Thoughts

Computer Speech/Robotic Speech

"Speech"

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

Chapter 60: Iceberg IV

April 7th

Age 763 (2013), Belle Reve, Louisiana

"Today is the day," Amanda Waller said as she strolled to the front of the room. The room was dead silent as she walked by, save for the clanking of her heels against the floor.

All eyes were glued to her as she sauntered, and without even sparing a glance towards her prisoners who were seated on nearby benches, she could sense their glares. When she finally made it to the open space at the front of the cafeteria, she turned around just in the nick of time to catch Livewire giving her the bird. That little stunt had just earned Leslie Willis a thirty-minute waterboarding session after her mission was complete.

Amanda Waller opened the red binder in her right hand and beckoned the guards stationed at each cafeteria table to come forward. They were armed to the teeth and dressed in the finest black armor Belle Reve could afford. None of their faces were visible due to the bulletproof obsidian helmets on their heads. They were practically indistinguishable from each other, save for the pins on their chests denoting their ranks. Amanda pulled out multiple thick yellow folders and dispersed them amongst her subordinates, ordering them to hand the folders to her team.

They did so with haste, dropping the plump folders on the tables of the bewildered prisoners.

The first half of Task Force X were all present. Alpha Squad, or Vegeta's team as Amanda Waller preferred to call them, inspected the folders with varied reactions. Deadshot opened his folder and began speeding through its pages. Killer Croc sniffed his folder cautiously. After detecting no harmful substances, he picked it up and opened it, accidentally ripping the first page of papers with his razor-sharp claws.

Harley Quinn snickered at Killer Croc, taking a glance at the table across from her before opening her folder. Her deep blue eyes bounced around in a zigzag motion as she flipped through the pages. Livewire was unenthused and didn't bother to open her folder until Amanda rolled back her sleeve and pointed to her watch. Seconds later, Livewire was thumbing through the pages of the folder in deep concentration. Vegeta, however, was the last prisoner to fall in line.

The cantankerous Saiyan pushed the folder to the side and propped his shoes on the table. Like the rest of his teammates, Vegeta was clothed in an orange prison jumpsuit. For once, he didn't have on his Saiyan attire; even his white boots were missing. In their stead was a pair of oversized black crocs that Amanda Waller shoved as she confronted the Saiyan.

"Open the folder," She demanded. Vegeta often required a show of force before complying with orders.

The prince scoffed. "You have a mouth; use it. Tell me what's inside that bloated folder. I'm not going to r – "

The Saiyan didn't get the chance to finish his words; he choked before he could let them out. The collar around his neck tightened, and a surge of electricity followed. Vegeta looked up with teary eyes and saw Amanda pressing a familiar button on her touch screen watch. When she finally relented, she slid the folder off the table into her hands and chucked it at his chest.

"You never learn," She scowled before walking away and taking her place at the front of the room. Once there, she dusted off her checkerboard blazer and adjusted her white collar. She took a survey of the room and saw that everyone was reading her notes now, even Vegeta, albeit with angry eyes. "Instead of sending the notes to your cells like the last time, I brought these notes with me to ensure that you read them. Your mission finally starts today."

Deadshot was the first to respond. The assassin closed his folder and gently placed it on the table. "Our suicide mission to Capsule Corp, you mean." After reading the library of information that Amanda Waller had provided, it was obvious that this mission would be a failure.

"You should be more confident in your abilities than that," Amanda chided. "You've been training together as a unit for months and should be more than capable of this task. I have complete confidence in your abilities, Deadshot. If anyone should be worried, it should be Killer Croc." Amanda's eyes darted over to Waylon Jones, who was unappreciative of the spotlight.

"I haven't done anything," Killer Croc said defensively.

"That's exactly the point. You. Haven't. Done. Anything!" Amanda reiterated, her voice growing louder and louder with each word. Killer Croc was easily the biggest disappointment on his team. There was no reason for non-Metahuman individuals like Harley and Deadshot to fare better than him in training sessions.

