The Reborn First Man:
Chapter 1: Rebirth in Eden.
Eyes as black as coal snapped open. Their owner groaning in a drawn out, but soft manner, as though they'd just awoke from a deep slumber. The voice itself deep, masculine and gruff-sounding.
His vision, for it was indeed a male, was at first blurred, as his eyes adjusted to the light entering them, forcing him to squint and nearly close them again, altogether, as he felt a light burning sensation in his retinas. One of his lithely-muscled, pale-skinned arms coming up temporarily to shield him from the intrusive rays of sunshine, until his peepers better adjusted to the beams that entered them.
Wait. Pale-skinned?
The male's eyes widened, as his focus suddenly became etched on his own arm, twisting and turning the ligament, and darting their gaze from the tips of his fingers, all the way up to his broad shoulder, and then down at the rest of him, as he leaned up. The male only just realizing now, that he had been lying flat on his back, as if his sense of touch had only just now come alive, as he felt grass and soil softer than anything he'd ever felt before on his skin beneath them.
A bare, toned body just as pale as his arm met his gaze, as if to confirm his eyes were not playing tricks on him, with how his arm looked. His other arm much the same. Pectorals that looked sculpted from marble and washboard, six-pack abs visible on his front, between said arms, then sleek, but muscular legs below his waist, which despite being new to the male, as was the rest of himself, felt lively and ready for activity. His frame itself still reaching over seven-feet in height, from what he could surmise.
What caught his attention the most, however, and what had his mouth falling open in surprise more than the rest of his figure, as he shot up into a sitting position, officially freaked out, was the flaccid, six-inch cock and grapefruit-sized balls that lay between his legs.
"What…?" The male finally uttered his first word, one of disbelief, as he stared down at his own genitalia, having trouble processing such bits being on his person. And for good reason, given that –
"Ah, it appears that you are finally awake!"
"Hmm!?" With a surprised grunt, the man whipped his head to the side, at the sound of a calm, feminine, almost motherly voice, as he felt a bright, white light suddenly coalesce near him. The light forcing his eyes to squint again, before the glow dimmed fast, allowing his eyes to focus, as a figure appeared before him, a few feet away.
"Do not be afraid, young one. I bring you no harm." The figure said calmingly, taking his initial reaction as one of potential fear, as she loomed over him. Her form fully revealed.
She was tall, much taller than he was, standing at over ten-feet when placing herself on the ground. Her figure slender and graceful-looking, with an ample bust and hips. Her body garbed in a two-layered, periwinkle-grey gown that fell past her feet, with a high-frilled pale-periwinkle collar, white and periwinkle-grey bouffant sleeves with white detailing, along with most of the bottom and hem coloured in a pale-periwinkle and white with diamond designs around it.
Her face itself, was of an attractive woman with regal features, such as delicate, but sharp cheekbones, smooth and slim jawline, a high forehead and a narrow nose. She had cedar-brown skin, with white freckles dotting around below her eyes and a white streak going down her nose. Her eyes themselves holding quite the exotic appearance to them, with white irises, blue-grey sclera, deep-purple pupils and deep-purple, thick lashes projecting from them. And atop her lashes were another pair of holographic-like lashes, which were coloured in a slightly paler shade of deep-purple. She also had hair that went down to her hips which was curled and had a silver-like ombre, and from her back, protruded six gorgeous, feathered wings which were pale-periwinkle and white, like her attire.
All that alone gave her an otherworldly look that stood out, even compared to all the different alien species he'd seen in the past, but what really caught his attention the most, was the two halos that were adorned on and above her head. The latter floating above the former, which wrapped around her cranium like a tiara and was decorated with large crown-like spikes and blue gem-like circles.
Instantly, with that final piece in mind, without any proper words of introduction being uttered between them, the man knew that whoever this being was, she was most likely related to Heaven or a similar celestial sphere. It was the only conclusion that made sense to him. The only thing he wasn't sure of, was if whether or not she'd died and passed on, but been allowed to keep a physical body, or she was similar to the angels that attended the Gods of destruction and... and…
"My now, it seems our First Man has quite the intense stare to him." The angelic woman remarked with a maternal-like smile, as her eyes fell upon him, seeming somewhat amused by the way his gaze had raked over her and taken in her visage fully, as her wings flapped behind her, and her hands clasped below her waist. "How intriguing."
"First Man?" The male couldn't help but blink at the moniker. "What do you mean by that?" He narrowed his eyes at her, tempering the anger that threatened to come out, at his situation. "Are you the one responsible for me looking like this, too-?"
