*Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favortied, and followed the story so far. I have a lot of ideas for this story, so I appreciate the support. Hope you enjoy Chapter 2!
Chapter 2: X Marks the Spot
Westchester County, New York – Age 749 (Year: 1996)
It was now September 1st, 1996. Six long years have passed since Professor Charles Xavier detected a mutant hidden in the Savage Land. Ever since that day, the wheelchair bound researcher has consistently used Cerebro to locate other mutants who could prove viable to his cause. One notable example was Jean Elaine Grey, a young redheaded girl with telepathic abilities that surpassed even his own. Jean's parents asked him to help her back in 1990, but due to how extremely powerful and unstable her telekinesis proved to be, Xavier was forced to suppress them until she was more mature. Something otherworldly in nature was stirring within the girl's mind, but Xavier couldn't exactly figure who or what it was. He would need to figure it out once he contacted Jean again sometime this year.
Other mutants that the professor came across were an orphan boy living at the State Home for Foundlings, a young Kenyan woman he encountered in Cairo six years ago, a talented biochemist and athlete with larger than average feet, and many more. These people both had the potential necessary to join his future team of superhumans, the X-Men. They would be needed to stop Magneto and his plans for world domination, especially due to how many followers he has accrued over the past few years.
Xavier would have attempted to form this team earlier, but he didn't quite have the resources and connections necessary to do so. The first thing he needed to do was refine Cerebro's basic functions with Moira MacTaggert, its Scottish co-creator and his former fiancée. During their time as students at Oxford University, they were deeply in love with each other, but due to unfortunate circumstances, she had to end their engagement. They still, however, remained on good enough terms to officially found the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters together. She provided technological support via her Mutant Research Center on Muir Island, Scotland.
Additional help was received by Dr. Brief, a brilliant Japanese scientist who served as official CEO for his company, Capsule Corporation. His talent as an inventor and businessman made him one of the richest people on the entire planet next to Anthony "Tony" Stark and Norman Osborn. Due to having pro-mutant views, Brief was happy to construct a high-tech facility called the Danger Room where young mutants could hone and train their respective abilities. It was, as its name applied, highly dangerous, but the results greatly impressed Xavier, nonetheless.
What impressed the professor even more was Dr. Brief's youngest daughter, Bulma. Although exceedingly vain and hotheaded like many other girls her age, she had a mind arguably larger than her father's. This granted her the intelligence necessary to design a Dragon Radar, which could track the Dragon Balls' current locations worldwide. It was the final step he needed to bring his plans into fruition.
So, as soon as Bulma's summer vacation from high school had begun, Xavier contacted Dr. Brief and asked her to come visit him in New York. She had always wanted to explore the United States, so convincing her, thankfully, didn't take much effort.
Using one of the hovercrafts contained in Capsule Corp's trademark Hoi Poi Capsules, Bulma flew over to the X-Mansion without delay. She was a sixteen-year-old girl with light blue hair tied up into a braid. Tied down by a red bow, she also had big blue eyes of the same color. Her outfit comprised of a purple scarf wrapped around her neck, a pink dress that extended just below the waist, purple socks, blue shoes, and a brown belt. Written in the center of her shirt was 'BULMA' in bold black and white lettering.
"Welp, this looks like the place," Bulma said.
She then brought out a DynoCap and sealed the hovercraft back inside of it in a large puff of smoke. After stuffing the small capsule into her satchel, Bulma cautiously walked over to the mansion's front door.
"Tch. If dad wasn't so cheap, he could have bought a place as nice as this and then some…" She muttered before gently knocking her hand on the door and speaking in near-perfect English. "Professor Xavier? Are you in there? It's me, Bulma."
"Yes, I am, Ms. Brief. You may come in, please."
Hearing the Englishman's voice, Bulma pushed open the mansion's door and entered it. It was quite massive on the inside, including everything from a chandelier, couches, chairs, and an ornate fireplace. There were also various shelves filled with what seemed like hundreds of books and research documents.
She looked from left to right with a light grin on her face.
"Fancy…"
Bulma then directed her attention to Professor Xavier. Now around the age of forty-seven, he was wearing a gray coat over a black turtleneck shirt. He smiled at the teenage inventor and moved his wheelchair closer to her.
"Welcome to my mansion. Your father has told me so much about you."
She snorted in reply. "Oh, I'm sure he has. Bet he went on a tangent about me skipping school all the time, huh?"
"Haha. Yes. That may have come up in conversation once or twice." Xavier chuckled. "But all jokes aside, you should be proud of what you've built at such a young age. Your intellect may even rival Tony Stark's one day."
"Thanks for the compliments, Professor, but I'm nowhere near that Iron Man guy's level. Not yet, at least." Bulma muttered in slight embarrassment.
She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but ever since Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, revealed himself to be the armored superhero, Iron Man, he had become somewhat of a personal idol her. It didn't help that she used to have a small crush on him during earlier points of her childhood.
Xavier smirked at the thoughts going through her head. Despite her incredibly gifted mind, she was still just an ordinary teenage girl. She, however, wasn't a mutant, much to his ever-so-slight disappointment.
"Regardless, I'm still quite intrigued by the inventions you've made. Do you mind if I take a closer look at that Dragon Radar of yours?"
"Sure. Go ahead."
Bulma rummaged through her bag and pulled out a large, stopwatch-like device. It was white with a circular green map placed in the center. There was also a large button located on top. She handed it over, so the professor could inspect it.
