Thoughts
Computer Speech
"Speech"
Disclaimer: DC and the Dragonball Franchise belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.
Chapter 54: Dominoes III
January 10th
Age 763 (2013), Houston, Texas
"The objective for this mission is simple, locate the target and bring him back to Belle Reve," Amanda Waller's brooding voice chirped into Vegeta's earpiece. The prince scowled and balled his gloved hands into fists before reluctantly responding.
"Oh, is that all, your highness?" The prince replied in a mocking tone.
"Once you've completed the objective, you will rendezvous at our predetermined location, is that understood?" Amanda yelled through the earpiece at a pitch so high it caused Vegeta to visibly wince.
"Yes, you blasted woman, I hear you loud and clear," Vegeta growled and stomped his feet into the gravel, stopping his march. If there was one thing Amanda Waller knew how to do, it was how to get on his nerves. It was bad enough that he was already drenched from the rain that was drizzling ceaselessly. Amanda's irritable personality wasn't making things any better.
"Next time, can you get us some umbrellas? I'm getting soaked out here! Belle Reeve doesn't offer any health plans, and if I get sick, whose gonna take care of me?" Harley Quinn moaned into her earpiece. Her entire body was bathed in the rain, but oddly enough, none of the makeup on her face was washing away. The thick pink and blue eyeliner didn't smear at all and helped accentuate just how big her pupils were every time Vegeta looked at her.
"Shut up, Harley," Were Amanda's parting words of wisdom before she cut off her communication.
"I think she likes me," Harley whispered to Killer Croc, who was standing beside her.
"She likes us so much she put a bomb in our heads," The reptile said sardonically. He was dressed in nothing but a pair of absurdly large blue jeans. It was a miracle that they even made clothes for creatures his size.
"And Amanda won't hesitate to detonate those bombs," Deadshot replied, overhearing the conversation. "We all saw what she did to that prisoner in the cafeteria."
The incident Deadshot was referring to was the man who Amanda had killed for demonstration. The man's head had abruptly blown up, sending his brains and blood splattering everywhere across the mess hall. Vegeta still didn't know who that prisoner had been, but the man's death had quickly gotten everyone in line. Amanda had received everyone's full attention after that.
"Whatever," Livewire said with a dismissive hand wave. "She might be able to kill you guys, but I'm not concerned at all." She tossed her head back and stared at the night sky, watching the cool raindrops shower the ground.
"If that's the case, then why are you here?" Deadshot asked. His face wasn't visible, but underneath his ivory mask, the assassin raised an eyebrow.
"That's between me and Waller." Livewire her attention towards Deadshot and poked him in his chest, trailing her finger across his black and red armor before walking off.
"Can you all just shut the hell up?" Vegeta snarled as he turned around. These insipid Earthlings were worse than the Ginyu Force when it came to babbling about nothing. "None of you have anything of value to say or offer to this mission."
"That's rich coming from you, mister-angry-pants. All you've done since we landed in Houston is sulk and frown. I know it must suck to be a manlet, but you don't have to take that out on us." Livewire said snarkily. Her words were soft by her standards, but they got under the prince's skin. He started stalking towards her but was cut off by Deadshot, who jumped in the way.
"I know Livewire can be very disparaging at times," The assassin glanced over to her, and she smirked; they both knew his words were the understatement of the year. "But let's not be brash here. We need all hands on deck if we're going to succeed tonight."
"I don't need any of you," Vegeta scoffed and pushed Deadshot aside. He sauntered slowly towards Livewire, who had electricity dancing between her fingertips when they met face to face. "Keep your mouth shut before I close it for you…..permanently," The Saiyan threatened. The tension in the air was thick, and neither side looked ready to back down until Harley's cackling laughter drew their collective ire.
"What are you laughing at?" Vegeta's head turned slightly as he shot Harley a glare. Her laughter was hysterical, and tears were beginning to form out of the corners of her blue eyes.
