Thoughts
Computer Speech
"Speech"
Disclaimer: DC and the Dragonball Franchise belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.
Chapter 49: Apolutrosis III
January 2nd
Age 763 (2013), Themsycira, The Resistance Camp
Philippus sat quietly as she took council from her advisors. They were seated on various tree stumps and whispered in a tone so low their words were barely decipherable. Several feet away, Donna's arms were folded as she frowned. Hippolyta's clone was slightly irritated at the Amazons lack of trust in her. Donna and Diana had done the heavy lifting for the Resistance during their battle, but Donna was still met with skepticism.
"They will come around eventually, sister," Diana said optimistically. But her sister's cold glare erased her smile.
"And when will that be? I saw the looks in their eyes when I attempted to help them on the battlefield. That level of hatred won't fizzle away easily." Donna was well aware of what her past actions had wrought. She wasn't the victim here, but all she wanted was an equitable opportunity to start anew.
"I can't give you a definite answer, sister. So much has changed while we've been gone." These Amazons weren't the same Amazons that Diana had once known. "But you took a small step today towards changing their hearts. All Amazons respect a valiant and honorable warrior. If you continue to exemplify that, our sisters will accept you eventually."
Donna sighed and leaned against a tree. "You're right, Diana. My impatience has gotten the best of me yet again." Her sister had a knack for knowing exactly what to say at the right moment.
"I often forget that you're a teenager still. I was just like you when I was your age."
"Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously," Diana chuckled at Donna's doubt. "There was a time when I wasn't so composed, compassionate, and patient. The first time I met my husband, I attempted to kill him."
"Apollo's chariot!" Donna snorted and burst into a fit of laughter. Her sister always appeared to be a reflection of Athena; it was rare to hear her speak this way.
"And don't get me started on when I….."
"Diana! Donna! You may join the meeting now." Philippus's call beckoned the sisters' attention. Wonder Woman would have to save her story another time. The sisters shared a look before they strode over to the ebony Amazon. Her subordinates stood up and dispersed in various directions, giving Diana and Donna room to sit.
"Without your help, our struggle would've finally reached its end today. The Resistance owes you a great debt, both of you." Philippus's eyes locked onto Donna as she finished her sentence. "My soldiers might not have seemed appreciative of your help, but they were Donna."
"It's okay; I understand their sentiments."
Philippus nodded and continued. "Because of you two, we were able to minimize our casualties. From a rough count, we only lost thirty soldiers today."
"I will mourn for our fallen sisters, but rest assured, their sacrifices will not be in vain," Diana said solemnly. "Will they be given proper burials?"
"I wish we could, but we don't have the time or the resources for a traditional Amazon funeral." Philippus' head hung low as she scowled. Dozens of her sisters had died and had been buried in makeshift graves. It was just another unfortunate casualty of the war.
"When the war is finally over, that's the first thing we'll do." Wonder Woman said reassuringly. Prior to the civil war, death had been a rarity for the Amazons. They were immortal beings, after all. An Amazon burial was a sacred and elaborate tradition that had to be followed thoroughly to ensure peace in the afterlife.
"And winning the war will be no easy task. Alkyone will soon learn of our escape from Doom's Doorway, and that will surely result in swift and wrathful action against the Resistance." Donna said through clenched teeth.
"Alkyone's soldiers couldn't have gotten too far. If I chase after them, I might be able to capture a few of them, if not all of them." Diana said and sprang up from her seat. She was about to settle into a running stance when Philippus's hand suddenly latched onto her wrist.
"It's okay, Diana; let them go."
"Let them go?" Wonder Woman repeated in a perplexed tone. She attempted to move, but Philippus' grip grew tighter.
"Yes. This is necessary anyway. I always knew our struggle against Alkyone would end in one final clash, and you've helped push us closer towards that scenario."
"You want Alkyone to attack the camp again?" Diana's head was spinning as she lowered herself back onto her seat. Had Philippus suffered a blow to her head during the battle? Her former teacher wasn't thinking properly.
