Thoughts
"Speech"
Disclaimer: DC and DBZ belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.
Chapter 4: Journey to the East
Age 749 (1999), Chikyu
Chikyu was a very peculiar nation.
Located in the Pacific ocean in-between Japan and America, the world's fourth-largest country was an anomaly. Divided into 43 regions, the nation consisted of one large island and several smaller landmasses. Like Hawaii, the country shared several Asian influences but wasn't technically located in Asia, nor was it geographically fixed to North America. Physiographically and ethnologically, Chikyu was part of Oceania. Officially, the country's languages were English and Japanese due to the close connection it had with America and Japan, which was largely due in part to the royal family. [1]
Politically the island was a monarchy, ruled by the liege King Furry. Monarchies across the globe had long since dwindled, with a select few nations choosing to keep them in place, but what made Chikyu's kingdom particularly unique was the fact it was lead by a blue anthropomorphic dog. Chikyu's monarch, King Furry, as known by his subjects, was just one of several anthropomorphic animals that resided in the nation. For whatever reason, evolution had taken a particularly unique turn on this one select nation, giving birth to certain animals that were bipedal, capable of human speech, and discernment of good and evil. Not only did this island posses anthropomorphic creatures, but it held the last breathing dinosaurs on Earth.
Scientists were extremely baffled by these phenomena. Centuries of research had been made in attempts to understand why this singly nation deviated so far from the rest of the world. But all attempts until this point had proven fruitless. Scientists across the globe could only point to a single event, in a single ancient cave, from whence the deviation spawned. In that dark, shrouded cavern rested a crude, prehistoric painting of what appeared to be a humanoid figure in a chair of some sort. Archeologists didn't know what to make of the mural, but whatever it was and whoever was pictured in it was of great importance to the world. [2]
Age 749 (1999), West City
West City.
The capital of Chikyu.
The crown jewel of King Furry's eyes.
Resting just off the coast of the Pacific, the city boasted a population of roughly eight million. West City was an Alpha ++ megalopolis comparable only to London, New York, Metropolis, and Gotham. In fact, in several ways, West City surpassed them all. Metropolis was known as the 'city of tomorrow,' but that designation truthfully, and rightfully, belonged to West City. The technological innovations created by Capsule Corps elevated West City and Chikyu above any other place on Earth.
Founded by the highly eccentric scientist Dr. Brief, the Capsule Corporation was the world's foremost manufacturer of technological goods. From its inception till present day, the company had grown exponentially. Just last year alone, the corporation had raked in over 400 billion Zeni. Dr. Brief and his company were primarily responsible for Chikyu's economic boom. Chikyu had never struggled economically, save for the great cataclysm caused by the Demon King Piccolo, but it had been a reasonably middle of the pack country comparable to the likes of Ireland. But the creation of Capsule Corps over three decades ago had changed all that.
Dr. Brief's wildly innovative creation – the DynoCaps- was arguably the greatest invention of the 20th century. The DynoCaps were able to efficiently condense objects and items into small pocket-sized capsules. Things such as cars, boats, motorcycles, houses, hovercars, and yes, hovercars that Dr. Brief was also responsible for creating could now be compressed into palm-sized capsules. The public immediately latched onto the idea, buying over one million capsules the same day they hit the market. The Capsule Corps website crashed within thirty seconds of the items being placed on sale.
Over the course of the next three decades, Dr. Brief's invention revolutionized the world. DynoCaps were cheap and easy to make but sold for a killing. Chikyu witnessed an economic surge, which boosted the country's overall GDP and boosted Dr. Brief's bank account as well. Chikyu's currency, the Zeni, was now on equal footing with the Euro and was projected to surpass all other currencies by 2020. Partnering with the American company WayneTech helped double Capsule Corps sales and revenue. As it stood, Dr. Brief was currently the richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of 400 billion dollars.
The turquoise-haired scientist could have been even wealthier if he would've ventured into the business of making weapons, but his high code of ethics argued strongly against that. A strong military presence really wasn't necessary. Outside of the great cataclysm involving the Demon King Piccolo, Chikyu had never been thrust into war. The country had successfully managed to evade conflict largely due to the royal family's outstanding leadership. When World War's one and two had broken out, Chikyu managed to stay neutral. But things had recently begun to change with the fall and upheaval of Red Ribbon.
Red Ribbon had once been the Capsule Corporations' greatest competition. During the initial inception of both companies, they had been practically neck and neck with one another. Red Ribbon managed to keep pace with Capsule Corps by relying on reverse engineering, selling cheap knock-offs of Dr. Brief's products, specializing in military equipment. But a dramatic paradigm shift occurred once DynoCaps hit the market. Red Ribbon's scientists could no longer reverse engineer Dr. Brief's products and were finally forced to place their inferior inventions on the market. Sales dropped dramatically once the public realized how substandard the products were. Journalists uncovered Red Ribbon's scam, and that was the final nail in the coffin for them. Disgraced and humiliated, Red Ribbon ventured into the black market, becoming the Red Ribbon Army. [3]
Not much was known about the RRA's new plans and goals, but government intelligence knew they were far from benevolent. They were now rumored to have ties with the League of Assassins, whose motives and interests were equally mysterious. None of this bode well for King Furry and his empire, which is why he had recently begun arming himself and his country against the potential threat that the RRA posed. Since Dr. Brief was still unwilling to manufacture any weapons for the military, the anthropomorphic liege had to seek out other sources, specifically from LuthorCorp.
