*Not clickbait. Actual chapter*
Chapter 36:
Bruce Wayne stared at the computer screen in the Batcave, eyes narrowed as a hostage situation in a bank was being reported in Metropolis. From the report, 18 masked individuals had infiltrated the bank and over 150 civilians were being held at gunpoint. If the robbers' needs weren't met in 30 minutes, the hostages would be shot.
He clenched his fists, knowing that this was another situation that he had to ignore. Not only because of the time factor, but because of the fact that he had promised to keep track of Gotham's activities after the Starro Invasion. The thought of that felt like a dagger in his heart.
"Look, it's Superman!" the news anchor at the scene shouted, her features brightening upon the arrival of the Kryptonian. As the Man of Steel moved inside of the building, she quickly tried to talk. "S-Superman has been seen entering the building just now. Currently, there has been no changes- oh, wait!"
As Superman zipped across the area, dropping hostages, the news anchor continued. "People are appearing all over the place! Superman has saved the hostages! Every second, two new people arrive! Incredible!"
Bruce begrudgingly admitted that the situation had been neutralised, and continued to stare at the screen. An elderly man had just appeared and he saw Superman yelling for help. The man was bleeding quite badly.
It appears one of the hostages has been shot! Superman has handed the man over to the paramedics!" the news lady continued to narrate.
Nodding at seeing the elderly man being handed to the medics, he moved quickly again. Suddenly, the bank's main wall suddenly exploded, causing the civilians to jump in surprise. Superman appeared again immediately, the 18 masked criminals bound together by a metal column that had been bent and shaped to hold them together.
"Don't hurt me, please!" one of the criminals called out, fear sprawled all over his face. Superman just gave him a stern glare, but not injuring him any further.
Just as the news anchor was about to say something, suddenly she turned around as numerous black, military-grade SUV's arrived on the scene. As a person stepped out of one of the vehicles, the news anchor gasped.
"It's Mr. Luthor!" she gasped, shock and awe appearing on her face.
The camera zoomed past her and sure enough, Lex Luthor calmly strode towards the camera, arrogance oozing off his body as he smiled coldly.
Superman glared at Luthor harshly, anger creeping into his body as he stared at the bald man. However, before he could say anything, the news anchor stepped forth, microphone aimed at the CEO. "Mr. Luthor! What do you have to say about the events that have transpired here today?!"
Staring at Superman with a calm, yet cold smile, Luthor directed his gazes to the cameras surrounding him and spoke, disappointment clear on his face. He tutted. "Well, I don't know what Superman here was thinking when he interrupted the work involved here, but I can tell you that this was completely out of hand."
Angered, the Kryptonian stepped forth. "Out of hand?! You-"
"Patience, Superman," Luthor cautioned, holding his hands up and smiling innocently. "You didn't let me finish. Now, I don't know how you didn't know this - you are renowned as surfing through the sky, listening to the cries of the people, after all - but this was designed to be a government assessment of Metropolis' police forces."
Here, he stared at the camera, anger seeping into his tone. "You see, Superman, you weren't supposed to interfere. You are continuing to meddle in government-level interventions, putting the public at risk. That is unacceptable."
The Man of Steel stepped forward, standing nose-to-nose with Luthor. Security guards cocked their guns, but didn't move. They likely knew that their guns were useless against him. From the Batcave, Bruce had to give Luthor credit; he didn't seem to flinch from the close proximity from the Kryptonian. Only smiling arrogantly.
"Those people were kidnapped," Superman hissed, angry. "I just saved a man that was shot!"
Luthor smiled, and that was all that was needed to make Superman hesitant, unsure. "That man was a government employee," he said slowly, as if speaking to a child. "His role, Superman, was to get shot."
Luthor stepped away to circle the entire scenario, pointing out more and more information. "The paramedic units were included in this test, and because of your disruptive habits, both the police department and the hospitals in Metropolis have been humiliated. You did not let them do their job, for you do not even try to abide by our rules."
Bruce's face twitched, understanding the situation at hand. An unexpected 'hostage situation' would accurately test a station's abilities, allowing for the public to continue to have faith in the police force, and not be solely dependent on superheroes.
Superman clenched his fists, angered at Luthor's 'scheming'. "There wasn't any announcements or scheduled meetings of any practices," Superman fired back, practically hissing.
Luthor raised a mocking brow. "Oh? Were you supposed to be informed of 'police' business? Just because you have blue in your uniform, Superman, doesn't mean you operate on the side of the law. Quite the opposite, actually. Now, release my men, alien. If you continue to hold them against their will, I will have you arrested for treason."
The very claim was laughable as it was shocking. The idea that Superman - a being of immense power and heroism - being arrested like a common criminal sounded insane to those watching. Even Superman himself went wide-eyed at the balls Luthor had to make such a claim.
Clenching his jaw, the Kryptonian removed the iron bounds holding the 'criminals', then quickly flew away.
"In a shocking turn of events, Superman and has directly interfered in government affairs," the news anchor reported annoyingly. "Mr. Luthor! What do you have to say about Superman's involvement?"
Luthor smiled at the woman, causing her to blush. "Please, Ms..."
"Cat Grant," the woman answered, quickly correcting herself.
"Ms. Grant. Please, call me Lex."