"Mm. Simple, yet intuitive design. How does it work exactly?" Xavier asked.
Bulma pointed to the top of the Dragon Radar. "It's actually as simple as it looks, Professor. You just press that button a few times and the Dragon Balls should appear onscreen."
"I see."
With a single press of his finger, seven orange lights flickered to the sound of a loud beeping noise. One of the lights was in line with the mansion's current location, showing that Bulma's invention did indeed work.
He then pulled out his Six-Star Dragon Ball and grimaced. He has still held onto it after all these years.
"It's ingenious, yet quite dangerous at the same time. There's no telling what Magnus could do with this kind of device in his possession. Luckily, as of now, Ms. Brief has the only copy in existence."
Temporarily keeping those thoughts at bay, Xavier handed the Dragon Radar back to Capsule Corp's heiress.
"Excellent work, Bulma. This will definitely make our search for the Dragon Balls much simpler than expected."
"Not to sound rude, Professor, but what exactly do you want with the Dragon Balls, anyway? Don't you already have enough… stuff as is?" The girl asked while gesturing to everything in Xavier's mansion.
"Fair question. It's something a bit more nobler than wishing for a lifetime supply of strawberries or the perfect boyfriend, I assure you."
Bulma jumped up and covered her mouth in sudden embarrassment. Her cheeks flushed a bright red.
"Eep! H-How did you—"
"I'm a telepath, Ms. Brief. Reading minds is what I and other mutants like myself do best." Xavier replied.
"Oh… right. I almost forgot that Dad said you were one of… those guys." The girl muttered. She then waved both hands in front of her body, assuming that Xavier took what she said the wrong way. "N-Not that there's anything wrong with that, though! I get along with almost everyone."
Xavier nodded his head in understanding. "I didn't claim otherwise, Bulma. Your father has supported equality between mutants and humans for many years now. It's the main reason why I selected you to accompany me on this… journey of mine."
"And what kind of journey would that be?"
The professor clasped his hands together and held them in front of his mouth. He began to ruminate over events that happened sometimes between the years 1989 and 1990.
"You may not be aware of this, my dear, but there exist some mutants who view this world with utter distain and vitriol. They have grown to resent the prejudice directed towards their natural-born gifts and thus, have given up on living in peace, altogether." He explained. "These mutants decide to commit evil actions that further degrade relations between my people and yours."
He closed his eyes and sighed. It was difficult to remember the days when he could still walk, even years after the initial incident took place.
"One such evil mutant was a man named Amahl Farouk, whom I first encountered in Cairo, Egypt seven years ago. His telepathic abilities were so unspeakably dark and twisted that I came to realize how dangerous mutant abilities could be in the wrong hands." Xavier grimaced in momentary disgust. "From there, I have decided to bring mankind and its mutant children together as a team; one that would protect all of humanity from sinister beings like Farouk, or as other people have come to know him, the Shadow King."
He then opened his eyes and narrowed them with the utmost determination.
"They will be called my X-Men."
Bulma raised an eyebrow at this name. "X-Men, huh? That sounds all well and good on paper, but what does this idea have to do with the Dragon Balls?"
"There exists another mutant just as dangerous as the Shadow King, I'm afraid. He used to be an old friend and colleague of mine before his hatred for humanity consumed him." Xavier darkly proclaimed. "Once known as Max Eisenhardt, or Magnus to most people he interacted with, he has long since dubbed himself, Magneto, and plans to use the Dragon Balls to accomplish his goal of making mutants the dominant species on the planet."
"Dominant species? How would he do that? Last time I checked, mutants were considered a minority in most places around the world, especially Japan."
"Remember, according to legend, the Dragon Balls can grant any wish a person desires. And what Magneto desiresis to wish for everyone to become mutants, even if it is against their will." Xavier unveiled with a concerned look on his face. "If we don't stop him, mutants will become the majority and the entire human race as we know it will cease to exist."
"W-Wow. This Magneto dude is taking mutant supremacy to a whole other level then." Bulma gulped. Her pale face contorted into one of growing confusion. "Is it even possible for billions of people to change into mutants… just like that?"
Xavier rested a hand over his chin in thought.
"I'm not entirely sure, but we can't afford to take any chances. Magneto has likely gathered a group of followers to support his cause, so I must do the same." He exclaimed. "You have one of the Dragon Balls with you, correct?"
Bulma reached into her bag and pulled out another Dragon Ball. This one had two red stars on it.
"Yep. I found the Two-Star Ball in Capsule Corp's basement a few days ago."
"Excellent. Then it is time for us to visit an old friend of mine in Antarctica, Ms. Brief. He has the Four-Star Ball in his possession."
She pushed the Dragon Radar's button a few times until an orange light appeared near the world's southernmost point.
"You're right. The radar says it is around that area." She affirmed with a dramatic sigh. "I just wish it could have been located somewhere warmer. I hate the cold…"
"On the contrary, the part of Antarctica we'll be visiting is a tropical environment filled with various trees and dinosaurs. It is called the Savage Island and my friend, Gohan, has lived there for almost twelve years."
Bulma, ironically, shivered in response to this description. "He must have been pretty crazy to willingly live amongst dinosaurs for that long. I wouldn't have even lasted a day."
Xavier laughed. "Haha. You could say that, yes. Gohan was quite an eccentric character, but an incredibly talented martial artist all the same. His fighting abilities were said to rival The Hand's strongest members."
