"Piccolo, can you hear me?"

Piccolo sighed, as his meditation was broken. The first time he had been alone all week, and his other half was calling him. "What do you want, old man?"

"I need you to come to the lookout as soon as you can. It's very important."

"How important could it be?"

"The android attack - it's happened."

His eyes widened. "What?! That's impossible!" Trunks told him that it wouldn't happen until May - that was still months away.

"Which is why I need you here as soon as possible." Right as Piccolo was about to question him further, Kami continued. "You needn't worry about Bulma - she's safe. Krillin and Yamcha had been in the area and managed to fight it off. She's on her way to the Lookout right now. With lots of questions, most likely."

"Piccolo?" He turned around. Chi-Chi was standing in the archway between the kitchen and the parlor, holding a tray of tea. She had a confused look on her face. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"There isn't time to explain. Tell her to find Goku and get him here, too."

Piccolo sighed, and stood up from the couch. "I have to go to the Lookout - Kami thinks that the androids have come early."

She dropped the pan, the china breaking into bits on the ground. "WHAT?!"

"I can't explain right now - there isn't much time. Just… go find Goku and tell him to get to the Lookout soon. Then get Gohan and bring him back here. Don't come out until either of us have returned."

She didn't need to be told twice. She quickly tore off her apron and ran out the back door.

Piccolo marched out of the house and took off into the sky, heading straight for the Lookout.

Bulma, Krillin, and Yamcha flew in the air for about an hour. Soon, the empty blue skies gave way, as she saw a rounded platform off in the distance, suspended in midair. As they got closer, more of it came into vision. It was paved with white tiles, dotted with trees, and with a large temple located in the back section. This had to be the Lookout she was told of.

When they were close enough, Krillin landed on the tiles with both feet. Once Bulma gained her footing, she stepped onto it, herself. She was hesitant to put her weight onto it, but it felt like solid ground underneath the soles of her shoes. Yamcha landed behind them, still carrying Raditz on his back. She was almost impressed with how he wasn't struggling to carry him.

They were greeted by another Earthling - a tall, bald man with a third eye plastered on his forehead. Bulma recognized him as Tien Shinhan - another fighter from the tournaments. "I was just about to head back home before I heard what had happened," he said. "Was it really Tao, you guys fought?"

Krillin nodded. "Yep."

He blinked, with a look of bewilderment in his eyes. "Wow. I didn't think he'd still be kicking, after all these years. Was he still a cyborg?"

"No," Yamcha interjected. "He didn't even have any of those metal bits, like he did during your fight with him. He looked… normal."

"But that's not even the weirdest part," said Krillin. "When we were fighting him, I couldn't even sense his energy. He wasn't suppressing it - it was like it wasn't even there, at all. Had he not made such a scene, he could have gotten in and out without any of us noticing." He quickly remembered Bulma was standing right next to him, and looked down. "Sorry if that freaks you out anymore."

She laughed. "Oh believe me - nothing's gonna freak me out, after everything that happened today."

Before any of them could get another word in, a figure phased in front of them. A Namekian, old and gaunt with wrinkles going up and down his face, holding a long wooden cane. He wore a white robe with the word 'God' printed on the front, and a blue cape over his shoulders. Bulma couldn't explain it, but he had a certain aura surrounding him. It was the same kind that she felt, when she was around the Grand Elder - it made one realize the kind of divine presence they found themselves in.

This was Kami - no doubt about it.

He nodded at Krillin and Yamcha. "Thank you for getting back so quickly. Yamcha, you may take our Saiyan friend back to the temple - we'll have Mr. Popo look over at him and make sure he's all healed up. Krillin, Tien, if you could, make sure he gets to the right place."

"Right," they said in unison. Soon, the three Earth warriors went back to the temple together.

Kami looked back at Bulma. To her surprise, a small smile came across his face, and he chuckled. "So you're the little Earth girl that's caused so much trouble across the galaxy. Your reputation does precede you, Miss Bulma."

Her brows furrowed. "Thank you?"

He put his hand up as he shook his head. "Oh, it's nothing bad. Far from it. I suppose I should thank you for helping my other half. Piccolo has become quite the changed man because of your actions. It's lovely to finally get to meet you. I only wish it were under better circumstances."

Speak of the devil: right at that moment, Piccolo flew up and landed on the Lookout. He marched right up to Bulma. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just… shaken up a bit, I guess."

He crossed his arms. "I thought I told you to be more careful."

"I was," she exclaimed. After the stressful afternoon she had just had, she needed to let off some steam. "I was just out in West City with Raditz and then: poof! We got attacked by a legendary hitman who wanted to kidnap me! I wasn't even looking for any trouble this time: the trouble came to us!" She ran her fingers through her hair as she started pacing in place. "A-and he managed to knock out Raditz, which I didn't think he was strong enough to do! Next thing I know, we got saved and whisked up here!" She pointed at Kami, forgetting he was a god for a moment. "And you! You said you were going to explain things! Can you tell me what the actual hell is going on?!"

