Chapter 10: Lectures and a Project
"Oohhh~ There's the Shuriken! And that's the Knotted Snake!" She leapt to the other side of the asteroid as quickly as she could in zero gravity and squealed loudly. "It's the Uzumaki! Guys! Guys! It's the Uzumaki!"
Superman tiredly smiled as he stuck a probe into the ground. It was times like this that he was amazed that the same powerful heroine who was Megami was the young woman before him who was eagerly pointing out constellations that used to exist in her world and shrieking like a sugar-crazed child... Then again she did have a lot of coffee so maybe there was a reason she was a bit hyperactive.
"Whose idea was it to appease Kazumi?" J'onn asked telepathically. While he could have easily asked Superman through the communicators, it would not do to have Kazumi overhear them. She had gotten angry with both Diana and Superman when she found out about Metro Mall and threatened to drag them by their ears to the Metropolis Police Station if they didn't go themselves. The fact that she stood watched like an angry mother while in the station and as they helped rebuild the mall just made the experience more embarrassing.
"Diana's. We decided that she would take her out for coffee so she could see more of the world while I bring her with me the next time we go deeper in space to see if we can find her world's constellations... I think I should have told Diana to buy her ramen instead of coffee though."
"Indeed, Diana mentioned that she was amazed that Kazumi could drink an entire café out of its monthly stock with only a mild case of restlessness and delirium. I simply wish that it wasn't just before we left." J'onn smiled as he saw Megami giggle insanely as she tossed some loose rocks up only for them to float away. He shook his head and read the probe's analysis of the asteroid's composition. "32 percent iron oxide, 21 percent carbon, 19 percent silicon..."
"Are you getting this, Hawkgirl?" Superman asked through his communicator.
Back at the Watchtower, the Thanagarian answered, "As if you were in the next room. Unfortunately, it also means I can hear Kazumi squealing and giggling like one of those −what did she call them? Fan girls?− whenever she sees a constellation. Do you have any idea how disturbing it is to hear someone who can take care of an entire army by herself shriek like that?"
"Sorry, Hawkgirl. But it's comforting to see something from the Hidden Continents after nearly eight hundred years. I mean, this world has ninjas too but it wasn't the same and they wouldn't hold a candle to a true shinobi. I should know; clan leaders begged me to retrain their entire clans back in the Feudal Era. That, and I might also have had a few too many cups of coffee... Too much of a good thing... Then again, coffee is awesome!"
"At least it wasn't alcohol..." Hawkgirl muttered. She doubted the League was ready to deal with a drunk kunoichi. "In any case, I'm sending your data through back-up analysis as we speak. Leave the probe in until you destroy the meteor so I can get data on how it will react to the explosives other than the obvious." Hawkgirl studied the asteroid. "Three and a half miles across... Can you imagine what would happen if it hit the Earth?"
Superman came back from their ship with two large devices. He had one float to Kazumi and J'onn and replied, "That's not going to happen."
Kazumi pouted. "I still say we should bring back pieces of this thing. Not only would they be awesome souvenirs, but people on Earth can also use it in the industrial sector and I know some places that would love having a space rock. Like my place~" She shoved the other bomb into the other side of the meteor while the Martian activated it.
"Perhaps bringing a few pieces would be a good idea. But traveling to the vicinity of Saturn has cost us a large amount of fuel and we might not have enough to get back to the Watchtower if we are to take any along with us. You did not bring any storage scrolls with you and you can't draw seals on your spacesuit in zero gravity so you would not be able to bring any back."
"Fine," the kunoichi said petulantly as she mock glared at J'onn. "At least things end with a bang."
"I thought ninjas were supposed to be stealthy..." Hawkgirl commented.
