Chapter 1

“Alright, Will, that’ll do for today.”

“You sure, Ivan? I can keep working.”

“I appreciate that, but you’ve done more than enough. Your mom is probably waiting for you anyway.”

“Well, ok, if you insist.”

“You have a good one, Will, and stay safe.”

“Yup, you too, Ivan.”

I took off my uniform and hung it on the rack in the corner. After I collected my belongings and waved my Sensei goodbye, I headed out the front door and began my trek back home. I live in a rural town in California, which was always a breath of fresh air. It’s also one of the few places where the sun sets just the right way so everyone stops and stares just to enjoy the beauty of it.

Oh! Where are my manners? My name is William Saber, but everyone in town calls me Will for short. I’m a 24 year old college graduate, living a peaceful life with my mother, step-father, and step-sister. It’s fortunate that I’m living so peacefully now since…well, my childhood growing up wasn’t exactly enjoyable, to say the least. To make a long story short, my mother divorced my birth father and we had moved away from our home town so we could start a new life somewhere else.

When we moved here and I was old enough to start looking for a job, I was lucky enough to have met Ivan Rhodes. He is the local karate instructor in town, and he was generous enough to grant me the honor of becoming his personal student with no charge. At first, I flat out refused him, mainly due to me believing it was more than I deserved. But after many different methods of him annoying the ever-loving shit out of me, I relented and accepted his offer. Ivan has sort of been a mentor to me in more ways than one. He helped me find my inner peace and taught me the many different techniques of karate. Five years later, I’m now as skilled as he is in the martial art as an 8th Dan Black Belt. After I graduated from a 7th Dan, he offered me a job as his assistant at his dojo, to which I accepted. I now help Ivan train kids in the junior division or anyone else who wishes to know how to fight. It was pretty cool when some of the younger students actually called me Sensei because of my belt rank. I always made sure to treat them with respect and teach them properly, just as Ivan did with me.

My mother’s name is Janet Saber, and she’s my whole reason for living. We never once got on each other’s bad side and never saw any reason to. My dad, or should I say step-dad, is named Robert Saber. He’s a wise man who I wished was my biological father since he’s been nothing but caring and compassionate toward my mother and I. Then there’s my dorky older step-sister, Rachel Saber, who treats me like I’m her flesh and blood, and makes me laugh almost all the time. When I was a young juvenile, I was sort of a loner punk kid who didn’t really like to interact with others. I spent most of the time on my own and almost rarely spoke out loud. I had my ears pierced, wore baggy clothing, and never really trusted anyone I met unless I’ve known them for a certain period of time. I was highly skeptical of my mom remarrying to Robert, but after seeing how much happier she’s been, I decided to give the man a chance. I'm happy that I did, because now my mom and I are part of a family that, well, actually cares about us as people.

As I continued my walk through the small town, I passed by the tv store that had different television sets on display. One of which had the news channel on, and I could hear what the anchorman was saying.

“And in local news, a young private eye detective continues to make a name for himself as he brings down an infamous drug ring. The drug ring had been the local police’s main goal to find and put a stop to, but no matter how hard they tried, they could never find it. That is until Detective-”

“Jeez, what a world we live in,” I sighed as I moved on.

I never liked listening to the news, or even watching the news for that matter. No matter what you watch, it’s always about some drama about the violence of the world. Personally, I’ve already experienced enough violence for one lifetime, and I’d prefer it if I could continue living the life I am now. As the sun began its final descent beyond the horizon, I checked my watch to see it’s just past seven o’clock. My walk had finally led me to a bridge that connected the town to my neighborhood. As I walked along the side of the bridge, I glanced over the railing to watch the flowing river below. I smiled as I took in a deep breath of fresh air and listened to the running water of the river below me.

“Yup. This right here will always be my favorite spot in town,” I said to myself.

I crossed the bridge and made my way past the houses that made up my neighborhood. Since this was a small neighborhood, which consisted of only a few blocks of houses, everyone basically knew everyone. My house was at the end of the third block and it was a cozy little place, probably the most distinguishable since there were two huge redwood trees towering over our house from across the street. My house was a simple one story beige house with a simple lawn and a few bushes here and there.

“Evening, Will!”

I glanced over on the other side of the street to see one of my neighbors, Mr. Downey, wave to me in a kind manner.

“Good evening to you too, Mr. Downey,” I greeted back.

“You gonna go out for another one of your late night walks?”

“Yup. You know me. Just one of the little things I enjoy in life.”

“I’m sure, I’m sure. Well, you take care now, ya here?”

