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****Chapter 25: Ascension****

Caliwone gasped for air as he knelt on hands and knees over the blood spattered ground. Never had he experienced a training regiment more exhausting or strenuous than the one he had just completed, but the sheer power...

"Do you see now why I warned you first?" Vegeta said, standing over the worn out Saiyan. "It's maddening. But you must prevail."

"I don't understand it," Caliwone growled, more at himself in frustration than at his prince. "No matter how hard I try, I cannot stop."

"You must learn control," Vegeta said angrily. "Without that, this whole lesson is meaningless."

"Yes, my Prince," Caliwone said, attempting to stand up wearily. "One more go."

Vegeta snorted. "Why don't we start with standing straight? Go on and recover your strength. There is no use in pushing yourself into death at this point."

"One more go," Caliwone stated again defiantly and taking his stance.

Vegeta smiled and crossed his arms. "Then go," he said. "No point in trying to talk you out of this, I see."

Caliwone roared as he gathered what remained of his ki, forcing the golden glow out of his body and bleach his hair. His voice strained as he tried to push himself even further. Veins grew along his temples and his eyes grew bloodshot as he refused to be denied. His hair managed to grow a few inches as if his own power was pushing at his roots until, with an explosion, Caliwone ascended.

"Good," Vegeta said, his arms still crossed. "Now stay right where you are. Control it. Do not allow it to control you."

Caliwone let out a very animalistic snarl and turned slowly to look up at Vegeta, who simply sighed. Caliwone launched himself at Vegeta with speed unparalleled, even when compared to himself just a week ago. Vegeta leapt back with a burst of gold of his own as Caliwone took a rage blinded swipe at him, roaring with sick glee at the prospect of battle, before rushing forward to follow.

Caliwone punched for Vegeta but his fist was caught in Vegeta's powerful grasp. Before Caliwone could react, Vegeta stepped close and drilled a punch deep into his stomach.

Consciousness came flooding back into Caliwone as his body reverted back to normal and he fell to his hands and knees again, spattering blood to one of the few remaining clear patches of today's training grounds.

"Take a rest," Vegeta said evenly. "We will continue this lesson in a few hours, once you have recovered."

Caliwone angrily slammed a fist into the ground. Why could he not control himself? Every time he ascended, he lost all control, consumed by blind rage that wanted nothing more to fight without reason. Was there something wrong with him?

Vegeta walked away from Caliwone as he could see the questions and frustrations racing across his mind. Questions about himself, and very shortly if left alone, about his integrity.

"What's happening to him?" Goku asked as he dropped down to watch Caliwone next to Vegeta.

"He is trying to gain control of the second level of Super Saiyan," Vegeta said. "It is a difficult road."

"I never experienced anything like that when I first made it," Goku said. "Gohan struggled a little bit but he never lost control like that."

"That was due in large part to you and your half breed son's nature," Vegeta said contemptuously. "For a true Saiyan it is much more difficult. We are naturally a brutal race and have lived among our race that way and we thrive on the challenge of combat. We are taught that power is everything that matters and that one proves their greatness by destroying, not protecting. The ascension magnifies these traits. Even you and your half-breed son underwent a similar change; your lust for a true test of your power is what made both of you toy with your opponents, even if your caring nature still shown through. I am sure you remember my transformation. Even I lost control for a time, returning to my darker days."

"I thought that was because of Babidi's mind control," Goku said curiously.

"In part," Vegeta said, "but the wizard had far less to do with it than you know."

"Oh," Goku said, sounding both intrigued and cheerful. "I never knew that."

Vegeta spared him an annoyed look. Six thousand years of knowing him and Kakorate still managed to be an annoyance. "There is a decision that only he can answer. I have done my part for this transformation, the rest is up to him now."

"Alright, Superman. The modifications are done," Steel said, not sounding at all happy that he was installing one of Luthor's idea's in the Watch Tower, even if Superman had refused to allow the device Luthor had created to be brought up and modifying Batman's. Batman himself had refused to help, which had added several days extra delay to the job. "Want us to start it up?"