Right as the question left his lips, it happened without warning. As if knocked back to life, memories surged through his mind, which had, in his first moment waking, previously eluded him, causing him to clutch his head with the hand he'd raised, as his eyes snapped shut.
The woman, unbothered by his initial glare, seemed concerned now, as she saw him do this, as if in pain. Her smile fading into a worried frown. "Oh dear, is something wrong?"
"Ugh…" Groaning, the man ignored her, for the time being, as it all came back to him.
The Tournament of Power. How could he have forgotten? He and the rest of the team assembled for Universe 7 had fought their hardest, only to come up short in the end, when Jiren from Universe 11 had managed to come out victorious over Goku, eliminating the Saiyan, Frieza and 17 in quick order, leaving him and everyone he knew and cared about damned to annihilation, in the process. The announcement of their end coming, via the Grand Priest, as he also announced Universe 11's victory, to which their side cheered in relief at their survival, having rung harshly in his ears, as everything seemed to go numb for him. All he'd been able to do, being to share one final, solemn goodbye with his allies, with his dearest friend Gohan, before the white light of the two Omni-Kings' might had enveloped them, and then erased them for good.
Or at least, that's what his and everyone else's fate should've been, and yet he found himself alive, his existence not erased, and in a new body – a human one – that had not been his own. One that felt just as foreign to his spirit, to his very being, as it felt natural to him now, as contradictory as that sounded.
You can thank Son Goku for this. His last memory before coming here resurfaced then. One within a pure void of white, and without the presence of a physical body of his own, as the Grand Priest appeared before him once again, with a merciful, but amused smile at his confusion. Were it not for him convincing our Lords to spare you and all those who engaged in the tournament, for your Universe, oblivion would be all that met you, for your loss. As it stands now, you have been pardoned, and with your Universe destroyed, shall have your soul sent off to another, which is not part of our multiverse. I do hope that, like the rest, who will be sent off to new worlds themselves, you'll make the best of your new life, wherever you may go, Piccolo.
That's right… The man – now revealed to have been the former Namekian warrior, Piccolo – thought to himself, as the throbbing in his head from the outpouring of memories from the most recent events of his old life before he'd awoken here, subsided. Goku managed to save us. He pleaded with the Omni-Kings to get us exempt from erasure, and succeeded…
The ex-Namekian knew that his friend and the Lords of Everything, or at least, their timeline's Lord of Everything, were on good terms. However, he hadn't thought it was to the extent that the Saiyan of Earth could successfully convince them to pardon not just himself, who they'd been intending to already, but everyone who'd competed in the tournament for their Universe, or in Beerus and Shin's case, presuming they'd been let off too, cheered them on from the stands.
Even when they'd failed to win and save themselves from extermination, Goku had found a way to pull them away from such a fate. The ex-alien knew not what his ally had said to the mightiest deities in the cosmos to change their minds like that, and most likely would never know, seeing as it was extremely unlikely that he'd ever meet anyone from Universe 7 again, as the Grand Priest had made it clear that each of them would be sent to different dimensions. However, he was nonetheless grateful for the pure-hearted Saiyan's willingness to go to bat for them, in this instance, as it had allowed them to live.
Separated, sure, and, once more, most likely to never meet again, much as he selfishly wished they would, some time in the future, however, there was still a relief in knowing that, despite their Universe and its residents being gone, those he'd been closest to, like Gohan, still existed. They were safe, and free to live another life, instead of being damned to nothingness, all because Goku had spoken up for them and pushed his luck. That fact alone, was enough to ease the ex-Namekian's conscience.
Piccolo felt a soothing, soft hand be placed on his shoulder, causing his eyes to peel open and his mind to return to reality – his own new reality – as he was met with the perturbed expression of the angelic woman that'd appeared before him, as she seemed to have knelt down beside him, while he was unaware of his surroundings.
"Are you okay, young one?" She asked him, her voice tinged with the very emotion that showed on her face.
"Nngh… Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that." He apologized, seeing the sincere worry for his wellbeing in her countenance, as he brough his hand away from his head. "Just had a bit of a headache. No big deal."
He'd have said more, but right now, he didn't hold enough trust in this new being to divulge any of his past to, so he kept his reply short and to the point.
"Oh! I see…" The woman seemed to hesitate for a moment, but soon enough, her earlier smile returned, as she accepted his answer for what it was. "I suppose this being your first time being conscious, I should've expected your head to still not be completely ready to deal with what your senses are going through. Everything will be new to you, after all."
Yeah, they could go with that explanation, for now.
