Thoughts

Computer Speech

"Speech"

Disclaimer: DC and the Dragonball Franchise belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.

Chapter 30: Aurora II: Touchdown

December 13th

Age 762 (2012), Planet Frieza 79

The light radiating from the center of the sky was magnificent. Vegeta was left awestruck as the light continued to expand and grow, eventually consuming the entire planet. Placing his hands above his eyes the Prince struggled to keep them open as he peered onward, towards the center of the searing rays.

There was a brief pause as the light wavered slightly before finally erupting in one last massive explosion. As the light slowly receded, it gave Vegeta ample view of what had just occurred. The Saiyan's jaw slumped as he saw a terrifying new creature in the sky. A gigantic purple monstrosity hovered directly above him, grinning wickedly as he saw the Prince's horrified expression. He towered over Vegeta, easily dwarfing any foe the Saiyan had faced during the day.

As the proud monster glanced down, facing a now completely shocked Vegeta, he asked, "Are you prepared for our fight?"

The prince's eyebrow rose in questioning, wondering how this creature knew his name.

"Who are you? Where have Abo and Kado gone to? And what do you want with me?"

The purple giant merely smiled as he burst into a fit of laughter.

"You idiot I am Abo and Kado; we've simply fused. My name is Aka" Vegeta's eyes bulged, flabbergasted at the revelation. "We Metamorese have the ability to fuse into one being. Our power level increases significantly when we merge together, creating an incredibly powerful warrior. It's a bit of overkill for someone like you though. My current power level can only be matched by Lord Frieza himself!" [1]

Vegeta's teeth grit at Aka's last sentence. Claiming to be on par with Frieza was an almost blasphemous statement, but the power radiating from him seemed to back it up.

"Lies! I've seen Frieza's power first hand and no mortal can equal his strength besides a super Saiyan!"

"Pfft," Aka scoffed as he folded his arms. "I've heard of that foolish Saiyan legend before. A mere monkey such as you could never match Lord Frieza!"

Vegeta's jaw scrunched at the insult to his race's most beloved legend.

"I am no mere monkey, I am the prince of all Saiyans and the most powerful Saiyan to ever exist!"

"That's not saying much though. As far as I know, aren't you the last of your pathetic species? Oops, I mean excluding your pitiful brother of course."

Vegeta growled at the mention of his dim witted sibling. "Don't speak of him in my presence, as far as I'm concerned he doesn't exist! I may be the last of my race but I am the most powerful Saiyan to have ever existed and I'm more than a match for you!" On the last syllable, the Prince's aura burst to life.

"Do you really believe that? I knew you were an idiot Vegeta but I never expected you to be so foolhardy. I'd hoped you'd have some sense but it appears you're seriously lacking in that department."

"Shut up and prepare to fight, the time for talking is over!"

Aka sighed, palming his forehead at the stupidity the Saiyan was displaying.

"I see you really do have a death wish. Most of my opponents run when they see me in this form but you actually want to engage me? Fine, I'll torture you before I finally kill you."

The leather in Vegeta's gloves threatened to rip as the Prince angrily balled his fists.

'Shut up and fight!"

With that, the Saiyan rocketed into the sky, coiling his fist back as he prepared to strike. He was widely surprised as his knuckles collided with what felt like a brick wall. Drawing his aching hand back he attempted to launch another attack, only to be caught mid-way, still in swinging motion. The large hand enveloping his fist tightened as he squirmed to break free. He eventually conceded as Aka's massive fist slammed into his face.

The prince stumbled back, stunned by the pain now assaulting his face. It only intensified as Aka's knee slammed into his abdomen, eliciting a scream from Vegeta's lips. He struggled to compose himself only for an elbow to plow into his back, sending him soaring towards the ground below.

But the quick flight ended as the Saiyan flared his aura, managing to steady himself. Turning back around he glared upward, meeting gazes with his chuckling opponent. I will not be embarrassed by some low rate fusion warrior! With a shout, Vegeta was once again on the prowl, rushing towards Aka once more.

Closing the distance, Vegeta extended his fist only to be circumvented as it collided with the passing breeze. A frustrated growl echoed across the skies as his eyes darted around, attempting to locate his now missing foe. He eventually found him as Aka materialized with his fist dug deep into the confines of his stomach.

