Thoughts

"Speech"

Disclaimer: DC and DBZ belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.

Chapter 6: The Monkey and The Eagle II

Outskirts of Themyscira

There was absolutely nothing better than flying.

If there was anything the beaming child knew, it was this.

Skirting just a foot above the Aegean sea, the Saiyan grinned as he somersaulted in the air. Behind him, jets of water spewed forth, seemingly giving chase, as the adopted son of Gohan accelerated further. The amused boy had been doing this for the past few minutes. Just when it appeared the water was close enough to engulf him, the Saiyan would rise, rocketing towards the heavens as the waves subsided, before coalescing back into the ocean. The thrill was what got him each time.

His original mission had somewhat faded into the recesses of his mind. He was having too much fun with this. Who could blame him? It had only been a few days since he'd received the Nimbus cloud from Master Roshi. The lecherous sage had given it away without much thought. To him, it was an old relic he could no longer ride due to his now perverted mind. But to the young Saiyan, it had been the greatest gift in the world. Unlike Bulma, Goku possessed no technology that could grant him flight like the majestic Eagles he so greatly adored.

But the mystical cloud had changed all of that.

"It's so beautiful today," Inhaling the salts of the sea as he stretched, Goku merrily exhaled."And poor Bulma's all cooped up on that ship. She should get out and..."

The Saiyan's words were left trailing indefinitely as a sharp whizzing noise fractured his train of thought. Quickly lifting his gaze from the ocean, the Saiyan observed a rather large oak tree speeding across the skies. Odd. Squinting with perturbed eyes, Goku's mouth gaped as a sudden epiphany jolted his mind. It was headed towards him! With brows jouncing up in shock and panic, the adolescent quickly realized he only had seconds to spare. Reacting with a grace that so often baffled Bulma, the Saiyan managed to dodge the well-aimed projectile, curving Nimbus to the side as it blew past him, tumbling into the ocean.

Goku placed his hands on his still rapidly palpitating chest and sighed. It was over, or so he thought. But before he could even glance back up, the whizzing sound bombarded his ears once more. There were more of them? He received his answer in the form of a gut-wrenching strike to the stomach, and the air was knocked out of his lungs as he tumbled off his golden steed.

A distance away, hidden far from his sight, a tunic-clothed girl fist pumped. Her small celebration was immediately brought to an end as the Saiyan's magical steed caught him, securing him before he could slam into the waters of the Aegean sea. Unfettered, the girl pressed onward, even more determined. Goku's eyes lit up like Christmas trees as he viewed an array of hastily approaching trees headed in his direction. There were at least six of them this time.

The last one had truly stung. He hadn't been struck like that in a while. As he hopped to his feet atop the cloud, the Saiyan realized the precarious situation he was in now. With their speed and overwhelming numbers, it was unlikely he could evade them all. However, he had done the impossible before, and he would take his chances now.

Dashing forward, head first, like always, the Saiyan pounced. Arms winding into complete blurs, the adolescent managed to splinter the first set of projectiles, slicing them into neat blocks of wood. The next set of trees were dodged, narrowly. By the skin of his teeth, the Saiyan managed to sway out of their way, his torso bending inhumanly as he ducked and swiveled.

Approaching the final set of trees, Gohan's adopted son simply hopped over them, soaring into the sky with one astounding leap. Goku floated back down gracefully as Nimbus caught him, and the Saiyan set his sights on the trees' point of origin. His eyes darted quickly but found nothing. Endless expanses of water surrounded him, but how could that be? He nearly gave into a frustrated growl but halted immediately as he saw another tree soaring through the air. However, this one, unlike the others, didn't have anywhere near the same distance. It was obvious it had just been launched.

Shooting forward like a freshly ejected cannonball, the Saiyan surged towards the tree. There was still nothing to be seen for miles, but it was now apparent that something was there. Even Goku could figure that out. Placing complete trust in his instincts, the adolescent unstrapped the orange pole from his back. I've got you now! Gripping it tightly as he neared collision with the projectile, the boy uttered his favorite phrase.