"O-Of course. So, what brings you out of your company, Lex? For years, the LuthorCorp enterprises have been run from the shadows. We all know about your father, Lionel, who tragically died a few years ago. His massive fortune, as well as his conglomerate, was passed down to his only son, that being you. For years, we've heard about you but never actually seen you publicly until today. You've practically been a ghost."
"Well, that certainly is true, Ms. Grant," Luthor answered. "But enough about me, let's get back to your original question. I am grateful for what Superman has done for our world, along with the other superheroes."
Batman scoffed, seeing the lies coming off from Luthor as clear as day.
"However, this incident has revealed some uncomfortable truths; despite his goodwill, Superman was blatantly impeding in crucial drills performed by the government, authorised by yours truly. A problem I am seeing in many of today's 'superheroes'."
Cat blinked. "What do you mean?"
Luthor smiled coldly. "In response to your questions about my appearing more frequently, the world is simply changing too quickly for me to just sit down and twiddle my thumbs. In this day and age, people need something... 'human' to look up to."
"Human? What do you mean by that?" Cat inquired as she leaned forward eagerly.
Luthor chuckled. "Why, the brightly-coloured super-powered beings gallivanting around our world. Of course, that is my name for them. You call them 'heroes'."
Cat's eyes narrowed, noticing the hatred in his tone. "If you ask me, the superheroes are doing a fine job. Why, they saved the planet from two alien invasions!"
Internally Lex wanted to scream and tell the bitch in front of him to shut up, and that no one had asked for her opinion. But he had an image to maintain. He couldn't afford any blunder, especially now.
"It's all a matter of perspective if you ask me, Miss Grant," Luthor chose to say instead. "These heroes are actually causing more damage than they are fixing. The fact that this era refers to itslef as the 'Age of Wonders' in relation to the superheroes rising, is a slap in the face to all the scientific progress humanity had made."
"But how?" Cat questioned strongly. "Crime rates have decreased dramatically in the places the superheroes reside. Hell, Gotham is currently seeing its lowest crime rate in fifteen years!" Miss Grant vehemently argued.
"Ah, yes. Cado." The name was spoken with clear venom, and was hard to hide from the general public. "Yes, his solution of fear-mongering includes wiping out the general criminals both inside and outside Arkham Asylum. An excellent solution to place at the hands of an outsider to our world, rather than police commissioner Gordon."
At that, she fell silent, causing Luthor to internally smirk. "This is part of the problem I'm speaking of," he continued, now on a role. "It seems normal human beings cannot be properly credited with anything now that these super-powered vigilantes have appeared, operating outside of the law, and taking it into their own hands. Commissioner Gordon's work is made obsolete - years of caring for civilians and battling the scourge of Gotham using the law and God as his witness - by the quick actions of an alien barbarian, who solves the problem just like that." He snapped his fingers at the end, punctuating his point.
"Speaking of Gotham, have you ever thought and pondered how much crime was being caused because of people like Cado and the Batman? Gotham has always been a - excuse my language - crime-ridden sewer, and maniacs like the late Joker have risen up to combat these so-called 'saviours'."
As much as Cat Grant didn't want to admit it, she had to reluctantly agree with Luthor's words. People like the Joker didn't exist before Batman, or they were at least in hiding if they did.
Luthor smiled easily, feeling all eyes - those physical and virtual - on him.
Clenching his fists, Bruce scowled at how Luthor was smearing his name. He had done his best to save the lives of the people of Gotham! The fact that a monster like Lex was doing his best to paint him in a negative light was aggravating, to say the least. If only the world knew about the abominations Luthor was responsible for.
"I'm sure that all of them are trying their best," Cat argued weakly.
"Frankly, my dear, it wasn't enough. More and more of these kinds of tragedies are happening as a response to these heroes. The recent Kryptonian invasion was a result of both Superman and Cado being on this planet. The Starro Invasion lead to almost everyone being possessed by a parasitic conqueror, only saved by one lone hero."
"Greater tragedies would have occurred if the superheroes weren't there to prevent them though. If not for Cado, Superman or Batman, the casualties of those incidents would've been much more catastrophic," Cat tried to argue, if only to appeal to the opposing side.
"True, but how can you be so certain that things will just work out for us all of the time? Future events - which are now more likely to occur - may be too much for even our own 'defenders' to combat against. Before the heroes arrival, how many super-powered villains were strolling through Metropolis? Invading from the heavens? Terraforming the world? Metropolis has never been a crime filled haven like Gotham, but following Superman's appearance, a day can't seemingly go by without some meta-human monster wreaking havoc."
"All of the fault cannot be placed at the feet of our heroes," Cat tried again, hoping for an inch where Luthor budged.
However, that was all for nought. Whatever verbal attacks she had, Luthor always had an impenetrable defence against it. "I recognise that. My main point throughout our entire discussion, however, has been the reaction that these heroes have caused. How many super-powered villains have we seen in the just the past few years? Zod, Starro, Parasite, Livewire, etc. Shall I list more?
"As valiant as these superheroes intentions may appear, Ms. Grant, they are causing as much harm as they seem to be stopping."
Cat now scowled, tongue-tied.
Smiling at having won, Luthor gave a mocking bow as he turned around, entering his car to drive away. As Bruce watched, he turned off the monitor, a sneer upon his face
XXX
(Lexcorp)
As Luthor arrived at his building, he headed for the main office, thinking. His speech to turn the people against superheroes seemed to have the intended effect, going over the heads of the most stubborn of supporters. Unfortunately, they were the loudest.
