JB: Chapter 16

I spent the next few days between the fight with Shrapnel and my Interview at the Daily Planet looking into the situation on Earth by tapping into global communications networks with the Comms Unit on the Lucky Lady, interspersing that with a bit of training using the Brench Gravity Tiles that I had gotten the ship upgraded with for training purposes. I managed to push my Arcosian Power Level up a further five thousand units to twenty-five-thousand that way, while also learning a few things about the Hybrid Earth that I found myself on. It was mostly a DCU Earth, but there were Dragonball Elements scattered throughout.

For example, the Turtle and Crane Schools of Martial Arts were both a thing, with the Crane School located somewhere in Southeast Asia, though I wasn't completely sure where, thanks to the ambiguity inherent in schools that trained assassins. The Turtle School was more well-known, and Kame Island was in the Philippine Sea east of Okinawa and West of Iwo Jima, technically part of the Daito Islands. This was more well-known thanks to Muten Roshi helping out the Allied Powers during the Second World War by using the Kamehameha to destroy the IJN's Super Battleship Kojiro, which had apparently been a third Musashi-class Super Battleship that had been completed in this world.

At the same time, the Diablo Desert existed, though the name was actually a Western mispronunciation of the Chinese-language name for the Jia Bo Desert, which straddled the Border between the Russian Far East, Mongolia, and Chinese Manchuria. I was able to verify that Yamcha existed in the form of a reformed Supervillain called Desert Wolf. Apparently, he had reformed after an encounter with an unnamed Martial Artist that left him battered and defeated. I had no way to tell if that was Kakarot or not, though, because nobody seemed to know the identity. Whoever it was, though, he had allowed Yamcha to reform into a genuine hero. Desert Wolf was the protector of Ulaanbataar, the Capital City of Mongolia, and frequently clashed with Triads and Local Gangs in the City.

Aside from that, Papaya Island and the Tenkai'ichi Budokai were things as well, Papaya Island being on the international border between Yonaguni Island in Japan and Taiwan, where the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea met. Papaya Island was effectively a sovereign nation because of that fact, as well as the fact that if someone attempted to seize control over the Island, the Monks of the Temple who put on and officiated the Budokai were all low-grade superhumans thanks to Ki training at the Temple. Regardless, the Budokai itself seemed to be enough of an opportunity for national prestige that it served various people's political agendas to keep Papaya Island independent. After all, if a Nation sponsored a fighter who went on to become the Champion, that was a huge prestige bump for the sponsoring nation. Like the Olympics, but for Martial Arts.

Aside from that, Capsule Corp was a large conglomerate in Japan and a competitor of LexCorp's in the Pacific Rim. Curiously, though Capsule Tech was a thing, Capsule Corp also sponsored a superhero team. The Capsule Rangers were a team of teenage tech heroes who defended Tokyo against criminal threats and were led by a suspiciously familiar-looking, blue-haired Teenage Girl, going by Capsule Ranger Blue. Capsule Ranger Yellow was also a suspiciously familiar blonde-haired Teenage Girl. Bulma and Tights Briefs were apparently using Doctor Briefs' tech and their trust funds to play Sentai Heroes in this world.

The last thing I could confirm about the merged version of Earth was that Uranai Baba existed and that she had her palace out in the Central Asian Emirate of Negraab. Apparently, she helped the Emir of Negraab invest in new industries with her fortune-telling abilities back in the early sixties, just as the Oil Resources of the Emirate began to run dry. When those paid off a few years later, the Emir gifted her a palace in the hinterland of Negraab as thanks, and she'd lived there ever since, taking on clients to her fortune-telling business and letting those who were brave enough face her Guardians in lieu of payment.

It was all very interesting to see how the Dragonball Elements had been folded into the DCU Ones, but between training and looking into that, time slipped away quicker than I had anticipated. Before I knew it, I was on my way to my scheduled interview at the Daily Planet. It was crazy how easily you could get sucked down the Rabbit Hole, even with the Internet in its infancy here, it was still more advanced than it would have been in a similar decade in my previous life, thanks to things like LexCorp, WayneTech, Queen Industries, Capsule Corp, and Kord Omniversal. Honestly, it was a chore sometimes to tear myself away from the Comms Unit and train, though it was a chore made easier by my Saiyan Nature.