LuthorCorp was an upstart company with highly dubious origins. Fifty-year-old Lionel Luthor was a genius in every sense of the word. His intellect rivaled and even possibly surpassed that of Dr. Brief. But he was as ruthless as he was cunning. Lionel's parents, Lachlan and Eliza, had been burned alive in their home. Many had suspected young Lionel of the crime, but with no evidence or witnesses to corroborate those suspicions, there was nothing that could be done. [4]
Collecting his dead parent's insurance money, Lionel used a portion of it to fund himself through Harvard. Shortly after graduation, Lionel returned to Metropolis and used the remainder of his parent's life insurance policy to establish Luthor Industries. L.I. prospered and eventually became a multinational empire known as LuthorCorp. Under Lionel's astute management, LuthorCorp began absorbing scores of smaller businesses, forming one of the world's biggest conglomerates. The ambitious enterprise had a hand in practically everything. Technology, news, sports, music, finances, weaponry, and the list went on and on. LuthorCorp was arguably even bigger than Capsule Corps due to its further spanning reach. And when King Furry began his mass arming of weapons, LuthorCorp was more than happy to be there every step of the way.
Age 749 (1999), West City, Capsule Corps
Capsule Corps. Located at address WST 3338926 K, just fifteen miles away from city hall. The most famous building in West City and arguably the whole of Chikyu. Denoted by humongous aquamarine letters engraved in the front of the building and a banner bearing the company's trademark symbol. Lush palm trees circled the magnanimous building giving it a more tropical feel. It was incomparable to any other corporation's headquarters. The dome-shaped building was as nonconformist as its owner.
As big as the building was, it was still minuscule compared to other fortune 500 companies' offices. Heck, WayneTech's headquarters was a whopping eighty floors, a true testament to human ingenuity. Dr. Brief could have built something on that grand of a scale but chose not to. The gray-bearded scientist instead chose to build an office with a more homely feel. Eccentric as always, Dr. Brief was the only known CEO who lived in his company's headquarters.
Dr. Brief's work was his life, and his life was his work. He could have simply chosen to build a lab in a grandiose home, but he wanted to be as close as possible to his business and operations. The circular building was divided into three floors and a basement. The third floor was where the west and east towers were located. Directly below them, on the second floor, was the Brief family's living space. This was where the kitchen, living room, entertainment room, and bedrooms were located.
The first floor, where the entrance was, featured a lobby with a receptionist and led to the atrium. The atrium was one of Dr. Brief's most prized possessions. It was where the Brief's animals- particularly Dr. Brief's pet cat, Scratch lived. Other animals such as dinosaurs and dogs lived there as well. The atrium also contained a sparring arena which led to the capsule room. The capsule room was a room for employees that held practically all of the DynoCaps, even the experimental ones. There was also an exhibit room that displayed the various DynoCaps models over the years. Next to that was the central computer room, which was opened only by a Red Access Card. The central computer room was essentially the control panel for the entire building. Everything, including the power, the electricity, the heat, and even the internet was controlled from here.
The security room was right next door to the CRC and featured a small jail. It was constructed after the first attempted heist on Capsule Corps by the RRA. But the highlight of the first floor was Dr. Brief's lab and workshop. Out of all of Dr. Brief's possessions, his lab was the most cherished and the most expensive as well. Carefully hand-built, the genius scientist had spared no expense for its construction. It held technology that other countries wouldn't even have access to for at least another decade. The last and final room on the first floor was the storage room, which a young turquoise-haired girl was currently scrummaging through.
Age 749 (1999), West City, Capsule Corps, Storage Room
Bulma was annoyed.
Not the pesky annoyance of a minuscule mosquito pricking your skin, but the annoyance of being treated like an ignorant child. Her father, Dr. Brief, was making her organize the storage room. Was her dad growing senile? Could he not see that she was above menial tasks such as this? This is what he created those automatons in the lobby for. Genius-level intellect like hers shouldn't be wasted classifying and categorizing old family photos and miscellaneous paraphernalia. She had an IQ of nearly 300, for crying out loud! She had graduated top of her class, in under two years, from West City College with her Master's in engineering. She might have graduated even earlier if not for her shy, goofiness around her male classmates. But that was a tale for another time.
She had accomplished as much as her father, education-wise, in just sixteen years. She was the future heiress to the world's wealthiest family. But here she was spending her Saturday afternoon dusting off soot and grime from antiquated books. Lifting a particularly antediluvian book from the squeaky shelf, she coughed as she wiped its mucky cover. The Book of Eternity? Cocking her head to the side, the teenager recounted where she had heard that title from. A light bulb beamed in her mind as understanding dawned on her. It was the name of one of Merlin's fabled books. Her father had a copy of it?
