(Meanwhile)
On the far side of the universe, outside of the four quadrants governed by both Otherworld and the Kais, there drifted a region of space divided from all the others. Overseen by neither one of the Gods and made up of a series of irregular and spiral galaxies, the residents of this wild and untamed domain carried on with their lives like every other world. However, unlike the four quadrants and the empires within them, the communities of this realm followed a completely different sort of banner, one that struck fear into the hearts of all those who knew the ruler's name.
Deep inside the expanse of stars and clusters, orbiting a bright, orange sun of an unknown system, an enormous fleet of around a hundred ships was stationed. Scattered throughout the area, yet staying within sight of the command vessel, the armada consisted of an assortment of triangle shaped cruisers, each one estimated to be around 1,600 meters in length, with dark grey hulls, enormous ion engines on the back, and bridges standing atop heavily fortified spires at the stern, allowing for optimal visibility in all directions. Each vessel being designed for planetary invasions and manned by crews of up to thirty thousand strong, these ships were also under the escort of hundreds of smaller craft that were shaped like arrow heads, all of which were about the size your average jet fighter.
Needless to say, it was an impressive display of military might and firepower.
However, the most outstanding vessel out of all the craft present there, was the commander's ship itself. About fifteen times larger than any of the other battleships at a whopping 20,000 meters in length, this monstrous dreadnaught not only looked the most heavily defended, but was also the most heavily armed, with a crew of up to two hundred thousand, thirteen massive engines propelling it through space, and what looked like a small city built across its top deck. It also had a massive tower closest to the rear, with the captain's bridge allowing a grand view of the vessel, the fleet, and the entirety of space itself.
The vessel cut through space like a knife, striking terror into the hearts of any civilization it invaded. However, due to the random nature of the fleet's formation, it was plainly obvious that the armada wasn't invading any planets or systems at this stage. In fact, they were currently on standby, and listening out for any chatter that may interest the commander of this grand attack force.
The leader could be identified by the insignia that he had inscribed on the hull of every single one of his ships, which took the form of a black fist surrounded by a golden helix. It was the symbol of his great empire.
Standing on the bridge of the command vessel in front of the triangle shaped windows, which formed a wide arc around the entire room, the hulking, muscular form of the heavily armored, grey-skinned tyrant Varax, could be seen gazing out into space. With his metallic, clawed hands held firmly behind his back and his red eyes piercing the infinite night, the man not only looked the part of a leader, but also a dangerous and imposing foe.
Behind him, across the floor plan of the vessel's helm, dozens of aliens dressed in officer's uniforms could be seen manning the computers, all of whom were performing under the watch of large, black, bipedal robots with red visors and attack gauntlets.
The platoon of aliens weren't any ordinary ones though. Far from it. While all of them resembled races one would easily recognize in Frieza's and King Cold's army, all of the personnel walking around the bridge had metallic parts and electronics jacked into their flesh, most of which took the form of armor plating slapped over their clothes. This gave them the appearance of the most well dressed Borg army you'd ever seen.
Their current states and appearances was all thanks to the generosity of their great master, who'd not only experimented and modified all of them, but had forced them all into his servitude by turning them into an army of obedient cyborgs.
It was an eerie sight, especially when all those with cybernetic eyes could be seen as glowing red dots in the shadowy parts of the room.
While the personnel went about their business in monitoring the ship, the navy, and the system they were currently stationed in, the boss and Commander in Chief of the fleet continued scanning his quadrant; the Helix Realm. Overseeing its entirety with a keen eye and an open kind, the cybernetic giant of an emperor twiddled his fingers expectantly, while also considering some of the big plans he had in development in the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind. These schemes of his not only involved the rulers of the other quadrants, but the entirety of the universe itself. For someone of his power and capability, it meant no shortage of trouble for those who defended this reality and called it their home.
However, just as Varax was in the midst of his meditation and was about to arrive at an important juncture, a sudden jolt of electricity in the back of his mind had his head cock upwards and his eyes narrow. His red irises focusing on a distant star system far beyond his sight, an irritable growl soon left his throat as he then focused on the source of the disturbance.
"There it is again," he whispered in his gargling tone of voice.
For the second time that month, a powerful energy signature, unlike anything anyone had ever felt within their universe before, had once again appeared like a ghostly blip on the radar. Not only was it immense, but it was potent, pungent, and toxic, something he was certain even the Gods could feel from their respective home worlds. However, despite its overwhelming sensation and soul crushing quantity, no mortal on this plain of existence was able to detect it, save for only a handful that was capable of picking up celestial energy.
