Thoughts
Computer Speech
"Speech"
Disclaimer: DC and the Dragonball Franchise belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.
Chapter 24: Emissary I: Square One
Age 762 (2012), Mojave Desert, USA
"Another one bites the dust." Turles chuckled from the skies above as he watched Superman languish over his friend's body. He couldn't understand why the Kryptonian cared so deeply for these Earthling's when his power was so far beyond theirs. But if Kal-El so greatly longed for his fallen friends, he would be more than glad to reunite them once more.
"You...you...monster!" Clark screamed as he finally released Tien's body. That was his third friend who had died today. Enough was enough!
"Oh, is the poor little Kryptonian finally getting angry?" Turles goaded as he outstretched his palm. "There's no reason to cry though...you'll be meeting him soon enough!"
In a flash a luteous light exploded from the Saiyan's palm, seemingly catching the Kryptonian off guard. A small explosion ensued as the area of the blast was instantly vaporized.
"I've already delayed far too much, wasting my time on these pathetic fools," Turles mumbled to himself as he examined the now desolate landscape. It appeared the Kryptonian had died with that surprise attack. "I should have conserved my energy but I should be able to remain stealthy enough to avoid….impossible!" Turles eyes expanded to the size of saucers as he watched the man of steel once again materialize on the ground below.
"How did you..."
"I can't tell you all my secrets." Clark responded with a smile. In truth, he had avoided the attack by simply vibrating his molecules to the point he had practically become intangible. Unfortunately, Tien's body had been destroyed as a result. But with the Dragonball's help, everyone who had died today could be revived. But that was totally dependent on Turles defeat.
"Time and time again you surprise me Kryptonian. You may very well learn the secret behind our two species war."
"Forget it, I don't care." Kal-El grimaced. In all honesty, he longed to know the reason behind their war, but there were far more pressing matters at hand. "The only thing that matters now is your defeat."
"My defeat?" Goku's doppelganger parroted. "How do you propose to do that when you and your trio of compatriots couldn't accomplish such a feat?"
"I..I'm not sure." The man of steel replied, apprehension clear in his voice. "But for the sake of all those who have fallen- I must!"
"Those are bold words coming from a soon to be...dead man!"
In a millisecond Turles was gone, his white aura blazing as he raced down from the sky to greet the Kryptonian below. Clark was once again caught off guard, narrowly managing to raise a forearm to deflect his attacker's blow as he struck. The bounty hunter frowned, slight irritation shining through before he launched a knee at Superman's face. It landed, striking with the force of thunder. The surrounding landscape seemingly shrieked as cracks began to form underneath the two fighter's heels.
Superman was dazed, his skull pounded as his vision grew blurry, but the man of steel remained put. His knees, however, were forced to buckle as Turles fist slammed into his stomach. The distinct sound of bones crunching, his bones, rattled Clark's eardrums as the Saiyan began to let loose. Strike after brutal strike peppered his normally invulnerable skin. A conglomeration of blood and spit spewed forth from his lips as Turles knuckles dragged deeper into his skin.
Kal-El's suit, which had sustained minimal damage till this point, was torn to shreds wherever the fists landed. Turles attacks had never stung so hard before. It was now vividly clear that the Saiyan was exerting all his power. He was hoping to end this as quickly as possible. As the blows rained down in droves, each doubling the force of the previous strike, the Kryptonian's eyes began to roll back.
"It's pointless to keep on fighting...just give in!" Turles screamed as he pumped Ki into his attacks.
But Clark would not fall, there were far too many people depending on him. Who's going to stop him if I don't? His bones may have been weary and his body was weak, but he still possessed other abilities. Jolting his eyes open Clark discharged his heat vision. At this close of a range, it was sure to at least scorch his opponent. Sure enough, Turles instantly retreated, his indignant screams filling the air as he backpedaled with haste.
This granted Superman a brief moment to breathe, but not for long. In less than a minute the bounty hunter was back on the offensive. His heat vision had managed to torch him, though, as evidenced by the new burn marks on his armor. But there was no time to dwell on that as Turles quickly ejected Ki beams from his hands. Kal-El's head was put on a swivel as he was forced to deflect the attacks from all angles.
Moving with superhuman speed Clark managed to divert most of them, slapping them harmlessly into the sky. But the damage he had sustained earlier in the battle came back to haunt him, seriously hampering his speed. One Ki beam slipped past his defenses, a painful detonation soon following. The man of steel was blown back hundreds of yards before skidding to an eventual halt. Blood seeped from his lips as he struggled to stand, clutching a now shattered rib.
Surprisingly, though, Turles maintained his distance. The Saiyan was still apprehensive from their prior engagement. As much as he hated to admit it, those rays from his eyes had inflicted a lot more damage than he could have ever predicted. With hard work and dedication, it could be honed into a deadly weapon, but his opponent would never receive such time from him. He would bring this battle to an end momentarily.
With his opponent remaining steadfast, Clark decided to spring into his action. Keeping distance between the two of them was the wisest course of action for now. He couldn't afford to sustain any more damage if he hoped to survive this encounter. Heat vision had caught Turles off guard previously, but he doubted the Saiyan would be made a fool of twice. Super breath it was then.
Exhaling deeply, gale force winds ejected from his lungs.
Age 762 (2012), Gotham, USA
"Master Bruce, everything is prepared."
"Thank you, Alfred." Batman curtly replied as he began to make his way towards the Batplane. Though it was subtle, hidden barely below the surface, Alfred could sense his nervousness.
It was plain as day to his ever faithful attendant who had been by his side through all these years. To the outward world, this was the same old typically confident dark knight. His pitch black cowl consumed his face, save for an ever-present scowl. His specially made suit was reinforced by Promethium, one of the hardest known alloys to man. Visually, he appeared poised but a slight misstep in his stride said it all.
