Thoughts
Computer Speech
"Speech"
Disclaimer: DC and the Dragonball Franchise belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.
Chapter 37: Nightfall IV: Retaliation
December 19th
Age 762 (2012), Namek
Krillin frowned as he rushed after his Godson. He still couldn't believe how reckless Gohan was behaving. He understood the boy's anger and his urge to help the last remaining Namekian, but not at the cost of their lives. What could they possibly do against the monsters that stood before them? Nothing, absolutely nothing. But unfortunately, it was too late to turn back now.
Gohan growled as he landed on the ground, still seething with rage from the events that had just transpired. Dodoria turned and was shocked to see an unfamiliar face on the battlefield. His mouth opened to speak but was jarred shut, courtesy of Gohan's left leg. The pink alien soared several feet back, before finally crashing into a Namekian hut.
Zarbon's jaw hung open, stunned as he watched his partner slump to the ground. That boy had just attacked Dodoria and had actually managed to hurt him. The Namekians who they'd fought earlier hadn't even managed to land a hit like that. Just who was this child? And where had he come from?
"Gohan what are you doing? I've got the kid, we need to go now!" The urgency in Krillin's voice was clear. Gohan had the element of surprise on his side, but that wouldn't last long.
The hybrid Saiyan pivoted on his heels, retracting his gaze from Zarbon as he turned to face his companion.
"Seriously Gohan let's go!" Without a further word, Krillin ascended into the sky.
Taking one final glance at Zarbon, Gohan followed Krillin's lead. It was better to tuck their tails and stay alive than to die like fools.
Mere seconds after the duo left Dodoria finally managed to rise to his feet, dusting himself as he stood upright.
"What hit me?" The pink alien shook his head as he attempted to clear his mind.
Zarbon smirked as he faced his partner.
"That kid…..that kid hit you."
The skin where Dodoria's eyebrows were supposed to be, leaped.
"A kid! A freaking kid hit me like that!" Dodoria's words were a mixture of shock and anger.
Zarbon couldn't help but chuckle at his partner's flabbergasted expression. "He did. And on top of that, he took the Namekian child too."
A scowl spread across Dodoria's lips as he clenched his fists. "Why didn't you go after them?"
Zarbon shrugged. "You know it's not my style to chase enemies unless it's necessary to my objective and it wasn't. I'm sure we'll run into that kid again anyways, he and his friend couldn't help but be heroes."
"There were two of them?" Dodoria had been hit so fast that he hadn't even noticed Krillin.
An exasperated sigh was heard as Zarbon rolled his eyes. This conversation was occupying far more time than necessary. "Yes, there were two of them. The child attacked you and his bald companion took off with the child rather expeditiously. Stop worrying about it. It's not like Frieza's going to find out anyways. Those two chumps were small fries."
Dodoria wasn't willing to put anything past Lord Frieza though. Their master had a way of finding out about things that were supposed to remain hidden.
"Unlike you, I'm not willing to doubt Lord Frieza's gaze. We both know how cruel and conniving our leader can be. If he were to discover that we were bested by a mere boy, he would have our heads!" Dodoria had witnessed Frieza's wickedness firsthand when the galactic overlord had invaded his planet. The members of his species who wouldn't join the Planet Trade Organization were simply wiped out.
"So you want to go after them then?" Zarbon asked. If that was Dodoria's intention it would've been better to take off immediately than to waste time holding this conversation.
"Surprisingly, I don't actually."
Zarbon's left eyebrow perked up. "Why not? This isn't your style. You always go after your attackers on the spot."
Dodoria smirked. "Like you said we'll most likely run into those runts again, I'll have my revenge when we do. But most importantly, we still don't have what we came for. I'd rather have Frieza happy than to satisfy my own inhibitions," The Dragonballs were the main priority. Even if they failed in doing everything else, getting the Dragonballs would secure Lord Frieza's favor.
"That might be the smartest thing you've said since we landed on this backwater planet," Zarbon chuckled. He and Dodoria were finally on the same page again. "Lord Frieza has been furious ever since he discovered that the Green Lanterns have secretly infiltrated his organization. Those meddling space cops know about everything he intends to do! But with the help of the Dragonballs, he'll finally be able to wipe out those smug Oans once and for all."
