Thoughts

"Speech"

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

Chapter 10: Quest of the gods III

Age 750 (2000), Themyscira

Anger, pure unadulterated rage, was the only tangible emotion coursing through Derinoe's veins. Though shrouded by the ever-present shadow of her hood, the splenetic frown on her face could not be concealed. Millenia of battle and war had already withered her heart to cold, gelid ice. The deceptions and wickedness of mankind had dissolved the remaining ounces of trust she had left. But never, under Helios brilliant sky, had she expected such stinging betrayal from one of her sisters, least of all her former lover.

Eris's secret had shaken the foundation of everything she believed in. The Amazon philosophy, their way of life, their very sisterhood had been crumbled by the words that so freely fluttered from the lips of Zeus' daughter. Zeus. At the mention of his name, her frown soured deeper, the tremendous wrinkles on her face rippling like the waves of an ocean. He was as much to blame for this as her queen was, but alas, the father of the gods could not be held accountable, least of all by his own creations.

In truth, the All-Father was the least beloved of all the male gods, save for despicable Ares. It was only out of duty and obligation that Derinoe even prayed to him. His numerous escapades gallivanting with mortal women were the things of legend. There was Semele, the mother of Dionysus, who was reduced to ash upon seeing the thunder god in all his glory. There was Leto, the mother of Artemis and Apollo, who was chased till the ends of the Earth due to her affair with Zeus. The list of victims rolled onward to infinity.

Agony and torment were all that followed physical passions with the slayer of Titans. Hippolyta herself knew this best; she had repeatedly hammered these stories into the Amazons from birth to adulthood. So why had she done it? Why had she slept with the one being who was the epitome of the patriarchy she claimed to so greatly despise? He was the father of the very same demigod who had raped and ransacked their civilization! That alone should have been enough to warrant refusal from Hippolyta. But her queen, her liege, and one-time lover had tossed all of it aside for an adventurous thrill.

Of all the Amazons present on the island, this discovery stung Derinoe the most. Maybe this was why Eris had explicitly told her? The magenta goddess reveled in the misery and suffering of others. Dissension nipped at her heels. Antipathy followed in the trail of her callous footsteps. What greater misery was there than knowing your once beloved soul-mate was nothing more than a liar?

Long ago, during the very inception of the Amazons, Derinoe and Hippolyta had been lovers. It was an age of true freedom and love. Some called their current inhabitancy of Paradise Island a golden age, but it was a hollow echo of what had once been for the Amazons. In her youthful prime Derinoe had been beautiful, her remarkable looks even gaining acknowledgment from Aphrodite. Her once lustrous eyes had captured the heart and soul of Hippolyta. They had been two peas in a pod.

The era of the Amazons had only just begun. Philippus hadn't been Hippolyta's adviser then, and Derinoe had occupied that role. The two spent practically every minute of every day with one another. Whether sharpening their battle skills or simply frolicking in the sun as young lovers often do. But in the flash of literal lightning, that had all changed. An attempt on the queen's life completely altered Derinoe's destiny.

It was late at night, following laborious delegations with the Spartans when Hippolyta had been attacked. An invisible enemy, still unknown to her till this day, had attempted to take the life of her queen. There had been no time to awake the guards, to shout the Amazon battle cry; she had simply been forced to act. The unseen attacker wielded a magical blade shaped in the form of daggered lightning. It was probably the reason she had such disregard for Zeus; it was crafted in his symbol. Fighting with all her strength, she managed to subdue the assailant, but at the cost of her youth.

Following an unlucky slice from the enchanted blade, her youth simply...vanished. There was no spell or incantation that any sorcerer or witch could conjure that could retrieve it; it was gone. As harrowing as that harsh realization was, Derinoe had accepted it- at the time. She had done it out of duty and love for her queen. But how foolish she had been to make that sacrifice for a truly fleeting emotion. Given that opportunity once more, in her present state, she would have taken the alternative.

Emotions compound and delude you in your youth; Derinoe was testimony to that. For all the love the elder Amazon possessed for Hippolyta, her queen's simply withered away following those events. But who could honestly blame her? How could anyone love a decrepit old crone like herself? Hippolyta had other lovers in the following centuries, but Derinoe held no animosity towards them. They were her sisters, fellow Amazons reborn from the cruelty that man had inflicted upon them. But Zeus...Zeus was a man, a god nonetheless, but still a man.

Hippolyta was the greatest of all hypocrites. She constantly preached about the evils of man, their ways, and their desires but ultimately fell into the arms of one. She had not only lied to the Amazons, but she had fostered an abomination with that man as well. Every oddity involving Diana made sense now. Her unnatural strength, her numerous blessings from the gods- it was due to her Olympian lineage. Of course, Zeus would play favorites with his child.

