Chpt 4
Piccolo raced through the air, eyes squinted against the dark rain. His heart was hammering in his throat, apprehension that he would not get there in time almost making him sick. Damn that, he thought. That was not going to happen. Come Hell or high water, he would get there in time. His already incredible speed increased, creating a sonic boom as he broke the sound barrier, still growling under his breath. He had unconsciously been growling since he had left Kami's, did not, even now, realize that he was making any noise, all he knew was that this entire thing was somehow his fault. Kami had said it himself: he should know what was attacking the Earth. He should have never allowed that woman's incessant nagging to drive him away from the house. He hadn't even been able to put up with her for a week. Seven days and he had let his pride take him so far from the Son house that when the attack had finally come, he had been caught in the open. And what was worse was that Gohan had been caught with him. Chi-chi had been right. He had failed. And he'd be damned if he was going to fail again. He sped up even more.
The leader held Gohan up by his shirt front, ignoring the boy's hands that were locked around his wrist and the feeble kicks the partially incapacitated half-Saiyan threw at his ribs. The spirit of the little twerp impressed the leader and he smiled maliciously. Perhaps the Master would let him keep this one.
"Leave him alone!" Chi-chi screeched from the doorway.
"Make us, girlie," the shortest of the four leered.
Chi-chi's eyes narrowed and she disappeared into the house.
The four laughed roughly and the leader shook the boy. "Even your mom left you, kid," he hissed. "No one is going to save you."
An odd rattling sound came from inside the house. Looking up, the leader was astonished to see the shrill woman return to the door, loaded down with heavy artillery
She leveled the sub-machine gun at the leader. "I said leave my son alone."
He smirked. Then he pointed a finger at her and her gun exploded in her hands. She gasped, dropping it, but not before it knocked her down. Debris stung her cheek.
"Who are you?" she asked, eyes wide, truly frightened this time.
The leader smiled. "I am Villein. This," he gestured to the second smallest, "is my second, Helotry. This," he jerked his head back to indicate the second tallest, "is Servility, and the smallest of our ranks is Thrall. In the name of our Master, we will destroy you." He held up her son. "And I will possess the boy."
"Put him down NOW!!"
The four turned to see a very angry Namek, power radiating off of him in what appeared to be electrical bolts, standing, arms crossed, glowering at them.
Servility snorted. "Yeah? Who's gonna make us?"
The green man smiled, a smile that held no humor, raised his hands over his head, then brought them down for his attack. "MASENKO!!!"
The white charge shot from the Namek's hands, shooting towards the four faster than they could react, hitting Servility in the chest. The large antagonist was knocked backwards, plowing up a deep furrow in the ground as he went. He stopped only when he ran head first into an ancient oak.
The remaining three looked after their comrade, then back to the enraged Namek.
"Who the hell are you?" Thrall demanded.
"Your worst nightmare. Now. Put. Him. Down."
Smirking, Villein dropped Gohan unceremoniously to the ground. Servility stood unsteadily, chest smoldering.
"You'll pay for that, lizard-man," he hissed, then charged, his three companions close behind.
To Chi-chi, who still sat in the doorway, it appeared that all five men just suddenly disappeared. She frowned, narrowing her eyes, trying to see them through the thick downpour. She could still hear them, the sounds of flesh striking flesh, the muffled grunts, the muted curses, but she could not see them. She did not like it. Not one bit.
Gohan sat up, shaking his head, still trying to clear it. He looked up and could follow just enough of the battle to see that the green man was not fairing as well as he could have hoped.
"Mr. Piccolo?" Gohan could faintly remember that attack on one of the goons, but everything was still fuzzy.
"Gohan!" Chi-chi screamed, scrambling outside towards her son.
High above the Son house, Piccolo stood in the middle of a raging hurricane of kicks and punches. A lot he blocked, a few he didn't, but he landed several of his own so he wasn't too concerned by them. He was so angry he scarcely felt them anyway. He sensed an attack from behind and threw an elbow, catching Thrall across the bridge of his nose.
