The Saiyans being massively beefed up suddenly made more sense. They had to be, to survive this mess of a setting. While I didn't know a whole lot about DC, I did know one thing -- when a series was written over the course of nearly a hundred years, with various writers and several reboots? Things get messy. Very messy. Like, one of the things I knew about DC was that they used to have a whole bunch of universes. Before they got destroyed.
Sure hope I'm not in one of those. That'd suck.
But, even if I was, it wasn't like I could do much about it at this stage. I'd wait to save the multiverse when I had a dozen zeroes added to my power level.
In any case -- Bardock turned out to be full of very useful information and general advice. On his recommendation, we planned to ditch the Attack Balls that our people used as soon as possible in favor of a more generic ship design to slip by patrols more easily. He also mentioned how we’d need a translator so we could understand most other languages, especially the ones that didn’t have mouths. The more he spoke, the more clear it became that I was in a fused universe.
There was enough Dragonball for me to recognize it. Like the Galactic Patrol -- they were a police force that flew around the Milky Way galaxy, putting out fires and trying to carve out a peaceful life for the galactic community. No such luck there on the account that DC's space scene was almost exclusively filled with bloodthirsty warmongers, like the Saiyans. What’s more, unlike Dragon Ball, the Galactic Patrol didn’t represent any kind of government entity but was instead answerable to the Guardians of the Universe. And while I didn't learn anything about the Namekians or Yardrat, given that Frieza was here, it felt like a safe bet to assume that there was a fusion of the settings going on.
And there were things that felt a bit… off, because of the fused setting. While there were a lot of empires across the galaxy, and even more individual planets and races operating on the galactic stage, all with their own currencies, all of them could be exchanged for Trade Organization credits. So, it almost gave the impression that the galaxy was more unified, but Bardock was quick to put those thoughts to rest.
If things were unified and peaceful, then the Saiyains would be out of a job. As it was, they had more work than they knew what to do with.
“I thought Bardock said that we shouldn't bother with the board here,” Caulifla questioned, her hands on her hips as we both gazed up at the notice board in question. It was a hologram, one of several which were placed at various points throughout Capital Vegeta. The hologram presented itself as a tall pillar, and around it were contracts that were on offer.
Protecting cargo through dangerous sectors of space. Stealing something from some alien race. A wide selection of bounties placed on various dangerous figures. All general mercenary stuff for the most part.
“I just wanted to see what they had to offer,” I admitted. This, I knew, was only a portion of the contracts offered to the Saiyan race. We were Low-Class, meaning that we got the scraps the higher classes didn't want. Which is why we got a wide selection of things that either sounded boring or were wildly outside our ability, but were beneath the ability of a High-Class or even Mid-Class warrior.
I knew it because I also saw recruitment posters for various campaigns for Low-Class warriors. There were dozens of planets that were recruiting warriors to launch an invasion, and the holographic posters were complete with a couple of bullet points to help catch the eye:
5 meals a day
All loot taken belongs to the one who took it.
All Saiyan Warriors receive a base .5% payout if planet is sold to PTO, but with options to increase payout upon completion of specialist missions
Slave pens will be provided*
Then, beneath the bullet point was an elaboration on the asterisk: ‘Food for slaves will not be provided.’
I had prepared myself for it, but it was a very stark reminder that Saiyans weren't humans. I mean, humans were hardly without sin, but this… This was different. The Saiyan race was that of mercenary warmongers and they were utterly unashamed of that fact. They embraced it, even.
It really got me thinking where this personal crusade of mine ended. I was trying to fix how they raised their kids because it was monstrous and barbaric. But could I even do something like fix this? Was it even possible?
Almost thankfully, before my thoughts had a chance to spiral, I heard a voice call out to me. A familiar voice. “Tarble,” I heard and I glanced over to see Turles, who approached me with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. I wasn't surprised by his presence -- I spent a month memorizing his ki signature, so there was no mistaking him. “I see King Vegeta didn't exaggerate. You managed to survive that wound I gave you.”
He was flanked by four others. One had a scar on his face, another cut his hair down until he was a skinhead, a third was freakishly tall despite the fact that he was still proportioned like a kid, while the last one… it was something of a sight to see -- imagine being born with a mullet hairstyle, and being unable to change it. All four of them were powerful. On par with Turles himself, though he was stronger by a few hundred points. I'm guessing that was his team.