With a nod, Superman watched as a three dimensional projection of Earth appeared on the large screen, then rotated around as the device scanned for Saiyan energy. After a few moments, a single red dot flashed near Miami, Florida. After another moment, the picture zoomed in, routing the image from other orbiting satellites.

"Scanner is indicating she is currently on Miami Beach," Steel said.

"Sounds like a dream spot to me," Black Canary remarked, folding her arms and glancing ruefully back at Arrow.

"I'll take you to the Bahamas', pretty bird," he cooed, smiling and touching her chin. "I think you and I have had a long overdue vacation coming."

"Order an evacuation of the area," Superman said, striding toward the transporters. "Get me down there, J'onn."

"Be careful, Superman," J'onn said as blue light washed over the Man of Steel.

Helena leaned back and closed her eyes as she allowed the warm Miami heat to warm her and the ocean breeze to lightly touch her with cooling salt water. Screams of laughter from kids and the whiz of Frisbees over head drifted past her, but she didn't care. This whole atmosphere, after being trapped in Slade's hideout for the last two years of her life, was like a dream. She felt like she could stay there forever.

She stretched, noticing several guys not too far away admiring the way her green bikini clung to her curves. She tilted her sunglasses down and winked at them, who all quickly turned away, embarrassed, and pretended to be doing something else. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes again.

Behind her, several security teams rushed down the beach, apparently trying to evacuate everyone. Helena looked out toward sea, trying to see if a hurricane or something was coming. Seeing nothing, Helena sighed and sat up as everybody else ran back to the city. Reaching down, she grabbed her pants and put them on. Before she could reach for her shirt, a dark shadow fell across her, part of it fluttering about like a cape.

"Sure took you long enough to find me," Helena said without looking back.

"I am just glad I was able to find you before you did any damage," Superman said.

She turned, snorting. "Please. If I had wanting to blow something up, I had almost two weeks to do it," she said, bending down and grabbing her shirt and a hair tie. She reached up and put her hair in a pony tail, feeling slight satisfaction in seeing the Boy Scout blush slightly while she did it. "Do you mind if I put my shirt on before we get started?"

Superman gulped once before motioning her to proceed. She pulled her green shirt on and straightened her hair.

"What is it that you want, then?" Superman asked as Helena crossed her arms.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You obviously want something, otherwise you wouldn't have killed Caliwone and those others," Superman responded.

"I guess what I meant was 'isn't it obvious'?" Helena answered. "I just wanted to see which of us is stronger." She lifted her arms to either side. The sand under her feet swirled around her as she raised her power level.

Before he could move, Helena was directly in front of him. He hadn't seen her even move and even as he watched, the sand that had lifted and swirled around her was only now reacting to her movement, creating a trail along her path of travel. He doubled over as she drilled a punch into his steel stomach then was slammed onto his back as she brought a knee into his face.

Sand flew everywhere around them as Helena put a foot onto the 'S' on his chest. "Hi," she said, grinning. "My name is Helena."

Superman grabbed her foot and shoved, trying to send her flying but she back flipped and landed lightly on the sand. "Oh, come on," she chided. "Take a joke."

Superman gritted his teeth. "Alright," he said. "Tell me if this is funny." Twin red beams of light lanced out from Superman's eyes. Helena lifted her left arm quickly and blocked the heat vision with her forearm.

Smoke rose from her arm as Superman returned his sight to normal. Helena glanced over at her scorch marked skin coolly then shook it to stop the smoking. "I'll have to be careful of those," she said. Her expression became suddenly more serious.

"Good," Superman said. "Now let's get this over with."

A hand rested gently on Superman's shoulder. "I will face her."

Superman turned to see Caliwone standing next to him as the gates to the Soul Society, invisible to Superman, closed and disappeared behind him. His jaw dropped open as Caliwone stepped forward. His tail waved in a motion that seemed to indicate extreme excitement. Despite his last defeat, he seemed eager for a rematch.

"I thought you were dead," Superman said, still not really believing Caliwone's return. "We all thought you were."

"So did I, at first." Caliwone said. "Luck seems to have favored me this time."

"What happened?" Superman asked, then shook his head. "Never mind. We'll talk about that after we beat her."