As he looked about his building with pride, his eyes dimmed as he realised his competition was still thriving.
Rao Industries was booming, better than ever, in fact. He had hoped that the Kryptonian Invasion would sway people away from Cado's business, make him lose more and more funds that could mysteriously float back to him. But no. His business was now in sudden high demand.
And thanks to his actions in stopping the invasion of Starro, his popularity grew as a result. He grit his teeth at the thought, leaving him infuriated.
That barbarian fool and the rest of those pathetic heroes were just like all the rest who had failed to see his vision. Soon, they would be dead like all those who had uselessly challenged him. His dreams would soon become a reality, changing the world forever because he dared to dream beyond the norm.
Soon, Earth would be united under one nation, his nation. Everything was lined up perfectly. All he had to do was push the domino, and the effects would be catastrophic.
As he entered his office, his eyes went wide upon seeing a figure stand in the centre. And then, he calmed down, getting his nerves together. "You're late," he muttered in annoyance.
The figure - male in appearance - smirked. He wore classical Greek armour, dark in colour, which covered his bronze skin and white hair. His helmet and plume added height to his already imposing body, which was more muscled than the average human.
"I don't see why you're complaining," the being taunted, crossing his muscular arms.
Lex's eyes narrowed as he stepped past the figure, heading for his table. "I'd have thought that the god of war would be eager for the coming conflict."
Ares smirked cruelly, turning around to stare at Luthor. "You have balls, mortal. Few are willing to dismiss me as if I was a mere child. Those being actual gods."
Luthor rolled his eyes, making sure that he calmed his heartbeat. His accomplice that he had made some time ago had been extremely helpful in aiding him in his eventual control over the planet, but by God, was he troublesome. "Yes, yes. You are an almighty god, I should bow before you, I've heard it all before."
Ares guffawed. "So tense. I thought you mortals knew how to have fun. Dionysus always made that out to be true, but maybe he was lying... or drunk." He sighed. "Shame, that. The only time I could remember having such fun was during World War II. That was truly a time for merriment. And yes, I've laid the plan out. The public in itself is already incensed with enough hatred in their hearts to cause more riots."
Turning on his nearby TV, Luthor saw sectioned images; riots and mobs either holding up signs with Superman's iconic 'S' symbol, or standing outside Rao Industries. Their shouts were clearly audible, even as Luthor kept the volume the same.
"Get out of here, filth! You don't fucking belong here, fiend!"
"Death to all aliens! We don't need you!"
"Superman needs to die!"
"Cado's death is what we need!"
"In case your ears are fucked, aliens; get the fuck out of here!"
"Menace!"
"Luthor was right! You're a plague!"
"You failed us!"
"This is our world! Not yours!"
"Earth belongs to humans!"
Lex watched with glee as Ares smirked. "And that kind of energy is going across the globe," the god remarked, smiling happily. "Funny thing is, I'm not even doing a majority of it. Most of the mortals already felt that way about those aliens. I'm just radicalising the more bolder ones. Speaking of which, are your lackeys in position?"
"Yes," Lex answered. "General Lane is awaiting my command. He is most eager in our crusade, and has gotten more allies from A.R.G.U.S. A mysterious dweller of the seas has brought some radiated rocks for me to study. Apparently, their from the World-Engine-desecrated-areas. For what reason, I don't know. But I'm always eager to find out more." Lex stalked towards Ares, completely confident. "Just remember, Ares. Neither of us can succeed in our goals without each other; I go down, you're going down with me and vice versa. Understand?"
Ares stared at him, eyebrow raised. Then, he chuckled. Quicker than he could perceive, the god had Luthor by the neck, causing the bald man to choke and gasp pathetically. He slapped Ares' arm uselessly, yielding no result. Ares brought Lex closer, staring at him with red eyes.
"Listen, and listen closely, you pathetic little shit," Ares hissed angrily as he watched Luthor choke. "You are only alive because I have willed it. You breathe the very air present in this world on my mood. Our deal involved me inciting conflict amongst the mortals for your benefit, allowing me to grow in power, and in exchange, I attack and kill those foolish Kryptonians. Once enough power has been amassed, I can finally destroy Themyscira with no problems, and move my sights on Olympus. You don't factor into any of those plans once I am done. Mortals may see you as this amazing figure-head, but in the real world, you. Are. Nothing."
With that done, he threw Luthor against the wall, cracking it slightly. The bald man collapsed on to the ground, wheezing and gasping in pain. The god sneered at seeing his state.
"Pathetic," he mocked, before turning away to enact his plans.
XXX
(Dragon Ball Universe 7, Age 761)
Raditz cracked his neck as he exited his space pod. Such a long flight to this miserable planet, he thought as he stood up fully. The approach had done nothing to lighten his mood either. He had seen many cities that seemed untouched as his Saiyan space pod had descended the planet's atmosphere. Apparently his foolish brother couldn't handle a simple task of cleansing a weak planet such as this.
Wasn't Hieta doing a reconnaissance mission in this area of space? Raditz questioned, confused. That bastard had a habit of securing planets for Frieza, and as pitiful as this planet was, he was meticulous. So he found it hard to believe that he wouldn't conquer and turn it over for Frieza, regardless if his brother got in the way.
