Thank you to everyone who left so much feedback last chapter! I tried really hard to get this one out ASAP, because nobody hates cliffhangers more than I do. ;)

That being said, I'm nervous about posting this one. I've said it before, but this story has brought me out of my comfort zone many times. Since I don't feel the most confident about typing battle scenes, that meant that this entire chapter was an adventure! Some aspects might be a little inaccurate to canon, but please remember that this is also an AU. :)

"What happened to him?" Eighteen turned to her twin brother. "Why did he turn into that? He's so ugly now!"

"And?" Seventeen shrugged. "As if he wasn't ugly before?"

"He wasn't bad."

"Oh, please."

"What? He wasn't. Now he looks like some kind of-"

A loud cackle cut the Androids off, and they both looked up to see as the giant ape pointed at them. "Enjoy this chatter, why don't you? It shall be the last conversation you two will ever have..."

Interesting, Eighteen put a thoughtful finger to her chin. Vegeta was quite obviously not the same puny humanoid he had been a few moments earlier. Yet his voice was completely the same, aside from the fact that it was loud enough to rattle even her ears. She wasn't scared, though. Sure, she was surprised, and even a bit annoyed, but she definitely wasn't afraid...

Perhaps it was that Vegeta was holding back, but even as he clomped towards them she could see that his speed had clearly dropped. The guy might have grown, but it had compromised his ability to achieve stealth. Never in one-thousand years would he ever be able to catch them if this was the best he could do. Why should she be worried about that?

"Hey..." Seventeen was now saying to his sister.

"I know. He's practically dragging his weight now."

"I don't get it. He was actually kinda fast a second ago. Why would he give that up for this?"

But a second later Seventeen let out a yell of surprise, and his body went flying at Vegeta's furry form. Eighteen watched in amazement as Vegeta's large hand reached out and grabbed Seventeen, the giant fingers wrapping around the Android's body so tightly that he couldn't move.

"You think I have lost my agility at this size, and perhaps that is partially true." Vegeta's snout was booming as he held the Android into the air. "I do not have the speed I've achieved recently in my natural state - you see, it's been a long time since I have trained as an Oozaru, and this body is only as fast as it was the last time I used it. But that doesn't mean I'm not still quick, and it doesn't mean I won't get my fun. Did you see that coming, robot boy?"

"Seventeen!" The blonde Android yelled. What had happened just now?! Something had thrown her sibling into that disgusting hairball, and she didn't register HOW! She had been too focused on her brother to look away and investigate, but now she turned. Standing a few paces behind was another familiar face that she hadn't seen in quite some time.

His hair was considerably shorter, and even his frame had grown in height. But Eighteen had taken a scan of his pupils during their last encounter, and the result in her database would not lie. "Hey... We killed you! How-"

"You KILLED my Mom!" The boy's chest was heaving, and his voice sounded raspy. His eyes were locked in on Eighteen's, and he seemed as if he were struggling to keep his composure.

'Well,' Eighteen thought. There was so much going on at once. Should she put her focus on this kid, or should she first assist her brother?

As if to answer her question, Seventeen suddenly let out a yell that she hadn't ever heard come from his mouth. She whipped around to see that Vegeta was squeezing the ever-living shit out of him, his manic laughter continuing over the Android's screams.

"This was even easier than I anticipated!" The ape was cackling. "Gohan didn't even have to put up a fight to get you to me!"

"Seventeen!" Eighteen called again. She needed to get him free! She jumped to help, but a kick landed in her back, knocking her off course. She flailed onto the ground, her face almost smearing into the dirt. It was obviously Gohan who had done it, and she growled without looking up at him. "I don't have time to hurt you right now! Knock it off!"

"You don't have a choice." Gohan spat, and his voice was even shakier and raspier with each breath he spoke. Clearly he was losing it, and she groaned. "Get away from me!"

She jumped to fetch her brother again, but this time she made it no farther than the half-way point before her body went crashing down all over again.

"STOP IT!" She barked. "I mean it!"

