Disclaimer: Akira Toriyama and Toei are the rightful creators and distributors of these characters. I am not. I make no financial gain from this work, I just do it for fun. All DC characters, elements and settings mentioned or present are the property of their respective creators and DC Entertainment. Now that that is out of the way, let's get a move on!
Author's Note: This chapter takes place approximately one month after Champa's bizarre visit from the Omni – Kings. It also takes place several days after Goku and Vegeta had their spectacular fight with Broly, Legendary Super Saiyan extraordinaire. By the way, while there will some crossover elements, its not a full crossover; at least, not yet.
Champa and Vados had arrived on the world where the laboratory the Omni-Kings had given them was located. It was a volcanic world that looked like a flaming nightmare from orbit, and it kind of gave Champa the creeps. Instead of oceans of water, oceans of liquid fire boiled and churned, driven by Tectonic storms and highly charged, ionized plasma that struck the ground in a vicious and undulating onslaught that seemed to go on forever without stopping, storms of the same burning, blistering energy exploding into fury out of nowhere, leaving only scorched earth in their wakes.
The world was officially designated Beta-Sigma 912.
It was nicknamed "Hell Storm".
Vados had a forlorn look on her usually lovely face, but Champa had a wicked grin splitting his face almost in two. This was a perfect place to put a secret lab. Really, though; would anyone want to come to a burnt-out shit hole like this if they absolutely didn't have too?
"Oh my! Oh my! What an awful place!" Champa sneered in anger at his Supreme Kai counterpart who decided to follow the two and see things for himself. 'Why couldn't the fat lump just stay home and wait for us to report back?' As Champa mentally grumbled to himself, he decided that it was long past time to inspect the new facilities that the Grand Zen-O's had bequeathed him and gestured for his companions to follow. Each surrounded themselves in protective barriers and slowly floated downward toward the fiery world below,
As the plasma storms and searing winds began to whip the group around with a surprising strength, each nodded to the other and took off like cannon shots. They had spied the lab from above, a metallic black cancerous looking thing against the fiery molten red of the surface. Even from orbit it looked huge. Champa had been expecting something subtle, or even underground, but as they came closer and closer, the Destroyer of Universe 6 had been grossly in error; the place was beyond massive! If Champa had to guess, the "lab" was more along the lines of a city-sized complex! He simply couldn't believe the size of it! It was perfectly centred on the planets largest continent, but from the size of the place, Champa guessed it covered almost two-thirds of the continent! He had seen some impressive structures in his time, but this one was quite the doozy!
The closer they came to the facility, the more detail they could make out. They saw huge black conduits and piping everywhere like huge metal veins, gigantic turbines roaring with scalding-hot tornado winds blowing out and what looked like enormous power plants with huge sections of their exterior removed, the visibly exposed machinery chugging and pumping away with mammoth tubes snaking here and there, transparent panels along the lengths of them showing fiery hot magma and possibly other materials being pumped in and out.
There were also huge pits that had huge tubes leading in and out of them as well, hellish columns of fire exploding into the searing air, scorching an even deeper stench of ash and sulphur into the atmosphere. The pits were like very low, but incredibly wide volcano caldera that had been covered in machinery. Gigantic illuminated walkways were raised high above the industrial structures, as though those that commanded the place were above the toil and grime.
The entire place was like an equal blend of industrial complex, high-tech city and upon closer examination of the few decorative structures that could be seen, ghoulish palace if the statues of terrifying monsters - or the reliefs and fresco's on the walls depicting nightmarish and horrifying scenes - were any indication.
There were gigantic black towers scattered all over the place. They rose from haphazard openings in huge domes the colour of dried blood, eerie lurid red light shining from within. Blood-red glass decorated (if you could describe it like that) the front of the angular towers from almost near the top to deep within the domed bases. Long metal antennas extended from the tops. The small group had wondered aloud what they were for, but Champa had had enough site-seeing. He spun around and addressed Vados and Fuwa.