"This is the start of a great friendship," Harley grinned from ear to ear, showing her dazzlingly white array of teeth. "Murderous intent makes the heart grow fonder."
For once, the prince didn't have anything to say. He would've called her a clown, but considering who she was, that would've been taken as a compliment. Instead, the prince simply snorted and walked away, turning his attention towards an abandoned warehouse on the horizon. It overlooked the decaying parking lot he was standing in and was three stories high and riddled with graffiti. The dust and soot on its walls were visible even from this distance, and the pouring rain was contributing to the building's oxidation.
There was a checkerboard of broken glass windows that granted a view inside the pitch-black warehouse. No one appeared to be home. There were no moving shadows behind the buildings rust lined walls, or any signs of life for that matter. But Vegeta could sense the faintest Ki presence inside the warehouse. It was small, weak, and pathetic, but it pulsated with life. He would bet his worth as a Saiyan that the person inside the building was the target for this mission.
"I think it's time for us to get the ball rolling," Deadshot said from behind Vegeta. They had walked almost an hour from their dropoff location, and their objective was now in view.
The assassin picked up a gun from his utility belt and cocked it. The firearm was a pistol and a tiny one at that. Vegeta sneered at its size.
"That pathetic weapon will be of no use," Vegeta folded his arms together, unimpressed. "Matter of fact, none of you will be of any use."
"God, just when I think you can't be any more condescending, you go and open that big mouth of yours again. For such a small person, you sure do have a lot of big opinions," Livewire rolled her eyes at the Saiyan. With the exception of Vegeta, all of her teammates had been somewhat amicable thus far.
"What Nappa did in Manhattan will look like child's play after I get through with you," Vegeta planted a foot in a puddle and began stomping towards Livewire once more. Deadshot tried to be the ambassador for peace but was restrained by Killer Croc, who wanted to see this rumble in all its glory, and beside him, Harley was cheering enthusatically, egging the two of them on.
"Go Vegeta; he's our man; he can do it, yes he can!" Harley pumped her fists with imaginary pompoms, which earned her a scowl from Livewire, but she quickly remedied the situation by coming up with a chant for the electric villainess. "Livewire, she's louder than a choir, and she'll set this place on….fire?" The former psychiatrist paused, cocking her head to the side as she pondered her choice of words.
"Nah, that doesn't make much sense," Harley shook her head. "I don't think Livewire has any pyrokinetic powers." The former blogger would've responded to her, but she was occupied with trying to electrocute Vegeta.
Livewire fired a bolt of electricity from her fingertips, which Vegeta easily sidestepped. It zoomed past the Saiyan's face and exploded against a nearby light pole. Fireworks of electrical sparks crackled, briefly illuminating the dark parking lot, as the light pole was blown to bits, tumbling to the ground with a thunderous thud.
"You dumbasses!" Deadshot shouted from within Killer Croc's bearhug. They were supposed to maintain the element of surprise, but now that was out the window.
Vegeta summoned a purple Ki beam to his palm and prepared to unleash the hellacious attack, but halted as he heard a loud bang. His Ki fizzled, and the prince turned his head in the direction of the noise. To his left, Vegeta saw a hulking figure ram through one of the warehouse walls. It moved with mindboggling speed, and before any of his teammates could react, the man jumped onto the parking lot, causing a spiderweb of cracks to form beneath his gigantic feet. Harley, Livewire, Deadshot, and Killer Croc were thrown off balance as the behemoth of a man strolled towards them.
"Who are you?" Vegeta asked once the man came within earshot. The man moved robotically, and the prince couldn't detect any Ki signature from him.
"My name….is Amazo," Were the last words Vegeta heard before the mysterious man attacked.
January 7th
Age 763 (2013), Themsycira
"Nubia, you have to fight it," Diana pleaded as she ducked under the jab of a sword. Thus far, her cries had fallen on deaf ears. Her sword-sister was too far gone to hear her calls for peace. Diana's eyes peeked past her opponent, and a few meters ahead, she viewed her distraught sister frozen in place, unsure of what role to play in her battle. She had obeyed Diana's order not to interfere, but she was anxiously shifting her weight from her soles to her toes, ready to jump into the fray if need be.
