Thoughts

Computer Speech/Robotic Speech

"Speech"

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

Chapter 63: Boiling Point II

Amanda Waller's shrewdly concocted plan was unraveling, and from her office, she watched as things slowly fell apart. The secretary of Metahuman affairs had dotted all her t's and crossed her I's, or so she'd thought. She'd meticulously constructed her covert squad and had allocated millions of government funds to get Task Force X off the ground. So many of her constituents had initially been against the idea, and it had taken weeks of lobbying and blackmail before she'd gotten their compliance.

Time had passed, and she still couldn't understand why so many members of congress had hesitated to greenlight her plan. Supervillains and their lives didn't matter. They'd had their chances and opportunities to be productive members of society and had elected to go the wrong route. Who cared if they died? She sure as hell didn't.

Her prisoners had signed their lives away the moment they'd decided to commit a horrific crime.

No one ended up in Belle Reve by chance or mistake. There were no innocents there, and none of Belle Reve's inmates would ever get their sentences overturned. So, instead of letting them waste their prime years rotting behind prison walls, why not put those supervillains to use? Judges had assured their deaths anyway; most of Belle Reve's convicts had life or death sentences.

Rehabilitating criminals wasn't her goal; she didn't believe in redemption. She was pragmatic and practical. Send the dead to die, and that's exactly what she'd done. She could always reshuffle her deck and start anew, but it was too early in the game for that. Death for the Suicide Squad wasn't an expectation; it was a guarantee. But Amanda Waller hadn't calculated any of those deaths resulting from a wizened Namekian.

April 7th

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

Dodge. Deadshot issued the command to his brain. It seemed easy enough to do, but his body was slow, sluggish, and lethargic. A Ki beam was rocketing towards him, and at any moment now, it would vaporize him like the Capsule Corp's robots. Deadshot had initially considered it a blessing when the old Namekian who'd fallen through the ceiling had started firing Ki blasts sporadically. His Ki beams had illuminated the dark lobby and had destroyed the Alpha squad's previous foes.

A few Ki bolts had struck Livewire, but they'd phased harmlessly through her. In one fell swoop, the Namekian had accomplished what their team couldn't in seconds. Harley had been ecstatic and appreciative until that very same Namekian had punched her and sent her flying through the reception desk in the lobby. Deadshot wasn't sure Harley was still alive; her voice had fallen silent, and through his infrared monoscope, he'd seen that her body hadn't twitched once underneath the rubble. On top of that, her power level had nosedived.

Deadshot had tried to provide her with assistance, but that had resulted in his current dilemma. The Namekian was peppering him with Ki blasts. Deadshot had never been in a warzone, but he had little doubt that it wouldn't sound similar to this. Explosions were going off left and right. His eardrums would be shattered at this rate, and it was too deafening to try to call out for help, not that his teammates would be of much use anyway.

The other Namekians had risen and wasted no time leaping on Killer Croc and Livewire. There had been a dozen of them, but only a handful was currently attacking the pair. The tiniest of the Namekians, most likely the children, were huddled in a corner far away from the fray. But that didn't spare them from witnessing the brutality being dispensed. The Namekians were pummeling Deadshot's teammates, but he had his own problems to worry about.

Reality seemed frozen as the assassin watched a Ki beam inch closer and closer towards him. By sheer luck, he'd avoided the first barrage, but he was drained now, and his body wouldn't react no matter how much he mentally screamed at it. He was completely and utterly screwed. Deadshot resigned himself to his fate and shut his eyes as the Ki beam slammed into his gut. It knocked the wind out of his lungs first before propelling him into the air, sending him soaring like a punt across the room.

A wall collapsed as the assassin crashed into it, and his back was a checkerboard of pain. Various parts throbbed and ached, but never all at once. For a brief moment, Deadshot thought his back was broken when he was unable to move it, but after a herculean effort, the assassin got off the ground and quickly regretted the decision. His pain tripled as he took a wobbly step forward.