Thrall staggered back in the air, blue blood pouring from the ruin of his nose. He snarled, then noticed the two weaklings scampering around below. He smiled nastily, blood running across his jagged teeth and into his mouth.
"Say good-bye to your keepers, green man!" Thrall yelled, releasing a ki blast of a sickly green color.
Piccolo looked up and caught an elbow across the temple for his troubles. He felt the skin split, felt the warm blood mingle with the cold rain as it trickled down his cheek. He ignored it as he saw the short intruder fire an attack towards Gohan and his mother.
To the four, it appeared that the green man blurred, then was gone. Confused, they scanned the area, unable to sense power signatures.
"There!" Helotry said, pointing.
They watched as Piccolo appeared behind the two.
"Dammit!" Thrall growled.
Chi-chi looked up to see the ball of energy streaming towards them.
"Gohan!" she yelped.
He looked up, jaw dropping, knowing that they wouldn't be able to get away in time.
Chi-chi stood in front of her son, hoping to protect him. A hand suddenly grabbed her roughly by the back of her collar. She felt herself being spun around so that her nose was pressed into the coarse material of a bluish-purple gi even as the owner of the hand spun himself. Her nostrils were filled with the scent of roasted nuts and, vaguely, of pine. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Gohan had his head pressed against their savior's stomach, a green arm braced against his back, a green hand still locked around his collar, and she realized, with a start, that the man she had always considered to be a blood-thirsty monster now held her and her son in his arms.
She felt the blast hit the Namek in the back and she felt all three of them begin to fall. She closed her eyes, knowing that she was about to be crushed under the weight of the freeloader who had killed her husband and taken her son. She swallowed the scream she felt rising in her throat, clenching her teeth as she waited for the impact.
Piccolo clenched his jaw as the blast hit him between the shoulder blades, knocking him forward. He felt the woman stiffen as if she were expecting to crash into the ground, even as he felt Gohan relax. Coqueing his arms so that they were more rounded, Piccolo took the brunt of the fall across his forearms. Using the roundness the maneuver provided, he supported his upper body on his forearms so that only the weight of his legs landed on the two he was trying to protect.
He sensed the attacks before they hit, and a quick glance confirmed what he suspected. All four of the horned men were sending ki blast after ki blast straight at him. He ducked his head, hunching his shoulders slightly. This is gonna hurt...
Chi-chi felt the impact of each blast through the Namek's body. She could hear the muffled boom as they exploded against his back, as well as the single grunt of pain that escaped his lips. She glanced up to see his face twisted in a grimace, lips pulled back from clenched teeth, eyes squeezed tightly shut, and she was at a loss. Why was he doing this?
The barrage ended and Piccolo's eyes snapped open as he glanced down at his charges.
"You okay, kid?" he snarled, and Gohan nodded. His black eyes locked with Chi-chi's and she was suddenly acutely aware of how close they were. With his head angled like that, they were practically nose to nose.
"How about you?" he demanded.
"Uh...I'm....I'm.....fine.." she managed.
"Good. What the-" his tone changed from satisfied to perplexed as he was abruptly ripped off of them.
Chi-chi watched, clawing Gohan into her arms as Helotry, who had somehow produced six whip-like tentacles, hoisted the ensnared Piccolo into the air. She watched the Namek's face tighten in pain as what appeared to be a sickly green colored electrical attack surged down the tentacles and into his body. His aura began to dim.
Piccolo didn't know what had him, but whatever it was it hurt like hell as it cut into his flesh. He bit down on the scream he felt rising in his throat, swallowing it before it could surface. The more the pain increased, the madder he got and he used that anger to release a wave of energy.
Caught unawares, Helotry lost his hold and his green captive tumbled to the ground.
Piccolo landed on his hands and knees, feeling drained. He wasn't sure what that bastard had done to him, but whatever it was, it had weakened him, he could feel it. He glanced around to locate his attackers and was hit from behind by a double shot from Servility and Thrall that embedded him into the earth. He felt his mind wander slightly, the first sign of unconsciousness, and shook his head to clear it. He forced himself out of the roughly Namek-shaped pit and turned in time to see Helotry's tentacles streaking towards him.