The circumstances surrounding the princess's birth were even more astounding now. What a well-woven lie Hippolyta had conceived. To not only deceive her nation but the gods as well took an incorrigible level of deception. Thirteen years of lies had to have taken its toll on her, but the queen's demeanor never hinted at even the tiniest level of duplicity. Derinoe had to at least applaud her on that account. But that's where all admiration ended. Hippolyta had to pay for her fraudulence, and as the most loyal Amazon, she would ensure that.

Alkyone was indeed right.

Age 750 (2000), Karin Forest

"For a child, you are indeed quite gifted."

Twirling her sword, Diana frowned as she settled into a fighting stance. Normally, such a remark during battle would've been admirable, but she could've cared less about any praise given the circumstance. Mercenary Tao was truly a monster. He wasn't one in the mythological sense like the gorgons or the cyclops but in the actual literal definition of the term. His power was overwhelming; a seemingly never-ending onslaught of tireless attacks confronted her from every possible angle.

But it wasn't just his power that made him one; it was his temperament. The sleekly dressed assassin had been contracted by the Red Ribbon Army to kill her, Goku, and retrieve the Dragonballs. His intentions had been made vividly clear upon his arrival, killing Bora without a second thought. Her response had been immediate, blindly rushing into battle without a moment's hesitation. But that righteous anger turned out to be her downfall. Philippus had often warned her about giving in to such emotions during battle.

It was due, largely in part to her rage, why Goku and herself had been out of synch during the fight. The two had built a good rapport with one another, becoming accustomed to their individual battle styles. But the two raven-haired warriors had been completely out of touch this time. Blind fury tossing strategy out of the window. Against an opponent as skilled and ruthless as Tao, they paid for it.

Goku had nearly lost his life because of her foolishness; a Dodon Ray had missed his heart by mere inches. Tao would've finished her off as well if not for a phone call he'd received about clothe tailoring. The fact that her life had been spared on such a nonsensical whim was as bone-chilling as it was humbling. Having to bury her believed-to-be dead friend had been even more harrowing. But to her and Upa's surprise, Goku had miraculously survived his brush with death.

During their rather lengthy talk with Upa, the duo discovered a way to gain the strength necessary to defeat Tao. At the top of the nearby tower resided the sacred water, and legend proclaimed it could double a person's strength. It was a risk, a big one at that, but with no other options, the duo opted to try it. Goku climbed it while Diana remained in the forest with Upa. Someone needed to be there if Mercenary Tao decided to attack again, and sure enough, he did.

The red ribbon army associate returned to finish the job he had left behind. Without her trusted friend by her side, the battle was an even more formidable challenge. Her rage had cooled, but one on one, his power and skill still outmatched hers. But Diana was an Amazon and would fight till the end if need be. Goku was depending on her, Upa was counting on her, and Bora needed to be avenged. She could not and would not fail.

"Just shut up and fight." With those confident words, Hippolyta's daughter streaked into battle, reinvigorated by those trusting in her.

Age 750 (2000), Red Ribbon Army headquarters

"Attack! Attack! Attack!" The frantic shouts of the battalion's commander were nearly drowned out as gunfire exploded from all angles. Even with the overwhelming force, the RRA was pouring, the outlook of the battle was still bleak. Turning to his left flank, the anthropomorphic commander glanced just in time to see his second in charge get knocked out by a kick to the stomach. A precise hand chop took out his third in command.

"Damn it!" The frustrated soldier shouted as he picked up his walkie-talkie. "We need more reinforcements! Send more...!"

His sentence was left unfinished as an orange blur quickly dashed in front of him. Before the commander could even blink, the device was in Goku's hands, crushed to pieces. Backing away slowly, the soldier raised his hands in apparent defeat. Peering out of his peripheral, the commander could see the battered remains of his troops.

"Do you give up?" The spiky-haired boy asked as he jabbed him with his staff.

"Y-yes" was the soldier's hasty reply. He stood no chance against the brute force that had just ransacked his troops.

"Good," Goku happily sighed as he lowered his weapon. "I need to save my energy anyways. Geez, this place is huge."

Rubbing the back of his head, the Saiyan took a moment to observe his surroundings. This control tower was even bigger than the last one! But it was at this exact moment when the Red Ribbon commander attempted to strike, drawing a gun that had been tucked away in his right pocket. Retreat was not an option for him. He'd seen how viciously General Blue's failure had been dealt with, and he refused to share the same fate. But before his hand could even extend to the unassuming child, the blunt end of a sword promptly knocked him unconscious.

