Thoughts
Computer Speech/Robotic Speech
"Speech"
Disclaimer: DC and the Dragonball Franchise belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.
Chapter 71: Steam V
January 18th
Age 764 (2014), Chikyu, Mount Paozu
"C'mon Gohan, I know you can do better than that," Wonder Woman teased as her son's fist whizzed by her face, narrowly missing. He grunted in response and launched another attack at his mother, which she blocked with ease. She slapped his right arm, flinging it back at him, and kneed the Demi-Saiyan in the face. His nose felt the impact first as the rest of the pain trickled throughout his now throbbing face.
A hammer fist to the neck sent Gohan spiraling out of the sky, twirling as he fell until a patch of grass stopped his descent. He landed head first and rolled for a few feet until his momentum finally stopped. Up above, Diana watched, concerned that she was pushing her son too hard but quickly dashed her thoughts aside as Gohan sprang to his feet. The boy stood up, dusted his clothes, and took a brief moment to inspect himself. His Gi, which was identical to his father's, was stained and scratched, but aside from that, he was relatively unharmed.
Relieved, Wonder Woman commenced her assault once again. She sped towards the ground, zooming at a speed Gohan barely tracked. One moment his mother was in the air, and the next, she was in front of him, battering him with vicious punches and kicks. It was like she had teleported. The gap between their speed was unfathomable, and no matter how many times Gohan witnessed it, his amazement persisted. Some day, his body would acclimate to her abilities, but today wasn't that day.
Wonder Woman's attacks rained down with fury. The ground beneath her feet splintered with every blow, and the wind whistled at her might. Familial bonds meant nothing to her during battle. Gohan's kind, sweet, loving mother had been replaced by a woman he barely recognized. It didn't help that her traditional outfit had been exchanged for a Kamesennin Gi, either. She donned it every time they sparred, and like every other instance, Gohan was on the cusp of defeat.
His hands ached as he struggled to keep his guard up during his mother's onslaught. She was relentless, and each strike was so precise she barely exerted herself. Only a drastic course of action would change his fate now. He took one final hit and decided he'd had enough. Gohan screamed, and his Ki roared to life. A white aura sizzled around him, knocking his mother back.
Ki was the only advantage Gohan had over his mother, and he thanked the gods, Olympians, and Kai's, that she'd never learned how to wield it. He used his mother's momentary disorientation to strike back and go on the offensive. He fired several small Ki blasts that exploded upon contact with Diana's skin. They were a minor annoyance at best, but Gohan took the opportunity to flee as the smoke cleared, leaving a bewildered Woman Woman alone on a plain.
The Demi-Saiyan vanished without a trace, and Diana's eyes narrowed as she focused her senses to locate him. She couldn't detect Ki signatures, but she could do the next best thing. Her imprisonment in Doom's Doorway had advanced her tracking skills twofold. Gohan wasn't a runner, nor was he the type to attack and flee, even when that was the wisest course of action. He was like his father in that regard, which meant the Demi-Saiyan would most likely be….
There! Diana's eyes enlarged, and she pinpointed her son high in the sky. His tiny hands were cupped together in an infamous stance that she knew all too well. He'd been gathering his Ki, preparing for this exact moment. He unleashed it with a scream that sent birds fleeing from nearby trees. An azure light erupted from Gohan's palms, surging downward as he continued yelling. Diana crossed her arms over her face out of instinct but quickly remembered that she'd removed her gauntlets before their training session had started.
She cursed under her breath and raced to meet the blast. She took it head-on, meeting it halfway in the air. A thunderous boom followed as Diana's knuckles collided with the energy beam. Gohan was forced to duck as his Kamehameha was thrown back at him, grazing his long straggly hair as it soared over his head. He was bug-eyed and unprepared when his mother abruptly phased in front of him, burying her fist in his stomach.
Spit and oxygen flew from his mouth. Luckily he hadn't eaten any food before their spar; otherwise, that meal would've been spilling out as well. Wonder Woman backhanded him once, twice, and thrice reddening his face. She took no pleasure in doing it, it was simply part of her experiment, but Gohan didn't produce the expected response. He took the beating silently, with his head hung low, almost as if he deserved it.
