CHAPTER 1: THE CATALYST

  The Beginning of Chaos

  A tear in space rippled through the void like a scar across reality.

  From the outside, it looked like a fractured window in the sky — but inside, it pulsed with unstable energy, threatening to unravel the very fabric of every universe it touched.

  The rift had opened.

  And nothing would ever be the same again.

  ?

  In the Dragon Ball Universe, Goku and Vegeta stood atop a high mountain range, fists clenched, sweat dripping, their latest training session leaving the air hot with tension. But then, it came — a pressure unlike anything either of them had felt in a long time.

  The clouds twisted. The sky itself flickered.

  “Tch…” Vegeta narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists. “You feel that?”

  Goku’s eyes lit up. He smiled — that all-too-familiar grin.

  “Yeah… it feels strong.”

  Before Vegeta could argue, Goku vanished with a sharp pop, leaving only a shimmer of energy behind.

  ?

  In the Invincible Universe, Mark Grayson, better known to the world as Invincible, was flying across the city on a routine patrol. He was still adjusting to the weight of being both a superhero and the son of Omni-Man — a burden heavy enough without the strange new surge of power tearing through the air.

  BOOM.

  He stopped mid-flight. A thunderclap of unknown energy slammed into his senses. His Viltrumite blood responded instinctively, reacting to the foreign power.

  “What… is that?” he muttered, eyes narrowing. “That’s not from Earth.”

  Without hesitation, Mark blasted through the sky, following the pressure.

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  ?

  A war-torn city lay in ruins between two worlds, brought together by the rift. Goku landed in the middle of the desolate battlefield, looking around curiously. It felt like Earth, but… wrong.

  That’s when he sensed it — the other presence.

  Mark Grayson rocketed through the sky and landed hard, cracking the concrete. He locked eyes with the man in the orange gi.

  “Who are you?” Mark demanded.

  Goku smiled casually. “Goku. Just a martial artist lookin’ for answers. And you?”

  “Mark. And I’m not in the mood for games.”

  They stood still, sizing each other up.

  Two warriors from completely different realities. But somehow, destiny had brought them here.

  ?

  ROUND 1 – TESTING HANDS

  Goku chuckled, stretching his arms. “You’re pretty strong. But let’s see how you handle this!”

  In a flash, he blitzed forward. Mark barely tracked the movement — and only just managed to block the gut punch that slammed into his torso. The force sent him sliding across the broken ground, digging trenches with his boots.

  Mark wiped blood from his lip.

  “…Fast little guy.”

  He launched himself forward — shoulder-charging Goku through a crumbling building. Goku flipped mid-air, landed smoothly, and dusted off his clothes.

  “Not bad.”

  ?

  ROUND 2 – FISTS ARE FLYING

  The silence broke — BOOM BOOM BOOM!

  A flurry of punches erupted, their fists blurring with speed. Each clash released shockwaves that shattered glass and cracked the earth below them.

  Mark gritted his teeth and landed a hard punch — breaking Goku’s nose.

  Goku paused… then smiled.

  “Heh… Not bad!”

  But that’s when the fight turned. Goku began weaving, dodging, predicting Mark’s every move. His instincts were sharper, his timing flawless.

  Mark couldn’t keep up.

  ?

  ROUND 3 – THE SAIYAN SWITCH-UP

  Goku’s eyes narrowed. “Alright then. Time to turn it up.”

  His aura flared red.

  “Kaioken — times two!”

  The explosion of energy shook the entire zone. Goku vanished and reappeared behind Mark in an instant — delivering a brutal gut punch followed by a spinning backhand. Mark crashed into a wall, coughing blood.

  “W-What the hell are you?!” Mark growled.

  Goku floated above him, eyes calm.

  “A Saiyan… from Earth.”

  ?

  ROUND 4 – HEARTS OF WARRIORS

  Mark wiped blood from his face, panting heavily.

  His healing factor worked overtime. His body begged him to stay down — but his pride wouldn’t allow it.

  He stood.

  And charged.

  With a roar, Mark threw one final punch — all his strength, all his pain, all his fury.

  Goku met him head-on.

  Their fists collided.

  The resulting explosion shook the rift itself.

  ?

  Mark’s body hit the ground with a thud. Cratered. Bloodied. But breathing.

  Goku stood over him, smiling.

  “You’ve got heart, Mark,” he said. “Don’t lose that.”

  Goku turned away, sensing stronger energy elsewhere. He flew off without another word.

  Mark, flat on his back, stared at the cracked sky.

  “I really got folded by a dude who smiles that much…”

  ?

  END SCENE – THE RIFT OPENS WIDER

  As Goku vanished into the horizon, the multiverse continued to break.

  The energy from their battle had triggered a chain reaction. The rift pulsed — louder, brighter, wider.

  And from across infinite universes…

  Others began to arrive.

  ?

  TO BE CONTINUED…