"Yeesh. If that's the case, then he must still be alive and kicking by now." Bulma assumed, given what she's heard about Japan's most notorious crime syndicate. They made the Yakuza look harmless by comparison.
"I wish I knew that to be the case, Bulma." Xavier muttered.
"What do you mean? Did you something happen to him?"
"I don't know. All I know is that six years ago, I detected an immensely powerful mutant coming from Mt. Paozu, the Savage Island's largest mountain range. It let out a loud roar before vanishing just as fast as it emerged." The professor recalled. "Gohan chose to live within Paozu, so his life might have been put in danger that day…"
Bulma positioned herself next to Xavier and lightly patted him on the shoulder.
"Guess all we can do is go there and see for ourselves, Professor."
He lightly nodded his head. "I suppose you're right. We should leave immediately."
"Do you know how to get to this 'Savage Land' place or whatever?" She wondered.
"Of course, Bulma. I've been there a few times myself. There are a series of tunnels leading to the Savage Land beneath Antarctica. I'll lead you to them."
"Sounds good, but what about your… um…" She faltered while awkwardly gesturing towards his legs. Thankfully, Xavier was smart enough to understand what she meant.
"I'll manage, Ms. Brief. I've grown accustomed to being paralyzed these past six years, so a brief expedition to Mt. Paozu won't be an issue for me. There's no need for concern."
The young inventor shrugged. "If you say so, Professor."
Xavier then handed her the Six-Star Ball, so she could place it in her bag. Afterwards, they exited the mansion and made preparations to leave.
As Bulma brought out her hovercraft's DynoCap, the professor thought about the mutant he sensed on Mt. Paozu once again.
"I hope that wherever Gohan and the Four-Star Ball are located, this mutant will be with them. Perhaps they could be the first person to join my X-Men."
Mt. Paozu, Savage Land – Age 749 (Year: 1996)
After realizing that Gohan died and was never coming back, Goku tried his best to move on. He continued practicing the martial arts techniques his grandpa taught him, including the supremely powerful Kamehameha Wave. He preferred to train by fighting with dinosaurs and other people living in the Savage Land. One of the boy's most common sparring partners was Ka-Zar, the Savage Land's sworn protector, and his pet sabretooth tiger, Zabu. Although originally at odds with each other, Ka-Zar slowly warmed up to Goku upon discovering his close relationship with Gohan, a former mentor of the young wild man. They went on many different adventures together and even fought Maa-Gor, leader of the Man-Apes who, many years prior, murdered an English nobleman and Ka-Zar's father, Lord Robert Plunder.
As a token of appreciation for helping him defeat Maa-Gor, Ka-Zar brought Goku over to visit the Savage Land's hunter-gatherer society, The Fall People, on many different occasions. He developed a fast friendship with its chieftain, Tongah, and heard tales about the Savage Land's supposed creators, the Nuwali, from him. Goku didn't understand a word of what he was talking about, but he enjoyed being in Tongah's company, nonetheless. The Fall People even asked him to stay in their tribe, but the monkey-tailed warrior declined. He just felt more comfortable staying in the mountains where Gohan raised him. Tongah's daughter, Nereel, who developed a slight crush on him, was a bit disappointed by this decision, but Goku didn't notice. He was only taught the most basic knowledge about girls that his grandpa could offer him, so that type of stuff didn't catch his radar at all.
Years passed until little Goku was now a slightly taller twelve-year-old boy. Ka-Zar was roughly around the age of eighteen or nineteen, but despite their age difference, they continued to remain friends and fellow protectors of the Savage Land. They remained so close, in fact, that Zabu was personally sent to watch over Gohan's adoptive grandson every-so-often. It might have been out of mere obligation or an older brother-younger brother type instinct for the man previously known as Kevin Plunder.
Goku, at the moment, was standing in a combat stance. As promised to his grandfather six years ago, he had gotten a lot stronger than before. He picked up a large log and, with relative ease, tossed it straight into the air. As it fell back down to Earth, the boy jumped towards it.
"Hyaaaah! Yah!"
He kicked the log and spit it into an even stack of fifteen wooden blocks. Goku clapped his hands together in content. Like more than half a decade ago, he still wore a blue gi and a white sash, but this time, with yellow pants on. His wristbands were also pink instead of red.
"Welp, that takes care of that!" He said before clutching his empty stomach. "I'm hungry. Whoa!"
Not wanting to waste any more time, Goku ran into his grandpa's hut and hoisted the Power Pole around his shoulder. He tied its holster to his chest with a thin white string.
"I'm going to go get some food."
He then walked over to the Four-Star Ball and prayed to it before leaving. It hadn't left that spot since Gohan's death. Due to him failing to find his body, Goku began to assume that the old man's spirit was inhabiting this Dragon Ball and thus, didn't want to risk touching it. He was too afraid to lose the last trace of his grandfather that he had left.
"Grandpa, stay there, okay? This won't take long. I'll be right back." Goku whispered.
Right as he was about to walk away, the Dragon Ball glowed a bright orange and let out a faint humming noise. It stopped after a few seconds, much to Goku's surprise.
"Huh. I've never seen you shine bright like that before, Grandpa. How strange." He muttered in slight awe. "Can you do it again?"
The Four-Star Ball remained motionless and didn't glow a second time.
"You can wait until later if you have to. See you in a little while."
Goku then left his hut behind and walked into a nearby forest. He was surrounded by a sea of coniferous pine trees.