“I’ll certainly try, Mr. Downey.” I chuckled as I waved him goodbye before walking up to my house’s front porch. As soon as I knocked on the door, it swung open to reveal my vibrant step-sister with her trademark wide smile. Her blonde hair and green eyes always seemed to glow, even at this time of day.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in!” Rachel chirped as she pulled me in for a hug.

“Hey, sis. You do realize I’m still sweaty from my training at the dojo, right?”

“Who cares?! I like the way you smell!” Rachel chriped again, making me chuckle.

“I could list many things as to why that sounded so wrong, but I’ll let it slide since you’re my sister and all,” I sighed as I pulled away.

Rachel skipped inside the house as I followed her and was met with the scent of mom’s delicious cooking. I kicked off my shoes and walked further inside to the living room, where my dad was lounging in his favorite chair, reading a book. He, too, had blonde hair with a few grey streaks and green eyes like my sister. He always has a few wise words to share from time to time. He looked up at me and smiled as he placed a bookmark inside his book and closed it.

“Hey there, son, how was the dojo?”

“I kicked some punk’s ass who thought he was hot shit, so I guess it was pretty good,” I shrugged.

“Sweetie, what have I told you about your language?!” I hear mom call out from the kitchen.

“Sorry, mom!” I called out.

“Heh, your mother really has it bad for your language, not that I give a fuck.” My dad winks at me.

“I heard that, dear!” My mom called out again, making him flinch.

“Now look who’s the potty mouth,” I snorted as I entered the kitchen with Rachel.

“You gonna make your signature brownies again?” Rachel asked with a bright smile.

“Of course, they’re your favorite, after all.”

“Yes!” She pumped her fist into the air.

We entered the kitchen to see my mother in front of the stove. Her hair was brown like mine and reached down to the middle of her back. She looked over her shoulder to see me and smiled as she resumed cooking.

“Hello, sweetheart. Did you have a nice day at the dojo with Mr. Rhodes?” She asked.

“Yup. He let me beat someone up who was talking shi- I mean, not saying nice things about us and our teachings.”

“Well, I hope you didn’t hurt him too bad,” my mother lectured.

“Relax, mom. All he got was the wind knocked out of him and a bloody nose. Nothing a stubborn ass like him couldn’t get over,” I said nonchalantly.

“Will, hurry and get the batter ready! I wanna eat those brownies as soon as dinner’s done!” Rachel whines.

“Alright, alright already. Jeez, what is it with you and the brownies?”

“The ingredients are in the fridge, William. Just make sure you finish up before we eat,” Mom said as Rachel started to set the table.

“Of course,” I said as I opened the fridge and gathered the ingredients. “Now then, let’s get started.”

1 Hour Later

Dinner was delicious, as usual, and I had just finished cleaning the dishes with Rachel. The brownie batter was mixed, set in a pan, and baking in the oven on schedule. I was in my room playing my favorite video game, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, and I was in the middle of an online match. My opponent was a Frieza race character while mine was an Earthling. Most people always chose to be Saiyans because they believed them to be the most powerful race, but not me. I stuck with being an Earthling because I believed that they could be just as powerful. The match lasted the whole time limit and both our characters were on the brink of knockout with only 10 seconds left. I was trying my best to evade his attacks while also keeping an eye on my Ki meter. As soon as it was full, I hit the buttons to transform into Potential Unleashed. Before the time limit ended, I grappled my opponent and threw him to the far side of the ring. I then unleashed a Big Kamehameha wave, which overwhelmed my opponent and helped me win the match.

“Whew, that was a tough match,” I sighed as I stood up and switched off my system.

I looked at the time and saw it was almost eight o’clock. All that was left to do was to do what I always do every night: walk through the neighborhood and to my favorite bridge. I slipped my shoes on, grabbed my jacket, tucked my smartphone, earbuds, and wallet in my pockets, and made for the front door. As I passed by the living room, I could hear my dad watching the late night news from another city’s reporter.

“We’re coming to you live from an abandoned scrap yard from outside the city. Authorities are baffled as to how a slave ring of all things managed to stay so well hidden. The mastermind behind such a horrible crime was none other than Jonothan Viper, a notorious criminal who unfortunately made his escape during the authorities raid. Look! Some of the victims are coming out right now!”

“Poor kid, Those damn vultures wouldn’t know restraint if a bitch slapped them in the face…” My dad sighed.

“Is it that time already?” I looked over my shoulder to see Rachel standing behind me with her hands on her hips.

“There’s still time before the brownies are ready,” I said.

“Will you be back before then?”

“Of course. And how’s about this? I’ll let you take them out of the oven and have the first bite if I don’t come back before they’re done.”