"MASENKO!!!"
Piccolo looked to his left just as Gohan released the attack that plucked Helotry from the sky and sent him crashing into the woods.
Piccolo smirked. Glad I taught the kid that. His smirk faded as he saw Gohan fall. Dammit, now what?
Chi-chi tried to reach Gohan, angry that he had run out to help and scared that he wouldn't return. A barrage of ki blasts stopped her and she glared up at the stormy night sky to see Villein releasing his attack upon her son.
"GOHAN!!!" she screamed.
Piccolo heard the scream even as he started running. Streams of Namekian curses ran through his head as he dodged between explosions, trying to reach Gohan. He grabbed the kid as the ki blast hit, twirling Gohan away from it and catching it a glancing blow across his shoulder for his efforts.
More Namekian curses popped to mind, more vile than before, as his arm went numb, but at least the kid was unhurt. He must not be fully recovered from the rain, Piccolo realized, wondering why it was taking the boy so long to recuperate.
He turned to locate Villein. The others had joined him in the sky. Good.
"SCATTER SHOT!!!" Piccolo yelled and dozens of golden ki blasts assaulted his attackers, creating a haze of smoke. When it cleared, he found his victims....untouched.
Villein landed in front of him. "Is that the best you've got?"
Piccolo's hand shot out to the side, then his fingers splayed. Raising two fingers, he pulled his wrist back and flashed his palm before making a fist. A yellow aura encircled the fist while white electrical charges danced around it. Once the energy had been gathered, he threw it at Villein with a growling yell.
The yellowish white blast, the same one he had used to destroy the moon, washed over Villein, who threw his arms over his face. The leader of the mutant gang felt the hit burn away large portions of his gi, felt his feet digging deep trenches as he was pushed back, and was impressed by the power he faced. Pity it wouldn't be enough.
As the attack died off, Thrall jumped Piccolo from behind, stepping over Gohan to get to his target. Piccolo flipped the attacker over his shoulder then, arm expanding as energy surged through it and down to his fist, he pointed his attack at Thrall, bracing one arm with the other and opening the fist swollen with power. The golden white ki blast hit Thrall in the face, tumbling him into Villein, who ducked to allow his team mate to sail over his head and into the two standing behind him.
Then Villein chuckled and powered up his counter measure.
Oh, shit. Piccolo turned, scooping up his unconscious prodigy as he raced by, picking up speed. He needed to get the boy into the house where he wouldn't be as exposed and would be easier to defend.
The explosion that sounded behind him hit with enough force that it picked the Namek up and smashed him into the side of the Son house. Piccolo's head connected with the wall with enough force to tear the wound at his temple open even wider. Blood blinded him for a moment as his world shifted in and out of focus. He was aware that Chi-chi was screaming and briefly wondered if she ever shut up. The rain and a quick rub across his shoulder cleared his sight enough for Piccolo to see if Gohan was alright. He looked down at the child cradled in his arms but only had time to determine that the kid was still breathing as the six tentacles cut into him again, pulling him away from Gohan.
This time he couldn't keep all of the scream from ripping through his throat as Helotry sent charge after charge down the tentacles and into his much abused body. He felt his muscles tighten as his body began to convulse and he clenched his teeth to keep from biting his own tongue off.
The scream brought Gohan back around, He knew that scream. The last time he had heard that scream, Piccolo had stepped in front of Nappa's attack. The last time he had heard that scream, his friend and teacher had died.
Piccolo felt his head fall back as the rest of his body went lax. He had the distinct impression that he was falling as his eyes rolled back and he knew no more.
"Mr. Piccolo?" He knew that voice, despite the weakness and fear he heard in it.
"DIE!!" He knew that voice, too. He had just been battling that voice.
Piccolo's eyes snapped open to see Helotry releasing a ki blast. He found that he was laying on the ground next to Gohan.
Now how did I get here? he thought even as he reached across his body and grabbed the front of Gohan's shirt. Pulling the boy over him then rolling himself, Piccolo managed to get them both out of the way of the incoming blast. Stray bits of rock stung his face, cutting his cheek, a testament to how close the call had been.
