Thoughts
Computer Speech/Robotic Speech
"Speech"
Disclaimer: DC and the Dragonball Franchise belong to their respective owners; I own nothing.
Chapter 75: Vestiges IV
January 18th
Age 764 (2014), Jura Mountains, Switzerland
"So this is Earth, huh?" Fel Andar said as he exited his spaceship. Cold, brisk air hit him immediately as he walked down his ship's ramp. It was a short walk to the ground, and once there, Fel pressed a button on his utility belt, retracting the white ramp. He took a moment to survey his surroundings and saw nothing but thick, tall trees around him. Some of them stretched so high they seemingly pierced the night sky.
A crescent moon hung up above, and dozens of twinkling stars filled the heavens. Fel was unfamiliar with the constellations, having never seen them before, but their shapes reminded him of the ones back home. He was a long way from Thanagar Prime, and that realization was slowly sinking in. Most planets Fel had visited had some semblance of technological advancement, but the Earth appeared to be severely lacking in that department.
There were no hovercrafts, hovercycles, or spaceships patrolling the sky. The moment Fel's ship landed, he should've been apprehended, or the planet's defense system should've shot him out of the sky while he was still in orbit, but neither had happened. Fel had arrived on Earth without any hiccups. The trip had taken months, even with a trans-warp drive, but Fel didn't remember any of it. He'd been hibernating in one of the sleeping chambers for the duration of the trip.
He'd only been awakened when his spaceship had breached the Earth's atmosphere about an hour ago. Groggy and disoriented, it had taken Fel several minutes to gather his bearings. That was always the case when he was forced out of his artificial slumber. He'd gone through it countless times, but his reaction was always the same. Readjusting to gravity and numerous other sensations took time.
He'd nearly twisted his ankle trying to step out of his stasis unit. Finding your footing after months of drifting in unconscious darkness tended to be a tall order, and gravity made the task even harder. In his sleeping chamber, his body had been weightless, floating inside the cylindrical tube due to anti-gravity technology. But the moment Fel had exited the stasis unit, reality came crashing back down.
He'd felt like a toddler, stumbling around his bedroom, knees wobbling as he struggled to walk until his mind had finally put the pieces together. But as soon as that had happened, his vision had blurred due to the lights in his bedroom activating. They hadn't been that bright, but after spending such a prolonged period amongst the shadows, his retinas needed to refocus. It was sensory overload, but his training and experience had served him well; he'd only required a few moments to settle himself.
After that, the ship's AI greeted him, speaking to Fel in a modulated voice, but the Thanagarian had cringed at each syllable the computer said. Everything had sounded so loud, and because of that, Fel had barely paid attention to any of the messages his spaceship had relayed to him. He'd replayed them, of course, but precious minutes had been wasted. Most of the messages had been information that Fel was already aware of, but he'd received some new directives during his hibernation.
Empress Shayera Hol had personally left two holomessages for him. Even though she wasn't present on his ship, Fel still kneeled and bowed while receiving her words. His liege commanded him to join the Justice League and to endear himself to the human populace. Both orders had come as a great surprise to Fel. In his private debriefing right before he'd left Thanagar Prime, the High Council had warned him to take extra precautions during this mission.
Fel was supposed to avoid detection, monitor the Earthlings, and report his findings to his superiors. All in all, it was a basic reconnaissance mission and nothing more, but something had changed while Fel was in stasis. He'd likely never discover what had swayed the Empress's mind, but it had to be something of great importance; Shayera was as hard-headed as they come. Fel spent the rest of his descent dressing and trying to gather information on the Justice League; their celebrity status made his job easy work.
The group was an Earth-based coalition of heroes dedicated to protecting their planet. They were the ones who'd miraculously repelled Starro's invasion. They appeared to be quite formidable, but for all their strength, they were still a young, relatively inexperienced team. It hadn't even been two full years since the group of superheroes had assembled. That was something Fel could take advantage of.
He'd prove his usefulness, earn their respect and gain access to their inner circle. The only question was how? Fel had racked his brain trying to answer that, but fortunately, Frieza had provided him with a solution. Fel's radar spotted the Frost Demon's spaceship in the mesosphere. The galactic tyrant made no attempts to cloak or shield his vessel from detection; he wanted everyone to know he'd arrived.
The decision was in line with Frieza's character, but Fel was still unsure if the alien overlord was actually present on Earth; it could be King Cold for all he knew, but the ship was undoubtedly Frieza's. Fel had trailed it from a safe distance, keeping close watch as the spaceship dispatched thousands of soldiers once it entered the troposphere. The troops blasted off in multiple directions, clearly with different goals in mind. But whatever their agendas were likely involved vengeance.