"I will be fighting her alone," he said.

"Ha!" Helena crowed from where she stood. "What makes you think you stand anymore of a chance against me? I know that when a Saiyan recovers you come back stronger than before but there is no way that your recovery made you that much stronger."

"No, it did not," Caliwone agreed. "But I will still beat you this time."

"Caliwone, remember when we fought Doomsday?" Superman asked. "You refused to let me fight alone. Now the roles are reversed and I won't let you do this alone either."

"Please," Caliwone said.

Superman felt his jaw drop again. Please?

"For your own safety," Caliwone said. "From me."

Superman's jaw worked for a moment, trying to decide what to do, then settled with merely nodding. "I won't be far if you need me."

"Thank you, Kal-El," Caliwone said, surprising the Man of Steel twice, "but I will not need it."

The sand around Caliwone's feet swirled for a second then blew away from him as Caliwone transformed, pushing his power to the limits of his Super Saiyan state without ascending further. The ground trembled beneath them slightly, like an aftershock of an Earthquake.

"You are definitely stronger," Helena said, setting her stance. "But you still fall far short of the mark." She transformed as well, the hair tie snapping off as her red hair turned blonde.

They moved together, launching themselves at each other in the same instant and their forces collided. Sand blew outwards from the shock wave that rained sand gently into the ocean sea. Helena was just as fast and strong as he remembered but he had not been hailed a genius for nothing. Having fought her once, Caliwone knew where her favorite strike areas were, the direction of her attacks, as well as her dodging abilities. But just because he was able to predict her movements did not mean he could dodge or block them all.

Caliwone spat blood to the side and smiled as the two flew back in order to launch a new offensive. No matter how powerful Kal-El was, there was nothing more satisfying than fighting another Saiyan.

They struck again, their fist flying faster than the eye could see, blocking, countering, and blocking all in perfect form. On the edges of the beach, people had flocked back, ignoring the police baracade that had been set up and none caring for their safety in order to watch two martial arts masters battle it out.

Caliwone hit the sand and moved quickly as Helena landed hard on the sand where he had just been. He slid back, struggling to keep his balance on the sand at such high speeds but managed to raise his right leg up just in time to block a kick from Helena's left. Spinning himself expertly, he swept Helena's other foot out from under her. With the shifting sand so unsteady, Helena fell but before she could hit the ground, she planted one hand down hard and flipped herself away.

Caliwone tore after her and punching for all he was worth. Helena simply forced herself to fall back onto the ground to dodge, kicking Caliwone in the stomach with one foot as he started to flash by, then kicking him under the chin with her other before rolling back. Caliwone back handsprung for his recovery before vanishing, leaving an after-image in his place.

Helena smirked then dodged to her left just as Caliwone's left hand flashed above her right shoulder. Reaching up, she grabbed it with her left hand and elbowed him square in the ribs before throwing him back down to Earth. Before he could reach there, Helena appeared behind him just as he recovered. As he turned to face her, Helena back handed him across the face hard enough to spin him like a top before driving a round house kick into his ribs again. Relentlessly, she spun and backfisted him, then struck him in the chest that sent him crashing through sand and into breakers of the ocean.

He rushed back to her as Helena jumped higher into the sky and was the first to launch an energy offensive, blowing huge holes in the sand. Caliwone weaved skillfully through the destructive blasts back to her, drilling a punch across her face as she swung a foot around that practically took his head off. He landed back on the ground as Helena fired another blast, this time into the air above his head.

He raced toward her just as the single blast became many, all arrowing in at him. Without seeing a way to dodge, he curled in on himself to try and absorb the impact. Reigniting his aura as he fell back, he took off over the ocean, leading her away from the land and people. He split the sea with his passage, sending giant tidal waves falling in his wake. Helena was faster, swinging around him and crashing him deep into the ocean near Port Royal and the chain of islands.

Caliwone regained his balance under the water, easily holding his breath as he looked around for Helena. Not seeing her from any frontal view, he forced his body back as Helena came at him from underneath. Despite the heaviness of the water, Helena's speed was incredibly quick but Caliwone had found ways to overcome this handicap.

