"Lord Cui! It's just beyond this ridge!"
"Keep your voice down, we don't want to draw their attention yet." Cui focuses on the large encampment of Namekians. "There's at least fifty of them. Probably more."
The men peer over, they use their scouters to see what their eyes cannot. The devices on the heads of the Frieza Force members had given them a distinct advantage over Slug, allowing them to track the Namekians outside of the villages. Noticing the large concentration gathering, Cui pursued.
Even as they approach, the stress mounts higher in Cui; he no longer has time to waste. If he's to get off of this planet alive, he must have a wish before his master Frieza can arrive.
"There are some strong ones among them, It appears a few register as high as 10,000 battle power."
"10,000? Damn, with that strength an assault is way too risky." He twirls his mustache in thought. "Hmm… I believe I have a plan. Stay here and be ready to attack. I'm going to play a little trick on those big green morons."
"Right sir! We'll have all the dragon balls in no time!"
Cui slides down to greet the terrified villagers.
"It's an invader! Quick, get the children and elderly inside!" The warriors instantly swarm him. "Stay where you are, or we'll kill you where you stand!"
"H-Hold on!" Cui raises his hands to appear unthreatening, a needless act given his appearance. "You misunderstand! I've come to… Liberate you! Yes!"
"Yeah, we don't believe that for a second! Just look at what you're wearing!"
Cui realizes he's still wearing the slug-jin uniform. He flicks Slug's insignia from his attire with a nervous smile. "Th-They forced me to fight for them, see! I myself am a proud hero, captured and enslaved while defending my people from their tyranny! Hehehe! I've broken free from my bonds and now seek to save you from the same fate!"
The warriors stare back at each other with uncertainty. "Very well… I guess..."
"Stop!" an elder voice reaches out. Rushing up to them is none other than Elder Moori. "Do not listen to his words of deceit! This fish-headed fool is the one who assailed my village and killed my warriors!"
Cui snears at the elder with rage. "Quiet your mouth, you!" It's not until his index finger has already scolded the elder that he realizes his folly. "Ahahahah…"
"You murderer! You'll pay for that!" The warriors prepare to charge, but are stopped by the war cries of the Frieza Force soldiers who climb down the hill.
"Wait, wait!" Cui motions to stop both parties. "Look at these men, they are proof of my story. See their armament? They are warriors of my space kingdom, come to rally by my side!"
"Grrr" Moori growls. "Freed prisoner or not, your character is what I judge you by!"
Cui scowls at the persistent elder. "Come now, are you really so well off that you would turn down an ally?"
Moori growls back at the fish-man's twisted scheming.
"Grr! Lord Cui is an honorable man!" One of Cui's men argues in his defense.
"If his character is what you judge him by, then you judge him as the hero he is!" another soldier chimes in.
"That's right! Nobody in the Frieza Force fills his men with as much courage as he! A true warrior of the front lines! The heads that have rolled in his name-" Cui silences the third soldier to prevent him from going any further.
"As you've now heard from my merry men in tights, I am truly a dashing rogue." Cui grins, half confident, half nervous.
"For Lieutenant Cui!" The slug-jin' call out from beyond the hill. They quickly tumble down to their master's side.
"It's them! It's the demons! They serve the great enemy that invades us!" Moori cries out.
The slug-jin take pause. "We serve only one, Lieutenant Cui!" The whole of the group reiterates the statement in unison.
"That symbol on your chest suggests otherwise." Moori is quick to point out.
The slug-jin are alarmed by the acknowledgment. They look to their idol Cui, noticing the insignia no longer adorns him. After a moment of silently turning their heads to each other, they come to a unified agreement. A moment later the thud of metal badges hitting the ground ring out. Not one slug-jin remains in service to their namesake.
"From here, and forever more, we are no longer slug-jin! We are cui-jin!" They chant their new name several times in succession.
The Frieza Force men are not about to be outdone. "And we are no longer in service to Lord Frieza! We are now the Cui Force!" The whole group repeats the name as many times as the cui-jin had.
Moori is finally persuaded, to some degree at least. "While I have no doubt that you serve only yourself in this matter, I do agree that we could use whatever help we can muster." He nods to the warriors, signaling them to stand down.
"Hehe, I'm glad we can come to an agreement. As your glorious hero, I will lead your people to. We march toward the demon's encampment immediately!"
The ever darkening sky and roaring winds seem to have no end in sight. Their dreary mood accurately frames the situation at Guru's.
"Satan Spin Kick!" Piccolo shouts as he twirls through the air. His foot collides with the jaws of both Nail and Tsuno, instantly downing them. "Let that child alone! Double Dynamite Rocket Punch!" He bursts his arms forth so that each fist collides with a Namekian child's nose.
Videl is frozen in shock, completely and utterly confused by her hero's actions.
He runs up to the girl and gives her a big hug. "Oh Videl, I'm so glad I was able to save you from those Namekians in time!" He squeezes so hard that she coughs.
