allows the Pandora to shatter her opponent's weapons. They can be melee or ranged weapons."

"If I may ask, what weapons do you two use?" Gohan asked curiously.

"Mine is a bladed-lance," Yumi replied nonchalantly.

"My Volt Weapon is a pair of two daggers," Elize replied with a smile.

"You must've undergone rigorous training to survive this long..." Gohan commented

"All Pandora went through intense training before coming to this school," Yumi replied pridefully. "Girls are then sent to training camps as Cadets for six weeks. They undergo intense and brutal training to prepare them for the worse."

"Once they have proven themselves and survived the unforgiving training, they are sent to various Genetics Academies all over the world, and a surprisingly large number of Pandora come from wealthy families, a fact that has been noted by both students and members of the military."

"Wow... You gu- ladies are pretty amazing..."

"Yeah, we really are..." Yumi said with a smug grin as she scratched her nose

"That reminds me," Elize commented. "Since we are on the topic of training, what kind of training did you go through to have a physique like that despite your age? Please tell me you didn't use drugs."

"Absolutely not!" Gohan replied, appalled at the very idea of that method and accusation. "This is all due to hard work and rigorous training I went through as a child."

"Such as?"

"My mentor made me fend for myself in the wilderness for six months. I was constantly attacked by all kinds of pre-historic creatures for a long time until I could fight back. When he decided to train me, I could only rest when eating, drinking, and sleeping. He was so harsh that he would beat me like a drum, and I couldn't even use the bathroom without his say-so."

Yumi and Elize were stupified when they heard Gohan say this to them. The girls thought he was joking, but the more they stared at his expression, they knew he was telling the truth. They thought their training was rough, but this was just too much.

Leaving a child alone in the wilderness for months... with areas filled with dinosaurs... then getting beaten like a grown man with only eating, drinking, and sleeping as resting? As their expressions remained when they processed all this information, Yumi decided to speak to the child.

"How old were you when you went through all that..?" Yumi asked him.

"Four."

Elize and Yumi became ashen and hung their mouths open with comically horrified expressions as they stared at the boy.

"What kind of childhood did this kid have?!" They thought in comical unison, and Gohan got concerned because he didn't need to read minds to know what they were thinking.

"Bu-But he did check up on me every now and then. He even gave me an apple, a sword, and new pair of clothes." Gohan hurriedly replied.

"That doesn't make him sound like any less of a monster...!" Yumi replied with a sweatdrop as she and Elize ran up to Gohan with frightening speed, as he backed away from them to the point his back almost hit the door.

"Are you a victim of Stockholm Syndrome or something?" Elize asked with concern as she stared at him.

This caused Gohan to become confused with a question mark that appeared above his head and titled it innocently as he stared at her.

"What's that?" Gohan asked her innocently. He recalls his mother suggesting that after his time alone with Piccolo for a year, he was not interested in it at the time.

"It's someone who develops a sense of affection and trust in their captors or abusers. They have positive feelings for them when they should have negative feelings instead."

"No. At first, I will admit that I was afraid of Piccolo and didn't like him because he was cruel to me. I even wanted to leave on multiple occasions for me to go home." Gohan confessed to the girls. "However, Piccolo eventually gave me several chances to leave because he realized there is no point in teaching someone who isn't committed, but I knew it wouldn't solve anything because we had to prepare ourselves for the upcoming threat. How could I protect my loved ones if I couldn't even protect myself?"

The girls just stared at Gohan momentarily before Elize spoke to him.

"I see..." Elize said with a somewhat unconvinced voice. "And your mentor's name is Piccolo?"

"Yes..." Gohan replied. "He spent his whole life in the wilderness as well, and it made him strong, so he figured that's what would make me stronger too. As you can imagine, he had poor communication skills from living a life of isolation for so long."

"This training was for the androids, right?" Yumi asked curiously.

Gohan shook his head before replying.

"No, this was for something else before the androids. Eventually, I started to look at Piccolo differently because no one was ever kind to him except me. He was always treated like a monster, so he decided to act like one because that's how everyone viewed him and given how Piccolo literally had no one to guide him except for his father filling his mind with revenge and world domination before he died, it didn't help him at all."