Taking a nearby seat on a long-ago worn-out couch, the teenager settled in as she eagerly opened its cover. A nettled frown quickly fell on the young heiress's face as she began flipping through its threadbare pages. It was unreadable. Whatever language the text was written in was utterly unknown to her. It was a hodgepodge of squiggly lines, crude symbols, and archaic pictures which strongly resembled cave paintings. With a disappointed sigh, Bulma threw the book into a nearby bin. Even with her intellect, she was unable to decode whatever it meant. She wouldn't leave it in storage though; it was far too valuable to be allowed to drift into obscurity once more.
Shaking off her disappointment Bulma pressed onward with her assigned task. Surveying her surroundings, she slowly exhaled at the work that was still needed to be done. Boxes upon boxes were haphazardly stacked together. From their uneasy swaying, it was probable that they could collapse at any given moment. A string of curse words erupted underneath her breath as the Babel tower of boxes finally caved in. She made a mental note to give a tongue lashing to whoever had last organized this room, which was most likely her somewhat ditzy mother.
Scowling as she dropped down to the floor, Bulma once again ventured into the task of cleaning the ground. Two hours ago, when she had initially set foot in the room, she had been aghast by what she saw. The room had been a complete and utter mess. It had looked like a maelstrom of dust, soot, and grime had blown through it. Numerous old mechanical parts had been littered everywhere. It seemed like the room's occupants literally dropped their stuff in any available space and walked off, totally defeating the purpose of a storage room. It was called the storage room, not the throw-all-my-crap-in-here room.
Picking up this month's copy of Playboy magazine, the teen disapprovingly shook her head. This was the twentieth issue she had picked up today. She had alphabetically categorized the other nineteen on the other bookshelf. In addition to the Playboy magazine's her father had a massive collection of hustler serials. Was her dad really that perverted? She just couldn't understand it.
He was married to the former Miss Chikyu and Miss Universe. Her mother hadn't aged a day since their wedding photos. Sure her mom could be a little dimwitted at times, being totally oblivious to the things going around her, but she was the prototypical housewife. She cooked, she cleaned, and she was absolutely gorgeous- a trait she had passed down to her daughters, so truly, what was the need for all this?
Her father loved her mother, so the possibility of him cheating was in the lowest percentile and was immediately ruled out. But she still couldn't process it. He was married to arguably the most beautiful woman in the world but still kept piles of dirty magazines? Maybe all men are just perverts at heart? Shrugging it off, she gave it no further thought as she proceeded to pick up the next batch of litter from the floor.
Jeez, will I ever get done with this? The more I clean, the more stuff there is to pick up. This is a serious waste of time. Just because you had to do stuff like this, by hand, back in your day, that doesn't mean I should have to do it too. If I ever have kids, they won't waste their time doing meaningless manual labor like...
Bulma's thoughts trailed off as she noticed something gleaming out of the corner of her eye. Dropping the stack of papers in her hands, she slowly reached over to a nearby toppled box. Dipping her hand into it, she scooped up what appeared to be a ball of some sort. What in the world is this? Carefully raising it to eye level, Bulma further examined it. It was a palm-sized, orange, three-inch, translucent ball with two red stars at its center. Gently tossing it into the air, the teenager was shocked at just how light it was.
What is this? Dad never told me there was anything like this in the storage room. Come to think of it; I don't recall organizing this box.
Flipping the carton over, Bulma saw the name of its owner. It's was her deceased uncle's box. Her uncle, an archeologist, had died in a freak accident ten years ago while exploring an excavation site. She remembered the sadness and depression that her normally jovial father had experienced during that tumultuous period in his life. Was this what he found? She pondered to herself, placing the ball on a table as she once again took a seat on the couch.
The last time she'd spoken to her uncle, before his death, he'd told her that he'd located something called a Dragonball. Was that what the object sitting before her was? He had been ecstatic about his finding. It was going to be the discovery that finally made him famous. But due to his death, he never got the chance to unveil it to the world. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but she would most definitely find out.
Dragonball DC
Following her clean-up of the storage room, Bulma had delved into the task of discovering what a Dragonball was. First, she had inquired her parents. Her mother didn't know anything about it, but that was honestly to be expected, but what was surprising was the fact that her father had no knowledge about the object either. That truly baffled her. It was one of the few rare occurrences where her dad was completely clueless about something.
Disappointed, but undeterred she trudged on searching the internet for any information. Once again, she was met with nothing. The word Dragonball didn't even get a single hit. How could the world wide web not have any info on it? Scratching her head, she decided to research the old-fashioned way, with books. But once again, as usual, there was no information in any of the books she read. Her father's library contained some of the rarest literature in the world, but not a single one had an iota of information about the Dragonball.
It had now been a month since her initial discovery of the Dragonball, and Bulma was still as ignorant as she'd been when she'd first found it. Sighing as she tossed aside another book from her desk, Bulma frowned. She despised not being able to accomplish something. When her father had doubted her ability to finish college early, she'd worked her ass off and finished in half the time he did. Glancing over at the orange ball beside her computer, her expression darkened. It was like a constant reminder of her failure and ineptitude. The refracting light from it was almost taunting her. She would discover what that thing was, or she would die trying!