"Alright then, with that minor hiccup out of the way…" She began, her smile broadening just a bit at him, as she regarded him with a gaze as though he were but a child who knew nothing about anything. Piccolo would've almost called it condescending and been annoyed by it, were it not for the fact that she was obviously not aware of his past life, and he likely was supposed to be someone who knew nothing, with her potentially being his guide of sorts, which allowed him to easily maintain his composure. "How about we circle back to your earlier questions, hmm?"
Piccolo simply nodded at this, as he rose up from the ground, getting up to his feet, as she did the same, forcing him to crane his neck up, as their height difference became even more apparent, now that she was even closer to him. The top of his skull barely reaching just under where her bosom was.
"To begin, what I meant before, when I called you the First Man, is that you are the first of an extraordinary new species, which of course, to honour you, I and my colleagues, the other Elders of Heaven, have chosen to call 'Mankind'. And following on from that, to answer your second question, dear, indeed, I, along with the other Elders of Heaven, have carefully created you from the dust of Earth itself, to be as you are." She explained calmly, in a manner that Piccolo couldn't help but find rehearsed, though that detail ceased mattering once he truly digested her words.
"I'm the first of mankind…?"The ex-Namekian's brows rose high in shock at such a stunning proclamation, as he absorbed the rest of the information given to him, such as the confirmation that this woman was, indeed, a figure from this world's Heaven, and part of a group called its 'Elders', it seemed. All of whom had pitched together and brought him – or rather, his new body, at least – about, through what he guessed swiftly was magical means. Had to be, as what she'd just spoken of sounded like something Shenron or one of the other wish-granting dragons made by his people could do, if asked, through their own power.
"Yes." She gave him a knowing look, clearly having expected a reaction similar to what he was having right now. "Quite the privilege to be bestowed, isn't it, Adam?"
"Adam?" Piccolo's brows furrowed this time, at the utterance of that name. A name foreign to him, yet bizarrely, felt like one that fit him, for reasons he couldn't explain.
"Your name." She said back to him kindly, with that almost motherly air. "It is the one that was chosen for you, before you were brought to being, and what you shall call yourself by, from now on."
His name? Well, he supposed it wasn't all that unbelievable that in a new world, he'd be given a different name than what he'd used his entire life, back in Universe 7, to go with his new body, and the new life that awaited him.
He supposed he could accept it. It wasn't as if he was ever going to forget his original name, after all. Never in a million years, would he do that. He held far too much pride in it and the race that it came from, after all, even if said race likely no longer existed. A fact that brought with it a silent sense of mourning for what was lost to him now, just like with everything else in his old life, with his only solace being that they'd forever live on, in his memories. He'd make sure of it.
"Ah, but where are my manners? It seems I almost forgot to properly introduce myself." The woman grabbed his attention again, as her hands clasped down below her waist, once again, as she inclined her head slightly, in the lightest of polite bows, and her wings spread behind her, in what Piccolo could nearly guess was meant to be a show of status. "You may call me Seraphiel, or Sera, for short. I am the High Seraphim of Heaven. Its governing leader elected by my fellow Elders, and the one who has personally taken on the task of both being the first to greet you, as well as the one to let you know of your duties as the First Man, from here on."
High Seraphim? Such a title was new to him, and he knew not the significance of it, but the same couldn't be said for the second one. Governing leader of Heaven? Someone that important had seen it fit to be the first being he spoke to, and his personal guide, over whatever important tasks they may have to uphold in the empyrean realm? That should've been quite the honour, but past experience with the Supreme Kai, in particular, had him just a little wary about someone that important doing so, instead of sending a servant to do it for her, which would've achieved the same end, without her having to temporarily leave her station and responsibilities, even if just for a short period of time.
Perhaps he was overthinking it and being unfair with such thoughts, though. This was their first time interacting, and he knew nothing about their Heaven, other than what Sera, as she called herself, just told him, so for all he knew, she had plenty of time between her heavenly responsibilities to be his chaperone.
"My duties, huh? And what are those?" Pushing his previous thoughts to the side, for now, Piccolo – or Adam, as he was supposed to be called now – got straight to the point, addressing what was in store for him, in specific, as he crossed his arms over his bare chest. His expression stoic.
The knowledge that he was nude, at the moment, came back to him, but Piccolo felt little embarrassment over it, and the angelic woman with him right now didn't seem to care or make a fuss over it, so he just let it be. That being said, the draft he felt over where his new genitalia was, where previously, he'd had none, was definitely more than a little discomforting, though he didn't let that show.
Sera's smile was just a little brighter at him asking that, as she answered readily. "Your duties shall be thusly. To not only look after and protect the Garden of Eden, as its pre-ordained master, but to also be he who is given divine right to name all that is in it."
