Disclaimer: All Characters/settings/trademarks referenced from Dragonball/Z/GT/Super & DC entertainment are the respective properties of their original creators.
A/N:
"The Sun And The Moon"
Chapter Eight: Mission
The first few days inside the mountain base were largely to be spent getting acclimated to the way things worked on this new version of earth both Kara and Trunks found themselves in. Batman had insisted on it. His idea of acclimation had been very surprising, to say the least. The overly serious vibes he constantly gave off had lead to Trunks assuming the man would strap them to chairs and force them to sit through an extremely dry academic presentation of some sort. Both he and Kara couldn't have been further from the mark. The dark knight had enlisted his younger subordinates to literally school them on what current societal trends expected of the average teenager. The justification was, of course, that the covert operation they were apart of was only as secure as the facade they maintained while in public. To that end, the pair of lovers had been subjected to a crash course of modern American pop-culture.
Wondergirl had done her best to indoctrinate them with a movie marathon of what she had dubbed the essentials. A round of twentieth century classics ranging from The Breakfast Club all the way to The Matrix and beyond had been pounded into their brains before the sun had set on their first full day of residence.
On the next, Nightwing had done his best to impart the virtues of competitive gaming with an emphasis on fighters and online shooters. His philosophy that it could be used as training to keep one's mental responsiveness as well as hand-eye coordination sharp outside of the gym was something that Trunks appreciated.
Finally, Starfire got her turn. She was, oddly enough, the most enthusiastic about her part despite being arguably just as foreign as her Saiyan and Kryptonian charges. From the moment they had woken up this morning, the Tamaranian had immersed them both in some vastly different genres of music – the best of which had her spontaneously break out into dance while lip syncing. She had essentially turned the team lounge into a full-blown karaoke stage by lunch time. Kara had never felt so embarrassed for someone else and Trunks nearly died from laughing so hard, albeit in good nature. Koriand'r had taken it in stride and merely explained her vigor was fueled by the excitement of having so much material to choose from. On her planet, in which a homogeneous culture reigned, there was very little variety in the way of music and self expression.
As they sat around the long dining table for a much needed food break, Kara couldn't help but think about how Koriand'r's insights applied to both her and Trunks. Neither of them really got to have a proper adolescence. She was of one of the greatest Kryptonian houses which put her under a lot of scrutiny while also demanding a higher level of responsibility to live up to her namesake. She knew she could never get away with cutting loose and having fun like some of the other kids she had seen do. And Trunks had no doubt had an even worse time. His entire childhood was spent training and fighting to defend a world that had been broken before he had ever learned to walk. She didn't realize she had let herself get lost in reverie until Trunks' straw wrapper wound up on her forehead as a spitball dart. "Really?" she deadpanned.
Trunks casually shrugged her off. "You were starting to look a little gloomy. What else was I supposed to do?"
Koriand'r was nearly beet red with restrained laughter and, although Kara tried to appear irritated, she couldn't resist the mirth she felt welling up inside of her. Before she cracked, she needed to turn the tables. "Alright, mister funny guy, you've asked for it," she replied, clenching her fists upon the tabletop for good measure. "I challenge you to a dance off to settle this dispute. We'll see who has the last laugh then." She sold it just well enough to make Trunks flinch and was able to get away with knocking her soda over into his plate of pizza. "Whoops."
"Noooo!" Trunks' anguished cry at suddenly having three slices of soggy pepperoni was enough to make Kara lose it. Koriand'r cracked at the same time and the two ladies roared with laughter as the still hungry Saiyan held up a piece of dripping crust while his bottom lip quivered. "Aww man... not cool."
It wasn't long before the laughter died down and Kara caught her breath. "Hey, you struck first. Don't start something you're not willing to finish," she said, wearing a slight smirk.
"If that's how you want it, then let's go settle this once and for all," he said, standing up. "Kori, put on some Kevin Bacon so we can do the dance off properly. And call in the others so we can let the audience decide the winner."
"Wait, what? I was just kidding about that," Kara protested.
"Ah ah ah, you're not getting off that easy. Finish what you started, remember? It was your idea," he added, challenging her with a vindictive grin.
