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Destruction...

Carnage...

That was all the infant Saiyan could see as he was loaded into a Saiyan Pod. His underdeveloped mind couldn't process what was going on or why such destruction was befalling his home. All he knew was that he was scared and confused, and was on the verge of tears as he stared up at the elder Saiyan, his father, loading him into the pod.

He looked over his father's shoulder, seeing a figure slowly approaching him at a slow pace, as if stalking their prey. The Elder Saiyan narrowed his eyes at the figure, then looked back to his son and placed his hands firmly on his shoulders. "Listen to me, son." He said in a low tone. "You are being sent to a world far away from here, and you will not return." He explained as best he could. "Should I survive this encounter, I will immediately come to find you. Until then, you must survive on your own. Live your own life and be the best man you can possibly be." He said as he stepped back, with the pod door sealing shut and separating father from son.

"Farewell, my son... You will be this universe's final hope should I fall..." He remarked solemnly, placing his hand on the pod window as it hovered into the air. The infant inside crying out desperately as he watched his father turn toward the figure responsible for the destruction around them. The elder Saiyan threw aside his cape and gave a furious roar just as the pod zoomed off into space, his entire body turning a vibrant gold colour as he prepared to face off with the approaching enemy.

That bright flash was the last the infant would see of his father as the pod zoomed away into the vastness of space. Then just as the pod was about to turn and head for its pre-programmed destination, the planet started to crack along the surface, sending chunks of its crust into the vastness of space before finally exploding in a brilliant flash...

~~~~~~~~

Minato awoke with a start, gasping and panting heavily as he was roused from his slumber. He started frantically looking around his surroundings for a moment before he finally calmed down and let out a long sigh, hiding his face in his hands and sighing heavily.

'That same dream again...' He thought to himself as he lifted his hands away from his face and reflected on the nightmare he just woke up from. He had been having that same recurring dream for years now, ever since he was old enough to fend for himself, and to this day he still questioned what it meant...

'You will be this universe's final hope should I fall...'

The words of his late father kept echoing in his mind as he stretched his arms and rose from his sleeping bag, standing tall and looking onward toward the rising sun. What did he mean by those words...that he would be the final hope of this universe? Did he predict that some terrible evil would arrive at some point in his life? Or was it just the ramblings of a man who didn't know what he was talking about...?

Those questions kept burning into his mind as he watched the sun rise, constantly bugging him for any sort of answer, but none came to mind that he could think of. Sighing in irritation, he turned away from the sunrise and turned toward his travel pack, digging inside for a towel before heading off to the nearby lake for an early morning swim.

His time in the water was spent mostly warming up his body with a series of laps along the water's edge, about seventy laps at high speed in total, before he swam to the center of the lake and floated on his back for a while, staring up into the morning sky. The Saiyan shut his eyes and relaxed his body, listening to the various sounds of the forest he resided in. The sounds of the various birds, the trees shaking slightly in the gentle breeze... they all helped to calm Minato's mind and allow him to enter a deep state of meditation . There he remained for several minutes, his mind completely empty and allowing him to flex his control over his ki at will.

The water around him started to vibrate in tandem with his heartbeat, slow, but gentle, making small waves that washed along the shores of the lake. He started to slowly rise out of the water and position himself vertically as he levitated out of the lake. In this state, Minato could sense everything around him as clearly as he could see them, from the tiniest bee buzzing about collecting nectar for its hive, to the largest tree swaying in the breeze farther away from him... to the massive silhouette shooting toward him from the deepest depths of the lake.

His eyes shot open, and in an instant he quickly jerked to the side as the water exploded from underneath him. A massive fish had launched itself into the air, snapping its fanged jaws as it went to try and eat the morsel that had invaded its territory, only to miss entirely when Minato jerked out of the way. The Saiyan then wound his leg back as the fish began to fall back into the water, swinging it as hard as he could into its side and sending it careening off toward a nearby boulder. The fish hit the boulder with a sickening crack before it fell limp and lay along the ground in a crumpled heap. Minato then hovered over and touched down on the ground in front of the fish, nodding himself and licking his lips as he hoisted the fish over his head with one arm, then walked back to his encampment.

"Nothing like a scrumptious meal after a good morning sweat..." He muttered softly as he shot a ki orb from his hand into a fire pit located next to his sleeping bag. The kindling in the pit easily caught fire from the small explosion that ensued upon the blast's impact, to which the Saiyan gathered up some more sticks to keep the flames going while he prepared the fish he caught to be cooked over the open fire.

After his meal was finished and he was fueled up to start his day, the Saiyan quickly got dressed into his usual clothes, a long, black trench coat with lightning along the tail and loose buckles along the waist. A pair of loose fitting black gi pants with a few small tears in them, and a pair of black saiyan style boots with yellow toes to round out the package. Once he was all dressed, he turned toward the west and slowly took off into the air above the treeline.

"Wonder if my commission is ready yet..." He wondered aloud before he powered up a little, then in a flash he took off toward the direction he was facing, leaving behind a streak of white energy as he flew through the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~

West City.

The bustling metropolis that was West City had undergone quite a lot of changes before and during the course of Minato's life. The city had expanded its borders in order to accommodate additional structures and other miscellaneous construction projects, such as parks, small training arenas and alternate means of transit to name a few. All throughout the city there were statues resembling individuals belonging to the group of warriors known as the Z Fighters; powerful warriors that fought for the safety of their planet, and by extension the universe.

Minato had landed near the outskirts of the city, not wanting anyone to notice his arrival. While flying humans weren't unheard of, Minato did not want to draw undue attention to himself, as those that could use their Ki to fly were few and far between. He had managed to retain his anonymity during his life by laying low and living amongst the Earthlings as if he were one himself, and he dare not let it slip that he was actually an alien with extraordinary powers.

