Finally it is here. This chapter was done almost a month ago, but some editing and slight changes to the narrative arc is what kept it from being updated.

I maintain my stand; I hate Goku the way he is portrayed in Super, not just because of his selfishness but also because of the fact that he is almost mentally retarded in the show. Goku in Z was immature but he got shit done when it was needed. Also SSB is like the worst power-up ever, even Krillin and 17 are holding against it.

Nevertheless, I have planned this saga with utmost care so that you guys enjoy reading it. Also, beware that things are not going to be rosy from now on. There will be no stakes if the hero comes out victorious each time.

Q&A

kenallo25 - Sorry, bro, I do not understand Spanish :-(

jadastokes80 - I'll think about it.

SSJR Goku Black - Hmmm... but he's still a retard in Super.

bickram20 - Thank you, you'll find out soon enough.

Guest - Yeah, but Goku is a dumbass in Super, even the hardcore fans agree on that.

deadpool1991 - Yes and shit's gonna go down real soon.

Touzoshin - That's the point of the whole romance, a dilemma between love and duty. But you put up some good points. I have got a little nugget for you.

GsxrGhostRider - Yes indeed, shit is gonna go down.

divineboss - Here it is.

Watermeloan - That's the point of the whole story, you get distracted and you get screwed.

Goku007 - You guessed it right.

Plasmic - Thnx and that would be spoilers, but keep reading please.

Goku was handling a fried egg when he felt two arms wrap around him from behind, followed by a soft kiss to the neck. He didn't have to turn around to see who it was, the sweet scent was all too familiar; Diana giggled softly as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Hmmm, looks like I've got something really delicious to eat." She teased, biting his shoulder.

"Yeah, you said that last night too." The saiyan said, flipping the egg as he turned around.

"About last night." Diana began trying to recall the events as she dropped her voice and gaze "I hardly remember anything, wish I hadn't been that drunk. Tell me, did it happen between us ?"

She raised her eyes to meet the Saiyan's, who quickly averted his.

"Yeah, it was good." He quickly said as he went back to attending his eggs, his first lie to her.

"Just good ?" She questioned further, egging for more details "That's disappointing."

"Diana, you know I am not very smart with words, or pretty much anything." Goku turned around after placing the pan on the burner and softly grabbed her shoulders "It had been years since I'd been with a woman and having the most beautiful one was worth the wait. So yes, I was very happy last night."

He paused to curb the awkward feeling growing inside him; lies did not come easy to him.

"I think..." Diana proceeded to take his right hand and press it against her belly "You might be happier after hearing about this."

"You are hungry ?" Goku enquired hesitantly, but Diana just stared back at her with a smile.

"What ?!" He immediately wound his hand back as it dawned on to him, snapping at the news "You're pregnant ?!"

"Maybe, maybe not, I am not sure. Perhaps we ought to try it one more time tonight just to make sure, you know, since you enjoyed it so much." She winked at him.

"Shouldn't we prepare for Broly ?" He tried to avert the topic "We can have our moment later."

"I want this to be our blissful moment, free from all duties and responsibilities that weigh us down." The woman clasped his hand lovingly and kissed it "When everything is done, when we've killed everyone who comes between us, I want us to be man and wife."

"Of course." The saiyan readily agreed "There is nothing more..."

"And I want you to stay."

He was hastily cut off by those six words when he looked into the Amazon's eyes, she was very much serious. David had probably told her.

"But I've been long gone. My world needs me too." Goku said sheepishly, avoiding her gaze until the woman held his face in his hands.

"Your world is gone." Diana told him, looking in his eyes with a seriousness he had not seen in a long time "Your family is gone, your friends are gone, everyone you knew is gone. There is nothing left for you there now, nothing except sorrow and misery and guilt. Where will you go ?"

"Well, first we'll handle Broly and then we will talk about it."

"And then we will be bonded and you will stay, do you understand ?" She said, forcefully this time "I want us to be together, forever, so that this child of ours does not grow up fatherless."

"Hey !" The saiyan tilted his head in confusion "How can you be so sure you're pregnant ?"

"Why not ? You've had children before, as did I. You know there's a certain time when chances are the highest of you having one." Diana said as she began leaving the kitchen.

"Huh ? I don't get it." Goku furrowed his brow, running what little he knew through his brain.

"You won't. It's a girl thing." She said before turning around "By the way your eggs are on fire."

She heard a loud cry from the saiyan before the vessels banged together. Water was opened in the sink at full pressure and Goku coughed hard at the smoke and steam that filled the room.

"So you're telling me that this Broly, he loved to fight ? Sought it in fact ?" Lex Luthor asked Powergirl as she finished telling him and Bruce everything she knew.

They had been in their office for quite some time; Powergirl, Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor. As leaders of the world, the latter two had wanted to know everything about this impending doom. She was telling them all that she could, so that at least this world would be prepared for the carnage, unlike the Earth she was from.

"Yes, and not just that, the way his hair stuck in spikes, his powers, his flight, everything resembled Goku so much." Kara added further, explaining with elaborate hand movements "I think that the two might be related, or at least of the same species. Broly might be the relic of a long-lost world."

"The same one from which the Saiyan hails." Bruce concluded, rubbing his chin. Paranoia once again began clouding his mind, planting seeds of doubt. The other man was quietly observing him.

"How can we use that against us ? Any specific weakness we could exploit ?" Lex carried on, stressing on to produce some fruitful result from the meeting. Although he had his plans with Zod, he wanted to see if he could get some information from this Kryptonian.

But seeing her head shake killed the curiosity within him.

"Excuse me, I have an important addressal coming up." The bald man said as he left his chair, adjusting his suit "I'll leave it to you two to the discussion, Bruce will update me when I get back."

Kara seemed much more relaxed upon seeing Lex Luthor leave the room, as evident by her now casual posture, and the closed gap between her and Bruce. Her eyes had never left the scheming person until he walked out of the room, now they were fixated on the billionaire sitting next to her.

"If you've got something to add, now would be the time." Bruce finally made eye contact with her.

"I don't trust him." Kara said leaning forward, in a hushed tone.

"Neither do I, he is untrustworthy and unrelenting," The billionaire agreed, throwing himself back on the chair "And that makes him very dangerous."

"Then why is he the leader of the world ? Why is such a dangerous man having such power ?"

"Because dear Kara." Bruce began, interlocking his fingers and placing them on the table "A dangerous man is exactly who we need in these times, someone who's willing to do anything to protect his people. Trust me, when there's certain death approaching you, you'll be very glad for that man standing between the two of you."

"But why him ? Why not you ?" The kryptonian egged on further, placing a gentle hand on his.

"I have certain limitations, a moral code, when it comes to serving justice." Bruce told her "Lex does not and thus has no need to hide behind a mask or a facade like any of us. I may not trust him, I may not like him, but I respect the fiery passion with which he protects this world."

"Great ! The man betrays you several times in the past and you fall in love with him !" Powergirl cried sarcastically as she banged the metal desk, causing a gaping dent in it, even though she had pulled her hand at the last moment.

"I keep an eye on him."

"Are you sure it's not the other way round ?"

"What do you mean ?" Bruce squinted his eyes, looking suspiciously at her.

"This whole place is rigged." Kara explained, taking a look around the room "I can even tell you the exact locations of the microphones, like the one underneath the table. Good thing I crushed it."

Bruce Wayne immediately got up from his seat in a fury,

"Are you sure ?" He tried hard to suppress his anger, as he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Why would I lie to you ?"

"I must say that the man is shrewd indeed."

"If you want, I can spy on him." Kara said.

Bruce was surprised a bit by her rather straightforward suggestion. Unsure he posed his doubts,

"But as I said, Lex is a very dangerous..."

"Lex is only a normal human, he won't even know I am there, trust me." The Kryptonian cut the sentence short, assuring him with a smile "I have done this many times before, no one notices."

Kara looked at the billionaire, kept looking at him until he was finally forced to agree, though with a slight and reluctant nod. He wasn't quite happy with it, but knew she would do it nonetheless.

"Fine, but be careful." Bruce said, as he handed her a device the shape and size of a small chip "Take this at least, hit the switch as soon as something goes wrong."

"Bruce !" The kryptonian gave him an assuring look "Your concern is appreciated, but seriously I don't need this. I am a Kryptonian."

She took the chip from him and broke it in two effortlessly, letting the parts crumble to the ground below. He looked away in disappointment.

"One thing I do need, however." Kara said, about to walk away.

Bruce was quick to look back at her, as she had expected.

"What ?" He asked.

"That coffee in that cafe in Metropolis, it was really good !"

The billionaire's demeanour changed, lightening up from grim to a joyous one. A playful light could be seen in his eyes as his lips upturned, turning a scowl into a smile.

"Tomorrow at ten, at the Garden Square."

"See you, then." She waved at him.

