Thoughts

Computer Speech/Robotic Speech

"Speech"

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

Chapter 62: Boiling Point I

April 7th

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

"This is easy…way too easy," Harley Quinn said as she squinted her eyes. She surveyed the landscape, and there wasn't an officer or security guard in sight. The Capsule Corp building was virtually defenseless. Sure, there was a long golden-brown fence that spanned the entirety of the Capsule Corp property, but it was flimsy and would do little to deter an intruder.

"For once, I have to agree with you, Harley," Deadshot said from behind. He finished arming himself with an assortment of weapons and scanned the dome-shaped building in front of him with his Scouter. As expected, Bulma and a multitude of Namekians were inside, but no one else was home. Dr. Brief and Mrs. Brief were out of town on vacation. In the backyard, Gohan, Piccolo, and Superman were present, but they were occupied by their battle with the Beta squad.

"Fresh air never felt so good." Killer Croc said as he stomped towards Harley and Deadshot, who stood in the middle of the street. It was a miracle he had somehow managed to fit inside their team's white van. He stretched and yawned loudly, causing Vegeta to thwack him on the back of his head.

"You idiot, have you forgotten about the Namekian race's keen sense of hearing?" The prince stepped on his tail and dared the mutant to make another sound. "If you give away our presence, I swear I'll kill you myself!"

"Give it a rest already, Vegeta," Livewire said as she finally exited the white van. It was parked across the street from Capsule Corp, and the rest of the road was surprisingly deserted. Livewire slid out of the driver's seat, quietly shut the door, and walked toward Vegeta while rolling her eyes. "Waller will blow that oversized head of yours off if you even think about doing that, numbskull."

"I should've blown yours off for your atrocious driving skills," Vegeta retorted. Their trip had been smooth sailing until they'd landed in Chikyu. Their plane had dropped them off at a private airport in West City. Both squads of Task Force X had been divided, and the Beta squad had departed first. They were given a helicopter that Captain Boomerang had piloted. But the Alpha squad had been forced to take a van, one that Livewire's unsteady hands had guided.

"That's rich coming from a mass-murdering alien. Do you even know how to drive?" Livewire was incensed. Vegeta had no room to talk.

"Why would I need to drive when I can fly? Of course, I don't know how to conduct one of those machines," Vegeta snorted. Such things were beneath him. If anything, royalty like him would be chauffeured. "But if I ever bothered to put my hands on a steering wheel, I could drive better than you."

"Oh please, you pompous prick," Livewire leaned over and jabbed her finger in Vegeta's chest. "You're the only idiot who thinks that. My driving was just fine, wasn't it, guys?" She turned to her comrades, and they all averted her gaze.

"As much as I hate to agree with Vegeta on this, your driving skills are awful."

"The Joker has hyenas that can drive better than you."

"Whoever taught you how to drive should've been murdered," Deadshot brusquely topped off the comments from the peanut gallery. Leslie Willis feigned sadness at their words, but deep down, she knew it was true.

"At least I got the job done," Livewire replied with a shrug. She stepped onto the sidewalk and strolled underneath an arched white banner that linked two halves of the Capsule Corp fence together. "Are you coming or what?" She looked back at her teammates before pressing on, marching towards the front door of the Capsule Corp headquarters.

Not to be bested, Vegeta raced after her and beat her to the door handle. "I won't let you steal my glory," he smugly said and kicked the door. It flew off its hinges and banged into a nearby wall.

"What happened to moving discretely? I guess that only matters in regard to Killer Croc," Livewire sarcastically said. She pushed the Saiyan aside and stepped into a room that could be best described as a lobby. To her right, there was a large black marble receptionist desk that was currently unattended. The walnut tile floor stretched as far as her eyes could see. The walls were a dull grey, and an open door on the opposite end of the room led to an atrium.

Vegeta and Livewire carefully scoped the room, but Harley came in giggling loudly, announcing their presence to any would-be attackers.

"This is way bigger than I thought it would be. When I was a kid, I had a whole doll set of this place. Kinda strange, I know, but what can I say? My parents were nonconformists. Whoa, is that a dinosaur?" Harley squealed in glee as she ran over to the atrium and dipped her head inside it.

Sure enough, there was a baby t-rex prowling the grass. She was about to take off in a full sprint towards the reptile but was suddenly pulled back by Deadshot before she could even get into proper form.