“Turles. Looks like your tail grew back. Healing pods sure are something, huh?” I replied, making his scowl deepen as I glanced at his tail that was wrapped around his waist. “You lookin’ for a mission?” I asked him, and in response, Turles sneered so hard it was a genuine wonder that he didn't sprain anything.
“Don't be absurd, you trash. We hardly need to pick at the leftovers like you, Tarble,” he growled in my general direction. He was expecting fear from me. He expected that I would be intimidated. It actually took me a second to figure out why -- he didn't know I was stronger than him. It was an easy mistake to make, honestly. I hadn't seen anyone wearing a scouter yet, so I guess without Ki sense, it was a lot harder to just eyeball someone's power level. “Arula's father is High-Class. It has been arranged for us to accept far more appropriate missions for our strength.”
“Nepotism, huh?” I said, looking to Mullet. Or Arula, I guess. He just stared back at me with his arms crossed, glaring at me with eyes full of suspicion. “Well, that's good for you, I guess. You'll need whatever help you can get.”
“That's my line,” Turles hissed, taking a threatening step forward. “I haven't forgotten the humiliation you gave me, Tarble.”
“I'd be worried if you did. It happened a couple of days ago,” I replied blandly, and I could see his frustration mounting. I wasn't cowering from him, and he didn't like it. Because, in the end, Turles was a school yard bully who could level a mountain if he wished.
“I see you recruited from your pathetic tribe,” Turles continued. “Weak trash that couldn't even protect themselves,” he needled, getting the reaction he wanted out of Caulifla when she took a step to meet him. I stopped her with a hand, and Turles smirked at me. “Unlike me -- I recruited amongst the strongest in the Wilds. Tarble, meet Arula, the Sea King. Rako, the Sky King. Bassel, the Desert King. And Daiko, the Mountain King.”
My gaze flickered over all of them, my expression betraying nothing. That was actually good news for my tribe. They wouldn't have to deal with these underachieviners. “Nice ta’ meetcha’, I guess,” I replied with a dismissive shrug.
Caulifla scoffed, “Not sure why you're bragging about teaming up with some like minded losers like you. You lot stayed in the Wilds because you knew you wouldn’t amount to much outside of it.” And, damn, that poked a nerve. Immediately, all of them bristled with Arula taking a step forward, raising a fist, but I stopped him cold with a hand to his chest.
His eyes snapped to mine, his gaze widening a fraction as he sensed my strength. Then to confirm it for him, I pushed him back lightly.
“King Vegeta has forbidden us from killing each other,” I reminded lightly.
“We were going to leave you alive,” Turles spat.
“I don't think King Vegeta is the type who would appreciate rules lawyering,” I replied, my tone still decidedly even. “So, how about we just go our separate ways for the next decade-” I started by Arula interjected.
“Decade?” He asked sharply, and I favored him a look. Mullet or not, he was sharper than I expected. The mullet was excellent camouflage for his intelligence.
“The competition ends when I have my final growth spurt,” I informed him. “I left the tank a month ago, almost to the day. So, a decade and some change.” He recoiled at that, telling me that he and the others had thought I was a lot older. Turles, I knew, was at least six years older than me. The others could be even older than that and fast approaching their first growth spurt. “So, as I was saying… the galaxy is a big place. Let's not see each other again. See ya’.”
It took a little force to get Caulifla to follow along, and she still stuck her tongue out, but we managed to walk away without a fight. Though, not without Turles getting the final word.
“I didn't just do some recruiting in the Wilds!” Turles shouted after me with a burning hostility. “I made sure everyone was going to start coming after those pathetic weaklings you care so much about!”
I stopped when I heard that, clenching my jaw. That was unwelcome news. My tribe had already lost some of our heavier hitters when they thought I was dead, and I took more when I brought Caulifla, Cabba, and Raditz with me. Because I underestimated how much a sore loser Turles was, I might have put them in a very dangerous position.
But Caulifla elbowed me in the side, and she made a show of rolling her eyes. “Have a little faith in the others, idiot. they're not just going to roll over.”