Fel had followed Frieza's spaceship all the way to a country called Switzerland. If the Planet Trade Organization had caught wind of Fel trailing them, the Thangarian didn't know; they hadn't attacked him or made any evasive maneuvers. Fel's luck wouldn't last forever, though, and that's why he'd decided to land his ship and track his target on foot. He'd found a location devoid of humans, according to his scanners, and parked his vessel.
He'd retrieve his spaceship later, but for now, the Planet Trade Organization was the main priority. He was still tracking Frieza's spacecraft, but it had slowed down significantly since it had entered Switerzland. There had to be a reason why it had come to this specific country instead of countless others. What made it so special? What plans did the PTO have for it? Fel was determined to find out.
January 18th
Age 764 (2014), Geneva, Switzerland
"Was that really necessary, Frieza?" King Cold asked as he stared at his son. The younger Frost Demon stood beside him, arms folded with an expanding scowl on his face.
"Of course, it was, Father. Those incompetent fools failed their mission. I gave them one simple task, and they couldn't do it. Locating that monkey Goku should've been easy, especially with the Scouters I equipped them with. Their Ki was masked, and they had the element of surprise, but they still managed to fail their objective. They were all getting humiliated before I activated the bombs Dr. Myuu planted in their Scouters. They were a pathetic waste of my resources, but at least their deaths will serve a greater purpose." Frieza said nonchalantly. "Don't tell me you're concerned about those malingerers, Father."
Frieza's red eyes shifted to King Cold. They were unsettling and bereft of any warmth. Frieza had never been a loving child in any sense, but he'd always been respectful to his father. But since his body's reconstruction by Dr. Myuu, Frieza's personality had changed. Maybe it was due to his near-death experience, or it was the pressure from all his enemies finally getting to him. Whatever the case was, Frieza was slowly losing grip on his emotions.
He was becoming more machine than man.
"I don't care how many soldiers you kill. They're your soldiers, but this all seems a bit pointless," King Cold rebuffed. "You want revenge, and that's understandable; I share your goals. Our agendas are one and the same. You were defeated and humiliated on Namek. Galactic powers are lurking and waiting to strike the Planet Trade Organization. You need to display your full might and remind this galaxy and the entire universe who you are. But how does any of this accomplish that, Frieza? I don't understand."
"Of course, you don't, Father. You don't see things like I do," Frieza scoffed.
"Then fill me in; enlighten me. I can connect the dots; just tell me what they are."
Frieza tore his gaze from his father and stared at the massive oval window in front of them. It was septuple the size of either Frost Demon and provided ample view of the city their spaceship was approaching. In a few minutes, they would arrive at Frieza's destination. He'd hoped to keep it a secret from his father, but the elder Frost Demon's constant badgering had ruined that idea; he'd have to spill the beans now.
"My initial plan was to weed out Goku through careful targeting. From what I know and have learned from this planet's media outlets thus far, Goku is a hero to the core who can't resist helping those in need. My soldiers were supposed to hunt him down and bring or lead him to me. They failed in that regard, though they did manage to locate several high power levels on this planet."
King Cold nodded. "Yes, you and I listened to the audio from their various fights over your loudspeakers only a few minutes ago." The cacophony of noises had been jarring, rattling King Cold's ears when he'd entered Frieza's private quarters.
"Yes, you listened, but I actually witnessed the fights. This new body of mine is linked with the Scouters on multiple levels. I saw and heard everything my troops experienced, and it was beyond disappointing. None of the Earthlings they fought were Goku, and they still struggled heavily. Of course, these weren't the best and brightest soldiers in my army, but still, they should've been enough to handle the denizens of this backwater planet." Frieza growled and clenched his fist.
"The Earthlings are stronger than you expected?" King Cold raised a brow.
"Yes, some of them are, but the overwhelming majority of people on this planet are fodder. All the strong power levels my troops encountered were ironically related to Goku, but none of them were actually him. He escaped my scouts just like he escaped Namek and left me to die!"
King Cold smirked. Frieza's emotions bubbled to the surface anytime he mentioned his defeat at the hands of a lowly Saiyan. His son wasn't a completely cold calculating machine quite yet. "How do you know they were related to Goku?"
"My brain is connected to a thing the Earthlings call the internet. It would be tedious for me to explain it to you, but I was able to siphon information from it and gather intel, but I already knew some of the faces I saw."
"Like who?"