He was surprised but grateful to be alive. Had the Namekian miscalculated his attack, or had the green extraterrestrial spared him? The latter seemed highly unlikely, considering what the Ki beams had done to the Capsule Corp's robots, but nonetheless, Deadshot had survived for the time being.

"What's your business here?" A raspy voice demanded. Deadshot looked up and saw his enemy floating towards him.

"It's rude to demand things without proper introductions," Deadshot's bones may have been broken, but his snark remained intact.

The Namekian scowled, unamused, but responded, "My name is Tsuburi. Who are you?"

"I'm Deadshot," Floyd Lawton answered. He would've taken a bow, but he wasn't sure his back could handle the swaying.

"I'll ask you again, what's your business here? Why are you working with Vegeta?" The wrinkles on Tsuburi's face stretched as he frowned.

Through his Scouter, Amanda Waller ordered Deadshot to mince his words, and she didn't waste an opportunity to remind him about the bomb in his head. Floyd would have to play it cool.

"I got lost, and I came inside looking for directions," Deadshot said meekly, but as expected, Tsuburi didn't buy it.

"You and your friends are criminals from Gotham," The Namekian retorted.

Under his helmet, Deadshot blinked in surprise. How did an alien know about Gotham? Tsuburi was correct about the Alpha squad being criminals, but Livewire was from Metropolis, and Vegeta didn't even hail from Earth.

"If you give us what we want, no one has to get hurt, and we'll leave," Deadshot was in no position to make threats, but bluffing had gotten him out of many a situation.

"I spared your life for a reason, but that can easily change," Tsuburi crossed his scrawny arms over his chest. His words confirmed what Deadshot had suspected.

"Thank you so much; I really do appreciate it. What can I do to show you my gratitude?" Deadshot's voice reeked of sarcasm, and as he talked, the assassin quietly slid bullets into his wrist magnums. The Namekian's guard was down slightly, and now was the perfect time to strike if he could get a shot off.

"You can leave and opt to never return here," Tsuburi was an arcadian man, and he would always choose peace over violence if the option were available.

"Sorry, I can't do that," Deadshot's bullets were locked and loaded now. Tsuburi is bulletproof, but if I can aim my shot at….

"Take one of the Namekian children hostage," Amanda Waller's stern voice ordered through Deadshot's Scouter. His train of thought fell apart, and astonishment replaced the calculations that had been floating around in his mind.

"This is low even for you," Deadshot muttered in disbelief. He said the words in a tone so low he barely heard them, but Tsuburi's keen ears still caught them.

"Who are you talking to?" The Namekian demanded. There was someone on the other side of Deadshot's Scouter, but the voice was too muffled for Tsuburi to make heads or tails of it.

"If you won't do it, someone else will," Amanda Waller was well aware of Deadshot's code of ethics, but his colleagues didn't share those values. She gave the order to Killer Croc, and Waylon Jones didn't hesitate. The mutant used Livewire as cover and furiously dashed over to the Namekian younglings in a corner. He snatched one of them up, nearly ripping the child's arm off, and retreated to a safe distance.

"Stop your attack, or else!" Killer Croc shouted as he wrapped his hands around the Namekian youngling's neck. The brat kicked and screamed, squirming against the mutant's body, but Waylon Jones's grip was ironclad.

"You monster!" Tsuburi's eyes flared red with anger upon seeing the child's state. Killer Croc squeezed tighter and tighter, and his claws were large enough to slit the youngling's throat with the twitch of his fingers.

"You have no pride or honor as a warrior!"

"To use a child as a hostage is beyond evil!"

"Let Dende go now!"

A group of Namekians cried out. Their assault on Livewire halted, and they turned their attention elsewhere. The Namekians broke off in a sprint and raced to guard the remaining younglings. Leslie Willis was much relieved but stood in shock, gawking at the situation in front of her. The tide of the battle had turned in an instant.