Donna looked relatively unharmed; there were no bruises or blemishes on her tan, olive skin, but her outfit had gone through hell. There were splotches of sickly red blood on her brown leather bodice. The leather belt fastened around her waist had been sliced to the point its strings were showing, and gravity would soon plunge it to the ground. Strips of her pteruges had been chopped off, exposing parts of her sweaty thighs. Her knee-high metal boots were heavily dented, and Diana pondered what could have done that to such fine Themysciran craftsmanship.
The thought floated around Wonder Woman's mind but was never vocalized; her opponent snapped her back to reality. The pace of Nubia's frantic thrusts was increasing as the duo danced across the courtyard. Nubia's swings were as wild and disheveled as her hair. Her usually beautiful, buoyant curls were a frizzy chaotic mess that matched the present state of her being. It was clear she had eaten an apple of discord recently and most likely not by choice.
The effects of the apples of discord waned slightly after the first bite, which explained why some Amazons, more so than others, were still capable of critical thinking. Diana had seen it first hand on multiple occasions how some enemy Amazons attacked like wild beasts with nothing but malice in their hearts. But other Amazons were smarter, wiser, and moved with tact, even with the apples influencing their emotional state. Regardless of the scenario, the apples of discord took effect once they were consumed, but to varying degrees depending on how recently they had been devoured. Based on Nubia's lack of fluid attacks, Diana estimated the Resistance commander had digested an apple within the last hour.
Wonder Woman rolled to her right and narrowly avoided being beheaded by the strong side of Nubia's razor-sharp sword. Diana's mind was fractured and disjointed, not totally focused on the task at hand, still questioning how Nubia had fallen victim to Alkyone. The Resistance's strategy had been based on the allocation of their soldiers. Diana and Donna's squadrons were supposed to to distract Alkyone's forces at Paradise city's primary gates, allowing Nubia and the central prong to sneak into the city with the least amount of obstacles in their way. Clearly, the plan had been a success, but somewhere down the line, something had gone terribly awry.
Nubia had been captured, but how? That was the most perplexing question. Ferocious swings kept Wonder Woman on her heels. Nubia's movements were unpredictable and followed no rhyme or reason. Defense played no role in her assault, and it was almost as if the ebony Amazon was daring Diana to take the bait, but it was just too obvious.
Time and time again, Nubia presented Wonder Woman with the perfect opportunity to land a fatal blow, but Diana refused. At this very moment, Nubia's neck was wide open for a slash, but Diana, ax in hand, hesitated, and it was nearly her undoing. Nubia swung her sword, mimicking a baseball bat, and aimed for Diana's torso. Wonder Woman swerved out of the way and thrust a fist into Nubia's gut. Under normal circumstances, Diana's knuckles would have crunched her enemy's ribs, but Nubia's golden armor took the brunt of the blow.
The Resistance commander stumbled back a few steps but managed to remain upright. Diana grit her teeth; she had nearly forgotten about Io's gift. Themyscira's chief blacksmith had handcrafted that armor for Nubia. It was solid gold and reflected brightly underneath the sun's sizzling rays. The armor covered Nubia's breast and everything below it, but nothing from the neck up.
The rest of Nubia's outfit featured a long free-flowing pteruges, and a thick pair of caligae covered her feet. Nubia's toes were muddy and covered in dust. It was easy for Diana to trace her movements every time the ebony Amazon attacked. Diana's double-sided ax blocked or parried Nubia's sword effortlessly. Steel clanged against steel loudly, echoing against the grey marble tiles of the courtyard and rattling Donna's teeth.