"?!"

"During my time; living in the wilderness, I made a robot friend who gave up his life for me while we were trapped in a cave and said I needed to learn how to take care of myself."

"Later in my journey, I made a dinosaur friend who was eaten and killed by a T-Rex because of my weakness. I didn't see it, but I saw the aftermath."

"Finally, I made it out of the wilderness and met a group of orphans led by an older guy named Pegiro. He would try to keep the kids from going to an orphanage; however, Pegiro realized he couldn't offer them what those adults could. He dropped me off close to where I lived, but I chose to return to Piccolo. I already told you my reason."

As Gohan explained his past and relationship with his mentor. Yumi and Elize were listening to him with a genuine interest and curiosity about what kind of people existed in Gohan's world and what other events played out before these killer androids appeared. He already got their attention that dinosaurs still exist, so they wanted to know more.

"I am not trying to justify or downplay Piccolo's actions. Heck, I am not trying to get you to sympathize with him. I am just trying to explain why he did those things to me and get you to realize he is not a bad person. He has more goodness in him than wickedness." Gohan explained with a sense of sorrow. "As time when on, he was still strict with me, but I knew deep down inside he was only pushing me because he wanted me to survive. Piccolo saved my life more than once. He even threw his own life away to save me from being killed by the enemy when they arrived when I was only 5 years old."

Yumi and Elize were surprised and saddened to hear him say this. Yumi had her hand to her chest with her mouth open while Elize covered her mouth with both hands as she felt horrible for bringing this up. They slowly turned their head and eyes to look at each other before looking at Gohan again.

"I-I'm so sorry..."

"It's alright, Miss Elize..."

"We may not know the entire story of these androids and what they are capable of. Even if we found a way to bring you back to your universe in your exact world, I don't feel comfortable letting a child go back to such a place and fight them all by themselves." Yumi stated, "Especially after what you told us right now."

"I can't abandon my mother and the others! They need me! I must save them from those two demons, even if it's the last thing I do!" Gohan shouted confidently with a powerful gaze.

The girls felt a shiver down their spines as they could see the intensity in his eyes and feel his determination emitting from his young body. The power in his prepubescent male voice was enough to make them hear the beating of their heart. The air was too thick for them to breathe. The sensation he gave off was surreal to them. They haven't felt anything like this since their training instructors during their time at boot camp. In fact, the two knew it was much stronger and more assertive.

It was enough to make the females slowly back away from him cautiously as they questioned if this was a child in front of them. His dark eyes also looked like they held an unfathomable amount of pain behind his stare. The girls felt like they could almost see what kind of life he lived from what was reflected beneath his piercing gaze.

"I-Is all of this really coming from a child...?" Yumi thought in disbelief

"This boy is so young, yet he looks and sounds like a war veteran..." Elize thought in amazement

Gohan noticed the change in their facial expression and settled down. The child took a deep breath in and breathed out before he walked forward.

"I am sorry for my outburst, Miss Yumi and Elize," Gohan replied with a voice of sincerity. "Please, tell me more. What about the Novas? Why are they attacking you?"

Yumi and Elize snapped out of it before the Korean girl decided to continue answering his questions again.

"We don't know the reason, but we do know one of their own kind named Maria Lancelot originally came to Earth to destroy it, but she chose to help us from our invaders," Yumi replied, "Maria has been helping us throughout the years from the Nova Clashes."

"I wonder if their reasoning for attacking them is similar to Saiyans..." Gohan pondered to himself before speaking.

"Maria Lancelot?" Gohan repeated with interest. "Is she still alive?"

"She died a long ago..." Yumi replied casually. "Maria's body is currently placed in the Ravensbourne Nucleotide. It is the deepest and most vital area in West Genetics. In fact, she was considered "The Mother of all Pandora" for being the first Pandora, and some even call her "The Holy Corpse"; The Stigmata for Pandora and Limiter only exist because of Maria's Nova tissues. Her cells are what created the Stigmata for us."

"Well, that explains why you will turn into a Nova if you gu-girls are not careful..."