"Get a grip, Harley," The assassin said as he hoisted her by her collar. Her feet flailed, dangling in the air as Deadshot slowly led her out of the room. He tossed her outside the atrium without much strain, and she landed on her bum with a hard thud that was sure to leave a bruise.

"You're no fun," Harley stuck her tongue out at Deadshot and pouted. The assassin paid her no mind. She rose, dusted herself off, and walked towards Vegeta, who had returned from doing some brief reconnaissance.

"There's no one on this floor," Vegeta said after doing a quick sweep of the area. There were dozens of rooms, but they were all empty.

Deadshot approached the Saiyan, who stood huddled with the rest of their squad and gave them his two cents. "I detect power levels on the upper floors. We should try and find the nearest elevator and head up there before…."

"Halt and state your business here!" A robotic voice cut Deadshot off. The assassin turned around and saw a bulky seven-foot-tall robot glaring down at him with a singular red eye. It had no mouth, but a voice was projected from the speaker on its chest.

"Unauthorized visitors are not welcome at the Capsule Corporation. State your business now, or we'll be forced to remove you from the premises." Another machine stated in an authoritative tone. Killer Croc glanced over his shoulder and saw an identical robot standing over him. Waylon Jones' first instinct was to attack, but Deadshot cautioned him and opted for further observation.

Both robots were identical, and it was impossible to tell where either one had emerged from. They bore the Capsule Corp's insignia on their pale-yellow abdomens. The robots' color schemes were a jarring and almost haphazard combination of blue and yellow. The machines' torsos were so large and pudgy that it was illogical for their tiny legs to support them, yet somehow, they did. The robots held no weapons, nor did their bodies feature any, but their gigantic hands looked more than capable of killing a man in a single blow.

The Alpha squad had hoped to avoid any altercations until they reached their target, but they were now surrounded.

"I thought you did a sweep of the area," Livewire glared at Vegeta, and the Saiyan matched her expression with a scowl.

"What use are those eyes on your face? Can't you see that these are robots? Machines don't emit Ki."

"None of that matters now," Deadshot interjected. He aimed his wrist magnums at the robot closest to him and prepared to fire. "The time for talking is over."

A single bullet was fired at the large bulbous blue head of the machine. It ricocheted off the robot's face and narrowly missed Harley Quinn, who yelped in surprise as the smushed projectile breezed past her face. Undeterred, Deadshot fired another shot and then another before unleashing a hail of bullets that had minimal effect on the robot. His shots pelted the machine's sturdy frame but did little more than irritate the automaton.

Once Deadshot's bullets ran out, so did the robot's patience. It swung at the world-famous assassin who ducked in the nick of time. But the robot's momentum was too great to stop, and its fist landed on Vegeta, who was standing right next to Deadshot. The punch struck the prince square in the jaw with a thwack that echoed across the room. The Saiyan frowned, and his annoyance was evident in his eyes which narrowed into slits.

Vegeta wasted no time retaliating and summoned his Ki, gathering it in his palms. He extended his arms towards the machine and spread his palms, unleashing a wave of purple energy. The room was illuminated in its ethereal glow. It was a marvel to look at, but the destruction that followed was horrifying. The robot was annihilated in a glory of electrical sparks, and once Vegeta's Ki waned, not even a trace of scrap metal remained.

Whatever had stood in Vegeta's path was obliterated. The floor in front of him was in ruins, and the rooms that had stretched down the hall were now steaming piles of rubble. The Alpha squad's hopes of quietly and discreetly snatching the dragon radar were officially out the window. Bulma and the Namekians on the upper floors would be on high alert now if they hadn't already been.

A couple of feet behind Vegeta, Livewire, and Killer Croc were engaged with the remaining robot. The Saiyan had disposed of his enemy easily, but the other machine was far more durable than it looked. Killer Croc slashed at the robot's chest relentlessly, but his claws couldn't penetrate the machine's exterior. The mutant was a green blur each time he struck, but none of his efforts produced anything more than ear-splitting clinks each time he made contact. Killer Croc's nails would be nubs by the time he actually managed to inflict any damage on the machine.

Livewire idly stood by watching her teammate hack away at the robot until she finally grew tired of the situation. Electricity crackled in her hands, and the former blogger lunged at the machine while it was distracted. One quick electrical burst was all she needed to take the robot out of commission. She blasted the automaton with enough electricity to fry West City's electrical grid. The robot sputtered as it hit the ground, convulsing before its lone red eye closed forever.