"Like Vegeta, for instance. Somehow that monkey is still alive, and I'm positive I killed him. If I had to guess, it was the Dragonball's doing. The bald Earthling I slaughtered on Namek is also alive, not to mention a Namekian I previously fought. I should've ordered my soldiers to kidnap Goku's son, but I doubt he died during one of my troop's explosions. Goku's wife was likely unharmed as well, and based on what I've learned about her; she'll seek vengeance. But most surprisingly, there's a Kryptonian on this planet."
"A Kryptonian?" King Cold repeated the words in disbelief. "I thought you killed them all when you blew up their homeworld."
"So did I, Father, but apparently, those Kryptonians are as hard to kill as Saiyans. The Earthlings call him Superman, but his Kryptonian name is Kal-El."
"Kal-El? With a name like that, I assume he's from the House of El. If he's still alive, I would like to meet him. Leave him to me, Frieza."
"You can do whatever you want with that Kryptonian; my only concern is Goku," Frieza turned around and began pacing the room. "Do you remember when I destroyed Krypton? You scolded me for my actions. You said I was reckless and impetuous. You claimed I acted on rumors and fables instead of waiting for the facts, but now my decision has been justified. That Kryptonian, Superman, is living proof of what I feared."
"Because he was able to defeat your admittedly weak troops, that's something I should tremble and shudder at? We don't even know what type of powers this yellow sun has granted him." King Cold contested. Legends and myths about Kryptonians had always floated around space during his reign as the unquestioned ruler of the Planet Trade Organization, but King Cold had never bought into them.
"His power was at least great enough to handle all the soldiers I sent his way. I'm compiling all the available data this planet has on him as we speak," Frieza retorted. He paused as his eyes began to glow, receiving a flood of information. "From what I've just seen, he's at least as powerful as the Ginyu Force."
"That level of power is somewhat impressive," King Cold was forced to admit. "But – "
"- But you still think I should've buried my head in the sand and allowed Krypton to keep thriving," Frieza interrupted. "I know the Kryptonians are responsible for the modern-day version of our Scouters, and they were valuable business partners for quite some time, but I did what needed to be done. One Kryptonian as strong as the Ginyu Force isn't a problem, but an entire planet full of them would've threatened my empire."
"Our empire, you mean," King Cold corrected. "I may have handed my position over to you, but I'm still your father. Our family is called the Cold Family Dynasty for a reason."
"And that was the wisest decision you could've made. Cooler isn't fit to – " Frieza started to say but suddenly halted as he touched his ears, massaging them.
"Cooler isn't fit to what? What is it, Frieza?" King Cold demanded. Frieza's words were most assuredly going to be an insult, but his father still wanted to hear them.
"I'm sorry, Father, but we'll have to continue this conversation later. I have some urgent matters that require my immediate attention," Frieza said, and without a further word, he walked toward the room's only door. He exited it quietly, leaving a baffled King Cold behind.
Dragonball DC
"L-L-Lord Frieza!" A quaking soldier shouted, announcing his liege's presence to the rest of the occupants in the hangar bay. He attempted a nervous salute, but his hands were too jittery to align correctly. Frieza ignored the alien and continued walking. There were about a dozen soldiers present, and they were all gearing up for departure. The news of the outside threat had reached them as well, but their assistance wouldn't be necessary.
It had been a while since Frieza had done any of his own dirty work, but the galaxy needed to be reminded of who he was, and this would be the launching pad for that. He barked an order at one of the nearby soldiers and told him to open the hanger bay. The soldier valued his life and did so with haste, hitting a button on the wall. The floor underneath Frieza's feet began shaking, and within seconds, the cool breeze from the night sky began whisking in.
Frieza's hanger bay was unlike the countless others he'd visited. It was gigantic and could host legions of soldiers and numerous attack balls, if necessary, but it was usually vacant. Nothing was ever docked in his hanger bay, and it never received any outside space vessels. It honestly collected dust most of the time, except for the moments when he needed to launch an attack, and that was rare. Few fools had ever dared to approach his ship while he was present. One particular scar-faced Saiyan did come to mind, but that had been so long ago it might as well have been ancient times.
The floor lowered and lowered until it finally came to a stop. The wind was whipping fiercely at the speed Frieza's spaceship was traveling. He was unaffected, but a few of his non-ki-wielding soldiers struggled to stay upright. Some of them clung to the beige-tiled floor, frantically trying to activate their jetpacks. Frieza noted this and gave them the send-off they desired.