"GOHAN!!!!!"
Piccolo rolled onto his back and tilted his head up to see Chi-chi hovering between him and the door way of the house. Thrusting Gohan over his head, he bawled, "Take him and get inside!"
To his surprise, she obeyed without argument.
He looked to the sky to see Helotry, Servility, and Thrall hovering, backdropped by thunderclouds, cackling at him.
"Alright," he muttered, racking his brain for an attack. That last round with Helotry had taken almost all of the energy he had left. Then it hit him. Only one attack had done any damage that night. Maybe it was time to pull out the big gunned version.
He closed his eyes, gathering his power, fervently hoping that he had enough energy left to pull it off. He wasn't sure he did.
"Hey," Helotry crowed. "I think we broke him."
Piccolo's eyes opened. "Tri-form," he almost whispered, then gritted his teeth as he split into three. That didn't usually hurt that bad.
He knew he was in bad shape when his other two selves could only manage to lie feet to feet with him, creating a triangle around the three floating mercenaries.
"Alright, guys," Piccolo said and all three brought two fingers to their foreheads. They clenched their jaw, veins popping, as they gathered the last of their energy.
"MAKANKOSAPPO!!!!!!!!!!!" all three roared, releasing the spiraling ki blasts at their targets.
"Ohshit," Helotry managed to get out as he dodged. The attack disintegrated his arm to the shoulder. He could feel the skin char, the muscle and blood boil and explode, the bone implode on itself before all dissipated into nothingness. He felt one of his horns melt, burning his face as it ran down his head before it, too, boiled away. He could smell the stench of his own burning flesh, hear his own screams being drowned out by his other two compatriots, and still he was the lucky one. The other two did not survive. What remained of them was unidentifiable.
Piccolo and his selves kept up the attack until the last of their energy was spent. His arm dropped on its own violation, and his head sank heavily into the mud. Instead of returning to him, his other selves simply faded into nonexistence, yet more energy lost.
Gohan pulled free of his mother's grasp, dashing back out into the rain. "PICCOLO!!!"
Villein landed at the unconscious warrior's feet as Gohan reached him. The young fighter's hands balled into fists as he stepped between Villein and his mentor.
Villein snorted, then grabbed the only other surviving member of his troop and slung him over his shoulder.
"Tell the green man when he wakes up that this isn't over, boy," Villein ordered as he lifted off. "We'll be back, and next time the Master will be with us. You tell him to get ready to grovel for the Master will make him his own."
Gohan watched until he could no linger see or sense the leader, then tried to pick Piccolo up. He managed to get Piccolo's shoulders off the ground, but his arms were spread wide and his head lolled back and Gohan knew that Piccolo was in bad shape.
"Come on, Mr. Piccolo, wake up," Gohan pleaded, giving him a shake. Piccolo faded in and out once.
Gohan's eye's widened and tears began to fall. "MOMMY!!!!" he howled, something he had not said since after his training in the wilderness, and he cradled his friend's head and shoulders in his lap, sobbing.
Chi-chi came outside as the rain stopped, unsure about what to do. She didn't really understand what had just happened. The man that lay spread-eagled on the ground, cradled in her son's lap, was supposed to be the bad guy. But as she looked at him, at the rags that were all that was left of his gi, at the cuts and bruises that covered his body, she realized that every one of the injures he had received was a direct result of his protecting her son. And not just her son. He had gone out of his was to save her as well.
"Whoa, what did I miss?"
Chi-chi turned to see Krillin land. He surveyed what distruction he could see and let out a whistle.
"Man, I'm glad this is over." Then he noticed Piccolo. "Gohan, what happened here?"
Gohan sniffed. "We were attacked. Piccolo...he...he's hurt bad, Krillin." He began to cry again.
"That's enough!" Chi-chi snapped. "Krillin, help Gohan get him in the house. If he's going to die, it won't be in the mud."
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Next Chpt: Goku returns, and the Master is revealed!!! Thanks to diamond_unicorn for providing the name of the Master. Stay tuned to find out what it is, same Z time, same Z channel.