"Everything will be alright, Dende," Grand Elder Moori reassured. He stood in front of a trembling youngling who was on the verge of tears. The Namekian children were crouched behind his legs and others, desperately clinging onto their elders for protection. Dende's predicament brought back memories of the horrors on Namek.

"I swore to myself that our younglings would never know terror like this again, and I intend to keep that promise," Tsuburi took one last look at the panicking children huddled in fear and disappeared. All the heads in the room turned, looking around for the Namekian. The darkness made it difficult for the humans to see, but the Namekians didn't share those problems; their vision was unaffected.

C'mon, you old prune, where are you? Deadshot's head rotated in every direction, but he still couldn't find Tsuburi. Even his Scouter failed to detect the Namekian's presence. He was about to ask Livewire to flick the lights back on, but a sudden coarse shout alerted him to Tsuburi's location.

Deadshot's Scouter beeped incessantly as he slowly turned his head towards Killer Croc. Waylon's power level was plummeting at a frighteningly rapid rate, and there was only one possible explanation for that. Deadshot's jaw dropped under his mask when he saw the reason. Tsuburi's blood-soaked fist was sticking out of Killer Croc's gaping chest.

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

"I don't know who or what inspired you to wear that armor again, but next time you probably shouldn't. It isn't a good idea to walk around in the same clothes you committed mass murder in," Bulma said as she eyed Vegeta. She liked his battle armor, but it was the same one he'd worn during the Massacre in Manhattan, and his shoulder pads were brushing against her as they stood side by side in an elevator. Her words were honest, sound advice, but the Saiyan didn't take too kindly to them.

"My God, do you ever shut up?" Vegeta glared daggers at the Capsule Corp heiress. Since they'd entered the elevator, her lips had never once stopped moving. She blathered on and on about one useless subject or another. Torture by Frieza's hand was preferable to her idiotic ramblings. "Take me to the dragon radar before I rip out your tongue!"

Bulma didn't know if the threat was genuine or part of Vegeta's act, but she quieted down either way. She tended to chatter a bit too much when she was nervous. She slid her hand into the pocket of her maxi dress and checked her phone. The elevator was moving according to plan.

She'd hacked it before she and Vegeta had stepped foot in it. By all appearances, the elevator was headed for the first floor, but Bulma had programmed the machine to move as slowly as possible.

Per her estimations, it would take fifteen minutes to reach the first floor, which gave her and Vegeta more time to hash out their plan. At least five minutes had already passed.

When we get to the lab, you need to act quickly, Vegeta said telepathically.

Bulma peeked at him through her peripheral but said nothing. It was still so odd to hear his gruff voice in her head; Bulma doubted she would ever get used to it. I know what to do. A device in the lab can deactivate the bomb in your in your head. Stop worrying.

Can or will? I won't have you taking chances with my life. I already died once not too long ago, and I don't plan on resurrecting again.

If you had stayed dead, at least you wouldn't be in this predicament.

You'll be dead if this plan of yours doesn't work. I'll kill you with my last dying breath.

Your brain will explode instantly; that won't really be feasible. Bulma rolled her eyes. It took all her restraint to keep from cursing Vegeta out. Is this how you sweet-talked all the Saiyan ladies back on your planet?

Saiyan women valued more important things like strength instead of meandering words. Vegeta folded his arms, indignant at Bulma's question, but in truth, he'd had minimal interactions with Saiyan women aside from his mother.

Once I remove the bomb, you'll take care of your friends? Bulma asked. Piccolo, Gohan, and Superman seemed to have things under control outside, but the burglars inside were an unknown variable.

Friends? Vegeta scoffed. They're not even fit to be gum under my shoe. We were forced to work as a group. If this bomb weren't in my head, I would have killed them already.

That's cold-blooded. Bulma whistled. Helping Vegeta was a dangerous gamble. There was no telling what the Saiyan would do to her after their agreement ended, but luckily her friends were around to save her if things went left. So Amanda Waller is her name?

