JB: Chapter 13

I sighed at the predicament I found myself in. Hal Jordan, the current Green Lantern of Sector Two-Eight-One-Four, was staring me down and demanding to know why I was here and why I had the ship that I did. Honestly, it figures that the Guardians wouldn't tell their Lanterns outside of the ones on Oa at the moment. Why trumpet the fact that a local planetary police force did your job for you? It was bad for optics, after all. Better to only let the most senior Lanterns know and then quietly update the database of the rings to show his capture with the next database update. That way, things stay quiet and you don't take the hit to your PR.

"Did the Guardians not tell you?" I questioned.

"What are you talking about?" Queried Hal.

"Figures. Why take the hit to your PR with a noisy unscheduled database update? That's just like the Guardians." I scoffed.

"Hey, the Guardians are a force for good in the Universe, Pal. They're not the bad guys here! Now, start talking because I want some answers!" Demanded Hal.

"Darjanik Taan was arrested a few weeks ago on Ungara for smuggling Illegal Krolotean Gene Mods for the Black Market there. It wasn't the Lanterns who did it, either. It was the Ungaran Planetary Police Force. They did your jobs for you, and it looks bad on the Guardians for the wider universe to know that. They probably planned to quietly list him as captured with the next database update so they wouldn't take the PR hit." I scoffed.

"Sure, and I'm the Queen of England. The Guardians may be a bit blind sometimes, but they're not actively malicious!" Scowled Hal.

"Maybe, but you have to ask yourself, why does an organization that posts bounties for wanted criminals and networks with Bounty Hunters not hear about Thaal Sinestro's takeover of Korugar? There were Korugaran Bounties posted for rebel Korugarans, after all. You would have thought they'd heard of it." I pointed out.

"Hey! Sinestro was a decorated Lantern. He fooled everyone!" Insisted Hal.

"Maybe. You could be right, the Guardians could just be that out of touch. If they are, though, doesn't that also mean they could be out of touch enough not to hear about the Ungaran Police capturing Darjanik Taan?" I asked.

For a moment, Hal said nothing, just stared at me. Then he blew out a sigh of frustration and nodded once at me, a grimace on his face as he did so.

"All right, I'll give you that. I'm still gonna need to see your paperwork." He grunted.

"Of course." I agreed.

I headed for my bedroom, Hal following me as he hovered an inch or so off the deckplates. The door opened and I headed straight for the workbench, where I kept a small cabinet with the dataslates holding my important paperwork, ship registration, bounty hunting license, that sort of thing. Hal, however, seemed to be confused by the sudden shift in demeanor, even as he was put off guard by my choice in decor.

"Tropical Plants?" He questioned.

"I might be playing to stereotypes a bit, sure, but you won't believe how good fresh fruit can taste when you've been chasing a bounty for a few weeks with nothing but the sort of pre-packaged ingredients you can store in bulk on a ship." I shrugged.

"I have to ask, what species are you, anyway? You look human. Eerily so." Queried Hal.

"I'm a Saiyan." I answered.

"What? I thought you guys were all wiped out years back? A meteor strike or something during a time when you were all on your homeworld?" Asked Hal.

"Is that what they told you?" I questioned.

"That was what the PTO put out. King Cold came out of retirement for a press conference and everything." Nodded Hal.

"And you believed the Arcosians?" I queried.

"I mean, I wouldn't usually, but it happened before my time. I guess I just never thought to look into it." Remarked Hal.

"Well, to answer your questions, yes, I am a Saiyan, not all of us were on the Homeworld at the time of its destruction, and Planet Vegeta wasn't destroyed by a Meteor Strike. It was destroyed by Frieza, and now he's hunting down any remnants that haven't continued to bow down to him." I responded.

"Huh. That sucks. Wait, if you're a Saiyan, where's your tail? The ring says you're supposed to have one." Questioned Hal.

"I had it surgically removed. You don't want to know what an uncontrolled Oozaru can do during the full moon. I never had access to the right tutors to learn how to control the Oozaru. The power up was more trouble than it was worth in terms of possible friendly fire." I huffed.

