Thoughts

"Speech"

Disclaimer: DC and DBZ belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.

Chapter 11: Quest of the gods IV


Age 756 (2006)

Choices.

In life we are faced with several of them. From a child's birth up until his or her death they are assailed by them. Right or wrong. Good or bad. Destructive or productive. The choices we make, no matter how insignificant they appear weigh heavily on our lives. This was especially true for princess Diana. The choice she made six years ago at the tender age of thirteen had altered the course of her entire life.

She had been tasked by the gods and her nation to retrieve the Dragonballs. Being the obedient Amazon she was she had never questioned their authority...at least initially. But during the course of her travels with Goku and his friends, her mind and opinions had changed. Her Themysciran society was all she had ever known. As beautiful as the peace and tranquility of isolation away from mankind was, it allowed no room for progression as a society.

Ideals she had once held dearly had slowly dissolved and been altered. Man was not as wicked as she had been taught. Sure, there were sectors of mankind that were incorrigibly evil, but that was equally true for women as well. But no matter how great the evil, there was immense love as well. Her travels across the globe had showcased that. It was for that reason, and that reason alone why she had been unable to betray her friends at the most crucial of moments. How could she repay their kindness with the same treachery that had poisoned the Amazons centuries ago?

She couldn't.

In the heat of the moment when things finally came to a climax; she ran away. It was cowardly, weak, an act unbefitting of an Amazon, but she could not betray her dearest friend in such a way. Unable to continue any further she revealed her deception to Goku. Initially the Saiyan could not process what she meant. Betrayal was something that was almost completely foreign to him. It took careful wording before Master Roshi's favorite pupil fully digested her words.

His reaction was initially one of confusion, then anger and rightfully so. Their companionship had been built on a farce, a well woven string of half-truth's and lies. Goku was well within his rights to berate her, to scream at her, to chastise her in ways only her mother could- but he didn't. The look of shame and regret on his face was all that needed to be said. It was more than Diana's heart could bear. Releasing the Dragonballs to the floor, Hippolyta's daughter did what any scared child would do; she ran.

With the speed gifted to her by the sandals of Hermes the Amazon princess dashed off into the sky, never bothering to even look back. The waterfalls of tears obscuring her vision as she accelerated to the heavens. The immediate darkening of the sky following her departure let her know that Upa's wish had been granted. At least some good came from that day. With the shame still heavy on her mind Diana flew back to the makeshift camp she had made during the ordeal with Master Tao. Hastily retrieving her bare necessities she departed once more, leaving Goku and a world she had come to love behind her.

For days the Amazon had wandered around Chikyu questioning what to do. Initially she had thought to seek out her other friends help, but once word of her betrayal reached them, who would even want to even speak to her? Those days she spent alone flew by like a daze. Never had she felt so low, so uncertain, so pertinent. There was no where left for her in Chikyu. Even if her friends did somehow forgive her, the stains of her lies would haunt her forever. There was only one place she could go- Themyscira.

An immediate sense of dread hit her as she pondered her homeland. Her departure had been met with great joy and adulation. She was specifically hand chosen for a mission by the gods. Her mother had even told her not to return until the mission was complete. She had faithfully sworn to follow through with it! Not only had she been entrusted by the gods, and her mother, but the Amazons as well. Returning home empty handed would result in a less than icy reception the moment she reached her island's shores. But hiding wasn't an option anymore; she had to face her demons.

The flight home was anything but enjoyable. She was met foreboding storm clouds on her way back. Heck, there was a flock of Ravens circling just outside the invisible barrier that kept Themyscira hidden when she arrived. Landing on the hillside where she had initially encountered Goku, Diana had attempted to keep her movements as subtle as possible. If she could just reach the palace and discuss things with her mother, maybe, just maybe she could fix things. But alas her plan was foiled as Dessa spotted her.

