Author's Note: Well, hello there.

WELCOME to the third story of the VS series! It has been a long time coming, and it is good to be back!

If you are new first off, welcome, you look great. This is the third installment in a long-running series so if you would like to know what is going on I highly recommend first reading Krillin vs The Saiyans and Krillin vs The Universe's Worst in that order beforehand.

For those that are returning readers, welcome back! You also look great and thank you for being so patient! These past few months away have given me the chance to work both on my writing and myself which I feel is going to translate into this story being the best it can be. Speaking of the story, I will return to the once-a-month schedule with the end of the month acting as the upload date.

We have a long way to go so I will not take up any more of your time but thank you for joining me at the start of this journey. As always, I look forward to any discussions/thought's you guys throw my way. Please, enjoy.


Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Dragonball Z. All rights go to Akira Toriyama and any affiliates. This applies to my story in its entirety.

Years Earlier:

The clock said 5:30, which was still too early for the old turtle hermit as far as he was concerned, but for the sake of his students he had to set a good example. Raising out of his soft bed, the old man grumbled to himself as his feet hit the cold wooden floor.

"Krillin, its time to get-"

The hermit stopped when he realized his student was not in the room.

Odd, there is no training today.

Slipping on an extra layer to combat the chill of the Kame House, Master Roshi made his way out of the bedroom. Moving through the home, the old man took a brief second to glare at the bedroom where Launch and Goku were sleeping in.

Doesn't even know how lucky he has it.

Making his way down to the first floor, it surprised Roshi that there was still no sign of his young pupil. No sign he had made breakfast or coffee.

Which is a shame, Roshi thought to himself with a yawn. I could use something to wake me up.

Stepping outside into the summer air, the heat hit hard, bringing another grumble from the master.

Prefer the cool sea air from the smaller island. The hermit thought discarding his extra layer on a railing and already making plans to re-move the home after the tournament.

Stifling another yawn, Roshi moved across the island at a leisurely pace already having a fairly good idea of where to find his student.

"Come on! Move!"

It wasn't long before the old man heard Krillin's cries. He watched as the little monk threw himself against a boulder far larger than him. The boy's arms were shaking as he strained against the rock hoping to shove the rock even a little more. Sweat running down his face like drops of rain. Silently Roshi observed his student's struggle.

"Move!"

The large stone shifted slightly, but it remained rooted in its spot.

"Cooooome oooooon!"

He gritted his teeth and shoved once more, his pride fueling him more than anything else. Eventually, the boulder inched a little further than before, scooting into the dirt. Joy leaped through his heart, and he bent over to get a look at his progress. The rock had moved, but not as far as he wanted.

"Uuuuugh," the 14-year-old monk said, falling onto his butt while the heavy tortoiseshell he wore on his back cracked into the ground. "Still not enough."

"All the same, progress is progress."

Krillin flinched and quickly got back onto his feet in a hurry. "Ah, Master! Good morning! It's a beautiful day to-"

"Yeah, yeah," the hermit said dryly. "You have the day off, Krillin. Understand that it's just as important to rest your body as it is to train it."

"Y-yes, that is true, master," the monk said, embarrassed. "But I just wanted to see if I could push this boulder a little further. Like Goku can."

"And? Were you successful?"

"…. not really."

"You seem unsure."

"Well," Krillin paused. "It's just that, with respect, master. I don't know if I'm making any actual progress. We've just been doing odd jobs and carrying these tortoise shells on our backs for months."

"Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Ah n-not at all! Your training is flawless! You are so wise and original to-"

"That's enough of that," Master Roshi said, putting a hand up to stop the sniveling. "It'll be fine, Krillin. You were already taught a little at Orin Temple, correct? You know the basics."

"The basics?"

"Yes, how to properly punch and kick."

"Y-yeah of course I do!"

"… why don't you show me?"

"Master?"

"Just indulge an old man, won't you? Show me how you punch."

With uncertainty guiding him, Krillin made a fist and let loose a quick punch. He looked at the hermit for approval, but it did not come.

"Show me one more time."

Flush with embarrassment, the young monk followed the instruction and again looked back to his master.

"Who taught you how to punch?"

"M-my seniors gave me some pointers."

"And your master?"

"He was usually helping the other students. T-there were a lot of us at the temple."

Master Roshi paused before his eyes narrowed behind the dark sunglasses he always wore. "Your seniors, were they kind to you?"

The boy's silence answered the question.

"Show me your fist."

Krillin followed the instruction and offered the old man his clenched hand.

"You are folding your thumb under your fingers. Why?"

"Um, my seniors said if I did that it would have more power."

"If you hit someone like this, you would hurt yourself more than them."

"R-really?"

"Yes, here watch me."

Sharing his open palm to the monk, the old man closed his fingers one by one before resting his thumb on top of the four fingers.

"You want to squeeze it tightly to avoid injury but not too tight that you cut off circulation. Find the balance that works for you." Master Roshi said, allowing his student to inspect his form.

Wordlessly, Krillin mimicked his master's fist as best he could.

"Well done. Next, make sure you keep your wrist aligned with your arm. This will make sure it does not hurt when you make contact. Keep in mind you'll be leading the punch with your index and middle knuckles."

"O-oh okay."

"So, we have our fist now for the actual punch. There are many ways to throw it in martial arts. Here is one example."

Tucking in his arm to his side, Master Roshi held his fist still for a moment before throwing a punch with a good amount of power behind it. The attack generated a gust of wind and a loud snap rang out across the island.

"Did you see?" the hermit asked but only received a wide-eyed stare from his student. "It might have been too fast so watch carefully."

Returning to his original stance, Master Roshi went through the same motion, albeit much slower. Carefully reaching out, he twisted his arm before straightening it out as he led the punch with his first two knuckles.

"Any questions?"

"There wasn't any noise this time," Krillin said, examining his master's outstretched arm.

"Noise? Ah, the snap."

"Was that from the punch?"

"Yes," the hermit said again, moving through the motion. "The twist in the punch also twists the air around it as it travels."

"Wow," Krillin said softly.

"No doubt Goku already knows this as his grandfather taught him, so don't think you're getting a leg up on him. So come on, let's see you try again."

"Y-you're going to teach me?"

"Of course. What did you think I was doing? Now stop stalling, get to work."

The small monk paused before his eyes started to sparkle. "Yes sir!"

Present:

How the years melt away. Master Roshi thought to himself as the memory faded. He smiled as the scene in his mind was replaced with a feeling of strong pride. The source was watching his student train along the edge of the water. Having removed his shoes for greater movement on the sand, the monk silently went through a basic routine. Matching his flow with the tide that licked the sand of the Kame House, Krillin ran through several punches and kicks, effortlessly gliding from one stance into another. With just the sound of the water guiding him, the monks' every step missed the cold ocean by inches. All while his eyes remained shut.

This meant he was completely blind to turtle who had gone for an early morning swim, making his way back into land. Before his master could warn him, Krillin smashed his right toe against his friend's hard shell. Racked with pain and momentum, Krillin was flung over turtle and into the freezing ocean. Master Roshi was concerned for only a moment before a hearty laugh left him as his student sputtered and shivered out of the water.

"Sorry, Krillin," Turtle said with a small bow.

"I-its al-alright turtle," the monk said, his voice shaking from the cold. "S-should h-h-have been m-more ca-careful."

Thankfully, Krillin's chill did not last long, as a soft towel was draped over his shoulders.

"Good morning," His master said with a grin. "How's the water?"

"R-ref-refreshing," the monk said quickly wrapped himself deep into the towel's warmth. "Y-you should take a dip."

"Perhaps later when this chill is gone."

"Y-y-your loss."

The hermit chuckled. "I just finished making coffee. Want some?"

"Yes p-please."

Student and master walked back into the Kame House as Krillin tried his best to dry himself. With two mugs already on the table, Roshi poured warm coffee into both cups. As soon as the old man was finished the monk sat down and held his drink with both hands as if he were cradling gold. Krillin drained half of the coffee with one swig and gasped for breath as the beverage warmed him inside and out.

"I'm alive again, thank you."

"I'd be a poor master if I let my student freeze to death."

"Glad it didn't come to that. Got any plans for the day?"

"Plans are for the young," the hermit said, taking a sip of his own coffee.

"Are you admitting you aren't young anymore? I'm surprised."

