The conference room emptied quickly after Smith's mission authorization. Selene, Wesley, Eddie Brock, and John Wick departed immediately—brief stops at their quarters for gear collection, then straight to the Fraternity's Airbus for transport to Bangkok.
Other Fraternity members watched the aircraft lift off with curiosity. "They just got back from the tournament. What's the emergency?"
The question went unanswered as the plane climbed into the evening sky and banked southeast.
Smith made his way to the headquarters' primary training facility—a reinforced chamber designed to withstand superhuman combat. The room featured gold-titanium alloy walls, impact-absorbing floors, and structural supports rated for small explosions.
He'd need all of that.
His consciousness descended into the system space one final time, examining the Goku character card. The image showed the Saiyan warrior wreathed in crimson Kaio-ken aura, power radiating visibly.
Smith selected integration.
The card dissolved into starlight and flowed into his body. The Saiyan bloodline he already possessed—originally from young Goku's template—merged seamlessly with this enhanced version. Techniques uploaded directly into his muscle memory: Kaio-ken multiplication, Spirit Bomb, advanced Turtle School martial arts.
And the power level increase hit like a tidal wave.
His base capability jumped from 2,000 to 11,000 in an instant. The sudden influx of energy overwhelmed his ki control for a fraction of a second.
His aura erupted outward.
Pressure radiated from the training room in concentric waves, spreading through the Fraternity headquarters like a shockwave. It wasn't physical force—not yet—but the sheer weight of concentrated ki pressing against reality.
Ordinary humans throughout the building felt sudden oppression. Breathing became slightly harder. Hearts beat irregularly. An inexplicable sense of dread settled over them like a heavy blanket.
For enhanced individuals—werewolves, vampires, anyone with supernatural sensitivity—the effect was far worse. They could feel the energy, sense the magnitude of power that had just manifested in their midst.
Atop Korin Tower, the Cat Sage's fur stood on end. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cool evening air. "Terrifying. How could Smith release such power so suddenly?"
His claws dug into the tower's stone surface unconsciously, seeking stability against pressure that existed only in his ki-sensitive perception.
In the guest quarters, Xu Wenwu's expression shifted from relaxed to deadly serious in an instant. His thousand-year-old instincts screamed danger.
"What's happening?" Xialing asked, noticing her father's sudden tension.
Ying Li placed a hand on his arm, concern clear in her face. "Wenwu?"
"Someone in the Fraternity just—" Xu Wenwu's explanation cut off as the pressure intensified.
His body felt heavier. Each breath required conscious effort. The ten rings on his arms hummed with responsive energy, recognizing a threat level that demanded activation.
Throughout New York City, sensitive individuals paused mid-action. Mystics felt ripples in the ambient energy. Animals grew agitated without understanding why. The sky itself seemed to respond—clouds above the Fraternity headquarters churning and tearing apart as if grabbed by invisible hands.
In the training room, Smith's aura blazed crimson.
He activated Kaio-ken times two.
The red energy around his body intensified immediately. His power level doubled from 11,000 to 22,000. The training room's walls groaned under the pressure. Hairline cracks appeared in the reinforced flooring.
The Fraternity headquarters shook.
Not dramatically—no structural collapse or obvious damage. But everyone inside felt it. A tremor. Like standing on a ship that had struck something solid.
Smith pushed further.
Kaio-ken times three. His power level climbed to 33,000. The crimson aura became almost blinding. Energy crackled across his skin in visible streamers.
Then times four.
Forty-four thousand. The number registered on his internal awareness with crystalline clarity. This was the threshold—the absolute maximum his current physiology could sustain.
His muscles screamed protest. Blood vessels strained against pressure they weren't designed to handle. His heart hammered at dangerous speeds, pumping blood through a circulatory system pushed far beyond safe limits.
Three minutes. That's how long he could maintain this state before his body started breaking down. Beyond that meant cellular damage, organ stress, potential permanent injury.
And times ten? The legendary Kaio-ken times ten that Goku had achieved against Frieza?
Completely impossible. His body would literally tear itself apart attempting that multiplication. Maybe when his base power level reached 100,000 or higher, the physical resilience would allow it. But at 11,000? Suicide.
Smith released the technique.
The crimson aura vanished. Pressure disappeared instantly. His power level returned to normal 11,000, ki suppressed and controlled.
Throughout the headquarters, relief swept through the building like a collective exhale.
Xu Wenwu's shoulders sagged slightly. The death threat that had seized his ancient instincts released its grip. Whatever had happened, it was over.
Korin Tower stopped trembling. Korin wiped sweat from his forehead with a paw. "Finally. Smith Doyle is an absolute monster."
The Cat Sage understood ki manipulation better than most beings on Earth. He recognized exactly how terrifying Smith's power had become. Few entities could generate that kind of pressure through pure energy density.