"Will you two just move it already?! I want to get to work and see what this weird joint can offer up!" He spun back around in a huff and shot off like a rocket, anxious to get started on whatever scheme he was going to throw together in the hopes of making his skinny ass brother look like the chump he really was. Vados shook her head in exasperation as she too flew faster to catch up to her Destroyer God charge and master, while Fuwa wiped some perspiration from his light green brow.
"Oh My, Oh My! What have I gotten myself into?!" He had stopped mid-air to catch his breath so to speak, but a shout from Champa startled him. "Will you COME ON! Fuwa, you chubby dope, we're waiting on YOU!" Fuwa had the right mind to tell where his Destroyer counterpart could shove it, but he was too exasperated with the whole thing and simply too hot and dried out to bother yelling a retort so he too sped up after the others.
They spotted what looked like the central building for the facility and it gave them the creeps. It was a massive, angular tower the seemed to pierce the angry, roiling clouds of Hell-Storm's sky. From the base of the tower - situated atop a massive dome like the other smaller towers - almost to the very top, huge angular windows decorated the sides, like the giant translucent plating of some massive insect or reptile. The top of the tower split into two angular horns, add to the already unnerving chill of the place.
Vados spotted a huge ornate staircase recessed into the dome section. It led up to a massive double-door that was equally ornate. The group landed at the base of the stairs, marvelling at the huge structure. The central tower had the same industrial complex/high-tech castle mix style that everything else had. It gave everyone the creeps.
Despite the air being hot enough to burn ordinary people alive, there was a bizarre chill in the air, not so much a physical cold, but a chilling sense of threat and foreboding. The three each gulped as they felt a menacing chill slither up their spines. They knew they had to inspect the facility to see what it could contribute to winning the next Tournament of Power that would be happening in less than three years; lots of time for prep work, but why leave anything to chance?
They began walking up the enormous staircase toward the central spire's huge front door, hideous metal gargoyles lining each side, the frozen snarls on their cold metal faces giving the three varying degrees of wary. It took about ten minutes to completely walk the huge staircase, and while the chubby God of Destruction and his even chubbier Supreme Kai counterpart was bent over and gasping for air, Vados was as serene and composed as ever. She didn't want to show Champa any hint of misgiving; at least until they knew more about the facility.
As they began walking toward the huge double doors. The doors began to slide apart, like a giant-sized version of automatic doors you might find at a shopping mall. Everybody arched a brow at this, but if that didn't put them on the defensive, then the giant wearing coal black armour with blood red skirt and cloak, carrying a massive double bladed war axe certainly did. The giant smiled at them from under his massive horned helm, blood red eyes almost glowing in the low light of the place. He was leaning against the axe as it was resting on the floor, but from the sheer size of him, it wasn't because her was infirm. He looked like he could rip the entire place out of the ground and walk off with it!
"A very good morning to one and all!" He bellowed in a deep, gravel voice as he bowed deeply, his twin-braided beard almost touching the floor. Champa didn't know what to make of the giant but he would at least be polite; well, until he found out more about this place. He and the others bowed as well.
As they bent back up, the giant had walked forward with fluid grace for one so large, gracefully lowered to one knee and had taken Vados' hand and brought it to his lips and lightly kissed it.
Vados almost swooned, she was so charmed, especially when the giant said, "Had I known that this universe' 'God of Destruction' was such a lovely maiden, I would have brought thee an offering of jewels fit for such a Goddess".
"Ahem! Excuse me?! Whose the God of Destruction?!" Champa had been so offended that the giant idiot had thought that Vados was the God of Destruction that he almost choked. The giant tilted his head to the left to more closely examine the snarling purple cat man and snorted in amusement. "I am mistaken it seems. Pity."
He gave Vados a saucy wink and the giant stood to his feet swiftly and spread his arms wide, and spoke again, "Apologies for the mistaken identity, My Lord", the sarcasm dripping from the title, "But your lady attendant so charmed me, I was hasty in my pronouncements. I greet thee all again. My name, good Destroyer, is Steppenwolf" and so he bowed again.