Killer Croc dropped his folder and pleaded his case. "I know my role, and it ain't fighting guys like Vegeta." It was the truth, but statements like that would earn him no favors with Amanda Waller. She had already threatened to get rid of him numerous times, which is why he had sniffed his folder before opening it; Amanda could've poisoned it.

"Don't worry, Killer Croc, none of those fools at Capsule Corp will be on my level. You won't have to tuck your tail and hide," Vegeta sneered from the table in front of Waylon Jones. The derisive remark felt good to say, and it summoned deep laughter from Vegeta's stomach, but it wasn't true. Gohan and whatever Namekians that were present at Bulma's home would be more than a match for Killer Croc or anyone else on the team.

"So, umm, lemme get this straight, Bulma's got a bunch of guys like Piccolo at her house, and we're supposed to fight 'em?" Harley Quinn asked as she finally stopped reading.

"They're called Namekians," Vegeta corrected with annoyance.

"Yeah, the Namekians. Whatever you wanna call em," Harley didn't care for their names; she was still in disbelief at what she had just read. "This whole plan sounds craaaaaaaaazy, and I know crazy. I've dated crazy; hell, some folks think I'm crazy," She looked around, and to her dismay, no one disputed her words. "But this plan sounds crazy crazy."

"How do you even know about the Namekians being on Earth?" Vegeta interrupted. He sat up in his seat and frowned. Amanda Waller's intel was always frighteningly accurate.

"I'm not going to disclose my sources to a prisoner," Amanda Waller said condescendingly.

"But I will say this; ever since your untimely arrival in New York City, the United States government has significantly ramped up its security measures against potential extraterrestrial threats." Her words were a significant understatement, but she wasn't stupid enough to reveal classified information to one of those aforementioned extraterrestrial threats. Vegeta and Starro were responsible for an uptick in security concerns that the United States hadn't had since 9/11.

I read your notes about these Namekians, but one thing was left out; how strong are they?" Livewire spoke up, holding a sheet of paper that contained a data profile on the Namekian race. "None of us were around during the first King Piccolo war, but everyone here is old enough to remember the chaos he wrought during the second King Piccolo war before Goku stopped him. His son, Piccolo, is even stronger than him, and now you want us to sneak into a house filled with people from his planet?" Livewire asked incredulously.

"On top of that, these aren't superheroes we'll be going up against; they'll have no problem killing us if they deem it necessary," Deadshot added. Amanda's notes stated that the Namekians were pacifists, but any race or group of people would discard that ideology if it came down to survival.

"The overwhelming majority of Namekians that have been observed at the Capsule Corp headquarters in Chikyu are pacifists. Is that subject to change based upon the situation? Possibly, Amanda admitted. "But none of you need to worry about them attacking you."

"And why is that?" Harley asked as she began twisting one of her pigtails, the left one and the one that Killer Croc had said reminded him of cotton candy.

"The Namekians will be too distracted to pay you any attention," Amanda replied.

Harley moved her hands to her opposite pigtail, the ice blue one, and began twirling it. "How are ya gonna do that? Unless Vegeta here," She pointed in the direction of the Saiyan. "Can multiply himself; we're screwed. I'd love to play whack a mole with a bunch of lil green Namekians, but not if it means me dying."

"I can kill you now if that will stop you from bitching, Harley," Amanda said flatly. All of their concerns were coming in one ear and going out the other. She didn't care for any of their well beings.

"Just send me on this damn mission alone!" Vegeta growled in frustration. A beating from Frieza would've been better than the agony of all these complaints. "No one at Bulma's home can stop me."

"Are you sure about that, Vegeta? Not even Gohan?" Amanda simpered, and Vegeta's reaction was the exact opposite. He slammed an angry fist on the table and nearly split it in half, startling the guard that stood beside it.

"Kakarot's brat is no match for me. Our previous fight was interrupted by an unseen force, but the next time he and I cross paths, there will be one less Saiyan on this planet." Their fight in December seemed like ages ago; so much had occurred since then, but Vegeta hadn't forgotten how their skirmish had ended.

"Killing a kid? Don't you think that's a bit much even for you?" Livewire turned her nose up in disgust. She was a villain, but there were certain lines she wouldn't cross.