But where would she get that knowledge from? Every book she read had no information on it. Even the internet, which was supposed to have practically everything, was as ignorant as her. I'm never going to find out, am I? With an exasperated sigh, the teenager leaned back against her chair, slumping into its soft leather as she let her eyes rest. I've expounded practically every available tool at my disposal. What's left? But then a sudden realization struck her, forcing her eyes to jolt open. The Book of Eternity!
Scrambling to her bookshelf, Bulma lifted the antiquated book from the shelf. In myths, The Book of Eternity possessed the history of the Earth and the entire Universe. Since her initial discovery of it in the storage room, she hadn't been bothered to look at it. In fact, she had almost completely forgotten that she had it in her possession. She made a mental note to remind herself to ask her father about its origin later, but for right now, she wanted to see if there was any truth to the legends.
Settling back into her chair by the computer, Bulma opened the book. It was still as an unreadable as when she'd first attempted to decipher it. Lines, arrows, rocks, squiggly lines. What did this all mean? Brushing off her annoyance, she continued flipping through the pages. Though unnumbered, there were at least five hundred of them. Flipping to the halfway mark of the book, she paused, her eyes lighting up as she recognized something familiar.
There was a picture of a Dragonball!
She recognized it immediately as her eyes hovered over it. Not only was there one Dragonball, but there was an entire group of them, seven of them to be exact. Placing an inquisitive hand on her chin, the teenager questioned what this all meant. There's more of these things out there? What exactly do they do, and just what is their purpose? There was only one way to find out, and that would involve deciphering the book's text. [5]
Dragonball DC
Bulma had spent the following months cooped up in her room trying to unlock The Book of Eternity's secrets. She devoted most of, if not all of, her free time to deciphering its text. She rarely came out of her room unless it was to eat or shower. Her father was curious about the sudden change, but her mother was largely oblivious. When Bulma had questioned Dr. Brief about the origin of the book, he could give no proper response. He didn't even remember buying it. Mrs. Brief knew nothing of it as well.
All of this was a real head-scratcher to their daughter, who ardently continued her research. Through the use of the internet and the large family library, Bulma deciphered some of the book's meaning. The book's text was assembled from various languages: Cuneiform, Sumerian, ancient Egyptian, and many more. Crude cave paintings were also sprinkled through the text for some reason. But there were other languages, almost otherworldly ones, that she just could not decipher. But luckily for Bulma, the page containing the information about the Dragonballs was one of the pages that she now understood. After two months of nearly constant research, she had cracked its code.
Scribbling down her final translation, Bulma halted as she examined what was written.
The Dragonballs are seven mystical objects of immense power. Once assembled together, they can grant nearly any wish, summoning Shenron, who resides inside them. Once the wish is completed, the balls spread throughout the world, remaining dormant for a year and turning into stone. After one year of dormancy, they shall once again be available for use.
Setting the paper back down on the metallic desk table, Bulma paused as she absorbed the information. Any wish? The heiress thought as she eyed the two-star ball. She practically had everything a person could want in life. She was intelligent, beautiful, and rich. In truth, she didn't need much else. Most people would be satisfied with that. But there was one thing she could use; a boyfriend.
Bulma had always struggled with relations when it came to the opposite gender. Her interactions with men had always been awkward, to say the least. Her status and fame as Dr. Brief's daughter certainly didn't help either. Guys were always interested in her, but she was just so goofy and reticent around them. She didn't know if she would ever be able to break through that wall. But this- she thought glancing over to the Dragonball- would allow her to bypass that. Nodding her head, the teenage girl confirmed her decision. She would locate all of the Dragonballs.
How will I find them though? Settling into a pout, the teen realized she was right back where she had started, once again searching for unknown information.
Dragonball DC
It had taken a few weeks, but Bulma had finally figured it out. After thousands of research hours and time spent tinkering with the Dragonball, she discovered something rather peculiar about it. The Dragonball that she'd found in her father's storage room had a specific electromagnetic signature that was unlike anything she'd ever encountered. Creating a device, which she dubbed the Dragon radar, she discovered how to tap into and locate that electromagnetic signature. All the other Dragonballs gave off the same electromagnetic signature. Her Dragon radar displayed their various locations across the Earth, and now she just had to go and find them.
Age 749 (1999), Dr. Brief's Lab
Dr. Brief's lab was abuzz with noise. The unconventional, but brilliant scientist was tinkering with his latest prototype. The hovercycle was the latest of his new inventions. The idea of a hovercycle was nothing new, he was, after all, its original inventor, but this hovercycle would be powered solely on solar energy. The money that would be saved with this latest vehicle was astounding. Not only would it reduce costs, but it would reduce the overall pollution on Earth as well.
"Just one more piece," The gray-beard scientist said to himself as he finished screwing in the last bolt. "Done." With a content sigh, the CEO of capsule corps paused as he took a moment to admire his handiwork.