"No!" Gohan snarled, saliva spraying from his mouth as he stood over her.

And then, as she pushed herself up to her feet, he began to use his fists.

.

'Damnit, Gohan!' Piccolo thought, gritting his teeth. This was something he had gone over with the boy so many times during their training sessions. Two rules had been established, and he was already breaking one of them.

The first was that he was to not ever, under any circumstances, look up at the artificial moon. They needed to follow to plan precisely, and transforming would be a sure way to derail everything.

The second, and possibly even more important rule, was that Gohan was not to engage in fighting any more than necessary. His only duty was to steer the Androids towards Vegeta, and he was only to use his hands if it was in self-defense. Engaging in battle would run a very likely risk that he would tire himself out and become injured, and he needed to stay as sharp as possible to ensure that this operation would be a success.

But the boy had specifically prevented Eighteen from reaching Vegeta, even when she tried on her own accord. And now the two were throwing fists at one another, and Eighteen had even managed to land a few blows.

In fact, the ratio was almost half and half. For every hit that Gohan landed on the Android, he received one back in return. The boy had grown so well at dodging assaults during his training, and yet he was doing terribly now!

Piccolo grit his teeth even tighter, struggling with the urge to yell out at the boy. But he just couldn't. Not yet.

That would blow his cover, and it was still far too early to do that.

He needed to wait until it was absolutely necessary... Only then should he make it known he was there...

.

"Hey! Gohan!" Vegeta was barking. He had paused with tormenting Seventeen as he noticed the boy losing his cool. "Keep it together!"

But Gohan ignored this. His teal eyes had tunnel vision as he lashed at Eighteen, throwing everything he had at her. He had told himself repetitively, ever since he had been preparing for the ambush, that he needed to be patient. But keeping his mind in tact while he was a Super Saiyan was hard enough as it was. And looking into the face of the one who brutally murdered his Mom had been too much to bear.

"Gohan!" Vegeta barked again. His giant eyes watched as the kid failed to dodge one of Eighteen's legs, her knee curling up into his solar plexus. He let out a breathless croak, liquid pooling from his lips in the process, yet he still didn't relent in his aggression.

'Damn,' Vegeta thought, giving Seventeen another squeeze in his frustration. It was as if Gohan had all but forgotten everything they had been training for. As if he hadn't spent a month perfecting the ability to keep control of his mind in his ascended state.

The kid was moving too desperately. His strength and his speed were certainly much better than they had been weeks earlier, but there were too many cracks in his composure. Gohan was running on the pure instinct to destroy, and he wasn't taking the time to think his moves through or fight with any strategy.

It didn't matter how much more agile the boy had become - he still had minimal experience. He just hadn't been fighting long enough for battle strategy to interwind with his instincts. The boy had strayed from the plan, and now he was going to very quickly get himself killed.

Seventeen had long ago stopped struggling in Vegeta's hold, but the ape didn't doubt that he was still alive. The android was likely just stunned, his circuits jolted from the pressure of the saiyan's hold. "Gohan, damnit!" Vegeta shouted again, as loud as he could.

But even the boom of his voice wasn't phasing the kid, who had successfully planted his fist into Eighteen's throat and was now throwing her into the lake.

"Fuck, he's like a child!" The ape grumbled. And even as he said it, he could hear Bulma's voice playing in the back of his head. In that moment, if she had been there, Vegeta was certain the Bluehead would have been hissing "Well, what did you think would happen?! He is a child!"

With a groan, the saiyan held his hand out and threw Seventeen into the Earth with as much force as he could muster. The impact caused the area to shake, as if an earthquake was rumbling, a crater forming around the Android's form.

Eighteen poked her head out from under the waves of the lake. She had a look on her face as if she had been the one that Vegeta had dropped. "Seventeen." She gasped. "SEVENTEEN!"

But there was no stopping the great Ape in that moment. He might have typically spit out some snide remark to prolong his victim's horror, but he was needing to make this quick. The sooner he ended the first Android, the sooner he could make sure that Gohan lived to tell Bulma "I told you so."