"This is Saiyan business; stay out of it. If I wanted to hear your useless opinions, I would've visited your….what did you call it… blog?" Vegeta searched for the correct term. Livewire had mentioned it once during their training sessions, and the concept sounded absolutely ridiculous.

"You can argue about that bullshit later; we need to get back to the topic at hand," Amanda snapped her fingers impatiently, reeling in their focus. "You ship out at noon," Amanda glanced at her watch. "It's eight am right now; that gives you approximately four hours to get ready for this mission. Everyone will reconvene at the helipad at twelve. If you're late, you die. If you decide not to show up at all, you die. If you give any of my guards a hassle during this process, you die. There can be absolutely no fuck ups or mistakes, is that understood?"

A string of begrudging grunts followed Amanda's words. For once, no one talked back, not even Vegeta. The prince was unusually silent, and the mischievous smirk on his face gave Amanda pause for concern, but there was no time to dwell on that. She dismissed the meeting, and her guards ushered the prisoners out one by one, leading them back to their cells. This was the part Vegeta hated the most.

He was flocked by a squadron of additionally heavy-armed guards as he left the room. Their Ki signatures were nothing noteworthy, barely a blip on his radar, but they had access to his collar's controls. They had used it several times before, most recently during a prison riot. The guards at Belle Reve weren't fond of the man who they deemed responsible for the Massacre in Manhattan, though that was Nappa's handiwork. They didn't hesitate to remind Vegeta of the friends and family members they'd lost that day every time they gave him an unwarranted beating.

The walk back to Vegeta's prison unit was short and filled with silence. None of the guards spoke or responded to his barrage of insults which was par for the course. But it was uncharacteristic for his unit's common area to be dead quiet. Once they got there, none of Vegeta's fellow inmates were seated at any of the dozens of metallic tables in the common area. Prisoners could usually be found playing a variety of odd earthling card games, gossiping, or arguing about one stupid topic or another there.

Not a peep was heard as the guards shoved Vegeta up the flight of stairs that led to his cell. On a normal day, the guards would've been bombarded with curses and insults on top of having things flung at them as they passed by. Vegeta's cell block housed the worst of the worst criminals. Everyone here was serving, at minimum, a life sentence. Some were doing double or triple that. Shadow Thief, a prisoner who resided at the furthest left cell in Vegeta's block, was serving a quadruple life sentence.

But today, raucous chatter was absent as Vegeta was escorted to his six-by-eight-foot room. The prince peeked through multiple sets of cell bars as he walked by, and every inmate was present in their tiny abodes, but they all seemed occupied with one matter or another. None of them caught a glimpse of Vegeta's hardened eyes peering at them, nor did they utter any swears at the guards surrounding him. By the time the Saiyan arrived at his cell, he was ready for a nap, and he was almost thrust into one when the guards shoved him into his cell. He was pushed so hard that he nearly banged his face against the steel pole that upheld his bunk bed.

He cursed and swore at them as they departed. It was another painful humiliation that he mentally made note of. One day he would be free from his Ki draining collar, and the guards would all pay, but for now, Vegeta had preparations to make. The Saiyan surveyed his bunk bed with narrowed eyes. The bottom bunk's bedsheets were exactly as he'd left them, clean and sorted, benefiting a prince. But the top bunk was an entirely different matter.

When Vegeta had initially arrived at Belle Reve, he'd been assigned a prison mate, but that experiment hadn't lasted long. Ragdoll, who had insisted on occupying the top bunk, had gotten on Vegeta's bad side the instant they met. Vegeta had proceeded to viciously bully Ragdoll until the patch-faced villain had begged for a relocation. Since then, Vegeta had enjoyed peace and quiet, well, as much peace and quiet as one could enjoy in a rowdy prison. But now, it looked like the prince had another unwelcome guest in his cell.

Vegeta's hands were a blur as they darted out and pulled the bed covers off the top bunk. Harley Quinn yelped in surprise, and the brown blanket was ripped off her huddled body.

"What are you doing here?" Vegeta demanded as the grinning madwoman hopped off his bed. She landed on a handstand before backflipping onto her feet.