"So where are you living right now ?" Diana asked Fury as both the women stood facing each other. The older woman was part of a relief mission, sent there to provide the inter-dimensional refugees with supplies. She took a look around to find tents all over the place.

"Are you worried about me ?" The Apokoliptan seemed to read her thoughts, arching an eyebrow in a tease "I can manage for myself you know, I was raised on Apokolips."

"That's assuring, come let's take a walk."

Wonder Woman's smile forced Fury to comply as the two warrior women began moving concurrently in a randomly chosen direction.

"So your mother was killed by your father ?" Diana began the conversation.

"He tricked my mother into loving him, posing as an innocent man. He took me to his world moments after my birth." Fury replied with a grim face "And then he wrecked havoc on her world and I helped him in the destruction of my own people. It was only in the final legs of the war that I learned the truth. I vowed never to return to that side."

She clinched her fist in anger as the two women kept walking, staring straight ahead.

"Not your fault, Fury." Diana said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder "You couldn't have known, you were a child. I too found disgusting secrets about my people when I was young, like capturing of innocent men at sea and using them to procreate. Then my sisters would kill them"

"No !" The other woman let out a short gasp "That's cruel !"

"I was very upset for quite some time, but learned to move on. Now my people are no more, and you've left your people behind. So maybe it's time to leave your past behind too. Find a new purpose in life, start afresh. You are young and have a life in front of you."

"It's hard to forget your past when you've killed innocent people." Fury mused grimly, keeping her eyes glued to the ground.

"And I've killed my brothers !" Diana grabbed her by the shoulders "That doesn't mean we are beyond redemption ! If I could forgive myself, surely there's still some hope for you left."

"There is no hope for me." The Apokoliptan responded in a broken voice.

"Look at me !" Wonder Woman lovingly held her face and lifted it up. She was mildly shocked to see so much of herself staring back at her, as she had noticed earlier. Fury had the same shade of blue that painted her own eyes, the same dark curls that graced her head and the same curvy lips. She hadn't inherited much of her father.

"I know deep down you are a good person." Diana continued, stressing on every word that she uttered "And I am willing to do anything to protect that person, because you are the daughter of Diana of Themyscira, you are my daughter."

Fury's eyes shone a little twinkle of hope when she heard that and for the first time, she was properly listening to the woman in front of her.

"Are you sure ?" She asked, waiting for an approval.

"You will come stay with me, you have a family waiting, from now on, you can call me mother." The Amazon responded as she nodded.

Fury immediately hugged the older woman who kindly responded, a new bond was forged.

Everything was going perfect for Kara Zor-L, the Powergirl, as she effortlessly glided in the air. Her Kryptonian powers ensured that she had no trouble either following or secretly listening to Lex Luthor's talk. High enough to ensure that she could not be seen, she heard the following conversation take place,

"Yes Lucy, I've booked a plane. No need to worry, the meeting will take place by tomorrow."

"That's so good to know, Mr. Luthor. Some of the business heads were getting agitated."

"Show them around the office, I believe we are big enough to last a day. They are all middle-aged balding men with a pot belly for god's sake. Use all the amenities, use your charms, anything to get them hooked. You're smart enough."

"At once Mr. Luthor, hope to see you soon."

"I will be waiting in my room when all's done, probably wearing only a bathrobe."

"Mr. Luthor, please ! Don't make me blush !"

Powergirl rolled her eyes in contempt and cringed hard internally upon hearing the last line; she never had thought Lex to be a pervert; deceitful, yes, untrustworthy, yes, but never a lecherous person. It was even more important that she expose him now.

No wonder Bruce distrusted him, speaking of whom, she began deciding on the clothes she would wear for their date; maybe that crop-top she bought the other day, couple with the denim shorts, but she the look would probably be too revealing. Opting for a pair of jeans and a shirt would be ideal, she decided after all.

So consumed was Kara in her thoughts that she didn't hear the call ringing on Lex's phone for a few moments. She snapped out of her trance and focused on the job at hand.

"Matthew, is the line scure ?"

The tone was low and suspicious, intriguing the Kryptonian to spy in further.

"Yes, it is, Mr. Luthor. You would be pleased to know that the payload is ready to be delivered."

"This is good news, I am heading straight for you. Make sure the area is secure and no one finds out."

"Oh, I'll make sure of that, sweetheart !" Powergirl said to herself, as she increased her speed. Now she definitely needed to know what the bald man was hiding, and her previous experience told her that it would not turn out to be something pleasant.

The Kryptonian precariously followed the car until it reached its destination. It was on a remote location, on the outskirts of the city where one could hardly see any man-made structures in the vicinity, save for an old warehouse bearing the intense heat of the sun.

"What secrets are you harbouring this time ?" She said, as she hovered above a safe distance, until she was absolutely sure that everybody entered the rotting structure.

Kara swooped in silently, making as little noise as possible. The place was quite when she landed and seemingly deserted with nothing but a few birds flocking here and there. She wondered where her target could've disappeared.

"Show yourself, you treacherous snake !" She cursed under her breath as she took a look around. After a long time, just when she thought that luck would run out, she felt a light gust of wind hit her face, grazing her golden hair as it passed by.

It was easy for her to find the source; a dusty, old bookshelf.

"So many clichés in one place." Kara smirked as she approached the shelf and pulled it apart. A deep tunnel with belts revealed itself, going down quite a distance. It was surely used for elevators, so it had to be shaft. The Kryptonian took a dive below, following wherever the abyss led her. There were lights placed at regular intervals, so it was without a doubt in use. She was right on track.

The shaft ended with a rested elevator at the bottom, Powergirl landed as softly on it as she could, pulling her descent at the last moment. She could hear faint murmurs on the other side, so she decided to use her keen hearing to amplify the sound. It was Lex again,

"I have to leave in a few hours, so I wouldn't be needing copious details, Matthew."

"You would be glad to hear that the cloning experiments have really taken off. We have dozens of subject ready at your command. Of course, they'll have to be initiated first. But it's exciting."

"How many test subjects?"

"I am sorry ?"

"How many failed experiments did we have ? Gross, misshapen beings that we had to euthanize, Matthew ?"

"Fifty, sir."

"Fifty in...?"

"Two weeks, sir. Fifty in two weeks."

"Hardly exciting, is it ?"

"You swine !" Powergirl cursed mentally, making sure not to make too much noise. She decided to use her X-ray vision, finding where the villain was headed too. It was all too easy, the walls in front of her gave way to the sight of a long passageway, a blinding white in colour, thanks to the numerous bright lights installed in the grim ceiling. Mid-way, the Kryptonian could make out the bald top of Lex Luthor as walked forward with a man in a white coat. The passageway was guarded by security personnel at every ten steps keeping vigil; as she had earlier said, too many clichés in one place.

"The breakthrough we've got is amazing, Mr. Luthor. Imagine the advances we'll make."

"Of course, we have, but for now, no one is to know. No one can know that without Zod's help, this wouldn't have been possible. Can you imagine the people's reaction if they come to know that all this was Kryptonian help ?"

A soft gasp escaped Kara Zor-L's mouth before she quickly covered it with her mouth. Apparently, not only Lex Luthor, but Krypton was involved in this too. What more secrets were to be revealed this day ?

"Wish I had taken that transmitter from Bruce." She said to herself as she kept an eye on the two.

"I wonder, Mr. Luthor, when should I sanction the buying of security cameras for this place? If anyone sneaks in here, it would be a big problem for all of us."

"If anyone catches hold of the things that we do, the footage, it would be an even bigger problem for all of us. You understand what I am saying ?"

"No cameras, no evidence."

"Excellent."

"Perfect !" Kara reacted joyfully to the information, clenching her fists. With a little luck, she could totally expose this fraud of a world leader and all his scheming would be neutralized. It would be too easy for her given her Kryptonian powers. And Bruce Wayne would make a good leader.

The X-ray vision showed Lex and Matthew turning around a corner and disappearing, presumably into the main laboratory. It was all falling into place for her.

The Kryptonian would never be caught on the CCTV, because there was none. The only challenge that she faced was getting past the guards without engaging them. After a brief thought, she came to the conclusion that if she flew past them with the right speed, she would not be seen. But the velocity had to be exact; too low of a speed would get her detected by the human eye and too high would result in the poor guards being ripped apart by the resultant boom.

"Okay girl, here I go !" Kara spoke as she tensed up her muscles, the elevator's roof had been undone by her silently, allowing a person of her frame through "This one's for you, Bruce."

The doors of the elevator seemed to open, and the men guarding it quickly drew out their guns, pointing at its interiors. Only a light gust greeted them, blowing the caps off their heads. But there was no one to be seen, so the old machine must have been playing funny.

"Here I am !" The Kryptonian halted at the supposed end of Lex's path. Luckily, she had blown past the guards undetected who, as far as she knew, probably checking out the malfunctioned elevator.