With a shattering explosion Vegeta slammed his large foot down on Seventeen's body, pressing it as far into the Earth as he could. Twisting his ankle as if he were trying to work off something that was stuck to the sole of his boot, Vegeta listened to Eighteen's screams.

Her reaction was all he needed to know that this time the Android wouldn't be so resilient.

Seventeen would not be getting back up after that...

And then Vegeta lifted his boot, inspecting to see what damage he had done. He saw the teenager, who was laying limp against the soil. He saw wires, he saw broken flesh, and he saw silver plates of metal.

He had done it.

Eighteen was out of the lake now. For the way she had been calling out to her brother so much up until that point, she was now surprisingly silent as she launched herself at Gohan. "This is your fault!" She said, though it didn't even come out as a yell.

Gohan whipped around to her back as she attempted to slam an elbow into his ribs. His quick dodging had obviously caught her off guard, for she paused to look over her shoulder at him. He was glaring at her, huffing as his hair continued to glow a golden hue.

He was bruised from the hits that had been successfully landed on him, and his ki was slowly starting to lower as a result of all the energy he'd been exerting. Still, Gohan didn't appear to be ready to stop anytime soon, his biceps twitching as he stared over the female Android that was right in front of him.

"This is all your fault!" Eighteen was repeating now. Her tone was curling with emotion that none of the men watching had thought she was even capable of. "You kept interfering when I tried to help him!"

"You killed my Mom." Gohan spat back. "We weren't doing anything wrong. You CAME to our home and KILLED her."

"Who cares about your mom?!" Eighteen shrieked. She opened her palm to fire a green beam at Gohan, but he simply stepped to the side to avoid the hit.

"I care." Gohan continued. His ki was starting to rise again, but it was strained. To Piccolo and Vegeta, it almost felt as if he were on the verge of blowing a fuse. One bit too high, and he might just implode.

"I LOVED her!" He was screaming now, nearly sounding as if he would burst into tears. "SHE WAS MY MOM! And you KILLED HER! I CAN NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

"Yeah? Well you're about to die, too." Eighteen shrugged. "Gaining YOUR forgiveness is irrelevant to me, stupid!"

"Gohan!" Vegeta called then. He had been watching, intrigued by the boy's quick movements and successful dodges. But this had gone on long enough. He began to march towards the two, trees falling at each side of his body as he moved. "Gohan, knock it off! Remember why we are here, boy!"

"NO!" The child threw his head back and let out a guttural scream, a wave of energy exploding around him.

It was enough to throw Eighteen back.

It was enough to kick up water from the nearby lake.

It was enough that, a moment later when all had settled from the aftermath, the child had gone silent.

And, as Vegeta continued making his way to them, Eighteen began to laugh.

It was a high-pitched cackle, almost sounding as if she might burst into hysterical tears if she stopped to take a breath. The dust had cleared, and Gohan was slouched down on his knees. His hair had returned to its naturally black color, and he sat panting as he clawed at the ground.

"What, are you done already?!" Eighteen snickered. "You suck!"

"Shit." Vegeta's large eyes became even wider. He was pissed - this had all been entirely Gohan's fault! He'd completely strayed from the plan, had gotten cocky, and now it was all ruined. Yet it was hard to be completely angry, for the depth of the situation was obvious, and there was now concern brewing. Nothing good could come from Gohan falling out, and the boy was now on borrowed time.

The giant Ape opened his snout to fire a blast at Eighteen, but he quickly thought against it. She was standing just above the boy, and any hit that would be strong enough to knock her back might finish the child off in his weakened state.

Feeling as if he was completely fucked, Vegeta did the only thing he could. He began to charge, his large limbs booming as he moved. The Earth began to shake mercilessly at the steady rattle of his quick steps, but it didn't even knock Eighteen off her feet. Instead she simply grabbed Gohan, who was only half-conscious, by the back of the shirt.

