The Z Fighters React To Death Battle! (Take 2)

by SkorchNTorch

(Adopted from JLyman) After a mysterious being gives a series of videos to Bulma, the Z Fighters were left with the option to watch every, single one. What did they do? You guessed it! Join the Z Fighters, and maybe a few others, as they watch one of the greatest web series of all time! Rated M for... you already know.

42. Goku vs Superman (Part One)

"Well, at least it's finally over… things can't get worse, right?" Goku asked, laughing somewhat. Then, the entire area shivered as an insane laughter echoed from somewhere.

"Skorchy!" A voice the Entity hadn't heard in a while called, echoing around the stadium. "I'm ho-o-me!"

In a sudden flash, a new figure was standing before everyone. He was the same figure who had delivered Cell to them previously, and he wasn't alone…

"Whoa! Where are we?!" Trunks exclaimed, looking around, surprised. "We're in space?!"

"What the heck was going on up here?!" Goten added, amazement taking hold. He looked around in astonishment trying to figure out what was taking place.

"Vegeta? Is- is this part of-" Bulma began.

"Goten!? Bulma?! What are you guys doing here!?" Goku exclaimed.

"Uh, someone wanna explain what the heck just happened? I was crashin' on the couch, and then BANG!" Hercule spoke up, looking around in genuine confusion. Majin Buu stirred himself and looked about, yawning loudly as well. From behind them, the bandaged Tien stepped forward, Chiaotzu floating next to him, followed by the Pilaf Gang.

"Well, this is gonna be good." Spawn mused with a dark smirk, watching the heroes and villains begin to freak out upon seeing one another.

"Is this something we should be concerned about?" Goliath asked, looking to the Hellspawn.

"Can't say. So long as the flaming guy doesn't die, we should be fine."

"I was talking about them."

"Who cares?"

A sickly, electric yellow portal opened on the other side of the group, as well as a mint-blue one. From the yellow stepped a swarm of faces Goku and the others honestly never expected, and never hoped to have to cross paths with again.

"YOU." Raditz growled when he saw Goku.

"Lord Frieza! You live!" Captain Ginyu exclaimed in shock. "This…this is unbelievable! We…if we knew, we would've prepared the dance of resurrection to celebrate your return!"

"N..no. That's not necessary." Frieza immediately said, glaring at Skorch who inexplicably had a boombox he was holding over his head. From the shape of his eye sockets, it was clear he was ready to play the music so they could do so.

"Hrgh… where- what year is it?" An old scientist mused, scratching his beard while walking in with arguably the most drip out of anyone present. A large, green spotted monstrosity followed, looking around in bemusement.

"Guess that blast wasn't as bad as I expected." Cell chuckled to himself.

"Wait. What the hell?! Why… WHY ARE THEY THERE?!" Vegeta shouted, finally voicing what everyone was thinking. Anger was taking over, and that anger only grew as two more figures walked out.

"F-father?!" Frieza stammered in genuine shock.

"Ah, Frieza." The other one sneered. "Good to see you." Cooler said with clear disdain.

That was a good question, no one had any idea why so many of the villains they had. Fought and had been killed over trying to stop were currently here. Beerus and Champa to their credit didn't sit back and do nothing, they moved to the front of the group and took stances to simply destroy everything. None of the villains here were a threat to them, but if one of the fighters died, then their whole tournament was pointless… also, this was holding up them getting food. And that was the far more important thing.

"Vegeta?!" Another figure in the crowd exclaimed.

"Nappa…"

"Wait. Prince Vegeta!?"

"Raditz?!"

"Skorch, what the hell did you do this time!?" Vegeta shouted.

"I had nothing to do with this." Skorch calmly said, eating some popcorn.

"Wait. Who's that?!"

"Who?"

"The purple ones and the fire one!"

Needless to say, a number of the villains were pretty confused. Not just by the sudden resurrection, but by whatever 'Skorch' and 'Duke' were. That and the fact that the Sayians they had fought were suddenly in front of them.

"What's Dr. Gero doing here?!" Android 17 scowled.

"I do not know how I have returned. But it is good to see you again." A new voice spoke up, 17, 18 and Krillin turning to see the large android looking down to them.

"16!?" Was collectively exclaimed.

Another, older figure appeared in the increasingly growing and confused crowd. He looked similar to one of the warriors from Universe Seven, but older, and clearly more sadistic, as if he was the cracked reflection or twisted side of what one could be, or would've been in times past.

"Hm." King Piccolo blinked, looking from Goten to Goku, then to his son. "How long have I been gone?" He seemed oddly calm about everything that was happening. "Son."

"Father."

"Not long enough." Someone growled.

"Ahahaha… not even death…" Zamasu began, but froze when he saw the Omni-Kings. "Wh-what madness is this…!?" He said, sounding more nervous than he'd like to admit. Janemba just laughed at his sudden decline in drive.

"What are you doing here?!" Vegeta demanded, angrily. Future Trunks tensed noticeably and Goku seemed ready to fight.

"I… I do not know…" He slowly confessed. "I was wondering in a deep fog, as if something was guiding me, and then… I was here."

It honestly seemed like at any moment a full-fledged war was going to break out. Krillin could feel his wife's anger, and he absolutely shared it, Goku felt the need to fight to protect those around him, Piccolo was not the Namekian his father was, and never would be. Well, kind of. The whole 'reincarnation' thing notwithstanding.

Vegeta… wasn't just being Vegeta this time. One doesn't spend years on earth, in marriage and even fatherhood, and come out the same man. Or Saiyan, depending on how you'd like to word it. He knew any of the freaks standing in front of him wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone they could, and he'd be serving under Friza again before he let any of them hurt his family. It was an odd feeling to him, like a sense of pride that was out shadowed by absolute blinding rage.

Surprisingly, a few of their advisories seemed frightened, almost unwilling to fight. Either they knew that this battle was going to end the same way as before, or they knew something the Dragon Crew didn't. While the Ginyu force seemed shocked to see Frieza, they were also clearly nervous about jumping back into a fight against Vegeta, and Goku, and Piccolo, and Beerus, and so on and so on. Or maybe they saw Duke or Skorch, or any other of the many, many dimension warpers and literal GODS standing in front of them and decided fighting most likely wouldn't end well for them. Actually, the Ginyu Force recognized Skorch as possibly the only person here aside from Frieza.

"Did you plan any of this?" Champa asked. However, his tone wasn't accusatory, more confused.

"No… and I don't think he did either…" Beerus replied gravely. "Let's just get this over with so we can go home."

"Goku?" An old, soft, friendly voice spoke up as an old man exited the other portal, and Goku whirled around, nearly having a heart attack from shock.

"Grandpa Gohan!?" He exclaimed.

"Kakarot?!" Another saiyan shouted in disbelief. Goku blinked, then looked him up and down.

"Hey… you look just like me!" He said, trying to put it together.

"Kakarot… do… do you not recognize us?" The woman with the man asked, sounding almost heartbroken. "W..we're… we're your parents."

The revelation hit Goku like a flaming semi-truck to the sternum or some other body part that would cause a lot of pain, all he could do was stare, before Gine ran forward and hugged her son.

"I was- but- you-" She was at a loss for words. Eventually, she gave up and simply hugged her son, joined by her husband, both of whom never expected this moment to happen. It seemed impossible, and yet, here it was, happening before them. They never wanted it to end!

"So…" Grandpa Gohan spoke up, the trio turning to face him. "I guess I can finally meet the parents of my grandson!" He remarked, laughing jovially.

"Uh, Mom? Dad? This is my Grandpa Gohan, he was the one who raised me." Goku said, introducing them, feeling happier than he had been in ages. "Gohan! Goten, come over here!" He called to continue the introductions.

"What in the name-" An older, taller Saiyan growled, looking about before looking down at the crowd.

"Hey, Dad, he looks like you!" Lil' Trunks commented, looking up at the King of Sayians. Not knowing who he truly was.

"Trunks… that man… is my father." Vegeta said, seemingly still in astonishment. King Vegeta looked to his son, realizing who it was.

"It can't be-"

"Father." Vegeta lowered his head in a sign of respect.

"My son…" He looked to the small purple haired boy, realizing he had called his son 'Dad'.

"Well, look who's back." Beerus smirked, watching the interaction and not missing the look of shock and trepidation that flashed on the King's face.

"L-Lord Beerus!" The King said, trying to compose himself. "I- I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Nor did I." Beerus said in his usual drawl. He turned to address the one who might have answers, only to see the one who may know what was happening seemed equally lost.

"Duke." Skorch spoke, his tone now genuinely angry. "Do you wanna have a bad time? 'Cause if you don't start talking right now. This is gonna end poorly for EVERYONE."

"It's… TIME…" Duke said with his trademark twisted smile. Skorch looked to his… 'friend' and seemed to blink without eyelids in confusion. Suddenly, the fire surrounding his head seemed to roar to life in either anger or shock as he clearly realized what the other was getting at.

"NO…" Skorch growled.

"Oh yeah, it's time buddy." Duke grinned. "Everyone's been waiting for this one. It'll be fun!"

"Hey, Skorch, you mind telling me what the heck is going on!?" Bulma demanded, interrupting th pair and grabbing the skeleton by his spinal column. "I really don't like being jerked around like this! And I'd like to know why SO MANY OF THOSE MONSTERS ARE BACK!" The Skeleton just looked blankly at her.

"Yer gonna have t'talk to me, little lady." Duke laughed, taking another puff off his cigar. "An'th'answer is… I thought it'd be fun." He nodded to the Grand Priest, who blinked then nodded back.

"I would ask that all please proceed to the stands to enjoy… whatever demonstration we've been summoned to watch." The Grand Priest spoke, calmly, but his voice carried far and wide, enough to be heard by all. Those who were at the TOP understood the request and did as asked, leading those who had recently arrived with them.

"If y'all try and be smartasses about it, these two can up and wipe yer whole world from existence, so I'd recommend shuttin' up and sittin' down." Duke added, nodding to the Omni-Kings, who's smiles seemed especially unnerving. So, most of the villains did as ordered. Those like Cell and King Cold considered striking out against the two toddler-sized beings, but upon sensing their energy, decided to act diplomatic. For the time being.

"Where are we?" Cell muttered, looking around in confusion. "This isn't earth, that much is clear…"

"Long story short they had a fight, so there's a tournament going on to settle it." Krillin muttered.

"Wait, another tournament? And they didn't bring me back for that!?" Cell asked, almost offended.

"Yes." Was collectively said. However, the tension was higher than normal. Seeing Frieza, Raditz, Nappa, Cell, The Ginyu Force, King Piccolo, and so many others all of a sudden was more than a cause for alarm. While it was true they had watched battles with them before, there was something almost reassuring about the Capsule Crops. Room they watched them in, as if the small size guaranteed they couldn't escape. But here? Sure, there were literal Gods and Angels surrounding them, but that didn't alleviate the fear. Or maybe it wasn't fear, just fury. Anger for the pain they had caused, what the Dragon Crew believed they had to give up in order to win, it was funny actually. Whenever one of these villains appeared, there was hostile interactions, insults and tension, but never this kind of anger and fear. And as for why now they felt this? None of them could honestly answer.

"So, does no one have any idea what's happening?" No. 17 asked. "Cause this just seems like a great way for things to end badly." His dry tone was present, but there was an undeniable underlying layer of apprehension.

"Duke was kind enough to tell me before we got here, and I must admit. I am very interested in this." Cell remarked with a grin and the voice that made your spine twitch, even though he hadn't done anything yet…

Skorch and Duke seemed to be doing some reality bending stuff, and the air around them seemed to turn to fire and some type of wild magic. This in turn, was manipulated and stretched about, reforming not only the area, but the seating as well.

"Wait…" Skorch blinked, looking out over the crowd. "Where's Yamcha?"

"…"

"Duke…"

"Yes?'

"Where's Yamcha?"

"…"

"DUKE."

"Yes?'

"WHERE'S. YAMCHA?"

"…"

"You brought CUI to the fight, but not YAMCHA?! CUI! THE GUY WHO MOST PEOPLE FORGOT EXISTS?!"

"He's YAMCHA!"

"He's an important character! There's more Rule 34 of him than Cui!"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!"

"Don't ask! Just get him!"

Rolling his eyes, Duke vanished then retuned. With a yell, Skorch drove his staff into the centre of the area, what sounded like a deep ring of a gong emanated as bolts of orange power surged forth, going in all directions. They collectively reached the edge of the area, it circled the floating fortress, seemingly lighting up ancient runes as it did so. When the energy convened, it rocketed backwards the way it came, slipping through the seating (and making a few present jump) before returning to the core of the area. The power, the light, the… whatever it was, was reabsorbed into Skorch's staff, and the head glowed. Then, a beam rocketed into the sky, creating what could be described as a massive screen. Those who knew Skorch knew he was doing this for some dumb reason, everyone else had no idea who or what Skorch was, and simply stared in disbelief. Skorch ripped the staff out of the ground, spun it about with a flourish, and then slammed it back onto the ground, sending another loud chime outward. The screen flickered, and the video began.

"You could've just pushed play, like a normal person." Duke commented flatly.

"Dude. I don't care. They want theatrics, I'll give them theatrics!"

"Understandable. God speed my… guy I know." Duke nodded, somewhat sombrely, as if this was it, that the author would be killed after posting this chapter…

(*Cues: Invader - Jim Johnston*)

All of a sudden, the theme faded away, leaving nothing but the sound of the wind.

"Uh… what happened?" Krillin asked.

The fighters watched as a pair of boots seemed to be walking across what seemed like a cracked and rocky terrain. It then cut to another boot, and… a shotgun being used as a leg, as it seemed to walk towards something.

The camera pulled back, and two men were shown with their backs turned, and somewhat hidden in shadow. One was taller and thinner, and the other was shorted and huskier. The tall one clearly wore a coat of some kind, maybe a lab coat? And the shorter man wore a sleeveless shirt. Whoever these figures were, they appeared to be looking at something, and it was clear from their body language, this was something they were both very hesitant about.

"Is that Wiz and Boomstick?" Videl asked, surprised.

The two men put keys into a sort of console that was built into the ground, each of them paused, then turned them at the same time. Noticeably, one of the arms on the taller man was mechanical. There was a loud hum as the console seemed to light up as the taller man began typing something into the console, the screen being shown to the watchers, while the two newcomers were obscured in the shadows.

Access File: 03231999-GkVS

Access Footage From Sub-Folders: DB, JL, STAS, MOS, DBGT, SV, KRY, DBZ, DBK, DBS, JLU

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"…I'm actually a bit unnerved right now." Goten admitted, the quiet and somewhat eerie ambient music gave a number of the fighters a bad feeling in their stomach. It was more of a reflex than anything though, and they didn't know how to explain it.

Files Accessed, Please Enter Authorization Code.

Code: JocelynSux420

Authorization Code Accepted.

"Okay, seriously. What is going on!?" Raditz asked in confusion. "Where are we?! What year is it?!"

"…right, we killed you like, thirty years ago…" Krillin muttered, realizing something.

"WHAT!?"

The two on screen stood back and both took a deep breath, knowing that this was it. The screen was shown one last time.

Warning. Once the files have been accessed, analysis and simulations will begin, there is no stopping this one it starts, are you sure you wish to proceed?

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"Is this like, the final battle or something?" Lazuli asked, confused. Deadman shook his head. There was something undeniably big about this episode, and no one knew why.

"Wait. Is it finally…" Goku began but trailed off, excitement and hope filling his eyes.

The two looked to one another. Finally, the taller man spoke.

"You sure about this?" He asked, in a shockingly familiar voice, like a teacher they had been learning from for some time now.

"No. But it was gonna come to this eventually." The short man replied, and some of those present knew who was talking. Before they could say anything, the shorter man pressed a key, as if resigning himself to whatever horrible fate awaited him, and the console began beeping, and a robotic voice spoke:

Loading… 23% Complete

Loading… 69% Complete, rending imagery…

"Nice." Roshi said aloud.

Loading… 99%

All files compiled. All research gathered. All forms addressed. All sources studied.

Death Battle. Commencing.

In 5…

4…

3…

2…

"What makes this battle so important?" Vegeta asked, confused as to why it was taking so long. Skorch however, didn't reply. Neither did Duke.

1…

Death Battle commencing. Have fun.

Suddenly there was a fiery explosion of rock, flame and lava as what appeared to be a logo carved out of stone came up from the ground. As the camera pulled back, and orchestral rendition of the Death Battle theme suddenly sprang to life at first, it sounded like a Greek chorus singing, until an impossibly fast guitar took over. The rock music was invigorating, energizing, there was no denying it's awesomeness. It could only be cooler if played on a 9-string. Spiked chains and pendulums swung as the camera was quickly going backwards now, as if trying to escape the explosions. Fire appeared to consume the screen, leaving two words after the molten liquid melted away.

Rooster Teeth Presents...

Afterwards, what appeared to be… renaissance-style paints were shown as the camera panned across. First showing two young men sitting at a table, with many papers on the wall behind them. The drawings appeared to be of a man in a cape of sorts. Then, a drawing of a man working cross legged appeared, with what looked suspiciously like a dragon ball on a paper behind him.

"Both born to doomed worlds and sent to a planet that was not their own, these two alien saviors are LEGENDARY." Wiz suddenly spoke his tone one of absolute importance, as if this was something that had been building for a long time.

"And everyone wants to who could kick who's ass in a fight. And I mean EVERYONE." Boomstick spoke up, the disbelief clear in his voice.

In collaboration with:

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The Dao of Dragon Ball

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The Review Section

"Wait. The Dao of Dragon Ba- Holy crap. Are we finally doing it?!" Roshi's eyes widened in genuine hope.

"Dragon… Ball… Oh shi-" Piccolo muttered, realizing most likely what they were about to watch. Everyone else who hadn't seen a Death Battle before were left in bewilderment at what was currently happening, it made… it made no sense!? If this was just a movie, why were they brought here?!

The paintings now showed what appeared to be everyday people locked in combat, followed by what seemed to be a guy on a computer yelling at said computer, while another man did the same action with a flipped pose. This was followed by a group of people in what appeared to be a coffee shop looking at comics, and then a painting of what looked like Skorch, Deadman, Duke and a few others playing pool while debating something.

With Additional Information Supplied By: Many Others…

There was an explosion of lava, and another column appeared, and everyone stared in absolute disbelief at who they saw standing on it.

"Goku, the tenacious Super Saiyan of Dragon Ball."Wiz declared as Goku stood in his traditional orange outfit.