"No, that's not what I mean," Philippus retorted sternly. "The Resistance has been surviving by the skin of its teeth, and up until this point, everything we've done has barely moved the needle. The leaders at the other Resistance strongholds have been satisfied with the way things are. Due to our limited numbers, the Resistance has been reactive instead of proactive. But now, thanks to your reappearance, the Resistance will be forced to take a firm stance."
Wonder Woman sat in silence and carefully mulled over Philippus's words. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The threat of Alkyone's entire military army would force any fence straddlers in the Resistance to take up arms and fight for their lives.
"That sounds good in theory, but how do you intend to handle Alkyone? This camp's location has been compromised, and if her forces return, they will return a hundredfold." Donna hated to sound so negative, but she had to be honest.
"I'm already in the process of relocating my soldiers. My subordinates left to enact the plans we discussed. There is another Resistance camp not too far from here, in the mountains. I've despatched my lieutenants to send messages to other Resistance strongholds and inform them to meet us there. My troops will convene at that predetermined location and lick their wounds momentarily. Once we've all healed and rested, Alkyone will get her comeuppance."
January 2nd
Age 763 (2013), West City, Capsule Corps
"Bruce, do you have to keep that on?" Bulma asked as she stared at the couch across from her. It was a large ivory sectional that was currently occupied by four heroes. But unlike his companions, Batman was still fully suited in his hero garb. Everyone else had made themselves comfortable and at home, but Bruce refused to remove his cowl.
"No," Was Batman's stern and firm reply. He'd been a visitor in this house dozens of times, and every time the same question was asked, it was given the same answer.
"Fine then, have it your way," Bulma relented with a deep sigh and returned to stirring the cup of tea in her hand.
"This tea is delicious," Superman lauded as he took a long sip from his cup. It was sweet but not overly sugary, the perfect mixture that he loved.
"And these dumplings….are to die for!" The Flash exclaimed in between big mouthfuls of food. He usually wasn't this greedy, but he just couldn't help himself. Whatever Bulma had put in these Gyoza dumplings was addictive, and he would have to make a mental note to ask her for the recipe later.
Not to be outdone, Gohan was tearing through his plate of dumplings as well. The Demi-Saiyan was seated on a small chair next to Bulma. And while the adults talked, the pre-pubescent boy was stuffing his mouth at a speed that made J'onn feel as queasy as the color of his skin.
"I've heard tales about the Saiyan appetite, but it's another thing to witness it in person." The Martian Manhunter remarked as he stroked his chin. The Flash consumed gigantic inhumane amounts of food for energy, and he assumed the same was true for Saiyans.
"When did you get back to Earth?" Bruce finally asked, cutting through the meandering chit-chat.
"We arrived from Namek on December 29th."
"How did you get here? None of the Argus satellites detected any extraterrestrial spacecrafts approaching Earth on that day."
"We didn't use a spaceship to get here," Bulma said dryly. Bruce's line of questioning was typical for him, but his last few words had sparked a question of her own. "How do you know what the Argus satellites detected?"
All heads in the room shifted towards Batman. Even J'onn was curious to know.
"To put simply, I hacked into their mainframe. The information from their satellites is constantly being fed to the Batcomputer."
"Batcomputer? There's a Batcomputer?" Barry asked with widened eyes. "And isn't that a crime? A federal one?"
Superman and Bulma shared a sweatdrop. The Flash had a lot to learn about Batman. Stealing data from Argus satellites was on the low end of Bruce's audacious acts.
"So, how did you get here then? Do the Namekians possess some sort of teleportation device?" Batman leaned forward on the couch, anxious to hear Bulma's response. If the Namekians did possess teleportation technology, it would be a great asset for an invention he was working on.
"No, the Namekian Dragonballs teleported us to Earth before Namek exploded."
"Namek exploded?!" Superman was stunned. Celestial bodies just didn't suddenly combust.
"Frieza destroyed Namek," Gohan said despondently as he finally stopped chewing. "He knew my dad was stronger than him, so he rigged the fight and attacked Namek's core with a Ki blast."
"Hold on, let me make sure I'm hearing you correctly. There are aliens in space that are powerful enough to destroy planets with a single attack?" Barry's lips trembled as he posed the question. His mind couldn't even fathom anyone being that powerful. Local villains like Captain Cold had been his biggest concern just a few months ago. This conversation felt way out of his depth.
