Gone Native: Earth Saga (DBZ/DC Comics)

[Ideas-Guy]

Welcome to the sequel to Going Native! It's been a long time coming, and after about 500k words, we have finally reached earth. That being said, I did want to mention something for the new readers.

I know it's unreasonable to ask that you read 500k words before your read Gone Native, which covers Tarble's adventures on Earth. For that reason, reading Going Native is not strictly needed. I wanted to make Gone Native a jumping-in point, so I made the Prologue as new reader-friendly as possible. It covers pretty the things you need to know about for context with Tarble as he heads to Earth.

That being said, it's extremely spoiler-heavy for Going Native. So, this is your heads up.

…

"My name is King Tarble of the Saiyan race. Many of you know me in one form or another. To some, I was your ally and leader. To most, I was your most hated enemy, the one that brought death and destruction to your homes and families. Perhaps I still am those things, but times can change. They have changed." I spoke, my words simple and clear. A single projector recorded the live broadcast that would reach every corner of the galaxy.

"Lord Frieza, CEO of the Trade Organization, is dead. Slain by my hands," I continued, staring ahead. My appearance was unkempt. I was still covered in dried blood even if my wounds had closed. My attire of a black, skintight undersuit was ripped and torn until it was little more than a pair of shorts, my modesty only being kept by a red folded cloth around my waist. "But, I am not here to tell you that I am taking his position as CEO."

I took in a deep breath and continued. "Sixteen years ago, when I was three months old, I took part in the mission that began the Reach-Trade Organization War. For sixteen long years, I have fought that war to the best of my ability. At first, I was a soldier. Then I became a leader. The number of soldiers under my command grew in size until I became the Supreme Commander for all of the Trade Organization Armed Forces. Trillions upon trillions of soldiers called me their leader. They entrusted me with their lives and to understand the values they had, not just as soldiers in my armies, but as living, breathing, sentient people."

"I did my best to do so," I told the galaxy, no shame in my voice. "I threw away my ideals. My conscience and beliefs. I became ruthless. I slaughtered all those that would call my soldiers their enemy without remorse. I fought the war with everything that I had -- all of my strength, all of my might, and all of my ability." I lived for the war. I fought my entire life to end the war I had helped start, even as it all spiraled out of control and the entire galaxy called us their enemy.

"Which is why I can no longer be a part of the Trade Organization," I continued. "This war that has taken trillions of lives was started for the sole purpose of selling Trade Organization brand merchandise to the galaxy. It was for this reason and many others that Frieza and I came to blows, which lead to his death along with the destruction of Planet Vegeta… and the death of my eldest Brother Vegeta, my Father King Vegeta, and my team; Bardock, Tora, Fasha, Shugesh, and Borgos."

"Effective immediately, my empire and that of my brother are severing all ties to the Trade Organization. All those that wish to remain loyal to the Trade Organization are free to keep their loyalty outside of our borders. All those that wish to remain are now my citizens and are declared free of the bonds of slavery that the Trade Organization inflicted upon us. Suitable planets will be given for races that wish to gather if your home planet is unavailable." I had no clue how many would stay or how many would leave.

It didn't matter.

"Additionally, all hostilities with the Federation, the Reach, and the Trade Organization will cease immediately. You are no longer my enemy unless you foolishly choose to be so. All military actions are to be suspended. A grace period of one week will be granted for extraction. Any found within our borders after that period will be considered to have made a declaration of war, which I will answer accordingly with excessive and unreasonable force."

I let out a breath and stared at the camera, "For my entire life, I have fought for the idea of peace. Now that I have it, I will fight to keep this peace."

"That is all," I finished, and ended the broadcast. The red light went off, telling me that the camera had stopped rolling, leaving me free to drag a hand down my face. It continued down until it reached the Nth metal necklace around my neck. On it was a power ring of every color, except for Hope. A green ring from Kaylark, the first green lantern I had ever seen. Yellow from Sinestro. Red from a magic-user named Wrath, whose race had been exterminated by Vegeta after failing to exterminate the Saiyan race. Purple from Indigo, whose tribe attempted to brainwash me. The orange was taken from Larfleeze, and the pink was a gift from the pink lanterns after they healed me during the battle of the Vega system.

There was also a small knucklebone that was fed through the green ring at the center of my necklace. The knucklebone of the previous Super Saiyan that had destroyed Sadala, and a gift from the Saiyan God Yamoshi.

I pinched it between my fingers, recalling the words that the god had imparted on me before he vanished -- to find a reason to make a fist.

I found my reason. Consequences or not, I was seeing it through until the bitter end.

Blowing out a sigh, I let go of the necklace as I strode forward towards the command center in the ship I had commandeered from the Guardians of the Galaxy. Though, I suppose it had been in Saiyan hands far longer than theirs. It was the ship they had used to monitor our race after they tampered with our genetics. It had been used by the Saiyans to escape Sadala when the previous Super Saiyan blew it up, then used by me when I blew Planet Vegeta up. The screens displayed the estimated aftermath.

A supermassive black hole enveloped the entirety of the system. Planet Vegeta was gone. As were the rest of the planets in the system, on top of the sun. All absorbed by the black hole caused by using the Warworld's self-destruct sequence to kill Frieza.

Even as Super Saiyans, he had been too strong for me and Bardock. A firm reminder that I was not the most powerful person in existence just because I was a Super Saiyan. For all the power I now had, there were some that I would be considered weak when compared to.

Bringing up another screen, I brought up the estimated position of a previously Federation fleet. Feeding the coordinates into the ship, it began preparations before it launched itself through the vacuum of space at speeds I could barely comprehend. Various methods of teleportation became the go to means for interstellar travel -- slipspace mainly, but there were others -- but the ship was simply so fast that it had comparable speeds.

It would also give the ships that would surge to my location for the treason that I had just committed a false lead. My entire life, I had been a slave to Frieza. A favored one for the most part, which allowed me the privilege to take ownership of the planets that I or my forces took, which was only suspended when I became Supreme Commander. I had carved out an empire of my own out of the Reach and Thanagarian Empires, as had my brother.

I didn't even know how many systems I owned anymore, much less how many planets. Vegeta had conquered even more than I had. What I did know was that our empires combined made us comparable in size to what was left of the Reach Empire. The Federation dwarfed us both put together, but the Federation was still very new. It had been formed in response to me, after all. It was still divided internally and would likely remain so if it didn't fall apart.

The Trade Organization, however, just lost about a fifth of its overall territory with my departure.

It would take time to see what consequences that would have for the Trade Organization, much less for the galaxy as a whole. The ink on the peace treaty that I had spilled oceans of blood for hadn't dried before I killed Frieza or announced my leaving the Trade Organization. It was entirely possible for the Federation and the TO to resume the war. The Reach might as well. The various lantern corps would likely intervene too.

I've spent my entire life at war and I was sick of it. They could fight amongst themselves until the entire universe was devoid of life for all I cared, I had had enough. So long as they didn't take it anywhere near my borders, they could do whatever they wanted.

Thanks to the speed of the ship, I didn't have much time to dwell on the aftermath of my decision. It was no Warworld, but it had its own charm to it. Before long, I arrived at the estimated location of the fleet to find it drifting through space. It looked like some of the ships had seen some level of combat, but according to memory, none had been destroyed.

They were Federation ships stolen to prevent my race from dying on planet Vegeta. I'm not sure if the diplomats got out, but I mostly didn't care. At least not in comparison to my other worries. The ship I was on flew through space, greeting the fleet with a hail, as I stretched out my ki sensing ability to its absolute limit in search of what was left of my family.

There were millions of power levels to sort through. As much of a relief as it was that my gambit had worked, I could only focus on the fact that I couldn't find-

"There you are," I breathed, a coil of tension releasing from my chest. I ordered the ship to approach the flagship, finding what was left of my family there. Mom and Elery, my little sister. The ship accepted my hail and allowed me to dock.

Mom proved that she cared little about the integrity of the ship by just flying straight down to me, tearing through floors and walls like they were wet tissue paper. The action caught the attention of others as word rapidly spread. In a moment, she had torn through the hull, laying her eyes on me. Elery wasn't far behind -- looking at them both, while Vegeta and I favored our father, Elery looked exactly like Mom.

A mane of black hair with a single bang drifting towards their eyes, strong jawlines that met with a pointed chin. They even shared a savage smile. They still wore Frieza-Force armor tank tops and undersuits. That was going to have to change.

"Tarble? Where's Vegeta?" Mom questioned, her eyes narrowing into slits as she glanced at the ship behind me. Expecting Vegeta to walk down the ramp.

My lips thinned while I adverted my gaze, only to land on the next to worst person that I could have picked. Kakarot stood behind Elery, Gine, and Raditz behind him. Kakarot looked exactly like his father, just minus the x shaped scar on his cheek. That made it worse. So much worse.

Time hadn't sorted my feeling at all for Bardock. He had been my mentor. He had been a father to me.

Yet, he betrayed me. He betrayed me in the worst way possible and I didn't know if I had it in me to forgive him.

"Tarble… where is Vegeta?" Mom questioned again, an edge in her voice. Gine looked hopeful as well.

I took in a deep breath, looking at her and finding a stream of Saiyans pouring through the hole she made to listen in. I managed to meet her eyes and for all of my willpower, I nearly looked away again. This talk was so much more difficult when it was someone you know. Someone you cared about.

"Vegeta…" Vegeta was murdered. Assassinated. "Vegeta is dead. He was killed by…" Fasha. Snipped with a Nth metal slug from a railgun. On the orders of Bardock. "Frieza."

Mom closed her eyes for a moment and nodded, giving no sign of how the loss was affecting her. Elery looked devastated. I hadn't thought she liked Vegeta much. It seemed that I was wrong once again. Mom opened her eyes, her gaze steely. "Tell me what happened to your brother."

I couldn't tell her the truth. Vegeta… when our father tried to make me heir, he tried to murder me. Then and there. He had planned for it for some time, he rejected any compromise I tried to make so we didn't have to kill one another. All because of his damn pride. Only for it all to go so terribly wrong.

I didn't want that to be how he was remembered. The brother that tried to kill me only to be assassinated. The heir that was second best.

"Frieza ordered King Vegeta to make me the heir because he knew Vegeta wouldn't accept it. When King Vegeta tried to tell us, he was killed by Frieza. That… made Vegeta become a Super Saiyan," the two words reverberated through the filling room. The two words that were a myth and a legend to our people. A state of existence that was covered by every Saiyan.

Mom rocked back a step while Elery gaped, some of the other Saiyan children practically vibrating where they stood at the idea that there had been a Super Saiyan.

My gaze slid to Gine, Kakarot, and Raditz. I had no clue what they knew about the plot. There was a savage and angry part of me that wanted to kill them, just because they might have known or helped in some way. The other part of me ached, mourning the loss of my team. My friends. My family.

The love didn't go away because I hated them, and that made it so much worse.

"Frieza feared the Super Saiyan legends, and when Vegeta became the Legendary Super Saiyan, he tried to kill Vegeta. They fought- we fought against him. That's when I called for the evacuation," I told Mom, and everyone listening, an abridged version of the truth. The truth that Vegeta would be remembered by.

He was the first Super Saiyan in a thousand years. That he died fighting against Frieza, the tyrant that had kept his foot on our race's neck since he took over the Trade Organization. That's how he should have died. Not by an assassin's bullet. I couldn't undo the past, but I could change the story so that lie would become the truth.

"Bardock, Tora, Fasha, Shugesh, and Borgos joined in on the fight," I lied. That… I hated them for what they did. They betrayed me in the worst way I could imagine. I watched my brother die before my eyes. I had been soaked in his blood. "But Frieza was too strong. He killed Fasha, Tora, Shugesh, and Borgos." Another lie.

I killed them. I hadn't been in my right mind… but I would still kill them even now.

But I couldn't say that without revealing the truth about Vegeta. If he was to be remembered as a legend, then their deeds had to be covered up.

Gine recoiled, a hand going to her mouth in shock. Raditz adopted a proud look, knowing where this was going. Kakarot just looked down at the floor, his expression hidden from me. Elery seemed to realize how he was feeling but didn't know how to comfort him. Or if she should try at all.

"Bardock became a Super Saiyan," I told the crowd, much to their elation. That was true. I was just lying about why he became a Super Saiyan and leaving out our initial fight before setting our differences aside to unite against Frieza. "The three of us fought against Frieza, but even with the three of us, Frieza was a powerful opponent. Far beyond anything we could have imagined. He ripped the Warworld from the sky and crashed it into Planet Vegeta… more than that, he was strong."

"Vegeta was killed. So was Bardock. Both of them died setting up a trap -- The Warworld self-destructed, creating the black hole that enveloped the system. I was the only one that survived the fight," I finished.

The sound of cheering masked the sound of Gine crying into her hands. Kakarot looked up at me with a distant expression, like he could see right through me. As if he could see every lie that I just said.

Mom let out a breath and walked forward, reaching out with a fist and lightly jabbing me in the shoulder. She offered me a wan smile, a sad look in her eye. "Your brother finally outdid you, huh?"

I offered a meek smile in return, not trusting myself to say anything in response to that. For most of our lives, Vegeta had found himself in my shadow. I hadn't believed it or thought he was… but he clearly had. So, this would be how he was remembered. As a Super Saiyan and the heir to our race. He lost nothing to me.

Instead, I looked out to the crowd and took a step forward. "The fight isn't over yet," I told them, making them quiet down. "The Saiyan race is free. My empire and Vegeta's are leaving the trade organization. I doubt the Cold Family will be willing to let us just leave."

That got a round of bloodthirsty smiles from the Saiyans. At one point in time, it would have shocked me to see them on what amounted to children. Most of the Saiyan race was still in their second growth spurt and a few years away from appearing like an adult.

However, one stepped forward with a frown on his face. I recognized him. A scar on his cheek that reached the side of his nose. I didn't know his name, but Elery was fond of calling him Scar-Face.

"Why should you take control over Prince Vegeta's empire?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. There was a challenge in his voice. I dwarfed him in strength, and he knew that. He spoke up only out of loyalty to my brother. I could never blame him for that. Vegeta had a very different relationship with his soldiers than I did, but his respected him every bit as mine respected me.

I took a step forward, squaring my shoulders and looking out at the crowd of Saiyans. Then I pulled at that feeling in my gut.

The Super Saiyan transformation was a violent and terrible thing. The catalyst was a moment of pure mental devastation. A moment where you snapped. When something deep down inside of you broke in a way that could never fully be restored.

For Vegeta, it had been the loss of our father. For Bardock, it was the loss of the team that died at my hands.

For me, it was… betrayal. My brother betrayed me by planning to kill me. Frieza betrayed me by that farce of a peace treaty. Bardock and the team betrayed me by plotting to overthrow my family and by murdering my brother. I betrayed everything I stood for by trying to compromise with the people I loved. The sense of betrayal I felt when I realized that everything was for nothing. Nothing at all.

The Super Saiyan transformation dredged all of that up. The wounds were already raw since it hadn't even been a full day since it happened, but as the power surged in my body, an aura of gold shimmering around me as my black hair flashed gold and my eyes blue… it felt like I was there again. The wounds were just as fresh as the first time I experienced them. That anguish felt like it was going to destroy me.

Instead, it made me stronger.

I found a reason and made a fist, completing the Super Saiyan transformation.

I said nothing. There was nothing to say. We were a species of action, after all. That much was proven when one by one, the Saiyans dropped to a knee as they looked at me with eyes filled with awe and the desire to overcome me. Every single one of them decided that they would reach this level of strength. No matter what it took.

Looking back, I saw Mom and Elery were just as shocked. Unlike the others, they understood the specifics of unlocking this transformation. Elery looked awed while Mom looked oddly sad. Looking away, I sucked in a slow breath as I felt a responsibility settle on my shoulders. One that was familiar, yet different than the one I was used to.

For the past few years, I had been the Supreme Commander.

Now, I was King. A king at peace.

Two challenges I've never experienced before.

"Now is not the time to be kneeling," I told my people as I strode through the crowd that parted for me. "There's much to do and all of you are a vital part in what comes next for our race… but first things are first," I said, reaching a holographic display. Typing up a few strokes, the hologram displayed a planet for me.

A planet that was in the boonies as far as the galaxy was concerned. Most of its surface was covered with water with several contents worth of landmass. Oxygen-based air with exactly the galactic standards for gravity. The threat level was low with primitive species populating the planet. The only noticeable thing about it was that it was located on a magical leyline in the galaxy.

It was the first planet that I had ever owned. A gift from Frieza as a reward for coming back alive from the suicide mission that instigated the war. I picked it from a catalog. It had been one of the cheapest there were, not even enough to be worth sending a team to eradicate the native population. Yet, I had picked it all the same. Because, back then, when I saw it…

I thought the word home.

"This is planet Earth," I told the Saiyans, the millions that populated the fleet.

"This will be our new home planet… and the capital of my empire."

…

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

 

[Ideas-Guy]

I approached Earth alone in an attack ball, the once favored ship of my people. The ship that once belonged to the Guardians was deposited in a safe location -- it was too valuable to risk as a general means of transportation. Not to mention that it had once belonged to the Guardians. I was perhaps the foremost expert on technology for the Saiyan race, which was mostly because what had been the working-class Saiyans had been killed over the course of the war.

The little I did know was enough for me to know that I could never outsmart the guardians when it came to technology. Much less their own technology. Much like power rings, I couldn't rely on it, because for all the ability their tech offered, it was a liability. The Guardians could take it back whenever they wanted and more often than not, that was right when you needed it the most.

Which is why I found myself racing through space in a custom-made attack ball. The Wink-drive allowed me to drastically cut down the travel time via teleportation. I preferred slip-space as a means of galactic travel, but I could recognize that the time dilation would be more of a curse than a blessing in the cramped ship. There was the added benefit that I could see information in real-time.

I had waited for the grace period to end before deciding to head to Earth. The past week has been tense, to say the least, but equally productive. The Federation was cautiously optimistic about my announcement and obeyed the order to remove all their official operations in my space. I would have to spend years weeding out the off-the-books ops, and I doubt that I would ever get them all.

The Reach Empire seemed like it was going through an internal power struggle. Koter Ve'sk, a long-standing enemy of mine, had taken control over the Reach during the war. However, it would seem that his grip had slipped and the Reach was being divided.

The Trade Organization, however, felt my departure the most keenly. There were mass defections to my empire as entire fleets and armies went rogue before turning up at my border with a white flag raised. I'm sure a number of them were spies and plants, but I accepted them all the same. My Empire swelled in population, stealing a third of the Trade Organization's military force. Which was tens of trillions of slave soldiers. Nearly a hundred trillion.

Neither King Cold nor Lord Cooler took any actions yet beyond Cooler taking command of the Trade Organization. They offered no statement of any kind, but it would only be a matter of time before that changed. They wouldn't take this lying down. My guess was that Cooler was establishing his authority and regathering the Trade Organization. After all, the Federation could smell blood in the water with Frieza's death and my betrayal and succession from the Organization.

Preparations were being made to handle the influx. Planets were repurposed to house species if I wasn't in possession of their home planet. Efforts were being made to rejoin families as well, but that was mostly a mixed bag of success. Slave soldiers were expendable to most of the Trade Organization. In my tenure as Supreme Commander, I tried to curb that belief, but…

Everyone was looking for their families. Odds were most of them were long since dead.

"Hmm…" I hummed to myself, sifting through information while issuing orders. It was very different leading an empire at peace than it was at war. The war had been a focus point -- everything that was produced was for the war. Every credit that was made went to the war. Vegeta's half of the empire was dedicated solely to producing tools of war with no economy to speak of. In fact, it had been running in a major deficit for the entirety of the war.

It was different. A challenge to so radically change the direction of the empire. Especially considering that I had done precious little governing. The empire had been a tool for me to support the war effort. For most of my empire's life span, I didn't even know what kind of system of government I had. All I had cared about was that it could support the war effort.

It was very different, but that wasn't a bad thing. The entire empire was restructuring itself. Without the Trade Organization to serve as the backbone of my economy, it was in a free fall. Materials that we had imported were cut off. Several basic and fundamental aspects to an empire were simply missing -- citizenship, education, healthcare, internal policing. The one thing I was on top of was the military which is probably why the empire hadn't imploded in the past week.

I was still over militarized and… my reputation kept people in line.

I was the Supreme Commander that fought the entire galaxy and won. I was the Saiyan that killed Frieza.

"The biggest issue is that everyone was a slave until recently," I muttered as I continued my travels to Earth. My attack ball activated the Wink-drive, teleporting me closer to the planet, shaving off a month from my estimated arrival time. The drive began charging for another jump.

The vast majority of my citizens had been slaves. However, not all slaves were created equal. There had been some that had nothing -- not even their life or name, then there were slaves like me that had money and an empire. If I left the problem of the economy alone, near ninety-five percent of my empire would live in poverty and squalor. The issue was… credits. The war economy vanished, and we didn't have a civilian economy to take up the reins.

Right now, every basic aspect of the empire was being supported by the military. Rations, relocations, and policing. However, that wouldn't last for long.

"Note: Completely restart the economy. All citizens are granted a fund. Factors such as family size, occupation, and race determine what amount is received. Have experts catalog every item, material, good, and service available to determine fair prices. Send proposal to Ada'la," I ordered. Ada'la was my manager, turned to trusted aid. It was her that I had to thank for my reputation.

I had performed the deeds, but Ada'la was the one that made sure everyone knew about them. From songs, kid shows, adult shows, soap operas, documentaries, and every other conceivable piece of propaganda. Additionally, she had been the one that shaped my empire for me.

I thought it was a pretty good plan. Money had no fundamental value beyond the value that was given to it. Given that I was the government, I think it was within my rights to turn off the economy and turn it back on again so it would function. The set prices would eventually fall or increase over time as rarity and availability changed. Hopefully, by that time, the empire would be in the swing of things with paid occupations, taxes, and other things related to money.

The Wink-drive jumped forward once again, shaving off another month from my estimated arrival. I was within the system now, racing by a planet called Pluto. Dismissing the holograms, I leaned back into my seat and looked through the window of my attack ball. It was too far to see Earth yet, but I searched the vacuum of space for it anyway.

It was minutes later, as I passed the planet called Jupiter, that I saw a spec that could be Earth. It seemed to grow with each minute that I stared, racing by Mars. My heart rate started to pick up, a feeling of anticipation making my foot bounce impatiently. It felt like it took forever for the blue spec to be anything more than a spec. It grew in size, first from a dot, then to the size of a marble, and it kept growing.

It was Earth. How many years had it been since I thought about it? It had been a while, and only because I sent Broly here to protect him from Frieza. Before that, it was years. Nearly a decade.

When did I stop considering it home? When did I stop considering myself a human in the body of a Saiyan and start considering myself a Saiyan that had once been a human? I hardly recalled anything about it. Some of that was my fault, from when I tried to get rid of my human memories, but… it had been a long war. A very long war.

I approached Earth, but it didn't feel like I was going home.

My lips curled into a frown as I sailed by the moon, punching through the atmosphere, and setting course to land. The attack ball slowed rapidly, letting me see where I was landing -- near the ocean on a sandy beach. A split second later, the attack ball slammed into the ground, sending sand and dust up. A small crater formed around the point of impact, but sand was already trying to reclaim the lost ground.

The door to the ball opened with a hiss, letting me get out. Almost absentmindedly, I tossed a capsule onto the ship, storing it inside and picking it up, before I floated upward. The air was clean for the most part. Familiar, almost, but I wasn't sure how much of that was because I thought it should be. At the very least, it lacked the recycled sterile scent of a ship. And I've smelled worse planets.

Floating up, I saw the evening sun peeking through spotty cloud coverage. Before me stretched an ocean of water that gently lapped at the beach I was on, surging and retreating time and time again. A bird flew away, likely startled by my arrival -- white with gray and black coloring at the wings. A seagull if I recall correctly.

"I'm home," I told the Earth, but it didn't feel like it was home. Planet Vegeta hadn't either. There, I had never fit in. Here… it felt like I was a stranger in my own home. I had changed too much.

But that was fine. That's what I was here for.

Earth would become the home for the Saiyan race. The others were scattered across my empire, all following their orders to crush whatever resistance they might find from pirate bands to rogue military assets. It would keep them busy. The devastation over two million Saiyans could bring to Earth… I was being cautious. I didn't want our race to destroy yet another homeworld.

"First things first -- Recon," I decided, falling back into very old habits. Habits that were formed when Bardock and the team were stuck behind enemy lines and taking planets on our own when we were vastly too weak to do so with brute force. I wasn't sure how much of that applied here, but…

I stretched out with my ki sensing ability and I found powerful people. An honestly shocking number of them. My range covered two-thirds of the Earth and there were around a hundred that could have defeated me prior to my Super Saiyan transformation. With it, that number decreased significantly, but there was still a handful.

Broly wasn't on Earth, was the first thing that I noticed. I had sent him here after he had defeated Mongul, so Frieza wouldn't know that there was a Saiyan that powerful. To protect Broly. Shayera had taken him here. I know that she had. Had Broly decided to leave in the meantime?

It was a little disappointing that I couldn't see him again, but I knew I would. Sooner or later.

I was still confident, however. Frieza at his strongest had been stronger, if only marginally. With the right tactics, I could defeat the strongest foes that the Earth could offer. I've gotten used to being outmatched, if not physically then tactically, and still securing a victory. I wasn't arrogant enough to assume that this would be the case now, which is why I decided to be cautious.

Most of the Earth's population was located in cities and it would seem that was where powerful individuals gathered. My attention shifted to the left -- the beach stretched on for some distance in a jagged pattern before giving way to stone cliffsides. Beyond them, I saw a skyline that belonged to an unknown city. Smaller towns were dotted about between me and it, but they didn't seem worth investigating.

Humans were weak, I noted as I flew through the air. Shockingly so. Most of them seemed weaker than I had ever been, even right out of the gestation tank with a pathetic power level of 15. They were weaker than that by three-fourths. It was honestly surprising -- I knew that humans were fairly weak comparatively, but… it was shocking to feel just how weak they truly were. The only point of reference I had for humans before this was Hal Jordan and his companion John Stewart. Both were powerful green lanterns, though one more so than the other.

At a leisurely pace, I approached the city from above. The main road was covered in land-based vehicles -- cars. They fed into the city, while a lesser amount seemed to be leaving, all passing underneath a green sign. I paused for a moment, narrowing my eyes at it.

It was English, but it had been years since I've read the language. But, despite my faded and spotty memories, I was able to read the letters. "Welcome to Jump City," I read aloud, sounding it out to make sure that I was reading it correctly. It sounded right. Searching my memories, I tried to place the city from my past life and I recalled some details. Nothing much, though.

There should be a building just outside of the city limits. On an island. Flying up and forward, sailing over the city and between the buildings made of metal and glass, I quickly found what I was looking for.

A T-shaped building that was located on an island outside of the city mainland. There didn't seem to be a bridge connecting the island, but I suspected there was a tunnel. Slowly, I touched down on a building that gave me a decent vantage of the T-shaped building, the home base for the… Teen Titans? The Titans?

I couldn't recall much beyond that they existed. When I combed through my human memories years ago, only a bare mention of them and Jump City remained. What significance they had to the people of Earth was lost on me, as well as who the Titans were. But, it would seem that several of them were powerful to a degree. That being said, none of them seemed to be inside of the Tower at the moment.

Looking out to my left, I zeroed in on where these suspected Titans they were. They were all within the city limits. Floating up, I drifted over to their location, and I heard the sounds of combat long before I spotted the individuals fighting. It would seem that not every notable presence was an ally of theirs. Was the city under attack?

A frown tugged at my lips as I touched down on top of another tall building that allowed me to overlook the battle. Crossing my arms, my eyes flickered between the combatants -- noting that some of them used technology to fight, as well as magic, which was why I couldn't sense their true strength. That was vital information. As well as the fact that there seemed to be two squads in the city at conflict with one another.

My gaze turned to the magic users -- there were two of them from what I could see, and it seemed they chose each other to fight against. I knew little of magic, but I had made use of it extensively throughout the war. It was a useful tool to have because it was so versatile. Even if an enemy had taken precautions against it, there were so many different kinds that you could probably find something else that would work.

A young woman with skin that held a grayish tone to it, and dark hair. She wore a dark blue cloak over a black leotard that left her legs bare, except for the shoes on her feet. A belt hung at her waist, but I couldn't see what purpose it served, but for all I knew it could be an amplifier of some kind.

Her hands were coated in black light, framed with white, and I could see her lips moving. I strained my ears to hear her. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," she intoned, before a trashcan launched itself at the other magic user, who lazily avoided it with a back handspring. The secondary magic-user flung her hands out, pink sparks dancing at her fingertips before a vehicle's brakes suddenly failed.