"Are you totally sure about this master Bruce?" Alfred questioned as the CEO of Wayne industries slid into the cockpit.
"If not me, then who Alfred?" Batman didn't even spare him a glance as he began fidgeting with the plane's controls. This was the fastest vehicle in his possession. At one time it had even been faster than Clark was during his early stint as Superboy.
"That is true, but I've seen how you've mauled over the schematics for this device night and day. Your preparation has never been this intense, and even earlier today you still doubted it's capabilities."
"That was because I lacked a proper test subject- nothing more." Bruce quickly corrected. He hadn't sidelined himself without good reason. Mere miles away from Gotham, New York had witnessed the Saiyan's power first hand. It was already being considered the most devastating event in human history. The Hiroshima bomb during World War two had at least produced survivors, but in the case of Manhattan; there was nothing left.
"I understand that, but what will you do in the event that this device fails? Surely you don't intend to fight those Saiyans? At least not like this."
"I'll do whatever I have to." The dark knight retorted rather grimly, his tone matching his nickname.
"But you'll die if that is the case!" Alfred exclaimed. His hands swaying in exclamation to his point. He had already lived through one generation of Wayne family deaths- he could not afford another one.
"I knew what I was getting myself into when I dawned this mask." Bruce replied as he finally turned to face his butler. His eyes narrowed making it ever clear that there was no dissuading him from the path that he was about to venture on.
Sighing regrettably, the gray-haired man halted any further arguments. "As the very least take some extra weapons or another suit for that matter."
"It's inconsequential. I've already taken and supplied my standard utility belt. I can't be lugging around any unnecessary weapons too," There was an array of tools Gotham's protector could have utilized for this mission, but he only needed one. "And besides, this mission is all about stealth anyways. How swift could I be if I used one of the larger suits at my disposal?"
Alfred couldn't argue there. The suit Bruce had previously used during his scuffle with Raditz would draw far too much-unwanted attention. "But won't they see you coming regardless of what you wear, considering their scouters?"
Alfred couldn't help but smile as he noticed a slight twitch in master Bruce's jaw. He was right.
"You are correct, but I've taken some necessary precautions against that. That's what all those nights fervently studying Ki was for. I only had brief contact with Raditz when he wore his, but it was enough to garner the idea that it works similarly to Goku's ability to sense Ki. He can only sense the energy of living things. But by masking my Ki signal, which I've equipped this plane to do through nanotechnology, I'll be untraceable." A rare smile tugged at Bruce's lips as he finished his words. Though he couldn't match the Saiyans on a physical level, his intellect was more than enough to put them on equal ground.
"And the nanotechnology will…."
"Activate once I press the lever," Bruce interrupted, motioning to the button on his right-hand side. "Flooding the cockpit with nanobots which will cover me from head to toe."
"Wow, you've really outdone yourself this time," Just when Alfred had thought he'd seen the height of his technological capabilities, Bruce sprung this on him. "And what of the device in your utility belt?"
It wasn't merely a device- it was a gun. Batman rarely brandished them, even in life or death situations but this was a matter concerning more lives than simply his own. But it was not the same simple weapon that any thug of the street could buy, no, it was far more dangerous, but only to those with Saiyan blood. But that was why only he could use it. He hoped to never use it again after today's formalities were over but he would keep it just in case.
The idea for the gun's subsequent creation had been formed after arduous work deciphering a Saiyan's physiology. Batman had lacked a blood sample, or any body tissue for that matter, to solidly test his hypothesis, but he was assured it was true. Superman's source of power was the sun. The same was sure to be true for any fellow Kryptonian, though the dark knight had yet to meet one besides Clark. But Saiyans however, lacked an external power source, so whence came their abilities?
Goku had to consume inhumane amounts of food on a daily basis. The same was true for his son Gohan, though to a lesser extent. Diana had previously told him stories of their younger years of occasions when Goku was near powerless due to a lack of sustenance. From this Bruce deciphered that Saiyans possessed monstrous metabolisms that required barbarous portions of food for energy. In theory, all someone would need to do was zap said Saiyan of that energy.
Bruce had toiled night and day to craft the perfect device. He had gone through several shape designs before finally settling on a gun. If all went well, he would only need to fire the bullet into the Saiyan and let the elixir inside the specially made bullet take hold. All he would need was a clear shot and enough time to dispatch it. Hopefully, a fellow hero would assist him in that endeavor.
"The gun is safe and secured Alfred."
"Well, then it appears you have everything in order," It was not his place to tell Bruce not to go, but he only feared for his safety. For all intensive purposes, Gotham's villains were regular mortals. Batman was about to go up against an intergalactic warrior species. "All I can truly say then is to be careful."
"I will be," Bruce replied in monotone as the ship's hatch began to close. This was the life had chosen and there was no way around it. But at the very least he could appease an old friend's worry. "Have dinner ready for me when I get back."
With an affirmative head nod, Alfred turned as he began to take his leave "As you wish master Bruce."
Age 762 (2012), Paprika Wasteland, Chikyu
Vegeta screamed as his body once again exploded with pain. Kakarot's new found power was remarkable; he had almost surpassed him now. For the past several minutes, the Saiyan prince had been bombarded with bone shattering attacks and techniques. He hadn't felt this much agony since his days serving directly under Frieza's heels.
Skidding to a halt, Vegeta attempted to compose himself. He quickly hopped to his feet, only for Goku to greet him with a knee to the face. He staggered back, feet nearly tripping over one another. Recovering instantly he launched a right hook at Goku's face, only to be left frustrated as it passed through an after image.
