Settling In & Changes (1)

(Author Note: Sorry about the late chapter. Family matters. Nothing bad--actually had a birthday to attend to. Bad thing, however, is that I had to babysit my family members who got too drunk. I was awake for 28 solid hours by the time I was done, so when I went to sleep there was no hope of me waking up. Hence why the chapter came out late.

Onto other things, some of the people who open this book just don't read the synopsis, do they? Bloody hell. Granted, I'll admit, quite a few of the people who've spoken up in the comments have actually explained their reasonings and given me constructive criticism. So thank you, for those of you who have, but also thank you for all the people supporting me and giving me motivation to continue writing. It kinda sucks when people keep shitting on the MC or the premise for the book but thanks to the majority of you giving support I'm able to continue writing. Sincerely, you have my upmost thanks. Now, enough of the mushy, sappy crap. Onto the chapter!)

Sweat dripped down my face from the exertion, the salty-water stinging my eyes whenever it found it's way into my innocent sclera.

It'd been a week and a few days since I first entered the gym and ever since, I'd stayed true to my thoughts on that day and spent most of my time here. Every day was a day of growth and breaking my limits.

I remembered how much I hated it in my previous life. The soreness, the pain from a bad session, the burning sensation during the session--all but the last had disappeared. Soreness was gone after a goodnight's sleep, there was no pain when your body was as inordinately durable as a Saiyan's was and the burning sensation? It took on an almost pleasurable feel. Almost. But the act of training made me happy. It was strange. Weird. Odd. I should be freaking out but for the first time since I got to this universe, I took it in stride and accepted it.

After all, you can't hope to survive a place like this without sacrificing a few things.

So, after nine days of exercise, my clean and jerk max has rose from five tons to eleven*. I hadn't just been doing the clean and jerk over and over either. I'd been doing every exercise I could remember and doing everything I could to work out every muscle on my body.

(*A/n - Goku struggled to lift 40 tons in DBZ but it was an inconsistency in the story. So I've made a few changes to Saiyans. Meaning he'll eventually grow beyond that even in his base form.)

My body felt fresh - like a clean slate that hadn't been used before but it was bursting with potential. With the potential for growth unending. Which explains the explosive growth. But it was slowing down, ever so gently, and in a weeks time I'll probably be making less gains. Not because the weights here aren't enough - they're definitely enough - but because I wasn't consolidating my gains in the first place.

Saiyans weren't the perfect gym-monkey race. They were the perfect warrior-monkey race. Training was only a part of who they were while fighting made up the rest. I needed a real fight, as weird as that sounded to my post-Human sensibilities, and I needed enough of a fight to help break the limit imposed on my body by itself. If I showed my body it couldn't stop growing explosively, it would listen.

That's just how Saiyan's are. Their body listens and adapts to the situation around them. My mind knew it, so it was time for the body to catch on too.

Which is why even after a rigorous workout, I was still in the gym, training. But not my body this time. No, I was exercising my Ki and my control over it.

After all, Ki was more useful than even a Saiyan body in a fight. Ki could enhance your body. Ki could be used to produce energy attacks capable of piercing through a moon or a planet. Ki could be used to produce clones of yourself for training or fighting. Ki had many uses and it was by far the deadliest weapon in my arsenal.

I'd already figured out how to do the first thing. I could enhance my body so that it was three times stronger, harder and quicker. Which was only the beginning - it's lacking amount of enhancement was purely because of my lacking Ki Control. If I tried any higher than a 3x multiplier my Ki would break from my control, overload my body and cause damage. So here I was, cross-legged and held up by nothing but my tail as I started my meditation with deep breathing exercises.

In and out. I searched for my Ki and it jumped to my attention like an overly excited puppy. In and out. I guided it throughout my body and laid the foundations of a structure. In and out. It flowed through my body and held in certain places as it reinforced them. In and out. Through my bones, through my muscles and through my skin before it conjured a barrier of white energy armor around me. In and out.

I held the reinforcement at the very edge before it would overload. The excitable puppy was gone when I got the Ki to this state. Replacing it was a rabid and hungry Wolf that was begging to be released so it could commit whatever destruction it wanted to.