The pain ringing throughout his ribs was inconceivable; no being should have possessed such strength. As the Prince doubled over, the purple creature retreated back several steps, giving Vegeta a moment to breathe. It was not wasted as the Saiyan clutched the sides of his now aching abdomen.

I'm still not exactly sure how this sensing Ki thing works, but this Aka creature is incredibly powerful. His statement about being as mighty as Frieza may not be such a lie after all. I don't stand a chance against him. I just need to get as far as possible from him and get off this damn planet! If only I had a technique that could….of course! That technique those humans had used back on Earth, it should more than suffice against him!

Pausing, Vegeta took a moment to glance at his opponent. The fusion warrior was currently flexing his muscles, looking as bored as ever. But how will I implement it? He's too fast for me to even land a punch. I don't know what I'm going to do but I have act fast, his patience appears to be waning.

"Vegeta! I drew back to give you a second to catch your breath, not so you could dawdle around; hurry up!"

The Prince scowled as he returned to his thoughts. Time was quickly running out. What was that technique called again tayo-ka? Tayo-hen? Wait it was Taiyō-ken! If my deductions are correct I simply need to place my hands close to the center of my face with my fingers spread toward my eyes and yell out the word. That should….

"Vegeta!"

The Saiyan turned, catching sight of the soldier streaking towards him. Shit, I only have one chance to do this, here goes nothing!

"Taiyō-ken!"

A fervid white light overtook Aka's field of vision. Anguished cries of pain reverberated throughout the area as the fusion warrior unsuccessfully tried to recover his eyesight. Vegeta took this momentary lapse and jumped on his foe. Summoning the largest Ki beam he could form, the Prince unleashed it with every ounce of energy he had.

Not even bothering to glance back and observe the status of his opponent, Vegeta took off. His aura sizzled around him as he frantically dashed towards the hanger bay where all the spaceships were held.

With a Ki blast, he smashed through a wall and obliterated the steel door that guarded the ships. As he carefully poked his head through it, he met gazes with a bewildered soldier, causing him to drop the drink in his hand. He was most likely a private since he was regulated to the hanger bay. Forming the quickest Ki ball he could create, Vegeta tossed it, striking the shocked warrior before he could even speak. All that was left of him was black ash.

Running as fast as he possibly could, Vegeta headed towards the closest available ship. Approaching its wing he quickly pressed multiple buttons, causing the hatch door to slide open. With haste the Saiyan jumped inside and immediately began pressing another set of buttons, causing the hatch door to close.

Looking at the holographic map on the ship's screen he scanned for the closest free planet, hoping to escape from Frieza's grasp. The computer calculated his input and came up with one location; Namek. Pushing another set of buttons he opened the hangar bay's main door. Just a few more seconds and I'll be off this blasted planet and free from Frieza's clutches!

As the hanger bay door slid to a halt, Vegeta nearly choked on his spit as he saw a familiar face standing in front of it – Aka! Blast it! I was so close to escaping this wretched planet! I still have to attempt leaving though, there is no other option! I'll kill him if he gets in my way! Gritting his teeth the Prince geared the ship for takeoff.

"Vegeta! You will not escape! This is the end of the line! Face it you've….." Aka's tirade was cut short, mid-sentence, as his scouter beeped. His demeanor changed instantly as static buzzed through the machine. Taking one final disgusted look at the Saiyan he cursed before abruptly blasting off into the sky.

Inside the ship, a tense bead of sweat rolled down Vegeta's face as he gripped the steering wheel. What just happened? Did Aka really just depart and grant me an easy route? Maybe this is some trick? He could be planning on blasting me out of the sky once I take off. But if he was plotting that, why didn't he just do it now?, He had the perfect opportunity! Whatever his reasoning is, I still have to get the hell off this damn planet.

After taking a suspicious glance at his surroundings, Vegeta decided to move on. With a sonic boom, the spaceship zoomed into the heavens, racing into the cosmos within seconds. So long you fool you'll regret keeping me alive!

December 13th

Age 762 (2012), Planet Frieza 79, General Wada's Quarters

"General why did you allow Vegeta to leave? You had direct orders from Frieza himself to capture or kill him!" A furious Aka yelled as he stomped into the room. Killing Vegeta was going to be the highlight of his day.