Piccolo raced through the air, eyes squinted against the dark rain. His heart was hammering in his throat, apprehension that he would not get there in time almost making him sick. Damn that, he thought. That was not going to happen. Come Hell or high water, he would get there in time. His already incredible speed increased, creating a sonic boom as he broke the sound barrier, still growling under his breath. He had unconsciously been growling since he had left Kami's, did not, even now, realize that he was making any noise, all he knew was that this entire thing was somehow his fault. Kami had said it himself: he should know what was attacking the Earth. He should have never allowed that woman's incessant nagging to drive him away from the house. He hadn't even been able to put up with her for a week. Seven days and he had let his pride take him so far from the Son house that when the attack had finally come, he had been caught in the open. And what was worse was that Gohan had been caught with him. Chi-chi had been right. He had failed. And he'd be damned if he was going to fail again. He sped up even more.
The leader held Gohan up by his shirt front, ignoring the boy's hands that were locked around his wrist and the feeble kicks the partially incapacitated half-Saiyan threw at his ribs. The spirit of the little twerp impressed the leader and he smiled maliciously. Perhaps the Master would let him keep this one.
"Leave him alone!" Chi-chi screeched from the doorway.
"Make us, girlie," the shortest of the four leered.
Chi-chi's eyes narrowed and she disappeared into the house.
The four laughed roughly and the leader shook the boy. "Even your mom left you, kid," he hissed. "No one is going to save you."
An odd rattling sound came from inside the house. Looking up, the leader was astonished to see the shrill woman return to the door, loaded down with heavy artillery
She leveled the sub-machine gun at the leader. "I said leave my son alone."
He smirked. Then he pointed a finger at her and her gun exploded in her hands. She gasped, dropping it, but not before it knocked her down. Debris stung her cheek.
"Who are you?" she asked, eyes wide, truly frightened this time.
The leader smiled. "I am Villein. This," he gestured to the second smallest, "is my second, Helotry. This," he jerked his head back to indicate the second tallest, "is Servility, and the smallest of our ranks is Thrall. In the name of our Master, we will destroy you." He held up her son. "And I will possess the boy."
"Put him down NOW!!"
The four turned to see a very angry Namek, power radiating off of him in what appeared to be electrical bolts, standing, arms crossed, glowering at them.
Servility snorted. "Yeah? Who's gonna make us?"
The green man smiled, a smile that held no humor, raised his hands over his head, then brought them down for his attack. "MASENKO!!!"
The white charge shot from the Namek's hands, shooting towards the four faster than they could react, hitting Servility in the chest. The large antagonist was knocked backwards, plowing up a deep furrow in the ground as he went. He stopped only when he ran head first into an ancient oak.
The remaining three looked after their comrade, then back to the enraged Namek.
"Who the hell are you?" Thrall demanded.
"Your worst nightmare. Now. Put. Him. Down."
Smirking, Villein dropped Gohan unceremoniously to the ground. Servility stood unsteadily, chest smoldering.
"You'll pay for that, lizard-man," he hissed, then charged, his three companions close behind.
To Chi-chi, who still sat in the doorway, it appeared that all five men just suddenly disappeared. She frowned, narrowing her eyes, trying to see them through the thick downpour. She could still hear them, the sounds of flesh striking flesh, the muffled grunts, the muted curses, but she could not see them. She did not like it. Not one bit.
Gohan sat up, shaking his head, still trying to clear it. He looked up and could follow just enough of the battle to see that the green man was not fairing as well as he could have hoped.
"Mr. Piccolo?" Gohan could faintly remember that attack on one of the goons, but everything was still fuzzy.
"Gohan!" Chi-chi screamed, scrambling outside towards her son.
High above the Son house, Piccolo stood in the middle of a raging hurricane of kicks and punches. A lot he blocked, a few he didn't, but he landed several of his own so he wasn't too concerned by them. He was so angry he scarcely felt them anyway. He sensed an attack from behind and threw an elbow, catching Thrall across the bridge of his nose.
Thrall staggered back in the air, blue blood pouring from the ruin of his nose. He snarled, then noticed the two weaklings scampering around below. He smiled nastily, blood running across his jagged teeth and into his mouth.
"Say good-bye to your keepers, green man!" Thrall yelled, releasing a ki blast of a sickly green color.
Piccolo looked up and caught an elbow across the temple for his troubles. He felt the skin split, felt the warm blood mingle with the cold rain as it trickled down his cheek. He ignored it as he saw the short intruder fire an attack towards Gohan and his mother.
To the four, it appeared that the green man blurred, then was gone. Confused, they scanned the area, unable to sense power signatures.
"There!" Helotry said, pointing.
They watched as Piccolo appeared behind the two.
"Dammit!" Thrall growled.
Chi-chi looked up to see the ball of energy streaming towards them.
"Gohan!" she yelped.
He looked up, jaw dropping, knowing that they wouldn't be able to get away in time.
Chi-chi stood in front of her son, hoping to protect him. A hand suddenly grabbed her roughly by the back of her collar. She felt herself being spun around so that her nose was pressed into the coarse material of a bluish-purple gi even as the owner of the hand spun himself. Her nostrils were filled with the scent of roasted nuts and, vaguely, of pine. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Gohan had his head pressed against their savior's stomach, a green arm braced against his back, a green hand still locked around his collar, and she realized, with a start, that the man she had always considered to be a blood-thirsty monster now held her and her son in his arms.
She felt the blast hit the Namek in the back and she felt all three of them begin to fall. She closed her eyes, knowing that she was about to be crushed under the weight of the freeloader who had killed her husband and taken her son. She swallowed the scream she felt rising in her throat, clenching her teeth as she waited for the impact.
Piccolo clenched his jaw as the blast hit him between the shoulder blades, knocking him forward. He felt the woman stiffen as if she were expecting to crash into the ground, even as he felt Gohan relax. Coqueing his arms so that they were more rounded, Piccolo took the brunt of the fall across his forearms. Using the roundness the maneuver provided, he supported his upper body on his forearms so that only the weight of his legs landed on the two he was trying to protect.
He sensed the attacks before they hit, and a quick glance confirmed what he suspected. All four of the horned men were sending ki blast after ki blast straight at him. He ducked his head, hunching his shoulders slightly. This is gonna hurt...
Chi-chi felt the impact of each blast through the Namek's body. She could hear the muffled boom as they exploded against his back, as well as the single grunt of pain that escaped his lips. She glanced up to see his face twisted in a grimace, lips pulled back from clenched teeth, eyes squeezed tightly shut, and she was at a loss. Why was he doing this?
The barrage ended and Piccolo's eyes snapped open as he glanced down at his charges.
"You okay, kid?" he snarled, and Gohan nodded. His black eyes locked with Chi-chi's and she was suddenly acutely aware of how close they were. With his head angled like that, they were practically nose to nose.
"How about you?" he demanded.
"Uh...I'm....I'm.....fine.." she managed.
"Good. What the-" his tone changed from satisfied to perplexed as he was abruptly ripped off of them.
Chi-chi watched, clawing Gohan into her arms as Helotry, who had somehow produced six whip-like tentacles, hoisted the ensnared Piccolo into the air. She watched the Namek's face tighten in pain as what appeared to be a sickly green colored electrical attack surged down the tentacles and into his body. His aura began to dim.
Piccolo didn't know what had him, but whatever it was it hurt like hell as it cut into his flesh. He bit down on the scream he felt rising in his throat, swallowing it before it could surface. The more the pain increased, the madder he got and he used that anger to release a wave of energy.
Caught unawares, Helotry lost his hold and his green captive tumbled to the ground.
Piccolo landed on his hands and knees, feeling drained. He wasn't sure what that bastard had done to him, but whatever it was, it had weakened him, he could feel it. He glanced around to locate his attackers and was hit from behind by a double shot from Servility and Thrall that embedded him into the earth. He felt his mind wander slightly, the first sign of unconsciousness, and shook his head to clear it. He forced himself out of the roughly Namek-shaped pit and turned in time to see Helotry's tentacles streaking towards him.