"I am gonna expose you, you creep !" Kara hissed, pointing at the locked door "I am going to show the world for who you really are ! This is the end for you !"

However, her X-ray vision was not able to get through the vaulted room, blocked by something. Only one thing she knew could do such a thing; Lead. The whole room was lined internally with it, preventing any sight from within. She had to act fast, the guards would come soon.

Pressing her ear against the door, she tried to listen to anything that she might catch.

"We are going to have this completed by tomorrow, I can assure you."

The conversation meant that they had no idea that Powergirl was standing right outside the room; perfect opportunity for her to capture them red handed. Breaking in and catching them by surprise was the only option left for now. This would alert the guards, rendering her earlier stealth useless, but at least Lex would be caught off guard.

KRRAAAMP !

As the door tore open, Lex and the scientist, Matthew turned towards it, finally seeing the woman.

"Your little game is over, Luthor !" Kara declared as she stepped inside the room and began looking for the clones. However, she was only greeted by an empty chamber and bare walls.

"Of course it is." Lex said unflinchingly as he held out his cellphone in full display "I was playing this android game until the battery died down. It's a good game, if you have a mind for strategy. How can I help you, Kara Zor-L ? You need money or food for the camp ?"

The Kryptonian paused briefly to give him a disgusted look before carrying out her search; every nook and corner was checked and every desk turned over, before she used her X-ray vision to expose the walls. But she saw nothing put pipelines and wires concealed behind.

"Where are they ?!" Kara fumed, approaching him with ferocity. Although she was a tad taller and infinitely stronger than him, the World Leader remained unimpressed, glaring at her with ignorance.

"What are you talking about ?" Luthor asked.

"The people in the room !" She hissed "The clones !"

She was reaching the breaking point of her temper.

"I believe there's been a miscommunication." The bald man told her in a calm, composing manner.

"Don't try to play games with me, baldie ! This man has it here !" Kara pointed an accusing finger at the distressed scientist while still keeping her furious eyes on the World Leader "He is your accomplice ! Who is he ?"

Lex Luthor let out a tired sigh before he spoke,

"Matthew, this is Kara Zor-L. Kara, this is Matthew Gibson."

"Hi, nice to meet you, big fan !" The young scientist brushed his hair back and extended his arm, carrying a genuine smile on his face. He seemed happy at the introduction.

"Piss off !" Powergirl retorted without even looking at him.

Nonetheless to say, Matthew's smile faded and he pulled back his hand.

"If you can be more specific with your 'investigation', then perhaps we can help you."

"Don't mock me, Lex. I've know you for quite some time, I know the kind of person you are. You were spying on Bruce, you were spying on both of us that's why I followed you till here and overheard every conversation of yours. I know your dirty work, so don't play me for a fool."

"But my dear." Luthor grinned wide and extended his arms "You've already been played."

Kara squinted at those words, awaiting further explanation as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Do you recall your trip till here ?" Lex questioned her.

"I flew undetected, I heard everything you said. It was fairly easy for me, would be for any Kryptonian, what's your point ?" She failed to see any meaning behind the question.

"My point is fairly simple, Kara." The World Leader said "Didn't it once occur in your 'Kryptonian' mind that it was all too easy for you ? You really thought that I would not take any measures for my own safety ? A compromising secretary ? An abandoned warehouse out of town with a bookshelf ? A secret passageway hidden behind it, an elevator shaft concealed underneath ? I thought you were smarter than this, considering that you are a scientist's daughter. As you said, too many clichés in one place."

Powergirl dropped her defensive stance as her mouth hung open. Gone was the aggressively defensive posture, she now stood perplexed. Was he aware of her all this time ?

"Don't you think it was a bit obvious, shouldn't you have been a bit cautious while following me ? I would have !" Luthor continued revealing further "I knew all along that you were following me and I knew that you would use your powers so I used the greatest poison against you; overestimation of one's capabilities. You seriously believe that this place has no security cameras ? Your smugness and overconfidence will lead you to your doom."

"You jackal !" Kara hissed furiously, squinting her eyes at him in anger "Bruce did warn me about you, he was right."

"Bruce is a wise man, you should've listen to him. Wish I could say better luck next time, but unfortunately for you, there will be no next time."

"What do you mean, asshole ?" She leaned in and said the word loud and clear, deliberately.

"I see you've picked up our world's vulgarities; I see you've acclimatized yourself " Lex calmly said, putting his hands in his pockets "Well, I, Lex Luthor, Leader of the world, order your arrest."

"Don't be stupid !" She chided "You scheme and plot and to cover that up, you order my arrest? Sooner or later, you will be exposed and people will see for the snake you are."

"Was it supposed to be funny ? But I guess women are just bad at humour" The World leader continued to stare at her unimpressed "And about the people, if I recall correctly, I gave your people food, I gave them shelter, a place to call home. I appealed for them to be assimilated, to be treated as equals. It was not long ago that you pleaded for them. And yet here you stand now, brazen enough to spy on me, accuse me and insult me. Who's the snake here ?"

"You have no proof. I'll disappear from here within a blink of an eye and you won't be able to stop me, Lex." She told him the only thing that came to her mind at that moment.

"The hidden cameras installed in here are streaming this feed to Bruce's computer, audio and all, so that he knows what fruits his labour has sown." Luthor said, pointing at tiny black boxes installed in the upper corners of the room. The lens was pointed directly at them.

"How about you see what fruits your labours have sown ?" Kara threatened him, raising her hand and clenching into a fist "Cause you're starting to get on my nerves."

"Do you love Bruce ?" Luthor asked the question out of nowhere, slightly uneasing her "Let me tell you something; he only loved Selena Kyle, and now Selena's dead. He charmed you into thinking that he likes you, he used you to spy on me. When all his technology and fancy gadgets failed, he turned to you; thinking that your powers would not."

"Liar !" Kara bellowed as she grabbed him by the collar.

"I am simple man, Kara, I offer only the truth." Luthor continued speaking " And truth is the most powerful weapon. All your strengths and fame and worship have made you superheroes blind to one simple fact; knowledge is power."

"You are stupid beyond comprehension. My powers can end all your scheming this very moment and no amount of knowledge will save you if I decide to rip you apart."

"A metahuman from another universe murdering the Leader of the World ? You will be dooming yourself and your people the very next moment. Bruce is watching."

"Then he'll understand that I did what I did for the betterment of my people." Kara countered, now tightening the grip on his collar, slowly making her way to his neck.

"So did I." Lex smiled, irritating her further.

"And so did I." A vaguely familiar male voice hit her ears from behind. Dropping her hold, she curiously turned around to look at the source. A hard fist met her face, the sharp pain of it causing her to wince. A gut wrenching force to the stomach followed, strong enough to make her crumble to the ground and gasp for air.

Powergirl didn't need to see her face to know that it was bleeding; a warm and wet feeling started from her cheekbone and began travelling down her face as she struggled to end the dizziness that gripped her, disorienting all mental process and thoughts. Whoever the person was, he was strong.

Two armour-clad pair of legs arrived and halted in front of her. Following them upwards, she finally saw the man who attacked her. He was tall, bearded and well built with long hair that grew to shoulder length. A streak of white lined his otherwise black mane, complimenting the olive tan of his rough skin.

"Zod !" Kara coughed, still reeling from the after-effects "How could you ?!"

"If Krypton is to survive then we must form an alliance, that's how." Zod explained, kneeling beside her "Of course with the current political nonsense, it won't be possible, officially. That's where Luthor comes in."

"You can and will be grateful to me later." The human in the room smiled.

"You see." The Kryptonian general continued, as he pushed back her blonde hair "We are facing an unprecedented crisis over here, the likes of which you are not yet able to see. All this petty swindling and backstabbing is not going to help prepare for it. What will prepare us for it is separating friends from foes, and unfortunately, you have just proven yourself to be the latter."

"If you are going to kill me, then just do it, don't bore me ! Bruce is watching, he'll come for both of you."

"Children these days !" Zod mocked her with a laugh, shaking his head in contempt "Do you really think that we'd let that happen ? The video feed to Bruce was cut as soon as I entered the room, he'll never what happened to you, no one will know what happened to you."

Powergirl reacted to it with a look of shock and sadness, Bruce would never know of Zod or this secret alliance, the snake he was working with. She really wished now that she had taken the transmitter from him, but her pride had overtaken her logic. Bruce was right, Lex was indeed a dangerous man. She had underestimated him.

"I am sorry, Kara." Luthor said, distraught and shaking his head "It pains me to realize that it must end here, in this cold and dark place. Ironical for someone who drew her power from the sun."

Kara felt a sudden dread enter her, the powerful realization of what was about to happen.

