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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: A Beautiful Star

"So…what do you have to say for yourself?"

Fires of darkness spew from the earth, blanketing the sky in sickly fog. Bones of rotten corpses litter the ground next to the plenty of fresh corpses and broken weaponry. Souls, hidden in fright, waited patiently for the chaos to end. The sounds of heels clicking against the rotten stone came in a rhythmic beat that did little to soothe the vicious air. A sharp crescent-shaped blade scratched the ground, attached to the jagged black rod, gripped firmly in the bloody polished feminine hands of a tall woman.

Her hips swayed tauntingly with each step, the perfect hour-glass figure contained within the tight form-fitting black dress. A slit stopping right below her right hip, allowing her slender legs to be in perfect view. The woman's long and sharp black hair covered her back, and the lethally pointed bangs swayed above her eyes. Her eyes were bright red, spiral rings brimming within the pupils. She smiles sadistically, purple lipstick glossing those luscious lips. In her right hand, two glowing orbs were held.

As she walks, the menacing woman passes by two bodies, both females. One had been carved up into pieces, heart and lungs torn out by what appears to be deep gash marks. The other one had all of her limbs removed, her face contorted in a delicious mixture of pain and rage.

"I'm asking because I feel like we've done this far too many times."

She reaches her destination, taking note of the monstrous creature standing over a defeated woman. Her eyes shift to the monster, taking note of the blood and near lethal injuries lining its body. It's a large, muscular humanoid creature with two forearms split at the elbow of each hand and a chainsaw protruding from each, with another chainsaw coming from the front of his head. He has horns on his head and does not appear to have visible eyes. He towers over her and possesses dark armored plates or scales that cover his entire body. An intestine still connected to his stomach is wrapped around his neck, resembling a scarf or a collar.

"Good boy!" The woman pats him on the head as if he were a dog. "You really are my little Hero of Hell, aren't you?!" Her cutesy baby talk earned her a small growl from the creature. Rolling her eyes, the deadly lady pulls away. "Fine, fine, I'll quit the baby talk. While I finish up here, you can go clean up that mess over there." She points to the various weapon-like creatures on the ground. "The only thing that prevents me from calling War a complete idiot is that she didn't bring her entire arsenal down here, though bringing the nuke was certainly a mistake on her part. Eat it just to piss her off."

Eyeing the fresh meal in front of it, the chainsaw monster slowly makes his way over to the weapons to satiate its hunger. While the Lady of Death stares down at the crumpled, barely breathing woman, below her. Any and all sadistic joy vanished, replaced by disappointment and irritation.

"Seriously, do you have nothing to say for yourself, Control? No curses, blistering glares, or speeches of revenge?" Death prattles on, staring down at the worthless body. "You managed to drag our little sisters back into this futile effort of yours." She holds up the glowing orbs. "Did you promise them power or did you just take control of them again? Honestly, it seems like you never actually plan any of this out every single time you attempt this little game."

The body twitches.

"Oh~? Did that strike a nerve? Certainly to you this may not seem like a game, but to me this is nothing but an afternoon distraction before I go to bed. Like watching a rerun of your favorite show." She kneels down, lightly stroking the soft darkened red hair. A hand reaches for her throat, but Death easily stops it with a single finger. "Ah, ah, ah, bad girl. Looks like big sis still has some lessons to teach you. The most important being…" Like a flash, the scythe tore through Control's chest, a glowing orb hanging off the tip. "Learn to accept when you've been beaten."

Death rips her weapon out and grabs Control's soul. "A lesson that you've never once been able to get through that thick skull of yours. At first, I welcomed your valiant effort to try and usurp me, especially when you dragged our little sisters into it. Our fights felt like a family reunion." A reminiscing expression briefly passes through, then replaced by exhaustion. "But you never changed. At least Famine and War had the decency to realize killing me was impossible and threw their focus elsewhere, but not you. No, you couldn't stand the idea that someone stood above you in hierarchy." She brought the sizzling orb closer. "That anyone could possess control over you. What a waste of life."

Death walks away from the rotting corpses, carrying the souls of her sisters. She threw one last glance towards the chainsaw monster. "Hey! Feel free to go back to Earth or whatever! Your services are no longer needed!"

All the monster did was give her a thumbs up as it continued eating.

"And don't eat too many Devils! The last thing I need is a bunch of shit being wiped from existence and having that stupid ogre getting on my case about it!" She turns away. When she feels trembling in her hands, the Lady of Death glances down to see Control attempting to fight back. Scoffing, Death releases a pulse of energy, quickly silencing the orb.

"You know, Control, typically I'd wipe all of your memories whenever I throw you into the reincarnation cycle. But I've come to learn that you always have backups somewhere on Earth to keep yourself from being completely reset. So, this time I'm feeling generous enough to let them stay with you." Death smiles, sensing the confusion in her problematic sister. When her eyes glowed, Control could feel a dramatic shift in her very essence. "But everything else that you have will be taken away from you. The same goes for the other two."

Using her scythe, Death tears open a rift that allows her to traverse into a hidden chamber, one filled with countless souls. She approaches a strange machine, one that was consuming soul after soul of despicable nightmarish creatures. Death drops her youngest sisters into the machine first, keeping Control secured in her hand. She brings her sister's soul up to her face, smiling devilishly at the orb. "And Control, as a final lesson, these words are something I so dearly wish for you to keep close: There's far more to life than conquest and power."