"That makes sense, I guess. You know, the ring says you guys are supposed to be battle junkies. You're pretty level-headed now, though." Remarked Hal.

"Oh, don't let my personability fool you, I enjoy a good fight every bit as much as the next Saiyan. I was raised by monks on Suirpalam, though. They taught me how to channel that impulse down more constructive paths. Like bounty hunting." I opined, tossing my Bounty Hunting License at Hal.

He grabbed onto it with a construct hand and pulled the dataslate closer to him as he did so. Looking at the info presented, he let out an impressed whistle. As he did that, I found what I was looking for, the bill of sale from Diro Vol's shop, along with the Property Transfer from the Ungaran Police Auction, and the Ship's Registry Information. I grabbed those Dataslates and headed over to Hal.

"Here. Bill of Sale, Ship Registry, and Property Transfer from the Ungaran Police Auction." I intoned, holding out the Dataslates.

"You were with the Team that took down Arkillo?" Queried Hal.

"I was the team that took down Arkillo. Mostly, anyway. The Cap got downed at one point and was captured to be used as bait. Arkillo found out that drawing me to him for an ambush was a lot more than he'd bargained for." I affirmed.

We swapped dataslates, and Hal scanned the various bits of paperwork with his ring. I guess the ring found everything on the level because it chimed once, and Hal nodded to me, handing me the Paperwork Back. I took it with a nod of my own and headed back to my cabinet to put everything back inside.

"Looks like it all checks out. I've updated the Database to show Darjanik Taan as captured on Ungara. What I want to know is how a Guy who made his living Bounty Hunting for years can be so critical of the Guardians?" Asked Hal.

"When you stop questioning authority, that's how stuff like Frieza blowing up my Homeworld happens. It's how a guy like Sinestro can take and hold power on Korugar without anyone caring enough to look into it." I shrugged.

"Maybe I've not been asking the right questions." Mused Hal.

"Or you've been asking the wrong people. Either way, it's not any business of mine." I shrugged.

"Right. So what is your business on Earth, then?" Questioned Hal.

"Would you believe I actually intend to live here?" I queried.

"Maybe, but why? It's not exactly tuned into the wider universe. What makes Earth the planet at the top of your list to build a life on?" Asked Hal.

"There is another Saiyan here. He would have landed here sixteen years ago. Kakarot, I think his name was. He should be my age, and I guess you could say I was curious. He and I are the only living Saiyans our age, and I wanted to find out if he found a way to channel his more bloodthirsty impulses, too, or if I was unique. If we Saiyans really can change our mindset on more than a one-off basis, then maybe we're worth saving from extinction, after all." I answered.

"Huh. Well, good luck. I've never heard of a Saiyan on Earth, though." Shrugged Hal.

"Thanks. I'm pretty sure I'll need it." I nodded.

I actually was sure I'd need it. After all, I seriously doubted I was lucky enough that Kakarot would have landed in North America. Hell, for all I know, he landed somewhere in backwater China and was part of the Great Ten or something. Or worse, he landed in the USSR before it collapsed, and I'm walking into a Red Son Scenario. I doubted that had happened, though. After all, Hal wasn't a Space Cop in that reality, but even still, it was better to have luck and not need it than need it and not have it.

Shortly afterward, Hal exited my ship, and I frowned, trying to think of my next steps. Oan credits were no good on Earth. If they were, then Hal wouldn't have needed his day job as a test pilot and consultant for Ferris Aircraft. If I wanted to have money to live off of, I would need a source of funds that Earth accepted to start out with. That led me to the idea of mining an asteroid for gold and platinum. A quick scan of the Asteroid Belt with the Lucky Lady's Sensors had me quickly tracking down a few smaller asteroids that I mined with the use of my X-Ray Pulse Laser, though I had to dial back the power some.

