"Gohan!" shouts Chichi.
She sprints over to her son ignoring the danger the alien kidnapper poses or the injuries inflicted on her. Her dark bruises and safety mean nothing compared to the well being of her son. As she runs, she drops to her knees and slides on her shins to stop next to Gohan. She carefully cradles him in her arms, being mindful to support his head and neck. The boy stirs at the touch and opens his eyes.
"Mommy?" asks Gohan, looking around. "What happened?"
"Gohan, Gohan. My baby boy," Chichi says with a sob.
She hears murmuring coming from the space invader. The voice mumbles too softly to discern any words. She picks up Gohan and cautiously backs up, never for a moment taking her eyes off the still motionless enemy. A terrifying roar finally rips her locked eyes away.
"Stop him!" says Piccolo, rushing towards her.
One arm lets go of her son to block the green demon's attack. She knew he could not be trusted. Now he wants to kill her son as some revenge plot against her husband while he cannot defend himself. She braces for the imminent collision.
To her surprise, Piccolo dashes straight past to the foe behind her.
"What did you do?" he says. "Who did you contact?"
Cui half laughs and half coughs.
"You see this device on my face. It acts as a voice transmitter. It's been recording ever since I arrived on your planet. They know everything."
A heavy wheeze interrupts his speech.
"Who does?" says Piccolo.
"The empire I work for," says Cui, his voice weakening. He turns his eyes to the sky. "They know about you and your friends. I'm sure they'll—hurreck…"
Cui sputters into a coughing fit spitting up a purplish black substance.
"I'm sure they'll be especially interested in these Dragon Balls of yours," he finishes.
"What about the Saiyans you mentioned?" says Piccolo, pressing for as much information as he can get from the dying man.
"Oh you heard that did you," Cui whispers as his eyes begin to close. "That's some impressive hearing you have. I wanted it to be a surprise. I put in a personal request that the extermination team I called in be comprised of our Saiyan squadron. It seemed fitting."
"When? When will they be here?" says Piccolo.
"And they're … much stronger … than me…"
Cui trails off into a quiet laborious breathing.
"When and how many!"
The life fades from Cui's eyes, but a smile remains on his face.
Piccolo screams in frustration and pain.
The stump of his missing arm begins to bulge as something pushes its way out. A brand new arm shoots out of the fresh wound covered in a yellowish purple mix of blood and mucus. He looks at the new appendage as he flexes all of its muscles and joints. After checking its functionality, he turns to Chichi.
"I'm taking your son," he says.
"You're what…" she says, still processing everything that has happened.
Piccolo rises into the air and points an index finger upward as he does. Gohan jerks away from his mother's arms on a telekinetic impulse. Chichi, too tired to hold her son back, cries out as the boy shrieks and reaches for her grasping hands. He zips up into Piccolo's grip who is now several yards above the ground.
"Listen to me very carefully," he says. "My sense of hearing is far more developed than you humans. I heard every word our friend over there said before he died. A more powerful enemy is coming. A group of Saiyans who are even stronger than him. I don't know when they will get here or how many there will be.
"But I do know Goku isn't going to survive his injury. Make sure you wish him back. We're going to need him. And we're also going to need your son. He displayed an incredible power unlike anything I've ever seen, and I'm going to train him how to use it. Tell the rest of those losers to prepare themselves as well. It's going to take everything we have."
With that, he flies off leaving Chichi to sink to her knees in despair. Knowing she could not just sit there even though she wants to, she forces herself to her feet and begins walking towards her husband. Each step stabs at her body as the impacts aggravate every aching bruise received in the fight. Her mind is elsewhere as she reflexively moves to her destination.
She does not even notice Yamcha being carried by Master Roshi and Krillin to the same location. The old man carries him with forearms under his armpits while following Krillin who has slung both of his knees over each shoulder. They reach Goku at about the same time. Bulma has managed to get him on his back with his head resting in her lap. A pool of blood gathers beneath his wound.
"How you doing there buddy?" asks Krillin as he works gently with his teacher to set Yamcha down.
Goku breathes in deeply.
"Not good," he says.
"Oh Goku. This is all my fault," Bulma says.
"No it's not," says Goku. "That alien guy did this." He turns to Chichi who stares off into the distance. "Why did Piccolo take Gohan away?"
Chichi finally breaks down into tears as she explains what her husband's rival told her.