I looked over to her -- pink hair and eyes, with a heart-shaped face. Petite build, dressed in a black dress that was highlighted with blue rings at the hem. There was a sharp grin on her face, "You'll have to do better than that, Rae!" She announced with a cheerful laugh.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," 'Rae' encanted again, reaching out to the vehicle spinning out of control and stopping it cold before she rose her other hand. Several objects lifted from the ground before they launched themselves at her. That was interesting, I noted tilting my head as I watched the fight unfold. Rae had a magic invoking incantation while the pink one had… some kind of probability manipulation. I would need to see more, but it was clear that things had a habit of breaking around her, and things that should hit her didn't.

Subduing them would be simple -- break the gray one's jaw, and immobilize the pink one.

My gaze shifted to another fight. This one was more physical in nature, and because I recognized one of the combatants. Or, rather, I could guess who she was. An orange-skinned Tameranian with fiery red hair threw down green star bolts at a large hulking figure that was nearly ten feet tall. She wore little, just enough to protect her modesty, but given what I knew about Tamereans, that was for the Earthling's sake.

She looked like her sister, I noted. Her name was… Koriand'r, I believe. The wayward princess to the Tamerean throne. Or, at least she was. With Komand'r's actions in the war, her position as queen of her people had solidified, and I'm guessing that the first thing she did was revoke Koriand'rs status as a princess. The fact made my lips thin.

If Vegeta had just banished me, or let me renounce my place in the Royal Family, then maybe… maybe we wouldn't have fought. Maybe he would still be alive.

Koriand'r's opponent was a large man dressed in solid red. Only his face was visible. I imagine he had some kind of forcefield activated because that was a glaring weakness. Unless the head wasn't a vital location for humans? Was he human? He felt about as weak as one outside of that power armor that let him hurl a truck at Koriand'r.

Both of them were easy. If Koriand'r was anything like her sister, then she would need to be beaten into submission if she didn't surrender. The armored one… break his armor, and he would have nothing.

There was another tall human in the fighting, but this one didn't wear armor. His thick arms were bare as he clashed against a green animal. A carnivore based on the number of teeth, though with oddly short arms. However, to my surprise, the green carnivore shifted and transformed into something else. A… kangaroo, I think. The tall human surged forward while the green kangaroo leaned back on its thick tail before bracing its feet against his stomach and sending the human flipping over him with a fair amount of strength.

Then that kangaroo became a bird that flew up into the air, only to become a bulky and heavy beast that dropped directly on top of the muscular human.

"Huh," I muttered, eyeing the fight with some interest. The shapeshifting creature was versatile. I wonder what it would taste like? It took so many shapes of various animals, would it taste like them all, or would it only taste like the creature it transformed into? I made a note to find out.

The last fight that I could see was between two young men -- or, at least, that's how it started. One man armed with a bo staff found himself surrounded by many identical youths wearing the same exact red jumpsuit. A relative of Canda? She had been able to make copies of herself, but only two. This guy made dozens, but the man with the bo staff reacted well. He fought better than the duplicator, deftly avoiding the enemy, and only fought those that he couldn't, before delivering a devastating spin kick to the original's jaw.

The others faded from view instantly.

I spent a long minute watching the fight unfold, coming to my conclusions.

"They would have been a great fit for the 501st," I remarked to myself, a note of sadness in my voice. The 501st were the first troops under my command, at first forced by circumstance when we were stranded on a planet called Rench deep behind enemy lines. They had been elites, but in that battle, most of them died. The remnants were placed under my command.

And I turned them into the single most powerful unit in the entire Trade Organization. I recruited various species with a wide range of abilities, all hand-picked for synergy. I had been proud to be their leader. They had been the best of the best of the best.

Even still, Frieza killed them all when he started throwing around planets in the final battle of the war in the Vega system.

This was a good sample size of what to expect, I decided. I would have to check the other cities to see what they had to offer, but I was seeing magic, technology, unique powers, and pure skill. Now, it was just a question of why they were fighting.

How could I learn if I didn't ask?

Stepping forward, I dropped from the building, falling hundreds of feet before I landed on the concrete below. It cracked underneath me, my feet sinking into the ground by a few inches. It would seem that despite the power on display, the builders of this city hadn't seen fit to reinforce their building materials. An odd choice.

Now that I was closer, I could more easily hear the exchanges being made. I strode towards the conflict -- four separate battles. Neither side worked much like a team, but at the very least, they seemed to be aware of each other. Even if they didn't seem to be aware of my approach. However, they quickly learned when a pink ray of energy raced by me, nearly hitting me, but managing to strike a bus that didn't seem to realize there was a battle being fought.

It suddenly lurched forward, a roar coming from the engine as it sped up. I glanced over my shoulder, a frown tugging at my lips -- even without my ki sensing abilities, I could see that the bus was filled with people.

Annoying.

Reaching out with a hand, I caught the bus' front bumper and infused my ki into the vehicle to keep it intact. To difuse its momentum, I pushed down, forcing the back of the bus to buck up, and lifted the entire bus. It started to sail overhead, forcing me to pivot to make sure that no one was flung out of their seat before I carefully set the entire bus down. It wasn't often that I dealt with such a weak species. I had to be careful.

And it would seem that I had my answer on who was who.

"Wh-what was that?" I heard the bus driver question over the general clamor of the bus inhabitants. Based on the lack of screaming, I'm assuming that they were fine. Letting go of the bus, I walked out from behind it to see that the fighting had suffered a momentarily lapse as all the combatants turned to look at me.

No one was exploiting the moment of hesitation as I continued to stride forward. That was disappointing, but I suppose both sides were wondering whose side I was on.

The answer was simple.

I was on my side.

"Who are you?" The pink one questioned me as I came to a stop not far from the battle, her and Rae the two closest to me. I looked to her, my gaze flickering to the others before I tilted my head.

That wasn't a question I was used to hearing anymore, as conceited as that might sound. That raised a very interesting question -- why didn't she know who I was? This planet had two green lanterns assigned to it, both of which knew. So, why didn't she?

It would seem that Hal Jordan decided not to share that information. Just like how the Guardians decided to not tell him. That was deeply ironic given what had transpired between them.

"You'll learn who I am soon enough. Introductions are unnecessary," I decided, making her eyes narrow into slits. "What is the purpose of this battle?" I questioned, my gaze sliding from the pink one, to Rae, then to…

Hm. The green creature turned itself into a saiyanoid form. Was it mimicking me or humanity? I guessed the latter based on the lack of a tail.

It was Koriand'r that answered me, "The Fearsome Five have broken the law. We are apprehending them to be imprisoned," she explained, sounding decidedly chipper. She… was very different from her sister based on the brief exchange. The word bubbly comes to mind.

So, this wasn't some form of invasion, then? A simple crime? How… underwhelming.

"There are four of you," I pointed out, eying the Fearsome Five.

"Six, actually!" The large human that had fought the green creature announced in a lumbering voice. He spoke with confidence, as if that was somehow better. I glanced at him to see that he was rising to his feet, uninjured. He was durable, at the very least. He might have made a good fight before I became Elite-Class as a small child, but now he wasn't worth being an annoyance.

The pink one sighed, "Mammoth… so, nameless guy! What's your next move? Feel like lending a hand?" She requested, much to the growing ire of what I'm guessing were the Titans.

I frowned and glanced at the Titans. "You've endangered my citizens with a pointless squabble. Surrender immediately," I ordered, walking forward, earning a scowl from the pink one while the one dressed like a stoplight with an R on his chest frowned.

"Your citizens?" I heard him question before the battle resumed. The one called Mammoth unleashed a roar as he lumbered over to me as fast as he could manage. He raised a fist that was larger than my head and swung down, intent on crushing me like an insect. He seemed unable to believe that simply stepping back allowed me to dodge the punch that slammed into the ground, based on his dumbfounded expression.

I took a step forward, using his forearm as a convenient platform, and launched a kick to the bottom of his jaw. Blood erupted from his mouth, along with a few broken teeth. I think he might have bitten off his tongue. A rookie mistake. Mammoth was launched up from the force of the blow and sent on a long arc that carried him halfway down the street, crashing down on top of a car that he crushed underneath his weight.

The pink one's eyes widened, recoiling. I could see it in her eyes that she instantly understood that they were outmatched. The others were far slower. The large man in red armor shouted before he charged me, the Titans content to watch to see what I could do. Smart. We shared a common enemy but that didn't make us allies.

"Adonis, stop!" The pink one shouted as Adonis attacked me. His arms moved in blurs, unleashing a flurry of punches at me that I stopped cold with a single hand. His face was twisted into one of anger -- he clearly cared for his friend if a simple kick was able to get this kind of reaction from him.

But, being this close, I could see that there wasn't a protective faceplate or a force field. His face was just… open.

"That power armor -- did you design it?" I questioned him, grabbing his wrist and flipping him over. He hit the ground hard, but the asphalt didn't buckle on impact. This was my city, after all. It would be careless and inconsiderate of me to cause traffic delays. Adonis groaned in response.

He looked up at me with fear in his eyes, "I… yeah?"

"Good. I won't kill you then. You will, however, be working for me to work off your debt to society. With supervision," I decided. The power armor had potential. It increased his physical abilities more than a thousand times over. It was protective… hm… perhaps the armor would be less useful without a war, but I'm sure I could find a use for it.

Adonis seemed to disagree, "No way, man! I'm not working for- Ahhh!" He shouted when I broke his wrist, effortlessly crushing the metal armor. I intended it to just be a warning, but based on the panicked screaming as he cradled the limb to his chest, he had lost the will to fight.

Soft. Weak.

Those two words summarized my thoughts so far. This was… I don't even know what this was. A broken wrist was all it took? I've seen children do worse to themselves during training and they just fought harder.

"I see. You're weak in body and spirit, so you use that suit to feel powerful, however artificially," I noted, looking down at Adonis, finding myself far less impressed with him. He looked up to me, and unshed tears shone in his eyes. I sighed, "Pathetic."

He wasn't even worth finishing off.

"You, pink one," I said, turning to the pink one. I opened my mouth, but she simply raised her hands.

"It's Jinx," she pointed out, "And we surrender. All of us. To the Teen Titans," she said, giving them a sidelong glance. So, she was the leader. A smart one. I defeated their heavy hitters with ease, and I was an unknown quantity. She didn't know what I would and wouldn't do.

Jinx had potential.

Koriand'r quickly took control over the situation, descending between me and Jinx. "We accept your surrender, Jinx. We are most gracious for your aid," she continued, looking to me. She said that, but the tension hadn't left the air. The fight had ended, yet the Titans looked ready to resume it with me.

"Of course," I replied, offering a nod. I had no conflict with the Titans. For most of my race, the fact they were strong would be cause enough, but I wasn't most Saiyans.

Everyone on Earth was a citizen of my empire. The Titans fought to protect my citizens. Why would we fight?

Looking to Koriand'r I said, "You are Tameranian, correct?" She seemed to be a bit caught off guard by the question but nodded all the same. "Given the nature of your abilities, I'm guessing that you're Komand'r's sister?"

To that, Koriand'r's eyes lit up. The exact opposite expression that Komand'r wore whenever her sister was mentioned. "You know my sister? How is she?" She questioned, clasping her hands together as if she were praying for good news.

She wasn't what I expected. Komand'r had spoken little of her sister, and it had been overwhelmingly negative -- how she had abandoned their people in their time of need, and so on. "She's well. Currently, she's overseeing the reconstruction of the Vega system."

That didn't mean anything to anyone here. I could see it by the lack of reaction from everyone but Koriand'r. She confirmed as much when she spoke, "Reconstruction? Has there been there war with the Cildilian Empire?"

I tilted my head, "I'm not sure if you could call it a war, but yes." She was ignorant not only of me but the battle of the Vega system. One of the most brutal and bloody battles that the Galaxy had ever seen. I lost more than thirty billion soldiers there. The Federation lost more than a trillion. "Komand'r now reigns as queen of the Tameran people, which have been freed from slavery. Her territory is that of what the Cildilian Empire once called theirs."

"This… is most joyous news!" Koriand'r shouted, floating back and up with absolute delight. Her team rounded up the Fearsome Five, who seemed to follow through on their surrender. That was… odd. In my experience, surrendering foes were pretending so they could take you out with them. It became far less common the stronger I got, but I've had a number of close calls because of it.

I also noted that she didn't seem upset about the news that her sister was queen instead of her.

This was a good first impression. The Titans and likely others had fought to keep my planet safe. I owed them my gratitude. It was a good thing that I decided to scout first -- if the others were here, then this would have descended into a fight instantly. I would see that they were all adequately rewarded and see if they were willing to be reassigned. The empire was vastly larger than Earth, after all.

The one with the R on his chest continued to eye me, "What's your relationship with Starfire's sister?" He questioned, his voice had a youthful tone to it.

"She is my subordinate. She has been for some time now," I answered. Koriand'r looked a bit surprised by that, but she still seemed to be elated that her people were no longer slaves. "Forgive me, but I recently arrived on Earth, so Koriand'r's name is the only one that I know."

Koriand'r was eager to introduce the others, "It is most understandable! He is Robin, he is Beast Boy, and she is Raven! She introduced the boy with the R on his chest, the green creature, as well as Rae, which I now saw was short for Raven.

"So, who are you, dude? Are you another alien?" Beast Boy asked -- I was mildly impressed with it. It was some kind of species that gained the ability to transform into others, on top of mimicking human speech and mannerisms.

They really didn't recognize me. That seemed so odd. Perhaps I really was conceited to expect them to know me, but if they didn't know I was the owner of this planet, then they should at the very least recognize me from the war that had touched every corner of the galaxy. That had brought empires low, that saw the end of the Guardians of the Universe, and saw countless dead.

The war touched everywhere… except for here, it seems.

"A pleasure to meet you all. I am King Tarble of the Saiyan race," I introduced myself. To refuse now would be rather rude. The Titans seemed fairly weak, but deeds were worthy of respect just as much as strength was.

Robin recoiled instantly and settled into a stance, making the others flinch back. I looked to him to find him glaring at me, "It's him!" He shouted, baring his teeth.

Interesting. "So, you know of me, then? Good, that should move things along." This was convenient.

"I don't suppose you would share who he is exactly with the rest of us?" Raven questioned, her voice dry as a desert as she eyed me. I was uncertain who was the leader of the Titans, but they seemed to hold a great deal of trust with one another.

"He's the guy that the Justice League formed to protect Earth from!" Robin informed, and that seemed to surprise the others. Me as well.

"Protect? Why would Earth need to be protected from me?" I questioned, an edge entering my tone. Things had been going so well. The extent of diplomacy was usually issuing threats, but this had progressed smoothly enough that I thought that it wouldn't come to blows.

That question seemed to absolutely floor Robin as if he couldn't comprehend it. The Fearsome Five looked between each other. They would be making a break for it when the fight began, I could tell.

"Because you're here to conquer it!" Robin settled on, earning a slight frown from me.

"I already own Earth. I don't have to conquer anything," I pointed out. That answer didn't seem to sit well with Beast Boy.

He shook his head, "Dude, you can't just… own Earth!" He protested, and I crossed my arms, annoyed at the accusation of theft.

"I can and I have. Your ignorance of Galatic real estate laws doesn't exempt you from them. Earth was my prize for surviving a suicide mission when I was three months old. The Trade Organization held the deed to Earth for tens of thousands of years. If you wanted to protest this, then you should have made an appeal to the court system," I told them, indignant. How dare they think I would steal a planet? If we were at war, and I conquered it, that was different.

I've never stolen anything in my life and I didn't appreciate the insinuation that I would ever steal anything.

"Oh," Koriand'r muttered, "is it too late to do so?" She asked, the only one taking this seriously. The green one just gaped.

I considered it, "Perhaps not. I've recently separated from the Trade Organization, as such their laws no longer apply to my empire. The issue is that the current real estate laws and courts don't as of yet exist for my empire on account that all planets and territories are directly owned by me. If you wish to make an appeal, I will consider it once the proper systems and laws are established."

Robin looked frustrated, but it was Raven that calmed him down. "Would you rather fight or debate property laws?" She questioned him, earning a deep frown in response as the Titans looked to him. He was their leader, I'm guessing.

"None of you understand who this guy is!" He protested, leveling his bo-staff at me. "He's evil. He's killed millions of people!"

"Billions," I corrected flatly, not flinching at his scathing tone. However, the Titans and the Fearsome Five did. "There was a war. One beyond anything you seem capable of comprehending. But it's over now. There's peace."

Raven's lips thinned, but she didn't wear an expression of disgust like Robin or Beast Boy did, nor the one of horror that was on Koriand'r s' face. She seemed more… sad? Interesting.

"My empire needs a capital, and my race needs a new home planet. I've chosen Earth to be both," I told them, my gaze flickering between them. "Do you intend to resist me?" To do so would be an act of rebellion.

Robin was the one that answered, "Of course we will," he stated, his tone unwavering. He was brave. I would give him that much. "Earth's mightiest heroes banded together to stop you and your atrocities. Even if we fail to stop you, they won't." He seemed very certain about that, and I wondered how many of those powerful presences belonged to the Justice League and how many were their enemies?

I could see their resolve growing, dead set on stopping me here and now. They wore grim expressions when I smiled lightly.

I was at peace now. The lives of my soldiers and the people I cared for weren't at stake with every battle.

For the first time in my life… I think I would be able to enjoy a fight that had no obligations. No stakes. After all, even if I lost, I could find another planet.

"Earth's mightiest heroes banding together to stop me?" I repeated, my smile growing, "What a wonderful gift. Thank you," I told them, and the sincerity in my tone caught them off guard.

I turned away from them and beckoned them to follow, "Follow me. Our battle would endanger the lives of my citizens."

They hesitated, but they followed all the same.

The war was over. There was peace. I didn't really know what that meant yet… but I had gotten some advice from an ancient ancestor as well as my race's god.

For the first time in my life I was going to try to enjoy myself.

...

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

 

[Ideas-Guy]

"Who is this guy again?" Garfield asked in a low whisper, being carried in Kori's arms. He could fly, but then he wouldn't be able to run his mouth.

He looked to them for answers, but Raven found herself looking to Tim Drake since it seemed that he was the only one with answers. He clenched his teeth, anxiety rolling off of him in waves that Raven felt despite his best attempts to keep his emotions under control.

It wasn't something she often felt from Tim, at least not like this. This wasn't jitters before a mission, or worrying about an event in Gotham. This was something far more intense. It washed over Raven like an oil, feeling like it was clogging her pores and leaving her wishing that she could take a bath -- unpleasant emotions like that were always the worst, but the fact that it came from Tim made it that much more worrying.

"His name is Tarble," Tim began in a low voice, crouching down on the platform she created for him to stand on. He was rather touchy about being seen dangling from someone's grip, unlike Garfield. "I don't know a whole lot about him, just what I managed to get from the Batcomputer, but… this guy is evil. He's a part of something called the Trade Organization, and he's spent his entire life murdering countless people. He's driven entire species extinct. Billions, apparently."

To that, Raven's gaze slid to Tarble's back. A ruthless, mass-murdering galactic tyrant wasn't her first impression of him. He felt more like a wounded animal that was putting on a brave face to ward off predators. His control over his emotions was incredible -- he didn't attempt to harmonize his feelings as she was taught to. Instead, he crushed them. He beat them into control with an iron will. It was an interesting approach.

Yet, Raven felt the traces of his emotions. His anguish was raw, a recent wound that would leave a terrible scar on his psyche. If it ever healed at all.

"That's bad," Garfield remarked, an uncertain edge in his tone.

Tim nodded, "Yeah. Bad enough that the Justice League was created specifically to stop him. Hal Jordan, the first green lantern told them about him. I don't have all the data, Batman had that locked up pretty tight, but if they're doing that then Tarble is a real threat. To everyone on Earth."

"So, the Justice League didn't copy the Teen Titans? Dude, that sucks," Garfield noted, trying to inject some humor into the situation to break the growing tension. He didn't feel the humor either. It was a distraction from the growing sense of nervousness that he felt.

Tim wasn't having it. "No. They didn't copy the Teen Titans. This guy is pure evil. We have to stop him." His tone was resolute, swallowing his fear and anxiety as they approached the Titan Tower. The island around it was once hard stone, but with nurture and care, lush green grass covered the island and trees were planted.

Raven refrained from making a comment as her feet touched down on the ground, her cloak settling around her. Tarble turned around, his arms crossed over his chest and his face set in a smoldering scowl. She couldn't comment on his deeds. If the Justice League had formed specifically to counter him, then there had to be some truth to what Tim said. It seemed to be undersold with his correction that he had killed billions.

Yet, Raven didn't feel any animosity from Tarble. Annoyance, to be certain, because he could hear them, but no animosity or malice. That was the normal sign of someone who could be described as evil -- the worst of their villains all shared those traits. Or, perhaps he was simply someone like Slade Wilson, a monster that could torment and murder without feeling a thing.

Given the situation, it seemed wise to assume the latter.

"It would help if we were all here," Raven remarked, her gaze not leaving Tarble. He seemed content to wait for them to prepare themselves. Confidence or arrogance? The latter, most likely. The fact that he had felt that the Justice League forming against him was some kind of gift was telling.

To that, Tarble tilted his head, "Members of your team are missing?" He questioned, a frown in his voice.

Kori nodded as she answered, "Yes! Blue Beetle and Kid Flash are currently elsewhere." Tim shot her a glare for revealing the information, but he wasn't thinking straight. Kori wasn't stupid. She wouldn't reveal that information unless she thought it was safe to do so. Did she know something?

"Very well. Recall them. I'll wait," Tarble stated, sounding used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. He also proved Kori right. Spurred on, Jinx hesitantly rose a hand, earning a dull stare from Tarble.

"The Fearsome Five is missing a few members too -- Gizmo and Psimon," she pointed out, a note of hope in her tone. Tarble gave a consenting nod, and that sealed it.

"You don't think of us as threats," Raven stated, meeting Tarble's blazing yellow gaze. He gave no reaction for a moment, but she felt some level of interest coming off of him. Nothing sexual or romantic, but curiosity. There was no anxiety. No nervousness. Nothing that hinted that he wasn't absolutely certain that he could deal with twelve enemies at once.

"Not yet. That's a privilege you haven't earned," Tarble responded and she could hear Tim's teeth grinding. "Right now, you are little more than a way to kill time before the real enemies appear." He didn't mean that. He was looking to provoke a reaction. Raven let the remark wash over her with ease, but others weren't so in control of themselves.

Mongul growled, nursing a bruised jaw. He was angry. Adonis was terrified and in pain. Jinx was cautiously optimistic, but it was clear that she planned to flee the moment Tarble and the Titans were distracted with one another. Garfield also growled, transforming into a silverback ape that beat his fists into the ground.

Kori frowned, "Must we fight? Are you not also Prince Tarble of the Hero-Force?" She questioned, sounding genuinely puzzled.

Raven blinked, "The what now?" Hero-Force?

Tarble shrugged, "In theory. Those shows are based on my exploits, but they're little more than propaganda. I'm the furthest thing from a hero." He refuted flatly, feeling faintly embarrassed. That was interesting.

Kori didn't seem to notice, "My teachers on Okkar made my sister and I study the events that happened on the planet Rench! Is it not true that you valiantly fought an entire army for a full day and night to give your soldiers time to escape? Even though you were gravely wounded by the Super Scarab?" She questioned innocently, trying to find the difference between what sounded like a childhood hero and the man that stood before them.

More embarrassment, "No. It was little more than twelve hours, and there was no Super Scarab. It was… just a Special-Class Scarab." A faint feeling of regret. For what, Raven wasn't sure. Still, it was worth noting. "The shows dramatized the events for viewership."

Kori looked more disappointed than she had any right to, "So, you are not empowered with the power of Friendship?" She asked, feeling every bit as disappointed as she looked.

More embarrassment, "No." He answered curtly. Either he was embarrassed because that's what people believed, or he was embarrassed because he was powered by the feeling of friendship.

"Star, enough. This guy isn't a hero," Tim stated. It seemed like a disproportionate response, but he was the only one that had an idea of the scope of Tarble's deeds. Raven tried to not let the scorn in his words affect her -- because they could all too easily apply to her too. Because of her, the pocket dimension that served as a home for the Azarathian monks was razed to the ground and everyone save her was murdered by her father.

Kori frowned at Tim, but didn't press the issue. Tarble cocked his head, looking unimpressed. "You clearly have something you would like to say. Spit it out. Don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings." He was pushing Tim back, catching him flatfooted. It was clear that Tarble wasn't acting to whatever script Tim had expected. That made him cautious and nervous.

"You aren't even going to deny it? You've killed billions of people, you try to conquer earth, and you're…" he trailed off, his eyes narrowed into slits, silently fuming. "How can you justify any of that?"

"I don't," Tarble answered simply, almost uncaring. He didn't feel that way, but what he really felt was a difficult emotion to place. Resolve twinged with sadness and regret. "I did what I did because it was the best way to end the war, and I was right. If you take issue with that, then you have an issue with that. It's clear nothing I have to say will change your mind. You merely want to have this confrontation to tell me what you think of me."

He was right about one thing. This verbal sparring match was purely for Tim's benefit. Tim scowled, the point striking a nerve in the young Robin.

"Get on with it. Tell me there was a better way," he continued flatly, stealing the words right out of Tim's mouth. Despite his cold demeanor, Raven sensed rage underneath the surface. Not anger, not frustration, but rage. He kept a tight grip on it, keeping it completely under his control. He didn't harmonize with his emotions at all. He dominated them completely and utterly. "Feel free to tell me what it was while you're at it."

"You… how… you really just don't care, do you? I barely know a fraction of the things you've done and they're horrifying. And you stand there like you think you're somehow morally superior to us for doing them?" Tim challenged, his grip on his staff tightening.

Tarble shook his head, "I don't. I've done terrible things. I am evil. I don't dispute that. Maybe you're right. Maybe there was a better way, but I searched and never found it." He felt like that was the truth. Resigned acceptance filled him, the only emotion that Tarble allowed himself to embrace.

"Then why do it?" Raven asked a pointed question, earning a sharp look from Tarble. "I can't claim to understand the scope of your actions, but you don't strike me as someone that would do things for no reason." No one did anything without a reason. That reason might not always be a good one, nor did it mean that it could justify their actions, but everyone had an internal logic that they used.

Tarble's lips thinned, telling her that he didn't care for the question. Why? Why would he be annoyed at her question to explain himself? But, he answered all the same. "Because if I didn't kill the enemy, they would kill those under my command. I didn't want that… so I became rather proficient at killing the enemy before that happened." There was something that he wasn't admitting to. Something that he… feared them learning. What that could possibly mean, Raven didn't know. She needed to learn more before she came to any judgments.

But, it would seem that the time for talk was coming to an end. Tarble looked up, bringing Raven's attention to four figures that were flying toward them. She recognized Blue Beetle easily enough -- a full-body suit made of blue and black metal, a black faceplate with eye holes for Jamie to look through, and a blue beetle that protruded from his back. Gizmo and Psimon also approached, though far more cautiously. Gizmo, for all his faults, was loyal. Psimon, on the other hand, was far less so.

They touched down, eyeing Tarble, who only seemed to have eyes for Blue Beetle. "It seems that the Reach wasn't taking my warnings seriously. Scarab -- vacate my empire immediately, or I will annihilate what is left of the Reach Empire," he warned, his voice dipping down to a low growl as he strode forward. Gizmo and Psimon appeared puzzled, but they joined the Fearsome Five.

Jaime Reyes looked between the Titans and Tarble, "Er, sorry, amigo, I'm not with the Reach Empire? Or any empire?" He was genuinely confused, so that was the truth. However, Raven did not like the simmering anger in Tarble. "Hol' up, wait a second -- what do you mean, what's left of the Reach Empire?" He continued, likely hearing something from the AI in the beetle that had attached itself to the center of his back.

Tarble narrowed his eyes for a moment, considering that. "Hm, you clearly haven't been taken over by the scarab and if it's ignorant of the war, it must predate it. I suppose it's defective in some way?"

"What do you mean -- taken over? This thing can take me over?!" Jamie questioned, sounding afraid. Raven tensed -- that, she hadn't known that was possible. Kori had confirmed that the scarab came from the Reach, but based on the shock rolling off of her, she hadn't known the specifics. "Hey, you know these things, could you get it off of me?" He questioned, ignorant of who Tarble was.

To that, Tarble tilted his head. "I can. You won't like the process, however." He warned, his tone flat. Raven looked at Jamie but said nothing. He sought to remove the beetle for some time now, yet it remained. She tried her magic, only to find that it had been enchanted against such removal. The only way it could be removed, in theory, would be if Jamie died. As much as he would like it gone, he wasn't willing to go that far.