What's more, it didn't belong to a planet, a sun, or anything else along those lines. No.
This energy signature belonged to a person.
"I sense… a presence…" Varax murmured, honing in on the very spot he sensed the signature originate from and had now vanished like mist on the wind, "A presence I… haven't felt since…" It was after a couple more seconds of discreet observation and deliberation the alien's red eyes widened, before a dark smirk formed underneath the breathing apparatus covering the lower part of his face. "Ahh… it's her."
"The lost one from another universe…"
Just before he could fully comprehend the magnitude and excitement of his discovery, the sound of footsteps stopping behind him quickly ripped his attention away from the cosmos and towards the blue, diminutive alien now standing behind him.
It was the admiral of the fleet, as indicated by his white uniform and multi-colored badge on his chest.
"Excuse me, Lord Varax."
The giant alien sneered and turned, making a loud metallic stomp at the same time, "What is it?"
"Prisoner zero… she is… awake, sir," the admiral continued, his robotic voice all a treble despite it being completely monotone.
Knowing exactly what the officer meant by that statement, Varax allowed a grunt to leave his lips as he turned completely and began marching down the walkway. "Move the fleet to sector seventy two and continue monitoring the system for unusual activity. Notify me of any changes," the tyrant growled, at the same time he pushed past the much smaller man on his way down the gangway.
"Yes, master," the blue cyborg stammered, bowing to the warlord as the Korgoth stomped towards the exit.
All officers and personnel currently on that bridge, and working tirelessly away at the monitors, watched Varax leave with a terrified glimmer in their eyes. Even the robots standing guard at the doors stiffened to attention when their boss walked passed them. It was when he finally vacated the room completely that a semblance of peace quickly returned, allowing the admiral to take control of the situation and pick up where the rest of them had left off.
As for Varax, it didn't take long for the all-powerful alien tyrant to get where he was going. A quick trip in the elevator and a brisk stroll down the hall of hangar lined windows, all of which were filled with countless ships and mechs, and the commander soon arrived at the entrance to his laboratory. Safely secured behind a huge, thick set of metal doors, the man was able to access it simply by walking up to the sensors and allowing the computers to scan his signature. The instant it did, the doors opened and the lights that'd previously been switched off beyond the barrier flipped right back on. In a matter of moments, the room where the warlord conducted most of his personal business was back online and operating at full function.
Hemispherical in design, with a smooth, metallic surface all around, there were clear tanks of multiple-colored fluid set up against the walls beside various computer terminals and machines, with a single table in the center and a spotlight hanging over it. When the giant alien stomped passed it and towards the back wall, he soon unveiled another part of the chamber from the shadows, which looked like some sort of custom-made turbine hooked up to a bunch of monitors with a heavyset frame. In front of this massive and highly sophisticated engine, dangling several feet above the ground, were enormous restraining devices and, hanging between them with her arms and legs locked by the machine's arms, was the familiar, red-furred form of Set: the Goddess of Storms.
Still adorned in the uniform she'd been captured in with all her bits intact, the woman looked even worse than she had been coming out of her fight against Gohan. Not only was the goddess's fur all ruffled with burn marks visible all over, she also had multitudes of scars covering her front and back, giving her the appearance that she'd been whipped and tortured constantly for the past few months.
It didn't help that she had a series of syringes and drilling devices suspended all around her from the machine she was plugged into, and were all pointing in her direction. This gave credibility to the fact that she had bought the brunt of whatever horrific experiences the alien tyrant had subjected her to.
And, for the hundredth time that cycle, it appeared he was back to continue administering his good work.
Stopping in front of the crucified woman, with his eyes hovering perfectly level with her face on account of his ridiculous height, Varax watched as the broken fox woman's body twitched into life. A groan escaping her throat as she slowly regained consciousness, the bruised and beaten goddess then looked up at the alien, revealing a face covered in dried blood and one eye shut in pain.
When he saw that he had the woman's full and undivided attention, the giant grey alien in the respirator stared back at her for several moments before turning to his left. "You've certainly become quite obedient over the last few weeks." Varax then began walking towards the wall, his large, metallic legs making a loud 'whir' and 'clang' noise with every step. "The anti-energy binds are also doing a superb job at holding you in place. That means I don't have to exert any effort in keeping you on a leash."
Hearing his garbled voice loud and clear, the red haired vixen sneered. "Even if I could move… it wouldn't do me any good," Set groaned weakly.