His progress through the giant metropolis would take him in front of the Capsule Corporation, which made him pause and turn to look at the massive domed building with their signature double C logo smack in the middle of the structure. In front of the massive building stood two large statues depicting two of the mightiest warriors to ever have existed...

Son Goku, the Low Class Saiyan raised on Earth, and Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans.

A smile slowly crossed Minato's face as he regarded the two statues honouring these proud, powerful warriors. In a lot of ways they were his inspiration to become as powerful as he was now. During his life on Earth, not only had he managed to awaken his Super Saiyan transformation, but he was able to take it all the way up to grade four, the Mastered Super Saiyan form.

Yet despite his impressive achievement, he knew he still had a long way to go before he could think of matching his idol's legendary reputation...

'Focus. You have something to attend to.' Minato scolded himself internally before continuing on his way, giving Capsule Corp. one last look over his shoulder as he walked off.

His travels took him toward the far corner of the city, where law enforcement wasn't as prominent as it was in the city center, and as a result, gangs were allowed to run more rampant. Minato did his best to avoid any conflict with the gangs littering the block, turning into an alleyway and tapping his knuckle on a door along the wall of the alley before he stepped inside.

The interior of the building was, no joke, a literal armoury, complete with various types of melee weapons and firearms alike lining the racks along the walls. Slowly he approached the counter and rang the bell a couple of times, waiting patiently for a response from the shopkeeper.

"Yea, cool yer jets! I'm comin'!" A gruff voice was heard from further in the shop, followed by the sound of fumbling metal, then a clatter followed by the owner cussing out angrily. A few minutes would pass before Minato was finally greeted with the sight of a large, portly Brown Bear beastman wearing a stained beige wife beater shirt and deep blue cargo pants. He was wiping his face with a rag as he stepped to the counter, and upon seeing who his customer was, he immediately dropped his rag and put on a friendlier demeanour. "Well well, finally decided to come out of your little hidey hole to pay me a visit, eh Minato?" He asked with a hearty guffaw.

"Good to see you too, Mitch." The Saiyan remarked in an equally friendly manner, clapping his hand with the bear's paw and giving a firm shake. "How's business been as of late?" He asked.

The bear shrugged helplessly. "Not too good honestly." He replied. "Ever since Capsule Corp. changed hands, more people are leanin' toward getting energy based weapons over crude tools of war, and that's not countin' the whole genetic splicing they did not too long ago." He remarked.

Minato crossed his arms in front of his chest as he listened to Mitch. "That bad, eh?" He asked. "Well, sadly that's how progress works... For every advancement in technology that is made, something obsolete must be forgotten." He cited before placing his hands on the counter. "Anyway. I'm here to pick up the weapon I commissioned from you... if it's ready of course."

Mitch perked up a little. "Actually, ya came at a good time. I was just putting on the finishing touches." He said with a smile. "Gimme just a few minutes and she'll be all yours, man." The bear added before giving Minato a casual salute, then turning on his heel and disappearing into the back once more.

"No hurry!" Minato called back before he turned and leaned against the counter. As he waited for his commission, the Saiyan took a moment to gaze at all the different weapons lining the walls of the shop. He had to admit, the level of detail he put into his projects was astounding. Mitch was clearly very passionate about his craft despite his lack of business, a trait Minato could sympathize with.

Though when the thought of genetic splicing entered Minato's mind, his expression immediately soured. He had heard on a video billboard about how Capsule Corp. had switched from developing storage capsules to genetic engineering, and that their first official project was to replicate the Super Saiyan mutation for commercial use. The announcement was tailoured more toward aspiring fighters looking for a boost in their power, but it also targeted many business moguls specializing in the energy industry.

Minato didn't have too much of an issue about the Saiyan race's power being utilized for the benefit of the Earth and its people; the energy provided from the transformation itself was incredibly powerful, but when he heard Capsule Corp. was planning to allow aspiring fighters access to this power he vehemently opposed the notion. Using his people's power to benefit the world was one thing, but letting individuals who weren't even Saiyans use, and potentially abuse, that power was just wrong in his opinion. The Super Saiyan form was specific to the Saiyans because they had the physical traits to endure the stress the form put on their bodies. If a non-Saiyan were given access to the form they would not be able to endure the fifty times power increase. That, and he knew just how petty and irresponsible Earthlings could be when given power of any sort.

A clattering coming from the back of the shop broke Minato out of his train of thought, making him turn to see Mitch pushing a metal cart with an obscenely large object covered in cloth. Once he wheeled the cart in front of the Saiyan, Mitch heaved a huge sigh and wiped his forehead with his rag before tapping the cart with his paw. "Alright... She's done." He said after catching his breath.

Minato couldn't help but chuckle at the state of his friend. "If you're struggling that much, maybe you should consider hitting the gym on your off hours." He joked, which earned him a scathing leer from Mitch.

"Hey, gathering the materials required to match your specifications was a tall order in itself! That, and forging the damn thing nearly threw my back out a few times!" He retorted. "Seriously, I dunno why you wanted it to be so big, but who am I to question someone who literally poured their life savings into such a project?" he asked rhetorically before gesturing to the cloth. "Well, go on and open her up."

Minato nodded and placed his hand on the fabric, gripping it tightly and pulling the cloth away to reveal the contents beneath it. His eyes lit up a bit when he gazed down at the single edged sword laying before him, giving off a small gleam as the light reflected off of its surface during its reveal. The blade itself was massive! Easily standing a foot short of Minato's actual height. It was also very wide, enough to cover most of his body, potentially doubling as a shield if he needed one. On the topic of doubling, the back of the sword had a seperate hilt on it, indicating that it could split into two blades as well.

The Saiyan slowly ran his hand along the sword, feeling the amount of work and passion that went into creating such a masterpiece, before his hand slid to the grip of the blade. He tightened his hold on it, and with a grunt, he lifted it off of the cart and held it upright in front of him, gauging its weight in his hand for a moment before smiling in satisfaction.

"It's perfect." He remarked as he shifted his gaze toward Mitch, who was gawking at the Saiyan incredulously from how he easily lifted such a heavy blade with one hand.

"...You're a fuckin' freak, ya know that?" He remarked, slapping himself in the face to snap out of his stupor.

"So you keep telling me." Minato said dryly before he set the blade back down on the cart, then reached for the harness sitting on the lower dock of the cart and fitting it within his coat. He then took the blade back in hand and fastened it to the magnetic clip on his back, giving the illusion that it was resting there on its own. "Words can't express how grateful I am, Mitch. Thank you." He added respectfully.

The bear waved his paws dismissively. "Ah, don't sweat it. It was the least I could do after ya saved my ass from those punks tryin' ta ransack my shop." He added. "Kinda surprised ya didn't ask me ta do it for free, considering what I owed ya at the time."

"Well, if you're good at something, never do it for free, right?" Minato remarked with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow. "Besides, I wasn't about to take advantage of your services. You still have to make money to sustain yourself after all." He added.

Mitch sighed heavily and let his shoulders slump. "Fer all the good it did, considering I might have to close down soon..." He replied in a disheartened tone, but still managed to smile and nod at his customer. "Yer a good man, Minato. Not many people would be as kind as you are."

The Saiyan nodded and smiled back, once again shaking hands with Mitch, who pulled him into a half embrace while they were still shaking hands. "Ya know, my offer still stands, man... If you ever get tired of living out in the woods, I got a spare bunk for ya at my place."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'll stay in the woods for now." Minato returned calmly. "I've been able to retain my anonymity because of where I live, and frankly... I wouldn't be a very fun roommate." He joked.

"I'll be the judge of that." Mitch remarked with a smirk, nudging Minato's arm with his elbow. "Welp, it's just about my Lunch break. Feel like grabbing a burger or two?" He asked.

Minato opened his mouth to answer, but he twitched a little as he felt something approaching the door leading back out to the alley. "...Hold that thought." He returned as he looked over his shoulder toward the front door of the shop, narrowing his eyes slightly. Before Mitch could get any more words out, the door to the shop suddenly flew off its hinges and hurtled toward Minato, who raised his hand and caught the door before it could even reach him or Mitch.

"HOLY!!" Mitch exclaimed, instinctively heading behind the counter and ducking low.

From the now vacant doorway, a group of individuals stepped into the shop, fanning out and creating a half circle around the entrance to block off the only escape out of the store. They all wore typical street punk clothes, black leather jackets, spiked collars and wristbands, loose fitting cargo pants and biker boots. Their ranks consisted of both humans and beastmen alike, and each member brandished a variety of different crude weapons ranging from chains to switchblades, to even conventional firearms.

The last member to enter the room was a large, muscular tiger beastman, clearly the leader of this band of thugs considering he was at least twice the others' height and bulk. The tiger held a shotgun in his claws that he pumped once to load the slug into the chamber before taking aim at Minato. He gave pause as he looked at the Saiyan from head to toe before he smirked.

"Well well... Who woulda thought our paths would cross again?" He remarked with a chuckle. "Minato, right?"

"Glad to see you at least remembered my name..." Minato remarked in a cold tone. "Though I'm disappointed to see that my advice went through one ear and out the other. After I tore your gang apart the last time you attempted a stunt like this, I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to try again..." He added with a bit more venom in his tone.

The Tiger growled. "The bear owed us protection money and he wouldn't pay up. It's bad for business when one doesn't own up to their dues."

"I told you dumbshits, I didn't have the money at the time!!" Mitch called from behind the counter. "Look around you! I haven't sold a single item ever since the last time you barged in! And on that note, I don't owe you squat! You just assumed that I-!"

"Mitch!" Minato shouted, cutting him off halfway and making the bear look at him incredulously. "Stand down... I've got this."

"Oooh hear that boys? He's got this." The tiger remarked mockingly, making the other members chuckle sinisterly and brandish their weapons. "Ya got the drop on us before punk, but as you can see, we got ourselves some better equipment fer dealing with people like you..."

"The weapons don't make the man, Salvador." Minato remarked before he motioned with his head toward the door. "If you really want to do this, then let's step outside... I'd rather not damage all the hard work my friend has put into creating his weapons." He then smirked. "And I don't think collecting damaged goods will do you any favours... that is, assuming you can actually beat me."

The taunt worked like a charm. Salvador visibly twitched and was seething in anger. His finger twitched as it hovered over the trigger of his weapon for a bit, then he hoisted his gun on his shoulder and smirked. "Alright, punk." He remarked, then waved a hand to motion his men outside before heading out himself.

Mitch slowly stepped around from the counter after the gang had exited the shop, staring after them for a moment before turning his gaze to Minato. "Dude, I smell something fishy about Salvador... You literally kicked his ass all over the block and yet he comes back still as cocky as ever." He remarked while furrowing his brow slightly. "I know you're stronger than your average human being, but... I'd be careful this time around man." He cautioned his friend.

"I'll keep it in mind, thanks. You just bunker down and stay out of the crossfire." The Saiyan returned calmly. "This time around, I'm going to make sure he gets the memo..." He added as he stepped toward the door, rolling his head along his shoulders a bit and limbering up his arms during his departure.

When he stepped outside of the shop, Minato noticed that all of the punks were already gathered in a small firing line in front of the entrance of the shop, firearms trained on the Saiyan and chambering their rounds into their guns. Despite the predicament, Minato wasn't the least bit scared. In fact, he looked at all of them incredulously and gave a helpless shrug.

"...Seriously?" He asked before shaking his head. "You do remember what happened the last time you tried this, right?" He added with a confident smirk.

"Yea, you disappeared as if by magic and took out all my men in a single stroke." Salvador returned, still smirking despite Minato's claim. "Though I wonder... could you do the same thing again and suffer some collateral damage in the process?" He asked as his smirk turned into a malicious grin.

Minato's composure faltered for a split second, his smirk turning into a look of concern as the realization hit him... He looked over his shoulder toward the open doorway, right toward where Mitch was standing, and now realizing that he was in the line of fire! If he dodged out of the way, the bullets from the gang's weapons would tear the bear to shreds!