His aura expanded around him, pushing the water away from his body. This technique was great, but only for short periods since he had not brought any extra air down with him so the vacuum he was creating put extra stress on his body but it allowed his movements to be much faster.

He blocked several strikes from Helena before he was able to strike back but again, Helena used her superior speed to dodge the attack, vanishing from sight and struck him hard from behind. Blood burst from Caliwone's mouth and into the water he was still forcing back, the strain from the vacuum doing more damage than good but still managing to keep air in his lungs.

At about this time, all manner of sea creatures began circling around the two, giving them wide birth but making their presence known. As Helena hit him again, a huge creature with triangular fins and a mouth full of teeth arrowed in and tried to take a bite out of Caliwone. He easily dodged the agile creature and pointed a hand at it but before he could fire, Helena rushed in, forcing Caliwone to allow the creature to live.

Above the water, Superman floated, watching with some degree of amazement as the battle deep beneath the surface caused the water to bubble and boil. Not too far in the distance, the shores of Port Royal were slowly filling with curious people, attracted like curious kittens to the phenomenon occurring off their shores. He moved to fly over to them and have them evacuate the area but Helena flew out of the water just a head of Caliwone, who had apparently been thrown out of the water.

Helena tried to strike again but Caliwone blocked the attack blindly and managed to counter, hitting her hard enough to send her flying in Superman's direction. Setting his jaw, Superman flew forward and tried to bull rush her in the back. She saw him coming and deftly back flipped over him and drilled both foot into his back, sending him crashing into the ocean.

Caliwone fired a shower of energy toward Helena who deflected and destroyed each blast as Superman re-emerged from the water. "I told you not to interfere, Kal-El," Caliwone said as he rushed in to fight Helena again.

"Sorry for trying to help," Superman said irritatedly, wiping water from his eyes.

"Good," Caliwone said as he blocked punches and kicks.

"You really ought to pay attention to me," Helena said, blocking one of Caliwone's kicks and palm heeling his face. "Besides, you need all the help you can get." She sent him flying with a blast to his stomach that shredded his blue shirt. The water split beneath him again as he careened backwards and crashed into the island. The people on the shore broke and ran as the ground shook from the impact.

Helena looked over at Superman who watched her angrily but did his best to respect Caliwone's wishes. She smirked at him and slowly flew casually over to the island, letting the water swirl beneath her feet.

The dirt was still settling as Helena floated over the sand and into the harder rock of the uninhabited portion of the island, but even though Caliwone himself could not be seen through the cloud, his golden aura managed to pierce its concealing nature.

Helena landed and waited patiently for Caliwone to emerge, noting to herself that Superman had landed quietly out of the way. The place they were in, barren of living creatures but decently filled with plant life, was a decent enough place to fight. She would have preferred a barren dessert arena but whatever.

The dust finally settled and Caliwone was standing tall. Blood was pouring down his face and body but it seemed not to bother him at all. "You may choose to believe this or not," Caliwone said, lifting a finger and flicking some of the blood away, "but I was hoping that I would not be resorted to this."

"This is the part where you tell me you've been holding back, right?" Helena scoffed.

Caliwone did not smile or smirk, seeming to truly regret his decision. "Kal-El," he said at last. "Please help the League evacuate everyone on this island. I don't care about your trivial laws."

Superman looked as if he didn't understand. "You mean transport them?"

"If the people here wish to continue living, then yes," Caliwone said. "Unless you have a problem with that?" his question directed toward Helena.

"Go ahead," she said, shrugging. "I'd prefer not to have any distractions or casualties."

Superman put a finger to his ear. "Watch Tower, I need a mass transport of people on the island I am currently on. Have Metro Tower assist. I am going to help with evacuations." He looked back at Caliwone, his expression resolute, then flew off toward the major city and airport.

"Watch Tower, I need a mass transport of people on the island I am currently on. Have Metro Tower assist. I am going to help with evacuations."

"Roger that, Superman," Shayera said. "What's going on down there?"

"The short version? Caliwone is back and fighting Helena, the Saiyan girl," Superman said. "He just asked me to clear the island."