"Goku!" Diana shouted, managing to shake her comrade from his reverie. "You have to be more careful; you can't just lose focus on an opponent like that." Hippolyta's daughter chastised as she motioned to the now-discarded gun on the floor.

"But he gave up, though." The Saiyan contested. It wasn't his fault his opponent had lied.

With a deep sigh, Diana paused as she pondered her next words. Goku was extremely naive, even for someone their age. But it wasn't his fault; it was mainly due to the environment he'd been raised in. Grandpa Gohan had been the only human Goku had known until he met Bulma. Her friend knew little about the deceptions and lies that laid in man's world, which was both a blessing and a curse. His kindhearted nature was well-meaning, but at times like this, it was a detriment to him.

"You're a good person, but you cannot expect the same from everyone Goku, especially during a fight."

"But why not?" Master Roshi's pupil asked in genuine confusion.

"Y-you just can't Goku." Diana frustratedly replied, her hands palming her head. "People will betray your trust at a moment's notice, especially one who is an enemy. This commander is proof of that."

Goku frowned, still not totally understanding, but he eventually nodded in agreement. "But I can trust you, right Diana?" He asked with a hopeful smile as he glanced at the princess.

"You can Goku, forever and always." The Amazon replied, her lips curling into a smile of her own.

"Great!" The boy joyously shouted, his full row of teeth now on display. "Now, let's hurry and go; I bet this place has even more super-powerful people than the last one did!" Reaffirming the grip on his power pole, Goku dashed down the empty corridor without a second thought.

Diana couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's exuberance and immediately followed his lead, the words she uttered moments ago still lingering in her mind.

That trust may be put into question after this entire ordeal though. Please forgive me for what I will have to do, Goku.

Age 750 (2000), Fortuneteller Baba's Palace

Watching from the sidelines, Diana couldn't help but shed a tear at Goku's embrace with his Grandfather. He was an even more amazing person than her friend's often jumbled words could describe. The two had fought a ferocious battle, even greater than her own at the tournament. But just like their battle at the WMAT, this one hadn't been given a proper conclusion. Grandpa Gohan abruptly surrendered, shocking everyone present, including Goku.

But the biggest surprise of all hadn't even been the revelation of his identity; it was the fact that he had somehow come back to life. Apparently, Fortuneteller Baba had the ability to resurrect people from the dead, at least for a couple of days. This had dumbfounded Diana; traveling through Hades gates was an extremely arduous task, and the god of death rarely allowed anyone to leave his domain. It was then that Diana discovered the existence of other realms.

The existence of other gods was a truth every Amazon knew. But for the most part, they largely ignored all other pantheons. What purpose did they serve when the Olympians created and provided everything for them? Themyscira was a shrouded island that the Olympians specifically watched over. But until this moment, Diana had never truly pondered the implications of what that meant. Even though other deities existed, Diana had always assumed all mortal souls ended up in Hades. But the revelation of the "Other World," as the haggard witch had called it, conjured a flurry of questions.

Just how powerful were the gods from Grandpa Gohan's pantheon? What did they require of their worshipers? What was their afterlife like? Why had she never heard of this pantheon before? Themyscira's library was extremely extensive and featured some of the most sacred literature in human history, so why hadn't she read about it? But maybe she just hadn't encountered a book containing their information; her native land's library was humongous after all. [1]

"Diana!"

At the mention of her name, the princess instantly snapped out of her reverie, turning her full attention towards her caller.

"Fortune Teller Baba." Hippolyta's daughter replied as she laid eyes on the witch who was currently floating on her crystal ball. Truth be told, the mage slightly spooked Diana. Magic was something all Amazons knew about and dealt with, but her particular brand made the hairs on Diana's neck stand up for some reason.

"I've seen something in your future." At the mention of this, Diana's brows rose. She hadn't asked for her divination, and on top of that, Baba charged a steep price for it.

"What do you mean?" Was the Amazon's inquisitive reply. Whatever it was, it sounded important.

"I was reading your fortune when suddenly my crystal ball went blank." Even though Baba hadn't been paid to read Diana's future, her natural curiosity had gotten the best of her. It wasn't every day that she encountered someone who was from a race that was supposedly a myth. Even more interesting was the fact that Diana was the princess of said race.

"What does that mean?" Diana responded in a more serious tone. Divination was an area she had no experience in, but whatever Baba was alluding to didn't sound good.