"Teamwork makes the dream work!" Harley exclaimed and suddenly tackled Livewire from behind. She lifted the electrical villainess into a bone-squeezing hug. Harley was much stronger than she looked. When Livewire's efforts to escape Harley's grasp failed, she zapped her with electricity, eliciting a cry of pain and frizzing the former psychiatrist's hair. Livewire wiggled out of Harley's grasp and frowned once her feet made solid contact with the ground.

"You didn't do anything to help!" Livewire screeched.

"Well, I figured y'all had it covered," Harley replied with a sheepish grin. "Killer Croc doesn't seem to mind, though."

"He barely has a mind, Harley!" Livewire retorted.

"You know I can hear you, right?" Killer Croc said, watching the pair argue with a perturbed look.

"They know; they just don't care," Vegeta added. He floated to Killer Croc and landed beside the mutant. "But enough of that, we have more pressing matters. Bulma and the Namekians have surely discovered us now."

"Yeah, genius, and that's thanks to you," Livewire huffed an exasperated sigh. If the bomb in her head didn't kill her, her idiotic teammates would.

"If it weren't for me, you'd be dead right now. Spare me your insults, Earthling. You should be on your hands and knees thanking me instead."

Livewire ground her teeth so hard her jaw hurt. "Every time I think that over-inflated ego of yours can't get any bigger, you pull out another whopping amount of bull-"

"We need to get going…now," Deadshot interrupted. His scouter was abuzz with life. "Bulma and the Namekians are on the move. I don't know where they're going, but we need to catch up to them."

Vegeta grunted. "Who died and made you our leader? You don't bark out orders to me!" The lobby tensed. Vegeta was a loose cannon who could go off at any moment. The prince looked poised to argue but suddenly changed his demeanor. "However, your point is valid. Bulma is undoubtedly up to something." He didn't need a scouter to sense his prey frantically scurrying through the building. "I'll grab her before she gets too far."

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

"Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse," Bulma groaned as she watched camera footage on her cell phone. Her palms were sweaty, and her chunky phone was too large for her hand's width, but for once, she was grateful for its size. Her phone's colossal screen granted her a full view of the ongoings downstairs. Vegeta and a group of unknown assailants had burst through her front door and had made a mess of the lobby. Truthfully the Capsule Corp's defense robots had been the main cause of the wreckage, but the machines had only done what they were programmed to do.

"Who is that?" Grand Elder Moori asked as his finger pointed to a grinning woman on the screen. She'd discovered the location of a hidden camera and was currently making silly faces in front of it.

Bulma squinted and looked closely at the pigtailed woman. Her pale skin, facial features, and colorful hair; all seemed so familiar. "That's Harley Quinn," Bulma finally deduced. Bruce had talked about her dozens of times. Her antics with the Joker were world renown. "She's a criminal from Gotham City."

"Gotham City? Isn't that in America?" Tsuburi asked. He stood beside Bulma, hunched over her right shoulder, while Grand Elder Moori peered over her left shoulder. Both Namekians studied her cell phone screen intently.

"You remember that?" Bulma blinked in surprise. She pulled her gaze from the screen and turned to Tsuburi. She'd spent time educating the Namekians on Earthling customs, history, and geography but hadn't actually expected any of them to retain the information.

"Of course, we remember," Tsuburi said, speaking for himself and all the other Namekians who were present. A host of Namekians surrounded him and Grand Elder Moori, eagerly trying to view what was happening on Bulma's phone. They were crammed so tightly in a hallway it would've given anyone claustrophobia. The group had been headed towards a nearby elevator, but a loud notification on Bulma's phone had interrupted their trek.

"You've been a very gracious host to us. The least we can do is memorize what you've taught us about this planet."

Bulma smiled upon hearing Tsuburi's words. "If only all my guests were as pleasant as you guys." Her blue eyes returned to the screen, and she saw that her intruders were on the move. Vegeta conjured a Ki blast and burst through the ceiling following it. The ground beneath Bulma trembled, and somewhere down the hall, a floor collapsed. Bulma realized it wouldn't be long until the Saiyan found her.

"We've got to split up," Bulma quickly decided, but Grand Elder Moori and Tsuburi were staunchly against the idea.

"You don't stand a chance against Vegeta on your own."

"As a group, we have better odds."

Our chances are slim either way. Bulma thought, but she didn't voice her concerns. "I'm the one they're after, not you guys." The audio from the intruder's conversations had made that abundantly clear. She still couldn't piece together why they were after her, but it was evident that an unseen hand was behind this plot.