Guess the fool was even more useless than Kakarot, he scoffed. He clicked his scouter telling it to find the nearest high power level. "700," he said to himself as he lifted off the ground, heading for the power. "That must be Kakarot. There can't be any other beings that strong here."
Minutes later, he landed in a city and clicked his scouter again, trying to hone in on the power level he had discovered. He raised his eyebrow in surprise at what he saw. Instead of Kakarot, he saw a small bald man. The man was ignoring him for the most part, throwing some punches and kicks in the air. A few minutes later he turned to look at Raditz.
The bald man turned to face him. "Who are you?" he asked, suspicion lacing his tone.
"Someone who's in a really bad mood and would appreciate it if you were quick with your words," Raditz replied, sneering. "Where is Kakarot?"
"Kakarot..." Krillin questioned, eyes furrowed. Where the hell had he heard that name befo- Suddenly, it came to him. That was the name that Cado called Goku. But why was this guy calling Goku 'Kakarot'? Looking at the person, he saw a tail wrapped around his waist, causing his eyes to go wide. "You're a Saiyan!" he blurted out in shock.
Raditz raised an eyebrow, confused. "It seems your planet isn't as ignorant of the greater space as I thought. But for you to recognise my race, means that you've encountered Kakarot. Where is he?"
He doesn't know about Cado? Krillin questioned, confused. He got into a stance, knowing that things were about to get serious.
Raditz snarled. "Stop wasting my time, insect! Where is he?!"
"None of your business," Krillin stated boldly... which was a surprise for him. Fearful or not, he wouldn't release the whereabouts of his friend!
That was a sentence Raditz didn't want to hear. Glaring, the Saiyan warrior shot at the little man and smashed his fist into the bald man's face. Krillin shot back and crashed into a building causing nearby spectators to scatter.
The monk picked himself up off the ground and wiped a trickle of blood from his face. This guy is really strong, Krillin thought, wincing as he took his fighting stance. He was in over his head on this one. He knew that from that one strike.
Psyching himself up, Krillin shot at Raditz, throwing kicks and punches in rapid succession. But the Saiyan warrior was much too quick for him. The taller warrior shot a fist of his own out at Krillin, knocking him back to the ground once again. Krillin's body ached as he pushed himself to his feet once again. "I... won't let you... hurt anybody," Krillin panted as he cupped his hands at his side. "Ka… Me… Ha… Me… HA!" he shouted as he shot the beam of blue energy.
Raditz crossed his arms over his chest as the beam struck him with destructive force. He had to admit, the beam was powerful. At least, for such a weakling to have produced it. However, it wasn't enough to bring him down. When the smoke cleared, the Saiyan warrior was still standing. He had some cuts and bruises but was relatively unharmed. Krillin stared in shock at the result clear before him.
A-All of that, and he isn't even phased! Krillin mentally screamed, pissed off. What the hell is with me getting completely surpassed by aliens?!
"That was pretty good," Raditz admitted, laughing. "But since you're not exactly useful to me, I'm through playing around with you." Shooting forward faster than Krillin could even follow, Raditz buried a fist in the warrior's stomach, punching through it entirely with a hole coming through the other side. Gasping weakly, Krillin clawed at Raditz's arm weakly, desperate. N-No! This isn't... how it was supposed to... end. I-I got... to protect... my friends, the bald fighter weakly thought, eager for any way out of his situation. Eventually, he fell off of the alien's arm, dead before he hit the ground.
Scoffing, Raditz said, "Now, to find Kakarot." He flew off, leaving Krillin's corpse behind.
XXX
(Goku's House)
"Niine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine, ten thousand!" Goku exclaimed, relaxing from his push-ups. His four year old son, Gohan, played in the grass happily nearby. He made his way towards Goku, bumping into him playfully.
"Hey, there, son!" Goku exclaimed, picking him up and swinging him around.
"Hi, daddy! Hahaha!" Gohan laughed, joy practically shining off of him.
As Goku chuckled and swung him around, he paused as he could sense something alarming: Krillin's ki had vanished, replaced with a rapidly approaching power level stronger than any human on the planet. Noticing his distress, Gohan became worried. "Daddy?" he questioned, looking at Goku's serious face.
"Gohan, go join your mother in the house. I need to take care of something," Goku warned. Gohan looked confused, and a little worried, causing Goku to narrow his eyes. "Now!"
Hearing the stern tone, Gohan jumped from his dad's arms and ran inside the house. Nodding, Goku had a bright aura surround him as he quickly flew away, flying to meet the unknown being.
After a few minutes, he encountered Raditz, who was also flying through the air. Both halted in the air, studying each other. Goku glared at the person, taking in their features. Including the tail on his lower back. "Who are you?" Goku demanded, his stern face set up.
"Raditz was stunned that someone could sneak up on him without his scouter alerting him. What the hell?! he thought, confused. He hit his scouter. "50," he said reading the number. "How are you so pathetically weak, Kakarot?! You're a Saiyan, yet you're even weaker than the one I just eliminated."
Goku clenched his fist, the words confirming his fears. "You killed Krillin! How could you?! What did he even do to you?!" the Earth-raised Saiyan demanded, furious beyond belief.