Jamie didn't hesitate, "I don't care, man. I want this thing off-" He was abruptly cut off when a dark blue flash of light passed between them, hitting Jamie in the chest and punching through it. Raven recoiled, her control over her emotions slipping. Her lips pressed together into a thin line, dropping into the ground below and remerging where Jamie had fallen.

A gaping hole had been punched through his chest, blood soaking the ground. His eyes were wide and wild, remaining conscious as he reached out to her, confusion and fear washing over her. The intensity of it tied her guts into knots, but she didn't hesitate to reach out and place her hands on Jamie's face, taking his pain as his body began to heal.

"Healing is also one of your abilities?" Raven heard, looking up to find Tarble standing over them. Starbolts exploded on his back, Garfield slammed into him as a rhino, and Tim threw explosive batarangs. Yet, through the dust that was kicked up by the explosions, Raven saw purple light peeking through it.

Her eyes narrowed into slits -- no annoyance. No malice. No animosity.

Raven looked up at Tarble and a pit of fear opened in her stomach. The dust faded, revealing him, and he didn't appear to even notice the assault on him. He held out a hand, a ball of purple light leaving his hand, and instantly Raven felt the pain leave her body. Her lips parted in surprise, looking down at Jamie to find his face relaxed as the hole in his chest began to mend. It grew smaller, flesh and bone growing together until the hole closed.

"NNNhghaaaa," Jamie groaned, a hand going to his chest. The only sign that he had been mortally wounded was the blood and the hole in his shirt.

"I did say that you wouldn't enjoy the process," Tarble remarked, striding by Jamie, and the assault only paused when the others realized that he would be caught in the crossfire. The purple light faded into nothing, leaving Raven wondering what that had just been. Tarble reached down to the scarab that he had blasted off of Jamie and picked it up. It wiggled in response, and Tarble felt a sense of dissatisfaction. "I've long since outgrown scouts," he said, his tone dismissive.

Raven didn't understand what he meant, but he crushed the scarab in his grip before letting the pieces fall to the ground.

Tarble was a mystery to her, but one thing just became abundantly clear. He was beyond the Titan's capability to deal with. The ground underneath Jamie faded with use of her magic, depositing him in the tower for his own safety. Perhaps he hadn't meant to do so, but he just robbed them of one of their heavy hitters before the battle could even begin. And there would be a battle. She knew that even before Tim spoke.

"Titans, go!" Tim ordered, sprinting forward, unafraid and uncaring of the difference in strength between them. Not to say that he was reckless. He understood that he stood no chance, so instead, he chose to support Garfield who transformed into a T-Rex. He unleashed a roar that Raven never managed to get used to before he charged at Tarble.

Batarangs slipped through Garfield's legs -- given that he was capable of tanking them, it was a surprise that Tarble chose to dodge them. He leaned out of the way, undaunted by the green dinosaur bearing down on him. He exuded an air of calm, darting between Garfield's legs, dodging a vicious bite that tore through the ground, and grabbed hold of Garfield's tail.

Effortlessly, he lifted Garfield, pivoting to slam him into Mammoth that was rushing towards him, eager for round two. Both of them were sent flying upon impact, with Mammoth taking the worst of it. Garfield landed heavily, but he was fine. Tarble moved towards Tim, only to be intercepted by Kori.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Raven chanted, magic gathering around her hands as shadows swirled underneath Tarble. Nothing she could throw at him would do any damage, but restraining him was the easiest way to subdue him. Shadows leaped from the ground, wrapping themselves around Tarble, and he seemed faintly surprised.

Something was wrong, Raven realized as she clenched her hands into fists, binding Tarble as tightly as she could. Inky black shadows twisted around him, inching up his neck. He felt no panic. He didn't even feel any urgency. His yellow eyes flicked to her and she could practically see him taking note of her power.

Something that she herself was still cautiously exploring. If she had a limit, then she had yet to find it.

Her hands trembled, her nails cutting into her palms to the point it was painful as she constantly built up the pressure. His hands were bound at his sides, his legs pressed together, he was only remaining upright because of the cocoon she had wrapped him in. And even before he did anything, Raven knew that Tarble would escape.

"I can't hold him!" Raven warned the Titans and the Fearsome Five. To that, Tarble smirked, before the shadows began to strain around him. Raven bound them tighter, but she felt… he… a counterspell? No, it was… how he was interacting with the magic was something she had never felt before. It was almost like two spells clashing together, but she sensed no magic from Tarble. A ward, perhaps? A tattoo? No, something deeper. Something…

"What… did you do to your soul?" Raven breathed, realizing what this resistance was. This was anti-magic carvings. Of what kind, she didn't know, but there was no mistaking it. To interact with magic how he has, he would need to be covered head to toe with intricate scars. But there were none. Instead, they were deeper in. Raven knew the answer, but she could hardly bring herself to believe it.

Those runes were carved into his soul. He had mutilated his soul.

"Magic was a weakness of mine. Now it's not," Tarble remarked, proving the point when he lifted his arms despite the magic binding him. Like a piece of fabric, the threads began to pop until the entire thing began to tear open. He freed himself, the black shadows fading from view as she reconsidered her options. He was perhaps the worst matchup for her -- the carvings in his soul allowed him to interact with magic as if it were a tangible thing, and with his incredible strength, he could destroy it as if it had a physical manifestation.

The Fearsome Five made their move. Raven expected them to run, but they didn't. Gizmo launched a barrage of soda can sized rockets at Tarble while Psimon pushed back his hood to reveal an even bigger head, with an oversized brain in a transparent case. There was a cruel smile at the edges of his lips as he reached out a hand to Tarble.

Tarble responded to the rockets, deftly evading them and redirecting them as he passed by. A gentle touch sent three towards Tim, two to Garfield, five to Kori, and six to herself. Raven raised a hand, stopping the rockets cold before they could reach any of her friends, before she sent them hurtling back to Tarble-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Raven's concentration nearly lapsed when a gut-wrenching scream ripped itself from Psimon's throat. He dropped to his knees, his hands clutching at his head. Agony rolled off of him in tidal waves, but Raven could see no source for it. The waves faded from her perception, yet they still crashed over Psimon, crushing him under their weight. To Raven's growing horror, Psimon's body began to shake when he fell flat on his face -- he was having a seizure.

Did Tarble have some kind of mental defense that caused incredible pain to someone that invaded his mind?

Jinx looked stricken, looking to Psimon's fallen form before sprinting to him while sending pink blasts at Tarble. The rockets exploded around him, washing Tarble in flames and smoke. Raven looked to Garfield to see him and Mammoth standing next to each other, both still ready to continue. Above, Kori began tossing down lime green starbolts to pepper Tarble with them.

He strode out of the fire, looking no worse for wear. Jinx looked up at him while Billy Numerous made a few copies of himself to pick up Psimon. Her hands glowed with pink magic, her face twisted into a snarl -- anger and protectiveness radiated off of her. "What did you do?"

Tarble met her gaze, ignoring the attacks that bared down on him at all sides. "Nothing. He attempted to enter my mind and was unable to withstand the power of the Wrath State." He answered before he sprang into action. He smacked a hand through a starbolt before he leaped into the air. Raven threw out her hands and sent blasts of magic after Tarble, none striking him as he and Kori clashed in the air.

Garfield leaped up, transforming into a Pterodactyl, and went to join the fight. Raven hesitated to fire more magic blasts, worried that she would hit one of her friends. Gizmo had no such worries as he flew up to fire at Tarble with a laser minigun. But, as she watched the quick exchange, Raven observed how Tarble fought.

"He's not using the same amount of force for all of us," Raven noticed. Tim, who was nearby, grimaced.

"I know," he returned. If he fought with the same strength against Tim that he was using on Kori, then Tim would likely be dead. "He's not taking this seriously at all." That was a bitter pill for him to swallow, Raven noted. Much like Jason had before him, he felt like he had too much to prove and he was just as eager to prove it. Regardless that had been what had killed Jason just as much as the Joker.

"The Justice League?" Raven questioned in a low tone, her lips thinning as Kori was sent flying into the ground. The rock under her feet shifted, the trembles running up her legs. Kori was fine, but Garfield wasn't as durable. Tarble threw him to the ground where he impacted hard, leaving Gizmo as the last flyer. Both sides reacted -- Tim, Jinx, and herself fired up at Tarble to drive him away, but he dodged and closed the distance.

"Fuck off, butt-muncher-" Gizmo started, only to let out a panicked shout when Tarble destroyed his jetpack. He began to fall to the ground. Mammoth rushed to catch him, while Tarble dropped down to the ground.

Tim's grip tightened on his staff as Tarble lightly touched down on the ground just as Kori was picking herself up. "They're on their way," he answered, and that was a relief.

"They are? Good," Tarble replied, flying up to avoid the pink blasts of magic that Jinx threw at him. He looked beyond her, causing Raven to do the same, and her gaze landed on Adonis's retreating back. He was fleeing. In the panic and fear from the others… she had completely missed his. Raven reached out to Tarble, attempting to bind him again, only for him to move faster than she could react. She felt a blast of harsh wind on her face in the wake of Tarble suddenly appearing in front of Adonis, who flinched back so badly, he fell on his butt.

Tarble looked down at him and disgust seemed to fill him. "Coward," he uttered the word like a death sentence as he raised a hand.

That was the clue that made Raven realize it was.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthoss!" She chanted, magic wrapping around his arm to prevent him from murdering Adonis. It felt like he had paused the action rather than she stopped him, but it was enough that Kori was able to blast forward and tackle Tarble. Raven had to hold down Tim and Garfield or they would have been blasted away from the windforce that hit them like a wall.

Yet, Tarble was ready for her. He ripped his arm free of the magic, grabbed Kori by the throat, and spun sharply to send Kori to the ground. She carved a deep line into the earth before finding herself out at sea.

"You all have potential," Tarble decided, looking back at them all. "Your teamwork is lacking, but the fact you are willing to work with enemies is commendable." It sounded like he meant it as a compliment, Raven noted when their eyes met. That this was just some test and they had somehow managed to pass. "It was a mistake to destroy the scarab so early -- it's clear that you have holes in your teamwork, Titans. You understand your roles well, but you struggled to adapt past them."

"Gee, thanks," Raven returned, her voice as dry as a desert and her tone every bit as scathing as the desert sun.

He didn't seem to mind. "The Fearsome Five's performance was less impressive, but that was unavoidable. The multiplier understood he was a liability, and chose to stay back. A wise decision. You, Jinx, are a capable commander, but you are too emotional. It is also clear that your team relies on Mammoth, Adonis, and whoever that is to do the heavy lifting. Mammoth performed admirably given the circumstances. That psionic made a mistake, but that is the danger of entering the mind of an unknown enemy."

Tarble's eyes turned cold, "However. What I cannot accept is cowardice. As far as you are aware, you are fighting on the behalf of the entirety of the human race. You do not know me. You do not know the things I will and won't do. For all you know, my race will feast on the flesh of every human on this planet. Yet… you ran," Tarble said, staring at Adonis with contempt coloring his tone.

How he felt about Adonis at that moment was exactly how Raven expected a man that had killed billions to feel. The anger, the malice, the disgust -- that's what she expected. It's what she learned to expect. Instead, until now, Tarble was… polite. Curious, cold, but polite. He brought them here to fight to avoid civilian casualties. He fought them with appropriate force.

Despite his confirmations that he did the things that Tim accused him of, Raven almost had doubts that he was really capable of them.

Those doubts were blasted away when Tarble once again leveled his hand at Adonis's face. Adonis felt a sharp spike of fear, and Raven's incantation starting to leave her lips, but she was too late. They were all too late.

"No-" Adonis began to protest, only for his head to snap back as a blue ball of light punched through his forehead and out the back of his skull. It wasn't the first time Raven watched someone die. Not even close. It wasn't even the first time she had failed to save someone. However, it was the first time she witnessed a cold-blooded execution.

"He really didn't have a faceguard. A coward and an idiot," Tarble remarked coldly, walking by the body of Adonis, thinking nothing of the murder. Feeling nothing. He had murdered a man with the same ease someone would kill an insect. "Sadly, this is where the test ends. I expect you to have improved next time," Raven heard before Tarble moved, and all of a sudden he was the only thing she could see.

Raven flinched back, moving to retreat before she felt a fist slam into her stomach, knocking the breath from her lungs. She folded around the blow, gasping to breathe, but before she could recover, something hit her in the face and she felt a flash of pain. It wasn't the first time Raven had her jaw broken -- it was all too often the target that villains went for -- so she knew the pain well.

Before she had even hit the ground, Tarble moved on. She heard pained cries from her friends as they were similarly disabled. Through the pain, through the fear, and through the resolve -- Raven felt her control slip. It wasn't resolve that granted her strength. It was an old enemy that she shrugged with. The part of herself that she forever kept in check. It was anger. Rage.

Raven hit the ground, a hand covering where Tarble had hit her while her other curl into a fist that she lashed out at Tarble with as he dropped Tim, Kori laying next to him, and Garfield not far off. Her magic surged, the delicate and fragile balance she maintained over her power shattered. It would take weeks of meditation to restore her balance over her emotions, but in that rage filled moment, Raven wasn't capable of caring.

Darkness surged toward Tarble from her fist, his eyes widening a fraction before it slammed into him. It could have beaten him, Raven reflected, but as soon as it made contact, fear made her pull the attack back. Fear of losing control over herself. Of giving in to the rage completely. Because of it, she felt Tarble surge forward before escaping the blast of magic.

He landed next to her, his feet digging into the ground to slow his momentum. His hand was bleeding from where he had raised it to block her magic. Their eyes met, and her senses as an empath let her feel that Tarble was impressed.

"Well done," he commended, before Raven felt a dull impact to the back of her neck. After that, everything went dark.

But that was okay.

They had failed, but the Justice League wouldn't.

...

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

 

[Ideas-Guy]

As far as introductions went, that hadn't been a poor one, I thought to myself as I looked down at my bloody hand. It wasn't a single cut, but several small and deep ones from where the magic had cut into my skin like broken glass. That had been a surprise -- Raven, for all her versatility, had seemed to lack raw power. Only it turned out that she had it in spades, she just didn't use it.

There was a story there, but I doubt that she would share it. A Medicine Ball formed in my hand, its soothing purple light bathing the palm of my hand to mend the cuts. I left it there as I started to fly up, intending to get a birds eye view of the city. The Medicine Ball would heal their wounds. Possibly wake them up too, but if they didn't understand the gulf between us, I would happily display it again.

For now, my attention was elsewhere. I floated up, sailing past the roof of the T-shaped tower. I turned my attention to the city before me -- I felt no other notable presences within. That didn't mean that there weren't any, but they were lost in a sea of humans.

The situation had changed, I noted as I flew towards the city. The Titans revealed that the people of earth had no clue that I owned this planet. Given that it was a secret from even fellow guardians of the planet, there was a significant chance that the governments of Earth were left in the dark. Meaning that it was unlikely that they would peacefully surrender their sovereignty and dissolve to be replaced with my regime.

"This is why Frieza just killed everyone," I noted to myself as I flew over the city, intent on heading to another. It was difficult for a civilian population to protest your leadership when they were all dead or enslaved. I had no interest in becoming another Frieeza -- A ruthless tyrant that would slaughter every human on this planet for the sake of bureaucratic convenience. But, I could at least admit to myself that conquering planets was vastly simpler when you didn't care what the natives had to say.

Now, the people of earth were my citizens. They were entitled to certain rights. I haven't exactly ironed out what those rights were exactly, but I wouldn't infringe on their potential rights now, only to backtrack later.

"Fleets 114, 119, and 334, move to my location. Show of force," I ordered various fleets and received confirmations from them all. That would help my case when I ordered the governments of Earth to dissolve. But, it would be remiss of me to at least not try some level of diplomacy.

For now… I think it was time to fix one of my weaknesses -- my empire, at the moment, consisted of freed slaves and the military. There was a comparatively small civilian population that had helped support the war effort, but given that I closed my borders, that would soon collapse. My empire was a blank canvas and now was the time to decide what it would look like rather than letting the citizens decide for themselves.

To that end, I flew to another city and dropped down to land on a building. From there, I looked down at the humans of Earth. For my entire life, I think it might be the first time I've seen civilians do anything other than evacuate because my armies were invading, or be killed for trying to form a resistance. It was the first time I saw what non-military personnel did when they weren't at war -- invading the enemy or being invaded.

It looked shockingly aimless, yet driven by some unseen purpose, I noted. Streams of traffic, both from people in vehicles and on foot. Rather than moving to a collective goal, each one had their own individual task for the day that they went out to accomplish. It seemed so messy. I don't think I liked it. Though, that could be difficult to tell without actually experiencing it.

Pressing my lips into a thin line, I stepped off the building and plummeted a couple of hundred feet. I landed lightly, having learned my lesson from the previous fall. The concrete remained firm under my feet, and the men and women that walked by me barely offered a glance before they continued on their way. I stood still for a moment, forcing the crowd to go around me for a moment.

Did this planet not have a planetary-wide alert system? That was a major oversight that I would take care of first. If I were invading, how many civilians would die because they weren't in a bunker? Or get in the way of military personnel that responded to my invasion? In my near two decades of experience, civilians were only good for getting in the way.

But, I swallowed my thoughts and opinions before I chose to follow the flow of foot traffic. My gaze drifted over to a billboard that displayed a woman attempting to sell face paint by giving the camera smoldering looks. The visual changed to that of a truck that was performing rather tame stunts.

"Primitive," I summed my thoughts up with a single word. LED lights rather than hologram projectors. The vehicles were barely fit to serve as cover in war, much less as a means of transportation. The infrastructure to compensate for the congested traffic was also completely insufficient. Not to mention, the city smelled of pollution. It was better than poisoned atmospheres or machine worlds, but it was a far cry from the clean air of Planet Vegeta.

It was also loud. That came with the territory when there was a notable population in one place, but these humans were all fighting to be heard. It was noise pollution at its worst.

Crossing my arms, I continued walking until a flash of green caught my eye. Looking over, I saw a park. Most notably, I saw a statue of a figure. Walking over, I crossed a busy street. Something that the cars found annoying based on the honking they directed at me. One revved his engine, as he cursed, his car lurching forward until he bumped into me.

His fender fell off. Then the anger was replaced by fear when I looked over at him. He sucked in a breath and shook his head and said nothing, so I thought nothing of it before continuing walking. I reached the park after a moment and walked around to see the face of the statue.

His face was covered, leaving only his mouth bare. Lightning marked where his ears would be, as well as there being a bolt of it on his chest. A theme I noticed, spotting similar jagged lightning bolts at his boots. A plaque at the base of the statue simply read -- In tribute to Central City's hero, the Flash.

I looked around, seeing men, women, and children going about their day. Some doing nothing at all as their children waddled about. Even so, they seemed happy.

"Uhh…" I heard, this stammering sounding like it was directed at me. Turning around, I saw it was the Flash -- clad in a bright red skin-tight costume with white and gold lightning bolts dotted about. Our eyes met, and he seemed to be at a loss for words.

"This is the second city that has been protected by a hero. Do all cities receive one?" I asked him, turning to face the Flash. His presence felt… odd. In a way, he didn't feel any different than those around him, but it was like a small puddle that was vastly deeper than what it appeared. Almost as if he was hiding his true strength, much like Broly once had.

Flash looked away for a moment, scratching at his chin before he shook his head. "No? Heroes tend to pop up wherever they live. Would you mind me asking… you are Tarble, right? A Saiyan? Here to wipe out all life on earth?"

What has Hal been telling these people?

"I would never do such a thing to my citizens," I dismissed the idea outright before I returned the question with one of my own. "Is that not poorly optimized? Jump city had half a dozen heroes, whereas this one only has you? And there are cities with none?"

Flash stared at me for a long second as if he had no idea how to respond. I suppose… this system must work if he never bothered to think of an alternative. Or, at the very least, it wasn't so utterly broken that they felt the need to change it. "Citizens?" He questioned, tilting his head.

I met his look with one of my own, "You are a citizen of my empire. No one will threaten your sanctity of life. Not even myself," I answered his unspoken question. "Are you perhaps a member of the Justice League? From what I understand, Hal Jordan only saw fit to share my ownership of Earth with them."

"I am," Flash agreed, his lips pressing together in a thin line.

"Then send a message to your colleagues -- Earth is mine. The real estate laws for you to argue that point currently do not exist, but I will allow you a chance to convince me that Earth does belong to you. I understand that this might be a difficult task, but to meet you halfway, I will learn about your real estate laws to see things from your point of view. Is that acceptable?" I asked him and I really didn't like his half mask. It made it difficult to tell what he was thinking.

His body language spoke that he was tense, yet uncertain. Puzzled was perhaps the best word for it.

Hal Jordan being the main source of the Justice Leagues' information about me clearly didn't do me any favors. For the most part, I didn't particularly care. Hal Jordan was free to think what he wished of me. The only issue that was arising was the fact that Earth was… a breeding ground of sorts for powerful individuals.

I wanted them to be a part of my empire. I wanted them to expand their scope beyond a few cities and police planets. They would be a deterrent to any force in the galaxy that wished to resume the war. And, as of right now, that was an unlikely outcome. The Justice League did not hold me in high esteem based on how the Teen Titans reacted.

So, I would try to use diplomacy to convince them that Earth was mine and better off as a part of my empire. Failing that? I would use force.

"Okay… yeah, I can do that," Flash decided, nodding. "We can try to talk all of this out," he added, sounding hopeful but it was clear that he thought that conversation wouldn't go my way.

"Good," I said, floating up and saw a flash of panic in Flash's posture.

"Where are you going?" He quickly questioned, tensing for action. It was fairly easy to guess his thought process -- he wanted me to stay where he could see me. Where he could manage me. That just wasn't going to happen.

I met his gaze, my eyes narrowing into a glare, daring him to challenge me leaving. "To further inspect my property and find a source of information about your real estate laws," I told him, and I could feel him growing more nervous by the second. Was that because of me leaving, or he feared what I would find about this nation's laws?

"Well, you could stick around. I could show you the library?" He offered, but I lost interest. He was stalling for time.

"I don't care for this city," I dismissed, flying directly up until I nearly reached the upper stratosphere, leaving Flash behind me. I looked down at the continent I found myself on -- I had initially landed on the Western-most coast of it, and made my way to about halfway. What would the east coast have for me? Comparatively speaking, it seemed to be the most developed with several cities dotting the coastline. I would investigate them all.

Earth wasn't unified, I recalled as I flew down to one of the cities. There was a number of governments and nations across the planet. It was… different than what I was used to. Throughout my life, every planet that I came to was completely unified by a single government, typically one that stretched beyond the borders of a single planet.

It seemed so much smaller, I thought to myself as I blasted through some clouds and sailed towards my next target. It was a cluster of three cities in relatively close proximity. Flying over a sign, I saw the one I was heading to was called Gotham city. My gaze landed on a building that was marked with the word Wayne on it, so I picked it as my destination. Once again, I landed on the top of the building and looked at those below.

"This city is terrible," I remarked, finding it remarkably worse than Central City. Every problem that it had, Gotham had a much more severe iteration. Huge swaths of the city were openly left in disrepair, the building looked like they were crumbling to pieces, trash littered the streets while people went about their days. There were people sitting on the sides of the streets, holding up signs that requested aid from those who walked by them.

No one helped them. They just walked by without saying a word, pretending that they weren't there.

I narrowed my ki sensing ability to the limits of this city, and I felt people dying throughout it. One here or there. Their death's marked with the sound of gunfire that reached my keen ears, or sirens that came from the police. Crossing my arms, I frowned down at the city. This one… the closest equivalent I had for it was that pirate den that I had helped Komand'r conquer. Though, I barely saw the interior of it because the pirates had wisely surrendered.

A sigh escaped me as I once again dropped to the ground, intent on exploring the city more thoroughly. Gotham, it seems, was a perfect example of what a city shouldn't be. There were millions of people in the city, and it wasn't remotely equipped to house them. The streets were broken and poorly maintained, the sidewalks were more of a stained gray than those in Central city.

Overall, I was not impressed.

I wandered the city, ignoring the looks that I got from the citizens. They seemed to sense my growing foul mood the more I saw. As bad as the city was, I could have accepted it -- in the end, if there are those with wealth, there will be those without it. If this city was simply poor, then I could accept it, but there was a clear division between the poorly maintained parts of the city and the rich parts of the city. They contrasted so much because you could have a poorly maintained street, only to walk a bit and then find that the next one was almost immaculate.

The stench of shit reached my nose, and my eyes drifted to a sewer manhole cover.

Primitive.

Shaking my head, I continued to explore until I found myself standing in front of an alleyway. The scent of putrid garbage was powerful, but I had smelled worse. What I was more interested in was the makeshift housing that was being set up inside the alley. Tarps and wood and what seemed to be cardboard. There were a handful of men and women loitering about, who eyed me warily.

"What do you want?" One of them asked as I inspected the housing.

"Are the conditions in this city so terrible that you choose to build your own?" I asked them, entering the alley.

The group exchanged a quick glance as if they couldn't understand the question. However, the one that spoke looked down at the tail that wrapped around my waist before he looked back at my face. "Forgive me for askin'... But you aren't human, are you?"

I shook my head, "I am a Saiyan. I've recently come to Earth," I confirmed. He was the first civilian that had noticed. Humans were worryingly oblivious.

A woman let out a breath of laughter, "And they don't have homeless people in outer space?" She questioned, sounding fairly excited.

Well… "There are barracks and slave pens, the latter is probably worse than these conditions, but no. I don't believe there were homeless people. Though, I didn't interact much with civilian life so I could be mistaken," I answered. The woman seemed to mull over that, a good dozen emotions passing over her face.

"Heh," she laughed, deciding on amusement. "Good to know that things are shit across the universe instead of just on earth." That was one perspective, I suppose.

The man spoke up, "Civilian life, huh? You a soldier?" He asked, and I turned my attention to him. I knew that tone -- someone searching for familiarity. His beard was messy and unkempt, his hair long and greasy. His clothing wasn't in much better condition, but he had a posture that the other humans lacked.

I gave a slow nod, choosing not to voice my suspicions. "Yes. I was the Supreme Commander for the Trade Organization," I answered, making his eyebrows shoot up.

"Supreme Commander, huh? Sounds impressive. Me, I ended up leaving the military when I was just a private," he remarked, a bitter edge in his tone. That was… the lowest possible rank for the military if I recall. "Ended up dishonorably discharged for… eh…" he shrugged without continuing. "What made you give up the life?"

"I killed my boss," I answered, earning a slow blink from the man while the others tensed. With the revelation, I felt far less welcomed in the alley than I had been a mere moment prior. Unfortunate. "You didn't answer my question."

The man opened his mouth, seemingly swallowing down his initial response. "Uh, we can't afford anything else? Look, we… some of us made choices that ruined our lives, now… we just can't get a leg back up on life. No one wants to hire anyone with priors or a dishonorable discharge on their record. That's just how it is, but we get by just fine."

Hm. "I see," I said with a nod before turning around and beginning to walk away. That was an understandable answer, but… not an acceptable one. In the end, I understood that people made their own choices and sometimes those choices had devastating consequences. But, that conflicted with my reason.

That was never made much clearer when the dumpster at the opening of the alleyway popped open, revealing a scrawny and foul-smelling small human that seemed to be around his second growth spurt. He looked to me with wide eyes, as if he didn't expect me to see him there. His presence was faint. Weak. Weak enough that I could mix him up with the presence of the rats in that dumpster.

Unacceptable.

A hand went to my belt and I took a capsule from it. Looking back, I tossed it to the ground where the contents were revealed -- a pallet of military rations. "Eat that instead," I ordered the child, who scrambled out of the dumpster. He barely even glanced at me as he rushed by. The man from before looked at me, stunned. "Tell me where a library is?"

"It's… down the street. Big building with a statue of a book held up by hands above the doorway," he answered. "Th-"

I wasn't listening. I flew up over the buildings of the alley, looking for the building that he spoke of. I spotted it fairly easily and flew over before touching down in front of the door, startling a red-headed woman. She flinched back, her body tensing as she narrowed her eyes into slits. Her posture spoke of surprise, but also readiness for conflict. That she expected conflict.

She knew who I was.

I opened the door and met her bright green eyes with my blazing yellow, "Take me to your real estate laws. The fate of your planet is at stake," I ordered her. A name tag pinned to a light purple piece of fabric that covered her torso said her name was Barbara.

"Right this way," She agreed easily, offering a practiced smile that failed to hide her tension. She moved stiffly as she turned around, leading me inside of the building. A man looked up from the counter.

"Barbara? What… oh," he said, looking at me, his gaze roaming me. He threw on a much more genuine smile, "Let me know if I can help you with anything." He said, giving Barbara a pointed look. He didn't seem to know who I was.

I looked around -- looking at… "What are these things?" I questioned, grabbing a book from a shelf that was weighed down heavily by them. Barbara tensed, looking over her shoulder at me.