Yes, and she's a conniving bitch. Vegeta had informed Bulma of who was responsible for the assault on her house back in her bedroom, but they hadn't discussed things in depth. I don't know what she plans to do with the Dragonballs, but knowing her, I doubt it's anything pleasant.

The U.S. secretary of Metahuman affairs being behind this is still mindboggling to me. But maybe this is a rogue operation? I can't imagine the USA greenlighting her actions. They're one of Chikyu's main political allies.

And? Political affiliations have never stopped anything. I witnessed Frieza backstab so many of his so-called friends and allies during my service in his forces. You can't put anything past anyone; you're smart enough to know that.

Bulma leaned against one of the railings in the elevator and scrunched her face. Was that a compliment or an insult? Vegeta had a spectacular way of giving her conflicting emotions. She turned to face him; she'd verbally been quiet for too long. She needed to say something before Amanda Waller's suspicions arose. A snide remark was dying to leap off her tongue, but she swallowed it when she laid eyes on the purple bruise on Vegeta's neck.

How she'd previously missed it was a mystery to her; it was huge.

You've been getting freaky recently? Bulma tried to keep a serious look on her face, but a mischievous grin spread across her lips.

What do you mean? And why are you grinning like that? Earth lingo was as odd as the people who inhabited the planet. It was as alien to Vegeta as he was to the Earth. What do you mean? Spit it out.

You have a hickey on your neck.

A what?

A hickey! I'm sure you can feel it.

Vegeta reached down with his gloved hands and traced his fingers along his neck. He blushed when he felt the bruise; it was the same one Amanda Waller had chastised him for earlier in the day. His moment of weakness with Harley was still costing him his dignity. Bulma burst out laughing. The expression on his face was too humorous to ignore.

"What are you laughing at? Stop it!" Vegeta pointed an angry finger in front of her eyes. It was intended to be threatening, but his beet-red face destroyed any hopes of Bulma taking him seriously. She laughed louder and harder, filling the elevator with her high-pitched giggles.

"Why is she laughing?" Amanda Waller asked through Vegeta's headset. The answer was too embarrassing for him to say, but luckily the ding of the elevator spared him from further humiliation. They'd finally reached the first floor.

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

"This is my last time saying this; who are you working for?" Piccolo asked. It was more of a demand in actuality, but either way, the man whose neck his hand was wrapped around refused to talk.

"I'm sorry, mate, could ya speak up a little louder? I got water in my ears. You nearly drowned me in that pond behind us," Captain Boomerang flashed a bloodied smile. Several of his teeth were missing, and his gums were bleeding, but the Australian criminal gave no indication of the pain he was in. "Say that one more time for me, ya green bugger."

Piccolo drew his fist back to punch Captain Boomerang in the face but was held back by Superman. Piccolo looked over his shoulder, and the Kryptonian shook his head, wordlessly saying, "no." Abusing criminals wasn't how he operated. Piccolo was doing his best Batman impression, but Superman had never been fond of Bruce's methods.

"He's not going to tell us anything, Piccolo."

"Yeah, that's right, listen to the big blue boy scout. I ain't telling ya shit!" Captain Boomerang was emphatic in his refusal. Nothing the heroes could do would get him to give Amanda Waller up. It was assured death if he did. He would remain hoisted in the air, soaked and dripping wet all day if he had to.

"Maybe we shouldn't have knocked out his teammates," Gohan scratched the side of his head. He stood on Piccolo's left near the edge of the pond. Captain Boomerang's friends probably would have been more talkative, but some of them had been too dangerous to keep conscious. The villainess who looked like a ghoul especially came to mind.

"You have no options. Your comrades have been defeated," Piccolo's free hand outstretched, and he pointed to the scenery around them. Bulma's once beautiful backyard was in ruin. There were potholes and craters everywhere, and multiple trees had gotten split in half. The only thing in worse condition was the state of Captain Boomerang's teammates; they were motionless battered heaps on the battlefield.