The PTO and Green Lantern Corps had been at odds for as long as Zarbon and Dodoria could remember. It was only due to a pact of non-aggression that peace was upheld between the two organizations. King Cold had initially agreed to it, but his son Frieza lacked the patience that his father had. The delict balance of peace that the two organizations shared was teetering towards war, especially since Frieza had discovered spies in his ranks. The Dragonballs would not only grant Frieza with eternal life, but would give him access to the power necessary to destroy the Green Lantern Corps.
December 19th
Age 762 (2012), Washington, Argus headquarters
Chichi's eyes widened as she scrutinized the glowing doors in front of her. She'd been alone in the elevator when the hovering doors had suddenly materialized. The key in her left hand burned a bright yellow, matching the hue of the massive doors. What was most surprising though was the fact that Wonder Woman's symbol was emblazoned on it. You have some explaining to do Steve!
Steve Trevor's adoration for Wonder Woman was known by everyone. The Amazon had once saved his life, salvaging him from a plane crash [1]. Wonder Woman had been Steve's first encounter with a superhero. It had been love at first sight for the Colonel when he'd met Diana. But his blooming crush on her was forever halted once Goku became her love interest.
Chichi and Steve were both rejected lovers. In another time, in another Universe, maybe their love for their prospective partners would've been reciprocated, but it wasn't. Chichi and Steve's relationship had gone through several bumps and bruises to even get to where it was currently at. Both of them had sworn to each other that their hearts no longer held any affections from the past. But seeing a room which appeared to be totally dedicated to Steve's former crush was upsetting, to say the least.
Chichi scowled but shoved her displeasure aside for the time being. There were more pressing matters to attend to. She could berate and scold her boyfriend at a later time. Straightening herself, the Ox-king's daughter took a bold step forward as she approached the levitating doors. Taking one final look at her surroundings, Chichi swung the doors open, promptly vanishing inside them.
Immediate confusion was the first thing on the princesses mind as she examined her new locale. The door had been an entrance to a room and a rather large one at that. The room stretched as far as her eyes could see. Its design was ancient and reminiscent of Greek's golden age. Large columns and pillars supported the building. There were numerous items and technology that Chichi had never seen before. Some of it looked more advanced than anything she'd seen during her tenure with Argus.
Just what is going on here?
As Chichi strode across the room her wonder and amazement grew. As commander of Argus Steve was privy to secrets like this. She had to admit she was a tad bit jealous. Chichi was second in command to Steve but there were still things that were far above her pay grade, like this. As incredible as this room was though, what did any of it have to do with Wonder Woman? Chichi's question would soon be answered as she accidentally bumped into a mirror.
Who would randomly leave this in the middle of the room? And why is it floating?
All of the other items in the room appeared to be neatly organized and shelved in their proper locations, save for this mirror. Chichi's curiosity grew as she pulled the long red drape which covered the mirror. It's color matched the drape, but what was most noticeable were the horrified faces that were engraved in the mirror's lining. These faces almost look…..alive?
"How delightful, another guest has decided to visit."
Chichi was suddenly jerked forward as a hand extended from the glass in the mirror, tugging her into the air. She tried to fight back but the grip squeezing her was too powerful.
"Tell us your name girl."
"Us?" Chichi quizzically blinked at the sound of the voice. As far as she could tell there was only one person speaking to her.
"Yes. Us. The Moirai sisters." [2]
Chichi was suddenly dropped to the ground, landing harshly on her back as the hand released her. Her lips opened to form another question but quickly retracted as three ghostly figures materialized in front of the mirror. Their form was demonic and mishappen, all three of the women lacking eyes. Their lips were as black as Chichi's hair. Though they lacked eyes to convey expression, the gritting of their teeth spoke volumes.
"You work for the one called Steve don't you?"
"How did you…."
"We know because we foresaw you coming," The sisters replied, cutting Chichi off. "There is a great crisis affecting the mortal world and you came here to seek potential answers."
Chichi was at a loss for words. She didn't quite believe that these women were able to see the future, but their words so far had been accurate. "You're right, I did. Will you be able to help me?"
"Oh, we can. But everything comes with a price my dear," The grin etched on the apparitions faces didn't bode well for Chichi.
"What do you want from me?" Chichi's words were short and to the point. Whatever these things were, they were locked in here for a reason.
"We want the same thing we wanted from your boyfriend - memories. We want your sweet delicious memories."
"What?" Chichi's face scrunched, unsure if she'd heard them right. "What do you want my memories for?"
"We feed off of them. The emotions from your memories are sustenance for our powers. How do you think Steve knew about the Saiyans destroying planet Arlia? We told him in exchange for some of his memories." [3]
Steve had never informed Chichi how he'd discovered that nugget of information. Chichi had always assumed that it had been relayed to him by another branch of the government. But Steve had literally given a part of himself up to help in the fight against the Saiyans. Her commander and boyfriend was even more courageous than she'd thought. But now it was her turn to step up to the plate.
"I'll do it."
December 19th
Age 762 (2012), Coast City
"Carol, stop it!" Hal Jordan shouted as he struggled to restrain Carol Ferris. As soon as he'd opened the door, the five foot seven woman had lunged at him. Hal and Carol had argued before, but nothing like this. Carol was literally attempting to claw off his face. Her nearly razor sharp fingernails weren't helping the situation either.
I knew I shouldn't have paid for that manicure. Hal was doing his best to restrain the woman he loved without harming her, but it was growing increasingly difficult. Either Carol had been hitting the weights while he had been on Oa, or the starfish on her face was juicing her up. Speaking of the starfish on her face, it was incredibly unnerving. Hal had seen a lot of things during his stint as a Green Lantern so far, but nothing like this. It had to be of alien origin.
Restraining Carol was all but moot at this point. Hal decided he needed to do something drastic to put an end to the situation at hand. Forgive me, Carol. Slipping his Green Lantern ring on, Hal created a wall construct. Carol was stunned and caught off guard as green bricks started materializing around her. Before she could blink, she found herself on the opposite side of a wall with Hal frowning at her.
"I really didn't want to do this but you left me no choice," This wasn't the way Hal had intended for Carol to find out about his Green Lantern ring. But hopefully, she wouldn't remember this incident once that starfish was removed from her.
Even as the brick wall had formed, separating the two lovers, Carol's aggression continued to show. Her fists were violently pounding against Hal's construct. It was clear that she would have to be put down for the time being. In a flash, the brick wall morphed into a boxing glove. Hal gave Carol a sad look before using it to knock her out. The force of his hit shook the apartment, knocking pictures off his wall.
Hal didn't bother to clean them up though. His immediate priority was Carol as he rushed to check on her. His ring scanned her biometrics, she would be alright. Thank goodness, that would have been a tough one to explain. Hal breathed a sigh of relief before refocusing on the menace that had caused all this.
"Ring, scan this starfish and identify what it is," If this creature was truly alien like Hal thought, his ring would be able to identify it's origin and purpose on Earth.
"Subject matter has been identified as Starro."
"Starro huh?" Hal mused to himself. That name sounded quite familiar.
"Starro is a parasitic alien that is able to mutate itself. It spreads from planet to planet conquering the inhabitants of each world and subjugating them to his will."
"Whoa, that's seriously bad news. I can't believe Sinestro would even joke about feeding me to one! Well, actually, I can, given his fall from grace and the Green Lantern Corps," During Hal's training with Sinestro, the Korugarian made an off-handed comment about dropping Hal into a pit filled with Starro's. The insult hadn't registered back then but it made complete sense now.
"Starro is not only capable of mind control, but of flight and regeneration as well."
Hal's face soured at the last comment. "Does it have any weaknesses?"
"Starro is invulnerable to most form of physical force. Gunfire, bullets, and other projectiles will prove fruitless against him."
"So what exactly am I supposed to do then? This thing kinda sounds invincible," Hal sighed as his fingers ruffled through his hair. This didn't sound like something he could handle on his own. As much as he hated to admit it, maybe he would need to call in some extra Green Lanterns for this situation.
"As I stated earlier, Starro is able to reproduce. The Starro you see on Carol's face isn't the main Starro. It is merely one out of potential thousands that are currently on your planet."
"Thousands?!" Hal screamed. One of these things was bad enough. How had they multiplied so quickly? "Ring, scan the perimeter for matching heat signatures."
"There are approximately 100 matching heat signatures in this building alone."
Hal's eyebrows rose at this. That meant that his entire apartment complex had been comprised!
"Shit, shit, shit," Hal cursed as he paced back and forth in his living room. He could knock out each one of his neighbors, but that would only be a momentary solution. "There has to be a way to nip this in the bud."
"There is."
"There is?" Hal's pacing stopped as his ring spoke up. "Well, what it is then?"
"Starro is a hive mind and a collective. If you were able to defeat the original Starro, the rest of his spawn would follow."
"Why didn't I think of that?" Hal mentally facepalmed. "I could kiss you! Well, if you were a real person I mean." His ring had provided him with small a ray of hope. "How would I go about finding the original Starro though?"
"I can scan for him."
"I'll leave you to it then," Hal said as he sat on one of his couches armrest.
"I found him. He's located approximately 1,800 miles from here in Keystone City."
"Keystone city? Isn't that near where the Flash lives?" Hal rubbed his chin as he recalled seeing news reports of the scarlet speedster. "It might be a good idea for us to team up then," Two heads would be better than one in this situation.
Heading to his balcony, Hal opened his arcadia doors as he stepped outside. He shot Carol a passing glance before departing into the night sky.
December 19th
Age 762 (2012), Abandoned Warehouse, Keystone City
Aquaman growled as he sliced another one of Tula's magical tendrils. For most of the fight, the Atlantean king had tried to hold himself back. Tula's magical abilities were fearsome but were nothing in comparison to the full force of his might. The Flash was faring well, using his super speed to avoid the various tendrils that attacked him, but he was beginning to grow annoyed as well. As Arthur stabbed another one of Tula's creations, the king decided it was time to finally end it.
"Enough Tula!"
Aquaman slammed his trident into the ground. The ground split, cracking at first before eventually bursting wide open as a shockwave followed. Everyone in the room, save for Arthur, was instantly flung back. Tula's magical forcefield was dispersed as she slammed head first into a nearby steel pillar.
"Will she be alright?" The Flash asked as he zoomed over to Arthur. The shockwave had sent him reeling but his healing factor was already making up for it.
Walking over to Tula, Arthur quickly checked her pulse. "She'll be fine," His apprentice was alright but unconscious.
"Well, that's good," Barry breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know how much longer he would have been able to keep running around in circles like that. "But the real question now is…what's that starfish doing on her face?"
Aquaman frowned as he leaned in closer to examine it. The jarring eye at its center remained open and unblinking even as Tula lay unconscious.
"I've never encountered anything like it before and it's definitely not from the seas. When she first arrived she mentioned something about Starro. Starro, Velocity 9, and Vandal Savage must all be connected in some way. Why else would she have shown up at this specific warehouse?"
Barry's right hand rested on his chin as the speedster paused to think. "From what we saw, these starfish are able to control someone's mind. Velocity 9 is a drug that grants it's users super speed that is somewhat comparable to mine. I had a brief encounter with a telepath once and he was unable to control my mind due to the speed of my thoughts. Maybe that's what Velocity 9 is for?"
"That would make sense," Aquaman nodded his head in agreement. "But that still leaves the question of what is Starro?"
"Starro is something beyond your feeble comprehension."
Aquaman and Flash spun on their heels as they turned to see a grinning man standing at the opposite end of the warehouse.
"Jeez, how many people are going to get the drop on us?" Barry mumbled to himself as the man started to walk towards them.
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he examined the man. He was tall with long flowing black hair that passed his shoulders. Three distinct scars covered his face. Underneath his black overcoat, it was clear that he was hiding something. This had to be Vandal Savage.
"Vandal Savage I presume?"
"In the flesh," Vandal said as he took a courteous bow.
"We've been looking for you," Barry said as he joined the conversation. This was the man behind all the madness?
"Oh, I know. I've been watching the both of you for some time now."
"You knew we'd be coming here didn't you? You set us up from the jump!" Barry suddenly realized as he took a step back.
"Not only are you the world's fastest man, but you're the fastest thinker too I see," Vandal applauded with a mocking clap.
"What is your end goal with all of this?" Aquaman cut in. Barry was merely stating the obvious.
"The goal was simply to stay alive. When an apex predator extends an olive branch, you take it."
"An apex predator? What are you talking about?" Barry was totally confused. What did an apex predator have to do with anything?
"Starro you fool! He is an apex predator!"
"The Starfish?" Aquaman shared Barry's confusion as he glanced back towards the creature on Tula's face.
"There are thousands, if not millions, of those starfish spreading across the globe as we speak. Starro grows stronger by the minute with every mind it controls."
"Okay, I'm following you so far but what's the point?" Barry couldn't help but be sarcastic. All of this sounded ridiculous right now. "Purple starfish are mind controlling humans….because?"
Vandal rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by the question that had been posed. "Storm daughter would you be a dear and introduce yourself?"
The Flash and Aquaman glanced around the room, curious as to who Vandal was talking to, but saw no one.
"You must be even crazier than I…"
Aquaman's words were left trailing as every window the warehouse suddenly shattered. Glass splattered everywhere as the roof was suddenly torn open. The ground shook as a person, rather a woman, descended from the sky above.
As she rose to her feet, the hairs on Barry's neck stood up. Her skin was white as snow. Black and green armor covered her body from nearly head to toe. Her hair was gray and stood up straight. The black eyeshadow that covered the upper half of her face stood in stark contrast to her hue.
It was instantly obvious to the Flash that this woman wasn't from Earth. "Clearly you're not from around here. Please tell us you've come in peace?"
December 19th
Age 762 (2012), Downtown Keystone City
Batman took a nervous step as he exited the Batplane. It had only been a few moments since he'd landed atop a large building downtown, but the dark knight could sense something was wrong. The tension in Keystone city was palpable. Bruce had visited the city before as an ambassador for Waynetech. It was a cheery upbeat city, but the vibe Batman was getting now was reminiscent to Gotham in it's darkest hours.
"The one we seek is here."
Batman's head turned slightly as he faced the Martian Manhunter. It was unsettling how discreet he could be. If not for J'onn's somber words, Bruce would have all but forgotten that he was even present. Maybe this was how commissioner Gordon felt around him.
"Can you pinpoint his exact location?" Bruce asked as he scanned the city with his binoculars. The streets appeared to be empty.
J'onn's eyes closed as he focused. There was too much psionic static in the city. The anguish of thousands of civilians filled the Martian's mind as he traversed the mental plane.
"Pain, there's so much pain!" J'onn grit his teeth as mind started to become overwhelmed. Droplet's of sweat formed above his brows as he preserved on.
"I need you to focus J'onn! You're the one who sensed an otherworldly psionic presence in this city. I know you can locate it," Batman urged as he whispered into J'onn's right ear.
When Bruce had called for backup the Martian Manhunter had quickly responded. As much as Batman hated calling for help, it had been absolutely necessary for this situation. It hadn't taken long for J'onn to arrive in Gotham. The Martian had phased through the Batcave's defenses, much to Bruce's surprise. After hashing things out, J'onn had discovered a massive psionic presence in Keystone city that bore a resemblance to the mind-controlling starfish.
One Batplane ride later, and the duo was here.
"I…I can feel it, Batman. It's so powerful and full of rage!" J'onn screamed as he dropped to his knees. "I can't hold on much longer!"
"Fight it! C'mon fight it!" Bruce could only offer words of encouragement as he watched his partner writhe in pain. Batman was well versed in a number of things, but telepathy wasn't one of them.
"I'm sorry Batman, I can't hold on any…more!" J'onn released a guttural growl before collapsing to the ground. Bruce quickly rushed to his side, pulling the groggy Martian up.
"What did you see?" As concerned as Batman was for J'onn, his concern for this city and humanity, in general, was even greater.
"This presence….. I've felt it before back on my home world."
"Back on Mars?"
J'onn nodded as he rubbed his head. "These starfish visited our planet before."
"Why couldn't you tell me this earlier? That knowledge could've helped us from the get-go," Batman was irritated, to say the least. He was wary of aliens but had trusted J'onn partly due to Superman's belief in him. If the Martian Manhunter was withholding information from him it certainly raised some questions.
"My father…he did this," J'onn mumbled as images began to appear in his mind. "It was such a traumatic experience that he believed it would be better for me to forget it."
"What experience?" Batman replied with arms crossed.
"The starfish, rather Starro, invaded Mars millennia ago."
"Millennia ago? Just how old are you?' Bruce had been working under the assumption that he and J'onn were relatively the same age. J'onn's human form didn't look a day over thirty.
A wry smile formed on the Martian's lips. "If I were to tell you the exact age, you wouldn't believe it. But I am more than thousands of years old."
For once Batman was at a loss for words. His view of reality was constantly changing every day. If J'onn's words reigned true, Bruce being the world's greatest detective meant nothing due to his lifespan.
"But as I was saying," J'onn continued as he cleared his throat. "A few Starro's crash-landed on Mars and brought with them a world of trouble. An outbreak broke out as the parasitic creatures latched onto my people and took over their minds. I witnessed my uncle slaughter my cousins and his entire family in front of me."
A tear slid down J'onn's face as he solemnly looked at his hands. Bruce knew he was telling the truth. Emotion like that couldn't be faked.
"I was completely powerless to stop him. If not for my father's intervention, I would've died that day too."
"How did your people stop them?" If J'onn had survived, that meant there was at least a slither of hope for Earth.
"My people burned the infected Martians alive. Fire is one our greatest weaknesses. The Starro's left the bodies once they realized that their hosts were dying. They need a functioning host to survive."
"Are you suggesting we kill all these people?" That was a genocide of the highest order to Batman.
"No! I would never suggest or imply that," J'onn quickly dismissed with a hand wave. "We need to figure out a way to remove the starfish without harming the people they're controlling."
"Well, do you have any ideas?" Bruce turned his attention back onto the streets. At this point, they were just going in circles. What J'onn had said was something that Bruce already knew.
"I know we're back to square one," J'onn said as he could literally feel the annoyance rolling off of Bruce. "But as long as we find the origin of the Starro's and incapacitate it, we can save everyone. The psionic presence that I felt earlier is the one that is behind all of this. I'm sure of it."
"This psionic presence would you be able to…identify it physically if we were to see it?" Batman's binoculars zoomed in on a figure that had just emerged from the nearby city hall building.
"I wasn't able to form a tangible image of that psionic presence in my mind. But maybe it would be possible for me to identify it by its empathic signature?" The Martian Manhunter mused out loud. "Or I could…."
"That won't be necessary," Bruce cut J'onn short as he handed the Martian his binoculars. "I think I've located our alien."
Jonn's eyes widened as he stared into Batman's binoculars.
The man that was standing in front of city hall was gigantic. He was easily ten feet tall. The ax in his right hand was nearly the size of Bruce! Pitch black armor draped his entire being. Nothing about his face could be seen, save for the piercing red eyes that shone from his helmet. What was most noticeable though was the large starfish on his chest.
J'onn's hands trembled slightly as he handed Bruce back his binoculars. There was no need to psionically scan him, J'onn could already sense who it was. "That's the person we're looking for."
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 36!
A/N: When I asked if people were still interested in this story the response was overwhelming, beyond what I was even hoping for. But the response to the previous two chapters has been quite underwhelming and just honestly confuses me. I hope this chapter fairs better.
[1]: This occurred in Chapter 11.
[2]: For those of you who aren't familiar, the Moirai sisters appeared in Forever Evil -ARGUS #1-3.
[3]: Back in Chapter 18, I made mention of Argus knowing about Arlia's destruction. This is how Steve found out.
Q/A:
supercomicreader421: The person who comes back with Trunks won't be a Booster Gold, but it will be a DC character. Cell and the Androids are going to pose a much bigger threat than they did in canon so all the heroes will be needed.
Sailor Dragonball 87: Gohan and co were already on Namek in the previous chapters. It's the same exact group as it was in canon. As far as Diana, you'll find out soon.