"Power Pole extend!"

The Aegean Sea

Bulma was annoyed.

It was amazing and ironic how such a small word could encapsulate the vast assortment of emotions coursing through her very being. The damnable device she had built was faltering. Despite all her attempts to adjust any possible malfunctions, the dragon radar persisted in giving incorrect directions. Did her father ever suffer through periods like this? Ones where he felt the need to literally claw his eyes out at his continued failures? She was a genius, a prodigy, the progeny of the world's greatest scientist- so why couldn't she figure it out? She had built the damn thing after all.

Rubbing her stressed temples, Dr. Brief's daughter sighed. She was beginning to get frustrated. Scratch that she was beyond it, her levels of vexation could give new meaning to the term. The lavender-haired girl was sure unknown forces had collaborated to bring her to her wit's end today. It was a stroke past noon, and the sun was bearing down on her. Bulma enjoyed the sun occasionally, bathing in its rays during her semi-annual tans. But the heiress did not enjoy sweltering heat, so great, that was enough to make her boat's metallic steering wheel a hazard to hold.

The teen could see why some people became deranged at sea. It was easy, simple actually. Being surrounded by nothing but endless stretches of sapphire waters had been breathtaking- at first. But after the first thirty minutes of multitudinous tranquility, its luster had quickly worn off. She was a city girl, a big one at that. She relished in the ceaseless sounds of her metropolis: the cars, the trains, the planes-hell, even the ding of the city hall clock. But out here, there was nothing. Even Master Roshi's remote island hadn't been this silent. At the very least, it featured the familiar sounds of birds cawing. But amidst the Aegean seas, there was none of that. There wasn't an avialae in sight. It was like she had stumbled into a dead zone.

To top it all off, her partner, Goku, was being as lethargic as possible. By his own words, he had sworn not to take long. It had now been an hour since then, and she was still eagerly awaiting his return. The furry-tailed adolescent had no shortage of energy. She had nearly been forced to staple the sprightly Saiyan to the deck to halt him from bouncing all over the ship. He regularly displayed feats akin to a human energizer bunny.

So what was taking him so long?

It wasn't like he had somehow discovered the location of the next Dragonball; he hadn't even bothered to take the radar along with him. Whatever the hold-up was, it had better be good. Any half-assed excuse from him would result in a beat down that eclipsed the hail of bullets he'd received when he'd stolen her panties. Blushing slightly in thought at the embarrassment, the teenager glanced back down to the radar in her lap. It was still pointing eastward.

Gritting her teeth in annoyance, Bulma's hands nearly threatened to rip out strands of her peculiar hair, but the teen decided against it as a sudden thought popped into her head. During her melodramatic whining, the teenager had overlooked the other blips on the radar's map. It showcased several different locations within her vicinity. There were three of them, in fact, one for each of the Dragonballs she had stashed onboard. Noting that, it gave rise to the question now plaguing her mind. Was that eastward location correct as well then?

There was only one way to truly find out.

Igniting the boat's engine, Bulma injected the ship with life once more. It appeared she would have to do this on her own.

The Throne Room, Themyscira

Queen Hippolyta was troubled.

Not since her captivity at the hands of Hercules had the Amazon felt so burdened. Her mind felt saddled with the weight of the world. Shrouded by darkness on all ends, the queen sat in complete silence. The shadows were both befitting and symbolic of the lies she had cloaked herself with all these years. Who knew one little romp with a certain god would lead to all this? In truth, she had known full well of the potential consequences. Tales of calamitous unions had been repeatedly drummed into her ears, but she had ignored them all.

She thought it would be different. She was special, unique. An extraordinary rosebud in the eye of the god that had stolen her heart. It had all been lies. How foolish she had been to believe the words that had departed from the lips of a man, albeit one that she was required to worship. His words had been like nectar, intoxicating her with emotions she had long conceded as being dead. But it had felt so good. Even now, as she lay in her throne, shivers trickled down her spine just recounting their brief union. The tenderness of his lips as they bared down upon on her eager flesh, the breathless cries of pleasure, the hungry devourment of her body as it quivered in ecstasy.