"Now, what should I have to eat today?" He hummed to himself while looking from side to side. "Gosh, it's so hard to decide. Why don't you decide, tummy?"
He looked down at his stomach for a moment before running along a pathway and flipping on top of a tree branch.
"Fish? Fish! Yeah, that sounds really great! Hehe! Alright!"
He somersaulted from branch to branch and then swung along using a vine. The martial artist then spotted a significantly larger tree filled with apples. He landed on top of a rock formation, so he could get a closer look.
"But first, I'm gonna need a little snack!"
Goku leaped over to the apple tree and wrapped his tail around the highest branch. Hanging off of it like a possum, he grabbed an apple and contentedly munched on it.
"Mmm! That sure was tasty!"
"Rrawrr!"
After tossing away the apple core, Goku looked down to see a familiar sabretooth tiger standing below him. He was an 800 pound animal with orange fur and fearsome green eyes. His long sharp teeth hung along the sides of his jaw.
"Oh, hey, Zabu! I didn't see you down there." He greeted with a wide smile. He quickly gulped down another apple and hopped off the tree to stroke the Smilodon's head.
"How's it going, buddy?"
"Rawr." Zabu happily roared. He purred and rubbed his head against Goku's body. "Prrrrr…"
"Hehe. Glad to see you're doing okay." Goku laughed. "Is Ka-Zar with you?"
Zabu shook his head and gestured towards a deeper part of the Savage Land's many jungles. Goku nodded along in semi-understanding.
"Ah, I see. He must be hunting some Pteranodons again or something." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Oh well. Before he comes back, do you want to hunt some fish with me, Zabu? You look a bit hungry yourself."
In that moment, Zabu's stomach loudly groaned. The tiger sheepishly looked away in what could best be interpreted as embarrassment.
"Rawr. Rrawrr!"
"Tehe. I'll take that as a 'yes'." Goku laughed. He then started running in the direction of a nearby lake. "Come on then! Catch me if you can, Zabu! Haha."
Zabu took Goku's challenge to heart and playfully bounded after him.
"Rrawrr!"
They both ran at faster-than-average speeds as Goku chuckled in sheer delight. He hadn't done something like this with Zabu and Ka-Zar in quite a long time.
"Haha! We're almost there. Just a few more… uh…"
He froze in place to see a large yellow… thing flying towards them. He pulled out his Power Pole and protectively stood in front of Zabu.
"What the heck is that?!" Goku whispered.
"Grrrrr…" Zabu growled as he bent his knees very low to the ground. Unlike Goku, the tiger knew exactly what this machine signified. It meant that people from the surface world were invading their home once again.
It gently landed in front of the two Savage Landers, causing them to cautiously take a step backward. The flying contraption's door opened to reveal Bulma and Professor Charles Xavier.
"Ah! Finally, some fresh air!" Bulma sighed in relief. She stretched while looking back at the professor. "You know, it would have been nice to know that it took a few hours to get here, Professor."
Xavier wheeled himself out of the aircraft as a ramp began to be manually set up.
"I'm afraid that was a lapse of judgement on my part. I do apologize."
He locked eyes with Goku and the hostile sabretooth tiger. They were particularly focused on his monkey tail and the Power Pole resting in both of the child's hands.
"That boy has the tail of a monkey tail! Could he be the mutant I sensed all those years ago?" Xavier thought. "Curiouser is the fact that he has the Power Pole, or Nyoibo in his possession. That means he must be affiliated with Gohan somehow…"
"Errgh! Stop right there, you two! Are you working with this big, flying monster?!" Goku snarled in anger. He pointed his staff from Bulma to Xavier in quick succession.
Dr. Brief's daughter blinked a few times in confusion. She jerked a thumb at the hovercraft parked behind her.
"Monster? What are you talking about, kid? That's a—"
"Say what you want, but Grandpa told me about evil creatures like you and I know one when I see one! Your black arts won't work on me or Zabu here!"
The orange Smilodon roared in agreement. "Rawr!"
Choosing to intervene before Goku could cause any damage to their ship, Xavier closed his eyes and rested both hands on either side of his forehead.
"Calm down, young one. The two of us have come in peace." He spoke telepathically.
Goku lowered the Power Pole and frantically looked around him in shock.
"W-Whoa! Someone's talking inside my head! Who's saying that?" He asked, sharing direct eye contact with Ka-Zar's tiger companion. "Was that you, Zabu?"
"Rrr?"
"No, that was me, Son Goku. I projected my voice into your head using telepathy." Xavier informed. He rolled down the plane's ramp and positioned himself in front of Goku.
"Telewhat now? Is that some kind of magic trick?"
Bulma crossed her arms. "It means that he can read minds, kid. He's a mutant named Professor Charles Xavier. That's just what people like him can do."
"Xavier? Wait a minute! Grandpa talked about you a few times before he died! He said you were good friends or something."
"So, Gohan truly is dead then? How tragic. If only I could have seen or spoke with him one last time." Professor X muttered under his breath. He sighed and sympathetically gazed at the boy. "I'm sorry for your loss, Goku. Do you remember how he died?"
The boy frowned and shook his head. "Not really. He just disappeared about six years ago. I never saw him again after that."
Xavier squinted his eyes in suspicion. Without any shadow of doubt, he knew for certain that Goku was the mysterious mutant from before. At the same time, however, the boy's energy or presence didn't seem as monstrous as it was years prior. He wondered if this had something to do with Gohan's untimely death.