"We fought Starro together, and he conquered numerous planets. What Gohan said shouldn't sound so outlandish to you," J'onn stated calmly. The Martian was the elder statesman in the room. He was hundreds of years old, and at his age, little took him by surprise.
"That's true," Barry admitted, his words trailing, "But Starro never showcased the level of power that Gohan is talking about."
"Umm, who's Starro?" The Demi-Saiyan asked with confused blinking eyes.
"A fairly large-scale alien invasion happened while we were gone," Bulma said rather nonchalantly as she leaned over and whispered into the boy's ear. While her Godson had been unconscious following his fight with Vegeta, Bulma had taken the time to read up on all the Earth's most recent events.
"An alien invasion?" Gohan repeated, still attempting to process the revelation. "How strong was Starro? How did you defeat him? Did he have any cool powers? Did he…."
Bulma reached over and clamped her hand over her Godson's mouth. He had a tendency to become hyperactive at the mention of a powerful warrior. He was definitely his father's son.
"Slow down," Bulma said as she slowly retracted her hand. "Ask your questions one at a time."
Clark couldn't help but chuckle at Gohan's behavior. Given his extraordinary strength, it was easy to forget just how young Gohan was. But moments like this served as a reminder that he was still only a child.
"If you want, I can just show the both of you," J'onn said with a warm smile. "I'm a telepath, and if you grant me access to your minds, I'll show you all the events that occurred regarding Starro."
Gohan scratched his head in thought before finally agreeing. Bulma didn't contemplate her decision and nodded yes in a heartbeat. She'd read about the Martian Manhunter's powers online and was curious to experience them firsthand.
"You may feel slightly disoriented after this," J'onn cautioned as he began sharing his memories with Gohan and Bulma. Visions of the invasion and the Justice League's fight with Starro flooded their minds. There were dozens of memories, but J'onn did his best to filter through the most relevant ones. After a minute had passed, J'onn finally released his grip on their minds.
Bulma and Gohan slunk back into their chairs, the sensation of a brain freeze hitting them.
"I feel funny," Gohan groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The Demi-Saiyan had experienced telepathy before, but not on this scale.
"I'll definitely take your words more seriously now," Bulma quipped as she rubbed her temples. "That was a lot of information to take in."
"It gets easier with time, trust me," Clark said reassuringly. His first experience with J'onn's telepathy had been a bumpy ride too.
"On Mars, we shared everything telepathically. I've only been on this planet for a few months now, and often times I'm forgetful of how fragile the human mind is in comparison to my own." The Martian capacity to process information was leagues above what any average human was capable of. Decades worth of memories could be telepathically shared between Martians in an instant, but a human's mind would've been fried if J'onn attempted that.
"You're from Mars?" Gohan's ears perked up. He'd assumed J'onn had some sort of relation to the Namekians, but his origin was far more interesting. "That makes sense; you don't have antennae, and you have five fingers."
J'onn's lips folded into a rare frown. He knew what Gohan was referring to. "So many people on this planet assume I am Namekian. I'm sure the Namekian people are lovely, but I am a Martian."
Superman could sense J'onn's irritation. Piccolo's past actions had framed
Namekians negatively; nearly everywhere the Martian Manhunter went, he was met with apprehension and fear. "What happened after you arrived on Earth? Why didn't you contact us?" Clark asked, trying to steer the conversation away from J'onn.
"There was just so much going on. I was going to contact you guys eventually; I swear," Bulma contested, but Bruce looked doubtful. "After we arrived on Earth, Gohan fought Vegeta and got injured, and then I had to figure out the housing situation for the Namekians that were transported to Earth. On top of that I….."
"Are you telling me this kid fought Vegeta?" The Flash interrupted, unable to contain his shock. Just when he thought this conversation couldn't get any more unbelievable, Bulma managed to top herself.
"He did, and he did a damn good job too," Bulma said, pride shining through her voice.
"Did you lose your mind, Bulma? Vegeta is a homicidal maniac. What were you thinking?" An outraged Bruce yelled as he stood up from the couch. "Gohan could've lost his life!"