"Oh, Hera!" Quickly clamping her mouth shut, the queen realized that was the last goddess' name she should have been uttering. If the matriarch of the Olympians ever discovered that unholy union, the wrath of Themyscira's citizens would be the least of Hippolyta's worries.

Hippolyta was the ultimate hypocrite. For all her preachings about the evils of men, their ways, and their desires- she had ultimately succumbed to one. It was a secret sin that no one, save herself and the god involved, knew about. And of all the gods, it had to be Zeus, the father of them all. Had it been Hermes, Eros even, or simply one of the kinder-hearted gods, it might not have been so bad. But Hippolyta had chosen to mate with the epitome of male chauvinism.

How could she stand before her loyal subjects, tainted and still be fit to rule as queen? How could she pray to the very god whose marriage she had sullied? How could she look her daughter in the eye and inform her that her entire life was a lie? How could she tell Aleka that she had been inadvertently beaten because of her liege's lies? Speaking of the redhead, she was recovering swiftly in the isle of healing. Her injuries had been horrifying, but luckily, not to the extent Hippolyta had previously feared.

I must be truthful. Resting her hands on her chin in a thoughtful pose, the queen of the Amazons sighed. Truly, heavy was the head that bore the crown. Revealing the ignominious origins of her daughter's birth would bring great shame upon the Amazons and possibly incite the wrath of the gods. But continuing with this specious facade would destroy her daughter emotionally. Diana would be crushed to learn of the true conception of her birth but would be sated with the truth, no matter how harrowing it was.

Could she potentially risk her own fate, the faith of the Amazons, and the wrath of her gods to provide her daughter with the closure she so greatly sought? After all the lies, she would have to. The truth was inconvenient but necessary. Rising from her throne as she descended down its steps, the queen left her chambers and entered into the bright sunlight of the veranda. There was work to be done.

"Phillipus beckon the guards; I have need of them."

The Hillsides of Themyscira

"Power Pole extend!"

That unusual phrase had brought with it a world of pain. The princess had been taken back as the blunt end of an orange staff slammed into her face. She had been propelled backward, skidding several dozen meters along the rocky hillside as the blow struck. With haste, the Amazon had risen to her feet, her eyes narrowing in anger as she sought her assailant. The boy had landed with a light tumble as he had greeted the Themysciran hillside. His expression had been one of perplexity, glancing around with confused wide eyes as he surveyed his new surroundings.

Scratching the back of his head in befuddlement, the adolescent had turned his gaze towards Diana. The Themysciran had been equally confused and angered by his arrival on her homeland's soil. No man was to ever sully their paradise. Spotting her, the Saiyan had attempted to spark dialogue between the two, and his trademark smile had swept onto his face. But before for his lips could even utter a syllable, Diana had struck.

The princess would take no chances with him. Her mother had been deceived by the cunning words of a man millennia ago, and nothing that one of them could say would be of any use to her. And now, as Diana charged towards the boy, she recognized that he wouldn't be able to keep up. A hard right hook to the face sent the spiky-haired boy tumbling back. Before he could orient himself and raise his staff to fend off her succeeding blow, the air was knocked out of his lungs, courtesy of a sharp knee to the stomach.

The boy's eyes bulged. His innards throbbing with the pain of one hundred gunshots. Spittle and an assortment of other liquids spewed forth from his mouth. But even then, Diana persisted. The boy was not Aleka; he was not an Amazon, and they shared no bonds of sisterhood. As a trespassing male, he deserved only punishment. Finishing, with a final roundhouse kick to the head, the Amazon promptly knocked the Saiyan off the edge of the hillside. And with a final parting glance, the Amazon turned her shoulders satisfied with her work, believing she was victorious.

But how wrong she was.

Unbeknownst to her, the Saiyan's hand had managed to latch onto one of the rocks below the cliff. Goku might have been able to survive a fall from this height, but the boy didn't want to take any uncertain chances. Mustering all his strength, the adolescent propelled himself from the cliff, springing upwards and finally landing back down on Themysciran glades. The boy arrived with a light tap, catching the oblivious Amazon by surprise as he shouted at her.

