5 Assimilation

Gohan groaned as he opened his eyes. He turned and instantly regretted it. 'God, my head!' he whined as he slowly sat up.

He kind of liked it, sitting still, blankly staring at the wall for about ten minutes, recalling his night. Finally, he stood up and walked to the bathroom, splashing his face to wake up some more.

But he regretted that decision; the cold water was like a punch to the face, triggering his gag reflex. All that alcohol was now battling the Super Saiyan God, and it was winning. He couldn't remember how many glasses he downed, but it was definitely far beyond five hundred glasses; that's when he blacked out.

Sniffing the air, he gagged slightly - it was god-awful. He continued sniffing around before determining it was him.

'Where is the shower?' thought Gohan as he started to undress and turned on the shower before dropping down and letting the water do all the work. 'At least I can get cleaned up.'

Gohan spent about an hour in the shower before brushing his teeth and washing his hair. Once he was done, he donned a white vest, brown long pants, and black sneakers.

He exited his room and started his walk to the cafeteria. Thankfully his Saiyan biology was greatly assisting his human half. When he got there and picked his meal, a few moments later a robot made its way over to him and placed the plate in front of him, which he happily took.

Soon, more and more plates came, but his stomach started protesting, as if the food was warning him of its resurfacing capabilities.

Just as the idea of more food made him dizzy, a blaring siren went off in the tower, catching his attention. Looking around, he spotted multiple League members running past him and heading towards the control room. "Warning! Warning!" The tower AI went off.

Gohan got up and made his way towards the control room, just in time to see Batman typing away at quite an impressive speed. "Deep space anomaly approaching at - calculating - ERROR - ERROR - information overload - rebooting systems - calculating - ERROR - ERROR - information overload - rebooting systems."

The AI kept going as Batman's frown got deeper. "What's happening?" Power Girl asked as she entered.

"One of our deepest satellites picked up an object traveling in a white orb. The AI is struggling to compute the speed of the object," Batman explained.

"That shouldn't be possible," said Power Girl as she stared at the screen. "It's state of the art."

"I thought your man-made machines could do anything," Diana said as she joined the conversation.

"It has its limits," Superman answered, "I heard the alarm down in Metropolis and made my way back," he said.

"I think it can't figure out the speed of the object because it's staring at the trail," Gohan chimed in as he stared at the numbers on the screen.

"I think you're right, Gohan," Superman answered, and Power Girl slowly nodded and started using her Kryptonian mind to crunch the numbers.

"Indeed, you are very correct," a new voice said.

Gohan's eyes snapped to his left when he felt a hostile aura to his side. In fact, everyone was taken by surprise. How did this person enter the watchtower? That shouldn't even be possible.

Gohan's hair flashed crimson as he transformed. He put up his defense and backed up, but it was too late; the being was already in front of him and dismantled his guard like it was child's play.

Try as he might to muster a defense, his master-level martial arts and god strength could not defend him as a jab landed right between his solar plexus.

He had never felt a blow so strong, delivered with such precision. His strength left his body as he dropped to his knees, and his hair reverted to black again; he had been paralyzed by a single blow.

Unable to breathe anymore, Gohan just sat slumped on his knees as the being smirked down at him and waved his finger slowly in a 'no-no-no' motion.

"Who are you!?" Superman asked as he stared at the being who had just one-shot a literal god.

The tension in the room was thick as everyone was on edge. "Now what?" Green Lantern asked as he stared at the unknown being, his ring glowing green before his eyes widened. "That's not possible..." He muttered as he clenched his fist.

Karen growled and charged forward, pulling her fist back and letting out a heavy punch. "Let's see you stop this!" Her bravado quickly disappeared.

She could only stare in shock as the being blocked it with his little finger. "Careful with that strength of yours, Kryptonian," he said as he placed his hand in front of her face and finger-flicked her forehead. Her head rocked back as she flipped continuously until she finally smashed into the wall in the back and flew out into space.