Kazumi merely grinned. "We generally are but sometimes, when we attack... well, controlling the elements around you to bend to your will or summoning a giant toad about the size of the Daily Planet isn't exactly subtle now is it? Besides, I like a good explosion; they make pretty lights~"
If Kazumi had been on solid ground, Superman was pretty sure she would be bouncing around as she waited. Instead, she amused herself by floating around like a deranged pixie while humming to herself. J'onn shook his head as he watched Kazumi dart this way and that. She had a big appetite because using her jutsu burns calories quickly but she, apparently, did not posses a hyper-accelerated metabolism like her boyfriend did to get rid of the caffeine in her system. How unfortunate for them.
The team of three flew away from the meteor. Because of the lack of air to carry the sound waves, they couldn't hear the loud, low twangs the bombs were making as they got ready to detonate. "At least someone's ready for the fireworks," Superman said with a smile. "How about you, J'onn?"
"Ready."
"By the way, J'onn, what's the other 28 percent of the space rock's composition?" The Martian gave Kazumi his undivided attention as she sounded normal. "We have to be careful in case it's explodium."
Nope, she was still slightly out of it. He really needed to speak with the League about limiting her substance intake. "I was unable to read the complete analysis before we started placing the explosives but it is probably of no importance, Kazumi," J'onn replied. "I am quite certain, however, that it is not... explodium."
Kazumi was nodding to a song in her head while she waited for the asteroid to explode. She certainly didn't hear the alarms the probe was making on the asteroid and she almost missed it when she heard the alarms onboard the Watchtower. Almost instantly, the effects of caffeine overdose made way for awareness thanks to a surge of chakra that purged the compound from her body. "Hawkgirl! What's going on?"
"The asteroid has hydrogen pockets! A lot of them! Get away fro-" Unfortunately, Hawkgirl's warning came too late as the bombs went off. The primary explosion was big; it had to be to split the asteroid into multiple pieces small enough to burn up as they entered the atmosphere of a planet without the help of oxygen. However, Kazumi had not taken into account that the giant asteroid that needed to be turned into space dust would be full of a highly combustible gas when she loaded the Javelin. Thus, the resulting secondary explosion was strong enough to equal Deidara's C3 jutsu.
With only seconds, Kazumi just had time to erect a crude barrier in front of them. While her barrier protected them from being directly hit by the fire and the oncoming space rocks, they could still feel the heat through their suits and the force of the explosion threw them into the Javelin. As her head crashed through the hull of the ship, her barrier fended off the rocks sailing at them until a large piece of the asteroid completely shattered it. Kazumi kept her consciousness long enough to swat the asteroid away from her and her friends before a smaller rock sank into her chest. Another sailed into her stomach.
The last thing she saw were the prone bodies of her friends.
An alien craft approached the area. It had detected the energy signal of the explosion and the captain of the crew decided to investigate. The crew was on a mission to gather strong fighters for Lord Mongul. It was a difficult mission as the crew was often injured when subduing and transporting strong beings but failure in their mission would make Lord Mongul... less than pleased.
"Life functions still active." They had chanced upon three beings that somehow survived the intense blast. They seemed lifeless as they floated in space but the data they were receiving confirmed signs of life.
"Incredible," the captain exclaimed. "Bring them aboard."
The bright blue beam encased the three beings and started to pull them to the ship. The action was enough to cause the shortest of the three to stir and grasp the wrists of her companions. She held them close as if afraid they would be taken away from her. Still, she was too dazed to resist when the mechanical arms forced them apart. Afterwards, she limped almost lifelessly against the metal. Tests were done on her and she had no doubt that the same was being done on her friends.
"The most injured had been the female but her injures are healing at an astounding rate. It would appear that she is the fastest healer. She seems to be an Earthling but her energy readings are much higher than average," a scientist said. "She also possesses a secondary circulatory system but I can not determine what it is for."
"Lord Mongul would find her interesting at the very least. What about the other two?" the captain asked.
"They're stable but it seems that the Martian is not as resilient as his companions. He will recover but not soon enough for Lord Mongul's taste. The other is a Kryptonian, a strong one according to the tests." He turned his attention to the screen. "The woman and the Kryptonian are stirring." He and the captain immediately abandoned the bridge to observe.