"They're books," she pointed out, her voice so tightly constrained that it was clear she intensely disliked me. I opened it and saw pages filled with letters.

That helped click it into place. I'm pretty sure I had liked books when I was human, but they hadn't been a priority when I searched for human memories to keep. Now, when I looked at them, all I saw was…

"A primitive and wasteful way to store information," I decided, returning the book to the shelf.

"Well, no one asked you," Barbara retorted. "Just follow me," she said, frustration leaking into her tone.

I looked at her back and let out a small sigh before my gaze drifted over to a computer. Also very primitive but better than books. "I'm not impressed by this casual attempt at sabotage," I told her, making Barbara go very still. Slowly, she turned around to meet my gaze, and despite her best efforts to hide it, there was fear there. "I'm allowing the Justice League a chance to convince me. An action I took in good faith. But, there's no point in it if you're going to not return that good faith."

Barbara tensed, turning around fully as she adopted a slightly puzzled expression, "I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Yes, you do. You know exactly who I am. Are you a member of the Justice League as well?" I questioned her, crossing my arms as I stared her down. I'm sure she could fool humans all day long with that act, but she already tipped her hand. "You were ready to fight me the moment I arrived. I don't know much of your race, but I know that is not the typical reaction to being surprised."

Barbara said nothing for a long moment, silently considering her options. "Or, maybe, I'm not happy with the guy that beat up Robin suddenly being here." She pointed out, making me tilt my head in thought.

"You have a connection to Robin?" I questioned, but that explained it. Robin had discovered my existence with something called the Batcomputer. Given that the Justice League was Earth's most powerful heroes, it seemed odd that she could be a member and still be in this building. She should be preparing for battle now in the event… in the likely case that the talks fall through.

Barbara offered a stiff nod but said nothing.

"Robin fought well. There is no shame in losing to a superior opponent," I offered some consolidation, but it sounded empty to my own ears. Robin fought with the belief that the entire world was at stake. No matter how well he fought, he had still lost. That wasn't a defeat that he would be able to swallow easily, I'm guessing. I knew I wouldn't. She continued to glare at me, prompting a sigh but I said nothing.

There wasn't a point. Nothing I could say would make her less angry with me, so I would only be wasting my breath and time.

"The real estate laws," I said, prompting her to return to the subject at hand. "I will be checking various sources, so tamper with them at your own risk." I warned her -- I had no tolerance for fools.

"Or you'll execute me?" She questioned, an edge in her tone to match mine. She wasn't backing down. Barbara was brave, I would give her that.

I stared into her eyes, "Yes," I confirmed, my voice flat. I offered no other explanation. If she was foolish enough to tamper with the records, knowing that I would be checking various sources, then she was a fool that was putting the entire planet at risk because of her personal feelings. Not only would she be a fool, but she'd be a traitor.

Barbara met my gaze for a long moment, seeing the sincerity of my answer. She looked away, "Then you'll want the primitive storage method then. I doctored the files when Robin told me you were looking to debate real estate laws." She admitted, and I nodded.

I wasn't angry or even surprised. I would be disappointed if she hadn't -- when the world was at stake, every possible recourse was acceptable. That being said, I was annoyed that she would think I would be so foolish that I wouldn't verify the information that I received.

"Lead the way," I ordered, and Barbara did exactly that. She led me to a table towards the back of the library that was sparsely populated with other people reading up on the law. Turning to a shelf, she looked at me.

"This is what we have on real estate laws." She informed me before she stepped back. My gaze went to the book titles before I picked one that said for idiots. It would give me a foundational understanding to build off of. Ignoring the fact that the others at the table were looking at me, and Barbara was hovering as if she thought she was some sort of deterrent, I began to read.

I was right -- books were a primitive storage device for information. References to various laws and clauses and cases had to be looked up manually, which made the process take longer. Before long, I had a pile of books on the table that I flipped through to absorb the information within.

In terms of studies, I was possibly the most learned Saiyan alive. Technician, my old mentor, had seen to that. At first, learning had simply been a way to create more advanced techniques -- much like learning about biology to create the Medicine Ball, but at some point, I just began to enjoy it. It scratched an itch that I couldn't always satisfy by training.

Even by sitting down and doing math equations, I was still improving in some way.

So, studying was something I was used to, but it was still hours later that I came to my conclusion.

"According to your laws, Earth is still mine," I remarked to Barbara, standing up as I closed a book.

Barbara's lips tugged into a frown, watching me pick up the books to return them to their rightful places. "... Yeah, that doesn't surprise me," she admitted.

"It's also a convoluted mess that's needlessly complicated," I added, returning the books to the shelves. "Precedence is a foolish thing to base the law on. Judges are not created equal. A foolish decision should not be used to determine the outcome of another trial even if they are similar," I continued, finding myself continuously dissatisfied with the situation.

"Laws are built based on what society deems fair. There are outliers, but most cases fall inside a normal threshold. Precedence gives validity to the outcome of a trial and the punishments for the convicted." Barbara argued, crossing her arms as all the books were returned to where they belong.

"For humans. My empire stretches across millions of planets and is populated with hundreds of thousands of races that each have different needs, cultures, and desires. Law built on precedence can not work for my empire. In a decade it will be too messy and inconsistent. The law needs to be consistent, simple, and fair to all," I responded, my answer catching her off guard based on the look she gave me.

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "You weren't just researching how to take earth from us?" Barbara questioned, a frown in her tone.

"My empire is filled with freed slaves that just left a war beyond your comprehension. I understand that my legal ownership of Earth is a big deal for you, but it is not for me. I have more pressing concerns," I dismissed. Overall, my stay in this library had been informative, but ultimately disappointing. Though it was nice that I could argue that the ownership of Earth could be settled using their own law system -- at least giving me legal ownership of America -- I didn't solve my more glaring concerns.

My empire needed stability. It needed more than me issuing orders to function. I had hoped that I would find the perfect system, but instead, I found a system that I knew I didn't want.

"You're right -- Earth is a big deal to us humans. It's our home," she pointed out, meeting my gaze.

"That changes nothing," I told her bluntly. How many races had been displaced from the war if they weren't outright exterminated? My own race lost our home planet. It was like talking to a brick wall that thought that a pebble was the only pebble in existence. In the end, I… I don't think we could understand each other.

Barbara's view -- humanity's view -- was just too narrow in scope.

"Thank you for your time," I told her, walking by Barbara. I heard her taking in a breath to say something, but whatever it was, she swallowed it down. A good thing too. I wasn't interested in listening to her complaints, though it was for reasons other than I found them irritating.

A powerful presence entered my range. A powerful one that moved at great speeds. Feeling a ki signature wasn't as accurate as a scouter, so I was forced to rely on comparisons. The one that just entered the city limits… the only one that I could compare it to was Frieza. Whoever they were, they were stronger than me at my best. However, that didn't mean my defeat was certain.

I strode out of the library just as the presence dropped down into view. A man that was nearly a half foot taller than me, his hair short and wind kissed. His face was marked with a strong jawline that contrasted his soft baby blue eyes. He wore a skin-tight blue suit that revealed a powerful build, a red cape draped from his shoulders much like the kind that me and my brother used to wear as children.

Most noticeably was the symbol on his chest -- a shielded S.

My memories as a human were few and far in between. However, I knew that S, even if details escaped me.

"Superman, I presume?" I asked him, stepping outside of the library, undaunted.

Superman met my gaze, equally unflinching.

"You wanted to talk. So, let's talk."

...

I think I'm having too much fun having Tarble unknowingly fuck with the Justice League. Space Ghengis Khan shows up at your doorstep, so you expect a fight, and he just goes flying around checking out the sights. So, how do you react to that?

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

 

[Ideas-Guy]

"No," I dismissed him, "I need time to investigate your real estate laws. I can say with certainty that America is mine, but I understand that Earth is very fractured in terms of unity. I will have to visit all the nations on earth to compare," I told him, the Kryptonian not so much as blinking as he leveled a look at me.

"And if you find that they don't support your case?" He questioned in an even tone.

"Buyout, I suppose," I said with a small shrug. "There are other planets that humans can be relocated to. I'm sure that the Federation will welcome them."

Superman's eyes narrowed, "Then why not go to one of those other planets?"

"Why don't you?" I returned the question without hesitation. "You are quite powerful. Stronger than me even. But you stayed on this small, rather unremarkable planet. You may look like a human, but you are anything but."

His eyebrows drew together, not predicting this line of questioning. "Earth is my home," he pointed out. His tone left no room for argument. That's how he felt, stated as simple as fact.

"Hm. As I understand it, home is where the heart is," I pointed out. "You have the physical capacity to throw this planet into the sun. Given that you are a Kryptonian under a yellow sun, it would be simple for you to build a spacecraft capable of serving as a colony ship. Why not leave Earth and find another planet and start new Krypton? Why not save your race from dying out with you?"

The more I spoke, the more uncertain Superman appeared. It was easy to see that he was suspecting that he was being led into a verbal trap, but he wasn't. It was a genuine question, though it was one that his reaction answered better than words could.

Small. For all his power, Superman had such a small view of everything. He could probably fly to another planet in the system in a couple of hours while holding his breath, but he just… didn't. He could push a planet into the green zone to promote a natural atmosphere forming, but he didn't.

It was just so different. For years, I had looked at how my actions should shape the galaxy and trillions of lives. We were on two completely opposite extremes in view, it would seem. The people of Earth only thought of Earth as the center of the universe because they didn't comprehend just how vast the galaxy is. And they didn't understand how small and narrow their scope of vision was from where I stood.

I sighed, finding myself disappointed. "I grow tired of repeating myself -- Earth is my property, and the inhabitants of Earth are my citizens. Not slaves, citizens. That includes you if you so wish it. I am not Frieza. I won't genocide a race because I find it convenient."

"Only in war, huh?" Superman prodded, making my eyes narrow a fraction.

"Yes. A war you have no right to speak of because, for all of your strength, you sat on this rock and did nothing," I returned with a biting remark. "You had the power to make a difference and you did nothing with it."

That remark seemed to sting a little, I saw because Superman met my glare with one of his own, though it was lacking any real anger, "I didn't know about the war." He argued, and that…

Small. Narrow. So very small and narrow.

"You would have if you bothered flying a couple of light-years out of the system. The Vega system isn't that far from here, and it was there trillions of lives were snuffed out in the final battle of the war. You could have flown there and been back in time for dinner," I said, finding myself annoyed. Angry, even. "You had every chance to learn about the war. You had every opportunity to interfere to make a difference. You could have stopped me. You could have stopped Frieza. You could have stopped the Reach. Yet, you didn't."

I expected anger in response to my words, but Superman looked more ashamed than anything. I took in a breath and let it out.

"Judge me for my actions all you like. But don't presume to speak of the War of Light when you weren't there," I said, walking past him. I heard him let out a sigh of his own before he was quick to follow me.

"I… understand that the trade Organization legally owned Earth," he admitted, catching my attention. "But the people of Earth don't want to live under the thumb of a tyrant."

"Frieza is dead," I pointed out, looking at him flatly.

"I meant you," he pointed out. Ah. That made sense.

I frowned as I floated up, Superman joining me. It seemed that my admission that he was stronger than me put him at ease. How very short-sighted. "I haven't done anything worthy of calling me a tyrant," I argued. My first action as a true ruler was to end a galaxy-spanning war. I freed countless people from slavery. I wasn't Frieza. I didn't enslave races. I didn't torment people for my own amusement. I didn't murder those under me for mistakes, or for doing their jobs because I felt like it. I was in no way a tyrant.

Superman looked down at Gotham as if he was uncertain how to phrase his next words. "But you have come to Earth, laying claim to it regardless of the wishes of those that live here." He pointed out, turning his gaze to me.

"That isn't the actions of a tyrant. They're the actions of a King. Whether the people of Earth like it or not, I do have a claim to Earth. I'm also giving you the chance to argue against that claim. Should you fail to, if being a citizen of my empire is so distasteful, then I will arrange transport to the Federation." I argued, frowning at him.

"Not the Trade Organization?" He asked, and that was an odd question. He was fishing for information.

"Did you not receive my broadcast? I have left the Trade Organization. Not only would humanity be enslaved by the Trade Organization, Cooler would likely exterminate the race to prove a point to me," I told him, earning a sharp look from Superman. "Those are the actions of a tyrant," I added to drive my point home.

Superman was silent for a moment, so I looked around. Overall, Gotham had proven to be disappointing. I didn't care for the city, nor its living conditions. As of right now, fixing it would be my first priority. But, I suspected that it would get bumped down the list the more I inspected Earth. Looking over, I saw another city in the distance so I began flying over, uncaring of my new self-appointed guard that was trying to debate the definition of a tyrant with me. As if he knew the meaning of the word.

"That's Metropolis," Superman pointed out as we neared, "it's the city that I protect. It's my home. And who is Cooler? I thought the leader of the Trade Organization was Frieza?"

So, they didn't get my broadcast. But surely the Titans would have passed on that information, wouldn't they? I did mention it, right? Were they purposely withholding it or did they mistake the importance and forget to mention it?

"He was. I killed him," I answered bluntly, flying over Metropolis. It was better than Gotham. Much better. It still seemed rather primitive overall -- glass, steel, and concrete serving as the building materials still, but it seemed to be a much better version. Clean streets, nothing appeared broken, no graffiti for the most part… however, my gaze dipped down to the ocean. Where a bridge connected Gotham and Metropolis. "You only protect a city?"

It was the same problem I saw in Gotham on a much larger scale. The sheer disparity in quality was right next to each other. A simple bridge connected the two cities, yet one was on the verge of collapse and the other was a shining example of was a city should be. Where was the logic?

"With your power, you could protect all of Earth. Is there a reason why you aren't?" I asked him, picking the tallest building. A Lexcorp, based on the sign. This city was better. It felt healthier, more alive. Was that because Superman focuses all of his attention on one small city? It seemed utterly backward.

Superman opened his mouth to make a comment but swallowed it down. However it was easy enough to guess what he had been about to say.

"Other than protecting it from me, naturally," I remarked in a sarcastic tone. Superman winced ever so slightly, the remark hitting the nail on the head.

"There are… some laws in place. The Justice League is held accountable by the UN," he said, but I could hear what he didn't say just as easily. A dismissive scoff escaped me.

So very small, narrow, and apparently stupid.

"It keeps us accountable. Unchecked power, no matter how many good intentions you have, will always lead to disaster," Superman pressed, standing next to me with his arms crossed. "The world wasn't ready for the appearance of people like me, Wonder Woman, or Martian Manhunter. Just like it wasn't ready for those with the power to ignore the law, and the lives of others."

"You restrained yourselves to put those in charge at ease. It's understandable. Admirable, even," I said, taking a seat on the ledge of the Lexcorp building. "But if those restrictions are so binding that you are unable to take a thirty-second flight to Gotham and stop the man who has just been murdered as we speak, then you gave those in power too much power over you," I told him, making him look down at me as I made an effort to remember the presence that fled the scene of said crime.

Superman mulled that over, "Is this the part where you say that those restrictions would be lifted if the Justice League accepts you as the owner of Earth?" He asked, sounding like he thought I was trying to manipulate him. It was a sad thing, because I had just been poking holes in his argument.

"Is it up to you?" I asked him, looking out at the city. "Or is it this UN that I have to convince?" That was the thing about willingly giving up power -- you had less power. I'm sure the Justice League would be unhappy if the UN did accept my ownership of Earth, but would they do anything about it other than grit their teeth and suffer in silence? "To answer your question -- yes, I would. But you would be responsible for more than just a single city. I think I would like something similar to the Justice League in my empire. Autonomous agents protecting parts of my empire from external and internal threats."

That was the goal to turn my race into -- protectors. But… that was going to be a long, bumpy road. My people were a warlike species, and like me, they grew up at war. We didn't know anything but war. I was leading them into peace when I had just discovered what it was myself. The blind leading the blind, as it were.

"You aren't going to convince them. Or us," Superman pointed out. "As you said -- you're being judged for your actions during the war. Harshly." He admitted before he took a seat next to me. "Not just for the war either. Within five minutes of landing on Earth, you murdered a man in cold blood. Perhaps you are right that I have no right to judge you for the war, but I can judge you for that."

"Adonis was a coward that betrayed his team by attempting to flee. He had no clue that I wouldn't kill and eat them. Or this planet. He was a coward. I sentenced him to die for it. Which I believe is in my right as king," I dismissed, feeling… disgusted with Adonis all over again. The traitor deserved worse. His power armor was not so impressive as to forgive that betrayal to his team and his planet.

"That might hold some weight if Earth recognized you as it's king. But it doesn't and we don't," Superman argued. "I'll admit, this has gone down very differently than I expected, but I cannot accept you murdering whoever you find disagreeable."

I looked at him, cocking an eyebrow. "Is this where you ask me to turn myself in?" I asked him, earning a thin-lipped look from Superman, his dark blue eyes conveying the message that yes, this was when he asked that.

"You murdered a man, Tarble," he told me, almost sounding sorry for the fact that I didn't understand that I did something wrong.

Only I didn't agree that I had. "I executed him," I corrected. "The world will be better off."

"You argued that you weren't a tyrant -- don't you see that executing a man without due process is wrong? No one man should play judge, jury, and executioner. Especially not men in the position that we are in," He argued, his tone as unbending as his narrow moral outlook.

I shook my head, "If I were a tyrant, I would have dragged out his friends and family and had them draw straws to see who lives and who dies as punishment for his actions."

Superman leaned back ever so slightly, his eyes narrowing in an unspoken question.

"When I was… four years old or so, I saw Frieza do exactly that with an entire race when they refused to immediately surrender their planet and accept that they were now his slaves. One of them ended up joining the 501st, my military unit a few years later," I explained. "That is a tyrant. The execution of Adonis was completely justified. He was a traitor and traitors are executed. Do I need to pick up one of your law books to prove that to you?"

However, Superman shook his head, even if he looked a bit stricken by the story. "Perhaps that would be true if you were the secular power in the United States, but you aren't." He continued to argue the point.

It was becoming increasingly clear that neither of us would back down from our positions. He called it murder, I saw it as a justified execution.

"That depends entirely on how you look at it. My laws superseded the laws of this planet. I am… the Federal government to your state government," I recalled the convoluted mess from the law books I had studied. "Whether it was murder or a legal execution is a matter of semantics until you can definitively disprove that Earth is not my property. Then it would be a case of a foreign power executing a man on your soil. Though, as I understand, I would fall under diplomatic immunity… immunities which are ridiculously broad."

Superman frowned, "You're using the law as a weapon," he pointed out.

"A little," I could admit that much. "But it's a learning experience for me as well. As of right now, my empire has no laws officially. Millions of planets, trillions of citizens, and hundreds of thousands of races. My legal structure must be fair across the board. Your laws have been instructive on what not to do."

"Would these laws be applicable to you as well?" Superman questioned, and it sounded like a genuine question. I wouldn't say that he was going as far to revise his opinion on me, but he was trying to find something to work with. Because, despite all of his strength, he wasn't looking for a fight. He wanted to be able to reason with me.

However, I shrugged. "As much as they can be. In the end, it's not an easy thing to check a king's power. A court of my peers would always be biased one way or the other. When I can effortlessly destroy my opposition, it makes it unlikely to form."

Superman nodded, seemingly agreeing with my view. "Is that what happened with Frieza?" He asked me, sounding curious, but it was a loaded question. Even a fool could see that.

"The entire Cold Family," I answered. "They were all incredibly powerful. They could destroy planets and armies effortlessly. The war only went on for as long as it did because they couldn't be bothered to end it. Cooler profited from the war too much to make it stop, even if he saw it as overall wasteful. King Cold couldn't be bothered to come out of retirement. Frieza just enjoyed the death and destruction."

My hands curled into fists and I only realized when I looked down at them. "It was only recently that anyone could stand up to Frieza. And even then, without Bardock… and the Warworld, Frieza would have likely killed me and my race out of spite." Frieza was still the single most powerful entity that I had encountered. I'm unsure if that would ever change. He had been stronger than me when he only used half of his true power.

Without Bardock, I would be dead. Without the Warworld, I'm uncertain if I could have lasted long enough to deal a finishing blow rather than pushing Frieza into a black hole.

"Genocide should never be an option. Much less the default one," Superman remarked, earning a dull look from me as I unclenched my hands.

"The rest of the galaxy disagrees. At least everyone I've met seems to think so." How many in the Federation or Trade Organization or the Reach would kill every last Saiyan if they had a chance? How many of them thought the galaxy would be a better place without any of us? I'm guessing that the answer was a lot. And, to that, Superman looked away.

I couldn't say for certain, but it seemed like those blinders that kept his eyes solely on Earth, on this city, were becoming a little loose. I imagine that finding out that trillions were killed on your metaphorical galactic doorstep would do that.

Better to let him mull over his own conclusions on the matter. I had no interest in explaining myself or my actions. I understood that my actions were evil. I made no excuses or justifications for that irrefutable fact. In light of it all, I… I don't think I could defend them even if I wanted to. The entire war had been a gross waste of life for petty profit margins. But that didn't change what I did. It just made my reasons feel hollow.

A hand went to my necklace, pinching the green Lantern ring and the knucklebone it rested on. I had my reason. The galaxy might not care for it, but it was mine.

"I'm going to continue to explore Earth. If you're going to follow me, then make yourself inconspicuous. I wish to observe what civilian life looks like without distractions," I told Superman as I stood up.

He rose to his feet as well, giving me an even look. "We aren't done here, Tarble. You murdered a man."

"Executed," I corrected again. "You strike me as a good man, Superman," I told him, and he seemed a bit caught off guard by the praise. "But, for all of your power and kindness, you don't understand how vast the universe is. If we fight and you somehow defeat me, then what happens?"

He met my gaze evenly, knowing that this was a leading question. "You tell me," he said instead, unwilling to take the bait.

"My empire is in shambles. It was forged in war and for the entirety of its existence, it has merely been a tool for me to win the War of Light. That has changed with the death of Frieza, the war ending, and my leaving the Trade Organization," I told him, my tone blunt. "We have no laws. No economy. The only thing holding the Empire together is the fact it is mine. The only thing stopping our enemies from attacking is me -- I killed Frieza and for the entirety of my life, I have been at war. I mastered it, until the entire galaxy declared me their enemy, and they were still defeated."

Superman clenched his jaw, and I think he got a peek at it. At the scope of the ramifications his actions would have. He could defeat me. He was strong enough to. Just like how I was strong enough to potentially defeat him. And with my defeat, my empire would fall apart. The Federation would invade. The Trade Organization would ravage my empire to reclaim their slaves. The Reach would invade for revenge and to reclaim their lost territory.

"Unless you are willing to step up to ensure that countless people aren't killed and enslaved on a galactic scale, then it is in your best interest to let me observe humanity and their laws," I told him.

Superman scowled, "You're hiding behind civilians," he accused, an edge in his voice.

"I hide behind no one. Actions have consequences, Superman. All of them. Unfortunately, it's not just a matter of being the larger you are, the harder you fall -- the larger you are, the more people you crush when you hit the ground," I told him, and there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes. It took me a moment to figure out why -- that was a human idiom, wasn't it? "I'm willing to fight you over this. It's simpler. But you are a good man, Superman. If you defeat me, then you will be compelled to protect my empire -- both from collapse and its enemies."

There was a moment of silence as our eyes met. Superman was not the type to be daunted by something like that. "And if you defeat me, then Earth will be as good as yours, is that it?"

"No. But, I imagine that after defeating you, the Justice League would be lesser for it. After I defeat them, then Earth is mine," I told him. That was the impasse that we stood at. No matter what, everyone would win.

If I was defeated by the Justice League, Superman and his allies would be compelled to fill the void I would leave behind. If I won, then Earth would be mine, the citizens of Earth would have a choice of their next action to stay or leave, then Earth would be turned into the Saiyan home planet and the Capital of my empire. From where I stood, there seemed to be no downsides. Though, based on the look I was getting, that wasn't a sentiment that Superman shared.

I said nothing else, simply meeting his gaze and letting him pick which road that we went down -- violence or diplomacy? I think both of us would prefer the former. It was simpler, less messy, and faster. But both came with issues and stakes that had to be considered.

"We will be keeping a close eye on you," Superman stated, making his choice. His tone was firm and even, not saying the words lightly. It was clear that he found the idea distasteful, but it was easy to guess his reasoning.

He needed time. Time to prepare the Justice League's arguments on why Earth wasn't mine. More than that, he needed time to think about the situation -- the Justice League and I were going to come into conflict. That much was inevitable. If not over the topic of the ownership of Earth, then my actions during the war, if not that then the execution of Adonis. No matter what, we were going to come to blows. They would find a reason.

So, he chose diplomacy to give himself and the Justice League time. Time to consider what happened next if I was defeated. If I was victorious. If I simply changed my mind and left Earth altogether.

"I'd be disappointed if you weren't," I responded, dismissing his warning. And with that, I stepped off the building and plummeted to the ground. Once again, I slowed myself down until I lightly landed in front of the Lexcorp building. A few people flinched back, looking to me, then up at the sky, then back to me. I ignored them as I walked down the streets, feeling Superman's gaze on me as I crossed a street. Then I felt him dart off to a different part of the city, I'm guessing to communicate with the Justice League.

I let out a sigh as I walked, watching people go about their day. I wasn't sure if it was one of disappointment or relief.

Part of me wanted to just get it over with. I knew we were going to fight, so just skip straight to the fight. But I kept that part in check. Waiting helped me just as much as it helped them. For example…

"You, human," I started, stopping a random man on the street by placing a hand on his shoulder. He stopped cold to look at me, his expression confrontational until that bled away when he met my gaze. "What do humans do to relax?"

The man looked like he had no clue what I had just said, and feared that the wrong answer would mean death. Still, he found his courage and answered. "I… go to a coffee shop… and read while drinking coffee…?" He tried, swallowing thickly.

That sounded a great deal like doing nothing. "I see. Where is the nearest available coffee shop?" I asked him, letting go of his shoulder when he pointed to the building next to us. I looked inside through the glass planes at something that resembled a mess hall, but far less organized and smaller.

"Thank you, human," I told him before I went to enter the shop. There was a ding to announce my arrival. A few people sitting at the tables stopped their idle chatter to look at me. I ignored them before taking my place at the back of the line, the people before me looking up at a board marked with names and prices before picking one. They handed over a green piece of crumpled fabric in exchange for a cup filled with what I presumed was coffee.

Once again, I was confronted by my lack of understanding of an economy. Money, in the end, was nothing I ever truly cared for or even understood. The extent of my experience with it was making sure the income was higher than the expenses, but I never interacted with how that happened directly. Or understood the value of those two numbers. Ada'la had run that aspect of my empire during the war -- all that I had cared about was that my empire made money and goods, which I then used to support the war effort. Now, not only did my empire more than double in size, but Vegeta's had been in a considerable amount of debt and the war was now over.

Ada'la had yet to respond to my idea of restarting the economy from scratch, but there was a fundamental issue that I had to address first -- what gave a good value? What made it worth a seemingly arbitrary amount of money?

"Welcome to… is that a tail?" The woman behind the counter started to greet me, before looking at the tail coiled around my waist. Her name was Danny according to her name tag.

"It is, Danny. I would like to try coffee," I told her, looking up at the board, though I still saw her look a bit put out by me knowing her name. Not sure why. Wasn't that what the name tag was for? The names and prices of coffee meant absolutely nothing to me. I couldn't understand the difference between a latte and a frappuccino.

Danny blinked a few times, seemingly very excited, "So, you're, like, an alien? Like Superman?"

"No. I am a Saiyan, he is a Kryptonian. What is a latte?" I asked her, frowning at the board.

"Oh, it's… espresso and milk heated up with steam. You can add syrups or simple sugar if you like -- my favorite is white chocolate chips melted down with a little bit of raspberry syrup," she told me, sounding very excited.

I had no clue what any of those things were. "I will try that, then." I decided, figuring I had to start somewhere. I would drink my coffee, sit in the store, and watch humans go about their daily life.

The war was over. It would stay over. I understood the military, but if I was going to lead my citizens, I needed to understand my civilians.

"That'll be three twenty," Danny said, a giddy smile on her face.

I tilted my head, "I have no currency of Earth." I admitted to her -- this was an oversight on my part. I was used to receiving the things I needed by asking for them. They would be paid for automatically from one of my various accounts -- which were now filled with useless currency considering that it was Trade Organization credits. I could trade them for Earth currency, in theory, but that would be a trade in bad faith. "Do you accept valuable minerals?"

Danny appeared a bit hesitant, but still excited, "Like… gold? Yeah, I think we can accept that?" She said though it sounded like a question. I doubted that it was their policy, but she didn't want to tell me no. That shouldn't be the case, but I've ignored my fair share of military guidelines until I was in a position to rewrite them.