"I suggest you comply, Captain Boomerang. Piccolo won't be this reasonable for too long," Clark added. Goku's former arch-nemesis was itching to inflict more damage.

"Sorry mate, but like I keep saying, I got nothing for ya. Snitches get snitches and all that jazz," blood trickled down Captain Boomerang's lips as he spoke. He was ever defiant, and that, coupled with his thick Australian accent, only served to irritate Piccolo even more.

The Namekian growled in anger and tossed Captain Boomerang on the ground. He landed with a pained groan and quickly tried to crawl away, but Piccolo didn't grant him a reprieve. The Namekian raised a hand, and four beams of energy sprung from his fingertips. They struck Captain Boomerang's hands and feet, pinning him to the ground. In the blink of an eye, the energy beams transformed into iron shackles that were double his weight.

"What the hell did you do?" Captain Boomerang screamed as he tried to wiggle out of his restraints. They were unbelievably tight and heavy, growing more constricting with each movement he made.

"Since you don't want to talk, I'll just leave you here and let you bake in the sun," Piccolo turned his back to Captain Boomerang and faced Bulma's home. A few hours in the sun without water, food, or access to a toilet was sure to make anyone think twice about cooperating.

"You can't do this; this is inhumane!" Captain Boomerang yelled in protest, but Piccolo ignored his cries completely. Gohan offered the villain an apologetic look, but there was nothing more he could do for him; his sensei's mind was made up.

"The proper authorities will deal with Captain Boomerang once we contact them," Superman said, earning Piccolo's side-eye. He had no intentions of following through with Namekian's plan. It was better than his previous plan, but not by much.

"I think we should check on aunty Bulma," Gohan suggested. He sensed a brewing dispute between the two adults and decided to switch gears. "I'm sure she's alright, but we should double-check."

Piccolo and Superman shared a look and nodded at each other. The villains had attacked Bulma's home for a reason, but it was still unclear who or what their target was.

"I hear multiple voices inside the house, and they aren't familiar ones," Superman said as he focused his hearing. His enemies had completely occupied his attention during their fight, and Bulma had been left as an afterthought. There was no telling what was going on inside her home now, but based on what he was hearing, it didn't sound good.

"We need to hurry."

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

"Turn the lights back on," Vegeta shouted at Livewire. His hand was coiled around Bulma's neck as they slowly walked through the lobby. The tension in the air was thick and palpable. Killer Croc was dead, Harley Quinn appeared to be as well, and the Alpha squad had lost nearly all the leverage they'd had over the Namekians. Their only saving grace was Vegeta, who'd unexpectedly exited the elevator minutes ago.

"Bulma, are you alright?" Tsuburi asked as he stood over Killer Croc's corpse. His right arm was drenched to its elbow in blood.

"No worries, I'm okay," Bulma quickly responded. The lights flickered back on, and she got a full view of the damage her lobby had suffered. It would take months of repair and hundreds of thousands of Zeni to fix things, but at least the Namekians had remained relatively unharmed.

"What's the move now, Vegeta?" Livewire asked as the Saiyan, and his hostage walked past her. She descended to the ground and watched them go. Amanda Waller's order had cost Killer Croc his life, but the Namekians were hesitant to attack Vegeta for good reason.

"Bulma's leading me to her lab. Once I retrieve what we came for, we can leave," The prince answered, but his words were a lie. Amanda Waller couldn't be made aware of his true intentions, and neither could his teammates, who he planned on discarding as soon as the bomb in his head was removed.

"So, in the meantime, we do what exactly? We just stand here and twaddle our thumbs waiting for you?" Deadshot asked. Vegeta was untrustworthy and devious. He would leave them all behind if given the chance. "I'm following you to the lab."

"Stand down, Deadshot," Amanda Waller buzzed into the assassin's Scouter. "Vegeta's turned this situation on its head and is about to accomplish what you came there for. With Bulma as his hostage, the Namekians will be kept at bay."