OoooooO
Bruce leaned back into his comfy swivel chair as he watched the live-feed security monitors of his two newest kids flail their limbs about inside the lounge while Koriand'r, Cassie, and Dick laughed and clapped for them. The volume was down but it wasn't necessary to interpret the scene.
His cowl was pulled back to give his face a much needed break. It was also easier to sip his glass of bourbon with it off. A squeaky door hinge alerted him to the arrival of company, prompting him to set the drink down.
"Pardon the intrusion. Just thought you could use a little company," Martha said as she pulled up a chair and made herself comfortable.
"I was enjoying the quiet, actually," Bruce replied. There was no hostility or resentment in his tone. Just exhaustion.
"Well, since I'm already here, mind if we share a drink?"
"Bottom drawer near your feet," Bruce replied.
Martha opened it and found a clean glass for herself. She handed it off and watched the man beneath the infamous mask fill her up before topping off his own. "Thanks," she said, taking it back. "Cheers," she added, briefly, before taking her first sip. She gagged but managed to get it down. "Ugh... you drink this stuff on the rocks? I guess it's true what they say about rich folks and their eclectic tastes. How much is that bottle worth anyway?"
"More than you make in year," Bruce replied, casually. "You're right about it, though. I've had warm beer that tastes better than this."
"An acquired taste then, huh?" Martha said before giving it another try. She still gagged.
"It was my father's favorite."
"Oh?"
"He bought it as a gift for Alfred one year; for the holidays. My dad wasn't really a drinker so he didn't know the first thing about good liquor. He just wanted to impress his friend. Anyway, Alfred ended up insisting that they open it up for the toast at Christmas dinner. Well, neither expected it to be as bad as it was and they both spit mouthfuls all over the food. We ended up eating sandwiches that night. Everyone got such a laugh out of it, that the two of them swore they were gonna keep drinking it until they learned to like it. So, even though I hate the stuff, every time I drink it I recall that night. It was the last Christmas that we were all together."
"Wow... I never would've guessed you could be so sentimental. It's kinda sweet, actually," Martha said before taking another sip. She didn't gag this time.
"A word of this leaves this room and I'll have Diana lasso something even more embarrassing out of you."
Martha laughed lightly before downing another sip. "It makes a lot more sense now."
"What does?"
"You, the team, this place. Everyone you take under your wing becomes an extension of your family and that's why you're so strict most of the time. You need them just as much as they need you, but what you do is dangerous. So, in order to keep them around, they need to be strong and disciplined enough to protect each other when you aren't able to."
"You're grasping now, Martha. We have a mission that's greater than all of us."
"No, I'm not. That teenage acclimation argument was a bullshit excuse to induce bonding so that Kara, Trunks, and the other kids have a basis upon which to start building trust – which we both know is crucial to teamwork. Hey, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It's pretty smart, actually. Let this be a toast to you," she said, holding up her glass.
"Hn." Although he insisted that the mission came first, which (for the most part) it did, it didn't stop him from thinking of those people, come and gone, who he had taken responsibility for over the years. For those that survived and moved on, he couldn't help but wonder if they were better or worse off after their experience.
OoooooO
Barbara Gordon rubbed the bridge of her nose in a futile attempt to stem the tide of her rising migraine. A steady cacophony of ringing phones, buzzing laser printers, and rowdy detainees waiting to be booked came together in the perfect storm to trigger her aggravation. The third precinct of the Los Angeles Police Department wasn't actually any noisier than usual, though. She understood the current ambiance to be an intrinsic fact that she, as an employed detective, had come to terms with before taking the position. Despite her awareness, she couldn't sufficiently deal with all of that while also parsing through the paperwork littering her desk and expect to glean any sort of new insight to help with the investigation. It was her first major assignment since coming on board, nearly a month ago, and she hadn't yet proved herself to the chief so the pressure to perform was on her like a ton of bricks.
Two days ago, a dead body was discovered inside of a car that was reported to have run off of an overpass into the LA river. It was painfully obvious from the evidence that it was an orchestrated disposal which meant that the killing had to have taken place somewhere else. Additionally, their perpetrator had ground off the vehicle's ID numbers and removed the plates so there was no easy way to determine who it had been registered to or if it had been reported stolen. The traffic cameras in that area didn't use infrared so they hadn't been able to capture any useful footage of the late night activity either. Because it was such a clean job, people were beginning to suspect it may have been the work of a professional. As the first forty-eight hours (the most crucial to solving any case) drew to a close, Barbara and her peers were faced with the real possibility of a contract killer being allowed to operate inside of their own jurisdiction with impunity.