The ivory statues that littered the enclosure seemed to watch the battle with keen interest. There were statues of Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hera. The courtyard and the palace had experienced a complete overhaul since Wonder Woman's last battle here. Old sculptures that had once deified Hippolyta, Philippus, and other legendary Amazons had been replaced. Alkyone and Derinoe's spite was partially to blame for that, but Diana and Donna had shattered almost all of the previous sculptures during their initial fight. Diana's current, ongoing battle with Nubia was less destructive to the terrain but weighed heavily on her mind.
On the opposite end of the courtyard, Donna could sense her sister's dismay. This battle should've been over long ago, but Diana kept stalling as if prolonging the fight would bring Nubia back to reality. The harsh truth was that it was too late for Nubia now, and none of her sister's dithering would change that. Alkyone had been strategic to choose Nubia for this role, and thus far, the usurper's plan was working perfectly. But Donna held no qualms about ending this skirmish, and if her sister was too skittish to do the job, she would gladly rise to the occasion.
Donna's knee bent forward, and in a flash, she was gone; the air trembled behind her as Hippolyta's clone raced towards her sister. Nubia and Diana were too preoccupied with one another to see her coming. Her long arms extended and both limbs connected with Nubia's unprotected face. It was like a bug smashing against a windshield. The ebony Amazon was propelled through porcelain walls, crashing through several pillars in the palace's interior before rubble and debris consumed her.
"I had the situation under…." Diana began sharply but was cut off by Donna, who shook her head disapprovingly.
"We don't have time for this. Nubia will be fine at some point. I didn't hit her hard enough to kill her," Donna had shown restraint, far more restraint than Nubia would've shown her.
Diana glanced at the collapsed wall, and underneath the heaps of wreckage, she couldn't see Nubia's body stirring, but she would trust her sister's words. "You're right, sister; there's still much work to be done. Alkyone must pay for the chaos she has wrought!" Wonder Woman clenched her fist angrily. She had been paces away from the throne room when Nubia had attacked her. That was all the proof she needed that Alkyone was still here.
"The chaos that I've wrought?" A contemptuous voice called out from a distance. The voice was scornful and dripping with the venom of a viper. A chorus of slow bitter laughter ensued as a quartet of women descended from a staircase that led to the royal bed chambers. At the forefront of the group was a woman whose barren, gleaming head revealed her identity.
"Alkyone!" Diana screamed, her knuckles white from the tight clenching of her fists. It was the first time she had laid eyes on her mother's usurper in nearly two years, and not much had changed about her. Hate still emanated from the former captain of the royal guard, and her emerald eyes were as dead as the pulses of Diana's fallen sisters.
Alkyone's strut was slow, proud, and arrogant. She walked as if she was a high-born dignitary, but she had no rightful claim to the throne. Myrto, Charis, and Philomela followed behind her closely. Her lapdogs had their weapons drawn, and their faces were as smug as their false-queen, the look in their eyes daring Donna and Diana to attack and taste their blades. Donna had to restrain her sister from lashing out and falling into an obvious trap. Alkyone was no fool; she knew better than to face an overwhelming enemy without at least one trick up her sleeve.
"I would say I'm surprised, but I'm not," Alkyone scowled as her feet finally stopped moving. She stood four paces away from Diana and Donna, with Myrto and Charis guarding her left and right while Philomela watched her rear. "Even Doom's Doorway couldn't contain an evil such as you. More and more, you prove to be the great dragon I warned your mother about."
"You dare open your mouth and speak about her?!" Diana was incensed. The women in front of her had not only forsaken their sworn duty, but they had staged a rebellion as well. "Where is my mother? If you have done anything to harm her in any way, I will…."
"Your mother is fine," Alkyone cut the princess off. "No one in Themyscira loves your mother more than me, more than us," Her hands outstretched, pointing to the Amazons beside her, who were all similarly dressed. Their fluttering red capes dangled to the floor. Steel breastplates covered their torsos, and umber ptergus's reminiscent of autumn drooped past their heavily scarred knees. All four Amazons wore tightly laced buskins, and Diana couldn't help but notice that Alkyone's pair was the same exact size as her mother's.