Yet I held it and opened my eyes.

Despite the wild aura around me, I could see clearer than ever before. I lifted one of my hands, that had been laying listlessly on my crossed legs, and focused what energy I could into it. The aura around that hand became more intense and messy but before it could hurt my hand - I'd learnt that lesson a few days ago - I pushed the extra energy out of my hand so that it collected above my palm.

And it did so. The energy collected into a ball that hovered, shakily, above my upturned hand. The yellow energy ball shook and the sphere wasn't form perfectly. It's shape was shaky, rippling like water and pieces of the energy came off the ball in arcs. Like solar arcs.

It was pretty...but inefficient.

The energy ball floated up from my hand, moving from side to side or struggling to lift up from my palm. But it still rose a foot above my hand before it equally as shakily orbited around me. I produced a second ball of energy above my palm and this one was enough less stable. Smaller too. But it was a marathon, not a sprint - that's what I told myself with every setback, every struggle. Marathon, not a sprint.

Of course I wanted to get stronger as quickly as possible but none of that meant jack shit if I didn't make sure my foundations were good. If I didn't make sure I was doing it right. Until I could do this exercise perfectly, I wouldn't move on from it.

...Though I say right, I had no clue if this was the proper way to get better at controlling Ki but it was getting easier to hold the Ki Enhancement and push it's limits. Maybe a week more and I could make the enhancement even better. Ki Control made certain characters so much stronger because they could enhance their bodies as much as they could without damage and because their Ki usage was as efficient as possible - it'd take a long while but I wanted to reach that point one day.

I *would* reach that point one day.

With that in mind, the second energy orb floated up and joined the first as it began to orbit me. Feeling the mental strain of keeping so much Ki controlled and in use, I closed my eyes and returned to my breathing pattern.

My tail, purposefully left without any Ki Enhancement, shook under the combined weight of myself and the high-tech dumbbell resting in my lap. It was set to one-and-a-half tons. This was a much longer training session than my tail was used to. Which was good. It proved I was lasting longer and longer each time I did this Ki Control/Tail combo training.

One thing I never wanted to feel again was the pain and paralysis of having my tail touched. Ever. It was humiliating to have such a weak point. Then I remembered that it was mentioned somewhere that Saiyans can train that weakness out of the tail. Don't remember how they did it or even if it was mentioned...but I guessed that it'd work like the rest of my body. Saiyan logic, really. So I just used it to lift things every now and then over the last nine days while progressively increasing the weight of what I was lifting.

Thankfully, it seemed to work. At the start, it hurt like a bitch if I tried to force the process but just like everything else that's a part of a Saiyan body, the tail adapted to the conditions.

Still wasn't perfect and I'd rather never touch my tail or have it touched by others but it didn't send me into fits of pain mixed with a dash of paralysis anymore. It felt uncomfortable, sure, but I could handle it. You'd be surprised how much innate pain tolerance a Saiyan has even for their tail once they've strengthened it a little bit.

"Increase weight to two tons," I said slowly. Knowing they wouldn't also be able to look over me when I work out and work the controls, I'd asked Wonder Woman if there were any alternatives. There were, in fact, alternatives. Turns out the weights can be given vocal commands but you need to be keyed into the system - I just had to say a few things into a microphone and bam, I was put into the system. After making Wonder Woman use her lasso on herself and promise she or the League wouldn't use my voice or likeness for nefarious means.

While she was slightly exasperated by the request, she did it anyway and gave the promise. It wasn't perfect - she didn't know what Batman might do - but I at least knew she was now honor-bound. Or whatever mattered to her. She made the promise, so I let it settle for now.

What mattered more was training and being able to train whenever I wanted to.

The weight increased as I thought, slowly. It was a safety measure for when you use the weights alone and with the voice commands. If it ever got too much, you could just call out for the weight to stop increasing.

...I will neither confirm nor deny if that exact thing happened to me. My lips are sealed.

As the weight reached two tons, my tail was visibly shaking and the uncomfortable feeling I was familiar with by now crawled up my spine. I ignored it and the exhaustion in my tail, choosing to focus on my Ki.

