Planet Namek

Bulma felt more relaxed in that moment than she had in months. She felt so relieved to have Vegeta back with her and that he finally knew the truth. To think that she spent so long paranoid about what he might think. She really needed to take her own advice and stop worrying about things all the time. They were sitting together in Moori's village, as she caught up on things with friends.

"You're really gonna have a baby, Miss Bulma," Dende asked.

She nodded. "That's right. Only a few more months, and he'll be here."

Dende had a confused look in his eyes, as he tilted his head to one side. "So when do you get the egg?"

Her eyes went wide, before laughing awkwardly. "I-it doesn't really work like that for us, Dende. He's actually in here," she patted her rounded stomach. "In a few more months, he'll just… come out!" She cringed, hoping he wouldn't press her more for that.

Vegeta scoffed. "Earthlings are so prudish," he muttered to himself. She smacked him on the shoulder.

"When he's here, do you think you can bring him to show us?"

"Maybe when this is all over, I can pop by for a visit." She nudged Vegeta. "If this guy will let me get away for that long." He just rolled his eyes and sighed, making her laugh. "But that's enough about me. What have you been up to lately?"

Dende shuffled his feet in the dirt. "Elder Moori has been training me in running the village. He says he'll want me to be the next elder, one day."

She smiled at him. "That's fantastic! I'm so happy for you, Dende!"

He bowed his head, but didn't smile back at her. "I'm not sure why he picked me. I'm still so little and other people in the village know more." He looked over at Vegeta. "You're gonna be a king, Mr. Vegeta. Have you ever felt this way?"

Vegeta looked surprised that he even asked him. "Yes, I have. After Frieza killed my father, I wasn't sure if I was cut out to be a leader. Sometimes, I'm anxious that he'll suddenly fall out of commission and I'll have to take over early. If you want my honest advice, find people you can trust. When you're leading others, you'll have to work and compromise, so have people that will stick up for you. And if things get difficult, you'll at least have someone you can fall back on for aid."

He stared at him, before he nodded. "I think I understand."

One of the other Namekians called Dende over. He waved at them one more time, before he ran over to them.

Bulma smiled at Vegeta. She laid her head on his shoulder. "You really have a way with words, you know that?"

He put his arm around her, pulling her closer. "I try my best."

She giggled, before sighing. God, she loved him so much. "So I have to ask. How do you think the court will react?"

He huffed. "I don't know. The traditionalists won't be pleased that it happened before we were mated. And I have no doubt a couple of them will think of challenging our son's claim to the throne."

She frowned. She hadn't really thought of that before - the implications of a half-Saiyan becoming king one day. It shouldn't have surprised her. She knew how a lot of them could be. "Do you think they'll actually try something?"

"I doubt it. Those types are all talk. And even if they do, I'm sure he can make an example out of them, one day."

"Be careful what you wish for. Trunks might get even stronger than you." She winked at him.

He laughed. "If he's my son, he better make the effort!"

Their conversation was interrupted when a figure came flying from out of the sky, landing in the middle of the village. It was Nail. When he saw Bulma, he walked up to her. She could tell by the look on his face that he had something important to say.

"Nail," she asked, her brows furrowed. "What's going on?"

"Bulma, you need to get back to your ship at once. Kami said he felt something big happen on Earth. He wants to return as soon as possible."

Her heart stopped. How big was it that he felt it all the way out here? She and Vegeta looked at each other. As much as she wanted to prolong their reunion, if the matter was that urgent, they needed to return home immediately.

She carefully stood back up. Vegeta stood up with her, letting her use him for support. She looked at Nail and nodded. "Okay. I'll head there."

By the time they made it back to the ship, Kami and Moori were already there. The ship's door was lowered and Kami was already standing on the platform. Just by his demeanor, Bulma could tell the Earth's guardian was distressed. His knuckles had turned a pale green from gripping his staff tightly. His mouth was pressed together into a firm line. And his eyes were unfocused, not alert to the current situation.

Vegeta took her hand and squeezed it tightly. "When the alliance is restored, I'm getting on the first pod there."

She squeezed his hand back. "I'll be waiting for you." She quickly kissed him, before she pulled away from him.

"Best of luck, Bulma," Nail said as she passed.

She smiled sadly at him. "Thanks, Nail." Then, she walked over to Kami and Moori. Moori gave her a nod, which she returned as she climbed onto the platform. "Kami, are you ready to go?"