"Hey!" His booming voice instantly caught her attention, forcing Diana to face him once more. "What was that for? That really hurt, you know!" Pouting, the boy animatedly rubbed his still throbbing forehead.

He survived that?

Scowling, the princess settled on remedying her failure. In a flash, the Amazon was off in a full sprint, charging full steam at the boy once more. But this time, the Saiyan was prepared for it. Goku slammed his staff into the turf, extending it, vaulting himself into the air as he hurdled over Diana. The princess was forced to slow her stride as she narrowly evaded the edge of the cliff, stopping mere inches before it. Observing the tiny pebbles that tumbled off the ledge, the Amazon breathed a sigh of relief. That had nearly been disastrous. Diana's scowl deepened once she flipped around and saw the sight of the goading male.

With his tongue outstretched, and fingers wagging, Goku teased the Amazon. The princess, in return, did not take too kindly to this and angrily balled her fist as she stormed towards him once more. Matching her stride, the Saiyan mirrored her movement, meeting her halfway across the plain. Fist met magical pole as Goku blocked an overhead strike from the princess. Though he had managed to parry it, the Saiyan was still pushed back, knees wobbling under the force of the blow. This was the first time he had met anyone with strength as great as his own.

The brief struggle broke once Goku managed to kick Diana in the stomach, which flung her back in a pained cry. The Saiyan backpedaled as he gained distance from the Amazon and twirled his staff. Her strength was equal to, if not greater than his own. This would be the most difficult challenge he'd faced leaving Mount Paozu, and Goku was ready for it. From the opposite end of the hillside, Diana glared, perturbed as to why the boy was laughing with such glee. As his smile expanded, recognition dawned upon her.

The pair were evenly matched, more so than Diana had ever been with Aleka. His power was manifest in the blows he had imparted and survived. There was no desisting on Diana's part; she struck with power from every fiber of her body, and he was taking it. She now understood the immense joy the boy felt. It was the jubilation of meeting a worthy advisory. Albeit a detestable male, the Saiyan appeared to share her immense zeal for battle.

Stampeding towards one another with fists outstretched, the two met in understanding; maybe males weren't so different after all.

Themyscira

"The princess truly has a knack for disappearing."

"Indeed, sister."

Glancing over the waterfall once more, Areto sighed. She had seemingly been at this for hours. Wiping the freshly formed particles of moisture on her brow, the auburn-haired Amazon turned to her sister, who was perched on a patch of land facing the opposite end of the gigantic stream.

"As far as my eyes can see...she is not here," Euboea spoke, a hint of weariness in her tone. The large, chiton-clothed woman had long grown tired of this prolonged search.

Nearly an hour ago, Phillipus had beckoned the royal guards to canvas the island in search of Diana. The princess regularly disappeared, escaping to unknown places for extended periods of time. Diana doing so today had not been unusual until the queen had disclosed the reasons behind today's disappearance. Areto couldn't help but lightly chuckle at the beating the princess had given Aleka. Hippolyta's daughter had gone a bit overboard, but she could not say it was undeserved. Everyone on the island knew of young Aleka's uncouth mouth.

Splitting the guards into groups, Phillipus had organized three search parties. Atla and Dessa were to search the coast. Mala and Persephone were to search the hillsides, and she and Euboea were to scour the waterfall along with the surrounding forest. So far, their ardent search had brought forth nothing, not even a single trace of the princesses footsteps. Their frustration was beginning to mount. It was evident in the look Areto gave her sister.

"Diana had better pray our sisters find her first before we do," Areto grumbled. Playing hide and seek with the queen's daughter had not been on her list of events for the day. "Hera herself will have to calm me down if this search causes me to miss Iphthime's play."

"Mind your words Areto," Euboea hissed in warning. She shared her sister's frustrations but uttering Hera's name in such a tone was just asking for trouble. "Hopefully, our sisters are faring better."