"I will be back before you are done," I told her before I walked outside of the coffee shop, where I crouched down and launched myself into the air. In seconds, I reached Earth's upper atmosphere-

"King Tarble? Do you come in?" I heard through my earpiece, "King Tarble?"

Hm. "Earth is blocking or transmissions. Are you in position?" I asked the fleets as I looked around me -- Earth seemed to be making an active effort to clutter up their orbit. If they didn't do something about it soon, then they wouldn't be able to send anything up at all without hitting space debris.

"We are at the edge of the system, sir," the head admiral answered me.

"Remain there for now. Earth has some unexpected developments. Have you performed a scan of the system?" I asked, looking around me. I really missed the Warworld. The mental connection I shared with the machine planet made things like this vastly simpler. "I'm looking for the nearest deposit of gold nearby."

In response to that, I received a set of coordinates to a small asteroid in Earth's orbit. I flew over towards it while that Admiral continued, "Do you require anything else, my king?"

I reached the rock and grabbed hold of it, With my hands coated in ki, I made quick work of cutting off the stone and lesser metals until only gold remained. It was a couple of tons of it based on my estimation. Grabbing it, I turned back to Earth, "No. Work on subverting the jamming tech -- I need constant updates and I can't afford to pop back into orbit at all times."

"Of course, my king," the admiral responded before I flew back down to Earth. Metropolis was easy to find, even without following Superman's ki signature. Lowering myself down to the ground, I looked to the massive amount of gold I carried above my head. Given that it was roughly the size of a car, I set it in one of the parking spots on the side of the street. People stopped to gawk, but I ignored them and cut off a sliver of the gold to pay for my coffee.

Danny didn't initially notice my return because she was busy talking into a phone. "-like, are all aliens just super good looking? Can't wait for mister smoldering eyes to- er," Danny cut herself off when I dropped the misshapen brick of gold on the counter. She whipped around, pointing the camera in my direction while she gaped at me, then the gold, then back at me.

"Is this sufficient?" I asked her, eyeing what I suspected to be my drink on the counter.

"Er… y-yeah. That's like, about… a thousand lattes?" She tried, gaping at the amount as she failed to so much as lift it. I nodded, glad to hear it before I grabbed my coffee. Glancing down at it, I brought it to my mouth and took a small sip. It tasted… good.

Good enough that I quickly took off the top to get rid of that small hole I was supposed to drink out of to gulp down the contents of the cup. Steam erupted from my mouth when I let out a small breath, tasting the sweet aftertaste of the coffee. Danny smiled broadly, looking thoroughly happy with herself. She should -- that was the single greatest thing I have tasted. My entire life, I only ate rations or meat from aliens -- sentient and animals alike.

It was the first time I've tasted anything so sweet in my life. "I would like as many of those as this will allow me," I decided, presenting the now empty cup back to her.

"I'd pay for one of those," I heard a woman say. Looking over, I saw a dark-haired woman with blue eyes in a form-fitting purple dress thing. When our eyes met, she stuck out a hand and her lips curled into a smile. "Lois Lane, journalist for the Daily Planet. Would you have time to answer a few questions, Mr…?"

"Tarble. King of the Saiyan race," I said, tentatively taking her hand to avoid crushing it.

This should be interesting.

...

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[Ideas-Guy]

"What do you mean, hands-off?" Garfield protested, voicing the concerns of the Titans as they recuperated in Titans Tower. Their living room served as the briefing room, a large screen displaying the cowled visage of Batman -- only the bottom half of his face was visible, leaving his mouth and square jaw exposed, and even his eyes were covered by some kind of flexible white material that changed with the raising and lowering of his brows, currently set into a stern line. Two stiff spines jutted up from the top of his iconic cowl, like the ears of the night dwelling animal that was his namesake.

Raven sat in the corner of the room, knowing that she had to be here for the debrief, but the intense emotions that rolled off the Titans were making it difficult to meditate. The emotions of her friends resonated with her -- the anger, the uncertainty, the humiliation of being so easily defeated, and now the indignant disbelief at Batman, the current leader of the Justice League alongside Superman.

"It means what I just said. As of right now, the case of Tarble is not your concern. You are not to pursue, nor engage," Batman repeated, his tone unyielding. Anger rolled off of Tim in waves, only matched by his humiliation. He took their defeat as a personal failing. He had led them into the situation. He thought that it was his fault that Adonis was executed. That he hadn't known how outmatched they were. There wasn't anyone harder on themselves than Tim Drake when he felt like he made a mistake, real or imaginary. "Tarble is being dealt with by the Justice League."

"He's getting coffee in Metropolis! That's not dealing with anything! He murdered Adonis. Put him on his knees and just…" Garfield couldn't even finish his sentence, his face twisting. Guilt weighed heavily on him. On all of them. They were heroes. They were the first team of heroes in fact, the Justice League only forming a short year ago to the Titan's five years. In that time, there had been many successes… and many failures.

But, few stung quite like this one.

"We understand the extent of Tarble's crimes," Batman said, and she didn't need to be in range to know his emotions. There was anger in his voice. Batman was someone she had the displeasure of meeting only a few times -- Raven didn't care for him, but she did feel bad for him. He always seemed to be filled with a tempered rage that was left simmering just under the surface, and after Jason's murder, there was an even deeper wound. She thought he was a good man, but a deeply flawed one.

Tim spoke up, "Then why isn't anything being done?" He pressed, looking up at Batman, unflinching when his attention turned to him.

"Your defeat was caused by ignorance," Batman began, his tone cold. Clinical. Much like a surgeon cutting out a tumor, he cut into their mistakes and presented them. "You acted on unreliable and spotty information without understanding the enemy you fought. What information that you did have, you never should have had in the first place. Titans -- you are all fine heroes, but you are all lucky to be alive."

Raven found herself in agreement, taking in a deep breath as she soothed her own emotions. Harmony was a rare thing, but she could control her feelings. Most of all, she kept a tight grip on the most dangerous emotion of all -- her rage. A gift from her father.

"So, we should have done nothing?" Tim half questioned, half biting the words out. "We just let him take over Earth because he thinks he owns it?"

Batman's eyes narrowed, "I expect," his voice was equally harsh, even if it never rose or fell an octave, "for you all to exercise proper judgment. The fact of the matter is that if you hadn't blatantly disregarded my rules, you wouldn't have known about Tarble at all. If you hadn't, then perhaps you wouldn't have been so eager to engage. Then, maybe, Adonis would still be alive." Tim flinched, Batman likely echoing his own thoughts.

"I do not think that is fair, Batman," Starfire responded, frowning at him. "It is true that Robin should not have hacked into your computers, but fighting unknown enemies is what heroes do. Unless you claim to know everything about a situation and the villains that perpetrated it every time you engage?" Raven smiled ever so slightly -- Starfire had slipped into ' Mom-Mode' , as Garfield was so fond of saying.

To that, Batman had no response.

"The Titans don't answer to the Justice League," Raven spoke up, making the attention of the room shift to her. "If you want us to avoid Tarble, then you have to give us a reason to. Convince us that you have the situation in hand rather than issuing orders." She said, Tim looking at her with a blank expression, but she felt his gratitude. Every Robin had trouble with confronting Batman, it would seem.

Batman, however, was nothing if not adaptable, "The Justice League is attempting to resolve the situation peacefully. The intel that we received from Hal Jordan and John Stewart seems to have come with some level of bias against Tarble, and as such, Tarble is currently acting well outside of the expected parameters." He admitted, and Raven could guess what he meant by that. Until he murdered Adonis, Tarble had been… polite. Pleasant even. It was difficult to imagine him performing anything he was accused of before that, or even the things he admitted to. "Which is why the Justice League is trying diplomacy."

Garfield frowned, "And if it works? Tarble just gets to leave Earth? He doesn't get punished for murder?" He questioned while his frown deepened, anger welling in his chest. "We just let him go back out to the galaxy to do whatever he wants to?" The question was on everyone's minds. What would a diplomatic victory look like?

Tarble had done terrible things by his own admission. On a scale that he was right to say that they couldn't imagine. Billions of lives snuffed out in a war that left entire planets devastated. Raven could imagine it better than most, but the idea of letting someone like that go, that had performed acts of such evil that the only person she could compare him to was her father… Releasing him onto the galaxy in exchange for getting him to leave Earth alone didn't sit well with her.

"At the time, all possibilities are being considered," Batman responded, his tone flat. No hint of emotion. That told Raven all that she needed to know. He was not in favor of letting Tarble go even with a diplomatic victory. "There are factors that… complicate things. For now, for your own sakes, do not engage Tarble. Batman out."

And with that, the call ended. Almost as soon as the screen went black, Garfield threw his head into his hands and groaned.

"That's it?! Twiddle our thumbs while a mass murderer is on the loose?!" He protested, unhappy with the decision. He kicked an empty pizza box, sending the cardboard flying. He rounded on everyone else, clearly expecting them all to be just as unhappy as he was.

Jamie, however, looked crestfallen, "I'm sorry. I should have been with you guys. I… I just saw a chance to get that thing off of me, and…" he trailed off, his shoulders slumping. His remorse was genuine. But unneeded. Jamie had been looking for a way to remove the Scarab for over a year and resigned himself to being unable to ever be free of it. No one blamed him for jumping at a chance to remove it.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, Jamie," Kori reassured.

Jamie hung his head low, not believing it in the slightest. He touched his chest, feeling phantom pains from the blast Tarble sent through him to destroy the Scarab. Sadly, Raven couldn't do anything about that. She could only heal physical wounds.

"We're going after this guy, right?" Garfield pressed, looking to everyone in the room before their eyes settled on Tim. Their leader.

Tim's lips thinned, "Batman is right about one thing -- we went into the situation with a fraction of the information we needed." He began, "And that's my fault. Worse, the Fearsome Five escaped." For the first time, their number truly was five.

"They will not accept the murder of their friend so easily," Kori spoke up, her tone sad. Raven agreed with her. They would go to ground as they always did, but their target was obvious when they resurfaced. They would plan out how to kill Tarble -- if it would work was anyone's guess, but the Fearsome Five were capable of anything when properly motivated.

"Kori -- you said you knew about Tarble? The Hero Force?" Tim questioned, earning a broad smile in response. It seemed that Kori had fond memories because she seemed genuinely happy to recall the show. Nostalgia? Or were those memories attached to something or someone else?

Kori nodded, "Children all across the galaxy know of the Hero-Force. Tarble, the Low-Class Prince, fights across the galaxy in the name of peace and justice against the evil Reach Empire! My sister and I would watch it every day during our time on Okaara, even when it wasn't used as study materials."

Raven tilted her head, "Is it a kid's show or a war documentary?" She questioned, making Kori think on it.

"Both? There were a great many shows about Prince Tarble. Sadly, I did not get to watch them all." She said, and Raven took in a deep breath as she tightly bound her anger. Kori cared little for the tragedies of her past. She accepted that they happened and fueled her desire to prevent them from happening to others, but the pain of them had long since faded for her. However, the Titans could be angry on her behalf -- she had been kidnapped, experimented on, imprisoned…

Tim chose to zero in on his plan, "We need to see them. If they're used for study, then they can't be complete works of fiction. If we are going to go after Tarble, then we need to know more."

"By watching alien TV?" Garfield said, mulling it over before he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm okay with that, but how?" He asked, pointing out that Earth hadn't gotten those broadcasts. The answer was rather obvious.

Raven sighed, "Who do we know that's obsessed with TV?" She asked, answering the question with a question, deeply empathizing with the groan that escaped everyone when they all came to the same answer.

…

Control Freak hadn't changed much in the three years it'd been since his last appearance. Long red hair with a receding hairline , overweight, and a thin and scruffy red beard covering his face. He still wore his signature trench coat and combat boots, completing his signature outfit with baggy cargo pants and a white button-down now.

"Hey, I'm retired now! You can't just bust down my door whenever you feel like it!" Control Freak, who now went by his real name of Alexander Polinsky, protested as the Titans arrived. Jamie was left at the tower for his own protection -- the Scarab had made him a heavy hitter on the team, but without it… he would always have a place on the Teen Titans, but it was a question of if that place was in an active role.

A blur raced by Raven, blasting her cloak to the side, then back as the blur raced by again. Wally West was a speedster, much like his namesake twice over. Kid Flash, and Wally West, was a dark-skinned man that was around her size in terms of height, putting him on the short side. He was a relatively recent addition to the Titans, replacing the previous Kid Flash. Who had also been named Wally West.

It was about as confusing as it sounded.

"Hey, that's mine!" Control Freak protested, getting out of his chair. They were in his office at a modest home in Malibu -- which made the property worth millions by default. After a few years of failing to defeat the Titans, he ended up starting a broadcasting company for TV shows and movies. Raven wasn't sure why he wasn't in prison, but… him just giving up and becoming a successful businessman was also fine with her. So long as people weren't in danger.

"We just need to borrow it for a bit. And ask you something -- have you ever received a broadcast from the Trade Organization? About a Prince Tarble?" Tim asked, walking forward in a non-threatening manner. To that, Control Freak scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Who do you think you're talking to? Of course I have," he said, looking down at Robin with an indignant expression. "It is I, Control Freak, after all!" He proclaimed proudly, a cocky smirk on his face. "I just haven't broadcasted anything because of those dumb broadcast laws. People are freaking out over alien subliminal messaging -- I swear, it's like the Red Scare or something."

Raven let out a breath of relief while Tim spoke, "We need to see them."

"Uh, why? It's just a bunch of Alien TV. You that desperate for Soap Operas?" He questioned, looking genuinely confused, and it matched what she sensed he was feeling.

He didn't know. "Those shows are based on true stories. The star of them is on Earth." Raven told him, earning a very slow blink from Control Freak. His expression was blank, buy there was a growing sense of unease and fear in him as he came to a conclusion.

"Oh. Yeah. Right. Okay, just give me a second," Control Freak woodenly responded, heading to his desk that was surrounded by a dozen monitors. His reaction caught the others by surprise.

"Dude, that's it?" Garfield questioned, looking at their old enemy with stunned surprise. He traded a look with Wally, who just shrugged, while Control Freak started pulling up various TV shows on his monitors.

Control Freak didn't look at them as he responded, "I thought that stuff was all made up. You know, alien dramatization and whatever. But if Prince Tarble is real… then I don't want him on Earth. I don't want him anywhere near Earth. And by the end of this, you won't want him here either." He responded, his tone grave. He turned to look at them, a tv series on each screen. All of them revolved around Prince Tarble. "The guy is super famous. These are just the TV shows about him. There are like a hundred documentaries about him, his exploits, his armies, and his race. That's not counting the spin-offs."

Tim frowned, "Titans, we're splitting up." He decided, taking the remote from Wally to pointedly return it to Control Freak. A gesture of trust. Control Freak had never been one of the truly dangerous villains. Even with his goal to beat the Titans, they were very rarely ever in life-threatening danger. Which was why Raven could accept that he had just stopped being a villain to start a company.

"Kid Flash, Starfire you're team one. Beast Boy and Raven are team two. Control Freak will be with me. Divide up the shows, take notes but don't linger. Seems like there's a lot of material to work through and not enough time to get through all of it." Tim decided, earning nods all around. Kori made their selections for their group -- leaving them with a mix of kid shows, documentaries, and spin-offs over the course of the war.

Control Freak pointed the controller at her and Garfield, "Get ready. And brace yourself," he said before he clicked a button on his remote control. Raven's vision went hazy for a split second before she found that her surroundings had changed. Looking around, she saw that Garfield was standing next to her, so they hadn't been separated.

"Which one did you pick to start?" He questioned, eying the room that they were in while she did the same. It was almost featureless -- metal tiled floors, metal walls, metal ceiling with a door on one far wall, and a matching metal bulkhead door on the other side of the room.

Raven answered, "A documentary on the Low-Class Prince-"

Amongst the countless races of Aliens that inhabit the Universe, there are precious few that are as suited for war as the Saiyan Race. A narrator began, making them flinch at the booming voice. As the narrator spoke, both doors opened. Behind the door in front of them, were three child-sized green creatures -- blood-red eyes, a body of various shades of green, with each hand-tipped with razor-sharp claws.

Raven looked behind her to see a child. Despite the large age difference, there was no mistaking the child that walked in between two adults, all Saiyans based on the tails wrapped around their waist. His eyes were dark, with a single lock of hair drifting between them, wearing a simple black bodysuit with his tail low to the ground. It was Tarble. He was small. He barely came up to the knees of the other Saiyans.

He… was a cute kid.

Your Power Level is what determines your worth in their society, which is broken into three classes -- the Elite-Class, Mid-Class, and Low-Class. The Elite-Class is traditionally only made up of members of the Royal Family of the Saiyan Race, but in theory, anyone with a Power Level over ten thousand can be included into this Class.

The Mid-Class is a rare position of honor amongst the Saiyans, with the Mid-Class traditionally only having an average of ten Saiyans that have a Power Level over five thousand .

Lastly, there is the Low-Class. This Class makes up the majority of the Saiyan population. All the warriors that have a Power Level of below five thousand are included in this class, though it is also the only class that contains a subclass -- the Working-Class.

Raven listened, idly noting the flashes of images that displayed what the narrator was talking about. Rows upon rows of infants floating in goop as a measuring tool was used to determine their 'Power Level,' and pictures of various Saiyans -- fighters, builders, nurturers. He went into more detail about the Class system, which seemed restrictive, before it settled on the point.

Infants that fall below Power Level ten and below are then sent on an Infiltration Mission -- in which they are sent to a planet and expected to conquer it, or die in the attempt to prove themselves worthy of being a Low-Class warrior. As one would expect, over ninety-nine percent of so called infiltration babies do not return. Such a fate nearly befell Prince Tarble, or at this time, the Saiyan simply known as Tarble. Who was born with a Power Level of only fifteen.

"Thats…" Raven muttered unhappily, taking in a deep breath to check her emotions. They were sending babies to die for being weak.

Garfield said nothing in favor of looking at the small Tarble. He was small. So very small. the camera settling on him eying the creatures across from him that were wearing sinister grins. The look on his face... his facial expressions hadn't changed since he was a child, according to the documentary -- he still had that same smoldering stare and an expression on his face that bordered on a scowl.

For his weakness, Prince Tarble was not acknowledged by the Royal Family. To be welcomed as a Prince, he would have to prove himself worthy. His father, King Vegeta, gave him an impossible task -- to do what no other Saiyan had ever done before and become an Elite-Class Warrior.

"Okay…" Garfield muttered, a foot bouncing impatiently for the documentary to move on. He had little interest in what was going on, but that wasn't a feeling that Raven shared. Tarble walked forward, his hands clenched into his fists as he resolutely approached the two green creatures.

His first step was to defeat three Saibamen, the favored creatures used by Saiyans to train their young.

Raven flinched back when the fight began, the young Tarble throwing himself at the Saibamen, a punch aimed at one in the middle. She expected it to defeat the creature. She had witnessed first hand that Tarble was powerful, but… that had been a mistake. Which is why it was so shocking when the Saibaman grabbed Tarble's arm and broke it with ease. The sound of his bones snapping reverberating throughout the room was sickening, added to by the childlike scream of agony that he released, followed by sinister chuckling from the Saibamen.

Every day, Prince Tarble clashed with the Saibamen, each one vastly more powerful than himself. He was overseen by Bardock, a near-legendary figure among the Saiyans as well as the Employee of the Year for the Trade Organization for over a decade.

Trained by years of working with Garfield, Raven expected a witty comment disparaging the 'Employee of the Year'. Only to fall short, as Garfield like her is too distressed at watching a child get savaged by little green moon men to find the humor in the moment.

The video started and stopped, each time showing the beginning of a clash, and the ending of it. Tarble started standing across from the Saibamen, and each time he laid in a puddle of his own blood, his limbs shattered, and getting stomped on with vindictive glee by the Saibamen. A child. What amounted to a newborn baby for his species.

"Is there a fast-forward button? I really don't want to see this," Garfield muttered, looking away from the sight that seemed to glorify what was happening. Disgust and horror rolled off of him, matching how she felt. This… this was just cruel. Cruel and brutal.

"We don't have the remote," Raven answered as the montage continued. The narrator continued to speak over the violence.

Every day, Prince Tarble fought until he was nearly dead. Each day he would crawl over to a healing pod filled with a special fluid that mended his wounds. Each morning, he would step out of it refreshed and begin all over again. Even as a newborn by his peoples standards, Prince Tarble displayed a trait that would make him a legend amongst his people and the Trade Organization.

Unbreakable willpower.

The montage changed. No longer was Tarble brutalized until he was nearly dead -- the change was subtle at the start. He was able to limp back into a round pod. Then he was able to walk. Then he was winning his fights. Until…

Each day, Prince Tarble came back stronger. Wiser. More able. Despite the incredible power difference between him and his enemies, in a mere three months, he closed the gap and slew each Saibaman in combat.

In contrast to the complete one-sided defeat Tarble had suffered at the start, the final fight was a one-sided victory. The Saibamen were unable to touch him, and before long each was killed with the utmost ease, Tarble's expression not even changing as he casually beheaded one with a swipe of his hand.

This is the story of the Low-Class Prince -- a story of the weak becoming the strong.

Raven let out a breath as it went to a title screen, looking over at Garfield, who looked at her at the same time. "How much of that do you think was true?" She asked him, even as she settled on an answer of her own.

Garfield shrugged, "I don't know. Seems like a pretty weird thing to make up," he admitted. "But… I'm really hoping that there was some exaggeration going on there. Who does something like that? Who puts a baby in a ring with monsters and has them fight to the death?!" He questioned, deeply unnerved by the mere thought of it. "Not even the worst animals do something that cruel."

Raven found herself agreeing. That had been barbaric. "It's a documentary. Apparently, it's all true," Raven responded, taking in a slow breath. She compared what she had just witnessed to her impression of a much older Tarble. The child version was just a projection, he wasn't real.

But the documentary had echoed her own initial impression of Tarble. The willpower it took to have such a tight grip on his emotions. When Psimon had attempted to invade his mind, he revealed that he was constantly in a state of such agony that merely experiencing it second-hand gave Psimon a seizure. Raven hadn't realized it herself at the time, because Tarble hardly seemed to notice it himself. She had wondered what could make a person capable of enduring something like that.

This answered her questions in the worst possible way. A newborn infant tossed into a room with monsters for three months, where he fought nearly to the death. That was the start of his life.

The documentary continued, and they watched it. Raven took notes to compare to the various other shows that they would end up watching -- what was seen across the shows could be considered verified, and what wasn't could be considered exaggeration or fiction. However, that was an issue in itself, Raven thought, watching a three-month-old Tarble go on a suicide mission, sent by his father…

The Destruction of the planet Rockoroad officially began the Reach-Trade Organization war. The native population of incredibly dangerous aliens was all exterminated by the team led by Bardock. A resounding success so great that Lord Frieza himself saw fit to reward the team with a planet -- Prince Tarble, with his intense cunning and understanding of galactic politics despite only being three months old, chose a planet that would spell the doom for the Thanagarian Empie more than a decade later -- Planet Earth of the Sol system.

Raven wrote that down, intent on verifying the origin of the information. Though, it did seem like the documentary was stretching a bit.

"He helped kill an entire race at three months old," Garfield muttered, his tone grim. Tarble had been right. It was difficult to understand the scope of his crimes. Genocide was the opening title card for the story of his life. The documentary only covered the first portion of his life, quickly moving on to how he had been stuck behind enemy lines for four years.

"He did," Raven agreed. That was the start.

"What should we do with this guy, Raven?" Garfield questioned with a shake of his head, "I mean, we deal with bad guys all the time. But… maybe the Justice League was right. Maybe we should just let them handle this guy."

"I think we should reach the end before we make any final conclusions," Raven decided, watching the documentary of Tarble's life unfold.

And that's what they did.

The documentary was the start of their marathon, only covering things in broad terms with the occasional dip into specifics. It covered the first six years of his life, which was how long it took him to reach the threshold to become Elite-Class. In that time… he killed countless people. Razed entire planets. He killed a Green Lantern. He killed Scarabs. It was war on a scale that… that they hadn't been able to imagine.

It was a short documentary, only about an hour-long, and the playlist immediately jumped into the next series. A longer documentary on how Tarble rose through the ranks of the Trade Organization and how he impacted the war.

Garfield was silent, a rarity for him. Raven was the same, though it was far less rare for her. The more that they watched, the more that was revealed to them. The more the picture of who Tarble was took shape. There was a layer of propaganda that had to be removed, and some things that had to be taken with a pinch of salt, but the events in each were consistent between each broadcast. The timeline was consistent.

The brutal first three months. The suicide mission. Owning earth. Four years behind enemy lines. Killing a Green Lantern. Heroic moments on Rench -- fighting an army single handily, stealing valuable data, saving thousands of soldiers which would later on become his personal army. At four years old, he became responsible for leading thousands.

Becoming Elite-Class and officially joining the Royal Family. Numerous successes against the Reach, including breaking something called the Shield Wall. Then a devastatingly short war that ended with the Thanagarian Empire shattered like glass. The deaths of thousands of Green Lanterns in an ambush. A war that expanded wildly out of control in every direction until the entire galaxy was engulfed. A war that ended not long ago, but already had celebratory shows.

The War of Light was a terrible thing. A truly terrible thing. And Tarble had been at the heart of it all.

The only things that changed between the various retellings were things like if Tarble had a romance with some princess, or stories about how he had seduced the general of an enemy army with his handsome looks and incredible drive.

"This is messy," Raven gave her thoughts as a rather lifelike looking Tarble passionately kissed what she was guessing was supposed to be Kori's sister.

"I know -- there was no build-up at all-" Garfield began before realizing that's not at all what she meant. He let out a sigh, "Yeah, it is. Do you think … is it his fault?" Garfield asked the question that likely didn't have an answer. One thing that every show had in common was heaps of praise for Tarble taking care of those under his care.

Something that he had proved he cared about, because the first thing he did upon becoming Supreme Commander was to enact widespread reforms to the military that protected soldiers and civilians alike. Compared to his fellow generals and commanders, Tarble at his worst seemed almost tame. At the very least, he was never cruel for the sake of being cruel. There was a reason that his becoming Supreme Commander was treated as a godsend to the companies producing all this media.

Was Tarble a person in a difficult position doing the best he could? Was he a ruthless perpetrator?

Raven didn't know. They had watched the events unfold a dozen times now, each retelling a little different, but… "His personality is missing," Raven said, not answering Garfield's question. "Every piece of media gave us pieces of his history, but Tarble never stated why he did it all. I don't think we can decide whose fault this is until we ask him."

Garfield let out a breath, "Rae…"

"Nothing can justify any of this. The entire war was vile. But, I'll hold my condemnation until after I've spoken to Tarble again," Raven continued, looking at Garfield with a flat look. "We spoke to him once already about this. He didn't defend his actions at all. He didn't justify it. Any of it." Why wouldn't he? Did he really not care about what he did?

Or was it something else?

Maybe he wanted to be judged?

Raven didn't know, but it was clear that she wouldn't get her answer by watching another episode of intergalactic soap operas.

...

So, in Going Native, the purpose of the various shows that were mentioned was for pretty much what this chapter was. The idea was that there would be two or three chapters that more or less run through the events of Going Native -- this was for the new readers, and it would quickly compress the Hero side of the reaction to Tarble's past. That way, it wouldn't drag out the reaction of 'Hey, Tarble's life has kinda sucked a little bit.' We could just have a few chapters, then we could move on.

But, as I wrote the chapter, I really didn't like how it felt. It felt incredibly masturbatory and like I was undermining what Tarble did during the war. Because, at the end of the day, Tarble very much is a monster that did monstrous things. Intentions do matter, but actions matter more. It more or less felt like I was turning him into a woobie. So, the plan kinda fell apart.

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

 

[Ideas-Guy]

Tim stood in the vast emptiness that was outer space, and around him there was nothing but death. Massive fleets of starships clashed around him in a display of destruction on such a scale that he had never seen before. A ship that was as large as a city exploded when its shields failed, and blueish energy washed over him as his vision went white. As large as the ship that exploded was, it was just a drop in the bucket in the ocean sized conflict going on around him. There were countless others exploding on both sides of the war, a slugging match of incomprehensible size.

For as far as the eye could see, the conflict raged. However, the focus of the camera was centered on a single person.

Tarble. He was young. Five years old. Yet he watched the battle unfold with a calculating gleam in his blazing yellow eyes. The sign of the Wrath State, Tim had previously discovered. A state of being that tapped into the Saiyan's biology, granting increased strength at the cost of incredible pain. Pain that was so intense that it gave Psimon a seizure when he tried to invade Tarble's mind.

