"- 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!