"I know why you did what you did." The World Leader continued with sadness in his eyes "The well-being of our people is a concern that all three of us have in common. Despite our differences in the past, I understand your hatred towards me; I am a man who cannot be trusted easily. But your little intrusion almost jeopardized our preparations, preparations for a mission that if successful, will once and for all silence our enemies. So for the betterment of all our people, it's curtains for you."

"You really brought this upon yourself, Kara. Krypton would have embraced you." Zod told her in a serious manner as he readied himself for the act, with a tiny shade of remorse.

Cold, steely fingers gripped her throat, locked too tight even for the might of a Kryptonian. She tried everything, kicking and twisting and prying, but was unable to get the grip off. Using up her physical strength caused her to tire out quickly as evident by the gradual phasing out of her senses. As one last resort, she began gathering her heat vision ready to fire at his face, but it was quickly put down by another strike to the face, this time landing on the nose.

The pain and disorientation was wild as she let out a choked scream, further drifting into the abyss, as blood began clotting in her broken appendage. She numbly felt three more hits to her face and luckily no more pain. It wasn't long before another fist connected and this time darkness fully consumed her as she succumbed to it.

"We got to prepare ourselves." Goku told Diana, stamping his palm with his fist, just after they had just finished their breakfast. David stopped eating too as he dropped his spoon and paid attention to the conversation that was about to start. Fury looked up with interest too.

"Broly is coming, it is wise that we should gather ourselves, get stronger if possible." Fury added as she finished the last bit of her sausage "We're going to need as many help as we can."

Then she immediately went to pick up her sword.

"I'll call the others too, the League." Diana went towards her room.

"Can I join too ?" David asked, begging to let him join too "I want to help fight the monster."

"No way." His mother refused, raising a finger at him "This is not a child's play. You do understand that many of us may not come back at all."

The boy frowned as he sulked back into his chair.

"What's the harm, Diana ?" Goku came to the rescue as usual "He won't be a child forever, I began training at his age. I see a great potential in him which needs to be unleashed. David is the child of Superman and Wonder Woman, he needs to show that."

"And who's going to complete his studies ? You ?" Diana gave him an irritated look.

"Gosh !" The saiyan smiled with a wide mouth, he had his hands up in a defensive posture "You sound just like Chichi ! Okay, I'll teach him, I've gotten smarter in these five years of my stay."

"Really ?!" The Amazon crossed her hands as she shifted her weight to one side "What happened on 15th of August 1947 ?"

"I guess 14th of August ended right there." The saiyan bluntly answered after thinking for a long time.

"Seriously ?!" She opened up her palms in shock, not sure if he was being funny or plain stupid, but nonetheless regained herself "What's the scientific formula for water ?"

"H,I,J,K,L,M,N and O." Goku proudly answered, placing his hands on his hips as he beamed all white. He was very much sure it was the right answer.

"What's that ?" David probed further. She wanted to know what knowledge the Saiyan was about to impart to the three of them.

"I read it somewhere." The saiyan explained "It said H to O; there you have it, all the eight letters."

"Uuuurghh..." Diana curled up her fists in fury. She was aghast at the man's ignorance.

"Topic related to war." David took in the reign, continuing the questioning round, testing his mentor's knowledge "When did the American Civil War start ?"

"That's easy ! When the people started fighting each other !"

A unified sound of collective face palms filled the room, except Goku's, who looked perplex by this sudden reaction, he thought he was answering nicely.

"What ?" The saiyan asked "Does that mean I did not make it ?"

"By the gods, you know nothing, Goku !" Diana cried out loud, not sure if to laugh or shed tears, she eventually stuck to the former. Technically speaking, none of his answers were wrong.

"I'll be with him !" David raised his hand joyfully with eyes wide and happy.

"David ?!" His mother raised her voice, she was always quick to a decision.

"Yes, I can teach him a thing or two." The boy said and began laughing.

Diana laughed further and Fury joined in, it was a good reprieve from the gloom that had been lurking over their heads for quite some time now.

"What ? Did I say something funny ?" Goku scratched his head in confusion.

"Alright ! I'll help David with his studies." Fury declared after the laughter died down. The three of them immediately shifted their attention to her.

"But you are a warrior." Diana pragmatically questioned her "I am not saying you're not smart, but here studies are a little different."

"Yes." The other woman agreed "But I was raised on Apokolips, my father was an Apokoliptan general, second-in-command of the planet, and trust me, despite the popular opinion, we are not all savages. All sentient beings there are required to train, both physically and mentally. We are taught science, mathematics, history and languages along with martial skills and let me assure you, Apokolips is the most advanced civilization in existence. Earth's studies would be a joke for me."

She let some time for them to digest this piece of information as she studied the trio; Goku was clueless as expected, David was caught between curiosity and caution and Diana stood there pondering over the matter. It was the mother's decision that would finally matter.

"If you say so." The mother finally said "I'm sure David would enjoy your company over here."

The two women looked at the boy and smiled, he reciprocated in kindness.

"He is a sweet child, your boy." Fury remarked, looking at Diana "He resembles Superman so much. Such a tragedy what happened, no wonder you're attached to him, so protective."

"Yes." The Amazon nodded her head and just for a moment, once could see a crease of sadness upon her face "He looks like his father, but he wants to grow up to be like Goku."

"Must be so hard, to love someone with all your heart and to lose him shortly afterwards. But at least you have a living, breathing memory of him, a relic of a time when you were young and wild."

"You can never be old and wise, if you were never young and wild."

"Most of us are not so lucky, or strong." Fury said "David will be brought up in a caring world free of any brutalities and to forge his own way, he has got a new father figure now, and you a new lover."

Diana turned her head to have a look at her, she was visibly lost in some deep memory. There was something that seemed to be troubling her, perhaps an old memory.

"What's the matter ?" The Amazon queried, softly shaking her head and furrowing her brows "Can you share it with me ? Perhaps I'll be able to help."

The Apokoliptan looked at her and gave an empty smile.

"Another time, another place." She simply said.

Diana was about to question her further, but someone interrupted.

"Ladies, I am getting bored." Goku yawned and stretched himself, breaking the conversation between the two "Can we get to calling the League part please ? I can't wait to train myself with the strong people, everyone's gonna come."

"At once, Goku." Diana quickly went to her room.

There were all of them, all the members of the Justice League, with the notable exception of Batman; Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg, Green Lantern and Shazam. A few other Metahumans had been called too, chiefly among them Constantine, Zatana and a few surviving others.

"Hey, man !" Flash high-fived Goku as they approached each other.

Before the Saiyan could make contact with the speedster's hand, he disappeared, leaving the latter confused.

"Behind you." Barry said with a giggle "I thought we came here to train, nothing better to prepare for a fight than to train your reflexes !"

"Amazing, Barry !" Goku smiled, a sign of admiration, as he outstretched his hands to embrace him but Flash disappeared once more. This time, the saiyan was ready as he quickly turned around to catch the speedster materializing in front of him; but it didn't happen.

"I'm right here !" Flash taunted him again, appearing back on his original position "I was here the whole time, what've you been smoking Goku ?"

"Man !" The smiling saiyan caught him this time as the two hugged.

Shazam made his way between the two as well, using his strength to get in. Just like Flash, he was all smiles.

"How are you ?" He said addressing the Saiyan.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."

"And how are things between the two of you now ?"

"Who two ? What things ?" Goku questioned him back.

Billy responded by elbowing his ribs and giving a mischievous smile with eyebrows shooting up. He apparently was pointing towards the relationship between the Saiyan and the Amazon, luckily for both of them, the woman in question was nowhere near. Or because Wonder Woman was not in the vicinity that the superhero had dared to make the question.

"Do you mean, Diana ?"

Shazam responded with a grinning nod.

"Well, she has actually opened up quite a bit." The saiyan recalled the bathtub incident about three weeks ago before quickly dismissing it. It was better not to talk about it "Diana actually took the initiative to call all of you, ever since we decided yesterday to gather the protectors of our world."

"It's a good thing we called them, there are not much left." Cyborg appeared before them as he greeted Goku with a firm handshake.

"How you doing ?"

"Fine is not the word I'd choose, considering the state we're living in." Victor stone said "A monster threatens our world, disturbing news comes from Apokolips and New York Giants losing last night's game, I say we are indeed living in troubling times."

Shazam and Flash laughed at this, but Goku looked confused.

"We've got giants over here ? Can't we call them too ?" He queried with a child-like innocence.

The laughter turned into a roaring cry as all of them were left in splits.

"How old are you, boi ?" Constantine addressed Goku as he lit a cigarette he stashed out from his trench coat. He had been silently hearing their conversation for some time, getting a first hand account of the fabled Saiyan.

"Don't get me wrong man." The man said after seeing Goku's confused face, his addressal of the hero had killed the laughter "But I personally wanted to get a feel of the legendary Goku, saviour of mankind, protector of the Earth and all that stuff. I've heard great many tales of your battles and victory."

"I see people have been kind in describing me."