Like a stone in water, Control's orb drops into the machine, releasing a rage-filled screech that shakes the chamber. Death stood there, unbothered by her sister's farewell tantrum. She lets out a tired sigh into the air. "It's a pain having such troublesome little sisters."

As much as she wished this would bring some form of change, Death knew it was impossible. Her sisters will never change who they are, no matter what she says to them. They're still immature, young, and stupid. Unlike her, who's been around since the near beginning of existence in the universe, her sisters have only been around for a few hundred centuries. They run around doing whatever they hell they want without a care for how much trouble it causes her- "Ugh! Now I'm really starting to sound like that old fart…!"

Shaking her head, desiring alcohol to drink these thoughts away, Death turns to leave the chamber. As she does, her eyes briefly drift back to the machine. "I wonder if anything out there will ever force those girls to grow up."

"Are you sure this is okay, Bardock?"

In the dead of night, on a foreign planet far from Earth, two adults traverse in secrecy. One is a tall muscular man with black hair. His hair is unkempt with three bangs hanging to the right of his forehead and two hanging to the left. His hair also stands up in the front with five spikes and four in the back. Bardock wears black and beige battle armor with hip guards and rectangular shoulder pads, and dark blue pants. He has an X-shaped scar on his left cheek and another scar on his right bicep. Wrapped around his waist is a fuzzy brown monkey tail.

In his arms is a large round space pod with a singular red glass window. A baby's crying and pounding could be heard from within. Bardock doesn't look back at his wife as he continues walking. "It's the only thing I can think of, Gine."

Gine is a woman of below average height with a slender build. She has a lighter-pale skin complexion, onyx eyes, and shaggy black hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a sleeveless black bodysuit and dark green combat armor highlighted with bronze and outlined by white, in addition to purple armbands and white boots. Her armor also had a thigh-length hoop. Unlike her husband, her tail sways freely behind her. "Why don't we just run away together?! I'll even call Raditz and-"

"That'll just get us all killed." Bardock interrupts. "Freeza's goons will just track us with their scouters. The best we can do is send Kakarot out on his own. His power level's so small that it won't even register on their radar."

Gine's eyes soften. "What's gotten into you? It's not like a Saiyan man to care about his children. You barely gave any attention to Raditz. Why do all of this now?"

Bardock's mind flashes to a previous mission, where he could see a mother protecting her son as they hid away from the genocide destroying their home. Then to the ominous words left to him by a certain tycoon. "I…honestly still don't get it. But I've just gotten tired of doing the same old shtick again and again. It makes you wonder if there's more to life than conquest and destruction. So for once, I'll do the opposite, no matter how weird it feels." He stops, gently dropping the pod.

Inside, the crying infant stares up at his parents. His identity closely resembles that of Bardock's. His father continues to gaze at him, eyes softening slightly. "I've programmed the pod to head to a distant planet called Earth. The people there have low power levels, and their technology isn't nearly as advanced as ours. Aside from a few strange creatures that live there, Kakarot shouldn't have any issue surviving. Luckily it's not a valuable world, so the Freeza Force shouldn't even pick up on it."
Gine was barely listening, her eyes focused entirely on her youngest son. She was memorizing every last detail before the two of them could be permanently separated. Gine puts her hand on the glass, and Kakarot slowly does the same. "If your father is wrong about this, then we'll come and find you!"

"Listen, son, you do what it takes to survive!" Bardock orders. "Don't let anyone or anything stand in your way. Even if we're not there, you carry the pride of us low-class Saiyans."

Gine's eyes teared up, barely containing her emotions. "We'll see each other again… I promise."

Kakarot's hands were pressed against his parents, separated by the protective glass. He was confused and scared, wondering why his parents were abandoning him all of a sudden.

"Goodbye…Kakarot." Bardock activates the pod. He and Gine watch as their son leaves the Saiyan home world. The pod quickly ascends, becoming nothing more than a speck in the skies.

Gine races forward, reaching out for the star her son was becoming. "DON'T FORGET US, KAKAROT!"

Unfortunately for the young mother, her hand would never reach her sons again. The universe had already decided on the fate of the Saiyan race, a cruel punishment for the sins committed by them since their beginning. Their ruler and master, Emperor Freeza of the Galactic Trade Organization, would put an end to the Saiyans on the following day, wiping them and their planet from existence.

Only a handful of Saiyans remain, unaware of the true fate that befell their people.

Traversing through space, heading towards a planet uncertain, young Kakarot fell into a slumber, unaware of the light his presence would bring to the stars.

Locked away, hidden within a government facility, a small girl silently watched television. Her crimson hair drapes down her back, spilling a bit onto the rug beneath her. She sits cross legged, hands using the utensils to neatly eat away at her breakfast. The girl is careful enough to not stain her beautiful frilly black dress. Yellow eyes, stilled ring-shaped pupils within, absorb every last detail of the cartoon.

An episode of Scooby-Doo, specifically of the Where Are You show. She greatly preferred the original over some of the more recent incarnations. Not that she believed them to be awful, it's just that nothing ever beats the classics. A small smile creeps on her face as she watches the comedic antics of Shaggy and Scooby.

Observing her from the protective case of glass were a couple of government scientists. Pens scribbling on paper filled clipboards as they analyzed her behavior. Trepidation and fear hidden within the curiosity to see how the little girl ticked.