"I got time to spare, so I figured….." Her voice trailed.

"You figured what? Just spit it out already!"

Harley gestured toward her clothes, or rather, her lack of them. The pale, slim villainess was dressed in nothing but her bra and panties. Harley loved to be color-coordinated, and her bra and panties weren't an exception; they matched the shade of her pigtails. Regardless of what Harley wore, her breasts always stood out, but now, without a shirt to hide them, they looked…gigantic. They didn't sag, not even a little, and Vegeta couldn't help but notice her perky nipples poking out through her blue satin bra.

His eyes widened in amazement as they trailed from her muscular yet still feminine torso all the way to her thighs and legs. There was a myriad of bruises and welts across her porcelain skin, but they didn't detract from her beauty in the slightest. Most of them were fading and would heal in due time. Vegeta recognized them as his handiwork, though some of the bumps and lumps looked far more ancient than anything he could've been responsible for.

Harley's thighs were healthily plump and looked soft and warm, certainly softer than the steel slabs he called a bed. The bright hue of her pink panties drew his attention the most. They left little to the imagination, and Vegeta swore he could see a piece of Harley's labia winking at him. The tiny g-string had "EAT ME" written in large, bold white letters. Vegeta suddenly felt hot. It was obvious what Harley was here for.

"H-h-how did you get into my cell," Vegeta stammered, trying to change the topic of conversation before things got out of hand.

"Let's just say a few of the guards owed me a favor," Was all Harley was willing to say. She gave a playful wink, and Vegeta was forced to ruminate over what that could possibly mean. Only the guards could open and close Belle Reve's cells, and at night when the force fields went up, it was nearly impossible for anyone to leave theirs. "But enough bout that. Back to you and me. I know ya like what you see. You're at full mast."

"What? What are you talking about?" Vegeta asked, and Harley giggled while pointing at his groin. The Saiyan looked down and saw something large poking out of his pants. His hands shot down in embarrassment to cover it up, but it was too late; Harley was cackling loudly by then.

"We both want the same thing, so let's make it happen already. I haven't had sex in foreeeeeeeeeeever, and you seem like the type that could rough me up like Mistah J used to do." Vegeta had already proven that during multiple training sessions, and she hoped he would have the same tenacity in bed.

"I admit you are visually appealing," The Saiyan conceded, eyeing her over once more. "But this is a feeble attempt at seduction. You'll have to do better than this to access my loins." Vegeta finished and turned his back. It was a lie, arguably the most profound lie he had ever uttered. His genitals were throbbing like a heart, and a fire was blazing in his undergarments. He hadn't had sex in nearly two years, and Harley had rudely reminded him of that miserable fact.

Vegeta felt a hand on his shoulder, and the next moment he was being pulled into Harley's warm embrace as she spun him around. They were face to face, lips inches apart, and Harley's supple breasts were pressed against his chest. Her hands were roaming dangerous areas, but Vegeta didn't resist.

"I know you have to be the big strong, mean Saiyan," Harley's face contorted into an exaggerated recreation of Vegeta's typical facial expression. "But give in for once. Have some fun."

Her red lips stretched in an ear-to-ear smile. Vegeta grumbled and muttered under his breath before he reluctantly said, "Oh, what the hell," and kissed her.

April 7th

Age 763 (2013), Belle Reve, Louisiana

"Fantastic job; you all made it on time," Amanda Waller applauded with a mocking clap as she eyed the Alpha Squad of Task Force X. Deadshot, Livewire, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, and Vegeta were all present and suited and booted in their best gear. They were sorted in a horizontal line across from Amanda. A succession of irritated eye rolls followed her words, except for Deadshot, whose eyes weren't visible at all. The assassin simply folded his hands over his chest with body language that indicated extreme annoyance.

The helipad was being prepped for takeoff. Behind Amanda Waller stood a massive Boeing CH-47 Chinook. The helicopter's pilot and the guards who would be accompanying the Suicide Squad to the airport were putting the final touches on the moss-colored aircraft. Chikyu was a long way from Louisiana, and no helicopter was capable of making that flight. As soon as Amanda's subordinates were done stockpiling the helicopter, the aircraft would be on its way to a private airport in a nearby county.