Vegeta immediately spun around as he heard the sound of feet landing. But as soon as he did so, his face was hit with a strong knee to the jaw, sending him stumbling back. He tried to regain his composure but was met with a rib-cracking punch to his abdomen before he could. His knees caved in sending him tumbling to the ground. But before he could crash into the pillar, Goku's foot collided harshly with his face, sending him soaring through the air.
Chikyu's hero quickly followed up, appearing behind him, still in flying motion. Bringing his leg down, he slammed it into the prince's back sending him crashing through several rocks clusters.
The prince quickly recovered from the attack, shouting his way out of the debris. With an enraged shout, he shot towards the sky, blue aura streaking along the way.
A shockwave reverberated as they met in mid-air, fists clashing against one another. Swinging his hand with the weight of the world, Goku brought it down upon Vegeta's face. Lightning crackled as it collided, causing the prince to reel back in pain.
Goku immediately charged forward hoping to capitalize on the opening only to be meet with a sharp kick to the face. He soared back but was pulled forward by Vegeta as he tugged his throat.
Gaining enough distance, Vegeta slammed his fist into his face. He smirked as he felt a bone snap along the way. His joy vanished quickly, though, as Goku recovered and retaliated with his own fist, hitting Vegeta directly in the face.
"ARGH"
Vegeta growled as he roared forward, tossing multiple jabs at Diana's husband. Goku frowned, moving his hands rapidly to slap and block all of the blows, further angering Vegeta.
"You impudent fool!"
The rate of the punches increased as Vegeta observed their failure. After several seconds of blocked attacks, he switched strategies and abruptly kneed Goku in the stomach.
Goku immediately dropped his guard, moving his hands to clutch his now throbbing gut. Vegeta grinned before he dispensed a brutal combination of punches and kicks, upon the reeling warrior. Goku screamed as they landed, pain tingling throughout his body.
After a minute of continuous assaults, he halted, taking a moment to form Ki in his hands. Goku's eyes widened as he sensed what was coming next. Vegeta ejected the topaz ball of Ki, sending him rocketing away.
Following up, the prince charged, extending his legs to meet him. But his foot never reached its target, as Goku's hands grasped and clasped his foot. Spinning around he gained momentum before he promptly tossed Goku into the air.
Gohan's father soared for several feet before he finally regained himself. His head was aching and vertigo was taking its toll. He quickly dismissed those feelings as he observed Vegeta approach once more. He decided not to stick around and promptly vanished from sight.
Vegeta halted mid-flight and growled- Kakarot was truly a pest. His eyes darted around as he attempted to locate his foe. Kakarot's was practically equal to him in speed, meaning the advantage he'd held before was negated.
A jolt of pain coursed through his ribs as Goku appeared with his fist submerged in his side. Vegeta wasn't even able to give a proper gasp before Goku struck again, completely catching him off guard. Various parts of his body erupted in pain, as multiple blows landed. The pace and ferociousness of the hits were incredible! With one final gut-wrenching fist, Goku retreated from the assault and backed off.
"Delicious…those blows were absolutely delicious!" Vegeta licked the blood off his face and turned towards a disgusted Goku. "You've presented me with a challenge I didn't possibly think I'd receive on this planet. For that, I'll quicken your death when I kill you."
Goku's lips twitched before they formed a smirk. "Just shut up and fight, you've been running your mouth the whole fight; show me what you've got!"
Vegeta reciprocated the facial expression. "With pleasure!"
Charging forward a couple of steps, Vegeta swung his fist. Goku's body involuntarily budged as his neck twisted back from the blow. A slight frown crossed Goku's fac before he retaliated with a fist of his own. The left jab caught air, as Vegeta vanished once more.
The irritated hero let out a grunt, and turned, only to be greeted with an unexpected elbow to the ribs. A knee to the chin, quickly gave Goku another reason to grunt, but out of pain. As he elevated higher into the sky, Vegeta's other elbow rammed into his neck, forcing him down. An axe-handle smash sent Chikyu's hero spiraling through the sky.
Nearing collision with the ground, Goku halted his descent. Growling, he turned and rocketed back towards the sky. Vegeta was ready, and greeted Goku with a pair of fist and kicks, as he arrived. Chikyu's hero parried them all, before returning the favor with some of his own. The prince mimicked Goku's moves and simply parried them all. After a few moments of relentless combo's, the two warriors broke apart. The two warriors flashed a quick grin before they vanished from sight.
The sky and landscape were soon filled with the explosions and shock waves as the two warriors, collided simultaneously. Multiple blows were thrown, and blocked, resulting in numerous sonic booms. The super-speed battle was abruptly ended, as Vegeta was punched out of mach-12. Goku immediately pounced on the opening, expelling multiple celeste beams of Ki at Vegeta. The still dazed Saiyan had no time to react and was promptly struck by all of them.
The smoke resulting from their detonation soon cleared, revealing an orb of energy surrounding the prince. Dropping his hands, the prince charged forward, extending his right fist.
There was a massive clap of thunder as Goku vaulted through the air. The Saiyan wasted no time and quickly followed up. Appearing behind the hero, Vegeta fired a Ki beam directly into his back. Goku gasped in pain, as he was thrust forward. His flight finally ended as he collided pillar of stone.
"You can't possibly hope to keep up with the power of an elite!"
Goku stirred from the rubble, awaking to Vegeta's booming voice. "Shut up you talk too much!"
Goku burst free from the debris and charged, cardinal aura streaking along with him. He approached cocking his fist back. Vegeta instantly mirrored the move and charged forward, to meet him half way.