"Get-Get off of me! What the heck is your problem!" She manages to squirm free. "What are you, stupid?! Those Namekians you just beat the snot out of were the ones I was protecting dummy!"
The confused Piccolo backs away. "That can't be right! I heard from the slug guys, they beat you up and stuff!"
"Yeah? And I was able to clear things up. They were going to hand the dragon balls over willingly before you knocked their teeth out!"
"Huh? You mean, we can stop fighting? That's great! I'll go tell Uncle Slug right away!"
"Wait!" Piccolo only makes it about a dozen steps away before Videl stops him. "I meant they were handing us the dragon balls, not that dried raisin… wait… Uncle Slug? Piccolo did you bump your head or something?"
Piccolo's cheeks become as red as they can be. "I said Mr. Lord Slug, I think you heard me wrong. Anyway, that's okay. They probably just forgot to mention him."
Videl shakes her head. "Piccolo, you see this?" She motions her palm around the war torn battlefield. "You know just as well as I do, that guy is no good. He's a villain."
Piccolo's eyes grow sorrowful, not wanting to accept her words. "It's just all he knows. I can help him, I know I can. Just let him have the dragon balls so we can fix this mess."
Videl scoffs. "All he knows? Yeah, it was all Gohan knew too. Did that stop you from killing him?"
Piccolo is taken aback. "Th-That's not fair!"
"Isn't it? Come on Piccolo, fix this mess? What kind of delusion are you under? Get real."
Piccolo is more wounded by her words than her fists ever could have. "Please Videl…" He's on the verge of tears.
Her berating attitude begins to subside, giving way to empathy. "Hey, it's all right. Just get inside already."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Kiddo." The voice of Slug echoes from the ledge overlooking them.
Piccolo and Videl both look up to the descending figure. The dragon balls Wings had collected are firmly in his arms. He stops at the foot of the hill, as far from Piccolo as Videl.
"Hey you! Stay out of this! Piccolo's not just another one of your cronies you can bark commands to!" Videl stomps the ground in frustration.
"I know he's not, he's much more than that." He then directs his attention to Piccolo. "Looks like you found your little pet. Make sure you keep her on a leash from now on."
"Mr. Lord Slug, she's not a pet. She's my friend."
"A friend who stabs you in the back. Tell me, did she even ask you how you felt before she betrayed you?"
Piccolo gasps.
"I-I didn't betray him! You slimy weasel, I'll knock your teeth out!"
Slug tilts his head and eyes the girl with a condescending downward glance. "You killed a lot of people today. Many of them could have been dear Piccolo's friends. Did you even consider that?"
Videl stumbles, growing smaller by his verbal attack. "He wouldn't make friends with-"
The tears in Piccolo's eyes stop her mid sentence. Glancing back at Slug, she realizes her mistake. She ceases her protest.
"I'll be taking the elder's dragon ball now." With a single blast from his mouth, Slug decimates the rocky spire holding Guru's home.
The structure topples over with a quake. The whole home shatters when it hits the ground and the elder rolls out like a ball. "Wa wa wah wah wahhh!" He shouts as he tumbles.
Piccolo looks down at his feet, unable to gain the courage to look the elder in the eye.
"Give me your dragon ball now, and your death will be quick."
"Demon king of the darkest forest, I will not make the same mistake as I'd made in my youth. The dragon balls will never be given to you while I live."
"Huh?" Slug grabs the collar of the massive Namekian and pulls his head toward him. "Quit being a wise guy! Whatever drivel you're on about, I don't want to hear it."
Great grief envelopes Guru."This frozen hell you have created will be your undoing. Namek already stirs from your presence." Guru finishes with a cough.
"Namek is my domain now, old man."
"Your face is nearly as frail as mine own. Kill me or not, my age will take me soon. How much life still lingers within you, I wonder?"
"Why you!" Slug stops himself just shy of clobbering Guru's head off. His eyes shoot back at Piccolo briefly before returning to the elder. "My health is the least of my worries. My will, my clan, they don't end with me, you putrid old prick."
Guru realises in an instant what his words mean. "Nail, I hope you have recovered the dragon ball by now. I fear we may not win this battle. I leave the choice in your hands."
"Grand Elder, do you mean for me to destroy it?" It's then that everyone realizes Nail had recovered the orb from the rubble. He stands utop the pile in shock.
"No!" Tsuno and Videl yell in unison. They both scale the rubble and attempt to wrestle it from Nail's hands.
"My village! Without the dragon balls their deaths cannot be undone!" Tsuno pleads.
"You promised me! You can't just betray me like that!" Videl grunts angrily.
It isn't until Piccolo zips past them that the dragon ball is seized. The three of them swing their heads to see the ball now resting in the super Namekian's hands.
"P-Piccolo! Our dads!"
"Think about the innocent Namekians whose lives have been cut short by this bloodshed!"
"Please, destroy it. We cannot allow evil a chance to use them!"