'Damnit! He didn't fall for my taunt, I fell for his! I played right into his hands!' He thought to himself, cursing internally as he turned toward Mitch. "Get down!!" He hollered to the bear.

The sound of multiple gunshots rang in the air, making Minato flinch and causing Mitch to yelp out and duck behind the counter as quickly as he could. The Saiyan remained standing there, completely frozen with his eyes closed tight and his teeth clenched as he waited for the bullets to hit his back... only to hear them ping against something metallic before dropping to the ground behind him.

He opened his eyes once the bandits stopped firing, daring to glance over his right shoulder and noticing the hilt of his newly acquired sword jutting out at an angle. "...Huh." He muttered softly, completely forgetting that it was even there to begin with and resisting the urge to facepalm right then and there.

He then started to smirk confidently again, realizing he now had a way to protect his friend and take out these punks at the same time. In a flash, he quickly drew his blade and planted it point first in the ground in front of the door so that it stood between Mitch and the bandits. Then, when a second volley of gunshots rang in the air, Minato vanished, letting the bullets ping harmlessly against his blade instead.

"What the?? Where'd he go??" One of the thugs exclaimed, aiming his gun frantically around the alley.

"Don't panic you idiots!" Salvador growled angrily.

The same thug who began to panic suddenly felt something behind him, followed by a chilling "Hey there..." The next thing knew, he felt a hand jab at a tender spot on his neck, making him grunt weakly before he fell face first onto the pavement. The rest of the thugs all turned to the sound of their fallen comrade, only to see Minato standing over him with his arm raised as if he had just struck him. His gaze shifted to the closest thug, and before he could react, the Saiyan had already dashed toward him and shoulder bashed into him, sending the goon flying into the nearby wall with bone jarring force, then turned and leapt at the next closest thug, delivering a flying roundhouse kick right to his head that sent him into the ground hard, no doubt knocking a few teeth out and dislocating his jaw in the process.

One by one, Minato made short work of each gang member before they could even get a chance to fight back. Within seconds, every single thug was lying unconscious on the ground, save for Salvador, who had been watching from afar, clenching his fists angrily as he watched his men getting the smackdown from this incredible warrior. With the last enemy down, Minato turned to face the Tiger beastman, dusting off his coat a bit before crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"And then there was one." He remarked with a smirk. "I'll admit, you did catch me off guard at first with that dirty tactic, but like with you, I had recently acquired a new tool for dealing with scum like you." He added, then his smirk faded into a frown. "So, what's it going to be Salvador? You can't beat me in a straight up fist fight, so you have two choices. Either surrender peacefully, or I send you to the police station in a full body cast. Your call."

Salvador growled angrily and shifted a bit where he stood, taking a step back and looking as if he were going to flee, only to stop himself and step back into place again. His angry glare slowly becoming more relaxed as he sucked in a deep breath, held it for a second, then exhaled slowly.

"Guess it can't be helped." He remarked, then that smirk returned on his face as he clenched his fists tightly at his sides. "Good thing I came with a contingency plan just in case."

"Doesn't matter what you pull out from your magic satchel, the result will be the same." Minato remarked firmly. "You have your choices, and my patience is wearing thin. Surrender, or prepare for a beatdown."

"How about I choose option C..." Salvador remarked as he got into a stance that Minato recognized, legs shoulder width apart and his arms curled as if holding heavy dumbbells. "I blow you away with my ace in the hole!" He hollered, then he began to yell out angrily and hunch forward a little. Sparks started erupting around the tiger beastman's body as he tensed his muscles to their limits, veins starting to pop out along his forehead and biceps as he flexed as hard as he could and roared louder and more angrier.

To Minato's surprise, Salvador's muscles then started to swell up as if energy was being built up within his body, causing the Saiyan to give pause and uncross his arms as he watched the Tiger continue to roar angrily and tense his body even further. The sparks around his body quickly erupted into a golden flame that burned around his body in a wild manner, his short hair atop his head starting to turn from white to a cream-gold colour. With another enraged roar, Salvador threw his arms out and expelled an unprecedented amount of energy, making Minato hop back and shield himself with one arm as the light grew brighter, then died down almost as quickly as it appeared.

When Minato lowered his arm, his eyes widened in disbelief. His opponent was now radiating a familiar golden energy, and his hair was standing on end and his hair now completely gold as well. His eyes were also a different colour, going from their usual piercing yellow colour to a vibrant aquamarine... All clear indicators of a being who has just accessed the Super Saiyan Transformation!

Salvador let out a long sigh after his transformation was complete, his angered expression still present, but his malicious grin returning as he relished in his newfound power. "Betcha didn't see this comin, did ya?" He asked with a chuckle.

The Saiyan was speechless at first, his arm lowering all the way to his side and hanging loose for a time as his mind processed what was going on. Then, both his fists clenched tightly at his sides, and his shocked expression quickly turned into a look of anger and disappointment.

"Admittedly, I didn't." Minato replied, his tone becoming more venomous as he spoke. "There's no way Capsule Corp. would have administered the Super Saiyan gene into you from their clinic, so I'm going to assume you got your strain off the Black Market..."

"Where I got it from is none of yer business." Salvador remarked. "You should be more concerned with what's about to happen to ya in the next five seconds. I'm gonna pound you so hard into the ground, yer gonna-"

"If you have time to talk..." Minato said, now behind the Tiger and causing him to flinch and stand perfectly still as the Saiyan's chilling tone reached his ears. "...You have time to fight."

Salvador then turned around quickly, only to have his face become acquainted with Minato's fist as he backhanded him. The Tiger grunted as he was struck, the force behind the punch sending him off of his feet and skidding along the ground, tumbling a bit before he skidded to a stop a fair distance away from Minato. After rubbing his cheek and checking to see if his jaw wasn't broken, he quickly scrambled to his feet, staring at Minato dumbfoundedly.

"W...What in the hell??" He demanded. "How'd you do that??"