He raised a finger and moved it at the speed of light, ejecting multiple Ki beams. The soldiers were blasted into clouds, screaming at the top of their lungs. Frieza could still hear the faint echoes of their cries as he turned to his remaining troops and dished out orders.
"I'm going to handle this on my own. No one is to interfere, not even my father, is that understood?" A wave of shaky head nods followed. In truth, there was nothing any of his soldiers could do to deter his father if he decided to act, but the troops wisely kept their mouths shut.
Frieza lept off the platform and took off in search of the people who had dared to issue him a warning. It didn't take long for Frieza to locate them; two identical white jets were tailing his spaceship from behind. They were a few thousand feet away but were creeping closer and closer with each passing moment. They'd attempted to contact the pilot of Frieza's spaceship several times but to no avail. Frieza had overheard their commands to stand down through his pilot's Scouter and had rebuffed the order.
Before heading to the hanger bay, Frieza had instructed his pilot to continue giving the Earthlings radio silence, but clearly, they hadn't taken the hint. Ignoring the jets and their requests had only emboldened them, but the Earthlings would pay dearly for their arrogance. Frieza blurred in front of one of the jets, startling the man inside it so terribly his eyes grew to the size of saucers. An oxygen mask covered his mouth, but if his lips had been visible, Frieza was sure he would've been uttering a string of curses. Frieza knocked on the aircraft's canopy, but the man didn't invite him inside. Instead, the Earthling had the nerve to attempt to shake him loose.
The jet swerved and jerked violently in different directions and even attempted a daring nosedive, but Frieza remained present. The aircraft had guns and missiles underneath its wings, but Frieza was out of its reach. Whoever had designed this plane had never expected an enemy to get this close. The pilot was out of options now and had no choice but to radio for assistance. His comrade came calling, but there wasn't much she could do to help.
She tried to draw Frieza's attention, but the Frost Demon telekinetically pushed her away whenever she got too close. It had to be a terrifying feeling for her inside the cockpit, losing complete control of the jet she had spent a quarter of her life training to use. Frieza pushed and repelled her with ease, treating her aircraft like a tennis ball. He was having a blast, so much so that he'd forgotten to stick to his initial target. He'd strayed too far away, and now there was nothing to impede the male pilot from firing his weapons.
They all struck Frieza simultaneously, drawing the Frost Demon's attention. The galactic tyrant was perturbed as the sensation of raindrops pelted his skin. He flung the female pilot's jet as far as his eyes could see, relinquishing his telekinetic control of it, and turned his sights on his attacker. His assailant was firing multiple Gatling guns at him from both sides of his plane. The pilot's attacks were all hilariously ineffectual, but that didn't deter him from trying.
Every bullet harmlessly bounced off Frieza's metallic skin, darting off in various directions. Some bullets even bounced back at their sender, but the pilot's canopy proved to be bulletproof. Frieza floated in silence until the clang of rapid gunfire finally ceased. His enemy was out of ammo, but Frieza hadn't even expended one-tenth of his energy.
The galactic tyrant raised a hand and tightened it into a fist, crushing one of the jet's wings. It would've begun plummeting to the ground, but Frieza telekinetically upheld it with his mind. The Forst Demon used his free hand and tore the aircraft's other wing, chucking it like a frisbee. By this point, the pilot inside the jet was panicking, drenched in sweat. He'd been trained for numerous scenarios, but none like this.
He radioed his superiors, begging for backup, but he wouldn't live long enough to see whether it came. Frieza shattered the polycarbonate that comprised the pilot's canopy and hoisted the terrified man into the air. His legs flailed, and his body dangled hopelessly as Frieza telekinetically tugged on it. There was nothing beneath him but sky for miles and miles. If he fell from this high of an altitude, he'd black out before he ever hit the ground, but the remains of his body would likely never be found. The thought petrified him.
Frieza drank his fear.
The Frost Demon popped the pilot's oxygen mask off and released him. He was dead before he even got halfway to the ground, but the echoes of his horrified shrieks lingered in the air long after his death. Frieza discarded the pieces of the pilot's jet seconds after his departure; he had no further use for them. He was about to return to his spaceship when that pesky female pilot reappeared, firing at him with blind rage.
She was incensed. Frieza didn't have to view her face to read her emotions; she'd likely seen or heard what he'd done to her comrade. Her weapons were as useless as her partner's, and clearly, she hadn't learned from his mistakes. Were all humans this stupid? They were starting to make those Saiyan monkeys seem almost.…bright. Her bullets eventually ran out too, but when hers finally did, she unleashed a weapon Frieza wasn't aware she had.
