Chapter 1 - Awakening

'What?'

Nathan thought, his mind circulating over information that didn't make sense to him. He was unsure as to how this happened or why it did. He was walking down the street of East Los Angeles, California then couldn't open them again. Some parts of his memories were blank, fogged up even. He could remember his own name, his mother and father, friends and family, but with some parts of it being missed. Suddenly, he could feel that his eyes were opening. As they did, he found a cloudy sky above him and snowflakes falling down to hit his skin. He blinked, making sure that he in the not in a dream of any kind. As he sat up, he noticed something in the white cloud white snow. He was in a pool of fresh blood, as if it should still be falling from him. Frowning, Nathan was about to question his current whereabouts once he realized that he was in the middle of nowhere. That ended when he heard a trembling but soft voice behind him.

"K-Kenan...you're alive.." Called a elderly woman, causing Nathan or rather Kenan to turn around quickly to look at her. She had graying black hair, wore thick clothes for the cold winter like forest, and had several bullet holes in her chest and back. Her blue pupils landed on Kenan with a gleam of hope as she gave him a bloody smile. Kenans' eyes widened as memories not his own entered his mind. That of a 13 year old child merging with his memories to become one. In seconds, Kenan hastily rose to his feet and nearly stumbled as he rushed to the woman before him.

"Aunt Mei!" He exclaimed in horror as he got to the womans' side. He placed his hands upon her chest, his eyes watering with tears as Mei slowly placed her hand on the boys' head. It wouldn't be long before Kenan looked around, taking in more of his surroundings now. He found a small one story house burning nearly a mile away from them, as well as several dozen red clothed men laying face down in the snowy ground motionless. Turning his eyes back to Meis' face, he watched as she started to speak to him once more.

"I'm so glad..that you're still alive. Our bloodline protected you...I was hoping that you'd awaken it." She stated with am ever weakening tone while caressing Kenans' head gently. "You have to go Kenan...you have to find your uncle...he'll look after you.."

"A-aunt Mei...you can't go too." Kenan found himself saying, his own tone trembling as tears fell from his eyes. This woman before him from what his new memories showed him, told him everything that he needed to know. Mei Jian was his only living relative, he never knew his parents or even as to how they died. Mei took care of him up to now and ended up sacrificing herself to protect him. Yet, she seemingly failed when he too was shot, yet he awoken because of Nathans' sudden arrival in this body. They were attacked by a group of people barring a armbands one their biceps that had two white Rs. Kenan didn't know who they were, but Nathan had faint memories of them. He tried to remember but found nothing to aid him.

Kenan watched as Meis' eyes closed as a warm smile became plastered on her face. "It's alright Kenan...no matter what happens...you'll find your way...because..." Mei didn't get to finish her sentence, because her breathing suddenly stopped. Her hand fell from Kenans' head, dropping to the snowy ground with a thud. The boy stared at his aunts' lifeless face, his faced covered with shock and horror. It wouldn't be long before his eyes widened even more as he lowered his head. Nathan didn't know why, but he started to silently cry. He couldn't stop himself, his memories of her making himself react this way. It could even he described as Kenan being more dominate than Nathan within this body. As the boy cried, he cradled Meis' head in his arms, holding her face to his bloodied chest.

He couldn't even be bothered to notice someone approaching him from behind. His tears drenched his aunts' head as he cried, his body trembled from feeling the cold skin against his warm skin. Eventually, he felt the barrel of a gun at the back of his head. That was when his cries were silenced as he finally acknowledged the presence of someone else being with him. Then a mans' voice spoke to him with a dark tone. "She didn't have to die you know, all she had to do was tell us where the Dragon Ball was. So it's all her fault anyway...sorry kid but you gotta die too." The man said, having no ounce of apology in his voice.

The man sounded more like he was use to doing something like this. As if he had become accustomed to doing deeds such as this. Kenan felt a sudden urge arise in him, a power that had felt dormant until now. His body trembled as one emotion overcame his rational mind, overcame anything to do with Nathan. Rage.

The man fired one bullet from his gun and watched as the round bounced off of Kenans' head. Kenan slowly set his aunts' lifeless body down, having not felt his own body being hit. When he rose to his feet, he balled his fists up as he turned to stare at the man who had just shot him. The man was surprised, then unloaded the entire magazine of his weapon upon the child. Kenans' hair covered his eyes as his body remained motionless, as if he were stiff. When the man finished firing into the boy, he watched as Kenans' eyes gave off a scarlet glow. Then moments later, a beam of red energy escaped Kenans' eyes and pierced through the mans' skull. Charred blood splattered everything behind the mans' body as it fell backwards. Kenan felt no ounce of guilt or even mercy for what he had done. So much so that when he heard the arming of more than a dozen other weapons. He turned his glowing scarlet eyes onto a small army of men aiming at him. They even had a tank of some kind behind them with its' barrel aimed at him.

