Chapter 2: Training & Growth (Ages 13-14 - Flashback)
[Time Nest - Six Months Later]
Andrew stood in the training chamber, facing down Future Gohan.
The one-armed Saiyan warrior watched him with quiet intensity, his single arm crossed over his chest.
Future Gohan: "Again. And this time, don't telegraph your movements."
Andrew lunged forward, throwing a combination he'd practiced a thousand times. Future Gohan sidestepped effortlessly, then swept Andrew's legs out from under him.
Andrew hit the ground hard.
Future Gohan: "You're thinking too much. Fighting isn't about executing perfect technique—it's about reacting. Feeling."
Andrew pushed himself up, frustration bubbling. "I know the moves. I know what I'm supposed to do. Why can't I—"
Future Gohan: "Because you're treating this like a math problem. Combat isn't logical. It's instinct." He offered Andrew his hand. "You've got the knowledge. Now you need the experience."
Andrew took the hand, letting Gohan pull him up.
Future Gohan: "Let's try again. But this time, stop thinking. Just move."
They went again. And again. And slowly, Andrew started to understand.
[Time Nest - One Year Later]
Xeno Goku: "Alright, kid! Show me what you've got!"
Andrew grinned, dropping into a fighting stance. Xeno Goku mirrored him, his experienced eyes already reading Andrew's body language.
They clashed in the center of the training ground—fist against fist, kick against kick. Andrew had grown significantly in the past year. His power had increased, his technique refined.
But Xeno Goku was still leagues ahead.
Xeno Goku: (laughing as he blocked a spinning kick) "Not bad! You're getting faster!"
Andrew: "I've been training with Future Gohan!"
Xeno Goku: "I can tell! But you're still holding back. Why?"
Andrew hesitated mid-strike. Xeno Goku capitalized immediately, sweeping his legs and pinning him.
Xeno Goku: "See? You're afraid to commit. Afraid to go all out."
Andrew: "I just… I don't want to lose control."
Xeno Goku: (helping him up) "Control is important. But so is passion. You can't reach Super Saiyan by playing it safe, Andrew. You need something that makes you burn."
Andrew nodded, absorbing the lesson.
[Time Nest - Quiet Evening]
Andrew sat on the edge of the Time Nest's observation platform, legs dangling over the edge. The swirling vortex of timelines stretched out before him—infinite possibilities, infinite worlds.
Chronoa appeared beside him, sitting down without a word.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while.
Chronoa: "You've grown a lot since we met."
Andrew: "Thanks to you. And Future Gohan. And Xeno Goku and Vegeta."
Chronoa: "They're good teachers. But you're a good student." She paused. "You miss your home, don't you?"
Andrew: "Sometimes. I have a brother there. Issei. He's… he's probably wondering where I went."
Chronoa: "You could go back. Anytime."
Andrew: "I know. But I'm not ready yet. I promised myself I'd get strong enough first." He glanced at her. "And I promised you I'd help with the time anomalies."
Chronoa smiled. "You've already helped more than you know."
Their eyes met. Something unspoken passed between them—a connection that had been building over months of working together, training together, laughing together.
Chronoa: (softly) "Andrew… thank you. For everything."
Andrew: "Anytime, Chronoa."
The moment lingered.
[Space - The Transformation]
Three years into his journey, Andrew found himself on a planet ruled by a tyrant.
A cruel laugh echoed across the desolate landscape.
Andrew knelt beside a fallen figure—a young woman whose power had been bright, vital just moments ago. Now she was still. Her body lay broken on the scorched earth.
The tyrant's voice boomed from above, dripping with arrogance and malice.
"Did you really think you could challenge me, Saiyan? You're nothing but a child playing with powers you don't understand."
Andrew's fists clenched. His entire body trembled—not from fear, but from something deeper. A rage that burned hotter than any flame. A helplessness he'd never known before.
He'd trained. He'd pushed himself to limits he didn't think existed. And it still wasn't enough.
The tyrant raised his hand, gathering power for a finishing blow.
And something in Andrew broke.
The scream that tore from his throat was primal—a sound that came from somewhere ancient in his Saiyan blood. Golden light erupted around him, consuming everything. His power multiplied exponentially, ascending to a level he'd never touched before.
Super Saiyan.
The tyrant's laugh died in his throat.
What followed wasn't a battle. It was retribution. Andrew moved with purpose, with precision, with the weight of loss driving every strike. The tyrant who had laughed—who had killed someone Andrew cared about—didn't last long against that transformed power.
When it was over, Andrew knelt beside the fallen figure again, golden hair slowly fading back to black. He'd won. But the victory felt hollow.
Because no amount of power could bring her back.
[Age 14 - Final Mission Before Earth]
Andrew stood before a massive time rift, energy crackling around him. Xeno Vegeta stood beside him, arms crossed.
Xeno Vegeta: "This is your final test before you leave. Close this rift without destabilizing the timeline."
Andrew: "Got it."
He raised his hands, feeling for the distortion's center. His training with Chronoa had taught him how to sense temporal anomalies—how to read the flow of time itself.
Slowly, carefully, he channeled his ki into the rift. Not forcing it closed, but guiding it. Encouraging it to seal naturally.
The rift shimmered, then collapsed.
Xeno Vegeta: (nodding with approval) "Acceptable."
Coming from Vegeta, that was high praise.
Andrew: "Thanks for everything, Vegeta. Really."
Xeno Vegeta: "Hmph. Don't get sentimental. Just keep training when you return to your world. And if you slack off…" He smirked. "I'll know."
Andrew grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."
[Time Nest - Departure]
Chronoa stood before the portal that would take Andrew back to Earth.
Chronoa: "So this is it. You're really going back."
Andrew: "For now. But I'll come back if you need me."
Chronoa: "I know you will." She hesitated, then stepped forward and hugged him—quick, but genuine. "Stay safe, Andrew. And don't forget about us."
Andrew: (returning the hug) "Never."
When they pulled apart, there was something in her eyes. Something that hadn't been there when they first met.
Andrew: "I'll see you again, Chronoa. I promise."
Chronoa: (smiling, a little sadly) "I'll hold you to that."
Andrew stepped through the portal, and the Time Nest faded from view.