A missile sailed toward the Frost Demon at supersonic speed. He was curious to see its potency, so he allowed it to make contact. It exploded with a raucous bang that set the sky ablaze. A plume of smoke followed, and for the briefest of moments, the female pilot thought her victory was assured. She contacted her superiors and notified them that she'd eliminated the unidentified hostile, but seconds later, she was eating her words.
Frieza emerged from the fading wisps of smoke unscathed and irritated. He'd expected better, but this was just a substandard projectile. Even type-one civilizations were capable of better feats than this. The woman prepared to launch another missile, but Frieza jammed the gears before they could rotate. He held the projectile in place and idly tapped his chin in thought.
He grinned when the cogs in his mind finally finished assembling a plan. Frieza turned and nosedived toward the ground. He still maintained his grip on the woman's jet along the way, but the speeds he was traveling at weren't anything she was accustomed to. Her heartbeat rose with every downward mile, her chest began to squeeze, and blood stopped reaching her brain.
The G-force was too much, and by the time she reached Frieza's destination, her body was just a smear inside her jet's cockpit.
The city of Geneva was on high alert as Frieza zipped through its skies. There was panic in the streets, and numerous alarms were blaring across the city, warning civilians about an imminent attack. People were racing to their cars, homes, places of worship; any location where they thought they'd be safe. Frieza couldn't help but laugh at the pathetic spectacle. Little did they know it was all for naught; their graves had already been marked.
Multiple sets of fighter jets tried to intercept Frieza. They blocked his path and aimed their weapons at him, but it was a halfhearted display. None of the planes fired a single shot or missile due to their proximity to the city. They were concerned about civilian causalities but
Frieza didn't share those aversions. The Frost Demon released the missile he'd been restraining and steered it toward a building.
A nearby shopping center was in the projectile's direct path, forcing the fighter jets to make a difficult decision. There wasn't enough time for any of the planes to hop in front of the missile, so instead, one pilot opened fire, and the results were catastrophic. A gargantuan explosion rocked the skies, shattering every piece of glass in the nearby vicinity. Multiple fighter jets were blown back in the aftershock of the blast, and several of them spiraled out of control, smashing into each other.
They careened out of the sky and impaled the streets below, bursting into scorching flames.
Unfortunate souls who hadn't been able to take refuge in time were crushed under the jets' weight, roasted to a crisp by flames, or killed by shrapnel. The shopping center had miraculously survived and remained upright, though its foundation had been significantly compromised. At any given moment, it could collapse, and Frieza intended to provide it with the final nudge.
A few jets were still hovering in the sky on their last legs, seconds away from breaking down. Frieza clenched a hand and telekinetically took hold of them. He curled them into metallic balls, dismembering the pilots inside them, and was about to hurl the objects at the shopping center but was suddenly flung from the area. A blow of some kind, which Frieza couldn't decipher, sent him soaring through several buildings. He smashed through them one after the other, shattering them on impact.
They fell like a deck of cards, but Frieza was unharmed. If anything, he was intrigued by the entity that had dared to attack him. He couldn't detect any power levels that were high enough to send him flying in the nearby vicinity. The only thing his sensors identified were paltry energy signatures that weren't even worth noting, and they were vanishing quickly due to all the damage Frieza was causing.
The Frost Demon growled at his failure and ignited his Ki, annihilating the city block around him. Whoever had attacked him would be forced to show themselves now, and sure enough, they did. Four shadowy figures rose out of the rubble. They were covered in dirt, soot, and other sorts of grime but shook it off. Frieza's eyes narrowed as three of them ascended toward him. He didn't feel threatened in the slightest, but their faces seemed familiar.
They were heroes, undoubtedly; their swagger and demeanor screamed unwarranted bravery and chivalry. Their costumes were colorful collages of opposing colors. They partially reminded Frieza of the Ginyu Force; all they were missing were the silly childish poses. An emblem on one of the heroes' chests revealed who they were: the Justice League. The Kryptonian, Kal-El, was the first to attack Frieza, and he jabbed the Frost Demon in the face.
The fist impacted his cheek with an ear-splitting bang, but it was louder than the pain it caused, which was minimal. Superman's knuckles sank into Frieza's face, but the galactic tyrant was visibly bored. He backhanded the man of steel out of sight and was pounced on by one of his comrades. A green man, a Martian, Frieza quickly discovered, as he downloaded files from the internet into his brain, kicked him in the stomach.