"You've won every fight you've been, in they say." Constantine took a big puff, nearly draining half the cigarette. The smoke released was big.

"I've been lucky."

"So, Wonder Woman's your girl ?" The despicable man asked, flicking his finished cigarette away.

"I don't –" Before the Saiyan could speak, he was bombarded with advice and queries from all sides.

"I believe our friend here is a bit shy." Shazam said, clutching Goku's shoulders from behind as he playfully addressed the men around of him "Could you shower him with your 'wisdom' ?"

"Is that so, Goku ?" Constantine eyed him from top to toe, ignoring the taunt, all the while carrying a sneer "If you provide me with details, maybe I can help you."

"Hey, that's rude !" Cyborg said as he angrily looked at the lewd man, but then shifted his attention to the Saiyan "Don't listen to him, Goku. All you need is to be yourself, gentle and caring, but strong."

"Nah !" Flash dismissed the line with a wave of his hand "Girls prefer bad boys, it's time you unleash that beast hidden inside you, you know, awaken the dragon."

"Chocolate is in trend nowadays, does she like chocolate ?" Constantine enquired, raising his eyebrows.

"I've got this article from the internet." Cyborg began "It's titled '10 ways to love a woman'. I'll give you a hard copy, you can read ?"

Goku was becoming uncomfortable with all this unwanted attention, the topic of discussion itself being very intimate. It was supposed to be a private affair; between him and Diana, but here they were, discussing it in length and detail. Visible sweat beads began appearing on his forehead, his uneasiness getting the better of him as he tried to hide it with a weak smile.

"I've been with many women across the cosmos." It was Green Lantern, Hal Jordan's turn for his share of advice "And they all like one thing; a lover with a passion. You think you've got that fire within you, Goku ?"

"You tell me what she likes, I'll tell you how to start." Shazam said to the Saiyan.

"Ha, you're a boy !" Constantine scoffed at him "What do you know about women ?"

"Ignore him Goku, I'll tell you on how to be a lover." Flash volunteered.

Enoyreve tuhs pu !

These magical words by Zatanna Zatara were more than enough to abruptly and effectively end the constant chatter of her fellow superheroes. The way they casually spoke of someone's private life disgusted her, so she decided to use a simple spell. All of them, with the notable exception of Goku, were silenced as their lips stuck together, refusing to part and all one could hear was the 'mmm's that came out of the shut hole.

Goku was relieved, for the sorceress's magic had gotten rid of the constant pestering he had been facing up till now.

"Thanks, Zatanna !" He said smiling at her, as the rest of the heroes behind him were constantly trying, but in vain, to somehow physically break the magical spell.

"Trust me, Goku, I wanted them to shut up as much as you did." She said, returning the smile and looking in disdain at her companions, all of whom were visibly troubled. She silently shook her head upon gazing at her 'colleagues'. A high-five was shared between the two.

They were all there finally, the heroes, facing Goku as the Saiyan embraced himself for a confrontation. It was upon his insistence that Zatanna agreed to remove the spell that bound the lips of all the superheroes present. Diana, Fury and David had joined in too, right in time as the matter had settled.

"Okay !" Goku said sounding excited, his gaze lingering on all his super-powered friends. The prospect of facing such opponents sent his adrenaline rushing. He took turns cracking the knuckles of his respective hands.

"We are facing a threat never encountered before." The Saiyan began "Broly is a threat you've never faced before. So, it's time to gather ourselves and it's time to be serious."

"Look who's talking." Constantine mumbled, earning a few glares from people around him. Someone elbowed him in the ribs.

"Our current power level won't be enough to match him, only our combined might would stand a chance. So, are you ready ? Fight me like you would fight that monster." Goku signalled them to charge at him, using his fingers to invite them for an attack; all hell was about to broke loose.

"Shall we begin ?" Constantine asked to which the Saiyan gave a single, silent nod.

Green Lantern was the first to make his move; a giant fist made of pure green light. Goku was quick to avoid it, but walked right into a fist from Flash. The spiked hero reeled a bit as the force took its toll upon his face. Barry was learning to effectively convert his speed into force.

"Should have been careful, friend." The speedster shrugged casually as he made his next move. Goku got barraged by kicks and punches from multiple sides, confusing him further. He chose to explode the ground below, tripping Flash off his feet as the hero ate dirt, landing on the ground.

The Saiyan quickly took to the air, avoiding any further assault from below. Wonder Woman was the first to take off, followed by Fury and the two of them then launched a flurry of attacks; non-lethal, but precise and surgical. Goku was having a hard time evading the strikes, the women were clearly skilled in the art of warfare.

A small ki blast sent the two women back to the ground, but they landed safely and comfortably, slapping away the orb with ease, showing complete control over their powers.

Solid green light approached him from behind, and before the Saiyan could realize it, he was encased inside a green sphere, courtesy of Green Lantern Hal Jordan.

"I've got you !" The hero smirked, keeping his ring hand uptight. But Goku did nothing to escape from his prison, instead he maintained a calm and composed posture, using the interior of the sphere for a sure footing. The Saiyan tightened his body, flexing his muscles in the process, when he bent his knees and curled up his fists. He was readying himself to a power-up as he called it.

HAAAAA !

The cry grew louder each second and before long one could hear an otherworldly echo to it. The calm breeze in the vicinity turned to strong winds as Goku developed a white aura around him. The power that surged from within him shattered the green sphere Hal had built, proving as brittle as glass against the force of a hammer.

The Saiyan made a slow descend to the ground with his eyes closed as people watched with their mouths hung open.

"Is that all you've got ?" He said opening his eyes, his lips forming a smirk.

Flash charged again but this time Goku simply flared his aura, blowing away the speedster in the process. Diana quickly approached the saiyan, choosing to engage in a fist fight with Fury in tow as she launched an assault from the side. He soon found out that both had been trained exceptionally well in the art of combat. Their moves were swift, precise and calculated, not giving a moment's respite. Eight limbs attacked him simultaneously.

But it was Fury that particularly gave Goku some trouble, her fighting style was so unique and foreign that he had trouble catching up. Diana took advantage of the numerous openings and delivered a kick straight to the ribs, sending the Saiyan into a quick descent. The spiky-haired man reeled back in slight pain before clinging to the ground below him to stop.

The Apokoliptan woman swooped in for a kick, but the Saiyan evaded her by taking the aerial route, leaving Fury in a deep crater left behind. Diana pursued him in his trajectory but was quickly shot down by him, making her land right on top of her daughter. Others joined the fray as well; Shazam traded a few punches before he broke off.

"You have the strength, but you lack skill, Billy." Goku commented as he ended his momentary relaxation and took up his stance once again. The boy-god rushed towards the Saiyan; an anticipated punch was handily evaded and when a kick was attempted it was simply blocked. Goku tightly wrapped Billy's cape around his own head, leaving the boy throwing empty strikes in the air.

SCREEEECHHH !

Goku had to cover his ears to protect himself from the loud, disorienting sound. A quick turn of his head had him quickly deduce the source of the sound; Cyborg was doing his best to keep his opponent at bay. A sonic cannon soon followed. The blast would have generally levelled a city block, but the Saiyan was much tougher than that who simply held his ground.

"It'll take more than that, Victor." Goku said, unimpressed and slightly worried at the man's maximum potential.

"At least it diverted your attention." Cyborg replied with a smirk.

A sudden violent force took him from the side, blitzing him through and away from the area. The scenery changed to a blur as a result of the speed which he was being carried. Only two beings he knew possessed such strength; gods and Kryptonians. And he had just been pinned to the ground by the latter.

Supergirl's costume was visible to him before she was; the bright blue and red with some yellow thrown in. The proud sign of House of El, the unmistakable 'S', clung to her chest, adjusting to the curve beneath. Kara had let her blonde hair grow in the course of time, which she let fall on the Saiyan's face. A smile formed on her face as their eyes met.

Goku tried to get up but the force keeping him down was refusing any compromise.

"Jeez, you've grown stronger than the last time, Kara !" He said to break the awkward silence. The Kryptonian was looking at him in an odd way, her eyes crawling all over him.

"Then I'll just do what I want." Supergirl softly said as she locked her eyes with Goku's. He felt a certain unease when the fingers clasping his arms did not loosen for a long time. Growing concerned he searched for any ill-intentions within her, he found none. Then after a few heavy breaths, and a moment of hesitation, she made her move.

It was so quick and sudden that Goku had no time to react. Before he knew it, she had her lips pressed to his, the taste of her lip gloss filling his mouth. Her golden hair formed a canopy over both their faces, concealing the act. And it wasn't just a quick peck, the attractive Kryptonian was passionately kissing him, putting every bit of her knowledge to use.

"Kara !"

Goku pushed her back, finally breaking free of the grasp. The entirety of his face had taken a red hue as he stood up blushing all over. A myriad of feelings took hold of him; shock, anger, betrayal and most of all shame, shame for the fact that for the shortest amount of time, in a moment of weakness, he had reciprocated.