Kami was taken aback by her sudden temper. He blinked, regaining his composure. "Yes, the time for explanation will come. You needn't worry. We brought you here mostly as a precaution, in case he tried something again. I doubt he'd find a way to get up here."

The Earth Warriors came out of the temple together and walked up to them. "The big guy's taken care of, Kami," said Krillin. "Mr. Popo said he'll be out for a little while."

She sighed in relief. At least she had some good news.

"Excellent." Kami turned to his other half. "And what of Goku?"

"Chi-Chi went out to find him when I left. He should be here soon."

He nodded. "Then we don't have time to waste. We shall go inside and discuss what's to be done next. Bulma, if you'll please follow us. I'll explain everything when we get there."

"If you say so," she said. And with that, the group made their way into the Lookout's temple.

The walls were tall - even the tallest among them were tiny by comparison. They were made of a white brick, while the floors were paved with a white marble. It didn't look dissimilar to other temples and churches she had been to, but something about it felt… otherworldly. As in, not of this realm of existence. Everything was so clean and pristine, like it had never seen a spec of dirt or dust. Bulma couldn't help but stare as they walked down the long hallway.

Kami led them down, passing by several sets of doors. He stopped in front of one with a wood-like frame, knocking on it once with his staff. The door opened with a squeak, and he motioned for everyone to go inside. Piccolo and the rest of the Earth warriors stepped in without hesitation.

Bulma poked her head in, first. It was dark, only illuminated by small colored lights on the walls. "So… what is this room?"

"The most secluded place here. If anything is trying to listen to us, they won't be able to, here."

She nodded. "I see." Eventually, she stepped inside. When Kami stepped in after her, the door shut by itself. The loudness of the slam made her jump. She sighed and turned around. "Okay. You said you'd explain everything. Are you?"

Kami nodded. "Yes - now is the time for answers." He walked past her into the middle of the room. "Piccolo's already told you about the androids we were warned of. Is that accurate?" She nodded. "I have my suspicions that the man who attacked you today was one of them."

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?!"

"That's impossible," Tien said in shock. He looked at Yamcha and Krillin. "Did either of you know?"

"No, honest," Krillin replied. "Though that doesn't make sense. Like Yamcha said - he wasn't made of machine, like he was last time you fought him. He looked normal."

"Yes," said Kami, "but I overheard you mention that he didn't have an energy signature. Every living being has energy, no matter how big or small they are." He closed his eyes. "If that man didn't have one, then it's fair to assume that he isn't human any longer."

Bulma shook her head. "That can't be it. No offense, but maybe you guys just read his energy wrong. Kami, what makes you think he's the android?"

"Because, when we were warned of the androids, we were told that the man who created them was targeting someone." He opened his eyes once more, looking Bulma dead in the face. "That someone is you, Bulma."

A bolt of lightning struck her, as he said that sentence. Her body went as stiff as a board, as her heart seemed to stop. "W-what?!"

"The exact story we were told went as follows: on May 12th, an android will attack West City, created by a man called Dr. Gero. He was looking for you, kidnapping you for a nefarious purpose of which I can only speculate. Though you escaped, he continued to pursue you. In his hunt, he created a new pair of androids - the ones that plunged our planet into a wasteland. Their power and malice were so great that none of our warriors were able to defeat them."

"That's right," Yamcha said. "But we've been training to be ready for them. And we managed to scare off the first guy we were warned about. That's gotta count for something, right?"

"You're gonna need to be stronger than that to defeat the rest of them," Piccolo interjected. "I have my suspicions that the two we were warned of might be even stronger than he was."

Bulma couldn't hear any of them talk: it all sounded like muffled nonsense. She was too caught in her own head to do so. Her back fell against the door, as a feeling of dread overcame her senses. Was Gero really coming after her? Had all her poking around in his business caused this? Was this some kind of revenge for exposing him to the Saiyans? Oh god, the Saiyans. They were cut off from them, so they couldn't tell them about any of this - not even Vegeta.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to reality. Kami was looming over her. "I realize that this is much to take in. But I want you to understand just what's at stake: for you and the fate of the planet."

"Kami," she said in a fear-laden voice, "if Gero's the one behind these androids, there's a lot more at stake than just the Earth."

Everyone looked up at her in surprise. "What do you mean," Krillin asked.

She stepped forward, clutching her hands together. Her heart was racing and she felt close to being sick, from the trepidation. But if they were going to be involved in this mess, they needed to know.

"I-I work on a place called Planet Vegeta, with a group called the Saiyans. Recently, they've come under… a crisis. Someone, or something, has been attacking Saiyans and killing them indiscriminately. And I have every reason to believe that the killer is another one of Gero's androids."

The Earth warriors looked on, in shock. They had no idea this went that deeply. "Is that why the alliance was stopped," Yamcha asked.

She nodded. "They found some kind of proof that there was an anti-Saiyan sentiment on Earth. And that Gero talked to world leaders about how to 'mitigate that'. So, they decided to pause it until the threat is taken care of. Piccolo told me that he thinks they're linked. I didn't want to believe it, but now… what else could it be?"