For the first time since retiring her cape, she wished she had access to the Bat Cave's forensic computer so she could upload sample evidence to run simulations with. It had the power to enhance the dark/grainy video footage and would've allowed her to identify the getaway vehicle in a matter of minutes as opposed to the several days her onsite analysis team had estimated.
After everything that had happened, though, Barbara just couldn't continue to be a part of Bruce's crusade. It was, in her opinion, a futile endeavor. Digging for a conspiracy related to Superman's twisted motivations wouldn't bring back the people they'd lost or erase the toxicity now associated with vigilante heroism. She knew if she contacted him for any reason, it would most likely lead to her being sucked back in and that was something she just wasn't prepared for.
Deciding that a break was the best thing for her, at the moment, she extricated herself from the disarray of her desk and waded through a sea of busy staff members on her way out. The late October breeze chilled her as soon as she exited the lobby so she zipped up her hoodie before jogging to her unmarked unit. With her mind set on a hot burrito and fries, she pulled out of the lot and merged into midday traffic.
Twenty minutes later, she was parked outside of a Del Taco with bag of food in her lap. Her car was in a stall facing the main road so she could watch passing cars and pedestrians as she ate. Watching the average people go about their lives helped clear her mind ever since the world had been turned on it's side. Everything they knew and loved had almost come to a terrifying end only a short time ago but they still managed to pick themselves up and get back to work. It was almost therapeutic as an observation because it demonstrated just how resilient humanity was which gave her hope that things would turn out alright in the end.
A quick glance at the clock on her dashboard let her know that she'd run her lunch break a little too long so she quickly started the car and backed out of the stall only to slam on her brakes as another car sped by. The parking lot speed limit was five miles per hour. She wasn't a traffic cop, but that driver's reckless behavior could get someone hurt so she whipped her car around and followed them. She flipped her lights on as she pulled onto the main road and was able to catch up with the offending vehicle in short order. "Pull over," she said, through her loud speaker, when they didn't immediately stop.
The vehicle, a non-descript white sedan, accelerated to run away speed prompting Barbara to put her foot to the pedal and give chase. She used her radio to call in support units to head the violator off while furiously weaving in and out of traffic to keep up. As the runner blew through an intersection, they were clipped by a dump truck in the rear and sent careening into a light pole. Barbara locked up her brakes, skidding to a halt just before entering the intersection, and was on foot sprinting toward the wrecked car a moment later.
As she approached, she found the driver (a middle-aged man) slumped against the partially deployed airbag with blood running from a wound to the head. She leaned in to check him and was caught off guard when he jerked awake, grabbed her hoodie collar, and pulled it to slam her face into the vehicle's A-pillar. In her daze, she was unable to stop the man from throwing the door open and knocking her onto her back. She rolled onto her side, fighting the wooziness, and got back to her feet as the man was fleeing into the adjacent residential neighborhood on foot.
Channeling Bat Girl, Barbara psyched herself up as she launched into a furious sprint after the assailant. With a grunt of effort, she propelled her body into an acrobatic vault over the top of the wooden fence that the man had climbed over just moments before. When he looked over his shoulder and saw how much ground she had easily made up, he crashed into a propane grill and lost his footing. Barbara lunged forward and tackled him to the grass, where they both rolled end over end, before coming to a halt with him pinned beneath her knees.
The man struggled against her as she maneuvered his wrists into cuffs with great effort. "Would you stop resisting already? You're not doing yourself any favors here," she said. "You just turned a speeding ticket into a prison sentence, pal."
"I won't make it that far, I promise you," he said, visibly deflating. "Fuck..."
Barbara picked up on the resignation and fear he conveyed easily. The unspoken implication that he wasn't safe, even in police custody, was concerning but she brushed it off. Paranoia wasn't an uncommon trait among criminals and it was often over-exaggerated. "Come on, on your feet," she said, hoisting him up off of the grass.
"Listen," he started, as she led him toward the backyard's exit. Police sirens could be heard in the distance, signaling that her backup was drawing near. "I've got a bag of money in my car. Two hundred thousand. You cut me loose and I'll make it worth your while."