Lifting him, Eighteen began to rise in the air. She held the boy up to face level, glaring at the exhaustion in his closed eyes. He hung limply from the hand that she held him with, and she let out another mad cackle at the irony of the situation. The kid had been so hell-bent on destroying her, and all he'd managed was to overwhelm his own system.

"Stupid little..." Eighteen began to lift her free hand, aiming two fingers at the boy's forehead. But all she managed was to utter those two words, and a second later she was being slammed into the hard ground.

She half-expected it to be that giant ape who had gotten her, so the Android was surprised when she looked up to see a strange green man hovering over her instead. His cape was blowing out in the wind, and he was holding the boy tightly in his arms as he peered down at Eighteen with disgust. And then he finally spoke, a single word that only fueled her ire even more. "Don't."

"Don't?" She pushed herself to her feet. "Don't?" She launched back into the air, throwing herself at him. "What do you mean, DON'T?!"

"Do you have a limited vocabulary, harpy?!" Vegeta shouted from behind, and Eighteen whirled to see that the giant ape was now flying at her. She froze, her blue eyes widening, unable to determine who to set her focus on.

"What's with the shocked face? You didn't know I can fly?" The ape was grinning, revealing his sharp fangs. And then he opened his snout even wider, a burst of red shooting from it. The next thing Eighteen knew, she was shifting to the side to avoid being hit with the energy beam, and she let out a scream of frustration.

This entire ordeal was becoming so complicated, and so quickly. She'd assumed that Vegeta wouldn't be able to fly anymore - not after seeing that he was slower in speed with his Oozaru form. And now he was puking energy blasts at her?!

Where did any of this come from?!

None of it was computing!

Eighteen turned, deciding it was best to focus her attention on the green man first. Her database had finally found his file, and she knew him to be Piccolo. His power level was lower than the giant ape, and the sooner she got rid of him, the less distractions she'd have during her upcoming battle with Vegeta.

And so she zapped him, but she hardly grazed his arm as he took off. Piccolo was still holding the now unconscious child in his arms, determined to find a safe spot to hide the boy. He could hear Eighteen coming after him, knew that he couldn't outrun her speed, and the green mentor sighed.

He had dipped into the trees, finding a crook by one of the trunks to nestle the boy in. And then he turned, knowing fully well that the Android would be behind him.

"Eighteen." He mumbled when he saw her, standing his ground.

Back by the lake, Vegeta had retreated in his chase. He was presumably waiting for her to be lured back out where he could assault her without risking Gohan's safety, and Piccolo nodded in silent acknowledgement of this.

"I'm really pissed off." The Android was huffing. "Really - I mean it! You have NO idea!"

"I didn't think you were able to feel emotion." Piccolo actually chuckled. "Interesting."

"I was a human, you know!" She barked. "Just because I've been upgraded to assume perfection doesn't mean I can't still get angry!"

"And who upgraded you?" The Namekian stepped away Gohan slowly. He was watching her eyes carefully as he moved, making sure that she didn't glance down at the boy as his body became exposed.

"It doesn't matter WHO did it! We killed him!" She had her hands on her hips as she yelled.

In that moment, if one hadn't already been aware of the damage she was capable of inflicting, one would have found her to be nothing more than a mere helpless girl. Cheeks flushed as if she had been crying. Heartbroken about losing a family member, angry and helpless at the sensation of betrayal. This female had always trusted in Seventeen's ability to prevail, no matter what, and she was right in the middle of a rude awakening.

"So, you killed your own Dad. What did he do to earn the privilege?" Piccolo was still speaking calmly, even as his cape began to rise from the energy he was channeling. His ki was charging, readying, preparing for what was inevitably going to come. This conversation was merely the eye of the storm.

"He made me." She stepped back. "He didn't even ask if I wanted to be this! He just… did it."

"None of us are asked whether or not we want to be brought into this world, but sometimes you've just got to let that shit go." Piccolo was pointing two fingers in Eighteen's direction, narrowing his eyes.

The Android understood his gesture, but still didn't relent. If anything, her expression softened at the prospect of receiving an energy beam. She knew he wouldn't do any damage, and she knew that he knew this, as well. It was intriguing, to say the least.