I blew a breath out, “You're right. Thanks, Caulifla,” I said as we resumed walking away. I resisted the urge to glance over my shoulder, but I could feel it in my bones. Sooner or later, Turles was going to make me regret that I had been unwilling to kill him.
…
“I packed your lunch, your second lunch, and your before dinner snack,” Gine said, presenting Raditz with a small mountain of food. I had no idea how he was going to fit it into the Attack Ball he stood before. The Attack Balls, at least, remained unchanged, though they were a bit bigger than they seemed in the anime. They were a single-man space ship in the form of a ball, a window to look through, a chair to sit in, but that was about it. “Now, remember -- if strangers offer you food to get into their spaceship, only take it after you've beaten them up.”
“I remember,” Raditz said, his tone mortified that we were seeing his mom fuss over him. It was sweet. Gine was one of the good ones.
Cabba did seem a bit amused at his expense, but Caulifla was looking out at the ramp leading to the circular dock where the Attack Balls were parked. There was an expression on her face that said she was expecting to see someone. Only that person never arrived, leading her to tsk under her breath before climbing into her ship.
“Good luck on your mission, Raditz! And don't forget to visit!” Gine called out as Raditz was just barely able to close the door to his Attack Ball. Cabba gave me a nod before entering his. But, before I entered mine, I glanced in the direction of someone who was watching from afar.
Despite the considerable distance between us, I found my gaze meeting Vegeta's as he stood at the top of a building. He was scowling with his arms crossed, a red cape fluttering in the wind. His eyes narrowed a fraction when our gazes met, but after a moment, he mouthed some words to me.
“Don't die?” I echoed, a grin finding its way onto my face. It was more reassuring than I cared to admit. “Don't plan to,” I told him, giving him a thumbs up before I entered my ship.
I took a breath as the door closed behind me. Sitting on the only chair, I placed my arm in a ring before I felt a small prick. The ship was now linked to my vitals, which would allow it to put me in hibernation. “Everyone ready?”
“No! You didn't tell us where we're going!” Caulifla pointed out while I began to plot out a course while our ships were syncing up. It was actually kind of weird -- it was my first time in one of these ships, but because of the incubators, I knew exactly how to pilot one.
“We're going to the Vega System,” I told them, watching as the computer plotted out the best course. It probably wasn't the best choice, I could admit to myself. But there was a heavy pull to it because it was one of the few places in DC that I recognized. Tamaran, the home of Starfire in Teen Titans, resided in the Vega system. Which wasn't reason enough alone to go there first, but there was one other factor at play.
“We're going to the Warlords of Okaara,” I told them as our ships began to rise. “They should be able to train us.” I said, and that was my hope. Starfire was trained by them, and she was a power house. Bardock even acknowledged them when I fished for information about the Vega System. He called them ‘pretty strong, but pretty weird,’ which was a ringing endorsement to my ears.
“Then let's go!” Caulifla said, her tone eager as I cast one final look at the navigation system. We were flying from one arm of the Milky Way galaxy to another, with the projected time to reach our destination being a full year.
One year in space. That felt both incredibly fast and very slow at the same time.
Pressing confirm on the hologram projector, the Attack Balls began to lurch into action. They blasted straight up, letting me peer at the approaching stars as we swiftly left Planet Vegeta's atmosphere. And… just like that, we were in space.
“Cool,” I muttered, staring out at the stars for a moment before I closed my eyes, engaging the hibernation function. Hopefully, we'd have a smooth ride, and nothing would happen on the way.
…
My eyes snapped open to the feeling of my ship shaking, but there was no explanation for it as my window was covered with fire. The sleep immediately left my system and I got ready for action- at least until I saw the navigation system telling me that the course was complete and arrival was imminent.
“That was fast,” I noted, leaning back in my seat as the fire began to lighten up as we entered the atmosphere. It let me get a look at an alien planet. The first… well, second that I had ever seen. It was a sight to see -- the sky was more purple than it was blue, while the ground was covered in foliage that was every color that I could think of.
The Attack Balls gradually slowed until we reached the ground, where they then dropped the last few inches. After a quick check, the ship confirmed that the planet's atmosphere was breathable, so it cracked open the door with a hiss of air. And I was greeted by the sounds of nature.