Kazumi was awake; she had been ever since they were taken onboard. She waited until after they took off her spacesuit and did what they could about the few injuries that were serious enough not to be healed in the time she had been unconscious. Now, she was handcuffed to the wall with her friends and about ten other groaning aliens scattered throughout the cell.
'I don't sense any guards and the other aliens look too worn out to be a plant.' She breathed in deeply and channeled chakra through the walls and connected with her friends. It was incredibly difficult as the metal seemed to be pushing against her chakra. It was like it was a naturally mild chakra disruptor, similar to Nagato's Chakra Disruption Blades but at a much lower degree. 'Most likely because they aren't stabbed into me, I guess. Anyway, Supes should be coming to in a minute or so and he doesn't seem too hurt. J'onn is worse off... moderate concussion, severely bruised... everything, slowly recovering from almost being cooked, trauma to upper back and there's something in the air that isn't doing him any favors... alien allergies maybe?"
She bit the inside of her cheek. The alien metal was interfering with her chakra but what information she did get from her brief scan was worrying. She couldn't even send any healing chakra towards the Martian since it was hard enough to send a diagnostic jutsu his way. Who knew what kind of reaction the metal would have on her chakra if she did so?
There wasn't much she could do now except 'wake up.' She squeezed her eyes together as if she was waking up with a headache and groaned. She looked around as if confused about where she was. Honestly, with all the times she had to pretend to be unconscious or dead over the years, it was child's play for her. Somewhere above them, she could hear two sets of footsteps. 'Our cell has a barred up skylight so whoever caught us can observe us from a bird's-eye view. There's not a lot a prisoner can hide that way. Most likely, there are cameras here and I wouldn't be surprised if the shackles work like shock collars.'
Inwardly, Kazumi smirked. 'Time to play psychological warfare.'
She turned to where Superman was being held and saw him waking up. She moaned loudly. "Are we captured? If so, whoever has us did a horrible job in securing prisoners."
Superman looked at her like she grew another head. "Don't look at me like that. It's simply common sense not to lock more than a handful of captives in the same cell, especially when you don't know what they're capable of. Any single one of us could escape from these shackles and do the same to the rest. If we had been separated into smaller groups, it would give our captors time to either recapture whoever got loose or dispose of the troublemaker. Not to mention, this place, while very dim, is spotless. That means they either want or need us for something so they aren't going to kill or let us die in the near future. If there had been some old bloodstains for example, it would help to reinforce the illusion that they would use deadly force or that we are expendable and thus, shouldn't antagonize the crew. It doesn't even have to be real blood as long as it looks like it! That would be more than enough to create the illusion of being ruthless and intolerant! A dark but clean cell is the completely wrong message to send if you're looking to keep people docile. Then there's the fact that none of us look too badly beaten up. While this just proves that they need us in fairly good condition for one reason or another, it hardly helps in breaking a person's determination to escape! It also means that we could escape if the prisoners work together! Really, these people know nothing about security!"
"Megami, what are you doing?!" Superman hissed. The kunoichi did some outrageous things but this was extreme. Lecturing their captors about faulty security measures while she was still trapped? It was insane!
"I'm giving a lecture on proper intimidation tactics and containment measures," she easily answered. Kazumi looked up at the skylight. "Well, why aren't you people writing this down?! Honestly, one would think that the one who designed a prisoner ship was a child playing with sticks! I mean, what kind of idiot designs a prison cell for physically powerful beings but doesn't even bother to install shackles for the legs for most of us or even collars? True, collars are more of a symbol of being enslaved but one could use something akin to shock collars to ensure obedience. Even the shackles we already have are almost next to useless since they allow an almost full range of motion, thus completely defeating the purpose of restraining prisoners. Also, all I see of our captors are the captain, who is most likely only here to observe for a few minutes, and a scientist. Where are the guards?! It's as if they overestimate the strength of their stupid prison cell or underestimate the will of someone who wants to escape!" Her speech, by now, was raising the spirits of the other captives. Some were getting to their feet or studying the shackles to look for weak points.