The air surrounding them exploded as they clashed. Jumping back, the duo lashed out with a pair of quick jabs, which were quickly negated by each one another. After a minute of fruitless fighting, the combatants retreated once more. Their stern gazes met briefly, as they took time to inhale.
Catching their breaths, the two warriors once again lunged at each other, coiling their fists back in preparation. Goku was left gawking as his fist passed through, leaving him floating alone. Feeling an accumulation of Ki directly behind him, Diana's husband turned, only to be greeted with a fist to the face.
Stumbling, he attempted to gather himself, only to meet with yet another blow, this time in the form of a knee. His pain was quickly amplified by as Vegeta fired a Ki beam at point blank range.
The luminous blast illuminated the sky briefly, before it faded way, sending Goku soaring through the air. Finally stumbling to a halt, Goku received some respite. Taking a brief moment he dusted himself off and surveyed his body for any new battle scars.
Glancing at his chest, he frowned as he observed the scorch marks ingrained firmly in his flesh. That last blast had really been something, he doubted how much longer he could keep this up. Maybe he needed to kick it up a notch.
He paused, rubbing his chin, as he pondered the possible outcomes of using Kaio-kenx4. His body strained to handle x3 but was doing so perfectly. Unfortunately, Vegeta was still slightly more powerful than him. Kaio-kenx4 would give him the edge he needed if his body didn't combust from using it.
He decided against it, King Kai had specifically warned him about using it. He just hoped Vegeta didn't have any more tricks up his sleeve or he would be forced to play that card. Discarding the thought, he remembered he had more pressing matters at hand, as Vegeta was presently charging towards him.
Tossing his hands up an X-like motion, Goku covered himself and took the brunt of the blows. He dropped his guard and was startled by the discovery that his opponent had vanished. His aura surged to life as he sensed a spike in Ki nearby, and took off towards it.
Vegeta smirked as he viewed his approach, and discharged multiple Ki beams to greet him with. Goku phased in and out of sight, managing to evade every last ball and promptly landed before the prince.
Swinging his hand back, he thrust it forward, only for it to end up clashing with Vegeta's own fist. A small shockwave ensued, pushing both warriors back slightly. Goku's cardinal aura flashed as he attempted another strike.
His fist collided this time, though not it's original target. His face fell, as Vegeta tightened his grip around his knuckles. He squirmed and struggled but was unable to break free of the iron-clad grip. After several seconds of the struggle, Goku simply flashed his aura burning Vegeta's hand along the way.
The prince stumbled back, frantically waving his arms in attempts to disperse the flames in his palm. It was to no avail and only served to supply Goku with an opening. Diana's husband lunged forward, quickly submerging his fist into the prince's face.
Vegeta's head snapped back in pain from the blow, and shock, resulting from the fact he'd allowed such a grievous mistake.
The relentless earth bred Saiyan quickly followed up, successively hammering his fists, into the now reeling prince's gut. On the last strike Vegeta's knees, along with his vomit gave way, collapsing to the floor.
Goku took a quick moment to inhale the diminutive victory, goading over the fallen Saiyan. But as he snapped back to reality, he realized his opponent was not done by any means- he had to end this now.
Elevating off the rock, Goku ascended high into the sky, several hundred yards away from his enemy Summoning Ki to his fingertips, he released and hailed multiple beams of energy down upon the Saiyan.
A successive flow of explosions resonated as the attacks all converged and impacted their target. Wanting to take no chances, Goku continued firing, summoning, even more, beams into his grasp and thrusting them down at the Saiyan prince.
As the landscape around him crumbled, Goku realized he'd done enough and relinquished the balls of Ki in his grasp. Smiling to himself, he felt assured that his job had been done. He'd never been proud of killing an opponent, but Vegeta was one of the few opponents who'd truly deserved it. Hopefully, Vegeta wouldn't be too much of hassle for King Yemma at the welcome desk.
"I'd better get back to Gohan, I can't wait to catch up on…."
"YOU WON'T BE CATCHING UP ON ANYTHING KAKAROT!"
Goku's heart jumped at the sound of the voice, it wasn't possible for him to still be alive!
"Did you really think that weak bombardment of blasts would suffice to kill me? You're more of a fool than Nappa was!"
Vegeta paused taking a moment to observe himself. His armor was smoking and several pieces of it were cracked.
"I didn't come to this backwater planet to be embarrassed by the likes of you! A mere third class warrior standing up to me….the mere thought is…. ridiculous! You should be cowering in fear at my might, but instead, you stand, challenging it! I' had plans for this planet, but forget them. I only want to watch your blood drip!"
Goku winced, feeling the mounting energy circulating around Vegeta
"The Dragonballs have become expendable, your blood is much more appetizing now!" A wicked grin formed on Vegeta's face. "Prepare to die!"
Vegeta took off like a rocket. Before Goku could even blink he was on him, hand cocked back in preparation to strike. Diana's husband could only cry in agony as it landed, new sensations of pain assaulting him.
The prince immediately followed the attack up with a spinning left kick. Goku attempted to raise his arms to guard but was sent reeling back from the force as it landed. Numbness quickly overtook his right hand, the one he'd used attempting to block Vegeta's leg. With one reliable hand left, he attempted to parry the rest of the furious assault.
It was a complete disaster as Vegeta's attacks were too powerful and expeditious for him to even see. He was left crying in pain and anguish as each blow struck, each mightier than the last. After several minutes of Goku's cries bombarding the air, Vegeta retracted slowly and accumulated Ki into his left palm.
"Let's see how you handle this…Maximum Flasher"
A yellow stream of light streaked towards Goku, colliding at point blank range.
BOOM!
A massive cloud of smoke formed over the battlefield as the attack finally died down. Vegeta dropped his guard, smirking at his handiwork. His pride instantly dissipated as he viewed Goku step out of the lingering smoke.