However, the Saiyan might have used more strength than necessary when he pushed the Kryptonian, completely lost control of himself. The push was rough and hard, launching Supergirl to a far off distance, before a rock finally stopped her trajectory.

Goku immediately rushed towards Kara upon seeing the rock shatter upon impact. As he approached closer, the Saiyan saw that she was all curled up and clutching the back of her head with her eyes closed shut in pain. He cursed himself under his breath.

"Ow !" Kara let out a broken wince seeing Goku land next to her.

"I-I-I am so sorry !" He apologized, fumbling over his words. In his own limited mind, he was the one responsible for all this. Sweating bullets, the Saiyan clumsily put a hand behind her head and drew her close, resting it on his chest with the other hand wrapped around her.

The moaning stopped immediately as Supergirl looked at him from underneath the umbrella of the strong arms that gently supported her.

"Are you okay ?" Goku enquired, still tensed and fretting over his doing.

"Much better this way." Kara replied with a smile.

Ahem !

Someone cleared their throat and the two immediately separated and stood up in hurry. Kara kept her eyes to the ground all the while and pushed back her hair. Goku however was not so lucky as his eyes locked with Diana's. The warrior was standing with her arms crossed across her chest looking at him. She had one of her eyebrows raised up. Behind her, all the heroes that he had called were gathered, staring at him.

The Saiyan gulped hard and started sweating again. His heart beat so hard that he feared it might burst from his chest, silently praying that none of them saw what happened.

"We followed you here, Goku." Wonder Woman said calmly "To resume our training. We seek to discover new skills."

"The training is over." Goku declared in a hurry to dismiss that day's incident. Most of them gasped, some of them looked at each other and murmured in low voices.

"For today." He corrected making an amused face, trying to cover his terrified inner self "We can resume tomorrow. You guys must be having other work to do as well."

The heroes began dispersing soon after, one by one, back to their daily routine. It was only Goku, Diana, Fury, David and Supergirl who lingered on.

"I'll take my leave too." The Kryptonian said, turning away from the four of them "And by leave, I mean, from this planet."

"What aunt ?" David objected, shooting up his eyebrows "Why are you leaving ?"

"It so happens that General Zod along with a few others is going on an expedition, the exact details of which I don't know. But in his stead, I would be handling some of Krypton's administrative affairs." She explained in a soothing manner to the young boy.

"But wouldn't your father, Zor-El, be head of the Krypton ? House El had been the head for several years. Then why are you taking power instead of Uncle El." David was getting smarter by the day, like a Kryptonian.

"I see you've been keenly learning the history lessons I've taught you." Kara seemed impressed "You'll grow up to be smart like your father. See, it's only temporary and father wants me to gain some experience in administration so that one day I can proudly carry the sigil of our house."

She saw his face drop and his shoulders sulk indicating sadness and a sense of loss so she leaned forward and planted a kiss on the boy's forehead. There was genuine love between aunt and nephew.

"Bye." Supergirl happily waved everyone. Before taking off, her eyes finally met Diana's, but she could see no knowing in them. She was safe for now.

It was dark and raining outside when Lex Luthor stepped into his office. He could see it from the window that overlooked the city; water drops struck the glass and melted like silver, distorting the view outside. Lightning struck the horizon and the dimly lit room illuminated. Bruce was sitting on Luthor's desk.

It didn't take Lex much time to know that he was staring right at him.

"Did you kill her ?" The Wayne came straight to the point, his eyes never leaving the accused.

Luthor hesitated for a moment, for the question was short and sudden, and unexpected. Needing some time to form words, he simply switched on the lights.

"Bruce, I did what needed to be done, nothing more, nothing less." He finally said in a soothing voice, gaining a defensive posture.

"And you cut the feed short." Bruce reminded him.

"She had compromised my plan, she was a liability."

"So you had her killed."

"Being the leader of the world means making tough decisions." Luthor told him, trying to calm the other person down "Decisions that are unpopular, that might seem cruel, but are ultimately made to protect every one of us from enemies of humanity."

"Kara Zor-L was the enemy of humanity ?" Bruce sounded disgusted as evidenced by his shrivelled up face. His eyes held an accusing look at the bald man in the room. How slyly he covered up his lies and selfish motives.

"She became one when she decided to act against the Global President." Luthor stopped playing defensive, becoming firm on his front.

"So you consider yourself a king now ?"

"Only a protector of humanity."

"And yet you killed one all the same." Bruce got up from his seat, all fuming.

"And you used her to spy on me !" Lex roared. He had tried to keep his cool for the past several minutes, but the constant accusations from the other side finally caused him to snap.

The younger man stood there, unmoving.

"You think I didn't know of your plan ? How you used that woman to do your dirty work ?" The President of the world continued "You think that spying on a dangerous man would have no consequences ? For all I know, you are the one to send her to her grave."

Bruce had calmed down a bit after hearing those words, there was a certain amount of truth to them. Closing his eyes, he contemplated his decisions.

"I believed in you." He finally spoke after a pause, hissing through gritted teeth "I spoke for you and cast the deciding vote for you, and it has cost me an innocent person's life."

"Bruce !" Luthor walked towards him, seeing the man fall back to his chair "Whatever it has cost you, I promise I'll make it back to you, to all of you."

"What can you possibly do to make amends ?" Bruce sounded tired and broken as he rested his forehead on his fingers.

"Everything." Luthor said "I was born a poor boy, I had nothing. You were born a boy who had lost his parents, some would call it losing everything. And yet here we are, a boy who had nothing and a boy who lost everything, leaders of the world, more powerful than any king or queen who ever lived. There is nothing more to gain now, but everything to lose."

Bruce continued pressing his temples with his fingers, analyzing the man's words, even if he had a point, the guilt and grief was far too strong for logic to take its place.

"I told Kara that why you were the best choice, Luthor." He said "I told her to stay safe-"

"And she didn't listen." Lex stated, shrugging his shoulders "That's because she was a Kryptonian. These metahumans never take us seriously. They think they can invade our world, kill our people and keep us under their heels. We've long been bystanders of our own tragedy, Bruce, helpless to watch from a corner as destruction took its toll. We need to stop being bystanders or else our world will end up like Kara's. We need to make a statement."

The Wayne silently nodded, prodding over the little speech. It actually felt something this time. The man had logic, there was no denying it, but his methods were dubious at best.

"And how do you plan on making a statement ?" He asked, raising his head.

"You will know, in time." Luthor said as he turned around and began to leave. It had been a long journey back and with Bruce pacified, he planned on taking the day off.

"You were wrong on one account, Lex !" Bruce Wayne called out from behind, causing the bald man to turn around and look at him. Luthor wanted to hear what the billionaire playboy had to say.

"I did care for her."

What was actually a beautiful day had quickly turned into a tragedy. The disaster had struck them so suddenly and swiftly that none of them had any time to react. For all their advanced science and technology, the Kryptonians could not predict an attack on their own home. But even if they had known beforehand, even if they knew that they being attacked what could they have done to the smiling beast that stood in front of them ? A being who defied reality itself.

Kara Zor-El ran into a horrid sight as soon as the news was brought to her. There was death and destruction all over; mighty Kryptonian soldiers littered the field, their lifeless bodies carelessly tossed here and there. Above them, tall rising structures, libraries, offices, schools, Krypton's marvels that once stood proud and high, were pulled down with disdain.

When Kara saw the monster, its form took her up by surprise. From the stories she had heard, she was expecting a ten foot tall man with impossible sized muscles. What she encountered however, was a fifty foot tall being with four short limbs. Fat and rotund, the giant dwarfed everything in its vicinity, which was mostly reduced to rubble anyways. The being was a light shade of yellow with four holes in its torso and a tail which hid behind its enormous body. It seemed happy at all the death and destruction around it, waving its arms as it sat like an overgrown panda on the ground.

Kara saw four fighter planes flew over her head, heading towards their target. The monster's eyes widened in excitement upon seeing them, new toys to play with, as it let out a happy cry.

JANEMBA ! JANEMBA !

Then in an instant, the jets vanished, as if sucked inside a portal. A moment later they reappeared a mile away, crashing into a high rise building as both the tower and the planes were engulfed in a giant ball of flame. Ash and smoke spewed out of the fire shortly thereafter as the structure came crashing down; it was the traditional tower of the scientific department, the ancient seat of the house of El. Kara Zor-El let out a gasp.

The decision to make Krypton orbit a red star was unanimous since having millions of super powered beings carry out daily operations would have resulted in severe complexities. She now wished the senate had decided otherwise.

"Step away, ma'am !" Her trance was broken when she saw five armoured soldiers stand besides her. One of them was gently holding her arm.

"This place is too dangerous, I want you to find a safe place !" He said.