Even in the dark, Superman could see Kazumi was rather proud of herself. Before she started talking, every single person in the cell had given up but now, they all looked like they wanted to fight back.
Suddenly, Kazumi shrieked. A blue glow surrounded her and a sizzle of what sounded like electricity was heard throughout the cell. The glow and sound didn't disappear for almost two minutes and left the kunoichi smoking. The captain smirked as if pleased with the outcome until...
"Oh, this better not ruin my hair! Do you people have any idea how hard it is to have silver hair while looking so young and being able to rock it? It's bad enough little kids sometimes think I'm an old lady! I don't want people to see my hair as a giant white fuzzy towel or something!" She went on and on like that. The more she was shocked, the more violent and creative her threats and insults became. While the prisoners weren't able to escape their restraints, Kazumi's rant about her hair, the lacking intelligence of their captors and her endless slew of insults and threats were more than enough to keep them from spiraling into depression again.
The captain was back on the bridge, completely puzzled about their only female prisoner... if she could be called that. He had a feeling that if it weren't for the fact that one of her companions was unconscious and very weak, she would have ripped the shackles from the walls and escaped with the Martian and the Kryptonian. In fact, she didn't even bother to try to escape though her plans to 'rip the ship apart and find the little worm messing up her hair' were disturbing. Said operator was now curled under his workstation as if trying to hide from the violent woman.
'Not that I can blame him,' the captain thought. Some of her promised threats were rather... inventive, cruel, and unusual. Having one's abdomen torn open and then being forced to swallow one's own digestive system, for example sounded... disgusting and painful and that was one of the milder threats.
The captain then noticed that there was an incoming call from War World. Hopefully it was good news as he wasn't sure he could deal with another issue while the one called Megami was calling his kind the disfigured offspring of a snake-faced pedophile and a red-faced baboon.
"Captain," the call started as a large yellow face with completely blood-red eyes appeared before the bridge. Knowing how vocal Megami could be, the captain was certain that she would rant about how Lord Mongul was blocking the view and could cause the entire ship to crash or something. "I want you to hear something," his lord said. Instantly, the sound of boos and disappointed yells resounded throughout the bridge. "They're expressing their disappointment at the last specimen you brought." The captain swallowed nervously. After a short exchange, the captain assured his leader that the two specimens he had with him would be different.
"Two, you say..."
"One is a powerful Kryptonian, guaranteed to give Draaga the fight of his life. Our tests showed that he has been exposed to much yellow sun radiation, most likely a period of years if not decades." Mongul raised a hairless eyebrow in interest. "The other is of an unknown species. She appears to resemble a beautiful Earthling woman but her energy levels, even when unconscious, were at least a hundred times higher. She is also an incredibly fast healer. What used to be broken bones healed within a minute."
Mongul gave the captain a displeased snort. "I have no use for a woman who could heal her injuries at once. I need a fighter, not a whore."
"The Kryptonian seems to defer to her, my lord. We have also been shocking her, increasing the voltage everytime, ever since she first woke and it has only resulted in anger and threats. She was also unafraid of her situation and gave some critical insight on some... issues the crew have been uneasy of for some time."
The ruler of War World was silent. "Send me the recording of this woman. If nothing else, she can entertain me in another way." With that, Mongul ended the transmission.
The entire crew breathed a sigh of relief. "Captain, what if the woman's spirit displeases Lord Mongul?"
"She will please him," he said, "she has to."
Mongul watched the recording once more. The woman was desirable; he would admit that. Her coloring was odd, making her look fragile and breakable. Yet her spirit showed in her words and actions. The Kryptonian's expression showed that he was used to this behavior from Megami and knew that she would carry out her threats given the opportunity.
