West City.
"Finally... it's done."
A teenage boy with messy, unkempt hair held up a vial of glowing blue serum, excitement lighting up his face. This was his first step toward becoming truly powerful.
His name was Su Ming, just fourteen years old, yet he stood alone in a highly advanced laboratory, his own domain.
Originally an orphan in West City, Su Ming had been adopted by Dr. Brief, the famous scientist and founder of Capsule Corporation, after showing signs of extraordinary intelligence. Moved by both his talent and his unfortunate background, Dr. Brief took him in as a foster son, making him the third young master of the Brief family.
"Su Ming, are you still working on that so-called super serum?"
The lab door slid open. A blue-haired, blue-eyed girl walked in, wearing casual shorts that showed off her long, fair legs. Despite being only sixteen, she already had the charm and confidence of a blossoming young woman. Her appearance was beautiful almost stunning but the mischievous grin on her face slightly ruined the image.
"Bulma, how many times do I have to tell you don't barge into my lab. It's dangerous," Su Ming said helplessly, though his tone carried a hint of fondness.
Bulma's smile turned into a frown the moment she heard him call her by name. Her eyes flared with anger. She stormed over and began smacking him without mercy.
"Hmph! I'm your older sister! Call me Bulma-nee or just sis not Bulma like I'm your classmate!"
"Okay, okay! Just stop hitting me! I worked so hard to create this super serum it'll break!" Su Ming didn't fight back and quickly tried to shield the vial. Bulma paused when she realized what he was holding a vial of radiant blue liquid, glowing like the Milky Way. It didn't look like a scientific creation it looked like art.
"Wait... you actually made it?" Bulma gasped in shock.
"Of course I did! Do you know who I am? A mere super serum is child's play to me!" Su Ming replied proudly, puffing out his chest.
Bulma gave him a skeptical side-eye. Child's play?
She clearly remembered how long he'd been stuck in the lab, barely stepping out. His hair looked greasy, and frankly, he smelled. Now that she thought about it... her little brother was kind of gross right now.
"What kind of look is that? I'm holding the key to humanity's evolution here! Show some respect and worship me!"
"Ugh. Go take a shower already. You stink." Bulma wrinkled her nose and snatched the vial from him carefully, clearly concerned about it but also feeling sorry for him. His eyes were bloodshot he must've been at this for days.
"Alright, alright," Su Ming muttered, not arguing. He hadn't left the lab in three days. Even if he couldn't smell it, he knew he needed a wash.
Bulma gently stored the serum in a secure container. This wasn't just any experiment it was her little brother's greatest creation. She couldn't let anything happen to it.
"You're amazing, little brother..." Bulma murmured, smiling brightly as she leaned over the workbench, staring at the glowing serum in awe.
Her mind started to wander, cheeks turning slightly pink as she traced idle patterns on the table with her finger.
Meanwhile, Su Ming was in the shower, enjoying the warm water, letting his thoughts drift to the past. He wasn't originally from this world. He had once been an ordinary person from another universe. Although he had some talent for research, he certainly wasn't someone who could create a super serum at the age of fourteen. The only reason he could do so now was due to a gift or perhaps a twist of fate.
When he was twelve, he had inherited the knowledge and abilities of a scientist from another world Dr. Abraham Erskine from the Marvel Universe, the man responsible for creating Captain America.
With Dr. Erskine's memories and skills, Su Ming's scientific abilities advanced rapidly. That's when Dr. Brief found him and adopted him. For two years, Su Ming had been developing and refining the super serum.
The original serum had made Steve Rogers into Captain America but that didn't mean it would work the same for him.
After all, the serum amplified a person's inner nature. The just became more just; the wicked, more evil.
Su Ming didn't see himself as evil, but he definitely wasn't some selfless hero either. The last thing he wanted was to turn into some twisted monster just because of a serum.
That was why he had worked tirelessly to improve it. Especially since this wasn't just any world—it was the Dragon Ball world.
Here, people could blow up planets with a sneeze. Even with Goku and the Z Fighters defending Earth, humanity had still faced countless extinctions.
Sure, the Dragon Balls could bring people back but dying still hurt, and he didn't want to leave his fate in someone else's hands.
Thanks to the advanced technology of the Dragon Ball world (and some black-market level genius), he had managed to surpass the original serum. The one he held now could grant power far beyond what Steve Rogers ever received.
After his shower, Su Ming casually dried his damp hair and walked back to the lab.
"There you go again, rushing in with your hair still dripping," Bulma scolded, half-annoyed, half-worried. "Sit down I'll help you dry it properly."
Su Ming smiled and obediently sat in front of her.
"You're hopeless…" she muttered, but her hands moved gently as she dried his hair.
"You still want to search for the Dragon Balls, right?" Su Ming asked. "Once I inject the serum, we can go together. I'll protect you, Bulma-nee."
Bulma's hands paused, her eyes going red with emotion. A warm feeling spread through her chest.
"Who said I needed protecting? I'm your older sister, remember?" she replied softly, but her hands grew even more tender.
"All done."
She ruffled his hair with a smile, then glanced at the serum.
"Shouldn't we test it first?" she asked, worry flashing in her eyes.
Su Ming met her gaze and gave a confident nod. "Don't worry. I've accounted for every variable. There won't be any problems."
He laid down inside a high-tech nutrient chamber, which would supply the energy required for his transformation. Injecting the serum directly could work but the effects wouldn't be optimal.
This was his one and only shot. It had to be perfect.
Bulma carefully slotted the serum into the chamber, connected the energy lines, and looked at Su Ming through the glass. He gave her a thumbs up and smiled.
She flipped the switch.
The nutrient fluid rushed in. A needle pierced his arm. The super serum entered his bloodstream.
Su Ming immediately felt a surge of warmth coursing through his body, flooding through his veins, strengthening his cells and enhancing his vitality. The nutrient fluid drained quickly, replaced constantly as more poured in.
There was no shortage of energy.
The transformation had begun.