Instead of zapping her, though, Piccolo suddenly turned his aim to a nearby tree instead. With a crack, a large limb of wood began to fall from the overhead leaves. Eighteen jumped back to avoid the collision, and that was when the Namekian launched.

.

The dragon balls were piled up on the dining room table, and Bulma was seated across from them with a cup of raspberry tea. She had been closely watching the balls all night, anxiously waiting to see it they might change at any moment.

It was the only indicator she had as to the progress of the battle that was taking place.

If those balls turned into stone, then Bulma would know that Piccolo had been killed. And, through reasonable deduction, the Bluehead would be able to assume that Vegeta and Gohan weren't doing very much better.

Thus, for now, all she could do was assume that things were currently going well. The balls were still glowing their ember hue, still radiating power as they sat together and fed off one another.

With a sigh, Bulma took another sip. Her muscles felt exhausted from all of the trembling she'd done earlier, but in that moment she was physically relieved. She was worried, indeed, but at least her body was at peace.

It was true that she had been a hyperventilating mess when she'd woken from her nap. But as soon as Vegeta had held her she'd started to feel better. Not only had her shot nerves started to settle, but an odd sensation in her stomach had calmed too. She had been so distraught with terror that she didn't even realize how badly her stomach was throbbing until it stopped, and it left a lingering sensation in his heart as she considered what that could mean.

She knew that feeling safe near Vegeta was what had calmed her, even though Bulma was now worried about how the battle was going. But there was also a voice in her head telling her it had been his presence that had eased her stomach pains, and that was something she couldn't understand quite as well.

And yet, at the same time, she did. She knew exactly what that could mean.

How could being near do that?

All she knew was what she felt. And, with nothing to even base this suspicion on, her instincts were telling her that her body was happy. It wasn't just her that was happy, though. There was the other that was growing inside, and IT had been happy to be near Vegeta, too...

ACTUALLY, Bulma couldn't be too sure that IT hadn't been the one that had alerted her of the Android's presence in the first place…

As crazy as it seemed, the Bluehead was convinced that somehow her baby had known. It had known, it had woken her up and warned her, and it had been pleased to have Vegeta nearby. It felt that he was the one who would be able to correct the situation.

"Is this a saiyan thing?" She pondered out loud, looking down at her belly as if it would answer. "An... instinctual thing… that saiyans have?"

… It didn't answer.

... Not that she was too surprised.

There was no kick, no feeling, not even an increase of her own pulse. Bulma took another sip at the tea she had made, looking back up at the table. Her eyes sparkled when she saw that the dragon balls were still intact.

For now, at least, Piccolo was still alive. This meant that the battle was going well...

... Didn't it?

.

'Wow.' Eighteen thought. Five minutes had passed, already. This encounter with Piccolo had had been nothing more than a game of cat and mouse, but it was quickly coming to an end.

Purple blood was trickling down his right arm as she chased him, and he was currently in the process of weaving through a tight set of trees. He was sending a futile shot her way, which she easily flew around as she continued her follow.

Eighteen was surprised at just how weak he was. Compared to Vegeta's humanoid form, and even the young blonde brat that she had been dueling earlier, this guy was a joke.

But he knew what he was doing, though, she had to give him that. Even though his speed was sluggish and his hits were bland, it seemed that he could predict her every move. Anytime she struck, he was ready. Anytime she stood back to let him build false confidence, he seemed to understand her motives as well.

Mentally, he was twelve steps ahead of everything she did, and Eighteen was sure that this was the only reason he was still alive.

He wouldn't be for long, though, for she was so close to ending this pathetic race. They were nearing the clearing of trees that led to the lake, and the Android was going to be sure to send him to hell before she was re-exposed to that giant Ape.

It took her by surprise, then, when Piccolo froze right ahead of her.

His cape spread out behind him, the green man floated silently in the air as he waited for her to reach him. Feeling suspicious, Eighteen came to a stop three meters behind.