"It wasn't by choice. No one who was there was in any position to stop the fight," Bulma countered. For all his might, even Piccolo had been unable to detain his pupil that day.
"I find that hard to believe."
"Of course you do; you weren't there," Bulma said snidely. She slid against her chair and rolled her eyes. Bruce could be so frustrating at times.
Gohan's eyes fluttered between his Godmother and his quasi-uncle. He hated seeing them argue.
"Mr. Manhunter," Gohan said, drawing the Martian's attention away from the quarrel.
"You can call me J'onn."
"Okay, then, J'onn," It felt odd to call an adult by his first name, but Gohan followed the man's request. "Can you use your powers to show Uncle Bruce the memories from my mind?"
"That's an excellent idea; why didn't I think of that?" Bulma said as she momentarily ceased her bickering with Batman. "Gohan's memories will explain things better than my words can."
Bruce was keen on the idea as well. "I want to see everything, not just the fight with Vegeta, but everything that happened on Namek."
"Is that okay with you, Gohan?" J'onn asked politely. He understood Batman's desire for knowledge, but it wasn't the dark knight's right to grant him permission. Gohan needed to be on board with the addendum first and foremost.
"Yeah, I'm fine with it," The Demi-Saiyan said with a shrug. It wasn't a big deal to him.
"Thank you," J'onn nodded and locked eyes with the boy. "To commence this process, you will need to conjure the images you want to display to us in your mind. I will then broadcast it to everyone."
It sounded simple enough. Gohan closed his eyes and began recounting his adventures on Namek. Meeting the Namekians, the fights with Frieza's various henchmen, his father's arrival on Namek, encountering Frieza for the first time; there were so many memories that swirled in his mind. It was somewhat difficult to align the memories perfectly, but eventually, Gohan's eyes jolted back open. "I'm ready when you are."
January 2nd
Age 763 (2013), Takron-Galtos
"These power levels are pathetic," Turles snarled in disgust as he read his scouter. The word pathetic might have even been an overstatement. The Citadelian guards surrounding him and Koriand'r possessed power levels that made a low-class Saiyan look like King Vegeta. "You should all be embarrassed! How did these fools even manage to conquer your people?"
Koriand'r was too shaken to answer the question. The Tamaranean princess stood frozen in place, but not because of fear but uncertainty. Everything had happened in what felt like the span of a nanosecond. Murdering one of her captors had been sweet overdue vengeance. She'd expected swift, brutal punishment in response, but now some mysterious entity was beside her, claiming to be her savior.
Where had he been when she'd needed him most?
"Can you speak, or are you dumb?" Turles asked in his usual condescending tone. The girl glared at him angrily, her tattered, filthy clothes swaying as she spoke.
"You said you were here to rescue me; shouldn't you be well aware of my ability to speak?" Her tone was almost as patronizing as his, causing the Saiyan to scowl.
"I accepted this mission with minimal information about you," Darkseid hadn't given Turles much to work with besides Koriand'r's name, and even that had been a courtesy from the Apokoliptian god. "You're lucky I was able to find you. But if you want, I can let these barbarian's slaughter you like they intended to do."
The snarky comment forming in her mind died once Koriand'r remembered the severity of her present situation. She was in no position to complain. "Who sent you to find me?"
For once, Turles wasn't quick to speak; he cast her a hesitant glance before finally responding. "A god," was all he was willing to say. It was the truth, but it was also a highly misleading statement.
"A god?" Koriand'r mumbled to herself. The only god she believed in was X'Hal, the goddess of her people. "You're one of her follow….." Her sentence trailed off indefinitely, never punctuating as a photon beam flew past her face, narrowly missing her and obliterating a nearby wall.
Turles cursed under his breath and conjured a Ki ball in his palm. The orange ball sizzled threateningly as the Saiyan released it from his grip. The guard who had shot at Koriand'r was vaporized instantly. His charred remains were the only proof of his existence.
The remaining guards were taken aback. They gawked at the smoldering residue that was once their comrade and angrily clutched their weapons before firing indiscriminately. Koriand'r's arms flung up in an attempt to shield her face. If she died, at least her people would be able to have an open-casket funeral. But her action was proven unnecessary as Turles created a wall of Ki that protected their bodies.