"Wow. They're finally gonna do it!" Bulma blinked, genuinely surprised at how much of a buildup this was getting. Goku looked to Skorch, who smirked.

"You knew?!"

"Yeah. And seein' the look on your face made it all worth it. As well as this alcohol. That helped." Skorch replied.

There was another explosion and his challenger appeared on the second column. He was an incredibly strong-looking man in a blue suit with red cape and tights. On his chest was a yellow diamond shape with a red 'S' in the centre.

"And Superman, the Man of Steel." Boomstick said with a very noticeable amount of respect in his voice.

Starring:

"MasakoX"

"It'sJustSomeRandomGuy"

'Animation' by Jordan Lange

"THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME!" Goku shouted rather childishly, but no one could blame him this time, in fact, most of the others felt the same way.

Another painting appeared, this one of a young woman with a brown hair in a pony tail and glasses, and a young teen wearing a jean jacket with dirty blonde hair. They seemed to be talking, or arguing, surrounded by dozens of boxes and stacks of what appeared to be comic books, magazines, movies, all sorts of miscellaneous material. Add to this the empty cans and pizza boxes, and it was clear they had been at this for a long time.

'Death Battle Research Closet…' Frieza muttered, noticing a crude sign taped to the wall.

"To ensure no questions are left unanswered, we will be acknowledging every official resource for both combatants, though the original writings hold precedence. No mistranslations allowed. Also, as he was retconned and rebuilt in 1986, we will be examining the modern Superman. This includes the New 52 and Post-Rebirth Superman."

"Considering Supe's pre-86 could make up new super powers on the fly and destroy entire solar systems by sneezing-" Boomstick began.

"HOLD ON. WHAT!?" Was collectively shouted.

"Back then, comics weren't seen as something with a continuing story. Writers just made it up as they went."Skorch remarked off-handedly. "Look, there's gonna be a bunch of weird crap in this episode that'll be explained later. For everyone's sake, shut up and watch."

"He can literally destroy entire solar systems by-" Yamcha began but trailed off.

"Sorry, what is this?!" Bardock asked.

"It's a show we've been watching, they take warriors from other worlds and show their strengths and simulate a fight to find out who would win." Gohan explained. "I don't know where it came from, you'd need to ask Skorch. But I know that a few of us have actually been in this."

"What?!"

"Yeah, so far, it's been Vegeta, Majin Buu, Android 18, Hercule and now Goku. The win rate is three to one. Or however that works. Buu's the only one who's lost."

"How in the world did you get your hands on such a thing…" Dr. Gero said quietly, taking in what was said, and what that implied. "And how did they get such information!?"

"No idea."

"You! Skeleton! How did they-" Dr. Gero began, but was pegged by an empty can of Jack Daniel's soda.

"Shut up, Boomer!" Skorch yelled, not in the mood for this right now.

"Is no one going to mention or question the skeleton with a flaming skull?" Janemba asked, only to receive his answer in the form of silence. Namely, no.

"That's probably a good idea. But now, you know the drill. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick!" Boomstick declared, clearly hyped up for what they were currently watching. Or discussing.

The camera tilted down to the now scorched earth and began racing towards something at a decent pace. As the camera seemed to be flying backwards, the fighters saw many familiar faces appear, all seeming frozen in time.

Boba Fett blasting a rocket at Samus Arron, who shot back with one of her own rockets…

Akuma in his raging demon form while battling with Shang Tsung who was unleashing a flaming skull …

Rouge and Wonder woman mid-flight and mid fight…

Written and Hosted by Ben Singer and Chad James

Yoshi and Riptor going dino-a-dino with tongues and claws…

Zangief and Mike Haggar locked in a fierce test of physical strength…

Spawn had one of Kratos' blades of exile through his chest, green blood flying, while Kratos was wrapped up in chains…

What looked like a turtle and a mushroom…?

Ragna and Sol Badguy, blades clashing and their twisted sides beginning to break free…

"And it's our job to analyze their weapons." Wiz began.

Beast and Goliath where shown, Beast held in Goliath's talons, the X-Man slashing the gargoyles' face…

Mario throwing a fireball at Sonic, who was flying through the air in a spiky ball…

Above them, thunder and lightning clashed as Thor and Raiden attacked one another, Raiden wielding his staff, and Thor swinging the mighty Mjölnir…

"Armor."

Kirby and Majin Buu were shown, Kirby held a sword, and Buu was shown with both Fat Buu and Kid Buu…

Spider-Man dodging a Batarang while firing a web blast at Batman, with Captain America coming in from the other side…

Sam Fisher was aiming down at a carboard box, which had a gun poking out from underneath it…

Venasaur, Charizard and Balstoise all firing water, fire or solar beams at one another, colliding in a magnificent explosion.

"And skills. To answer once and for all…"

Ryu was firing a Hadouken at Scorpion, who was unleashing his dual kunai's…

A giant robot firing a gun at a cyan Pegasus, and missing horribly…

Dan Hibiki and Hercule Satan throwing fists at one another (and missing horribly)…

Ryu and Strider, both with swords drawn, clashing above the previous mentioned fighters, sparks flying as the lava exploded around them.

Iron Man and Lex Luthor, firing blasts form their suits, while Godzilla's atomic breath overshadowed both their attacks, but narrowly missed the flying Gamera…

"Who would win?"

Directed by Ben Singer

The four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were clashing with their weapons, Donatello's staff striking Raph's jaw, Mikey's nunchucks hitting Leo's face, Leo's blade slicing Donnie's arm, and Raph's sais stabbing Mikey's leg…

Deadpool was eating a chimichanga, and holding his sword in one hand as Deathstroke attacked with a gun and his sword…

Super Saiyan Vegeta and Super Shadow blasting each other with chaos spears and Gallick blasts…

As the music began to swell, the camera moved upwards again, a pair of wings appeared from the bottom of the screen, then the camera spun around, showing some sort of angelic figure clad in holy armor flying from the lava in a shot that made no sense but damn it, it looked cool. The camera turned down, showing lava, and began zooming over it heading back towards the two figures from earlier. There was one last volcanic explosion, and the men were shown. The shorter one wore a red and black plaid wife beater with a white shirt, a decent sized moustache, and a shotgun for a leg. The taller man wore a lab coat, a green shirt, glasses, white hair and had a robot arm.

"A Death Battle!" Wiz declared, making a fist with his robotic arm and a grin.

"So that's what they look like?" Gohan asked, surprised. "Huh… that… that actually seems about right."

As the lava wall fell back to the ground, the logo for Death Battle appeared, this time it had a chrome and titanium build, with blood red outlining. It seemed to gleam and be dripping lava. Wiz and Boomstick stood, in front of it, as the camera turned upwards to the stars, revealing the 'S' logo, but now with a Dragon Ball behind it.

The title was being written in what looked like two red lasers, only for a familiar Kamehameha blast to shoot over it, seemingly solidifying the lettering.

Goku VS Superman

Then, the doors closed.

"Holy crap." Was finally muttered.

"Yeah, once I heard Skorch had landed here, I KNEW this was gonna be good!" Duke laughed.

"Okay, so… HOW BIG is this argument?" Piccolo asked, looking to Skorch.

"Bigger than I can really put into words." Skorch answered. "If you ask anyone who would win this fight, you'd better bring sour gummy worms. No one can answer that question in no less than twenty minutes. And that's only if they die in a freak act of God or something."

"Alright then."

"Of course, Kakarot's battle is the one they hype up beyond all belief…" Vegeta muttered, annoyed by something. "And they give him the most powerful opponent…"

"Wait. How do they know about Goku!?" Jeice exclaimed, suddenly realizing something. "Did one of you make this thing?!"

"Oh, this should be fun." Piccolo smirked.

"Uh, it turns out that everything we've done was seen by another world." Goku began, awkwardly trying to explain what he knew to the villains. And everyone else from the other dimensions. "According to Skorch, we're just a comic and cartoon to some dimensions, and D-Zero?"

"Yeah."

"Right, that one." Goku nodded. "In that one, these guys make this show about characters from what they think are just stories fighting one another."

"Not knowing that those stories are real to us…"

"Kinda. Yeah."

"So… everything… that has ever happened…" Captain Ginyu muttered. But then he thought about it, what had been discussed at the bar that one night, what the skeleton had mentioned and shown them. "So that's what you were getting at…"

"That's weird, mate." Jeice blinked, seeming oddly calm with this literally world-shattering revelation. Or maybe being dead and (presumably) in hell just kinda made you mellow out, and then stuff like this didn't faze you the same…

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" Dyspo shouted, having the reaction which most would expect from hearing this news. Which was understandable, as this news quite literally challenged everything they ever knew about their reality. "Th…th…they can't…!?"

"YEET!" Mad Dawg yelled, whipping something across the stadium with a surprising amount of force. It pegged Vewon in the face, earning an angered yell of pain, and Dyspo slowly picked up the book that had been thrown. The title read 'Dragon Ball Super Vol. 8'

"Hey! When you're done reading that, I want it back! I was re-reading this saga to see what changed!" The mutant dimension-traveler called. Meanwhile, those close enough to see what was thrown felt like they had been stabbed in the gut. The small book was a black-and-white comic, and-

"That… THAT'S US!"

"But-"

"They can't!"

"That means-"

However, their questions, concerns and revelations where put on hold when the video seemed to kick back to life, and what appeared to be a mixture of a lounge, lab, and trophy room appeared, and Wiz and Boomstick entered.

"Hell yes! This is what I'm talkin' about!" Boomstick declared.

"It's about time they gave us the funding so we didn't have to record these episodes in a closet…" Wiz admitted with a shrug.

"And they finally fixed the issue with the cameras. That weird thing on the lens was making it hard to film."

"Wait. What thing on the lens?"

There wasn't an answer, and the two looked at one another.

"Are you telling me that all this time, for however many episodes we've been going, you left the CAMERA LENS ON!?"

"I did?"

"Ugh… let's get this thing going." Wiz muttered, picking up a remote and hitting something, pulling up familiar footage.

"Hang on. How far into the lore are we going?" Boomstick asked, pulling up a chart revealing a mess of a timeline. "Like… all the way up to Super? Or are we ending after the Spirit Bomb thing?"

"We're going up until the end of the Universal Tournament in Super." Wiz answered. "While there isn't a ton of info about Ultra Instinct, we can't discredit it."

"Something tells me that by the time we're done here, there WILL be enough information on it, but fair enough." Boomstick shrugged, seemingly knowing this was never going to be enough to please everyone.

"Look, this is gonna be a long one, they can deal with it." Wiz muttered, seeming a bit more dismissive than he usually did. He picked up a VHS tape and pushed it into the player.

A log was thrown into the air, only for Goku to appear and kick the log, shattering it into clean, smooth pieces which seemed to fall to the ground in a surprisingly neat pile, as Goku landed in front of it in a pose.

"Kakarot was born to a low-class Saiyan warrior on the planet Vegeta, ruled by King Vegeta, and his son Prince Vegeta. And no, that's not the weirdest thing you'll hear this episode." Wiz began with the backstory as footage was shown of Planet Vegeta, and King Vegeta, and Prince Vegeta, and so on… "Despite being born to a non-royal bloodline. He narrowly escaped the extinction of his entire race. Most likely due to him seeming less like a threat than the others."

"And… Look, I'm not condoning child murder here. But you'd think with how many times this planet's been sacked, he would've been dead long before this went down." Boomstick added somewhat awkwardly. "Still, like many heroes, especially ones trying to rip off Superman, he wound up the last member of his race. And BOY would that come back to kick some bad guys in the bad parts, over and over! Well, he was the last until more retcons when-"

"We ain't got all day 'Stick." Wiz cut him off.

"What are they talking about?" Goku asked. Needless to say, the casual mention of the genocide of the Sayian people, and the remarks about 'child murder' made more than a few question what the heck they were watching, and why they were brought here to watch it.

"Kakarot was sent to Earth as the last remaining Saiyan with a single, simple mission for when he got to earth…" Wiz continued.

"DESTORY EVERYTHING!" Boomstick shouted suspiring a few of the viewers.

"That's why he was sent to earth!?" Someone exclaimed in shock and disbelief. Mixed with a bit of anger as well. "What the hell?!"

"Goku's job was to kill everyone on earth?" 17 blinked, looking from the screen to Goku then back to the screen. He knew him, and Goku- was too dumb to do that! Well- okay, that might be a bit harsh, but- no, actually, it wasn't.

"Hm, if his power is anything to go by, then he certainly was prepared for such a feat." Frieza remarked, it wasn't clear if this was a compliment or an insult, so no one really reacted to vocally. Mostly because they were trying to comprehend that Goku was sent to earth to kill everyone.

"This isn't the man I married…" Chi-Chi frowned, thinking to herself. She knew Goku was someone who loved fighting, maybe a little bit too much, but he wasn't a mass murderer… Yeah, she knew this was his original intention, but what if she was wrong? What if- what if all this time he'd been hiding it?

Goku and a few others seemed eerily calm at that revelation. Mostly because they had heard it before when Raditz first showed up, and a string of events were set in motion that no one could've predicted, spanning decades and planets at that!

"Until he conveniently hit his head and forgot everything." Boomstick added. "Which is both suspiciously convenient and convenient for convivences sake."

Everyone just looked in in stunned silence. This was most definitely not what they had expected in an intro to one of these battles, and from Goku no less! …well, everyone but the core DBZ cast, who already knew his, and were hoping they could move on. On the other hand, a few thought: 'He hit his head- huh, that actually explains a lot.' But left such thoughts unvoiced. For now.

"…I…I didn't… what are they talking about?!" Bardock exclaimed, more confused than usual. He hadn't sent his son to Earth to destroy the place… had he? He had wanted to protect him! How did that- but- Gine gently put a hand on his arm, her eyes conveying pain, confusion and something else. She seemed to have realized that if Goku had succeeded, then they wouldn't be here right now.

"Despite his original intentions being worldwide genocide, Kakarot was found by the man who would become his adopted grandfather, who gave him the name 'Goku'." Wiz continued as Grandpa Gohan was shown finding the crying infant.

"What's this?" Grandpa Gohan asked in surprise, picking up the baby Goku, only for his tail to appear from behind him. "It looks like you have a tail! Well… we can't just leave you out here, can we?" Goku then hit Gohan in the face.

"Oh, hoho! Well you're certainly a feisty one, aren't you?" The Old Man commented with a friendly smile.

"So, he seriously didn't question why you had a tail?" No. 17 asked with a raised brow. "I know our lives are weird, but that kinda seems like something you'd question."

Goku shrugged, mostly feeling somewhat melancholy about the scene before him. There were a lot of great memories with his adopted father, but he was also gone too soon. But he was also chilling in the stands a few feet away so hey, it all worked out!

"Well, I was more questioning why a baby had appeared in the middle of nowhere from what one might assume was a spaceship." Grandpa Gohan remarked, looking over to the blonde woman. "The tail was odd, but really, it seemed like someone had abandoned a baby in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't just ignore that, now could I?" He reasoned, 17 thought it over and then nodded in agreement.

"My name is Gohan, and from now on, you'll be my Grandson. But what to name you? Hmm… Oh! I know! I'll call you, Goku! You like that?" Baby Goku just laughed. It was oddly wholesome.

Gine felt tears in her eyes, but she steeled herself to be strong. But, it was hard. She was Goku's Mother, and she never got to be his Mother. She managed to keep herself from crying, but she looked to Grandpa Gohan with watery eyes and smiled. "Thank you…" she said, softly. The old man smiled in response. Nothing else needed to be said. There was an understanding, a connection formed in that moment, and it was more powerful than one could hope to describe in words. Bardock nodded as well, they weren't able to raise their son, but it was clear he was raised with the love of a parent regardless of one's bloodline. That meant more to them than life itself.

"As he grew, Goku came to care for pretty much nothing but fighting. With his entire life revolving around combat, and training for combat." Wiz said. "Not much else mattered to him unless food was involved."

"Can I have another bowl please?" A young Goku asked, and everyone stared in disbelief.

"Well, that much is true." Chi-Chi remarked, knowing better than most how much Goku would eat. And eat, and eat, and eat…

"Ah. So, he's a college student." Boomstick commented.

"Ha! Well he certainly has the brain of one!"

"Hey, that's not fair, man! College students actually WENT to school!" Someone called back. To his credit, Goku just laughed at his own expense.

BACKGROUND

Full Name: Son Goku

Birth Name: Kakarot

First Appearance: December 3, 1984, Japan's Weekly Shōnen Jump Magazine

Age: 53 (Body = 35-45) ("Yo, Mrs. Briefs!" "Say anything and Vegeta will punch you from here back to earth!" "…you're looking great!" "Good save, Mutant...")

Height: 175 cm / 5'9"

Weight: 63 kg / 137 lbs.

Occupation: Radish Farmer (More than a few blinked and looked to Goku in a mixture of surprise and confusion. Someone so powerful… was a farmer?)

Masters: Muten Roshi, Korin, Popo, Kami, North Kai, Old Kai, Whis

Believed to Have Been Heavily Inspired By: Monkey King Sun Wukong from The Journey to the West

Arguably One Of, If Not The Most Recognizable Face In All Of Anime

Arguably The Strongest Warrior In Universe Seven (Vegeta wanted to punch something or someone for that indignity. Everyone else who was on Goku's side was impressed by that, and a few were downright shocked.)

"Eventually, around age twelve, Goku began a more intense training, one which pushed him to superhuman levels. All thanks to his training with Master Kame Sennin, the Turtle Master, or as he's better known. Master Roshi."

"Yo." Roshi remarked, a few looking over to him, trying to figure out who everyone was in this story. Frankly, they couldn't be blamed… More than a few looked to him with a 'HIM!?' look, as if believing this frail old man could possibly have trained Goku! But, those who had been in the Tournament knew that while he may not look it, Roshi certainly wasn't a slouch when it came to fighting!

"And this old dude's training pushes a person to superhuman levels! And that's a good thing, considering the threats this dude routinely takes on. If Goku wasn't up to the challenge, there ain't a chance he could hold his own against all the planet killers he goes up against! Heck, it even teaches you how to create giant freakin' beams of destruction!" Boomstick continued.

"Yer welcome, by the way." Roshi mused.

"For training us to defend the earth?" Goku asked.

"For training you to be AWESOME." Roshi coolly replied, flipping on a pair of shades. Oddly, most people present didn't have a counterargument to his statement. Although some thought it sounded dumb. Granted, some of those people had been on the receiving end of said 'giant freakin' beams of destruction', so it made sense they weren't too thrilled over it.