Although his voice and stance was firm, she saw that he meant well. And even if she wanted to resist she couldn't, under the planet's condition, she had no super powers, while the five men were wearing the Bluestar Armour. It was evident with the smooth edged sliver armour and the glowing blue light emitting through the movement enabling joints. Providing the wearer with rays of a blue star, the Kryptonians wielding it had their powers enhanced by several folds.

"Are you listening to me ? Your father will be –" The man never got to finish his sentence, as a deafening roar shook the ground. A blinding light was accompanied by a strong concussive force, uprooting the six of them from their standing, throwing them far and away.

Luckily for her, someone caught her before she could hit the ground and break herself. It was her father, Zor-El, who seemingly shared the impact with her daughter. The two groaned lying together.

"Father !" Kara said as she found his arms around her, protecting his only child.

"It's not safe here, my child !" Zor-El reasoned as the two got up "Come with me."

"Look at that monster. If it isn't stopped, there will be no safe place." The blonde shook her head. She clutched her fists when she looked at the rampaging beast.

"There are people to take care of it, we have five of our elites to tackle that thing."

"Four." Kara corrected her father as she pointed to one of the five armour clad soldiers lying on the ground. He didn't seem to make any movement at all even when his four teammates arrived near him. One of them knelt and scanned his fallen comrade through the visor. Then he looked up and solemnly shook his head. Apparently the dead Kryptonian had taken the maximum impact of the explosion.

"All right, we can mourn later !" He said, holding up his hand "The threat must be contained at all costs if Krypton is to be saved. For Krypton !"

"For Krypton !" The others echoed their leader.

The assault began. The punches and kicks rained in quick succession from the four of them, the strikes were precise and experienced which began pushing the monster back slowly. One of them, even managed to sweep it off its feet and make it land on its bottoms. The subtle tremor of the force was felt within the ground.

The four warriors took it as a sign of a fortunate advantage. Signalling some tactic with their sign language, they scattered over a calculated distance, each one taking up an allotted position.

Kara saw with her father as the warriors made their flight towards the monster and within a blink of an eye disappeared inside the four huge holes situated in the monster's torso. A split second later, they began glowing red from the inside, a distinct scarlet shade.

"They are attacking it from the inside." Zor-El deduced as the two watched from the safety of a distance. The beast had begun to grow agitated as it groaned and made an uneasy face. The heat vision attack from the inside was doing its work.

JANEMBA ! JANEMBA !

A deep booming laughter filled the place as the monster happily pranced around and let out four monstrous yellow beams from the very holes which were being assaulted. Even though, Kara had no super hearing on her planet, she clearly heard the painful screams of the unfortunate warriors before they were silenced forever.

"We must leave !" Zor-El insisted, tugging hard at his daughter's arm. But the stubborn woman refused to move.

"I will not cower and hide while my world burns." Kara gave her father a curt reply.

"You will not be able to help our world if you're dead ! We are under a red sun, you don't have superpowers here !" The father urged his daughter for some sense.

"Oh yes I will." Kara quipped as she stared at the dead Kryptonian lying on the ground; clearly the man had no further use of the armour.

There was so much to destroy than last time that the monster overflowed with joy, happily jumping up and down. A childish laughter escaped its mouth upon surveying the area.

JANEMBA ! JANEMBA !

The monster was so immersed in its work of destruction and sadism that the strike from behind felt sudden and jarring. The great beast stumbled four to five steps before using a building to stop its momentum. Turning around, it saw a young blonde female floating in the air wearing the same silver armour that the five of those warriors that assaulted it earlier had worn.

"You've played enough !" Kara accused the monster, who immediately halted its progress upon seeing the Kryptonian. It leaned in closer, inspecting her curiously.

"This is where it ends !"

She shot twin beams to his face. Due to her prolonged exposure to yellow sunrays in the past, her base power level was higher than almost every Kryptonian, save for Zod and Faora, so the armour had a greater amount to amplify than normal. The being caught the full brunt of the heat vision upon its face as the exorbitant force caused it to furiously roll back and crash on to a nearby set of a residential complex, the set of houses were demolished like skittles.

As dust rose and debris fell, Kara wondered how things could completely turn over their head in a matter of hours. She was in her office, preparing for the High Council with her father when she felt the ground shook. Promptly, she rushed out to find the carnage lay out. This certainly had to something with the imminent invasion that Goku was talking about.

Speaking of whom, the memory of what she had done in a moment of impulse came back to her. She didn't even have the courage to talk to him since that incident days ago, let alone ask for forgiveness. Goku would never talk to her after that incident. There was nothing that could be done now, the best was to let it fade away.

So engrossed was Kara Zor-L in her thoughts that it was too late when she heard the sound of a blast as the heap of rubble burst from within. Quickly focusing her attention to the current threat, she saw with horror as the rotund monster ran towards her at inhuman speed. The quick dash totally caught her by surprise, and the only thing she managed to do was her hands crossed in front of her face in an X.

The impact hurt, forcing a grunt out of her. All the fifty foot being's momentum was transferred to Kara's slender frame as it collided belly first into her. The Kryptonian could do nothing as she crashed and skidded through multiple structures, eventually losing her sense of whereabouts, sight and sound soon followed when she hit the hard ground. She lay dazed for some time over there.

After shaking her head to regain her senses, she finally heard the low rumblings of the ground once again; the monster was on the hunt again.

Finding the approaching juggernaut, Kara took flight once again and aimed at its legs. The monster was overturned by the resultant torque, landing on the crown of its head. However, instead of flipping over on its back, the being stood still as it balanced itself perfectly in a headstand.

JANEMBA ! JANEMBA !

It began spinning on its head, releasing powerful blasts that originated from his holes and spreading further in every direction, adding to the mayhem. One of them managed to hit a fleeing Kara, causing her to fall hard to the ground. The blast stung, ringing her ears and disorienting her senses as she struggled to get up.

As the childish monster approached her once more, Kara Zor-El's mind began processing the multiple ways she could neutralized the threat. One such idea struck her mind as soon as she saw the giant's shadow loom over. Lifting both her hands high above, she pulled them back until arched over her head. Then with tremendous force, she brought them down, shaking the ground to its core. The tremors were felt throughout Krypton as its inhabitants cowered in fear once more.

But the worst hit was the epicentre, where the ground caved in for a hundred feet. The mighty being was unbalanced from its short legs and due to its unnaturally huge belly, instantly met the ground. Kara had finally managed to fell the monster, but she knew she had to capitalize quickly on the small window of time she had opened up for herself.

Pressing herself through the pain, Kara shot through the dust and went for the fallen monster's tail and promptly picked it up, aiming for the sky upwards. A good toss into the orbit and there's no way it would come back. The weight was feather to her as she continued her ascension, feeling determined. Beneath her, through the iron grip, she could feel the being twitching and twirling, trying hard to break free, but she kept shooting upwards anyway.

Green light surrounded and blinded her, followed instantly by a concussive force so strong that her body arched back and her muscles tightened in a spasm. The veins of her neck strained themselves, forcing a cry out of her throat. As her grip on the monster loosened, she felt its hands curl around her, covering the entirety of her torso.

A violent jerk later she found herself being thrown to the ground, descending faster than gravity. Still reeling from the effects of the blast, she saw through her hazy vision that the monster was follow her exact path. It was rolling and flipping like a soccer ball, adding further force to its momentum. Closing her eyes, the Kryptonian braced for impact.

The earlier attack by Karan when she caved the ground in was troubling, sending tremors throughout the planet, this one by the beast was terrifying, sending disturbing shockwaves across Krypton as every living Kryptonian felt the force to his heart. Some of the weak and frail ones dropped to their knees, some were completely thrown off balance, but everyone cowered in fear.

And from all this carnage, the monster rolled out unharmed, happily kicking its arms and legs in the air, overjoyed by the destruction it brought on the innocent world. Scanning the area sent a happy smile to its face, giving fruit to its cause of resurrection. Its two tiny hands joined themselves in successive claps in a form of self-satisfaction. In front of it debris shifted in agitation, more of a desperate removal than a triumphant return, as Kara Zor-El emerged from the beneath the rubble, not unscathed.

Her lower lip was busted and bleeding. A dark bruise painted itself on the right side of her face, probably where she had taken the brunt of the force and a red gash streaked itself in a crooked manner across her forehead. Her legs were visibly trembling, carrying her right foot in a slight drag as she limped forward clutching her left arm. Whatever more injuries she carried, they were quietly concealed by the armour.

"Today's not the day we fall." She shook her head in defiance. Although she was broken and beaten and sounded short of breath, those words were said in a determined tone.

The monster's eyes widened as it let out an astonished groan at the proud Kryptonian who flew and approached it at head-level. Sure, the woman was tiny and of a slender frame, and she had just been beat soundly, but the grit shown was praiseworthy.

