A/N-Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, alerted, or just enjoyed. Okay, from here on out the boys are off and running. To avoid confusion should they run into their own duplicates in the other realities, I will put C.R.(Current Reality) in front of Gohan and Piccolo's name if they belong to that world. All right, Ready? Off to today's installment.

Disclaimer-I own nothing.

Chapter 5

The two newly appointed Guardians phased into existence in a dense forest. Breathing deeply, Gohan looked around in appreciation.

Piccolo walked over, lightly touching a tree. 'This is Earth.'

'Yeah, it is amazing how the monsters always find their way to our home Piccolo.'

Piccolo grunted silently in agreement. However, he supposed it was to be expected. The Earth was home to some of the most powerful warriors in the galaxy. If the dark was drawn to light as Shin had said, the Earth would always be a target. It was also logical to assume that such an imbalance in energy would cause the greatest warping of the reality to be centered on the Earth as well. Piccolo extended his senses. He could feel the ki energy of the Z-Warriors and the eerie echo of not only his, but the kid's energy as well.

'Do you feel that?' Piccolo asked, guiding Gohan to the Demon Duo. 'They are so powerful here, at least Super Saiyan level.'

'Now that's a scary concept. If these two are like ours,' he inwardly shuddered. 'I cannot see them being responsible with so much power available to them.'

'I cannot sense the jumpers,' Piccolo growled out.

'Me neither, but I can feel something in that direction. It isn't ki, just a feeling that something is somehow skewed. Come on; let's go look.' Rising into the air to begin their hunt, Gohan turned to Piccolo. 'Do we want a ki sphere?'

Piccolo considered it for a moment before sending his refusal. It increased their chances of this world's Z-Warriors finding them, but maybe Maculo and Papula would come to them.

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C.R. Gohan raced up the stairs of the school leading to the roof. Videl had just been called away by the police. Time for the Great Saiyaman to save the day, he thought. Pushing the button on his watch, he transformed into his alter ego and leapt off the roof.

Videl squatted behind a patrol car with the Police Chief as they watched two strange creatures tear the park apart. "Do we know what they want?" Videl shouted over the latest explosion.

"No," the Chief shouted back. "When we tried to find out, they killed the officers that approached them."

"I'll stop them." Videl rose, preparing to take them down. As daughter of the world savior, she saw it as her duty to protect her city.

The Chief reached out and pulled her back down. "No, you aren't going near them Videl. They aren't…normal."

"What do you mean normal? Do they use those fake tricks, like Cell?" Videl sneered, already disgusted with the thought. Only cowards used fake tricks.

"No, whatever, however they killed those men, it's not a trick. They just disintegrated; I've never seen anything like it. If I had known, I would not have called you here. Satan City can't lose you."

Videl fell silent at the haunted look on the Chief's face. He looked like he had just seen a glimpse of Hell and was not sure he would survive to tell the tale.

"I am the Great Saiyaman, guardian of the people!" C.R. Gohan announced in his falsely deep voice as he landed. He moved through his truly amazing poses, designed to drive fear into the hearts of evil doers.

"Oooh," Videl growled. "Listen Great Soyman no one needs your help. I do not need your help!"

"That's Great Saiyaman Miss Videl," C.R. Gohan pouted. "What do we have here Chief?" As he asked, another explosion rang out, raining debris over their heads.

"That, we have that." Chief pointed at the creatures running amok. "They've already killed two of my men. Do you think you can handle them?"

"Of course, please stay back and let me handle this." C.R. Gohan stepped forward.

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Flying through the skies, the sound of mayhem reached Piccolo's ears. As one, he and Gohan turned for Satan City. As they approached the city center, the sound was evident to Gohan as well. Landing atop a building, they looked down at the park.

Tearing the landscape apart were two of the strangest creatures they had seen to date. Both were small, around three feet tall, stout, with coarse features. Both had dingy orange hair, curling sporadically around their flat faces. One had angry red skin while the other had a sickly pale yellow hue. As they destroyed yet another bench, the sound of laughter reached Gohan and Piccolo. The sound was unnerving, it bespoke of insanity.

Piccolo viewed them with a detached incredulity. These things did not look like the bringers of universal devastation, but then again, they never did.

Gohan snorted, 'Why not. We've had an effeminate lizard, an egotistical grasshopper, a maniacal imp, and a banal dinosaur. Why not add in a couple of mentally deranged gnomes?'

Piccolo's lips twitched as he fought his amusement. 'There is something blocking their ki.'

Gohan concentrated on the two. It was as though the energy around them was bent, distorting it and preventing a true scan. 'It must be from passing through the boundaries, it doesn't feel like a natural ability.'

The more they focused on the jumpers, the more evident the distortion became. Suddenly, their Guardian marks began to pulse and a rush of foreign energy filled them. It was as though someone had flipped a switch. The distortion cleared and Gohan and Piccolo were able to feel the ki of the jumpers.

'Would that be the augmentation?' Gohan asked.

Piccolo sent him distracted noncommittal noise. A familiar figure had just joined the humans below. The Gohan of this world was approaching Maculo and Papula in all of his Saiyaman glory. Phasing in behind them, he attempted to knock them unconscious, only to be sent flying.

'He isn't strong enough to deal with them!' Piccolo exclaimed worriedly.

As they watched, the red one prepared to blast the prone Saiyaman, yellow energy flickering wildly around him. Gohan peered around, automatically looking for that Gohan's Piccolo. He could feel the tension in his Piccolo as his natural instinct to save him clawed at him.