Shayera felt he knees almost give out beneath her. "Cal's alive?"

"Apparently," Superman said. "He's gonna tell us the story when he wins."

John put a hand on her shoulder from behind. "It'll be alright," John said, smiling at her. "My money is on Caliwone to win. If he asked Superman to clear the island, he must have something big planned."

Shayera shook her head to clear it. "Alright Superman. We will start the evac."

"Thanks," he said and the comm. clicked dead.

"Metro Tower, this is Shayera," she said. "Prepare evac of civilians from the coordinates I'm sending you."

"Roger that," Mr. Terrific said on the other end. "Commencing teleportation."

"Are you satisfied?" Helena said with a smile as both parties could clearly sense the energy of the teleportation. "Now show me this ultimate weapon of yours."

Caliwone smiled slightly, resigned. "You truly are a Saiyan, risking it all just to see a stronger power."

"Or just calling your bluff," Helena said.

Caliwone sighed again. He could feel Kal-El gaining distance from the island. "Very well."

Caliwone crouched, his aura winking into place around him as he raised his power level. He took one final breath before pushing past the Super Saiyan's limitations. His muscles, already impressive, grew a little larger. His blonde hair grew another few inches, becoming much more defined. His bangs lifted up, becoming rigid and leaving only one long bang stretched out over his forehead.

He yelled as he strained, every muscle flaring in pain. The island itself trembled in fear as Caliwone's power reached new heights. The Earth at his feet cracked and cratered under the immense pressure of his power. Energy sparked around him as his power literally darkened the sky above them, drawing in dark clouds from every direction and with a final burst of blinding gold, Caliwone finished his transformation.

Helena shivered once as his power washed over her senses. Unreal, she thought, her eyes wide. It...wasn't a bluff. This was on an entirely different level than I am.

Her body bent forward against her will and blood spewed from mouth. She looked down, confused. Caliwone was there, his right fist buried deep in her stomach.

She gasped for air as he slowly removed his fist and she fell to one knee, stunned just as much by the dramatic change in Caliwone than by physical blow. His eyes had changed. They didn't have the...human...look anymore. They were like ice, terrifying; full of hatred. She had been the one who had said that Caliwone should not have changed, to go back to the cold Saiyan he had once been. Now it would seem she would get her wish.

She leapt backwards as Caliwone viciously swung his right forearm down intending to severe her spine from the base of her skull. She stumbled a bit as she landed, holding her stomach.

Caliwone didn't give her the chance to recover. He rushed forward with astonishing speed but Helena was up to match it, if not his strength. One thing she had always prided herself on was her speed, even before Slade. She blocked a kick and a punch then took a hit to the side of her head. She reeled from the blow, stunned. That was all the opening Caliwone needed. Without any sort of hesitation, Caliwone brutally palm heeled her in the face that snapped her head back. Grabbing her spiked golden hair, he slammed her face down onto his left knee.

Blood spewed from her once more as Caliwone spun and hook kicked her across the right side of her head. She crashed through woodland and into the airport on the far side of the island. Helena coughed, shocked at the shear amount of difference in strength.

She forced herself up to her feet, gasping for air as the tell tale whistling sound of Caliwone's approach grew louder. She grimaced. Whatever this new level of strength Caliwone now possessed, it was painfully clear that she could simply not compete. Her speed, exceptional though it was, could not contend with his experience, his training, or his brute strength. Now all she could do was fight for her life.

She lifted her arms up and fired, hoping to at least slow him down or force him off course but he flew straight through it, and angry snarl the only sound he made before he plowed into her. She kept her footing, trying to bring him to a halt in mid air. His left hand snaked forward and grabbed her by her throat and squeezed. A small squelch escaped her lips as she fell to the ground with Caliwone atop her. She clawed at his hand, unable to breath. Caliwone lifted his right fist and slammed it down.

The ground shook violently, knocking over smaller buildings and setting off car alarms. Cracks appeared along the length of the runway. Not even birds now remained on the island, having all fled to the adjacent ones, either from the battle itself or from the dark brooding clouds that still remained over the island.