The Eastern Coast of Themyscira

Following the radar's directions, the heiress of the Capsule Corporation ended up here, drifting amidst the seas, in front of whatever the device was directing her towards. Her eyes had scanned the waters a hundred times over but still found nothing. The radar wasn't malfunctioning, after all. The Dragonballs Bulma had on board were glowing. They only did when they were in the proximity of one of their siblings. There was a Dragonball somewhere nearby. But where exactly?

The teen reached over to the boat's glove compartment with a determined glare and pulled out her binoculars. Pressing them to her eyes, the heiress took a look. These were not regular binoculars, however. Like the dragon radar, Bulma developed these particular binoculars to detect the Dragonball's mystical energy. If her eyes alone couldn't get it done, hopefully, these could. Turning her head from side to side, Bulma scanned once more.

Nothing.

Bulma was about to set them down when suddenly something astonishing came into view. Eyes bolting wide open, the girl's mouth gaped as a humungous island suddenly came into sight. What in the world? The teen nearly voiced her concerns but halted as the island slowly faded, misty clouds now slightly obscuring her view. In seconds the mysterious landmass would once again be gone. Realizing she had no moment to waste, the heiress acted quickly and charged the boat at maximum speed towards the isle. Something about that place was connected to the Dragonballs.

The Hillsides of Themyscira

For the past several minutes Goku and Diana had been engaged in a fierce battle. The once lush, green hillside had been reshaped into a nearly barren wasteland, shredded by the ferocity of their blows. Trees had been uprooted, and stones had been ground to dust as their strikes impacted one another. Neither child held back, their attacks raining freely and callously. This was the battle both combatants had longed for.

With battle cries that echoed across Themyscira, the two adolescents struck once again. Fist meeting fist as they collided. The ground beneath buckled, slightly, under the tremendous strength of the fighters above it. A small web of fissures crisscrossing across the dirt. Both warriors smiled, and the looks on their faces were ones of bliss as they mutually separated, backing away as they gained distance.

Diana panted, a bead of hot sweat rolling down her forehead as she observed her spiky-haired foe. He was powerful indeed. In all her short years of training, she had yet to encounter an enemy such as him. Sure, her younger Amazon sisters provided her with great sparring partners, but they had always been defeated in the end. The princess was now in need of greater challenges, and Goku provided just that.

On the opposite end, the Saiyan gleamed as he observed the Amazon catch her breath. He couldn't believe his luck! Her attack had been unwarranted and still greatly confused the Saiyan, but the fight that followed it had been well worth it. Who knew girls could be so mighty? Outside of Bulma, Diana was the most strong-willed girl he had ever met. But that might not have really been saying much, considering he had only met a sparse few of them.

Glancing up at one another, meeting gazes, the children charged once more. Goku arrived first, his legs swiftly gliding across the clearance as he delivered a punch to the Amazon's chest. Diana was stunned, her mouth at a loss as the air receded from it. The following knee to the ribs sent her flying backward, eventually tumbling to a stop as she awkwardly slammed into the turf. But she recovered quickly and turned to look for her opponent only to find that the strange boy had vanished. His location was finally given away as his shout descended from the sky.

Hastily rolling out of the way, Diana narrowly avoided Goku's heavy foot; the ground was torn beneath him as he impacted it. Switching gears, the Amazon immediately flipped into attack mode, her hands lodging into the ground for support as her legs swooped underneath the Saiyan. With a surprised cry, Goku crashed into the ground, and Diana once again pounced. Before the Saiyan could react, his face bobbed into the dirt as the Amazon showered him with punches.

Screams of agony rippled throughout the air as the intensity of the strikes increased. Diana's knuckles were like jagged knives, stabbing into the fallen adolescent's face. The Saiyan had withstood pelting bullets, the trampling of dinosaurs, but not even he was sure that he could survive this much direct punishment much longer. Goku realized he had to act soon, and the Saiyan did something that caught Diana completely off guard. As the Amazon recoiled to gather strength for her next punch, her lips were brushed by Goku's; the unruly Saiyan pressed his lips against hers.