Not only that but she was intelligent as well. Perhaps he should make use of her suggestions. Using intimidation and fear not only on scouting expeditions but also on War World itself would keep him in power longer. Despite what his advisers think, he actually did know that, sooner or later, the people would rise up because of their living conditions. The fights can only entertain the people for so long, especially with the specimens that were fighting Draaga lately. Hopefully, the Kryptonian wouldn't be a disappointment like Krodar.
Mongul smirked. "Perhaps we should test her with some of the beasts we have. We should see if this woman is able to back up her threats. If not, then she should at least be able to give us a good show. Wouldn't you think so?" he asked one of his advisors. He ignored the man as he watched the spirited woman once more.
Draaga walked through the arena's underground prison. Unlike most of the fighters, he was staying somewhat willingly for the safety of his planet so he was allowed to walk freely. He had heard from scouting crew that they had captured two strong individuals and curiosity got the best of him.
He had just finished with the Kryptonian and it was a disappointing meeting. The gladiator was now looking for the woman. The crew was more wary of the woman than any of the other potential fighters they caught. Still, her friend was no warrior so he doubted that she was one as well.
He went to the room where she was supposed to be chained. The woman was supposed to be alone here as even the arena workers had the morals not to leave a woman alone with men who would possibly facing their last days here. When he got there though, there was no one around. The shackles that were supposed to hold her were hanging loosely as if they had never been used and none of the surrounding walls were damaged in an attempt to escape.
"Well, my first visitor~" a voice echoed throughout the room. "I was expecting the so-called supreme ruler of War World to visit me first but I guess having the undefeated champion is just as big an honor~" The tone was condescending and Draaga was sure that there was a smirk on Megami's face.
"Show yourself!" he demanded. "Face me like a true warrior, coward!"
She gaily laughed like he said a joke. "You are no warrior, oh powerful Draaga~ The people on War World call you a champion, a hero, but you and I both know that you are nothing of the sort. You are a pet, Mongul's prized dog to fight for his entertainment and propaganda. The only difference between you and the others outside this room is the fact that you win your fights. The older prisoners say that you claim in almost every battle that you fight for honor when you slaughter the very meaning of the word."
Slender arms were suddenly wrapped around his neck and nimble fingers trailed up his chin. He froze as no one had been able to sneak up on him since he was a child. Her lips were right by his ear and her breath tickled him as she spoke softly. "But you have honor, Draaga. Hidden inside, beaten with every fight you win for the sake of an uncaring tyrant yet hungering for a chance to come out. You don't fight for yourself but for Mongul and yet I can tell right away that you despise your master the most. So tell me, lost one," Megami whispered as she stepped in front of the gladiator. "Whom else do you fight for? How much longer are you going to commit murder in the name of a tyrant who would throw you away as soon as you lose a fight? How long have you been under Mongul's thumb that you have begun to see yourself as his willing pawn when you were born to be a leader? Or have you decided never to dwell on the fact that you're a fallen warrior with no pride or honor? Where is your pride and honor as a warrior?" Draaga didn't answer.
He was scared. It was not because of the way the woman draped herself around him in a way a lover would but could still snap his neck if she so chose to. It was her words. They rang true even if the persona of Mongul's loyal warrior tried to beat the feeling down. He was the son of a general, trained to fight and to lead men from an early age. Yet on his first off-planet mission, his men were defeated and he was captured by scouts from War World. It was because of his recklessness and cockiness that he came to this hell. Afterwards, it was fight after fight to stay alive. When he had become an icon to the people, he was brought before Mongul and his entire world was threatened. Since then, it was more of the same but with the looming threat of his planet's safety in the balance should he try to escape or use his popularity against the corrupt ruler.
Draaga didn't move as she unwrapped her arms from him. The kunoichi exited through the door yet the fallen warrior made no move to stop her. 'At least he's thinking about it,' she said to herself. Megami met up with Superman.