Admittedly, I wouldn't have been able to jury rig my Ship's Anti-Pirate weapon into an ad-hoc mining laser if it hadn't been for the lessons that Tros Karn had given me on Field Engineering. Likewise, without Darl Veld's Piloting Lessons, I wouldn't have been able to fly the Lucky Lady well enough through the Asteroid Belt to actually get to mining at all. It was sort of funny how even after we'd separated, my Old Crew were still coming through for me. Regardless, by the time I had finished mining out some of the smaller asteroids, I had mined two, pickup truck-sized Asteroids of about four and a half standard tons of Gold and Platinum, roughly half of gold and half of platinum. A bit of time with Alchemy Circles had the ore smelted into ingots, bars, and circular, ounce-weight discs.

With the cargo hold full of precious metals, I set a course back to Earth, trying to figure out where I should land. In the end, I chose to land in Rural Delaware, half an hour or so west of Metropolis, deciding that if I was going to be an Alien on DC Earth, I might as well land near where the most well-known Alien on DC Earth lived. As the Lucky Lady touched down in a field in Sussex County, Delaware, and I headed outside, a satchel filled with round, gold, and platinum discs slung over my shoulder, I half expected the Big Blue Boy Scout to be waiting for me outside. Imagine my disappointment when he wasn't.

"Oh, well, I guess not even he can be everywhere at once." I muttered to myself.

As I made my way into town, I passed by a farmer who'd rushed out of his house with a shotgun. He even had the same glasses, mustache, and outfit on as the Eponymous Farmer with a Shotgun who'd confronted Raditz in Dragonball Canon. On a whim, I checked his Power Level using my Tuffle Scouter. As I thought, it was a five. Someone out there was playing silly buggers, I suspected Dream of the Endless, or possibly Lucifer, since he was bored enough, and powerful enough, to try something like this on a whim. Fortunately for the poor farmer, I wasn't Raditz, so when he racked in a slug and fired at me, I snatched the shotgun slug out of mid-air before crushing it and dropping it to the turf.

"Hey, easy with that. You don't know what kind of folks are out here." I tried.

"Get off my property!" Snapped the Farmer.

"Was that your field I parked in? Sorry about that. Here, for your troubles." I nodded, reaching into my satchel and pulling out a handful of pure gold discs. I handed them over to the farmer and kept on walking down the road toward the Skyscrapers and Lights of Metroplis off in the distance.

"Damn! If I'd known y'all had Gold, I'd've advertised UFO Parking sooner!" Exclaimed the Farmer as I made my way down the road.

I couldn't help but crack a grin at that. Murdering a random spooked farmer on my first day on Earth having been avoided, I kept walking. As soon as I hit the road, I began to run. Not as fast as I could have, mind you, but still fast enough for the scenery to flash by me. The farms and fields quickly turned to suburbs, which themselves quickly turned to urban areas as I hit Metropolis Proper around a minute or so after landing. As I did so, my Scouter Beeped, registering a Power Level of seven-hundred-thousand that was dropping fast by hundreds of thousands of Arcosian Power Units. Frowning, I made my way toward the indicated area as the power level dropped down to almost nothing.

As I finally arrived on the scene, I took in the sight of Superman, Big Blue Himself, looking weak and barely able to crawl on hands and knees. The reason for that was evident, as the green light shining from within a metallic housing of circuits and servos belied the Kryptonite Heart of John Corben, the Cyborg Mercenary known by his alias, Metallo. He was one of those Superman Villains that had been created in secret and then unleashed on Metropolis to try and deal with the Boy Scout in a deniable way. The only difference was that he sometimes wasn't created by Lex Luthor, but some other Scientist named Emmet Vale, depending on continuity.

"Hey, Tin Man! Why don't you fight someone who can defend themselves? What's the point in fighting an opponent who can't fight back?" I called out.

"Those are the best types of opponents!" Scoffed Metallo, turning toward me.

"Easy victories prove nothing. Where's your pride, Man?" I questioned.

"And who are you supposed to be? Some Kung Fu Wannabe?" Queried Metallo.