'How did you…."
"Kaio-ken"
Vegeta grit his teeth as he clenched his fist. That damn attack was a life saver to Kakarot. He'd seen a similar technique, years ago, on a purging mission, but its effectiveness was nowhere near this level. Without it, Kakarot would have surely been dead by now.
"That ability is the only reason you're alive right now."
Goku remained indifferent, knowing fully well that it was the truth. "It doesn't matter you can't beat me anyway."
"We'll have to see about that won't we Kakarot?"
Rushing to re-engage Goku, Vegeta fired multiple beams of Ki at him. As Goku slapped the last of them away, Vegeta materialized in front of him. Thrusting his hands forward, he submerged his fist into the confines of Goku's stomach. Chikyu's hero gasped as the fist dug deep into his abdomen. The sickening sound of bones collapsing reached Vegeta's ears, causing a slight grin to form on his face.
Unrelenting, Vegeta followed up with a roundhouse kick. his elbow soon gave Goku another reason to stagger back. Capitalizing on the opening, Vegeta brought his fists together and sent Kakarot flying. He careened uncontrollably towards the ground before a humongous light consumed his path. A tremendous explosion and a gust of wind followed as the light engulfed Goku.
Vegeta paused, pondering his next course of action. Kakarot had given him an excellent fight, one that any Saiyan would be proud of having. He'd never expected Raditz sibling to be so powerful. If only he'd decided to join with his Saiyan brethren, then they could have conquered the galaxy.
Vegeta frowned, thinking about the prospects of being the last Saiyan in the Universe. If he followed through with his plan, he'd be the only full-blooded member of his race left. Maybe he should keep Kakarot around, after all, he could prove to be a sparring partner.
His face blanched at the thought. No! he wouldn't allow Kakarot to live, he'd caused far too much trouble already. He immediately decided on how he wanted to end the battle. Galick Gun should be more than enough to kill him and destroy this pitiful planet!
Goku staggered to his feet still dazed from the brutal combo. That last Ki blast had really done a number on him and he was lucky to even be breathing. His eyes shot up, as he observed Vegeta high in the sky. What's he doing? Is he preparing for another attack?
Curling his fingers, Vegeta placed both his hands together at chest level. The palms of his hands, faced outward in the opposite direction as he pumped energy into them.
"Ga….."
Goku immediately realized what the Saiyan was doing. He was caught in a tight position. Any Ki based attack would do no harm to the prince, and an outright frontal attack would result in him being incinerated by the blast. The only thing Goku could do was summon his own Ki.
"Kamehame…"
Sizzling aubergine light now completely enveloped the prince. The energy crackled wildly, as it abounded and grew.
"Lick…."
Goku's muscles bulged as he poured more Ki into his fingertips. The sheer Ki radiating offVegeta nearly dwarfed his entire being, he would need to pour every ounce of energy into this blast.
"Gun!"
"Ha!"
The surrounding landscape shattered and crumbled to pieces as the two warriors' attacks converged upon one another. The two massive beams of energy; one purple, one blue, slammed into each other in mid-air. The remaining pillars of stone collapsed as two engaged in a tug of war.
Goku's eyes widened at the sheer size of Vegeta's blast. If his attack managed to hit the Earth, the planet would be completely annihilated. Gritting his teeth, his cardinal aura flashed, as his muscles surged with new power. Vegeta was unrelenting and poured, even more, Ki into his own attack, causing the beam to slowly overtake Goku's own.
Goku's eyes bulged as he observed the purple ray descend even closer towards the Earth. His muscles swelled up once more as he pulled more Ki into the attack, causing the Kamehameha to slowly regain ground.
Vegeta scowled at the sight. Even at his full power, using his most powerful technique, he still failed to overtake a third class warrior? NO! Vegeta wouldn't have it. His Ki burst to new heights, as the aura surrounding him cackled with new life.
Goku was once again left on the losing side of this struggle. Digging his feet into what remained of the dirt, he managed to withhold his ground. He continued pouring more Ki, only for his beam to instead lose ground in the tug of war.
He frowned, screaming at the top of his lungs as he pushed more Ki into the blast. The result once again remained the same, with Vegeta's Galick Gun maintaining its dominance over his blast.
"Kakarot prepare for your oblivion! I warned you that a third class warrior such as yourself couldn't possibly hope to match an elite warrior! FAREWELL KAKKAROT!"
Goku's eyes expanded to inhuman lengths as he observed the blast completely overtake his own. He ground his teeth as he attempted to pull more Ki into the blast, but found none. Damn it! I can't just let the Earth and everyone die, they're all depending on me! I can't afford to lose this battle, I have to win it for everyone!
Shouting at the top of his lungs, Goku realized what he had to do. I'm sorry king Kai, I promised not to do it, but I have no other choice. This battle needs to end now! I have to take it past even Kaiokenx4. Forgive me, King Kai
"Kaio-kenx5!"
Age 762 (2012), Mojave Desert, USA
Superman and Turles struggle came to an immediate end as both warriors glanced towards the sky. Their battle had seemed monumental, but the titanic bout overhead completely eclipsed anything either one of them had done. While Clark stood in shock and awe, trying to decipher what was going on, Turles immediately understood the situation at hand. Vegeta was attempting to destroy the planet.
Turles had witnessed that attack, first hand, on another planet. The Saiyan prince was not aware of his existence, but the bounty hunter had kept close tabs on him. From the look of the gigantic purple beam, it was his Galick Gun. It was an incredibly potent attack and was capable of decimating an opponent instantly. But who, besides him, on this planet, required that amount of power to be beaten?
