“The distortion originated here…” Note squinted at the time-scouter’s display. She and Beat had been sent to this abnormal multiverse to figure out why it existed at all. “I think we should check out Gohan’s place, then move to the other central figures of this time period.”
“Alright,” Beat nodded. Her Saiyan companion was always ready to prove himself, and he loved to visit the child versions of his hero, Goku. “I want to see Grandpa Gohan, I’ve always been curious about the man who raised the universe's greatest hero!”
“Cool your jets and focus,” Note flicked the tip of his nose. “We’ve got plenty of heroes on the Time Patroller roster besides Goku, and this version isn’t even the one you idolise.”
“I know, but It’s close enough!” Beat laughed and followed Note into the air. They blasted toward the house that stood halfway up the mountain, eyes peeled for anything suspicious. This multiverse had spawned years ago, so any intruder would have had time to mess about. “I love to spar with these young Goku’s, they’re always so surprised when they lose!”
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“This pill has a vast amount of sinister ki, as well as a reservoir of light that brings it into perfect balance,” King Kai squinted at the crimson-black pellet on Hal’s palm, a frown on his lips. “It’s like a coiled beast, ready to spring out and attack.”
“Why are we talking to this goblin?” Ran stifled a yawn with both her hands and snuggled deeper into the upper folds of Hal’s gi. “I could have told you just as much about that bloodline elixir, and we wouldn’t have to deal with his weird face.”
“FOR THE LAST TIME…” King Kai took a deep breath, eyes closed as his forehead twitched. “I am not a goblin, I am a Kai… now let me finish my analysis!”
Hal reached up to his shoulder and gave Ran’s nose a gentle flick. She snorted, but shrugged and settled in for a nap.
“Fine, but that pill should be safe for someone of your strength to consume,” a sleep mask condensed from the water vapour in the air and settled onto her face. “Just make sure you stay awake, the chance of death is real if you don't!”
King Kai’s antenna twitched as they hovered over the pill, face pinched as he focused. Hal trusted Ran’s words, his own future sight confirmed them. Still, he would rather get a second outside opinion. He couldn’t always blindly trust his future sight, or it would become a crutch that he couldn’t do without.
“Your… friend is correct, but I would advise caution,” the portly Kai shook his head and leaned back. “I have never seen such a thing before, so its effects may be unexpected.”
“I think it will be fine,” Hal shrugged as he tossed the pill into his mouth. The second it touched his tongue, the crimson pellet melted into a smooth wash of energy. It coiled at the back of his throat, a viper ready to strike. “Sorry in advance about your house…”
Electric fire scorched its way through his nerves as the serpentine force struck out at every cell at once. Molten nails pounded at every millimetre of skin, driven home as the genetic makeup of his body was reforged.
A roar forced its way past his lips, followed by a wave of unrestrained ki. Hal’s biofield flailed, bands of energy that cut deep paths into King Kai’s planet. The shadow of a great ape stretched out beneath him and mimicked his howl, filled with a fury that muted the pain under his skin.
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King Kai’s manicured lawn was torn asunder, its soil tilled by invisible hands. The small domed house and its little garage shredded to pieces, lifted upwards and hurled into the golden clouds.
“NOOO!!!” The Kai sank to his knees as devastation consumed what remained of his home. Ran patted his rounded shoulder, her eyes fixed on Hal’s transformation.
“That bloodline… the Saiyans,” Ran settled atop King Kai’s head, while Hal basked in an ocean of shattered glass. “What do you know about them, little goblin?”
“I AM NOT A GOBLIN!!!” King Kai shook Ran from her perch and blocked her return with his hands. “The Saiyan’s are a tailed, warrior race from my northern section of the universe… they can turn into massive apes under the light of the moon and have very high combat powers.”
“A tailed race of monkeys…” Ran tapped her chin as Hal’s consciousness flickered, his world a stereoscopic dream. “I wonder… have you ever heard of Sun Wukong?”
The rest of their conversation was lost from Hal’s perceptions, his existence narrowed down to a single point of superheated agony. Pain crawled in waves, built upon themselves until they crashed down with even greater force.
One minute passed, then two. His conscious mind understood he was seconds from relief, but it took all his will to hold back the certain death unconsciousness could bring. Four more seconds, three… Hal inhaled a sharp breath as the pain spiralled upwards, a last reach for new heights before a comfortable glow crept in to take its place.
“I don’t think I want to do that very often…” Hal let his tensed muscles relax as he sprawled backwards on the ruined lawn. A lightness filled his body, as did an unfamiliar grumble from his stomach. “Are all Saiyan’s naturally this hungry?”
He hadn’t eaten solid food since he left Earth, the light of the sun enough to keep him satiated. Now his belly rebelled, a loud groan that echoed over King Kai’s planet. He could ignore it, as he still didn’t need food. This hunger wasn’t the tug of starvation, just a powerful instinct that demanded more than starlight and air.
“LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO MY PLANET!” King Kai crawled from behind a large boulder, his clothing in disarray. Bubbles and Gregory poked their heads out from cover, while Ran floated around Hal with a smile on her face. “What am I supposed to do now… you’ve even destroyed all those cars you bribed me with!”
Hal rose to his feet and shook his body from head to toe, a black tail curled around from behind his waist. He would need to look in a mirror when they returned to the Fortress. Hal gave the Kai’s small world a sheepish glance, one hand on the back of his head as he fished his key from his belt.
“Sorry about that, King Kai,” A twist opened a door to his laboratory as Ran jumped into her place on his shoulder. He backed through the wooden frame, in a half bow as he avoided Kai’s gaze. “I promise, as soon as the dragonballs reset, I’ll wish this place back to normal.”
“That’s months away, I…”
Hal closed the door and blocked the last of the Kai’s words. He wasn’t much of a landscaper, but maybe he could use Namek’s dragonballs to make the Kai’s world self-repairing. It tended to get pretty mangled, no matter the timeline.
“Let’s finish the refinements and go get some lunch,” Hal waved to his laboratory table and sent the last two vials of Ultra Divine Water into SCP-914, one by one. They emerged from the ‘Fine’ setting as small crystalline vials, lit by an inner glow. “Let’s see the effect of…”
Before he could activate his three-minute-sight, Ran lunged from his shoulder, an attempt to snatch one of the vials. Hal kept a pace ahead of her tiny fingers, eyebrows raised at her desperate expression.
“Give-give-GIVE!” the little goddess chased the vial in circles, until she tumbled to the floor. Unsteady on her feet, she shook off her dizziness and set herself into a sprinters pose. “That True Divine water is one of the necessary components for my breakthrough!”
“Hold your horses…” Hal held up one hand to halt her full force sprint, the vials guarded by the other. “Tell me what’s so good about this stuff and maybe you can have one.”
Hal had brought Ran into this universe, so he felt somewhat responsible for her care and growth. There was more Ultra Divine Water in Korin’s tower, three more doses that he could refine for future use if it was worth his time.
“It purifies the body and soul, especially the soul,” Ran rubbed her hands together, laser focused on the True Divine Water. “For a mortal like you, it would be your first true step onto the divine path… for a Goddess like me, it will help me push further beyond the natural limits.”
Hal nodded and tossed her a vial. The greedy chibi rushed back to her bowl and sucked the potion down without pause. She seated herself in a lotus position and began to glow. Hal shook his head and set aside his portion for now, he still had a few more objects to refine before he had the time to meditate.
***Power Levels and other notes***
Hal: 3,500,000 (Max kio-ken: 50x)
Ran: 11,000 (Varies based on the amount of water she is connected to)