"Don't be stupid," Barbara replied, lightly kicking the back of his legs to spur him forward.
"Come on, every cop has a price tag."
"Not me," she replied.
"You don't understand, lady. I'm a marked man. If you take me in, I'm fucking dead within days."
"Marked, huh? You wouldn't happen to know anything about that body we found in the LA river, would you? If there's really a professional in town and you help me bring them in, I can take extra steps to ensure your safety."
"Heh, don't make me laugh. You must be still wet behind the ears if you think the LAPD isn't infested with dirty pigs looking to cash in on an easy payday. Once word comes down from up top about who wants me dead, I think you'll find that a lot of the people you work with ain't so noble."
"Up top, huh," Barbara replied, probing. "Somehow I doubt anyone with any real power or authority would care about a past-his-prime thug like you. Spare me the sob story."
"I'm not bullshitting you. If you knew what I knew, you'd change your tune pronto."
"Alright then, try me."
"Fuck it," he replied, after a shoulder-sagging sigh. "Have you ever heard of Cadmus?"
Barbara stopped dead in her tracks. Of course she'd heard of Cadmus. It was the private lab that had birthed Superman's clone, Superboy, before getting caught up in a legal scandal and going bankrupt. "Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, it never actually went away. You see, it was swallowed up by a subsidiary of Luthorcorp – a branch that employed me in the logistical department."
"You were a truck driver?" she asked.
"Yeah, sort of. In training, actually. I was trying to get my life together so I could get back visitation rights to my son. Anyway, in my time there, me and a few others came across some pretty weird shit that set off a red flag for those of us actively avoiding questionable work."
"So, what was it?"
"Listen, lady, this isn't a good time or place to get into the gritty details. However, I can tell you it involves you capes. Specifically, ones of the alien variety."
The term 'capes' had been trending as a slang reference for costumed vigilantes for some time now and Barbara hadn't missed the man's attempt to peg her. "I'm no cape," she countered.
"Hah, you can't fool me. Normal cops don't even come close to moving the way you do. I bet there's a lot of your type trying to transition back into normal life and lay low- what with all the AMVRA hoopla going on. You and me ain't so different, ya know. Trying to adapt back into conformity ain't so easy after you've been on the fringes for so long. I bet the stakes gotta be high for you too, especially considering the majority of folks hate your type about as much as they hate mine. Help me so I can help you. Trust me when I say this; the things I know could blow the lid off of the AMVRA movement's true agenda and maybe even restore the public's faith in the Justice League. All you gotta do is protect me from the rest of the police."
Barbara had almost no time left before backup arrived so she made a snap decision. "Alright, hang on right here," she said, cuffing him to the rain gutter pipe on the side of the house. The man yelled in protest but she ignored him in favor of sprinting back to her squad car. She backed it up to the gate a moment later and snuck him into the trunk while urging him to keep his mouth shut.
What followed was a whirlwind of clearing the scene, towing the man's wrecked car, and filing a report saying he escaped. An APB was issued for a man with a different description while Barbara's cuts and bruises were tended to by a medic. By the time she was allowed to leave, afterschool traffic had begun to crowd the streets. With her bruised up face as an excuse, she was allowed to take the rest of the day off.
It was just after 3:30 by the time she pulled into the garage of her dwelling. The man, having heard the buzz of a garage door, pounded the inside of the trunk lid while expressing his desire to be released. She quickly pulled him out, but made sure to leave the cuffs on his wrists for added security. He grumbled but didn't resist as she led him into her kitchen and sat him down.
"Alright, then," she said, taking a seat opposite him. "Spill it."
"What? No introductions? How about a drink, at least? I was in that hot-ass trunk for hours, ya know."
Barbara sighed, rolling her eyes. "Detective Barbara Gordon. I don't have anything except tap water or iced tea."
"Hector Vargas. I'll take the tea."
The woman formerly known as Batgirl got the man a glass and quickly filled it from a pitcher of tea that was in her fridge before sliding it across the table. "Okay, Hector, here we are. You're safe and free of police attention. I've held up my end. Now talk."