Wonder Woman was perplexed. She grabbed him by the throat and said, "That's all you have to give? No son of mine could possibly be this weak!" She punched him in the face, drawing blood from his nose. "Maybe I should've stayed in Doom's Doorway. That would've been less humiliating than watching you attempt to fight!" She threw another fist, but this time Gohan caught it.
His grip was crushing, and he shoved her arm back. She tried to maintain her hold around his neck, but her fingers suddenly started burning. Steam began rising from Gohan's body, and when the heat became too overwhelming, she was forced to retreat to a safe distance. Gohan growled, and a golden aura sputtered to life, ascending higher and higher until it equaled Diana's height. The Demi-Saiyan's hair stood up, and his pupils vanished along with any sense he had.
He roared at the top of his lungs, and the sky darkened. Clear blue skies faded to black, and aurulent bolts of lightning crackled overhead. The cool breeze that had once provided relief from the sun transformed into gale-force winds.
"Athena, have mercy!" Diana cried as the wind smacked against her. She'd wanted to push Gohan to this point, and she'd finally done it, but in hindsight, it might not have been the wisest decision. This was the power Piccolo had warned her about. Athena's actions were starting to make a lot more sense.
"Gohan, that's enough; calm down!" She shouted at her son, but her words never reached him. He was lost in a trance and continued gathering more and more Ki. There was only one way to stop him now.
Diana dashed toward Gohan and reached him in a heartbeat. He was still screaming and summoning more Ki when she arrived. His muscles were ballooning dangerously, and at the rate he was going, Gohan's body would likely implode. It was too much power for anyone, especially a child his age, to control. Wonder Woman placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to reason with him, but he snapped.
The Demi-Saiyan whipped his head around to face her, and his fist followed. Thunder clapped as Diana raised her forearm in the nick of time to block the attack. Gohan's knuckles stung more than any of his previous blows had. The boy frowned at his failure and fired a Ki blast at point-blank range that engulfed his mother. She would survive; even in an altered state of mind, Gohan knew that.
He didn't wait for the smoke to diminish; he launched multiple rounds of energy beams at it. The grey smoke expanded to a massive plume that was visible from miles away. Gohan's victory should've been assured, but Wonder Woman's Ki signature never dipped in the slightest; in fact, it seemingly increased. The Amazon materialized behind her son and greeted him with two quick jabs to his back. They stunned him and propelled him forward, pushing him toward the ground.
He eventually gathered himself, but by then, Wonder Woman had him wrapped in a headlock. He thrashed against her her grip, arms flailing wildly as his fingers clawed at her face. His nails were remarkably sharp, nearly drawing blood, and Diana made a mental note to clip them once their battle was resolved. Gohan's golden aura still blazed like a furnace, but with air rapidly escaping his lungs, it began to fade.
His muscle mass slowly decreased, returning to normal, and his beastly growling silenced. It broke Diana's heart to do this to her son, but her options were limited. Her Lasso of Truth was at home along with her eagle-crested uniform. The lasso would've restored her son's mental faculties without any sort of violence, but unfortunately, things had come to this. Diana gave one last mighty squeeze, and the job was done; Gohan was out cold.
Age 764 (2014), Chikyu, Mount Paozu, The Son Family Residence
By the time Gohan woke up, his mother was preparing lunch. His eyes jolted open, blinking in confusion as his hands explored his surroundings. He was on a couch, a rather large but familiar couch, with his body stretched out. A thick fuzzy green blanket was draped over him, and he was starting to sweat. He tossed it off and rose from the sofa, searching for his mother.
The aromatic, sweet scents of food from the kitchen quickly directed him to her location. When Gohan stepped inside the room, his mother was busy boiling water, slicing potatoes, and seasoning fish. She halted her work when she spotted the Demi-Saiyan at the kitchen entrance, groggily rubbing his eyes. She smiled, relieved at his well-being, and walked toward him, scooping down to embrace him in a hug.
