The alert came through in the middle of the night.
Cecil Stedman was halfway through reviewing satellite feeds when the board lit up red—seismic readings, energy spikes, and civilian distress calls were all stacking faster than his operators could report.
"Sir, we're picking up a massive energy signature on the east side of Brambleton," a technician said, voice tight with urgency. "And… seismic readings. Big ones."
Cecil leaned in, narrowing his eyes at the feed.
A trembling black-and-white camera showed the forest just beyond the town.
Trees shaking. Birds fleeing.
And then — a colossal shadow tearing through the treetops.
Two burning red eyes stared directly into the lens —
and then the feed went static.
Cecil's mouth tightened into a grim line.
"Get me the Guardians," he said.
The Guardians of the Globe responded within minutes.
War Woman strapped on her battle gear, her axe gleaming under fluorescents.
Red Rush zipped into the briefing room, vibrating with impatience.
Green Ghost phased through a wall, already suited up.
"We got a situation?" The Immortal rumbled, arms crossed.
"Not just a situation," Cecil said over the comms. His voice was colder than usual.
"Something massive. Energy readings are off the charts. Visuals show something we've never seen before."
He flicked the monitor on.
The live feed — shakier now — showed a towering ape-like monster stomping through the outskirts of Brambleton.
It was huge.
Wild.
Uncontrolled.
And worse — glowing with unnatural energy.
Red Rush squinted. "That thing's not from Earth."
"Obviously," Green Ghost muttered.
Omni-Man floated into view, arms crossed.
He stared at the image for a long moment before saying quietly,
"That's a giant monkey."
The others turned toward him.
Omni-Man's gaze darkened.
Cecil didn't hesitate.
"Suit up. Full force. This thing is dangerous. Priority one: contain the target. Priority two: protect civilians. If you have to choose, you know what comes first."
There was a heavy beat of silence as the Guardians processed the order.
Then — without a word — they moved.
A thunderous roar split the night, sending flocks of birds scattering from the trees.
A towering silhouette loomed over the forest, its eyes burning like molten coals.
Where the boy once stood —
Now, a monster remained.
Goku had transformed.
His slight frame had exploded into a colossal Great Ape.
Thick, dark fur covered bulging muscles. Goku's tail swung violently behind him, toppling trees with ease.
Massive hands clenched, claws raking deep into the earth.
But worst of all — his mind was gone.
No Goku.
No playful child.
No mischievous grin.
Only the beast.
Gohan sprinted after him, calling his grandson's name — but the boy he raised was already gone, swallowed by the wild darkness inside.
Powerless to stop him, Gohan could only watch as the shadow of his grandson crashed through the trees, vanishing into the night.
And then the forest shook.
The Great Ape roared again, flattening everything in its path as it stormed toward the nearest town.
The town was small, nestled at the forest's edge.
Streetlights flickered as the ground trembled.
People peeked from their homes, confusion flickering into terror.
Then—
BOOM!
An enormous foot crushed the road, shattering the pavement into dust.
Screams filled the air.
The Great Ape swung its arm, smashing a building into rubble.
Cars flipped. Glass shattered. Alarms screamed.
Panic spread through the streets like wildfire.
The beast pounded its chest with another thunderous roar, sending shockwaves across the night sky.
And that's when they arrived.
A crimson blur streaked through the sky.
War Woman's battle-axe caught the moonlight as she flew ahead of the others.
"That thing is destroying everything," she muttered.
Beside her, Green Ghost phased through the air, radiant in green light.
"Didn't know monkeys grew that big," she said.
Above them, Omni-Man hovered, arms crossed, blue eyes narrowed.
He measured the beast—another threat to eliminate.
"Whatever it is, it's not stopping on its own," he said. "We put it down — hard."
The others nodded.
With a thunderous boom, Omni-Man shot toward the beast.
The Great Ape turned, sensing the approaching threats.
As Omni-Man closed in, the beast swung a massive fist.
CRASH!
Omni-Man barely dodged — the shockwave from the punch ruptured the air where he'd been standing, flipping cars like toys.
"Strong," Omni-Man muttered under his breath.
He darted forward, fists slamming into the Great Ape's chest like missiles.
The beast stumbled back, snarling.
Omni-Man pressed the attack, blows landing faster than the eye could track.
But the beast wasn't slow.
WHAM!
A tail the size of a tower collided with Omni-Man, sending him hurtling through three buildings before crashing into the street.
Dust and debris exploded around him.
Omni-Man groaned, shaking it off.
"Alright," he muttered. "That's new."
Above, War Woman dove, swinging her axe with precision.
The blade struck the ape's shoulder, sending sparks flying — but barely scratched the dense fur.
The Great Ape roared in fury, swiping with terrifying speed.
She phased just in time.
"This thing fights like a berserker!" she shouted.
Immortal landed hard on the street beside them, brushing rubble from his arms.
He narrowed his eyes at the towering beast.
"I've fought giants, beasts, gods…
Never seen anything like this."
Below, Dupli-Kate and the Immortal attacked while Red Rush zipped around, striking weak points.
But their attacks barely made a dent.
It wasn't just strong.
It was unnatural.
Omni-Man cracked his neck and took to the air again.
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's end this."
The Great Ape pounded its chest, roaring so loudly that the streets trembled.
Then —
its mouth opened.
A growing, searing light pulsed within.
The Guardians barely had time to react before—
BOOM!
A devastating energy beam tore across the city, leveling buildings.
The heat scorched the earth.
Omni-Man's eyes widened.
"This thing has a ranged attack?!"
Before the beast could fire again, Omni-Man rocketed upward — higher, faster.
He broke the sound barrier, fist cocked back.
And then—
BOOM!
His fist smashed into the ape's jaw with thunderous force.
The Great Ape staggered.
Again—
BOOM!
Another crushing blow.
Again—
BOOM!
And with a final, brutal strike, Omni-Man's fist crashed into the beast's forehead between the glowing red eyes.
The town shook under the force.
The beast stood trembling.
Dust and debris swirled around its massive frame.
And just before its eyes dimmed, for a fleeting moment —
there was a flicker.
A glimmer of something. Not rage, but fear.
It was as if the boy was still trying to wake up somewhere deep inside.
Then—
It collapsed.
The Guardians hovered above, watching warily.
Slowly — almost painfully — the Great Ape began to shrink.
Muscles receded. The fur melted away.
The monstrous form vanished.
And lying in the crater—
A small, unconscious boy. With wild black hair and a tail coiled behind him.
Omni-Man floated down, staring at the child in confusion.
The others followed their expressions, a mix of shock and uncertainty.
"…What the hell is this kid?" War Woman whispered.
Omni-Man didn't answer.
Something about this boy — his strength and raw, terrifying power — felt too familiar.
But It didn't matter what he was-
Omni-Man's eyes glowed dark red.
"He's a threat."