Authors Notes:
thanks for the new follows definitely helps with motivation. Hope you like this chapter, Clark has some issues he needs to work out, stick to the end for my reasoning.
Earth Three (Dc)
Dr. Gero, found himself hurtling through the vast expanse of space towards Krypton. Three long years stretched ahead of him in his cozy, albeit cramped, ship as he traversed the twinkling galaxies. His spacecraft outstripped any Kryptonian vessel in terms of speed by a substantial order of magnitude.
Time was a luxury he possessed in abundance during this interstellar voyage, affording him the opportunity to meticulously refine and perfect his creation - the android that would revolutionize the very fabric of existence. Amidst the infinite silence of space, Dr. Gero took a small capsule from the depths of his pocket, its contents holding immense significance in his grand design. With a decisive press of a button, he flung the capsule into the void, and with a quiet poof, his laboratory materialized before him like a mysterious cosmic conjuration.
Surrounded by the technological marvels of his own making within the secure confines of his ship, a sense of invincibility settled over him. Dr. Gero knew that within these walls, insulated from the dangers of the cosmos, his ambitions and creations were shielded from any threat that dared to challenge his supremacy. Nothing could stop him now.
Earth Two (Db)
Clark lay there unconscious, Before anyone could react, Bruce disabled the blue beam throwing another batarang at the device, causing it to cease with a poof of smoke. Bruce rushed over to Clark, whispering his name, but there was no response. Attempting to lift Clark, Bruce found him as heavy as a lead weight. Turning around, he issued a command, "We need to get him outside. NOW," in a firm tone.
Quickly joining Bruce, Goku effortlessly lifted Clark and vanished from sight. "W-what," Bruce stuttered, bewildered by the sudden disappearance. "He's taken him outside," came the explanation from Bulma.
As Clark basked in the warm sunlight, a surge of power coursed through his body, accompanied by a flood of troubling memories—his parents' tragic deaths, his time in confinement, and the helplessness he had felt. Awakening, he found himself being carried by a man with spiky hair who gently asked, "Do you think you can stand?" Clark nodded, and the man carefully set him down.
Clark felt an unsettling detachment from himself, consumed by anger and confusion that clouded his thoughts. He grappled with a deep sense of inadequacy, blaming this unfamiliar man for his internal turmoil. Frustration peaked within Clark as he struggled with a perceived loss of control, clenching his fists tightly. In a sudden outburst, he launched a fist towards Goku.
The strike lacked speed, easily intercepted by Goku, though the impact's force rippled through his hand, causing genuine discomfort. Undeterred, Clark followed up with a left-handed blow, swiftly deflected by Goku. "Clark, I'm here to help," Goku pleaded, but Clark, consumed by his anger, remained deaf to reason, his aggression fueling an increase in speed and intensity with each attack. As Clark's assault intensified, Goku found it challenging to keep up, ultimately succumbing to a powerful blow that sent him crashing to the ground, creating a small crater upon impact.
Amidst this chaos, approaching footsteps drew Clark's attention, leading him to glimpse Bruce and a woman with vivid blue hair steadily approaching. In the background, atop a rugged outcrop, stood a figure with emerald-hued skin, accompanied by another individual exuding deep annoyance. Although anger still coursed through him, Bruce's reassuring voice cut through Clark's turmoil. "It's alright, Clark. I've found you. You're safe now," Bruce's words momentarily brought Clark back to himself, his expression shifting as recognition dawned.
Understanding the true intention of the group before him, Clark slowly regained control, the realization of his recent actions sinking in. Overwhelmed with guilt, he spun around to find Goku dusting himself off, a mix of surprise and relief washing over him. "My name is Goku." Said the man.
As Clark stood there, his tumultuous emotions gradually subsiding, he locked eyes with Goku, who now stood before him, composed and understanding.
"I'm sorry for what happened," Clark began, his tone weighted with remorse and self-reflection. "I don't know what came over me."
Goku's gaze was unwavering, filled with a reassuring kindness. "It's okay, Clark. We all face moments of struggle and confusion. What matters is how we move forward from them."
Feeling gratitude for Goku's forgiveness, Clark nodded slowly. "Thank you for understanding. I... I lost control, and I regret hurting you."
With a gentle smile, Goku nodded in return. "You didn't hurt me, well not much anyway, we all have our battles, Clark. But we can learn and grow stronger from them. You're not alone in this journey."
Bruce, stepping closer with the woman by his side, added, "We're here to help, Clark.
As time stretched on, the assembled group took turns sharing their stories, detailing how they had each arrived at this moment. Surprisingly, even the green-skinned individual, whom Clark discovered was named Piccolo, contributed to the narrative.