"Like with what I said in regards to your weapons, power doesn't make the man." Minato replied plainly, rolling his arms a bit before he took a defensive stance. "And since you've chosen to disrespect those that properly acquired that power, I'm going to grind your face into the pavement after I'm through with you..." He remarked coldly.

"Dammit...! I'LL KILL YOU!!" Salvador roared out angrily, the golden flame around him intensifying as he shouted, then he charged at the Saiyan and began furiously lashing out at him. The tiger was now blinded by his now amplified rage, a common side effect to those that weren't accustomed to the Super Saiyan form. While Salvador's attacks were no doubt more powerful, they were wild, unfocused, and easy to read, especially to a warrior as tempered as Minato.

The Saiyan dodged and weaved around all of Salvador's attacks, never once using his limbs to block any of the savage tiger's strikes and waiting for an opening to present itself to him. The more he dodged, the more furious Salvador became. In his mind it didn't make any sense. He had the power of a Super Saiyan. He was many times stronger and faster than his normal state, and yet despite his increase he couldn't even land a scratch on Minato.

"Fucking stand still!!" The tiger roared out, swiping one last time at Minato and forcing the Saiyan to jump backward to safety. He panted heavily as he struggled to catch his breath, resting his claws on his knees as he tried to regain his stamina.

Minato landed gently on his feet a fair distance away from Salvador, sighing as he stood tall and stared on at the tiger struggling to catch his breath. He then lifted his hand up and gestured wordlessly for his opponent to come at him.

The taunt worked. Salvador was absolutely steaming mad due to his inability to touch Minato despite being transformed, and seeing his opponent taunt him so casually sent his rage beyond the boiling point. He let out a furious roar before charging in, sprinting at full speed and drawing his fist back as far as he could as he closed in on Minato. When he was within striking distance, the tiger threw his fist forward as hard as he could, letting out a blood curdling roar as his fist connected with the Saiyan's face. The force of the impact sent a large gust of wind blowing out of the alleyway and onto the streets, making a few trash bins fall over and empty their contents on to the pavement.

Salvador wore a satisfied grin on his face after his fist connected. 'Finally!' He thought to himself, savouring in the moment. However, when he looked past his arm to the Saiyan he had just struck, his satisfied grin quickly changed to a confused gaze, then to a look of sheer terror, as he realized that the Saiyan was still glaring back at him, completely ignoring the fist that was grinding into his face.

He hadn't even budged from his spot. Hell, he showed absolutely zero signs of pain or discomfort from being struck. Instead, he only glared furiously back at Salvador as he slowly lifted his left hand up and grasped the tiger's wrist firmly.

"...That was your best, eh?" He asked lowly before suddenly jerking the Tiger's wrist in a way that snapped it clean off the joint, dislocating it and making him scream out in agony. Then, in a swift motion, he pulled Salvador toward him and uppercut his solar plexus with his free hand, striking him with incredible force. The punch was so heavy it made the tiger beastman gag as he was winded, dropping out of his Super Saiyan form before his eyes rolled back in their sockets, going completely limp in the Saiyan's grasp. Minato effortlessly held him up despite the Tiger now acting as dead weight, but he soon stepped aside and let him fall flat on his face, scoffing as he calmed himself down before speaking again. "You have no right to wield a power that isn't yours... let alone one you can't even control properly..."

Minato then turned toward the shop and quickly walked over toward the front entrance, pulling his sword out of the ground and clipping it onto his back once more before he called out. "The coast is clear, Mitch! You can come out now!"

The bear slowly poked his head out from behind the counter, looking toward Minato standing at the entrance, then quickly looking to his left and right before stepping around the counter and approaching his friend. "Bloody hell, that sounded like one doozy of a scrap!" He exclaimed, looking at Minato from head to toe once he was in front of the Saiyan. "Jeez, you don't even have a single mark on you, just like the last time! How do you even-"

He paused when he looked past Minato and saw all of the gangsters lying in a heap all around his shop. His mouth hung open as he looked all around the alley, eventually catching sight of the downed Tiger beastman and noticing how still he was. "Oh fuck...you didn't.... Did you?" He asked softly.

"I winded him to the point where he was unable to draw breath for a few seconds." Minato calmly replied. "You can relax. My intention was to incapacitate, not kill. If I sunk to their level, I'd be no better than they are..."

"Well, even so..." Mitch trailed off, looking down at the unconscious Tiger Beastman, then sighed and rubbed the bridge of his snout with his pointer finger and thumb. "Ah, whatever. He had it coming anyway." He remarked, then he relaxed his shoulders and glanced at Minato. "So...still up for that burger?" The bear asked with a bit of a smile.

The Saiyan smirked slightly. "Of course." He replied. "Just let me take this creep and drop them off at the nearest police station. I imagine there's a hefty reward for bringing him in." He added as he knelt down to scoop up the unconscious Salvador and throw him over his shoulder.

Mitch gave Minato an odd look. "Wait, is that how you've been earning your money?" He asked in an almost incredulous manner. "Sheesh, never took you for the Vigilante type."

The Saiyan shrugged softly. "The money's only a bonus. Mostly I do it because I can't stand it when people who think they have power abuse it by attacking those weaker than they are." He replied, gesturing to the unconscious Tiger over his shoulder. "You just worry about acquiring a table for us at our usual spot. I'll meet you there." He said before he took off gently into the air and began flying to the West City Police Department."

Mitch watched in silent awe as Minato flew off, then shook his head slowly and allowed himself a small chuckle. "You are somethin' else, man." He muttered, then sighed as he turned and ran back to his shop, groaning as he picked up the destroyed door and pushed it back into place. It was only a temporary fix for now, but at least he could still put up his closed sign before heading off to the nearest Burger restaurant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Bear beastman wouldn't have to wait too long at his booth for Minato to finally arrive. The Saiyan slid into the booth while the bear was sipping on a cola and staring out the window absently, startling Mitch and almost making him spit out his drink all over the table.

"Fucking-Stop doing that!" He exclaimed in a hushed tone. "Seriously, you trying to give me a Coronary? My nerves are already on edge after Salvador's latest stunt today." He added with a scowl on his face.

"Hehe, sorry. Couldn't resist." Minato returned with a chuckle and a shrug.

Mitch sighed and took another swig from his drink. "Eh, whatever." He returned with a shrug. "So, how much ya get from turning Salvador in?" He inquired.