“Really?!” Rachel asked gleefully.

“You know it.”

“Well, what are you doing standing around here for? Go on and take your walk! Don’t worry about taking too long, take as much time as you need!” Rachel insisted as she pushed me out the door.

“Be careful on your walk, sweetie!” Mom called out.

“And if someone tries to mug you, don’t hesitate to kick the shit out of them!” Dad adds.

“Dear, please!”

“I will!” I called back while laughing before I shut the door.

I smiled as I looked up to see the moon was in the sky and the stars were out. I tucked my hands in my pockets to pull out my earbuds and smartphone to play some music. I started to slowly make my way down the sidewalk and toward the bridge. It always relaxes me whenever I do this, helping me find a peace of mind to think about my day and unwind. Most of the lights from the other houses were still on as I walked past them. The cool breeze of the night blew against me as I took in the sights of the all too familiar moonlight that shined down on the place I called home. There’s another reason why I choose to walk in the night instead of during the day: it’s because the night is my favorite time of the day. The night is when everyone gets to relax and rest after a hard day’s work. I also get to gaze up at the moon as long as I want as it stares back at me with its gentle glow. Though, sometimes, I often think about someone I used to know many years ago who had a knack for naming the constellations that stars procured.

I vaguely remember my past, though most of it is quite unpleasant, I try to remember the good times. Back then, I was a big nerd for the show Dragon Ball Z, and I kinda still am. The adaptation of the show, the awesome fight scenes, the comedic jokes, and the iconic characters are what made me watch each and every episode over and over again. I even remember I used to role-play a lot with an old buddy of mine, where we used to always pretend to have intense battles against each other. My OC was an Earthling blessed with special strength and personalized abilities that were unique for him and was a legendary hero. I often dreamed of what it would be like to actually be able to fight alongside characters like the ones from the show. To be a hero for those who’re too weak to stand up for themselves and be a shining beacon of hope and peace.

My walk eventually led me to my favorite bridge as a few lamp posts lit the whole area. I walked up to the side of the bridge and leaned over the railing to gaze at the river below. The water was calm and flowed smoothly below me as a perfect reflection of the starry sky made it seem like there was another world within the water. I turned around and leaned back on the railing to gaze up at the stars again to see if I could name any consolations of my own.

“Let’s see…Orion’s Belt, Big Dipper, Little Dipper, there’s Sagittarius, Scorpio’s over there, and Ursa Major. Not bad for tonight’s discoveries,” I said proudly.

RING! RING! RING!

I’m brought out of my thoughts as my phone rings from my pocket. I pull it out of my pocket to see my sister calling me. I hit the answer button and held it up to my ear.

“What’s up sis?”

“Hey, Willy! How’s your walk?” Rachel asked comically.

I chuckled and said, “Nice and chill like usual, sis. It’s a full moon out, and I’m relishing in it.”

“You know, I’ll never understand why you’re such a night owl. Anyway, mom says to come home soon, because the brownies are out of the oven.”

“Alright, I’m about to head back anyway.”

“You better get home soon, or I’m gonna eat all of the brownies you made!”

“I swear to god, if I come home and there’s not a single brownie for me left, I’m taking those old Polly Pocket doll things and jamming them in the garbage disposal!” I warned.

There was a brief silence before my sister burst out laughing over the phone. “Only if you can get into my room! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some brownies to claim! BYE, WILLY!”

CLICK!

“SIS!…Sis?…fuck…” Not wanting to stick around anymore, I tucked my phone in my pocket and made for my house. I looked back up at the moon and smiled. “Until tomorrow, my dear, just keep up that lovely glow like always.”

Suddenly, I heard what sounded like tires screeching in the distance from downtown, making me pause and look behind me.

“What the…that’s weird,” I mumbled as I continued my walk, only to hear the sounds of tires screeching again. “Why the hell would someone be speeding at this time of night?” After waiting a few minutes to see if I’d hear any more screeching tires, the only sound heard was the silence of the night, which could only mean whoever went on a joyride had finally stopped. “Well, glad that’s over.” No sooner did I turn back around, a light shined behind me, making me turn around once more to see a pair of headlights speeding toward me. I was like a deer in the middle of the road as time seemed to slow, and the vehicle was getting closer and closer with each passing moment. I tried to move, but it was a wasted effort as time sped up again.

“OH FU-”

CRASH!

…

SPLASH!

Author's Note

The return of the Guardian has begun again.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your patience. I have been working diligently with my co-writer on this and I hope I have done it the justice I promised I would.

Big thanks to Hamilton-Animations for this awesome drawing!

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building...