Varax chuckled and, sparing a glance back at his prisoner, stopped beside one of his many computer terminals positioned against the wall. "I'm happy to hear that. You're finally starting to understand the complete futility of your situation." Reaching out, the Korgoth typed into the key pad with his sharp fingers, causing a series of interconnecting, maze-like lights to spring up along the wall. This was immediately followed by a loud humming sound from the turbine that the goddess was jacked into, indicating something had been switched on. "I believe that that's my cue to start the next phase of my experiments."
The woman spat. "What the hell… are you planning?"
Turning his back on the deity and seemingly ignoring her, the alien continued tapping away at his computer screen for a few more seconds. Once he was done writing in the code, he then began to speak once again. "Being one of the longest living goddesses in history and one of the most knowledgeable and educated amongst your kin, you should know that there are three main super powers that govern this universe."
As his fingers danced away and the wall surrounding the chamber continued to light up one section after the other, the Korgoth spared a momentary glance back at the woman and smirked.
"There are the Gods, both good and evil, who are charged with overseeing the balance of creation and destruction across the cosmos, and employ the services of the Kais and the Planet Trade Organization, to assist them with a majority of their labors. Then there are the Titans, the original deities who aided in the construction of our world, and are responsible for ensuring the laws that hold the universe together are protected, preserved, and maintained. And then, finally, there are the Dragons, capricious beings created from enormous masses of energy, and are considered forces of nature that can bend the laws of creation to their will. They represent the binding influence of spirit and power in the cosmos. This is the case for most of, if not all the universes in existence, as these factions are a constant across all of the known realities."
The alien then turned back to look at his computer and continued to type absently into the screen. "Some universes have all three, some only have one or two, and other worlds may have none at all. But in this world, all these elements come together like spokes on a wheel, working tirelessly to ensure the cycle of power keeps on turning." Varax then slapped his entire palm against the pad, ending the program and causing the rest of the nodes across his laboratory wall to light up. As soon as it did, the man glared back at the goddess, who he could see was hanging off of his every word. "I intend to break that wheel."
Set, gritting her teeth at the detestable tyrant's words, threw the man a hateful scowl. "And how pray tell… do you hope to accomplish that?"
Still conveying an air of confidence and superiority, the Korgoth turned to face the woman with his hands behind his back and a menacing gleam in his blood red eyes. "The Gods of this universe are recognized for their ability to manipulate the coveted form of energy known as Godly ki, which grants them unbelievable power and the ability to influence both time and space. It is the ultimate expression of overwhelming force." Varax then placed a hand over his armored chest and allowed the center piece to light up an eerie purple. This caused Set to recoil in pain when his negative ki began to flood the air and violently affect her energy. "My power however is different. Unlike you so-called Gods, my body represents the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and self-sacrifice. Millions of years of fighting, training, learning, and testing my limitations have allowed me to accomplish feats no other mortal has ever achieved before. My will and ambition is unyielding… and is the ultimate expression of individual perseverance."
Confusion racked the vixen as she remained drawn up between the machine's arms and glaring across at her captor. "Where exactly are you going with this?"
A grunt soon followed her question as Varax began to pace in a thoughtful and methodical manner. "Let me tell you a little story… one that I'm sure you've heard at least once before in passing. It's a tale about a little group of deities, and their battle against a deranged alchemist and one of the greatest threats ever seen by mortals." Stopping on one side of the lab, the alien looked up towards the ceiling and began his recount. "Long ago, about five million years before the age, a powerful wizard from the distant edge of the universe named Bibidi first appeared. With him he brought a terrible monster of his own creation, whose one and only purpose was to destroy. The name of that monster was Majin Buu."
Eyes widening a little at the announcement, the fox woman then looked up at the tyrant with an expression of surprise slapped across her face. "Wait a second… I've heard of that name before."
"I'd be surprised if you didn't," Varax remarked, turning around and continuing to pace around the room. "This creature had no feelings or conscience. He was designed as an instrument of fear and terror, with a single desire to eliminate all living things… and he was very good at it. With Majin Buu under his control, Bibidi set about the systematic destruction of all life in the cosmos. Hundreds of planets were reduced to rubble and entire galaxies were erased from existence. No force could withstand his evil power. Eventually… the creature's rampage drew the attention of the Kais, who rallied together in an attempt to stop the creature. One after the other they fell to the beast's might, attempting to repress his strength by allowing him to absorb them, until only one of them remained. In the end, their strategy to overwhelm the monster with their collective power and influence was successful. The last Supreme Kai then waited patiently until Buu was eventually sealed away by his master for his hibernation cycle, which gave the surviving deity the opportunity to kill Bibidi once and for all. The egg that contained the abomination, the creature that was responsible for bringing down an entire generation of Kais, was soon lost to the ages on an unknown, backwater planet."
