Chapter 15- Fighting Nappa

I sure did not want to be Tien right now. The guy literally had steam blowing from his ears. God knows what was going through his mind. Nappa had somehow survived Chiatzu's suicide. We were one person down, but still with two major threats. No one said it, but I could sense everyone was waiting on Goku. Everyone expected him to be stronger somehow.

Before I hadn't shared their enthusiasm, but even now I began to wonder. Death was staring us in the face. A part of me longed for the simple cheeriness Goku had seemed to exert when we met, the hope he installed in the others. And even if I didn't believe he could win us this fight, our chances would be higher with a guy like him around. Nappa smirked as he brushed himself of and lowered down to our level, whilst Tien sobbed quietly, pulling Chiatzu's hat between his fingers.

"You guys..i hate to ask but what the hell are we going to do?" Krillin was shaking, but it wasn't from rage anymore. Neither was it from the cold chill that had started to set in our bones as the afternoon blaze was over. Tien was still sobbing, Gohan was still in shock, so that left me or Piccolo to answer. There was nothing left for me to suggest. The tail plan was out of the question, we'd be slaughtered before we even got half a mile near it. Piccolo cleared his throat, gazing disdainfully at Gohan.

"We stand our ground, and we wait for Goku to get here" But will he get here though was the question I burned to ask. I held my tongue though, for Gohan's sake. The kid was still traumatized.

Tien sobbed for a moment more before the hat slipped from his mucled fingers. Slowly, a shake started to travel down his body, and the air was charged with unadulterated anger.

"Tien! Its no good!" What good will blinding rage do you..

Tien pounced to his feet, muttering blistering curses under his breath. He lurched forward, Nappa rushing to meet him; and their arms clashed. One arm and a shoulder against two fully working arms. Limb smacked on limb and each attack matched. Each hit was laced with tormented anguish. If Tien slipped from anger into mourning, he would be dead faster than it takes for toast to pop out of the toaster. The two slid closer to a small mountain, and Nappa feinted to the side before slipping back, causing Tien's arm to smash into the mountain beside them. It crumbled to blunt pieces of rock, Nappa using the opening to knee Tien in the groin.

I felt a jab in my obliques, forcing me to tear my eyes away from the fight; if you could call it that.

"I have a plan you three" Piccolo whispered, nudging Krillin and Gohan closer so they could hear. For the first time, I saw fear flicker in those black eyes of his. I craved to put my arms around him, but I knew affection was out of bounds. It would also most likely scare him.

"We're listening" Krillin said.

"Alright, whilst Nappa is distracted with Tien, Vikke will draw his attention away from the front-"

"-Oh great a death wish"

"- and me and Krillin will take him from behind and hit him with all our strength. Whilst he's hurtling towards the ground, Gohan will hit him with his strongest blast of ki" As good as the plan was, there was one big flaw. Gohan had that raw terrified look in his eyes again.

"Piccolo, are you sure it's a good idea to have Gohan finish him of?"

"Well, why not?" I sidled up to him, placing my hands on each shoulder and raising my lips to his ear.

"Well take a look at the kid for a start, he's one step from needing a change of clothes. I don't think he can do it"

"Well surely even he's not stupid enough to back out, it's our only option" We kept our voices low, and as I dropped back down onto my heels and took away my hands, Krillin and Gohan had a weird expression plastered on their faces. Oh right of course, they couldn't hear us, and that probably looked quite intimate from their point of view. We might as well have kissed and taken our clothes of by the way they were watching us.

'You'd think you'd set a children's hospital on fire'

'I wouldn't put it past her'

"So…you guys are together huh" Krillin rubbed his palm over the slickness of his bald head. I suddenly realized I hated the whiny pitch of his voice. Piccolo growled but said nothing.

"We're not together" I informed him, but my voice betrayed me. Piccolo's eyes flashed briefly across mine and I could tell I hadn't disguised the sadness in my voice. I wasn't sure why I felt sad. I loved Cherry. Sure I had feelings for Piccolo, more than what I should have; but that doesn't change it in the slightest.

"You know, that's a good plan you got there" I flushed at his intrusion but was glad for the distraction. Vegeta himself was smirking at us from his stump, Nappa still laying into Tien. Clearly he hadn't heard him, and I had an odd feeling that was Vegeta's intention. Either he wanted his teammate dead or he was confident that our plan wouldn't work. I didn't want to consider either.

"You won't be so cocky when Goku gets here" Krillin glowered. Vegeta curled his lip with amusement before turning his gaze back to the ground. A muffled sob drew my attention back to Tien. Nappa had retracted his fists and left his mangled body on the burning sand. I saw his eyes sweep over the rest of us suggestively before pacing past Tien. The clarity of what he was going to do hit a second just before he took to the air.

It was now or never.

The fact that I had no plan was just a minor aspect as I skirted forward, pounding my feet on the ground to draw as much attention as possible. Nappa tilted his head, watching me curiously as I ground to a halt, breathing hard as I gathered my wits. I had his attention, that was my part done. As Nappa rolled over in the air to set me as his target Piccolo and Krillin swooped around a jutting plateu before smashing into the back of Nappa. He hadn't seen it coming, and I breathed a sigh or relief as he hurtled down like a felled rocket. Our part was done, it was up to Gohan now. Speaking of the kid, where the hell was he?