Being one of the loudest Amazons, as well as a member of the guards, Diana's arrival was something she could not keep hidden. Before she even reached the capitol word of her homecoming had spread like a wildfire. All of her fellow sisters, even Aleka, greeted her warmly as she stepped foot in Paradise City. Their excitement and joy almost made her wish she had retrieved the Dragonballs...almost. Her mother's beaming smile as she reached the palace nearly broke Diana's heart. She had no clue about the bad news she was about to share.

A great feast was prepared in her honor with every Amazon from coast to coast being in attendance. Hippolyta never bothered to ask about the location of the Dragonballs until the feast began. She was under the impression that they were being safely kept in her daughter's knapsack. But that notion would quickly be dispelled as Diana was lead to the temple to give the gods tribune. It was at this very moment when things all went south.

With the priestess there at Zeus statue Hippolyta ordered Diana to place the Dragonballs at his feet. Diana was of course hesitant, her face grimacing as she shook her head. Hippolyta, as well as legions of fellow Amazons stood in confusion at her daughter's headiness. But it all made sense as Diana explained what had occurred during her travels in man's world. Her mother was of course less than pleased to discover that her daughter had not only failed her mission, but had done so because of the very same male that had trespassed their island.

Fury was the emotion that resonated throughout the temple that day. Not only had Diana failed the gods- she had carried on with this foolish charade as well. For the first time in her life Diana felt true visceral fear. The entire scorn of the Amazons was upon her. This was something not even her mother could not save her from. Amongst the noise and ruckus a chant began, started by Derinoe, calling for her banishment. As angry as Hippolyta presently was with her daughter, this wasn't something she could even conceive doing.

But as the chants got louder, coalescing into a unified shout, the Queen realized her people would not be satisfied with anything else. Stuck between a hard place and a rock Hippolyta attempted to quell the crowd's rising anger. Derinoe had always favored Diana- why was she doing this? As foolish as her daughter's actions were, did they truly qualify banishment? Only the worst of the Amazons had been exiled. With their rage spreading like wildfire Hippolyta could no longer hold them back. If the Queen wouldn't do what was necessary the rest of the Amazons would.

But before they could do anything a bolt of lightning descended from the sky. In a flash the All-Father himself appeared before the Amazons. Every Themysciran descended to their knees, Derinoe doing so reluctantly. The last time Zeus and Hippolyta had met face to face had been under more passionate circumstances. This was his first full physical appearance to her in over a decade. Viewing the distress from his heavenly abode above, the father of the Olympians decided to personally settle the matter.

He knew of all the events that had occurred so far. He was after all the god who had called for their retrieval. He was indeed disappointed in his daughter's failings to secure the mystical orbs, but as the Skyfather he could play no favorites. Diana needed to be punished, and as dismayed as Hippolyta was; banishment was an adequate penalty. It was what the Amazons had demanded after all. Wasting no further time Zeus handed down his decree.

Diana immediately broke down as his words reached her ears. Fourteen years of exile, double the number of Dragonballs she had failed to retrieve. It wasn't an eternity like some previous Amazons had received, but at her age it felt like it. Over a decade away from home. All contact with the Amazons was to be ceased. Her next attempt stepping foot on Themyscira would result in trespassing that would be dealt with harshly. The next time she would see her mother was as an adult.

The All-Father was as least kind enough to let her grab her essential necessities before being exiled. Scrambling to her room she retrieved everything of value that could fit into her knapsack. Her most treasured of desires being the photo-book of pictures her mother had made for her. Leaving the palace behind had been an excruciating ordeal. It was the only place she had ever called home. But before she exited the gates her mother stopped her, handing her one object that would later prove to be invaluable.

There wasn't much time for Hippolyta to express her emotions to her daughter, so she did so swiftly. She had never been so angry and embarrassed by the actions of her daughter, but now was not the time chastise Diana. Handing her the lasso of truth, Hippolyta embraced her daughter in one last bone squeezing hug. It felt like an eternity but even that was too short as they quickly broke apart. With a tearful goodbye Diana departed into the night sky, rocketing away to lands unknown.