Behind his desk, general Wada swiveled in his chair to face the colonel."Mind your tongue before I take it," The words were stated calmly but elicited their wanted response. Aka immediately closed his mouth. "There are things you don't understand yet Aka, and there are major forces at work here besides Lord Frieza. As for Vegeta, yes I allowed him to escape, but only for one reason; he's headed to Namek."

Question marks immediately formed in the fusion warrior's mind. "Namek? What does that have to do with anything? And how do you know where he's headed?"

"I had every ship in the hangar bay be input with the coordinates to Namek. You were merely a distraction."

Aka was stunned, his mouth hanging open as he was at a loss for words. Everything had just been a ploy. "Y…you planned this from the very beginning?"

"No, I wish," the general chuckled. While Wada was a superb tactician, even he didn't have that amount of foresight. "Once Vegeta had escaped the building I had it done."

"But why? What's so special about Namek?" Nothing remotely interesting registered in Aka's mind regarding that planet.

"Lord Frieza will be arriving there shortly."

The fusion warrior began to visibly shake, nearly sweating as he gathered his words."Lord Frieza! Wha..what… is Lord Frieza doing on Namek? It's been so long since he visited anyplanet personally. Is he planning on destroying it?"

"Calm down you fool," The mere mention of their Emperor caused a proud soldier to act like this? "Lord Frieza isn't destroying anything, he's simply visiting the planet for their only resource - the Dragonballs. The Dragonballs are incredibly powerful items that can grant anywish. Thanks to Vegeta, Frieza learned of their location on Namek and has gone to seek them out to make himself immortal. Unfortunately, Vegeta doesn't know that and will most likely run into Lord Frieza face to face. From there on you know the rest, Vegeta will likely be killed and Frieza will gain immortality, all in all, an excellent day. That will more than make up for what has occurred here today."

As his hand slowly rose to his chin it all began to click in Aka's mind. "The so-called Prince of Saiyan's will finally meet his end by Lord Frieza's hands, the same way it did for the rest of his pathetic species."

"Yes, he will. He may think he's escaped today but Frieza will deal with him directly." Not to mention if things go well, Sinestro will pay me handsomely for this.

December 18th

Age 762 (2012), Namek

"Ah, the sweet scent of fresh air." Gohan smiled as he inhaled, taking a moment to appreciate the aroma he had missed for the past month.

"I know, this is great! It feels amazing to finally get out of that stuffy ship." Krillin said, smiling as he observed the beautiful Namekian landscape.

"I don't mean to cut your joyous moment short but we do have things to attend to." Bulma hated to interrupt their much needed down time, but they were on a tight schedule.

"Of course Bulma, we got a little sidetracked," Krillin apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We just haven't seen the sky or been outside of the ship in a month."

The Capsule Corps heiress simply nodded, completely understanding how the duo felt. Being stuck in a spaceship for one long month had been a strenuous task. The various amounts of scents she'd inhaled while on that ship had been disgusting, to say the least. Krillin and Gohan's ardent training hadn't helped either. It had really smelled like a pigsty in there - she was just as happy as them to get out.

"Trust me, I understand exactly how you two feel. Being cooped up in there with all those odors caused by you was hell."

"Hey!" Krillin protested as his face scrunched. Bulma hadn't been the most cleanly person either.

"Oh be quiet Krillin! You're the one responsible for most of those toxic gases in there with all that organic food you ate."

Gohan giggled as Krillin turned bright red. The former monk had maintained his eating regimen from his time at Orin temple. The dietary results while beneficial, were not pleasant to the nose.

"She's right Krillin I don't know what type of food you ate but you really stunk up the ship." Gohan chirped in between chuckles.

The former monk's blush deepened at the hybrid's remarks.

"At least we're finally out though, no more plugged toilets for a while." Bulma said with a scoff.

"Hey, even though I'm not a monk anymore I still have to eat like one. I'm not the only one to blame either! Gohan was eating up a storm and used the bathroom as much as I did." Krillin protested as his arms crossed together. How could they gang up on him at a time like this?

"Yeah, but his gas wasn't as bad as yours Krillin." Things wouldn't have been so bad for Bulma if the ship's windows could have been opened, but they had been in space.