Listening closely to the alien's story brought a grunt of annoyance from the dog woman, who continued to follow him around the room with her eyes. He had incredibly intimate knowledge of this story and with every word he spoke, Varax invoked a new memory from inside the woman, who had also heard of this tale many, many years ago. After he was done, Set soon remembered everything and narrowed her eyes on the Korgoth.
"Good riddance. The universe can do with one less wannabe God of Destruction. He was a nuisance and a pest. I'm glad that the Supreme Kai managed to stop him."
"This is the story that most people know as the origins of Majin Buu and the truth behind his legacy," Varax continued, the alien stopping in his tracks with his back turned to the goddess. At that moment, when the alien looked over his shoulder and glared across at his audience, a shiver of fright ran up Set's spine when she saw the look of deviousness reflected in his irises. "While a majority of it is true… it is not the full story." When the vixen witnessed the man's leer, she then watched as he turned to face her once more and began telling the next chapter. "Most of the people who are familiar with this recount believe that it was Bibidi who made the creature and set the beast loose upon the universe. But the truth is that the one called 'Majin Buu' was not created by him, at least… not the Bibidi everyone knew. You see… the original wizard who created Buu existed a hundred million years before the age, in a time when the universe was still young… as were the races and deities that inhabited it. The wizard that existed back then, who was also named Bibidi, was able to prolong his life through generations upon generations of clones, where each copy was raised as an offspring of the one before him, allowing the wizard to continue his lineage and develop his craft for over several millennia. The knowledge of how to summon the creature Majin Buu was also passed down through Bibidi's clones, allowing the magician to call upon the beast after every cycle."
"What an interesting fairytale," Set grumbled indignantly, her eyes narrowed firmly upon the man as he elaborated on the creature's history.
It was then Varax raised a finger in a pointing gesture. "But here is where it gets even more interesting. Since Majin Buu's one and only instinct was to destroy everything in his path, the next question you have to ask is… why was Majin Buu created in the first place?" When he saw the puzzled look come over the vixen's expression, the Korgoth lowered his arm and smirked. "What possible reason could a wizard, with no outstanding celestial powers, have to produce a monster with the sole purpose of wiping out all life in the cosmos, with no hopes of recreating it? Well… I'll tell you why. You see, over a hundred million years ago, an ambitious young genius from the planet Gon commissioned the maniacal wizard Bibidi to create a body for him that was not only capable of supernatural and regenerative powers, but was also immortal and able to change its shape to whatever it pleased at a moment's notice. It was an incredibly volatile process and the formulas behind it were ludicrously complicated, but the wizard accepted the challenge and promised the man a final product at the end of the season. The alchemist worked tirelessly day and night for decades creating this body, and when the time came for the great unveiling, the gifted magician's use had run its course… and so did his sanity. When the genius from Gon came by the alchemist's secret lab to collect his prize, the wizard turned his creation on him and blew the young warrior's body to kingdom come, before releasing the beast upon the universe." When the alien saw the goddess's eyes widen, a low chuckle left the hulking alien's lips. "Figured it out yet?"
"You were the one that hired Bibidi to create Majin Buu?"
The tyrant nodded his head affirmatively. "That's right." Turning his back on the woman, Varax then continued to speak. "I was a full, flesh and blood Korgoth back then, and even though I lacked the same great intellect and strength I have now, I still craved power and longevity. In order to make my ultimate dream of ruling the cosmos a reality, I gave Bibidi the rarest, most malleable element in the universe; a heap of pink matter that traveled between worlds, destroying and absorbing them in the form of an unconscious mass of fluid, and cycled between violent rampages and hibernation. This was Majin Buu's raw, untainted form; a substance with no name that existed since the beginning of the universe. I asked him to stabilize the agent and transform it into a perfect, immortal body that I could inhabit and live a long, eternal life. When I went to the wizard's place to claim what was rightfully mine after the procedure was completed, the retched alchemist attempted to kill me with the very entity I sought to own for myself." Varax growled at that last part as memories of that moment rushed through his head, prompting him to place a hand painfully to his temple. "In most universes where Majin Buu existed, I was killed by Bibidi, and my story in those alternate realities ended in the dark pits of his laboratory. But in other worlds, I managed to survive the unfortunate encounter… and spent the next million years in a healing tank, where I was slowly built and transformed into the cybernetic abomination you see standing before you." He then gestured to himself, showing the goddess his muscular form impaled by metallic prosthetic implants and robotic components. "Now that I'm back, I plan on making things right by reclaiming my lost property and taking my place as ruler of this cosmic cesspool by force."