"You can use Ki?"
"Of course, I can," The Saiyan retorted smugly. Ki was a rarely seen ability in the Vega system; he understood Koriand'r's awe, but that wouldn't stop him from gloating.
"Well then, what are you waiting for; get us out of here!" Koriand'r shouted as she viewed photon beam after photon beam slam into Turles' barrier. The aegis of Ki withstood the attacks, but the Tamaranean doubted its long-term stability.
"When I'm ready," Turles said with a dismissive wave. He had to recompense the guards for their stupidity first. "Can't you see that this tactic isn't working?" The Saiyan shouted in annoyance. The soldiers glanced at one another and finally stopped firing.
"You finally came to your senses; that wasn't so hard," Turles said mockingly. One of the Citadelian soldiers, who Turles assumed was their leader, stepped forward and approached the Ki wall.
"I know who you are, Turles."
"Oh, do you?"
"You're one of the most famous bounty hunters in the Vega system," The brutish soldier said, his voice as deep as well.
"I'm glad to know my reputation proceeds me," Turles smirked. He wasn't suited in his usual armor, so it had probably taken the Citadelians a moment to recognize him, but the Saiyan's hair was always a distinct identifier.
"If you give us the girl and leave now, we'll grant you your life."
"You'll grant me my life?" Turles laughter couldn't be contained as the bounty hunter clutched his sides before wiping away fake tears. "Just for that comment, I'll make sure you die last. Are you ready, girl?" The Saiyan's question caught Koriand'r off guard.
"Ready for what?" The Tamaranean princess asked in genuine confusion.
"I'm going to release my Ki and drop the protective barrier," The princess's pupilless green eyes expanded, but before she could raise her concern, Turles cut her off. "If you want to live, you'd better fight for your life."
Koriand'r shot the Saiyan a glare as cold as the depths of space. Some savior he was. "At the very least, you could destroy my shackles."
Turles' index finger outstretched and ejected a thin beam of Ki, shaving the metallic shackles in half."Are you happy now, princess?"
Koriand'r ignored the Saiyan's sneering and grabbed her knee-length hair, hurridly twisting it into a knot. It was haphazardly done, but it would hold for the time being. "I'm ready."
Turles watched as the Tamaranean princess settled into a fighting stance. It was an offensive one that shifted most of her weight onto her heels. It was unorthodox, and it was clear that the girl had little to no training, but the Saiyan couldn't deny her sprinkles of potential. Darkseid wanted you for a reason; let's see what the hype was about.
Koriand'r and the Citadelian soldiers were caught off guard as Turles punched their commander in the face, sending him flying to the other side of the room. The aegis of Ki had dissipated. Koriand'r leaped into action immediately. Her speed surprised even herself. Without the restraints on her legs constricting her, the Tamaranean sliced and diced through the Citadelian soldiers.
Koriand'r reveled in their anguish. Their race had inflicted so much misery and terror on her planet; they deserved far worse than what she was giving them. Starbolts pelted the guards left and right, tearing through abdomens, throats, and spines. The soldiers' canons were useless; Koriand'r was quicker to the draw. The mess hall had long since been evacuated, so the Tamaranean wasn't worried about harming innocents, though prisoners hardly counted as innocents.
From a distance, Turles watched her, mildly impressed. He was in the midst of multiple battles but still found the time to keep his eyes glued to the princess. Her rage was as palpable as any Saiyan's. It was marvelous to watch her heartlessly gut her opponents. Turles could've easily butchered his foes by simply bombarding them with Ki blasts, but hand-to-hand combat was much more satisfying.
The Citadelian soldiers usually overpowered their enemies with sheer muscle, but that was a lousy plan against Turles. The Saiyan was too nimble on his feet and weaved in and out of their would-be attacks. Some of their photon blasts managed to strike him, but his pitch-black armor simply absorbed their energy. Apokoliptian craftsmanship was extraordinary. When he had finally tired of their little game, Turles snapped the neck of the last Citadelian soldier who was foolish enough to challenge him.