They found J'onn quickly enough and manage to get him out. Unfortunately the force field around the arena was specially designed to keep fighters who were strong enough to run and fight in. As such, while J'onn, who was still injured despite what healing Kazumi was willing to give while on the run and suffering from whatever was in the atmosphere, was able to pass through, Superman and Megami could not. They ran into the force field as if they had run into a solid steel wall. "Fuck!" The kunoichi held her nose as it healed. While she hadn't flown with Superman like J'onn did, she had still run into the barrier quite fast and the result was a slightly bloody nose.
She saw Superman getting up and about to touch the force field for whatever reason. Instantly, Megami was by his side and slapped his hand away. "J'onn, get going! Superman and I won't be able to get out with that thing up!" More robots exited the arena and fired at them. The Man of Steel blocked the blasts.
"I won't leave without you!" the Martian exclaimed. J'onn willed himself to stand upright. The longer he stayed in his current form, the less energy he expended. However, with the odd substance in the air, it was taking all his focus to stay strong in front of his friends as well as to keep his current form.
"Boy Scout and I have unfinished business here! Do what you can to get the people behind us if we fight!" The kunoichi unsealed several kunai and destroyed some of the robots that were firing at her and Superman.
"We'll be all right!" the Kryptonian assured him. "Go!"
With a heavy heart, J'onn ran as his friends surrendered.
"So what unfinished business do we have here?" he whispered.
The kunoichi smirked. "I'm thinking of calling it Project Spartacus (1)."
He was watching another recording of Megami again. This time it was of her failed escape attempt with the Kryptonian she called Superman. She had escaped from her shackles the second she was alone in her cell. Megami said that this was slightly better than the holding cell on the ship, but not by much. She didn't even try to leave the room; she simply paced, took out a small metal star from somewhere and tossed it in the air only to catch it again in a bored manner.
Megami heard footsteps and disappeared from the camera in a blur when Draaga walked in. The latter half of the conversation was too soft for the cameras to pick up but whatever she said must have shocked Draaga into not stopping her when she left her cell. The woman had then spent most of the time treating the Martian but was able to blast a sizeable hole in the ceiling with a glowing dagger. Megami easily leapt up while the Kryptonian carried the Martian to safety only to be stopped by the force field.
Still, at least this meant that the Kryptonian had some fight in him. Perhaps having him fight Draaga would quell the people's current dissatisfaction after some preliminary matches. As for Megami, he was still wondering what to do with her. He had never placed a woman in the games before because they were generally much weaker than men but the silver-haired woman was very different. Intelligent, fast, resourceful and skilled... It was possible that she could fight well enough to entertain them.
He rolled his eyes as his chancellor tried to get him to focus more on the problems of the people instead of his fights and that woman. Perhaps he was obsessing over her but she really was unlike every other woman he had encountered.
He tore his gaze away from the image of Megami when one of his guards announced the arrival of the recaptured prisoners. They weren't dragged like a normal recaptured prisoner would be, mostly because the robots were suspiciously missing their arms. The Kryptonian looked mildly exasperated while the woman was extremely smug so at least he knew whom to blame.
He smirked at the fiery spirit that she was constantly showing. "I suppose you've been enjoying yourself." He all but ignored the Kryptonian.
Megami smirked. "We had a meet and greet with the champ, fought a giant mutant crocodile, had a blast with your robots and almost got away. Hell yeah I did."
"Pity this means I have to make an example of the two of you. I did so enjoy your antics. I planned for your friend to fight Draaga much later on and for you to debut as my first female fighter with a few fairly easy opponents but I've changed my mind. Your friend will fight Draaga tomorrow and you will face the lions today." With that, their audience with the ruler of War World was over.
It was once again time for the daily fight. Rumor had it that there was going to be a fighter that they had never seen before: a woman. It started with the crew of the last scouting expedition who captured her and more talk spread when word of her escape attempt leaked to the masses. Some were sure that she would die within the first few minutes of the fight while others decided to take a risk and bet in the new fighter's favor.
"Today may mark the beginning of a new fighter's career," Mongul declared from his seat. "Today, we shall see if skill, agility and cunning shall seize the day or if might makes right as it always had before." The crowd went wild.