Raditz scoffed. "What did he do to me? He was weak, and in my way! Quite frankly, it was a good thing I didn't have a grudge against him, otherwise he'd have died a more painful death. But enough about him. I'm your brother, Raditz. And I'm here to finish what you were supposed to do, Kakarot. I'm going to clear this planet of all life and get it ready for selling. I was going to bring you back to help but you're too weak to even be worth my time."
Now, Goku considered himself to be a pretty decent and even open person. But hearing that this person - his long-lost brother - came to his world, killed one of his friends, and threatened to kill every person on said world? Even the ever cheerful Saiyan felt vindicated from appearing in front of Raditz and decking him painfully, causing him to fly down to the ground and crater it heavily.
Raditz rose from the ground painfully, groaning in pain and struck with shock. "W-What the hell?!" he exclaimed, feeling blood dribble down from both his nose and mouth. He wiped it away, still shocked. "You have a power level of fucking 50! How the hell are you supposed to be stronger than me, who has a power level of 1,500?!"
The sheer disbelief lead to anger. How dare his weakling of a brother embarrass him?!
Flying upwards in a fit of rage, Raditz charged at Goku and threw a fist at the other warrior's face. Goku simply moved his head by a few inches, causing Raditz's fist to pass to the side. Raditz shot his other fist out at his younger brother, but Goku once again moved cleanly out of the way before the blow could land.
"You done yet?" Goku asked in a bored fashion.
Raditz snarled at the casual tone given off by the other Saiyan. Roaring, attacked with wild abandon, sending blows at his brother with lightning speed. Goku moved even faster, dodging the blows with what appeared to be no effort. Finally, Goku shot a fist of his own out into Raditz's stomach, making Raditz double over in pain.
"Think you've gotten a pretty backward mentality of who is weak and strong," Goku commented, still glaring at his brother.
Raditz grunted, still holding his stomach. "H-How?" was all he managed to stutter.
"I'd tell you the details," Goku said, holding out his hand. "But I'm not in the mood. You killed my friend, and came to my planet with intent of harming its people. Brother or not, that's not something I can ever forgive."
Seeing as Goku was extremely serious in killing him, Raditz had to squash the growing shock, fear and pride in how his brother was acting so ruthless, even if his motives and power level differed from the typical Saiyan. Ki gathered in Goku's palm, and his heart skipped a beat. No, this couldn't be how his tale ended! He had to live, dammit! Eventually, he came up with an idea.
"W-Wait!" Raditz called out, getting Goku's attention. "Don't you want to know why I'm here?"
"You came to invade and destroy my home," Goku replied, anger seeping into his face. "That's all I need to know."
"B-But you're missing so much more! I came to recruit you, Kakarot. We have a big job coming up and we needed another Saiyan to help."
Goku was about to ignore Raditz's words, but one of them caught his attention. "'We'?"
"Vegeta, Nappa, and myself," Raditz replied, using the precious seconds he had to catch his breath. "Sadly we are the only Saiyans left."
Goku frowned, ki fading as he digested this information. "That's not right. There's another Saiyan amongst us; Cado."
"Cado?" Raditz queried, eyes wide. Another Saiyan had escaped Planet Vegeta's destruction? This was perfect! "But how? You were the only Saiyan issued to this planet!"
Goku scratched his head, deep in thought. "Hmm. Well, Cado did say he came from another planet. Apparently from another universe, apparently! I don't really know the whole science-y words behind it, but apparently, one of the Saiyans travelled to another universe, had a baby, then that baby - which was Cado, if you didn't know - came here."
Raditz blinked, his elation dying as he digested those words. Finally- "... That is the stupidest thing that I've ever heard, Kakarot! Did you hit your head or something?!"
Goku blinked at the question. "Uh, I think so. Grandpa Gohan did use to say that I had a hard head, and I proved it, too, when I was younger. And Master Roshi did confirm that I hit my head when I was younger, so yeah! Guess so!"
"... That makes so much more sense," Raditz muttered, facepalming. This was the one who defeated him?! If Vegeta or Nappa ever found out about this, they'd never let him live this down. Vegeta would probably kill him from principle alone.
"Anyways, Cado's mom was named Nanaban," Goku revealed, getting Raditz to widen his eyes.
"Aunt Nanaban?! She lived?!" Raditz questioned, shocked. His father's sister wasn't really on his mind that much, if at all. All he knew was that she was on a mission, and so was away from Vegeta. She was able to find another planet to inhabit, and produce a son?
"So, this 'Cado' is a half-breed?" Raditz queried, a look of disgust on his face. Aliens - those under Frieza's control, at least - looked so grotesque or different from what Saiyans typically looked like, that breeding with them made him nauseous. This planet was the only one he'd encountered that had its population largely resemble Saiyans in physical appearance.
"Yep," Goku agreed, nodding. "Though, he acts more Saiyan than me, so I guess that counts for something. Really, determined, though. He was so eager to kill Frieza for destroying our race."
"What?!" Raditz exclaimed. It seemed today was just full of bombshells. "How the hell did you come to that conclusion?!"
"Oh, Cado got it from his mom, who got jumped by Frieza and his men, who blew up the planet," Goku commented cheerfully, only to frown. "Wow, that sounds like a really messed up grapevine."
"This changes everything," Raditz said, his worldview completely changed. "Are you sure it was Frieza that destroyed our people? After all he took us in after the meteor hit our world."
"That's what Cado believed," Goku responded.
"We need to call Vegeta and Nappa and tell them then," Raditz said, almost eager.
