"YAAA!!" he jumped up, eyes widened with shock. Maple burst out laughing.
"Geez, I'm not that scary, am I?"
"W - What are you doing here?!" Piccolo demanded.
"I said I'd kill you, right?" Maple replied. She smirked at him. "I bet you didn't think I had the guts." she punched him in the stomach, forcing him to fall to his knees in agony. "Is that all you've got? You're pathetic!" Maple exclaimed. "Come on, get up. I want a sparing partner."
"I thought you said you'd kill me." Piccolo replied coldly, standing up.
"This is just a warmup." Maple insisted, getting into her fighting stance.
"There you are making excuses again. Go home, kid." Piccolo said.
"I am NOT a kid! I'm ever older that Vegeta!!" Maple yelled.
"So act your age." Piccolo shot back. "Quit playing around like a child. You said you'd kill me, so why don't you stop all these baby fights and keep your word?" he challenged.
"Oh, you asked for it." Maple threatened. "If it's a big boy's fight you want, then it's a big boy's fight you get! Hope you don't mind being beaten by a girl."
"We'll see." Piccolo smirked. He threw the first attack, which she easily blocked. Maple started launching a series of punches at him. Piccolo did as bad a job as Vegeta at dodging them. He struggled to hold her back, but managed to get a few shots in here and there.
"Is that the best you can do? I'm disappointed!" Maple complained. "Geez, are all nameks as weak as you are?"
"Oh, that's original. Even your taunts are childish." Piccolo growled. He powered up to his maximum strength. Maple smirked, noticing how weak he was compared to her. Piccolo became irritated at how easily she was taking this fight. He was trying is best and she was only just starting to break a sweat. He built up his energy, and unleashed the strongest ki attack he could possibly manage. He saw Maple's eyes widen and heard her cry out as it hit her, taking her completely by surprise. Or so it seemed, anyway.
He waited for the smoke to clear, smirking.
"Nice try, kid." he teased. He could start to see a figure forming. He waited a little more.... and gasped in shock.
"Hey..." Maple sat down, rubbing her head. She had cuts all over her; bits of her clothes were torn; her cuts were bleeding and she breathed heavily. But she acted like it was nothing. She just sat there, catching her breath and calmly waiting for some of the pain to go as Piccolo stared at her in disbelief. That was it? A few cuts? Was that all?!
"Arr..." Maple lifted up her head, and glared at him. "Don't take it so seriously, it's just training! That could have done some serious damage!"
"You.... you're not hurt at all..." Piccolo choked out.
"Of course I am!" Maple protested. She stood up. "Look at me! Geez, you didn't have to be so hard, it's not like we're fighting for real!" she sat back down. She took a few more breaths, and smiled. "There." she said. "Hm." she looked at Piccolo. "Next time don't get so stressed out. You really need to chill out a little."
"... Hey, who asked you?!" Piccolo shot back. He was kinda embarrassed that he'd been so vicious on a training session.
Maple reached out to him. Piccolo looked at her outstretched hand, and blinked.
"What?" he asked.
"Aren't you gonna help me up? I'm hurt and I need a drink." Maple replied.
"So get a drink. You can pick yourself up." Piccolo argued.
"I don't know this planet. You have to show me where I can get a drink."
"You're really that dependant?" Piccolo said. "No wonder you crash - landed if you can't do things for yourself."
"Well if that's how you're gonna feel about it." Maple stood up. "I'll get my own drink, it's no big deal." she walked away with her nose in the air. Piccolo watched her as she left. He smirked a little, without even realising it.
"Brat."
*The Samedin Orphanage, Planet Zeek*
"Maple!" Leela tried to communicate with Maple's ship, but her efforts were failing.
"Still no luck?" Silvia entered the room.
"Silvia, I think something's happened to her..." Leela said in a worried tone. "She's not coming in. What if she's crashed?"
"Come on, that's ridiculous. Let me try." Silvia replied. Leela got up so Silvia could sit down on the chair in front of the monitor and control panel. They were in the orphanage's control room. Only Samedin and her own children were allowed in there without permission. Silvia typed in the serial number for Maple's ship, and spoke into the microphone.
"Maple? This isn't funny! Come in!" she ordered. There was no answer, just a buzzing sound. Silvia sighed, and tried again. "Maple! Where are you?!"
"See!" Leela protested. "Silvia, what if something's happened to her?"
"Don't worry, it's not like she can't protect herself." Silvia replied.
"But maybe she IS in danger! Anego, we have to go to Earth!" Leela insisted.
"Leela, it's not really that serious. How do you know she's in danger at all?"
"Silvia! I'd feel so much better if we went to find her..."
"..." Silvia let out a sigh. "Alright, then. Tell mother we're leaving."
"Hai!"
*Earth*
"Piccolo." Maple growled, looking at her cuts. "What a moron." she took another drink from the lake, and stood up. She looked down at her torn clothes. It was mostly the bottom of her running shorts, but there was a ripped patch halfway up her thigh. And a few more scratches here and there.
"These were the only clothes I brought with me!" she whined. She clenched her fists. "He's gonna pay! What's his problem?"
She sat back down.
"Guess Vegeta'll have to wait." she smirked. "First, I'll get my revenge on Piccolo!"