"I give you, Megami, the Lady of War!" From a rising platform, the kunoichi had a cocky smirk as she entered the arena. The arena workers had given up on securing her with handcuffs as she would somehow always remove them as soon as their backs were turned and threw them away. Not only that but despite being free, she still made no move to escape like before so they simply tried to find weapons that they thought would be light enough for her to actually carry.
A robot handed her a short sword and little shield. 'I'm going to enjoy messing with their heads,' she thought with a devious little smirk. Megami laughed and the entire stadium grew silent. People thought that the idea of facing her death in a few minutes had left her unhinged. "You people have no idea what war is like," she said with a cruel smirk. "What you'll see in a matter of minutes will be nothing compared to a real war."
"Brave words for a woman," Mongul replied. "If you survive, I see a bright future for you here on War World!"
She was then teleported to some barren wasteland. There were ruined buildings and debris everywhere. Every now and then, there was a dark spot that was reminiscent of blood or oil. There was no sound or movement here. "Hmm... Almost looks like a battlefield... Almost..."
She heard movement and instinctively flipped into the air. Megami felt something dash under her and come close to ripping her cape. Whatever tried to pounce on her was big, bipedal, mostly black with a splash of white around the shoulder area and smelled like unwashed socks, rotting meat and blood. A quick glance at her surroundings told her that there were at least six more of the same things approaching her.
She instantly flung the sword at the attacking lion as she reached the peak of her flip. The blade sliced through the creature's body and effectively pinned it to the ground. It howled in hunger and anger but she blocked out the noise as she landed on a spire that would have been the top of a tall building. Kazumi cocked her head to the she studied the beast. It was a black lion that would have been the size of a van if it were on all fours with a large bone sticking out of its shoulder. Its mane was dirty and matted in places with dirt, remains of its previous meals, blood and other unpleasant substances. It had glowing red violet eyes and a foaming snout filled with dagger-length teeth. Its dark gray body looked stitched up in places and it had long claws that were stained with blood on its hands and feet. The other lions were the same except that the bones were protruding from other places. They seemed to be part of their natural appearance though as they didn't hinder the lions or make them bleed.
"Hmm... Interesting..." The one she had pinned to the ground was struggling to wrench itself from the ground, uncaring for the blood it was losing or the fact that it was killing itself as it tried to find and attack her again. The lions were obviously bred to kill but apparently trained not to attack their own kind. She wondered how many people died to train them to attack only the fighters.
'Better to give it death now then let it slowly kill itself.' She tossed her shield into the air and sent it towards the pinned lion, effectively decapitating it.
The kunoichi studied the other lions. They ran to the bottom of the spire she was on and tried to claw their way up with little success. She saw one of the cameras and smirked into it. "So how would the people like me to fight: from afar or up close and personal?"
She could hear the people shouting their answers but the words all blurred together. "The people have spoken. Kill them in the bloodiest way you can!" Mongul's order came.
"Did you want a preview of how I plan on killing you, Lord Mongrel?" The cheers turned into stunned silence. Megami ignored it as she raced down the almost vertical decline. She reached one of the lions and kicked it in its nose hard. The force was enough to send it flying through a thick wall and definitely enough to shattered its snout.
Two attacked her from the sides and another pounced from above. She easily dodged the first two and grabbed the third by its neck and tore a chunk of flesh off before flinging it away. Blood flowed down her hand as she stopped another lion's clawed swipe with one hand. She punched it once in the chest, enough to shatter its ribs and liquefy its heart. Megami was pretty sure that a bit of its ribcage was sticking out from its back but she couldn't be sure as she dodged another lion's lunge.
The lions the kunoichi had already injured were recovering. Though the loss of blood had disoriented them, they still got up to fight. Megami coated her arm with Lightning chakra and dashed towards the lions. She bisected one with ease before forcing her arm down the other's throat before jerking it to the side, splattering the ground with blood. As one lion attacked her from behind, she performed an axe kick to its head and broke it as if it were a simple water balloon.