Still, the time flew by fast, and I found myself on my way out to the Daily Planet before I knew it for my interview. Hopefully, they wouldn't care that I was wearing my Gi, because it was either this or the armor, and the former would have sent the wrong impression. I really needed to go clothes shopping at some point. It would have to wait till after my interview, as I had arrived at the Daily Planet after flying there from my ship.

I alighted on the roof of the Daily Planet and made my way inside from the roof access for my interview. . .

XXXX

It turned out that I was being interviewed by none other than Lois Lane. Clark, meanwhile, was nearby as we got situated, and I would have immediately clocked him as Superman even if I hadn't had metaknowledge, thanks to my Ki sense practically bashing me over the head with the fact that he was the most powerful person I had ever sensed. Unfortunately, I would have to keep that in my back pocket for now instead of letting Clark know, because he'd been whisked away to cover some breaking story out in Suicide Slum. In the meantime, that left Lois and I alone for my Interview.

"So, Rugulo. Thanks for agreeing to do this, though I have to say, you coming in from the roof was a surprise." Began Lois.

"I flew here, it seemed like the logical place to enter from." I shrugged.

"Is that something that most Aliens can do? Fly?" Questioned Lois.

"That's a difficult question to answer without an in-depth explanation." I mused.

"How so?" Queried Lois.

"Well, the short answer is that every race can fly if they know the right techniques. That's not exactly a satisfying answer, though." I shrugged.

"By techniques, do you mean Sorcery? Magic has been a known thing here on Earth since Doctor Fate joined the JSA back in the forties." Asked Lois.

"Magic is one way, yes. There are also techniques using Vital Energy, I believe the term here on Earth is Ki or Chi, depending on who you ask. And of course, there's no shortage of technology that will let someone fly." I nodded.

"Fascinating, though not quite what I was asking." Pointed out Lois.

"I figured. If you're asking about whether Most of the Races out there in the Universe can fly without training, study, or tech, though, the answer is no. Some can, some can't. We Saiyans can't do it natively, but we have an instinctive grasp of Ki that lets us pick up techniques using it to do any number of things fairly quickly. That's how I flew here today, but I also know a way to do it with Sorcery." I answered.

"Interesting. You mentioned you're a Saiyan. Just what makes a Saiyan different from a Human, or a Kryptonian like Superman?" Questioned Lois.

"Well, for starters, there's our tails. All Saiyans are born with simian tails that we can manipulate to varying degrees. Of course, that runs the risk of the Oozaru Transformation, which, if you aren't trained to handle it, can result in some pretty massive drawbacks." I began.

"Oozaru Transformation?" Queried Lois.

"The light of a full moon triggers a chemical reaction with the cells at the base of our tails. I don't want to go into the specifics of the transformation here, but it results in a tenfold increase in physical power at the cost of one's mental faculties. There are techniques to learn to control yourself while transformed, but the only ones who knew them are dead or scattered." I responded.

"I could see how that could be a problem. Is that why you don't have a tail?" Asked Lois.

"It is. I had it removed. It was more trouble than it was worth." I confirmed.

"All right, you mentioned that was just for starters. What else makes a Saiyan different from a Human?" Questioned Lois.

"The Zenkai. When a Saiyan is wounded, our bodies instinctively strengthen during recovery so that it is harder to wound us again. Our Physical Power and the Strength of our Ki will always grow back stronger from injury, provided we survive, of course. It's come in handy a few times while I was working as a Bounty Hunter out in the wider universe." I informed.

"I could see how it might. Anything else?" Queried Lois.

"We Saiyans are a Warrior Race. Those instincts tend to run deep and take a bit to curb. For myself, I like to channel them into Martial Arts. It helps that I was raised in a monastery on a different planet. There aren't many of us left out in the Universe, but most of us can be found working jobs as Bounty Hunters, Mercenaries, and the like." I explained.

"And you've decided to try your hand at being a Superhero?" Asked Lois.