"I didn't mean to push you so hard," Wonder Woman apologized and kissed his forehead. She cradled her son like he was a newborn babe again. Gohan appreciated the show of affection but was perplexed.
"What are you apologizing for?" He asked as he scratched his head. The last thing he remembered was sparring with her before everything went dark.
"You don't remember?" Diana broke their embrace and stared at Gohan, who was shaking his head. "I put you in a headlock after you…." Her words trailed as her son's confusion grew. His eyes were wide open, and a deer-in-the-headlights look was plastered on his face.
"The last thing I remember is firing a Kamehameha at you, but you swatted it back at me," He said, suppressing a chuckle. "But from the looks of it, I missed something pretty important, huh?" Gohan asked as he locked eyes with his mom. She hesitated to reply, and that made him even more curious.
"It's not important now."
"Are you sure, mom?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Wonder Woman stood up and tightened the strings on her black apron. "Take a shower, and when you're done, we'll have our lunch." She changed the subject, and though Gohan was eager to know what had occurred, he departed the room and did as he was told without a further word.
Diana felt guilty as she watched her son walk away, likely with a horde of questions buzzing in his mind, but it was best to leave him in the dark for the time being. Even after all these months, she had yet to tell him the truth. It was on the tip of her tongue every time they interacted, but Diana could never bring herself to spit it out. Gohan had enough crosses to bear, and Wonder Woman refused to let him carry this one.
It wasn't Gohan's fault that his genealogy had resulted in his freakish power. He didn't choose to be born part Saiyan, Amazon, and Olympian. The fates had decided that long before his birth. When Piccolo had initially told her about Gohan's abnormal abilities, she'd been in disbelief. The Namekian had no reason to lie; he'd trained Gohan in her absence, after all, but it was a hard pill to swallow. Her son was a potential ticking time bomb.
Without proper guidance, checks, and balances, Gohan could grow up and severely harm himself and others. Since his birth, Diana had known her son was special, but not to the extent that Athena herself would step in and interfere with his abilities. The Olympians rarely interacted with mortals anymore. The days of the Grecian empire were long gone, and the gods were content to sit on Olympus twaddling their thumbs, but Athena had taken a keen interest in her nephew and saw it fit to seal his power.
Diana still didn't understand how that seal functioned. Gohan's hidden power still managed to leak out sporadically, according to Piccolo, and Wonder Woman had just witnessed it for the first time. For months she'd tried to discover Gohan's trigger. She knew it was rage, but she'd never been able to push all the right buttons until today. Her words today had pierced Gohan's core for some reason.
She often trash-talked him during their training sessions, and he'd get irritated but never to this extent. Maybe the physical beating was the key? Today Diana had crossed a line she'd never crossed before. She'd choked her only child and actually drawn blood. It was a move that was totally out of line with her character, and she'd begged forgiveness from the gods a thousand times since then, but her cruelty had worked.
Gohan had unleashed a morsel of his frightening true power. It was easy to see why Athena had put the clamps on her son. As much as Diana hated the gods' meddling, especially when it came to her and her family, Athena's actions were justified in this case. Diana still had a few choice words for her half-sister, but the goddess of wisdom wasn't answering her calls anymore. Anytime she beseeched Athena, she received nothing but radio silence.
Diana had even tried reaching out to other gods, like her half-brother Hermes, but all he repeatedly said was that Athena was currently indisposed. Apparently, there was trouble brewing on Olympus due to Hera's actions. Zeus and Hera were bickering at alarming levels.
Lines were being drawn in the sand, and war seemed inevitable. The results would be cataclysmic if fighting broke out amongst the Olympians, and Athena was desperately trying to prevent that.
Ares and Eris were the parties responsible for all the chaos, but somehow, they'd yet to be brought to justice. If the gods refused to make them pay for their actions, Diana would; she swore it on her mother's life. There wasn't a day she didn't think about her or Goku. Her husband was deep in space doing Hestia knows what. He'd make it back to her, he always did, but the waiting was killing her.