"Normally, when I examine someone's fortune, my crystal ball displays images of their future," Baba explained as she motioned to the orb she was seated on. "But in your case, there was nothing. The ball was blank and fuzzy; I couldn't see anything."

Diana's face contorted at her words. From what Master Roshi had told her, Baba was an extremely powerful witch. Her divination powers were unparalleled to anyone he knew. This was even more frightening considering the fact Master Roshi was hundreds of years old. Does this have anything to do with the ominous feeling I had when Goku and I flew off from Penguin Village?

"I'm not sure what this means, Diana, but I'm warning you to be careful." The normally discourteous woman's tone turned dead serious as she gazed into Diana's eyes. "This hunt for the Dragonballs may not go as you planned."

"I...I will be." Hippolyta's daughter reassured with a wary smile. She had never considered death on her quest from the gods, but it was a very vivid reality now. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go talk to Goku about something." The Amazon said as she quickly sprinted off to her friend. Truthfully she had nothing to discuss with the Saiyan, but she didn't want Baba to see her trembling hands.

Sighing, the fortune teller rubbed her head as she watched the adolescent dash off. Her words hadn't been entirely truthful. She had seen a glimpse of something in the princess' future, but it was even worse than any description she could conjure.

For once, I hope my divination was wrong. If not...truly dark times await that girl!

Age 750 (2000), Themyscira, The Dungeons

Derinoe hated coming down here. It was the most dreaded location on the entire island for the Amazons. Just getting to it required an incredible number of steps down a cascading stairwell, not to mention all of the death traps you had to avoid. But as one of the oldest Amazons, Derinoe knew the route like the back of her withered hand. But that didn't make the excursion any easier, especially at this time of night. Her sight wasn't the best, even with a recently lit torch guiding the way.

Centuries ago, Hippolyta had decreed the dungeons be built. Hercules's invasion was still fresh on her mind, and the queen wouldn't take any chances in the future. Initially, it was to be guarded 24/7 around the clock, but as time went by with very few prisoners, it nearly stopped being used altogether. Over the millennia, it had been used to punish Amazons for crimes, but nothing too severe for the most part. But there were a group of Amazons who had been imprisoned here for over a decade due to a deed that had been largely covered up.

Derinoe was one of the few who knew what had occurred on the night of Diana's birth and what those now imprisoned Amazons had intended to do. Loyalty to the queen was an oath that every Amazon, regardless of age, swore to. But on that night, a battalion of Amazons betrayed that most sacred oath. They had nearly committed an unforgivable act. Those four Amazons had been some of Hippolyta's most trusted guards, and due to that, the queen didn't have the heart to kill them. Instead, Diana's mother ordered them to be imprisoned in the dungeons indefinitely. With an infinite lifespan, it was a fate almost worse than death.

"Alkyone," Derinoe whispered as she arrived at the first cell. She had been the mastermind behind their plot as well as the former captain of Hippolyta's royal guard.

"What do you want, Derinoe?" An annoyed voice answered after a delayed pause. It had been years since she'd heard anything from her. Once, long ago, they had been friends, but that had all changed with her imprisonment.

"I came to apologize."

"Apologize?" Alkyone retorted in a bewildered tone. "It's thirteen years too late for that!" Not once during her stay had the haggard Amazon bothered to pay her a visit.

"I know I didn't speak up in your defense at the trial." Alkyone's trial had been speedy and swift with no deliberations. No one, including Derinoe, had spoken in her favor.

"Have you merely come to remind me of that wretched day?" The former captain growled. If not for the jail bars, Derinoe would've seen the literal daggers being glared at her.

"No," Derinoe meekly replied. Her anger was palpable, and rightfully so for what had been done to her. "I came to say you were right."

"I was right?" Alkyone parroted, moving closer to the bars that stood between them. Only three Amazons, who happened to be jailed along with her, had believed the prophecy about Diana.

"Yes, you were right about everything. She really is the dragon you predicted her to be."

"What do you mean?" Alkyone demanded as her hands squeezed the bars that trapped her. Derinoe had been staunchly loyal to Hippolyta's daughter during that whole ordeal.

"The truth has finally been revealed to me, sister. All will be unveiled to you as well...after I free you."

Age 750 (2000) Areopagus, The abode of Ares

"So you still won't tell me what the end goal of your scheming is?"

"Nope." Strife casually replied with a shrug, causing the frown on her brother's face to grow deeper.

"You know I could torture you until you disclose everything, right? You are, after all, in my domain." Ares's power was at its peak in his realm. With the snap of his fingers, he could easily summon his army to assist him if he wished it.