There was no sign of it in his posture. He floated in space, a mask covering his face that was connected to an oxygen tank that rested on the small of his back. He was wearing a device known as a 'scouter' over one eye that fed him data about the overall flow of the battle. Coming to a decision, Tarble moved.

For a Saiyan, tactics and soldiers serve only one purpose -- to flush out the challenges that they seem worthy of their time. Prince Tarble proves that he is no different as he remains unbothered and uncaring of the plight of his slave soldiers. It is only when he finds an opponent that would grant him any amount of prestige that he takes action.

To prove this point, Tarble flew to an object floating in space that was about the size of the moon. If the moon was a giant beetle-shaped gun. A fleet of ships hovered around it, each softening up the approaching enemy before the defense platform finished them off passively with automated fire, while the main gun focused on destroying key ships in the Trade Organization fleet.

Scarabs rushed him -- blues like Jamie had been -- only to be demolished by Tarble as he fought his way to destroy the defense platform that was holding up the fleets. The found footage and the edited-in stuff were mixed in nearly seamlesly, but it was fairly easy to pick out which was which when you knew what you were looking for.

It wasn't the first time Tim had seen a similar scene. He watched a Trade Organization documentary about this same battle to see how they would contrast one another. Unsurprisingly, the Federation and the Reach had far less kind interpretations of Tarble and his motivations.

"You can separate the action from the man," Raven offered as a consolation. She and Beast Boy had powered through their picks. Their notes were similar to his own that he gathered with Control Freak.

Tim frowned, knowing that he was angry. Furious even. One of Batman's most fundamental lessons was separating personal bias from the evidence. To be purely objective. It's what made him one of the greatest detectives in the world. Tim had learned the lessons well, but this case was…

He was separating his personal bias. He was compiling a narrative and a timeline to look beyond the propaganda and bias that the Trade Organization had. He had even picked out a few shows that had been produced by people other than the Trade Organization, and while that came with biases of their own, it had helped Tim shift through the opinionated media to find a baseline. The truth.

If the War of Light had been a World War… if Tarble had been human… then he would have been a war hero. Axis or allies, you could look beyond the side that he fought for and look at the actions he took. He fought the toughest battles, he took on the most challenging tasks, he leveraged his own power and ability to protect his soldiers. As a general and a leader, that trend never changed.

But it felt wrong. This wasn't a good guys vs bad guys. This wasn't a situation where one side was genociding entire ethnic groups, so even at their worst, the Allies looked better in comparison to Nazi Germany and their allies.

The Reach was a vast empire that brainwashed its citizens until they were autonomous drones rather than people. The Trade Organization was a trade empire that enslaved entire species and committed genocide on the ones they didn't have a use for. Both sides were completely, utterly, and irredeemably evil. The entire thing was utterly disgusting on a scale that left Tim breathless -- in the opening skirmishes of the war, the casualties on both sides had outnumbered the entire human population.

The Green Lanterns? The heroes of the universe? Their leaders turned out to be worse than Tarble. The Federation was the closest thing to what Tim could call good, but they weren't without issue either.

"I know," Tim said, letting out a breath. "But I can't," he admitted. There was no lying to Raven. She probably understood what he was feeling better than he did. Garfield made a sound like he understood exactly what he meant, which he probably did.

"I can't accept this," Tim voiced, his words just above a whisper. It revolted him on a fundamental moralistic level. Tarble had done horrible things. Terrible things. It was in no way an exaggeration to say that he was a monster. The sheer amount of blood on his hands beggared belief. No matter what your motivations and intentions were, you couldn't do the things that he did and call yourself a good person.

The countless people he had killed, the entire races that he had enslaved… they deserved justice. Tarble deserved consequences for what he had done during the war.

Tim believed it. He did. But, the evidence he gathered painted a different picture that his morals rejected.

Context mattered. In detective work, the context was the most important thing of all. When Tim separated his moral revulsion at Tarble's actions and put himself in his shoes, the perspective changed a great deal. Tarble had been born weak. Too weak to change anything. Too weak to stop anything. To protect anything.

As he grew stronger, he used that strength to protect others. His team. His soldiers. His race.

When he finally grew strong enough, he changed the course of the war. There was death on a scale that was honestly unimaginable, but from an unbiased view, Tim could admit that it was surgical. Methodical . The war had no end in sight until Tarble became Supreme Commander. Then it ended two years later.

A war that had been started by a genocidal, egotistical, melodramatic maniac that habitually murdered the people under him. Frieza, the previous leader of the Trade Organization. Who Tarble had killed.

Tim felt at odds with himself. Morally, there was nothing that could justify Tarble's actions. But from an unbiased point of view? All signs pointed to that Tarble was doing the best that he could in a terrible situation that didn't allow for anything else.

"He could have run away," Garfield voiced, his tone sullen. He sounded like he didn't believe that either.

"He could have. He could have arranged for his soldiers to go missing in action and send them to locations that they would have been free. Or he could have fled the war entirely," Tim agreed. Tarble did have options. That was undeniable. If Tim had been in his shoes, then he couldn't imagine himself doing what Tarble did. "But he might have. It's not like the documentaries would know."

Raven floated by him, sparing him a glance as the defense platform exploded due to Tarble's efforts. "He started the war. Perhaps he felt obligated to finish it," she said, and that was a possibility.

It was just too different. "We have to take into account his actions after the war -- he killed Frieza. He was second in line to the throne, but now he's King. He succeeded from the Trade Organization. He's here to take over Earth," Tim said, and that was when a different picture started to paint itself.

Was Tarble attempting to seize power? Did he murder his brother and father to become King of the Saiyans? Did he kill Frieza so he would be able to break free of the Trade Organization and rule over his empire with an iron fist?

There weren't any documentaries that covered the actual ending of the war given that it had only ended a few weeks ago in the Vega System. There were references, but more importantly, there was nothing on the events that immediately followed after the war.

Control Freak said it would take some time until the broadcasts managed to reach Earth, so answers could be coming their way. But they weren't here, leaving them with nothing but theories.

"He was strong enough to challenge Frieza, so he did so. His brother and father were killed during the fight. He was sick of the Trade Organization, so he left it instead of taking it over. He's here for Earth because, in his eyes, he owns it and we are the ones being unreasonable," Raven voiced a contrary theory behind Tarble's actions. He looked at her, finding that her dark purple eyes were staring right back at him with a dull look.

"Or he's looking for another fight. He challenged his brother and father for the throne. He challenged Frieza for the Trade Organization, but all he could get were his and his brother's empires. Now he's on Earth to pick a fight with us and the Justice League," Garfield voiced another possibility. All three of their theories were equally valid. Each an interpretation of the events based on their impressions of him.

Control Freak watched on, paying more attention to the documentary than them. Unsurprising considering his love for television. Tim got his attention when he spoke up, "Are Starfire and Kid Flash done?" He asked, earning a half-hearted glance at best.

"Uhhh… yeah, looks like it. Should be a few more minutes to let them experience the finale of War of Love: The Battle for Prince Tarble's Heart," he answered dismissively. Then he caught Tim's look. "Alright, fine. But I'm blaming you. It's actually pretty good. You know, for a Soap Opera," Control Freak said before he used his controller.

In a flash of white, the battlefield in the vacuum of space was gone. They stood in Control Freak's office, standing exactly where they had been. The sound of sobbing caught Tim's attention, making him look to Kori, just in time to see her tears morph into an expression of abject shock, then outright anger.

"We were not finished!" Kori protested, standing next to an emotionally exhausted-looking Wally. "Control Freak-"

"Don't worry, I got you," Control Freak waved the issue away. "I'll send the complete series your way. Just please, do something about the mass-murdering monkey man first," Control Freak requested, tossing Kori a box of tissues that she happily used to blow her nose. She still looked unhappy, but she didn't look angry anymore. Which was good enough for Tim.

Kori nodded, accepting that before all eyes turned to him. The leader of the Teen Titans. Tim met their gazes, and he saw that all of them wanted to take action. They wouldn't be heroes if they were content to watch from the sidelines. But, it was a question of what action would be best.

Batman had told them to back off and let the League handle it. It rubbed Tim the wrong way, but sometimes inaction was the best course of action. He trusted Batman. He trusted the League. But his team also trusted him.

Tim took in a deep breath, "We-" he started, only to be cut off by Control Freak.

"Hold up- I just got an alert," He said, turning to his desk and clicking the notification. A screen popped up displaying an attractive woman with blonde hair sitting at a desk. A scrolling red bar was underneath her, displaying a message labeled Breaking News.

Tim's phone beeped, his own news apps alerting him. He ignored them in favor of looking at the screen.

"This just in -- Is the Justice League gambling with the fate of Earth? Is Earth legally owned by an alien?" She questioned, maintaining her professionalism, but it was clear that she was still shocked by what she was saying. A video played of Tarble dropping a car-sized brick of gold onto the ground before it switched over to a video of a girl doing a TikTok about her serving the 'mega-hot alien.' "A recorded discussion between Superman himself and alien royalty known as King Tarble were overheard discussing the fate of Earth."

Tim recoiled.

Well… clearly the League didn't have this as in hand as he thought they did.

…

"Is the simple act of meeting another sapient species really newsworthy?" I asked Lois Lane as I took a seat, my many coffees in hand. In each hand I had three coffees stacked on top of each other, while my tail carried another three. I was making my way down the menu, intent on finding my own preferences when it came to the sweet beverage. Lois, true to her word, bought me one. Not that it was needed, but it was an appreciated gesture.

Lois took a seat across from me, meeting my gaze easily. "Well, maybe not front-page news -- that's typically reserved for Superman or the Justice League, but an interview with alien royalty?" She cocked an eyebrow at me, hinting that people would be impressed.

Though, I'm not sure why. I've dealt with royalty countless times before. More often than not, it was tempting to just let my mother kill and eat them.

"I suppose. Until recently, this sector of space was an unknown backwater without anything of note in it. Except for maybe the Vega system," I amended my statement. Until recently, why that was had been a mystery, but Atrocitus had made sure that the Guardians were placed on the hook for every mistake and sin. Several millennia ago, a band of space pirates had rampaged through the sector, recruiting the strong and killing everyone else. Earth had once been in a flourishing sector, but after that, it was regarded as the boonies because nearly every civilization had been wiped out.

Lois took out a notepad and a recorder, "Then what would bring royalty to Earth?" She questioned, sitting straight, her shoulders squared and a slight smile tugging at the edge of her lips.

"I've recently become king. I am learning about civilians and their needs," I answered, taking a slight sip of my chocolate latte. It tasted sweet. A unique flavor. I recalled chocolate, but I couldn't remember what it tasted like. It was delicious. "As well as studying your laws and systems of government to see if any would be worth transferring over to my empire."

There was a small tilt of Lois's head, "May I ask how large your empire is?" She questioned, her tone pleasant and casual. However, it was easy to see that she had some worries.

"My empire currently occupies about seven percent of the galaxy," I answered. "Roughly fourteen million planets in total, though only perhaps a fifth of them are habitable like Earth is," I continued, making Lois take a telling pause. Combining my brother's and my own empire gave us a sizable portion of the galaxy. The Reach still controlled roughly four percent, while the Federation controlled closer to thirty percent. The Trade Organization, with my loss, controlled about twenty at the end of the war.

The remaining forty percent was currently unclaimed or purposely left untouched to leave a buffer.

Lois, to her credit, recovered well, "Fourteen million planets… that sounds like quite the responsibility. Especially for one that seems to be so young," she added, "Or at least appears to be?"

"In galactic standard years, I am sixteen. But with the use of slip-space, because of time dilation, I'm biologically twenty years old," I answered. Lois nodded, making a note of that. "Early on in my race's development, we are similar to that of humans, though growth is done in spurts. However, we can live to be over a thousand years old," I explained further, making Lois pause, then resume writing notes.

"Growth spurts?" She questioned, and I answered with a short explanation of how Saiyans grew. "So, you looked like a two-year-old until you were about twelve?" Lois asked, sounding like she was trying very hard not to be amused by the mental image. "I see…"

"You said you've come to Earth to learn -- have you learned anything of value? Is there any part of humanity that you wish to take with you and bring to your Empire?" Lois asked, and I recognized the tactic. I did have some experience with reporters -- though, the majority of them had been war journalists. She was looping down to a more serious topic after trying to warm me up with some easy questions. Questions I didn't have to think about, then she asked for an answer that was purely my opinion.

I offered a nod, "Of course. Your food, I'm finding, is some of the best I've ever tasted. Also, groups like the Justice League and Teen Titans are interesting -- across my empire, there are many aliens with even more unique abilities. Having dedicated tasks forces to combat crime is an idea worth exploring," I told her. She smiled lightly as she wrote a note. "However, your laws are a complete mess, your sense of justice is based on opinions, and in general, you've provided a number of mistakes that I wish to avoid."

Her pen stopped, "Oh?" She uttered, her eyes flicking back to me. "For the record, I must clarify that this interview will be published."

"I am aware. Your species has had the capacity to create sentient AI for over sixty years, yet there has been no attempt to grant them any legal rights of any kind. Spaceflight was achieved around the same time, yet your race is still bound to a single planet. Advanced technology, magic -- your race has failed to utilize them at all. And your housing laws seemed to be designed with criminal intent in mind," I added, because that still bothered me. "In short, I do find several humans to be remarkable, but your species as a whole seems determined to not only waste their own personal potential, but your potential as a species."

Her eyes narrowed, her mouth parting, but before she could speak, my eyes went to the door where I felt Superman's presence race towards me. He stepped through the door, wearing a suit and… glasses? Well, I suppose I did say that if he was going to follow me that he should remain inconspicuous. Though, I did think he was going to do better than style his hair a bit differently and put on glasses.

He quickly approached, throwing on an earnest smile, "Lois! Sorry I'm late, there was-" he began, only to quiet down when Lois shot him a sharp look that said she couldn't care less about his excuses.

"Right -- this is my partner, Clark Kent," Lois introduced Superman, who offered a hand and a smile.

I looked at his hand, then clasped it. Then I squeezed.

Clark's eyes widened ever so slightly like he was so shocked that I had realized that he and Superman were, in fact, the same person. I didn't even need to sense his ki to figure it out. I wasn't blind nor an idiot.

"Nice to meet you," Clark said, his voice tight. He was acting like he hadn't met me before? Very well. It seemed like a silly game to play, but I would play along. If only to see why he was playing in the first place.

"Likewise," I answered as Clark sat down. Lois looked to me for a moment, her eyes searching my face.

"That's a rather scathing review of humanity," she noted, sounding distinctly unhappy that I wasn't singing the praises of her species.

"If you have evidence or context that will prove me wrong, then I will amend my statement," I told her, my tone blunt. I finished off a coffee and began another. "And, admittedly, I have not been on Earth long. Perhaps I have only seen the poor side of your species," I offered, earning a frown.

However, it was Clark that answered. "Humanity is messy," he said, and I found it deeply amusing that the alien was speaking on behalf of humanity. "Human history is filled with contradictions, uninformed opinions, and tragedies, but humanity is more than just a species. It's the people that redeem humanity."

I raised an eyebrow. "Let me be clear -- my species has no right to condemn others for their stupidity and short-sighted decisions. The Saiyan race has destroyed two of our home planets in the past millennia," I told him bluntly. "But individuals cannot redeem a species. In the end, they are individuals. Their actions reflect on no one but themselves."

Clark met my gaze evenly, "Do you truly believe that?"

Ah, so we were talking about me, were we?

"Redemption is a gift that others give you, not something that you achieve on your own merits. You have to prove to others that you have been changed, that you repent past actions, and once your sincerity has been proven, your redemption is your reward," I told him. I had no interest in redemption, not repenting for past actions. "And just as a species should not be condemned for the actions of a few, nor should a species be redeemed because of the actions of a few."

My eyes narrowed, "My species is warlike. Conflict is in our nature. We don't need a reason to fight. We aren't humans that have to trick ourselves into thinking our enemy is less than what they are, or attach petty goals to justify slaughter so we can sleep at night." I could see the point he was trying to make, but I didn't agree with it.

"But if that's all you were, you wouldn't be here trying to learn," Clark countered. "By your own actions, you've proven that Saiyans can be more than a warlike species. Or are you telling me that you have no intention to keep the peace you fought so hard for?"

That was an annoying point. "And in making my race more peaceful, I not only redeem my species but myself as well? Please," I dismissed the idea out of hand.

"Redemption is a funny thing. As you said, it's something that's given to you. Meaning you can receive it even if you think you don't deserve it," Clark said, giving me a pointed look.

I almost laughed. That was… wow. He honestly thought that I could redeem myself. How naive. "Just because it could be given doesn't mean I have any intention of accepting. I've done what I've done. There is no going back and undoing it. All there is is the future."

"And what exactly is it that you've done?" Lois questioned, sliding the recorder towards me. She shot a look at Clark, clearly wondering what that byplay was about.

"Terrible things. Things that he knows are wrong," Clark answered for me as if he were trying to convince me of that fact.

"Those terrible things that I would do again if I were given the chance to go back to the start. The only thing I would change is avoiding some mistakes I made along the way," I returned, my voice just as cold. The topic wasn't one I had any interest in discussing. That clearly wasn't the answer that Clark had wanted to hear.

And I had no interest in giving him the answer that he wanted to hear, because I didn't know if it would be a lie or not. I had regrets. Plenty of them. There were so many cases where I wish I had been fast enough, strong enough… I regretted not being powerful enough to end the war on my own. I regretted that I couldn't end the war faster. I regretted that I couldn't have killed Frieza sooner.

I regretted that there was a war at all.

But I couldn't accept the idea that there was redemption waiting for me at the end of this road. Nor did I want there to be. Because, in the end…

If war were to break out right now, I would be every bit as ruthless as I had been during the War of Light. Redemption wasn't deserved if you don't repent your actions. And I didn't. Even if I were given the chance to go back to the starting line… the only thing I would do differently would be to use my knowledge of war to better wage it. The only things I would undo would be…

"So give your redemption to someone else. I have no use for it," I told Clark- no, Superman. His eyes narrowed, his expression betraying his disappointment. That, in a way, I felt bad about. Superman was trying to find a compromise with me. He was trying to find a way that this didn't end in violence.

However, what he was trying to get me to compromise on… well, it would be about as likely that I could get him to compromise on the same point.

Lois looked between us before she seemed far more cautious of me. Her phone beeped. Then Clark's phone beeped. Lois glanced at it for a moment, and she went very still. She set her phone down on the table, her eyes going to Clark for a moment before they settled on me with a heavy gaze.

"So… is Earth the fourteen millionth planet?" She questioned, adapting rather well considering how blindsided the information had caught her.

I shook my head, "Earth was the first planet I ever owned. It was a reward for surviving a suicide mission that my father sent me on when I was a few months old." Lois pursed her lips and wrote a note.

"Suicide mission… newborn baby…" she pointedly muttered under her breath. "So, you've been the 'owner of Earth' for about sixteen years?" She questioned, not missing a beat. My respect for her increased -- she had a task at hand, and she wasn't going to let personal feelings get in the way of her interview. "Because, I have to say, you have been rather negligent."

That was an amusing tactic. "Hm. I suppose you humans would have welcomed a newborn ruler," I pointed out, "Though, you do bring up a fair point. I have been negligent -- there were circumstances, but that is not an excuse for completely neglecting my citizens. Which is why I am here. That is changing. I intend to rule over my empire fairly, and treat my citizens with the respect that they are owed."

Lois nodded while Clark frowned, but she spoke before he could . "Of which, the Human race is now a client race under your galactic empire?" She questioned, pinning me with a sharp look.

"You are my citizens. Something that you have been ignorant of until now. I am understanding of that fact, which is why I am allowing your world leaders and the Justice League a chance to appeal." I said, for what felt like the tenth time today.

"How generous of you," Lois remarked drily, a not-so-hidden edge in her tone.

"You're welcome," I returned, ignoring the sarcasm, my tone equally dry.

Lois leaned back slightly, ignoring a look that Clark gave her, apparently recognizing that as a sign of trouble. "You've said that you are allowing Earth a chance to appeal and Humanity to escape 'citizenship', but so far you've only spoken to members of the Justice League. Do you recognize them as the sovereign power of the planet rather than the governments of Earth?" She asked, and Clark's lips thinned at the question.

I met her gaze, "In the end, it is the Justice League's decision," I decided ultimately. "I will debate the matter with government officials, but let us not pretend that if the conversation doesn't go how you wish that the Justice League would do anything less than rising up to fight me. Given the wide range of powers of the heroes I've seen in my brief time here, there's even a chance that you will win."

Lois leaned forward, nearly knocking her coffee over, "But?" She offered, prompting me to continue.

"But nothing," I dismissed. "It is the Justice League that I am most concerned with. Even should the governments of Earth accept the fact that this planet is owned by me, I have… doubts that the Justice League would accept such a decision," I said, looking at Clark, who met my gaze unflinchingly. And unapologetically. "So, I will focus my efforts on convincing them that joining my empire is ultimately better for humanity."

"Even though the Justice League has submitted to the UN?" She questioned pointedly, really digging into that topic.

"Yes," I answered simply.

She wrote down my answer, then she settled in her seat, "The most pressing question I have left is -- what happens if humanity rejects the idea that Earth is yours and that we are your citizens, regardless of what legal evidence is presented?"

"It sounds like you already have an answer you wish me to say," I remarked lightly, making her eyes narrow ever so slightly. "If humanity rejects legal evidence, then that would be theft. As such, I will take what is legally mine. My fleets will enter the system, those that rebel will be crushed into submission, those that survive will be exiled to Federation space while those that accept my legal ownership of Earth will be welcomed into my empire." Lois glared at me, and I glared right back. "Would you prefer it if I simply destroyed the planet with a flick of my wrist? I am trying to be reasonable with you humans, but you seemed quite determined to be stupid and ungrateful."

Clark shook his head, "The Justice League would never let that happen."

I scoffed, "Easy to say. I once vowed to protect my soldiers from our enemies to the best of my ability. It didn't stop thirty billion of them from being murdered by our leader when he wanted to throw planets around in a useless display of power." Clark continued to meet my gaze, not backing down, but his gaze did soften ever so slightly. I only realized why when I felt coffee spill over my fingers and onto the table, the cup crushed in my hand. "But, it won't come to that. I have little taste for pointless slaughter, and destroying the Earth and humanity would be pointless."

Shaking my head, I stood up. "Thank you for the coffee," I said as a goodbye before I walked out of the coffee shop, another three beverages left to go. I took in a slow breath, flicking off the excess coffee that soaked my hand before I blasted up to the stratosphere.

I looked down at Earth and shook my head, "What a stupid thing to do," I told humanity from above. The owner of that building that Superman and I had spoken on had leaked the conversation. Or, at the very least, someone who had worked for him.

Now, across the world, every government would be pushing through laws that would be used against me to prove that I had no legal right to Earth.

And, in doing so…

Conflict was inevitable.

...

A big thank you to @Ngamer11 for creating a TV Tropes page for Going Native and Gone Native! Check it out to see what tropes you think apply!

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

 

[Ideas-Guy]

"- the American people shall not bow to this-" The President of the United States began, giving a speech in front of the White House. Before it was a large sea of people, all of them cheering and screaming to the point that you could barely hear the President speak. I saw countless signs -- a fair few showed my face with a circle and a slash over it. There were others that were decrying the Justice League.

There were others that protested aliens. Even Meta-humans were being lumped together.

It was the epitome of stupidity. This was a side of civilian life I actually understood well -- during the war, those that were captured and surrendered became my citizens. Of their own free will. Yet, they had protested everything in the universe and attributed everything wrong in their lives to me, as if I had time to personally make their lives as miserable as possible.

Humans weren't even that focused. Even in their anger, they were divided. They didn't just focus on me, or the Justice League -- narrow targets, but they swept their gaze broader. They protested the idea of… different. People that were different from them.

Stupidity. Stupidity and madness. The st had thrived because they were different, each member unique, so all of them brought something special to the table. Different is a thing to celebrate and strive towards.

Yet, they screamed out their anger. Here, in America. In London, the UK. In Paris, France. Moscow, Russia. Tokyo, Japan. Beijing, China. All across the world, in every major city, this same sight could be seen. The languages changed, the people changed -- but the indignant anger and the crowds of people didn't.

I had expected it, but I had underestimated humanity's desire for self destruction. Which brought me here. The Justice League, for all of their power, were frozen in place as they were protested across the globe. My answers in that interview hadn't exactly helped them either. So, they could do nothing as their charter was in danger of being revoked.

The President looked up at me, his eyes wide as his bodyguards opened fire before I even touched the ground. They weren't normal bullets, I noticed as they bounced off of my body. They were exotic, but not enough to actually do any damage to me. My feet touched the ground and I strode towards the President, who gathered himself and met my gaze.

He stopped the hail of bullets with a hand, letting me approach without danger. For him. I came to a stop directly in front of him, and despite the thousands of people, you could have heard a pin drop. I leaned in ever so slightly, my words only for his ears.

"Get the riots under control, or I will," I warned him, an edge in my tone. Pulling back, I met the President's cold gaze. There was real anger in there. Anger that bordered on hate.

"Is that a threat?" He asked me, his voice low.

"My citizens are endangering themselves. I understand that this has been a troubling revelation for you all, which is why I'm allowing you to vent. However, I will not tolerate mass destruction and murder because your species is upset," I told him, taking a step forward. To his credit, he didn't step back. "I am leaving the matter of my ownership as one for debate. So you really think that this does your case any good?"

The President squared his shoulders, "The fact that you're leaving it up to debate leads me to believe that you can't take Earth from humanity." He challenged, prodding me. He was testing me. Trying to see what he could get away with because he saw that I had the advantage. I had the leverage, and he didn't.

"You're showing how ignorant you are, Mr. President. If you knew who I am, there would be no doubt that I could take Earth with force, Justice League or not," I told him bluntly, his expression not so much as twitching. "My reluctance is for your sake. You are a citizen of my empire. As such, you deserve my respect and protection. However, if you insist on committing an unlawful rebellion… then you will be my enemy."

I took another step forward, and this time he did step back, leaving me the podium. I turned to the crowd of people, and my gaze swept over them all. "This is my formal address to the people of Earth," I stated, my voice dull and curt. "Much has been hidden from you and I understand that this has come to a great shock to you. You do not know me, yet your lives have been disrupted because of me."

My words weren't reaching the people here, but that meant little. As large as the crowd was, no matter how many tens of thousands there were, they were only a fraction of humanity. It was not them that I was speaking to. "I have no intention of explaining myself or trying to convince you of anything. Instead, I will give you the materials to form your own opinions."

As I spoke, my fleet forwarded a transmission signal through a relay of a single drone ship. My fleets in the system wouldn't stay a secret forever, but revealing them now would cause more unnecessary complications. In that transmission would be broadcasts from a variety of sources. The shows that the Trade Organization made about me, the documentaries, as well as the shows and documentaries from the Thanagarian Empire, and the various fractured pieces of the empire that would then become the Federation.

"This transmission is available for all citizens of my empire. Restricting it will be considered an act of treason and be acted on appropriately," I told the world. "I recognize the governments of Earth as a courtesy, but I do expect that courtesy to be returned to me. As such, any government or official caught violating this order will be summarily executed for the crime of treason." I saw the President shift at that -- a flicker of unease at the blatant threat.

"Lastly, I will say this -- I recognize the Justice League as your protectors. For this, they have my thanks and respect," I continued, my eyes narrowing at the crowd, zeroing in on a sign that displayed the shielded S of Superman in a red circle with a slash, the same symbol that people used for me. "They have saved and protected you, while asking for nothing in return. They chose to use their power for your benefit. You disgrace yourself and your species for turning your backs on them so easily, without even allowing them to offer a response before condemning them."

I took a step back, letting that be the end of my short speech before I spared a glance at the President. "I will meet the world leaders in three days to discuss Earth. If you're going to do something as foolish as an attempt to assassinate me, then I would prefer it if you sent a powerful enemy. At least then I won't get bored," I told him before I rose up. He gave me a resolute gaze -- it was one that I recognized well. It was the gaze of someone that had decided to kill me, or die trying.

At the very least, he wasn't a coward.

I flew up, leaving the press conference behind so the President could say whatever he wished to say. Though, I doubt that it would make a difference.

…

"How are things progressing with your new capital? " Ada'la questioned me as I flew over the length of the Great Wall of China. And, as if to answer her, a fighter jet began firing at me. Bullets tore through the ancient stone, felling trees as the trunks exploded where they were hit. I effortlessly avoided the bullets before I turned my attention up at the jet in question. There was an entire squad of them.

"There have been some hiccups," I admitted to her, blasting upward through the air to the jet that had fired at me. "There might be some fights, but there's no need for a full mobilization." I landed on the nose of the fighter jet, crossing my arms as I looked down at the pilot, unimpressed. They were using humans instead of drones?