"Through a combination of Roshi's training, and his Saiyan biology, Goku quickly became one of the most powerful beings on the planet, with strength rivaled by no one for a time, and a combat prowess that was unseen until his arrival." Wiz added. "Despite his young age, Goku was able to effectively dismantle the Red Ribbon Army, which, as the name suggests, IS AN ARMY."

Dr. Gero bristled at that, remembering the carnage, the utter devastation… all brought upon by a single BOY. Who, whether he liked it or not, was the key to his conquest, a key which had never worked the way it should! He was so lost in his thoughts and anger, that he didn't see more than a few people looking his way, picking up on his frustration and anger… and taking amusement in it.

Everyone else watched, either seeing old memories or being shown just how powerful Goku was, even at such a young age! The soldiers fought, they gave it everything they had, but Goku seemed to be moving faster than they could see or predict, and masterfully knocked them aside, sending their weapons flying and them crashing to the ground.

"Aw, c'mon! Y'gotta do better than that!" The young Goku laughed.

TRAINING

With Grandpa Gohan

Kung-Fu fighting style, offensive and defensive (Most Likely Luan Ying, Wing Chun, and Different Styles Of Kung Fu for defensive)

Basic Ki Training

With Roshi (Kame-Sennin Ryu)

Intense labor developed superhuman abilities

Extreme resilience and physical prowess, giving him enhanced speed and strength, far beyond that of a regular fighter.

With Korin

Enhanced endurance and stamina

Opponent anticipation/slight pre-cognitive abilities

With Kami & Popo

Senses, meditation, and precision. All designed to keep one focused during a crucial fight.

With King Kai (Kio-Ken)(This got more than a few shocked reactions)

Advanced Ki training

Physical Training at 10x Earth's Gravity, allowing him to fight under almost any condition.

Some of those from other Universes could only stare in astonishment. Sure, Goku gave them a heck of a fight. All of Universe Seven did! But he was trained through all that?! Some watching thought it was overkill beyond words, and yet a few others thought there was no way someone as strong as Goku trained under such simple methods!

"He developed numerous fighting techniques including the fast-moving After-Image, a move that makes the user move faster than the human eye can physically see, and the Dragonthrow, his trademark grapple. While many might claim that Dragon Ball has been nothing but 'Beam Struggles' for the past thirty years-"

"I mean… they're not wrong." Boomstick cut in with a shrug.

Goku wanted to disagree. They also punched people a lot! It wasn't just 'beam struggles' whatever that meant. How many of his fights came down to firing a giant beam of energy at… wait a second…

"-Goku is still a master of hand-to-hand combat, preferring to use physical fighting styles just as much as he does Ki based attacks. More on that in a bit." Wiz concluded.

Bardock looked from the screen, over to his son. This was more than he had ever expected! Granted, he hadn't expected to see his son again, and had really only hoped that his son would be safe, and hopefully happy. But to hear his son was a great warrior, if not one of the greatest in the world! That brought a burning sense of pure Saiyan Pride he hadn't felt in a long, long time. Bardock grabbed onto it, refusing to let it go for any reason.

FIGHTING TECHNIQUES

After-Image Technique (Zanzouken)

Moves faster than human eyes can physical see

Dragonthrow

Grabs opponent by appendage, spin and throw them away

Mimicry

Goku can copy any fighter's technique after witnessing it only once. It isn't known if there is a limit to this.

Rock, Scissors 'N' Paper (Janken)

Fast, three-part attack, typically used as a counter-attack

Fist Shockwave

This technique creates a long-range shockwave when the fist is pumped towards the opponent with tremendous force, moving faster than most eyes can see. Resulting in a (metaphorical) one-two punch.

Masters: Muten Roshi, Korin, Popo, Kami, North Kai, Old Kai, Whis (Technically)

"Hrgh… no wonder he seemed to be so resilient." Captain Ginyu muttered to himself. "He's a Saiyan, and he's had training the likes of which most men couldn't imagine!" He made a note that if he ever came back to life, he'd look into these kinds of training routines. But at the same time, he was chillin' like the boss villain he was in the afterlife, and was pretty content with that.

"Indeed, there was a reason why I chose him to be the basis for my greatest creation. But I never imagined…" Dr. Gero mused, stroking his stache while giving Ginyu a sidelong glance. Cell heard 'his greatest creation' and smirked slightly.

"So yeah, at age fifteen, Goku was already so powerful that the only worthy teachers left were Gods... and a talking cat, but mostly GODS!" Boomstick exclaimed, his tone one of absolute amazement. "He was only a kid, barely a teenager, and his power level was already enormous!"

"You… were training with GODS… that young!?" Someone exclaimed.

"Yeah, you weren't?" Goku asked, not in a condescending way, he just assumed everyone WOULD be! Was that kinda idiotic? Sure, but it wasn't unreasonable when you considered his training and feats he had accomplished. Also, this was Goku we are talking about.

"It's over nine thousa-" Vegeta (on the screen) began. Notably, the video seemed a tad rougher, as if it was from an older recording or something like that, or simply older footage.

"Hang on, not yet!" Boomstick exclaimed.

The video suddenly fast-forwards through many events some of the Z-Fighters recognized, while the others stared in confusion. More than a few tried to ask questions, but everyone else was too focused on the screen to answer them.

"Okay, now it is." Boomstick nodded.

"It's over nine thousand!" Vegeta yelled, crushing the scouter in his hand. A few looked over to him, confused as to how this was being shown.

"What?! 9,000?!" Nappa (on-screen) shouted.

"It was 8000." Vegeta (watching this) muttered, unsure how that got messed up. Probably something to do with it sounding cooler, or a mistranslation from one language to another. He didn't much care (aside from the fact that it make Kakarot stronger, which he did have grievances with.).

"That…how…" Nappa muttered. "Weird… damn. It's been a long while…"

"Yeah, if you think that's weird, wait'll you see what Vegeta got up to." Mad Dawg laughed.

"Meh, who cares. He's wasting his time with these earthlings… what next? He wears pink?"

"…"

"No…" Nappa muttered, downright offended that Mad Dawg would dare even try and claim that Prince Vegeta, the fearsome Prince of all Sayians, would EVER do such a thing!

"Wait, I thought it was eight thousand…" Vegeta muttered, watching the old footage play. Granted, it had been a long time since then, so he could've misremembered. Not that it really mattered, their power levels (and more importantly, his) had grown exponentially since then!

(*Cues: Falling Piano sound, Dragon Ball Z - Main Theme*)

"Well… here's where things get weird." Wiz sighed, pulling up some black-and-white comics written in Japanese which were then translated to English. "In the Japanese manga, Goku's power level at that time was 8,000. It's unclear why it was changed to 9000, but the line became legendary, and has stuck ever since. But it doesn't even matter because power levels are absurd beyond all belief." Wiz remarked as another screen turned on

"The entire point of introducing them was to show how unreliable and meaningless they were." – Kanzenshuu appeared on screen.

"And what exactly is the Kanzenshuu?" Vegeta asked.

"Dragon Ball fan site." Skorch answered. "People talk, share thoughts and fan works, get news. It's a cool place." Again, the Entity spoke so casually about something which seemed impossible to those present! A website. Where people discussed them. Sure, a few of the Z-Fighters were more willing to accept it, as Skorch hadn't really outright lied to them before. What reason would they have to start now?

Everyone else… well, some were still in shock upon being ALIVE without warning or reason, so there was that hurdle to clear before tackling the next one, namely that they apparently were a cartoon or whatever the proper term was.

"By relying on power levels, the villains constantly underestimated the heroes. Therefore, using them to judge Goku's abilities is pointless. Besides, the Daizenshuu says that—" Wiz began.

"Dai-what now?" Boomstick (and a few others) asked aloud.

"The Official Dragonball Encyclopedia. It states power levels eventually become immeasurable due to the fighter's extreme strength, not because they are so high they can't be measured. But because the characters – and hopefully the audience – have realized just how futile these numbers are. In theory, they're good for gauging a fighter's potential strength, but considering in the past all a fighter has had to do is charge an attack for ten seconds… okay, that's an understatement, but you get the point… in order to drastically bolster their power, it's gotten to a point where they're useless because these guys' strength keeps growing at immeasurable levels!"

"So, power levels are bullshit?" Boomstick asked, sounding hurt. "I feel like millions of childhoods just shattered…"

There was a noticeable reaction of disbelief, disgust and distrust at such a statement. Many of the fighters and even some of the villains ended up looking to one another in confusion, trying to understand why they'd say that.

"No, no! Not exactly… look, the best way to look at them is to see them as a rough estimate, but don't take them as the final say." Wiz tried to explain, but even he seemed conflicted on what he was saying. "They're useful, just don't solely rely on them for a strategic advantage."

"That… that feels wrong." Goku muttered.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree." Frieza muttered. "Power Levels are how one can tell how much more powerful I am compared to them, what are they going on about them being worthless!?"

"Yeah, no. I have to agree with Frieza on this." Roshi conceded, this clearly being something he didn't like. "Sure, they're not always useful or accurate, and you've all gotten so good at hiding them… but they are important!"

"Maybe they're trying to say that power levels are more useful to try and gauge the idea of a fighter, rather than their full potential?" Krillin commented, thinking logically. "I mean, that's what we did with Nappa and Vegeta, and while they were way stronger than we expected, we at least knew to expect something."

"Uh, hi, real quick, WHAT THE HECK ARE POWER LEVELS?!" Dyspo shouted from somewhere in the crowd.

"It usually refers to readings produced by scouters, which are sensory devices used by Frieza's crew that detect a person's ki. The reading is converted into numbers of an unspecified unit, and the resulting number is the "Power Level", or an estimation of that person's physical capability." Bulma answered, as if this was common knowledge.

"How long has that been a thing…?" Jirren muttered, his voice low as he watched, a mixture of emotions running through his mind. Confusion, intrigue, anger, apprehension, disgust… it was hard to pin down what he was feeling really. Did one of these battles exist for everyone present? Were these battles that they would be forced to fight eventually? How did they get this information? Were they nothing but mere entertainment for some greater being, akin to the Lords of Everything? But at the same time, he couldn't deny that his curiosity wasn't grabbed. This seemed like a perfect way to learn about different fighters!

"I'm still ten times stronger than you are!" Raditz (Anime) snapped, dismissively. The footage took a number of the fighters back. WAY back…

"That may be true, but strength isn't the only thing that matters." Goku (Anime) shrugged, seemingly ready to fight regardless. Which made sense, this was Goku we were talking about.

"Wasn't this right before he kicked your ass?" Krillin asked.

"And he slapped you through Kame House?" Goku replied, Krillin's eyes widening in shock.

"Did… did you just hold a grudge?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

(*Cues: DBZ - The Dragon Theme*)

"We cannot judge Goku by his power level, nor can we through power scaling, the theory that he can achieve the same feats as lesser Dragon Ball characters. Goku's abilities are tailored to his personal training and experiences, not to mention Saiyan anatomy is different than a human's in most regards, with enhanced endurance and resilience." Wiz read as the quote appeared on screen.

"Okay, I think I understand what they're saying." Old Kai mused. "Power Levels, at least for the context here, are to be used as more of a generalization, but they aren't meant to be seen as the be-all, end all. Especially since you youngsters are able to hide your power levels easily. Judging someone purely on their power level doesn't consider any number of other factors."

"Like training, fusion, or power-boosts from near-death experiences." Supreme Kai added, and Old Kai nodded in agreement to his statement.

"Exactly! Use them as supplementary material to help paint a better picture of someone. Gauging their power levels lets you know what they're capable of, and what they're able to hide!"

"I guess that makes sense." Goku conceded thinking it over. Dismissing power levels felt wrong, but the way the old Kai's were putting it re-contextualized it in a way that made sense! He'd have to remember that down the line. Come to think of it, a couple of the fighters here hadn't had the biggest power levels, but were still able to keep up with him, one way or another. "Still, I don't think I fully agree with it…"

"Good point, Wiz. Let's take Prince of the Badass-Assholes Vegeta, for example." Boomstick said as more footage was pulled up. "The dude was able to train at four-hundred-and-fifty-times earth's gravity. The amount of resilience and endurance needed to pull that off? Yeah, it's unlikely any normal human could pull that off without some serious injuries… Or just dying. Like, immediately." While King Vegeta did NOT approve in the slightest at the terms used to describe his son, he was also taken aback by that fact. Four-hundred-and-FIFTY-times normal gravity?! His son did NOT disappoint!

"I mean, you did break most of your body doing that." Yamcha commented.

"Worth it." Vegeta shrugged. Bulma looked to him and smiled, and despite himself, he couldn't help but smile slightly as well.

"For context, Earth Gravity is 9.807 m/s2." Wiz explained as a diagram came up. "This equates to roughly One G of force. Humans can't sustain prolonged exposure to 6 G's, and 9 G's is pretty much instantly fatal. Vegeta would be training at roughly 4412.15 m/s2, which is roughly 450 G's of force. In other words, he was surviving the excess weight of seventy-five EARTHS all at the same time on his body!"

"See, he was able to survive that due to his Saiyan Biology, compare that to a human's biology, even the more advanced or at least resilient humans in Dragon Ball, and the comparison is downright laughable!" Boomstick continued. "But, that doesn't discredit them from being able to fight one another… it just means some skills are more noticeable than others."

"Right, like how the old man is somehow able to keep up with the Sayians." Cell commented. Having to acknowledge from his time on earth that while he hadn't fought Roshi, he knew the old Turtle Hermit wasn't some frail old man.

"Or how a Saiyan child could fight against the Ginyu force." Frieza scowled, still not over that indignity. He'd simply have to train his men harder.

Granted, the Ginyu force wasn't over that indignity either, so it seemed like Frieza didn't have to be concerned with how they'd react to the increased training regiments. Wiz, meanwhile, steered the conversation towards something that had EVERYONE very interested in what would be said next.

"Despite it seeming like his original goal was to kill everything on earth, this was later revealed to be incorrect. Perhaps due to mistranslations, retcons, or someone just wanting Goku to be MORE like Superman, Goku's past isn't exactly what everyone thought it was." Wiz explained. He then flipped a chalkboard over and began drawing on it.

ORIGINAL CANON: Goku is sent to earth to conquer it, hits his head, forgets about that, becomes a hero. (He also may have been anywhere from 4-6 years old.)

RECENT RETCON TIMELINE: Bardock sent Goku away out of apprehension that something might be happening, this turned out to be true, and planet Vegeta was destroyed. (He was a baby when this happened.)

Goku looked to his parents, unsure of which it was. He remembered Raditz telling him that he was sent to earth to more or less beat it into submission, but that never felt right. Still, could it have been the truth, and he was mistaken?

"Wait, why DID you send me away?" Goku asked, raising a brow. He hadn't really put too much stock into this before, but now that he had the chance to ask, he wanted to. He didn't remember anything from his time on Planet Vegeta, and if he was given some special task, he had certainly forgotten that, so why was he on Earth to begin with?

"No, your Mother and I… we weren't sure what was happening on the last few days of the planet." Bardock admitted, thinking back to the hardest choice he had ever made, but one he was thankful he had made nonetheless. "We sent you away, and if it was nothing, we'd find you and bring you home, but that maniacal bastard wiped out our entire planet…" Bardock scowled, the memory which seemed like it had just happened replaying in his head. The struggle to fight back against the tyranny of Frieza, trying to save his planet, his wife, his sons! But it had been for not. None of it had mattered. He was dead, his wife, his planet, all of it. Dead. Yet he was here now…

"His parents sent him to Earth because they were concerned about some stuff happenin' around the planet. If it turned out it was all for nothing, then either they'd go get him and bring him back, or they'd let him grow up and then get earth ready to conquer. Supposedly, there have been retcons."

"Okay, so why'd it change?" Krillin ask. "I remember Raditz telling Goku he was supposed to have beaten this world into submission back when he first arrived…" Again, that felt like a century ago, but that wasn't important right now. However, his question was justified, and pretty much everyone, good, evil, or indifferent, wanted to know why. Some out of curiosity, some out of wanting to see where they had gone wrong, and others questioning how the temporal time stream had been tampered with without anyone noticing. A fact which could have severe consequences for some individuals. However, it just seemed to confuse those who were presently watching the episode. Furthermore, it confused those who hadn't met Goku before today, as it was seemingly implying that he had multiple pasts. Which simply didn't make sense unless he was a reincarnated warrior, and a quick glance at him wouldn't suggest that in the slightest. Skorch just let out a long-suffering groan.

"…so, are we just skipping the part where the Sayians beat planets into submission for a paycheck?" Kace spoke up. Vegeta glared at him, but said nothing. "Hm. Seems like we are, again."

"Be silent, insolent child." King Vegeta snapped.

"Blow me." The mutant-angel-teen remarked, flipping the king off. Was this going to result in him getting his face punched in? Maybe. But that was a problem for later.

"We say that… but there's a pretty simple answer." Boomstick shrugged, cracking a beer. "Okay, not so simple. Sit down and shut the hell up! It's time for some history!" The sound and screen effect of a VHS being rewound went off as the scene changed, showing a bunch of events and media being rewound to a specific point.

"In the year 1996, the world of storytelling, the world of entertainment, the world of animation, and the world in general, changed. Dragon Ball Z came to America." Wiz declared, as the intro for the show known as 'Dragon Ball Z' began to play, showing an animated version of the ones watching the Death Battle, albeit a bit younger.

(*Cues: Rock The Dragon - Dragon Ball Z: Light of Hope*)

"Dragon, Dragon, Rock the Dragon, Dragon Ball Z! Dragon, Dragon, Rock the Dragon. Come get me!" Boomstick, Skorch and a few others began singing along to a rock song. Followed by someone in the crowd shredding a guitar solo for a few seconds.

(Cues: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number OST – Interlude – Chromacle*)

"Twelve years prior, a Mangaka, or author of Japanese comics, named Akira Toriyama introduced Dragon Ball. The story of Son Goku and his quest to become the greatest martial artist in the world, nay, the universe… and boy did it take off!" Wiz began.

THOOM!

A pyramid of at least sixty books dropped down between Wiz and Boomstick. They looked down, then to one another, then to those watching.

"AND IT'S STILL GOING."

"So, you're telling us, that EVERYTHING we've ever been through, every fight every battle, every war… is just a damn COMIC BOOK!?"

"Technically it's 'Manga', but close enough. Yeah." Skorch nodded nonchalantly as the book was being passed around. "Although its mainly been the exploits of these dudes, the other Universes didn't get introduced until a few years ago." Skorch added: motioning around him to the other Universes, Angels, and Destroyers. "Not saying you guys didn't exist, you just- well, you weren't in the stories yet."