The first year of exile was the worst. She was lost, confused, and completely alone. She aimlessly wandered the Earth, settling in whatever country she happened to land in that day. Nights spent alone in caves, jungles, and rainforests gave her ample time to think. Failure was what she pondered the most. Her failure to stay true to her mission, her failure to remain true to her friends, her failure to adhere to the Amazon code.

But truly what was the Amazon code? It was supposed to be composed of virtues such as honesty. But she had been expected to deceive her companions to achieve her goals. In truth, from the very onset of her quest, she had gone against the Amazon's beliefs. Perfect adherence to the gods words was part of the code as well. Till this day she knew not what the gods had planned to do with the Dragonballs. They weren't even objects belonging to the Olympians so what did they need them for? As blasphemous as it was to say, the gods weren't always right. They could be as petty as any mortal.

Diana had always been an intelligent child, but those days spent alone gave her time to truly flourish her thoughts. As harrowing as her situation was, she was now free. Free from all obligations, the Amazons, and even her gods. She was alone but there was a powerful comfort in that. For the first time she could forge her own destiny. She could be more than the Queen's daughter, a warrior, a worshiper...she could be whatever she chose to be. Reinvigorated by that revelation she broke her seclusion from the world. There was a world out there waiting to be explored, places not even Goku had gone to.

Her next two years were spent in true exploration across the globe. She and Goku had only traversed a small fraction of man's world, she would see it in it's entirety. From the coasts of Italy, to the safari's in Africa Diana scoured the Earth. The beauty she saw was mesmerizing, but the wickedness was nightmarish. No matter what part of the planet she went to people were always trying to take advantage of one another. War, poverty, and crime were illnesses she saw everywhere. She made it her duty to fight them as best as she could everywhere she went.

Though continent hopping Diana made sure to keep track of Goku's movements. She never physically stepped foot in Chikyu but his escapades were becoming well known across the globe. His fight against the former assassin Tien Shinhan, in the 22nd Worlds Martial Arts Tournament had been the most watched event in American history. Unfortunately Goku had been defeated, but his name and fame grew exponentially.

Diana's name was also slowly making rounds across the globe. Her heroic efforts across various countries had warranted the attention. One newspaper had dubber her "Wonder Girl" due to her miraculous feats. She wasn't one to self aggrandize, but the name did have a certain undeniable ring to it. She even crafted a new outfit to suit her alter ego. It was only fitting after all. Using the money she had amassed from various jobs she had undertaken, Diana forged a costume that was heavily influenced by her Themysciran home. Thought exiled she would still represent her nation.

It was during this same period that the world face it's first supernatural challenge on a global scale. King Piccolo, an ancient demon sealed hundreds of years ago, had somehow escaped from his prison. Chikyu was the first to face his wrath, having already been his stomping ground centuries ago. The cataclysmic war with demon having nearly lead to Armageddon for Chikyu [1]. But this time the ancient monarch had decided to eliminate all potential adversaries immediately.

Dispensing his malevolent children, King Piccolo sent them on a quest to hunt down everyone who had ever participated in the Worlds Martial Arts Tournament. Krillin had unfortunately been a victim of this sadistic plot, being killed by Tambourine. Cymbal, another one of the Demon king's wicked spawns, had been assigned to assassinate her. Unlike Krillin Diana dispatched of the ghoul rather easily, slaying him without a moment's hesitation. After piecing together the rest of King Piccolo's plot Diana ventured to Chikyu. She was still unsure of where she stood with her former friends, but she would always help when they were in need.