He closed his eyes and exhaled before looking her in the eyes. His grip on his staff loosened. She could only imagine what might be going on in his head. "Yes. The sooner we return, the better. Piccolo."

The platform began to rise back into the ship. Bulma locked eyes with Vegeta one last time. It pained her to be separated from him so soon, but it was for the greater good. If all went according to plan, they'd be together again soon.

She could only hope things wouldn't get any worse.

Earth

All across the planet, the Earth warriors felt a sudden jolt. Thousands of people's energies suddenly disappeared. Each of them dropped what they were doing and went straight to the source to investigate. Maybe they were misreading the situation, and when they got there, everything would be fine.

What they found shocked them deeply.

What was once Metro East was now a crater. One of the biggest and busiest cities on Earth was gone. Smoke rose from the ground, fresh from whatever had done this. It looked like a bomb had been dropped in the middle of the city. Searching for survivors was futile - no one could have survived that. An entire city full of people had been wiped out in the blink of an eye, faster than anyone could react.

The Earth Warriors looked on in abject horror. Krillin and Yamcha had gone pale, their eyes wide and their jaws to the floor. Piccolo, Raditz, and Tien Shinhan could hardly comprehend the sheer level of destruction on display. And Goku had gone stiff as a board, his eyes blazing with a fury unlike any other.

"The city," Yamcha said, his voice shaking, "All those people… They're just… gone!"

"What the hell could have done this," Tien asked. They looked over the destruction, trying to find some sign of the culprit.

"There," Piccolo yelled, "up in the sky!"

They all looked up. A figure was floating above the crater too far away to get a good look at it. But it slowly lowered itself down and moved towards them. It was some kind of robot. But its strangest feature was its head - a large dinosaur's skull.

"Wait," Goku said. "I've seen these kinds of robots before. I saw them when I fought the Red Ribbon Army as a kid!"

Krillin blinked. "Hey, you're right. But that's not possible! There's no way it should be able to do something like this!"

"Maybe those couldn't," Piccolo said. "I don't think this is from back then."

A light flashed behind the shield, making the Earth warriors take a guarded stance. Instead of an attack, it spoke in a robotic voice. "NOW. PLAYING. RECORDED. MESSAGE." Then, a beep went off, and a new voice came out of the speakers.

"This message is intended for the fighters defending the Earth: Son Goku, Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Raditz."

They all froze. How did this thing know their names?

"I see that you have been snooping into my business. I don't take kindly to spies, so consider this a warning. If you continue to seek me out, other cities will face this same fate. This is not an idle threat. I will not hesitate to do this again. And know that what this machine did is only a fraction of what my androids are capable of."

"So this is that Gero bastard's doing," Raditz exclaimed. "Dammit, I should have known!"

"However, there's a more surefire way of ending this. I know you've been helping Bulma. I may have miscalculated the first time, but mark my words: no matter what efforts you take, I will find her. So why fight the inevitable? All of this can be over if you simply hand her over to me. No more harm will come to you or your planet. Are you really going to let a single woman stand in the way of Earth's well being? It's an insignificant sacrifice for the greater good. Anyone would be foolish not to take it. Though if you're as unwilling to make that sacrifice as my calculations suggest, feel free to pass this message along to Bulma, herself. Perhaps she'll be more cooperative."

"That's enough out of you," Piccolo shouted. He flew forward and punched it, shattering it to bits. The nuts, bolts, and shrapnel fell towards the Earth, tumbling into the center of the crater. Its easy demise did little to ease the Earth warriors' nerves.

If even Gero's flimsiest tech was capable of that much destruction, what did that mean for the androids?

Bulma sat on the ship, trying to keep her mind distracted with a book. But it was impossible not to think of the circumstances. Her reunion with Vegeta had been cut short when Nail told her she needed to get back to the ship. Kami had felt something terrible happen on Earth and he didn't know what it was. They needed to get back as quickly as possible to find out. The clock was ticking, even if the trip back took six days.

She looked up from her book. Kami was standing in front of the window, staring as the stars flew past them. A few days of travel had passed and they hadn't really talked since. Maybe he was trying to keep his mind off of things, too. She sighed, as she put the book down next to her. Slowly, she stood up and walked next to him.

"What do you think happened," she asked.

He closed his eyes. "I don't know. As we were leaving the Grand Elder's home, it was as if a huge weight had been suddenly dropped on me. My knees became weak and I could barely stand. I felt as if thousands of lifes on Earth had suddenly been snuffed out at once."