But even that was suffering from the time I'd held the exercise. Using my Ki at max power was quickly eating into my reserves but even I was surprised I'd lasted this long. Not because my Ki reserves were small but because the more things you try to do with Ki at the same time, the quicker your Ki runs out. If I was just focused on Ki Enhancement without trying to push it beyond my limit, I could keep going for way, waaay longer.

Training for a long time wasn't my focus, however. This type of exercise rapidly depletes my Ki but also enhances the reserves once they've fully recovered. I get the same results if I just use one type of Ki Control exercise but the more I add, the better the result seems to be.

Regardless of how much I wanted to continue, my Ki finally gave out and I slowly lowered myself to the ground with my tail, "Turn weight off," I took in deep breaths. Sweat covered my frame and I could feel myself getting extremely hungry - shower and then to the cafeteria.

Picking the weight up, I felt a Ki signature approaching the training room/gym.

A technique I'd picked up pretty easily after a few minutes of concentration. It was really just sensing your own Ki...but outside and in other people. Hard to explain just like it's hard explaining to people how to sense their Ki. I mean, if I ever tried which I wasn't likely to. I wasn't good at sensing differences in Ki signature though.

So the person approaching was either Batman, Black Canary or Green Arrow. Couldn't be Superman or Wonder Woman because both of them had sizable Ki reserves but not nearly big enough when compared to how strong I knew they were. I chalked it up to Superman not really having his muscles to thank for his super strength* - his powers come from the energy of a Yellow Sun reacting with his cells. Wonder Woman, however, I'd say it's either because she's a divine being and her power is because of that or I just can't sense her true amount of Ki.

(*A/n - Even the DC wiki says that Superman's strength isn't actually physical. It's more of an act of will. Like an Esper's tactile telekinesis or a reality bender. Which explains why the stuff he picks up doesn't break under it's own weight.)

Walking around the corner and stopping in front of the gym doors for them to open, I saw Black Canary. I sighed in response. I knew I said I'd give her counseling a try but I had stuff to do. Like shower and eat before resting a little and then getting back to training.

I caught the objects she'd casually thrown and me, looking to my hand to see what they were. Scowling, I not so calmly ripped one open with my mouth and began eating the ultra-dense nutrient bar. Three of them. Apparently they'd been made for Metahumans or Aliens who have dietary needs far beyond a human in terms of calories needed on a daily basis.

Even three of them can leave me feeling satisfied for a short whole. Drawback? They taste crap. Or rather, they don't taste of *anything* which is basically what makes eating so much fun.

Still, I wouldn't turn down food. What kind of Saiyan would I be if I did?

Roughly chomping the first bar down, I looked to Black Canary, "I don't have time for a session today. Need to shower, rest and train some more later before I do some reading."

Reading about the world and history, mainly. Knowledge is also power, after all.

"Hm," she hummed in reply before sitting down on a nearby bench, "I was actually thinking of helping out with your training." I tossed a glance her way, so she continued, "Wonder Woman spoke to me about your request to her. Asked me to help you out if I had the time. I was thinking of a way for you to blow off steam and fighting is the best way for a young man like you."

"I'm 23," I replied deadpan, having said the same thing to her many times over the last nine days. Sadly, I did seem younger by an indiscernible amount. Maybe 18? 19? Not much of a decrease but it had added some youthfulness to my face--why did I look so old at 23 goddammit?--but I moved passed that and continued, "And I ask Wonder Woman that request in confidence. I didn't need her to ask you or anyone else for assistance in my training," I scowled before ripping open the second nutrient bar and beginning to eat it.

She gave a professionally gentle smile and replied, "Did you always feel so against help before you came to this universe?"

I rolled my eyes, "Obviously not. I asked the League for help, after all," I finished the nutrient bar and opened the last one. I stopped and looked to Black Canary, eyes narrow, "And stop trying to psychoanalyze me. This isn't a session."

"Alright, alright," she held her hands up in surrender, "Wonder Woman only told me because I asked about potentially helping your training. If you want my assistance, I'm offering it."