The fighter pilot tried to shake me off by taking evasive maneuvers, but he didn't seem to understand, I was just flying with my own power rather than just standing on his ship. His face was covered, but it was clear that he was growing more and more panicked with every failed attempt to dislodge me.

"Do you have a moment to speak of other matters?" Ada'la questioned, speaking through an earpiece. I took a seat on the jet, and leaned back, cupping my head with my hands.

"Of course. I'm not busy," I answered, the jet spinning a dozen times. "Is it about the economy?"

"Among other things," Ada'la began. "The idea has merit, but I would recommend a more extensive and careful approach. The foundation of an economy is food and necessities -- when these foundational imports and exports are fluctuating in price, it causes a ripple effect for the entire economy. To that end, it might be best to work from the top down. Exotic goods and services to decide what is expensive, then work down to what is considered cheap." Ada'la said, and I saw the line of logic.

"Additionally, there is another issue I would like to bring up -- with the separation from the Trade Organization, several key industries will fail unless we take action now -- mining, production of high-grade electronics, but the most pressing issue is job opportunities." She continued, and that was likely caused by the trillions that had flooded to my empire on top of my already existing population.

I gave it a moment of thought, "My brother's empire was based on production of war materials. As a stop-gap, have them repurposed."

"Do you intend to have the industries controlled by you?" She asked me. Right now, I was the single most powerful person in my empire. My physical might, my leadership of the military, and the fact that all planets in my empire were legally owned by me. Meaning that I had uncontested control over my empire. Taking over the industries and food production would further cement my control.

Was that what I wanted?

"For now, yes. As the economy stabilizes, I can look to scale back my control over important industries," I decided. My empire was so new that it was up to me to make the opening strokes. I could set the time going forward. A saying was that if you feed a chimp four times a day, he will get angry if he's only fed a third time. However, feed him three meals a day, and he will be grateful for a fourth.

By being in control of industry, I would control how many times my workers were fed. So, if I fed them four times a day, when I took a step back from the industries, those that came after would have a more difficult time getting away with feeding them only three times a day. That applied to everything -- job safety, money, insurance, work hours, and so on.

"Begin construction of a few dozen major space stations -- it'll give people work in the meantime, as well as provide housing," I ordered, only to stop when one of the other planes took a shot at me. Bullets hit the plane I was on, and the pilot immediately evacuated the aircraft. When he was clear, the others zeroed in on me, sending a barrage of missiles.

What were they hoping to accomplish with a display like this? "Offer benefits -- I've read that will play a major factor when it comes to job opportunities." It made sense, really. People wanted to work where they felt valued. Benefits and good working conditions will show that they were. A small blast of ki launched itself from the tip of my finger, hitting the missiles and causing them to explode prematurely.

I flew off the empty jet and headed for the squad of fighter jets. They honestly thought that would have done something, because they were completely unprepared for me to simply fly through the fire and smoke.

"A fine policy. Though, I do recommend that you keep the benefits in check, King Tarble. This generation owes you for their freedom from slavery, but you are a long-lived race. In a thousand years, many generations will come and go. Some cultures will forever remember what you did, but others will not. They will continuously want more, seeing what you give to past generations as not giving to them." She pointed out, and I decided to concede on that point.

A Saiyan's life grew with their power. Most died young, so it didn't matter, but now that my race as a whole was much stronger, more would live to die of old age. With my current power level, I would live for around three hundred thousand years. I had to look far into the future and meticulously predict every action that I made now for how it would affect the far-off future.

"I'll take your advice on it. Also, we need to look beyond terraforming just the planets that the Reach ravaged to slow our advance." In my empire, most of the planets that I had taken from the Reach had been terraformed. However, my brother hadn't bothered. Meaning that a quarter of my empire was uninhabitable with desolate life and poisoned atmospheres. "I want to make a push to make more planets habitable. Ideally, I want every race to have at least one planet tailor-made to their species."

As I spoke, I demolished the jets with casual ease. I ripped their wings off, like they were birds, and forced the pilots to eject. They flew down, but I went to one -- he fired a pistol at me, but I ignored it in favor of looking at the flag displayed on his arm.

My lips thinned, "And begin construction of another Warworld. Several, if possible. After what happened with the first one, it would be prudent to have spares," I remarked. Scanning a planet for hidden armaments was simple with the Warworld, and getting that information with the mental connection was something I sorely missed.

"Very well," Ada'la agreed easily to the request. Even if it was a little unreasonable to have multiple Warworlds made for my convenience.

"Are there any disputes I should know about?" I questioned, going to the topic that would have the most ramifications of them all.

"The Trade Organization has scaled back, with Lord Cooler still not offering any official response. The Federation has increased their patrols of their controlled space, but no conflict has yet broken out. However, the New Lanterns have been spotted in your empire -- settling disputes, and helping fight off pirates… for now, they seem to be a stabilizing force." Ada'la said, earning a frown from me as I descended, hovering over a military base.

Hal Jordan was an old enemy. One that hated me even if I was overall ambivalent to him. Sabotage didn't seem to fit his style. However, pointedly ignoring my warnings to stay out to do whatever he wanted certainly fit my understanding of him. It just came down to what he wanted to do.

"Reach out to him to set up a dialogue. Our own Lantern force is currently lacking at the moment," I admitted. We still had yellows and reds, but I was missing the Power Battery. Though, I still possessed the Indigo battery. Lanterns were powerhouses, standing a head and shoulders above elite soldiers. It would be costly if they were an enemy.

However, the war was over. The New Lanterns could be an ally going forward.

It all depended on how badly Hal Jordan wanted to kill me.

"This planet has something called the Justice League. In fiction, they're a group similar to the st with the goal of policing a planet rather than special ops. Give me a list of candidates," I added, taking stock of the situation as I aimed a hand down at the base. I felt every presence below me, all who were reacting in panic at my arrival.

Summoning a ball of ki, I sent it down to the base and began destroying military equipment, careful to not kill anyone.

I didn't like how Cooler still hadn't responded, nor how he had pulled back his forces. It was natural given that I had taken a large chunk of the Trade Organization's armed forces. It was to be expected, even. But it still made me uneasy. The Federation was posturing, but I knew it was empty.

I had broken them at the Vega system. I had pushed them to the breaking point for two years, then I shattered them morally and physically. It would take more than a week to recover from the loss of trillions, the production centers, and their capitals being ravaged. They picked me to posture against because I made my desire for peace clear, which, ironically, made me the safest one to posture against.

The Reach was embroiled in the beginnings of a civil war, but they were still powerful. Koter had seen to that.

The biggest threat to the peace was the Trade Organization. Cooler was a man that weighed the costs and benefits of any action, but he was also prideful. I still had the scar where he had nearly killed me after Frieza sent me to him as an insult. A scar that he made me thank him for giving me. He expressed it differently, but he was every bit the monster that Frieza was.

He wouldn't take Frieza's death lying down. It would be a matter of pride.

"Also… I am in need of some advice," I admitted, letting the ki ball fade as I was done destroying the base. "Part of the issues with Earth is that they had been unaware of my ownership. Given that the empire currently lacks real estate laws, I thought it fair to use theirs for reference. However-"

"They're writing laws that strictly prohibit you owning Earth," she questioned, and I felt a bit embarrassed that she had so easily come to that conclusion. "King Tarble, you really are too naive at times -- our laws are what you say they are."

My lips thinned as I floated up, leaving the military base behind and sailing over the ocean to another nation. This one called Japan. "I know," I responded simply.

Ada'la let out a quiet sigh that sounded fond, "My King, there is more to being a good ruler than being fair and just. Strength is also important. You are a great leader, my King, but you have always been reluctant to exercise your power as a leader." She paused for a moment while I let the words sink in. "Treat diplomacy as you would a battle, for that is what it is. Are you content to let the enemy erect such a complete and irrefutable argument that it will let them win the battle?"

"No," I answered curtly. There was truth in her words. It was just… "Peace is a fragile thing. I'm not like the other Saiyans. I know they're begging to go to war again, but… I don't want to spend my entire life at war."

Ada'la was silent at my admission for a moment. "I understand. Then use your power as King and Lawmaker as a counter instead of a cudgel. If they write a law specifically to spite you, then counter it with a law specifically to spite them for spiting you. Take it out of play, then approach the battle from there."

I let out a breath, one of relief. "Thank you Ada'la," I told her.

"My pleasure, King Tarble," she responded before the call ended. I flew over the nation of Japan, spotting other crowds that protested me and my existence. I paid them little mind, however, as I flew down to the ground in a large sprawling city. My translator made short work of the language, letting me read and understand what people were saying.

There were few that took notice of me as I walked the streets, but most were preoccupied with their own lives or the fact that I existed to actually notice me walking by. I saw my face on a large screen, detailing the revelation with details about me being released -- my race, my service record, and a warning that I was extremely dangerous.

It was annoying -- I had planned to observe humanity for a bit longer. The governments could decide what to tell the public for a time, something to ease the breaking of the news to the world. Now people were too busy acting shocked to properly observe them.

Letting out a sigh, I caught the scent of cooking food. Following my nose, I came to a food stand -- one of many, based on the looks of it. There was a short line of people, but that quickly changed when one girl realized that I was behind her. After that, the line quickly vanished, letting me approach the man behind the counter. He seemed nervous, but he bowed all the same.

"How can I be of service to you, honored customer?" He asked me, not treating me any different than the previous customers. I appreciated it. I glanced at the menu, opening my mouth, only to pause. A handful of familiar presences had traveled from America to a few feet away from me.

I looked at the spot in question, "Don't hide in the shadows like a coward. If you wish a rematch, then you'll have to wait until after I eat," I said, much to the food stall owner's confusion. Confusion that quickly became shock when a dark spot on the ground appeared and expanded, allowing the Teen Titans to rise up out of it.

My gaze landed on Raven, who met it evenly. She was the only one in the group that could be considered a threat. However, my attention was quickly stolen by Robin.

"You threatened the President. You attacked China?!" He questioned me, earning an uncaring shrug as I turned back to the food stall owner.

"China attacked me first," I dismissed before I ordered. Five helpings of everything. I took out the gold chunk and used another brick to pay. Looking back, I saw that my answer didn't satisfy Robin in the slightest. "They attempted a show of force. It didn't work."

Beast Boy pressed forward, approaching me until he was less than an inch away, "And you're going to start executing more people?" He pressed, sounding sickened by the idea.

"Traitors," I corrected. "Any who would deny their people the right to make an informed decision don't deserve to be leaders in the first place. Never once have I ever hidden the odds from my soldiers. The stakes of an informed opinion are far lower than certain death."

Beast Boy grimaced as he looked at me, "Dude, do you even understand how screwed up you are?" He asked me, sounding like he actually expected an answer. "Why send anyone to die at all?"

I crushed a flash of annoyance at the question. Just not well enough. "Maybe I would have found a better way if I had a creature like you pestering me about it without ever providing a solution," I bit the words out. Beast Boy glowered, but Koriand'r floated over, placing a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder.

"We come in peace, King Tarble," she said, hoping to placate me.

"Get that thing away from me before I eat it," I warned, a flash of emotion crossing her face while Beast Boy looked indignant. The sheer ignorance was appalling. However, Beast Boy let himself be guided away, but it was clear that he was unhappy about it. I turned to the- huh. That was fast, I noted, spotting a giant pile of food, with the final box being placed on top just as I turned.

Grabbing it all, I walked forward, leaving the Titans in my wake while I sought a place to eat in peace. I could defeat them after if they were so eager. I floated up, intent on getting a vantage point before I drifted to a crane by the sea. Taking a seat with my legs dangling off the edge, I was only faintly surprised to see that they followed me. Or, rather, only one did.

"I'm not sharing," I told Raven as I picked a box and began digging in. The flavors were like an explosion in my mouth -- sweet, sour, with a zingy spiciness. In moments the box was empty and I moved on to another.

"I'm not hungry after watching that," Raven drily remarked, standing next to me. "Is every day this exciting for you?"

I chewed for a moment and swallowed, "Today's hardly been exciting," I dismissed, and I supposed that was an answer to her question in itself.

There was a small beat of silence as she waited for me to finish so we could fight-

"Did you murder your brother?" Raven asked me, her tone blunt and uncaring. The words took a split second to register, the question catching me completely off guard.

Then I was there again. Holding my brother's body, covered in his blood, not understanding what had happened… until the sinking revelation clicked into place. The horror. The rage.

I crushed my food in my hand as , for the briefest of seconds, my iron grip on my emotions nearly slipped at the accusation that I would have ever murdered my brother. Then I took in a breath and flicked sauce off of my hands.

"No," I answered curtly, "Why do you ask?"

Raven looked down at me, from this angle, her face was revealed. It was blank, but her eyes were gentle. "I'm an empath," she answered. That…

"Hm," I grunted, understanding. My reaction would have given away if I lied.

"When did he die?" She asked me, taking a seat just outside of arms distance from me. She pushed her cloak back, and sat crossed-legged, floating in the air. "If you don't mind me asking."

I did. Vegeta… my Team… Bardock…

"About a week ago," I answered, opening another box of food to find that my appetite had left me. But I forced myself to eat anyway. It would be a shame to let good food go to waste. "He was murdered by Frieza."

Raven glanced at me, and I wondered if she picked up on the lie. Was she contributing the anger and rage I felt to Frieza even though it had been my team that murdered my brother? What emotions was she picking up from me, I wonder?

"I'm sorry for your loss," Raven offered, her tone gentle.

I paused mid-bite. "He died a Super Saiyan. It's what he would have wanted," I said. Only he would have wanted to die in battle, not from an Nth metal bullet from traitors. It was clear that Raven didn't believe that, but she didn't press the issue .

"Why are you here?" I asked her bluntly, continuing to eat. The food was all fantastic. Delicious. Better than any food I had ever tasted before. It just became hard to enjoy it after thinking about my brother.

"To make an informed opinion," Raven responded drily.

I didn't smile, but it was a near thing. "Funny," I remarked. Their opinions of me seemed made after their leader denounced me. Which was perfectly fair. "And what opinion have you made?" I asked out of curiosity. She was here, sitting with me, instead of getting in my face like Beast Boy. Getting angry like Robin. Koriand'r was the only other passive one, but given her education on Okkar, I imagine that she was far more familiar with the type of tactics that I employed. After all, there was a reason why a chunk of my commanders came from the planet of warlords.

Raven didn't look at me as she answered, "I think that your actions and words are all over the place," she told me, her tone blunt. "You tell everyone on the planet to make an informed opinion, but you won't offer your own perspective on your actions while shoving obvious propaganda from conflicting sources as sources of information. One that makes you out to be the source of all evil, and the other so biased no one will believe it."

"You give Earth a chance to argue that it doesn't belong to you, but you aren't dumb enough to think that Earth will accept anything less than complete freedom from you. So, before you even presented the offer, you knew that this was going to end in a fight," she continued. "Why say that you value peace when you came here looking for a fight?" Raven asked, sounding like she wasn't looking for an answer.

Raven finally looked at me, "I think something terrible happened to you. As much as you do value peace… you're here looking for something familiar… and the only thing you've ever known is war."

I fell silent, finding that I didn't have a response.

Before I could even formulate one, I heard an odd whistling sound. Looking away from Raven, my gaze zeroed in on the source -- a bent piece of metal with a light green edge that spun rapidly, aiming straight at my neck. I leaned out of the way of it, the boomerang sailing by me while I traced the trajectory.

A human down below looked up at me -- middle-aged, shaggy blonde hair that was tucked underneath a dark blue beanie. In his hand was another boomerang, and despite the distance between us, he smirked.

What an idiot. But, I was glad for the distraction.

I closed the distance between us in a fraction of a second, fast enough that his smirk didn't have time to fall before I grabbed his arm and snapped it like a twig, making him scream out in pain. I narrowed my perception of the ki signatures around me, picking out the strongest ones in the city. Most of which were nearby.

Well, let's see what they had going for them.

...

This is a chapter I've been excited to post for a while -- Tarble has been acting all over the place, and only a few people really picked up on it. For example, go back and read the tail end of chapter two, then read Token Exchanges. For those that can't be bothered; Tarble went from coming to Earth and trying to treat it as a vacation where the fights would have no real stakes, to the fate of his entire empire hanging in the balance.

For his entire life, he's dedicated himself to a singular goal. The war was something that he built his identity and sense of self around, but now it's gone. It's natural to feel lost after that, but the issue is made exceptionally worse with the death of his brother, father, the betrayal of his team, and murdering them with his own hands. Raven pretty much hit the nail on the head -- Tarble knows what he wants, but what he wants is also ill-defined instead of a concrete goal that he can make tangible progress towards.

Tarble is someone that wants peace, but he's also someone that needs war.

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

 

[Ideas-Guy]

Boomerangs. It wouldn't be my first tool of choice for an assassination. Unless, of course, it was merely a distraction. Getting me into position so the traitors could line up a shot. Just like how Vegeta had been murdered. I nearly crushed the screaming man's arm in my hand, every sense honed to a razor's edge as something dark welled up in my chest.

I leaned into the Wrath State, slipping into a higher stage with the same ease as putting on a tailor-made glove. Before, I hovered between the first and second stages out of habit, but as I watched my brother die in my mind again, I jumped to the fifth stage. Because of it, I heard it. The whizzing of a bullet heading right for me.

I raised a hand and caught the bullet that had been aimed at the back of my skull. The bullet shared the same greenish glow as the boomerangs. I suppose they were designed to punch above their weight class. They were possibly useful technology, but I still flicked the bullet towards the one that shot it.

The one with the boomerangs knelt before me, his face twisted in a grimace as he clutched at his now free arm. Our eyes met as he looked up at me, earning an unimpressed look, "Well? I'm waiting," I told not just him, but the one that sent them here and the others that were a part of his team.

"Right, mates -- don't keep him waitn'!" The boomerang man shouted, before the others revealed themselves. My gaze slid to two that rose out of the water -- they were saiyanoid, but reptilian. One had the head of a shark, while the other was covered in green scales. They pulled themselves up onto the dock area, and I could feel the other presences moving around me -- not only were the other assassins revealing themselves, but the Teen Titans were approaching. Possibly to interfere?

In front of me, two women rounded a corner. Both had pale skin, but that's where the similarities ended. One carried what looked to be a wooden mallet, dressed in fishnets and a crop top, her face painted in colorful makeup while her hair was pulled up into pigtails and dyed red and blue. The other woman wore a black unitard, her legs and arms covered with black stockings and sleeves that left some parts of her skin exposed.

Frost hovered above her hand as she approached confidently.

To complete the encirclement, a man and a woman approached from the side. The man had his head covered with a bulbous helmet with ominous glowing red eyes. Next to him was a frail looking woman -- black hair, painted black lips, and seemed to be dressed in almost rags.

"Hm," I uttered, taking note that the Teen Titans were also in position. "Is this really the best assassins that America can offer?" I asked, crossing my arms. They were all more powerful than the average human, and they seemed to be equipped to further enhance their abilities, but… as far as all the traps that I've walked into went, this was fairly lackluster.

It certainly didn't help that Raven's words were ringing in the back of my head like a bell. I had fought for so many years for peace. I had paid a personal price for it, and the galaxy paid the price in blood for it.

Yet, here I was. Fighting assassins sent by the governing body of some of my citizens.

As much as I would like to dismiss Raven's point entirely, I couldn't help but notice the contradiction.

"Hey! How'd you know we were from America?" The woman in front of me questioned, sounding faintly impressed with my guess. The truth was that the power levels of the planet were so weak that even the few moderately strong still stood out. It was a simple thing to notice where they had come from.

"Harley-" the other woman sighed, but she still smirked at me a second later.

They closed in, and I spoke, "I suppose I should get your names. If you are the best that America has, then I'm sure I can find some use for you after the country is dismantled." Harley narrowed her eyes at me and leveled her mallet.

"Ain't no alien coming here and dismantling nothing! I'mma red blooded American through and through!" She proclaimed, seeming to take my offer as a personal insult. "America is the… well… it's in the top five of the greatest nations on Earth!" She settled, and I suppose I should give her points for being realistic.

"Is that so? Ruined buildings, children scavenging through the trash for something to eat, incompetent laws, an entitled population… the longer I stay on Earth, the more disappointed I become. And for America to be in the top five is… troubling, to say the least," I said, and Harley looked like she was mulling that over.

Then the one with the helmet spoke up as his eyes glowed red, "We aren't here to talk," he said with a cold and gravelly voice. His eyes glowed as a warning, that seemingly being the cue for the others.

Then I moved.

Speed was a vital component to combat and this group just didn't have it. I out paced them in the first stages of the Wrath State, but now that I was stronger than that? They stood no chance.

My fist slammed into the man's stomach, warping the armor around my fist, but I found that his stomach was harder than the armor itself. Taking note of that, as he folded around my fist, with my other hand, I grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed it into the ground. His helmet remained strong and unbent, except for the groove marks of my handprint.

The woman raised her hands, mystic energy flowing off of them like a sickeningly green poison, the others remaining in place for a moment as I planted a foot on the back of the helmeted man's head. "I asked for your names," I pointed out, stopping the combat in its tracks.

Harley seemed to be the spokesperson for the group, "I'm Harley! That's Killer Frost, that's Killer Croc, that's King Shark, the guy yer standing on is Black Manta, and she's Enchantress!" She informed delightedly, uncaring of her teammates' plight.

I frowned deeply -- that was wrong. Even if you didn't care for someone personally, when you worked together for a common goal, you cared for their wellbeing. If only because you shared a goal. But, looking at them, this group seemed to be one of circumstance. With the Fearsome Five and Teen Titans, it was clear that they cared for each other. This group, based on the lack of reaction, felt like a half dozen individuals rather than a team of six.

"It's nice to meet you," I said, my tone betraying that it was anything but. "I wonder -- should I consider this a declaration of war?" I asked, and almost as soon as the words left my lips, I… I didn't regret them, per say, but Raven's words were echoing persistently in my head. There was a chance to deescalate the situation here , and instead, I threatened to escalate it.

I wasn't wrong to. Actions had consequences, and the United States was trying to murder me with assassins. They did so arrogantly and shortsightedly. I was the King of a vast empire -- it would not do me well if every minor faction believed that they could spit in my face and get away with it. The Americans chose to escalate the situation first, and my response of escalating further until America, and the other nations of the world, backed down was justified.

I wanted peace, but I couldn't be seen as weak. Which meant escalation. Which possibly meant war.

It felt so contradictory.

Shaking my head of the thoughts, I looked at Harley, "Surrender now and I'll pretend that you're lone agents acting on behalf of your personal interests and leave it at that." There was an attempt at de-escalation. It was a struggle to find a middle ground, because… wanting peace didn't mean I was weak.

"Are ya' scared?" Harley questioned, sounding genuinely curious while Killer Frost just smiled as frost began to condense into ice above her waiting palm.

"For your sakes," I answered, and that brought Killer Frost up short. "Let me be clear for you and those that are listening through you -- you are mistaking a lack of willingness for lack of ability. That mistake, if you aren't careful, will end with a great many humans dead. I am asking, for your sakes, to try diplomacy despite the fact things would be vastly simpler for me if you choose war."

That seemed to resonate with Harley a bit as she looked at me. I'm not sure what she saw, but it seemed like she understood. That I was being as reasonable as I could, extending them an olive branch with in one hand, but the other hand was a fist that I would not hesitate to use if they smacked away the olive branch.

"Should you kill me, my people will exact vengeance on this world. And you will find that of all the Saiyans, I am by far the most reasonable," I finished, pointedly stepping off of Black Manta's head. He was quick to get up and even faster to settle into a fighting stance. He tensed just as Harley broke out into a broad smile.

"We got orders to pull back! Nice meeting you! Good luck being King," she said, offering an enthusiastic wave before she grabbed Killer Frost's hand and began dragging her out of sight. Black Manta shifted toward the boomerang man, who forced himself to his feet. Both men were glaring at me as they retreated. Enchantress faded into the shadows while the two amphibious men returned to the ocean.

In a minute, I felt their presences peel away from me, proving that this was a full retreat.

I looked up at the sky above, feeling unsatisfied with the conclusion.

"Am I really so weak-willed that it only takes a single sentence to change me?" I asked myself, knowing that I would have defeated them in combat if I hadn't spoken to Raven beforehand. It would have been simple. Easy. I would have robbed America of assets, made a show of force, and sent a strong message to the world leaders.

But that's what I would do if I was at war. And I wasn't. There was peace. A peace that had been paid for is so much blood. A peace that I had absolutely no clue what I should do with and… that single sentence rang with a sense truth. I was uncertain, so I leaned into what I knew. And what I knew was war.

"King Tarble! I am most glad that you choose the way of words to settle this dispute," Koriand'r greeted me, announcing herself as she flew down. There was a broad smile on her face, looking as if she meant the words. She was freer with her expressions than her sister. She was more generous with her smiles, for starters.

I grunted in response, pinching my nose as I gathered my thoughts.

"Not going to murder them for fleeing?" A dark-skinned young man dressed in yellow and red asked me, his tone sharp. He was another member of the Teen Titans. Kid Flash, by process of elimination.

I turned my gaze in his direction, finding myself increasingly annoyed. "I executed Adonis for fleeing when he didn't know the stakes. He betrayed his team and his planet. They, on the other hand, understood the stakes and chose the wisest option. They are fundamentally different," I stated with a sense of finality. I was beginning to regret executing Adonis, but only because of how irritating it was to continuously explain myself. "You can keep your opinions to yourself. I don't care enough to hear them."

That made Kid Flash scowl at me, but my attention was stolen when Raven materialized from the shadows behind him, looking at me with a purposely blank expression. Her face was unreadable, and I found myself wondering why I even cared. Or why her words had such a sway over me.

But, the answer was obvious. Raven had just told me what I already knew.

It was all too easy to see how my words and actions didn't line up.

"Why are you all here?" I pressed -- Raven told me that her reason was to gain perspective, but I had doubts that that viewpoint was shared by the others. Robin pressed his lips into a thin line, all but confirming my suspicion, until he let out a small sigh.

"Are you serious about trying to talk all of this out?" He asked me, earning a small frown from me.

"If I wasn't, then we wouldn't be having this conversation right now," I told him bluntly. Did they really not see how easy it would be to invade? I knew all too well that a handful of powerful individuals weren't enough to win a war. Drop pods would fall like rain, and even the weakest of my soldiers would be more than a match for most humans. "But, I think we both know that it's not going to do any good."

However, Koriand'r seemed to disagree. "Diplomacy only fails when both parties refuse to compromise. I cannot speak for humanity, nor can any of us, but I do not believe that the situation must be resolved with violence." She said, her voice dripping with sincerity, and she really couldn't be more different than her sister. She offered me a kind smile, "You have expressed interest in learning about people here -- we would like to help you gain perspective, just as we have gained some perspective by watching many hours of television about you."

There was a measure of truth in her words, but I did find it to be a bit naive. In the end, I didn't see a reason why I should compromise anything. I had a legal deed to Earth. They were my citizens and I would protect them. I had already gone out of my way to be more than reasonable and accommodating to humanity. By what right did they ask for more? Why should I compromise more to accommodate a relatively primitive race? Especially when humanity showed no signs of returning that favor?

"I mean what I say -- I intend to solve this issue diplomatically," I said, but I was forced to wonder if that was a lie. It was a nagging doubt in the back of my head, a lingering question that made me second guess my actions. I had already accepted that conflict was inevitable, and I almost preferred it simply because it would be… familiar. Simpler.

Koriand'r seemed to take my words as if they were a promise based on the smile that she wore. "Most excellent! I cannot wait to show you the glorious bounties that Earth has to offer! There are so many delicious foods and interesting cultural rituals to observe," she excitedly exclaimed.

"Lex Luthor has seen fit to throw a wrench in that plan," I said, knowing that was the one who had leaked the conversation in all likelihood. Superman and I had spoken on his building and not long after, the recording was released. It was a simple thing to guess.

The others looked far less enthused with the idea, but Robin offered a begrudging nod. "I don't know how this is going to end, but if it does come down to a fight, it won't be because we started it," he decided. However, I could hear the unspoken truth in his voice.

We both fully expected for this to come to blows, but neither of us were willing to accept that it would be our fault that it would.

"Very well. If humanity has any good traits, feel free to show them."

…

PR was something that Bruce Wayne understood well, Batman noted as he perched himself on the back of a gargoyle in Gotham city. It was something he had all but mastered. He wielded it like a weapon, using it to deflect suspicion that Bruce Wayne and Batman were both two personas of the same man, as well as using it as a tool to advance his agenda in his civilian identity as Bruce Wayne -- charity initiatives, offering jobs to ex-cons with Wayne Enterprises, homeless shelters and more.

Good PR was the grease on the wheels of bureaucracy, just as much money was. Because, in the end, PR was your reputation. With a solid and reliable reputation, doors would open for you. With a poor one, they would close. It was a powerful tool, but a fickle one. All it takes is one mistake, real or imagined in the minds of society, and that spotless reputation would be ripped to shreds.