"The company I worked for is called Elemental Dynamics. It's a mining company that sources precious metals and other raw materials from around the world. I operated a forklift in the dock warehouse when I wasn't with my driving instructor so I personally saw a lot of what passed through. Well, about a month before Superman went all psycho and popped the League, we started receiving huge shipments of kryptonite. My crew packed and loaded at least two dozen pallets a day onto trucks routed to a few specific locations across the country. I thought it was weird but didn't think twice about it until after everything happened."
"Go on," Barbara said, listening intently.
"So, after all the damage was done, a lot of cleanup was needed and I was allowed more seat time in the trucks to help out. Anyway, I was doing night shift on route to what was supposedly a hazardous material dispoal facility with another co-worker when we blew a tire and rolled into a ditch. I jumped out to asses the damage which, of course, meant checking the cargo integrity. Well, instead of the chemical drum barrels on our manifest, we had these giant wooden crates – one of which had broken apart in the accident. Wanna guess what was inside? A fucking metal coffin hooked up to a refrigeration unit. And the person being kept on ice was none other than Superman."
Hector paused to take a sip of his tea and Barbara furrowed her brow in consternation. "That can't be. Superman was exiled along with H'El." She had been there to see it herself. After Luthor deployed the krypto-dust, their Green Lanterns had chased the two of them into space. She couldn't tell Hector that, though.
"I wasn't finished," Hector continued. "I decided to peek into the other crates – all six of them. Every single one had Superman inside."
"Cadmus clones..." Barbara breathed as her mouth dropped open.
"Yep."
"Do you have actual evidence?"
"I took pictures on my phone and I stole some files off of a company computer. That's actually where I screwed up. If I hadn't, it's unlikely they would've found me out. Listen, these people aren't playing around. My buddy Eduardo has already been taken out. He was with me on the night of the accident and saw the same stuff I did. The difference between him and me is that I got a kid. If they can't get their hands on me, then I know they'll go after my boy and his mother. I was actually on my way to them with that money when you caught me. We were supposed to run away and start a new life. I need you to promise me that you'll get them help before the people after me get to them."
"You have my word."
OoooooO
After the heated round of karaoke settled down, Wonder Girl proposed that they all gather around the massive flat screen television and watch the first installment of the newest Star Wars trilogy. It was a bit of a hard sell since Trunks was still feeling let down by the prequels, but she ended up promising him his own bowl of popcorn at Kara's suggestion.
The results of that consensus lead to three out of the five teens resting on two different sofas while Koriand'r and Wonder Girl prepared the popcorn in the kitchen. Nightwing, from his seat opposite the coffee table, was doing his best to convince Trunks that he'd be impressed with the flick and Kara seemed content to just listen.
"I mean, come on, man," Nightwing said. "The space battles alone make it worthwhile."
"The prequels had good space battles too. But, then again, they also had Jar-Jar. It's like Star Wars loves to shoot itself in the foot as soon it gets on the right track. Case in point; they hyped up Darth Maul and then killed him off like it was nothing. He had some real potential as far as movie villains go," Trunks insisted.
"Yeah, but then we might not have had Dooku versus Yoda. I defy you to say that wasn't the most exciting lightsaber battle," Nightwing replied.
"Maybe. But it definitely wasn't the best. That one goes to Luke and Vader on Cloud City. Hands down," Trunks said, folding his arms.
"Did you just say 'hands down'?" Kara interjected with an amused smirk on her face. There was a brief pause as it sunk in before Trunks and Nightwing burst into laughter.
The humorous din was cut off when the intercom chimed and began to broadcast Batman's voice into the room. "We have a mission. All team members suit up and assemble in the main chamber."
"Suit up? With what?" Trunks asked as he and the others rose to their feet. Kara looked at him and replied with a shrug.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Nightwing started as they met up with the others near the exit. "I was told to offer up one of my spare outfits to be modified for you since we're about the same size."
"Yes, Martha is quite a talented seamstress," Koriand'r added. "She also has something prepared for you, Kara."
"This ought to be interesting," Kara replied.
Sure enough, it was. After splitting up into different locker rooms to change, the two newest recruits were reunited inside the main chamber for the debut of their costumes.