Kara pulled her head back slightly and banged it against the monster with all her strength, it felt like hitting a brick wall, but it did its trick. The giant was knocked back stumbling.

JANEMBA ! JANEMBA !

The thought of being challenged once again filled the monster with joy.

"So that's all you can say, huh ?" The dazed Kryptonian said as she clutched her fists "Then that's what I am going to call you. Here, Janemba !"

Two scorching red beams shot from her eyes as she aimed for the monster. They were much more powerful now, having been amplified by the Bluestar armour, splitting the ground beneath even without touching it as they made their way towards the monster.

Janemba simply opened up his palm and out emerged a very familiar figure; it was Kara Zor-El herself, or an exact clone of her, with the silver armour and all. The replica too shot heat vision from her eyes, countering the approaching twin beams incoming from the opposite side. The two collided, fighting for dominance before the one from Kara was overpowered by her own clone's attack. It blew up on her face and flung her away in a distance.

It took Kara a full minute to get back to her feet, this time even weaker than before. The smoke from her armour indicated being subjected to intense heat. A normal person would have cooked inside the metal casing, but Kara was no normal person, she wasn't even a normal Kryptonian, she was of the House of El, its last heir. There was no breaking her will.

"Come on." She said, looking at the giant through her half closed eyes, nearly exhausted and drained of her strength, but refusing to give up.

Janemba swooped down and punched, aiming for the ground. But instead of connecting to the floor below, its fist disappeared halfway down the arm in a portal, about a dozen feet from the ground. Kara felt a crushing force pin her down from where she stood; the hand had reappeared above her, enlarged multiple folds. Fighting through, she used the armour's strength to get back up and after a few attempts, did so. But her neck and back ached now, taking the impact of the force.

The monster seemed happy at her efforts as it happily cried out its name once more and clapped its hands in quick succession. Kara felt that more attacks would follow, and they did. Janemba threw a fist to its right and a portal opened up to her left, the punch ringing her head like a bell. Seeing stars, she stumbled to her right and fell straight into a giant punch. Before her momentum died, a boot from the portal beneath launched her in the air. Midflight, a gigantic hand pinned her to the ground once more, completely breaking her this time, physically at least. Janemba was toying with her without even having to move itself.

JANEMBA ! JANEMBA !

The joyous cry could only mean doom, indicating the giant would make its next move. Stooping down, it waved its hands over some debris, remnants of once great and proud structures. Immediately, the rubble began to glow green and transmutated themselves to small round figures. Soon enough, the glowing green orbs grew short hands and legs and a stumpy tail, revealing their forms to be none other than miniature versions of Janemba. There were at least fifty by the count, and all of them began running forward towards their target; Kara Zor-El.

Multiple short, high-pitched laughter filled the place as the horde rushed towards the blonde woman, with innocent smiles plastered on their faces.

"Damn you !" The Kryptonian grumbled in a low voice before she began picking herself up, or at least tried to. But seeing her attempts fail, she began loading her eyes with red heat while still lying on the ground; if she was going to die today, she would make sure to take at least this lot with her.

But before the heat vision could leave her eyes, a familiar figure appeared before her. He then proceeded to take out a gun and fire at the mini-Janembas that had swarmed the place.

Kara adjusted her vision to realize that it was in fact her father who had come to her rescue; Zor-El.

"Father !" She cried, but the man seemed too occupied in killing the monsters. The energy blasts from his gun while not a one-hit kill method, they were surely effective in stunning and pushing them back.

Seeing his attacks bear fruit, Zor-El dialled the gear of his weapon up several notches, right up to its maximum output. Although not by any means a warrior, the Kryptonian scientist in the past had received some training in recreational shooting and his gun was shooting not rapid fires this time, but singular, powerful blasts. The slow monsters never stood a chance as they began bursting upon impact from the firepower.

When all was said and done, Zor-El stood over a clean patch of land after lowering his weapon, there was no single trace of a horde of yellow blobs left. So he turned around and hurried towards his daughter.

"Kara !" Zor-El called out his daughter's name in a worried tone as he reached out for a hand. The blonde promptly took it and was helped up by her father, although not without considerable effort.

"You've grown heavy." The father said as he placed his hands on his knees for support "Fighting those beasts was easier than picking you up."

"Or it could be the weight of the armour." Kara reminded her as she annoyingly looked at him.

"Ah right."

A few moments of levity was needed to lighten up the mood around them.

"Thank you, father." She said, hugging him.

"There is nothing to thank for, any father would give his life for his daughter. And besides, your armour is crushing me !"

Kara immediately let go off her father as the two looked at each other for a moment.

"My dear." Zor-El said as he caressed her face with his hand "What has the monster done to you ?"

He ran his eyes through every cut and bruise that marred her pink skin, worry was clear on his face.

"It's nothing compared to what it's done to our home." She clenched her fists in anger.

"Yes, the monster destroyed so much." He said sadly, nodding his head in a grim manner "The libraries are gone, the administrative offices are gone, even the Science Tower, Kara. I don't know how long before we can build all that back."

"Speaking of which, where is it ? The monster ?" Kara queried as she surveyed the area. The giant being would be difficult to miss with all the high rising structures being pulled down. In their place however, giant candies of all colour lingered in the air. Red, green, blue colours splashed the landscape now, throwing a multicolour hue to the ambience. The smallest was the size of a two story house while the largest would rival a hill in size.

A distinct noise from far away made both father and daughter turn towards it. Rumblings of an approaching horde soon followed as dust slowly rose in the air. And when they saw it, when they saw the source of the ever increasing sound, when through the dusty haze, they knew there was nowhere to hide anymore.

Mini-Janembas, numbering in hundreds, swarmed the place, smiling and running towards Kara and Zor-El. Like pets eager to meet their masters, they rushed, except they were not rushing to be loved. The scientist was quick to turn towards his daughter.

Kara looked down when she felt something hard touch her belly and saw the barrel of the gun pointed and placed on her stomach. Disturbingly shocked, she looked back up in to find his eyes wet.

"Forgive me, child." Were the last sorry words she heard from her father before he pulled the trigger. The weapon was already at its maximum output, so the blast was felt by the unexpecting Kryptonian. She was launched so far away that the scientist lost sight of his daughter.

Zor-El knew that the monster was someplace else so the military would be busy engaging it; hence it sent its miniatures to take care of them. It meant that he would have to handle these little monsters on his own. At least, his daughter was far and safe where the rescue team would pick her up, this much assurance the scientist had before he would leave the world. She would understand in time why he fired the shot at her.

Zor-El took a deep breath and reminisced his life, his legacy; it would carry on through Kara. With a deep breath, he loaded his weapon and aimed at the approaching horde of the monsters.

"Father !" Kara cried as three people arrived to take her to a safer place, there was air support waiting for their return a few yards away.

"Lady Kara, it's not safe here, come with me." A young Kryptonian said as he grabbed her hand.

"My father's there fighting and you want me to run away ?" She was quick to snatch her arm away from his grasp, very easily so.

"It was his wish, he had this big rescue vehicle sent solely for your evacuation." The man urged "Now I have a job..."

"Screw your job !" She hissed as she ran towards her father. In a matter of a second the Kryptonian reached the place, only to see that several of the Janembas were clamouring over each other, with the ones at the bottom working hard on something, their movements rapid and strong.

Using up her remaining strength Kara swiftly launched at the happy monsters, and knocked them all off at once. And an instant later, she released all her fury through her eyes as the heat vision began incinerating the beings in mid-air. Crying on top of her lungs, the Kryptonian swirled her head around as sharp but short cries filled the surroundings before they were silenced forever.

The ones to hit the ground had it worse; some were punched so hard that they popped like a balloon, others were kicked with enough force to send them into the orbit. Fuelled in rage by her father's fate, Kara simply tore apart the monsters like ragdoll, the ones which were unfortunate enough to fall into her grasp. She was rapidly clearing through the horde.

After everything was said and done, after there was nothing left to clear, Kara turned around to see her father lying motionless on the ground. His gun was lying far away from him, broken and useless, probably slapped away by one of those demons before he was overrun. The great scientist and proud father was no more.

"Father !" She wept over her fallen patriarch. It was now the woman saw that his arms and legs were bent at unnatural angles, more than they should have been.

"Father, please don't leave me alone !" Kara tearfully said when she picked up her father's face. She felt individual fragments of his skull slide under the scalp and the neck move too easily, without offering any resistance. Zor-El was gone now, her father, her mentor, her guide and her protector. Without someone to politically oppose him, Zod was sure to take over their world. Fresh tears streaked her face as she hugged her father dearly one last time.

"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

Now that it's done, you can guess the direction in which I am taking this story. There are going to be tremendous stakes the coming episodes and a few shocking twists. So of you might not like it, but invincible heroes lack any sense of tension. Please leave a review to share your thoughts, and a big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter