Thanks once more for all your reviews. It's getting near the final showdown, oooh!

Chapter 9

Arrack came out of his healing chamber, still wearing the same smirk he'd had when he went in. He walked down the corridor, leading to the barracks where Lance, Quiver, Mingen and Umgero were. The fighters were all congratulating themselves on defeating Earth's dreaded Special Forces.

"Eh, they weren't so tough!" Mingen said, as he lounged on a coach.

"Agreed!" Barked Umgero. "The Earthlings are no match for our awesome power!"

"Umgero, the only reason you made it through the trials is because Snail's transporter wouldn't work on that Buu creature!" Quiver remarked.

"I think you're all being too light about this." Lance remarked. "Those Earthlings' power took us all by surprise. We each had to use our trump cards to win."

"Speak for yourself!" Arrack entered the room at that point. "I won my match through sheer skill and cunning. That greeny didn't know who he was up against!"

"Arrack."

The wolf-man froze as Snail's calm voice came from behind him.

"I would appreciate it if you refrained from using the term 'greeny' while on this ship." Snail then turned around so that his back was to his men. "Besides, none of you did as good a job as you thought."

He could hear the sounds of confusion coming from the troops and that small smile appeared on his face again. He did enjoy playing these little guessing games with people.

"Earth's warriors are on their way here now." He said. He then turned his head slightly so that he was looking at Arrack out of the corner of his eye. "And Piccolo is with them."

(Scene Change)

"Yes! It worked!" Bulma saw the force-field around the docking bay disappear on the ship's scanners. She began tapping the controls, steering the ship in for a landing.

"Wow! It's huge!" Said Krillin, as he stared out the window. "How'd a ship that big get into Earth's orbit without being detected?" Just then, some debris flew past his viewpoint. He briefly glimpsed the word NASA on the shapeless mass of metal.

"I guess that answers my question." He said with a sweat drop on his head.

"Now, Bulma." 18 stepped up to the pilot's chair. "Those fighters are obviously going to know we're here, so they'll be along any second. We'll take care of them while you stay on the ship."

"Oh, I don't think so." Bulma stood up as the ship touched down inside the dock. "I'm not staying here alone. And besides, you may need my help to free the others."

"I think we can handle that ourselves." Said Vegeta.

"Oh, really? And how, may I ask? By blowing up whatever contraption Snail's got them in and risk killing them?"

Everyone suddenly seemed very interested in the floor.

"Oh my god! You muscle-heads can't do a thing without me!" Bulma opened the ship's hatch and fell backward with a scream as a thin beam of energy just missed her head! All of Snail's men were standing outside the ship. Arrack, who'd fired the beam, lowered his hand and called out,

"You guys want some more, huh? Some people are just gluttons for punishment! And as for you, Dolt," He pointed at the pink-skinned fighter. "I can't wait to see what Snail's going to do to you for betraying him!"

"He betrayed me!" Dolt screamed back. "I've served him loyally for years!"

"Yes, and in all those years, you've never won a single fight." Answered Lance, with his arms crossed. "Just look at what happened on Earth. You were beaten, first by a human girl, then by a little boy! Face facts, Dolt. Why do you think you're the only one Snail didn't waste time on enhancing? You stink as a fighter!"

Dolt clenched his fists. His hair rose as his power level went up.

"That's it!" He bellowed. "I've had enough! I'm going to show you just what I'm truly capable of!"

He leapt out of the ship, straight at Lance. The dark warrior simply struck out with his arm and batted Dolt away, like a pesky fly. Dolt hit a far wall, face-first and slumped to the ground.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" He said. "I do stink at this!"

Vegeta and the others leapt out of the ship and attacked the alien fighters, each one paired off against the one they'd fought before.

Vegeta immediately went super saiyan 2 and engaged Lance in close combat, not allowing the other fighter to get away from him for even a second. As long as Lance was busy, fending off Vegeta's attacks, he wouldn't be able to unhook that cloak of his.