No one moved, not a single word was said in this tense silence. That was when Kenan began to grit his teeth as power pulsed through him like an adrenaline rush. The boy stood at 5"6, his body having a lean build and covered in thick blood soaked clothes. Within the blink of an eye, he was right in front of the group of armed men. Then sent a wild punch into the closest man in front of him. The boys' fist blew a hole through the man, and sent them flying backwards like a doll. Seconds later, all of the armed men opened fire on the boy. Yet just like before, his body seemed bulletproof. He didn't even acknowledge that he was being hit by anything. He simply rushed ahead and ran at the men, sending wild punches at each of them. His body continued to get soaked in blood not his own as the armed mens' blood splattered over him. A demonic cry of anguish came out of Kenans' mouth, a bloodcurdling one as all he could see before him where monsters. He didn't see human beings, only monsters who needed to be put down.

Kenan grabbed one of the men by their arm, then hurled them at a nearby tree. Their body was cut in hair from the impact, even going so far as to denting the tree. He ran at three more men, his scarlet glowing eyes making it seem like he was a demon in childs' clothes. That was when he felt something actually hurt him. The tank that had remained stationary finally shot him. Kenans' body skidded in the snow, steaming and his clothes scorched from being shot by a tank round. Yet his skin remained swathed, as if all it did was push the boy rather than harm him. Gritting his teeth once more, Kenan responded in kind. He locked his eyes on the tank as the smoke cleared, then a red beam of energy collided with the tank. In seconds it was cut in half like a hot knife through butter. He then turned his gaze onto the other armed men, finally noticing the armbands that they had. They were similar to the ones that those who attacked him and Mei. Regardless Kenan didn't care, they were all going to die regardless.

With a howl of anguish, one filled with sorrow and anger, Kenan used his eye beam to slice the last of the armed men into halves. He didn't even give them a chance to beg for mercy. Surrounding Kenan was more than a 30 armed men, each having their limbs ripped off, bodies mauled or having gaping chest sized holes, or even simply mangled like ragdolls. Kenan on the other hand was soaked in blood, his clothes were torn up from the force of his attacks and from the tank that shot him. He stood in the midst of the forest, going over everything that he had done. Yet despite how gruesome he had been to these men, despite how inhumane that he was, not a single ounce of guilt came over him. He simply felt...hungry for more. It was as if he wanted to continue to kill more of these men. Like before, Kenan didn't see them as humans, he saw them as monsters.

Slowly, he turned towards Meis' undisturbed corpse. A smile still on her face, causing Kenans' rage to finally subside. Sadness came over him once more, as it all came to hit him once more. The rush of adrenaline like power leaving him as a small pant escaped his mouth. Despite what he had just done, despite the awakening of a power that he barely knew, he was still alone with no one around for miles. He was still an orphan who had the memories of someone else inside his head. He was still...human.

5 Hours Later....

Kenan had built a bonfire for Mei, his new found strength aiding him in being able to make it. He didn't feel tired at all despite the sun setting behind him. He didn't even feel cold despite the winter landscape around him being freezing cold. He simply laid his aunts' body on top of the bonfire softly and gently. He didn't want to bury her, it was part of in their beliefs. A body shouldn't be subjected to remain underground, it should be freed with their soul passing on to the afterlife. A release from the mortal plain with nothing attached. Tears welled up in Kenans' eyes as he stared at his aunts' lifeless face. Memories of his time with her going through his mind as his eyes started to shine red. He slowly stood away from the bonfire, his eyes still on his aunts' face. Then with his newfound heat vision, he fired at the wood that he prepared for her.

In seconds, blazing fire began to surround her quickly and allowing her to be burned to ash. Kenan watched this happen, watching unto Meis' skin chared and burn until she became unrecognizable to him. More than 30 minutes later, the bonfire had burned Meis' body to ashes. Kenan closed his eyes and lowered his head once more. His thoughts cleared with nothing to do but remain silent. Until eventually he heard something speeding towards him at a frightening pace. He didn't know how he could track it, but it was as if he could hear it coming. Opening his eyes confused, Kenan turned to look behind him but saw nothing. Then he turned his gaze upwards to see a small speeding yellow cloud. He frowned with slight confusion as he watched the cloud fly above him. Then watched as it dived down heading right towards him.

Kenan prepared himself for another fight. Waiting for whomever it was to arrival for his fists were already balled up as blood still smeared him. When the cloud arrived, a boy who was a possibly younger than him jumped off the odd cloud. They had big spikey hair compared to Kenans' short and curly hair. Their pupils were black, having a body clothed in a coat for the winter and had a red bowstaff on their back. In their hand was a white watch of some kind that beeped every few seconds. The boy standing more than 10 feet from Kenan had a stern and unsure look on their face. They looked as if they were studying Kenan and seemed threatened. Who wouldn't be? Kenan was still covered in blood, looked like a maniac, and his clothes were ruined. Anyone would think that he could be a child psychopath, but what the boy said to Kenan made him relax a bit.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked, sounding slightly concerned. Kenan stared at the boy for a moment, then looked away.

"I-i'm fine..." Kenan slowly replied, his tone sounding emotionless.

"But you're covered in blood, are you sure that you're not hurt?"

"I'm sure."

"Then why are you covered in blood?"

"Because...I...killed some people."