"I'll deploy more defense robots and draw Vegeta to my room. I have something I've been working on, and this is the perfect opportunity to test it out. But if that fails, I'll signal for help." Bulma's words seemed to appease the mass of Namekians, but Grand Elder Moori's worry wasn't easily shed.

"Don't hesitate to call for help, Bulma; one of us will hear it," The Grand Elder insisted, and Bulma nodded in agreement. She was well aware of his species' keen sense of hearing. That was what had initially alerted Bulma to the intruders in her home, but oddly enough, the intruders' Ki had been undetectable.

"We'll handle the Earthlings," Tsuburi boldly declared. Vegeta was out of his league; he knew that from first-hand experience. But what the Saiyan's comrades had displayed on the camera footage was nothing he couldn't handle.

"Gohan, Piccolo, and Superman are still occupied with the other group of intruders. I'll deploy more robots for added reinforcements." Bulma toggled through the apps on her phone and clicked on the one that controlled the Capsule Corp's defense robots. They were hidden underneath floors throughout the building. All it took was the press of a button, and her intruders would be in for one hell of a surprise.

Bulma gave the Namekians a parting smile, activated the robots, and made a beeline for her room down the hall.

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

Bulma slammed the door behind her as she walked in. That wouldn't do much to deter Vegeta from capturing her, but it would make the Saiyan have to work a little bit harder. Her door was made from an alien metal that Superman had gifted her. The door was incredibly stout on both sides, but it was nearly impenetrable from the front. Only someone in Clark's weight class could break through it, and unfortunately for Bulma, Vegeta was in that league.

The Capsule Corp heiress scrambled past her king-sized bed and ran toward a dresser by the window. The dresser was square, half her height, and was comprised entirely of white marble. She frantically opened its drawers and searched for one of her latest creations. She was certain she had left it here. Just the night before, she had been toying with it before she went to bed.

But there was so much stuff impeding her search; underwear, bras, t-shirts, socks, the list went on and on. She had never realized how unorganized she was until now. Hopefully, if she survived this encounter with Vegeta, she would take time out of her busy schedule to sort through the piles of clothes that now littered the floor. She opened every drawer in the dresser and angrily banged her fist on top of it when she realized that what she was looking for wasn't there.

She had four other large dressers in her mansion of a room, but would she have the time to dig through them? In the hallway, she could hear Vegeta shouting her name and yelling threats as he fought his way through some Namekians. The robots Bulma had activated attempted to join the fray but were vaporized as soon as they uttered an order. Their explosions sent tremors throughout her room.

Bulma was nearly knocked down by one and had to lean on her dresser for support.

As she did, she glanced out the window in front of her and saw Superman taking down an enemy. The ghoulish woman who'd initially attacked the man of steel was unconscious now. Superman would be free to help Bulma if she cried for help, but for now, she continued her hectic search.

Bulma dashed across the room and rummaged through her wooden nightstands. They were heirlooms that stretched back countless generations in the Brief family. They were priceless items to her ancestors, and Bulma could only imagine their displeasure if they were alive to witness her pulling and chucking the nightstands' drawers with reckless abandon.

"Damn it, where is it?!" Bulma growled in frustration. The nightstand on the left side of her bed produced nothing but books that she'd read a dozen times over. She plopped on her Versace bed sheets and rolled over to the nightstand on her right. Her invention had to be here. This was where she placed her cell phone every night before she went to bed.

She pulled the top drawer, but before she could fully slide it open, she heard a loud bang at her door. Vegeta had arrived. Another loud bang was heard, and Bulma assumed the Saiyan was attempting to pry the door open with brute strength. He was strong, but he wasn't that strong. Once the prince smartened up and used his Ki, the door would be down in seconds, but until then, Bulma had a few fleeting moments to locate her invention.

She slid the top drawer open and cursed upon seeing the bundles of chargers inside. Her hand slithered down to open the bottom drawer, but by then, Vegeta had ripped through the door.

"Must you make everything so difficult?" The prince said as he stepped into the room. He inspected the bedroom with scrutinizing eyes. It was exquisitely furnished and decorated. No amount of money had been spared on its construction. Frieza's bed chambers paled in comparison. The room was truly befitting of royalty, and Vegeta could've envisioned himself sleeping here if not for the clumps of clothes and books strewn all over the floor.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave right now, Vegeta," Bulma tried to sound threatening, but the treble in her voice made her words fall flat. The Saiyan scoffed at her and floated over to the bed.