"Actually, you're missing a knob, Dad." Came a distinctly feminine voice from over his shoulder. Adjusting his glasses, the doctor leaned forward as he examined the hovercycle closely. She was right! Rotating around, Dr. Brief was met with the grinning face of his daughter.
"How did you see that from all the way over there?" He inquired as he glanced back at the door that she'd arrived through. And how didn't I notice you before you said anything?
"I just have a good sense about these things," Bulma cheekily replied. "But anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something Dad." The young heiress said as she switched the topic of their discussion.
"What is it, Bulma?" Her father absentmindedly replied as he once again began tinkering with the machine on his lab table.
"I want to go on a vacation."
"We already have one planned for this fall, dear."
Frowning, the teen spoke once more. "No, I mean by myself. Not including you or mom."
Dropping his wrench, Dr. Brief spun on his heels as he gave his daughter his full attention. "But why?"
"Why not?" She retorted with a snort. She would be of legal age in a few months anyway.
Sighing as he pushed his work aside, Dr. Brief realized he was in for a long argument. "What type of vacation? To where? And for how long?"
"One that involves exploration, across the world, for an extended period of time."
"An extended period of time?" Her father parroted with brows raised.
"I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I really want to go on this trip, Dad." Bulma's voice wavered slightly as she put on her best puppy dog eyes. It always worked whenever she wanted something.
"I just don't think this is a good idea, Bulma. You've been sheltered for most of your life, and you're the heir to the richest company in Chikyu. Who knows what could happen? I think it would be too dangerous for you to go alone."
"Dad, I'll be alright." Bulma contested, huffing with a sigh of annoyance. She wasn't a little girl anymore. It was time for her to stretch her wings and embark on her dreams.
"But Bulma, it's just not safe," Dr. Brief reiterated once more. If anything were to happen to her, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. "You're far too young to be doing this type of thing on your own."
"But Daaaady," The teen whined, stomping her foot as she put on her most brittle voice. "You let Tights do this type of stuff, and she was the same age as me." The heiress was referring to her blonde, older sister, who had been allowed to go on adventures at sixteen.
"Yes, she was," The agreed. "But-"
"But what, Daddy?" Bulma questioned, nearly snarling as she cut off her father. It just didn't seem fair!
"But," The Capsule Corp president continued, shrugging off his daughter's interruption. "The world was a much safer place back then."
"The world isn't any more dangerous than it was in the past." Bulma protested as she folded her arms in annoyance. Jeez, just a little bit of freedom; is that too much to ask for?
He couldn't help but chuckle at his daughter's admirable determination. A smile tugged on his lips as his eyes met her. She was as proud and strong-willed as her elder sister. A fleeting frown, which didn't go unnoticed by Bulma, appeared on his face as he briefly thought of his firstborn child. I don't want to lose another daughter.
"Times have changed Bulma, and the world isn't the place it used to be." As much as Bulma's father liked to keep up his jovial, carefree visage, he could not deny the rapid alterations that were occurring around the world. "You, in particular, should know this, especially after what happened to the Wayne's." The doctor exhaled regrettably at the mention of his former business partners.
"I do know Dad," The teen's lips quivered, her blue eyes threatening to explode into tears, as she thought back to the travesty that had befallen Gotham's wealthiest family. The Wayne's only son, Bruce, had been close friends with Bulma until his parents had been brutally murdered before his eyes. Before that day, the two had been nearly inseparable, visiting each other whenever their parent's schedules allowed for it. But after that fateful night, Bruce had grown cold, and like his emotions, their friendship had slowly withered away.
"But just because something happened to them doesn't mean something will happen to me!" Bulma knew her father had her best interest at heart. All he wanted to do was keep her safe, like any other loving father. But there was a world out there just waiting to be explored. The orange, spherical object she discovered in the storage room only served to foster her curiosity about life outside the Capsule Corps compound.
Rubbing his temples, Dr. Brief grabbed the nearest available chair and sat down. There was so much he wanted to tell his daughter, but she wasn't privy to that information. Since Martha and Thomas' murder, Dr. Brief had taken what some might consider excessive steps to secure his family's safety. Heightened round-the-clock security for the Capsule Corps facility, robotic bodyguards that secretly followed his family everywhere, and just for added measure, the gray mustached scientist rarely if ever left his home. Losing his eldest daughter had only served to heighten his growing concern.
The father-daughter duo continued to stare at one another before both breaking out into long sighs.
"Look, Dad, I understand where you're coming from, and I can understand your reasoning," Bulma said as she lowered herself down to one knee in front of her father. The only way she would get through to her father was with the language he spoke best; logic. "But you can't keep me cooped up here forever, and regardless of all the steps you've taken, danger can still find us."
Dr. Brief listened with attentive ears as his daughter poured herself out to him. She was right in one regard, danger could still find them anywhere, but the steps he'd taken would significantly lessen the chances of it happening.
"Some of the steps you've taken to protect us have been quite drastic," Dr. Brief's face tensed as he feigned confusion at her words, which only caused the teen to frown. "The robots, dad...did you seriously think that I wouldn't notice them?" Silently, under his breath, the man in the lab coat cursed. Sometimes Bulma was just too smart for her own good.
Pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pockets, Bulma's father took a drag as he lit one. "How did you find out?" If his teenage daughter, albeit highly intelligent, could discover them, that wouldn't bode well for their potential sales once they hit the market.
"Honestly?" The question was more rhetorical than anything. "I just guessed."
Dr. Brief's face vaulted as the words hit his ears. His daughter had duped him. He heard hearty laughter as he slowly lifted himself from the ground, readjusting his clothes as he sat back down. Well played, Bulma...well played.
"Regardless of what happens, I'm still going to go on this trip, dad; I'd just rather do it with your blessing."
Exhaling the smoke from his lungs, the doctor gave brief respite before responding to his daughter. This was his child, his only remaining child as it stood. He wished he could comfortably keep her safe here, but he knew that this would've happened eventually. She was far too independent and strong-willed for it not to.
"You have my blessing Bulma, just be safe."
A buoyant smile spread across her face as she rushed over to embrace her father, locking him in a bone squeezing hug. "Thanks, Dad."
Age 749 (1999), Mount Paozu
The bright smile adorning Son Goku's face practically spread from ear to ear as he surveyed his catch. He felt quite proud of himself, considering the massive size of the fish that was dangling from his hook. He chuckled as he gave the line one final, powerful tug, dragging the fish from the murky depths of the river.
"What a catch, what a catch!" The Saiyan gleefully chanted to himself as he hauled the bass to his house.
The adolescent had spent the last thirty minutes hunting for his food. The river by his Grandfather's house held an abundance of delicious exotic wildlife. This particular creature that was hauled over his shoulder was just the latest of his grand catches.
"It's going to be so yummy when I eat it. I'll spice it up and put it over a hot fire!" Goku mumbled to himself, practically drooling at the thought of a well-cooked fish. "And then I'll -"
His words were left trailing as his ears keyed in on an unusual noise that grew louder as it approached. Turning his head towards it, Goku was stunned as he saw an unusual creature rushing towards him at incredible speeds. The spiky-haired child barely had a moment to react as the monster swerved, missing his befuddled face by mere inches.
Bulma screeched as she quickly recovered from the near accident. This was a brand new car, and a clueless pedestrian had nearly ruined it. Grinding her teeth in irritation, she peeked out its window to yell at the child. "Watch where you're going!" she shouted indignantly.
Her words brought the Saiyan out of his momentary stupor, causing the child to instinctively protect his fish. "So you're a monster then? Trying to steal my catch from me?" Before the odd-looking creature could respond, Goku grabbed it and lifted the beast over his head. "Well, you're not gonna take my fish!" And with that, he heaved the massive creature, sending it flying several meters away.
Bulma yelped as the strange child sent her and her car flying. What exactly had she gotten herself into? And how the hell was this kid so strong?
Grabbing the orange staff from his back, Goku armed himself for any possible counter-attack. "Now c'mon and fight!" He shouted, hoisting his staff above his head in a threatening manner. He watched in mild surprise as something, or rather someone, emerged from the monster. The person was very startled as it clutched its head shaking in fright as it emerged from the beast's innards.
"Yikes," Goku exclaimed, "now an ugly monster emerges from the demon!"
"I'm not ugly!"
Dad warned me about this kind of stuff. I have to protect myself!
Unwilling to take another risk, Bulma pulled a revolver from her hip. The spiky-haired boy cocked his head in curiosity at what it was before Bulma fired. "I won't let you hurt me!" Bulma's hand unexpectedly jerked back from the firing, unfamiliar with handling guns as the boy slumped to the ground. Did I get him?
The teenager was given her response in the form of a tired groan. "Ow!" Goku moaned. "What are you? A witch!?" The boy inquired as he slowly lifted himself from the ground. Bulma's body convulsed in absolute terror as she finally realized what she'd done. I...I...I s-shot a kid...and he's still alive? Dropping the weapon, Bulma slumped to the floor as she tried to wrap her head around all this.
"Wh-what are you!?" She stammered. "Why aren't you dead!?"
The Saiyan scoffed as he finally hopped back onto his feet, dropping into a fighting stance. "Ha! Do you really think you can hurt me? With little attacks like that?" Hoisting his staff once more, Goku prepared to charge at his attacker. "You won't get away with this!"
"W-wait a minute!" Bulma managed to stutter before the wild boy could follow through with the attack. "I'm not a demon! I'm a human!" She pleaded as she frantically waved her hands.
Goku's brows rose as he halted mid-swing. "A human?" He repeated. "Really?"
"Yes, silly," Bulma assured him, putting on her friendliest demeanor in hopes to coerce the boy. "I'm just like you. Just look at me."
"Don't make a move!" Goku ordered as he inquisitively eyed the girl, circling around her from every angle. He'd never seen another human being outside of his Grandfather.
"Not very trusting, are you?" Bulma mumbled dryly. But then again, she gave him no reason to be.
Goku either didn't hear her words or choose to ignore them as he circled the heiress several more times, examining her from top to bottom. "You're kinda like me," Goku conceded, furrowing his brow in slight confusion. "But there's something different about you. You seem kinda... curvier."