While this information may in every sense of the words, upend the entire understanding and knowledge one might hold about their place in existence, having been regulated to nothing more than a character, it was clear this information had been passed onto the fighters in Universe Seven, as while some of the villains were left in utter shock, some even decrying the skeleton's words as a cruel joke despite the evidence to the contrary. The Z-Fighters seemed to have heard these statements enough times that this information meant little to them. Well, some of them. Even after all this time, Bulma was still trying to grapple with what it could mean for them. While he would never admit to it, let alone show it in any recognizable way, Whis felt a similar sense of unease and confusion, as if even after all this time (and the times he had spoken directly to the Watcher) it was as if he heard it for the first time. This was due to the questions about one's place it raised, and also because it could lead to questions concerning those who had power, and chose to abuse it attempting to traverse there and take control of something which they really, really shouldn't.

Even the other Angels, despite knowing of the Thirteen odd universes, had heard stories of realms beyond the thirteen. But, they had dismissed them as stories, or places where even the Omni-King could not reach, so they wasted no time in trying to find out more about it. Yet, here was a lowly warrior from Universe Seven, apparently revered in a world where their actions were put on display for all to see. Yet, all they could do… was sit back and either accept what was put before them, or deny it out of a sense of paranoia and stubbornness. Not only that, but he was flanked by a being who supposedly tore the fabrics between these realms asunder with less effort than it would take the Omni-Kings to erase a Universe, and they travelled with a teenager who made these treks more than anyone could imagine. A mortal, and an all-powerful Entity, and they had chosen Universe SEVEN of all the worlds to settle down in. They spoke of worlds where their lives were stories, but where did that end? Where did the stories end and true life began?

"Most fascinating. What have you brought to us, Goku of the Seventh Universe?" The Grand Priest thought to himself, considering all that was being revealed. Meanwhile, a few of the Angels seemed to be having existential crisis'.

A number of the villains were considering this. If their world was that of a comic, could they use this to their advantage? Could they use it to ensure they could know what those they wanted ti defeat would do, and plan accordingly? Or was this all set in stone? Granted, they'd need to come back from the dead first…

The other Angels were wondering the same thing, and they looked to the teenaged angel. It felt like he would be able to provide answers that maybe even the Watcher could not. By now, the manga was still being passed around, but the episode continued regardless. Surprisingly, the Zenö's seemed more interested in the fight between Goku and Superman than they did the prospect of what this information could mean for them. Then again, long winded speech, or epic fight. It was clear what they would lean towards.

"Lord Belmond, you seem oddly… calm." Macarita commented, noticing the clown destroyer had remained both very calm and very quiet. He had been looking at what was presented, but didn't seem too fazed by it.

"Eh, if what Jake and Silent Hobb are saying is true, why fight it?" The Destroyer shrugged, seeming almost indifferent to what he was saying. He named the pair after a duo from a series of films he had seen at one point or another. "We're stories to another world? Not bad, hopefully we can be entertaining at the least, and helpful at the best." He chuckled, and sighed. "Heck, would it be so bad? Having stories of the Pride Troopers out there? Might make some wanna-be baddies think twice if they know Toppo and the others were out there." The Angel considered it, then nodded in understanding. It was an interesting way of looking at it.

"So, you think they're tellin' the truth?" Dyspo asked with a raised brow. He didn't disbelieve them, but didn't want to believe everything at face value. Honestly, he was more unnerved by the idea that people were watching or knew who they were than he wanted to admit.

"While I see reason to believe them to an extent, the issue is I can't find a reason to say they're lying." Toppo mused, scratching his magnificent 'stache. "Besides, do you really think they'd go to all this trouble, bring everyone here, including some who I assume are dead, just to show off something they did for no form of compensation or contractual obligation?"

"…I don't know the skeleton, but that feels like something he'd do."

"No, it totally is." Lil' Trunks commented, walking by to the fridge which had been set up. "Skorch is weird. I really don't get him, but I like him. But he just does weird stuff sometime for no real reason. It's like he just wants to see what'll happen. But this seemed like it's out of his control. But as for the comic thing? That's true, he's been explaining it to us for a bit."

"It doesn't matter." Jirren broke his silence. "Stories or not, it doesn't change who we are, and what we do. More importantly, why we do it." His words were spoken with confidence, and the others looked to one another, nodding in understanding and eventually, agreement.

"I don't know the whole story, but I know that whatever the heck the skeleton is, it ain't from any of our Universes." King Kai admitted. A few looked over and he sighed. "I've never been able to get a clear reading on its Ki signature, but it's… different. And considering what I've seen from these battles, I think he's telling the truth."

"Intriguing." Was all Liquiir could murmur as he considered everything. "Whole worlds, where we just exist as stories… how many of our stories are real worlds, then?" He thought. This was more than he had expected he would ever have to come to terms with, and he was a Destroyer! But, the essence of life itself as he had found it, was change. It was clear he would need to reach out to the trench-coated one and try to get more detailed answers (if possible) but for now, he resolved to kick back, relax, and enjoy the show. Korn was having a bit of a crisis, questioning if anything was real or just a story, so on and so forth, but came to the decision that it was no excuse for not doing his duties to the best of his ability. "Hey, Bones. We've got that Kwartha's place you mentioned on our earth. Wanna hit there after this and talk?"

"Say less, you magnificent son of a gun, I'm in."

Some of Universe Six was sitting in stunned silence, some of them seemed to be having an anxiety attack based on the information given to them ultimately invalidating much of what they knew/thought they knew, making them now question every choice they had ever made. Were those choices their own? Or merely the whim of some higher force telling them how they would live their lives, with no sense or care for their own individuality?

And then there was Caulifla.

"Why the heck didn't you MENTION this?!" Caulifla demanded, angrily turning on Cabba.

"It- it never came up! And- and I didn't know as much as they did!" He protested. "I saw one or two of these at the first tournament, but Skorch never said anything about US!"

"Actually, he did mention this to Lord Champa and myself." Vados piped up, knowing this was probably the wrong time to bring this up, but hey, it would also be funny! "Yet if you do have questions, I'd recommend asking him." She pointed with her staff to Skorch.

"Anyone bugs me about this before this episode is over and I'll set fire to your home." Skorch groaned, not wanting to deal with this.

"Look, t'be fair, none'a you ever showed up before this whole war of the worlds." Duke spoke up, looking to the Sayians of Universe Six. "Even if he DID tell ya about this, I can tell you now, prior to Cabba showin' up to find you, you were never mentioned. Even if you DID read th'books… nothin'. Nadda. Zip. You didn't show up 'till recently, and the books don't mention ya."

Caulifla seemed offended by that, but everyone else was too busy watching to care or notice.

"That's stupid, how can they not mention us…" She grumbled. Kale seemed a bit nervous to say anything, but the other Sayian looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry Kale, when we're done, the whole world will know our names!"

"Like Superman, Goku was also sent to Earth from a doomed planet, and possessed incredible powers, but that's pretty much where their similarities ended. Originally." Boomstick added, showing Planet Vegeta and a planet called 'Krypton'.

"Originally, Goku was primarily inspired by the Monkey King Sun Wukong from the Chinese novel "Journey to the West". If you have any interest in Asian culture, I highly recommend reading it, it's inspired far more than just Dragon Ball!"

"Throw a stone at a shelf of Anime, and odds are, it hits something inspired by 'Journey to the West'. No, I'm not joking." Boomstick nodded. "It's truly influential on modern Japanese media, and the stories are pretty damn good!"

"Wait. You read them!?" Wiz blinked, looking to Boomstick in genuine shock.

"Yeah, I wanted to see what everyone was talking about when comparing Goku to Sun Wukong… and I kinda ended up reading… all of them."

"…how have I never seen that…" Roshi muttered, realization dawning on him. A few looked to the old Turtle Hermit, but unfortunately, he didn't say anything.

"I…yeah, actually."

"Sun Who?" Goku asked, scratching his head.

"Sun Wukong, he was a character from an old collection of stories. The more I think about it, I can see how you're like him in some ways." The old turtle hermit conceded with a nod. "Aside from both'a ya flyin' on clouds, yer both head-strong warriors who seek to grow stronger, regardless of what that means for you or the people around ya."

"I like this guy! I wonder if he's in a Death Battle at some point…" Goku mused.

(*Cues: Dragon Ball Z - Pikkon Theme*)

"Anyway, Toriyama was smart and knew that fighting is awesome, so Dragon Ball took off like a rocket. Sooner than you can say "power levels are bullshit", Dragon Ball became a hit anime and then came to America." Boomstick continued, as the Japanese text faded away and was replaced with English text.

"Literally making its own journey to the west." Wiz commented as Boomstick chuckled. "…and forever changing the childhoods of many. Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z became the gateway anime to many westerners, its success opening the flood gates for the likes of countless other animes to come to the West! A number of them we've even covered on this show. Things like Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist, Soul Eater, One Piece, Afro Samurai, and Tokyo Ghoul owe in some small part, thanks to Dragon Ball for being the trailblazer. And that's not including American Animes such as Avatar the Last Airbender."

"Making childhoods and allowing thousands to discover weird fetishes down the line! Thanks, Dragon Ball!" Boomstick nodded. "And I'm not here to judge. But some of you need help."

"What is he-"

"Don't ask that question."

"However, there was also a notable downside to this… since prior anime had very little success overseas, due to the differences between Japanese and American cultures, the content itself ranging in quality, and the different styles of serialized storytelling, the companies responsible for importing DBZ understandably feared Goku's character might seem a bit selfish and heartless to a western audience…" Wiz sighed, annoyed.

"Sounds more like parent complaints, but whatever." Piccolo muttered, not realizing how right he was about that.

"Their solution? Censor most of the swearing, edit down some of the fights, and… oh, yeah. Turn Goku into Superman." Boomstick said matter-of-factly. "Again, no. I am not joking."

"Why!?"

"This was done due to parent complaints about that stuff." Boomstick remarked. remarked, and more than a few looked to Chi-Chi. "They didn't like having a main character who was seen as an asshole, being focused only on fighting, they believed it would set a bad example to kids." The host explained. Goku however, failed to see how that was a bad thing! What was wrong about teaching people that fighting was awesome!? Not only was it true, but it could be used to improve oneself and defend those around them!

"This decision resulted in some strange mistranslations… such as labeling Goku's father, Bardock, as a brilliant scientist." Wiz commented, pulling up pages of the Japanese Manga, and the English translations. Indeed, it labelled Bardock as a 'Saiyan Scientist'.

"Yeah, I don't see it." Boomstick shook his head as Bardock was shown.

"I was a warrior! Not a damn scientist!" Bardock scowled. He had fought, trained and lived his life as a warrior!

"No offense, but I really don't see you being a scientist."

"Even our scientists were warriors! They spent most of their time trying to find ways to make us stronger." King Vegeta remarked.

"Like steroids?" King Kai asked.

"…admittedly, yes." The King begrudgingly admitted. "Granted, we were against them for use on us, but they did help with medicine and crop growth."

"Suuuuure." Someone muttered from the crowd, and the King glared at the general direction of the voice. He wasn't about to let that go.

"Not to mention, the dub was re-done on more than one occasion, which of course lead to MORE mistranslations, edits, censors and adaptations." Boomstick added, looking at an old VHS tape, while a cork board was shown behind him with hundreds of strings attacked and leading to different things…

"This is confusing…"

"Can't you just summarize it all?" Goten asked, and the Entity shook his head, cracking open another can of gummy worms.

"As well as perhaps Goku's most famous line, which many argue actually conflicts with his true character… because TECHNICALLY, he never said it." Wiz mused. "Do you see WHY this battle is so damn hard to pin down!?"

"But for those of you non-weebs, let's take a quick look at this, shall we?" Boomstick nodded before the scene cut to Goku standing among the rapidly-deteriorating Namek, looking at a beaten and wounded Frieza.

"I am the hope of the universe, I am protector of the innocent, I am the light in the darkness, I am truth! Ally to good! Nightmare to you!" Goku declared with the words 'Funimation Dub' in the bottom right corner.

"Really? 'Nightmare to you'?" Vegeta asked, almost dying of embarrassment from that line. As opposed to dying from having a hole shot in through his chest. He really couldn't say which was worse at this point. Then again, he was somewhat dying of embarrassment from KAKAROT being the one who's battle was considered SOOOOO special… that not only was the show making such a big deal about it, but so was the skeleton.

"…I remember something else." Goku commented, trying to remember exactly what he had said, but it had been so long that he couldn't remember clearly.

"Yes, you said something about bacon and being the danger that flaps in the night. It was pathetic, really." Frieza muttered, remembering something else. Granted, when one hears such speeches as often as he does, you tend to lose count of them.

"As you are surely well aware... I am the Saiyan who came from earth to defeat you. Despite my calm, quiet heart, I am the legendary warrior awakened by intense anger... I AM THE SUPER SAIYAN, SON GOKU!" Goku spoke in a different voice, this one Japanese, with 'Original Japanese Lines' in the bottom right corner, and the words being translated along the bottom.

"Yeah, I think that's what I said back then." Goku nodded, trying to remember. Sure, twenty years had passed and there had been a lot of fights, experiences and head trauma, but for some reason that memory evaded him. Yes, he knew what had happened, he had been there! But the exact wording was confusing.

"Sounds like a miracle this ever came to be in the first place…" Hercule remarked.

"Pretty much." The mutant-teen-angel shrugged. "It's why there's 'Dragon Ball Z' and then later, there was 'Dragon Ball Z: Kai' which was, to understate it, a revised, shortened and cleaned up re-do of DBZ."

"And… you're from Dimension Zero?"

"Nah, I'm from another world, but in that world, Dragon Ball is what it was in D-Zero. Manga, games, Anime, ext." Mad Dawg shook his head. "I get the feeling were gonna be here for a bit. I'm gonna do a food run to Burger King, you guys want anything?" Mad Dawg asked, cracking his back, before running across the area grabbing everyone's orders (and giving the lo-down to those who didn't know what he was talking about).

Raditz didn't feel like saying anything, but he smirked slightly. Seemed like the Saiyan he had beaten into the ground so long ago was tougher than he thought. Plus, hearing Frieza had been killed, and died begging like the absolute pathetic wretch he was did bring a sense of closure to him.

Bardock felt a sense of pride welling up in him. He was dead. Frieza was dead. His son had been the one who killed him. Despite his failure to protect his family and his people, his own son had been the one to end his tyranny. Little did he know, he had done so twice, technically. That kind of strength? It was pure Saiyan. For better and worse…

Cooler was disappointed but expected nothing less if he was being honest. Frieza was always trying to prove he was more than he thought he could be. In reality, he was outclassed and outmatched in many ways, and it seemed like he had been taught that lesson one way or another. It was almost humorous.

(*Cues: Unknown Theme*)

"Goku, – if we're honest here – is about one thing, and one thing only. Fighting." Boomstick remarked. "He's about finding your limits, and overpowering them in the most badass way possible. Yes, he gives a crap about those he cares for, but many argue that this line made him nothing but 'Eastern Superman' because they didn't want a character who fought because he enjoyed it… this is where it all began, the nerd debates, the internet wars, East vs West, which hometown hero would triumph in a brutal fight to the end? Oh, and this isn't including all the times they removed cursing, sexual innuendos or general threats." Boomstick added. "Yeah, look. We don't have all day, but there were many, MANY changes that some fans are totally okay with, as it was the original 'Dragon Ball Z' they saw, but some who know the source material feel like a lot of the essence of the series was removed for one reason or another."

"Yeesh, at this point, why even call it 'Dragon Ball'?" Yamcha scoffed, and more than a few grumbled in agreement. It seemed so odd that something which was so beloved could be altered so drastically to a point where it almost didn't resemble the thing that it was supposed to be! But, that could be more of a reaction coming from someone learning more about the history of their world than they ever may have expected to.

"In fact, the true nature of Goku is still debated to this day, despite having had close to full confirmation of his true intention for the character for some time." Wiz added.

"…basically, Son Goku from Dragon Ball doesn't fight for the sake of others, but because he wants to fight against strong guys. So once Dragon Ball got animated, at any rate, I've always been dissatisfied with the "righteous hero"-type portrayal they gave him…": Akira Toriyama Interview, Wired Japan 1997 #1 (issue 3.01)

"Now, to be fair, this may have changed in the years following this interview, but it stands to reason it hasn't." Wiz mused. "We won't claim Goku is all about fighting due to a single claim that might have changed in time, but it does stand to reason that through all the stories told during Dragon Ball, Goku's love of fighting remains a nigh-unshaken constant."

"But who gives a crap about history? Let's get back to the fighting!" Boomstick declared, cracking open another beer.

"You got a spare?" Wiz asked, seeming… tired.

"Did… did you just ask me…" Boomstick practically whispered, in shock at what he just heard.

"Stick. This is gonna be a HELL of a long day… do you have a spare?"

"*Sniff* I've waited my whole life to hear you say that."

"Of course, this is what he cares about." Piccolo muttered, although he had a feeling after the fight, and what they were about to see, he'd need a few as well. Cue someone passing him a flask.

"However, Goku does have a knack for mimicking ki techniques. Sometimes he learns em' from his masters or his rigorous training, or sometimes he just watches someone use it, then knows it immediately." Boomstick mused, nodding. "It's something that his foes often underestimate about him, Goku is a surprisingly fast learner, and can adapt to most situations with ease. Honestly, his ability to learn so quickly is partially what makes him a versatile and powerful fighter."

"I hate admitting to this, but they are correct." Frieza scoffed annoyed at such a concession. "The monkey's adaptability and ability to copy attacks is intriguing, as not all of his pathetic race are capable of doing so."

"Before you ask, Ki is metaphysical, made up of things such as vigor, courage and being in one's true mind." Wiz spoke as a quote from the Kanzenshuu was displayed on screen.

"It's basically a kind of natural life force energy and is a fundamental component of Daoist medicine and martial arts. Oh, and uh, it's NOT magic!" Boomstick added. "Seriously, it isn't. Despite what this show shows you, and Dungeons and Dragons may tell you…"

"Dragon Ball creates a very distinct difference between Ki and magic." Wiz explained as he held up a canister marked 'KI'. "See, Ki is dependent on the physical ability of the user." He opened the canister, and a blast fired out, blowing a hole in the ceiling.

"I ain't payin' for that." Boomstick said flatly.