"No...way..." Supergirl muttered, before assuming a battle stance. He just took out Power Girl with his finger; that meant that anyone else would be killed if he just touched them.

"Just what is he, Gohan defended himself quite amazingly. It was like a beautiful dance, but..." Before Diana could finish her statement, Superman cut in.

"He was dismantled... this guy is bad news," with his jaw clenched he turned to Karen, who had just returned. "You alright?" He asked; he could tell she had a bump on her forehead and was disoriented.

"Hold on... I think so?" She answered, somewhat confused. She stared at the being.

Before anything else could happen, a surge of crimson ki burst to life as Gohan shot up and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the being who smirked at him.

'Faster! Faster! Harder! HARDER!' Gohan chanted in his mind as his fists became a blur and moved with precision.

The blue-skinned individual sent him into panic mode; this guy looked eerily similar to the guy who came to Earth with Beerus. Was the God of Destruction nearby? He definitely wasn't ready to face off against the god again.

He should have trained, even if it was only for a few days; shaking his head, no, that wouldn't have changed a thing. He would never be able to reach those heights in a few days.

"Oh?" The being said as he defended the attacks effortlessly, even being brazen enough to yawn and remove one hand from the fight to cover his mouth while still defending against the Saiyan god's onslaught.

"You won't have your way here!" Gohan yelled as his aura grew stronger and more intense.

"This is insane…" said Green Lantern as the Watchtower started shaking uncontrollably from the power.

Hearing Green Lantern's voice, Gohan cleared his mind and concentrated even harder, not wasting any energy or movement. Harnessing the power of a god, he used all the strength he had available.

The shaking became less violent as he broke off the fight and backed up to the League members, who were on alert. Panting slightly, he spoke but never broke eye contact with the being who was just smirking.

"He is strong, too strong," Gohan said as steam rose from his body. "You all need to run," they looked at him. "I can't stop him."

"We can't do that; this is our base, too many of our secrets are here, powerful artifacts that can't be on Earth," Batman countered.

"Judging by the fight, he is stronger than even you." Martian Manhunter pointed out as he tried to silently gain entry into the blue-skinned being's mind. This was clearly not a great idea as he was flung back with immense force, enough to knock him out before he even hit the wall.

Gohan grimaced. "There is always someone stronger than you." Sensing the feeling of doom settling, Diana stepped up.

"Friends, we have no choice but to stand! We will fight like the warriors we are - side by side in camaraderie and send this being to Pluto's Gate and make him regret testing our might!" Diana said as she entered a fighting stance.

This seemed to rekindle the dwindling flame in everyone's heart, they would try or die trying.

All of them assumed a fighting stance. The being smiled at them, and before they knew it, he was standing in between them. He eyed them and attacked Gohan, who managed to evade in time, just barely, leaving a cut on his cheek.

"Impressive!" He spoke and nodded. "Seems I was right to stop the highfather from interfering," He reappeared back where he stood and gave a short bow.

"I apologize for my intrusion and rude behaviour, ladies and gentlemen." He spoke.

This took them off guard as Zatanna and Dr. Fate arrived.

"Ahhh Nabu, it is you," the being casually said as Dr. Fate just bowed and urged Zatanna to follow suit.

"Great Angel. May I ask what brings you to the mortal realm? A holy being such as yourself rarely graces us with your presence," Fate asked.

"I sensed an aberration in the universe a year ago, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I held off until now, the new gods were just as curious of your new friend." The angel explained, pointing at Gohan who had finally caught his breath.

Dr. Fate turned and looked at Gohan, who was glowing crimson red. "I see, it was you who created that intense disturbance, you even managed to gain the Angels' attention, this is not a matter for myself to get involved," Dr. Fate answered and turned to Zatanna.

"We do not interfere," Zatanna nodded and backed up and looked at the other League members, and signaled for them to calm down.

She had read of Angels in the ancient scripts, they predate even the Tower of Fate, perhaps even creation as a whole is but an infant to them.