“Did everyone make it?” Raditz questioned as we all left our ships. He was looking around with interest while I did a quick head count. Raditz, Cabba, and Caulifla were here with me. We were fine.
“We're here,” Caulifla confirmed. “So, where are these Warlords that are supposed to train us?” She asked, hands on her hips. I was a little amused -- it had been a year since our departure, and yet, it felt like it had only been seconds. Despite that, Caulifla's patience was already burnt through.
I closed my eyes and began to reach out with my ki sense. My range had steadily been growing the better I got and the stronger I became. I could sense plenty of wildlife, and it really was clear how utterly out of whack Planet Vegeta's wildlife was. Most animals here barely cracked 5pl. So, it was something of a jump scare for me when I felt a presence that was around… 30,000pl strong enter my range.
“Ugh. The gravity feels weird here,” I heard Cabba complain. And he was right on that -- I hadn’t realized it, but I’d gotten used to Planet Vegeta’s gravity. I’m not sure what Okaar had, but it was way lighter than our home planet. The air smelled a little weird too. Kinda… sweet?
“I sensed someone, I think. We can ask for directions, hopefully,” I said, pointing through the forest that we found ourselves in. It was dense and heavy, with a humidity that Planet Vegeta lacked. Activating the camouflage on the Attack Pods, I started to fly up into the air to get a better view of what we were dealing with. I wanted to make sure we were approaching an Okaaran rather than some powerful animal.
“When are you going to teach us that trick?” Raditz questioned, and I gave him a smirk.
“That’s going to be part of the training,” I replied. My concerns were still there, but they were lessened dramatically. And ki sense would be a must for them to develop as quickly as I needed them to. Even if we didn’t learn anything here, we could farm Zenkai Boosts at least to a power level of 30k. “You just gotta expand your senses with your ki. Give it a try on the way.” I urged before the four of us took off flying.
The ki signature that I sensed was a couple of hundred miles away, if not a thousand, but I could see that while he wasn’t a monster, he might not be that far off. He was a giant, if nothing else. Seated on a cliff, a very large man sat -- even at a distance, he seemed big. I’d put him at around fifteen to twenty feet tall. He had light blue skin with tusk-like teeth protruding from the corners of his mouth. But, other than that, he seemed vaguely Saiyanoid. Two arms, two legs, ten fingers and toes.
We were quite in our approach, but when we arrived, before I could utter a word, the Okaaran’s eyes opened. “A Saiyan, hm?” He rumbled with a heavy voice. “It has been quite some time since some of your kind have come to conquer Okaara.”
“Not conquer,” I hastily corrected with a shake of my head. “We’re here to learn,” I elaborated, but I didn’t see the reaction that I wanted. Or, at least I think I didn’t. It was hard to read alien body language. “Raditz’s dad said that you guys are some of the best warriors in the galaxy. Well, long story short, King Vegeta is an asshole who forced me into a stupid game, and if I don’t win it, my tribe is going to get annihilated.”
“Hmmm…” The Okaaran hummed, closing his eyes once more. There was a moment of silence as he considered that. Then, a couple more moments. Then a minute went by before Caulifla shot me a dirty look.
“You really want us to learn from these guys? I think he’s stupid. Or asleep?” She muttered, and I think he might have taken offense to that because his eyes opened once more.
“Whatever I might be, I am not deaf,” he remarked, less offended and more amused. “I was merely testing what you said -- and there are no other Saiyans on the planet. You are not at the forefront of an invasion. How unusual.”
“Sooo…?” I trailed off, trying to read the guy’s vibe, but he wasn’t making it easy.
“Your situation sounds dire, young one,” he noted, including his head to me. “Many come to Okaara to gain strength for many reasons, but we accept only a few and the worthy. Those who have the temperament to understand when and how to use violence. That is not something I believed I could say about a Saiyan.” Well, it looks like we had a reputation.
But there was a nugget of hope. “Past tense?” I pointed out, and that got a small smile from the giant.
“Indeed, past tense,” he agreed. “Your spirit is kind. Strong but gentle. The others with you are rougher, but you are all young. The roughness can be smoothed away, and the rashness tempered.” Slowly, he began to rise, and I think I was right on the mark with how tall he was. “You may call me Ulf. Follow me, children. Let us see what you know and what you have yet to learn.”