Deadshot grumbled under his breath, but he couldn't argue with her point. "If you're not back in five minutes, I'm barging into that lab after you," He pointed at the Saiyan, who only gave him a careless shrug in return.

"I don't give a damn what you do, Deadshot. Oh, and if you Namekians decide to try anything, I'll snap Bulma's neck, and that's not a threat; it's a promise," Vegeta casually walked off, leaving the Namekians and his teammates behind. As he turned the corner down the hall, he heard the distant echoes of an argument between the opposing factions.

The trek to Bulma's lab was short. Once Vegeta turned the corner, it was the first door on his right. The room had no door handle and was only accessible by fingerprint. Bulma placed her hand on a rectangular biometric keypad on the front of the door, and it slid open. The Capsule Corp heiress walked in first, and Vegeta followed.

The lights turned on as soon as the pair strolled into the room. It was much bigger than it looked from the outside. The room was as wide as an eleven, possibly twelve-car garage. The tiled floor was remarkably clean and practically spotless. The walls were lined with computers and each one was a different brand and type.

A row of enormous metallic tables stretched to the end of the room, and they were filled with various inventions. Some of them appeared to be finished, but others were still a work in progress. The incomplete ones had dozens of tools and blueprints sprawled beside them.

Vegeta lost count of the number of inventions as he surveyed the room. Bulma's creativity was truly unparalleled.

When the duo finally made it to the end of the room, Bulma approached the last table and reached underneath it, sliding a drawer open. The dragon radar and an emp ray were located there. She grabbed them both. As Vegeta stood behind her, impatiently tapping his foot, she stealthily slid the palm-sized emp ray into her pocket. Once it was secured, she whipped around and dangled the dragon radar in Vegeta's face.

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble; I would've given it to you if you just asked nicely."

The prince snarled and extended a hand to grab the dragon radar, but Bulma was quicker to the draw. She smacked his hand aside, and hurridly dug into her pocket. She plucked the emp ray, which was shaped like a Glock, and fired it. Vegeta was momentarily stunned and left disoriented as a spiral beam of light struck his body. He howled before promptly collapsing.

"Vegeta, what's going on? Answer me!" Amanda Waller yelled through his Scouter, but she received no response.

I've never used an emp ray on a human before, so I don't know how long these side effects will last, but the bomb should be deactivated now.

Should be? Vegeta glared at Bulma.

It is deactivated. Bulma reassured. She said the words more convincingly, but Vegeta was still skeptical.

If I die, you die. Vegeta groggily stood up and dusted himself off.

"Get the Scouter Vegeta!" Amanda Waller demanded. "And incapitate Bulma. I don't know what that weapon was but destroy it!"

"I don't take orders from you anymore, Amanda, go to hell," The words were so satisfying to say. Vegeta ripped the Scouter off his face and crushed it in his hand. "That's the last time I'll be anyone's slave. I'm finally free."

The prince started cackling madly, which unsettled Bulma. "You do plan to uphold our agreement, right?" She asked, raising her voice above his laughter.

The Saiyan cocked his head at her, staring oddly. "Why would I do that when I've already gotten what I want?" He placed a hand under his chin.

"Because I'll reactivate that bomb, you treacherous cretin!"

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would, and I will," Bulma threatened. Her words were confident, but she was fully aware of Vegeta's speed. The Saiyan could snatch the emp ray and destroy it before she puffed another breath. But fortunately for her, Vegeta accepted her words.

"Fine, whatever. It'll be no problem to kill those fools anyway," He marched to the door and suddenly halted when he had one foot out of it. "Are you coming or what?"

Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corp

"Long time no see, Superman," Livewire said as she eyed the man of steel. He'd burst through a wall only seconds. The Kryptonian frowned and made no attempts to hide his disgust upon seeing her.