"But you can't compare gases, they're all equally smelly." Krillin retorted with an annoyed humph.

"Why don't we just ask Gohan here about that?" Bulma's right eyebrow rose. The Demi-Saiyan would be the one to settle the debate. "Gohan! Gohan?"

The lavender haired woman turned, only to find Goku's son caught in a trance.

"Gohan what's wrong?" She asked as he was completely zoned out.

"Yeah what's wrong?What's going on Gohan?" Krillin's eyes narrowed as he rushed to the boy's side. He had never seen him like this before.

Gohan paused, taking a moment to calm himself before he turned to face his companions.

"Don't you feel that Krillin? Those massive power levels….. it's ridiculous!"

Bulma and Krillin shared a worried glance before they turned their gazes back onto the hybrid Saiyan.

"Are they Namekian?"

Gohan frantically shook his head from side to side. "No. They don't have the same type of energy signal as Piccolo or Kami did and the powers I'm feeling aren't even remotely close to those."

Bulma gulped, unsure if she wanted to even pose her question. "Then what are they?"

"I don't know," Gohan frowned as he grew more concerned. "But it doesn't seem to be…..up there in the sky!" His hand shot up as it pointed towards a spherical object in the heavens above.

Bulma and Krillin eyes widened as the object raced through the atmosphere, bursting through the once serene skyline.

"It looks like a….Saiyan spaceship!"

Bulma's terrified shout voiced the thoughts of everyone present; Vegeta was here.

"There's only one person with a Saiyan spaceship and that's Vegeta!"

"But what's he doing here?" Bulma's hands clawed at her lavender hair. This wasn't a problem she had calculated.

"I don't know, but whatever it is - it's not good." A hard lump formed in Krillin's throat. Even Goku hadn't been able to truly defeat the Prince. What hope did their ragtag team have?

"We have to leave now!" Without a moment's notice, Bulma began dashing back towards the ship. Vegeta hadn't spotted them yet, so there was still a chance of escape.

"No, we can't!" The normally quiet child slammed his foot into the ground. They had come too far to just leave now.

"Are you out of your mind Gohan?" The look Bulma gave him was as if the boy had grown two heads. "Vegeta is way too powerful for us! Your dad almost died fighting him."

"I know that," Gohan stated calmly. He had been in that hospital recuperating too. "That's why we can't leave. I refuse to let Piccolo and our other friend's sacrifices be in vain. Everyone is counting on us!"

Krillin's heel turned as he pivoted around. He was about to make a break for the ship too. " I hate to say this Gohan, but Bulma is right. We don't stand a chance against Vegeta especially if he's healed now!"

"Then what's your plan Krillin? Do we just let him win and get the Dragonballs without even trying? Leave all of our friends to rot in the Otherworld?" Gohan's veins were beginning to bulge as he spoke with fury. Now was not the time to be a coward.

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Krillin tried his best to explain. Gohan was exactly like his mother when it came to a just cause. "Tien and Yamcha were both good friends of mine and you know that. What I'm saying is that their sacrifices would be useless if we simply died at the hands of the person they tried to protected us from. We can always come back with Goku and Superman to try again."

Gohan's fist tightened as he glared at Krillin.

"Fine then! You two can go and I'll stay here by myself. I'm not leaving until Piccolo gets resurrected."

"Gohan you know we can't do that, your mother would kill me if I left you alone on Namek." Though Bulma hadn't seen Diana in over a year due to her disappearance, there would have been hell to pay if Wonder Woman ever found out.

"I don't care! If you want to leave, you can. I'm not running away like you two." The hybrid would not be moved from his stance. Kami himself would have to force him to leave Namek.

Bulma sighed as she turned away from the ship and began walking back towards her Godson.

"Gohan I understand how you feel. I lost Yamcha to the Saiyans and I want him back just as much as you do. But at the same time, I know Yamcha wouldn't want me to bring him back if it meant I got killed along the way. All we're saying is that we need to get reinforcements. The two of you are strong, stronger than you've ever been, but it's still not enough for Vegeta. Let's just go home and get some help." The heiress placed her arms on his shoulders as she squatted down to meet him at eye level. Everything she was saying was coming from the heart.

As his Godmother's eyes met his, Gohan could see she was telling the truth. Those blue eyes held no trace of falsehood.