Currently, a trio of guards in basalt body armor was hauling heavy black bins to the helicopter. The members of the Suicide Squad gave them curious looks as they passed by but didn't verbalize any potential questions they had. Harley Quinn, for one, was too distracted by something in the distance to give a care.

"Is that an alligator?" The former psychiatrist squinted so hard that her eyes briefly disappeared from view. They quickly sprang open in excitement when Harley realized she was right. "Woah, he's huge!" She exclaimed, beckoning everyone else's attention.

Amanda whipped her head around. Past the helicopter, helipad, and a vast stretch of cordgrass, stood a high barbed wire fence. A poor alligator was attempting to scale that fence, but before its hind legs could latch onto something stable, the reptile was electrocuted. It died instantly and sploshed back into the swamp that surrounded Belle Reve, disappearing underneath the water's murky depths. Harley wailed "NOOOOOOO" and wiped her eyes with her forearm before attempting to console Killer Croc, who she believed was a kinsman of the creature.

"I'm here for ya, pal," Harley gave Killer Croc a consoling pat on the back. Waylon Jones, who stood on her right side, scratched his head, puzzled.

"Uh….thanks?" He wasn't quite sure how to respond; no one was until Amanda Waller spoke up again. She ignored their chatter completely.

"This just arrived last night, but it will be vital to your mission," Amanda whistled, and one of her guards came calling. It was the pilot; he exited the cockpit with a chunky brown surplus bag in hand. He unzipped it as he walked towards Task Force X, and by the time the pilot reached them, he had plucked all of the bag's contents out.

Amanda ordered everyone to stretch their hands out. Some members of the team protested, but everyone eventually complied with the order. The pilot walked by and dropped an oddly shaped device in their palms.

"What the hell is this?" Livewire asked as she examined the peculiar device. Her gloved fingers slowly explored the texture of the gadget. She pressed a thumb against what appeared to be some kind of monocle, but it was rectangular shaped and made out of a fiber that resembled plexiglass. It was burgundy, and when she flicked it, she nearly broke a nail.

"Ouch!" Harley squealed. Livewire looked over Vegeta's shoulder and saw that Harley had broken one of her nails.

"This looks familiar, but I can't say for sure where I've seen this," Deadshot said as he hoisted his device into the air. The sky was overcast and cloudly. There wasn't a ray of sunlight to speak of, but the screen on Deadshot's device was as bright as a solar flare.

"This…is a...Scouter. These are all Scouters," Vegeta said after a moment of reflection. His suspicions had arisen the moment the pilot had handed it to him, but he hadn't been one hundred percent certain until now. As he attached the device to his face, all of Vegeta's doubts were erased. "This is impossible!"

"Anything is possible," Amanda responded smugly. The Chesire grin on her face grew wider as she observed the Saiyan fiddle with the Scouter. Vegeta's Scouter hummed to life as he activated its computer. He glanced around before fixing his gaze on Amanda, and when he did, roaring laughter erupted from his lungs.

"What's so funny?" Amanda's grin had withered away into a dour frown.

"I could sense your pathetic power level the moment I met you, but seeing it translated into numbers makes it all the more pitiful. Your power level is a paltry twenty." Vegeta reared his head back and let out another unsettling laugh. He was clutching his stomach when Harley joined in, laughing for no apparent reason. When the chorus of hysterical laughter finally died down, Harley turned and furtively asked Vegeta what a power level was.

"So….uh….what's a power level?" She whispered with a hand raised over the side of her mouth.

Her words were still loud enough for Amanda Waller to catch. "Power levels are…." She started to give an explanation but abruptly stopped once she noticed a conspicuous purple bruise on the right side of Harley's neck. It hadn't been there during their earlier meeting in the day, but Harley's skin was so pale the slightest touch would leave a mark. A trip, bump, or hard fall could've caused it, but in that specific location, it was highly unlikely.