Then he promptly jumped off the cliff that he had been sitting at the edge of. The other laughed all the way down.
He hit the ground with a slight bending of his knees before he seemed to vanish in a burst of speed. I nearly lost him, and I might have without my ki sense. I took off after him, urging the others to fly as fast as they could. We weaved through trees at breakneck speeds, and it wasn't anything too unfamiliar to us. At least until I saw a small rock being flicked towards us from ahead and I batted it away with a hand.
That was just the opening volley as I suddenly found that we were being barraged with stones from all angles. My initial reaction was that Ulf brought some friends, but I only sensed his presence nearby. He was just moving that fast. He wasn't teleporting or anything, but he would bounce around ahead of us with bursts of speed, flick a rock our way, then vanishing in another burst of speed.
If nothing else, it was proof that I made the right call coming here as we continued to give chase under the barrage. I didn't really know much about the Okaaran species, but I saw why Bardock called them strong.
“Bunch up and follow me -- I'll take everything from the front and above, you get the rest,” I told them. The three obeyed my orders swiftly and I found myself darting between the rocks that came faster and faster. The others were able to keep up with their own much smaller areas, but I still heard the occasional yelp when one stone slipped through. “He's fast,” I noted, expanding my role just a bit to make sure that none slipped through.
Ki blasts erupted from my hands, thinning out the stones to help them block. A mistake, as it turned out, because Ulf proved that he was only using a fraction of his speed and the onslaught intensified five times over.
“Get close!” I ordered, backing up and throwing up my hands. Taking a sharp breath, I formed a ki ball that enveloped the four of us. It protected us from the stones, but that just made them come harder as Ulf tried to shatter the dome.
“Is this guy really trying to train us?” Raditz questioned, rubbing a bruise on his forehead.
“I think if he was trying to kill us, we’d already be dead,” Cabba replied, looking at me for our next move.
“He’s slowing down to throw the stones,” I said, still tracking him. We were continuing straight ahead as that seemed to be the general direction he was leading us. “On my mark, I'm going to shoot forward and when we reach him, I'll drop the shield.” I got noises of agreement and, with that, I blasted forward with my true speed and closed the distance between us and Ulf in a moment.
His expression betrayed no surprise, but I think he was amused as we tried to jump him. The others leaped into action the moment the shield was down, going in for the attack and… no one as big as Ulf had any business being half as fast as he was. His hands were the size of our entire bodies, and yet they deftly blocked our blows with impeccable precision.
“Your teamwork has a good foundation. Your reflexes are quick, and your blows are mighty. However,” Ulf continued before a hand blurred before me and he poked me with a finger that was about the size of my torso. “It is clear that you are not used to your strength, and you take too much upon yourself because you are strong. This is a good thing, but too much protection shall see that those beside you cannot flourish.”
My back slammed into a tree, and it was surprisingly sturdy as it managed to endure the impact. I struggled to get some air in my lungs so I could get back in the fight, but Ulf had evidently seen enough.
“Too reckless,” he said to Caulifla, giving her the same finger poke. “Those who cannot take risks in combat shall never be victorious, but those who are headless to danger shall only find a quick death.”
“Too timid,” Ulf continued to Cabba, sending him flying. “You rely too much on the strength of your fellows and supporting them. One must be able to help themselves if they are to help others.”
Raditz was the only one left and his panic was clear, only when he braced for the finger poke, it never came. “It is natural to fear pain, child. But you cannot allow that fear to rule you, or you shall never realize your potential.” With that, he poked Raditz in the chest gently. Which felt a little unfair, but whatever.
Then Ulf chuckled to himself, “I've never had the pleasure of training Saiyans before. You are a warrior species, and it shows. This shall be… interesting,” he decided, nodding to himself before he started walking away. “Do follow me, children.”
“I'm… gonna… beat him up…” Caulifla groaned as the rest of us picked ourselves up.
“Um… Ulf -- how did you get so strong?” Cabba asked, rubbing his chest. “Is that what you're going to teach us?”
Ulf neglected to answer for a moment as if he were considering the question. Or, so I thought at least, as I sensed other presences entering my range. It was a small group of around two dozen or so. “That question is more difficult to answer than you realize,” Ulf said, striding forward and I realized that we were approaching another cliff. I could hear the sound of crashing water from a waterfall.