Piccolo juggles their considerations in his head. Our dads. Slug can revive them. The innocent Namekians. Slug will undo all of it. We cannot allow evil to use them. You're wrong; That scar wouldn't be on his chest if he was so horrible. He finally looks to Slug, who stands silently. He only nods to the green boy wonder.
Piccolo makes his decision. He tosses the ball into Slug's hands, like a boy a baseball to his father. This is the right answer, I know it is.
"Piccolo!" Videl's cries are unanswered.
Piccolo leaps to Slug's side. "Videl, come on, this is silly. Let's go back to the ship."
Piccolo is almost caught off guard by the sudden energy burst Videl attacks him with. While he's able to defend against it, he's greatly surprised by how strong she'd gotten.
"Videl?" His concern finally shines through.
The girl huffs, furious and heartbroken. "What kind of a hero are you! How can you call yourself a disciple of Satan!"
Before Piccolo can reconsider, Slug's arm wraps around his shoulder to comfort him.
"Give it up, You mangy little twerp. Piccolo, remind me to put that shock collar back on her when we get back." Slug scans the area. "There's still one more dragon ball here. Where'd that crazy looking fellow go?"
Everyone looks around, but Tsuno is nowhere to be seen.
"Gah, no matter. I know he'll be coming to me soon enough. All of them will." He pulls Guru up by his pants and launches himself into the air. "Because their precious Grand Elder's going to be coming with me. We're heading out, Piccolo."
Piccolo follows him into the sky.
"No you don't!" Nail and Videl shout together as they ascend in pursuit.
Having enough of them, Slug releases a super massive attack that engulfs them both and hurles them back into the dirt. When it bursts, a full mile radius lights up.
"Videl!" Piccolo almost comes to his senses.
Just as the light fades, it's reignited by a second burst. It doesn't come from Slug, but instead from the planet itself. With a horrible deep groan, the planet pulsates. Several massive waves quake through the crust of the world and travel out to the horizon.
Both Slug and Piccolo gulp in unison. Slug speaks for the two of them."We'll… Just have to wish her back with the dragon balls."
Piccolo doesn't argue, instead fear forces him to agree for the sake of getting out of there.
Piccolo, You're horrible. The painful thought lingers in Videl.
Some time later Videl finally coughs herself awake. She finds herself being dragged by the collar. "Who's there? Who's got me?" Her eyes are still too foggy to see properly.
"It's me, Cargo." He finally releases her and takes a seat beside her.
Videl notices how cold he looks. His arms and legs are kept close to his body to hold warmth. She doesn't feel the temperature due to her battle suit. "Are you alright? You look like you're freezing."
"Yeah. It suddenly got a lot colder again."
A quake startles the two. The ground they rest on rises and falls as if it were breathing. The low groan accompanies it.
"Don't worry about that. It's been happening since you got knocked out."
Videl gets to her feet. "Yeah, I think it's pretty reasonable to worry about that. Have you seen anyone else?"
Cargo shakes his head. "I haven't found anyone. They might be gone for good." His eyes become watery with his words.
Videl remorsefully watches over him. "We can't stay here, you'll freeze to death."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
Before she sets off, Videl searches her boot. "W-What? It's not here!" She darts her head around in a panic.
"Are you looking for this?" Cargo holds out the mangled and bloody piece of photograph.
"Wah! What happened to it!" Tears burst from her eyes like a fountain. She grips what remains of her father's memory with trembling hands.
Cargo looks away, not wanting her misery to infect him in his already vulnerable state. "When I bandaged your leg It fell out. I wasn't sure what it was."
She drops to the ground and cradles the picture close to her heart. Her tears continue to pour out.
"...I'm sorry Videl" Cargo can already feel his eyes begin to water again. He sits beside her, still unsure of how to calm her. Eventually he rubs her back gently. "The guy in the picture. Was that your boyfriend or something?"
"That guy..." Her composure begins to slowly return, but the sadness on her face only deepens. "He's the greatest hero who ever lived. Anytime I was hurting, he'd know exactly how to cheer me up."
Cargo reminisces on those in his life who fit the image she describes. The face of Moori comes to mind most prominently.
"I need him. I need him right now. I need my daddy." Her mouth widens like a baby about to scream, but she restrains herself from completely giving in to despair. "We, We gotta go."
"Where are we going?"
"There's only one place to go. We gotta get those dragon balls back from Slug." She swings the boy onto her back. After rubbing the last tears from her eyes, she bursts into the sky.
Elsewhere, a similar situation unfolds.
"Thank you Dende, I thought I was a goner." Nail pats the back of his brother, having had his health fully restored.
"Y-Yeah, so did I! What are we going to do now?"
"I can't allow my failure to go unredeemed. We need to rescue the grand elder at all costs. Those demons can't be allowed to have their way."
"B-but it's going to be a trap, isn't it?"
Nail only briefly hesitates to think. "Yes, and that's not going to stop me. I won't make you tag along, but I could use your help."
Dende grasps his brother's hand. "I won't abandon you! I know you can do it Nail, you're the strongest!"