*Apologies for not updating this story in the past few months. This chapter turned out to be a bit shorter than the other two, but I hope you enjoy it!


Chapter 3: Children of the Atom

Somewhere in the South American country of Peru, three shady individuals found themselves looking for a mysterious artifact of untold magical power. Various rumors claim that it had been kept hidden within Machu Picchu, a lost Incan city, so they didn't hesitate to scour its abandoned temples and catacombs for it.

After a few hours of constant inspection and hiking, the legendary Dragon Ball they had been searching for was found. This ball, which included only a single red star in its center, rested in front of a large black suit of armor. Six other armors with bone-tipped spears in their hands seemed to be keeping guard on either side. They, strangely enough, seemed more alien in nature than Incan, but neither of the three really paid much attention to notice. All they cared about was grabbing the Dragon Ball and getting the hell out of there.

Such thoughts especially applied to the group's leader, Emperor Pilaf. He was strange-looking even by the standards of other mutants like himself, having light blue skin, pointed ears, and a small body. He wore a green, red, and black tunic with a white frill wrapped around his neck, and blue pants. In the center of his tunic was a red-white emblem with Japanese kanji that roughly translated to "fried rice" in English.

Despite his unintimidating appearance, Pilaf was, by no means, a complete joke. He was a technological genius that could certainly make his goals for world domination come to fruition. He just needed the Dragon Balls' wish-granting abilities to ensure his reign.

After that point, no one would look down at him for his mutant heritage or significant lack of muscles mass ever again.

"Ah! There it is, you two." Pilaf said with a conniving grin on his face.

One of his subordinates nervously gulped. He was a mutant ninja that resembled an orange Shiba Inu dog and wore a purple uniform that covered his two, pointy ears.

"It's… uh… awfully dark in there, sire…"

The impish emperor scowled at his minion's cowardice. "Shut up, Shu!"

All of them then approached the One-Star Ball, including Pilaf's more competent follower, Mai. She was a tall, beautiful Russian woman with long black hair, blue eyes, and red lipstick. She wore a blue trench coat with a red star insignia on each shoulder and a brown belt that kept it tightly secured around her waist.

This woman, a former KGB agent for the now-defunct Soviet Union, appeared to be normal physically, but still had mutant powers to call her own. Depending on the situation, she could shapeshift into any person, animal, or thing, making her quite successful at both assassination missions and murder in general.

However, these powers only came about during rather intense situations. Mai could, unfortunately, be just as goofy and borderline incompetent as her two comrades, but she still didn't make it as noticeable.

She darted her eyes from left to ear suspiciously as Pilaf grabbed the Dragon Ball.

"Come to Emperor Pilaf, my precious! Yes!" He shouted. "Now, I'm ready to finally make my wish!"

"Wait, sir." Mai interjected in a calm, yet stern tone.

"Wait?! What do you mean wait?"

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you can't make a wish with just one ball. You have to gather the others as well."

Emperor Pilaf gasped. "Others?!"

"According to legend, there are seven Dragon Balls, sire. You have to unite all seven of them before the dragon will appear and grant your wish." She explained.

The blue-skinned mutant sighed and dejectedly looked down at his first Dragon Ball.

"More searching…"

"But just imagine, dear emperor, that glorious day when the seven balls are finally brought together! A burst of energy will light the sky and in a blazing surge of fiery power, the Eternal Dragon, Shenron, will rise before you for the sole purpose of granting you a single wish, whatever it may be."

"Yes, yes! I can see it, Mai! Well, okay, I guess I can handle a little more searching." Pilaf replied while laughing to himself maniacally. "Hehe! Any wish I want, huh? Then I want to rule the entire world! I'll create an empire so powerful that it will put the United States and Soviet Union to shame!"

"An ambitious wish, your majesty, but a rather selfish, short-sighted one, don't you think?"

They spun around to see a lone figure levitating in front of the temple's entrance. It was a tall, muscular man wearing red-purple armor with matching boots, gloves, and a long cape that was draped behind his back. A helmet of the same color concealed his face in shadows and only made two white, ominously glowing eyes visible to the Pilaf Gang.

He crossed his arms while floating in midair, seemingly unperturbed by Pilaf's hostile facial expressions.

"Who the heck are you?!" The imp cried.