"Ten thousand Zeni. Should be enough to last me at least a couple days." Minato returned, patting his coat pocket where he hid his stack of money. "Least until I find another damsel in distress in need of rescuing."

"Oh har har har, fuck you." Mitch absently remarked, waving Minato off as he sipped more of his cola.

Eventually a waitress arrived and took their orders, both of them ordering similar combos, though Mitch's was far more rich in protein due to him supersizing his combo. As they waited for their meals to arrive, Minato spoke up once more, this time looking at the Bear Beastman with mild concern.

"I know it's not my business, but... Do you haveto supersize your meals?" Minato asked.

"Hey, I'm a big guy. Big guys need their meat, man." Mitch returned while patting his stomach.

"That's the issue though... The food here isn't exactly what you'd call healthy." Minato pointed out. "Hell, you even said so yourself earlier that you didn't want to suffer from a Coronary, and well... overindulging at a fast food joint is a surefire way to have one."

"That's only if ya go every day man. I only eat at this place whenever you're around." Mitch returned with a casual shrug. "I often make my meals at home, usually consisting of instant stuff, like Ramen, Fried Chicken, all that jazz."

"...That... doesn't really fill me with confidence either, man." Minato remarked softly with a nervous chuckle.

Their meals would soon arrive, and both of them would tuck into their food with gusto. "Say Minato." Mitch piped up after taking a bite into his burger, his voice muffled by the food in his mouth. "You ever thought about enlisting fer the West City Police? I get the feeling they could use a guy like you since yer always doing Vigilante stuff."

"I considered it." Minato returned after swallowing a bite of his own burger. "But, the rules they have are a bit too restrictive for my tastes. Yes, I understand they're put in place for both theirs and the public's safety, but I'm a firm believer of taking action when it's needed, rather than just trying to talk things out."

"Well if today was any indication, I don't doubt ya." Mitch returned. "I guess it wouldn't be your style. I mean, when those guys barged in, you basically wasted no time in layin' the smackdown on em." Mitch added with a hearty laugh. "Yer gonna have to teach me how to do that one day, so I can defend my shop on my own."

"If you want to move and fight like I do, you're going to need to lose that first." Minato remarked, pointing at Mitch's belly. "The kind of training I put myself through was long and grueling, and martial arts isn't all about kicking ass and looking good while doing it. It takes a lot of discipline and self control, and a lot of time." He warned, pointing at Mitch with a french fry as he talked.

"Yea, yea I know." The bear remarked dismissively, turning his gaze away from Minato as he chewed on another morsel of his burger. His small ears twitched as he caught sight of a commercial pop up on the screen, and a grin crossed his features as he tapped Minato's shoulder to get his attention. "Speakin' of showing off." He said as he pointed to the screen.

Minato turned and looked at what Mitch had seen, and he narrowed his eyes slightly as he saw an advertisement for the 124th annual World Martial Arts Tournament flash on the screen. The ad was sponsored by Capsule Corporation, and the TV announcer spouted the usual nonsense about warriors from across the globe challenging one another in order to claim the title of World Champion, as well as the grand prize of ten million Zeni as a bonus, with five million for the runner up, and three million for the second runner up.

Mitch smirked and leaned over the table to nudge Minato with his elbow. "Whaddya think?" He asked with a toothy grin.

"Excuse me?" Minato asked, perking an eyebrow at Mitch. "Surely you're not insinuating that I partake in a world tournament."

"C'moooon man! You'd totally kick everyone's asses in that thing!" He stated while spreading his arms wide. "Think about it! You'd be a world champ; proving that you're the strongest guy on the planet! That and you're be pretty much set for life with ten million Zeni! You'd never have to do vigilante work for cash again, and you could maybe buy your own home and live in comfort, rather than in the woods and shit!" He added, trying to convince his friend to partake in the tournament.

"Two things, Mitch." Minato returned firmly. "One. I happen to like living out in the woods. It helps to retain my anonymity and makes it so anyone who would be after me would have a hard time finding me." He stated while holding up one finger, then held up two as he listed his second reason. "Two. I literally just said that Martial Arts isn't all about kicking ass and looking good while doing so, which is exactly what these kinds of tournaments promote. That, and the fact that it's being sponsored by Capsule Corporation, the very same people that are openly trying to market the Super Saiyan gene for commercial use by people who have zero concept of the risks that come with abusing that kind of power." He added, his tone rising as he went on his tirade.

"And you do?" Mitch remarked flatly, crossing his arms in front of his chest and frowning slightly at Minato.

The Saiyan flinched a little at Mitch's accusation, making him give pause and avert his eyes slightly. "Well...yes. I mean, the stories of Goku and Vegeta were my main drive in becoming as strong as I am now, so naturally I would study up on their history and their journey that led to them acquiring their power, and the risks that come with that power." He argued defensively.

Mitch didn't look too convinced by Minato's words, narrowing his eyes slightly at his friend before he spoke. "Minato... I may be a weapon's crafter and arms dealer, but I'm not stupid... Ever since I met you and you protected my shop from Salvador's men, I had a hunch you weren't a typical human being. In fact, your second tussle with Salvador confirmed my theory." He added, his smirk starting to grow as he finished his statement.

"...What theory?" Minato asked in a cautious tone.

"That yer not human at all." He returned. "In fact, I'd go so far as to say that you very well might just be a-"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as Minato quickly thrust his hand forward and covered the bear's mouth. He then looked around quickly to see if anyone had heard their conversation, then he glared right at Mitch furiously.

"You utter one more word, and I'll skin your pelt off with the very blade you constructed for me." He said in a hushed tone before he pulled his hand away from Mitch's face.

The bear only grinned after Minato's hand was removed from his face. "I'll take that little outburst as a sign that I'm right, aren't I?" He remarked in a more hushed tone. "You are a Saiyan, aren'cha?" He asked.

Minato let out an annoyed sigh, rubbing his face with his hands a few times before letting them fall onto the table. "This isn't the place for this kind of conversation..." He muttered softly as he lifted his gaze from the table to his friend. "Let's continue this conversation somewhere more secluded..."

The bear nodded, but still maintained his grin. "I know just the place." He said as he pulled out a small collection of Zeni. "Don't worry 'bout the food. Consider this my treat fer you saving my ass, and my shop, a second time." He returned.

"I appreciate it." Minato returned with a nod.