Kara was clad in a dark purple jumpsuit with yellow boots, gloves, and belt. There was also a yellow bat wing stitched onto the chest area. She was told that the original Batgirl had left it behind when she retired. Kara had opted to ditch the cowl and cape in favor of an eye mask similar to what Nightwing wore. As for Trunks, his outfit was almost an identical match for Nightwing's save for the golden colored wing-flame design. He didn't waste his time with a mask, though. When he decided to go super again, it wouldn't matter.
"For this mission, you two will use the temporary codenames I've assigned you," Batman said, as his fingers clicked away on the control console. A projector mounted high on a wall of the main chamber broadcasted an image down to the assembled team's eye level in response. It was a top down view of the greater Los Angeles area. "We have two points of interest," he said as a pair of white dots appeared on the image. The one near the coastline had the letter "A" above it while the one deeper inland had a "B". Batman cleared his throat before continuing. "Point A is our primary objective and will be the main focus of this operation. Nightwing, Starfire, Wondergirl, Robin, and Batgirl," Batman said, indicating Kara last, "will be on team A. Goldwing," he said, looking at Trunks, "will take care of point B. The full mission details will be gone over in transit."
"Wait, what?" Trunks asked. "Why am I being separated? Leaving me out of the action is a waste of my abilities. Are you still doubting me?"
"I will if you give me a reason to," Batman replied. "This assignment was given to you because of your abilities, though. Out of everyone here, you should be the most capable of completing this task in time to provide backup for the rest of the team. Read through your mission briefing and then tell me if it's a waste." He eyeballed the young Saiyan, daring him to carry on with his complaints. When he got none, he continued. "Well, if there are no more objections, then we can get moving."
OoooooO
DirtyShoes here! Howdy all! Thanks for tuning in and continuing to hang in there with me. This one was kind of a grind for me due to a combination of factors including but not limited to working overtime, health issues, and wavering inspiration. Fear not, though. With this hurdle out of the way, I can return to the action element of writing (which is my favorite) so chapter nine should come out a lot quicker. Now, for all of my chapter eight reviewers, here is your recognition and my thanks!
Dekei
darkmist111
kakarotsanmistic
Thugs Bunny 009
a guy1013
Guest
TDNRYCON
itheone
Sir Thames
Radio Driver
Guest(#2)
Rocco13
Touzoshin
So, let me just address it first because I know there will be questions and assumptions. The reveal of Superman's clones is significant, yes. Now, there is one obvious conclusion that can be made with this information – Superman must be innocent, right? That would depend on your point of view. I don't want to spoil it so all I will say is that there is a legitimate conspiracy which will be revealed in the coming chapters. Bruce is not crazy and Barbara is beginning to realize that.
Anyway, how do you guys feel about Kara temporarily donning the Batgirl identity? What about Trunks' pre-assigned codename? I'm iffy on both to be honest which is why I'm glad I gave myself an out. And has anyone else noticed that Koriand'r was the only one to share her given name with Trunks and Kara so far? Could there be a lingering mistrust which prevents the others from getting too personal with our two protagonists?
I'm excited for the next chapter and I hope you guys are too.
Now, onto answering last chapter's questions;
Dekei: Now is Lois lane dead or alive in this?
Shoes: She is very much alive and likely to make an appearance at some point.
darkmist111: Are Saiyan and kryptonian physiology compatible?
Shoes: That question will be answered in the next arc or the one after. I have an answer now but obviously I can't give it away.
kakarotsanmistic: awesome chapter and I really enjoyed it so keep it up.. and I want some dbz style action like punching and kicking shockwave that shake the entire landmass and planets and awesome fighting scenes and heavy lifting scene like bus trucks buildings mountain giant monster and asteroids etc you know how strong and powerful black's saiyan and godly strength and Lot's of destruction... than it will be more amazing... please add this king of stuff and which girl would you chose for gohan d how much black will use his powers against rwby universe characters like 1% or 2 something because you already know dbz/s characters are omniversal level and timeline buster..and black is now multiversal ... so keep remember this.. and you already know how op and powerful dbz/s characters are and specially saiyans and gods.. awesome work bro keep it up.. ..and thanks for this awesome chapter.. good luck.. and don't make goku weak or underpower... and best of luck..
Shoes: Hey, thanks for the enthusiastic support! There will definitely be more action to come and I am a huge fan of scenes describing collateral damage and action set pieces akin to what is seen in movies/video games so stay tuned.