Goku frowned. "'We'? Why the hell would I work with you? You killed my best friend!"
Raditz made to say that he was worthless, but paused. Not only was Kakarot stronger than him, he apparently cared about the insects of this planet. That already complicated things. "Look, I understand that you're angry with me. But if you kill me, my Saiyan brethren will be alerted of my whereabouts, and likely come with the same offer as me. They're tens of times stronger than me, and probably do what I came to do. Besides, if we team up, we could discuss what we could do about Frieza."
Goku frowned, conflicted. On the one hand, he wanted to make Raditz pay for what he did. But another, more alien side of Goku's brain appeared: his logical side. If Raditz's claim was true, then this Vegeta (which confused him. He thought Vegeta was a planet) and Nappa would come and fight him. Which excited him! And defeating them may lead to Frieza, who had to be as strong as - if not stronger than - them fighting him, which made him even more excited!
But fighting Frieza was something he agreed to do with Cado, so he had to wait until he came back. And Krillin could be revived with the Dragon Balls, so there was that.
Goku glared at Raditz. "Are you truly willing to help make up for what you did to Krillin? And are you willing to work with me for these plans to fully work?"
Internally, Raditz had to gawk at what Goku was doing. What was he doing? Showing mercy? Mercy was for the weak!
But, he did his best to bite his lip hard enough to draw blood. Right now, Kakarot was stronger than him, so - unfortunately - he needed his help to help act as a buffer for when he met Vegeta and Nappa, and use then have them be used as a buffer against Frieza. Plus, if this Cado was as half as strong as he was, all the more merrier for him to use.
Losing his pride, Raditz put up an apologetic façade. "Yes, of course. I ap-apolo... apologise. I am willing to work with you."
Goku gazed at his brother for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Alright. Besides, we could always wish Krillin back with the Dragon Balls."
Raditz blinked. "Dragon Balls? What the hell are those?"
"They're seven mystical orbs that allow a person to make one wish," Goku explained.
... Sure, why not, Raditz thought, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. Not like I can be surprised any further.
Although, if Kakarot was telling the truth, then these 'Dragon Balls' sounded like a goldmine.
"We could use them to wish for immortality," Raditz said gleefully. "Then we could rule the galaxy ourselves."
Goku immediately frowned, not liking the idea at all. "Nuh uh. Not really a fan of that idea. Besides, with Krillin revived, we'll have more people on our side."
"Actually, Goku. You may want to hold off on me being wished back so quickly, Krillin's voice spoke, filling Goku's head.
"Krillin?" Goku uttered, shocked. Raditz looked at his brother in confusion, wondering if he had finally lost it. "Is that you? I thought you were dead!"
"I am. But, funny story, actually..." Krillin chuckled, relaying his plan to Goku.
XXX
(DC Universe, 2011, Rao Industries, Underground Bunker)
In his Oozaru state, with a fake moon shining above him, Cado roared as he tried to crush his raging instincts. Make yourself... focus! he roared, doing his best to properly visualise what he had in mind.
Ever since the Starro Incident - as well as doing all he could to make sure that the necessary repairs were done - Cado had secured himself in his bunker, training.
The thought of the invasion weighed heavily on his mind. Not just trying to improve himself, but also what had happened to his mates. He couldn't get their possessed visages out of his head. Bulma's voice intertwined with the demonic voice of Starro filled his head, irritating him more and more.
So, he had been training most nights, avoiding his women and trying to keep the task he had set for himself into reality. Trying to get the full package of the Oozaru form by having the speed, power and technique.
The power of the Oozaru form came with a change in biology, i.e. growing into a giant ape. What he had planned for himself was a sort of... partial transformation. To keep his humanoid body, but with the power of the Oozaru. That way, he could still have his normal size, but equipped with an additional boost of the Oozaru.
It was an impossible concept at first glance. Something that he couldn't achieve.
That just made him all the more determined to master it.
Snarling at having no progress, he opened his maw and carefully obliterated the fake moon he'd created, growing down to his smaller size. Panting, he pulled out another moon from his hand, letting it float up in the air. Clenching his fists, he focused.
"Stay the same," he muttered to himself, using every inch of his body to fight against the transformation that tried to overtake him. Slowly, Cado's teeth grew, sharpening into fangs. He grew another inch, fur growing on parts of his skin.
"Dammit, hold it!" Cado commanded, even if his body didn't listen. It was like trying to stop someone from breathing. Even if you tried to hold your breath, instinctually, you'd breathe again once you've reached a certain point.
Veins sprouted across his body as he roared, trying to keep all of the power in. The pressure was too much for his body to handle, too much concentration to take note of. Bones snapped as Cado snarled in anger and pain, the latter being too much for him to handle. Eventually, he had to let it go, forcing himself to naturally transform into an Oozaru.
He roared, more in frustration now than in pain. Cado fired off a mouth beam that had destroyed the Power Ball as he repeated the same steps again.
The pain became too much. He grew again.
Failure. Again.
Failure. Again.
Failure. Again.
Failure. Again.
Failure. Again!
Failure! Again!
Failure! Again!
Failure! Again!
"Fuck!" the Saiyatonian roared, as he laid on the ground, bones broken, body heaving with exhaustion as he panted. "What the fuck am I doing wrong?!"