~~~~~~~

Mitch's apartment was in quite a mess when he and Minato entered. Clothes were strewn about everywhere, his dish rack was full of half washed dishes, with dirtier dishes resting in the sink filled with old, lukewarm water waiting to be washed. All of his pictures were angled and off kilter, and his floor was littered with boxes of takeout from various restaurants. The only things that seemed to be in relatively good condition were his TV and his sofa, the latter of which had a deep imprint of the bear beastman's silhouette where he last sat.

Minato was... quite disgusted at his friend's lack of cleanliness to say the least, but said nothing on the matter. Mitch was kind enough to allow Minato his suite to rest and explain himself, and to call him out on the state of his home would no doubt cause friction between them.

Mitch took a seat at his usual spot on the sofa after grabbing a beer from his refrigerator, popping the can and taking a small swig of the beverage as he got comfy in his seat. "Why dont'cha have a seat, pal? We got loads to talk about." He offered, patting free section of his sofa.

He hesitated, but eventually relented and slowly rested his blade against the nearby wall before taking a seat next to Mitch, sighing and running his hand through his short, spiky hair. "Let me make one thing clear, Mitch." The Saiyan remarked firmly. "What I'm about to tell you stays in this room, understand? This is a secret I'm sharing with you only because you managed to figure it out, and after seeing the things I can do, I suppose I do owe you a proper explanation as to who I really am."

"Take as long as ya need man." Mitch assured Minato after taking another swig of his bear. "I ain't goin nowhere."

