In the Marvel world, tucked away in a quiet corner of Stark Tower in New York City, Goku's silhouette slowly materialized.
"Only three Dragon Balls left to go, and I'll have the whole set."
Reaching into his storage box, he retrieved the Flying Nimbus he had packed away beforehand. With a light hop, he leaped onto the golden cloud.
He then pulled out the Dragon Ball Radar and began scanning for the coordinates of the remaining three stars.
Naturally, his sudden appearance didn't go unnoticed.
A boy standing atop a floating cloud was a blatant defiance of local physics, drawing the immediate attention of Stark Tower's security and the passing crowds.
"Is this some kind of street magic show?" was the first thought that crossed everyone's minds.
Several young onlookers found it fascinating and quickly whipped out their phones to record the scene.
"Hey, kid! No performances allowed here. Move it to the sidewalk," two hulking security guards barked as they approached.
Goku ignored them entirely. After clicking the radar a few times, he locked onto the signal of the nearest Dragon Ball.
"Let's go, Nimbus!"
The Nimbus let out a low hum and—whoosh—shot into the sky like a golden bolt, vanishing into the clouds in the blink of an eye.
"Oh... my God," the guards and the crowd muttered, left staring at the empty air in stunned silence.
"Full speed ahead, Nimbus!"
When the previous wish-granting session with Shenron had ended, Goku had managed to snag four Dragon Balls in one go.
Now, he just needed to find the three that had flown away to bring them back to Hogwarts and summon the dragon again.
The Nimbus tore through the atmosphere at Mach 2.5. In less than ten minutes, another bustling metropolis appeared on the horizon.
"It's right around here."
According to the Dragon Ball Radar, he had crossed half the city and was now hovering before a massive, imposing complex.
"Dragon Ball, Accio!"
Goku raised his hand and cast the Summoning Charm. He waited a moment, but no orange sphere came flying toward him.
He knew what this meant; the Dragon Ball was likely locked inside a lead-lined or magically shielded container, preventing the charm from pulling it through the walls. He had encountered this hurdle during his last collection run.
He guided the Nimbus lower, following the radar's tracking display as he slowly circled the structure.
"It's inside this building."
After making a full lap around the facility, he noticed the radar kept pointing toward a specific floor of the massive, tri-winged skyscraper. He flew to the nearest window.
"Alohomora!"
With a flick of his finger, the locking mechanism of the reinforced window clicked and popped open instantly.
"This way."
Glancing at the radar, Goku hopped through the window into an office, pushed open the door, and stepped out into the hallway. He began walking calmly down the corridor, his eyes glued to the blinking green screen of the radar.
As he moved, several staff members in white lab coats passed him. They stopped in their tracks, their faces masked with confusion and bewilderment.
Had this been a regular office building, a child wandering the halls might not be that strange—perhaps the son of an executive or a client.
But this was no ordinary building. This was the Triskelion, the headquarters of SHIELD, the most powerful intelligence organization on the planet.
The people working here were elite scientists and highly trained tactical agents. How could a child possibly be here?
Yet, no one stepped forward to stop or question him.
Precisely because it was SHIELD HQ, the place was saturated with surveillance and top-tier security.
It was "impossible" for someone to infiltrate the 33rd floor—one of the most secure levels—without being detected.
Furthermore, even if it were an infiltration, no one would do it so brazenly, walking down the center of the hall without a care in the world.
The researchers assumed he was a "Special Asset" or perhaps a high-level mutant agent. SHIELD, after all, was known for employing "unusual" individuals.
What they didn't realize was that Goku hadn't entered through the lobby; he had come from the sky.
He hadn't used any detectable modern transportation; he was on a cloud.
And the reinforced, high-tech tempered glass—capable of stopping bullets—had been rendered useless by a simple unlocking charm.
If he stayed for another ten minutes, the automated security systems might have eventually flagged him as a stranger.
But because of Goku's unorthodox entry and the sheer speed of his movements, a bizarrely theatrical misunderstanding had taken hold.
"Is he going to Research Lab One?" the scientists whispered. Curiosity got the better of them as they watched the boy head toward the most mysterious room on the floor.
Lab One currently housed the most brilliant minds in SHIELD. They were reportedly studying a high-value artifact—something so important that Director Nick Fury checked in personally whenever he had a spare moment.
"The door opened... he really is a high-level agent. I didn't know we recruited them that young."
When Goku stood before the door for less than two seconds and the heavy blast door slid open automatically, the onlookers' doubts vanished.
They went back to their work. After all, if he didn't have the highest level of clearance, how could he open a door that not even a rocket launcher could dent?
Goku lowered his finger, having just cast another silent Alohomora, and stepped into the massive laboratory. Right in the center, resting on a pedestal, was the Seven-Star Dragon Ball.
"Found it!"
He stuffed the radar into his pocket. Ignoring the stunned researchers, he marched straight to the pedestal.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he punched through the specialized glass casing and plucked the Seven-Star Ball from its cradle.
"Two more to go."
"You... you... who are you?"
The researchers finally snapped out of their daze. Their voices trembled as they questioned the intruder.
That glass was a custom-made polymer, stronger than standard bulletproof shielding. This boy had shattered it like it was thin crystal. What kind of monster was he?
"I'm Son Goku. Sorry about breaking your glass."
Goku realized he had been a bit rude. He quickly reached into his box and pulled out a handful of Gold Galleons, dropping them onto the counter.
"This money should cover the damage."
Grandpa Dumbledore had taught him that if you break something in a city, you have to pay for it. And thanks to his time at Hogwarts, he actually had the "currency" to do so.
"Pay for it?" The head researcher blinked, utterly flabbergasted.
Breaking into the Triskelion and snatching one of SHIELD's most vital research subjects—was this kid really trying to settle this with pocket change?
"Little boy, you aren't walking out of here," a balding researcher said, his voice regaining some strength as he heard the heavy thud of boots echoing in the hallway.
The alarm had finally triggered the moment the glass shattered, activating the building's defense protocols.
"For your own safety, put that object down immediately! Put your hands over your head and get on the ground!"
SHIELD's most elite Rapid Response Team was currently converging on Lab One at a full sprint.