Bruce's account particularly captivated Bulma, her keen intellect resonating with his own. As each piece of the puzzle fell into place, Bruce felt a sense of unease creeping in, especially concerning the revelations about the mysterious Dr. Gero.
After wrapping up the conversation, Bruce stood up decisively. "I need to contact Alfred and let him know I'm alright. He must be worried," Bruce stated with a sense of urgency.
"Alfred?" Bulma inquired, her curiosity piqued. "Uh, yeah, he's my butler, or rather, more than that to me," Bruce explained.
"A butler? You must be wealthy then," remarked Bulma, her interest in Bruce deepening. Meanwhile, Vegeta, seated on the rock, observed the exchange with growing irritation.
The group re-entered the lab, with even Vegeta following behind. Once inside, Bruce outlined how he had initially opened the portal. Realizing that mastering the portal system would take excessive time, he opted for a more direct approach, choosing to force open the original portal he had used.
A swift scan revealed that remnants of the portal still lingered. In just an hour, Bruce and Bulma ingeniously hacked together a mechanism to reopen the portal, showcasing their intellect far beyond the comprehension of the others present. While Goku had ventured off to find food, he returned just as the portal shimmered back to life, its once inert black void beginning to expand.
Bruce fiddled with the communication device. "Alfred, are you there?" he inquired. "Master Wayne, are you alright? You had me worried," came the concerned response. "I'm fine, Alfred. In fact, I've found allies. Unfortunately, I'll be away for a while. I need you to cover for me," Bruce explained. Silence ensued before Alfred responded, "Okay, Master Wayne. Please stay safe and avoid doing anything reckless," the butler advised.
As the communication concluded, the portal began to close. "Interesting," Bruce and Bulma remarked simultaneously, both recognizing the peculiar influence of radio waves that seemed to sustain the portal's open state.
The time had come for the challenging task of deciphering the equipment. Bulma swiftly realized that she needed to relocate Dr. Gero's equipment to her laboratory. It took a little over a day to complete the equipment transfer. Witnessing the advanced technology of this world left Bruce in utter amazement. He was introduced to a tablet that surpassed the capabilities of his supercomputer back home, connected to a global network that granted him access to limitless information. Immersed in research, Bruce spent the entire day exploring and expanding his technological knowledge.
The following day, Bruce and Bulma delved into unravelling the mysteries of the portal technology. Piccolo had departed long ago, while Vegeta devoted his time to training, channelling his anger. Left with Goku and Clark, Goku proposed, "Would you like me to give you a tour?" Clark agreed, saying, "Sure, that would be great." "Can you fly?" Goku inquired. With a nod, Clark followed Goku as they soared into the sky, sharing a moment of exhilaration.
In the initial days, Clark and Goku frequently returned to Bulma's place but found themselves lost by the world of Bruce and Bulma who's days were consumed by exploration of the portal technology, leaving little room for anything else. Consequently, Clark and Goku stuck together. Goku introduced Clark to his family, his chosen kin, and shared his personal narrative. Despite Goku's repeated attempts to engage Clark in sparring, Clark respectfully declined, showing no interest in such activities.
A month had passed, and Bruce's frustration mounted due to the lack of progress. As he settled in for the night, a sudden idea struck him. Without hesitation, he swiftly got dressed and dashed down to the lab. Bulma, sensing his movement, caught sight of Bruce's determined demeanour and knew he was onto something. She quickly changed out of her nightwear and joined him, leaving Vegeta to simmer in growing annoyance.
Together, they toiled through the night, their collaboration bearing fruit just before sunrise. They not only cracked the puzzle but also managed to access the historical records of the worlds that the device had connected to. "This must be the world Dr. Gero connected to," Bulma deduced. Bruce nodded in agreement. "This seems to align with my world," he remarked, pointing to a series of symbols displayed on the screen. "We should conduct a test with that world. I need to contact Alfred; he'll be extremely anxious," Bruce continued, a sense of urgency in his voice.
Ten minutes later, the familiar black void began to take shape. Once it was fully formed, Bruce attempted to use the comms, unsure if Alfred would be able to receive his message given the limited range of about ten miles. "Alfred," Bruce called out, "Are you there?" He was met with silence. "Alfred," Bruce tried again. After several more attempts, Alfred finally responded. "Master Wayne, I thought something had happened to you. I was attending to some business when I received the alert. My apologies for the delayed response. Are you alright, Master Wayne?" "I'm fine, Alfred. It's good to hear your voice. How are things on your end? Have you managed to cover for me?" Bruce inquired. "Yes, I concocted a story that you were unwell. After a week, I made it appear as though you had boarded a plane and returned home. I issued a press release stating that you were severely ill and unable to make any public appearances," Alfred informed. "How are we communicating then?" Bruce asked. "I connected the communications to the satellite at the base in the North Pole. It took some figuring out, and the line will eventually be discovered, but I couldn't think of another solution," Alfred explained. "Alfred, you're a genius," Bruce replied, a broad grin spreading across his face.