The Saiyan sighed softly as he started to piece together what he wanted to say. "Okay..." He began, leaning back against the sofa and looking at Mitch square in the eye. "...Yes, I am a Saiyan." he admitted to his friend. "As far as I know, I'm the only Saiyan in existence, as I have yet to encounter anyone of my race in the thirty years I've been living on Earth." He then lifted his hand up. "Before you ask, yes, I have considered travelling offworld to see if there are other Saiyans like me, and no, I don't have a spacecraft in order to do so. The pod I crash landed in as an infant was partially destroyed upon impact."

"Any idea on where ya came from?" Mitch asked. "Cause as far as I'm aware, before I met you, the only Saiyans that were supposed to exist were Goku, Vegeta, and their kids; bout five of em if I recall."

"Seven." Minato corrected. "Goku's firstborn, Gohan, fathered a daughter who was one quarter Saiyan, and Vegeta fathered a daughter named Bulla, a half Saiyan like his firstborn, Trunks"

"...Damn, you really did do yer homework." Mitch remarked with a hint of uneasiness.

Minato shrugged in response. "In regards to where I came from, I'm afraid I don't remember much; just the last moments of when my father loaded me into a Saiyan pod, then witnessing the planet explode seconds after I escaped." He explained, rubbing his temple with the palm of his hand softly. "I keep having these recurring nightmares of that incident, with my father saying the exact same thing over and over until the explosion wakes me up... To this day, I still don't understand what he meant by them."

"What did he say to ya?" Mitch asked, leaning forward slightly on the sofa and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Some nonsense about me being the last hope of the universe should he fail." Minato remarked as he shook his head. "Frankly I think he was just spouting random words in the heat of the moment. It's been thirty years since I arrived on this planet and so far nothing world ending has occurred."

"Yet." Mitch added, making Minato look toward him curiously as he took a swig of his beer. "Ah, I'm just messin' with ya." He said with a hearty laugh, smacking his large claw along his thigh. "But yea, I'd say yer old man was probably just talkin' some bullshit man. If a crisis were on its way, I think it woulda followed after ya right away, and even then, I'm pretty confident you'd be able to fight it off if it did show up now." The bear added.

"Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence." Minato returned with a small smile and a nod, then his expression turned serious quickly after. "So... that's my story for the most part on who I really am. I trust this will stay in this room?" He asked, his brow furrowing into a stern glare as he spoke.

"Yea yea, don't worry. Yer secret's safe with me man." Mitch assured Minato while waving his claw dismissively. However, when Minato went to relax, the bear quickly pointed his index finger at the Saiyan. "On one condition."

Minato rolled his eyes and sighed. "Of course... always a hitch." He muttered. "Let me guess... You want me to compete in the upcoming tournament..." He answered in a glib tone.

"Yeeeeup!" Mitch returned, downing the last of his beer and belching loudly, patting his belly before turning to face Minato fully. "C'mon man, if ya won't do it fer the money then at least do it fer the experience. And let's be honest, you could use a few more friends." He added with a shrug.

"I have you as a friend. That's enough for me." Minato replied, leaning back on the sofa and looking toward the wall across from him.

Mitch arched an eyebrow at the Saiyan, unconvinced by his words. "...I don't believe you believe that, man." He remarked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Yea, you're a good friend and you've stuck yer neck out for me a few times, but I think you need people that you can relate to; people that you can spar against and better hone yer skills and such." Mitch remarked. "I ain't no fighter, but I do know that even the heroes you look up to didn't always train on their own."

Minato's gaze fell to the floor slightly after Mitch finished his statement. He didn't outwardly admit it, but the bear did have a point. From the day they first met Mitch really had been his only friend, and while they got along quite well with each other, they didn't really have much in common with each other aside from a mutual respect for each other. As opposed to the notion as he was, perhaps a World Tournament might be a good way to meet others that share his passion for martial arts.

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling as he gave his response. "You do raise a good point admittedly." Minato remarked, taking a few moments to come to a decision before looking back to Mitch. "When did that commercial say the tournament will be taking place?"

Mitch smirked, confident that Minato had chosen the answer he had hoped to hear. "'Bout a couple weeks from now." He answered. "Should be more than enough time for ya to prepare... not that you really need to." He boasted with confidence.

"Even with all the training I've been through, it never hurts to train a little more." Minato returned, then gave a reluctant nod. "Alright fine... I'll partake in this tournament, but only because I could use other like minded people as sparring partners." He remarked.

Mitch laughed and clapped a claw over Minato's shoulder, making him jerk slightly from the force of the claw on his shoulder. "Trust me man, you won't regret this. I guarantee you'll have fun." He said in an assured tone.

"I'm holding you to that." Minato returned with a slight smirk, then he stood up and stretched his arms above his head. "Welp. I'm gonna get started on a training regime." He remarked as he turned for the door. "Thanks for lunch, and for the sword Mitch."

"Hey no worries man. Just know yer welcome to stay here whenever ya need to. Door's always open to ya." The bear called as Minato opened the door leading out of the suite.

"...I'll consider it." Minato answered politely as he shut the door behind him.

As he exited the apartment complex and headed out onto the streets, he reflected on the events that took place this day. It always bewildered him how awry his days always went. All he was looking to do that day was gain his weapon and get on with his training for the day, and he ended up not only saving Mitch once more and sharing a meal with the beastman, but the very same individual managed to figure out his biggest secret and convince him to partake in a world tournament.

"Never a dull moment..." The Saiyan muttered as he arrived at the outskirts of West City, where he would take off back toward the woods to begin his training for the tournament. He was confident he would take this upcoming tournament by storm, but he wasn't about to let that confidence become hubris. His experience with Salvador today was a perfect reminder that even the weakest of foes can still be full of surprises...