"He isn't here for us; he wants the Mobius-level god in our care." She explained, a few relaxed while a few tensed up.

"So will we just abandon him?" Diana asked, surprised and angry at the thought.

Gohan stiffened slightly but quickly relaxed; maybe it wasn't too bad, perhaps they would be spared.

"You cannot, for a moment, believe that I, Diana of Themyscira, would abandon a comrade!" She spoke vehemently. "I may have only known him for a moment, however that moment is all I need!" 

Dr. Fate quickly cut off the foolish Amazonian princess.

"The Angels tend to carry the will of the king of gods. If you block his path, our whole universe will be destroyed by an unbending and overwhelmingly unfathomable power," Fate answered. "That includes every timeline to ever exist and will ever exist. Future. Present, and Past."

"Certain ancient entities call him, by the Omni-King or The Presence, but he is the King of Gods and he always gets his way," Dr. Fate explained. "He is the supreme being, analogous to the monotheistic god in your world religions. Challenging such a force is the most foolish behavior any being could dream of."

This revelation really made everyone understand the gravity of the situation, this was WAY beyond what they signed up for.

Green Lantern cut in. "He isn't lying, even my ring is warning me of confronting him." He sounded stressed.

"It's okay," Gohan said to Diana; she could only grit her teeth as she stood down and watched as Gohan approached the blue-skinned being.

He stared at the Angel, "where is your God of Destruction?"

The Angel smiled. "Oh, you know of the existence of the destroyer entities? That's to be expected with your level of strength; you must have come across one, seeing as you are alive. The destroyer must have been very weak or chose to let you live," the Angel answered.

Gohan shrugged. "Entities? What do you mean?" asked Gohan.

"You come from a different multiverse; I can sense your energy is similar to that of the 7th," the Angel answered. "But that is Lord Beerus's domain. Such a powerful deity would have no problem erasing you," the Angel said as he examined Gohan. "Perhaps he has lost his touch."

"I never said I won the fight," Gohan answered back coldly.

"Really now? That's odd; destroyers tend to just destroy beings like you, but it matters not," the Angel finished.

"Is there a point to all of this? Why are you here and what do you want from me?" Gohan asked apprehensively. Was Beerus truly that far above him? If so, why was he still alive? He had so many questions.

"Your strength currently is not great; you can barely call yourself a god," he said as he examined Gohan, looking him up and down like an art exhibition.

"But I can tell that you are not used to commanding divine power, so it must be a new addition to your arsenal. Tell me, fledgling god, how many eons have you been alive now? Your control of it tells me perhaps a few million years at most?" the Angel questioned.

"I am still 23 years old," Gohan answered, but this caught the Angel's attention because his head snapped towards Gohan.

"You are not even older than a century?" He asked, although he sounded like he didn't believe it for a second. "That's not possible." He answered matter of factly as his staff appeared in his hand. He peered into the staff and verified Gohan's claim.

As if he had gained a divine revelation, he turned and stared at Gohan intensely. "Lord Beerus, you truly..."

"I redact my previous statements; you are coming with me," he said as he snapped his fingers, and he and Gohan vanished from the watchtower and entered his staff.

The unsure atmosphere loomed, and everyone somewhat relaxed. "That was intense," Superman couldn't hold it in, almost as if they had all been holding their breath.

'Okay, so maybe he isn't as weak as I thought… He was kind of hard to follow… their whole fight felt like an entirely new level of combat.' Karen thought to herself as she clenched her fists. 'I mean… I could keep up but…'

Diana just turned and slammed her fist into a wall in anger.

"For the first time in my life, I felt shame, the shame of not standing up for a comrade. We may have just gotten to know him, but he doesn't deserve whatever is going to happen to him," Diana said. "We are all superhuman, but when a stronger force comes, we just bend our knees for them."

Dr. Fate quickly interjected.

