A brilliant, glowing orb moved fast through the cold and dark space. The glimmering machine traveled with great speed toward its designated destination. It spun and swirled as it avoided collision with a formation of asteroids in its way and continued the journey to the blue planet up ahead. Once it reached and penetrated the world's atmosphere, the round object became engulfed by scorching flames. The fireball gained more speed due to the planet's gravity and crashed against solid ground, creating a crater. The engine slowly died out while the smoke soared into the vast, blue sky. A mere second later, the small gate began to open and lowered on the ground, allowing the passenger to get out.
Standing tall was a rough-looking man with long, black hair. As he took his first breath, he shut his eyes and stretched his neck. Suddenly, the stranger began to levitate and flew out of the hole. Upon touching solid ground, he opened his eyes and revealed the fierce look in those dark orbs. He inspected the entire area before raising a hand to press a little red button on the small device attached to his left side.
Strangely, yellow letters kept scrolling and changing on the green screen. The man adjusted the loose gauntlets. After a couple of seconds of waiting, the letters stopped changing. He focused on the screen and read the information out loud.
"Hn. Population numbers are low, barely over a thousand. And the power levels seem below average. It appears Kakarot was successful in his task."
A little smirk appeared on the stranger's face as he pressed the button again. "Now, to isolate and locate the strongest power... Hm. There's someone powerful located far in the east. That better be you, Kakarot!" The long-haired man flew across the sky, firmly determined to find the one called Kakarot.
During his flight, the stranger couldn't help but wonder if the power level belonged to the person he was looking for. Doubts crept into his mind; after all, over two decades passed since he last saw him. He also considered other elements, and his optimism quickly began to dwindle. The man clenched his teeth out of frustration because he knew if he failed to retrieve Kakarot, others would ridicule and scold him for failing again.
He shook his head and tried to think more positively. However, the device suddenly came to life. "Huh!? The power level dropped and disappeared! How's that possible?" His loud and angry voice echoed across the sky while he repeatedly pressed the button.
"Tch! Useless piece of... The freaking scouter's malfunctioning!"
Without the device working correctly, he couldn't locate the person. "Blasted thing! Now I'll have to find Kakarot the old-fashioned way..." Annoyed, he let out a growl as he continued the flight.
On his way to the last shown location, he flew over a large jungle, lakes, green valleys, and villages with people. He scoffed at the Earthlings' miserable presence but wondered how and why some of them were still alive. Since he was curious and Kakarot's last known location was nearby, the stranger swirled and headed toward the small town.
As he touched the ground, his eyes immediately scanned the entire area. People around him whispered and walked away from him, on which he smirked. While walking around town, he stumbled upon a statue. The statue was made of stone and had something engraved upon it.
"The evidence of those brave and bold heroes who fought against the terror of the monster Goku. Terror of Goku? What the hell happened here!? And could this have any correlation to Kakarot?"
The long-haired stranger read the engraving loudly and thought of several things simultaneously. However, his attention shifted to a feeble, old man praying to the statue. He observed the quivering male until the Earthling spoke to him.
"Quite a lovely day we're having, don't we? You're another fellow who wanted to come here and thank our saviors. I'm glad people haven't forgotten about them even after ten years."
The stranger lifted a brow, surprised that the older male dared to talk to him. Fascinated by the story and curious to know what had happened on the planet, the long-haired man went along with it.
"Of course! Although I haven't witnessed much due to certain circumstances, could you tell me what happened? Who is this Goku, and how did the heroes end his evil ways?"
Suddenly, the old man gently touched his back, which aggravated the stranger, but let it be. "Oh, gladly! I often tell stories about our courageous saviors to the little ones." He forced a weak smile as the man looked at him.
"The terror of Goku started, according to some when the demon descended from a mountain in the east in the form of a giant ape-like beast. While donning the skin of a human, the monster began its killing and destruction from a young age. It killed mercilessly, no matter the age or gender. Due to its terrifying power, the wretched demon destroyed villages, towns, and cities with a simple wave of hand!"
The older male paused for a second as he needed some air. "Those who still remember the stories of the Demon King Piccolo often compare the two, but I say that Goku surpassed the Demon King both in cruelty and hunger for destruction! After all, Earth's population rapidly and heavily plummeted due to the tailed demon!" He closed both fists tightly and trembled while glaring at the ground.
"All hope seemed lost until they emerged! A fearless group of martial artists fought against the demon, who wouldn't admit defeat until he killed all of them. However, the brave heroes didn't waver! They continued to fight for years until a few sacrificed their lives to get rid of the menace called Goku that plagued the Earth once and for all."
While tears trailed down the older man's wrinkled cheeks, the stranger's eyes were wide open. "So, the heroes get rid of Goku by killing him?" His voice was low, and he looked ready to snap at any moment.
"Despite lots of people urging the King for the monster to get executed, the King decided to lock the wretched being into the deepest dungeon and have it rot in there for eternity to pay for its sins against humanity."
The long-haired man nodded. "I see. Do you perhaps know the location where they're keeping him imprisoned?" He gazed at the feeble man who resumed praying.
"Why yes, to the north in Dome City. But if you have intentions of getting into the city, good luck. Dome City is the headquarters of the military and the minister of defense! You can never enter the city unless you enroll to become a soldier."
He had more than enough information to get the hang of everything. "Thanks for the tip and the story. At least you proved to be of some use before you die." With an evil smirk, the stranger instantly vanished, leaving the old man confused.
The stranger appeared high in the sky, aimed at the town without taking too much time, and fired an energy blast. While the blast consumed and destroyed the little town, the long-haired man shifted his body to face the north.
"It seems you had quite an adventure on this mudball, Kakarot. While it's pathetic that you got defeated by some weaklings, I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself and prove you're a true Saiyan warrior!"
After flying for some time, the stranger from space reached the snow-covered north. Despite the cold temperature, the man didn't seem fazed by the weather. He ignored the falling snow and continued his flight until a faint glimmer caught his attention. The man slowed down for a second and tried to figure out the faint glimmer in the distance. However, before he could conclude what was up ahead, a pair of machines jumped out of the deep snow and caused him to halt.
"Identification needed for further advance! If unable to comply, all trespassers are required to leave immediately!"
He crossed his arms while the man's long hair swayed in the freezing wind. "Looks like the people of this rock made some technological advances. Let's test if you're anything like the combat drones used at the training stations!" He dashed forward with crossed arms and attacked the robots.
He approached the one on the left and slammed his foot right through it. A scoff escaped from his mouth as he watched the machine shut down and its wires hang outside. He swung his leg and sent it flying against the tree. The stranger turned around and grinned as he stared at the remaining machine.
"Due to high treat level, initiating combat mode! Sending an alert to base!"
Mechanical arms and legs emerged from the sides of the round machine. The stranger observed the thing with interest and allowed it to attack first. He continued to dodge and block the attacks using his legs. Once the man had enough, he leaned forward and headbutted the machine, creating a dent. He sent the thing flying forward with a spinning kick. The strike was so powerful that it seemed like the machine would fly for hours, but the object collided with something invisible and was destroyed, much to the stranger's surprise.
He immediately approached the now visible barrier. Because the machine collided with it, he could see the ripples spread across the dome. He put his palm up front and slowly closed the distance. Before his hand reached the surface, the force connected with it, but it did not affect the stranger in any ill way. He was too strong for something like that to harm him. However, he was intrigued by the Earth's technology, considering the planet's location and how isolated it was from any other advanced civilization. But, the man didn't dwell too long on it. After all, he was here for something far more important.
The man placed his palm back against the energy field, disrupting it and causing ripples. With a little push and a grunt, the barrier burst under the immense pressure of the stranger's powerful energy. With the forcefield down, the man could see the city and the people walking around. He sneered and flew forward, continuing the search for the one called Kakarot.
Meanwhile, a loud alarm rang inside a room in the highest tower. The sound frightened the guard, who fell asleep at the desk. His helmet fell off as he suddenly got woken up. Groggy and confused, he looked at the monitor before him, but only briefly. His attention shifted elsewhere when an older male with a gray beard barged into the room. Frightened, the guard immediately got up and saluted the person. However, he was ignored and shoved aside as the older male glued himself to the desk and glared at the monitor.
"Just who in their right mind would dare to launch an attack!? Could it be her party? But we had an agreement! She wouldn't dare!"
The wrinkled man fumed out of anger while he slammed his fingers against the keyboard. He stirred his blue orbs onto the screen and watched the recordings broadcasted by the outpost bots. He frowned at the sight of the long-haired stranger, who floated in the air like it was nothing. His eyes widened upon seeing how easily the machines got defeated. While sweat slowly rolled down his forehead, the man banged his fist against the table.
"It's one of those blasted martial artists! However, I had never seen him before, and we have everyone's data! Whatever! I won't let anyone stand in my way!"
He ignored the guard behind him and continued typing on the keyboard while ranting. "The world's safe because of my creations and methods! That wretched monster's locked up due to my intellect and brilliance! And I will see to it that everyone stays in their lane!" His eyes showed a glint of madness as he issued a new order.
The man backed away from the desk and adjusted the fine orange vest. He lifted his right hand and pressed the screen on his digital watch. "This is a good chance to test the new products. The last thing I want is for those annoying so-called "heroes" to show up here and look where they shouldn't!" He spoke with venom as he turned around and marched out of the room, confident his new creations would handle the problem.
At the same time, the stranger landed in the main square and was assaulted by stationed soldiers. His taking down the dome alerted everyone, and the moment he was within sight, the open fire started. However, bullets, rockets, and weak laser beams did not affect the man from space. The long-haired man sent a wave of explosion with a simple hand swing. While the explosions reflected against his dark eyes, the man couldn't help but chuckle and enjoy the show. He leaped into the air, spun around, and fired a barrage of energy blasts everywhere. His laughter echoed across the city until a platoon of bots appeared.
"Oh! More tin cans to crush!"
He dashed forward and slammed his fist against the first machine, sending it colliding with the rest. The man put his palm up front and fired a blast, which consumed most of them—those who evaded the attack scattered and attacked the stranger from all corners. Despite being assaulted from all sides, he emerged from the skirmish without a scratch and dealt with the robots without a problem.
"Hn. The combat bots used at the training stations are more resilient and stronger than these pieces of trash... I'm getting bored with this. Just where the hell are they keeping Kakarot!?"
The stranger walked away from the destroyed machines when suddenly a beam grazed his right cheek and caused an explosion behind him. His surprised expression swiftly morphed into a scowl as a pair donning a military uniform emerged from the shadows.
A chuckling, short man with medium-long hair walked into the light with his index finger pointed at the stranger. "Congratulations on besting the bots and those weaklings, but that's the end of your crusade. I suggest you drop to your knees, beg for forgiveness, and tell us why you are here." The skinny soldier adjusted his military cap while he leaned against the tank.
"Don't disrespect our comrades in such a manner, Eleven. They might be weak, but it's due to them being regular humans. That's why we were created to protect those weaker than us and put the disobeying humans on the correct path."
The deep voice came from the tall, bulky male in military boots, pants, and a brown tank top. He remained focused on the stranger while his short, spiky blonde hair swayed on the breeze. The two soldiers showed no fear or doubt and were ready to deal with the invader, who remained silent and observed the pair.
With a hand on the device, the stranger awaited the results, but much to his surprise, there were none. "Battle power zero... Is the damn thing malfunctioning again!? Whatever! There's no one on this freaking planet capable of besting me!" Confident in himself, the man stepped forward with a smirk.
As the long-haired invader slowly walked towards them, Eleven chuckled while putting a hand on the tank. He threw the massive vehicle like it was as light as a feather. The tank was about to drop on the man's head when the stranger raised a hand and blew the vehicle to ashes. Doing so allowed Eleven to close the distance and surprise the taller opponent. A punch to the midriff caused the invader to lose air and bend slightly, which gave Eleven great pleasure. The soldier proceeded with an upward elbow to the jaw and finished with a kick to the chest. The strong force propelled the male to crash against the military car.
Eleven lowered his leg and smirked while his opponent lay against the broken vehicle. "Hm. I might've used too much strength on the likes of you. After all, flesh and bone fellas break too easily." A sinister chuckle echoed across the place while the soldier played with his hat.
"Eleven! Remember our orders! We have to take him to the creator alive. If you kill him, you could potentially cease to function."
Upon hearing his companion Ten's words, the shorter soldier nodded. "Don't worry, I know. The last thing I want is to get shut down again." Eleven immediately stopped playing with the cap and put it on his head.
The soldier raised his head and gazed back at the vehicle, only to see the invader standing. "Well, would you look at that! This one's more durable than the others. I wonder how much beating he can endure before collapsing!" Eleven leaned forward and closed the distance by leaping across the ground.
While the long-haired man stood motionless, Eleven closed his fist tightly and shot it forward. A loud bang resonated across the square, and the shockwave damaged the buildings and shattered the windows. Assured in his supremacy and strength, Eleven wore an arrogant grin. However, the smirk faded once he realized he had struck the invader's palm instead of the left cheek.
"I expected more after all of that build-up. But what you showed was nothing other than a big disappointment. A waste of parts, or rather, a failure of a creation!"
Eleven's surprise disappeared, and anger took over. "Shut up! I'm not a failure! A mere human can't go toe to toe against the ultimate android! I transcend you in every category!" He swung his right leg, but that attempt got blocked as well.
The man's long hair danced on the wind while he held Eleven at bay. "For a machine, you sure sound insecure. Tell me, can a machine experience fear?" His low and menacing voice, accompanied by the vicious glint in the dark eyes, unnerved the soldier.
Abruptly, the man moved around and slammed Eleven against the concrete. He released the hold and crashed his boot into the android's gut. Dark matter flew out of the soldier's mouth after the blow. Another strike landed, sending Elven rolling across the street and crashing into the wall. The android rose and, filled with rage, screamed and rushed at the invader.
"You might be an advanced machine with a human exterior, but nothing made on this miserable rock can rival the strength of a true Saiyan warrior! I'll show you that crossing paths with us is the last thing anyone wishes to do!"
The long-haired man stepped to the side, thus avoiding the android's attack. With a determined shout, the invader lifted his knee and delivered a vicious blow to the abdomen. The force behind the strike was so powerful Eleven's mechanical right eye blew. While the humanoid machine soared high into the sky, the man flew after it and appeared behind it. The Saiyan crossed his muscular arms and kicked the android in the back, sending it crashing against the ground.
The man quickly returned to the ground and gazed at the small crater from which the android tried to pull himself out. "Still functioning? Consider me impressed. Perhaps I should take you with me and turn you into a toaster or sell you to some mad engineer?" The Saiyan raised a hand to cover his wicked grin while the laughter echoed throughout the place.
Despite wires hanging out of his skull and his broken leg, Eleven tried to crawl out of the hole. "I-I can't cease to exist! I am the next step in evolution! I-I don't want to be shut down!" The dark liquid leaked from his eyes and slid down the bruised cheeks.
The Saiyan observed Eleven's struggle until he had enough. "So it is possible for a machine to experience fear; who would have thought? Well, how unfortunate." He extended the hand forward, and just as he was about to annihilate the android, Ten materialized before him and seized his wrist.
"Oh? And what the hell do you think you can do? Are you that eager to experience what your partner did?"
Ten didn't answer. Instead, the android threw a hook at the Saiyan while still holding onto the man. The strike got blocked, on which Ten tried to land a knee, but that also got intercepted. Suddenly, the machine jumped and attempted to headbutt the enemy, but the Saiyan countered with a kick to the sides. The strike dented the mechanical skeleton, but Ten continued the fight. He finally released the hold, but the Saiyan had other ideas.
"You're not going anywhere! I'll tear you piece by piece until I get the person in charge here to tell me where's the one you call Goku!"
The long-haired Saiyan struck the chest, shattering the protective alloy around it and penetrating it. Once he pulled out his hand, he also grabbed onto the wires. He tossed them on the floor and proceeded to tear the android's left arm off the torso.
"Hn. Hope you won't miss it; I could use it as a backscratcher."
The warrior laughed as the android fought back despite losing an arm and sustaining critical damage. "Eh, your pathetic struggle bores me. And I'm actually on a tight schedule." He struck Ten with the torn arm and threw it away while the android stumbled back. The Saiyan lifted the hand and destroyed the machine with an energy attack.
The warrior looked away while ash fell to the ground and smoke soared into the sky. "With these tin cans out of the way, I can finally continue to look for Ka..." Before he could finish the sentence, the Saiyan heard a noise from behind.
As the Saiyan turned around, he saw Eleven using the last bits of his power to jump and lunge at him. The man's expression remained stoic, without a hint of worry. Instead, he swiftly extended his hand and curled his fingers around Eleven's throat. He squeezed hard, but the android glared at him, which amused the Saiyan.
"Your batteries haven't run out yet, so answer my questions. What compelled you to try and take a shot at me? Was it programming? Or seeing your comrade die?"
The android struggled but eventually spoke. "S-S-Silence... I-I... A-Acess granted... C-Control of subject Android Number Eleven routed to... Dr Gero!" Eleven's strange and distorted voice made the Saiyan suspicious. However, what next came out of the android's mouth surprised the long-haired warrior.
"Congratulations on defeating my latest pair of Androids, stranger. You displayed power I had never seen before. Just who are you? Where do you come from!? What is a Saiyan!? And what do you want with Goku!?"
The Saiyan raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the older, grumpier voice. "Hn. I don't know who you are, but I have no obligation to answer your questions. You only need to know that I will be taking Kakarot, or how you call him Goku, back to where he belongs." He added more force to the grip, which caused the neck to break.
"Insolent bastard! I don't know which hole you crawled out from, but I will ensure you pay for all the damage you caused! And as for Goku, he will stay within my grasp and continue to fuel my creations!"
Hearing that caused the Saiyan to frown. "We will see about that. I know that Kakarot's locked underground, so all I need to do is obliterate everything in my way and locate an entrance below the rubble." A wicked smirk surfaced on the man's face as he threw the android to the side.
"W-What!? You wouldn't dare do something so outrageous!?"
He brought both arms together, causing his muscles to tense up. Violet glow surrounded his frame while sparks clashed around him. "Are you sure you want to test me after everything I've done? How about you tell me where Kakarot is? I might be benevolent enough to keep you and the city from perishing." A throbbing vein surfaced over his forehead as the energy built up.