But Diana's assistance proved unnecessary. Upon her arrival she discovered that King Piccolo had already been defeated. Goku somehow having managed to slay the demon. If his name wasn't already a household name- it exploded that day. Celebrations erupted across not only Chikyu, but the entire globe as news of this spread. Several countries had armed themselves for the inevitability of a war against Piccolo. If Chikyu had fallen things could have easily collapsed into World War 3. But with Goku's triumphant victory none of that was necessary anymore.

Diana however did not participate in any of the celebrations. Watching Goku's success was enough for her. The uncertainty of her reaction to his presence also made her hesitant to partake in it. However her own heroic actions did not go unnoticed. Returning to her new base of operations in Boston, the exiled princess of Themyscira was unexpectedly greeted by Kami. It didn't take long for Diana to decipher that she was in the present of a deity. His regality alone gave it away.

The green god, who oddly enough looked like King Piccolo, personally thanked Diana in her assistance in the battle. Though she hadn't defeated King Piccolo, her actions in slaying his son saved innumerable lives. During their long discussion it was revealed that Kami was the creator of the Dragonballs. Not only was he their father, but he knew of her long ago discarded plot to capture the Dragonballs. Shame and regret instantly washed over her as she began to apologize for actions, but Kami simply dismissed her concession.

He was aware of the Olympians and Zeus ever present paranoia [2]. The king of the gods had after all killed his own father to take the throne. Who knew who could be plotting against him? At any moment Kami could've stepped in and warned Goku or simply turned the Dragonballs dormant; but he didn't. He put great faith in Diana and foresaw her quest having great importance with the balance of the Earth. His trust had proven to be warranted as Diana followed her heart and conscience in the end. The Olympians plans with the Dragonballs were still unknown, but for the moment it seemed they had acquitted that desire.

They talked for hours. It wasn't everyday a god strolled into your house unannounced, and the exiled princess did hold an intellectual conversation better than Goku. The topic of gods weighed heavily during their discussions. Kami could not answer all of her questions but did the best he could. Finally at the end of their dialogue the god revealed that King Piccolo had reincarnated himself. This news of course stunned and angered Diana. Why wasn't Kami doing anything about it?

Though Piccolo Jr was the spawn of his father, he was only a child whose destiny was yet to be forged. He had as much right to chose his own path as Diana did. The creator of the Dragonballs was indeed right- nothing was set in stone. He also informed her that Piccolo Jr would most likely participate in the upcoming tournament in three year's time. Three years would be ample time to hone her skills to a level capable of taking down anything thrown her away. And most likely Goku would participate as well. She would use that opportunity to right to two wrongs.

And so her training commenced. Three years of rigorous training, crafting her skills to new found levels. Goku had managed to defeat King Piccolo but who knew how powerful his last offspring would be? King Piccolo had nearly destroyed Chikyu. If his son was anywhere near as evil as him, the Earth was in serious trouble. Even while banished she still upheld the Amazon training regime.

Her power had grown exponentially from last encounter with Goku. The strength she had been overcome by during her battle with Aleka all those years ago, was slowly becoming her own [3]. Goku had undoubtedly grown stronger during that period as well, but the confidence in her power was nearly absolute now. No longer did she need Hermes sandals to fly, the ability had grown naturally in her. She was still extremely curious as to how that could be, considering no other Amazon possessed that ability.

The time had quickly flown by. Months breezing by like days as the time rolled forward. No longer was Diana a child, she was now a legal adult, by American laws and Amazon laws. She had matured not only physically but mentally as well. Her innumerable adventures had crafted and shaped her new worldview. Her escapades and exploits were now world renown across the globe. It was time for her to truly reveal herself to the globe. No reporter had ever managed to get an interview with her, but that all change at the tournament. It was time for Wonder Girl to make her official debut.

The 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament was expected to be the largest and most grandiose of them all. The Capsule Corporation had taken over it's financial duties. With arguably the world's largest company sponsoring it, no expense would be spared for anything. The arena this year was much larger. Following Tien's win in the 22nd tournament construction had immediately begun. The new stadium housed more than one hundred thousand people easily.