"I have gone by many names, Pilaf, but only one is worthy enough to represent the power and authority I have come to possess." The man replied. "You may call me… Magneto."

Pilaf broke out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Mai and Shu were far too on-edge by Magneto's presence to join in.

"Pfft! Hahaha! I'm sorry, but what kind of stupid name is that and why would you even bother calling yourself that in the first place?"

Magneto said nothing in reply. He simply outstretched his arm and made all six suits of armor point their spears at the three. They were now surrounded on all sides, much to their immense confusion and fear.

"Does that answer your question?"

"How did you—"

The mysterious mutant levitated closer to the Pilaf Gang and looked down upon them.

"Believe it or not, we actually have quite a few things in common, my little blue friend. I, the supreme Master of Magnetism, am a mutant like yourself, have amassed a group of followers loyal to my cause, and…"

He narrowed his eyes and pointed at the One-Star Ball.

"…also have an interest in using the Dragon Balls to make my own wish come true."

"And what wish, may I ask, would that be?" Mai asked.

To the trio's surprise, Magneto's facial expressions, although concealed, became a bit more somber and remorseful.

"For countless centuries, our kind has been persecuted, slaughtered, and wrongfully ostracized by those foolish Homo sapiens that dare to call themselves "human beings". They fear our gifts so much that mutantkind itself is considered a disease to them, yet, in actuality, they are the virus preventing the next stage in human evolution from taking place." He explained in anger. "That is why I wish to simply speed up the process a bit…"

"By doing what?" Shu almost regretted to inquire.

"Once I collect all seven Dragon Balls, I will wish for every person on the planet to become a mutant. There will be no need for any more anti-mutant sentiment if the whole entire world is populated by us and only us!" Magneto revealed with fully narrowed eyes.

He then sighed, thinking back to the days spent with his best friend and fellow mutant, Professor Charles Xavier. He hoped that Charles would join his cause one day.

"I may have supported coexistence between our species at one point, but overtime, I've come to realize that this is the only true solution to this problem." The magnetic mutant muttered. "And that is why I require the use of your Dragon Radar, Pilaf. Please think carefully about what I've explained to you."

The emperor tightened his lips. Although he initially thought the man was insane, his talk of persecution and prejudice ended up hitting far too close to home. His family may have been wealthy, but that didn't make the pure hatred directed towards his blue, impish appearance any less hurtful. It took him years just to get over that feeling.

"Are you really going through with this, sire? This Magneto guy seems pretty unhinged!" Shu warned.

Mai scoffed in annoyance. "Tch. What other choice do we have, Shu? We'll probably get stabbed with these spears or worse if his offer is declined."

"Silence, you blockheads! I'm thinking…"

Pilaf looked from the One-Star Ball to Magneto in confusion. He did this same action for a few seconds before grimacing and breaking out into a cold sweat.

"What's in it for me… erm… I mean, us?"

"Well, if my plans succeed and the planet becomes fully populated by mutants, then you will surely gain quite a reputation for contributing to the survival of our race. You might even amass your own empire, in fact."

"Hmmm. My own empire…" Pilaf whispered to himself in delight. It wouldn't exactly give him much control over the entire world, but in the end, it was better than nothing.

He then begrudgingly handed over the Dragon Ball to Magneto and slumped his shoulders.

"Fine, you win. We'll help you increase the amount of mutants or whatever."

The Master of Magnetism tightly clutched the One-Star Ball in his hand and smiled.

"Your willingness to help is much appreciated, Pilaf."

He then swiped his arm and expertly moved the six armors back into place. This caused Shu, Mai, and Pilaf to clutch their knees in sudden relief.

"Let us be off then, my mutant sister and brothers."

The three gave each other nervous looks before exiting the temple and following Magneto's lead. A large mountain range that surrounded Machu Picchu could be seen nearby.

Shu scratched the back of his head. "I think I parked our airship somewhere over there. Let me just—"

"No need."

Magneto floated a bit higher in the air and outstretched both of his arms. With some additional effort, the powerful mutant magnetically grabbed a hold of Pilaf's Flying Base and picked it up. He then clenched his hand and slowly, but surely dropped it right in front of them.

To say that Shu's mind was blown would be a huge understatement. He could barely stop his jaw from dropping to the floor.

"I-I… I think I just peed a little."

Mai pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Do it near a tree this time, please."