"This doesn't make any sense," Tien said, shaking his head. "Why would Gero target two different planets at the same time?"

"I don't know. There's something we're all missing here, and we need to figure it out. Before any other bad things happen."

"Is there a way you can clear it up with the Saiyans," Krillin asked. "You know, tell them about how Gero's our enemy, too?"

She pressed her fist against her mouth. "No. The alliance being broken off means no one on Planet Vegeta is allowed to contact anyone on Earth under any circumstances. If we tried sending a message, there'd be no one there to read it."

"Then that must be our first priority," said Kami, as he walked up behind her. "We must find a way to contact the Saiyans and let them know what's really afoot. In the meantime, we must continue to train, so we'll be strong enough to prevail against the androids. Bulma, do you think there's a way to bypass the alliance being broken?"

"I don't know. Even if I did and we got past the blocks, there'd be no guarantee that they'd listen. But I can try."

He nodded. "That might be the best hope we have. In the meantime, I don't think it will be wise for you to be alone and unprotected. You were very lucky that Krillin and Yamcha were there to help you, today. Perhaps one of our own can accompany you at all times. Though, it would be unwise for any of you to cease your training, with so much at stake."

"Well," Yamcha said, scratching the back of his neck, "there are five of us. Maybe we can do some kind of rotation? One person goes with her, while the rest of us train?"

"That could be arranged," Kami replied. "Yet, I fear that, for as strong as you all have gotten, one may not be enough."

"Then make it two," said Piccolo. "When Raditz wakes up, it'll make an even six. And to make sure we're not slacking on our training, we'll rotate every day. How does that sound?"

Kami thought, for a moment. Eventually, he nodded. "Alright. That's how it will be done."

Bulma waved her hand. "Hey, the target's on my back: don't I get a say in this?" They all looked up at her. "If you think me having more security is what's needed, then fine. So be it. But should we really just be waiting around for Gero to act? For all we know, he's making more androids. And since he couldn't get me, what if he tries to get someone else for whatever his endgame is? He's too dangerous to just leave alone. We have to find him and stop him before things can get any worse."

"How," Tien asked. "We don't even know where he is."

A smile of satisfaction came on her face. She had been waiting to brag about this to someone. "You may not know, but I do. When I was investigating the Red Ribbon Army, I found a bunch of coordinates of where their old bases were located. One of them has to be Gero's lab. So we should scout out the areas, find it, and destroy it for good."

"Hey, that's a great idea," Krillin exclaimed, with a grin on his face. "Kami - maybe while two of us are with her and two of us are training, the other two can go look for Gero!"

Kami hummed, looking down at the floor with a pensive look in his eyes. "It's risky, to be sure. I don't know what would be in store for you, if you did find him. We can't even be certain that he's still in his old laboratory." He paused. "But there may be a chance. I suppose our first step will be pairing you all up, so we can do the rotation properly. Piccolo, you and Goku have always worked well together. Would that be alright?"

Piccolo shrugged. "Fine by me."

Kami turned to Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha. "Of course, this arrangement means that one of you will be paired with Raditz. Either one of you can volunteer or I can pick for you."

Tien and Krillin looked at each other. It wasn't that they thought Raditz was a bad guy or that they didn't trust him. But, knowing nothing about him, they weren't sure how well they'd get along or mesh with each other. And in this scenario, that was vital.

"I'll do it," Yamcha said. He pointed at himself. "I've always been up for a challenge."

Krillin put his hands on his hips and looked up at Tien. "Well, guess that leaves you and me, dude. Think you can keep up?"

Tien laughed. "I should be asking you that."

"Then, it's settled," Kami said. "We will continue to train for the androids, find Gero to stop him, and mend the Earth's relationship with the Saiyans. It's a gamble, but still possible." He turned to Yamcha. "Raditz should be right down the hall - Mr. Popo should be finished looking over him. You should be there when he awakes, so you can tell him everything."

Yamcha exhaled, crossing his arms. "I can do that, Kami." For as much as he said he enjoyed the challenge, Bulma couldn't help but notice that he seemed a little nervous.

"Piccolo, if you wouldn't mind, could you brief Goku on all of this, once he gets here? It should be any minute now." Piccolo nodded, in response. "I won't lie to you: this won't be an easy task. And I can't guarantee our success, either. With so many factors at play, it's impossible to predict what may happen next. But, if we work at it hard enough and if fate is on our side, then there will be a chance."

Bulma wrapped her arms around herself. They had a plan, but would it be enough? What if they couldn't find Gero in time and he tried something even worse? What if something even more drastic happened, back on Planet Vegeta, and they weren't able to stop it? What if they weren't strong enough to defeat those androids, no matter how hard they trained? So many nerve-wracking possibilities were running in her brain, and no matter how her rational mind tried to explain it away, she couldn't stop thinking about them.

She had never felt more helpless than she did now.