Batman witnessed evidence of that ice-cold truth below him as people protested in the streets. Many of them displayed signs decrying the Justice League. For every one holding up a sign against Tarble and his claim on the Earth, there were three for the League. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Batman swallowed it the same. It was more than he could say for other members of the League.

In the end, Tarble was an unknown entity until recently. Most people had no connection to him. There were degrees of separation there. People weren't happy with him in the slightest, but all of that negativity paled in comparison to the reaction of the leaked recording that was directed at the Justice League. Because, as much blood as there was on Tarble's hands, the Justice League committed a far worse crime in the eyes of the public.

The Justice League had betrayed humanity.

It was factually untrue, but feelings didn't care about fact. Humanity felt as if they had been betrayed, so they acted like they had been.

"Gotham is under control. For now," Batman said, his voice a low growl as he reported in to the Watchtower. They were monitoring the riots across the globe, despite their charter being in danger of being revoked. The protests in Gotham were nonviolent so far -- firmly in the realm of an actual protest rather than the mindless destruction of property of a riot.

"The East Coast seems to be calming down," Diana, though the world knew her as Wonder Woman, responded. "The troop mobilization worked," she added, sounding uncertain how she felt about that.

The President, after receiving a clear threat, had issued a flurry of troop deployments . The public saw it as a warning to contain the rioting -- no direct action had been taken yet, but it wasn't needed. However, with Batman's spy satellites, he saw that the troop movements were more than just that. The US was preparing for an invasion.

They weren't the only ones. China had lost a squad of generation fighter jets against Tarble already, along with a military base. No one had been killed, but it was a show of force that the entire world was responding to. Some countries were looking to the Justice League, knowing that it was for this reason they had been formed, but others were looking elsewhere. Other exotic methods of countering Tarble and his empire.

Some were going as far as looking to villains to pit against Tarble.

"For now," Batman agreed. The timer on the meeting with the UN to discuss ownership of Earth was ticking down. Two days were left. Countries were pushing through legislation to prevent the land that their countries occupied from being owned by an outside force. Lawyers across the planet were working to comb through the Galactic housing laws for loopholes to exploit, acting under the assumption that those would be the ones that Tarble would use to argue his case.

"Hal Jordan is not responding to our hails," Diana continued, giving him an update on the ongoing situation. To that, Batman frowned deeply.

Batman respected Hal Jordan, but he didn't care for him. They were fundamentally different people, even if they were both heroes. However, that might have changed considering the quality of the information that they had received from Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

The Justice League had formed a few short years ago in response to Tarble. They were granted a UN charter upon sharing the information with World Leaders. The charter came with more stipulations than the Justice League cared for, but they hadn't been in a position to ask for more. It all came down to politics.

Lex Luthor had leaked the conversation between Clark and Tarble. Now, those that had been unhappy with the Justice League's existence since the League had been founded, and those that had grown unhappy with them over time, had a powerful position. The people felt betrayed, and politicians were playing off of that feeling to add more stipulations to,if not outright revoke, their charter.

"Last we heard, he was forming the New Lanterns. The universe is much larger than Earth," Batman said, voicing the only excuse he would accept. Otherwise, Hal had abandoned Earth after giving them poor information that had hamstrung their ability to create countermeasures against Tarble.

"It is possible that he is unaware that Tarble is here. I can't imagine that he would remain away if he knew," Diana pointed out, which did seem likely. Hal Jordan hated Tarble. That obvious bias had tripped red flags, but he had also supplied evidence that supported his story.

Once again blind trust had proved to do more harm than good.

"A pity. The New Lanterns could have offered validation to humanity's appeal," Batman remarked -- Batman had spent hours pouring over the Galactic real estate laws that the Trade Organization had used. In short, they did have a case, but it wasn't a strong one. Having a galactic force would give humanity backing, giving their position more validity. Law, as much as Batman hated it, was just as much about who you knew as the law itself.

It wasn't perfect. It wasn't even close to ideal. But reality was what it was regardless of what you wanted it to be.

"I have asked my mother and the gods for wisdom -- the gods have taken council, but their decision is unknown. My mother offered words of caution," Diana stated, her tone grim. There were few words that Batman disliked more than the word unknown. Especially when it came to forces like the Olympian gods, who remained mostly inactive outside of Diana. If they were taking an active role in the situation, then…

"This should be decided by humanity," Batman offered his opinion. If the gods decided to take an active role, then it would be a simple thing for them to decide to remain active. In that case, they would trade out a galactic king for the gods of old. Of which, Batman was uncertain who was worse.

Diana made a noise of agreement, "The gods will do whatever they decide to be best. Can any of us claim to be any different?"

That was a fair point, "No, we can't." Batman agreed as he stood up, the Batcomputer giving him an alert from downtown. He threw himself off of the building, wind rushing by him, before he used his cape to glide above the streets of Gotham.

In the end, regardless of what was said… Tarble had been right about the Justice League. They were a group of individuals that decided to take action. Their reasonings varied, some had the power to do good and the will back it up. Others suffered had loss and wished to protect others from suffering that same loss.

Batman himself… was born because of the cracks in the system. Because if Thomas and Martha Wayne's murder could go unsolved, then anyone's could. With all of his ability, with all of his resources, his parent's murderer was still at large. He was still out there. That was unacceptable, and every night when he donned the cowl, he felt the same need for vengeance boiling in his chest.

Because of it, Batman understood the truth.

The Justice League were individuals that had chosen to take action. They chose to take the law into their own hands and support it where it was weak.

If Tarble pushed his claim to Earth with force, he would be met with force. The Charter didn't matter.

Which is why when Diana spoke, his stomach clenched.

"North Rhelasia has restricted Tarble's broadcast," she began, her tone urgent. Batman knew the next words out of her mouth before she said them.

"Tarble is on his way to carry out his threat."

...

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!

 

[Ideas-Guy]

I had been in a number of tense conversations in my life. More than once, a single word could be the difference between life and death. I wouldn't go as far as to call myself a gifted conversationalist, but I did understand how to read a room. It was a necessary skill for me to develop. Not that it had really mattered in the end.

However, I think this was the first time I was ever in an intensely awkward conversation. The awkwardness being born from the fact that only Koriand'r spoke for the most part. Whenever she fell silent, there was only tension in the group. Everyone felt like they were walking on eggshells, and it couldn't possibly be more clear that I was the cause of that tension.

"If you're going to be weird about this, then leave," I told the Titans, and they had the audacity to looked surprised at the blunt dismissal. As if it had come completely by surprise. Though, Koriand'r seemed genuinely puzzled. I'm not sure if she couldn't read the room, or if she just didn't care to. "You are the ones that approached me. You don't have the right to make things awkward when you've voluntarily chosen to be my guides on Earth."

Tact was one of the many skills that I never quite managed to master. Why waste time by talking around an issue? Especially one as blatant as the tension that was there? They saw it, I saw it -- I was just doing something about it. After all, the awkwardness would vanish if they left. Or I did.

"No, that's…" Robin began, sounding frustrated as he met my gaze, only to flounder when he couldn't argue my valid point. "We aren't leaving because you feel awkward."

"I don't. All of you do," I refuted, meeting his dull look. "It's painfully obvious and it's irritating. Koriand'r shouldn't be forced to carry a conversation on your behalf." I added, earning a sigh from Raven, while Koriand'r appeared uncertain. Kid Flash shared a look with Beast Boy, both seemed like they were considering taking the out I had offered them. Robin, however, proved to be as stubborn as they came. I might be impressed, but the trait, in this context, was far more annoying than impressive.

"Everything doesn't have to be a fight," Raven remarked lightly, the distinct lack of irritation in her voice betraying how irritated she was. "Just order your food," she requested, bringing my attention back to a menu that sat in front of me. There were a variety of choices, all of which were once again in English. Humanity didn't even have a unified language.

"How much do you even need to eat?" Beast Boy questioned, looking around at the restaurant that we were seated at. He smiled and waved to reassure a family of three that everything was okay as they looked at me fearfully.

I ignored them easily while I answered the question, "At a minimum, a Saiyan in their third growth spurt needs around ten thousand calories a day. But twice that is closer to being comfortably full." The menu did have convenient calorie counts by each listed item. My eyes roamed the various names before they lingered on something that felt familiar. Pizza.

I saw Raven look at me, but I ignored her. The Titans were here to act as guides. I tolerated their presence because it put them and others at ease. After all, if I was in their view at all times, then I wasn't off causing trouble. It made sense. Even if they understood that they couldn't realistically stop me, it made them feel at ease. Given that I had no intention to senselessly massacre my own citizens, the Titans guarding people from me just meant I had a convenient source of answers for my questions.

"Your profession as heroes -- what do you do when you aren't protecting the world from me?" I questioned -- I would be asking that question a lot. Each person was different and that difference only became more profound with species. But, if I asked enough people, I would see the trends. With Ada'la providing a rough draft of real estate laws, I could focus on learning about the people I would rule over.

Beast Boy gave me an odd look, "What did you do?" He shot back the question, seemingly determined to not give any ground to me, even on mundane topics. It was obvious that he still considered me an enemy, but almost like one he didn't know how to handle. Uncertain best described him, and he naturally became defensive.

It was tempting to block his prodding, but I calmly took a sip of my carbonated beverage. "I trained," I answered instead. Beast Boy's eyebrows drew together.

"And?" He prompted, gesturing for me to continue.

"And I trained. There wasn't time for anything else. Well, besides the occasional interview for propaganda purposes," I amended a moment later. I saw Robin work his jaw for a moment, seeming almost pensive. It was obvious what he wanted to say. "There was a war. Every moment I wasn't fighting or growing stronger was wasted. My soldiers would pay for it with their lives."

Robin seemed to mull that over. Robin seemed… different from my first impression of him. He seemed rather brash -- determined to stop me even though he only knew the bare bones detail about me. He seemed to have good intentions, but also seemed a little hot-headed. Now, he seemed more composed. Cautious, even. "So, this is your first time hanging out?" He questioned, and Koriand'r let out a gasp that was far too dramatic for what was said.

"Prince Tarble has plenty of friends-" she started, almost as if she felt compelled to defend my honor.

I shook my head, "I spent time with the st, but they're all dead now." I said, feeling a pang of regret for their loss. Brolly and Shayera were the last members and they didn't seem to be on Earth. Koriand'r looked remorseful and sad, as if feeling the loss of the st just as keenly as I did. It wasn't the first time I thought it, and it wasn't likely to be the last -- but Koriand'r really couldn't be more different from her sister.

"And your Team?" Kid Flash pitched in, eyeing me warily. "You had a team, too, right?"

I saw them die in my mind. And I saw myself kill them. Ruthlessly, I crushed the rage and betrayal I felt, but not before Raven noticed it. Thankfully, she said nothing. "They're dead too," I answered curtly. Precious few had managed to see the end of the war. My sister and mother were one of those few.

There was something akin to pity in Kid Flash's eyes before he looked away. Robin let out a breath as he leaned forward, pinning me with an intense look that I felt even from behind his domino mask, "What happened at the end of the war?" He asked me directly, and I raised an eyebrow at the interrogative tone.

To my surprise, Raven spoke up, "Let's not," she voiced, looking at Robin, her tone leaving no room for argument. "That conversation will only end in an argument. Leave the war and who owns Earth alone. It's going to be addressed in a few days anyway." She pointedly didn't look at me as she spoke, earning a brief frown from Robin.

I idly watched the exchange -- it was simple enough to parse their chain of command even with our brief interactions. Robin was clearly the leader, Koriand'r fell into the role of second in command, but the others seemed to be free-floating. But, a small interaction like that hinted that Raven carried a great deal more sway than I originally expected. It made sense considering that she was the only one able to wound me.

Though, I was curious why she was preventing the integration. It was possible that she had benign reasons, but it was just as likely that she had an ulterior motive. Or, it was possible she sensed my anger and decided that the war was a sore subject that might set me off.

"We play video games," Kid Flash said, my question finally receiving an answer. "And watch TV. Well, most of the time. Sometimes we just go out to chill."

I mulled that over for a moment, "Isn't that a waste of time?" I asked, making Kid Flash open his mouth, but he failed to respond and looked to Robin for an answer instead.

"Being with friends is never a waste of time. Each moment you are able to do so should be cherished," Koriand'r offered her opinion on the matter.

"Your duties as heroes and protectors of the weak -- can you afford to slack off?" I clarified my issue with hanging out. I understood it in principle, but it seemed dangerous. That time could be spent training, thus preparing yourself for situations you would otherwise be unprepared for. Not only could it save your life, but it could save the lives of others.

Beast Boy gave me an odd look, leaning forward onto the table, "You seriously never just took a day off? To do nothing?" He questioned, sounding like he couldn't believe it.

I thought on it for a moment before I slowly nodded, "When I was younger, I used to sleep between missions. It was when I was behind enemy lines, so I would be asleep for days at a time." I offered and Beast Boy looked at me with an expression of incomprehension. It was an expression that said he fundamentally couldn't understand me. Like I was a puzzle that just didn't make sense.

"Do you even know what fun is?" Beast Boy bluntly asked, earning a frown from me. Not because I took offense, but because what he said echoed something someone I actually had a measure of respect for. Froot, the ancient Saiyan that had served Larfleeze, had accused me of nearly the same thing. He said that I had never laughed before, and he had been right.

I… was doing this wrong, wasn't I? When I first arrived on Earth, I resolved myself to… enjoy myself, in a way. To fight the Justice League because it sounded like a worthy challenge, regardless of if I won or not. Earth, as a prize, wasn't supposed to matter. It was just a planet.

But, a few days later, I fell into old habits. I was treating the conversation of my ownership of Earth as a conversation I had to win. I was provoking fights that had stakes rather than just because I wanted to fight. I was treating this almost as if it were another war to win.

It was maddening. I really had no idea what to do with peace. How could I ask my race to keep it when I was falling into old habits myself? No, it was worse than that -- Saiyans naturally fought for the sake of fighting.

I was looking for another war to fight in.

I let out a small breath, "No. Show me what is fun," I ordered curtly, catching Beast Boy off guard. He looked at Robin, who seemed just as surprised, though he hid it better. Koriand'r, however, gasped in absolute delight. She looked absolutely ecstatic at the request.

"Of course! I will help you bear witness to the glory of video games!" She declared, flying up. She gestured to the building that we were still waiting for the waitress to return for our food orders. Customer service in Japan was far better than in America, I decided as I followed her inside. People watched anxiously from the inside of the building, families seated that eyed me with fear.

Was it a mistake to release the information about myself? I did believe an informed opinion prior to the discussion with the UN was necessary, but in the wake of the leaked conversation between me and Superman, it seemed to create only more fear and hostility.

Words wouldn't make that go away, so I just ignored the various families that stared at me in fear. Apparently, they hadn't been afraid enough to stop eating, though. And it wasn't like a glass pane would have protected them. Koriand'r seemed willfully ignorant of the stares as well, leading me to a machine that spat out change after feeding it money.

"Make your selection," Koriand'r said, gesturing to the small area that was filled with various machines. The pixelated screens showed racing cars, humans boxing, and humans shooting various creatures. The screens were unpleasant to look at -- I never considered myself spoiled in terms of technology, but using LED lights was… almost unwatchable. How hologram technology hadn't reached these people yet, I would never know.

Which brought my attention to a game that had no screen. Just a moving hoop and balls. I approached it while the rest of the Titans entered, deciding that it was in their best interest to keep all eyes on me at all times. Feeding it the necessary amount of money, the balls were unleashed, and a timer began to tick down. Palming a ball, I looked at the hoop and saw that it was more of an oval. Not misshapen enough so to prevent the ball from falling through, but warped enough to lower the allowed margin of error.

The way to win was simple.

Don't make mistakes.

Idly, I began tossing the balls, each one sinking through the hoop as points were racked up quickly. The minute on the clock went by rather quickly, and when the buzzer rang, the high scores were revealed. I was not on the leaderboard, much less the high score, which belonged to someone with the initials ASS. Eyeing ASS's high score compared to my own, simple math told me that I needed to double my previous rate of gathering points.

"Did you have fun?" Koriand'r questioned as I began feeding more coins into the machine. There were three balls available and sixty seconds on the clock. If I wished to gain the high score, I needed to get two scores per second. But, if I wished to ensure that no one would be able to take the high score from me, then I would need four scores per second, which was the optimal amount you could possibly get outside of cheating.

I didn't reply as I began the second round, picking up a ball with a hand each and began idly tossing them into the hoop with perfect accuracy. It was a steady rhythm, almost like juggling. I threw a ball, it sank through the hoop, followed by another, and by that time, I had sent the third ball flying and the first ball had reached the starting area. The points shot right up, and this time I secured the high score with a near double lead.

I didn't have initials, so I just put a KT and left the last space blank. Looking over at Koriand'r, she had her hands clasped under her chin, smiling at me as if she was expecting me to have religious experience of some kind that would deliver unto me the concept of fun. I could see the question in her eyes, repeating the one that had gone unanswered.

The truth was…

"It was fine," I hedged, knowing that she wouldn't take it well, but I regretted not lying outright when I saw the disappointment on her face. Though, it quickly became determination as she seemed to accept the challenge.

Raven spoke up, "You've won a free sundae," she pointed out, nodding at the ticket that was printed out. I grabbed it before I looked at her -- sundae was a day, wasn't it? In response to my confusion, she pointed at the menu that was above the front desk, bringing my attention to a cup filled with various things.

I searched my memory for a moment, to see if it was familiar, but I came up with nothing. Walking over, I presented the ticket to a man named Donald based on his name tag, who seemed frozen stiff. "I will take a sundae. As well as pay for the beverages since our waitress is avoiding our table," I told him, tossing a capsule to the side.

He swallowed thickly, "I-I apologize for that sir. Please have your drinks on…" he began, only to fall silent when I dropped a brick of gold onto the counter. He stared at it for a second, then at me. "Thank you for choosing Pizza Place," he said, grabbing the brick and finding that it was deceptively heavy. It seems that he wasn't so afraid that he was incapable of greed.

After taking the gold into the back, I heard him urging the cooks to make a perfect sundae. A few minutes later, I was presented with one that seemed similar to the one on the menu. I accepted it, digging my spoon into it and tasting ice cream for the first time. Despite not remembering it, the taste was somehow nostalgic. Looking at the door, I saw the Titans were waiting for me for our next endeavor.

"Thanks for paying?" Kid Flash spoke up, earning a look from Beast Boy, and he shrugged in response to it.

"If you aren't careful, you'll crash the value of gold for Earth," Robin pointed out to me, earning a brief frown.

"In that amount?" I questioned, and he looked like he didn't understand why I couldn't understand that would crash the value of gold. "Earth isn't mining asteroids?" I asked, and then it clicked.

He let out a small breath of irritation as we left the building and I continued to enjoy my ice cream. By the time we reached the sidewalk, I was looking for a trash can to dispose of the empty container. "We don't. Our metals come from Earth's crust," he answered, while Beast Boy and Kid Flash looked at me with slack jaws.

"Dude, what about brain freeze? You can't just eat ice cream like that?! " Beast Boy pointed out but it came out more as a question. In response, I tossed the container in a nearby trash can as I looked out at Jump City from another angle. We returned to it since the Titans knew it best. So far, it seemed rather calm. There were no major riots protesting me or the Justice League.

To my surprise, the Teen Titans were left alone for the most part. Naturally, there were some that were taking advantage to protest the teenage heroes, but all of the major protests across the world were rather silent about them. I wasn't entirely sure why, but it was convenient.

"Was your first outing in human society enjoyable?" Koriand'r pestered, treating my enjoyment as if it were made of glass and easily shattered.

I offered a small shrug, "I don't see the appeal. I feel like I wasted time," I admitted to them. If I stretched my awareness across the planet, then… there was so much going on. If I were to turn on a news site that wasn't dominated by my presence, then there were countless newsworthy events happening across the world. And while they were happening, I gained a meaningless high score in a pizza parlor that I was unlikely to ever visit again.

I should be doing something. Even if I was learning about how civilians behaved, it still felt like a wasteful use of time. Especially when the confrontation with the UN was nearing.

"Then how about a game of skill," Robin said, catching my attention. He looked at Raven, who nodded before the shadows under us began to expand. The others began to sink into the ground, but I remained afloat, the shadows brushing against me, but they couldn't take me without my permission.

I looked at Raven, who seemed unsurprised. "Would it make sense for us to betray you now?" She asked me, her tone even, but soft.

"This could just be an attempt to make me lower my guard," I pointed out, noting that she didn't ask for my trust.

To that, Raven offered me a thin smile that almost appeared pitiful. "You never let your guard down once today," She voiced, knowing that she was right. "If we know that you haven't… that you won't, then what would we gain by tricking you now?"

I met her gaze, searching it for any sign of deceit. I found none. But… "I know where the others are. I'll go to them," I told her, flying up away from the shadows. There was no trust in me. Not anymore. Not after what Bardock and the others did. There were only three people in this universe that I trusted now -- Elery, Mom, and Broly. There was no room for anyone else.

Raven almost appeared sad, but was overall unsurprised by my decision, "We don't have to be enemies, but a sure-fire way of becoming one is treating everyone else like they already are." My eyes narrowed, and she met my look unflinchingly. "Your past isn't as unforgivable as you like to treat it as. It's your actions now that you're being judged by."

"Not according to Superman. Apparently, I'm being judged quite harshly because of my actions in the war," I remarked, knowing where this conversation was leading, but I wasn't sure how to argue it so definitively that it died. I doubted that what I did during the war could be forgiven. I wasn't searching for it either. It was only relevant because several powerful people on the planet were moral paragons that found me lacking.

"He doesn't speak for the planet. Even if you say he does," Raven stated firmly. "You just have to find the ones that can look beyond your past." She said, and I opened my mouth to counter, but she continued before I could utter a word. "Like I did."

That killed my retort before it could leave my mouth. I doubted that our pasts could be remotely comparable, but Raven spoke like they were. And so far, Raven displayed enough insight to deserve my full attention… as well as to find myself unnerved at just how accurate her insight was.

There was a beat of silence that was broken by my earpiece coming to life, "King Tarble -- we've performed the scans as requested. The country known as Rhelasia has restricted your broadcast."

I had threatened to destroy the nation that did such a thing. To murder all of its leaders responsible for the coverup. Part of me had done it to prevent anyone from being so foolish as to actually restrict the broadcast. But, now, I was forced to wonder if I made that threat because I knew it would provoke an escalation from the UN and the Justice League. Because that wasn't something they could leave unanswered.

Just like I couldn't leave this direct insult unanswered.

It felt like I was standing at a crossroads. On one path, I would tread familiar ground. On the other, there was a complete unknown.

It was so very tempting to walk the road less traveled, but… before I was a Saiyan, I was a King. A King of an unstable empire that was held together because it was my empire.

"Where are you going?" Raven questioned as she looked up at me, sensing the shift in me and seeming nervous because of it. Uncertain.

"To make do on a threat," I told her, my tone blank as I slipped deeper into the Wrath State until I settled comfortably in Stage Ten. "This was… maybe not fun, but it was an experience. Thank you for it. And thank Koriand'r for her efforts for me."

Raven's lips thinned as she rose up to my level, her hands glowing, "If that threat is what I think it is, then you know we have to try to stop you. Murder isn't acceptable." She told me uncompromisingly. Either I backed down, or I collided with her. With the Teen Titans. With the Justice League and the world.

"Neither is denying citizens the right to an informed opinion," I refuted, every bit as uncompromising as she was.

"This isn't something you can take back or undo," Raven implored one final time, magic gathering in her hands as she clearly suspected my answer. A warning and a threat.

"I don't intend to," I returned before I moved. Raven expected for me to head directly at her. She was so convinced that she threw up a counterattack in the form of a wave of black magic that rushed over the space between us. She only realized when it was too late that she wasn't my target at all. Raven was powerful enough that there would be casualties amongst the bystanders if we fought seriously. The entire city could be destroyed if we weren't careful.

Instead, I flew directly up towards the edge of space until I left the atmosphere, before I turned around and headed back down towards the country of North Rhelasia. If Raven gave chase then we would fight where the population density was far lower, but I didn't sense her presence following me. Blasting through heavy clouds, I descended on the country of Rhelasia.

It was easy to spot from orbit. In the low light of night -- it was nearing dusk in Jump City, but it was the middle of the night in North Rhelasia. Along the border that divided the Rhelasias, along the southern border, the country was filled with light. North of the border, there was only one city that had any light pollution.

I descended as I quickly gathered intel -- the dictator that ran the nation, the top leaders, and where they would be located along with important landmarks. However, as I descended from the skies into the city of Peyonyang, I noticed something.

Humans were weak. So weak that when they were weakened, it was almost to impossible to tell. When a Saiyan was injured, it was easily apparent -- their power level would drop dozens, or hundreds, or thousands of points. When a human was sick or injured, it would drop only a single point. From five to four. When you spread your attention across a planet, that small difference was easily missed.

The people of the nation felt weak. Too weak. Whereas America had an average of five or six, there was a huge swath of people in North Rhelasia that had a power level of three or four. A nearly insignificant drop, but when you were that weak, every point mattered. To a human, that was the equivalent of being half dead.

I used my descent to gather more intel -- web articles about the nation. The regime that ran it. The horror stories associated with it. How its population was starving, the workers being force-fed drugs to keep them productive…

"Hm," I uttered as I crashed through the ceiling of the palace, my scans of the planet telling me exactly where the dictator was. There was surprised shouting as I fell from the ceiling, but they soon proved that they had expected this. Instantly, bullets bounced off of my body from all sides, but the only damage that was done was to the soldiers by the ricochets. I made eye contact with the leader of the country, a clearly Asian man dressed in a general attire that was heavy with medals.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't care enough to listen. I raised a hand and a ki ball hovered in my palm. The dark blue ki flashed before well over a dozen small balls of ki erupted from the ball, each one racing to a soldier to destroy their gun. The room that was filled with the sound of gunfire a moment prior suddenly fell silent before I flicked the ki ball forward.

The dictator caught the blast to the head, killing him instantly. The sheer anguish I heard coming from around me almost made me second guess my decision to kill him, but I still resolved that it was the best decision.

"As of now," I began slowly, waiting for the guns to click empty when the soldiers and other officials went to their sidearms. "The country of North Rhelasia has been destroyed. Your borders will be dissolved. Your military will be dismantled. Your citizens will be freed to migrate to whatever nation they wish."

"You… who gave you the right to decide such things?!" I heard one shout, an older man with more white in his hair than black. There was fury in his eyes as he glared at me with an expression of murderous hate.

I met his gaze, "I did," I answered simply. "In addition, all top leaders of the nation are being placed under arrest for violating the rights of my citizens." I tacked on, my tone quiet and deadly. I didn't even know what rights my citizens had, but I did know that this was a clear violation of them. Several looked absolutely rebellious and infuriated, those same ones being government officials that I recognized from my brief look at the intel I had. Ki gathered around them, encasing them in a ball. They tried to escape as I rose out of the hole that I made, taking the dozen officials with me.

I felt a few powerful presences racing towards me, but I ignored them for now. I had another task to focus on. Shifting my attention, I raced towards the border with the officials in tow, ignoring their indignant shouts and curses. Once I was in range, and with the help of imaging from my fleet in the system, I raised my hand once again above my head.

Blasts of ki erupted from my hand, almost like wisps that lit up the night sky as they traveled to their targets. The nearest gate on the border was demolished in an explosion -- killing no one, but scaring the hell out of both sides. Naturally, both sides assumed that the other was responsible, but before even the first bullet flew, a ki blast would strike the North Rhelasia soldiers. Nonfatally.

In a handful of seconds, the border and its guards were gone.

Then, I turned to the streak of colors approaching me. A young woman dressed in familiar colors -- a bodysuit of blue, red boots, a red skirt… and a red shielded S on her chest. Her blonde hair was pushed back by the speeds she traveled, her cape billowing in the wind.

And she seemed rather angry as she didn't slow down even as she raced to close the distance.

She slammed into me, but I caught the fist that she attempted to strike me with, even if it cost me some broken bones to do so. I met her gaze with a glare of my own, every bit as angry as she was.

"I can't imagine how you're going to justify this," I told her bluntly as we clashed over the destroyed border of the country that was once known as North Rhelasia.

...

A reminder -- I will be taking a break between the 24th to the 1st to celebrate Power Corrupts ending. Fool's World will be posted on the 9th to give myself an extra week to add a little more polish on the story.

The next chapter is currently available on my Patreon and Subscribe Star, so if you want to read it a week early, all it takes is a single dollar in the tip jar. Or, for five dollars, you can read the chapter after that two weeks before its public release! I hope you enjoyed!