"The difference is, Diana of Themyscira, this 'stronger force' is not something you can resist even if there were thousands of us, millions even," Dr. Fate explained. "There is nothing wrong with what we did; Angels are natural forces, there are few of them, and only one oversees an entire Macrocosm. Ancient scripts depict that they have a father who directly serves the King of Gods," Fate explained.

"My knowledge of them is very limited, but they serve the destruction entities; mighty virtuous beings who strike down those who bring imbalance to creation," Fate ended. "You who have never heard of The ENDLESS will never understand the importance of what we just did."

"The Endless?" Superman questioned as Zatanna stepped up. "I don't know much about them either, but they embody various aspects of existence, including Death, Dream, Destiny, Destruction, Desire, and Delirium. Each of these forces is immensely powerful and has a unique role in the universe, whether living or dead." 

"All I remember reading about destroyer deities is that those who tread paths against a destroyer cease to exist," Zatanna said. "Even other entities can be removed by them."

The staff pulsed as Supergirl approached the mystical item. "Do not touch that; you might just explode," Zatanna warned.

With Gohan...

"You can't be serious," Gohan said as the Angel smirked. "Indeed, the multiverse you are from is quite the distance from this plane."

"You are not allowed to enter another god of destruction's jurisdiction; most would see you as a threat to their universe, and they would destroy you on the spot. Luckily for you, this universe does not have a destroyer god. I cannot disclose such information to mere mortals; even Nabu does not know this," he explained.

"Before we go on, I think introductions are in order; I am Vermont, Angel of the 21st universe."

'21st? Does that mean that there's no Beerus here?' Gohan thought to himself. He was relieved to hear that. Honestly, if Beerus was truly far more powerful than he was letting on, then any other destroyer god would be disastrous for him right now.

Standing upright, Gohan introduced himself.

"I am Son Gohan, a half-Saiyan, half-Human hybrid. I recently became something called a Super Saiyan God, due to Beerus's insistence," Gohan said.

The Angel nodded and absorbed the information. "So that's why he didn't destroy you; he was hoping you would become more powerful..." Vermont mused. 'Perhaps he had a premonition of a great disaster and saw potential in this... Saiyan God, and I must say he sure has sharp eyes. I must be growing old to feel envious of my brother Whis for having such a responsible god to serve.'

'But, he could also have just been looking for an apprentice.' Snapping Vermont out of his thoughts, Gohan asked.

"So, how do I go back home?" A devious smile appeared on Vermont's face, which sent a chill down Gohan's spine.

The Angel explained, "To gain the right to travel the Multiverse, you need to be a god of destruction that ranks among the top four in your own multiverse. You must possess strength and authority that no other higher-level being can challenge."

"It's a strength so immense that it earns you the privilege to act as you please, similar to Lord Beerus, one of the most powerful destruction entities in all of creation. His actions caused quite a commotion in the 7th universe."

"But most beings won't interfere, either because they cherish their own existence or because a battle of that scale would provoke the great Zeno, the supreme ruler. Such a battle could even lead to the destruction of both parties involved. There are limits, but typically, no one would intervene unless it directly threatened the entirety of creation. Most entities protect their own domains with their power, just like what happened in your case, young god," Vermont explained.

Gohan slowly comprehended the explanation and asked, "So, because there isn't a god of destruction here safeguarding this universe, I was able to create a rift with Beerus that led me here?" Vermont nodded in response.

"But, why are you telling me this?" Gohan asked.

"You want to visit your home, correct?" He asked.

Gohan couldn't believe his ears. "Are you asking me to become a god of destruction?" He asked.

"Your strength and control of power are amazing; your martial arts are top-notch as well, and to top it off, you are still younger than a century, not even a quarter of a century. If you become a destroyer candidate, I will become your attendant and train you to reach higher levels of strength."

"Perhaps overtaking Lord Beerus is even possible." He teased.

Clenching his fists, Gohan felt a fire ignite in him. There was a way to go home!? But how long would that take to achieve? Everyone would be dead by then.