The last two lions seemed to be biding their time, looking for the perfect opportunity to kill her and feast on her corpse. While they seemed smarter than their fallen brethren, Kazumi knew that they were merely beasts of instinct and had as much intellect as a rabid dog. One grew impatient and attacked head-on. Megami slid to the side and performed Katon: Karyū Endan and the fire dragon she made instantly burned it to ashes.
However, she left her back exposed to the last lion. It stabbed her in the back. She slowly looked down and saw that the tips of its claws were poking out of her ruined clothes. The crowds cheered at the fight she put up. "It seems as though while my would-be killer put on an excellent show, the Lady of War is not strong enough for War World!" Mongul announced. While he was shocked at how well she dealt with the lions and her declaration that she planned on killing him, the ruler was impressed. "Such a shame that a powerful fighter met her untimely end like this," Mongul drawled.
That was when the soon-to-be dead woman started laughing again. Even as she bled out, she laughed. That was when Mongul noticed something odd. Her wound was bleeding but what dropped to the ground was not blood but... 'Water?' Megami suddenly exploded and turned into a puddle of water.
There was a loud, deliberately slow applause somewhere in the fighting area. The cameras flew around trying to find the source only to find another silver-haired woman calmly sitting on the back of one of the dead lions. She was identical to Megami who had somehow burst into water yet she was uninjured and her clothes were blood-free. "I think my Mizu Bunshin did a decent job. Wouldn't you agree, Lord Mung Bean?"
Mongul asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "How?"
She leapt back onto the spire to avoid the remaining lion's attack. One of my msny abilities is to create a clone made of water. It's only ten percent of my current power (2) but I think it did a wonderful job. Another one of my abilities is to switch places with something in the immediate area undetected. In this case, I made my Mizu Bunshin first and then switch places with it before it engaged the other lions." At the silence from the cameras, she said, "I wanted to add a bit of drama to my fight otherwise it would be rather boring."
Almost as one, the crowd cheered. They all were amazed by the woman. She was the most amazing fighter they had ever seen. Not even Draaga had kept them on the edge of their seats like Megami had.
"Mini-Rasenshuriken." Almost lazily, she held up a single finger and a swirling blue ball appeared, surrounded by what looked like the blades of a shuriken. "I think I've drawn the fight on long enough." Megami careless flicked the tiny ball at the lion. It died before it even realized what had happened.
"Looks like I win and live to fight another day~" The cheers of the crowd were deafening.
She was happily cheered by the other fighters and Megami politely accepted their praise. But there was one individual she was looking for who stood at the other end of the room. Discreetly, Kazumi made a shadow clone who made her way to Superman by walking on the ceiling. "I did what I had to do, Superman."
"Slaughter innocent animals?" He was wary of and upset with his friend. He didn't want to be but there were times that he forgot that Kazumi was the strongest of all of them despite the fact that he was the de facto leader of the group.
Kazumi gave him a sad look. "They were bred and trained to kill whatever was given to them as prey, Superman. You might not have been able to tell because you weren't very close to them but the wild look in their eyes was that of mindless killing machines. They felt no pain or fear even when they were close to dying. I managed to take a peek inside the last one's mind and there was nothing except the thought of food and blood. If I had let them live and Project Spartacus succeeded, they would just kill and eat other beings without anyone to stop them and they would have been put down anyway. Only in that situation, more people would have had to die."
The Kryptonian knew she was right but he didn't have to like it. So he changed the subject. "How are you going to take over then?"
The clone's lips quirked into a smile. "I don't plan on taking over, Clark. I'm merely paving the way for Spartacus."
"Are you going to tell me who Spartacus is?"
She giggled. You've already met him, Boy Scout. But to help move Project Spartacus along, you have to win tomorrow."
(1) Slave turned gladiator turned military leader
(2) Unless Kazumi deactivates her power limiters (see second to the last chapter), she's always at ten percent. Meaning her Mizu Bunshin is actually only one percent of her total power.