In an instant, Diana's fists dropped, her face changing to the color of a strawberry as she departed from the Saiyan, gaining as much distance as possible from him. The Amazon was stunned, a deer in the headlight look appearing on her face as she contemplated what had just occurred. D-D-Did that just happen? The princess feigned disgust, her lips curling into a dour frown, but different emotions churned inside her. She was revolted that a male had forced his mouth upon her own, but she could not deny that the feeling had oddly been... titillating.

Souring her lips once more, Diana expectorated as she spat on the ground. The Amazon stomped on her spit and brushed her thoughts aside. She had would not be swayed. Her mother had never disclosed the exact specifics of what Hercules and his men had done, but that had to be one of the detestable acts they had committed. Her opponent was still a typical male, regardless of their mutual interest in battle. He would pay for what he had done!

Still rubbing his aching jaw Goku watched as the Amazon's face visibly twisted from one emotion to another, finally settling on unmitigated rage. Gulping, the Saiyan did his best to prepare himself for what was sure to come. She shared Bulma's seething visage when the heiress had discovered her stolen panties. Unlike that situation, the Saiyan could not process what had so greatly enraged the girl who was stomping towards him. All he had done was copy what Bulma did to Master Roshi.

The Capsule corps heiress had kissed the lecherous sage in exchange for his assistance. The turtle hermit had promptly fallen, knocked out, with geysers of blood erupting from his nose. Goku had marveled at the power Bulma had displayed. Such a simple act had taken down the famous Master Roshi. He'd attempted the same thing with Diana but had received unsavory results. Her attacks had momentarily ceased, and it had given him time to recuperate, but she was now angrier than ever.

"I'll have your head for that!" With a shout that would've made the loudest harpy whimper, Diana began her charge towards the Saiyan.

Oh, man!

Reaching for the power pole on his back, the Saiyan had it in his clutches when suddenly, an acute pain sliced through his being. His body went limp, neck dropping stiff as he languidly flopped to the ground, his eyes fleetingly catching the shock on Diana's face.

"I've located her, Mala!"

Were the last conscious words he heard.

Eastern Themysciran Shores

Bulma had finally made it.

Following her discovery of the shrouded island, the daughter of Dr. Brief had sprinted full speed towards it. She had arrived just mere seconds before those mysterious clouds once again enclosed it. Now standing at the edge of what appeared to be a beach, the heiress marveled as she observed her lush surroundings. This place was huge! Swathes of thick, dense jungle stretched for miles. There were trees as far as her eyes could see. How had all of this been previously hidden from her sight? Where had this massive island suddenly come from? Where exactly was she? There was only one way to find out now.

She would have to explore.

The heiress had no qualms about exploration; it was one of the main reasons for this trip. She shared her deceased uncle's heart for new discoveries. However, unlike previous times, she did not have her trusty sidekick by her side. The benighted boy was truly a Godsend during moments like these. With his Herculean strength, any potential threat would be defeated.

Who knew what a beautiful young girl like herself might face in the harrowing shadows of the jungle? Maybe there'd be a strapping young lad in a loincloth to rescue her like in the movies. Brushing the thought aside with a blush, the teenager stepped foot onto the beach. But before her toes could even properly plant down into the grainy pebbles, a pair of gigantic women approached her.

Slowly creeping their way out of the jungle's silhouette, the cuirass clothed women surrounded her with weapons drawn. Bulma gulped as she frightfully stumbled to her knees, waving her hands in surrender.

"This is definitely not what I had in mind."

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 5!

Q/A:

Noraye92: I haven't really thought that far ahead. I'm taking it one chapter at a time.

itheone: Yes, the gods are aware of Whis and co. Yes, they are afraid of the Dragonballs. As for your other questions, you'll just have to read and find out.

S3rp3nte: If I were to do an Infinite Crisis type event in this story, it probably wouldn't happen until the very end. It would take a lot of foreshadowing and build-up. I'm not too familiar with Xenoverse like I am with DBO, so I'll have to look into that.