"Steppenwolf? What the hell kind of name is that?!" Champa was still somewhat miffed for the error of not being recognized as this Universe' Destroyer so what little filter was on his mouth normally was apparently no longer working. The aforementioned Steppenwolf smiled at Champa as he said, "It is the name I have worn proudly as I have served my God and king for long millennia past recounting. It is one of many names that his enemies have come to dread; Well, the rare few who he has permitted to live, of course" and at this he chuckled darkly, like he had just told some bizarre inside joke that only he understood.
"Okay, we get it, your big shit back home. Can we please get on to why we're here, maybe sometime this millennia?" Champa grumbled. Steppenwolf was actually amused by the fat talking cats prattle, and he gestured down the cathedral-like corridor with his huge axe. Vados led the way, with Champa and Fuwa playing catch-up. They were now standing next to the impertinent giant who called himself Steppenwolf and were now constantly looking around, noticing the numerous columns that reached from floor to ceiling, covered in unnervingly what looked huge hexagonal coffins.
They never noticed Steppenwolf press some buttons on a small electronic panel on the underside of his left gauntlet. A loud noise like a jet engine starting up made them all but him jump in alarm. A large circular machine swiftly alighted in front of them, suspended above the ground by five round engines along its circumference. Upon closer examination, it was revealed to be some kind of automated transport. A folding ramp lowered in back and Steppenwolf gestured for everyone to get aboard.
Even when the huge Stepenwolf boarded, the jet-car didn't even dip. When all were seated, the car quickly accelerated back down the expansive main hall, with Steppenwolf beginning to describe the purpose of the place.
"This enormous facility, My Lords and Lady, is but a minor replication of my home world of Apokolips. The facility, for the most part, is a research and development centre for new technologies, specifically military technologies. In addition to that function it also acts as breeding centre for advanced cybernetic enhanced foot soldiers we call 'para-demons'".
"Para-Demons?! HAHAHA! What moron came up with that ridiculous name?" Champa couldn't help but laugh aloud at Steppenwolf's silly description, as slightly interesting though it was. Steppenwolf glared at the haughty cat deity for mocking his masters creations, but yet kept silent. He would simply have to be patient. The cat would get his soon enough.
"You've noticed those compartments on the columns, yes?" he continued, "Those are what we use to create our soldiers. When My Master's forces invade a new world, we transport those huge black towers you saw outside to the target world. When they arrive, they deploy finished Para-demon's to, ahem, 'collect' biological materials to be, how does one say? Ah, yes, to be 'repurposed'. That's it!" He chuckled loudly at his own description.
Vados may have charmed by Steppenwolf, but the comments about invading other worlds and "re-purposing biological materials" made her stomach sour. As she and her travelling companions rode along, she kept glancing at the chambers that dotted each of the many columns spaced along the seemingly endless hallway. She had a bad feeling about them, and was really hoping against hope that she was going to be wrong.
She tuned back in to Steppenwolf's description of the facilities as he mentioned something else that gave her goose bumps.
"Each facility is connected to each other by a quantum sub-space communication network. Not only can they instantly transmit massive data-packets to each other, they can even transmit biological samples and other physical materials from other facilities for analysis and re-purposing" He became almost gleeful when describing what the facility offered, smiling with an almost manic joy. "Imagine it! Genetic samples from the most powerful warriors from the other universes! All that essence of strength!"
He calmed down rather quickly and went back to a calm business-like demeanour. "When the samples are taken, they are halved; one half of the sample is kept in cold-storage for later study and possibly usage in new Para-Demon designs. The other half is transferred to the 'Master' facility, the one we are currently passing through".
"If I may ask a question?" Fuwa suddenly spoke up. Steppenwolf was surprised by how clearly the rotund fellow had spoken. He seemed to have found some small flicker of inner flame. Instead of being constantly nervous and unsure, now he seemed focused and steadfast. Steppenwolf smiled at the change and responded in all seriousness, "Ask away, My Lord".
"Why was Universe 6 granted this 'Master Facility'? Wasn't the point of these places to help all the universes teams become more powerful? Why were we given such consideration?"