Helena swore as she leaped backwards out of the cloud of dirt that he had just created, wiping blood from several cuts across her forehead and out of her eyes. Out of the cloud of smoke, Caliwone hurtled toward her, his blinding rage nearly as terrifying as his speed. She braced herself, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to dodge. He passed right through her, like a ghost. Helena had just enough time for her face to register her surprise when he struck from behind, his super powered foot crashing into the ribs on her right side to shatter nearly the entire cage with the one blow.

She screamed incoherently for only a second before Caliwone's hand grabbed hers as it flailed about and pulled her toward him. This time it was his fist that struck in the same spot as his foot had, meeting even less resistance than before. Her aura flickered wildly as she nearly lost consciousness before she forced herself back. She knew that if she lost, she would die without question.

With a scream of pain, she forced herself to spin out of his grip and kick at him with all the strength she had left. Despite her pain, her training had been severe and the kick landed right on the mark, square on his nose but Caliwone didn't so much as even flinch from the attack. He reached up and grabbed her by the shirt front with his left hand and with his right, pounded her in the head.

She screamed as she both heard and felt her skull starting to crack. He struck again, and again, relentless like a savage beast before, with one final strike, the portion of her shirt that she was wearing tore off and she flew directly toward the center of the air port.

The traffic control tower blew outwards and collapsed to the ground as Helena was thrown through it and to the ground. She remained embedded in the ground where she had landed with no energy to move. Her shockingly red hair did a fair job of concealing the blood that was spattered into it. Her green eyes, no longer fully alert, watched Caliwone land in front of her. It might have been her imagination, but his eyes seemed to glow red in the clouded darkness.

He lifted a hand at her and she could feel him gathering his energy. She closed her eyes, resigned to fate. There was nothing she could do. She couldn't even muster the energy to smirk at her death. The ground shook again, this time as if a force far greater that Earth's gravity was pulling on it. All around the area, chunks of ground, none smaller than the size of a car, tore themselves free and floated unassisted in the air.

Red light glowed darkly in Caliwone's hand as he laughed unlike anything she had ever heard before. The pressure he was producing with his energy was astounding. Even if she was at full strength she wouldn't have been able to resist its strength. The clouds above swirled menacingly and spat lightning that struck the ground repeatedly, disintegrating portions of the floating rock on its way down. Caliwone gave one last roar of laughter and threw his hand forward.

Slowly and gently, with every increasing patter, rain started to fall from the darkened skies. She opened her eyes again, not bothered by the rain. Caliwone's hand quivered an inch from her face as he turned his face slowly up to the increasing rain, a hesitation she had not seen since his second transformation.

His golden hair seemed to sag slightly, his bangs returning to his normal Super Saiyan level, his hair shrinking, and his muscles become less strained. He closed his eyes as the rain began falling harder.

There was a flash of blue and a second later, a hand reached over and took Caliwone's hand, pulling it away from Helena gently. "It's alright, Cal," Shayera said softly, resting another hand on his opposite shoulder. "It's all over."

Caliwone didn't respond but his hair reverted completely back to normal. He opened his eyes and looked at Shayera as if he had no idea who she was.

"Shayera?" he asked.

"I'm here," she said.

He shook his head slightly and looked down at the still motionless Helena. "I am sorry," he said, sounding like he truly meant it.

Out of reflex, Helena spat blood to the side and watched as the rains carried it away. Through the clouds, Superman descended and landed beside Caliwone. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking concerned.

Caliwone snorted and turned away. "Concern yourself with her," he said, trying to walk normally away but limping noticeably. "Put her in one of those healing tubes I was in before."

"You mean, heal her?" Shayera asked. "What for?"

"You do not want her to die, do you?" Caliwone asked angrily.

"She does need to stand trial," Superman said.

"For what?" Caliwone asked. "Murder?"

"Yes," Superman started to say but then realized Caliwone's point.