"Pretty cheeky for someone who almost drowned. You were better with compliments when you were younger."

"Sorry, we lost those to time," Krillin grinned, finishing his coffee. "Can I get a refill?"

"Can't say you deserve it," the old man grumbled, but poured more dark liquid into his pupil's cup. "What about yourself? More training?"

"I'm seeing Gohan and Chichi later."

"Ah, that's right. Today is the big trip, isn't it? Is Gohan excited?"

"He's the happiest I've seen in a while," the monk said, taking another sip. "Chichi is less than thrilled about the guest list but I think it'll be good for both of them."

"I hope it goes smoothly. Can I assume things have been going well with Gohan? You've been spending a lot of time there."

"Well, the image training has been going well, and I have officially run out of stories to share," Krillin said before frowning. "But Namek is still affecting him."

"How so?"

"He's still timid with his own power. We talked about it a little, but it's not something he can overcome just through conversation," Krillin said, looking deep into his beverage. "The idea of fighting against Cold scares him, just as it did when Vegeta invaded."

"So, he's regressed."

"I wouldn't say that. He wants to recover, and he's been working hard."

"Well, he is lucky to have you," the hermit nodded. "Still no word on Goku?"

"I checked in with King Kai a couple of days ago, but nothing. He's been looking but hasn't been able to find him or Nail since he lost track of them."

"It's been more than a year since Namek. He hasn't heard anything?"

"Space is big," Krillin shrugged. "He described it like finding a needle within a needle. It's easier to track an army than an individual person."

"Then the search continues."

"He'll get here eventually," Krillin said, drinking more of his second cup. "He's Goku."

"And the training on the lookout? How is that going?"

"Full of questions today, aren't you?"

"Humor an old man, won't you," Roshi said curiously. "I don't have any plans after all."

Krillin paused as he collected his thoughts, trying to find the best way to describe what he has seen. "It's-"

A sudden loud ring from the Kame House phone cut him off.

"I'd let the answering machine get it, but you still don't have one." The monk said while raising out of his chair.

"Those things are expensive!"

With a small chuckle, the monk picked up the phone and put it to his ear. "Hello? This is the Kame House."

Krillin? Good morning, this is Chichi.

"Oh, morning Chichi. Everything alright? We aren't meeting until noon, right?"

Yes, though I was wondering if you would be alright with coming over sooner. Gohan is already awake and extremely excited to get started.

"That's no surprise I know how much he's been looking forward to this."

So, you'll come?

"Yeah, I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

Wonderful, thank you, Krillin.

"See you soon."

"Something wrong?" The hermit asked as his student hung up the phone.

"All good, Gohan wants to get started early so I'm heading out now."

"Glad to hear he's still got his father's enthusiasm."

"He's only rediscovered it recently, but every day he gets a little better. Have you seen my bag?"

"By the door where you left it," Roshi said, pointing to the knapsack Krillin had been packing.

"Thanks, I'm not going to find any porn in capsules this time, am I?"

"Hardly," the old man huffed. "I've learned my lesson. You can't be trusted with my treasures."

The monk chuckled, quickly finished his coffee, and picked up his bag. "I'm off then."

"Bring back any leftovers if Chichi makes too much food again."

"Will do," Krillin answered, finding and slipping on his shoes.

"Alright then," Master Roshi said with a soft smile. "Have fun camping."


The forest surrounding the small house on 439 East district was expansive. Rollings hills and trees surrounded the home as far as the eye could see and while normally there was little reason to explore, today was a special day.

"Mr. Krillin! What about this spot?" Gohan asked, pointing to a clearing with a large knapsack on his shoulders.

"It looks good to me, Gohan," the monk answered way up the small hill they had been climbing for the better part of an hour. "But you're the one leading this trip, so what do you think?"

The half-saiyan paused for a moment while looking over the area. "I want to find a place closer to the water."

"Then let's keep going," Krillin said with a smile.

Gohan nodded and dashed ahead, going deeper into the woods.

A real bundle of energy. The monk chuckled before looking behind him and down the hill, he had just climbed. "How are you doing, Chichi?"

"Fine," the ox princess puffed as she clambered up the hill to join Krillin. Out of the three of them, she carried the most in a giant bag stuffed full of various cooking tools and supplies. "Are we stopping here?"

"Gohan said he wanted to find somewhere closer to the water."

"Then I suppose he's thinking of having some fish with dinner just like you thought," the mother said, shifting her weight to get a better handle on her luggage.

"You sure you don't need me to take anything?"

"What? No, of course not, this is the most exercise I have gotten today. Just concentrate on Gohan for me. I couldn't keep up even without this thing weighing me down."

"Not a problem he's hard to miss from my perspective."

"In that case," Chichi said while taking off her massive knapsack and setting it down on the hill with a thud. "A small breather would do me some good."

Krillin nodded and quickly tracked Gohan's ki to make sure he had not gotten too far.

"Thank you again for this," the mother beside him said. "This trip has been the only thing he's been able to talk about for days now."

"Don't thank me he's earned it," the monk said quietly, locating the boy already a few miles away. "He's been working really hard. How has he been at home?"

"The nightmares still come now and then, but they are much more subdued," the ox princess said, stretching out her shoulders. "He's gotten his appetite back as you know, and he's been helping me in the kitchen."

"And his studies?"

"Oh, now there's a question," the ox princess sighed. "We talked about school and the problem is even going at a slower pace than he was before he's still studying at a high school level. He'd be bored to tears in anything younger than that. Instead, I found a tutor I thought would be good for him. Gohan at the time thought it would be a fun, but the man turned out to be a fool. So, I threw him out of our window."

"Wow. I can't tell if you're joking."

"I'm not," Chichi said flatly. "He insulted Goku so out he went."

"Ah, got it."

The mother nodded. "I made the mistake of not being in the room for a moment. Though thankfully that didn't dissuade Gohan. Since then, he's been doing some textbook reviews on his own and I've been helping where I could. Which isn't a lot mind you, but he's an excellent teacher in his own way and it's been so nice to have him home." She paused for a moment before talking again. "You… you haven't heard anything, about Goku, have you?"

Krillin stopped scouring for Gohan's ki and turned back to the ox princess, her voice filled with heavy worry.

"No, not yet. I'm sorry Chichi."

She slumped, shifting from worry to sorrow. "Gohan and I. We really miss him."

"… I know."

"Mom! Mr. Krillin!"

The two looked to see the young boy running towards them. An excited grin splashed across his face. "I found a great spot!"

"That's wonderful Gohan," Chichi smiled. "Is it far?"

"It's just over that mountain."

Gohan pointed into the distance at a towering stone structure already miles away from where they stood.

"Uh, perhaps it's time we stop hiking," Chichi said looking at the march still ahead of them.

"Are you up for it?" Krillin said with surprise.

"Yes, though I will take you up on your offer to carry my bag."

"Not a problem," the monk said, picking up the ox princess's luggage and throwing it onto his back alongside his own.

"Gohan sweetie will you make sure I don't fall?"

"Yep!" The half-saiyan said offering a hand to his mother which Chichi took and squeezed tightly.

"Okay, here we go."

Shutting her eyes, breathing steadily, and concentrating on her energy just as she had been taught. The ox princess ascended from the ground and into the sky.

"You're doing great, mom!" Gohan said closely following his mother.

"Thank you, sweetheart," the ox princess said while keeping focus.

"You can take it slow, Chichi, there's no rush," Krillin said joining the family.

"The sooner we get there the sooner I'll be back on the ground."

"Fair enough, lead the way when you're ready."

Opening her eyes, Chichi began a calm, measured flight across the woods and towards the mountain.

She's gotten a lot better. Krillin thought to himself as he watched the mother and son fly together. Wasn't that long ago she could barely get a foot off the ground now she's soaring across a forest.

She was the one who had insisted that Krillin teach her how to fly. It had come as a surprise at first, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Soon Krillin's visits for Gohan included a brief explanation on the basics of ki use and flight. Chichi was a quick study and while she hadn't formally trained in some time, she had been a martial artist in the past. It did not take long before Chichi could tap into her energy.

Wonder what Goku will think when he sees his wife flying around with his son.

The thought of Goku with wide eyes as he watched Chichi soar through the air brought a soft chuckle out of the monk, though it was brief.

Where are you, Goku? Your family needs you here.

"There it is!"

