[Quest completed! Congratulations, you have received: Two doses of Superman serum (DC comics) and one All-Spark (Transformers live action) Bonus rewards: Two Kryptonian construction crystals, plant into the deep earth to create a personal retreat, complete with small scale laboratories and industrial production centres.]
Dan grinned to himself. The extra doses of Superman serum brought his total to five, but the real boon was the All-Spark. The movie version wasn’t as powerful as the others, but it would hardly matter. It was still the beating heart of Primus, the god of Cybertron. In Ultron’s hands, the cube would become the strongest weapon in his arsenal…
“Hellooo?” May waved a hand in front of his glazed eyes, concern on her face. “Are you alright?”
“Ah, sorry!” Dan laughed, hand on the back of his head. “I just completed a quest and the rewards are pretty amazing,” he raised his hand to ward off her accusations. “One of the conditions was to get you a unique pet, I kept it a secret thinking I would surprise you, but…”
“This big worm filled the condition, so there wasn’t any chance to surprise me,” May nodded as she pinched the tip of Dan’s nose. “That’s fair, but now I want a surprise pet!”
“I’ll think of something,” Dan rolled his eyes and snatched up her fingers with his own. “Now, let’s install one of the new rewards on your pet,” He withdrew a fortress crystal from his inventory and spun it before her eyes. “We can create a base inside this thing and install a world level phantom drive, it will be the perfect mobile base!”
Sekot was powerful, but Dan wanted that strength focused on the protection of future generations of Krypton. This massive worm could be used to explore dangerous locations, or function as a movable fort in times of war. The data Ultron had collected showed the creature's outer skin could survive within a star, more than enough to dominate the galaxy's battlefields.
“Fine, but I won’t have you mistreating this creature,” May shook her head as she let Dan lead her back, toward the vast caverns in the beasts depths. “It’s had a hard enough life as it is…”
She stopped as Ultron descended before them, blue-red eyes bright as he displayed the image of a gigantic monkey. Fists raised, the creature breathed a blast of energy into the air.
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“We have an emergency transmission from colony construction site one,” The A.I. zoomed the image out to reveal shattered countryside. “Young Goku has undergone an interesting transformation!”
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“Thanks for the help, kid,” the gruff Balinaka star captain tipped his polar bear head back in a laugh. “You can lift more than a Wookiee… it would have taken most of the day to unload if you hadn’t come along!”
“No problem Mr. Bear,” Goku smiled up at the tall mammal, genuine happiness in his heart. He set the tower of crates in his hands down onto the rocky soil. “My grandpa always helped out everyone he met, so I do the same!”
“That’s a good thing to do, young man,” The polar bear nodded, teeth exposed as he returned a grin. “If more people acted like you, the world would be a better place!”
“If you say so…” A deep grumble rattled Goku’s frame. Hands pressed to his bottomless stomach, he walked away from the transport, eyes peeled for any animals to hunt. “Is there any food around here… I’m starving!”
“Hmmm,” The Captain turned to rummage about in the supply crates, fuzzy rear raised to the air. “I think we’ve got some rations here… do you like dried meat…” He rose up, hands filled with silver wrapped jerky. “Goku?”
The Saiyan ignored the bear, eyes fixed on the sky. Fire rampaged in his veins, a river of rage that spilled out from the depths of his heart. A drum beat in his ears, each strike a dimmer on his entranced mind. The roar of a beast, exposed to the sky after a long imprisonment, shattered the last of his thoughts.
Goku slipped away, replaced by a beast. Hunger and rage. He would burn this world, feast on the weak until his belly was full. A twitch of movement caught his eye, a small creature as it backed into the shadow of a silver construct. The fire of anger tinted the world crimson and time sank into a blur.
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“How many people died…”
Dan held his face in an expressionless mask as he gazed over the flames and ruination. Merlyn had teleported them, but all of the newly built structures had fallen to the Great Ape’s wrath. The Saiyan was occupied a few miles to the north, rage directed at a range of mountains.
“Fifteen Balinaka, two Vernol, and all of the livestock…” Ultron’s eye flickered as he scanned the logs. “Three survivors are buried below the wreckage, I’ve already dispatched rescue drones.”
Dan nodded and rose into the air, a rush of barely controlled Ki. He forced a rhythm to his breath, drew back until his flight was smooth. More mistakes, more pointless death. He should have cut Goku’s tail on the day they met, but he wanted to experiment with the Saiyan’s transformation.
“Get them help, and get a list of the victims families,” Dan set his gaze onto the Great Ape’s back and clenched his fists. “I’ll visit them myself when we’re finished here.”
A burst of Ki launched him toward his target, something he could channel his disappointment and rage against. Goku’s power would be greater than Raditz, if the ten times multiplier held true. A victory by force was impossible, but the ape was stupid. He would bet on his cold wrath, over the monkey’s animal ferocity.
“Dan!” May rose to follow, but Ultron held her back. “Let me go, you stupid A.I.”
“I’m afraid I've been ordered to keep you at a safe distance,” Ultron sighed. “Your husband is determined to suffer for his mistakes…”