"Can you hold up against Wonder Woman in terms of qualifications? I looked her up in the history books. She's got, at least, a century of experience. What about you?" I asked before shoving the last nutrient bar into my mouth and swallowing it with one big gulp.

She lifted a finger to her chin and tapped it a few times, "Well, I'm considered one of the best hand-to-hand fighters in the world. Trained by the best, including Wonder Woman. So I know what I'm doing if that's what you're asking. I know how Wonder Woman trains people and unless you've got some experience, she'll eat you alive," she warned but I couldn't stop myself from sneering in response.

Training had helped mellow the urges, but only a little. I also felt myself merging more and more with my Saiyan state of being which was making the urges come more and more naturally. I was unsure how to feel about it but I didn't have the leisure to feel too tense or worried about it.

Only time would tell if it turned out to be a good or bad thing.

"I'm sure I could survive," I replied with a confident smirk before it dropped and I sighed, "But I'd appreciate the help if you are indeed offering it. But I can't train right now, even if I want to. I need to have a shower and recover."

I needed help, first and foremost, for combat training. After all, even Goku got help. If it's good enough for the Saiyan who mastered Ultra Instinct, it's good enough for me.

"I'm sure I could survive your smell, Ethan. It's not gonna be a serious fight either, so don't worry if you can't perform too well because of your fatigue," she laughed before standing up and hooking her thumb over her shoulder, "Let's go over there. I'm sure you've seen the sparring grounds?"

I had. Nodding, I stood up and left the wrappers for the bars behind - they had automated cleaning for all the rooms and it'd get recycled soon enough. Walking next to Black Canary, the both of us entered the ring and she gazed at me with a wary look, "We're not fighting properly here. Just sparring and me teaching, so don't fry my face off all of a sudden, okay?"

"Sure thing," I grinned, knowing exactly what this was. It was a spar. But it was also a fight, no matter how casual Black Canary wanted to make it seem. I wouldn't wanna go all out from the get-go even if I had the choice. After all, this would be the first fight I'd had since getting here. My blood felt like it was about to boil itself right out of my body and my heartbeat spiked as I felt whatever tiredness in my body evaporate into thin air.

My Saiyans instincts, for one of the first times, were allowed to let loose completely. Black Canary could handle it. If she couldn't? The medical ward wasn't too far from here.

"Ready--" she just about got out before I burst force, leading with a front kick like I was a certain King who was the leader of a certain City State in Greece. Black Canary pivoted on her foot, sidestepping the kick but I'd known the attack wouldn't hit her. Out of nowhere or what, she was a League member. If someone trained by Wonder Woman got caught off guard like that...

I'd be extremely disappointed.

I followed through with my momentum and slammed my leading foot down into the ground, spinning on the front part of my foot and whipping my other leg around in the form of a spinning back kick.

Never had I been so fluid before. The movements coach had taught me had never jumped to me so quickly before. They'd never felt so natural before. But now everything flowed through me like I was a conduit for some greater being. My body followed my commands like they were the word of God and despite the frenzy in my head, my thoughts were concise and to the point.

Black Canary showed her expertise and ducked under the kick before returning the attack with an uppercut aimed right at my chin.

I wasn't some combat messiah in my past life. I only ever took up going to Coach's gym because of my sister and my therapist thinking I needed a physical hobby to help with my dour moods. My achievements in MMA amounted to a few spars with people who would go on to become UFC fighters and they battered me in those spars. I wasn't the strongest or the most technical and I certainly wasn't the most talented.

But right now, I wasn't the past me. I'd been reminded of that every day I woke up and felt my tail. Or when I lifted ungodly amounts of weight or when I didn't feel sore the day after doing that.

That change showed itself now as I didn't overthink when I saw her counter. I just moved, reflexes screaming and muscles doing. I was thinking about dodging and so I did. My head tilted back and the fist sailed passed my chin. Without looking, I shot out an uppercut of my own. But Black Canary wasn't there. I felt an impact to my side and replied with a swinging elbow that caught her shoulder and caused her to grunt as she backpedaled a few steps backward.