The Capsule Corps technology allowed for better seating, as well as the world's largest video screen. The screen was so large Diana could see it from the boat on the way to the island. The stadium floor was also larger this year, fitting with the size of the arena itself. The cash prize had also tripled. But the most important addition this year, was generated force fields that would now protect the audience from any potential harm.

In previous years stray Ki beams had almost always put the audience in harm's way. Diana knew this from experience. Her swatting of Goku's Kamehameha in a previous tournament had nearly fried the front row of spectators. But now once anything got within a certain length of the crowd, a force field would automatically generate to protect them. The strength of these force field's was unknown to Diana but this was certainly a step up from previous tournaments. Now contestants could go all out without fear of recklessly endangering someone like they did in the past.


Age 756 (2006), Papaya Island

Standing at the docks Diana took a moment to fully inhale the sights of her surroundings. The boat ride here had been long and tiring. America geographically wasn't that far from Chikyu, but Boston was on the other side of the country. She had been forced to cross two oceans just to get here. Of course she could have flown, but the exiled princess did not want to attract any unnecessary attention.

For the time being she would remain hidden. That however would be a tough matter. The cloak she had purchased just days earlier before her trip helped conceal her body, but her height still made her stick out like a sore thumb. At six foot one inch, Diana towered above the rest of the people at the dock. And as well as her cloak concealed her face, it could not hide her frame. It was obvious a woman was beneath those clothes.

As she sauntered through the crowds of exiting passengers the stares and finger pointing became more obvious. In truth Diana's height wasn't that astounding. She was indeed taller than the average woman, but in comparison to the people at the docks- she was a giant. A large portion of the people there were animals, and miniature ones at that. She had passed several groups of child sized canines.

As annoying as the stares were growing to be, they were nothing new. From her first heroic deed under the adopted moniker "Wonder Girl", she had attracted attention rescuing Steve Trevor from a plane crash [4]. It wasn't everyday a flying girl appeared on the scene of an accident. That was the incident that had first gained her national exposure. Saving the son of a five star general, in broad day, with numerous cameras present, propelled her to instant fame. Fame that had now attracted the attention of one particular gentleman.

"Master Bruce what is it?"

The young man in question squinted as his gaze fell upon Diana. From her body language it was obvious she was trying to hide something, but was doing an awfully poor job at it.

"That woman...there's something about her." The Wayne heir couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had the oddest feeling he had met her before. Unbeknownst to him he had indeed met her, last year, during a hostage crisis at the Wayne Enterprises building. The exiled princess had been touring the city of Gotham when news of the crime had been broke. A former angry employee had taken all his investor's hostage in hopes of revenge for his firing. Diana had succinctly handled the situation, incapacitating him before a single round was shot.

"Maybe she's one of the lovely ladies who have frequented your bed? The cloak could be to hide from her embarrassment. We both know how the media loves to portray you." Alfred offered as he watched Hippolyta's daughter make a beeline for the nearest street.

His butler and old friend had quite the knack for making snarky comments. Rolling his eyes the billionaire ignored the remark. "None of the women I've been with have had an aura like that. Trust me I would know." As much as the paparazzi and mainstream media loved to portray him as chauvinistic idiot; he wasn't. It was all a carefully controlled act.

"I have a feeling we'll run into her again though."

"Speaking of running," Alfred began as he glanced down at his watch. "Don't you have a meeting to attend before the tournament begins?"

Palming his forehead Bruce sighed in irritation. He had almost completely forgotten about his prior engagement with Bulma. They were supposed to do a meet and greet before the preliminary rounds. God how he hated those things. Seeing the heirs of two of the worlds biggest companies together would not only boost the tournaments profile, but help his companies branding and marketing as well. Taking note of the time he decided he could spare a few more extra minutes.