This got the boy to frown, before beginning to approach Kenan who took a step back. This boy was weird, anyone would freak out if they saw what Kenan looked like. Yet this boy looked confused and concerned about him. Even then, Kenan felt like he should know who this was. Unfortunately no memory came up even as the boy got to at least 6 feet from him. "Hey, are you crying?" The boy asked, causing Kenan to look away from the boy, remembering that he had just had a funeral for his aunt.

"Yeah, my aunt died trying to protect me." Kenan said.

"So that's why those Red Ribbon guys were all dead! Wow you're really strong!"

This threw Kenan for a loop as he looked back at the boy. They had an estatic smile on their face, their eyes even seeming to gleam with stars. Kenan didn't understand what made this boy so happy, sure he was strong but he didn't know how that was. With a thumb pointed at himself, the boy began to introduce himself. "I'm Son Goku, what's your name?" Goku asked, and watched Kenan stare at him for a moment before speaking.

"I'm Kenan Ko.." Kenan replied.

"Well Kenan, can we fight?"

"Wha...why?"

"I wanna see how strong you are, that's why!"

"I just told you that I killed people, that doesn't get you scared?"

"Well no, I've done that too."

"Wha-what!?"

"Yeah, the Red Ribbon Army guys attacked so I fought back. They attacked you too didn't they?"

"Well...yeah but-"

"So we're basically the same."

Goku had a beaming smile on his face as he stared at Kenan. Such positive was nothing new to him, his aunt was positive of course but this Son Gokus' positivity was something else. Where Aunt Meis' positive behavior was more like a warm embrace, Gokus' was more like a calm flame that blazed each time he smiled. Goku despite hearing about Kenans' aunt being dead decided to try and befriend him. That was when Goku gave Kenan gave him a sympathic smile, before pointing at himself once more. "I'm sorry about your aunt, I miss my grandpa too. He took care of me and made sure I knew how to fight. Then one day he said that he had to go..." Goku explained, causing Kenan to realize that this boy was basically in the same situation that he was currently in.

Goku was an orphan as well, with no living relative to confind in. Yet despite being so alone, he could still smile? How?

"Goku...why are you so happy?" Kenan questioned.

"Well because I found someone strong, that's why." Goku replied as if it were easy.

"No that's not what I mean! You said that you lost your Grandfather, but you can still smile like that...how? You're family's gone right so you should be alone. You shouldn't feel happy!"

Goku gave Kenan a look that the boy couldn't describe. It was as if Goku was showing some form of pity before beginning to speak once more. "Well, that's because I'm not alone though. I have friends who I consider family. They were there for me, and I don't wanna lose them. They're my family now, that's why I can be happy. Because I have friends who's there for me." Goku replied.

Kenan stared at Goku for a moment, unable to speak. He never had a friend outside of his aunt. They lived in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the wilderness, books, and TV to occupy their time. Kenan had no one but Mei to confined in. He couldn't truly understand where Goku was coming from, but he didn't want to be left alone. The hole in his small heart ached each time he had to think about his aunt. Suddenly Goku took up a stance, as if about to fight. "Come on, fight with me! If i win, you come with me to find the Dragon Balls!" Goku declared, causing Kenan to stare at the boy weirdly. He thought about Gokus' words before replying.

"What about if I win?" Kenan asked curiously.

"Well you get to have a wish from the Dragon Balls."

To this Kenans' widened a bit, then narrowed his eyes on Goku. Slowly, he balled his fists up as he prepared himself to fight as well. "Deal.." Kenan replied, his eyes giving off a faint scarlet glow as a battle hungry smile came over Goku's face.

"Great! Now let's fight!"

To Kenans' surprise, Goku sped at him with speed equal to his own. With a single punch, Goku sent Kenan backwards despite his small size. For the first time in a single day, Kenan felt pain. He touched his cheek and hissed with pain before looking at Goku in surprise. Then rushed at the boy, sending a punch of his own. However, Goku counter his fist and a punch of his own. This made Goku wince, feeling the strength behind Kenan's punch. Unfortunately the blow didn't push the smaller boy back. It only caused a shockwave to emerge around them. Goku jumped back and shook his hand with surprise. "Wow, you're really strong! You didn't even hold back!" Goku exclaimed excitedly much to Kenans' surprise.

"I...don't know how." Kenan replied apologetically.

"It's okay, that just means that I have to fight at your level!"

At that moment, Goku moved faster than Kenan could track. Then sent a knee into the boys' gut, causing Kenan to cry out and be sent bolting backwards and crashing through a tree. Kenan skidded across the snowy ground, before coming to a halt as a groan left him. He didn't think that someone around his age was this strong, actually none of this was making sense to him. He woke up with memories not his own, killed more than a dozen men without breaking a sweat, and is now fighting a powerful kid who can hurt him. This time entire day was weird, yet even so he wanted something. He wanted his aunt back, and to get her back he had to win no matter what. He knew that the legend of the Dragon Balls was that they could grant any wishes. So he had to beat Goku, even if the odds were stacked against him.

"What? Finished already?" Goku taunted after catching up to him. Then watched ad Kenan stood to his feet as his eyes began to glow brilliantly with a scarlet red hue.

"Not even close..." Kenan replied as he readied himself once more.

"Good, because I'm just getting started!"