'His guardian demon is late. Go!' As the thought formed in Gohan's mind, Piccolo leapt off the roof. Hitting the jumper's blast with one of his own, he stood over the fallen demi-Saiyan.

C.R. Gohan rose shakily. "Thanks Piccolo," he whispered, looking at the familiar white cape of his oldest friend.

"Gohan you need to go, this is not your fight." Piccolo never took his eyes off the jumpers as he ordered the boy behind him to leave.

Videl's eyes widened in shock. The green man had called Saiyaman Gohan! Ha, she knew it!

"But, Piccolo, who are they?" C.R. Gohan asked, confused. That blast had been on par with Cell, but he had not been able to sense it until it was too late.

"Look Maculo, we have a new playmate!" The red gnome, Papula jumped excitedly as he pointed to Piccolo.

"Play catch with us!" Macula shouted in glee as he charged a massive glowing blast of red energy.

Piccolo braced himself as the blast neared. It was bigger than he could handle, but if he moved, everyone and everything behind him would be destroyed. Suddenly a glowing figure appeared before him, taking on the blast. Gohan stood, his feet digging trenches into the ground, holding the energy at bay. Racing forward, Piccolo added his energy to the mix. Together, the Guardians sent the blast into the air.

C.R. Gohan stumbled back in shock. There was something horribly wrong going on. Piccolo was not that powerful and the white haired warrior standing with him was terrifying. A quiet swish behind him drew his attention and he met the dark eyes of his Piccolo.

"Gohan, who are those people?" C.R. Piccolo asked, staring fixedly at the four strangers, including one with his own face.

Before C.R. Gohan could answer, the white haired warrior began speaking.

"You don't belong here. Why don't you come with us, we can help you get home." Gohan offered, needing to get the jumpers away from such a populated area.

"Go home?" Papula titled his head to the side.

Maculo frowned, his eyes holding a peculiar gleam. "No, we want to play, this is our special game. Go away."

'Is it just me, or are they astoundingly childlike?' Gohan asked his Namekian counterpart, as he stood braced and ready.

'Very, they think this is a game. They wanted me to play catch.'

'Maybe if we offer to play…'

'We might be able to draw them away.'

"We want to play too." Piccolo informed them, managing to not choke on the words.

"We know a better place, one that's more fun. If you follow us, we'll take you there." Gohan smiled brightly at the gnomes.

"No! You just want to ruin our game!" Maculo shouted, his thick lips forming a disturbing pout. He fired another devastating blast, this time at the group of humans. While he did that, Papula glowed faintly and the space around him wavered like ripples in a still pond. With a hollow pop, both disappeared, leaving only their destruction behind.

With an alarmed cry, Gohan phased in front of the blast. Arriving just a split-second too late, the energy tore at his left side. It seared through the fabric of his gi; tearing his skin. Screaming, he drove his power as high as he could manage with his injury and nullified the attack.

Swearing fluently and impressively in Namekian, Gohan stood unsteadily as blood flowed freely down his side. The thunder boomed through his mind as Piccolo appeared next to him.

'I never should have taught you that kind of language kid.' Piccolo moved to Gohan's right side, supporting him. Lifting into the air, they left the stunned crowd of humans behind.

C.R. Gohan and C.R. Piccolo raced after the two visitors. Above them, the Z-Warriors had converged, feeling the high-energy fight that had taken place. Reaching an open field, Piccolo set Gohan down. Immediately, the Z-Warriors surrounded them. A collective gasp rang out as Gohan lost his transformation and his hair returned to black.

'Here kid,' Piccolo offered him a sano leaf.

Taking it, Gohan slowly munched the stringy vegetation, 'Yum, menthol.'

"Who are you? What the level was that?" Vegeta demanded angrily.

"Isn't obvious?" Krillin asked, shaking lightly. "It's Gohan and Piccolo, they feel a little different, but it is definitely them. Are you from another future? Is there some horrible monster that's going to kill us all, again?"

'Leave it to Krillin.' Gohan thought as he stood, stretching his newly healed arm and side.

Piccolo inwardly smirked as he looked the kid over, checking his status.

'I'm okay Piccolo.'

"Since when do I have a tattoo?" C.R. Gohan pointed to the exposed Guardian mark branded into Gohan's skin. "Mom would kill me or worse, pull out the frying pan."

Gohan looked down. What was left of his clothing was less than modest. 'Piccolo?' After a moment, a new gi appeared on him. Straightening his sash, he nodded his thanks to his sensei.

"We are not from the future. Your world is as safe as it ever is." Piccolo's deep voice made Krillin jump.

"So why are you here? Yamcha asked warily.

"I'd like an answer to that as well." C.R. Piccolo stated stepping forward.

Piccolo cocked a brow ridge at his twin. "We are chasing down a problem, our problem. They are not your concern as they have left this world. Besides, you have your own problems to handle." He gestured at C.R. Gohan who was still in his Saiyaman disguise. "Fix that." Piccolo demanded.

'Ready to go kid?'

'Yeah, Maculo and Papula have definitely left this reality.' Waving goodbye, Gohan searched out the imbalance caused by the pair. As he locked on, Piccolo grabbed his shoulder and the Guardians faded from sight.

"That was just weird." Yamcha stated; looking at the empty spot they had just vacated.

"What did he mean…fix that?" C.R. Gohan questioned.

C.R. Piccolo turned to face his long time friend, fighting the need to cringe at his attire. "Kid, we need to talk."