"Maybe you are right," Gohan's fists unclenched as he lowered them. "But how long would it take us to get back to Earth and come back here?"

The color drained from Bulma's face as she began to twiddle her thumbs. "Three months."

"Three months?" Gohan and Krillin said in unison as Bulma nervously laughed.

"By that time Vegeta would already have the Dragonballs in his clutches." That time frame didn't work for the heroes.

"We can't just let him win Bulma!" Who knew what kind of atrocities Vegeta would commit with the Dragonballs under his control.

The woman in question frowned as she heard her companion's reactions, they were completely right. By the time they had gone to Earth and returned back to Namek, Vegeta would have already made his wish, and it was something that would have surely threatened the galaxy.

Bulma remained silent momentarily before finally speaking up. "There is one possible solution to this problem though."

"What?" The diminutive duo asked with eagerness.

"I could always go back to Earth and bring reinforcements."

"But wouldn't that take three months too?" Krillin quickly pointed out the flaw in her logic.

A sheepish chuckle escaped Bulma's lips. "Oops, I forgot about that. You guys would probably be dead by the time I came back too. Hahaha."

Gohan and Krillin sweatdropped as she awkwardly laughed. For the smartest woman in the world, she sure did have some airhead tendencies.

"I guess things are just hopeless then," Krillin tossed his hands into the air before taking a seat on the grass. "If we can't get any help we'll just end up dying here."

"So what are we going to do then?" Gohan wasn't about to give up just yet. Piccolo would have been disgusted at that kind of attitude.

As the two warriors contemplated their next course of moves, Bulma's mind raced through different scenarios. "Of course why didn't I think of that sooner?"Snapping her fingers, a lightbulb finally went off.

Gohan and Krillin stared quizzically at one another before glancing at Bulma.

"What is it?" They asked apprehensively, still slightly on edge due to her last response.

"I can just call Earth and ask for reinforcements, that way we won't have to wait so long for them to get here. That could also give us time to locate some of the Dragonballs and keep them away from Vegeta."

Krillin's fist pumped as he finally heard a good idea. This was much needed good news."Then what are you waiting for? Get on it already, we're going to need all the help we can get!"

December 18th

Age 762 (2012), Apokolips

It had been nearly two weeks since Turles fateful meeting with Darkseid. The Saiyan's hands still trembled whenever he thought of the Dark Lord's piercing red eyes. That same day he had been unable to sleep due to the impression the ruler of Apokolips had made on him. When he had kneeled down in front of the despot, he had essentially sworn a blood oath. The Saiyan's former servitude to Frieza had been nothing in comparison to what he had just signed up for.

As mighty and powerful as the lizard Emperor was, people still rose to fight him. His own brother, Bardock, had taken a final stand against the galactic overlord. He was of course crushed without mercy, but Bardock battled valiantly like a true Saiyan. On Apokolips though, no one dared to oppose Darkseid. There was an overwhelming sense of fear present at all times here.

Turles had never been a religious man. In the Vega Star System, he called home, countless beings worshipped the Goddess X'Hal. Turles had always found the notions of deities to be stupid and worthless. In a Universe filled with constant death and destruction, why would anyone worship a higher power that allowed such things to occur? The Saiyan race had only believed in one thing, their own strength.

But once he had come face to face with Darkseid, his beliefs concerning gods and higher beings had changed. It was obvious that Darkseid was truly a god. The way he was worshipped, the way he was revered, the way he was feared – was awe inspiring. This level of adoration was something Frieza could have only dreamed of. Not only was Darkseid's word law, but his power backed it up as well.

In just this week alone Turles had witnessed multiple people be burned to a crisp for simply annoying their god. Even without his scouter present, the bounty hunter could tell that Darkseid was the most creature he had ever encountered. The prize of the tree of might hung over his head, but Turles sincerely doubted whether that would even be enough to provide him with the power to challenge Darkseid. For now, he would have to remain what he hated the most, a mindless henchmen.

His familiarity with the Vega System was why he had been selected for this mission. It was the base of his operations as well as the home of his target. Four-year-old Koriand'r was the princess of Tamaran. She and her older sister had been kidnapped from their parents by the Psions. The Psions were a hated race across Vega due to their abhorrent scientific experiments.