"Where is the dragon radar?" He inquired as he hovered over her. The tips of his hair brushed against the ceiling.

"All of this is because of the dragon radar?" Bulma asked incredulously. She got off the bed and slid to the ground. She was trying to make sense of the situation. "Wait a minute, aren't you supposed to be in prison? The Justice League apprehended you in January." Bulma shot the prince a glare which he returned.

Vegeta grit his teeth, and Bulma just knew a foul response was brewing in his mouth, but the Saiyan ultimately said nothing. He angrily tapped his Scouter and swallowed whatever words he had intended to say. "Just tell me where the damn dragon radar is!" Vegeta opened his hand, and Ki began to bubble in front of it.

Bulma gulped as the energy sizzled, but she quickly composed herself. She stood up and assessed her predicament. Vegeta needed the dragon radar, so the Ki accumulating in his hand was just a bluff meant to scare her into complying. Vegeta had learned how to sense Ki on Namek without the use of a Scouter, so the fact he was wearing one now was very peculiar. The intruders who had joined the Saiyan in this attempted burglary were also wearing Scouters.

Up above, Vegeta could see the wheels churning in Bulma's mind. The woman was numerous things; stubborn, petulant, and hard-headed, but she was undoubtedly a genius. She knew something was off about this situation, and she was slowly sorting out the pieces. In due time she would figure out who was orchestrating this scheme, but that was time Vegeta didn't have. Amanda Waller could blow off his head at any given moment.

The prince decided to give Bulma a helping hand. There's a bomb in my head.Vegeta said the words telepathically. Bulma's eyes instantly darted around the room in confusion. The booming voice caught her off guard, and it sounded eerily similar to Vegeta's, but the Saiyan hadn't uttered a word. Vegeta palmed his forehead and suppressed the urge to shout at her. He calmed himself and tried again.

I'm speaking to you telepathically, Bulma. Don't say a word out loud.

The Capsule Corp heiress looked up at the Saiyan with wide trembling eyes but wisely kept her mouth shut.

Help me, and I'll help you.

Bulma was doubtful about the veracity of Vegeta's words, but she would play along for the time being.

What do you need? She telepathically replied as the Saiyan landed in front of her. He grabbed her by the throat and began squeezing it like a lemon.

"I won't ask you again! Where is the dragon radar?" Vegeta had to put on a show; Amanda Waller was listening, but in his mind, a completely different conversation was being had. The prince had kept a few tricks up his sleeve, and his telepathy was what he was banking on to save him.

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

"Okay, this is starting to get annoying now," Harley Quinn grumbled as she swung her bat. The robot in front of her didn't bother to make any evasive maneuvers and remained standing still. The comically oversized bat made contact with the robot's legs but bent the moment it struck.

"Aww, that was my favorite one," Harley groaned and retreated a few steps back. Her bat was curved like a boomerang now. "You'll pay for that!"

She leaped into the air and aimed a kick at the robot's head, but a cold, enormous hand latched out and grabbed her before it connected. The robot flipped her upside down, dangling her over the floor and sending blood rushing to her brain.

"A little help would be nice!" Harley yelled at her teammates, but none of them responded. They were all too busy with their own problems. All around her, the members of the Alpha squad were engaged in battle with hordes of robots. Vegeta, as usual, had decided to fly solo and had left his comrades behind. They'd tried to follow him to the second floor, but the robots had detained them. They were proving to be an incredible nuisance.

"Livewire, can't you shut them down?" Deadshot asked as he fired a round from his gun. He knew it was a waste of time, but the bullet would at least keep the machine out of arm's reach.

Livewire fired a blast of electricity at the enemy in front of her and glanced over her shoulder, making eye contact with Deadshot. Her enemy was momentarily stunned, but the robot would regain its motor functions in seconds. "These robots are different from the first one I fought. Zapping them doesn't have much of an effect."

Deadshot grimaced. Bullets were useless on them as well. The assassin pulled a grenade from his utility belt and tossed it at a robot who was lunging at him. The explosion that followed sent the assassin tumbling to the ground, but as the smoke cleared, it revealed that the machine was unharmed. Deadshot cursed under his helmet and prepared to launch another grenade, but a zooming robot slammed into his enemy before he could.