"It seemed interesting, like a natural extension of the Bounty Hunting I was doing out in the Wider Universe. Besides, I like the idea of fighting to protect something, maybe it's just based on how I was raised." I shrugged.

"You talk about Bounty Hunting and the Wider Universe a lot. What's it like out there?" Questioned Lois.

"Chaotic. There are dozens of interstellar factions out there, all competing against each other to see who will be the Hegemon of the Known Universe. The Green Lanterns and the Guardians of Oa do their best to keep things from getting too chaotic, but even they need help sometimes. That's where Bounty Hunters like I was come in." I offered.

"I'm familiar with the concept. We used to have a system like that here on Earth, too, back during a period called the Old West. Is it really that bad out there? There's no central power?" Queried Lois.

"There are alliances, certainly, and the Guardians of Oa claim to be a Central Authority, but that Claim only really matters in some cases. They and their Green Lanterns can't force two warring interstellar powers to make peace, for example, and while they do their best to catch criminals and stamp out pirates, there are a few that would be beyond their power to deal with." I answered.

"Such as?" Asked Lois.

"The Names Lord Slug and Mongul of War World would mean nothing to you. That's a good thing, though. It means you haven't had to deal with a foe so powerful as to be considered a world-ending threat all by themselves." I responded.

"And are these threats common?" Questioned Lois.

"No. In fact, judging from what I've seen of him, Superman could likely defeat some of them on his own. They generally are too busy fighting each other to come so far out into space, though. In fact, Earth isn't on most standard Star Charts, so your anonymity protects you as well." I pointed out.

"That's good to know. Are we really that far out in the sticks?" Queried Lois.

"There are three-thousand-six-hundred Sectors in known space. Earth is in Sector Two-Eight-One-Four. That's pretty far from most major interstellar factions. You're over a dozen sectors away from the closest Interstellar Faction that may even think about trying to conquer Earth." I nodded.

"Interesting. So, is there anyone in our local neighborhood worth keeping an eye out for?" Asked Lois.

"Ungara is a decent place to visit in the Sector. A Trade Hub for various local powers, and if you can get there, the Graxos System in Sector Two-Eight-One-Five is also a good time. The Graxosians and Ungarans aren't too dissimilar in terms of society from what I've seen of Earth, though they are more advanced. However, they're just people, albeit with different colored skin." I offered.

"Good to know. Anywhere local worth staying away from?" Questioned Lois.

"Ysmault. Just don't." I answered.

The interview continued for a bit longer, filling up multiple hours as I was questioned on events out in the Wider Galaxy, as well as what I knew about various races and such, if anything. I spoke up about the recent War between the Reach and the Khundian Empire, about the Planet Trade Organization, about the Guardians of Oa and the Green Lantern Corps, and what I knew about the Thanagarians, Kryptonians, Arcosians, and so on. By the time the interview was over, the sun was setting over the horizon, meaning I had been in the Daily Planet for most of the day. I didn't mind, though. Lois was good people, and fairly nice to look at to boot.

By the time I was on my way back to my ship out in the countryside, I realized that I just didn't have the time to go clothes-shopping for more normal Earth Wear. It was unfortunate, but that was just how it was. I would figure it out tomorrow, for now, I just wanted to grab some food from the Galley of the Lucky Lady and do some more research about how things were here on this version of Earth.

When I returned to Metropolis tomorrow, however, I would soon find myself wrapped up in more action than I had anticipated for a day of shopping. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. Rugulo learns a bit more about the Merged Earth, gets some training in, and finally has his interview with the Daily Planet's top reporter, Lois Lane. Unfortunately, he's only getting more enmeshed in the craziness that is Metroplis by doing so. It isn't going to be very long before he comes up on his first real Superhero Battle. Not very long at all, and in fact, it's going to tie in with what Clark was called away to Suicide Slum to cover.

At any rate, the next chapter will be an interlude where we follow Lex Luthor as he goes to the Oblivion Bar to try and hire a Sorcerer for potential anti-Rugulo duty. You'll see a number of familiar faces there, as Lex goes shopping for a Magic Guy to keep on retainer.

Stay tuned. . .