Shaking his head, he cleared his thoughts. What does that matter? He can still visit them in the afterlife. With the power and authority being promised to him, he could do whatever he wanted; the rules wouldn't apply to him.

He would definitely be far beyond even the Supreme Kais.

It was silent for a few seconds until Gohan looked at him. "How do I become a destroyer?" He asked.

"Is that a yes?" He asked.

Gohan nodded. "Yes." The Angel smiled widely. He would finally have a real destroyer god to serve again. 

'Your wish has come true, Perpetua, and to think your greatest apprentice and lover brought hope to the universe. It seems Lord Beerus still thinks of you even though countless eons have passed since your death.' Vermont thought to himself before smiling at Gohan.

"To be able to travel from this multiverse to our sister multiverse will be required you to climb the ranks of the Destroyers. Right now, there are a total of 25 Destroyer Gods, and you are weaker than all of them. Before you can even think of challenging them, you need to surpass the native gods," Vermont smiled. "Your training will be quite strenuous. As you are now, you can be killed by almost every entity alive. Had I not stopped the Highfather from enslaving you, you would be dead, on the run, or on New Genesis as a battery."

Gohan nodded, silently thankful for the assistance, but that just made him want to become stronger. "If that's what it takes to see my family again," he answered.

"Excellent! Prepare yourself because I will be coming back soon. It might be a month or so, but not too long. Breathe a word of this to no one, at least not yet," he said as he snapped his fingers, and Gohan was back in the watchtower.

"Gohan!" Diana called when she saw him reappear perfectly fine.

"I'm fine…" He said as he smiled at her. "Thanks for the concern, Diana."

"What happened?" Batman asked.

"He told me I am not allowed to tell anyone, at least not yet, but you don't have to worry; it has nothing to do with you guys or the Earth," Gohan summed up.

"Well, that's good to know," Green Lantern said. "But how do we know we can trust what he says?" He was skeptical, but Dr. Fate turned to him.

"If he wanted to tell us we are on a path of destruction, he would have done so. An Angel will never hold their tongue for the likes of mortals or even gods," Fate explained.

Green Lantern shrugged and relaxed slightly. "When you put it that way…"

"Also, I thought you were strong, but I never thought I would see someone incapacitate you or Power Girl with one hit," Green Lantern said, and Gohan just sighed and reverted from his god form.

"It's not that I'm weak or that Power Girl is weak," he answered as Karen stared at him. "That guy, Vermont, is his name; he was just on an entirely different level of strength."

"You don't say?" Green Lantern said somewhat sarcastically; silence ensued for a few seconds until Batman walked up to the Saiyan god.

"Gohan, your documents will be ready in four days; after that, it will take about a week to get the tests set up; you will be an American citizen. Where do you want to live?" Batman stared at him, Gohan just turned to Flash.

"Barry, you live in Central City, right?" Gohan questioned casually. Barry just grinned. "Central City it is," said Gohan as they fist bumped.

Batman nodded before walking away while Karen looked at Flash with wide eyes.

"You told him your real name!?" She asked as Barry nodded.

"I saw no harm in it, plus he couldn't exactly call me Flash in public," Flash countered as she rubbed her temple and sighed.

"Do whatever you want," she responded; her head was still throbbing from the finger flick; not wanting to stay around any longer she made her exit.

"She is really worked up these days; I think your face irritates her, Gohan," said Flash as Gohan shrugged and chuckled.

Superman chuckled as well before walking off. "Glad that's over, anyway, I gotta go - places to go - people to save, see you around Gohan," Superman finished as he disappeared down the hall.

"I also have to go, Central City won't patrol itself," said Flash.

"Don't let me stop you," Gohan waved.

"See you later," said Gohan as Flash gave him a salute and zipped off.