"I see. Does this mean you grew up all alone on Mt. Paozu?"
Goku nervously scratched the back of his head. "At first, yeah, but then I got to meet some good people like Zabu and my friend, Ka-Zar. They've kept me company ever since."
He stroked Zabu's head, making him act significantly less hostile in the process.
"Rawr."
"Well, it's good to know that you've survived the Savage Land for this long. Allow me to properly introduce myself." Xavier cleared his throat and rested a hand over his chest. "As Bulma already said, I am Professor Charles Xavier, a mutant researcher and geneticist seeking to promote equality in this world. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"And I'm Bulma. I'm not… well, anything he just said, but I am a brilliant and beautiful inventor, if I do say so myself. Hehe."
"You could try to be a little more humble, Ms. Brief. We just met the boy." Xavier mentally advised.
"Tch. Look who's talking…" Bulma grumbled.
Goku snickered to himself. "Hehe. Bulma. That's a pretty funny name, miss."
"Hey, Son Goku's not exactly normal either, so there!"
"Yeah, but it's not weird as yours! Hehe!"
"Ugh! You be quiet! Bulma happens to be quite elegant." She huffed defensively. "It's a lot better than Goku and… ergh… Charles, that's for sure! Hmph!"
She then crossed her arms in a defiant manner.
"Mature as ever, Ms. Brief…" Xavier sighed. "Anyways, I've been meaning to ask you a question, Goku."
"A question, huh? Like what?"
"It's about your monkey tail. Have you noticed that no other human in the Savage Land seems to have one?"
"Now, that you mention it, it does seem kinda weird. I always thought everybody had a tail like I do, but Ka-Zar and the Fall People didn't. I never figured out why."
"I suspect it's because of your latent X-Gene, Goku. Since mutants, unlike normal humans, are either born with superhuman abilities, animal-like characters, or something else, you might be one of them."
"A mutant?" Goku repeated. He looked down at his feet in confusion. "I never even knew something like that existed. Grandpa never talked about them when he was alive."
"Well, your grandfather may have had powerful abilities as a martial artist, but he wasn't mutant like we are. He probably didn't think it was a topic you could understand at such a young age." Xavier assumed.
"I think he was right about that." Bulma muttered. She could tell that Goku wasn't fully grasping the concept just yet.
"Is being a mutant… bad or something? Is that why he didn't tell me?"
"Oh, not at all. Mutation is a gift you should be proud of, Goku, not a curse. Mutants, at the end of the day, are just like any other person." Xavier informed. "However, some people don't see things that way. That's why I am working to promote coexistence between mutants and humanity, so one day, a more peaceful, accepting world can be created."
"Co… existence?" Goku uttered in confusion. He didn't understand most of what the professor just said, but if it meant not being judged for his monkey tail, then such a concept was something he could get behind.
He nodded his head and smiled at Xavier.
"I think I get what you're saying. Does this mean you came to the Savage Island to find me?"
"Yes and no. We also came here, because your grandpa had a Dragon Ball in his possession. Do you still have that somewhere, Goku?" Bulma asked while innocently holding both hands behind her back.
"Oh! You mean the orange ball with four red stars? Yep! That's back at my grandpa's hut. I can take you guys there if you want." The monkey-tailed boy offered.
"That'd be much appreciated, Goku. We can talk some more once you lead us there." Xavier replied.
"Sure thing! Let's go!" Goku chirped. He then walked over to Zabu and pointed towards the nearest jungle. "Go tell Ka-Zar what's going on, okay, Zabu?"
"Rawr!"
The tiger nodded his head and quickly ran into the distance. Getting a little nervous around that giant, potentially man-eating tiger, Bulma wiped some sweat off her forehead.
"Phew. That tiger can actually understand what you're saying?"
"Yup. Zabu's pretty smart for a big cat." Goku said. "He may look dangerous, but he's nice once you get to know him."
"This place just keeps getting weirder and weirder…" Bulma whispered. Having a pleasant conversation with a hungry carnivore was not something she wished to cross off her bucket list. She was far too young and beautiful to die like that.
After putting the yellow hovercraft back in its capsule, Bulma and Professor X followed Goku to his hut. Little did he know, someone was listening in on their conversation.
Hidden behind a patch of bushes sat was former physician, geneticist, and hypnotherapist, Karl Lykos. Once a former colleague of Xavier's, he had gone missing in the Savage Land a few months ago. He had wished to marry his childhood sweetheart, Tanya Anderssen, but due to being bitten by mutant pterodactyls as child, Karl felt a need to absorb life energy, or ki, from both people and animals.
Lykos drained various patients of their energy until one day, he could not contain the sense of guilt building up inside of him and fled to Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago in the lowest point of South America. Not wishing to potentially harm Tanya with his powers, Karl jumped off a cliff in an attempt to kill himself.
Unfortunately, Lykos survived and ended up traveling to the Savage Land. He tried to live off as little energy as possible, but the hunger for more was far too great. And now that not one, but two mutants have revealed themselves, Lykos felt compelled to try feeding off of them. Mutants, after all, had more life energy than a typical human did. A mutant martial artist, like Goku, might have even more to spare.
"N-No! Charles is my friend! I can't do something so… unspeakable to him! Only the devil would contemplate it!" He hissed. He slammed his fist against a nearby tree in growing frustration. "Damn it all! For what reason did he have to arrive here of all places?! To finally locate young mutant specimens and train them as he always told me he would?!"
Karl Lykos was a muscular man with short brown hair and a blue loincloth. He used to be wearing a green parka, but it had long since been lost to time.
"Then again, that young mutant… is brimming with all sorts of energy. If I absorb just an ounce of his strength, I will feel more POWER than I have ever experienced before. I'm sure of it!" Lykos sneered in desperation. "Then and only then, will my ravenous thirst be quenched! It may be the key to seeing my beautiful Tanya again…"
Tears built up in his eyes just thinking of the woman's blonde hair and blue eyes. He rested a hand over his face in newfound grief.
"I-I suppose this place is a fitting prison for a savage beast such as myself…" He muttered.
Choosing to endure the pain, Lykos kept himself hidden within the shadows and stalked his newest prey.
About thirty minutes later…
"You really couldn't wait to eat that fish, huh?"
Bulma darted her eyes toward a large blue fish Goku was dragging across the floor. For some reason, he insisted on catching it before they walked over to his house. It didn't take too long, thankfully, but seeing him lure the fish in with his tail was still a bit bizarre.
"Nope! A big as big as this guy is pretty hard to find." The martial artist replied.
Xavier looked at the fish's now vacant and soulless white eyes. It died the very moment Goku kicked it in the face. He would have been more than impressed if it weren't so disturbing.
"I'm just amazed you were able to kill it with one blow. Gohan sure has taught you well." The professor said.
"Hehe. You bet. Grandpa really did know a thing or two about martial arts, alright." Goku chuckled in fond reminiscence. He was curious to see how they'd react to the Kamehameha Wave.
"Hm. That'll prove to be quite useful as a member of the X-Men. I knew selecting him as my first student was the right call to make." Xavier thought to himself. "I wonder how he'll get along with Jean and other young mutants like himself…"
A few more minutes passed until finally, they made it to Gohan's hut. Goku set his fish down and stood in front of the door.
"Wow. That's a nice little place you got there, kid." Bulma stated while looking up at the hut's blue roof. For a house that was more than twelve years old, it still looked pretty good, in her opinion.
"It definitely suits the humble lifestyle your grandfather preferred to have." Xavier said.
"Gee. Thanks, guys! Just wait here one second."
Goku then ran forward and swung open the hut's double doors. He saw the Four-Star Ball glowing and humming a second time.
"Listen," He whispered. "Grandpa must be trying to talk to me."
"That's not what it's doing, you goof. Your ball is just reacting to the other two that we have." Bulma said. She then pulled out her Two-Star Ball and Xavier's Six-Star Ball, respectively. "See?"
Goku's eyes widened. "Wow! They look exactly the same as Grandpa's!"
"Not exactly, Goku. Each Dragon Ball has a different number of stars on them. The one your grandfather gave you has four." Xavier noted.
Goku counted the stars with his fingers and smiled.
"Yep! There's seven of them in total, right? Grandpa said that a big dragon named Shenron would come to grant wishes if all of them are gathered together."
"That's correct. They have the power to do truly amazing things." Xavier replied.
"And not so great. If a bad person got a hold of these balls, they could really wreak some havoc." Bulma added in dark tone.
"Havoc? What does that mean?" Goku blankly asked.
"It means that an evil man named Magneto is planning to use the Dragon Balls to take over everything and everyone. He plans to turn every person on Earth into mutants with Shenron's wish-granting powers." Xavier explained.
Goku scratched the back of his head in confusion. "But aren't we… mutants? Shouldn't that be a good thing?"
Xavier was accepting this kind of response. He moved closer to Goku and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"You would think so, Goku, but I've come to learn that an overabundance of the X-Gene will cause mass chaos across the globe. I want people to willingly accept us, not be forced to by means they can't control."
The martial artist nodded. "Guess that sorta makes sense."
"Magneto is too consumed by his own hatred for humanity to see reason, unfortunately. I've tried and failed many times to change his mind, but to no avail." Xavier sighed in regret. "For that reason, I need you to help me, and Ms. Brief stop him, Goku. What do you say?"
He offered his hand as a gesture of goodwill and friendship. Goku, however, was reluctant to accept this offer.
"I dunno. This Dragon Ball is all I have left of Grandpa. It'd feel wrong to just give it away…"
"It's for a good cause, kid. We're not planning to wish for something selfish like strawberries or the perfect boyfriend. You can trust us, believe me!" Bulma beamed.
"Right. You weren't planning that at all…" Xavier sarcastically grumbled. "Besides, this will give you a chance to see the world Gohan used to live in and, inevitably, left behind. There's all sorts of powerful mutants and martial artists you can fight against there. Doesn't that sound promising?"
"It does, yeah, but—"
Bulma mischievously grinned. "There's also a wide assortment of delicious food you can try, Goku. Hehe."
At the mention of food, Goku's mood took a 180 and he hurriedly shook Xavier's hand without delay. The poor professor almost fell out of his wheelchair in surprise.
"Sounds fun! I guess I can go then!"
"Nice catch, Ms. Brief. I should have known the boy would think more with his stomach than his brain." Xavier mentally sent his regards. Bulma winked and gave him an 'ok' symbol with her fingers.
"But… uh… where do we start looking? The Dragon Balls could be anywhere in the whole world, right?" Goku asked.
"How do you think we got here, silly? Professor Xavier and I used this radar to track your Dragon Ball. It's how we were able to find the Savage Land in the first place." Bulma giggled while gesturing to her technologically advanced device. She pressed the Dragon Radar's button until glowing orange lights appeared onscreen. The three they had been clumped together in one single spot.
"Huh. Neat." The boy whispered. "Should we be going then?"
"Yes. Once Bulma brings out her DynoCaps, we can safely fly back up to the surface and—"
As he spoke, Karl Lykos jumped out of the bushes and leapt towards Professor Xavier. Bulma screeched in fear.
"P-PROFESSOR, BEHIND YOU!"
Xavier spun around to see his old friend and colleague towering over him. A look of sheer madness was plastered all over his face.
"D-Doctor Lykos?" He gasped. Lykos then slammed both of his hands against Xavier's temples, causing his mind to experience indescribable pain. "AHHHHHHHHH!"
"Yes! Scream, Charles! Fill me with your power! I can feel it flowing into every pore of my skin!"
As life energy was transferred from Xavier's mind to Lykos' body, Goku ran over to the man and kicked him off.
"Get away from him, you monster!" He growled.
Xavier fell off his wheelchair from exhaustion and struggled to breath. Bulma quickly attempted to pick him up off the floor.
Lykos, on the other hand, showed absolutely no concern. He felt the spot where Goku kicked him in gleeful euphoria.
"Hehe. M-Monster, you say? Yes. That's what I, Karl Lykos, have become. I am nothing more than a fiend spawned by a frozen hell." He sorrowfully proclaimed. He then clutched his aching skull. "YAAAAARGH! I can bear the pain no more!"
Goku took a step back and held out his Power Pole in a defensive manner.
"W-What's happening to him, Bulma?"
"I should be asking you that, Einstein!" Bulma screamed.
Before their very eyes, Karl Lykos' body turned dark green as large, leathery wings replaced his arms. His face grew into that of a dinosaurian beak as a long tail extended outward from his backside. The man's own eyes were now bloodred with yellow pupils.
"My body, my face, my very soul… They have been filled bursting, billowing power…" "There is both power for good or power for evil flowing inside me…" Lykos cried.
His transformation was now complete. He outstretched his wings and let out a loud, reptilian screech.
"And, I choose evil! An evil so great… so monumental that only one name in all the annals of literature will contain it! The name of J.R.R. Tolkien's ultimate villain, that dark lord who personified and was truly evil incarnate!"
The Pterodactyl mutate narrowed his eyes and glared at Goku.
"I will now go by the name of SAURON!"
"AHHH! Great, he's both some scary monster and a nerd!" Bulma whimpered in fear.
"Foolish wench! There is nothing nerdy about the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien!" Sauron scowled in burning hatred. "For that, you will be the first of my many victims!"
He took flight and clutched Bulma's shoulders with his large, reptilian feet. He then ascended to the skies of Mt. Paozu, much to the teenage girl's absolute horror.
"AHHHHHHHH! DON'T JUST STAND THERE, IDIOT! GET. ME. DOWN!" Bulma screamed.
"Errgh! Pipe down! You pitiful humans absolutely disgust me!" Sauron winced. He then glared down at the young mutant. "You heard your little friend, Son Goku! What's wrong? Are you too afraid to fight a superior being such as myself?!"
"Welp, if it's a fight you want, Sauron, then it's a fight you'll get!"
Giving one last look at the unconscious Xavier, Goku placed a single hand on the ground and jumped up. He was now eye-level with Sauron in the air.
"Impressive leap, boy, but it won't be enough to save your—"
"Power Pole, Extend!"
Goku brought out his red staff and extended it all the way back. The immense length of this weapon took Sauron by surprise.
"What the hell?!"
"Here! Take this, you mean old bully!" The monkey-tailed boy shouted. He swung the Power Pole and hit Sauron directly on the head. The amount of pain he felt was indescribable.
"GAAHH!"
The reptilian menace let go of Bulma, causing her to fall straight back down to Mt. Paozu. She flailed her arms about in fear as Sauron descended just as fast.
"HELP ME, GOKU! HELP!"
Without much difficulty, Goku safely landed near his hut, shrunk the Power Pole back to normal size, and caught Bulma. She couldn't stop herself from shivering as the girl stood back up.
"T-Thank you."
"Thank him for what?! That's merely a lucky shot, fool!" Sauron croaked as he quickly recovered from the Power Pole's blow. "Make no mistake, I will absorb that delicious energy of yours for myself, Son Goku! I'll smash your form to a bloody pulp if I have to!"
"Well, if you wanted my energy so badly, then all you had to do was ask." Goku said with an absentminded shrug. He then cupped his hands together and crouched down. "I haven't done this in a while, but here goes. Hope you're not disappointed by it."
On the sidelines, Xavier opened his eyes to see the stance that Goku was standing in. He widened his eyes in recognition.
"He's using the signature technique of Gohan's master, the Turtle Hermit! Could you truly have learned it at such a young age?!"
"Kaaa… Meee…"
Sauron was too intrigued by what he was seeing to move. A blue ball of energy managed to form in between Goku's hands.
"… Haaa… Meee…
It grew slightly bigger and began to spin around. Bulma could only cover her face to stop herself from being blinded by the eponymous ki blast.
"Yes, Son Goku! Give me your energy! It'll only demonstrate my superiority even further!" He cackled. Growing impatient, Sauron outstretched his sharp talons and prepared to pounce on the boy. "DO IT! GIVE IT TO ME NOW!"
"HAAAAA!"
Goku unleashed the Kamehameha Wave and fired it head-on. The blue ki blast slammed into Sauron's body, causing him to try absorbing it. Unfortunately, it was far too powerful for someone like him to handle.
"YES! This life-force will make Sauron invincible! You should be proud, mutant! You will be all that I require to rule this Savage Land and—"
"HAAA!"
Goku put more a bit more power into the Kamehameha and pushed Sauron back a few feet. The human turned Pterodactyl could feel himself slipping.
"Wait, no! It's too much! I can feel myself changing back into that sniveling weakling, Karl Lykos!" He growled. He was then fully engulfed by the blast and sent flying. "GRRRAGH! NOO! CURSE YOU, SON GOKU!"
The Kamehameha Wave smashed Sauron into a nearby forest and exploded upon impact. Once the smoke cleared, the energy vampire changed back into his human form.
"Thank god… I'm back to… normal…"
Karl Lykos then collapsed onto his knees and fell unconscious. Goku walked over to the man and frowned.
"Too bad. I really don't like to hurt anybody, but he gave me no choice." He whispered to himself. "It was a fun fight, though."
Xavier managed to just barely crawl back into his wheelchair and reconvene with Goku.
"Don't think too ill of him, Goku. Karl Lykos is an old friend of mine." The professor informed. He sympathetically looked upon his colleague. "I wish I knew he could turn into something like that. Maybe I could have helped him more."
"Is he a mutant too?"
"I'm afraid not. His transformation into Sauron is something far different and arguably, more dangerous." Xavier stated in uncertainty. He then proudly smiled at the boy. "Which is why I'm proud that were you were able to fight him off so well. You're a gifted fighter, my boy."
"Aw. It was nothing. I just didn't wanna see you or Bulma get hurt." Goku sheepishly chuckled.
"Um… I'm grateful to you for saving me and all, Goku, but I'm having a little crisis here…" Bulma murmured in embarrassment. Small droplets of pee were falling out of her skirt, causing Xavier to look away from disgust.
"Oh dear. I knew you should've gone earlier…"
"Well, excuse me for not wanting to pee in front of two guys! A lady needs her privacy, you know?!" Bulma scowled as she tried to cover up her… incident.
"Alright, alright. Just bring out one of your Capsules and get a fresh change of clothes." Xavier sighed while brushing aside Bulma's worries with a wave of his hand. "We have a long journey ahead of us."
The young inventor brought out her container of DynoCaps and ran into some bushes.
"You don't have to tell me twice!"
Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose in slight annoyance. It brought back memories of how scatterbrained Dr. Brief could be.
"There's no question. That girl really is her father's daughter…"
"By the way, Professor, why didn't you stand back up after that Lykos guy knocked you over?"
Xavier rubbed the back of his head. He usually didn't like discussing his legs, but for Goku, he'd make an exception.
"It's… It's because my legs don't work anymore, Goku. It's what people call paralysis. I lost them a long time ago."
The Saiyan child blinked a few times in surprise. He didn't even think an injury like that was possible. His wounds had never been permanent before.
"Really? How did that happen?"
Xavier closed his eyes and let out a regretful sigh. Thinking about the past always brought forth dark thoughts into his mind.
"My old friend, Magneto, did it…"
"Wait a minute. You mean the same Magneto that's trying to—"
"The very same man looking for the Dragon Balls, yes. I'll explain more about it at a later date. We have more important matters to attend to right now." Xavier sternly reminded him. "Like getting you out of the Savage Land, for example."
Goku nodded. "Alright then."
While Karl Lykos, or as his alternate persona called him, Sauron, continued to lay unconscious, Goku and Xavier waited for Bulma to finish her business. Afterwards, they'd be able to officially begin their journey to search for the remaining Dragon Balls. Goku would just need to say goodbye to Ka-Zar and Zabu first.
*And that's a wrap for Chapter 2, guys! I managed to include a lot more X-Men characters in this one, including direct nods to Ka-Zar, Moira MacTaggert, Amaul Farouk (Shadow King), Jean Grey, Cyclops, Storm, and many others. I also thought making Dr. Brief involved in the Danger Room's creation was a nice touch. I thought that seemed like something he would help design, given what he invented to help Vegeta and Goku with their training.
This chapter was mainly a loose adaptation of Dragon Ball Episode 1, "The Secret of the Dragon Balls". Zabu takes the place of the sabretooth tiger that tried to eat Goku while Karl Lykos/Sauron replaces the Pterodactyl that kidnapped Bulma. I took a lot of his dialogue from the 60s X-Men comics (which I own in their entirety), so I had a fun time writing him. He'll become a recurring antagonist for Goku and the other X-Men later on. I also made it so Goku was already familiar with girls thanks to his experiences with the Fall People and their chieftain, Tongah's, daughter. This makes him a little less naive than in canon, but not by much.
Here are everyone's ages, by the way. From 1996 onward, they will start to age naturally. It won't be a sliding timescale like in the actual Marvel comics.
Goku: 12
Professor Charles Xavier: 47
Bulma: 16
Ka-Zar: 18-19
Karl Lykos/Sauron: 35 (approximately)
Anyways, please leave a favorite, follow, and/or review to tell me what you think. Goku, Xavier, and Bulma will finally be leaving the Savage Land next chapter, so I hope you're looking forward to that. The Savage Land will continue to be featured in later arcs as well. See you once Chapter 3 is posted! :)