“Much like your own, the Okaaran species is one of war. In the ages of old, our warrior blood was awoken and we ravaged the world in our clashes,” he said, reaching the edge of another cliff and I saw the group that entered my range. There were three Okaaran adults, but the rest of the dozen were children of various species. About half of which were Okaarans. “One day, it became clear that we must master our bloodlust or we would destroy our home, and that would be the end of our species.”
He dropped from the cliff, but even as he fell the odd thousand feet, he spoke calmly. “Master ourselves we did. Through discipline and understanding of our nature, we were able to control it. And thus, we could control ourselves.” He landed lightly, barely bending his knees as he continued onward. “And it is there that you four must start. You must achieve oneness with yourselves. That is more important than skill at fighting, wielding weapons, or commanding armies -- though, of course you shall learn how to do those as well.”
That's exactly what I was looking for. I don't think I was making bad progress given that I was only a month- well, a year and a month into this new life, but it felt like I could be doing better. I just wasn't sure of the way forward on how. Coming here was a gamble, but one that looked like it was going to pay off.
“But it is through the skills of a warrior that you shall master yourselves. You shall realize your true potential, not only as warriors, but as people,” Ulf continued and it was only then that the group took notice of us.
A girl in the group, who looked like they were practicing katas, noticed us first. My gaze met the bright green tinted eyes of the girl first, and I noted that all of her eye was tinted green. Her hair was a dark red while her skin was light orange. I wasn't sure how old she was at a glance, but I would put her at around a preteen, if I had to guess. There was no mistaking her.
That was Starfire.
And she was joined by someone surprising, who noticed that Starfire was looking in our direction. Pitch black hair as dark as our own, but her eyes were a dark violet. Her skin was pale, only carrying hints of an orangish hue to it. I recognized her as well, even if I was surprised to see her here with Starfire.
That was her sister, Blackfire.
“Your attention-” One of the Okaaran's began to scold them, only to glance in the direction they were looking in. The moment he did so, he immediately dropped to a bow with his head lowered. “Master Ulf!” He exclaimed, bringing attention to us, and all the Okarrans in the field immediately bowed.
Oh. Looks like we ran into someone important.
“Please, stand. I bring you some potential students who found me meditating,” Ulf greeted them good naturedly, and now I was eying him a bit suspiciously. Did I just run into a Master Roshi type character? “It is a good thing. My old bones could use the exercise!”
“But, Master Ulf, they're-” one of the adults started, looking at me. Or, rather, my tail that was wrapped around my waist. There was hostility in his eyes and, if he was a Saiyan, I'd say he was gearing up for a fight.
“They are children who have come seeking guidance,” Ulf interjected softly but firmly. “Though I understand your concerns quite well. Which is why I shall aid you in teaching this class -- else I fear they'd have the run of it!” He said with a laugh while the adults shared a glance. It looked like they wanted to protest, but that was quickly put to rest with the news he would be joining them. Then their eyes widened and the hostility was forgotten, replaced with eagerness and excitement.
Ulf looked to me, “Take your place amongst the students. Every day we start with stretches!” He said, and I nodded, flying over. I already knew that he was strong, and now I was getting the impression that this guy was a master amongst masters. So, I was going to learn everything that he had to teach and I was going to learn it as fast as I could.
The others were just as motivated, falling in line with all the others. And, as I looked over the kids we would be joining, I saw a similar reaction to what the adults had. There was apprehension, if not outright fear. There was some hostility too.
The kids were a mixed bunch, though. The Okarrans were freakishly big, but nowhere near as big as Ulf. They only towered over the rest of us at around eight feet tall. There were two greenish looking blobs, and whatever they were saying was lost on my translator as they whispered amongst themselves. It sounded like they were hawking lugies at each other. No idea what they were, but I don't think they were happy to see us.
As we took our place, the only ones that didn't seem at least somewhat hostile were Blackfire and Starfire, though even they looked a little wary.
So, I offered a friendly grin to them both, and watched as the cautiousness in Starfire's eyes melted away before she returned the smile a hundred fold. We didn't speak, as Ulf took center stage to conduct the warm ups… but, together, we began to learn.