Vegeta and Harley were now chatting about the subject of power levels. The Saiyan's patience wore thinner than Harley's eyeliner, and he shouted angrily as the jester villainess posed more and more infuriating questions. The rest of the Suicide Squad lent their ears and mouths, asking a multitude of questions. The veins in Vegeta's neck strained as he shouted at them too. The purple bruise on his neck was twice the size of Harley's.

The prince looked ready to pop, and his face flushed when Amanda Waller dropped a bombshell. "Heads will roll when I find out how you were able to escape your cells," Amanda pointed at Harley and Vegeta. "But irrespective of that, the next time you want to have sex….do it after the mission is complete."

Vegeta stood frozen in place. There were no snarky comebacks or rude remarks this time; he was far too embarrassed. Harley's giggled and coyly twirled her pigtails while the peanut gallery surrounding her gave their commentary.

"Seriously, Harley? Of all people? Vegeta?" Livewire's lips folded in disgust.

"You could do better than him," Killer Croc added with a sad shake of his head.

"I thought you and the Joker still had a thing? Guess not," Deadshot said dryly. He didn't particularly care to know the details of anyone's sex life. Everyone on the team was getting fucked by Amanda Waller anyways.

"Enough!" Amanda cleared her throat, and the gossiping ceased. "These Scouters are a new and improved version of what you used to have, Vegeta."

The prince raised a brow. "Improved how? Nothing about these Scouters has changed." That wasn't entirely true. Some things had changed. Earthlings didn't have access to the same foreign metals and materials that the Planet Trade Organization possessed. The Scouter on Vegeta's face was more lightweight, and its screen was much harder than his previous one, but the Scouter's operations and functions were still the same.

"These Scouters can mask your Ki presence, and I'll demonstrate that for you." Amanda dug into the front pocket of her checkerboard blazer and pulled out a Scouter with a purple screen. She placed it on her face, activated it, and ordered Vegeta to scan her power level now. When the prince did so, he took a step back in surprise; no Ki was emitting from her body. She now had a Ki level of zero, like she didn't exist at all.

"Who created this?" Vegeta asked. Even Frieza's greatest scientists had never come up with an invention like this.

Amanda removed the Scouter from her face and flipped it over. She pointed to an engraved logo on the inner ear of the device. The insignia was plain and simple. Inside a black and green circle, the word Luthorcop was written in capitalized white letters. Lex Luthor had been discreetly working on this project since he'd uncovered Raditz's Scouter in Gotham.

Argus had taken Raditz's corpse, but Lex had managed to snag the Saiyan's Scouter without their knowledge. Lex had only made Amanda Waller privy to that information because of her never-ending grudge with Steve Trevor. The billionaire genius planned to put his new and improved Scouters on the market later this year. The Suicide Squad would serve as a test run for the battlefield practicality of the upgraded Scouters, and if they were as advertised, Lex would earn a handsome military contract. [1]

All parties would seemingly win in this scenario, but none more than Amanda. The Scouters were free of charge to her, and they doubled as a first-person camera. Unbeknownst to the Suicide Squad, she would have literal eyes on the ground when they touched down in Chikyu.

April 7th

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

"Is this really necessary?" Superman asked as he stood in front of a tall mirror that was upheld by magic. It was twice the length of his body, which helped to accentuate just how odd he looked in this outfit.

"I require all my students to wear my gi," Piccolo huffed from over his shoulder. There were very few people who managed to make Clark feel tiny, and the Namekian was one of them. Piccolo's seven-foot-five frame towered over the man of steel. His shadow provided a welcome reprieve from the scorching sun, though Kal-El didn't need it.

"How's that possible? I'm your only student, Mister Piccolo," A puzzled Gohan quipped from beside his sensei. He was dressed in a miniature version of his father's gi, and to his knowledge, Piccolo had never trained anyone aside from him.

"My point still stands, Gohan," Piccolo said, slightly flustered. He glanced down at his pupil, and the boy gave him a sheepish grin. "Don't you think Superman looks good? I do."

