Goku goes back in time

The bell rang through the halls of Orange Star High, echoing faintly off clean tiles and classroom windows. It was just another day in Satan City's top school—though for some of its students, things were far from ordinary.

In Classroom 2-B, Gohan leaned back in his chair, trying to appear like any other normal teenager. Next to him sat Future Trunks, who still hadn't quite adapted to school life but was managing just fine thanks to Gohan and Erasa. Sharpner, as always, was sitting confidently near the front, arms crossed, bored expression on his face. Videl, however, was focused—determined, as always.

At the front of the class, a tall, spectacled history teacher clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Alright class, settle down! Today we begin our group assignment. You'll be reporting on a historical organization—its formation, activity, and how it was ultimately dismantled. You'll work in assigned groups. Each group will receive a different topic."

The classroom murmured with half-interest. Assignments weren't exactly thrilling.

The teacher flipped through a stack of folders and began calling out names.

"…Group 4—Erasa, Sharpner, Videl, Gohan, and Trunks. You will be covering… the Red Ribbon Army."

The air shifted slightly. Gohan's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Trunks stiffened. Videl's brows furrowed with curiosity. Erasa blinked. Sharpner just groaned.

"The Red Ribbon Army?" Videl muttered under her breath. "That old terrorist group?"

"Weren't they like… super shady and into robots or something?" Erasa asked, flipping open her notebook.

Gohan forced a neutral expression and gave a sheepish chuckle. "Y-Yeah. I think they were a criminal organization that tried to take over the world… or something."

Trunks shot him a look but didn't say anything. They both knew the truth was far more complicated.

The teacher continued assigning topics, but their group had already checked out mentally.

After class, the group gathered at a table near the school courtyard to discuss the project.

"I'll be honest," Sharpner said, stretching his arms behind his head. "I don't see what the big deal is. A bunch of soldiers with outdated tech? Bet they couldn't hold a candle to a real martial artist."

"You'd be surprised," Videl said, flipping through a digital tablet she brought with archived news articles. "There's barely any footage of them, but they were extremely dangerous. There were rumors about androids, cybernetic soldiers, and top-secret labs… but the official records say the whole army was dismantled years ago."

"Yeah, my dad said he had a run-in with them once," Erasa added. "He said they were creepy weirdos with white lab coats and tiny tanks."

Gohan chuckled nervously. "Probably not exaggerated."

"Maybe," Trunks said softly. "But I think the Red Ribbon Army was more advanced than anyone realized. There were stories of experiments, assassins, and AI weaponry decades ahead of its time."

Videl gave him a curious look. "You know a lot about them, huh?"

Trunks blinked. "Right…"

"I guess I just… read a lot," he finished quickly.

Gohan subtly nodded, silently praising Trunks' quick recovery.

Sharpner yawned. "Well, I say we just write that they were a bunch of amateurs who lost to some no-name martial artist and be done with it."

Gohan nearly choked on his drink.

Videl, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes. "Actually… there's a name that keeps coming up. A fighter who supposedly brought down the army single-handedly. But every record of him is mysteriously scrubbed or classified."

Trunks gave Gohan a side glance. Erasa looked curious. "Ooooh, like a ghost warrior or a secret agent?"

"Who is it?" Sharpner asked.

"I don't know yet," Videl admitted, looking at Gohan now. "But for some reason… I feel like you might know."

Gohan froze. "M-Me?"

Videl leaned back and smirked. "You seem to know a lot about this stuff."

"I, uh… I guess I read a lot too," Gohan said, scratching his head and laughing awkwardly.

Erasa giggled. "You're both nerds. But strong, cute nerds."

Trunks coughed.

"Well," Videl said, standing up. "Let's divide the research. Trunks and I will look into their military structure. Erasa and Sharpner can dig into the public reaction and media coverage. Gohan, since you seem to know a lot, you can handle their downfall and final battle."

Gohan paled.

Videl narrowed her eyes just slightly. "Unless that's too much for you?"

"No, no—it's fine," Gohan said quickly. "I'll handle it."

As the group dispersed to work on their parts, Gohan sighed deeply. He hadn't thought about the Red Ribbon Army in years—not since he was a child. The memories of muscle-bound androids, heart-pounding escapes, and stories of his father effortlessly tearing through an entire base with a smile all came flooding back.

Trunks walked alongside him.

"You okay?" he asked under his breath.

"Yeah. Just… weird coincidence," Gohan murmured.