"What are you doing here?" Kal-El didn't have time for fake pleasantries. "What the heck are any of you doing here?" Superman asked as he scanned the room, glancing at all the villains who were present. Livewire and Deadshot stood in front of the atrium, and an unconscious Harley Quinn was slumped beside their feet. Directly across from them, Killer Croc's corpse was still oozing blood, but the Namekians behind him didn't seem to mind the sight or the smell.

"Like I told Tsuburi earlier, we got lost and came inside to ask for directions," Deadshot replied. Livewire rolled her eyes, but his statement annoyed Piccolo the most.

The Namekian was in no playful mood. He stretched an arm and yanked the assassin by his collar. Piccolo dragged Deadshot over to him against his will and glowered at him once they were face to face.

"You intruders are adamant on testing my patience today," Piccolo lifted the assassin off his feet and raised him into the air.

"Hurting me wouldn't be a wise decision. Vegeta has Bulma as his hostage."

"What?!" Gohan, Piccolo, and Superman shouted simultaneously.

"It's true. Vegeta walked by earlier with his hand around Bulma's neck, marching her down the hall. He's looking for the dragon radar," Grand Elder Moori said. Bulma's captivity was the only reason he'd refrained from attacking his enemies.

Piccolo growled and flung Deadshot to the floor. "Vegeta won't get away this time," The Namekian cracked his knuckles and took off down the hall. Superman and Gohan trailed behind him. They were halfway down the corridor when Vegeta suddenly appeared with Bulma at his side. The heroes slowed their strides and slammed their heels on the floor.

"Aunty Bulma, are you alright?"

"If you've done anything to harm her, there will be severe consequences."

"You'll regret ever coming here once we're through with you."

Piccolo punctuated his group's words. He snuck a hand behind his back and began quietly accumulating Ki.

"It's not what you think; I'm not in any danger. Vegeta and I are working together," Bulma frantically waved her hands in front of her, trying to defuse the situation.

Superman, Piccolo, and Gohan all shared puzzled looks.

"I'm safe, I promise. I'll explain everything later, but we have to handle these villains first."

Piccolo hesitantly discarded his Ki and put his trust in Bulma.

"That pathetic amount of Ki you were charging wouldn't have harmed me anyway, Namekian," Vegeta taunted as the group walked to the lobby.

"I can attack you now, and we can find out for sure," Piccolo goaded, but he never received an answer; Deadshot interrupted their conversation.

"Where's the dragon radar? Did you get it?" The assassin asked as Vegeta walked into the lobby. He found the congregation around the Saiyan odd but ignored his feelings.

"I found the dragon radar, but it won't be leaving here. I quit. You and that wench on the other end of your Scouter can both go to hell."

"Vegeta, have you lost your mind? There's still a bomb in your head," Livewire didn't ask her question out of genuine concern. Vegeta had always been a prick and a pain in the ass, but he was still the most powerful member of their team, and it would be a tremendous blow to lose him due to his stupidity.

"The bomb in my head has been deactivated. I'm sure our prison warden knows that," Vegeta said proudly. If Amanda Waller wasn't aware of that information before, she definitely knew now.

"Waller," Deadshot mumbled into his Scouter. "Is what Vegeta said true?"

There was nothing but unnerving silence for several moments, and Deadshot briefly thought his Scouter had gone dead, but Amanda Waller eventually responded. "It's all true," Her words were stated calmly, but her suppressed anger still bled through. "This mission is over. I'm pulling everyone who's still alive out."

"You'd better hurry the hell up then; we're almost out of…." Deadshot's voice trailed as he noticed the shadows under his feet moving. The shadow under his left foot merged with the right one and expanded rapidly in diameter. It ballooned in seconds, and before long, the massive shadow encompassed his feet, Livewire's, and Harley's entire body. The ground underneath them became unsteady, and they began to sink into the shadow.

The other occupants in the room quietly looked on, perturbed. They were stupified, but Superman finally snapped out of his daze. He sprang into action, but by then, it was too late; the villains vanished into the shadow.

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 62!