Gohan glanced at the mirror in front of them, mulling over his response. The Demi-Saiyan was so used to seeing Superman in his trademark red and blue uniform. But today, his scarlet cape with the emblazoned House of El symbol was absent, and in its place stood a long billowing white cape. It was the same fabric Piccolo wore, and the two men were dressed nearly identical.

Superman wore a dark purplish-blue gi, which he kept tugging at, trying fruitlessly to remove never-ending wrinkles. There was no iron in the world that could've cleared them all. A sky blue obi was wrapped tightly around his waist. The pointy orange shoes on his feet, resembling carrots, were huge but were easily dwarfed by the ones on Piccolo's feet. The only difference between the Namekian and the Kryptonian's outfit was the lack of a turban on Clark's head.

"I think he looks….fine," Was all Gohan could muster. Superman looked as comfortable as a gorilla in a suit, but it was impolite to say such things. Gohan's Godmother, however, had no qualms with speaking her mind.

"I hope Piccolo can whip up a new outfit for you cuz this one ain't it," Bulma commented from across the yard. She sat up in her blue lawn chair and placed the book on her lap in the grass.

"I think it's perfectly fine. What's wrong with Superman's outfit?" Moori questioned. He and a host of other Namekians were seated around Bulma in matching lawn chairs. The new Namekian Grand Elder eyed Superman with swelling pride. The garments Kal-El wore symbolized the hope Piccolo had provided to his people.

"There's nothing really wrong per se.." Bulma drawled.

"She just wants to get under my skin," Piccolo finished for her. Ever since he'd insulted her fashion sense a month ago, Bulma had been out to get him, and today was no different. He usually had a snide comment about whatever atrocity she had on, but so far, today, his tongue and been blunted. The Capsule Corp heiress actually looked decent for once. She sat near her pond in a flowing pink maxi dress.

"I guess I'll get used to it," Superman said skeptically. He took one last look at the mirror and spun around to get a 360 view of himself before he motioned for Piccolo to discard it. The Namekian did so in a flash. A thin golden ray of energy shot out of Piccolo's fingertips and hit the mirror. The second it made contact, the mirror disappeared in a plume of grey smoke.

"I hope that's a part of my training," Superman chuckled as he turned to face Piccolo.

"Unfortunately, that's not something I can teach you. Your race wasn't born with that innate ability." Piccolo jumped into the air and gestured for Superman to follow him. The pair of aliens ascended higher and higher until they were leagues above the dome-shaped headquarters of the Capsule Corporation.

Superman looked below and whistled in marvel at how much land Bulma's family had. The pond in her backyard was gigantic, but it didn't even encompass two-tenths of her land. Numerous palm trees were sprinkled amongst freshly cut grass. Bulma was a stickler for cleanliness, so every shrub, bush, and tree in her yard was manicured to the fullest extent. She spared no expense for lawn care or for the small heliport she had built at the far end of her lawn.

"Are you ready to begin?" Piccolo asked as he began stretching his arms and legs.

"Is this really the best place to train? Someone could get hurt," Capsule Corp was located in the heart of West City. All around him, Superman could hear the rustlings of the bustling city. Trains, hyperloops, buses, cars, hovercars, bikes, and scooters, were all moving at a nonstop pace around them. One wrong move from Piccolo or Clark could endanger the lives of countless dozens.

"I won't use Ki blasts, which should significantly decrease any potential damage. But if things still get too out of hand, we can move our fight to Bulma's atrium; there's a sparring arena in there."

Superman nodded, satisfied with Piccolo's words. The Kryptonian slid one leg in front of the other and bent it, settling into a zenkutsu-dachi stance. It caught Piccolo off guard and forced the Namekian to sink into a defensive posture. If Superman wanted to be the aggressor, Piccolo would allow him. Clark was milliseconds away from charging at Piccolo when his ears suddenly picked up on the rhythmic beating of an aircraft's blades.

It was a helicopter for sure, but all of Bulma's helicopters were docked at the heliport, and as far as Clark knew, no other helicopters had clearance to fly this close. The sound of the whirling blades got closer and closer as the aircraft finally came into view. In the distance behind Piccolo, a moss-colored helicopter emerged from a forest of skyscrapers. The helicopter was lead-lined, and it was impossible for the man of steel to see who was in the cockpit.