She gasped, as her stomach sunk. Were they too late? Had the androids already struck? Was there still going to be an Earth when they returned? So many questions raced through her brain at once.

"Until we know for certain, there's no use pondering it. There's nothing more we can do." He turned around and walked past her, his staff hitting the floor with every step. He sat down on the floor cross-legged, setting the staff down next to him.

She pressed her lips together. She knew that Kami was right, but she couldn't help but feel restless. She huffed and sat down in one of the ship's chairs, her elbow propped up on the armrest and her hand pressed against her cheek.

"Bulma, there's something I've been meaning to ask you," he said. "It's about Piccolo."

She glanced over at him. "What is it?"

"After we've spent all of this time together, I think I understand why he's so fond of you. But I must ask - why are you so fond of him?"

She leaned back in her chair. "Where do I start? He's honest and straightforward. I know that makes others think he's mean, but he doesn't do it to be callous. He's dependable and he's strong-willed. Not to mention just strong, in general. But he's also very caring and kind. He just shows it in a unique way."

A smile came onto her face. When she was on Planet Vegeta, she had no one. And even when she was on Earth before that, she never really had any friends. She was always separated from her peers, always too smart and too privileged to get close. As she thought about it more and more, she realized that Piccolo was her first real friend. And she'd be absolutely nowhere without him. She really was grateful – she just hoped he knew that, too.

The ship suddenly shook, coming to a screeching halt. Puzzled, Bulma ran up to the controls to see what was going on. Everything was in working order - no parts of the ship were damaged and there was plenty of fuel. She decided to check the radar to see if anything was around. Sometimes ships acted up, when another one was nearby.

Sure enough, there was a ping on the radar. And it was right on top of them. She rushed to the window to get a better look at it.

She rolled her eyes. "You gotta be kidding me. Now?!"

Kami stepped up next to her. "What is it?"

"Of course we get intercepted by the Colds now, of all times!" She groaned, holding her hand to her head. "They have a habit of stopping ships for searches. They say it's random, but they tend to target ones from specific planets."

"That does sound serious," he said. "How exactly will they do it?"

"From what I've heard, they'll send a message and ask about our business. And if they see there's enough reason for a search, we'll be pulled into the main ship and kept there until they finish it. And sometimes they just take the entire ship and make its passengers pay for a ride back home." She slumped in her chair. "This is just great. We could be held up for days!"

As if on cue, a red light on the captain's chair lit up - they had a call waiting for them on the communicator.

Kami hummed as he thought to himself. Then, he straightened his back. "Bulma, go hide in the back. I'll handle this."

Bulma gave him an odd look. She was about to retort before she saw how calm he was. He was still the Earth's guardian. Maybe he did know a way around this. "Whatever you say, Kami," she said. She stood up and walked to the back of the ship, hiding in the storage room in the back. She closed the door, keeping just enough open so she could see what was going on.

Kami pressed the call button, causing the communicator to turn on. A Cold Soldier was sitting on the other end. "This is a random stop on behalf of the Cold Empire. State your business."

"Oh, I'm nothing more than a simple wanderer. I have no business with you or your empire - do understand that." Kami's demeanor had changed. He had hunched over more, and was speaking in a quieter tone. As if to appear older, more like his actual age.

"I'll ask one more time - what is your business in this area? We never see Namekian ships this far away from your home planet. Tell the truth or we'll force it out of you."

"Why the accusations? That is the truth. What about it makes it so unbelievable?"

"Sure, and I'm the queen of Arlia." The soldier on the other end began pressing some buttons and pulling some levers. "Since you're so uncooperative, it looks like we'll have to take a closer look. Prepare to be boarded."

"Oh, I don't think that will be necessary," Kami said. As he spoke, he waved his hand.

The soldier blinked, his gaze becoming more unfocused. "Maybe that won't be necessary..."

"And you'll let us proceed without any further delays." He waved his hand, again.

"You may proceed. We apologize for any delays..."

"Thank you. We will do so immediately." Kami glanced back at Bulma and winked.

She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. She'd had run-ins with the Cold Empire's flunkies and all of them were unpleasant. Seeing them duped like this was pure gold.

"Yes… you may do that..." With that, the video feed was cut off.

Bulma stood up and rushed up to Kami. "That was amazing! How the hell did you do that?!"

"Oh, it's a little trick I learned from Mr. Popo many years ago. I try not to use it too often since it has a low success rate, but in situations like ours, it becomes a necessity."