To ease her mind, Wonder Woman walked over to her living room and turned the TV on. It was the latest Capsule Corp model, eighty inches, courtesy of Bulma, and Krillin had done the honors of hanging it on her wall. Diana flipped through multiple channels, searching for anything interesting to watch. Before her imprisonment in Doom's Doorway, she'd never really cared for TV, but the absence of one on Themyscira had changed her mind.
Her cursor landed on Channel 52. She'd never admit this to anyone aside from Bulma, but the channel was her guilty pleasure. The Capsule Corp heiress was the one who'd introduced her to it, and Bulma often spent hours watching the station's content. The network had recently done a documentary about Bulma, much to her chagrin, and Diana had been forced to watch it with the heiress. They'd huddled on Diana's sofa with snacks shouting at the TV as Bulma's story was inaccurately told.
By the end of the documentary, Bulma was on the phone with her lawyers drawing up lawsuits. She swore that Lex Luthor was behind her flawed depiction, and Diana could believe it; Superman's arch-nemesis was nothing if not petty. He'd been relatively quiet in the past few months, but knowing him, the clean-shaven billionaire was up to something nefarious. Superman was trying his best to keep tabs on Lex, but led-lined walls made it impossible for even him to see what was going on behind LexCorp's walls.
Diana's thoughts faded as a woman with a microphone suddenly appeared on her TV screen. Her hair was black as her business suit, and she introduced herself as Lois Lane. Behind her, a large crowd of onlookers in the remains of Times Square listened to her words with bated breath. Lois gave an opening speech, speaking to the viewers at home about life, death, and what lies beyond. When she finished, she turned her mic to the people behind her and introduced them.
Every person in the background had miraculously survived the Massacre in Manhattan. They'd been unexpectedly resurrected, and they each had conflicting stories of what had occurred after Nappa's attack. Some people spoke of visiting a paradise-like world after dying, while others spoke of torment and misery. But none of them could explain how or why they'd been revived. One day they'd been rotting corpses, and the next, they were walking the streets, rejuvenated to full health.
The United States government knew the truth, but they pledged to keep their lips sealed and hide the facts from the public. Some reporters like Lois Lane vowed to get to the bottom of the matter no matter the cost, and that was why she'd partnered with Channel 52. Normally, she'd never be caught dead working with a pop culture company, but the station was funding her investigation with one minor stipulation, while the Daily Planet had refused to do so. It was odd seeing her face on TV, but she was a skilled journalist, no matter the format.
In the previous episode of her series, Lois interviewed Steve Trevor, and the Argus commander danced around her questions. All his responses were extremely vague and open to interpretation. Her Justice League interview hadn't been much better either. Every hero was unavailable in that episode except for Batman. The dark knight had been as elusive as the Flash and revealed next to nothing.
Batman only reiterated the Justice League's commitment to assisting Manhattan's residents with their readjustment to civilian life. It was an effort that required multiple helping hands. The federal government was doing all that it could, but it wasn't enough. The Justice League stepped in to fill the gaps. Working in conjunction with Argus, they provided resources like therapy, counseling, and donations to the citizens who had been resurrected.
This was a situation unlike any other in human history, and no one save a few souls on Chikyu had any experience dealing with it. Tien and Chiaotzu were likely the only two people who were adjusting well post-revival. They'd resumed their everyday routines as if nothing had ever happened. Death, and the afterlife, were sincerely things of the past to them now. They rarely mentioned their experiences whenever they visited the Son household.
In fact, Chiaotzu and Tien were supposed to stop by this evening along with Krillin, Yamcha, Bulma, and Vegeta. Diana wasn't fond of the prince, and had it been her choice, he would've been a thousand leagues away from her home, but Bulma, unfortunately, had to serve as his chaperone. The Justice League was still trying to figure out what to do with the prince. Since Manhattan's residents had been revived, Vegeta was no longer guilty of any crime. But the prince was still far too dangerous to be set free, so for now, the Justice League was at an impasse.