Deadshot turned to his right and saw Killer Croc tossing robots around the lobby like confetti. The mutant's claws were ineffective against the machines, but his brute strength wasn't. Killer Croc flung the robots around like bowling balls, sending them crashing into one another. Deadshot had to roll out of the way multiple times to avoid incoming collisions. He was fortunate, but Harley wasn't so lucky.

The clown villainess was still caught in the clutches of a robot, held captive upside down. She had no freedom to move and was nearly squished when Killer Croc hurled a robot at her captor. Harley was caught in the middle of the approaching impact. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, but when she opened them, she was out of harm's way, floating in the air. Livewire saved her in the nick of time using her electricity, and both robots exploded in a fiery bang.

"I owe ya one," Harley grinned at Livewire as she was released onto the floor, but Leslie Willis paid her no mind. She turned her attention back to the task at hand. The robots had figured out Killer Croc's strategy and were now surging towards him. The mutant went feral and lashed out against them with his tail and claws. Killer Croc roared angrily as he fought, but the robots were insurmountable. They battered him until the scales on his skin began to peel, and even then, they didn't stop.

The machines' singular objective was to take Killer Croc out of commission, and they nearly succeeded until Livewire shut down the power in the lobby. She siphoned the energy from the lights on the ceiling, and a thick darkness fell over the room. All that was visible were the glowing red eyes of the robots. Harley used the momentary distraction to pull Killer Croc to safety. It took nearly all her strength to drag the mutant across the floor.

Livewire fired bolts of electricity at any of the machines who tried to follow Harley, which earned their ire. All five of the remaining robots set their sights on Livewire. She welcomed the challenge and raced to meet them. In her electrical form, their attacks would harmlessly phase through her body. She wanted to put an end to this battle, but these latest robots seemed impervious to electrical attacks. Unlike the first machine she had fought, she couldn't simply overload them with electricity.

Livewire slipped past the robots' punches with ease. They swung tirelessly, but in the end, the result was the same. When that plan of attack failed, the machines tried to grab her. They clawed at her neck, arms, legs, and any other visible body parts, but Livewire was as slippery as oil. It was impossible to grip a being made of pure energy. Deadshot provided backup and hurled grenades while raining bullets on the machines.

He fired until his weapons jammed, and when they did, he pulled out more guns from his bottomless utility belt. Harley had no weapons and could only offer her kicks and punches, which resulted in nothing but bruises and wounds on her skin. She had enhanced strength but nothing that could pose a threat to the machines. There was one course of action left for the Alpha squad, but Livewire was hesitant to take it.

I'll be putting myself in danger if I do this. Livewire wrestled with the decision. It would ensure victory but at a cost. She couldn't make up her mind either way, but a host of new enemies who came crashing through the ceiling suddenly made her choice a lot easier.

"The Namekians are here!" Deadshot shouted and aimed his weapons at them. They were sprawled on the floor and disoriented. Rays of light from the second floor shone through the holes in the ceiling. Vegeta was meticulously slicing his way through his enemies upstairs, but the Namekians weren't dead. They were dazed and injured, but their power levels still dwarfed anything the current Alpha squad could produce.

A particularly wizened Namekian grunted as he lifted himself off the ground. Once he was on his feet, he wasted no time setting his sights on Deadshot. The assassin's Scouter beeped, and it calculated that the Namekian's power level was three hundred. The Namekian unwrapped his towering white turban, and all hell broke loose as his Ki ignited around him.

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 61!

A/N: I didn't plan to take a long break, but life happened. My job increased my workload, which cut a lot of my free time in half, and I got Covid. But hopefully, things have settled down now, and I can return to my weekly chapter format.

Q/A:

Ppsspp: I've mentioned Tarble once before in this story, but I'm not sure if I'll include him in a storyline. Broly will appear after the Cell saga. Honestly, you're the only person who has complained about a Superman/Goku fusion.

dinorun154: I don't know if I'll include the Time Patrol because time travel laws in this AU aren't the same as they are in the Dragonball Universe.

OmniIBIBUltraInstinctGodzilla: I'm not too familiar with Xenoverse, so probably not unless I read up on it.

guardianx15: Gohan could've put Captain Boomerang out of commission, but he didn't view him as a threat. He's the weakest member of his squad. Silver Banshee is a pretty strong character; she just gets nerfed a lot. If you look up her feats and abilities, you'll see that she's a much bigger threat than she's often portrayed as.

cuervonegro998: Hercule won't steal Gohan's fame in this story, and he won't play much of a role in the plot either. Yes, the creation of Cell will have significant repercussions globally and galactically. Goku and co aren't going to join the Justice League. As you noted, there's a big difference in ideology, and the Z-Warriors aren't superheroes. They fight major threats, but they don't go around fighting crime on a daily basis. Thanks for the kind words.