Meters away, Koriand'r stood over the last breathing Citadelian soldier, the same soldier who had attempted to broker a deal with Turles. Koriand'r's hateful eyes were the last thing the creature saw before a Starbolt extinguished his life. The hole in his chest was massive, but the Tamaranean didn't stop there. She proceeded to punch the dead Citadelian in the face numerous times. Her knuckles were completely bloody by the time Turles finally grabbed her wrist and jerked it back.
"He's dead," The Saiyan said, stating the obvious.
"I don't care!" Koriand'r yelled in his face. "I will have my justice. If you or anyone else gets in my way, I'll….."
Turles had heard enough. The bounty hunter knocked her unconscious before her enranged rambling was complete.
"I can see why Darkseid wanted you. With your level of hatred and your powers, he'll mold you into the perfect weapon." The Saiyan scooped the girl into his arms and opened a boom tube. In the distance, he could hear dozens of footsteps racing toward him, and they were most likely more Citadelian soldiers. Turles took one final glance at his gory surroundings before stepping into the vortex.
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 48!
Q/A:
Breakawayfan: Turles is after Starfire, not Blackfire, is still asleep, so he has no opinion on Darkseid.
NirvanaFrk97: I can't spoil how strong Goku is. When he finally arrives on Earth in a few chapters, you'll see for yourself.
Ppsspp: That's not a pairing I ever expected to hear. I already have Gohan's pairing figured out, and it won't be a relative, lol.
darkmist111: I do have a name for Frieza's race. Super Shenron doesn't exist in this Universe. The Teen Titans are around the same age as Gohan right now. Chikyu is a part of the UN. What do you mean when you say, "what are its politics?" Yes, Superman will get a power boost. I've continuously stated throughout this story that his power is growing like it did in the New 52. Yamcha is the third strongest human Z-warrior right now. Other people besides Homo Magi can use magic; they just have a natural affinity for it.
derpmaster9000: I won't give you an exact answer, but yes, Gohan's pairing will be someone on the Teen Titans.
Fuckmegun: When that happens, you'll see it play out in the story.
Ayrton Senna: The other gods know that Gohan is Zeus's grandchild, but they're not aware of his full potential like Athena.
Guest: The bit about Vegeta and the spaceship was intended to be humorous, but that's a valid criticism. Gohan's fight with Vegeta is from the DBZ anime, and some of the dialogue I used is word for word what the characters said in those episodes. DBZ episodes 105-106 are where I drew inspiration from. Admittedly, I have been guilty of exposition dumps throughout the story, and I'm aware of that. Chapter 4 was one colossal exposition dump, but I disagree with you about Piccolo and Athena's conversation.
DRAGONDAVE45: Goku is still alive; he's just in space.
Okhwang: I haven't kept up with any recent comics, so the most recent story arcs likely won't appear in this story.
Wolf master97: Yes, the Namek and Frieza arcs happened off-screen. They were basically the same as in canon, so I didn't see the need to write about it. However, there was one significant change; Frieza received a yellow lantern ring at the end of Chapter 44 following his defeat on Namek.
sun-wukong: If only.
Guest: Aside from Donna and Hippolyta, none of the Amazons know that Diana is married. She hasn't even had the chance to bring it up yet.
Noideas38: You'll see how strong Diana is during the Android saga.
scl04: I feel like J'onn's telepathic abilities are rarely done justice in DC/DBZ crossovers. J'onn is one of the most powerful telepaths in DC, and I'm going to portray him as such in this crossover Universe. DBZ characters don't really have many feats against telepathy, aside from Babidi, and that's probably their biggest weakness. The Starfire from the Teen Titans animated show and the Starfire from the comics are almost polar opposites. Starfire is a lot more warriorlike in the comics, especially at the onset of the New 52. I copied Starfire's New 52 origin in this story and tweaked it a little bit. Many of the things I wrote in these past two chapters regarding her took place in the 2014 secret origins comic. Gohan and his mother will have to do some reconciliation, but it probably won't be like what many other reviewers want. Gohan is only four, after all, lol. When the Son family gets back together, you'll get some family bonding experiences.