The dastardly scientists had experimented on the siblings to explore the full nature of Tamerean power. The Tamerean's possessed the ability to convert ultraviolet radiation into energy, resulting in them being able to fly. But the Psions wished to push this ability further and experimented on the siblings day and night. After horrid experimentation, the children developed the ability to create blasts known as starbolts.

All of this was a shock to Turles when he had been provided with the information. Darkseid had kept a close eye on the children for whatever reason it was. There were two of them, but he wanted Koriand'r because he believed her to be the strongest of the two. His mission was to retrieve the girl and bring her to Apokolips immediately. This, of course, would mean having to slaughter dozens of Psions to achieve that goal.

Turles was more than glad to do it.

The Saiyan would be provided would a spaceship and a boom tube. The only way to access Apokolips was by means of an interdimensional portal. Wherever he was, didn't even reside in the mortal Universe. It just another odd detail to add to an already growing list of strange things. The armor he was outfitted with, was made from the strongest of Apokoliptan metals. It was stated to be nearly indestructible.

There were only minutes to go before he was scheduled to embark on his mission.

December 18th

Age 762 (2012), Apokolips, Desaad's Laboratory

"Do you really think it's a good idea to trust this Saiyan?" Darkseid's ever faithful servant asked as he turned to his master.

The Dark Lord remained impassive, ignoring him like the gnat he was as he glanced towards the large spaceship that was mounted on a nearby wall. "Your opinion is like a roach Desaad, small, insignificant, and unnecessary." Darkseid's eyes glowed red as he crossed gazes with the henchman who began to back away slowly.

"I-I-I am sorry my Lord, forgive me!" Though his hands involuntarily trembled, he gathered the strength to lift them and plead.

"Mind yourself or I will not hesitate to kill you."

"Y-yes my Lord!" Desaad quickly bowed. He would be keeping all of his comments to himself for now on.

"But I do not need to trust the Saiyan, he is merely a pawn in a larger game that he is unaware of," Darkseid spoke as he returned his gaze to the spaceship. "If he ever becomes bothersome I will merely smite him as I would you or anyone else."

A cold chill went down Desaad's spine as Darkseid spoke with authority. The Apokolitan ruler's words were never truer.

"Once I have Koriand'r I will have three of my four Furies. Barda, Koriand'r and her," Darkseid paused as he reached to touch the screen of the ship. The sleeping beauty inside of it had no knowledge of the evil things to come. "Kara Zor-El." [2]

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 29!

A/N: Three updates in under two weeks? I'm surprised myself lol. I'm just making up for lost time, plus I know that I'll be busy soon so I want to push out as many chapters as possible before then. I am so close to 1K reviews. This was one of my major goals when I started writing Fanfiction.

I believe I'll crack 1K following this chapter, so thanks in advance to all my wonderful and awesome readers! Also, if my 100 chapter goal reigns true, we're about thirty percent done with the story.

[1]: This is something I came up with on my own. In canon, Kado and Abo's race is never specified. The Metamoran's were mentioned in the series but never seen. I just decided to put two and two together since Kado and Abo can fuse.

[2]: For those of you who may not know, Supergirl's real name is Kara Zor-El.

Q/A:

TaitanoRules555: Cyborg is a member of the Justice League as far as the current comics are concerned, but not in this story.

CRUDEN: Some things will remain the same like they were in canon.

Mercwiththemouth: Cyborg won't be a part of this story's Justice League. I've always felt like that was a terrible addition to the comics. DC magic users will appear when we get further into the story.

NirvanaFrk97: I'll have to go reread that portion of the manga when the time comes because I've forgotten about the differences concerning SSG.

Team Soda: Yes, Diana's been in Doom's Doorway for a while now. Gohan will always be able to recognize his mother. Keep in mind that Gohan's divine powers were sealed away by Athena for his own safety. Right now he can't even access it for the time being. When he does finally realize his full potential, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

ENDDRAGON369: No, Donna wouldn't.

darkmist111: The Z-Fighters and the Justice League are two separate entities. The Justice League are a full-time organization. The Z-Fighters only come together during times of crisis. Honestly, I hadn't even thought of a Dragonball protocol until you mentioned it lol.

JOEL: I'm not planning to add elements of the Flash tv show to this story. Darkseid is aware of a few people.