Gohan's cry brought the monk back into the moment. Looking to where the boy was pointing, Krillin could see a beautiful river bend laying just below them. The group touched down and started unpacking.

"Good find Gohan," the monk said, looking around. "This place is perfect."

The half-saiyan grinned at the praise.

"We'll need to get some firewood to help cook it, right Chichi?" Krillin said throwing down the two bags he carried.

"I can take care of that," Chichi answered while setting up a tent for her and Gohan.

"Really mom?"

"Of course, sweetheart this is your day you can have fun."

Gohan's smile only grew wider.

Soon enough, the campsite was set, leaving the half-saiyan and his human master free to find a new spot for training. It did not take them long to find another suitable clearing with no animals nearby.

"Your mother has gotten a lot better at flying," Krillin said while stretching out his legs.

"She's been practicing a lot," Gohan answered while loosening up his arms.

"Have you been helping her at all?"

"A little. I go with her when she wants to fly into town to buy groceries. She still needs me to hold her hand."

"She told me you were helping her in the kitchen too."

"Yeah, I learned how to grill steak the other day."

"Sounds tasty," the monk said, rolling his shoulders. "At this rate, you'll be a better cook than me soon."

"I still like your food, Mr. Krillin!"

"Thanks Gohan," Krillin laughed. "Are you ready?"

"Yep!"

With a nod, Krillin slid into a fighting stance and watched the boy do the same. He let the moments slip by as Gohan studied him, trying to decide on an approach.

Interesting, he is putting more thought into this than usual. Is he waiting for me to lose my patience or-

Before he could put more thought into the question, a perfect copy of Gohan dashed out from the cover of nearby trees and attacked the monk. The copy threw a swift punch into Krillin's unprotected side, catching him off guard and sending him skidding into the side.

"You got me!" The monk laughed as the copy rushed him down. "When did you make do this?"

Gohan grinned and chased after the monk, joining the copy in attacking from two different sides. "While we were flying over."

"Brilliant," Krillin said, smiling while he backed away, further into the forest.

The two Gohans kept pace weaving in out of the trees, trying to back the human into a corner. A warm feeling of pride swelled within Krillin as he continued to duck and dodge deeper into the forest.

I couldn't sense a thing. He's clearly been practicing hiding his energy well. His copy seems dense enough to take at least one solid hit. One copy might still be his limit but even his speed has increased since last week.

Raising a hand just above his head, he quickly formed a disc of ki. Only fair I show him something new.

Throwing the disc forward, the monk let it fly toward the Gohans before shattering into multiple smaller discs, scattering in different directions. The circles of energy cut multiple trees at their base, completely severing them. Despite seeing this, neither Gohan could stop their forward momentum before multiple trees fell toward them.

"Woah!" Both Gohans shouted, stopping the chase and jumping backward as the trees fell into a heap in front of them. Rushing forward and leaping on top of the small hill of trees, Krillin grabbed one tree from the pile and swung it like a staff at the two boys.

The original Gohan short-hopped over the lumber but forgot to tell his copy to do the same. The trunk smashed into the young boy's twin and tossed him into a nearby tree with enough force to dissipate the ki copy.

"Ugh," The half-saiyan wheezed suddenly weakened by the loss of his duplicate.

"Got to make use of your surroundings as well, Gohan," the monk said, pointing his oversized staff at the boy.

"Okay, then I will! Masenko! Ha!"

Gathering his energy into his palms, the young man fired a beam of ki straight at the mound of trees. The blast exploded upward, knocking Krillin into the air as a deluge of timber erupted around him. The sudden loss of his footing distracted the human long enough for Gohan to close the distance between them and get another powerful hit in.

The half-saiyan grinned as his punch connected with the monk's chest but quickly spotted multiple strands of electricity crackling around Krillin's aura. Static ran up Gohan's arm, leaving it numb as it flopped to his side.

"Got to be careful about rushing in," the monk wheezed, the young boy's punch having a substantial effect.

"Then I'll start attacking from a distance!"

Generating more ki into his other arm, the boy fired a wide burst of dense energy. With a firm ki barrier up there was no danger to the monk, but the sudden switch in tactics caught him off guard and unprepared for several beams of energy to collide into him.

Using only one arm, Gohan threw a barrage of ki blasts while backing off further into the sky.

Trying to buy time while his arm recovers, the monk thought to himself while boosting his barrier to better deal with the sustained energy attacks. Good call and his control over his energy has gotten better. It is a solid improvement, but he's still only shooting ki out of his hands. We should practice that more later. For now, I should show him that just this won't be enough to stop anyone.

Slapping away two of the energy blasts fired at him, the monk pushed through the onslaught. Moments later he was within striking distance of the half-saiyan. Krillin was so focused on getting closer, he almost missed the small grin on Gohan's face.

"Solar flare!"

Light singed Krillin's eyes, blinding him long enough for the young boy to throw a swift punch into his master's cheek. The strike was intense enough to throw the monk out of the sky and careening toward the ground.

He baited me! The human thought to himself as instinct took over, and he landed on his feet.

"When did you learn that?" He asked tentatively, opening his eyes in time to see his student lunge at him.

"Yesterday!"

The monk met Gohan's attack square on but lost ground as the half-saiyan's superior speed and strength shone through. Barely dodging a dangerous kick, he could spot a small pond through the trees. Forming a quick plan, Krillin let himself bump up against a tree and watched Gohan light up, thinking he had the human cornered. Too eager for his own good, the boy overreached with a punch that was easily parried and redirected into the trunk of the tree.

"Huh?" Gohan said as he missed his target and embedded his fist deep into the wood.

"Got to be more careful, Gohan. Not every opening should be trusted," the monk chuckled, as he leaped away closer to the pond.

Ripping his hand out of the tree, the half-saiyan pursued the human again, determined to win the spar. So intense was his focus he didn't see the trap Krillin had lured him into until it was too late. Breaking through the lines of trees, Gohan caught sight of the monk floating just above the pond in front of him. Wasting no time, Krillin let loose a swift punch downward, the force of the motion generating a violent gust of wind that dove into the water. The impact kicked up the water and doused the boy, leaving him dripping wet from head to toe.

"Blug!" Gohan said while spitting out pond water.

With static already dancing through his fingers, Krillin fired out two currents. Amplified by the water, Gohan was instantly encased by a vast amount of voltage.

"owowowowowow!"

"Can't be too eager, Gohan," the monk said, holding the half-saiyan still in a prison of electricity.

"You tricked me!"

"Well, you keep getting stronger, so it's the only way I'm going to win these days. Plus, you got me earlier so no complaining."

The boy seemed to grumble to himself as he struggled against his static cage. Yet the monk held firm, pushing more energy into his attack. Gritting his teeth as the intensity of the Turtle's school ultimate technique grew, the half-saiyan's eyes shifted to green. Gohan seemed to sense the change and hesitated, his eyes changing back to black.

"Don't be afraid, Gohan!" Krillin shouted, raising his voice over the crackle of his attack. "I'm right here it's alright."

Gohan seemed to respond to human's words and tried to concentrate again, his eyes flashing green once again. The immense power that lay within the young boy bubbled up; his jet-black hair taken on a golden hue for just a moment. Yet as seconds ticked by, the super saiyan did not appear as the half-saiyan struggled against the electric cage and himself.

"I… I can't Mr. Krillin."

The monk nodded and let his energy fade. Gohan fell to his knees, gasping for air, his head matted with sweat.

"That was a lot better, Gohan," Krillin said, pulling out a water bottle he had packed and offered it to his student. "Even your hair changed this time."

Gohan didn't respond, a deep frown marking his face.

"Don't beat yourself up," the monk said, not even needing a response. "Progress is progress. You'll get there."

The young boy nodded, took the water bottle, and drank from it heavily. "You changed up the destructo disc again."

"Did you like it?" Krillin said with a grin. "Came up with it just a few days ago."

"It's really cool."

"Not as cool as learning the solar flare in a day and getting two hits on me. You're amazing Gohan."

"Thanks, Mr. Krillin," the boy said, getting back onto his feet. "Can we go again?"

"Sure, just give me a minute to-" Krillin paused as he sensed a familiar presence nearby. "Oh ho, get ready Gohan."