Months ago, that attack would've possibly knocked the air from his lungs momentarily, but with Nth metal and Katchin steel coating his body, Frieza shrugged off the attack. More kicks followed, battering Frieza's midsection, but the Frost Demon withstood the assault without any strain. After fruitlessly exerting his energy, his assailant had an epiphany and opted to switch strategies, but Frieza didn't grant him the chance. The Martian was halfway into transforming into some ghoulish creature when Frieza fired a Ki blast at him.
Frieza expected a dazzling explosion, but his attack missed and sailed through the air. Had he underestimated his opponent's speed? It was in the realm of possibility, but the thought was quickly quelled when the Martian reappeared out of thin air. He struck Frieza with two rapid blows, but when the Frost Demon tried to retaliate, his attacks literally went right through the Martian.
"What kind of power is this?!" Frieza demanded, but a heavy trident thwacked him out of the sky before he could receive a response. He hit the ground hard, causing tremors, but recovered immediately. He was on his feet in seconds, but a red blur tried to ensure that wouldn't be the case for too much longer. The Flash peppered Frieza with punches that were nearly too fast to see coming. Frieza reacted in nanoseconds and evaded most of them, but there were just too many.
Everywhere Frieza turned, there was a bright red fist waiting for him. The punches barely stung, but their speed, coupled with the overwhelming number, created a headache for the Frost Demon. His skin tingled after every blow, and there was only one thing he could do to keep the speedster at bay; Frieza removed the ground from underneath him. The Flash floated in the air as Frieza levitated him. If Barry Allen was surprised, his facial expression didn't indicate it at all.
Frieza prepared a death beam. This opponent was far too annoying to continue toying with. He launched his trademark attack, but someone deflected it into the air. The blonde man who'd forced him to the ground was meddling again. Aquaman wasted no time lunging at Frieza. His trident crossed their distance in a heartbeat, but it missed its mark. Frieza slid under the attempted stab and punched the trident, but when his fist made contact, a shocking bolt of lightning hit him.
It flowed through his body and cast a bright glow amidst the darkness of the night. Frieza's body was steaming when the lightning finally ceased, but his hold over the Flash remained ironclad, and his resolve doubled. No one would ever force him to bend to their will, especially not a worthless Earthling. Frieza elevated the Flash higher and higher in the air. If his friend wanted to save him so badly, he'd have to do it in space.
Frieza chucked the Flash into orbit. He was a twinkle in the sky by the time Aquaman realized what had happened. The Atlantean took off without a second thought, speeding toward the heavens to retrieve his comrade. Frieza let him go, though not by choice; two new opponents appeared; the Martian and the Kryptonian he'd smacked earlier. They blitzed Frieza, but their speed wasn't as impressive as the Flash's; he read through their every move.
Multiple punches, kicks, karate chops, and elbows were evaded in the blink of an eye. The blows weren't weak by any means; the wind whistled as they were launched, but Frieza was too quick for either of his opponents. He danced around Superman and the Martian Manhunter's attacks, zooming across the city as they followed him. The objects around Frieza became blurs as his fight spanned multiple locations.
One minute he was fighting in a park of some sort; the next, he was in a parking garage; a heartbeat later, he was outside a hospital. Destruction and ruin followed in his wake. The Frost Demon had intended to humiliate his enemies through defensive maneuvers, but once a lucky strike had landed, Frieza's anger had gotten the best of him. He was spamming Ki blasts, and that damn Martian kept getting away from him.
Intangibility was a bitch, and it was the only reason Frieza hadn't managed to kill J'onn yet. Every single attack harmlessly phased through the Martian. The Kryptonian didn't share that ability, but he had an abundance of other ones that were equally frustrating. Heat vision, frost breath, the list went on and on. More and more, he proved why his species couldn't have been allowed to live. They were a threat, but Frieza would finally send them into extinction once and for all today.
The Frost Demon caught a fist from the man of steel and used it to reel him in. The Martian Manhunter tried to intervene, but Frieza shoved him aside with a hard telekinetic push that propelled him through at least six streets. He'd be back in no time, but for now, Frieza had Superman all to himself; however, the Kryptonian wouldn't go out without a fight. Sweltering heat pounded the Frost Demon's face. Without his Nth metal frame, Frieza's body would've been smoldering pieces of charred flesh, but thanks to his recent augmentations, he was able to withstand the pain.
Frieza preserved through Superman's deadly heat vision and headbutted the Kryptonian so hard the echo could be heard from miles away. Kal-El's eyes slammed shut as he staggered backward in a dazed stupor. Frieza placed a hand on his chest and spread his palm. He grinned as his Ki began to bubble; he would enjoy what came next. Superman's entire torso was blown apart in an instant as a purple wave of Ki impacted it.