Thugs Bunny 009: Aw! Hell yeah! This made my day, buddy! :D It was paced perfectly with just the right amount of necessary exposition dump so you wouldn't have to spend several LONG chapters on flashbacks detailing Superman's "supposed" face-heel-turn. You've coloured me intrigued. I can't wait to find out what in the hell happened to everyone's favourite poster boy for blue scout. Was he brainwashed or does he genuinely believe humans are not worth protecting because of a situation he experienced/saw? It's fascinating and the suspense is killing me.
I just HAD to play the "Nothing Can Be Explained" Ost from Bleach. This foreboding, mysterious plot you've created so warranted it!
The spar between Trunks and Starfire is a great sign of things to come. I'm pleased this won't be a "nerf DBZ" story. Granted, there are entities in the DC world that would smash Trunks, but characters like the Teen Titans, Batman, Wonder Girl and the like wouldn't stand a ghost of a chance against him, so yh, Starfire's acknowledgement that Trunks would annihilate them all was spot on. Love it and their mini sparring session. I especially enjoyed how Trunks' needless demonstration of his power backfired. It showcased that Trunks is going to have to work for that admiration, which in turn, will make it feel that much more stronger when he finally earns the respect of the other characters.
Kira's acknowledgement that she was biased was just the icing on the cake.
Great way to end off the chapter, on Starfire establishing friendship with our favourite power couple Trunks and Kira. :D
This chapter had it all. Plot advancement, character development, tension, fluff and comedy. Well done.
And aw, shucks. I do try to make people laugh with my name, buddy :D
Shoes: Always a pleasure to get feedback from you, Thugs. So, I hope you and everyone know by now that I love my plot twists enough to not give it all away by revealing something like Superman having more than one clone in existence. There is a very important reason I revealed that in this chapter and the payoff is coming soon, so stay tuned. I wish this chapter was as good as the last but, alas, I feel I had to sacrifice some excitement for plot advancement. The next will definitely have more of what I like, though. Thanks for hanging in!
TDNRYCON: tinder con? Hah ok that actually made me laugh. And it's seems that this story isn't dead which is a plus in my book cause your story is one of the things I looked forward to. Hmm nothing much to say about this chapter other than it's you you haven't lost your touch. ( If that makes any sense) can't wait for the next one.
Shoes: Yes, I'm famous for purposely butchering names IRL. I actually work at a car dealership as my day job and I see so many funny (or close it) names come across my printer that I've made a game out of tweaking them for amusement. Humor is the only way to stay sane at a crappy job in the automotive industry. The name dirtyShoes actually originated because my shoes have been perpetually dirty since I began this line of work.
itheone: Please, update regularly, this is going good. I am very glad that you mentioned my review and that you like my story. Hope you explain the Superman going turncoat and interesting choice of a villain. H'el is seldom used, can't wait to read next. BTW, I would love to see a romantic triangle. Keep writing and stay safe !
Shoes: I would love to update this more regularly and I am trying my best. Free time in my line of work is fleeting, though. Even if I'm not physically there, I often have co-workers calling or texting about some issue they need help with. As for your love triangle, don't hold your breath. I like the idea of Kara and Trunks being an exclusive item. However, I go where the story takes me so I won't say it could never happen.
Touzoshin: I definitely did not expect He'l to take part in any of this, I commend you for using him though, he's a lesser known character. The registration act sounds very similar to the one that was enacted in the Marvel Universe. It's no surprise that Luthor was prepared for the possible outcome of a potential Superman defection. Wonder Woman would have been a better challenge for Trunks. Batman got what he wanted from Trunks, he shouldn't have been so upset.
Shoes: Yes, H'El is an underused character which is one of the reasons I prefer him. Since he's not so deep or clearly defined, I have room to extrapolate. The AMVRA is indeed inspired by Marvel's registration act – kudos for being so sharp. I feel like it should've happened in DC a long time ago. Luthor is very important to the plot of this arc. Keep that in mind as you read the next installment. I agree that WW is more of a challenge for Trunks but I felt that Starfire (because of her abilities) was a better match to Trunks. I agree that Batman should lighten up – 100 percent. I just don't think it's an easy thing for him to do.
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Thanks again, everyone! Until next time!