"MASENKO!!!"
Piccolo looked to his left just as Gohan released the attack that plucked Helotry from the sky and sent him crashing into the woods.
Piccolo smirked. Glad I taught the kid that. His smirk faded as he saw Gohan fall. Dammit, now what?
Chi-chi tried to reach Gohan, angry that he had run out to help and scared that he wouldn't return. A barrage of ki blasts stopped her and she glared up at the stormy night sky to see Villein releasing his attack upon her son.
"GOHAN!!!" she screamed.
Piccolo heard the scream even as he started running. Streams of Namekian curses ran through his head as he dodged between explosions, trying to reach Gohan. He grabbed the kid as the ki blast hit, twirling Gohan away from it and catching it a glancing blow across his shoulder for his efforts.
More Namekian curses popped to mind, more vile than before, as his arm went numb, but at least the kid was unhurt. He must not be fully recovered from the rain, Piccolo realized, wondering why it was taking the boy so long to recuperate.
He turned to locate Villein. The others had joined him in the sky. Good.
"SCATTER SHOT!!!" Piccolo yelled and dozens of golden ki blasts assaulted his attackers, creating a haze of smoke. When it cleared, he found his victims....untouched.
Villein landed in front of him. "Is that the best you've got?"
Piccolo's hand shot out to the side, then his fingers splayed. Raising two fingers, he pulled his wrist back and flashed his palm before making a fist. A yellow aura encircled the fist while white electrical charges danced around it. Once the energy had been gathered, he threw it at Villein with a growling yell.
The yellowish white blast, the same one he had used to destroy the moon, washed over Villein, who threw his arms over his face. The leader of the mutant gang felt the hit burn away large portions of his gi, felt his feet digging deep trenches as he was pushed back, and was impressed by the power he faced. Pity it wouldn't be enough.
As the attack died off, Thrall jumped Piccolo from behind, stepping over Gohan to get to his target. Piccolo flipped the attacker over his shoulder then, arm expanding as energy surged through it and down to his fist, he pointed his attack at Thrall, bracing one arm with the other and opening the fist swollen with power. The golden white ki blast hit Thrall in the face, tumbling him into Villein, who ducked to allow his team mate to sail over his head and into the two standing behind him.
Then Villein chuckled and powered up his counter measure.
Oh, shit. Piccolo turned, scooping up his unconscious prodigy as he raced by, picking up speed. He needed to get the boy into the house where he wouldn't be as exposed and would be easier to defend.
The explosion that sounded behind him hit with enough force that it picked the Namek up and smashed him into the side of the Son house. Piccolo's head connected with the wall with enough force to tear the wound at his temple open even wider. Blood blinded him for a moment as his world shifted in and out of focus. He was aware that Chi-chi was screaming and briefly wondered if she ever shut up. The rain and a quick rub across his shoulder cleared his sight enough for Piccolo to see if Gohan was alright. He looked down at the child cradled in his arms but only had time to determine that the kid was still breathing as the six tentacles cut into him again, pulling him away from Gohan.
This time he couldn't keep all of the scream from ripping through his throat as Helotry sent charge after charge down the tentacles and into his much abused body. He felt his muscles tighten as his body began to convulse and he clenched his teeth to keep from biting his own tongue off.
The scream brought Gohan back around, He knew that scream. The last time he had heard that scream, Piccolo had stepped in front of Nappa's attack. The last time he had heard that scream, his friend and teacher had died.
Piccolo felt his head fall back as the rest of his body went lax. He had the distinct impression that he was falling as his eyes rolled back and he knew no more.
"Mr. Piccolo?" He knew that voice, despite the weakness and fear he heard in it.
"DIE!!" He knew that voice, too. He had just been battling that voice.
Piccolo's eyes snapped open to see Helotry releasing a ki blast. He found that he was laying on the ground next to Gohan.
Now how did I get here? he thought even as he reached across his body and grabbed the front of Gohan's shirt. Pulling the boy over him then rolling himself, Piccolo managed to get them both out of the way of the incoming blast. Stray bits of rock stung his face, cutting his cheek, a testament to how close the call had been.