"Cado," Mai's voice called out as she stepped inside, looking at him. She was silent as she helped him sit up, seeing the red solar watch on his wrist. "How are you feeling?"
"... Like shit," Cado finally described, furious. He did his best to keep it hidden, not wanting to snap at her so suddenly. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his mind too addled.
He knew of the growing situation with the sudden rioting, the demand for the company to be ran, talking to his mates, and everything else... but he was so focused on gaining control of the Oozaru form that he had pushed all of the other things to the side. Not a good method, but one that had worked for him.
"You need to rest," Mai lectured. "Try to take a break and actually remember that you still have a life outside of training."
"Can't," Cado muttered, standing up as he stretched.
"And why not?" Mai questioned, anger creeping unto her face.
"You know why," Cado fired back. He knew that he was being slightly unreasonable, but he didn't care. He had to make sure something like Starro's possession didn't happen again. He had to.
"Cado-" Mai started to say, but he warped before she could say anything, gathering his armour and his remaining pouch of Senzu beans before doing so. She sighed, frustrated with her lover.
Cado appeared above a nearby ocean, solar watch deactivated and deep in thought. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to calm himself down. He wished he didn't have to ignore the people in his life, but the pursuit of power consumed him. Frustrated him to no end. If only his troubles would just end.
As Cado enjoyed the peace and tranquility laid out before him, his super senses caught something. Turning narrowly, Cado had to catch a sword aimed to swipe down at him.
"So, you were able to catch that. Seems like you mortals have grown since I last visited this plane," a voice called out. Annoyed, he studied his opponent before him. Seeing the strange armour he seemed to be wearing, Cado narrowed his eyes.
"Who the fuck are you?" he snarled, both angered and confused. The former was obvious, while the latter... was because he couldn't sense this person's ki, which confused him. Was this person real, like an illusion?
No, he could still hear the swing of the blade- hell, he could feel it in his hand right now.
"I am Ares, the god of war," the newly revealed Ares introduced, making Cado raise an eyebrow at the name. "And right now, I'm planning on killing you. Usually, I wouldn't bother with such a trivial task, but I do have to uphold my end of the bargain."
Cado hummed, then suddenly delivered a powerful gut punch that had Ares reeling slightly. "A god, you say? Look, I don't know what kind of deluded meta-human you are, but posing as a god? Really? At least you're original in that you're a meta-human this time." He was of course referring to the late Maxie Zeus.
"Posing?" Ares chuckled, then guffawing loudly. "The arrogance of mankind has surely grown. I'm not claiming to be a god. I AM a god. And you should be on your knees, begging for me to grant you a swift death."
"Well, for one thing, I don't beg," Cado retorted, going for a punch that Ares managed to catch. The god clenched his fist, causing Cado to frown as he could feel the strength behind it. "And for another-" He threw another punch that was promptly caught, now pissing him off. "There's only one god I worship, and it damn sure ain't you."
Pushing back, both beings locked hands as they glared at one another, using their strength to try and overpower each other. Surprisingly, Ares seemed to be keeping up with his strength. What was slightly worrying was that he was slowly but surely actually trying. He wasn't going all-out, but he most certainly wasn't taking it easy.
Who the fuck is this guy, and where the fuck did he come from? Cado queried, annoyed at how another powerful being slipped past his senses and was invading Earth. He just wondered what kind of alien he was.
Ares' hands started to burn with fire as Cado yelped, kicking upwards and catching him in the chin. A spin-kick had the god reeling, before Cado finished off the combo with a powerful burst of heat vision. Seeing his opponent back off, he clenched his hand, wincing at the burn.
The fuck kind of fire is this? Cado questioned, looking at his burnt hands. This wasn't ki, or any natural source of power. Snarling at the misinformation, Cado used his frost breath to cool his hands down, forming ice on his palms.
Hearing a whistling sound again, Cado narrowly dodged the swing of a large battleaxe. Ares had wings made of darkness stitched up upon his back, moving through the air quickly.
"At least make this interesting to me, mortal!" Ares taunted, slashing at the Saiyatonian. "Or have you simply lost your will to fight?!"
Snarling, Cado caught the axe on his right shoulder, his forearm quickly brought up to catch the weapon in a lock. Using his other hand, he bashed the ice-coated fist against Ares' face, stunning him. Giving him a savage headbutt as a response, Cado used his free hand to fire off an Apex Cannon that blasted Ares down into the ocean.
Punching his ice-coated fist and freeing it, Cado flew down towards the water, eager to continue the fight. As he floated down, he frowned.
Okay, why the fuck can't I sense his energy? It doesn't make any sense. It's as if he's not there at all, but still is. Is he some sort of undead or something? A mirage?
As Cado focused, he tried to turn around, his instincts guiding him to do so. But he was too slow. Ares Spartan-kicked him in the chest, causing him to be launched back as water filled his mouth. Moving quickly, Ares caught him by the neck and choke-slammed him on the ocean bed, not giving him any breathing room. When it looked like Cado was about to use his heat vision again, Ares picked him up and sent a blast of darkness that struck him in the chest, sending him flying up out of the water and into the air.
Just as Cado got his bearings, Ares teleported from where he was in the ocean, and performed a double-axe handle on the Saiyatonian's back, causing him to grunt in pain as he was sent downwards, and then kicked in the side like a football. Twirling, Cado flew and landed on the nearby docks, crashing into a few buildings as he picked himself up.