The week went by pretty fast. Gohan stayed up in the tower for most of it. He was thinking of Vermont and what was to come, and when he ran out of thoughts, he read up on Earth's history and their advancements in science so he knew not to accidentally write down something that would cause an uproar or land him in a mental institute.

While eating in the cafeteria, where he usually was, Batman walked up to him with a bunch of documents.

"This is all you need. I do need to take a photo of you, and then I will give you your ID as well," Batman explained.

Gohan just nodded and took the documents. "Follow me; I have set up a room where you can take your picture. By tomorrow, your ID will be ready, and so will the tests. You will be tested on your knowledge of Physics, Mathematics, and Biology, along with your ability to speak, comprehend, and write in English."

Gohan doubted he would struggle with those, but he was more intrigued by the history of the world. Clearly, dinosaurs were extinct, so he wondered how that happened. What could get rid of dinosaurs?

He stopped when he noticed the Dark Knight stop before showing him a chair in the corner of the room. He promptly sat and waited a couple of seconds. A blinding flash shone on him before Batman told him to stand.

"Alright, that's all. Be ready to take your test tomorrow; better have a clear mind," said Batman as Gohan nodded.

"Of course, I will revise and then call it a night. Still, I am not too worried about the papers; I am more worried about the fact that I could accidentally write down a formula that isn't supposed to exist yet. I mean the tech here is good, but still worlds away from my Earth," said Gohan as Batman raised an eyebrow.

"You could revolutionize the world," Batman led on.

"You mean to show this world tech that should still be another hundred years away?" Asked Gohan as Batman nodded.

"That's not a really good idea… I mean the tech criminals could make with it would be devastating, to say the least," said Gohan as Batman grunted.

"We already have twelfth-level intellects, Warlords, creatures with a ridiculous amount of strength and healing factors, machines that can steal power and bring our world to its knees. The only thing keeping them away is the fact that the Justice League is here; we are all that stands between the villains and the citizens of the world," Gohan could hear where Batman was going with his proposition.

'Let me guess, it would be for the League and only the League?' Gohan mused silently.

"So introducing tech as you describe wouldn't be a bad idea if you used it to help us protect everyone. You might not join the League publicly, but you can still help us while leading a normal life, start a business, and release tech that the public can handle and create the real tech for the League and even for yourself," Batman suggested.

'And there it is… I mean it isn't a bad idea.' He thought. 'Will have to think about it, he may be human, but he gives me a strange vibe…' Gohan thought. 'Not like I can just trust him even if he is a hero.'

Gohan nodded. "Thanks, Batman, I will definitely think about it," he assured.

Batman just nodded and turned to leave. The young Saiyan god left as well, returning to his room to revise a little.

The day went by pretty fast, and soon the next day arrived. Gohan, who was now donning men's black chino pants and a white buttoned-up shirt with the top buttons that held the tie open, had a black blazer on and black casual smart shoes. He was being led by Batman to Wonder Woman, who was waiting for him in women's formal office attire while sporting a pair of glasses and a new artificial beauty spot.

"There you are! Hera, I can already hear the ladies swooning and vying for your attention," said Diana as Gohan chuckled and blushed lightly, partly because of the comment but also because she was extremely beautiful. 

"I am not certain if Batman has informed you yet, but I will be accompanying you on your trip today," Gohan glanced at Batman who shrugged.

"She insisted," Gohan glanced back at her, Diana grinned, "forgive me for being so presumptuous; however, I have never encountered a being such as yourself. You intrigue me, and I would like to understand you better," Diana answered. She had a gleam in her eye that was brimming with excitement.

'No way…' He thought as he just nodded. 'No, she just means she sees me as interesting. I am a newborn god, and she is a super-powered being, that's why! Yeah, yeah,' Gohan thought to himself.

"I don't mind, Diana, but won't people recognize you?" He asked.

"Indeed, I am well known. However, I believe this is good for you, seeing as you want people to believe you lived on Earth prior to your arrival. What is better than having a known hero vouch for your credibility?" Diana looked hopeful that Gohan would accept the explanation.