"You think it's a coincidence?" Trunks asked, glancing back at Videl. "She's sharp. She'll connect the dots soon."

"I know," Gohan said. "But maybe this is a good chance."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"…To tell the truth," Gohan said.

Satan City was known for its peaceful streets and larger-than-life billboards of Mr. Satan. The city buzzed with daily life—but in a quiet neighborhood tucked between cafés and quaint suburban homes, a different kind of buzz was growing.

Erasa had invited Videl and Sharpner over to her place after school, claiming she had found something "super juicy" for their Red Ribbon Army project.

"Are you sure this isn't another conspiracy theory?" Sharpner asked as they walked up the steps to her house.

"Trust me, this isn't like that time I thought Mr. Satan had a twin brother," Erasa said, unlocking the door.

They entered a bright, cozy living room filled with posters of pop bands, martial arts trophies, and a small mountain of schoolbooks on the table. Erasa waved them toward the couch and quickly booted up her sleek laptop.

"Alright," she said, eyes gleaming with excitement. "So I was digging through some old archival footage and declassified data from 15 years ago. Most of the Red Ribbon stuff is hard to find—intentionally buried, I think—but then I came across some videos."

She clicked on a video file. The grainy screen came to life, revealing old news footage. Military trucks. Explosions. An aerial view of a forested area utterly decimated. And then—there he was.

A young boy. Wild spiky hair. Fierce black eyes. A battered orange gi. He was standing alone in front of a wrecked Red Ribbon base.

"Who's that?" Videl asked, leaning in.

"That," Erasa said dramatically, "is Son Goku."

Sharpner blinked. "Wait, the same name as Gohan's dad?"

Erasa nodded, still wide-eyed. "It is Gohan's dad. I found more clips—watch."

She opened another video. A younger, scruffier announcer stood at the edge of a fighting arena.

"The 23rd World Martial Arts Champion: Son Goku!" the announcer shouted as a young man walked into the arena, calm and composed. The crowd roared in the background.

"Wait a second," Videl said, her brows furrowing. "This… this guy beat the Red Ribbon Army? And he won the tournament before my dad?"

"Exactly!" Erasa said. "Son Goku was already making waves as a kid—fighting monsters, defeating criminal organizations, and winning tournaments as a young man."

Sharpner scratched his head. "How have I never heard of him?"

"Because everything about the Red Ribbon Army was buried," Videl said, eyes narrowing. "And… now I think I understand why Gohan and Trunks were being so cagey."

"I thought the same thing," Erasa said. "I was going to tell Gohan and Trunks, but I don't think they'd want this known. Especially Gohan."

Sharpner still looked confused. "Wait, are you saying Gohan's dad took down the Red Ribbon Army, and then his son just happens to be super strong too? You think he's hiding something?"

Videl crossed her arms. "I know he's hiding something. I've had suspicions since he first beat me in class. No offense, but that wasn't just luck it was skill, purely mastered martial arts skill."

"None taken," Erasa said.

Erasa pulled up another clip: a damaged military transmission, warning of a "single combatant" leveling an entire Red Ribbon base. The name "Son Goku" flashed briefly before the file ended.

Videl sat down hard. "No wonder Gohan is the way he is… Martial arts since childhood. Crazy reflexes. Strength beyond explanation. It's in his blood."

"You think that's all?" Erasa said. "I've been keeping tabs on Saiyaman too, and you'll love this part—he only started showing up right after Gohan enrolled in school."

Videl's eyes sharpened. "You think Gohan's Saiyaman?"

Erasa shrugged. "I'm not saying he is… but it lines up. The timing, the build, the cute dorkiness."

Videl leaned back in thought. She had been suspicious. Gohan always disappeared when things got dangerous. He was always the first one to "check if someone was okay" and then just… gone. Not to mention how eerily similar his body frame was to Saiyaman's under that ridiculous helmet and cape.

"No hard evidence yet," Videl said finally. "But… it's all adding up."

"So, what do we do?" Sharpner asked. "Call him out? Ask him?"

"No," Videl said. "Not yet. I want to see how this plays out. Besides, the school field trip is next week. Maybe we'll catch him slipping then."

"And what about all this Goku stuff?" Erasa asked.

Videl's lips curled into a thoughtful smirk. "I'm not done digging yet. If Goku's really this hidden martial arts legend… then the Son family is hiding more than just good grades."

Sharpner whistled. "Man, this is getting intense."

Videl stood, already forming a plan in her head. "If Gohan really is the Great Saiyaman… I'll be the first to prove it."