"You loved Hippolyta so much that you overthrew her and waged a war that spelled the doom of Themyscira," Donna said. She had been quiet for too long, and her feelings were bubbling to the surface.
"Don't you dare speak to me, you abomination," Alkyone's lips curled in disgust. Diana and Donna, who was more revolting? She didn't know, but they would both soon be dead.
"Your actions, along with Derinoe's, gave birth to me. I was partially crafted by your hand. If I am an abomination, what does that make you?"
All of Alkyone's wit failed her at that moment. It was a valid point, but her lips would never concede that. "Creating you was a necessary evil to defeat Diana. You were nothing but a tool, and once your usefulness ran out, I disposed of you. But never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this. The gods have granted me an opportunity to erase my two greatest wrongs." Alkyone clasped her hands together and pointed them at the sky gratefully.
"The gods aren't on your side; how do you think we escaped Doom's Doorway?" A smirk tugged at Diana's lips but became a full-blown grin as she viewed Alkyone's shock at her words.
"The gods are on your side? No, that can't be!" Alkyone frustratedly ran her hands through her scalp, clawing at the nonexistent strands of her hair. Her quest was just; Hera had validated that! The queen of the gods had spared the rest of the Amazons because of her actions. Hippolyta had condemned all the Amazons to death, but she had saved them. Diana's words were nothing but a lie.
"What she says matters little; where are her so-called gods now as her sword-sisters die on the battlefield? It is a lie, Alkyone! The only gods on her side are the cursed souls of the Titans in Tartus," Myrto's blonde locks swiveled as she shouted into her queen's ear. She squeezed Alkyone's shoulder reassuringly, and her head nod was enough to silence all doubt.
"You're right," Alkyone breathed deeply and calmed herself. "The gods are on our side, and nothing you say or do can refute that."
Diana felt the urge to pull out the key Hermes had given to her but suppressed it. Some things were better left unsaid, no matter how much joy Alkyone's confusion would have brought her.
"Sister, I'm ready to make the sacrifice," Charis said as she suddenly stepped in front of Alkyone. The copper-skinned woman towered over her queen and was a slab of muscle. She kneeled down and rested her brow against the palm of Alkyone's hand. "What we do now shall save Themyscira."
Diana and Donna watched curiously as Alkyone drew her sword from her scabbard. The false-queen lifted Charis's chin and gave an apologetic look before saying, "may the gods embrace you in the Elysian Fields." Alkyone plunged her sword straight through Charis's neck, and Donna and Diana watched, horrified as Charis gargled on her own blood before slumping to the ground.
"What have you done?" Diana screeched. A pool of blood had formed underneath Charis's now lifeless body. "How could you do that to your own comrade?"
Donna's reaction was more composed. She frowned but besides that, her face betrayed no emotion. Alkyone had disposed of her once her usefulness had run out. Charis's death was in line with Alkyone's previous pattern of behavior, but the question now was, why?
Alkyone leaned down and picked up her sword that was still stuck in Charis's neck. It was soaked down to its ricasso. She threw it aside in disgust and sobbed loudly into her hands, mortified by the loss of her sister. Her cries grew so loud and raucous that she had to be comforted by Philomela and Myrto. It was an odd sight for Donna and Diana to view, and it only increased the confusion that the two sisters felt.
"We should strike now while she's vulnerable," Donna whispered to her sister. This was the perfect opportunity. Alkyone's guard was down, and her two soldiers had lowered their weapons.
"Something isn't right," Diana shook her head. The scene playing out in front of her made no sense. If something looked too good to be true, it usually was.
"Cottus, I've done as you commanded! I summon you to do as you vowed!" Alkyone thrust her fist into the air and shouted as loudly as her lungs would allow.
"She's gone mad," Donna said, slightly in jest, but nothing was humorous about the situation. If Alkyone had indeed gone mad, there was no telling of the depths she would sink to secure victory.