Maybe Vegeta could change; Piccolo had, after all. But unlike the Namekian, Vegeta was a true villain at heart. For all his supposed villainy, Ma Junior had actually never harmed an innocent person, but Vegeta reveled in bloodshed. The prince was the product of a rough Saiyan upbringing and abuse from Frieza. Diana's "chat" with Vegeta after Gohan's birthday had revealed a lot about the Saiyan. She felt pity for him, but some of his actions were flat-out inexcusable.
Everyone had the power of choice, and Vegeta continuously made the wrong ones. Donna and Vegeta were so alike and dissimilar in that way. Donna had been brought up to be evil but chose another path when she was presented with one. Vegeta, on the other, was still stuck in his ways and showed no signs of regret for his past deeds. He would likely never change, but at the very least, the prince would be another body to throw at Frieza whenever the galactic tyrant finally sought out revenge.
All of Earth's heroes were on edge about that day. When would it come? No one knew. It could be any month, week, day, or hour. But it was best not to dwell on that matter.
Diana rose from the couch. Her pot on the stove had finally finished boiling. She walked toward the kitchen when a Ki blast suddenly ripped through her wall, and all hell broke loose.
January 18th
Age 764 (2014), The United States, Chihuahuan Desert
"Your technique is improving leaps and bounds, Superman," Piccolo said as he turned to the Kryptonian beside him.
Kal-El smiled, and his eyes widened. "A compliment from you? I never thought I'd see the day," he chuckled.
"I'm not like your other teachers; I give compliments sparingly, and this is the first time you've deserved one," Piccolo growled.
"I'm just messing with you; after all these months, you think I don't know how you are?"
"Well, according to you and the Flash, I'm," Piccolo raised his hands and began counting his fingers, "cranky, cantankerous, grumpy, grouchy, a so-called hard a-"
"We were kidding! I swear!" Superman interrupted, frantically waving his arms. The Namekian shot him a glare and returned to his brooding.
"How did you even hear that convo? You were at the Hall of Justice that day?" Superman asked, but after taking one look at Piccolo's long pointy green ears, he remembered something crucial. "Namekian hearing is superhuman; how could I forget?"
"The same way you forget that I can detect your Ki. It never fails every time we spar. You're stronger than me, no doubt, arguably the strongest being on this planet currently, but you still have a lot of work to do."
"A compliment followed by criticism; now there's the Piccolo I know and love," Superman grinned, but Piccolo rolled his eyes.
"We're taking this break because you asked for one, so instead of expending your energy needlessly talking, why don't you just recuperate quietly?"
Piccolo and Superman had been training since the crack of dawn. Kal-El didn't agree with all his methods, mainly the lack of rest, and demanded a break, much to Piccolo's annoyance. The Namekian emphasized that no villain would grant him a respite during a fight, and Superman retorted, saying no battle would last hours. In the end, Kal-El won their argument, and a break was granted.
Piccolo stared into the distance as Superman ate his refreshments. There was nothing around them but dry land, rocks, shrubs, and withering plants for miles and miles. A mountain range loomed in the distance, but the scorching sun made it difficult to decipher how truly far away it was. Small streams of water flowed nearby; the desert wasn't completely arid, but the ground still felt like an incinerator as Ma Junior sat on it.
"You miss them, don't you?" Superman asked as he finished the last piece of his baloney sandwich. He wiped the crumbs from his mouth and watched Piccolo raise a confused eyebrow. "I'm talking about your people, the Namekians."
Ma Junior said nothing initially, but after several moments he begrudgingly spoke. "I do. Even though I was born and raised on Earth, I felt a sense of belonging whenever I was amongst them. I'm glad King Kai helped them locate a new planet, but it feels like their time here was too brief."
Superman was taken back. He hadn't expected Piccolo to be so forthcoming, especially with him. The Namekian was finally starting to ease up to his presence.
"I would give almost anything to be able to spend time with some Kryptonians, but all of them died when -"
"- Don't worry; you'll join them soon enough!" A voice abruptly shouted from above. Superman and Piccolo looked up at the same time and saw a pink lizard-like alien hovering over them. A Scouter was attached to his face, and he was suited in white and yellow Saiyan battle armor. Piccolo squinted and saw the Frieza Force symbol, two interlocking f letters, plastered on his breastplate.