"GOHAN!!!!!"
Piccolo rolled onto his back and tilted his head up to see Chi-chi hovering between him and the door way of the house. Thrusting Gohan over his head, he bawled, "Take him and get inside!"
To his surprise, she obeyed without argument.
He looked to the sky to see Helotry, Servility, and Thrall hovering, backdropped by thunderclouds, cackling at him.
"Alright," he muttered, racking his brain for an attack. That last round with Helotry had taken almost all of the energy he had left. Then it hit him. Only one attack had done any damage that night. Maybe it was time to pull out the big gunned version.
He closed his eyes, gathering his power, fervently hoping that he had enough energy left to pull it off. He wasn't sure he did.
"Hey," Helotry crowed. "I think we broke him."
Piccolo's eyes opened. "Tri-form," he almost whispered, then gritted his teeth as he split into three. That didn't usually hurt that bad.
He knew he was in bad shape when his other two selves could only manage to lie feet to feet with him, creating a triangle around the three floating mercenaries.
"Alright, guys," Piccolo said and all three brought two fingers to their foreheads. They clenched their jaw, veins popping, as they gathered the last of their energy.
"MAKANKOSAPPO!!!!!!!!!!!" all three roared, releasing the spiraling ki blasts at their targets.
"Ohshit," Helotry managed to get out as he dodged. The attack disintegrated his arm to the shoulder. He could feel the skin char, the muscle and blood boil and explode, the bone implode on itself before all dissipated into nothingness. He felt one of his horns melt, burning his face as it ran down his head before it, too, boiled away. He could smell the stench of his own burning flesh, hear his own screams being drowned out by his other two compatriots, and still he was the lucky one. The other two did not survive. What remained of them was unidentifiable.
Piccolo and his selves kept up the attack until the last of their energy was spent. His arm dropped on its own violation, and his head sank heavily into the mud. Instead of returning to him, his other selves simply faded into nonexistence, yet more energy lost.
Gohan pulled free of his mother's grasp, dashing back out into the rain. "PICCOLO!!!"
Villein landed at the unconscious warrior's feet as Gohan reached him. The young fighter's hands balled into fists as he stepped between Villein and his mentor.
Villein snorted, then grabbed the only other surviving member of his troop and slung him over his shoulder.
"Tell the green man when he wakes up that this isn't over, boy," Villein ordered as he lifted off. "We'll be back, and next time the Master will be with us. You tell him to get ready to grovel for the Master will make him his own."
Gohan watched until he could no linger see or sense the leader, then tried to pick Piccolo up. He managed to get Piccolo's shoulders off the ground, but his arms were spread wide and his head lolled back and Gohan knew that Piccolo was in bad shape.
"Come on, Mr. Piccolo, wake up," Gohan pleaded, giving him a shake. Piccolo faded in and out once.
Gohan's eye's widened and tears began to fall. "MOMMY!!!!" he howled, something he had not said since after his training in the wilderness, and he cradled his friend's head and shoulders in his lap, sobbing.
Chi-chi came outside as the rain stopped, unsure about what to do. She didn't really understand what had just happened. The man that lay spread-eagled on the ground, cradled in her son's lap, was supposed to be the bad guy. But as she looked at him, at the rags that were all that was left of his gi, at the cuts and bruises that covered his body, she realized that every one of the injures he had received was a direct result of his protecting her son. And not just her son. He had gone out of his was to save her as well.
"Whoa, what did I miss?"
Chi-chi turned to see Krillin land. He surveyed what distruction he could see and let out a whistle.
"Man, I'm glad this is over." Then he noticed Piccolo. "Gohan, what happened here?"
Gohan sniffed. "We were attacked. Piccolo...he...he's hurt bad, Krillin." He began to cry again.
"That's enough!" Chi-chi snapped. "Krillin, help Gohan get him in the house. If he's going to die, it won't be in the mud."
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Next Chpt: Goku returns, and the Master is revealed!!! Thanks to diamond_unicorn for providing the name of the Master. Stay tuned to find out what it is, same Z time, same Z channel.