"Wait, how does he just… contain magic?! Let alone Ki!?' Bulma demanded. That kind of tech would be invaluable to her work! And other things that she could do with it out of boredom. But also, being able to contain raw magic could lead to all sorts of medical and scientific breakthroughs. She looked around for the Entity to ask them, but they had jetted.

"Also, where did he get that from?" Future Trunks asked. "Something about Wiz doesn't sit right with me. He seems like the sane one, but I think he's more like Dr. Gero than we acknowledge."

"What are you talking about? His stuff's successful. At least I was. The rest… not so much." Cell called, only to be pegged by an empty can.

"Don't talk about my wife like that." He grumbled.

(*Cues: Dragon Ball Z - Battle Theme*)

"And magic-users like Babidi are clearly using something different. What it is isn't really explained, but it also doesn't matter, as Goku doesn't really use it, rather focusing on his Ki abilities. Goku harnesses and manipulates his Ki energy—"

"-into badass lasers and stuff, like Ki blasts, energy barriers and the Destructo Disc, which he totally stole from Krillin." Boomstick cut in, showing a number of Goku's feats and abilities with Ki powers. "The Solar Flare blinds opponents and the Spirit Bomb puts energy from other things into a giant death ball... that takes freaking forever to make." Boomstick groaned as Goku was shown making the Spirit Bomb. A number of those watching could only stare in utter shock at the sight before them. "Granted, it is usually used as a last resort, and can one-shot most opponents, I guess it makes sense to take a while to charge it. Plus side being it can't hurt anyone who is pure of spirit."

KI ATTACKS

Ki Blast

Destructo Disc (Kienzan)

Solar Flare (Taiyo-ken)

Ki Barrier

Kiai Cannon

Spirit Bomb

Dragon Fist

Gohan and Krillin remembered that experience years ago (it was the first memory that jumped to their minds) fighting Nappa and Vegeta, wielding that much power, the hope and love of the pure hearted… wow that sounded kinda dumb, actually. But hey, the Spirit Bomb's power more than made up for its somewhat odd choice of parameters.

"And energy taken from sentient beings must be voluntary. The Spirit Bomb is fuelled by positive energy which is only effective against those filled with negative energy, AKA evil. In the Super Android 13 film, Goku actually absorbs the Ki gathered from the Spirit Bomb, becoming one with it, transforming and manipulating the energy himself. This also may have led to him achieving the form of Ultra Instinct, but more on that later."

"But his two coolest moves are the Dragon Fist, where he super-charges his punch with a golden Ki Dragon, which immediately earns extra awesome points because… DRAGON!" Boomstick declared as Goku (on-screen) demonstrated the Dragon Fist, the golden dragon materializing around his fist. "And the one and only Kamehameha: a giant focused beam which every kid in the world has always wanted to do. All of you watching this, don't lie. If you're a fan of Dragon Ball, no. A fan of Anime. You've tried it."

KAMEHAMEHA

Means "Turtle Destruction Wave" (Roshi smirked)

Concentrates Ki To A Single Point

Requires Time To charge

Variants:

Jet - Propels Goku

Bending - Directed In Midair

Super - Planet Bursting Power

Twin Dragon Shout - Released As Spheres

Continuous - Rapid Fire

10x - Max Output In Super Saiyan 4, After-Effect Blasts Victim Later

While a number of those watching looked to one another in confusion, trying to understand what Boomstick was saying. It was true, honestly. So many grew up wanting to do that attack…

"Honestly, it's kind hilarious when you stop and think about it. Pretty much all of Goku's most powerful moves aren't technically his. Most of them he outright stole from seeing others do it." Wiz commented as a list came up of a number of Goku's attacks… and where he learned them from.

"Hey! That's not-" Goku began.

"That's completely true." Roshi cut him off.

"It is."

"Absolutely."

"Hate to break it to you, but it is."

"They're right."

"Absolutely."

"Honestly, Team Four Star put it best." Boomstick remarked.

"Sorry, Cell. I'm here to win. And you're never gonna beat me with your stolen techniques." Abridged-Goku said.

"And what, are you gonna beat me with your stolen techniques?" Abridged-Cell remarked, his voice sounding… different. Cell blinked, but remembered the videos of him supposedly befriending a frog, so this wasn't too odd.

"What? I don't steal techniques."

"Actually Goku, yeah you do." Abridged-Piccolo dryly said.

"Whaaaaa? What about the Kamehameha?"

"Uh, that was Master Roshi." Abridged-Krillin commented.

"The Solar Flare?"

"That's mine, thanks." Abridged-Tien said flatly.

"The Spirit Bo—"

"Goku, I'm watching the tournament. Don't think you can pull that shit!" Abridged King Kai shouted from where he was watching.

"Oh hey, King Kai. Quick question: Did I learn the Kaioken on my own?" Abridged Goku asked, and a few watching groaned and face palmed. On the one hand, it didn't seem like Goku could be that stupid, but on the other hand, it felt like they were getting close to it!

"My f**king name is in it!" Abridged King Kai growled in irritation. That got a few laughs from those watching.

"I never thought I invented that, though." Goku spoke up.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be surprised if at some point you thought you had." King Kai shrugged.

"What?! No way!" Goku exclaimed. "You're the one who invented it! I can't just take credit for something I didn't do!"

"Yeah, that's what Hercule does."

"Hey… you're… not… wrong."

"But there's still more to come! Goku also uses Ki for telekinesis and absurd-speed flight. He can even sense the power and location of other Ki sources and then teleport directly to them with Instant Transmission."

"Which is light speed!" Boomstick added.

(*Cues: Dragon Ball Z - Prologue & Subtitle II*)

"You dematerialize and travel as a mass of light." Goku remarked.

"Wait, that wouldn't be 'instant', then would it? You're still moving at the speed of light, and light isn't instant…" Raditz blinked, and it was as if someone somewhere overheard his remark. Bulma was about to reply, when…

(*Cues: Falling Piano sound*)

"Again, false." Wiz admitted with a sigh. "See, this is another mistake in translation. According to the original manga, "Instant Transmission is… well… instant. Quote again from the Kanzenshuu: 'Its only flaw is that it requires concentrated focus. Because of this, Goku can't always use it when in the heat of battle or in extremely stressful situations. Furthermore, there is a limit as to how far he can sense another's Ki.' Long story short, it isn't a catch-all solution, especially in the direst of situations."

"Which is when he probably needs it MOST, but hey, it is what it is." Boomstick shrugged.

"It's no good. I can't concentrate." Goku muttered.

(*Cues: DBZ: Ultimate Tenkaichi - The Warrior*)

"Also, he can read minds." Wiz added, clearly a bit annoyed. "Ironic as his usually seems empty, but whatever."

"Hey!"

"Wait, what? Is there no limit to this Ki thing?" Boomstick sputtered, seeming bewildered. Granted, that was felt by more than a few watching…

"There is. Goku draws from a finite pool of ki energy. So, to increase his power, Goku perfected the art of Kaio-Ken. This amplifies Goku's ki, multiplying his strength, speed, defense and so on." Wiz explained as Goku focused, and then his power seemed to explode outwards.

KAIO-KEN

Taught By North King Kai

Multiplies Ki And Physical Power

Too Much Strain Can Be Fatal

Multiplication Amount Is Controlled

Goku's Highest Multiplication: 20x

"Sure, this seems awesome, but there's one big problem: it puts a giant strain on his body and can even kill him if he pushes it too far." Boomstick explained. "As of late, he's been able to max it out at twenty-times before it would outright kill him."

"Kaio-Ken... TIMES TWENTY!" Goku shouted, the energy flowing through him, but also clearly taking a toll on his body.

"Eh, I bet I could beat that now, no sweat!" Goku laughed. A few watching sweat-dropped. Why was Goku always so eager to do something stupid that would get him killed?! Granted, if it made him stronger, they couldn't really talk him out of it, now could they? Annoyingly, no they couldn't.

"But Goku does not have to rely solely on his Ki. He does have a few tools to help him, for weapons, he wields the Power Pole, 'A magical staff which expands and contracts…' [Daizenshuu 7]." Appeared on the screen as he fought several enemies, despite seeming much younger.

INVENTORY

Power Pole (Nyoi-Bo)

Indestructible

Extends and Contracts On Command

Limitless Reach

Flying Nimbus (Kinto-Un)

Flies At Mach 1.5

Exclusive To People With A Pure Heart

Senzu Beans

Instantly Heals Wounds And Broken Bones

Restores Ki

Stored In A Belt Pouch

"Why don't you use that anymore?" Krillin asked, trying to remember when last Goku had used his pole in a fight.

"I dunno, I prefer using guns in a fight." Goku shrugged, flexing slightly.

"Was that a dad joke?"

"Maybe."

"When he's hurt, eating a Senzu bean heals him up and to get around, he rides the Flying Nimbus, a flying cloud which probably tastes like cotton candy."

"Sorry, can we go back to the MAGIC BEANS WHICH HEAL ALL INJURIES?!" Caulifla shouted in utter shock. She had no idea such a thing even existed! Where could she get some!?

"What about them?" Goku asked.

"SINCE WHEN WERE THEY A THING!?"

"I dunno, as long as I've been around, I've had em'." Goku shrugged. "They were great for after long training sessions. I could get back up and keep going!"

Most of the other Universes stared in shock. How- but- that- those had been a thing and none of them knew about them!? There were SO many times when something like that would've been helpful! And Universe Seven just HAD them!?

"If you guys want em', you'll have to talk to Dende about it, he's the one who we trusted to deal with that." Piccolo commented, sensing what was being thought. Only after saying it did he realize he probably shouldn't have said that.

"Why would you bring me into this." Dende asked flatly as he felt all eyes turn to him.

(*Cues: DBZ - Goku Super Saiyan Theme*)

"Still, the Kaio-Ken was Goku's trump card for some time until a fateful battle with the tyrant Frieza, who pushed Goku past his limits to achieve the legendary form of Super Saiyan!"

"Oh. Right." Krillin groaned, having a bad feeling about what was coming next.

"…you think they're-" Gohan began.

"Of course, they are, they've shown far worse, why would this be any different?" Krillin sighed, just hoping the jokes at his expense wouldn't be too bad. Besides, if it was to show how Goku became the Super Saiyan, he guessed it had to happen.

"Wait, is this…" 18 said softly, a mixture of realization and fear filling her eyes. She really didn't want to see this and she surely didn't want Marron to see it. Frieza just smirked wickedly.

"I'd advise against putting too much stock in your escape, but if you'd like I CAN BRING YOU CLOSER TO HOME!" Frieza snarled before Krillin was grabbed by some sort of force. "Hope you aren't afraid of heights."

"Really? That's the best you could do?" Cooler asked. Frieza seemed irked by the remark and grit his teeth but said nothing. He didn't care, it was fine. It didn't bother him, it bothered him a lot…

"KRILLIN!"

"Please, no!" A young Gohan begged.

"No Frieza! Don't do it!" While some may question why Goku would ask someone who blew up planets to spare someone he wanted dead, it was equally clear that this wasn't a moment where rational thought was front and centre.

"GOKU!" Was all Krillin could scream before he exploded.

The villains watched looked on in smug satisfaction. Vegeta was silent, not having witnessed this but having heard about it. It was nothing unusual for Frieza's usual brand of cruelty, but he also knew this was what sparked Goku's transformation, and that… intrigued him.

18 was mortified beyond words, her calm, usually stoic demeanour was shattered. She couldn't speak, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't… do anything! Only after Krillin shook her did she seem to come back to reality.

"D-daddy?" Marron whimpered, tearing up. This wasn't helped when Frieza began to laugh.

"Oh, I had almost forgotten how easy it was to wipe that pathetic wretch off the face of Namek! All he could do was scream the coward's final breath and do nothing to prevent his own death! Being dragged away into oblivion! It was too easy, and yet so satisfying. And I'll do it again. To you. Your wife. Your daughter." 18 had heard enough and was about to attack when someone fired a shotgun off and sent Frieza to the ground. She looked over at 17, who reloaded the sawed-off double barrel he had been given.

"What." He blinked.

"Since when did you have a gun!?"

"Someone gave it to me, it felt like it was a good time to use it." He remarked, passing it back to the angelic owner. The android sat down, being hugged by her husband and daughter. Frieza pulled himself up. In his current state, he was unable to die, and as a result, had a splitting headache. Everyone else moved away slightly.

Back in the video, Goku was left frozen in horror, and all he could do was whisper a declaration.

"I… will… make you… SUFFER…"

"Oh. He's pissed. That- that's not good." Someone muttered. A bit of an understatement, but they'd all soon find that out. Like, now.

It seemed like something irreversibly broke in Goku, despite the fact that he may or may not have been a bit dim, he was always someone who fought out of excitement, even when maybe he could have and should have been more focused. But that didn't matter at this point. That warrior, that… Goku was dead. The moment Frieza killed Krillin, he had irrevocably changed something in Goku and it was akin to opening Pandora's box. No amount of treaties, promises or wishes from a magical dragon could undo what had just been set in motion. As Goku continued to focus, it was clear his anger was outweighing… everything else.

Yes, it was true he was angry before this. It was true he had been angry when he hadn't been able to protect Krillin before, but this was something on an outright cosmic scale. Up until now, Goku's kindness and almost Zen-attitude could be considered a fatal flaw. He was too kind, to caring, too merciful.

But that was before he met someone who was evil incarnate. Someone who didn't care for anything but himself and would do what he did… because screw you, and everyone you love, that's why. An evil that could not be reasoned with, could not be bargained with, and an evil that had just taken his best friend.

Roaring in anger the energy around Goku seemed to change, and become more electrified than ever before. As it spilled out around him, he could only continue to scream as the energy seemed to be changing who he was, down to his fundamental core. Frieza could only look on in amusement but that amusement turned to horror as he realized he was quickly becoming outclassed. There was a small part of him that might have regretted what he had done, not that he'd ever admit to it. But the terror in his eyes spoke to a spoiled ruler who thought they were invincible, about to discover is hell was real or not. Whether he was ready or not. However, the reaper was ready, and had chosen its vessel to end his life.

Roaring one final time, Goku's hair turned golden, and his body seemed to get even more powerful than it had been before and Frieza realized he wasn't going to win this as easily as he thought.

"N-no… this can't be! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" He shrieked, unsure of what else he could say.

"Oh hey! It's the face of someone who's about to become a bottom BITCH!" Someone yelled from the crowd.

"Become?! You mean he wasn't already?"

"HAYOOOOO!"

"You dare think I was afraid?!" Frieza began, trying to figure out who dare insulted him. But, he was cut off by a tidal wave of facts, logic and insults.

"If you weren't afraid, why do you look like you're about to fall to your knees and beg for mercy?!" Janemba laughed, mercilessly.

"What's wrong, Frieza? Need your daddy to fix your problems?!"

"Seems like the heights of your power are matched by your physical height!"

"If I remember correctly, you were pissing and shitting yourself at the sight."

"Not to mention that's where you died." Gohan added.

"Good point! Let's watch that!" Skorch drunkenly slurred.

"SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!" Frieza demanded, firing an angered blast at…someone, and hitting Skorch, sending the skeleton flying in many different directions as the bones clattered down.

Krillin, despite watching himself die, was laughing. The insults felt great, and seeing someone like Frieza backed into a corner was both a bit concerning, but also hilarious.

"Why are you so calm about watching your DEATH!?" 18 had to ask when she saw Krillin's… somewhat underplayed reactions to all this. Marron, meanwhile, was clutching to her father, trying not to cry, but utterly mortified of what she saw. This didn't go unnoticed by a few present, who were making a note to make Frieza suffer more when he went back to hell. Heles actually found the scene rather sweet, as it was clear the short warrior had nothing but pure love for both his wife and daughter. Maybe she had been wrong in assuming they were incapable of feeling such emotions…

"Eh, it sucks that it happened, and it sucks having to watch it again, but I did come back. Plus, in a backwards way, I'm kinda glad I got killed there, as it helped Goku finally push through all his limits to become a Super Saiyan and then completely annihilate Frieza." Krillin shrugged.

"Yes, but you died! You could've- I mean-" The Android seemed to be at a loss for words. Yes, she knew about this. Yes, she had been down this road before. But… seeing it? It was different, it hit closer, and harsher than anything she could've imagined.

"Look, I knew going to Namek was dangerous, and even if it killed me, WHICH IT DID. I was fine with it. Sometimes you have to risk it all to help those you care about. Sometimes you'll win, and sometimes you'll lose." Krillin said, matter-of-factly. The others were surprised by this, but it spoke more to Krillin's character than anything else.

Plus, it was more ammo against Frieza that Krillin was alive and he was still dead. Something which was beginning to grow more insufferable for the pint-sized would-be ruler.

"Up until recently, there were four different levels of Super Saiyan, each drastically boosting his power. Now, while there aren't any more numbered Super Saiyan Forms, Goku has achieved two new ones, and one beyond that!" Boomstick added as a chart was shown.

"Like the Kaio-Ken, each form does burden his body, though Goku has trained to minimize this." Wiz continued. "Through exposure to the pain, he's trained his body to accept it and strength himself to no longer be hurt by his own forms."

TRANSFORMATIONS

Great Ape (Ozaru)

Base Power x 10

Requires His Tail

Known To Send Those Transformed Into It Into Violent Rages Beyond Their Control (Goku winced a bit at that, having some less than pleasant memories concerning what he did as his Great Ape form. Same with Gohan.)

Grandpa Gohan coughed awkwardly.

Full Powered Super Saiyan

Base Power x 50

Super Saiyan 2

Super Saiyan 1 Power x 2

Base Power x 100

Super Saiyan 3

Super Saiyan 2 Power x 4

Base Power x 400

Super Saiyan 4

Super Saiyan 3 Power x 10

Base Power x 4,000

"Super Saiyan Three multiplies the already combined power of Super Saiyan Two by four, but comes at a horrible price: that hair! Oh, and it pretty much destroys his body while he's using it, but BY THE TENTACLED BEARD OF THE DARK ONE, CTHULU, THE HAIR!" Boomstick shouted in horror.

While his reaction was a bit dramatic, most watching did admit, it looked… excessive. Why did becoming a level three Super Saiyan mean that his hair became… that?! Not to mention, how long would that take to take care of?! Also, it would give a massive area for someone to grab onto...

"What the heck is that?" Giin muttered. He had seen some weird things, and those things were truly WERID. But, this was probably one of the odder things he had ever witnessed. The other Destroyers looked to one another, then to Beerus, who seemed equally baffled.