"Well, duh, genius!" Bulma sarcastically retorted, no longer able to keep the condescending tone out of her voice. "That's because you're a grubby little jungle boy, and I'm a beautiful girl." She stated proudly, batting her eyes in a sauntering manner.
Goku's eyes expanded to the size of saucers at the mention of that word. "G-girl!?" He stuttered. "You mean... female?"
"Uh, yeah! Surely you've seen a girl before?" Bulma scoffed, rolling her eyes at the perplexed child.
"Nope, I've never met or seen one, but my Grandpa told me to be nice if I did."
"Your Grandfather was a smart man." The young girl smirked as she stood up, straightening her clothes as she brushed a few loose strands of blue hair from her face.
"So girl don't have tails, huh?" Goku asked, slightly disappointed as he eyed her from behind.
Bulma raised a questioning eyebrow at the boy's odd statement. What the heck is he talking about?
As Goku began to inspect her rear, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a furry, brown appendage freely swinging from his behind. H-he...he has a tail! The girl mentally shrieked as she pointed an accusing finger towards him.
"Y-y...you have a tail!"
"Of course I do; all boys have tails." Goku indignantly replied, cheerfully pointing to his. "My Grandpa told me so."
"Boys don't have tails...you're one strange kid." Bulma said, shaking her head in disbelief as Goku turned his attention towards her toppled car. Just what has his grandfather been feeding him?
Having lost interest in trying to locate the girl's non-existent tail, Goku turned his attention towards the beast that had attacked him."So what was that monster anyway?" He asked, pointing in the car's general direction. "How did you catch it?"
Bulma's sighed, folding her arms over her chest. This kid just kept getting weirder and weirder. "It's called a car," She explained. "People like my Dad make them."
Without uttering another word, the boy promptly jumped on top of the vehicle. "So this is a car?" Goku said as he inspected the new discovery. "Grandpa told me about them, but until today I had never seen one. It looks tough, but it ain't much." Goku stated as he hopped up and down on its hood. From the stories he'd heard, he'd pictured them being a lot heavier. Suddenly, the boy stopped, turning as a question popped into his mind. "Since you drive a car, you're from one of the big cities, right?"
"Yep, you got it." The heiress curtly replied, watching the boy's eyes light up like Christmas trees.
"Wow! How bout you come over to my place while I cook you lunch, and you tell me all about it?" Goku offered as he hopped off the car, walking over to his catch of the day.
Bulma stopped, giving it a thought before finally agreeing. It wasn't like she had anything better to do at the moment. "Sure, why not." She finally replied with a shrug.
Hauling the massive fish over his shoulder with Bulma following his lead, the duo began the short trek towards his house. Unbeknownst to them, this was the beginning of a lifelong friendship that would help determine the world's fate.
Age 749 (1999), Smallville
Clark was scared. No, scared didn't adequately describe the pulsing emotion that was coursing throughout his trembling, huddled body. With his knees pressed against his chest, the twelve-year sniffled as he suppressed his tears. He didn't mean for it to happen; he honestly didn't. He just...he just finally snapped. There was only so much a person could take.
Earlier in the day, during recess, Clark was doing what he usually did; hanging out alone. He was a loner, a perceived weirdo, a designated outcast by the student population. He just couldn't seem to connect with his classmates and peers. All throughout elementary school until present day, there was a distance between him and everyone else. Clark couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew he was different from everybody else.
While they played tag, he stared at the clouds. They played video games, and he played with scientific formulas. His intelligence only served to broaden that gap between him and his classmates. For that reason, Clark chose to be quiet, to be alone, and not to attract attention to himself. Unfortunately, that backfired on him and instead made him the target of bullies. They perceived his calculated withdrawal as a sign of arrogance and snobbishness, using it as fuel to pick on him.
Two people, in particular, took great pleasure in inflicting pain on Clark. Wade Mahaney and Whitney Fordman bullied Clark daily. It didn't matter where he was or what he did; they always had their targets set on him. At lunch, they knock his food tray down; in class, they would shoot spitballs at him, and at recess, they would beat him up while inattentive teachers looked away. He never reported or told on his bullies, it would only increase the bullying, and besides, his wounds somehow always healed before he got home.
But today, Whitney and Wade had gone too far. Their bullying tactics had been routine as usual, pushing him off the swings, kicking and punching him...the same old same old. But what had been different was the fact that someone finally decided to get involved. Lana Lang, a newly transferred student from the next town over, had seen enough. Bravely jumping into the fray, the young girl had attempted to push the bullies away from Clark. What happened next was the main reason why Clark was sitting outside the principal's office.
Wade had gone into a blind fury, striking Lana repeatedly as he shoved her aside. Whitney paused briefly, surprised at his friend's actions but did nothing to stop them. That was Clark's breaking point. He could withstand the punishment, but another person getting hurt because of him? He wouldn't stand for it. At that moment, Clark snapped, blacking out as he finally fought back for the first time. The last conscious thing he remembered was punching Wade in the face, and everything after that was a complete blur.