The unwelcomed guest lowered his hands and laughed maniacally. "Lord Frieza's definitely going to reward me after this!"
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 70!
A/N: I know this was a short chapter, but the next chapter will be longer and much more eventful.
Q/A:
Breakawayfan: I didn't say Nightwing and Batgirl would be together. I said I think Batgirl is Nightwing's true pairing, DC canon-wise, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be a couple in this story. Gohan and Starfire won't date.
guardianx15: Golden or Black Frieza is unlikely.
Shark: I have big plans for Kuriza later on. He'll be the focal point of a major storyline.
Fuckmegun: Yes, there's a version of Goku in the multiverse that's a member of the Justice League.
Historiasrandom: I chose Bekka because I've never seen her paired with Superman before. Big Barda was my other choice. There aren't a lot of female Dragonball characters to choose from; I can't think of any good pairings. In a previous chapter, Piccolo told Wonder Woman he had something to discuss with her regarding Gohan. You saw a portion of that discussion in this chapter.
James is bored: There needs to be another chapter? What do you mean?
Kabuto S. Inferno: Kuriza isn't an OC. He originally appeared in Nekomajin, which was a Dragonball parody manga. He's also been in a few video games. Kuriza will have a prominent role in a later story arc. Dr. Myuu and General Rildo are GT characters.
You can read up on them because what I have planned for them won't be the same as it was in GT. Highfather and Darkseid have been around for ages. What they know about Super Saiyans will be revealed at a later date. The Saiyans would've been more trouble than they're worth though a handful of loyal ones would've been very useful for Darkseid. You'll see who Trunks' companion is in the next chapter. Only one reviewer has correctly guessed her identity.
scl04: Darkseid and Highfather's goals will slowly be revealed, as well as their interest in Earth is non-canon like Cooler, but he's still Frieza's son in some video games and Nekomajin. Kuriza isn't really evil per se, and he's not like the rest of his family, which is evident to everyone. That will be the focal point of a storyline later on. Everyone is replaceable in King Cold eyes, especially scientists lol.
Maximum Rhapsody: I don't understand your question regarding Kuriza. Are you referring to his character or his strength? You might see more elements and characters from Dragonball GT, but that's not set in stone. I can't spoil Darkseid's power.
Jackalope89: Honestly, I didn't even know Booster Gold had a sister. This is the first time I've heard about her, lol. Nightwing and Batgirl won't necessarily be paired together in this story.
Vault Hunter: I hadn't thought about that, but that's a great idea. I might have to borrow that.
Anonymous Mastermind: Nightwing and Batgirl won't necessarily be paired together in this story. I just personally feel that she's the best partner for Nightwing, comics-wise. Barbara and Bruce was an AWFUL decision that most fans seem to hate. Yes, Bekka is the pairing. I have some plans for Kuriza down the line, but I can't spoil them or what King Cold will do. Broly will be an amalgamation of the original Broly and DBS Broly.
Ardee: The alliance started with King Cold, and Frieza inherited it. Frieza's ego is large, but he's humble in front of his superiors like Beerus, for instance. I didn't plan on using GT characters this early, but the idea just popped into my mind. Mecha Frieza will be a lot more powerful than he was in canon. I'm not sure what version of the New Gods I'm using because the whole "true selves" thing still confuses me.
Jetty1: Krillin teaming up with Batman would be fun. That's a great point; the Androids in this story will have a reason to hate Goku and Diana. Trunks and Superman won't come to blows, but your rationale does make sense.
Thunderer: I'm not sure if Baby will appear in this story. This version of Bekka is heavily based on the New 52 and Justice League: Gods and Monsters versions of her. In Justice League: Gods and Monsters, Bekka was Wonder Woman. She lived on Earth and dated Steve Trevor, who is far from brooding. In the New 52, she left New Genesis to join the Sinestro Corps.
gotham0101: All I can say is that you'll see Goku and Wonder Woman's daughter soon.