Kal-El's reaction was one of pure freight. The tug-of-war in the sky was getting too close for comfort. Each beam swayed back and forth, never revealing a true winner. With his superhuman senses, he could tell Goku was in the fight of his life. He had never heard his friend's chest palpitate so rapidly. If the opposing beam managed to overtake his- the Earth was doomed!
Goku you have to beat him!
But suddenly, out of nowhere, the clash of lights- ended. The red beam that had nearly been engulfed by the purple light surged forward with newfound energy that astonished both Superman and Turles. With enlarged eyes they watched the spectacle, observing the purple beam dissipate and fizzle out of reality. A mutual smile was shared by both combatants, for different reasons.
Turles smile was gleeful out of the knowledge that Vegeta was now more than likely defeated. Superman was overjoyed that the Earth was safe, for the time being. But his smile quickly vanished as he heard the muscles in Goku's body begin to give out. He could literally hear the tendons in his body snapping. Several of his bones shattered as Chikyu's hero dropped to the ground.
No! I can't afford to lose another friend today! I have to do something!
Kal-El turned to leave, instantly rushing to the skies but was brought back as Turles gripped him from behind.
"And just where do you think you're going Kryptonian?"
"Damn it."
Superman let out a rare curse as the Saiyan held him by his cape.
"With Vegeta now taken care of, once I eliminate you- I'll finally be able to achieve my goals."
Superman was left defenseless as the Saiyan rammed his elbow into his back. He sputtered forward, blood seeping from his lips as he attempted to collect himself. His opponent allowed him no such time as he materialized before him. Pain was the immediate sensation that pounded his face as a swift kick sent him sailing. Patches of gravel greeted the Kryptonian's face as he slid across the desert.
Eventually landing, face first, Clark pulled himself out of the crater he had inadvertently formed. As he shook off the loose patches of dirt from his hair, as Turles appeared once more, towering over him. There was a flash of orange light, followed by an agonizing explosion. Clouds of smoke began to fill the air as the bounty hunter continued firing. Shot after harrowing shot rang out across the desolate landscape as Kal-EL desperately tried to defend himself.
The man of steel had managed to throw his hands up in the nick of time, creating a barrier around his face. However, his hands could not remain still forever. The pain was becoming too much. Sensations that he rarely, if ever, felt were consuming his being. At this rate, he would be lucky if he were able to sustain consciousness. He needed a way out, and fast.
Heat Vision? Frost Breath? Maybe Super breath again?
Fortunately for the Kryptonian, a saving grace arrived, though not in the form of any one of his abilities. A Batarang emerged, zooming over his shoulder, and into the unknown clouds of smoke.
"Bruce?" Kal-El said, barely above a whisper. So low he doubted whether the words had even been uttered by him.
"Don't thank me just yet." Batman smirked as he offered a hand to assist his comrade. Clark quickly latched onto it, pulling himself up to eye level with the dark knight.
"When did you?"
"Just now."
"How did you…?"
"The Batplane. I'm guessing you didn't hear me due to the precarious situation you were just in." Bruce answered before Superman could even finish his sentence.
"Well, yeah, about that…."
"We can discuss it later. How about we focus on the angry Saiyan stampeding towards us first though?"Clark's eyes darted over as Batman outstretched his finger.
"What was that?!" An incensed Turles demanded as he clutched his chest. He was still coughing and wheezing from whatever had flown out of that infernal device.
"A Batarang equipped with a neurotoxin. It's not enough to defeat you, but it should slow you down some."
"I should have known better!" Goku's doppelganger screamed as he felt its effects begin to take hold. "You pitiful Kryptonian's never fought fair. Your death will be even more excruciating now!"
Bruce and Clark were forced to split up as Turles abruptly lunged at them. A brow rose on Superman's face as he watched the dark knight land to his left. The Saiyan's speed had been tremendous at the onset of this battle. Batman should have been killed by that lunge but had somehow avoided it. Bruce's concoction was already working.
The lack of speed did not go unnoticed by Turles, who growled as he charged towards Gotham's protector. Even at a heightened disadvantage, the Saiyan still managed to prevail, striking Batman with a hard fist to the chest. One of Bruce's ribs gave out immediately under the weight of the blow. The metal alloy plating his suit had spared him from it's harshest potential consequence, but the pain still echoed.
Batman backpedaled away, hoping to gain as much distance as possible but the bounty hunter remained fresh on his heels.
"You're not going anywhere!"
Batman screamed as the Saiyan's knuckle entrenched itself underneath his chin. Multiple pairs of teeth went flying as he vaulted through the air. But before he finally met the turf he was hoisted into Clark's arms.
"I've got you." Kal-El reassured as he sped the dark knight out of harm's way.
"Instead of running away you need to be providing a distraction." Bruce berated as he pulled himself free from the Kyrptonian's grasp.
"A distraction?" Clark scratched his temple.
"Just provide me with the opportunity to get a clear shot and I'll explain later."
Superman's lips twitched, almost forming a sentence, but he quickly discarded it. He could speak later, and besides, the Saiyan was right behind them.
As Clark spun around he was rammed with a fist to the jaw. The air around the duo popped as the man of steel was flung back. Blood was once again protruding from his lips as Turles began another vicious assault. Hooks, jabs, and uppercuts flowed in a seamless rhythm. The Saiyan's form was nearly perfect. If not for the current situation, Superman could almost admire it.
Bruce, what are you waiting for? Hurry up!
Batman's fingers hovered over the gun's trigger. The pain from that broken bone was coming back to haunt him. But Gotham's hero had a job to do, no matter the cost. There is no pain. Finally pressing down on the trigger, Bruce took aim. A smoking red bullet emerged and soared towards the unaware warrior. Before he knew what hit him, Turles was writhing on the floor.