Right as they were about to board the Flying Base, Magneto's aforementioned followers appeared. They comprised of a blue-skinned woman with short red hair and yellow eyes, a beastly-looking man with long, metallic claws and sharp teeth, and a few more after that.

Their leader proudly gestured to them in front of his three new allies and, more likely than not, pawns.

"Welcome to the Brotherhood of Mutants."


Back at the Savage Land…

Ka-Zar, once known as Kevin Plunder, was currently attempting to take down a Tyrannosaurus Rex all by himself. He managed to climb up the dinosaur's back and stab at its pink eyes with a large hunting knife. The creature, of course, didn't take too kindly to this action and tried to toss him off, but to no avail.

The self-proclaimed Lord of the Jungle was simply too strong for it. However, his endurance was another story.

I wish Zabu or Tongah was here. I could really use some help against this beast.

In that exact moment, his beloved sabretooth tiger, Zabu, leapt out of some bushes and joined the battel. He pounced on the T. Rex and took a large bite out of its scaly flesh.

"RAAAAOH!"

"Great timing as always, old friend!" Ka-Zar shouted.

He then took advantage of the dinosaur's pain and stabbed it straight in the head. Its brain was pierced as a result, causing the reptilian beast to collapse onto the ground and fall dead.

Ka-Zar brushed his long, blonde locks backward and took a deep breath.

"That could have gone better," He grumbled while putting his knife back in its holster. "At least the Fall People will be eating well tonight. Unless that little glutton, Goku, somehow gets his hands on it…"

He laughed at the thought of his monkey-tailed friend and smiled. This caused Zabu to brush up against his leg and gesture to the part of the jungle he just came from.

"Huh? What's the matter, Zabu?" Ka-Zar asked. "Does this have something to do with Goku?"

The prehistoric tiger nodded his head. "Grrr! Grrraogh!"

The wild man narrowed his eyes in newfound concern.

"I see. Well, hopefully that kid isn't in some kind of trouble." He said. "Lead the way, Zabu Ol' Buddy!"

"RAARGH!"

The two of them then ran towards Mt. Paozu as fast as they could. During their short run back there, Goku, Professor Xavier, and Bulma were preparing to board a hovercraft back to the surface. Thankfully, once the young heiress did her business and had a quick change of clothes, there wouldn't be any more emergencies to worry about for the time being.

Although, Karl Lykos's unconscious body still brought up some obvious concerns.

"So, what's going to happen to this Lykos guy? We can't just leave him here." Goku pointed out.

Bulma crossed her arms and huffed. She was now wearing a blue jacket and pants that included the word, 'Bulma', on each shoulder.

"Hmph! Why shouldn't we? There's a chance he might wake up and try to turn into that scary-looking monster again! And I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather not be in the same place as him if or when that happens again."

"Is it cause you don't want to pee your pants again?" Goku asked.

"I SAID NOT TO TALK ABOUT THAT, YOU RUDE LITTLE BOY!" Bulma shrieked, causing the young martial artist to cover his ears.

"Come now, Ms. Brief. There's no need to yell." Xavier advised. "Doctor Lykos's transformation was initiated by the absorption of mutant energy, so due to the power of Goku's Kamehameha Wave, I hypothesize that he'll be burnt out for quite some time. Lykos, or more specifically, Sauron, reached the maximum amount of power he could absorb, I believe."

Goku nodded. "Ah, okay. So, that's why he conked out like that."

"Well, scary pterodactyl or not, I still want to get out of here and never come back to the Savage Land aga—"

Bulma's comment was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Ka-Zar and Zabu. Seeing the man's bare chest and large muscles caused the teenage girl to be struck dumb with pure lust.

"On second thought, maybe this place isn't too bad, after all. Hehe." She giggled.

Goku, ignoring Bulma's weird personality shift, waved at his old friend and grinned.

"Hey, Ka-Zar! Looks like Zabu got you here just in time, huh?"

The jungle man quirked a brow. "Got me here just in time for what, young friend?"

It was then that Dr. Brief's daughter scooched extra close to Ka-Zar and wrapped her hands around his arm. Even Zabu didn't know how to react to this gesture.

"Just in time to meet me, of course. I'm Goku's new friend, Bulma." She said suggestively. "Are you seeing anyone, handsome? I could be the Jane to your Tarzan if you know what I mean. Hehe."