"Fondness makes the heart grow fonder doesn't it Alfred?" The chamberlain could only nod his head in agreement. "I haven't seen Bulma since we were children, but I''m sure a few more minutes won't hurt." And hopefully it will give me time to locate that girl. There's something special about her...I just know it!


A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 10!

Authors Note: Only one more chapter to go before we exit the Dragonball era of this story. I'm planning to go out with a bang. The next chapter should hopefully be the longest one I've written thus far. Superman will finally make an appearance in the next chapter. I know a lot the reviewers have been asking about him and waiting for him to show up again. Just a forewarning there will be one last final time-skip before the Saiyan Saga. Don't be surprised.

I know I skipped over a great number of things doing this time skip. What happened with Tien and the League of Assassins? What were adventures Diana went on? And numerous other things. But as I mentioned in chapter 8, if the interest is there I will write about various events that took place, after the main story is concluded.

Last but not least I'd like to give a big thank you to Dragonballrevisted on Deviantart for drawing the first piece of artwork related to this story. (It's my Avatar btw).

[1]: Originally referenced in Chapter 4: Journey to the East

[2]: The Greek gods and Kami are aware of one another and vice versa. Kami's divine sight allows him to see the Earth in it's entirety, including Themyscira. As the representative of his pantheon on Earth he is aware of all potential threats. He is not Omniscient, but his divine sight allows him to see it. Kami cannot view Olympus though, due to it being in a realm out of his jurisdiction.

[3]: Occurred in Chapter 5: The Monkey and The Eagle

[4]: Yes, Diana and Steve Trevor have met in this story. Their origin story is drastically different though. This initial meeting will come into play later down the line in the story.


Q/A:

RecklessBaka: I've seen a few episodes of Dragonball Super and I think it's been pretty pointless till now. It's just recounting what we already know happened in BOG with a few changes. I'm really waiting until they introduce a new story arc we haven't seen before.

Breakawayfan: Can't spoil that info lol

Kabuto S. Inferno: As I've said in previous chapters this isn't one specific version of Superman, or any of the DC characters for that matter. I'm pooling from a wide variety of sources here. This version of Superman is pretty much one that I've personally amalgamated. As far as his power set? It'll pretty much be the basic heat vision, flight, super strength and etc. Though the power of those abilities is a different matter all together. I intend to do all of DBZ, the recent movies may not be included though. This is going to be a pretty long story. The story itself is fairly easy for me to write, it's just finding the time and forcing myself to actually write that's the problem lol.

Jason123: That determination will be explained in future chapters.

Neobahamut86: Chichi's tone has seemed fine to me. She's a bratty kid at this point, but I haven't characterized her as being completely negative. She still has good qualities.

Darkmist111: You'll just have to read and find out.

Lostgamer64: Goku and Superman are listed as the main protagonists for this story, but truthfully it doesn't have one. In the fourth chapter I did some explaining about the rest of the DC Universe in this story.

Spencerlonewolf: Glad someone noticed where I got Alkyone from. The JSA is probably not going to make an appearance in this story. The League of Assassins has already appeared though.

Knight25: We already know how Kryptonians gain their powers, so I think it would be pretty redundant to explain it again. Static Shock and Hotstreak have nothing to do with the Justice League and probably won't appear.

TheSkyBreakerV1: At the beginning of the "Quest of the gods" story arc I mentioned that the following chapters would have a lot of time skips.

Innocentsmilehehe: Other pantheons like?

Tango Charlie: At the end of the previous chapters I forewarned my readers that the next couple chapters would feature time skips. On my profile it states that I'm a fan of eccentric pairings. Don't expect to see a lot canon pairings in any of my stories. The talks between the Olympian gods are a necessary and essential part of the plot...I'm not going to skip over them. I appreciate the suggestions and help but I already have a lot of the story planned out. Thanks for the review.

Chris: Yes, the Justice League will appear. As far as the Justice League killing? It's something I'll deal with when the time comes. I took your advice and came up with a tier system. It'll show up in future chapters.