"Fortunately for Goku, the life-sapping Super Saiyan 3 would be trumped by his final transformation: Super Saiyan 4. This form alters his body to better endure the 4000x power increase."

"Complete with pink fur and eye shadow. Fear the ultimate form!" Boomstick declared.

The Super Saiyan 4 form was… interesting to say the least. Goku's hair seemed a lot better, but the pink fur on his arms, chest and tail seemed very, VERY strange, seeming almost more like a pink shirt he was wearing with a hole in the middle. Not to mention the colours clashed a bit with the yellow-gold pants. Honestly though? It didn't look too bad, in its own unique way.

"That is the single haughtiest abomination I have ever bore witness to." Frieza blinked. "I do not wish to be exposed to this any longer than I have."

"That… makes me… feel things…"

"That looks wrong. But also… okay?" Yamcha muttered, truly unsure how he felt about it.

"I don't think I've ever felt so conflicted about something than I do about this." Bardock muttered, not realizing that in a few minutes he was going to eat those words so aggressively, one might think he was the author eating a Baconator after trying a week of vegan eating.

"YOU LYING BASTARD!" Vegeta suddenly whirled on Skorch, who seemed indifferent. "You said there wasn't any other levels of Super Saiyan when we first met!"

"Geets, calm down man…" Skorch groaned, already suffering a migraine. "First of all, this form ain't possible no more. You guys aren't from the timeline where it was a thing. Me telling you about it would most likely just send you on some power quest for something that doesn't exist." The Entity paused, then added: "Like maybe you can achieve it, somehow? But it's weaker than you are now, so why would you wanna?" Sure, that might not exactly be true, but shut up. Vegeta considered it, but still seemed angry.

"I can't believe I'm saying that, that kinda looks good on you." Future Trunks commented, looking to Goku. "I can't say WHY I think it looks good, but still."

"Please tell me I didn't have a form as humiliating as that…" Vegeta groaned, looking at Skorch again. He wanted to be stronger, more powerful than Goku, but he had to question if his pride was worth that price.

…yeah, it was.

The scene cut to Goku in his SS3 form fighting Majin Buu. Everyone watched as Majin Buu was spun around like someone spinning a hammer in the hammer throw in the Olympics. Finally, Piccolo said what most were thinking.

"Looking back on this, this is kinda ridiculous." He confessed.

"Yeah, this seemed a lot more dramatic at the time." Goku nodded.

"Mm, Buu agree!" Majin Buu nodded.

"Well, back then Majin Buu was kinda out to just destroy everything and turn everything that remained into candy, so it was probably more intense in the moment, even if th'fightin' seems weird now." Hercule sighed.

"Did he win… is that thing actually dead?" Someone asked.

"Ugh, it's the main ruler of slasher films! Never ask if they're dead! Always double-tap to make sure." Giin muttered, annoyed. As if on cue, there was a flash of energy, an explosion of rubble and Majin Buu rocketed back into the sky. "Told you."

A few looked to Giin, silently asking something. He raised a brow (or the equivalent of one) and remarked: "What? Our Universe is stable, healthy, happy and strong. I had to find something to do."

The two clashed again, and Kid Buu wrapped his head-tentacle thing around Goku's throat, headbutting him several times before kicking him away. Goku replied by unleashing an ultimate attack, firing a colossal beam of almost electrical energy at Kid Buu, obliterating him.

"You're right, Lord Giin. That wasn't the end of that fight." Goku frowned. "Still, at one point I wasn't sure we could beat that thing…"

"With each transformation, minus full-power Super Saiyan 1, Goku loses some self-control, becoming more violent and instinct-prone… sort of. This seems to have changed in the present with his training continuing and under the tutelage of Whis, but this isn't 100% confirmed." Wiz continued.

(*Cues: DBZ - Super Saiyan 3 Power Up*)

Footage was shown of SS4 Goku facing against one of the Shadow Dragons in GT it was a fierce battle, but the odd-looking form of the SS seemed to be handling the draconic-abomination as if it was nothing!

"When I'm at this power level, it's hard for me to listen to reason. I just lose control." Goku (on the screen) commented, seemingly understanding the dangers of unleashing such power, and yet, the necessity of it all the same.

"Sorry, what the heck were those?!" Krillin asked upon seeing the Shadow Dragons. Part of them reminded him of Frieza, Cell and some of the other villains they fought, but others looked new, and equally terrifying. Skorch made a motion saying he'd explain this later.

"For a while, this was the strongest the G-Ape would get, until a few years back, when Goku attained a new legendary form called Super Saiyan God. Before you ask, yes, it does technically make him a God, but as we'll discuss in later episodes, there are different levels of Deities in the Dragon Ball-Verse, so don't worry too hard about it."

"That kind of transformation is impossible! It was only even spoken of as nothing more than legend! There's no way a low level Saiyan could possibly attain such power before those with so much more skill!" King Vegeta barked, having a hard time believing what he was hearing. This… 'Kakarot', a lowly Saiyan who more or less was forgotten about had attained levels of power which many considered to be only myth!? Before HIM!?

"I hate being 'that guy' but you were dead, old man." Cell commented. "So, what you thought was possible was limited by your time. As well as your death. Pretty much just your death."

The King wasn't going to take that sitting down, despite being seated, but also know conflict may not be the best idea right now.

(*Cues: Dragon Ball Xenoverse - Track 22*)

"Despite being a temporary boost, Goku's body absorbed the godly power, essentially making it his new base form. Then, after mixing its power with his Super Saiyan ability, he became a Super Sayian God Super Sayian...oh come on! There had to have been a better name! Ultra-Saiyan, Master Saiyan, Super Ultra Combo with Fries Saiyan, anything but that mouthful!

SUPER SAIYIN GOD AND SUPER SAIYAN GOD SUPER SAIYAN

SUPER SAIYAN GOD

Can Only Be Achieved Through A Ritual Of Six Sayians Of Pure Heart, Or Divine Training

Achieved Via A Mixture Of Ki and Divine Energy (Dub And Original Writing Conflict Slightly On This)

Massive Power Boost

Capable Of Holding One's Own Against Destroyers

Unlike Many Other Forms, Keeps The User Cool And Level-Headed

Prophesized And Written About Long Ago By Namekians

SUPER SAIYAN GOD SUPER SAIYAN

Has A Very Dumb Name

Even Stronger Than Before (Obviously)

"Hang on, how many times is Goku's power multiplied by now?" Yamcha asked, trying to keep track of the math. Something which he would come to find out was much harder than it should be, almost as if the math in this series was meant to be ridiculous. Even Tien was struggling to keep up with it, and Bulma seemed to be fumbling over the final calculations.

"Well, if the Super Saiyan Four form is his base power times ten thousand, then by the math they've used thus far, wouldn't it be close to his base power times four-hundred thousand?"

"I'd have to disagree with you, Doc." Goku shook his head. "If that's the case, then that would mean Lord Beerus' power would be way less than what I saw when we fought! He could destroy planets like it was nothing, and I don't think a power level at a few hundred thousand would do that right."

"As much as I don't like saying this, Beerus' power would be far beyond what your mortal devices can comprehend." Frieza confessed.

"Well, you're onto something, but let me cut in." Skorch spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "It's been debated for a bit that Super Saiyan Four is stronger than Super Saiyan God and vice-versa, but the canonicity of Dragon Ball GT being questionable, it's hard to find an exact answer on this. However, judging by the feats seen in Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super: Battle of the Gods, and the adaptation of it in the Dragon Ball Super show, it's fair to assume, and I must stress, we are only working on an assumption here, that Super Saiyan God is the stronger form. I could be wrong, but there's limited data to disprove anything at the moment." He remarked, addressing those watching and those reading this chapter. They might be wrong, but the actual numbers led to nothing but a headache. In the end, the chapter had to be made. So… sorry.

"Look, the creator himself put it like this: "…on a scale of 10, SSGSS Goku is a 6, Beerus a 10, and Whis an 11.' So, do with that what you will." Boomstick sighed, rubbing his face.

A silence fell over the crowd as those who knew or worked with Angels were reminded of how stupidly powerful they were, those who had never met them realized how stupidly powerful they were, and the villains present realized how stupidly screwed they were should the Angels ever decide to do something about them.

"Then, after you all thought there couldn't be anything else, Goku would ultimately achieve his newest, and at the time, most powerful form by absorbing the energy of a fully-charged spirit bomb while in his Super Saiyan Blue form, and achieved… Ultra Instinct."

"Oh, so they CAN come up with a short name!" Boomstick muttered.

Those who had been in the tournament knew about this, everyone else merely stared in utter shock. Some of them had heard about it, but it had been nothing but a wild fantasy, something that they believed wasn't possible by any means! And yet, GOKU had somehow achieved it?!

On screen, the episode showed Goku amid the Tournament of Power, the spirit bomb seemed to have been absorbed into him, and power was shimmering with the hope and valour of Universe Seven. It was being absorbed into Son Goku's body, it seemed like it overpowered him, as if it would utterly destroy him, that much energy, power and emotion all compressed into a single place… it should have been the end, there would be nothing that could, or would be done. This was it, this is where Son Goku's story would end.

But then…

"Lord Beerus?" Whis(on the screen) asked. "Do you have something to add?"

Beerus blinked, then let a smile form on his face. "Here it comes." Was all he said, and all that needed to be said.

An explosion of light and energy erupted from the centre of the ring, the light was all encompassing, all who looked at it couldn't speak, but merely stared in utter astonishment. Both those in the video and watching it.

"Impossible…" King Vegeta said quietly.

"Such… power." King Cold said, mesmerized.

"…eh." Janemba shrugged, cracking open another drink.

"He did it… he actually did it!" King Kai exclaimed, excitedly.

"Whoa! Dad, you can DO that?!" Goten remarked, shocked. This was something he definitely wanted to do.

"Can you do that?" Lil' Trunks asked, looking to Vegeta who didn't answer.

"And just like that, millions of weebs got hard." Skorch slurred.

"EW!" Future Mai exclaimed.

Goku slowly rose, surrounded by a shimmering aura, and then… his hair turned silver. Something seemed different, more powerful, more… God-like, and then, he looked at those watching.

ULTRA INSTINCT

Sometimes Referred To As "State Of The Gods"

Very Powerful

Severs The Consciousness From The Body

Allows Reaction Speeds Beyond Subconscious Recognition (I.E. Faster Than You Can THINK)

Rather Than Make Goku Loose Control Or Be Ruled By Emotion, Ultra Instinct Keeps Him Calm And Peaceful

"Sort of." Wiz cut in again. "See, Ultra Instinct is fascinating for a whole host of reasons! But one of the oddest things is that what Goku achieves here." He circled the shot which many had witnessed in real life (in their world). "Is not PURE Ultra Instinct. But, it's known as 'Ultra Instinct Sign'. And THEN went onto Complete Ultra Instinct."

"Indeed, while I'm amazed you were able to achieve this form, mastering Ultra Instinct isn't possible within minutes of first achieving it. In fact, it could take years or even decades." Whis commented, missing the look Skorch was giving him, that clearly said 'you're in for a shock, Whis.' It wasn't unnoticed by Vegeta, who blinked and then considered it. Perhaps he could still find his own way to surpass Kakarot. He would, he was the Prince of all Saiyans! There was no challenge he couldn't overcome, even death couldn't hold him back!

"And this… it's hard to imagine how they're gonna try and top this one!" Boomstick remarked, nodding to the display screens.

"Understandably, this kind of power does have its drawbacks to novices, namely, no matter how much endurance you have, Ultra Instinct can't be held for too long on a first attempt."

"Just like Wiz keeping a woman's interest on a date!"

"HEY!"

"Also, since his body is reacting before his mind does, it can create a strain on someone's brain, and while it hasn't been shown or implied to cause the mind to snap… I wouldn't be shocked if that was a possibility. Moving out of tandem just seems like a risky idea."

"I've never seen it happen, but the risk is there." Whis nodded.

"I've seen it happen, it… is not pretty." Mohitio winced, thinking back to one of their older warriors from a time long past. "When the body and mind are not in sync, the best you can hope for is for them to either re-connect, or to have a swift, painless passing… neither happened in that case."

"And, there's a pretty giant catch to this whole thing. Piss him off and he more or less gets knocked out of his UI-High, and that can have some pretty damaging effects on him." Boomstick added, showing a few of the downsides to wielding such an incredible power.

"I don't mean to sound condescending, but if you were given the power of Ultra Instinct in your current form… it would tear you to shreds in an instant." Vados frowned at the young Saiyan warrior, who seemed eager to ask how to learn it. "No amount of determination alone can prepare you for what is needed to fully wield that power."

Caulifla seemed annoyed but said nothing.

"Yet at the end of the day, it was the famous Super Saiyan that started it all!" Wiz remarked, as the footage returned to Namek. "It began his quest to this power, and helped him defeat one of the biggest threats he'd deal with, Frieza."

Goku looked up and saw the attack Frieza had launched had come back down and was flying behind him at an alarming speed. "Hey! Look out behind you!" Goku yelled.

"YOU WARNED HIM!?" Bardock shouted in both shock and disgust.

"I dunno! I just did!" Goku muttered, unsure why he had done that himself. It felt like it wouldn't have been a fair fight, but that wasn't relevant anymore. The blasts came flying back and sliced Frieza to bits. One of his arms, his tail, and his legs… the chunks of him falling to the ground in a bloody mess. Some may say it was ironic, some may say it was karma, others would say it was cathartic.

"It wasn't an effective warning." Gine blinked.

"You should've warned him after." Vegeta commented.

"Why? That wouldn't have- oh, I get it." Goku muttered.

"Careful, it's learning." Dr. Gero scoffed,

King Cold was rather disappointed, but said nothing. Cooler snorted, trying not to laugh, but it was clear there was a sense of either amusement, or disappointment depending on who was being focused on.

"Hey…" Someone began.

"Don't you dare." Frieza hissed, sensing someone was about to say what he didn't want them too. It was too obvious, they couldn't just make such an obvious joke and expect it to be taken seriously. They had to be above-

"HE DOESN'T HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON!" The young Trunks shouted. Both Vegeta and King Vegeta looked to him, blinked, and thought: 'That's my boy.' At the same time.

Well, seems like the flood gates were open, and everyone around him who had been hurt by him did what he couldn't at that point and ran with their chance.

"Hey Frieza! What's the hardest part of a vegetable to eat? THE WHEELCHAIR!"

"Well, I always found I stood head and shoulders above him." Cooler mused, deciding to join in.

"Look at it this way Frieza, you get to park in the handicapped spot." Tien smirked.

"Capsule Corp. doesn't have a handicapped spot actually. We just give implants that give people a leg up in life." Bulma shrugged. Sure, they probably should look into putting one in for legal reasons, but whatever.

"Do you really want to give that to someone like him?" Piccolo asks gesturing to the tyrant. "Gotta cover up the bases of people who don't want them."

"Hm. I guess his pride wasn't the only thing that got crippled." Babidi muttered.

"Damn, lost his own legs and his man pass in one shot." Hercule mused. Both Duke and Skorch rocketed upright, firing their respective drinks across the stadium in utter shock. Everyone was left in horrified shock as they took in the implications, and then realized they were right.

"I HADN'T REALIZED THAT!" Roshi burst out laughing, spitting his drink out in utter shock. The old man fell into gales of uncontrollable laughter that infectious spread throughout those present.

"I will slaughter everyone you love on that pitiful rock you call a planet, I will make you watch as their blood rains from the skies above and drowns you in-"

"Oh, shut up, dickless." Android 18 cut him off annoyed.

Frieza was on the ground, the planet seemed close to exploding, and both fighters were in bad shape, but Goku was in far worse.

"Mercy…" Frieza wheezed out. Those close to him looked in utter disgust that Frieza, RULER OF THE UNIVERSE, would DARE BEG for mercy! Goku seemed to be of the same mindset.

"Hmph. In your final moments your true colours show, nothing but a pitiful coward, a spineless bastard to the very end." Vegeta commented gravely. Frieza felt his teeth threatening to shatter from how tight he was clenching them.

"How many people begged you for mercy?!" Goku snapped. "Hundreds?! Thousands?!"

"Try billions." Raditz scowled.

"What gives you the right to expect any?! Especially from ME!?" Goku turned and was about to do the right thing, leave him to die, when Frieza weakly moaned.

"I… beg… you…"

"Pathetic." Was all Cooler needed to say. Frieza wasn't replying to any of this. To him, this was a shame he had tried to hide for his entire life, and yet here it was, displayed for all. Wait, was this his hell? Had he returned to a new one?

Goku stopped, and seemed to consider something. Then, to – no hyperbole – EVERYONE'S shock, he turned and blasted a jolt of energy at Frieza, giving him a small amount of energy.

"Are- no. You can't be that stupid."

"He didn't…"

"Did Goku just-"

"Kakraot, you imbecilic fool." Vegeta sighed.

"GOKU. WHAT THE F**K." Tien yelled.

"Dude. What."

"Hang on, didn't this guy wipe out his entire planet and kill most of his people?" Hit asked quietly, leaning over to Kace, who nodded. "But- why?!"

"Wh-why would Goku do that?" Kale spoke up, having remained usually silent for most of this. She had been deep in thought, considering what she could learn, but even she was looking at this in utter bafflement.

"I feel like that was a terrible idea." Shu asked aloud.

"I think you feel right." Pilaf blinked.

"Why would Dad do that?!" Goten asked, confused. Everything he had heard about Frieza made it clear this was the LAST thing you should do!

"YOU GAVE HIM POWER?! AFTER ALL HE DID?!" Bardock demanded, angrily.

"Yeah. Goku's a good person, even to his detriment." The disembodied skull looked up at Bardock, speaking eerily calmly. "…you could learn a thing or two from him." Bardock was about to ask what he was implying, but something on screen caught his attention.

"Rgh… You… stupid Saiyan… you honestly think you've won?" Frieza scowled, every word seeming to be a struggle for him to get out, but also a struggle he refused to cower at the prospect of. "Your puny mind could never understand… I am Lord Frieza, the most powerful being in the universe! And YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BEAST! A FRAGILE ANIMAL!"

"Yet the fragile animal caused the alpha predator to become the bottom bitch." Cooler dryly stated, feeling the anger rippling off his brother. Yet, he felt no sympathy for him.

"You sure? He's missing his bottom half." Janemba mused, returning the offered high-five. Frieza looked ready, willing and able to kill both of them for DARING to comment such a thing! A surge of power exploded as he changed into his Golden Form, something which did shock both Cooler and Janemba. The former not knowing this was possible, and the latter not expecting this in general.