At that, she stretched her long, slim arms wide, a clear sign of her indicating this 'garden' being around them, which caused Piccolo to begin turning himself all around to, for the first time since waking, properly take in his surroundings.
His vision was met, at first, with a clear-blue sky that all but shimmered like an aethereal blanket with naught but the bright, yellow-orange sun itself to accompany its splendour, almost sparkling like a large, luminous gemstone in its vast distance from him, despite appearing so close. Its rays shooting down upon the fertile soil and, in a way that almost took his breath away, perfectly bounced off the verdant plane that stretched broadly before his eyes. The finest and healthiest-looking, greenest grass and vegetation he'd perhaps ever seen in his existence seeming to nearly glow from the sunshine, as the blades gently waved with the soft breeze that travelled through. The air itself, now that he paid note to it, having a level of purity to it that was unmatched, as he inhaled and exhaled.
If he focused, he could hear the sweet, tranquil sounds of flowing water, both from what he distinctly knew to be that of a waterfall in the distance, even if he couldn't see it, as well as another flowing river, both in opposing directions. The latter coming from where his eyes could spot a vibrant, peaceful-looking forest, past where Sera currently stood. Its trees, which blocked any vision he might have of the river, standing tall and strong, appearing to be of varying types and sizes, full of luscious leaves and, in some cases, various different, glistening fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas, and so forth, with all of them looking to be full of life and incapable of being in any better health. His eyes also spotting several creatures having made their homes in some of them, like birds or primates, neither of which appeared bothered by the other's presence, in the slightest.
As for where he'd heard the waterfall from, it too was hidden past some foliage and bushes that appeared to be more part of an orchard, than a forest, where he could already make out a few little critters curiously poking their heads out of shrubs and holes in trees, if he focused his vision hard enough. The small animals having clearly made their homes within them, as they tilted their small, furry faces at him, with tiny, beady eyes watching him with some level of intrigue, though not a hint of hostility or concern, even as his gaze met theirs, evidently not viewing him as a threat. Some even giving friendly cries to him, as though he were one of them, and were happy at his presence.
"As you can see, all that lives within Eden, does so in harmony with each other. A peaceful coexistence where all benefit, and none suffer." When Piccolo turned back to Sera, as she spoke up again, he saw how radiant her expression had become, as she spoke of this place. "This place, or, 'paradise',as I and my fellow Elders have come to call it, is one-of-a-kind on Earth. And from now on, you will live here as well, and it shall be you who rules over it, taking on all the responsibilities that entails." Her hands clasped back together again, below her waist, while her wings tucked themselves into her back. "Other than that, though, you are free to explore it, as you please, and partake in whatever activity suits you."
Piccolo could hardly believe this. His new life was essentially just going to be… living out a peaceful existence in the heart of nature?
On the one end, such peace and quiet suited the part of his nature that preferred solitude, which would certainly make his meditations so much easier to do without threat of any interruption, and allow him to relax more comfortably. On the other end, though, the warrior side of him was somewhat put off at the fact that there'd never be a battle to be fought, which could get his blood pumping, if this was to be his sole lot in this new life. Because while he was by no means anywhere near as lustful for fighting as his Saiyan cohorts Goku and Vegeta had been, he'd be lying through his teeth if he said he didn't get some enjoyment out of a good battle to test his limits and push him to improve his abilities. He was a proud martial artist at heart, after all, and couldn't help it.
Speaking of that, though, while he couldn't feel it right now, new world or not, was it still possible for him to access his Ki? Even if it was infinitesimal in size compared to what it had been, by the time of the Tournament of Power, in his old body, he still would like to know. Thus, he swiftly committed himself to testing out if he could still pull on it later, or perhaps whatever might be its equivalent in this world. And even if it didn't, which would be quite the shame, magic itself obviously did exist here, given the angelic woman before him, and the familiar feeling of it that she gave off, even if it wasn't quite the same as what he was used to.
"All that said, there is one rule you should keep in mind, Adam, and it is of the utmost importance that you do not break it, for the consequences of doing so will be most terrible, indeed." Sera spoke up again, nabbing his attention yet again, with how her voice became far more serious, as her lips near curved downward into a frown, and she motioned an arm of hers in a specific direction, which his gaze followed. "To that direction, at the centre of the garden, you will find a tree that is unlike any other, that carries forbidden fruit upon it, which is to never be eaten, under any circumstances."
"Why?" The question came out before he could even think about whether or not he should say it, as he glanced back to Sera, who grimaced.
"It carries with it something wrong. Something most foul." She replied ominously, all but glaring in the direction of said tree, as if it was a blight upon existence itself. Something that had him seriously wondering why it was even in the garden, if it was not wanted there, but he stayed his tongue, as she then met his gaze solemnly. "No matter what, you must not take from it, understand?"