Grunting, Cado's eyes lit up as he fired his heat vision at the axe Ares was holding, melting it as the space where the weapon previously was was replaced by his head. Kicking Ares' leg out from under him, Cado performed a powerful Shoryuken, followed by a Tastumaki Senpukyaku. Having enough breathing room, Cado cupped his hands behind his back.
"KamehameHA!" Cado yelled out in quick concession, firing off the blue energy wave directly at Ares, who roared in pain at the power of the blast. As it was fired off at the side, Cado raised his hands up, directing the beam upwards and thus, Ares as well.
Seeing the beam continue through the air, it eventually exploded, filling the sky with blue light. After a few seconds, the light disappeared. Using his super-hearing and vision, he could see that Ares was falling, his wings having disintegrated. Flying upwards, Cado performed a twin punch that sent Ares flying. Rearing his fists back again, Cado made to punch Ares again, but suddenly, the god of war moved, shoving a sword where Cado's fist was aimed at.
The Saiyatonian roared in pain as the magical weapon lodged itself in his fist, the pain getting to him for a moment. That was all Ares needed to punch forward, his fists coated in the same fire that had burned him previously. Halting his flight, Cado dropped under the barrage of quick punches that Ares had tried to use. While falling, he grabbed Ares' leg with his free hand and performed a one-handed Dragon Throw.
Gripping the hilt of the sword, he yanked it out with a roar. As Ares closed in with his shadowy wings out on his back, Cado swung the blade across his opponent, blood flying from the tip. Blood splattered across Ares' face - specifically his eyes. The god of war roared in anger as he was blinded.
Using this opportunity, Cado flew in and performed a devastating amount of combos, the pain in his hand fuelling his anger at Ares. A final punch had the god flying as Cado released a large ki blast that enveloped him. He didn't stop there, however, as the Saiyatonian kept on hitting Ares with a large amount of ki blasts, each one capable of shattering planets. Firing off his final ki blast, Cado flew after Ares and gripped him by the neck.
Spinning him around, Cado threw him to the ground, watching him connect to it and forming a crater. Thankfully, there was no nearby ki signatures around, so no casualties. Rearing his fist back, Cado cratered the ground even further as Ares coughed up a fountain of blood.
As Cado stared at the wheezing Ares, he scoffed. "Some god." As he made to finish him off, Ares quickly raised his right hand. Lightning fell from the sky, going to strike Cado from above. The Saiyatonian yelled in pain, immediately knowing that the lightning wasn't normal.
Taking this chance, Ares snapped his fingers, forming energy constructs alight with his magical fire to form and to pierce Cado from different angles. He roared in pain as he collapsed, blood pouring from his wounds.
"W-What... the fuck?" Cado stuttered, coughing up an obscene amount of blood. Gasping and choking, Ares grabbed Cado by his hair and raised the Saiyatonian by the hair, sneering.
"Fool. I am the god of war. You think you can defeat me at my own game?! Conflict fuels me!" Punching Cado in the face several times, he saw the Saiyatonian cough up more blood. "Not even worth having as a trophy."
Seeing the energy constructs fade from his body, he sneered. "Your life force is already fading fast. You'll be joining the Underworld soon enough." Bringing the alien closer to his face, Ares said, "Now you know the true power of a god. But, I will grant you mercy, for being the first mortal in a long time to entertain me!"
Throwing Cado away like trash, he tossed him far, his powerful strength causing the Saiyatonian to cross a large amount of distance. "You can succumb to your wounds and die with dignity. Wherever you end up - dry land or the sea - shall be your battlefield to die on."
Cado's vision started to darken as he flew, his body moving in the opposite direction. He did his best to hang on through sheer will, but even that was fading fast. His body flew, piercing through what looked to be an invisible veil and landed on an unknown island, creating a loud BOOM!
On the edge of his vision, he saw some women wearing some armour and carrying weapons, shouting in surprise or yelling at each other and at him. Then, he passed out.
Yes, this is for real. An actual chapter.
Hope you enjoyed it, especially since it's been a while since I've referenced the DB universe.
So, kickstarting off the Themyscira arc and the Saiyan Saga. Happy Days. With some obvious changes, of course.
Ares joining Luthor is something that I had planned with the state that the world was in. It was practically ripe for the taking. Also, for the Saiyan Saga, Krillin died. No surprise, but this is going to change things. Namely, him being the one initially training with King Kai. Why? Because I wanna have the human characters actually be relevant, dammit. And this is going to be the start.
And before anyone bitches and moans, yes; Ares beat Cado fairly. He got a boost due to the conflict all over the world (somewhat attributed to Luthor, but was going to happen anyways), got stronger as the fight went on due to him being the god of war, and his usage of magic. Plus, he's more experienced than Cado, due to being older.
Some would argue that I'm amping him, and technically, you'd be correct. Decided that, since Ares is going to be the antagonist for the current arc, it wouldn't make sense if he was easily defeated. Besides, he's basically the Vegeta of Greek Mythology. I decided to be nice to him.
Anywho, stay tuned for next chapter.
Guest Review time:
1.) I know, I enjoyed the reactions.
2.) Decided to be one for the day, don't worry
Thanks to all those who f,f,r and r the story. Appreciate y'all. Flamers can suck my dick.
Read and Review! Happy Easter!