Q/A:

dinorun154: I don't currently have any plans for Jiren, but Hit might make an appearance.

ENDDRAGON369: What do you mean by "meeting DC canon"?

Tomorrow-man15: Your question is something I hadn't even considered, but that would be a really smart thing for Batman to do.

Jackalope89: I didn't mind what you said, no worries.

scl04: Bulma and Vegeta's future relationship is off to an interesting start, lol. At least they'll have a funny story to tell down the line.

la gran diosa zorra fantasma: AkiraToriyama did state that in the past, but in the English version of DBZ, Goku was consistently displayed as a hero. I know his character in the original Japanese dub is different, though. From the onset of this story, I always planned to pair Bulma and Vegeta together; no other pairing ever crossed my mind. But, if I had to choose someone else besides Bulma for Vegeta, it would be Maxima. Videl will still wind up being a hero in some capacity, but I can't definitively say if she will or won't be a Teen Titan. But either way, she'll still have a friendly relationship with Gohan.

Shinigami200: The Source is responsible for Ki, but the Source Wall and The Source are intertwined. My explanation in chapter 59 was a bit convoluted, but basically, The Source is hidden behind the Source Wall. Bits and pieces of The Source bleed through the Source Wall. The Source is responsible for numerous things, and Ki is of them. All Ki that's currently present in the universe is just a tiny fragment of The Source, which lies behind the Source Wall.

When someone uses Ki, they're unknowingly drawing from The Source, which has leaked through The Source Wall. You can't physically see The Source, but you can see the Source Wall, hence the Source Wall being called the source of Ki during Elder Pybara's explanation to Goku.

xana2: Humans in this story can use Ki; what you said isn't correct. Homo Magki have a natural affinity to Ki, but that doesn't mean that regular humans can't use it. It's just much harder for Non-Homo Magki to use Ki. Ra's al Ghul knows how to use Ki, and he's a normal human; it just took him a long time to learn how. It's similar to how Homo Magi are predisposed to magic. They're natural-born talents with magic, but that doesn't mean that average humans can't use magic.

Martiz S.G: Yeah, Vegeta and Bulma will have a funny story to tell to their kids someday, lol. Fanboyism from reviewers is a small price you pay when you decide to write Fanfiction. I try to be fair and just when representing characters from DC and the Dragonball franchise, but you can't satisfy everyone. I haven't even seen the latest DBS movie yet, so you don't have to worry about that.

Guest: Comparto tu opinión con respecto a los Saiyajin y sus colas. Probablemente no los traeré de vuelta a menos que tenga que hacerlo. Si incluyo a Hércules en esta historia no lo humillaré.

Anonymous Mastermind: The Z-Fighters will kill villains, and it will be a major point of contention down the line in a story arc. The implication of the Dragonballs will be addressed. There's a story arc that I'm slowly building up to that will address the earthly, galactic, and universal ramifications of the Dragonballs. Several of your questions are spoilers, so I'll only answer a few of them.

The Teen Titans will be around the same age as Gohan, and the Young Justice characters will be around the same age as Goten when they appear. Gohan will be a member of the Teen Titans. Superboy will be close in age to Goten and Trunks, and they'll be friends. Damien will probably be around Pan's age. I don't have any current plans to do the Tower of Babel storyline, but that could change.

I have no plans for an injustice storyline, but that could be an alternate universe. Dragonball DC: Universe was intended to explain a lot of the things I skipped over, like Goku and Diana's marriage, but I haven't updated that story in a long time. Cell would be unstoppable with all the DNA you listed. Ra's al Ghul can use Ki.

Fuckmegun: The Teen Titans will appear.

DRAGONDAVE45: The Son family reunion is coming soon.

Zoa: Earth-2 Goku's pairing doesn't necessarily have to change. He can still be married to Wonder Woman, but I will most likely pair Eath-2 Goku with someone else.

Thunderer: It could've been handled better, but Superman's power is increasing now.