Before either of them could say anything else, Barry zipped in. "Good luck with your test," said Barry as Gohan looked at him.

"Thanks, from what I have read, it should be a piece of cake. You all live in the Stone Age," Gohan teased with a smile as Barry just clasped his shoulder and started grinning.

"I have feelings, you know?" Barry responded with mock pain.

"You have thirty minutes, Gohan," Batman suddenly spoke, snapping them out of their conversation.

"Let us go!" Diana spoke, and Gohan followed her to the invisible jet before leaving the Watchtower and heading towards Central City, where he would take the test.

"You know the tabloids are going to make such a scene of this," Barry spoke.

"She knows what she's doing; it also seems like she could be interested in him," Batman pointed out as Barry smiled.

"I can't wait to burst Hal's bubble," Barry rubbed his hands together mischievously.

"It could be her way of pushing them to be together more often," Batman shrugged. "She goes on like she doesn't understand 'man's world,' but right now, she is using it to its fullest extent."

"You think her mother will get in her way?" Barry asked.

"Her mother wouldn't accept any man, whether it's a man or a god. Why do you think Themyscira is hidden?" Batman answered. "They hate men."

Once Diana landed the jet, they started walking towards their destination. People almost immediately recognized her with Gohan. Well, who wouldn't? She was a tall, beautiful woman, and next to her was a tall man who looked to be walking with her. Strangely, he didn't look out of place; if his calm, confident, handsome face was anything to go by.

People shot shy waves and glances at them; however, some were brave enough to slowly aim their phones at the duo and record them walking by. Diana just smiled and waved at them as she walked by.

"They look so perfect together…" "Where'd she find him?" "She's so gorgeous." Such comments could be heard as they walked by.

"Does this happen a lot to you?" Gohan asked her as they walked by, and she nodded.

"Indeed, although they seem to be far more interested in the strange man walking side by side with me. I am usually accompanied by Steve Trevor, someone else—" She didn't get to finish because a pair of little girls approached them with a Wonder Woman coloring book and pen.

Once she signed their books, she bid them farewell and was about to continue when her eyes caught a restaurant. 'Perfect timing,' she thought victoriously.

Placing her hand on his shoulder, she spoke. "I know after your test, I suggest we go there to refill our empty bellies!" She asked. Gohan smiled at her excited expression, not realizing she had asked him out to dinner.

"Sure, I would like that," satisfied with his answer, she continued walking forward with a somewhat proud look on her face.

Soon, they could see a large building with Central City College written on it. "I will be waiting in the park across from here, Gohan. Once you are done, just wave for me if you can't find me," Diana pointed out, and Gohan nodded. Feeling a little brave, he opted to reveal his thoughts.

"I am sure I'll find you; you stand out in a crowd. By the way, it just hit me, but is that a fake beauty spot?" Gohan asked. She chuckled.

"Indeed, suits me, does it not?" She asked as she flashed him a smile.

"Very much so, Diana," Gohan almost stuttered, waving her off, he turned to the college.

"Where great minds gather," Gohan read the motto and glanced around and saw multiple people walking around, a lot of them were young people his age. He walked towards the entrance and was about to open it when a black-haired woman opened the door and bumped into him.

"Ouch…" mumbled the woman as Gohan realized she dropped her stuff. He quickly bent down to help her pick it up when she spoke, "sorry I'm in a rush, late for class," she explained, but Gohan just chuckled.

"It's alright—" his words caught in his throat as they stared at one another.

"You're…" they both said in unison as he continued picking up the dropped papers.

"You're that guy that knocked Matt out," said Bell as Gohan nodded.

"That was last week?" questioned Gohan as she nodded. Once all the papers were picked up, Gohan realized it was quiet.

"You study here?" He asked as she nodded.

"You?" Asked Bell as Gohan shook his head.

"No, I am here for an exam. I'm going to find out if I qualify for three Ph.D.s over the next few months," said Gohan as her eyes widened a little.