A whimper from my right answered that question. He was stood under Nappa's rapidly approaching body, but instead of preparing the death blow he was cowering, knees shaking and eyes watering.

"Oh no.."

"HIT HIM NOW GOHAN!" Piccolo yelled and with that Gohan turned tail and ran, sealing all our fates in one go. As he trembled behind a rock, Nappa raised his head and smiled devilishly.

"EVERYONE, HIT HIM NOW!" Piccolo roared and all three of us simultaneously threw everything we had at the slowly stirring saiyan. As soon as the ki left my hands it was too late.

Nappa winked before flipping onto his side. Each energy blast missing by miles.

"Wow that was a close one, almost thought I was gonna be done in there if it wasn't for that pathetic kid of yours" He taunted.

"He's not mine" Piccolo spat out.

Nappa only gave a toothy smile in response and seeing our failed effort, Tien dropped his head, lamenting Chiatzu's name. The three of us returned to the ground and regrouped, Gohan joining us with a shameful look across his childish features.

"I can't believe I wasted my time with you" Was all Piccolo had to say. Krillin shot a sympathetic look his way but we were all disappointed. That had been the best opportunity so far to rid ourselves of the scumbag saiyan. Upon failing it we were now doomed.

"Don't forget Nappa, we need the namekian alive" Vegeta warned. Without looking, I felt the air grow tense as Nappa selected Krillin as the next victim.

"Split into three!" Piccolo commanded, a technique he had only shown me once.

"But doesn't that make us weaker!?" I protested, then silenced by his desperate glare. He wanted to go down fighting. It was understandable. Splitting into three was easier than I thought as the three of us became nine, and it was something I was considering doing more often providing I lived through this. Doubtful but life was all about hope.

We surrounded him in a cocoon of arms and legs but as pointed out, we were weaker and a devastating blow in the gut smacked me down to the ever-welcoming earth. Two thuds around me told me the others were the same way. The air whistled as two objects smacked into my back and slipped through my skin. I was whole again.

I forced my weight onto my arms, sitting up as Gohan ran crying to Piccolo. Piccolo groaned and stood, slamming a fist into the kid before knocking him away.

"I ain't got time to babysit kid" His voice was gruff but it was no disguise for the emotions underneath. Tough love. Gohan brushed away his childish tears before running over to a limp Tien, checking to see if he was still alive.

"ATTACK AGAIN!" I charged up a beam of energy, flinging it halfheartedly because I knew it wouldn't do any damage. Nappa took our ki like a trooper, and planted his boots firmly in the ground as electric buzzed round him again.

A body moved and Tien pushed himself of the ground feebly, raising an arm to his hallucination. He stilled for a moment and then rage flickered across his thin, bruised lips.

"I will avenge you Chiatzu" Tien stood up, his legs shaking only slightly. Nappa turned his sneer to Tien, watching him strain for ki. Despite being so close to death, the air grew thick, muffling me as his power emassed. I couldn't hear any more, but I could still see.

His arm raised, fingers spread, and golden light shot out towards Nappa. Within seconds his sneer was free of the dust and Tien sighed before collapsing on the dirt.

His energy hit zero. This time he was dead. Nausea choked my throat, another sacrifice for nothing.

"So much for that one" Heat flared up in my face. These saiyans need to be taught a lesson.

"It's all over.." Krillin sunk to his knees, his arms limp by his side. "Goku, where are you!?" Vegeta shuffled on his rock.

"We need to fight him on the ground, he has an advantage in the air" Like Piccolo wasn't stating the obvious. It wasn't like Nappa was going to just fight on the ground for us though. He hovered in the air, a smirk continuously plastered on his smug face. I closed my eyes, feeling his ki out as he turned and rocketed towards us.

"STOP!"

"What the?" Nappa had stopped suddenly in the air, Vegeta's order still ringing out.

For the first time a frown crossed Nappa's face.

"What the hell'd you do that for Vegeta?" He whined.

"I want to know who this Goku is. You seem to be placing all your hopes on him"

Right, of course. The lead saiyan must be bored with our pathetic efforts and is hoping for some action himself. There was no chance it could be fear, could it.

"Wait…don't tell me; he's Kakarot isn't he?" Our silence was enough answer.

"I can't believe you pathetic weaklings are relying on that scum saiyan to help you. Have you forgotten that Raditz killed him and we are much stronger than Raditz could even dream of" Actually Piccolo killed him but I guess that wasn't really going to swing in our favour.

"Yeah well he's got a lot stronger since then and he's going to teach you saiyans a lesson" Krillin boasted.

"Is that so?" Vegeta chuckled. "Very well. Nappa, take a break. Let's give these weaklings three hours for their precious Kakarot to show up"

"His name is Goku.."

"Forget it Vegeta, I've waited months for this" Nappa's muscles clenched as he prepared to tear through us like paper mache.

"Are you disobeying a direct order!?" Vegeta's words smacked warningly and fear flitted into Nappa's eyes. He stopped charging up instantly.

"Uh no, of course not Vegeta. Sorry Vegeta" He dropped to ground level before meekly trotting over to Vegeta and his rock.

I didn't like how much power this Vegeta had over Nappa.

I clasped my hands together and wished to the stars.

Please turn up Goku…before its too late.