Piccolo was sent flying backward from a punch to the jaw from Arrack. The wolf-man followed it up with a Byron Beam. Piccolo managed to right himself in the air and block the beam with his hands. He deflected it upwards where it hit the ceiling and exploded. Amazingly, there wasn't even a scratch on the metal. Piccolo didn't have time to wonder about this though, because Arrack immediately charged the namek with a flying kick. Piccolo brought his arms up and blocked the attack. He then struck back and their heated battle continued.

Bulma watched the fighting from inside the ship, or tried to. Everyone was moving so fast, she had trouble seeing who was who. Krillin was being kept on the move by Mingen. Any time he stopped, the pale warrior's mirrors would start to circle him and Mingen could attack him from any angle.

18 and Quiver were locked in a ferocious ki battle. They both kept disappearing and reappearing as they dodged each others' blasts, while each trying to catch the other with their own.

The only one who seemed to be having it easy was Buu. Umgero was throwing all sorts of complicated attacks at him, but he easily blocked every one of them while not moving at all from where he was standing.

Bulma watched the action, all the while waiting for an opening to appear. When she saw it, she got out of the ship and ran with her hands over her head. The fierce sounds of battle raged all around her.

'Goku, if I'd never met you, just think what I'd have missed!' She thought to herself. She made it to the far end of the hanger, where Dolt was sitting miserably by the wall.

"Hey, you!" She barked at him. "Where would this Snail guy be keeping our friends?"

"Hm? Oh, in the holding chambers." He answered while looking at the floor.

"And where would those be?" Bulma was talking through clenched teeth.

"Under the bridge." Dolt still didn't look up.

Now everyone who knew Bulma knew better than to try her notoriously short temper. Unfortunately, Dolt did not have that experience.

"Listen Buster!" Bulma grabbed Dolt by the front of his armor and started shaking him back and forth. "If you don't show me where my friends are, I'm going to hit you so hard your children will be born bruised! Got it?"

"I-I-I g-g-g-got i-i-i-it!" Dolt managed to answer while still being shook like a maraca.

"Good! Now, get moving!" Bulma pulled him to his feet and gave him a shove in the back. Dolt took off at a run towards the hangar exit, not daring to slow down, for fear of what was right behind him.

Soon he was punching in the code to the holding cell. The door slid open and Bulma walked past him to the platforms, upon which stood Goku, Videl, Trunks, Dende and Mr. Popo, all frozen in stasis.

"Here they are, but I don't see how you're going to get them out." Said Dolt. "Snail's the only one with the controls for the energy fields."

Bulma reached into her pocket and took out a small remote with a miniature satellite dish on the front.

"There is no technology on Earth or anywhere else that I can't figure out!" She boasted, proudly. She started to fiddle with the knob on the remote. "Let's see. It shouldn't work too differently from the force-field around the ship. Just gotta find the right frequency and – Voila!"

The blue beams of light disappeared and all five prisoners fell to the floor. Bulma immediately ran to Trunks. As she lifted his head, his eyes flickered open.

"Uhhh… Mom? What's going on?"

Bulma could hear the others groaning as the paralysis wore off. Videl rubbed her head and looked around.

"What happened? Where are -?" Suddenly she spotted Dolt. "You?"

Trunks sat up and pointed at Dolt.

"Hey! That's one of the creeps that attacked us!"

"No, it's okay." Said Bulma as everyone stood up. "He's not a danger anymore. In fact, come to think of it, he never was."

Dolt slumped at this comment.

"So, has he switched sides?" Asked Trunks.

"Your father made him." Replied Bulma.

"I can sense Vegeta, Krillin, Piccolo and Buu." Said Goku. "And it feels like their battling more of those cyborgs." He put his index and middle fingers on his forehead.

"Wait. What about Gohan and Goten?" Said Mr. Popo.

"Oh yeah!" Said Dende. "Snail's got them trapped in this chamber and he's using these crystals to enslave their minds!"

"Alright. You guys rescue Gohan and Goten. I'll help Vegeta and the others and we'll all meet up with you." Goku disappeared and Dende headed for the door.

"Come on guys. I can show you the way." He ran out of the room, followed by Mr. Popo, Trunks and Videl.

"Let's go, Dolt." Said Bulma.

"Y'know, I really don't think you need me for this –"

"I said, let's go!" Bulma grabbed Dolt by the back of his armor and dragged the hapless alien along after her.