Frieza expected to see blood and guts splatter into the air, but there were none. Superman didn't even make a sound as Frieza's attack ripped through him. It vexed Frieza, but he took solace in knowing that he'd finally rectified one of his mistakes, or so he thought. Superman's lower limbs had survived and were somehow still twitching. Frieza stood over them, prepared to vaporize the last remaining traces of Kal-El's existence but abruptly stopped as his eyes noticed something.
There were wires, multiple ones sticking out of Superman's legs. Some were frayed and tattered, but some were still perfectly intact. It then dawned on Frieza what had occurred. He'd fought a machine. That's why he'd been unable to sense Superman's Ki or any of the Justice League's Ki, for that matter. Even now, he couldn't feel them. This had all been a giant waste of his time.
"You Earthlings think to make a mockery of me, Lord Frieza? I'm the most powerful being in the universe, and you dare to believe that you can trick me?" Frieza shouted at the top of his voice. He was so angry he didn't know he was yelling at, but someone had to feel his wrath. "I'll show you all! I'll show every last one of you!"
He rocketed into the sky and briefly surveyed his landscape; he wasn't too far from his true destination. He'd come to Geneva for one reason and one reason only. He blasted off to the United Nations office and hovered over it. This was one of the Earth's seats of power. World leaders convened here regularly; destroying the building would send a message to every Earthling, especially Goku.
Aquaman, with the Flash in tow and Martian Manhunter, raced to stop Frieza. The three machines converged on Frieza in the sky, but it was already too late. Frieza summoned his Ki, and the world went black.
January 18th
Age 764 (2014), Chikyu, Mount Paozu, The Son Family Residence
"Frieza's wickedness knows no bounds," Wonder Woman said as Gohan's Ki shield finally faded away. Her son had been gathering Ki for a massive energy beam but had been forced to switch gears. Frieza's soldiers, who'd numbered in the thousands, had suddenly exploded. It had been a grisly, gruesome scene watching death on that large of a scale. Gohan hadn't reacted visibly, but the Demi-Saiyan still refused to speak, even now, minutes after the event.
"Are you okay?" Diana asked as she placed a hand on her son's shoulder. It took a few seconds before he shook his head.
"I'm…I'll be fine, Mom," was all the child could say. "I was going to kill them anyway, so why do I feel so bad about what happened?" Gohan asked as he turned around to face his mother, eyes filled with tears.
"You feel bad because you're a good person, and you know what Frieza did is wrong," Diana said as she leaned down and wiped her son's eyes. "Frieza killed his own soldiers. You were only acting out of self-defense, Gohan, but Frieza probably took sick pleasure in what he did, and he had no reason to do it."
"M-maybe I could have saved them?"
"No, you couldn't have. You did the right thing by wrapping us in a Ki bubble as soon as you realized what was going on." Diana assured her son, pulling him into a hug. "I know what I've said and what I'm about to say sounds harsh, but it's true; those soldiers' deaths were inevitable. Frieza will pay for initiating all this, but it was always going to be us or them."
It was a hard pill to swallow, but Gohan had to accept it. "I think I know where he is, Mom," Gohan said as his mother kissed him on the forehead. "He finally stopped masking his Ki."
Diana gave her son one last peck on the cheek and released him, setting him down in the air. "I'll alert the Justice League and the rest of our friends; we don't have time to spare."
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 74!
A/N: Thanks for 2500+ reviews. I added a new poll regarding Gohan's pairing, so feel free to vote on it.
Q/A:
dinorun154: You'll have to read and find out.
Agrimika: Your questions are spoilers; I can't answer them, sorry.
Historiasrandom: I plan on doing a chapter or two dedicated to the future timeline, so you'll probably see Future Gohan's death, but he didn't die like he did in canon. The future timeline in this story is drastically different, and you'll see what I mean down the line.
BrianShooter672: There's a poll on my profile; you can vote on Gohan's pairing.
Dontus -not Donut- Powerus: Trunks and Fury didn't mention it because Goku didn't contract the heart virus in this story. Goku will return soon; he won't be gone for much longer.
Fuckmegun: Yeah, Fury's a very blunt and straight-to-the-point person.
Vault Hunter: Thanks, I appreciate that. Writing Mera and her powers was fun. Aquaman will get more screen time during the fight with Frieza. The purpose of Trunks and Fury's bickering in the last chapter was to establish their relationship dynamic. They're like brother and sister. They occasionally butt heads and argue with each other, but they're serious when it comes to handling business.