"Ready? Why Mr. Kr-"

The half-saiyan was cut off as two orbs of ki flew through the trees, aimed directly at him. Barley prepared Gohan reacted as best he could and leaped upward into the air to avoid the danger. Yet the spheres of energy instantly changed direction, accelerated, and followed the boy into the sky. Barrel rolling out of the way, they forced Gohan to evade the ki attacks as they circled closer, dead set on hunting him down.

"Keep moving Gohan, don't let them trap you!" The monk shouted as he watched the half-saiyan dance and dodge high above the forest.

"Think I'll get him?"

The question came from deeper in the forest, but Krillin had no trouble recognizing its owner. "Don't think so he's gotten a lot faster since the last time you saw him."

"Hey, I've been training too," Yamcha said, stepping out next to the monk as he controlled the two energy spheres with his hands. The former bandit was wearing his titan's baseball uniform and his own knapsack filled with camping supplies. As well as his black eye patch covering up his right eye.

"Baseball doesn't count."

"Cut me some slack I just got off from practice," Yamcha said, still concentrating on cornering the half-saiyan. "Coach has me on a short lease. If I didn't win him every game, I'd be up to my neck in lawsuits for disappearing."

"Just make sure you make time for lookout training. Can't have you slacking."

"Slacking?" Yamcha said as if he was offended. "I'm still as quick as ever."

"You sure?"

Gracefully evading another ram by the spheres, Gohan fired off a ki blast aimed at one orb. The collision lit up the sky with a bright light soon replaced with a small shower of dust.

"Lucky shot," Yamcha said as he directed the second energy sphere to give chase.

"If you say so," Krillin answered with a small grin.

"So, any updates for me?"

"Nope, you guys will be the first to know but nothing on Cold yet."

"You'd think someone will an army that big they'd be able to find us sooner. We'll die of old age before he gets here."

"I'll take peace of any kind. The more time he gives us the better."

"Well, you're right, it's just this waiting for something to happen is making me crazy."

"Let's take what we can get, besides today could have its fair share of excitement."

"So, he's coming?"

"Reached out to him through King Kai, so he should be. Gohan doesn't know yet so keep it quiet."

"Will do."

Resuming concentration on commanding the remaining sphere, the former bandit was just able to dodge another blast from the half-saiyan. Thinking through his options, Yamcha rocketed his energy orb higher into the sky. Hoping to destroy it with another energy beam, Gohan carefully tracked the ki attack until it lined itself up perfectly with the sun. Blinking away the sting of the sun's light, the young boy lost his focus, and the wolf found his opportunity.

"Gotacha," Yamcha grinned as he brought his arm down and ordered the energy orb to dive-bomb the half-saiyan.

Gohan regained his sight just in time to see the impact. A dense explosion covered him and the bright blue sky before showering the tips of the forest with smoke.

"Too much?" Yamcha asked, looking at his handy work.

"No, you're fine."

As the dust settled, the only thing remaining hovering in the air was Gohan, and the dense energy barrier that surrounded him.

"I taught him that," Krillin sneered.

"Stop bragging."

"Mr. Yamcha!"

The two adults looked up as Gohan touched back down onto the ground. "You made it!"

"Of course, I did kid, wasn't going to miss this for the world. Took a bit of looking for you though, I thought we were meeting up at noon?"

"Oh sorry, I wanted to get started earlier, but did you see me use a barrier like Mr. Krillin?"

"Sure did! Think you're even stronger than Goku was at your age."

"Really?!"

"Only one way to find out," Yamcha laughed as he set down his knapsack. "How'd'you like to go a few rounds with me?"

"You're on!"


"Sheesh Gohan you punch like a truck," the former bandit said, massaging his cheek as the three martial artists started their flight back to the campsite a few hours later. "Gonna have trouble eating whatever dinner ends up being."

"I'm sorry Mr. Yamcha. I didn't think I hit you that hard."

"Hey, I'm just joking, kid. If you take me seriously like that, then it'll sound like you just beat me up."

"Is that not what happened?" asked Krillin.

"Oh haha." Yamcha said dryly.

"There's the camp down there," Gohan pointed out.

"Wait, is that-" Yamcha started squinting his eyes to get a better look. "Now that's funny."

The sight from above gave the three a clear picture of a distressed Yajirobi hauling a good amount of firewood as Chichi appeared to be barking orders.

"Why would you put those there when there's a perfectly good spot right there?" The mother asked, her tone less than cheerful.

"…. does it really matter?" Yajirobi muttered, hoisting his haul of wood back up.

"Of course it does! This day is for Gohan and I am trying to make sure that everything goes perfectly. So, stow that attitude and get your butt in gear!"

"Don't know why anyone would ever get married to anyone," Yajirobi grumbled as he did as he was told.

The two had clearly been hard at work using all of Chichi's supplies to transform the simple campsite into something of an outdoor restaurant. As Krillin and the others landed, Chichi's expression changed from annoyance to joy just from seeing her son.

"Hi sweety! Did you have fun?"

"Yeah! Mr. Yamcha showed up, and we spared!"

The ox princess spied the former bandit wearing his baseball uniform. "Hey Chi how's it going?"

"It's Chichi, and I am well," the mother said before returning to the grill she was setting up. "Dinner preparations are almost done."

"Ice cold," Yamcha whispered to Krillin.

"Only Goku calls her Chi," the monk answered in a low tone. "Don't be so familiar, she'll warm up to you soon."

"Like she has with Yajirobi?" The wolf snickered as he watched the tubby samurai lug more dead branches. "How's it going, big guy?"

"Shut up!" The wide warrior snapped. "You give me the wrong time, no idea where to find you, and I end up here where I'm put to work with no food!"

"There'll be food, Yajirobi, sorry for the confusion," Krillin chuckled.

"Better be a lot, that's all I'm saying," Yajirobi muttered before returning to his firewood duties.

"Speaking of food, what's on the menu, Gohan?" The monk said, turning toward his student.

"Huh? I get to choose?"

"Yep, so what'll it be?"

"… is fish okay?"

"Had a feeling you would say that. Good thing I came prepared," Krillin said as he walked over to his backpack and pulled out a few foldable fishing poles.


"Mr. Krillin?"

"Yes Gohan?"

"What are we doing?"

"We're fishing."

Gohan looked at the fishing pole in his hand by the river next to the campsite. Yamcha, Yajirobi, were by his side have already tossed in their lines with their lures slowly bobbing on the water's edge. His mother still focused on getting everything ready for dinner.

"Don't you fish with just your hands?" The boy asked. "That's what we did last time."

"You can," the monk said as he set up the young boy's fishing pole for him. "But this is another way to do it."

"I'm with the kid," Yamcha yawned as he sat by the water. "Doing it this way takes way too long."

"I thought we were eating soon," Yajirobi grumbled.

"Hey, I'm teaching here!" Krillin said, glaring at both his friends before handing the half-saiyan his own fishing pole. "Alright, Gohan, you're all set. Hold it with two hands and stand next to the water. When you're ready you're going to fling it at the water so the lure lands somewhere with a lot of fish."

"O-okay," Gohan said, a little uncertain.

"Give it a shot when you're ready."

The boy nodded, reeled back, and using all his strength, swung the fishing pole towards the river. Almost immediately the pole broke in half, the wood splintering off into a hundred different directions.

"Ah, right," Krillin laughed. "Maybe try to hold back a little."

"Nice going teach," Yamcha snickered.

"It's a learning process for both of us."

"Sorry, Mr. Krillin," the boy said, a little ashamed.

"Don't worry about it Gohan, here you can use mine, now let's give another shot." The monk said as he handed his student his fishing pole.

"What if I break yours, too? I already made a mistake."

"You learn more from your mistakes, but I'm not worried you'll get it this time," Krillin said with a quick thumbs up. "I trust you."

The gesture was rewarded with a firm nod from his student, who followed the monk's instructions more carefully. "Two hands, next to the water, and fling."

With a far lighter motion than the one before, the fishing pole's lure crossed through the air before coming to land in the calm waters of the small stream.

"Gohan, that was great!" The monk celebrated with a giant grin. "A perfect throw!"

"Nice shot, kid," Yamcha whistled.

"Yeah, it was good can we focus on getting food now?" Yajirobi said, annoyed none of his companions seemed to care about the most important part of the day.

"Thanks everyone," the boy smiled. "What's next Mr. Krillin?"

"Now we wait for a bite."

The monk sat down on the grass and patted at a spot next to him. Following the human's lead, Gohan sat down, still holding onto the pole.