"What have you done to me?!"
Turles could literally feel his energy vanishing. He had never felt like this before, not even when he had overexerted himself in battle. It was to the point his limbs couldn't even move. He puckered his lips to curse his opponents but lacked the breath to even say a word. His eyes were rolling, and darkness was threatening to overtake him.
"What was that?" Clark asked as he quickly examined the Saiyan's form. Internally there appeared to be nothing wrong. His heart beat remained normal and healthy. But it was clear the Saiyan was in immense pain.
Batman's normally expressionless face displayed a rare smile. "What did you think I was up to all this time while you were preparing for…."
BOOM
The duo's victorious moment was brought to a crashing halt as a swirling vortex suddenly formed.
"Who are you?" Was Batman's immediate question as a mysterious woman emerged from the funnel.
She paid him no mind as she strutted towards her target- Turles. The Saiyan was practically unconscious by the time she reached him.
"You poor thing. We have big plans for you. We can't allow you to succumb to such weaklings." With an effortless tug, she slung the bounty hunter over her shoulders.
The hair's on Kal-El's neck rose as he suddenly snapped back to reality. She was about to get away with a mass murdering monster!
Bruce and Clark quickly dashed to intercept her but were met by an invisible force which flung them on their hinds.
"Mortals," The dark haired woman drawled in an annoyed tone. "I am Intri, and you shall never be able to compete with gods."
Before Superman and Batman could even form a reply, the woman had seemingly teleported over to them. With the gentlest flick of her finger, she thwacked Bruce, knocking him out cold. The man of steel soon joined the detective as the alien woman repeated her actions. However, unlike Bruce, Clark didn't immediately pass out. A pair of spiked heels was the last image he saw before he blacked out.
Age 762 (2012), Paprika Wasteland, Chikyu
Panting heavily, Goku dropped to one knee. That Kamehameha had taken everything out of him. His arms felt like million ton bricks. He lacked the energy to even support himself and soon crashed into the dirt as his knee finally gave out. Pain, searing pain, enveloped his body as he lay motionless. He wanted to scream, to shout, merely to voice the anguish he felt- but lacked the power to even do so.
He could literally feel the tendons in his body exploding as the seconds passed by. His MCL, then his ACL, quickly blew out. The bones that had been cracked or bruised during his earlier scuffle with Vegeta were now breaking down as well. His ribs snapped like twigs. Internally the pain was beyond anything he could fathom. Even when Piccolo had killed him the anguish had not been so torturous.
All Chikyu's hero could do was pray and hope that Vegeta had been slain. Goku had given his all and had even defied King Kai's wishes. The lord of worlds had warned him about the dangers of straining his power. Kaio-kenx4 had been the restriction his sensei had given him. But he had gone far above that, pushing himself to Kaio-kenx5. He was lucky to be breathing, at least for the time being.
As his eyes fluttered his thoughts turned to his missing wife. It had been so long since he had held her, smelled the fragrance of her hair, or just even shared a laugh with her. Her power would have assuredly come in handy during this struggle. He was confident that she could have single handily ended the conflict on her own.
During his stay in Other World, he had implored King Kai to help him find her. But try as he may, the lord of worlds was unable to detect her presence anywhere on Earth. It was as if she had completely vanished. He knew how the hierarchy of afterlives was set up, so it was pointless for him to even search for her beyond the grave. But if Goku somehow managed to survive, he would use every tool at his disposal to find her.
Diana…..
The Earthborn Saiyan's thoughts were interrupted as a small object began to rapidly descend from the sky. Goku's eyes strained as he attempted to get a better view of it. It was moving at a speed that was far beyond any mechanical device. As it reached the midway point between the Earth and the sky, Goku realized what it was. Vegeta!
The battered prince landed a scowl planted on his feet as he slowly walked over to his opponent.
"Did you think you could truly defeat me Kakarot? I am your better! The prince of all Saiyans and you will respect me!"
Chikyu's hero was in no position to fight as Vegeta drew closer to him. His armor was all but broken. Only a few mangled pieces of his breastplate remained. His once gloved hand bled profusely as he outstretched to grab Goku's face. Gohan's father instinctively closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable, but it never came. His eyes were awoken by the sound of a hard crash.
Vegeta collapsed to the ground, mere inches away from completely out of breath. The rage was clear in his eyes as he turned to gaze at Kakarot. He wanted to beat him to a pulp, to grind his bones to ashes, to scatter his atoms across space- but lacked the energy to do so. Pain assaulted the Saiyan from every angle.
"Impossible! A low-class warrior like yourself managed to defeat me?" Astonishment echoed through every word. Never in his wildest dreams did Vegeta imagine meeting his match in a place like this. His father would be disgusted by his weakness.
"I can't say I won, though, just look at me. At best this is a tie." Goku huffed through pained gasps.
The moon isn't in sight yet, but if I can somehow gather my remaining energy I can turn into a Great Ape.
But Vegeta's plan came to a crashing halt as he realized he couldn't even lift his arm. "Curse you Kakarot!" Neither one of them was in a position to do anything at this point.
"I think I've seen enough."
Both warrior's eyes darted over to the voice which had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Glancing upwards the duo noticed a red woman of nearly devilish appearance standing over Vegeta. A full row of yellow teeth gleamed as she reached down and grabbed the prince.
"What are you…!?" Goku's words were cut short as the woman's finger wiggled over his lip.
"You have both impressed me today, but Vegeta needs to remain alive and free for the things to come. There are far darker things than him in the Universe." Her face soured as she thought of her master. These two would be essential for her freedom, and his defeat.
"I'm not going anywhere with you woman!" Vegeta shouted in protest.