"Me? I'm a Warrior, unlike you." I retorted.

"Please, do you have any idea how many so-called Warriors I've killed?" Asked Metallo.

"Is that so? Then maybe you'll be a decent challenge!" I grinned.

Just after saying that, I blasted forward with a lunging, flying punch. Metallo fired a Kryptonite Laser out of the Palm of his left hand at me that splashed off my chest, doing no damage. Moments later, my knuckles met Metallo's raised arm, and the alloy metal his robotic arm was made of was sheared apart with a screech of tearing metal as my blow destroyed his arm up to the elbow. A follow-up snap kick sent him smashing through a fire hydrant, water splashing into his exposed circuitry around his still-uncovered Kryptonite heart. Metallo sparked and sizzled as the water mixed with the electricity that was his lifeblood, short-circuiting him.

"I guess not." I smirked.

"He'll just be back in a different body later, but I think that does it for Metallo right now. Thanks for the assist." Came a voice from behind me.

I turned to see Superman getting his feet back under him now that he was no longer being bathed in the green glow of Kryptonite Radiation. I nodded at him in response, internally trying not to freak out at having saved Superman.

"Not a problem. He was pissing me off with his attitude." I agreed.

"I don't think I've seen you around before. You're dressed like a Martial Artist, but you don't strike me as being with Batman out in Gotham." Remarked Superman.

"And you don't strike me as the Average Kryptonian. Mind you, I've not met any before. I've met a few Daxamites, but actual Kryptonians are a bit thin on the ground." I chuckled.

"You know about Krypton?" Questioned Superman.

"I know about a couple of things. I'm not from around here." I shrugged.

"I think you and I might want to have a chat." Frowned Superman.

"Sure thing. When?" I queried.

"Now, if you've got the time. Can you fly?" Asked Superman.

"I can. I'm not able to breathe in space, though, so if you're thinking about having a Chat on the Moon like the Lantern did, it'll have to wait for me to grab my ship." I answered.

"I don't think that will be necessary. Do you see the building with the bronze globe on the top? Meet me there." Insisted Superman.

"Sure thing." I agreed.

Then Superman lifted off, heading for the roof of the Daily Planet Building. After a brief moment to make sure the Metropolis PD had Metallo, I followed after him. Meeting Hal Jordan and Superman in one day was either lucky or someone was arranging things on a meta level. This sort of coincidence, where you meet two founding members of the Justice League within a few hours of each other, just didn't happen without a bit of narrative causality going for you. Idly, I wondered who it was doing the arranging. Either way, I supposed it didn't matter. It was happening whether it was being arranged or not. I just had to make nice with the Local heroes.

After all, I knew I damn sure that the Alternative was not going to be pretty for me. I'd arguably only beat Metallo because he seemingly hadn't implemented any Braniac Tech into himself yet, and that he'd been geared specifically toward targeting the Kryptonian weakness against Kryptonite. If Superman was convinced I was a threat, he could take me down in one punch if he wanted.

And that was something I desperately wanted to avoid. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here's the next chapter. Rugulo gets the OK to Land from Hal while also turning Hal onto the fact that the Guardians may be more than just a bit negligent, they may actually be corrupt as well. At the same time, he also makes his Earth Superhero Debut in helping Superman out against Metallo. Rugulo is lucky that this is a Post-Crisis, Pre-Infinite Crisis version of Metallo, where he's just a criminal who was turned into a Cyborg by Emmet Vale instead of being the Former US Army Sergeant who was turned into a near-indestructable Cyborg by Lex Luthor. He's also lucky that Metallo hasn't yet integrated any Braniac Tech into himself. He probably wouldn't have won, or at least won so quickly, otherwise.

At any rate, the next chapter will involve Rugulo's chat with the Big Blue Boy Scout on the roof of the Daily Planet Building. We'll also get a bit of a look at what Lex Luthor's reaction to yet another powerful alien arriving in his city is.

Stay tuned. . .