"You really can't help saying "guys" can you?" Yumi asked, causing Gohan to blush.

"I have been raised by men and hung around them more than women my whole life! I can't help it!" Gohan said with comical embarrassment causing Elize and even the usually serious Yumi to laugh at him.

"Anyway, what are these Clashes you mentioned earlier, Miss Yumi?"

"It's the number of times we fought against the Nova."

"How many clashes have you had until now?"

"Seven."

"Alright, if that's all then, I am ready to know what are Limiters and their role in all of this..."

"The Limiters are the male counterparts of Pandora and were created during the 7th Nova Clash. They are to provide assistance for Pandora. For them to truly assist his Pandora, he must first go through a "Baptism" with her."

"What kind of "Baptism"?" Gohan asked curiously

"A "Baptism" is a ceremony in which a Pandora officially acknowledges a Limiter as her bonded partner. The process entails a Pandora removing one of her Stigmata and re-implanting it into the Limiter to create a bond known as an Ereinbar Set, which allows the Limiter to use Freezing."

"Miss Yumi, you are doing it again..." Gohan replied, causing her to blush and scratch her head this time.

"Right... sorry about that..." Yumi replied with an awkward chuckle.

"What is this Ereinbar Set?"

"An Ereinbar Set is a unique power that connects and synchronizes Pandora's five senses with those of her Limiter. The Ereinbar Set is achieved through the "Baptism"; When Pandora performs the Baptism ceremony with her Limiter, she shares one of her Stigmata with him, ultimately creating a conscious link between the two."

"When the Baptism ceremony is completed, the Limiter can use his Freezing ability when he and his Pandora activate the Ereinbar Set modus. To ensure better compatibility and synchronization between Limiters and Pandora's, a Limiter is always younger in age. Limiters are usually paired with their Pandora during the latter's second year at Genetics."

"So, do Limiters also have the potential to turn into Novas?"

"Only if the Limiters overstress the use of their Stigmata," Yumi replied. "They can become a Nova if those guys are not careful."

"Are they as durable as all of you?"

"Limiters do not have the same durability as Pandora and can be taken down easily. Limiters are not often subjected to Novafication and are said to be unable to survive the process. If given proper medical treatment, Limiters can also survive fatal wounds such as being impaled through the chest."

"So the women are the warriors, and the men are the helpers in this universe, huh?"

"Pretty much," Yumi replied casually. "We still have to teach you about how this world works too. You know to avoid suspicion, just in case. Of course, that's a time for another day."

"Understood, and what does this "Freezing" thing do?"

"Freezing is the primary ability of the Nova and Limiters used during an Ereinbar Set. Freezing allows the Limiter's Pandora to move around freely inside a Nova's Freezing and temporarily lifts the Nova's Freezing area. This ability freezes the Novas' movement (apart from its particle beam, blade-whips, and assimilation restraint), giving the Pandora time to expose its core and destroy it."

"I am pretty sure I have a basic idea of how all these things work," Gohan replied. "By the way, do the Limiter and Pandora have to go somewhere specific to perform this "Baptism" thing?"

"This is usually done to form a First Room Invitation, where a Pandora formally invites her chosen Limiter into her room to perform it."

"What happens when they are alone in the same room?" Gohan asked curiously.

Yumi and Elize looked at each other from the corner of their eyes until they looked back at him again.

"Having naughty thoughts, are we?" Elize teased as a question mark appeared on top of Gohan's head

"Naughty thoughts? Like what?" Gohan asked confusedly

The girls were shocked. "You mean your parents never gave you "The Talk"?"

"The Talk? What talk?"

Elize guffawed while Yumi just shook her head. "This is precious!"

"Wha-What's so funny?" Gohan asked with concern

"Never mind," Elize replied. "By the way, are you at that age to have a preference?"

"A preference?"

"Do you like females who are older or younger than you?"

"I think I prefer older women..?" Gohan replied rather hesitantly

"Alright then, what about me, Gohan?" Elize asked teasingly with a vexatious smile. "Don't you find a beautiful young lady like me attractive? Or are you one of those guys; who are into "mature" women like Yumi?"

"He kinda walked right into that one..." Yumi thought to herself, a hint of annoyance in her voice and a comical vein appearing on her head at how Elize could be insinuating that Yumi's body is her only aspect of maturity. Gohan had a conflicted look on his face before answering her question.

"If I am being honest, Miss Elize, I find you attractive, not just you but Yumi, Kazuha, and Shion as well," Gohan answered honestly. "I don't know if I have any preference in what kind of girl that interests me..."

"Those lewd gazes you keep giving Yumi suggest otherwise..." Elize said with a smile of mischief and a teasing tone as she kept looking at him. "That's part of what I meant earlier..."

Gohan blushed with his head down but didn't say anything.

"You naughty little boy..."

Yumi coughed and finally spoke to the child.

"Let's say the relationship Limiters may have with their Pandora varies. Most Limiters treat their Pandora with respect, loyalty, and devotion, developing close bonds with them. A lot of Limiters end up being romantically involved with their Pandora. Whatever they do behind closed doors is strictly between them." Yumi answered as professionally as possible.

"I see... Well, that was a lot to take in..." Gohan commented. "So, I guess you two already have Limiters because I heard some students refer to you as Senpai."

"Actually, I don't have a Limiter," Yumi confessed.

Gohan was surprised as he looked at Elize.

"I don't have one, either," Elize replied in the most laidback manner ever.

"How come? I thought they were important to help you bring down the Nova."

"Oh, I thought you would be happy to know we are single..." Elize teased. "Or at least your crush..."

"They are, and we can have the other Pandora's worry about getting a Limiter to assist us in battle with their Freezing," Yumi remarked. "Besides, we have our reasons."

"No Limiter up to your standards?" Gohan asked them curiously. "Surely, there must've been at least one guy who caught your interest."

Yumi and Elize blushed hard at this statement.

This time Gohan had an amused smile. "Oh? So, there was someone you two were interested in? Who was it?"

A knock at the door came after Gohan asked this question.

"Thank God!" They thought in unison

"Who is it?" Elize asked

"It's me, Shion."

"Oh, Shion! Come on in! The door is unlocked!" Elize said happily; as Shion opened the door and was greeted by them with a welcoming smile before closing it behind her.

"Hello, Miss Shion. Did you come to give me a tour around this school as well?" Gohan asked her

"That is part of the reason; why I am here," Shion confessed as she got everyone to look at her curiously.

"What's the other reason?" Yumi asked her friend

"The Headmistress requested me to bring Gohan to her," Shion informed, surprising Yumi and Elize. "She heard about his life-threatening situation and about us finding him. She wants to know about his personal life to ensure his safety and well-being."

"What did you say to her?" Elize asked with some concern in her voice

"I told her that Gohan doesn't like to talk about how he got his injuries and has nowhere else to go. Regardless, she still wants to see him in her office."

"You couldn't have told her he has amnesia?"

"Originally, I wanted to tell her that, but I highly doubt Gohan can deceive her. Not only is our headmistress smart, but she is also observant."

"Can she really not be trusted?" Gohan asked curiously, yet a little nervous. Shion shrugged before she could answer his question.

"I don't think she is a bad person or can't keep a secret. It's just that we should be better safe than sorry." Shion confessed. "As we discussed before, there is no need for her or anyone else to know the truth unless the outcome is necessary."

"Right," Gohan replied

"Before you go, take my key, Gohan." Elize spoke, "You'll need it if we are not here when you come back from seeing the headmistress."

"Thank you, Miss Elize," Gohan replied as he received the key. "I will be sure to return it at your earliest convenience."

"You better," Elize replied playfully.

"Anyway, let's go, Gohan. We shouldn't keep her waiting." Shion said as she opened the door.

"Of course," Gohan said with a smile before he turned to look at Yumi.

"Thank you so much for all of this information, Miss Yumi. I am sure you will make a great teacher."

"Thanks, kid," Yumi replied with a smile.

"Take care, Gohan!" Elize waved as Shion closed the door

"Lead the way, Miss Shion!" Gohan said with a smile; as Shion nodded with a grin

TO BE CONTINUED...