"Oh, don't thank me now," She sarcastically replied. "But in the future, remember, that Kaiyo the trickster saved your life." Without a further word the hellish being summoned a portal and stepped into it, leaving Goku alone on the battlefield.
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 23!
Authors Note: If you're going to review as a guest, at the very least, use another name other than guest when reviewing. It makes it hard to reply to your questions when everyone shares the same exact name. But moving on, thanks to everyone for helping me crack 700 reviews. I'm slowly, but surely, getting closer to 1K.
I know many of you may be confused by the ending of this chapter, and who those two women are. A quick google search should answer those questions. They'll play an important role in a story arc that's going to be building up throughout the story. And now what would be the Saiyan arc is officially over. This 'Emissary' storyline will pretty much be a bridge into the Namek saga.
Q/A:
Dude64: I could have finished the Saiyan invasion earlier, but as you saw in this chapter, things were vastly different. A Superman focused arc won't happen for a while actually.
Guest: The characters people have been asking me about haven't been abstracts, though. TOAA is an abstract, none of these characters are. Abstracts are judged differently, and rightfully so.
Rufael: You'll see a lot more of Diana in future story arcs.
Breakawayfan: Mr. Satan will not be taking any credit for anything.
Guest: Cooler will make an appearance
SinisterofRAGE: I have thought about a Z-fighter joining the Green Lanterns. A close reviewer of mine and I have discussed it in depth. SSG Goku won't appear in this story, so I don't have to worry. New 52 Superman would get thrashed by SSG Goku, I agree with you. The Superman in this story is an amalgamated one. Yes, he's primarily centered around the New 52 version considering his age, but his power isn't. Cell couldn't absorb Amazo because Amazo is completely mechanical. The Cell in this story will be much more powerful than he was in canon though, considering the amount of DNA available to create him.
Kabuto S. Inferno: Thanks for pointing out my mistakes as and Nappa removed their scouters at the start of the battle like they did in canon. My favorite DBZ saga is the Buu saga, had a lot of great memories with it. Yes, I've seen the Flash and am currently caught up with it.
Sailor Dragonball 87: The monster inside Dr. Erdel's tube was the Martian Manhunter.
13emstr: Yes, Cell will be stronger than he was in canon.
Uub God Of Destruction: I'm not going to do ROF, I thought it was a redundant movie and I didn't really enjoy it. Those were good choices and I hadn't even thought about those characters- but you're wrong lol. I have something much bigger planned for Supergirl.
Exploding Sun: I'm not mentioning how Frieza is a weakling, I'm merely putting him in his right place. I'm not sure you know which comments I'm responding to, but some of them are vastly overstating his power and giving credence to things he's never even done. Golden Frieza was not the topic of discussion here.
Employee 427: I'm not even sure the Blue Lanterns will exist in this story.
Guest: I will not do an arc similar to Injustice
Guest: The demons in DBZ already have their own realm- Makai.
Guest: 1. I haven't thought that far ahead so I can't answer. 2. Too many spoilers in this question- I can't answer it. 3. The number of Universes in this story are unlimited. 4. I plan on adding some elements from Super, such as SSG, but not everything. 5. I haven't fully planned out this story.
EXTRA 9: 1. I never thought about Lex doing that, but it's a great idea. 2. Vegeta and Bulma will eventually get married. 3. The conflict between the Z-fighters and the Justice League's ideals will come up later.
Chris2828: I do plan on explaining god Ki in this story. Super has done a terrible job of explaining it and thanks for the kind words.
JOEL: 1. That's Brainiac's origin in the DCAU, I'm not going with that version. 2. The Galactic Patrol doesn't exist in this story. 3. Blue Lanterns probably won't even appear in this story. 4. Can't answer – too many potential spoilers. 5. The PTO's territory is the same as in canon. 6. No. 7. There is no secret leader.
Mercwiththemouth: 1. The Wonder Woman you're referring to is the Post-Crisis version, written by George Perez. Keep in mind that the character's in this story are amalgamated ones. This isn't any specific version of WW. Also, WW has multiple origin stories and not all of them feature her having a language barrier. 2. From my perspective, Superman isn't really a warrior. He doesn't enjoy fighting and therefore really has no reason to train. But in later chapters, he will eventually get some combat training. 3. I'm a big Broly fan (and no I don't think his power is unlimited lol). He had a lot of potential but DBZ didn't fully utilize it IMO. I plan on fleshing out his motives and background more thoroughly. He'll appear for a story arc or two but won't be a major character or anything. 4. The Kill vs No Kill situation will be addressed in depth down the line. Right now the Justice League hasn't even been formed so I'm waiting until everything is set before delving into that. 5. You're not wrong about the time skips. I did jump around a lot, but that was only to further the progression of the story. I plan for this story to be 100+ chapters, I couldn't really dwell on certain things. But I do plan to go back and address certain things that I might have skipped over in a side story, which you can see on my profile. 6. Yeah, romance is not one of my strong points. But as I mentioned above I do plan on going back and filling in the details of how Goku and Diana's relationship formed. Thanks for the kind words!
Mary-Ameyuri: Yes, you can borrow some of my concepts. I'm not sure how well they would work though, considering you're doing a larger crossover. Feel free to shoot me a PM.
DRAGONDAVE45: I believe that you have asked before and yes, Frieza is aware. I can't answer the rest of your question though since it would be spoilers.
Guest: I've previously stated that Bulma and Vegeta will remain together in this story. It's not going to happen.
SCIENCE9: Hercule is going to have little to do with this story. He might make an occasional appearance, but he's not a character that I've ever particularly cared for. Hercule surviving such instances it honestly just gag to me.