After exchanging a few more cordial words, they said their goodbyes. Bruce promised to get in touch with Alfred in a few days. Turning to Bulma, Bruce voiced a concern that had been bothering him. "One thing's been nagging at me. The portal can clearly have its location altered on the target world. The two attacks on Clark prove that. But how do we figure out how to set the location?" Bruce pondered. Bulma had a sudden realization. "I've got it," she declared. "You mentioned that he connected to your world twice. So, let's examine the data from the other connection."
It was a brilliant idea in theory, but no matter how much they searched, they couldn't find another connection. Bulma sighed in defeat. "Well," Bruce began, "we'll just have to comb through the code." Bulma raised an eyebrow. "There are around a million lines of code. That could take forever." "Yep, so let's get started," Bruce responded, a grin spreading across his face.
Earth Three (Dc)
After a lengthy three-year journey, the spaceship was finally nearing Krypton. The doctor had completed his android, and after combing through all the data he had gathered from Clark's ship, he had figured out how to conceal his approach. He was determined not to lose control of this android. With the ship on autopilot, he lay down next to the android. He placed a device filled with probes on his head and instructed the computer, "Activate transfer." His vision blurred and then faded to black.
When he opened his eyes, he felt different. Looking down at his body, he smiled - the transfer had been successful. This android wouldn't rebel because he was the android. Glancing over at his old body, he sneered, stood up, and walked over to it. With one hand, he tossed it over his shoulder and strolled to the airlock. Within a minute, his old body was drifting into the depths of space. "Computer, activate stealth protocol," he commanded. The ship groaned but complied. Sitting down, the doctor fell deep in thought. He needed a better name, he thought. Then he smiled. Emperor, he thought, that has a nice ring to it. And with that, he settled on his new title - Emperor Gero.
The ship stealthily navigated its way to Krypton, taking several hours to land undetected. Now an android, Gero was unfazed by the atmosphere. As soon as the ship touched down, he leapt out, testing his newfound strength. His strategy was to assimilate into Kryptonian society and gradually ascend to the council chambers. He could have potentially seized Krypton by force, their power limited by the red sun, but he preferred subterfuge.
As an immortal android, he spent years subtly increasing his influence from the shadows. The first century saw him amass power, eventually earning a seat on the council. Mysterious events unfolded in the following years, with council members suffering unfortunate accidents and being replaced by those under his control. He found a formidable ally in Zod, and together they bolstered their forces, ready to evacuate Krypton before its destruction. Earth was too distant at the time, necessitating a closer planet for colonization, but eventually, Earth would fall under his control too. Then, he would return to his Earth and rule there as well.
Earth Two (Db)
After an additional two months of diligent work, they finally managed to decipher the code and determine how to set the portal's location. With a deep breath, they activated the machine. Once the portal had materialized, Bruce opened the comms. "Alfred," he called out. They had lost communication about a month ago due to their satellite piggybacking coming undone. Bruce was eager to reestablish contact with Alfred. "M-Master Wayne," Alfred stuttered, "Are you back?" "No, but we now have full control of the portal. In fact, there should be a portal somewhere in the house. Care to take a look around?" Alfred complied and after a thorough search, he found it in one of the spare rooms. With this new data point, they refined their targeting and tried again. This time, the portal opened exactly where they wanted it to. "Alright," Bruce announced, "I'm going to gather some supplies and then return. Give me a day." Bulma nodded in agreement and with that, Bruce stepped through the portal. A day later, Bruce was waiting at the same location, growing slightly impatient. Just as he was wondering where the portal was, it opened. "Finally," he muttered out loud, then grinned and pulled his mask over his head.
Bulma was watching the portal, waiting for Bruce to return, when instead a dark, ominous figure emerged. Bulma let out a squeal. "W-who are you?" she finally managed to ask. The dark figure simply replied with a deep, clearly modified voice, "I'm Batman!"
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading. If you feel that Clark's actions were out of character, remember that this version of Clark is still young, in his early 20s. He hasn't even created the Fortress of Solitude yet and is dealing with immense pain and guilt over his mother's death. He has issues that he needs to work out befote he becames the superman we know and love.