"When you feel a tug that means a fish bit the lure and you should start reeling it in, any questions?"

"Uh… so we just wait?"

"Yep."

As the seconds ticked by the half-saiyan shifted in his seat, looked around the forest, sneezed once, yawned, and then turned to Krillin as he said, "This is a little boring."

"That's what I said," Yamcha immediately answered.

"You gotta give it a chance Gohan, there's a lot more to this than just sitting still."

"There is?"

"Yes, you can't rush it you need to take your time, go too fast or lose concentration and you'll just end up missing your chance. Here, try closing your eyes."

"But then I can't see the fish."

"Just trust me."

The boy obeyed and closed his eyes, leaving him uncertain as to the point of all this.

"Now, I want you to listen carefully."

"… to what?"

"To everything."

Still puzzled but willing, Gohan went quiet.

"What are you teaching this kid?" Yajirobi asked, getting hungrier by the second.

"Ssssshhhhh he's concentrating."

A soft wind rolled through the group, lightly touching each of them. The river continued its course through the forest, a bird nearby fluttered down onto a branch while chirping a call. The young boy recognized the variety of sounds having been raised so far from civilization, yet in this moment they seemed louder than usual.

"What do you hear Gohan?"

"…I…a lot."

"Good, now try to focus your attention on what matters the most, the fish."

Trying his best, Gohan directed his senses on the river in front of him. He could hear a series of small splashes as the various fish swam through the river's stream. He could hear his lure bob on the river's surface, and the small shift in the water as a large fish caught sight of the boy's fishing line. In one motion, the river monster snapped and caught the lure in one bite. As the pole bent from the fish's tugs, Gohan's deep focus came apart, his eyes opening wide.

"Whoa, Gohan's got one!" Yamcha cried happily.

"I do?" Gohan asked the massive tugs from the water beast doing extraordinarily little against the half-saiyan's strength.

"Nice work," Krillin nodded. "Now pull it in when you're ready."

"A-alright."

Almost lazily the boy yanked the fish upward and out of the water, still careful not to use all his strength, but still enough to bring the massive fish out of the water and into the air.

"Catch it!" Yajirobi yelled, terrified that the food was going to go to waste.

Thankfully, the fish was caught before it could hit the ground or back into the water, but not by any of the humans or the half-saiyan. Instead, the fishing line was snagged by a familiar namekian who grabbed it and held the catch high, floating just above the river bend. He also held the carcass of a large dinosaur he had caught over his shoulder.

"Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan shouted, his eyes lighting up.

Kami's other half landed, bringing the still wiggling fish with him as well as his own dinner. Dropping the great beast off to his side with a heavy thud, Piccolo eyed Krillin and offered a small nod before Gohan dashed up to him.

"Mr. Piccolo! I didn't know you were coming!"

"I…was invited," The namekian said a little awkwardly. "I brought more food."

"That looks great!" Gohan said, inspecting the dinosaur catch. "My mom can cook this too!"

"Why don't you show her your catch, and what Piccolo brought?" Krillin said, standing up. "She may need some help cooking the fish and this."

"Okay!" The half-saiyan grinned, grabbing the dinosaur and fish before making his way to his mother.

"You made it," the monk said to the namekian once Gohan was out of sight.

"So, it seems," Piccolo answered, crossing his arms. "Having King Kai annoy me until I answered is a tactic I'd prefer you reserve for our enemies."

"Whatever works."

"Humph," Piccolo snorted.

"Yo demon king," said the samurai, his eyes not leaving the water. "You going to help us fish?"

"No."

"Guess we found someone lazier than you, Yajirobi." The baseball star teased.

"Shut up."

"I'm here to see if there is an update to Cold's whereabouts, nothing more," Piccolo said with a frown.

"What's the dinosaur for then?" Yamcha said with a grin.

Piccolo grew quiet.

"Cold hasn't made any movement towards Earth yet," Krillin said, picking up the pole Gohan had dropped and taking his place. "King Kai hasn't been able to locate Goku or Nail either, we're just in a waiting game as we prepare."

"Are we prepared?" Kami's other half asked with some bite. "It looks as if you three have opted to spend your time relaxing instead of training."

"Can't train every day," Krillin said, closing his eyes as he continued to fish. "You'll only do more harm to yourself than good."

"That's only the case if you're human."

"Fair point," the monk said, eyes still closed. "Too bad all the training in the world won't change that."

Piccolo opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by a series of instructions by the monk. "Yamcha, you've got one coming up on the left Yajirobi just a little to the right." Wordlessly, the two other humans let their fishing lines drift in the direction they were told. Seconds later both lines went taut and with a quick yank, two more fishes were added to the menu.

"That would be impressive if our enemy lived underwater."

"If you think that's good, you should join us on the lookout," Krillin said, feeling out a fish of his own before pulling it out of the water effortlessly. "If you're curious about how our training is going, that is."

"The day I go to Kami willingly is the day you'll know the Earth is doomed," Piccolo snorted.

"Suit yourself."

An unspoken quiet settled itself onto the group, with the three humans continued to fish and the namekian watching over them. Scanning the monk's back as he fished, Piccolo could sense a calmness in his careful actions. Compared to the broken human he had seen on the trip back from Namek, this one seemed at peace.

"Uh oh," Yajirobi said, looking behind him for a moment. "Here comes trouble."

The others turned to see Chichi walking towards them with Gohan in tow.

"Gohan tells me the fishing is going well."

"A little slow, to be honest," Yamcha yawned. "But we'll get there."

"Well, you have the time. Just came over to tell you dinner is going to take a little longer than expected. I've got more to cook than I thought."

"Kill me now," Yajirobi sniffed as his stomach growled.

"It'll be worth the wait Yajirobi Chichi's the best cook I know."

"Thank you, Krillin," the ox princess said before eyeing up Piccolo carefully.

"Can I help you?"

"I don't like you and I don't like that you are here," the ox princess said, poking the namekian in the chest. "But Gohan seems to care for you and Krillin has insisted you have changed. That is good enough for me now, but if you betray that trust, you are done. Are we clear?"

"… yes."

"Good, I'll be back to check on you all soon."

With nothing else to say, Chichi left the others and once she was out of earshot, a hearty laugh replaced the quiet.

"Man! She is fearless!" Yamcha grinned.

"You're scaring the fish away," Yajirobi glared, his focus still on making sure dinner arrived sooner.

"Sorry, are you holding up alright, demon king?"

"I am fine," Piccolo with a sharp glare.

"It's okay Mr. Piccolo I know mom can be scary sometimes," Gohan said his concern easy to hear.

The namekian growled and said nothing else.

"Hey, Gohan, I had an idea," Krillin said "Would you like to show Piccolo how much progress you've made?"

"Yeah, that would be great!"

"What, you're just going to the leave all the fishing to us?" Yajirobi asked in surprise.

"Be back in a second," the monk replied, pulling his fishing line out of the water and setting it to the side. "Gohan, do you want to show Piccolo how we train?"

"Sure!" Gohan said, growing more excited and pointing to a spot next to him. "Mr. Piccolo, can you sit right here?"

"Is there a point to this?"

"Guess you'll have to find out." Krillin grinned.

With a half-hearted sigh, the namekian followed the instructions and sat next to the boy.

"What's next, Gohan?" Krillin asked joining them in a half-circle.

"Close your eyes Mr. Piccolo, and try to imagine yourself in your head while also sitting still."

The monk watched Kami's other half close his eyes and begin shifting, his energy fueled more by curiosity than anything else. Sensing that the namekian had followed the steps, and that Gohan had joined him, Krillin closed his eyes himself, quickly finding the space that existed between the three of them.

"… what is this?" Piccolo asked, looking around the scenery in his mind.

They had pulled him into an area that filled every direction with blue. The immediate sky above him was devoid of clouds and seemed to stretch endlessly. The floor was composed of a water-like surface, rippling with every step the namekian took. With the floor being the same color as the wide clear blue above, Piccolo had a hard time knowing if he was standing on the sky itself.

"It's called image training," Krillin said to his shocked companion. "It's a space that exists inside the mind of someone able to use ki. Easy way to train without leaving the comfort of your own home."

"Doesn't explain why this place looks like we're at the bottom of the ocean."

"I can modify the space," the monk said, waving a hand and changing the blue into a lighter shade. "Feel like blue gives it a warmer feel. Plus, I like the water."