I looked to her from the corner of my eye and smiled; DC peak humans are truly a different breed of human, huh? Basically superhumans in their own right. Without putting too much thought into it, I charged at her again and led with a punch this time.

There were obvious differences about us. I was physically superior and she had technical superiority alongside superior combat experience.

Which is what allowed her to tilt her head just a fraction out of the way of my bullet-like punch.

She hooked her foot behind my knee and yanked it, causing me to stumble forward onto one knee. I saw her punch just before it was about to hit, my hand shooting upward to divert it over my head and she wasn't even done. I slipped my head to the side to avoid her consecutive knee strikes, feeling like a fish in a barrel as she held the back of my head and tried to keep it still. Of course her physical strength was in no way up to the task and I took a moment of one of her knee strikes lagging in speed to drop to the floor further.

I supported my body with a hand and swept out at Black Canary's supporting leg. My shin impacted her leg but the bone-crushing strike I was expecting never occurred as she rolled with the force and let her balance get taken out from under her.

...Bullshit DC martial artists. I watched in frustration as she spun mid-air before I exploded into action, pushing myself up and slammed a fist into her. She took the hit but not solidly. It felt like hitting a pillow. I growled in response--more DC bullshit--and pushed harder. Black Canary blasted away and spun mid-air before correcting herself and landing but still, she went skidding away as he boots struggled to gain traction as she bled off the momentum of my punch.

When she finally did stop, she was hunched over a little with a pained smile. I'd slugged her right in the stomach - part of me said she should be dead. But I knew how bullshit peak so-called humans were in DC. Batman could survive mind-boggling levels of physical trauma and as someone presumably trained by him as a member of the League, Black Canary should be similar. Albeit to an obviously lower level.

Ain't no human got more endurance than Batman, after all.

"You hit like a damn truck, Ethan, and I'd know how that feels," she chuckled before hissing at whatever sensation that gave her. She cradled her stomach after she said this and I frowned. She couldn't fight anymore.

I took a step to her. My rational mind begged to stop - she was hurt, she couldn't fight anymore. But my Saiyan side sneered and spat on the sentiment. It *knew* she had more fight in her than she was currently showing.

So, lost in the battle lust and adrenaline, I charged at her with a roar of challenge.

Her eyes took on a glint of some kind but I ignored that and sent a punch her way. She dodged it and returned with a harder punch than she'd given up till this point. It impacted the underside of my chin with a loud, fleshy thud. It rocked my head up but I didn't let that deter me and pushed my head back down, regardless of how she pushed her fist against my chin. I gripped her arm and slugged her in the stomach a second time, following up with a second punch aimed at her face. It hit but her face rolled with the punch and her foot came up and impacted the side of my head, right on my ear.

I felt momentarily dazed but I recovered almost instantly. Almost wouldn't cut it though. A second kick hit the same place before a palm strike to my arm left it feeling oddly numb. Black Canary escaped my vice-like grip on her arm with a wince.

She tried to say something but I couldn't focus on it. I was too enthralled with the fight.

I'd wrongly assumed I'd felt alive when I was training, when I was getting stronger. How wrong I was. Right now, I felt like every neuron in my brain was singing. Like every nerve cell was doing a little Irish jig. My entire being felt *electric*. It took everything I had to not use Ki during the fight and even that was because I knew it wouldn't be as fun if I did.

Black Canary was holding back. That, I could see clearly. She wasn't even using her power or the full extent of her martial arts knowledge/techniques. But that was fine. It made it more *fun* for me.

So focused on the fight, I hadn't noticed a Ki signature entering the room until they were right next to me and their hand was on my shoulder. My head shot in their direction and I saw Wonder Woman. I thought she was about to stop me and I nearly frothed at the mouth with rage at the thought. I wanted to fight and fight and fight and fight some more.

But then she smiled and asked something I actually heard, "Want to test your mettle against me, Ethan?"

My potential rage disappeared and went up like smoke. In it's place was elation.

Who'd say no to a fight? My smile split my face in half as it stretched as far as it could. I threw a punch toward the glorious woman next to me.