"I must agree with Lord Fuwa, Mr. Steppenwolf", Vados added softly, "Why was Universe 6 chosen to take possession of such a facility, one that holds sway over the others? Surely, this place can control the other installation as well? A single Universe could shut down the other labs, can they not?"
Steppenwolf's response was to explode with laughter. He held his stomach as he fought to regain control of himself. He smiled widely as he responded, "You have seen through to the truth! Well done, Milady and M'lord! Yes, it is true, You can shut down the other labs, but why do something so simple when you could have some fun with your competitors?"
"What are you talking about?" This question came from Champa, who was actually getting interested in the conversation. He had a mischievous smirk on his face that Steppenwolf mirrored. He could have given them a straight-forward explaination but he instead said, "To properly answer your question, Lord Champa, I must finish my explanation of the options this facility offers you. If I remember correctly, I was describing what happens with all of the biological samples collected by all of the facilities. Now where was I? Oh yes. The biological samples are placed in storage until they are required, and when the are needed, the automated equipment in the bio-labs study the new material, decoding genetic sequences for usable abilities and traits".
"A single scientist is capable of running the entire facility, where they can utilize ready-made Para-demons as labourers, lab assistants, experimental test subjects should they need something 'sturdier' for the tests they wish to perform, whether it be testing new weapon systems and other equipment built in the factories and foundries, or of course, creating and altering new Para-demons from 'collected stock'. My master would have loaned you several of his best, but sadly, they were all already tasked with various work my master has put to them".
"Yeah, thanks for nothing, you putz!" Champa snarled at Steppenwolf who was trying to imagine what it would be like if he just ripped the fat fools feline face off. He quickly remembered his Masters' warnings about these so-called "Gods of Destruction", but simply couldn't bring himself to seriously accept it. The only reason he put up with this fools brainless chatter was his Masters' warning that if this plan were jeopardized in even the most minuscule way then Steppenwolf would face 'judgment'. The warrior from Apokolips knew what that entailed so he simply shrugged at Champa's barb, uncaring what the idiot thought of him, but decided to 'throw him a bone' as it were.
"There was a scientist of some talent who resided on the Earth of Universe 7, If I recall the stories my master told me. What a delicious tactic would it make if you used him. He was the one who created those android brats that fought on the team commanded by Universe 7's Destroyer; so who better to inform you of their weakness' ...or even to produce a superior product, perhaps?" Steppenwolf's smirk was genuine as he saw the gears begin to creak along in the fat head of the most ridiculous deity he had ever met. Well, the most ridiculous alongside the green-skinned ball of lard that had accompanied him and the lovely woman who stood with him.
"What a great idea! I'm glad I thought of it!" crowed Champa as Fuwa looked completely lost at sea. He had done some research himself and really didn't want to mention the part that this Steppenwolf had obviously neglected to mention, but he felt he should say his piece, if only to bring some common sense to this horrid discussion.
"Lord Champa, if i may?" Champa looked at the Supreme Kai of Universe 6 and answered in a bored tone of voice, "Yes Fuwa? What is it now?" The Kai audibly gulped as he noticed Steppenwolf giving him an odd and rather disconcerting look. "Well, Lord Champa, the scientist that Mr. Steppenwolf mentioned was the founder and head scientist of a global terrorist organization called the Red Ribbon army..."
"Yeah, and? Spit it out already! We don't have all frigging day!"
Fuwa hated when Champa got pushy like that, but if he wasn't completely honest about who they were potentially going to pick to operate this house of horrors, then Champa would just pick the cretin anyway, or perhaps even find somebody worse!
"The scientist that Mr. Steppenwolf described is named Dr. Gero and he was a villain if ever there was one! He used his powerful inventions and genius mind to terrorize people all across the planet Earth! He experimented on and mutilated people in his sick experiments! Those two 'android' kids? They were regular humans once! They were born to human parents whom were murdered by Dr. Gero's thugs! He transformed them into super-powerful cyborgs. He dubbed them 'androids' because, in his sick mind, they had been changed so very much, they were no longer human, but his 'creations'!