"I suppose that explains it. Mind telling me why we are here?"

"So Gohan can show you something."

Directing the namekian's attention to the half-saiyan standing perfectly still. The boy was calmly breathing in and out in a steady tempo.

"Ready?"

"Yep," The half-saiyan nodded, eyes still closed.

"I'm right here if you need me."

Nodding again before diving deeper into himself, the boy started raising his ki steadily, the water-like substance rippling. Gritting his teeth as his power manifested itself, a bright golden aura encased Gohan, generating enough force that the small waves grew in intensity. Piccolo's eyes went wide as the bright aura seemed to intertwine with the boy's hair, causing them to stiffen and point upward. The ripples in the water had transformed into small waves battering against the legs of both the human and namekian as they watched the transformation in silence.

With a shout that echoed through the space, Gohan's black hair dyed itself into a bright gold as his aura multiplied in size. As the half-saiyan relaxed his stance the water calmed somewhat, yet continued to pulse as the boy's aura fluctuated. Slowly Gohan opened his eyes to reveal they now held a splash of green.

"That's… the super saiyan?" Piccolo said, unable to suppress his surprise.

"Yamcha and Yajirobi already saw this, so it's your turn. What do you think?"

"… it's overwhelming."

It was the only word to describe the feeling as his senses struggled to comprehend the massive amount of energy rolling out from the half-saiyan.

"How are you feeling, Gohan?"

"I'm… alright," the boy grunted as he shifted in discomfort. "Still a little dizzy though."

"Want to try a quick run?" Krillin asked. "Might help clear your head."

"Yeah that'd be fun!" Gohan said with several nods, his golden hair bouncing.

The monk waved a hand while concentrating and a pillar of light miles away extended upward into the blue. "You know the drill. Touch the light, then get back here. I'll time you."

"Okay!" the boy said, settling into a runner's start.

"Remember, no flying," the monk said, raising a hand. "On my mark… go!"

With a burst of speed that nearly shattered the space by itself, Gohan was already out of sight by the time Krillin had finished swinging his arm down. The acceleration kicked up a small wave of water that washed over Krillin and Piccolo as small wisps of the golden aura faded.

"I did not intend to be drenched while still clothed," Piccolo said, ringing out the water from his cape.

"It's not real so you'll be dry when we leave," Krillin said, shaking his hands out.

"Now I understand why you and the others have been so calm about this," the namekian said, trying to track the boy and failing. "With Gohan's power we stand a much better chance at killing Cold."

The monk sighed, "He doesn't have full control over it yet."

"No? He seems to handle it well enough."

"In here yes, but out there he's not able to transform at all."

"What?"

"We've been trying, but I think there's a mental block or something," Krillin said, crossing his arms. "He feels safe, more in control during training here but withers when he tries out there. He's made a lot of progress, but his fear is holding him back. Not sure how'd he handle an actual fight."

"Then, what's the plan?"

"Keep training. He's told me he wants to help, so it's our job to make sure he can."

Piccolo crossed his arms. "Will that be enough?"

"Not sure, but it's not the only plan I've come up with."

Before the namekian could comment, a blur of gold moving faster than he could see dashed up to them and stopped short. The sudden deceleration parting the imaginary water around them.

"Time!" Gohan shouted.

"About seven seconds," Krillin said without missing a beat. "That's an improvement."

"Yes," the half-saiyan said with a wide grin. "What's next Mr. Krillin?"

"Now, let's catch some dinner."


A series of knocks echoed through King's chamber, breaking the dog's focus as he had been looking over a fresh stack of documents.

"Enter," King said, putting down the paper along with the others clustered around his desk.

With a swift motion and an elegant stride, the King's most trusted agent confidently entered the room before shifting to a respectful bow. "Your majesty."

"You've returned," King said, his focus renewed and directed completely on the man in black. "With news, I hope."

"Of course, what would you like to hear first?"

"Do you have anything on him?"

"Our Mr. B remains as elusive as ever," the man in black said with a sigh. "Based on your conversations with him my first instinct was to investigate his martial arts background. That led me to the World Tournament or Tenkaichi Budōkai. Any self-respecting martial artist would be sure to make an appearance."

"I've heard of those," King said with a nod. "Did you find anything?"

"It was a dead end. The new champion, while talented, did not show any abilities beyond human. However, looking into the tournament's history there was a sign that was not always the case."

"Explain."

"The World Tournament used to be held annually yet there was a massive explosion towards the end 23rd wiping away all records and recordings of previous fights."

"An explosion? Was anyone hurt?"

"Records say no and after some digging the whole incident seems to be attributed to a gas leak."

"That seems far-fetched."

"I agree, but authorities concluded it made the most sense at the time as a handful of spectators were talking quote 'nonsense'. Such as the return of the demon king."

King's eyes went wide. "Could that be true?"

"Doubtful. This was years ago and if he returned, we would have heard about it by now. Regardless, the trail goes cold there. Thankfully, Mr. B is not the only one I have been following," the man in black said as he removed two photos from his jacket pocket and splayed them out on the King's desk.

"This is-" King said picking up a photo which held Yamcha in his full baseball uniform during a game. With a bat held high, it was clear this picture was taken during the middle of practice. "A baseball player?"

"That would be Yamcha, shortstop for the Taitan's."

"Don't have a lot of time for baseball but the name. I think I've heard that name before," King said, studying the picture.

"Not surprising as he's the best player in the history of the game."

"He's that good?"

"Yes, the man seems incapable of missing a hit or dropping a catch. It's the ease that he does all of this that caught my attention. With him, on the team, the Taitan's have been to the World Series three years in a row, undefeated. And they are on track to do it again. Or they would have been if he hadn't mysterious disappeared."

"Not to belittle your findings but we are looking for something more than a good player for a baseball team."

"He's far more than just 'good' your majesty. However, there's more," the man said, pointing to Yamcha's eye patch in the photo. "The Wolf didn't have this at the start of his career. When he disappeared for more than a year, he returned to the game having lost an eye. He has not explained his injury or where he went. Yet he has not slowed down at all. He is performing at a greater ease of play than before. Normally, an injury like that would mean the end of the game, but he seems to have taken it in stride. His capabilities, they could go beyond what a human is capable of."

"What are you getting at?"

"The timeline fits." The man nodded. "It's a little broad but his disappearance is long enough to include both the alien invasion and the time Mr. B was off-world. We know he endured intense fighting with allies at his side. The Wolf, or, Yamcha could have been one of them."

"It's a stretch." King's eyes narrowed as he studied the photo with greater care than before. "But I trust your instincts. Keep on him."

"Yes, sir."

"Then next is-" The dog trailed off picking up the next photo a picture of Launch in a capsule corp uniform her blue hair flowing free. "A woman?"

"That would be Launch, your majesty," the man in black pointed out. "I've been tracking her for a while now."

"Odd, I was under the impression she had blond hair."

"She does, it's a rare condition where she seems to swap personalities whenever she sneezes. The trigger transforms both her mental state and physical appearance."

"That's… unusual, though I suppose not the most unusual thing we have discussed here. Why is she wearing a Capsule Corp uniform?"

"She's been hired to work there, sir, as a bodyguard and security detail."

"Is that so? I'm surprised Dr. Briefs would hire her given her history."

"He hasn't. Launch has been working exclusively for Dr. Brief's daughter for the past few months. One Bulma Briefs."

"Curious," King said, examining the picture. "Mr. B named Launch as a friend, but why would the daughter of the greatest inventor in history hire a known criminal? Surely she could find someone more qualified."

"That, I may be able to answer," the man said, pulling out another photo and placing it on the desk. It was Bulma talking with Launch, her hair now blond. They stood just outside of the Capsule Corporation and appeared to be laughing at something together. "They're friends."

"Could it be that simple?"

"It seems to be, through that line of thinking could lead one to assume Mr. B has connections with the Capsule Corporation itself."

"You are not saying, do you believe Bulma Briefs has the same abilities as him?"

"Unclear, but I've been tracking her movements, and she's working on something. Something big."

"Do you have any idea what?"

"No sir, not at the moment but I'll look into it more."

King sighed heavily. "… I feel like we're just fumbling in the dark."

"As long as you keep me on them, we'll have more answers soon," the man said in a tone heavy with confidence.

"Yes, I suppose that is all we can do for now," King said, standing up from his chair and walking over to a nearby window. "It's been months since our last conversation. He restored a dead city with its citizens and briefly spoke of a new invasion in an almost casual tone. How he knows these things and how he accomplishes everything is unknown, leaving us to deal with the aftermath."

A hard silence grew between the two before breaking until King spoke again. "How fares East City?"

"Not well. With the conclusion of the study, we can confirm that we have accounted every citizen and they appear to have no alterations to their bodies or minds. Yet," the man said, almost matching the king with a sigh of his own. "The other cities have all but made East City a pariah."

"Instead of celebration, thousands return to a life where their neighbors cannot trust them. Every tragedy, big or small since the miracle, has been questioned, why only East City? Why have they returned and no one else? We fear the unknown, and that fear has transformed the miracle into a nightmare. Confused and scared they looked to me for answers, and I failed them because I have none."

"You told them the truth."

"It's not what they wanted to hear," King said taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "They wanted reassurance, yet the truth is that the unnamed hero who saved us before brought about the miracle, and despite the calls for answers I do not know how. That is not good enough for the people of Earth and they know it." The dog let out a low growl as he slammed a fist on the wall. "I am King, yet completely incapable of protecting the residents of this planet from threats I cannot comprehend. As deep as our debt to him is, we cannot be an afterthought, we cannot afford it."

King put his glasses back on and returned to his seat while locking eyes with the man in black. "Change is coming to Earth. I can feel it. We must be prepared for anything. I need you at your best."

"You have it." The man bowed. "That and more."

"Thank you. What is your next move?"

"Aside from us he's had limited contact with the rest of the world but there is one more individual I can go to for answers we may not have."

"Who?"

The man pulled out another photo and placed it on the king's desk with the others. "One former TV reporter who briefly reported at the scene of the invasion and tried to sell us his findings. Mr. Barry Walters."


"Dinner is served!" Chichi said throwing her arms wide to better display the table jampacked with food.

It had been hours in the making, but the ox princess had been hard at work putting together a veritable feast for her son and the others. She had taken the fish and other ingredients brought from home to make a spread that would have even given her husband pause.

"It's beautiful," Yajirobi said, his voice cracking a little.

"Why thank you," Chichi said with a smile. "You worked hard for this so dig in."

That was all the invitation the wide warrior needed. Quickly finding a plate and the utensils needed Yajirobi ate, as if he never had before.

"It was all worth it," the samurai said, almost on the verge of tears as he dug in.

"Save some for the kid, you glutton," Yamcha said, rolling his eyes. "It's his day you know."

"Think he's fine," Krillin said, looking over to Gohan, who was easily keeping pace with Yajirobi. "Takes after his father."

"Gohan, don't forget to use your utensils," Chichi said sternly while offering her son a fork and knife.

"Sorry mom," the half-saiyan said taking the silverware his mouth coated with food. "Foods delicious!"

"Thank you, sweetheart," Chichi smiled before offering a smaller selection of food for the baseball star. "I put plates aside for the people with normal appetites."

"Oh, uh, thank you," Yamcha said a surprised at the gesture. "But what kind of fighter would I be if I backed down from a challe- how is the fish half gone already?!"

"Cause you're slow," Yajirobi said between bites.

"That's it! Move over!" The wolf cried as he leaped into the fight.

Krillin laughed at the chaos before turning back to the silent namekian by his side. "Thanks for the help."

The monk got a snort as an answer, but the sound of a Capsule Corp airplane flying overhead stopped any further conversation. Bulma's trademark yellow ship found a wide enough spot and settled down for a comfortable landing. Within moments a side door slid open, and a blue-haired Launch bounded out with a wide smile. Attached to her ear and covering one eye was a scouter with the same capsule corp logo as the jacket she wore.

"Heeeey!" she said, waving to the others while jogging over.

"Hi Launch," Krillin said with a smile of his own. "Welcome to the party."

"Thank you! This spot is beautiful!"

"Gohan picked it he's got a good eye. Did you get lost at all?"

"Nope, the scouter Ms. Briefs gave me helped a lot."

"Do you really have to call her Ms. Briefs at work?"

"Well, she's my boss and I think it's respectful. She also sends her regards but won't be able to come, there's too much to do."

"She's been doing that a lot lately," Krillin said, frowning. "Is everything alright?"

"She's okay, but she spends most of her time in the lab just working."

"Hm, I should check on her."

"I can pencil you in!" Launch grinned. "By the way, where is Gohan? I've got the ca-"

Launch stopped as she realized that Piccolo was standing right next to her. "A-ah he-hello Pi-Piccolo," the woman said, her voice scattering under her nerves. "How, how are you to-today?"

"…fine."

"That's n-nice."

"… you had blond hair before," Piccolo noted while glaring at the woman. "It has changed."

"Ah, y-yes it's a condition of mine," Launch said slowly getting control of her voice. "I, um, change a bit when I sneeze. My hair and my uh attitude shift to a different person, it's still me but I switch now and then."

"I see."

Once more, quiet took hold of the conversation.

"Gohan is with the others inhaling the food if you want to say hi," Krillin said, pointing out the nearby table with quickly disappearing dishes.

"I do, but I should get the ca-"

Krillin cut her off by placing a finger on his mouth. "Careful, he may hear. Piccolo and I can get it."

"A-alright then," Launch said with a sigh of relief. "Thank you, it's in the back."

Almost running away, Launch made her way towards Chichi, Gohan, Yamcha, and Yajirobi as their feast continued.

"Rather timid."

"Can you blame her? Don't worry she'll warm up to you," Krillin answered, already walking over to the airship. "Come on, let's go see what she brought."

Inside, the ship held a large box towards the back, properly tied down so it could survive the trip.

"Wow, it's bigger than I thought it'd be." The monk whistled. "Here you take that side and I'll take this one." The human went over to the far side of the box and squatted down, preparing himself to lift. "You going to help or what?"

"Why are you being so carefree about this?"

He was expecting the question sooner in the day. In fact, he was ready for it as soon as Piccolo had arrived.

"Don't gloss over the issue either. The planet is at stake, and you are treating it like a joke. We are running out of time."

He waited to ask when we were alone, to spare my feelings? Or to make sure the others did not see him questioning the leader?

Regardless of the reason, Krillin stood back up to face the namekian, his answer already prepared.

"I'm only half here."

"Explain," Piccolo demanded, his tone sharp.

"I told you on the ship coming back, right? With Namek gone, the only way for the Earth to have dragonballs is if I become the next Guardian. To do that, Kami explained I would have to stay on the lookout, that pretty much means I wouldn't be able to leave."

"Yet here you are. Why?"

Krillin laughed. "Because I can do both."

Piccolo's eyes narrowed as he thought about what the human had just said, his eyes growing wider as he put the pieces together.

"You're on the lookout right now, aren't you?"

"Training as we speak."

As Piccolo's surprise faded, he refocused on the monk in front of him. He was tense as if he were in a deep concentration, yet his movements were also light, as if he were gliding. The combination resulted in a balance that shared a depth Piccolo had never seen on the human before.

"That's why your energy is so much weaker," Piccolo said, more for himself than the monk.

"Most of me is up there," the monk said casually, pointing skyward. "But I'm the original."

"… why?"

"Because I can't just fight for the rest of my life," Krillin said softly. "Because I wanted to be here with everyone else."

"Do the others know?"

"They do," Krillin said, returning to the large box. "Yajirobi and Yamcha train on the lookout regularly."

"I could tell that much," Piccolo said, crossing his arms. "I sensed their energy first when I was tracking you."

"They wanted to keep up with you."

"Humph, then they need to work harder."

"Could you say that if you fought both of them at the same time?"

The namekian grew silent.

"Why won't you join us on the lookout?" The monk asked, figuring it was his turn for an intrusive question. "Do you really hate Kami that much?"

"As if it's a secret," The namekian spat.

"Is that going to stop you? You've gotten a lot stronger training on your own but if you were with us-"

"It will not happen human so drop it."

"… then it looks like we both have things we won't do."

Piccolo scoffed, but his brow furrowed and Krillin could tell he was deep in thought. So Krillin gave the namekian enough time to string together his words and the space to speak again. "He cut me out. Or rather he cut out King Piccolo along with me."

"Kami did?"

"He craved the power of the guardian so deeply he cut us out and left us to rot while he looked down from up high. Why should I go crawling back to him? I don't need him."

So that's the reason. "You were alone."

"I prefer it. Unlike you, I don't see that as a weakness."

"Perhaps not, but being here with the others. It could be a strength. You know for a fact we're stronger together."

"It's more important you know that," Piccolo seethed. "If Gohan is threatened, are you going to rush off on your own? What if your emotions get the better of you once again? What's stopping you from risking everything?"

"You, I hope."

"And why on Earth would you listen to me this time?"

"Because I consider you a friend."

Krillin had successfully stunned Piccolo into silence.

"We are going to win, but I can't do it on my own," the monk continued will looking deep into the namekian "I've been working on listening more, both down here and on the lookout. There's no doubt I'll make mistakes again in the future. I need people to tell me when I'm wrong and this time I'll listen. So, I need friends. I need you. Will you help?"

"A-as if I have a choice," Piccolo said, trying to keep his voice sharp. "I'd rather not be killed along with the planet."

"Good, then we can start by getting this cake ready."


Hunched over several blueprints, the withered man sharp eyes scanned the documents for flaws. His brilliant mind raced in a million different directions, all in service to his one goal.

"Computer."

The order came out harshly as several lights flickered on, lighting up the dark cave the broken man had lived in.

"Yes, doctor?"

"Report."

"They are gathered several miles away from the home of Son Goku. They have made camp and are currently cooking outdoors in the nearby forest."

"What are they doing?"

"Conversing, training, celebrating."

"Celebrating? Ah, that is right that is today, isn't it? How quaint."

"There was a brief spar earlier in the day. Son Goku's son has made considerable progress."

"Is that so? How does he compare to your projects?"

"He will not be an issue."

"Good, progress update."

"Android 13 57% complete, Android 14 64% complete, Android 15 78% complete, Android 19 43% complete."

"Excellent, have they divulged the location of this lookout they keep mentioning?"

"Negative."

The old man growled for a moment. "It's in the sky somewhere, but the cameras can't follow them that far. Whatever training they are undergoing cannot be seen. I will need to improve them." The doctor fell silent before a fierce grin took to his face. "No matter, no amount will be enough. Any news on Son Goku's whereabouts?"

"Negative."

"And the other saiyan?"

"No movement."

"Interesting. He hasn't interacted with the others at all. Still, we cannot leave him to his own devices for too long."

"Have you decided on the first target?"

"No, finish your projects I shall make my choice when they are complete."

"Of course, doctor."

"Return to your work."

The computer's lights danced before dimming, and the aged man's eyes returned to his blueprints.

"Now then, which one of you it will be?"

A wild grin took over the man's face as he scanned the shortlist of projects he was personally handling.

"Which one of you will make Son Goku's life a living hell?"


As evening fell, the feast had ended. With the sky now dyed a warm orange and the guests fed and chatted, the time had come for the centerpiece of the day. Taking up most of the space on the table, Krillin and Piccolo worked together to remove the box surrounding the cake and reveal a giant dessert. The cake cooked up by the finest bakers the capsule corporation could find.

"It looks amazing!" The half-saiyan said with bright wide eyes.

"Oh, I'm so happy to hear that!" Launch said with a smile. "Ms. Briefs made sure that it came out perfectly."

"It certainly is impressive," Chichi said with a critical eye. "A bit much for my tastes would have used less chocolate."

"You cooked everything else, Chichi," Krillin laughed while setting up the candles. "Let someone else take a turn."

"I know what my boy likes," she scoffed.

"More food?" Yamcha chocked holding his stomach in light pain. "Why is there more food?"

"You're not hungry?" Yajirobi asked, finding a new plate.

"Of course not!"

"Your loss."

"Just a quick reminder Yajirobi, Gohan gets the first slice," Krillin said.

"Fine."

"Would you like a piece of cake, Mr. Piccolo?" Gohan asked the namekian.

"…perhaps."

"Then I'll get you a plate!"

"Alright that should do it," the monk said, looking at his placement of candles. "Just need to light these and we'll"-

The familiar sound of a hovercar driving across the river cut the conversation short as the ox princess redirected her annoyance to the approaching car.

"There he is!"

The car pulled up as Ox-King quickly jumped out, a large package held close to his side. "Hey everyone!"

"Grandpa!" the boy said, running up to the large man.

"Hey little man!" The bear of a man said, scooping up his grandson with one arm.

"You're late dad," Chichi said with her arms crossed. "You almost missed Gohan's cake."

"Haha, sorry, I was picking this up and lost track of time," Ox-King said, holding out the package.

"What is it?"

"Well, open it and find out," The Grandfather said, setting the half-saiyan back down and handing him his gift. "It's for you after all."

Wasting no time, the young boy tore into his present, quickly digging into the package before pulling out an orange gi with the symbol of the turtle on both its back and front.

"Wow," Gohan whispered, looking over the uniform in awe.

"Where did you get this?" Krillin asked in surprise.

"I still had my uniform from when I trained under Master Roshi lying around the castle. Picked it up and found a tailor in the city that could recreate it in Gohan's size. The problem was I used your address Chichi. The poor delivery man got lost for hours looking for your place and I spent hours waiting for him at mine!" Ox-King laughed and looked at his grandson. "Do you like it?"

"It's… it's mine?"

"Of course! I asked for Master Roshi's blessing before this. Put that on and you'll be wearing the same gi your father did, as well as Krillin here."

"What am I, chopped liver?" The baseball star asked before his stomach rolled. "… don't think about food, Yamcha."

"I had no idea he agreed to this," the monk said, looking over the gi ignoring Yamcha's groans. "He said nothing about it to me."

"Maybe he wanted it to be a surprise for you too."

"More likely he just forgot." Krillin chuckled. "So, Gohan, want to try it on?"

Gohan looked over at the gi one last time before he rewarded the monk with the broadest smile he had seen out of the boy. "Yeah!"

Throwing the gi over his clothes, the half-saiyan quickly dressed himself. Soon, only the belt remained.

"Hold on Gohan, let me," the monk said, picking up the belt himself. "You know, there's a saying that the turtle school follows that Master Roshi once shared with me and your father." As he spoke, Krillin straightened out the belt and wrapped it around the boy. There was an air of confidence in the monk's movements, having done this exact motion countless times before. "Work hard, study well, eat and sleep plenty. That's the Turtle Hermit way to learn."

"Can't imagine Goku actually studying," Yajirobi said with a sly smile.

"They're more guidelines than anything else," Krillin laughed.

"Do you follow them, Mr. Krillin?"

"I try," he said as he started on the belt knot. "The reason I'm telling you this is that you're going to have to make a lot of decisions in your life. Choices that will stay with you both good and bad. So, you're ever uncertain about where to go or what to do, well there are worse ways to live life than the Turtle Hermit way."

With a firm tug, Krillin finished the belt knot and took a step back to get a better look at the half-saiyan.

"How's it fit?"

"It's perfect!" Gohan said after looking over himself.

Krillin smiled. "Got to agree, it looks good on you."

The monk paused as he watched the half-saiyan bound around in his new uniform. A soft calm enveloping him as the group of friends and family surrounded the boy. The same boy who just months ago had been so frightened of himself that going outside of his room terrified him. The boy whose nightmares had burned a hole into his wall. Yet now here he was, with the hole repaired, training with others, and laughing with his family. With the future uncertain, the moment became a comfort.

Happy Birthday, Gohan. Krillin said to himself as he started to light the candles on the cake.

"Krillin"

A voice in his head stopping the monk cold for a moment, but only a moment. Refocusing, he continued lighting as he answered.

"King Kai"

"I have an update for you. Cold is on the move."

"How long do we have?"

"Ten days."

"Less than I was hoping for."

"Are you prepared?"

"Still a few things we can do with that time, but we will be. Any sign of Goku or Nail?"

"No, I fear I won't be able to find them. Even if I did, they may not get to Earth in time to help."

"That won't be a problem," Krillin said, lighting the last candle and turning to look at the others. "Tomorrow we'll start our final preparations."

They had gathered around Gohan, who was testing out his new gi with several practice punches and kicks. Chichi beamed with pride as Ox-King hoisted the boy onto his shoulder, causing the half-saiyan to laugh again. The sound was vibrant and filled with joy. It gave Krillin a new resolve, firm determination, and calm strength.

"Today, we live."