"The blood you asked for has been spilled; now arise Cottus, Arise!"
"Cottus?" Diana's eyes narrowed. That name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place her finger on where she'd heard it. She turned to ask her sister if she had any knowledge of that name, but sudden rumbling from underneath the ground sent her tumbling before she could.
"What in Zeus's name is going on?" Donna asked no one in particular, and the question was never answered. All around her, the Earth was shaking violently. Alkyone and her followers had already fallen on their posteriors, and Donna and Diana were using each other as crutches to remain standing upright. All around them, the statues of the silent observing gods began to shatter as they fell to the floor. Cracks zigzagged across the tile floor, spreading wider and wider as something began to creep out of the slit in the ground.
Hands as black as obsidian shot out of the ground, and it looked as if the souls of Tartarus were climbing out of their prison. There were more hands than the night sky had stars, and no one hand was alike. Some were crooked, misshapen, and terribly disfigured, while others had muscles that bulged like a pumpkin in the sun. The creature slowly lifted itself out of the ground, and its height dwarfed the size of the royal palace. The monster cast a daunting shadow over Donna and Diana as it glared at them with its massive crimson eyes.
The creature inched closer and closer towards the sisters, its numerous hands moving in unison as it slithered towards them. There was a gigantic hole at the center of what could be called the monster's torso, and it was the same color as its hateful eyes. Donna peered at the gaping hole, but there was nothing inside except a luminescent light. The monster exchanged no words as it stalked closer and closer, but Alkyone spoke proudly in its place.
"This is Cottus, one of the three Hekatoncheires, a hundred-handed primordial son of Gaea, and he is your doom!"
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 53!
Q/A:
OmniIBIBUltraInstinctGodzilla: The Kami situation will be addressed soon.
JC Denton-TheAugmentedGod: Waller would have to retrieve Frieza first, and we both know that's not going to happen, lol. As for how Vegeta will get out of this situation, you'll have to read and find out.
scl04: Kaio-ken will be relevant in the future. Cassandra is Tien's daughter in this story. Will she have three eyes? I'm not sure. But she will play a significant role in an upcoming arc, so you'll see her very soon. The Dragonballs are restored, but they're dormant right now and can't be used for a couple of months. Amanda Waller's plan for them will be explained soon.
William14: Diana's arc will be over in the next two chapters.
darkmist111: Divine Ki and regular Ki are related, but the rest of those energies are separate.
RyuuKage5400: Diana briefly talked about her family with Donna when they were trapped in Doom's Doorway, but most of her conversations about Gohan happened off-screen. Admittedly, I could have done a better job at that, and I should've spent more time on that. Gohan will reunite with his mother around the same time when Frieza arrives on Earth. And I have no problem with your suggestion; other reviewers have said the same thing.
Necros The Saiyan knight: Honestly, I haven't been keeping up with the DBS manga, so I'm unfamiliar with those characters you mentioned.
Thunder Dragon: 1. Goku and Diana will have a daughter. 2. Goku, Diana, and the rest of the family will one day visit Themyscira. 3. No.
Guest: If it feels that way, you can skip it then. I skipped over a lot of things in previous chapters that I should've built up in hindsight, and I'm not going to do that anymore.
Bibobp: There are other groups of Amazons like the Amazons of the Amazon, but I'm not sure if they'll appear in this story.
DRAGONDAVE45: Hermes will show up very soon, and some sparks did fly between Vegeta and Livewire (pun intended) in this chapter.
Guest: No. I'm keeping the pace of my updates the same.
oscuro Oscuro: Incluso si se descubre el escuadrón suicida, Estados Unidos puede escapar de la culpa porque el escuadrón suicida está formado por delincuentes y no está sancionado oficialmente y Amanda Waller puede matarlos antes de que revelen información. Los guardianes de Oa están felices de que Frieza haya sido derrotado, pero también están preocupados por la idea de un Super Saiyan.