"He did, in fact, create true synthetic androids but they were more robotic monsters than what you would classically call androids. Never mind that awful Cell creature he cooked up! Those two poor kids he mutilated? They killed him for it, thank goodness! His monstrous pet Cell got taken out too, and a very good riddance!"
The rotund Supreme Kai was huffing and puffing, he had made himself so upset after recounting Dr. Gero's behaviour to those assembled. He was flushed a colour that looked completely unhealthy and appeared like he was going to pass out. Champa looked at him, smiled and said, "My, oh My, Fuwa! I've never heard you speak so passionately before! Okay, you sold me!"
Steppenwolf looked worried for a moment as he quirked a brow, but Fuwa looked relieved as he let out a gusty sigh. Well, until Champa said, "We hire this Gero guy, bring him back to life so can run this place for us, and then we bring this Cell back to life and use him on our team for the next Tournament of Power! The thrones of the Omni-Kings will be ours for the taking, my tubby friend! Now, what next Steppenwolf, ol' buddy?"
'How about I rip off your stupid head and beat your lumpy friend with it?!'
What Steppenwolf actually said was, "A most wise decision, My Lords! I assume you have a method for restoring the individual you require?"
Champa smile looked almost sinister as he slowly nodded to the warrior from Apokolips. Steppenwolf noticed how upset the other fat fool and the woman were, so he thought he might demonstrate the facilities capabilities. He pressed several controls on his remote and a large door opened ahead of them as the hover-car began to slow down . He smiled in an eerie sort of way, and made another grand gesture with the wicked looking axe of his.
"We have arrived", he said simply as they all began to disembark the hover car.
Beyond the doors was a surprisingly brightly lit room compared the the dark and gloomy hallway they had been travelling down, forcing the visitors to squint against the shock of bright light. The huge and circular room could have fit a large house easily. In fact it it could have fit a medium sized warehouse, if you really tried. There were numerous computer station recessed into the wall equally spaced from each other, numbers, graphics, and a wide assortment of data flickering across the screens. What drew the attention of those gathered was the massive hexagonal operating table that had been tilted downward and what was clamp down on it, or rather who.
A small child wearing dirty rags had been restrained in the centre of the table, tears streaming down his gaunt face. He looked no older than five or six, and he looked scared to death. Steppenwolf paid the boy no heed, but the others were a different matter: Vados gasped in shock, Fuwa swore like a sailor at Steppenwolf, demanding the boy be released while Champa quirked an eyebrow.
"Okay, what's with the brat, Steppy?" Champa asked as he gestured to the boy.
Steppenwolf's eyes almost exploded out of his head when he heard Champa's 'nickname' for him. He ground his teeth but quickly regained his composure, lest he let slip his temper and jeopardize his masters machinations by gutting the fat bastard. That, though, could wait. He had an entertaining idea come to mind. He pressed a control on his gauntlet computer and a hidden panel in the floor slid open. An elaborate computer terminal rose up from the hidden compartment and unfolded like a metal blossom blooming. He inserted his axe into a holder that had extended out from the console and begun rapidly typing away the moment the terminal had booted up.
As he did so, Vados walked up to the terrified child and gently put her hand against his face, a sad smile gracing her face. She whispered softly, "I am so sorry" before long metal tendrils emerged from holes in the surface of the operating table and began digging into the boys flesh.
His agonized scream reverberated off the walls, making it seem louder than it actually was. Champa tried to clamp his hands over his large ears but it was no use; he couldn't block out the sound. Fuwa tried to actually pull the tendrils out of the boy, and when that didn't work he even tried smashing the operating table even as it tilted backward so it faced straight up; he was swatted aside by an angry Champa.