Ordinary Fraternity members—those without supernatural sensitivity—assumed a minor earthquake had occurred. They filed out of buildings into open spaces, following standard safety protocols.
No one suspected the truth: their leader had just tested new capabilities that put him in a category shared by perhaps a dozen beings on the entire planet.
Smith stood in the training room, breathing heavily. Sweat soaked through his clothing. His muscles trembled with residual strain from the Kaio-ken multiplication.
But he smiled.
Forty-four thousand with times four Kaio-ken. Two hundred twenty thousand in Great Ape form if he combined both transformations. Those were planet-destroying numbers. God-tier combat capability.
The Chitauri invasion in six months? They wouldn't know what hit them.
After catching his breath, Smith reached into the system space and materialized the Tree of Might Fruit. The purple-red sphere appeared in his palm, roughly apple-sized, its crystalline surface catching the training room's lighting.
Time to determine if cultivation was possible.
He needed to check for seeds. That required opening the fruit.
Smith channeled a thread of ki into his left hand—precise control, surgical sharpness. He drew his hand across the fruit's surface.
The fruit split cleanly in half.
Smith examined the interior with careful attention. White flesh, dense and slightly translucent. No visible seeds. No seed cavity. No indication of reproductive structures at all.
He frowned and bit into half the fruit, chewing thoroughly. Still no seeds encountered.
Maybe the other half?
He sliced the remaining portion into smaller pieces, examining each one. Nothing. The Tree of Might Fruit appeared to be completely seedless.
Cultivation had failed. No Tree of Might plantations. No exponential power growth through fruit harvesting.
Disappointing, but not catastrophic. He could always draw Tree of Might seedlings in future cycles.
Smith ate the remaining fruit pieces, not wanting to waste the power-enhancing effect even if he couldn't cultivate more.
The energy hit his system within seconds.
His base power level surged upward—11,000 climbing to 22,000 in smooth progression. The fruit's enhancement was doubling his capability.
Smith activated his scouter to confirm..
Double confirmation: the fruit's potency.
This definitely wasn't from Turles's Earth plantation in the Dragon Ball movie timeline. That fruit had increased Turles's power tenfold from 30,000 to 300,000. And it couldn't be from the Sacred World of the Kais—those fruits would be even more powerful.
This was... intermediate tier? A fruit from a moderately powerful planet, offering solid enhancement without the exponential growth of premium sources.
Still excellent. His new base power of 22,000 meant:
Kaio-ken times four: 88,000
Great Ape form: 440,000
Both combined: 1,760,000
Smith did mental calculations. At 440,000 power level in Great Ape form, he exceeded most cosmic threats Earth would face in the near future. Only entities like Odin, the Ancient One, or Celestials would outclass him—and even then, the gap wasn't insurmountable.
He could work with this.
Smith's attention shifted to the final summon reward. He reached into the system space and materialized the World Martial Arts Tournament Announcer.
The man appeared in the training room wearing his signature suit—enthusiastic expression, already bouncing slightly on his toes despite just being summoned.
"I hold Dragon Ball tournaments here annually," Smith explained. "I may expand to include a formal World Martial Arts Tournament structure in the future. You'll handle all hosting duties."
The Announcer's eyes lit up like a child receiving the perfect gift. "Wonderful! I absolutely love this kind of work! The energy of the crowd, the excitement of combat, introducing fighters to enthusiastic audiences—"
Smith held up a hand, cutting off what would clearly become an extended monologue. "Excellent. Let's get you oriented."
He led the Announcer out of the training room and flagged down a Fraternity staff member. "Please arrange quarters for our new tournament host. Help him acclimate to Earth's current situation and our organization's structure."
The staff member nodded and escorted the still-enthusiastic Announcer toward the residential wing.
Smith watched them depart, then headed toward his own quarters. He needed rest. The Kaio-ken test had stressed his body more than anticipated, and integrating two major power increases in one day required recovery time.
Tomorrow he'd begin planning the next phases. Xu Wenwu's formal initiation ceremony. The Paragons team formation. Tournament format proposals. And the approaching Chitauri invasion that Loki didn't yet know was going to be far more difficult than expected.
But tonight? Rest and consolidation.
His power had increased exponentially. His organization was expanding. The pieces were falling into place.
Six months until New York became a battlefield. Six months to prepare.
It would be enough.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Washington D.C.
Nick Fury reviewed the sensor reports from New York with his one good eye.
Anomalous readings throughout the city. Widespread reports of psychological distress—anxiety, difficulty breathing, sense of impending danger. Seismographs had detected minor tremors centered on... the Fraternity's headquarters.
Magnitude 2.8. Barely perceptible under normal circumstances.
But combined with the psychological effects? Highly unusual.
Fury made notes in the incident file, then authorized a cover story through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s media contacts. "Minor earthquake disrupted electromagnetic fields, causing temporary psychological distress. No cause for concern. Standard seismic activity."