"Should… should we do something?" Yamcha asked

"You can if you want, I can't be bothered to." Piccolo scoffed. "Let them kill each other, if we don't have to deal with them, great."

"SIT. DOWN."The Omni-King spoke, appearing between Cooler and Frieza. Its voice contorting into a sickly-sweet, but spine-freezing tone which caused all who heard it to clench their jaws, as their teeth felt like they had to escape from the presence of… whatever this was.

Frieza seemed desperate to keep his façade of power and cruelty up, but it seemed like no matter what he did, everyone could see through him right now. It was bad enough he was still considered 'dead' but the fact that his death, his… humiliation might be shown to all made him want to slaughter everyone around him. Yet, if he tried a thing, he would most likely be erased from all planes of existence, yet it felt like he was suffering a fate worse than that. Worse than the hell he had been confined to, worse than the mockery he had been forced to endure by Deadman, Skorch, Duke and those other blasted 'Entities' or whatever they wanted to call themselves. This was humiliation on a literal cosmic scale, and he could do… nothing.

"You… can't win… because I am MIGHTY! And you are not…" Frieza snarled, despite all he had been through, and not having a leg to stand on, he refused to surrender. Not until his final breath had been given.

"I mean, he's not cut in half." Krillin commented.

"BE QUIET!"

"No." The monk said.

"Now learn… LEARN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MESS WITH THE MOST POWERFUL BEING IN THE UNIVERSE!" It wasn't great for Frieza when a declaration that could make an entire planet's population drop to their knees in terror, was met with laughter and disregard. It caused the would-be conquer's blood to boil. It was but another humiliation to add to all the others he was forced to suffer and all the ones he would exact bloody revenge for one day.

Frieza unleashed everything he had in one attack, one aimed at the retreating Super Sayian. Perhaps, in another world, another story, another timeline, whatever you wanted to call it, this wouldn't have happened. Perhaps Frieza would've accepted his loss, or even used this as an opportunity to change. But… that wasn't about to happen here.

"Did you honestly think that would WORK?" King Piccolo asked, looking to the small, dead warrior. "Furthermore, why give him such a warning?! It's just incompetent…" He chose not to mention his defeat in this moment. Neither did Goku Black.

Goku was flying away, and turned slightly upon sensing something coming. He blinked, then his eyes widened. For a moment, he seemed shocked, then saddened. Perhaps, well, not perhaps, he had been hoping Frieza would be smarter than this. But, that wasn't the case. "YOU FOOL!" He shouted, roaring and firing his own attack back at what was left of Frieza. The bifurcated baddie seemed to realize too late that what he had just done was unbelievably stupid, but… pride comes before the fall and all. All he could do was scream as the attack came down, enveloping him completely devastated him and the ground below him.

It was over. He was dead. Frieza was dead.

"HA!" Both Bardock and King Vegeta laughed in triumph at the same time. "VICTORY!"

"Damn, that felt good…" Krillin laughed in relief.

"Hmph. Well done, Kakarot." Vegeta said quietly.

Frieza felt like his whole world shattered. Not just upon seeing his death. But upon, first of all, DYING TO A SAYIAN. Second, dying to the Super Sayian. Third, his death being shown as proof for Goku's supposed superiority over him. Fourth, said footage being shown in front of his FATHER. Yes, he hadn't died there, but he may as well have! Not to mention the humiliation at the hands of that sword-wielder he was forced to work with! The very same one who killed him!

The Ginyu force was silent, sitting in a mixture of shock and silent rage. Frieza had been beaten… this, they knew, but to see it? It put them on a warpath to avenge their leader! Their ruler! No one made a joke out of Lord Freeza and lived to tell the tale!

"Wow. That's how you went out? Pretty weak." Caulifa scoffed rolling her eyes. She felt power unlike anything she'd sensed from Frieza, but that was such a pitiful death… he should've been stronger! He shouldn't have been so stupid!

"Is that really all you had to give Frieza?" Beerus smirked. "The parody had more dignity than you."

"Man, and I thought my death was pitiful." Krillin added, which got a shocked snort out of 18, making 16 and 17 look to her as if she was losing her mind. "At least I didn't kill myself. "It's funny...you blowing me up was the dumbest possible thing you could have done. Hope those phantom pains are worth it."

Yamcha, Tien, Bulma, Roshi, Goku, Goten, Trunks, Beerus, Whis, the other Destoryers, Gohan, Piccolo, 16, 17, 18, Dr. Gero, Cell, Nappa, and even Vegeta all slowly looked to Krillin, wanting to ask what was wrong with him.

"It's funny… you're the only one I can think of who beat themselves. Everyone else lost in a fight, you just up and offed yourself." Krillin finished. There was total, dead silence. No one could believe what had just been said, and Skorch held up a 'Krillin Wins' counter, which read 'OVERLOAD ERROR' and burst into sparks.

"Damn."

"Hrgh. He's worse than a Saibamen, cause at least they took out Yamcha when they killed themselves." Cell added.

"OKAY, MOVING ON." Yamcha shouted.

"I think I saw a movie once where a giant lizard fights a giant monkey, you'd be happy to know the lizard won. But reality tipped its coin and decided to say otherwise to you." Mad Dawg remarked, taking a drink.

Frieza was all but foaming at the mouth now, this was humiliating, more than he could bare. He would exact his revenge, and he would make them all suffer. He was stronger than them. Stronger than all of them! Stronger than his brother, his father, that freakshow Cell… and he'd prove it. This, he swore.

"Goku's greatest strength is his tenacity and never-give-up attitude. "He does not fight to defeat others. He fights to defeat himself." Wiz read from The Dao of Dragonball. "However, this may also be his greatest weakness."

"He prefers a fair fight, eager to see his opponent's maximum potential… even when he REALLY shouldn't." Boomstick grumbled. "Oh, and this has happened MULTIPLE times."

"He's about to reach his maximum. This could be your last chance." King Kai spoke to Goku in his mind. Goku, frustratingly, seemed excited.

"I want him to reach his maximum. I want to fight him when he's at his best!" Goku (in the video) replied, seeming ready to fight, no matter what! It was respectable, but at the same time, it had put the world, and the ones he cared for at risk more than once.

Everyone looked to him.

"You didn't-" Bardock muttered.

"But, when the whole world is at stake, well... hindsight is 20/20." Boomstick shrugged.

Earth then exploded. Shocking a number watching.

"HA!" Frieza laughed, viciously.

"Well, I'm glad you can enjoy someone achieving what you never could." Cooler shrugged.

"Wh-what?! I DESTROYED the earth! I killed EVERYONE on it!"

"Then why are they here?" Cooler asked, nodding to the Earth team, raising a fair point. Frieza wanted to snap back, but realized many of his arguments were invalid. Killing Goku? Neither had succeeded… he was alive? Well, not really. He was stronger? Yes, but that mattered little right now.

"Thank Whis for that one." Beerus shrugged.

"And although he's more than tough enough to survive in a vacuum, he clearly needs oxygen, so no breathing in space." Boomstick added. There were murmurs of agreement, as even after all this time, it was tricky to figure out how to do that, while focusing on a fight, and while using said focus for some attacks.

"Plus, well… Goku's not very bright." Wiz remarked.

"True." Vegeta said immediately.

"Yup." Piccolo nodded.

"Absolutely." Android 18 commented.

"Nailed it." Tien muttered.

"Yeah." Krillin admitted.

"That's understating it."

"He's an idiot." Frieza snarked.

"He is." Cell agreed.

"One-hundred percent."

"How is he still alive?"

"I can't agree more."

"Yes."

"Yeah, they're right."

"What they said."

"No arguments here."

"Can't agree more if I wanted to."

"I've never agreed more to something than what they just said."

"All those blows to the head had to have done some damage."

"Gotta agree."

WEAKNESSES

Avoids Unfair Advantages (That Got A Number Of Groans)

No Formal Education (Gine blinked, but said nothing.)

Sometimes Too Forgiving, To The Detriment Of Others (A number of his earth allies glared at Goku when that was shown, Frieza snorted.)

Super Forms Drain Energy

Limited Amount Of Ki (Still An Obscene Amount, But The Point Stands)

Will Fight Anyone Who Seems Like They Can Give Him A Challenge, Regardless Of How Outclassed He May Be (Goku couldn't argue with that one.)

Rarely Strategizes, Prefers To Go In Swinging

"Despite some basic schooling from Roshi, Goku has never had a day of certified formal education in his life. It took him years just to learn how to drive." Wiz commented.

"Ugh." Piccolo groaned, remembering that whole issue…

"But why would Goku need to drive a car?" Boomstick asked.

"It was more for farm equipment." Chi-Chi answered the question most were thinking.

"Add to that Goku's… less than perfect track record for planning things out… you may see why he prefers fighting to much else." Wiz added.

"Aw, c'mon! It ain't THAT bad!" Goku tried to defend himself, but on this point, no one was going to side with him.

"Like letting Frieza reach his full potential?" Tien asked flatly.

"Yeah, but-"

"And not killing Majin Buu when you had the chance?" Pilaf added.

"That wasn't-"

"And the Senzu Bean thing with Cell?" Piccolo piled on.

"Hey, that was to help Gohan unlock his potential!"

"Oh, and nearly getting your son killed because you assumed he had the strength to overcome Cell?" Future Trunks asked, annoyed.

"He did!" Goku protested.

"Yeah, after you DIED."

"I'm sorry, you did WHAT?" Gine blinked, having a hard time understanding what she was hearing. Bardock, for his part, was questioning why Goku let FRIEZA. LIVE. Nothing about that sentence made sense. And honestly, he felt angry! That monster had wiped out their people, and yet Goku saw fit to spare him!? WHY!?

"Also, this entire tournament was his idea!" Dyspo shouted, pointing out something.

"…okay, maybe that one's on me." Goku had to admit.

"And not killing Frieza AGAIN when you had the chance, getting the world blown up?" Krillin asked.

"But we-"

"Hold on, what?!" Bardock now cut in, unable to hold back his utter disgust. Even a few of the foes of the Dragon Crew seemed to be equally shocked.

"You- you can't be serious. You CANNOT be THAT STUPID!" Jeice shouted.

"He is!" Cell shouted back. "It's honestly amazing how dumb he is!"

"And the Mafuba with Goku Black?" Piccolo asked, frustrated.

"Hey that was Master Roshi-"

"Whoa!" The Turtle Hermit spat, unhappy to be dragged into this. "That ain't on me!"

"And needing your Wife to die so she could find the answers and risking the timeline as we knew it?" Future Mai asked.

"That wasn't-"

"And trying to get a Destroyer God to fight you, nearly getting everyone killed again?" Gohan asked. While he didn't like supporting the verbal assault on his Dad, he couldn't claim he wasn't flawless. Sure, who was? But Goku's love of fighting had put everyone at risk! Again!

"Look, just because I made a bad choice or two, doesn't mean-"

"Goku, people don't like you because you're a wise warrior. One of the most common jokes and complaints in D-Zero about this series is how stupid you are." Skorch said, flatly. To which Vegeta began to howl with laughter. Not just Vegeta, some of the villains who overheard that couldn't help but laugh, not caring about who might hear them laughing.

"But that's not-" All he got was a flat stare making it clear that no, that WAS the case.

Goku said nothing unsure of what to say. Sure, he didn't have an education like the others, but that didn't mean- As if on cue, Wiz spoke up.

"This has also led to him willing doing things which may seem suicidal or stupid, such as giving Cell a Senzu Bean before making his son fight him, or actively seeking opponents who could kill him to fight at their full strength. But, at the same time, he often does this because he knows he will win. Or, he's confident that something will be learned from it, like the aforementioned Cell incident. Sort of. That one's up for debate, really. Also, at least in the English dub, there's a bit of a debate to be made that he can be gullibly nice, something which eventually broke when Frieza killed Krillin." Wiz added then looked at a script. "Is it 'Freeza' or 'Frieza'? The script keeps changing it."

"Despite all my heinous provocations on Namek, even after murdering two of his friends, driving him to become a Super Saiyan, still he couldn't find it in him to put me down. So unusual, a Saiyan with such a strong moral center. So pure… he makes me want to vomit!" Friza remarked.

"I think you're forgetting that I know how to read, write, and do basic math. I'm not completely brain dead...I have to calculate my number of punches and kick. How much energy to put into a ki blast so I don't accidentally kill someone." Goku remarked, seeming oddly serious. It was a fair point, and while some wanted to dismiss it, others listened, curious as to where it was going. "I was smart enough to fight and survive up until now most the lot of you are dead to me...or dead once to me. I was also smart enough to make you think I wasn't a threat..." He looked to the Ginyu Force and Frieza. "I was smart enough to right people on my side." He looked to his friends, who smiled at the words. "I got a princess to marry me. I got everyone around me driving themselves to push them to new heights and limits. So, who's the fool now?"

"You." Skorch drunkenly said after a moment's silence. Goku pulled off Skorch's skull and yeeted it into the empty void of space.

"If he could just teleport away from everything, he probably wouldn't have died… what, seven times now?" Boomstick commented.

"Was it seven? I stopped keeping track." Goku asked aloud, more than a few heads snapping over to look at him in shock.

"Again, this is where things get tricky as the timelines of Dragon Ball present different scenarios to consider." Wiz spoke up, flipping a whiteboard over. "In Dragon Ball, Piccolo Diamo stops his heart, which is sort of death-"

"Him. Not me." Piccolo (the decent one) quickly spoke up, pointing over his shoulder to his dad and trying to skootch away when Giene and Chi-Chi glared at him. Then, glared angrily up at the other him, who shrank back slightly. Both women had the aura of a Saiyan warrior, despite only one of them being an actual Saiyan, which clearly said: 'You are going to die, painfully.'

"GT has him ascend to a higher form, becoming the guardian of the Dragon Balls, and technically an angel." Wiz continued.

"WHAT!?" Was collectively shouted, even by some of the Angels and Destroyers present. Skorch said nothing.

"Then, in Dragon Ball Z, there are three known deaths: The two which are canon, at the hands of his brother Raditz-" Wiz began.

Raditz now felt like he would die a second time as his parents slowly looked over at him in utter disgust and disbelief.

"You… what?" Bardock slowly asked.

"-and then a self-sacrifice to stop Cell. The third being a heart virus which killed him." Wiz concluded, one half of the screen showing Goku nodding and teleporting a gigantic Cell away, and the other half showing 'Footage Not Found'. "However, the latter was ultimately undone by the intervention of 'Future Trunks'. Vegeta and Bulma's son from the future."

"The same emo-lookin' dude who warned Goku of the Androids way back when." Boomstick piped up. "Don't worry, we'll get to him eventually."

"Thanks for the cure on that, by the way." Goku nodded to Future Trunks, who smiled and nodded. Then realized what Boomstick had said and blinked in confusion.

"Then, in Dragon Ball Super, he's died twice, technically. First, he died briefly in a conflict with Hit when Goku hired the assassin to assassinate him so he could fight him at his full power, but he got better. Don't ask, it was a filler episode."

"Hm, pathetic, none of you ever came close to truly putting that wretched mongrel down to the extent I did." Friza remarked, dismissively.

"Oh, really? You killed him? Why didn't they mention that?"

"No, it proves why Cell is superior to you." Dr. Gero remarked, and Frieza looked like he was punched in the gut and slapped in the face at the same time. "I mean, he actually KILLED Goku, and it stayed that way, even for only a few years. Something you could never do…"

"Up top." King Piccolo said, high-fiving the scientist.

"You dare-"

"And in an alternative timeline where Future Trunks came from, Goku was body-swapped with Zamasu, who murdered Goku in Zamasu's body – it makes sense in the manga, okay!? – so technically that counts for death five." Boomstick concluded.

"It is impressive how many times Son Goku has cheated death. But, if we're being technical, Zamasu not only killed Goku, but that death is the only one that was permeant, since that entire timeline is gone." Whis confessed, feeling a bit odd about admitting to such things, but it was worth mentioning considering the conversation. "It's true, Cell did kill Goku for a time, but even that wasn't permanent like Zamasu's defeat of the Saiyan."

"Hey, not bad kid." King Piccolo nodded to Zamasu, who smirked. "Doing right by us, I can respect that." He smirked.

"Agreed!" Dr. Gero added, sounding like a proud father in a backwards way. The heroes felt disgusted by this, but didn't really know what to say.

"I mean, Vegeta came close to killing him, then died." Piccolo added. "And then got brought back by Goku when he wished those killed by Frieza back."

"Are you out of your damn mind?! You brought VEGETA back!? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" Raditz demanded, whirling on Goku. "You could've brought back ANY OF US! AND YET YOU CHOSE THE ONE WHO NEARLY KILLED YOU!?"

"I mean, you did murder him." Skorch commented, saying probably – no, not probably. Saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. The glares they got from King Vegeta, Bardock, Gine, Raditz and a bunch of others made that VERY clear. Their head had somehow circled around and landed back with the others.

"HE REVIVED SOMEONE WHO WORKED FOR FRIEZA! THE ONE WHO KILLED OUR RACE!" Bardock snapped, anger overtaking him. While some may expect Skorch to crack wise or something, the Entity pulled itself up and looked at him.

"Huh. And... who did you work for again?" Skorch asked.

"And where the hell were YOU during all that?!" Bardock demanded, something occurring to him, and something angering him. If this skeletal being was supposedly so powerful, why hadn't he intervened?! He refused to answer this freak's accusatory questions before he had his answers.

"Probably at a party or playing Magic the Gathering." Skorch said dismissively with a wave. "Your world ain't exactly my long-term home, Bart. I'm here to record their stories, then I'm out."

"So that's it? Billions die and you just… do nothing?"

"The billions you beat into submission for a megalomaniacal overlord?" Skorch said, taking another puff off his joint. "You're not the victim here, asshole."

"Don't you DARE try to deflect this!"

"Like you couldn't deflect Frieza's attack?" There was something alarming about the carelessness Skorch spoke with, but it couldn't really be questioned or dealt with at the moment. "Like it or not, the Saiyans are kinda monsters, retcons or not, there's a REASON why they weren't brought back. Vegeta was the example of the worst you could be, and Goku was an example of the best. BECAUSE HE WASN'T RAISED LIKE A SAIYAN. Your race were the problem! I can't believe I'm saying this, but short of killing the king and most of his followers, there were two options. Wipe you out completely or wipe you out save for a few who would be willing to start over as peaceful beings! Neither were gonna work out in the end."

"You dare-" King Vegeta began, but was cut off by his son.