She went back to the captain's chair. The Cold ship was beginning to move away and they were no longer stopped by them. She played with the controls. "So just press a few buttons, pull a lever, aaaand," she pulled a lever and the ship started to move, again - slowly, speeding up until it made it back to its original speed. She grinned. "We're already on our way, again! You're a lifesaver, Kami!"

He chuckled. "I try my best."

After six long days of space travel, Bulma and Kami made it back to Earth. All of the Earth warriors gathered on the Lookout to discuss all that had happened in their absence.

"By the time we all got there," Krillin recounted, "the entire city had been leveled. It was like no one had ever lived there. When we were trying to figure out who did it, there was this robot there. It was the same kind Goku saw when he fought the Red Ribbon Army."

"So Gero had to have done it," Bulma said. "But why? He's coming after me, and I haven't been to Metro East in years. It makes no sense."

"It wasn't you he was trying to get," Piccolo said. "He did it to send us a message. He knows we're onto him and threatened to do it again if we don't get off of his back. He probably thought it would get us to hand you over."

Bulma's heart jumped. All of those innocent people were killed because of her. Had she not done all of that snooping, none of this would have happened. She should have just minded her business and not gotten involved.

"This is grim, indeed," Kami said. "If he truly knows all of this, we must be more cautious. Until we know his location for certain, we'll have to cease our hunt." He exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "The best hope we have is our training. Whenever his androids strike again, we'll need to be strong enough to take them on."

"How," Tien asked. "For all we know, that could be any moment. We won't have enough time."

As her mind lingered on the horror and hopelessness of it all, Bulma felt guilty. If Gero was going to keep killing people until he got her and all they could do was just wait until he struck, would it be better if she just gave herself up? Whatever plans he had for her couldn't have been much worse than this.

She sighed. "Gero wants me. Maybe if I handed myself over to him, that'd give you all a chance to stop it." All of the Earth warriors gawked at her, shocked that she would even suggest that. "What else can we do? Just sit here and wait for him to attack and for more people to die? Whatever he's gonna do to me might buy you some time to get strong enough to beat the androids."

"Have you lost your mind," Raditz exclaimed. "You're our friend, Bulma! We're not gonna let you sacrifice yourself!"

"And we need you here," said Kami. "Now that we're able to discuss matters with our Saiyan friends, again, we have a real chance to restore the alliance. That will give us a better chance at defeating the androids than a senseless sacrifice. And remember: any damage Gero does can easily be reversed with the Dragon Balls. As much as the potential loss of life pains me, it will be better for us and the Earth if you are here with us, Bulma. We don't need any martyrs."

She put her hand to her forehead. Maybe she was being irrational, but she couldn't help it. All of this destruction and suffering was happening because of her and she couldn't even do anything to stop it. She felt completely useless. "Then what are we gonna do? Tien's right - you might not have time to get stronger fast."

"Let us worry about that. You focus on discussing things with the Saiyans." Kami turned to everyone else. "As for the rest of you - focus on your training. When we have come up with a solution, we will meet back here and discuss it."

"Right," they said in unison.

With final words of goodbye, they split up, leaving to fulfill their duties. All except for Piccolo.

"Give me a straight answer, old man," he said as he approached his other half. "Are we strong enough to beat the androids?"

Kami closed his eyes and sighed. "Your powers have increased more than I ever thought possible. Yet even with that, I fear that the odds are still stacked against us. Our Saiyan friends could be the key to turning the tide, but we may not have time to wait. The negotiations could take months, and Gero could attack at any moment. If all we've encountered before is any indication, then your strength still might not be enough to defeat them."

Piccolo sneered. "And what makes you say that?"

He turned back around to face him. "You saw first hand what even the weakest of Gero's machines are capable of. And that was one created simply to send us a message. Imagine what the androids he put time and effort into will be capable of. And remember that not even Trunks, a powerful warrior in his own right, was able to defeat them in his own time. I don't believe all is lost, but unless you all can get stronger more quickly or unless we receive more aid, then we have a very difficult battle ahead of us."

"Well lucky for us, we do have aid." Piccolo crossed his arms over his chest. "Trunks told me that he'd be here to help us fight when the day comes. He might not be caught up on the situation, but if we can find a way to tell him, then we'll have that extra bit of help you're so worried about."

Kami's eyes widened. "That's right! The answer was staring us in the face this entire time! But we would still have to find a way to tell him, and that I do not know how." He put his hand on his chin, as he thought. "I don't think we'll be able to figure that out on our own, but there's someone who can. I think it's high time you tell Bulma the truth."

"Fine, then."