"It's okay Chichi," Goku says. "Gohan is safe from that alien because of you. He's a smart boy. You know that. He'll get back to you. I know he will."
Chichi can only nod in hopeful agreement.
"And as for the Saiyans," he continues with the pool of blood under his torso growing bigger, "make sure you wish me back as soon as you can. I'll need to start training right away if I'm going to be strong enough to face them."
And then Goku is gone. For a moment those gathered at his side remain silent and hopeless. They barely survived this battle and at such great cost. They wonder how they will manage against an even greater evil already set to purpose against them.
Krillin finally breaks the silence.
"Well that's our Goku," he says. "Always ready for the next challenge."
"He certainly is," says Yamcha. "And we'll have him back in no time just like he wanted."
"Right." says Bulma, joining with false positivity. "And when he is, we'll get Gohan back next."
"That won't be necessary," says a voice, startling them all.
The anxious group turn towards the sound of the new speaker and find none other than Earth's guardian Kami standing before them.
"I'm sorry to meet with you all again under such tragic circumstances," says Kami. "I have been monitoring the situation and have prepared special arrangements for Goku in the Other World to deal with our looming threat. I ask that you do not revive him with the Dragon Balls until he is finished."
"You're supposed to be god?" whispers Chichi. Her body shakes as she looks at the ground. "Then where were you when my son was kidnapped?"
Her head springs up to stare down the old and withered guardian of Earth, her eyes flush with anger.
"Where were you when my husband fought that monster and lost his life because of it!" she continues irately, almost screaming hysterically. "Where were you when my baby boy was taken from me a second time by the very demon you created! And then you have the nerve to show up now after everything's over and say you have some sort of plan!"
She jumps to her feet ready to swing at Kami. Master Roshi and Krillin each grab one of her arms.
"How dare you!" she screams while being held back. "How dare you!"
She repeats the phrase several times with each instance draining her of energy. She collapses to her knees in a sobbing mess inconsolable by her husband's friends.
"I am deeply sorry," say Kami. "Even as guardian of Earth, my powers are limited. I promise to watch over your son and will do whatever I can to make sure he returns to you.
"I would also like to request that Krillin and Yamcha meet at Korin Tower as soon as possible. I wish to provide you both with special training so you are ready to face this new enemy. Master Roshi, you are welcome to join as well. Your mastery of martial arts would prove a valuable asset. And Chichi, I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but you show great potential. If you wish to, there will be a spot for you as well."
His announcement meets silence.
"I'll take my leave then."
"Hold on a minute," says Bulma.
She carefully gets out from under Goku's head as if she might wake him from his sleep if she moves him too much.
"You can't just ask Yamcha and Krillin or anyone else to risk their lives again," she says. "They hardly got through this fight alive. These Saiyans are supposed to be even stronger and you want to train them so there's maybe a chance they'll be safe. That's absurd."
"It's okay Bulma," says Yamcha. "I appreciate the concern, but I want to fight. I want to protect you and my friends."
"But it's not fair," she says. "What if you don't come back again?"
"Hey, I made it out of this fight, and I'll be even better prepared for the next enemy. So of course I'll come back. I promise."
"You don't know that, you jerk. You can't promise anything," she says, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug.
He winces a little as his injured legs get disturbed by the motion, but he puts a hand on the small of her back. She pushes away from him with an ecstatic smile on her face. The sudden motion causes him to cry out in pain.
"What if we used the Dragon Balls to destroy the Saiyans?" she says with genuine enthusiasm.
For a moment, the rest of the faces in the group light up with smiles at the prospect of such a solution, everyone except for Kami and Chichi.
"I'm afraid that won't work," Kami says.
"Aw, why not?" says Bulma.
"I am the creator of the Dragon Balls so anyone stronger than me cannot be killed by Shenron," says Kami. "The space warrior Goku and Piccolo fought was one such being. If these Saiyans really are more powerful than him, then I'm afraid the wish cannot be granted."
"Oh man that sucks," says Krillin. His face sinks the most at the news.
"And there's another problem with making a wish other than reviving Goku," continues Kami. "Shenron can only bring back someone who has died within the past year. And as you know, the balls become inert for exactly one year. So even if you made a wish this very day…"
"It would take a full year to make another wish and we would be a day too late to bring Goku back," says Bulma. "So even if we came up with a better wish, like for the galactic empire targeting Earth to just forget it exists, we would have to choose between it and Goku."
"Precisely," says Kami. "So I guess you have a decision to make."