Piccolo sighed. "Fine. I won't." He grunted earnestly.
"Good." Her smile was back, looking more serene than it had before, at his agreement. "Now then, I believe I should leave your newly-given duties. Unless, of course, you have any further questions?"
Piccolo had plenty, actually. Most pertaining to her and Heaven, along with a couple about the world beyond Eden itself. There was one, however, as he thought about it, that stuck in his mind, and which he felt compelled to ask, the longer he let it stew in his head, with what he'd been told about his own status. "Yeah. You said I'm the first of an 'extraordinary' new species, right?"
Sera's eyes twinkled then, almost like stars in the night, and the ex-Namekian got the feeling that she knew where he was going with this, and may've even been expecting it. "That is correct. Go on."
"So," Piccolo pressed on with narrowed eyes. "do you intend to have more of my… 'kind' come up, eventually? Create them, like you created me?" He asked, knowing well what his genitals on this body were for, and how utterly useless they were, with it being just him around. A problem easily solved, if he'd still maintained more of his Namekian heritage, and been able to reproduce on his own, if that was something that would eventually be expected of him to do. Even without being fused to Nail and Kami for more power and wisdom, he was both the son and reincarnation of Demon King Piccolo, after all, so he had all his memories, and knew exactly how to spawn one of his own, if he ever wanted to, not that he ever had, in Universe 7, of course. He'd simply just never given it any thought.
"The process that went into creating you was a delicate one, Adam, and one that is difficult to replicate." She explained in a somewhat lecturing tone. The kind that might've made him think she was leading into a 'no', or 'not for a while yet', were it not for the look in those exotic eyes of hers, which to the former Namekian's sharp perception, gave away where she was really going, before she even revealed it. "However, as we were working on you, there was plenty of time dedicated as well, to crafting a companion for you, in Eden. She's not ready yet, but will be very soon, so you won't have to wait too long, until you have some company."
"Hmph." Piccolo – or Adam, he supposed he should get used to calling himself – grunted once more, in acknowledgement. "Well, alright then. Guess that answers that."
Whoever it was they spawned up to join him here, he hoped that she at least had a tolerable personality. Because, if not, he could forget about any peace in this place.
"Do you have any more questions for me, Adam, or will that do you, for now?" Sera posed with a patient, caring look.
"A lot of them, actually." He responded honestly, before he closed his eyes and let out a breath. "I can save those for another time, though. I wouldn't want to keep you here too long, given you have an entire realm to look after."
That, and he'd prefer to be alone, right now, with his thoughts.
He didn't catch the way the angelic woman blinked at that in surprise, having not expected him to give such a response.
"Ah. Alright then, if you're sure!" The 'High Seraphim', as she'd called herself, said back, after a moment, before her body took on that white glow again, which completely obscured her form. "I shall come back to check on you, in the coming days, to see how you're settling in to your new role. Until then, Adam!" She gave her goodbye, as the light that surrounded her rose up, getting a good few dozen metres high, before eventually dissipating, leaving nothing behind, making it clear, as 'Adam' looked up, that she was, indeed, gone.
"Well…" The now anointed 'First Man' of humanity said to himself, as he turned back to marvel at the sight that was the Garden of Eden, now that he was alone, with nobody to bother him. "Guess this is my new life now. All things considered, I didn't get it all that bad, I suppose."
The smallest beginnings of a smile almost tugged at his lips, sensing all the tranquility of the harmonized nature he was surrounded by, even without his Ki-sensing ability, as he picked a direction and started walking. Allowing himself to enjoy the quiet and pleasant ambience of his new home.
AND CUT!
Well, that's the end of the first chapter of this new story, and its one starring our boy Piccolo as the main lead! Why him, you may ask? Because I felt like he'd make the most unique choice, for this kind of crossover.
Gonna be honest, wasn't a huge fan of Hazbin Hotel at all, but the music was pretty good, it had its entertaining moments to it, and the show itself did, with its opening cinematic, plant the seed that refused to go away, of me starting a crossover story within Eden, just to see how things would change, if Adam was swapped with someone else.(As entertaining as he was, they did this guy so dirty in the show. So much you could play with, given who he's supposed to be, and all they gave him was… well, if you watched Hazbin, you already know.)
In any case, Piccolo is the one in the driver's seat now, so we'll have to see where this goes. Don't know when I'll update this again, but I'll try not to make the wait too long.
Regardless, hope you all got some small bit of enjoyment out of this, and I'll see you in the next one!