Three teachers had been forced to break up the fight. Clark had not only beaten up Wade and Whitney, but he had dislocated their jaws in several places. Blood had been sprayed across Clark's fists, drawn from the teeth he had punched out of their mouths. His peers had always viewed him as an outcast, but now they feared him. Both boys had been rushed to the hospital, their parents called, as Clark was pulled into the principal's office. All in all, it had been a shitty day. He just wanted to defend Lana, but he ended up seriously hurting Whitney and Wade and getting himself into a boatload of trouble as well.
"Alright, I'll make it doesn't happen again."
Clark's ears perked up at the voice of his father as the door to the principal's office flew open. Gulping, Clark's eyes made contact with his father's. He knew that look. He was in a serious amount of trouble. Hopping off the bench, he closely followed his father as they exited the building, leaving Smallville junior high behind them. Not a word was spoken between the two as they entered Jonathan's red truck. Unable to bear the silence any further, Clark finally spoke up.
"I'm sorry, Dad!" The scared boy cried out as he buckled himself into the backseat. Disappointing his parents was the thing he despised the most.
Exhaling, Jonathan started the car as he exited the parking lot. He didn't know where to start.
"Look, Clark, I'm not angry with you." Jonathan soberly began.
"Y-you're not?" Clark asked in a surprised tone, his voice wavering in shock.
"No, I'm not," Jonathan reassured, adjusting the mirror in the front seat. "I know it wasn't your fault."
"You do?" Clark parroted once more. "But it was Dad; it was my fault that Lana got hurt if I..."
"No, Clark, it's not," Jonathan replied. "It's those bullies ' fault. You had the right to stand up for yourself and for Lana. You should never be afraid to stand up for what's right."
"But I sent Wade and Whitney to the hospital." Clark contested as he stared down at his shaking palms. He wasn't able to control himself.
"Sure, you went a little overboard son," Truthfully, Jonathan was perfectly fine with the force Clark had used, but he didn't want his son to be dependent on violence. "But in the end, what you did was right. You just need to show a bit more restraint, Clark."
"I don't know what came over me, Dad. One second I was fine, and then the next...the next, I was violently lashing out with strength I didn't know I had. This isn't the first time either."
Jonathan's ears perked up at the last bit of his sentence. He's displayed strength like this before?
"I'm scared, Dad...I don't know what's going on with my body. I'm afraid I'll end up hurting more people like Whitney and Wade."
Having heard enough, Jonathan abruptly pulled the car over to the side of the road.
"Son, I think it's time I told you about your origins."
"My origins?" Clark repeated in a befuddled tone.
"It's time to tell you where you really came from, Clark."
Dragonball DC
A lone, shadowy figure hovered in his chair in a void outside of space and time. Idly rubbing his hands together in a thoughtful manner, he watched over the planet known as Earth. Glancing over the locations known as Smallville and Mount Paozu, a wry smile spread across his face.
"It has begun."
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 3!
[1]: I strongly debated the idea of what to do with DBZ locations like West City. I initially thought of adding them to pre-existing countries like America or Japan, but at the end of the day, I settled on making them a new country, much like Bialya. The word Chikyu means Earth in Japanese. In terms of population, Chikyu is the 4th largest country, with a population of roughly 200 million people. Chikyu looks exactly the way it was shown in Daizenshuu 4, just much smaller.
[2]: My explanation for why Chikyu is so different from the rest of the Earth. Based on the brief description I gave, some of you might be able to figure out who was responsible for it.
[3]: Most of this information is found in Daizenshuu #4. I did some slight alterations to the RRA's origin though.
[4]: As I said in the previous chapters, this story doesn't take place in any particular DC Universe. I'm using elements from movies, TV shows, comics, videos games, etc. I borrowed Lionel Luthor's origin from the TV show Smallville.
[5]: In Dragonball, it was mentioned that Bulma learned about the Dragonballs by reading a book of some kind. It was never expanded upon, so I decided to give it an explanation.
Q/A:
Superiornite: I actually realized that once I started writing that chapter. I moved the previous chapter to the beginning of the story.
SaiyaStyles: I didn't explicitly state it, but the Dragons fall under the entities that the Godwave created. "Out of the Godwave, various pantheons of gods, and divine entities, such as the Kai's were birthed, giving rise to the Third World." I like your idea though.
S3rp3nte: Bills and Whis will appear in this story, but probably not until much later in the story.
Itheone: As I said in the above comments, I didn't explicitly mention certain DBZ characters, but I subtly explained their origin. "Out of the Godwave, various pantheons of gods, and divine entities, such as the Kai's were birthed, giving rise to the Third World." If you're the writer of the story, that places you above anyone else. The relation between the Primal Monitor and the other entities was never really extrapolated upon, so I wrote them in a manner that made sense to me. With all the hinting I did in the first chapter, I thought it was obvious that Frieza blew up the planet. I moved the previous chapter to the beginning of the story.
Presence: I edited that chapter and included Tori-bot in the creation sequence. As for Bills and Whis, see above. Yes, the DC and DBZ Multiverse are fused together in this story.
Guest: I don't really understand what your question is