"We could still get her for attempted murder," Shayera reasoned. "Consorting with known criminals, conspiracy, not to mention the destruction-"

"Just let it go," Caliwone said. "Besides, I would like another opportunity to fight her. Saiyan customs demands such an opportunity." He gave Superman an almost crooked smirk which Superman returned with a smile. "Will that be acceptable to you?" Caliwone asked of Helena. Tears ran down Helena's face, mixing with the rain but they could all see it and interpreted it appropriately.

"Superman to Watch Tower," Superman said. "Four to beam aboard."

"Three," Caliwone said. "I will not be joining you."

"Come on," Shayera said as Superman gingerly picked Helena's bloody body up in his arms. "For old times' sake. We'll get you healed up then you can go if you want."

"Besides, you never told us how you survived," Superman said.

Epilogue

Helena opened her eyes in the greenish liquid, reminiscent of the fluid Slade had had her in for such a long time. This time, however, it was Superman who stood outside her healing tank, arms crossed. Slowly, her mind cleared enough for her to remember how to get out of the tube and drop to the floor. She reached up to her mouth and pulled the breathing apparatus out of her throat, nearly throwing up in the process.

She was still wearing the swim suit she had been wearing before she had lost to Caliwone, though it had seemed to be a little worse for wear but still manageable.

Superman held out a towel for her to dry off with. "How are you feeling?"

"Great," she said, wrapping the towel around herself. "Handy little machine you've got there."

"It has saved many lives of the League," Superman said. "Including Caliwone's and now yours."

"So where does this leave us?" Helena asked. "I mean, what does this mean?"

"Caliwone has asked for your complete release," Superman said with a straight face. "I will make you the same deal I made with Caliwone a long time ago. If you agree to it, then I will honor Caliwone's request."

"And what's that?"

"You never use your powers to hurt anyone on Earth."

Helena smiled. "Of course," she said. "Who do you think I am? Unless they are evil people, I would never do such a thing."

Superman looked hard at her for another moment but he must have found some truth in her words. "Alright then. You are free to go."

Helena smiled warmly as she put on the clothing that had been laid out for her. "You know, this is the second time you've stood there and watched me get dressed," Helena said with a wink. "What would Ms. Lane say?"

Caliwone leaned back in his chosen tree, enjoying the soft night breeze that wound its way through the thicket of braches and thought back. He had learned much in his time with Vegeta, including how to ascend to the next level of Super Saiyan, though he did not much care for the transformation and the lack of control he had during it. But beyond that, Vegeta had sent him away with training. A little homework during this time of peace should another foe threaten him and this planet. Something 'to remember me by'.

The call of strange creatures floated into the night, creatures only to be associated with tropical jungles, so he had been told. This place had been a suggestion of Shayera's as a get-away that Caliwone would enjoy. As promised, rain seemed to fall frequently and without warning here.

He lifted a hand and looked at it against the moonlight. Something did not seem right. He felt as if a darkness approached from somewhere beyond this world. He closed his fist. If there really was such a dark force, he would be ready to face it. He regained his arrogant smile. He was a Super Saiyan, after all. There was nothing he couldn't handle and with the help of the Justice League, the X-Men, and even those kids from Japan, nothing could ever truly challenge this planet, could it?

Caliwone snorted and shifted his position in his tree slightly and gazed out at the moon and the night sky far beyond. After everything he had been through on this miserable planet, he would give his life before letting this planet die like planet Vegeta.

To be concluded in Dragon Sagas: Book Four...

Well guys, looks like Caliwone has survived yet again and the planet has been spared. In that time, has Caliwone made a new ally out of Helena or simply allowed her to live in order to challenge her again someday?

What of that strange machine the Brotherhood found? What effect will that have on the plot?

Answers will come for those of you who will follow through the final Book of Dragon Sagas!

Thank you all for your continued support! I hope to see you in both Book Four and in my other works.

Special thanks to Kobez2.0 for the incredible Beta-Reading for me and be sure to check out his works in the near future.

Also, be sure to check out the link on my profile page to see the comic being constructed for Dragon Sagas! Chapter 1 is finished and chapter 2 soon to be.

Lastly, you can "Favorite Author" me so you will get updates when I begin posting for Book Four sometime around April.

See ya soon and thanks for reading

The Dark Prince