Entering the lab, a high-ranking commander makes himself known. His shaven head reflects a bit of light off the electrical lighting. Medals and patches line the chest of his uniform, speaking volumes of the military achievements. Coming in behind the commander is a younger man with short black hair. He's dressed in a low-ranking uniform of dark green colors, his face focused yet filled with youthful eagerness.

"Sir!" The scientist greet with a salute.

"Any abnormalities?" The Commander asked.

"None, sir. We've been observing her for a few days now, yet nothing seems to change. Outside a few select items she's requested, the subject has been mostly quiet."

"Objects?" The commander questions, turning his gaze to the sealed room.

A shorter, female scientist starts to explain. "She's requested merchandise related to cartoons, specifically Scooby-Doo related, dog collars, more expensive clothing, and comfort bedding."

"That's all?"

"At the moment, yes."

"I see." He certainly did find it strange that this child, if you could call her that, would request possessions so…childish. The whole point of this operation was to study her as his higher ups had ordered. Turning to his subordinate, the commander hums briefly. "Kishibe, I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter."

A small flinch is seen from the young officer, yet his posture holds perfectly. "My thoughts, sir?"

"Yes. Considering the secrecy of our operation from most branches outside of a select few, I'd like to know how you feel about this. It may help shield some insight on the continuation."

"Well, sir, I'm not too sure on what to think. From what I understand, this child one day appeared in front of several high-ranking government officials and even the Prime Minister. She reveals herself as a Devil, the kind unknown, and bargains a deal that would guarantee humanity an advantage against her own kind."

"Sounds perfect, doesn't it? But you understand something, don't you?" Commander smirks.

Kishibe nods his head. "Yes, the bargain sounds like a grace of God himself, yet it doesn't make sense how easily her words were trusted. Devils are the living embodiment of evil, monsters who pray upon humans everyday. Even if one of them decided to turn against their own kind, it's foolish to trust them so easily. This entire operation feels…"

"Like a set up." The Commander finishes. "If I were to give this a comparison, it would be like a small hare never noticing the snake creeping up from behind. We're the hare, if it wasn't obvious."

CLAP!

All of the humans froze, their bodies unable to move. Slow clapping, as if it were a mocking applause, vibrates through the lab. Against their wills, they turn to face the glass, where the little Devil herself is seen smiling. She stands on her seat, long hair fluttering softly as if levitating, and those ringed eyes were releasing a silent pulse.

"I have to say, I'm impressed that anyone managed to catch on this quickly. A part of me was hoping that this little charade could have gone on much longer, I've enjoyed my little stay. To make it easier for you to understand, this was like a vacation in a hotel for me." The girl giggles.

None of them could move or speak, but they didn't need to speak for her to understand. The fear in their eyes was more than enough to give it all away. A delicious little snack that filled her soul quite nicely.

She leaps off the chair, white flats gently touching the carpet. The girl walks towards the sealed door and opens it with a simple swipe of her hand. Such display increases the fear in the humans' hearts, an action that speaks far louder than words.

If the girl had wanted, she could have left at any time without their notice.

She stands in front, smiling like nothing was wrong. "Worry not, I have no plans on harming any of you. After all, you've been so kind during my stay here. Alas, it would seem that I must continue my plans. But before that, I'll humor you a bit." The girl scans them over before her eyes fall onto Kishibe. "You."

Suddenly, his body was his to use again. Kishibe acts without question, he tears his pistol from the holster and aims squarely at the girl's head. Multiple bullets are fired, yet to his horror, an unseen force prevents them from even reaching. She flings them back at him without even moving an inch. Impressively, the young man reacts with the reflexes of an experienced soldier.

He snatches up the second gun on his right hip and fires with precise aim. Two of the oncoming bullets were intercepted, and the final one was blocked by the barrel of the left pistol.

"Impressive." Her voice came from behind, directly into his ear. Kishibe quickly whips around with his pistols aimed. Astonishingly, there was nobody behind him. "To act with such effective quickness…" His head shoots up to see the girl floating above his head. Her eyes staring straight into his own. "It's been a long time since a human has managed to impress me this much. I like you."

When he tries to grab her, an unseen force pushes him into the floor, suffocatingly powerful. Her feet softly click as she moves to stand right over him. Kishibe's eyes glaring hateful daggers at the girl. As he grits his teeth, the young man finds himself staring straight into those devilish rings. Though yellow, those pupils of hers were a bloody red, like a nightmarish star that wished to engulf everything.

The girl continues to smile. "Once your entire government belongs to me, I'll be sure to keep you personally at my side. Every great leader needs an equally impressive right hand. But don't worry, that won't be until much later into the future. For now, none of you will even remember this entire meeting."

Kishibe hisses angrily. "W-who are you…?!"

Her finger touches his forehead, glowing softly. Even as his mind loses the memories of this entire operation, one thing will never fade away from his mind for as long as he lives.

"Makima. That is who I am."

Deep within the woods of Mt. Paozu in the country of Japan, lived a man of Chinese descent by the name of Son Gohan. He is a short, stubby old man with small dark eyes and a bushy white mustache and eyebrows and is also bald. He wears a Chinese martial arts uniform, which consists of a sleeveless orange jacket over a long-sleeved black shirt and wears a green hat.

Gohan lives in a simple hut near the top of the mountains, an area that was barely targeted by the more violent animals that reside on Mt. Paozu. But at the moment, those animals paled in comparison to his most recent discovery.

Covered in dirt and healable wounds, the old martial arts master let out an exhausted groan as he watched the small monkey-tailed child scarf down the bean paste dumplings. "What a rowdy little guy, you are."

The boy doesn't pay him any mind, focused on the food given to him.

"I don't know who you are, but you're pretty strong for a kid your age. If it weren't for my own martial arts experience, I'd have been in real danger. Plus, that tail of yours was a lucky weak point to exploit." Gohan thinks back to how he was able to disable the boy by grabbing onto his tail.

"Hm?" The boy glares at him like a territorial animal, putting a hand protectively in front of his food.

"Hoh oh oh oh! I'm not going to touch your food, boy. It's all yours." Gohan explained. Seeing as his delicious resource wasn't in danger, the strange monkey boy continued his meal.

Gohan looks him over, thinking back to that strange pod he found the child in. "I'm not sure where you're from or if you have any parents, but I'd be willing to let you live here. In fact, I'm certain I can put that abnormal strength of yours to good use by teaching you some martial arts, hm?"

He looks over, blinking owlishly at the old man. Analyzing the old man's welcoming expression, the boy remembers a similar one to that, reminiscent of his kind mother. The boy thinks of the old man's strength combined with the delicious food he was given too. Such actions earned a bit of trust. "Bah!"

"I'll take that as a 'yes', then." Gohan laughs. "Though I can't keep calling you 'boy'. Do you have a name?"

A noise came from the boy, but it was unintelligible.

"Teaching you how to speak will have to be on the list too." Gohan chuckles. "Well, if you don't have a name then I'll do the honors of giving you one." He scans the kid over, thinking hard on a name that would suit him best. "How about… Clark?"

The boy makes a face.

"Heh. We'll keep working on it."

After the formation of their strange relationship, Gohan and the monkey boy spent their days together. Raising a child, especially one as unruly as this strange kid, proved to be a great challenge for the old martial artist. The kid was a rowdy one, damn near savage when it came to attacking whatever animals dared to challenge him; and refused to listen to instructions whenever he tried to teach him. As the month drew on, Gohan was close to giving up on teaching the boy martial arts, until a certain incident occurred.

While the two of them were out picking apples and other fruits from their makeshift farm, the boy got distracted by a butterfly. He chased after it and ended up falling off a cliff, cracking his head right on a large rock.

Panic consumed Gohan's soul as he leaped down with expert grace, fearing for the child's life. To his surprise, almost like a miracle, the boy had survived the fall without much injury except for a scar on the top of his scalp. Gohan rushed him back to their home, nursing the child back to health. Surprisingly again, the child healed up pretty quickly from what should have been a fatal demise.

When the child awoke, his face brightened up like the sun above. His eyes that used to hold unwavering might were now soft like the pillows underneath him. The boy bounced on the bed, giggly and excited. When he saw Gohan enter the hut, he jumped at him, hugging the old man by the face.

"W-woah! What's gotten into you?!" Gohan laughs.

It didn't take long for Gohan to notice the complete 180 the boy had become. While a bit uncertain, he figures that the traumatic fall must have brought about some kind of change. Still, this was a pleasant difference compared to who the boy used to act. His bright sunny disposition triggered something in Gohan's brain. "That's it! I've finally figured out a name!"

The boy tilts his head, confused. He was picked up, held towards the ceiling by the chuckling old man.

"From now on, you'll be Goku! Son Goku! How does that sound?!"

"HA HA HA HA HA!" Clearly the boy liked it very much. He dances in the old man's arms, giggly as any kid would be.

As he looked at him, Gohan felt himself being reminded of the sun itself. A bright light that illuminates the world…

A beautiful star.

Chapter End

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: First Meetings

Welp, he was lost.

Goku stands in the middle of unfamiliar forestry, a misty fog having settled in as the night devoured the skies. His white tank-top and blue jogging bottoms do little to shield his skin from the cold, but his body barely even felt it after all of the training he's been through. The big purple and unbelievably heavy turtle shell on his back remained a bigger obstacle than the chilly night.

After experiencing a mystical adventure to collect the seven Dragon Balls with Bulma and the others, he ventured out to seek tutelage under the famed Master Roshi, the Turtle Hermit, the man who taught his late adoptive grandfather martial arts.

He wasn't the only one who had sought out the Turtle Hermit and was joined in his training ventures by a bald boy named Krillin, his new friend. Once Roshi fully agreed to teach them the Turtle School ways, he brought them to a nearby island to spend nearly an entire year training to participate in an upcoming martial arts tournament.

The more Goku thought about facing off against fighters from all over the world, the more excited he grew. His Grandpa Gohan always found his enthusiasm towards fighting a positive quality, one that would push him to greater heights of strength. Those comforting words of affirmation is what allows him to remain patient through all of the grueling training Master Roshi has been putting them through the last six months. Goku was certain that the end result would be worth it!

But none of that would matter if he couldn't find his way back to Kame House.

This fog was not only clouding his eyesight but also his nose, so it wasn't like he could sniff his way back. Letting out a small sigh, Goku scratches the back of his head. "Oh well, if I can't find my way back tonight then I can just camp out till morning. Ain't like I haven't camped out before, plus I don't have to worry about Bulma whining at me!"

Smiling to himself, the young Saiyan treks through the woods to find a nice spot to camp out. Unbeknownst to the turtle student, a pair of slithering eyes were watching him through the misty fog.

Makima's patience was running thin.

Perhaps it had something to do with her current physical age (Puberty was never a fun experience), she mostly chalked it up to her weakened powers hindering her in a mission that normally wouldn't be challenging.

For the love of all Devils, she should have just stayed home in bed with her dogs. She was in the middle of marathoning through some trashy soap operas on Netflix until someone from Public Safety called in to report this incident (On her DAY OFF, by the way). An unknown Devil was causing trouble in the area and several hunters have not reported back in the last ten hours.

Makima could have ignored it, could have fired the ones responsible for the mess, could have burned down the office and gone back to bed, but she didn't. In order to ultimately gain the control, she wishes for, the young girl knew she needed to play the 'nice superior' card at times to earn favorable outcomes.

SQUELCH!

A deep growl rumbled from within as she stepped into a muddy puddle, some of the disgusting liquid staining her favorite black dress and short heels. Another mark on the list of things that wouldn't have happened if she just stayed home.

Oh well, she'll need to get moving if she wishes to get home in time to kiss her puppies goodnight. This dense fog would blind anyone, even her, if it weren't for her superior eyesight. Though that didn't mean finding the one responsible for this mess was going to be easy. It's clear that they're aware of her presence, sensing her true nature. It's a natural reflex of weaker Devils to hide away from the stronger ones to ensure survival.

But there were also the ones bold enough to trap their superiors in hopes of killing them for points.

Makima can tell it's the latter in this case, a daring Devil who wishes to kill her tonight and likely feast on her corpse. A Horseman falling to anyone weaker than them would be humiliating, and be seen as a sign that we weren't as strong as led to believe. Her pride would never allow something like that to happen.

As she continues through the woods, a flicker of light flashes in front of her eyes. A bit further away from her location, a fire seems to have started. Was this a case of the Devil leading her into a trap, or a poor soul who got trapped in here. Regardless, Makima knew that she couldn't just ignore an unknown variable.

She silently sprints through the forestry to reach the fire. When she reached her destination, what awaited Makima wasn't what she was expecting. Sitting across a small campfire is a strange haired boy wearing a turtle shell roasting a dead boar on a stick.

Neither of them move, frozen in place as if time itself had stopped. She analyzes him, taking in every detail of his physical appearance. Makima didn't understand why a random child would be out here at this time of night, so far from any nearby village. When she opened her mouth to inquire, the boy's arm pointed right at her face.

"Your eyes look funny!"

Goku sees the way the girl(?)'s face morphs from critical to befuddled in an instant. Did he say something wrong? He wasn't sure, he was too busy staring at her funny-looking eyes. He's never seen anyone with eyes like hers, and in his opinion, it made her look pretty cool.

When she continues to stand there silently, Goku speaks again. "Are you okay? Are you hungry? I can split my boar with you."

The redhead seems to break out of her stupor, eyes narrowing slightly. "Who exactly are you?"

"Me? My name's Son Goku! Are you a girl?"

"...What?! Of course, I'm a girl. Can you not tell?" The redhead huffed.

"Not really. I haven't met that many girls. I used to touch people on the crotch to tell boys and girls apart, but Bulma told me to stop doing that."

She stares at him, eyes blinking as her brain processes what he just said. After a moment, she simply nods her head. "...Okay, I see."

"What's your name?" Goku asked.

"Makima."

"Majima?"

"That is not what I said. My name is Ma-KI-ma." She spells out loudly.

"Ah! I get it!" Goku nods, turning back to his roasting pork. "So, do you want some food, Tojima?"

"How did you even-nope-never mind." Makima cools her attitude, deciding that engaging in the tomfoolery wasn't worth it. She walks over, sitting next to Goku on the broken log. She's handed a torn off piece of pork that he had impaled on a stick. "Such a barbaric way of cooking."

"Hm? You'fve nefer hafe pork before?" Goku asked with a full mouth of food. Chunks and bits spit out, disgusting the young Devil.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." She scolds him. "And to answer, that wasn't what I was referring to. I meant that cooking like this isn't ethical in the slightest." Once you've experienced the joys of modern cooking utensils and hardware, going back to such basic methods was impossible.

Swallowing his food, Goku chuckles. "My friends all told me the same thing. But I don't really mind. Sure, that technology stuff can cook things faster but nothing beats a good roasted boar over an open fire. At least, that's what my grandpa taught me."

A farm boy, Makima realizes. That explained enough of why Goku acted so weirdly. At least she's aware of what she's dealing with now. "Is that who you're living with in a nearby village?"

"No, my grandpa died a long time ago." Goku said, seemingly not bothered by it. "I don't live here on this island. I'm training under Master Roshi for the upcoming tournament."

"And did this training involve walking blindly into a Devil's domain?"

"Devil's domain?" Goku tilts his head.

Another piece of common knowledge she'll have to explain. "A small territory that Devils claim in order to hunt and capture humans. This entire fog is kept in this forest. The Devil responsible is keeping us trapped here until it's killed us. "

"What's a Devil?"

….

….

….

For the third time this day, Makima was left completely stumped. How on Earth could anyone not know what a Devil is? Even the youngest of children were made aware of humanity's greatest threats. To meet someone this ignorant had to be the universe punishing her for some unfair reason. "How are you not aware of what a Devil is?"

"I don't know."

"Stupid question." Makima scolds herself. "To explain, Devils are the physical manifestation of humanity's fears and negative emotions. It doesn't matter how insignificant that fear may be, it can always lead to the birth of a Devil. The more people fear something, the stronger the Devil grows. They all can vary in shape and size. Some resemble humans while others can look inhumane." She smirks, turning to see the fear in eyes. "Sounds terrifying, doesn't it? Monsters that lurk in the dark being real-"

"Sounds like fun! Hehehe!"Goku laughs.

"What?" Makima's amusement died pretty quickly.

"I mean, I don't fully get what you just said. But it sounds like fighting these Devils would be pretty fun."

"...You want to fight Devils…for fun?"

"Yeah! Fighting strong opponents always gets my blood pumping!" Goku declared.

For some reason, something about that simple explanation impressed Makima. Never before through all of her reincarnations has she ever met someone like this. Plenty of humans challenged Devils in hopes of saving humanity or avenging their loved ones. They had all experienced the very worst Devils are capable of and understood they were livestock in the eyes of predators.

But not this boy…no…he possessed a level of ignorance that allowed childish bravado. It intrigued her greatly. Makima wants to see his reaction to facing off against a Devil, to watch his innocence melt away by the molten fires of reality.

"If you want to fight one so badly, then let's work together." Makima suggests, confusing her companion.

"Work together?" Goku asked.

"My job requires me to exterminate the Devil that controls this domain. If either of us want to escape and return to our regularly scheduled lives, then working together seems like the best option." Makima explained.

"Sure!" Goku accepts without pause. "Just let me finish my food first!"

Letting out a sigh, Makima shakes her head. "That's going to take too-" She stops, eyes widening as the turtle boy devours the boar in an instant.

Goku rubs his stomach, letting out a loud burp. "Ah~! That was delicious!" He looks over to see Makima blinking owlishly at him. "What's wrong?"

"Are you human…?"

"Duh! Why wouldn't I be? Are you dumb or something?"

Makima nearly killed him for that.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Stop asking."

…

…

…

"Are we there yet?"

If she killed him here would anyone miss him?

Unfortunately for Makima, she knew killing the boy would ruin what became her new primary objective. So, she had no real choice but to tolerate the childish antics.

Currently she was leading them in the direction where she could feel the faint trace of the Devil's lair. Every domain possessed a lair, an area where Devils preferred to stay if they weren't hunting.

It took about fifteen minutes for her to locate it, minutes that were filled with an impatient turtle boy bothering her over stupid trivial questions. At what point did this become a babysitting duty? The moment she decided to watch this kid make a fool of himself against whatever they were dealing with.

"Looks like a regular cave to me." Goku comments.

"Yes, I suppose so." Makima replied, walking into the cave. Goku follows closely behind, gazing around the interior until the darkness of the caverns filled their vision.

A second later, a torch was lit thanks to Makima, guiding their way through the tunnels. Goku feels something wet seeping through the bottom of his shoes. Stopping, he looks down to see a trail of red liquid. "What is this?"

"Blood." Makima tells him. "We're getting closer to it."

Goku frowns slightly as he stares at the blood. He remembers Makima telling him that Devils hunt humans and kill them. Which would mean that this blood belonged to people, right?

"Hurry up. We don't want to lose it." Makima tells him, pulling him out of his thoughts. Goku listens and continues following Makima through the tunnels.

Soon enough the two children arrive at the very heart of the cave, and the sight of what's inside left Goku stunned, a horrid smell assaulting his strong sense of smell.

Skeletal remains of humans and animals littered the ground, the very essence of life stripped away without mercy. Above, hanging off the walls like pieces of meat were humans. Most of their flesh and meat had been torn away, blood still dripping from the corpses. Their faces were twisted with terror, evident of how painful and torturous it must have been.

Makima stares at it all with an air of indifference. She's seen far worse than this, so it didn't bother her all that much. Her intrigue was more concerned with Goku's reaction. She looks over to see his expression. "What do you think, Goku?"

He doesn't respond immediately, his eyes still locked onto the disturbing imagery. "I-" Goku's eyes widened, the hairs on his body twitched. Acting quickly, the boy grabs Makima and pushes her down as a clawed hand swipes the empty air.

Both children rolled away, skidding back to stare at their attacker. Blocking their only method of escape was the Devil responsible for this carnage. It towered over the both of them in height, its body human-like in nature with a bone-like structure. The Devil's head resembled a deer's, a bush of black hair filling around the neck. Blood stained its face and antler, an insatiable hunger found in the Devil's eyes.

"Woah! That's a Devil?!" Goku exclaimed. He scrunches his face after getting a whiff of the monster. "It reeks!"

"It would seem that we've come across the Wendigo Devil." Makima hums, smirking.

"What's that?" Goku.

"The Wendigo is a mythical folklore depicting an evil spirit that feasts upon humans. Obviously, the stories originated from humans encountering this Devil. The ones who lived to tell the tale started the folklore to prevent children or foreigners from disrupting their lands." Makima explained.

"So, this is the guy who did all of this?" Goku frowns, eyes narrowing.

"Upset?" Makima teases. "Does all of this still seem fun to you?"

"I don't know." Goku responds, shrugging his shoulders. "I didn't know any of these people that it's killed. But I do know that beating it here means that it won't hurt anyone else." He smirks, getting into a stance. "As long as I win, then there's nothing to worry about!"

Yet again, his answer left her surprised. He didn't fall into despair or swear vengeance for the sake of humanity. Her curiosity about this boy grows even more. "If that's the case, then I'll let you fight it. You seem confident in your chances."

The Wendigo roars loudly at the children for crossing into its lair. Its eyes glared hatefully at Makima, sensing the power she holds as the Control Devil. The monster goes for her to rip the girl to shreds. She stands there smiling, nowhere near afraid of the bloodthirsty creature, especially when a turtle shell blocks the Wendigo's claws from reaching Makima.

Makima raises her hands, allowing Goku to press his feet against her palms. With a shout, he kicks off, throwing the Wendigo back. He flips through the air, landing on his feet with a loud thud. Goku faces off against the monster with a smile on his face. "C'mon! Let's see how strong you are!"

"RAAAAA!" The Wendigo smashes its fists into the ground, causing a rupture to explode towards the young Saiyan. Seeing this, Goku attempts to high into the air, only for his shell to weigh him down. Grimacing, he crosses his arms and blocks the spiked rocky pillar that shoots from the ground. He goes flying towards the ceiling of the cave where a lot of sharp stalagmites were waiting to impale him.

Instant of worrying, Goku uses this to his advantage. He twists his body to avoid an impaling, then grabs onto one with both hands. Goku forces his body to move, spinning on the stalagmite to increase his momentum. The Wendigo leaps into the air to tear him apart, failing to see what the boy was planning. Goku lets go of the stalagmite, throwing himself directly at the monster, smashing the back of his turtle shell into the Devil's face. While Goku lands gracefully on the ground, the Wendigo crashes into the rocky floor painfully.

Makima claps her hands, impressed. "Nice. But the fight isn't over yet."

True to her words, the monster recovered from the attack. Goku stares surprised as its body regenerates from the damage done to its head.

"It fixed itself?" Goku blinked.

"Devils are capable of healing any damage done to them as long as they have enough blood. And considering where we're standing, I'm sure it'll be able to do it enough times." Makima explains to him.

There wasn't much time for Goku to question it as the monster rushed him. He blocks some strikes, wincing slightly as the monster's claws scratches his skin. Goku deflects an attack and pushes forward to land several swift jabs into the Wendigo's chest. Then he follows it up with a kick strong enough to send it flying back. Unfortunately, the monster easily recovered from the barrage of attacks.

The Wendigo attacks the boy with its inhumane speed, something Goku struggled to keep up with. It landed a strong hit against Goku's cheek, staggering him, then it grabbed him by his head. Goku is smashed into the floor and pinned down, struggling to break free. The Wendigo opens its jaw to bite down on the boy's skull.

He was saved by a sudden shift in the air, an invisible force throwing the Wendigo into the wall. Goku gets up, wondering what had happened until the pretty redhead walks over to him. "Wait, did you-?"

"You're not the only one with some skills." She smiles, holding the beast in place.

"That's so cool!" Goku exclaimed.

"I appreciate the compliment." Makima soaks up the praise. "Though it is unfortunate that I'll be taking it over from here. I had expected you to handle this as you believed you could."

"Oh, I can." Goku said.

"You were just losing."

"Yeah, but that's because of this." He points to the shell on his back. "I'm not used to fighting with it on, so the weight is holding me back."

"Weight?" Makima questions, ignoring the screaming Wendigo.

Goku stands up, rolling his shoulders. "This thing is…uh… I don't remember what Master Roshi said but it's really heavy."

"Then take it off."

"...Oh yeah." Goku realizes.

She rolls her eyes.

"But that wouldn't make it fun. It'd be too easy." Goku refuses. "What's the point of training if you're not pushing yourself? That's what Master Roshi taught us."

While she could see the logic in that, this wasn't the time for it. "This isn't a training session, it's a matter of life or death."

"Yeah but I'm not going to die, so I'll use this fight as a chance to grow stronger." Goku walks past her, growing serious. "Let me handle this, and don't interrupt, okay? This time I'll kick its butt."

"Are you certain? It would be a shame to watch you get ripped in half." Makima said.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I have a technique that'll take this guy down." Goku said, confident.

Normally, she wouldn't take any of this bravado seriously, chalking it up to male stupidity or just regular stupidity. And yet, as she stared into his eyes, Makima could feel him being genuine about winning this fight. There was a strange light shining within those irises that seemed to override her common sense. "...Fine. If you die, then it's on you."

"Thanks, Makima!"

She stops cold. Did he just-

A monstrous roar interrupts her, followed by a deathly chill. The Wendigo looms over them to rip the children to shreds. A single palm stops its attack, effortlessly holding the Devil back. It stares bewildered at Goku's fiery glare.

"That's enough! Your fight's with me, got it?!" He grabs the Devil's hand, yanking it closer. Goku pulls back his other fist, building up power, the very air shifting ever so slightly with his increase in power.

Makima's eyes widened.

Like a shotgun blast, Goku's fist embeds itself in the monster's stomach, folding the beast like a lawn chair.

"ROCK!"

His hand grips the Wendigo's jaw, forcing its head downwards. Goku's fingers stab right into the Wendigo's eye sockets, blinding the creature.

"SCISSORS!"

The final attack of the combo strikes with a palm thrust into the beast's boney nose.

"PAPER!"

Such force blasted the Wendigo across its territory, its body crashing against the wall. Unlike Goku's previous efforts, these precise strikes dealt far more damage. The Wendigo let out pained hisses, its body slowly regenerating from the impacts.

Stomping his feet, Goku secures his position, crouching slightly. He brings his arms down, palms cupped to his side. The young Saiyan's eyes remain focused on the deadly beast. "Ka…!"

Makima could feel the energy within him rising, flabbergasted by this sudden phenomenon. She had assumed his previous attack had been the technique he mentioned, but no, Makima realized that whatever he was doing now would be the deciding factor.

"Me…!"

As it regenerates, the monster sees its opponent standing still. Assuming the boy had given up to the idea of death, the Devil starts stomping towards him.

"Ha…!"

Its claws sharpen as they're dragged along the rocky ground. A bloodthirsty tongue hangs from the monster's mouth, eyes hungry for flesh.

"Me…!"

The Wendigo lunges forth.

Makima's breath hitches.

Goku thrusts his palms forward.

"HAAAAAAA!"

Erupting from Goku's palms is a bright blue beam of pure energy. Its heat scorches the very ground beneath their feet. The boy's aim was true, and the beam connects with the Wendigo's malnourished body. The painful screams of the monster are drowned out by the sound of the beam as it continues to burn the Devil into ashes.

With an awestruck expression, Makima watches silently as the Devil is snuffed out by Goku's big finisher. The beam continues barreling through the cave like a torpedo, an explosion following soon after it hits a wall that couldn't be blown down.

The Earth settles, slightly rattled by the beam attack. Goku lets out a breath of relief, then wipes his brows. He lets out a victorious chuckle. "Hehe! I win!"

"What was that?"

"Hm?" Goku turns to see Makima getting close. He cranes his neck up since she was a head taller than him. "What was what?"

"That beam move that you just did. What exactly did you do?"

"Oh, that? It's the Kamehameha Wave!"

"T-the Turtle Destruction Wave?"

"No, Makima! It's called the Kamehameha! Man, you're really not the brightest, huh?"

Makima almost snapped his neck.

Stepping out of the cave, Goku and Makima found that the Wendigo's foggy domain had disappeared, granting them clarity on this chilly night. Goku smiles, happy to see things were back to normal. "Hey! The fog's gone!"

"As I said before, the Wendigo was the owner of the domain. Once it died, there was nothing to keep the domain standing any longer." Makima said.

Goku turns back to the cave. "So, what's going to happen to all of those bodies?"

"I'll have some personnel come through in the morning to clean it all up. At the very least, some of their bodies should still be recognizable enough to identify them. Their families will be alerted and funerals will be held. That's all there is to it." Makima explained.

"Okay…your job doesn't sound very fun." Goku said, frowning.

"Depends on who you ask." Makima shrugs. The deaths of humans mattered little to her. Obviously, she can't have them all dying or else she'll have nothing to rule over. Speaking of… "You're incredibly strong, Goku."

The change of subject brought the boy's light back. "You think so?" He rubs his head, giggling.

"Not just any kid can face off against a Devil and win, especially with that impressive skillset you have." Makima continues. "As such, I would like to extend my hand to you."

"You want a handshake?"

Ignoring that comment, Makima kept going. "I think the two of us can make an impressive team, wouldn't you say? Join me, and you can grow even stronger."

Initially, Makima wanted to see the kid break down into a fearful mess. But after watching his display of power in the cave, there was a change of plans. She can use someone like him, a tool with his level of strength would be invaluable.

Considering his level of intellect, convincing him should be easy-

"Nah, I'm good."

"Yes, exactly, I'm pleased to see that we're on the same-excuse me?" Makima's face dripped with displeasure.

Goku, ignorant to her true feelings, puts his hands behind his back. "I still have to complete my training with Master Roshi and compete in the Tenkaichi Budokai coming up."

"You can still do all of that and join me-"

"Plus, I want to find my grandpa's ball."

"I'm sorry?"

"And I don't want to work a job." Goku finishes, smiling innocently at the baffled redhead.

Makima, for what felt like the sixth time in the same day, didn't know how to respond to this boy. Never has ANYONE left her feeling such confusion on a consistent level. Usually, she's the one leaving others stumped but it was becoming increasingly clear that Goku's brain was FAR removed from reality.

Letting out a sigh, the Control Devil runs hand through her hair. "Fine, whatever." She'll have to try harder next time.

Yes, next time. She wasn't going to give up this easily. All she really wanted right now was to go home, take a bath, and go to bed.

"Cool, but hey, Makima?"

"What?" She asked.

"You should join the tournament with me and Krillin! I can tell you're probably really strong! If you compete, then we can have a fun fight!" Goku suggests.

"I think it's my turn to decline an offer. Fighting like that doesn't interest me in the slightest." She turns, walking away from the young Saiyan, then stops. "But… I'll come and watch you compete. When is it?"

"I don't know. I think it's in three months?"

Asking him was clearly the wrong move. She'll just look it up online later. "Thank you for the information. Now if you excuse me, I'll be taking my leave. I'm sure you have to do the same, yes?"

Goku blinks, then cries out. "Oh right! Master Roshi and the others are probably looking for me! See you later, Makima! And thanks for helping me!" He takes off into the distance, running off towards one of the villages. Whether or not he's going the right way mattered little to Makima.

After making use of her contract with the Teleportation Devil, Makima quickly discarded her clothes and got into the bath. As she soaked underneath the strawberry scented bubbles, the Devil re-examined everything she had gone through tonight, knowing a report will have to be put together- "Wait a minute…" She sticks her head up, blinking owlishly. "Didn't he mention someone named Bulma?"

Chapter End