Vault Hunter: The fight between Killer Frost's team, aka the Beta squad, and the heroes happened quickly.

Guest: I can't give you an exact time, but soon.

scl04: Gohan didn't view Captain Boomerang as a serious threat, so he didn't deal with him like he could have. Killer Frost has taken hits from Superman in the comics so it's not a stretch for her to take hits from Gohan, especially at his current age. J'onn has met the Namekians. Superman's hearing is better than Piccolo's. Piccolo should've been able to hear the helicopter approaching, but at the same time, in DBZ, Piccolo doesn't always hear everything.

Jackalope89: Bulma and Vegeta will be paired together. I've stated that since the beginning of this story.

Guest1: Diana will appear soon.

JC Denton-TheAugmentedGod: I'm not quite sure, but their child would probably have a quirky personality, lol.

Anonymous Mastermind: I'm very familiar with Maxima. Aside from Wonder Woman, she's my favorite female DC superhero. Maxima will appear after the Cell saga, and I have something planned for her.

Zoa: The multiverse will get explored, but I'm not sure about doing an entirely separate story for an alternate universe. Your ideas about Earth 2 are interesting, and I'll look into that.

sun-wukong: Yes.

Vtorx: Yes, I've seen it, and it looks interesting.

Thunder Dragon: Gohan and Cassie Sandsmark will be relatives in this story; they'll have a close relationship.

TheRightPrice: By draining Ki, the cuffs are interfering with a person's ability to use and access their Ki.

Ayrton Senna: Gohan and Cassie Sandsmark will be relatives in this story; they'll have a close relationship.

EANID: The Suicide Squad wasn't amped in the previous chapter; I don't think you know how strong certain characters two characters who gave Gohan, Piccolo, and Superman trouble aren't weak at all. Killer Frost and Silver Banshee are powerhouses, and I implore you to do some research about their feats and abilities because nothing I had them do was out of line with their character. Killer Frost has drained the heat from the entire Justice League, which included Aquaman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash, to name a few names. Silver Banshee is strong and fast enough to trade blows with Superman on top of being able to use magic and her deadly scream.

Silver Banshee's scream can kill anyone if she knows their identity; I didn't even utilize that in the previous chapter. In addition to that, I undersold El Diablo. El Diablo is immortal and literally can't die, and he has a demon mode. You're free to your opinion, but if you think the last chapter was unreasonable, you're just unaware of how strong those characters are. The Suicide Squad initially gave the heroes some mild difficulty, but by the end of the chapter, they were on the ropes.

Non: Yes, there are villainous versions of Goku in other universes. Superman will learn various things from various people.

Ashton Chane: All I'm willing to say is that the person accompanying Trunks will be a DC character.

Tomorrow-man15: I've thought about ways to keep the human Z-Warriors relevant. I'm unfamiliar with sun wukong, so I can't answer those questions. Yes, I'm aware of the YouTube series that has the same name as this story. I've watched a few videos, and I like them. Abo and Kado do look similar to the new Yardratian designs.

Thunderer: Yeah, the Namek saga was something I could've handled much better. If I could do it over again, the Namek arc would've been totally different. Namek has three suns, and I excluded Superman for that reason. Superman would've been extremely overpowered on Namek, and Frieza would've been defeated easily. But when Frieza arrives on Earth, Superman will have an encounter with him.

Mystery889: Bulma and Vegeta are still going to end up together.

gotham0101: I'm fine, thanks for asking. I didn't plan to take a break, but things came up in my personal life.

Darquesse8512: That was a mistake that needs to be corrected.

Guest: Goten will appear, and Gohan will have another sibling. Gohan and Videl won't be paired in this story.

LackOfUpdates: You're free to your opinion. My profile literally says, "I'm a fan of eccentric pairings; never expect to see a traditional pairing in any of my stories." I don't do harems.

Shinigami200: Gohan is on the verge of turning 5. His birthday is coming up soon. I'm caught up on the Dragonball Super manga. It's better than the anime in certain aspects, but I'm still not a huge fan of it.