UltimateBen10: You'll have to read and find out.
NirvanaFrk97: Goku's willingness to kill will remain the same as it was in kills out of necessity, but it's not his first choice.
guardianx15: Fury and Trunks aren't a grew up together, and their dynamic is more brother/sister than anything.
Thunder Dragon: Thanks for the kind words; I try to improve with each chapter. Goten will appear later on. Goku and Diana have a lot of stuff coming their way.
Kabuto S. Inferno: I initially didn't plan to do anything with Vegeta and Harley's one-night stand, but so many reviewers kept inquiring about it; I finally caved in and made it more than a spontaneous event, lol. Trunks and Fury messed things up in a major way, and their blunders will be explained. Bulma was too overwhelmed by all the bombshells that were dropped on her to focus on the time travel conundrum. Time travel is very confusing. Fury, Trunks, the Justice League, and the Z-Warriors will all have their big showdown with Frieza in the next chapter. Amanda Waller is a textbook example of good intentions paving the road to hell. Don't worry; I have some big plans for Cooler down the line.
kaffeenator666: I don't know if it was you or another reviewer that I was responding to, but I meant that Goten will still be a part of this story; he just doesn't exist in Future Trunks' timeline. You'll see what Trunks' older brother is like when I do some chapters about the future timeline. Trunks' timeline in this story is vastly different than canon. There are some similarities, but not a lot. Lyssa Drak did have a vision of Trunks and Fury.
Trunks and Fury's relationship is adoptive sister and brother; that's what I tried to indicate in the previous chapter. In some ways, Future Trunks' life is better in this story, but in other ways, it's not. You'll see how powerful Fury is in the next chapter. I can't answer your Goku question because that would be a spoiler, but Frieza is stronger than he was in canon.
Cadmus Island's magical protection will be explained in earnest when the Android saga begins. As far as this story is concerned, Bulma and Vegeta were the only pairings I had set in stone; everything else is still in flux. I like eccentric pairings, but I hadn't even considered Krillin and Donna. I know Donna is roughly in her early twenties physically, but I'm not quite sure if I've ever stated her specific age; I need to look that up. Goku, Diana, Krillin, and Donna could go on double dates, lol.
CRUDEN: You'll get to see what Harley and Vegeta's child is like in a future chapter.
Jackalope89: That's basically what I plan to do with Zatanna. I think she'll be a better fit amongst the younger cast of characters. Typically most superheroes don't take any pleasure in killing.
gotham0101: The time travel in this story will be explained in an upcoming chapter.
Anonymous Mastermind: Future Cell will not come back to the past. I always found that plotline unnecessarily confusing in canon, so I eliminated it in this story. The timeline and how it's been meddled with will be explained in future chapters. Trunks and Fury are like brother and sister, but Vegeta would be disgusted if his child dated Kakarot's offspring, lol. The Supreme Kai of time might make an appearance.
Your guesses about the Androids were all wrong, but I intentionally misdirected my readers. The poll is up now; you can vote on it. Fury is stronger than Trunks in base form, but like you said, training is the great equalizer. My favorite POV to write from was the Suicide Squad. I had a lot of fun writing those chapters. Writing Vegeta interacting with Harley Quinn, Livewire, Deadshot, and other DC villains was a blast.
Guest: Another vote for the Gohan X Raven pairing, lol. I plan on doing some chapters about Future Trunks' timeline. I can't say for sure if I'm doing weekly updates again, but that's my goal. Fury and Trunks' hijinks through time will be explored.
OrangoDBZ: Thanks for the kind words; I appreciate them.
Phoenix Empress Sol: The Android namedrop at the end of the previous chapter turned out to be a bit of a red herring.
King Julius: I haven't even thought about the Legion of Superheroes in this story, but I guess Goku Jr could be one of their members.
ENDDRAGON369: The poll is up now; you can vote on it. Cassandra is my favorite member of the bat family too.
scl04: The Vandal Savage plotline is significant and will be the catalyst for something later on. Yeah, the previous chapter was Mera's first appearance in this story. How Frieza managed to slip past the Earth's defenses will be explained soon.
Thunderer: The Android namedrop at the end of the previous chapter was an intentional misdirection, as you saw in this chapter. Some Androids appeared, but they weren't the ones anyone was expecting. Goku is a bit inconsistent regarding killing, but he usually only does it as a last resort and typically gives villains the opportunity to change.
Bebobp: Fury isn't her birth name, but it's what she goes by. In the comics, different versions of her have different names, but in this story, her real name is Hippolyta.