"I agree with the skeleton, actually." Vegeta said, calmly. "The Saiyan race was a powerful force, and yet we let that force be used for so much evil. In this timeline at least, it seems more like karma than anything that we would be wiped out."

"Why the hell haven't you brought our family back then!?" Raditz demanded, seemingly forgetting (conveniently so) that he had killed Goku. Maybe he didn't want his folks finding out about that one.

"Because the Saiyans were a race of hired thugs who would beat planets into submission!" Goku spat back, his anger shocking most there. "Heck, if what this is telling me is true, then my parents were as bad as everyone else! Like it or not, the Saiyans shouldn't be brought back, not if they were the blood-thirsty warriors that they were!"

Well, that was a helluva statement if a helluva statement was ever stated. Let's go over this, shall we? Not only was Vegeta taken aback by the anger and bluntness of the statement, it shocked him that KAKAROT of all Saiyans had been the one to say it! He had tried to act like the death of his race hadn't meant much to him, but it weighed on his mind some days, even if he agreed with the other Saiyan.

King Vegeta felt like he had been offended beyond any stretch of the imagination, angered in a way that could never be repaid or apologized for. The Saiyans. His people. His RACE. GONE. And here was a survivor by some miraculous turn of events, who made it clear they were HAPPIER that they were dead.

"The more I learn about the Saiyan history, the less I feel like I want to be part of it." Goku admitted. "Yeah, it's who we are, but when you look at it, who we were wasn't exactly great… I'd rather be human in that regard. At least we care about our own." He frowned. Bardock… felt torn by his remark. On the one hand, a Saiyan's pride was the most powerful force in the world. Yet, on the other, his son seemed happy. Powerful, strong, all qualities of a Saiyan, even if he didn't feel like he wanted to be one. Was he wrong? Were his people wrong? Honestly… he wouldn't be surprised.

"Hang on, how is he alive if he's- he should be dead!" Caulifla exclaimed in utter disbelief. She had been working through the whole 'multiple deaths' thing and had concluded that it didn't make sense.

"Death's a joke."Mad Dawg shrugged. "Between Dragon Balls, Gods, and how much popularity this franchise, and more importantly Goku has, death ain't NEVER gonna hold him down!" The angel laughed. "Everyone outside of Universe Seven? Probably fair game, but thanks to the Dragon Balls, Goku, Vegeta and the others keep comin' back. Because reasons. Namely, popularity."

"But- that- that's not fair!"

"Even so, Goku understands his weaknesses. To him, a formal education would just be a waste of time. He is already a genius when it comes to martial arts, and since that's what he needs to defend the world, he doesn't see the need for anything else. And… I can't believe I'm saying this, but I get it." Wiz confessed seeming worn out and as if he couldn't believe he was saying what he was. "Goku's lack of intelligence is usually compensated for by his fighting prowess. He doesn't need to know everything everyone else does, as it rarely, if ever, would help him in a fight. To him, the greatest knowledge is gained from victory or defeat. As that's the only way to get stronger."

"And even if he does get the hell beaten out of him, he improves with every fight. Y'know that old saying 'pain is the best teacher' or something along those lines? Yeah, that applies to Goku. Like, perfectly." Boomstick nodded.

"And that is what Goku is all about. He thrives on becoming stronger and bursting limits and has overcome every obstacle in his way." Wiz added.

"Even marriage." Boomstick commented.

"How was that an obstacle?" Goku asked, confused. Chi-Chi smiled at that.

"Plus, while Goku may lack intelligence, he more than makes up for it in determination, loyalty and drive. Despite what his original iteration may have been, he's proven time and time again that his want to become stronger is only surpassed by the want to protect those he cares for. Goku may have a one-track mind, but he's also an example of the best someone can be through determination and drive. Someone who learns from every mistake, pushes themselves beyond their limits and always fights to the final breath, especially when those that he cares for are involved. He's a good guy, he's just... well, oddly human."

"I will agree on that." Piccolo nodded with commitment. "Despite our differences, Goku's proven time and again that he's someone I can rely on. Sure, he might not always get it right, but when there's danger, he's there before anyone else."

"He's stuck by me for decades, when the world was in danger or we were bored, I knew I could rely on him." Krillin added with a nod.

"Kakarot may not be the wisest warrior, but he is certainly one of the stronger ones I've met." Vegeta conceded.

"Hrgh… as loathed as I am to say it, there's a very good reason why I used much of Goku's knowledge and DNA to create Cell. At that time, he was the most powerful warrior around, and I knew the only way I could ever succeed was to exceed his power, something I had to wonder if it was even possible."

"Rgh… there was a reason why I chose Goku's body over anyone else's." Zamasu seemed to begrudgingly concede. "His strength and drive is unmatched, attempting to take an Angel or Destroyer's body would result in failure, but Goku was the closest thing in their world that came to that level, and in some ways, could exceed them."

"Out of the trillions of mortals I've met, Goku has always been… intriguing." Lord Beerus spoke up, making the angels, Sayians and other Destroyers turn in surprise. "Sure, he's not a challenge to me, but he certainly possesses talent I have yet to see elsewhere."

"Why, Lord Beerus. I don't think I've ever heard you talk so kindly about someone before." Whis remarked.

"Yeah, yeah, don't make a scene out of it, okay?" He scoffed. "No one here aside from you and your kind and the Omni-Kings are that powerful, but Goku… he's at least got something going for him."

"True, Goku's greatest strength may be his tenacity and drive to help those who need it. It may not be what he was originally written as, but it's certainly who he is now. For better and worse.Goku might just be the greatest martial artist in fictional history." Wiz concluded.

"What... what are you?" Frieza whimpered in terror.

"I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. Ally to good; nightmare to you!" Goku declared as the doors shut.

"That's my boy!" Grandpa Gohan called, proudly.

The video paused as Skorch pulled themselves up and walked to the center of the arena, staff in hand.

"Okay… I'm doing this ONCE, so shut up and listen, all right?" Skorch sighed, summoning a series of lights and energy which began to solidify in an overhead view. "We're here." He said, pointing with his staff to the end of the timeline. "This is us, right now."

"Okay." Someone commented.

"This, is what's known as Dragon Ball GT." Skorch explained as the line was highlighted. "What you need to know is there was an evil Shenron, well a few actually, Goku got turned into a kid, and there was Super Saiyan 4."

"Okay."

"Sorry, can you explain the 'Evil Shenron' thing!?" Bulma exclaimed, shocked at the implications of that.

"No, shut up." Skorch said off-handedly. "But, they both tie to HERE." He pointed to another circle, showing some of the Z-Fighters, but younger. "And HERE." Another circle, showing Goku, Krillin and Bulma, much younger than they were now. "This is what Dimension Zero refers to as 'Dragon Ball' and 'Dragon Ball Z'."

"You forgettin' Kai, there, Skorchy?" Duke mused.

"No, I'm not including Kai in this. Kai is a remake, and frankly, this is taking long enough." Skorch muttered. This really only did raise more questions, but no one wanted to ask them until this was done and explained. Skorch paused, then added 'DBZ Kai' to the part of the line marked 'Dragon Ball Z'.

"So, the two timelines fracture sometime after… 'Z', what does that have to do with Goku's past? Shouldn't that be untouched?" Old Kai asked. He wasn't a master on time travel or the like, but he assumed that a timeline branching into a different path would only affect the future, not the past.

"See, this is the part where things get tricky. In the GT-line, Goku was sent to earth to destroy it, and hit his head, and forgot everything." Skorch continued. "But in the Super-line, which is connected to the Z-line he was sent because Bardock was concerned about what could happen. Despite the past being set in stone, it was split and eventually changed."

"What caused the split?"

"…reboots." Skorch admitted. "In D-Zero, things had been quiet with your franchise for a few years, until suddenly Akria started writing again. At first, it was a few short specials and nothing too crazy, then he introduced Lord Beerus, and then things just took off! Dragon Ball was back, and reaching a new audience, and so he started writing a new series."

"But that means that D-Zero, as you call it, has the power to re-write history?"

"Super, correct?"

"Exactly. And… spoilers here, GT had a VERY definitive ending, Goku ascended and became a spirit essentially, almost akin to me, or Duke. He was the Watcher for the Dragon Balls, to put it another way." Skorch explained. "And since the series ends on that, with many characters older, retired and happy, it would be hard to continue off of that, so they eventually decided to just do a new thing, which is where we ended up."

"Does that timeline still exist? Are those versions of us still out there?" Krillin asked, curious and also wondering what the other timeline had been like. From what he had seen, he was still with 18, so he was happy enough with that.

"Probably." Skorch nodded. "That's the problem with multiple timelines colliding like this, it's hard to say what is and isn't still around. I haven't been to the GT timeline, so I can't say what's happening there right now, and despite being the Watcher for this Realm, I can't exactly jump timelines to go check. In fact, I don't think it's possible to use the time travelling techniques present in this world to go there."

"Well, that's all well and good, but what makes this GT timeline so different from ours?" Champa spoke up, probably more bluntly than he should've, but it was an important question.

"Well, if we were in the GT Timeline, none of them would exist." Skorch mused, nodding to the Zen-Öh's, Gods of Destruction, and other Universes. "Sure, maybe they'd exist? But they wouldn't be a thing in the stories of those timelines most likely, so we would've just moved on without em'."

"But- what-?!"

"Care to explain that?" Bulma raised a brow.

"The GT story ends years after the events of Z, Krillin, Bulma, Roshi, and the rest are all retired, and some of them are grandparents by then! During all that time, Lord Beerus never showed up. Sure, we could theorize he might be kicking about and was asleep during the GT-timeline, but considering the power struggles and effects of Dark Shenron, the fact that Whis never showed up makes me believe that this simply is a timeline where you guys weren't canon."

There wasn't a response for a long time, until finally the silence was broken. Yes, those present had more questions, but it was clear Skorch wasn't really in the mood to talk about this at this point. Maybe in another chapter…

"So, is the GT timeline still around?" Master Roshi asked wondering for a more definitive answer.

"At this point? I dunno…" Skorch confessed, watching the diagram of the GT timeline fade out. There was something… oddly sad about doing so. "But to conclude, Super showed up, and…" Summoning a spectral scythe, Skorch sliced at the beginning of the GT timeline, slicing it away and watching it fade into nothing. Then, he pushed the Super timeline into its place, fusing them into one. "Got it?"

"Yeah, actually, that makes a lotta sense." Goku mused.

"Goku, just because you don't understand something doesn't mean you have to lie about it." Krillin muttered.

"What's not to understand? We're in this timeline, and there were others ones. It's like Future Trunks and the whole mess with Zamasu! Similar to how the Omni-King erased that timeline, something similar happened which fused those timelines! Because of that, things just… changed." There was utter silence. Total, utter silence. How did GOKU of all people seem to understand this the most?! Bulma was still trying to wrap her head around everything.

"He… he's not wrong." Roshi finally admitted, stroking his beard as he thought it over. It was crazy, and a bit oversimplified, but considering who had said it and who was here, oversimplifying it made sense. No, this wasn't a dig at the people reading this, you are all geniuses and I respect you all. Mostly.

"As for the evil Shenron thing, Dawg, you take this one, I'm going for a smoke break." Skorch grumbled.

"Wait, what? Oh, uh… okay…" Mad Dawg coughed, standing before everyone as they looked to him. Compared to the Entity, the angel-teen seemed awkward and nervous, but shrugged. "Uh, well, in GT there was this idea that the more the Dragon Balls got used, the more negative and harmful energy built up around them. In the past, finding them all took so long that this energy could disperse safely, but in GT, because of Dragon Radar's and stuff, eventually that energy hit a breaking point, and you guys unleashed what was known as Black Smoke Shenron, which in turn shattered into seven monsters, known as the Shadow Dragons."

Bulma paled a bit, feeling like that might be her fault.

"So, one thing led to another, and then they were eventually unleashed and the Dragon Boys had to deal with that, and the enemies that arose from that amount of evil and corruption."

"What does this have to do with Goku being a kid?"

"Yeah, how did that happen?! Sayians don't age the same way humans do, why would he wish to be younger?"

"Well, the dumbass Pilaf tried to use what are known as 'Black Star Dragon Balls' to wish for… something, I forget, but ended up accidentally turning Goku into a twelve-year-old due to him wishing, and I quote 'I wish you were a little kid again so I could really teach you a lesson or two'… and then got his ass handed to him by him. Again."

Mai and Shu looked to Pilaf whose jaw was on the floor. How- but- there- he couldn't have- but apparently, he had! And, it actually seemed like something he would've done. He cursed himself for his incompetence. But then realized they were in the situation they were in because of a similarly worded wish. Maybe he should just give up on trying to use the Dragon Balls.

"Smooth." Mai muttered.

"Yeah, that's something he'd do." Future Mai rolled her eyes.

"Why aren't they talking about all that?"

"Because as Bones pointed out, that stuff isn't really canon anymore, and even if it was, and considering what Death Battle seems to be focusing on, they'd only need the Super Saiyan forms." Mad Dawg admitted as Skorch returned.

"So there." Skorch frowned, re-appearing. "I've been talking too much this chapter as is, people are probably getting tired of it."

"What about Dragon Ball AF and the Infamous and Immortal Super Saiyan Five?" Mad Dawg asked, everyone turning in shock to him. Was it possible that there was a form they hadn't discovered yet? Even the Angels seemed shocked by that decree. Was this a power beyond what they knew? Was such a thing possible?

"SHUT UP, THAT ISN'T REAL! THAT ISN'T REAL AND YOU KNOW IT KACE!" Skorch snapped, their skull flaming to life in an angry black fire. Everyone looked to Skorch in shock, confusion or perhaps hopefulness.

"There's a Super Saiyan Five?!" Goku shouted before anyone else could.

"No! It's a stupid joke, and that's all there is to it!" Skorch snapped.

"I'm not over the fact that we're just… characters in a comic!" Dypso sighed, shaking his head. It was a lot to wrap ones head around, as the group mingled and took a break for food, drink and stretching.

"I'm still not over the fact that if he had simply kept his mouth SHUT none of this would be happening!" Quintellia snarled, a sentiment shared by more than a few present.

"I mean, in actuality, if Goku didn't bring up the idea for the Tournament, then Universes 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 wouldn't exist right now." Mad Dawg spoke up, cutting the angry shouts from the other universes off, and more than a few turned in shock to him. "Yeah, Lord Zenö was gonna wipe most of them out because they didn't find them worthy of existing. Goku showed up about ten seconds before that happened, and then this happened."

"That's not possible, you have to be joking!" Champa exclaimed, mortified. Also, refusing to believe his brother's world was the reason they were all alive. Was it too much to ask for that Universe Six got SOMETHING!?

"He's right!" The OG-Zenö nodded. "We weren't sure what to do with a lot of the Universes, so we figured we'd just get rid of em'."

"Haaa-" The pudgy destroyer sweat-dropped. Seemed like it was…

"Yeah, thank Goku for the fact that you're all still alive!" The teen laughed. Clearly enjoying the pleasure of seeing the horror on… everyone's faces. The realization that no matter how much they tried (like Universe 11) they weren't good enough? What could they do better?!

"How weird is it that an alien ends up saving earth. Usually aliens wanna take over." Yamcha chuckled, hanging out at the suddenly appearing water cooler.

"I mean… Goku wasn't an alien for a while, actually." Skorch spoke up. This was more or less intermission, people were getting food, or using the bathroom, and the reader should do so as well. Take care of yourself, the chapter will be here when you return.

"I'm sorry. WHAT." Piccolo turned to Skorch, demanding an explanation.

"Yeah, true story, uh, Akria Toriyama didn't envision Goku as an alien at first. That kinda was never brought up in the original Dragon Ball stories. He just designed Goku to be based off of Sun Wu-Kong."

"Then- HOW!?"

"Vegeta." Skorch said with a shrug. "See, when designing him, Akria thought of making him an alien, and then making the Sayian race… and then he decided to make Goku one as well. Originally Vegeta was supposed to be a one-off villain who'd die pretty quickly, but then he was kept around due to fans liking him."

Piccolo looked to Vegeta, who seemed downright lost. On the one hand, good. Why wouldn't those in D-Zero and beyond like him!? He was Vegeta! Prince of all Saiyans!

"Huh. Didn't know that. Neat!" Goku remarked. "What else is there?"

"I mean, you guys lost your tails because Toriyama didn't like drawing them." Skorch added, causing all present Saiyans to look to their butts. Some had tails, some did not. But, since this was a written medium and not a drawn one, it seemed like that wasn't an issue.

"Wait. You mean the reason I lost my tail… was because this man decided it was annoying to draw?" Vegeta asked, a mixture of disbelief, anger and bewilderment in his voice.

"Yes."

"You jest."

"No."

"I call lies."

"I'm calling Dominos, you want anything?"

"Skorch, this isn't the time for jokes!"

"I'm not." The Entity huffed, then looked to Piccolo (both of em'). "Y'ever wonder why Namek has three suns?"

"Because that's simply how the planet evolved and how our people adapted to live with it?" Dende replied.

"No, because Toriyama didn't like drawing NIGHTTIME." Skorch replied, matter-of-factly.

There was deafening, dumbfounded silence from all. Even the villains, Kais, heck, the Lords of Everything were left in silence. No one knew what to say, or if they should even say anything. Someone coughed, another cleared their throat, someone tired (and failed) to open a drink quietly, but no one broke the silence until finally Bulma worked up the courage to say what everyone was thinking.

"…anything else you wanna drop on us?"

"…Dr. Gero is Krillin's father-in-law?"

"What? No he- Ohmykamihetotattlyis." 18 began, but her face drained of all colour in realization.

"And if we wanna be technical, Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Freeza, and Cold are also Cell's… Uncles, I think? Which would mean this family tree is weird as heck."

"Skorch, go take a nap, you're upsetting everyone." Beerus ordered. Skorch took a long drink of whiskey and flopped down onto the floor. When BEERUS was being responsible, you knew something was wrong. After about ten minutes, everyone returned, anxious to see who Goku would be fighting…

TO BE CONTINUED…

Yeah. Sorry, I hate to do this, but I need to. This chapter is already pushing 110+ pages. I can't write that much without giving you all something. This chapter NEEDS to come out, so we're doing this. As each section is done, I'll upload it. I don't know when part two is coming so don't ask.

BUT, Part Two is Superman! The Man of Steel! This should be fascinating!

Also, join my Discord server for updates, it's the easiest way to find out how things are coming along, get sneak peaks at future chapters, and other fun stuff!

See you all eventually. Thank you for bearing with me.