"Three different fields?" the girl asked, Gohan nodded and smiled.

"Yep, my favorite," said Gohan.

"Which?"

"Physics, Mathematics, and my personal all-time favorite; Biology," Said Gohan, "although it's only Math today."

She looked thoroughly impressed and surprised. "You look surprised," said Gohan as she shrugged.

"Well, you still look young." Said Bell as Gohan chuckled.

"My mother drilled education into me from a young age,"

She was about to respond when his watch beeped, reminding him he had five minutes left to get to the room. "Darn it, I have to go. Anyway, it was nice meeting you this time…" said Gohan as he realized it would be weird if he remembered her name from a week ago, so he pretended to forget.

"Isabella," said Bell as Gohan flashed a grin.

"Isabella, the name's Gohan," said Gohan as he waved and started a light jog down the hall before seeing someone and asking one of the staff where he should go. They pointed him in the right direction before he disappeared from her sight.

She turned and realized she was late herself before she turned and ran in the opposite direction across campus.

The test was surprisingly complex, but Gohan didn't study all his life for nothing. He didn't encounter any sort of question that proved to be a roadblock. Plus, he wrote at an above-average speed and finished his papers before leaving.

He was told the results would be mailed to the person who made this test possible for him. His mind immediately thought of the Dark Knight and briefly laughed to himself at the thought of Batman having a mailbox or a normal email account and sitting behind a computer checking his notifications.

He exited the institution's doors where he previously spoke to Bell. He just grinned; he was in a good mood.

He felt he passed those papers with 100%. He had been doing those equations since he turned twelve. Not to mention, it seemed like a beautiful woman was interested in him. PLUS, she was a warrior, and his chances of seeing his family were no longer zero. They would most likely be dead, but that didn't matter.

He was grinning to himself like an idiot and had an aura of happiness. He was starting his first steps of joining their society. While he knew he would leave in a few months, he wanted to enjoy himself and perhaps see if there was something here for him, a place maybe? The moment he reached the top of this multiverse, he would be allowed to travel between multiverses.

A few days ago, it all seemed so bleak, but now there was hope.

Walking down the stairs, he looked around. 'She said she was on her way to a park just over there, so I guess that's where I should go and check,' he mused, making his way across the campus. He finally saw Diana smiling and talking to a few strangers.

It became very apparent that the strangers were none other than Bell, Matt, Liam, and Mia. Walking up to them, Bell was the first one to acknowledge him.

"Hey, Gohan, how were the papers?" asked Bell as Matt eyed her suspiciously. Mia and Liam looked at her as well. Since when did she know this guy? Was she cheating on Matt?

"Good, I think I passed," said Gohan as Matt looked back and forth between the two.

"When the fuck did you two become so chummy?" asked Matt. "Are you fucking my girl?" Bell looked at him in irritation.

"Shut up, Matt, no, I just bumped into him today in front of the college," said Bell as Matt seemed to calm down before looking at Gohan.

"You here to get Wonder Woman's autograph or something?" he asked with disdain.

Gohan glanced at Diana, who seemed to be trying to understand what was going on. "Do you know them, Gohan?" Diana suddenly asked.

"Well, strictly speaking, no. I bumped into them at a club, and I officially met Isabella here before I went into the college," Gohan answered, but the looks on their faces were priceless.

"I thought I saw you talking to someone!" Diana answered and got closer to Bell. "You attend this educational institution as well?"

"Yes, ma'am," Bell answered.

"Gohan here is new to town. I hope you will treat him well," she said, and they just nodded, almost unable to believe what they were hearing and seeing.

Suddenly leaving her side, Diana made her way to Gohan and waved at them. "Have a pleasant day!" she finished and turned to Gohan. "Are you ready for dinner? I already got us reservations."

"You know I would love that, Diana. I am starving!" Gohan answered and waved at them as he walked away with Diana.