Someone leaned out of one of the aircraft's doors, dangling dangerously as they heaved a weapon onto their shoulder. Clark's eyes flared with panic as he realized what it was.

"Look out, Piccolo!" He shouted, but by then, it was already too late.

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 59!

[1]: This occurred in chapter 17.

Q/A:

OmniIBIBUltraInstinctGodzilla: The reunion will happen soon, and it'll be worth the wait.

guardianx15: Yes, The Source is the origin of all Ki in the universe. Your question about the New Gods is a spoiler; I won't answer that. All the gods in the universe were born from the Godwave, the energy unleashed from the destruction of the Godworld. Beerus will most likely be the most powerful god, aside from the true forms of the New Gods.

Historiasrandom: I plan to show the universe's reaction to Frieza's defeat. I don't mind good suggestions.

scl04: Besidesthe merging I did, the lore behind The Source Wall in the previous chapter is true. Donna's trial will be the focus of the next chapter that Diana appears in, and you'll get to witness how justice is served. Yeah, Goku and Diana owe Bulma a bunch for taking care of Gohan in their absence. I still don't quite get the Dr. Veritas question, but yes, she has traveled to a new dimension. In DBS, the Ginyu Force had attacked Yardrat before heading to Namek, but in DBZ, the Ginyu Force was scheduled to go to Yardrat after Namek.

Vault Hunter: That's an understandable and fair will depart from Themyscira soon, so that won't be an issue for you too much longer.

Dontus -not Donut- Powerus: I don't plan on using anything beyond SSG for this story, and God Ki will be very limited in this story.

NirvanaFrk97: Your theory is interesting, and I will neither confirm nor deny it, lol. What Goku became aware of will be very useful in an upcoming story arc. I'm pretty sure Goku's tail got removed a long time ago, but it can always grow back later.

drake202: Wikipedia isn't always the best, but what it said about The Source is true. Diana will have one more chapter in Themyscira, and then she'll reunite with the main cast.

KingJGamer: Maybe, maybe not.

Guest: You're incorrect. In this story, Gohan was born in May 2008. His training with Piccolo occurred when he was three. He's about to turn 5.

tgminecraft18: The Dragonballs are currently inactive. was apprehended during the time skip between chapters 13 and 14. had none of those Androids in DBZ canon or in this story. Android 9 only appeared in a video game, and Androids 10,11, and 12 were deemed failures. Your Frieza question is a spoiler; I won't answer that.

Prof Zoom: Just like Akira Toriyama, I've completely forgotten about Launch, lol. She may pop up later, though.

Omnihallows: The Namekians are still on Earth, as you saw in this chapter. I won't answer your other questions because they're all spoilers. I'm not a big fan of DBS, but that doesn't mean I won't use certain elements that I like. Cabba, Kale, and Caulifla will all appear in this story, but their origin will obviously be much different than it was in DBS.

kaffeenator666: The pacing of this story has been bad at times; I can admit that. There are several instances of bad pacing that stem from poor writing. Some of the plotlines you mentioned aren't actually plotlines or are plotlines that are about to end. Plotlines #2 & #5 are the only real plotlines from your list.

You and other readers have complained about the pacing of the Themyscira arc. That criticism is warranted because that arc has dragged on for a long time, but it's about to end. I like doing multiple plots. The cast of characters in the story is too big for one storyline at a time. I just need to do a better job of managing the plotlines I create.

Taking long breaks and being lazy at times has messed up certain parts of this story. For me, the Themyscira arc was the most fun to write. Wonder Woman is my favorite female superhero, so I breezed through writing her parts. You have some good suggestions about speeding up the pace, but I already have things mapped out. Wonder Woman will be back by the time Frieza arrives, and Gohan isn't going anywhere.

I don't mind constructive criticism; I welcome and want it. Constructive criticism helps me become a better writer. I've checked out Going Native and Gone Native; they're the two most popular stories in the DBZ/Justice League crossover section. I can't give you an exact chapter count for when Goku will return, but it will be after this current arc with Vegeta ends.