A huge mechanical apparatus with at least a dozen robotic arms lowered from the ceiling, each arm whirring to life and extending downward toward the tortured boy. A strange fluorescent aqua-marine coloured slime began oozing out of port along the edge of the table and flowed toward the screaming child like it was alive. It began to cover the boy even as heavy mechanical pieces began rising out of the table and connecting to each other like some sort of mechanical jigsaw puzzle. The robotic arms began injecting strange coloured liquids into the now completed metal coffin, some actually welding points of contact of adding more components.
They could no longer hear the child screaming anymore.
Suddenly, the metal coffin began to implode, like it was collapsing from the inside out. The horrible truth was quickly made known as a section of the material around where the boys head might have been – had he been nine feet tall – seemed to thin and split apart, almost like a mouth. That's exactly what it was.
The boy was now a monstrous entity, his body being constantly reshaped, altered, and transformed by the equipment. The physical material he had been encased in was actually changing colour, from a dull dark grey to a polished bronze. The material moved and flowed like thick molasses, but yet it was still solid. There were stylized glowing red lights recessed all over the armour of the still-forming monster.
Soon, actual arms and legs had formed. The new limbs were heavy with much new muscle and cybernetic armour. The torso looked like it belonged to a giant body builder who had overdosed on performance enhancers. The head was the worst; the metal had reshaped the boys skull into a vaguely saurian nightmare, no nose to speak of, permanently parted lips that seemed pulled into a hideous mockery of a smile, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Fiery coals now burned within the eye sockets, which had been covered over with a stylized visor of blood red colour integrated into a demonic looking helmet. The mechanically augmented jaw snapped and bit as the restraints that held him began to give way, the massive bulging neck whipping the head from side to side.
A Para-Demon had been born.
Champa began to laugh like a crazy person as the newly minted Para-Demon slid off the table as it tilted forward, practically dumping the monster at Champa's feet. He slowly walked up to it and cupped its chin rather harshly, the creature freezing still. He slowly turned its head from side to side, examining his new soldier. He crossed his arms and hummed, as though thinking over the 'product demonstration' he had just witnessed. As he did, the angry Fuwa grabbed him by the arm, spun him around and screamed in his face, "What have you done?! Are you that desperate to humiliate your brother that your willing to transform our best fighters into th-these things?! Are you going to snatch more poor souls off the street to build an army of tin-can monsters?!"
"What I'm willing to do, you frumpy moron, is use whatever tools are at my disposal to prove to the entire cosmos the Universe 6 is the best! Okay, so these Para-Demon things could use some work, that's what all that DNA is going to be used for! Saiyans, Namekians, whatever we can get our grubby little fists on!" Champa roared right back.
He never noticed Steppenwolf smiling like the proverbial cat that ate the canary. He had learned about the various races that populated this tiny little multiverse and was remarkably surprised at how many gifted races there actually were. He had also watched almost a dozen recordings of the various fights that had occurred during the so-called Tournament of Power. Many of the fighters would have made passable Para-Demons, but those 'Saiyans' he had witnessed were truly magnificent. What he wouldn't give to have a couple of soldiers like those!
The facility could create living clones of whatever life forms had been harvested for Para-Demon conversion, it was that that particular feature was not utilized very often, only on very rare occasions. Steppenwolf now realized that was quite possibly going to change. The many Para-Demon hives could be reprogrammed to create not only pure clones, but hybrids of the various life forms whose DNA was sampled. He wondered just what this Dr. Gero was going to bring to the table, but from what he had learned, both from what his Master had told him, and from what he learned from his guests, the results would be entertaining at the very least!
As he let two of guests argue, he noticed the woman kneel down in front of the kneeling Para-Demon he had made. She gently put her hands against its ugly face and lean forward until her forehead was touching its. She was weeping quietly, repeating over and over, "I'm sorry".
Steppenwolf snorted at the display and decided he'd let his master know the good news. He smiled as he envisioned his Masters reaction; Darkseid would be pleased!
Author's End Notes: Hi everybody! I just wanted to let you know that this story will be part of a crossover, but not just yet! I hope everybody had good time reading this chapter as i have had writing it for you! Please read and review! Ideas for changes, for what comes next, for the simply sake of saying your piece! Let me know! TTYL!