"Oh please, brother, enough with the empty threats. You and I both know you won't do it." The goddess of discord rolled her eyes as she took a sip from her glass of wine. Dionysus had specially brewed this concoction today.

"And why wouldn't I?" Ares inquired. In truth, his sister was indeed correct; he was merely bluffing. With as many enemies as he had on Olympus, the god of war didn't need to make one out of the only sibling he was on good terms with.

"Because if you do that, I won't tell you what Daddy's big secret is."

"Secret?" Ares absentmindedly mumbled to himself. "What secret? What is Zeus hiding from us? Tell me now before..."

Ares's words were left trailing as Strife's finger silenced his lips. "Do you ever stop talking, brother?" She huffed in an exasperated sigh. "I will tell you everything...in due time. You'll get to play a part in all this as well."

Ares scowled, nearly opening his mouth to voice his disapproval but silenced himself. "How long will all of this take?"

"Oh...not too long. Things down below are beginning to heat up as we speak. Just take a look." Strife said as she pointed to a portal displaying a live stream of the Earth. "They've finally collected all of the Dragonballs."

Age 750 (2000), Karin Forest

My mother, the Amazons, and the gods themselves are depending on me...but how can I betray my friends? I knew it would come down to this eventually, but...but...I never honestly thought about the implications! Since I've met Goku, he's become my best friend. Master Roshi, Bulma, Krillin, Yamcha, heck, even Oolong have been nothing but kind to me. How can I repay them like this? How can I steal Upa's opportunity to see his father again?

Since birth, I've been taught to abide by Amazon law. Mother ordered me not to return home until I completed my mission, and now I have. I could simply fly away and not look back, but I would be betraying the best friend I've ever had. Mother also taught me to do what's right and follow my heart, but my heart is in conflict with her orders. Why did I have to be chosen for this mission? What do the gods even want with the Dragonballs?

Questioning them right now won't change my situation, so it's pointless anyway. I need to make a decision and fast. Goku's about to summon the dragon. Do I follow my orders and betray my friends? Or do I listen to my heart and go against everything I've ever known? Blessed and merciful Athena, help me make the right decision!

"Diana, will you do the honors?" Goku asked with a cheeky smile as he placed the Dragonballs in her hands. "It's only fair since you've helped me collect so many of them."

There's no more time to think...this is the moment of truth!

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 9!

A/N: Only two more chapters to go until we're done with the Dragonball era in this story. To all the reviewers who have been asking about Superman and Batman, they'll be appearing in the next two chapters. They haven't really been relevant to this story, but they will be now. We're finally getting to the meat of this story. The Saiyan saga will start in the upcoming chapters.

[1]: As I've stated in previous chapters, various pantheons of gods exist in this Universe. The Kai's are their own pantheon; the Olympians are their own pantheon, and so forth. This, of course, means their respective versions of the afterlife exist as well. This is the first real mention of it in the story, though. The Amazons are well aware of the existence of other deities, but they have no real bearing on their lives. The Greek gods pretty much do everything for them. The mutual co-existence of these afterlives will be explained in greater detail later on in the story.

Q/A:

Aztec 13: I haven't read Superman Unchained.

Tarrangar: You're right. It was a copout, but it was a necessary copout. I didn't completely erase the possibility of non-DBZ characters being able to use Ki; I just said that they couldn't use it for the most part. Making everyone able to use Ki takes away from its uniqueness and unnecessarily overpowers certain characters. Someone like Captain Marvel is already powerful enough, but he'd overpowered with the additional ability to use Ki.

Rowknan: The previous chapter could have used a bit more body, but Dragonball is not the focal point of this story. Once we actually get to the meat of this story, you'll look back and realize how insignificant it was for the most part. Also, I have a poll on my profile asking the preferred length of the chapters, and 4-5K words has the most votes.

Kabuto S. Inferno: I hope this chapter didn't have as many grammatical errors as the previous one did. I'm not necessarily sure I'll do a BOG scenario in this story, but Whis and Beerus will most definitely be making an appearance.

Darkmist111: Gohan is named after Grandpa Gohan; there would be no need for a name change. Gohan isn't going to be a bookworm in this story.

Guest: Yes, I'll be adding DC heroes to the Saiyan and Frieza arcs.

Lostgamer64: The Justice League won't form, in full, for a while.

Guest: As I said in the previous chapter, it's fanfiction. If you want to see the canon pairings, you can watch the series or read fanfiction's with them in it. I'm not changing any of the pairings I have planned.

Skelo: It wasn't a plot hole. The previous chapter featured a time skip. Goku regrew his tail during that period.