Gritting her teeth angrily, Set thrashed against her binds, only to give up moments later when she didn't budge an inch. "Even if you do manage to get Majin Buu's body, there's no way in hell you'll be strong enough to conquer the universe! That freak alone wasn't enough to even warrant the attention of Whis and Beerus!"
Varax grunted at the woman's retort. "In order to stabilize the element, Bibidi wrapped the matter around the body of a child, enabling it to gain a form of semi-consciousness. In essence, what the wizard ended up creating was an artificial Magic God… a Demon… a Majin; the second most perfect organism in the universe, which could heal from any injury and change its shape to whatever it saw fit. When the Charon created Esdraelon, they foolishly made the mistake of giving the creature too much free will, meaning the beast would never tire and never stop, no matter how much punishment it took. Not even I would be able to stop it. Bibidi however, modified Majin Buu's DNA by giving him an 'off' switch, allowing him to seal the creature away and put it into a forced state of hibernation if it became too unruly." Hands being held behind his back once again, the cyborg tyrant looked upon his prisoner with a smile. "I studied Bibidi's original notes on Majin Buu and learned everything there was to know about our creation. That means there are now only two people in the universe who know how to fully control the pink monstrosity and utilize its abilities to its fullest potential: me and the original Bibidi." He then raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. "Even if it takes me a thousand years to find it, once I reclaim Majin Buu, I will use his DNA to manufacture a perfect, immortal army, and use his powers to conquer all of creation. Once I do… nothing, not even the Titans or the Dragons, will be able to stop me."
When the goddess heard his declaration, all she felt at first was fear and terror. However, once she processed everything he had to say, the woman then allowed a sly grin to form across her lips. Even though she was chained up, defenseless, and practically at the tyrant's mercy, the strong-willed vixen couldn't help but get in one more shot at him.
"Good luck," Set wheezed in a ragged voice. "Like you said… Majin Buu's egg has been missing for over five million years. I doubt you'll be able to find it… even if you had another hundred million cycles… which I doubt you do."
Staring the woman down as she leered back at him, the bulky Korgoth with the respirator kept his fist held up for several tense seconds. Then, after processing the Dio-jin's words, the man lowered his arm and smirked, an expression that put a very uncomfortable feeling in Set's stomach. "You're right. I may never be able to find it. For all I know… it could be lost in the deepest recesses of space; drifting through the cosmos like an asteroid. But even if its location is unknown to me… that doesn't mean I can't move on with Plan B."
Doing an about face, the man then stomped his way over to the central table. It was here he reached down and pressed a button, allowing a panel from underneath to slide out. While his prisoner watched him wearily from where she was hanging, the man reached into the compartment and pulled something out.
"There are plenty of other life forms in the four quadrants that I can use to clone a slave army and use their powers for myself." Holding the device up nice and high, Varax then looked over his shoulder and leered at his prisoner. "If I plan on bringing down the Gods some day, I have to be as ready as I possibly can be to face them. And what better place to start then by finding out more about their weaknesses through the goddess that I have now?"
At first appearing confused, Set suddenly let out a scream of agony when a powerful current of electricity suddenly shot through her entire body. The turbine behind her humming loudly as it hit her with the charge of over a million volts, the woman's body lit up blue as her entire form was toasted from the inside-out by the surge of power. Once the current stopped, the red-haired vixen slumped forward and panted heavily.
Vision blurring out as she nearly lost consciousness, the woman then looked up when she heard Varax's footsteps approaching and saw his shadow appear in her line of sight.
"I was originally a scientist on my home world, tasked with advancing our technology and providing comfort for my people. Progress was made through a combination of trial and error, as well as continuous experimentation, hard work, and monitoring of all processes. That makes me a kind of doctor in a way; meticulously fiddling with his subjects to make sure everything went according to plan."
When Set eventually looked upon her captor, her eyes widened in horror when she saw he was carrying a laser powered scalpel; a device that surgeons often used in the hospital when cutting open patients. Seeing the tyrant brandishing it with one hand and a syringe in the other not only drew a whimper from the woman, but also had the vixen tremble on the spot.
Smirking at the look of pure terror in the vixen's eyes, the cyborg emperor leered as he raised the tools. "And since I am a doctor… I think I will perform some surgery."
In a matter of moments, screams and howls of pain filled the entire ship from bow to stern, with Set's voice being loud enough for even the drones on the top levels of the bridge to hear.
If the cyborg officers and the robots on the vessel's bridge could feel anything for real, there's no doubt that even they would be shivering at the cries being emanated by Varax's prisoner.
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