Goku darted his eyes from Bulma to Ka-Zar in confusion.

"But's his name's Ka-Zar, though…"

"It's a reference, kid. You still have a lot left to learn about the outside world." Bulma grimaced.

"And you have a lot left to learn about something called personal space, miss." Ka-Zar then wretched his arm free from Bulma's, causing her to whine in disappointment. "Now, who are you people, really? And what business do you have with Goku?"

"Allow me to explain, Ka-Zar," Professor Xavier replied as he wheeled himself into view. "I am an old friend of Goku's late grandfather, Son Gohan, and a prized geneticist from Westchester County, New York. I have recently identified him as a mutant, much like myself, and hope to help the boy unlock his full potential."

Ka-Zar massaged his chin in thought. "A mutant, hm? Makes sense. I always did wonder why he was born with a monkey tail…"

"Hehe. I always wondered that myself, so you're not alone." Goku chuckled.

"But even so, what good would bringing him to New York do? Goku's managed to train and grow strong just fine here." He exclaimed. "He's done a great deal of good for the Savage Land's people, so it'd be unfair to me, Zabu, and the others to take him away… without good reason."

Bulma pulled out her Dragon Radar and one of the Dragon Balls.

"It is for a good reason, though, Ka-Zar. There are some bad people up on the surface who want to use Goku's Dragon Ball and six others to transform everyone on the entire planet into mutants." She then frowned at him in a more serious manner. "And that likely includes the Savage Land too."

His eyes widened from shock. He might not have had that much knowledge about mutants and their kind, but the event that Bulma just described would, undoubtedly, be pure chaos. It'd lead to the forceful mutation of himself and other unsuspecting people he knew.

"That's complete madness! If that orange ball is indeed capable of such power, then…" Ka-Zar took out his knife and brandished it. "…wouldn't it be best to destroy it right here and now? Before whatever maniac who's planning this succeeds in getting what they want?"

Goku shook his head. He'd be completely miserable if anything happened to his grandfather's Dragon Ball.

"No, you can't do that, Ka-Zar. That's all I have left of my grandpa, remember?"

He looked down at the floor in shame and put away his knife.

"You're right. That was a lapse of judgement on my part."

It was then that the man realized how righteous Professor Xavier and, to a lesser extent, Bulma's intentions were. There were no longer any more excuses he could come up with to deny Goku's departure.

It would just be difficult to accept that one of his oldest friends and allies would be leaving him behind. He knelt down and rested a hand on Goku's shoulder.

"Tell me, young warrior. Do you really wish to leave the Savage Land behind?"

The boy, although reluctant in certain aspects, was adamant about his decision.

"I mean, I kinda don't want to leave you and Zabu, but there's a whole 'nother world to see out there. And my grandpa came from it, so it must not be too bad, right?" Goku explained the reasoning behind his choice to leave. "Plus, I bet there's some pretty strong guys to fight up on the surface!"

"Don't forget the food too." Bulma added.

This caused Goku to nod his head even more enthusiastically "Yeah and a bunch of new food to eat! I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"

Ka-Zar bent his head back and started laughing in amusement.

"AHAHA! Only you could be thinking with your stomach at a time like this, my friend. Some things never change, do they?"

"Hehe. Guess not."

The two friends then spent a moment or two laughing, reminiscing about old times. Those adventures were now a thing of the past, but Goku would always hold them close to his heart, even entire worlds away.

Ka-Zar then grabbed ahold of Goku's hand and shook it as a sign of respect.

"Then I guess this is goodbye, Son Goku. You'll always be welcome in the Savage Land, so please feel free to come visit at any time."

"You bet, Ka-Zar! Hope it won't be too long!" Goku beamed.

As he tried to walk away, a saddened Zabu lightly tugged part of the boy's gi with his mouth. This made the spiky-haired boy a little sad himself.

"Aw, don't be like that, Zabu. I won't be gone forever, so we'll see each other again soon, buddy. I promise." He cooed while hugging parts of the tiger's orange fur. "Who knows? I might be even stronger than I am now."

The tiger than pounced on top of Goku and proceeded to excessively lick his face.

"Raoh! Prrrrr!"

"Hey! Stop that! I'll miss you too! Hehe."

After ridding himself of sabretooth tiger slobber, Bulma used a Dyno-Cap to bring out her yellow hovercraft once more. The three were now officially ready to depart from the Savage Land.

"By the way, Ka-Zar, I would like to you for a favor," Professor Xavier stated matter-of-factly.

"What kind of favor?"

The bald researcher pointed over to Karl Lykos's still unconscious form.

"That man is an old friend of mine named Doctor Karl Lykos. He has a strange infliction that causes him to transform into a pterodactyl-like monster called Sauron, but only after coming in contact with mutant powers." The professor proclaimed in dismay. "Despite this disease, he is a good man who could provide medical aid and support for your people. All I ask is that you take care of him for the time being. At least for as long as he decides to remain in the Savage Land."

Ka-Zar was a little more than disturbed by this information, but given the strain and sorrow laced in Lykos's expression, it wouldn't be right to just leave him alone like that.

"The Savage Land is filled with all sorts of danger, so a doctor's services would be greatly appreciated." "I'll bring him to my friend, Tongah's, village and see what I can do. Please make certain nothing bad happens to Goku in return."

"You have my word on that, Mr. Plunder. No harm will come to the boy with me as his teacher and guardian." Xavier assured him.

Ka-Zar looked startled by the casual utterance of his original, birth name.

"How did you—"

"A telepath can access information in quite a number of ways, Lord of the Savage Land." Professor Xavier replied telepathically.

The blonde-haired warrior massaged his aching forehead and directed Bulma to where she needed to fly to.

"There's a series of tunnels over yonder. Just go through there and you should reach the surface in a number of hours."

Bulma gave him an appreciative thumbs up. "Gotcha. Thanks for the head's up!"

With Goku and Professor Xavier now strapped in, the young girl took flight and officially departed from the Savage Land. She also spared a few more, unsavory thoughts about Ka-Zar's body before leaving.

"Please do keep your mind out of the gutter, Ms. Brief. There's a child onboard."

Bulma scowled at the sound of Xavier's voice inside her head. "Ugh! Let a girl express her secret desires in peace, Professor!"

"Desires? What's she talking about now, Professor?" Goku asked obliviously.

"Don't worry too much about it. Even teenage hormones confused me sometimes." Xavier muttered.

Bulma, hearing every word they said, tightly gripped the steering wheel and kept flying. They were nothing, but a small speck in the sunlight as they left the Savage Land and moved on to the next part of their adventure.

Once they were gone, Ka-Zar picked up Karl Lykos's unconscious body and prepared to carry him over to the Fall People. The brown-haired doctor, in spite of his frail condition, opened one of his eyes to glance up at the yellow hovercraft.

He thought of the young boy who managed to stop Sauron's rampage and smiled.

"Thank you… Son Goku."


A few hours later at Westchester County, New York – Age 749 (Year: 1996)

The trip back to New York was rather long and tedious, but eventually, Goku, Professor Xavier, and Bulma reached their destination. She landed her hovercraft in front of the X-Mansion and yawned.

"Well, boys, we're here. It's good to finally be somewhere normal for a change." The blue-haired girl sighed in relief. "Thank the lord that dinosaurs aren't still alive outside the Savage Land…"

Goku looked perplexed by this information.

"Wait, what? You don't have dinosaurs in New York or whatever this place is?"

"Afraid not. Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years." Professor Xavier informed. "It's why the Savage Land is such an anomaly compared to the rest of the world."

The boy counted on his fingers, trying to figure out how big of a number 'millions' would be. "Wow. That's a really long time! Any reason why things are like that?"

"Even I don't know the exact answer to that question. Your home's origins are a mystery that many scientists have tried and failed to solve countless times over."

"That's… kinda odd." Goku muttered.

"Indeed it is," Xavier agreed. "But enough about that. Let's take a look at the mansion. It'll be your new home for the foreseeable future."

"Mansion?"

The three piled out of the hovercraft and walked outside. Goku now had the opportunity to get a good, hard look at Professor Xavier's estate. It proved to be much bigger and fancier than he initially anticipated.

"Holy cow! This place is gigantic!"

"That's pretty close to what my first reaction was, kid." Bulma chuckled. She then placed her hovercraft back into its respective Dyno-Cap and put it away.

"I inherited this property from my family many years ago, Goku. Although it once used to be my childhood home, I have decided to turn into a school called the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters." Xavier proclaimed with a proud, hopeful smile on his face. "You and, hopefully, other young mutants around your age will study here as the school's first students."

Goku looked a little disinterested in that part of their discussion. He, as usual, was looking forward to training more than studying.

"Huh. I've never really went to school before, Professor. Won't this all be a little boring?"

Bulma snorted. "It's school, Goku. Of course it will be."

Professor Xavier glared at her before clearing his throat and patting Goku on the shoulder.

"Truth be told, many of the most powerful martial artists have managed to strengthen their mind, body, and spirit simultaneously. Innermost balance is the key to becoming a successful fighter, my boy." The wheelchair bound researcher said. "I'm not expecting you to become a genius overnight, but I at least want you to obtain basic reading and writing skills. Does that sound fair?"

The monkey-tailed boy couldn't help, but agree with what Xavier told him. Everything he just mentioned sounded like the type of person his grandfather was and then some.

"Yeah. When you put it like that, I guess it doesn't sound too bad."

"Plus, most of your education will be centered around embracing your mutant abilities and identity. And to do that, you must spend some time training in the mansion's Danger Room."

The name of this room caught Goku's attention almost immediately. His tail was even swishing about like a curious, excited puppy.

"Danger Room? What's that?"

"It's something my dad cooked up back in the day. Considering how strong you are, you're definitely gonna get a kick out of it." Bulma playfully remarked.

She then winked at him and held the door open for Professor Xavier. After he wheeled himself in, he quickly led her and Goku to the mansion's west wing. There, a metal door labeled 'DANGER ROOM' in bold red letters could be seen.

"Dad always was a little too on the nose with these things." Bulma quipped.

Xavier ignored her and proceeded with his own, more detailed explanation. "Now listen closely, Goku. The Danger Room, as the name so aptly implies, is dangerous. I'll be testing your strength, speed, and endurance via its many traps and pre-installed weaponry. This will show me if you're ready to fight Magneto or any other mutant that may pose a substantial threat to the world."

Goku took a minute to process this description before nodding in understanding. "Sounds good to me, Professor. How do I start?"

"Just enter that door and wait for my instructions. Ms. Brief and I will be monitoring your progress through the Control Room located above it."

As instructed, the boy stood in front of the entrance, causing it to automatically open in the form of an 'X'. He blinked a few times in surprise before taking a deep breath and entering the Danger Room. The door then sealed shut behind him.

Afterwards, Professor Xavier and Bulma went up a ramp leading to the Control Room. It was a circular laboratory built into the Danger Room's ceiling that included various computer monitors and control panels. It also had large glass windows that allowed Xavier to see exactly what was going on down below.

The symbol for Capsule Corp could be seen on a few of the computers, much to Bulma's clear lack of surprise.

"I'm guessing Dad couldn't help, but trademark his technology, huh?"

Xavier shrugged. "Eh, I simply agreed to give credit where credit was due.

He looked down to see an awe-struck Goku curiously titling his head from side-to-side. Although it was only a large silver dome at the moment, the boy was impressed by its advanced technology, nonetheless.

Xavier admired the boy's innocence, but a part of him felt concerned by it. He wondered how long it would take for Magneto or someone equally dangerous to quash that child-like naivety forever.

"Are you ready, Goku?" He asked through the Control Room's intercom.

"I think so!"

"Good. Then let us begin." Xavier replied. "Activate the laser rifles, Bulma."

"Laser rifles? Already?"

"Goku's already proven himself against Sauron, so a few lasers may as well be child's play for him. I simply wish to test his maneuverability and speed against multiple opponents, rather than just one."

Bulma still felt a little concerned for Goku's safety, but in the end, she complied with Xavier's orders and activated the first obstacle.

"If say so, Professor."

She typed a few commands into the control panel, bringing out guns that snaked their way out of the walls and ceiling. They all fired red lasers at Goku, much to the boy's chagrin.

"Yikes!" Goku yelped. "They're all over the place."

Taking note of the lasers' movements, Goku somersaulted and flipped between them at faster-than-average speeds. They tried to shoot at him before his feet even hit the ground, but he was simply moving too fast. He even managed to hide behind one rifle and trick another into destroying it.

"Hehe. Missed me!"

He kept dodging each laser with ease until, finally, there wasn't anything left to fire at him. They were either damaged beyond repair or ran out of energy.

"Well, that was pretty fun." Goku chuckled.

His two friends were both greatly impressed by the mutant martial artist's performance. Xavier, in particular, seemed pleased by how fast Goku managed to both think and move in combat.

"Perhaps he could have moved just a tiny bit faster, but it wasn't a bad first attempt. Not bad at all." He murmured. "Now, let's see if his strength is just as promising…"

With the simple push of a button, a part of the ceiling descended onto Goku's body and attempted to crush him.

"Look alive, Goku! The next part of your training is about to begin." Xavier advised with caution. "There won't be any time to mess around with this one."

Goku, surprised by this obstacle, lifted up his arms and held the metallic press back as much as possible.

"Errgh! So heavy!"

He clenched his teeth and, with immense difficulty, kept holding it in the air. His muscles were practically screaming in pain, but any resistance would result in his imminent death.

Bulma could only watch this scene in horror.

"Professor Xavier, isn't this is a little extreme?! Goku's only twelve-years-old for crying out loud! Any normal kid would have been flattened by now!"

Even Xavier himself didn't expect the boy to be in so much pain. Goku was still clearly determined to keep going, however, so he didn't have any reason to end this session.

"Yes, but Goku isn't a normal boy. He's a mutant and physically powerful one at that." He noted. "Let's wait and see what he does, Bulma. Your concern is warranted, of course, but I don't think Goku feels that same way about this situation."

The blue-haired girl leaned closer to the window, so she could keep a proper eye on Goku. Little by little, the young warrior managed to lift the hydraulic press further away from his head. He went from crouching down on his knees to standing up completely straight and tall in mere minutes.

"Errgh! Come on! I can do this!"

"Keep going, Goku. All you need to do is push this press back into the ceiling and then, you'll be done. Your endurance is already more than impressive!" Xavier telepathically cheered. "It's your superhuman strength that you need to show off now!"

"Easier said than done, Professor! I'm trying!" Goku groaned.

Just as it seemed like Goku was about to buckle under pressure and give up, a white aura of energy surrounded him. This energy enhanced his strength significantly, giving him the boost necessary to push the press all the way back into the Danger Room's ceiling!

"HYAAAAAH!"

The press powerfully smashed into the ceiling, causing the Control Room's panels to short circuit and emit small sparks of electricity. Bulma had to leap out of her chair to stop herself from getting electrocuted or worse.

"Eee! G-Good thing that didn't touch my hair." She stammered in nervousness.

Back in the Danger Room, Goku took short, ragged breaths with a small grin on his face. He looked completely exhausted.

"Did you see that, Professor? I… I did it…"

The boy then dropped down and fell unconscious.

""GOKU!"" Both Professor Xavier and Bulma cried in unison.

They deactivated the Control Room's current functions and went straight down to the Danger Room to check on Goku. To their immense relief, the boy was only snoring away in a deep, yet peaceful sleep.

"Hm. Perhaps I did go a little too far with that last obstacle."

Bulma crouched down and gently picked the boy up in her arms. A little bit of drool trickled out of his mouth, but she tried her best to ignore it and not wince from disgust.

"You think?! If any more time passed, Goku could have been turned into a monkey-tailed pancake!"

Xavier slightly bowed his head in shame.

"I realize that, yes. That was shortsighted on my part, and I apologize." He said. "But even in spite of that possibility, Goku still prevailed and pushed the hydraulic press back. His strength, I now realize, is more than just impressive. It's extraordinary."

"Don't you mean X-traodinary. Hehe!"

The professor deadpanned and didn't laugh along with her.

"Oh, lighten up! It was a clever play on words." Bulma huffed. "Though, all jokes aside, Goku's a pretty tough kid. Can you imagine how strong he'll be when he's older? That Magneto jerk won't even know what hit him."

"Such a possibility is precisely why I'm glad I found him before Magneto did. Goku might be the key to preventing his cataclysmic wish from coming true." Xavier assumed. "However, at the same time, I know that Goku alone won't be enough. He'll need peers his own age to train and fight with."

"And that's where your X-Men idea comes in, right?" Bulma asked.

"Exactly."

"Looks like Goku's going to be their fearless leader then. Wonder how that's going to pan out." Bulma giggled at such an idea.

"No," Xavier shook his head. "After taking some time to think about Goku's strengths and past experiences, I don't believe he has the intelligence necessary to lead an entire team. Maybe lead certain missions here or there, but not the X-Men in its entirety. He's far too immature, naive, and kind-hearted for that position."

The professor's honesty was brutal, yet hard to argue against.

"Fair point. Leaders do always have to make the toughest decisions, whether they be good or bad. I don't think Goku could even decide what he'd want to eat for dinner, honestly." Bulma joked, but in a semi-serious manner. "Even back in the Savage Land, as much as I hate to think about it, Ka-Zar was considered "Lord of the Jungle" while Goku was just his close ally and friend, I guess."

"Correct. Goku has lived most of his childhood alone, so it wouldn't be wrong to assume that he values independence, rather than staying in one place." Xavier stated matter-of-factly. "It's far from my intention to keep Goku cooped up in this mansion, but he will, at one point, need to learn how to work as a team and… family."

Bulma glanced at Goku's sleeping form and smiled.

"I think the poor kid needs something like that. I can't even imagine how lonely he must have been when his grandpa died…"

"Lonely are the hunted, Ms. Brief. All sorts of young mutants have felt alone and isolated in this world."

He then sympathetically touched Goku's head and brushed away some of his black bangs. "And by bringing these mutants together as X-Men, I hope to create a world where they'll never have to feel alone again."

The paraplegic man took some time to think about this more ideal, utopic society before casting it aside. There was still a whole lot more work to do before such a peaceful dream could become reality.

"For now, though, let's give Goku some time to rest and recover from those injuries. I'll have my colleague, Moira MacTaggert, take a look at him once she comes over."

"Alright then."

Bulma held Goku securely in her arms as she and Professor Xavier walked back to the living room in relative silence.

"So, what is Dr. MacTaggert doing nowadays? I haven't seen her since she came to visit Capsule Corp a few years ago."

Xavier lightly grinned with a twinge of sadness on his face. It was difficult to talk about Moira, given their past history together.

"She's currently running a Mutant Research Center on Muir Island, Scotland. She also, however, agreed to be employed as this mansion's housekeeper not too long ago." He recalled. "So, she'll be providing her own input and assistance on certain affairs my X-Men may deal with."

"Nice to know! It'll be good seeing her again." Bulma beamed.

"Yes. It will be…" Xavier muttered to himself in thought. "I'm sure she'll be quite impressed by your Dragon Radar as well. And the three Dragon Balls we currently have in our possession, now that I think about it."

Bulma cockily wiggled her eyebrows. "You think so? Cause I don't mean to brag or anything, but not just any typical Japanese girl could pull off a technological masterpiece like this baby."

"Yes, yes. Your intellect knows no bounds, Ms. Brief." Xavier sarcastically replied.

They then placed Goku on the couch, wrapped a blanket around him, and waited for him to fully recuperate. After he'd get some much-deserved rest, Professor Xavier would move onto the next step of their expedition.

And that step would involve locating new mutants through the use of Cerebro. The first of this group would be Jean Elaine Grey, a young telepath that he, in his humble opinion, would get along with Goku rather easily.

They, after all, have both experienced loss at similar stages in their young lives.


*And that's the end of Chapter 3. Sorry again for not positing this chapter sooner, but before writing it, I did get to read more issues of Uncanny X-Men, which gave me some inspiration for plot elements in this story. One of them was the issue where Magneto was revealed to be a Holocaust survivor (which wasn't always the case until 1981, I believe), so that influenced the way I wrote him in the beginning. Honestly, that whole scene between him and Emperor Pilaf was the highlight, in my opinion, so I'm looking forward to writing more scenes with him, the Pilaf Gang, and the Brotherhood of Mutants.

I also enjoyed writing Goku's departure from the Savage Land and his training in the Danger Room. I really wanted to showcase Goku's physcial strength during that scene, which is why I had temporarily him unlock some of his ki for a few seconds. After all, this version of Goku has been on a few adventures with Ka-Zar and the Fall People, so his current level of strength is a bit larger than the canon Kid Goku. If you want me to write flashback chapters concerning those past Savage Land stories, just let me know. They could be included as bonus chapters if enough people are interested.

With that being said, Chapter 4 will include the debut of Moira MacTaggert and, most importantly, Jean Grey. Jean's past is pretty tragic, so she'll definitely have some stuff to relate with Goku about. Until then, please leave a favorite, follow, and/or review to let me know what you think! Take care!