She watched as blood continued to drip from his body, hitting the grass below with firm 'plud, plud, plud's. His breathing was jagged, and she could hear it from so far away. His position in the air was also inconsistent, his body dipping slightly before correcting back up as he hovered clumsily.

"Why did you get yourself involved? Eighteen frowned. "You were incompetent from the start. Why did you even try?"

And then, it happened.

Taking the Android by genuine surprise, the nearby trees suddenly ripped from the soil and were thrown back. She gasped when a large brown hand reached out and grabbed her, ripping her from the forest. Eighteen's eyes widened, and she even let out a scream as she looked up to see Vegeta's face as he pulled her in.

Piccolo listened as it all unfolded, though he didn't bother to look…

… He had done it.

He'd warded Eighteen away from Gohan, and now she was quite literally in Vegeta's would finish her in the exact way he'd taken out her brother, and the Earth would soon return to a balanced state…

Lowering himself to the grass as carefully as he could, Piccolo's legs were shaking as he staggered to the closest tree. He pressed his back against it, sliding down to a sitting position as he groaned.

"Shoulda' grabbed one of Gohan's beans before this started." He grumbled, putting a hand to his chest.

The front of his torso was covered in marks and slashes, and a pool was building under his body where he sat. Piccolo had the capability to regenerate limbs that had been dismembered, but he had long ago lost the ability to do this. It required too much energy and focus - both of which he no longer had.

The gaping hole on his chest that he was now nursing with his hand had been the main culprit. Eigteen had struck a critical artery, and too much blood had been draining from his body for nearly four minutes.

Staring out into the clearing of trees… Watching the moon glisten on the lake, as Vegeta tortured Eighteen somewhere in the background, the Android's question replayed in his mind. Piccolo had known that he didn't stand a chance against Eighteen from the very start, so why even bother?

The answer was clear, though he hardly understood it. Even as the thought crossed his mind.

... The reason had simply been Gohan.

... His one and only friend...

Slowly, but steadily, everything around him was starting to spin. Piccolo knew that he was on borrowed time, and it was quickly running out. He could hardly make out the yells and sounds that indicated the struggle going on in front of him, but then his ears picked up on something that he registered all too clearly.

It was Vegeta.

The giant ape was yelling, he was screaming, and he was falling.

Piccolo groaned as his body shook from recoil when the ape hit the ground so far away. He had to concentrate just to make sense of what was going on, but as the Namekian stared from where he sat, he could make out that Vegeta was changing.

…Reverting, actually.

The saiyan was quickly shriveling up and returning back to a humanoid build, and he was screaming through the process. It sounded as if it was a painful transition, with Vegeta cursing and convulsing as the fur quickly repelled into his skin and his snout shrank back into his face.

Piccolo could smell the foul stench of vomit, could hear the grass rustling as the saiyan quivered. And then it all stopped, and Vegeta didn't even speak. The Namekian's vision was starting the blur, but from what he could see, it didn't appear as if the saiyan was even moving. He was either unconscious… or perhaps even worse. Piccolo couldn't tell. He couldn't muster the concentration to sense ki anymore.

But what had happened?

What had Piccolo missed that had resulted in Vegeta being the one who had fallen like this?

The Namekian tried to calm his own breaths to ensure that he would hear everything going on, and he listened as a familiar voice spoke.

"Who would have thought that his tail was his source of power?"

Oh, hell. Was that…?!

"It took you long enough to help out!" Eighteen was scolding, and Piccolo's eyes widened.

"Don't complain. I'm not exactly on my best leg." Seventeen replied. Piccolo watched as the two Androids walked into his view, and they stopped just above Vegeta's body. Eighteen seemed to be completely unsurprised as she returned to her brother's side. And that was when it registered with the Namekian. Her grief, her worry about Seventeen's fate. It had all been a ploy.

"Think he's actually dead this time?"

"Yeah. I cut off his tail, didn't I?"

"Right, but what if the tail isn't his power supply?"

"Did you see the way he dropped, Eighteen? That thing was his life source!"

"Fine. You're probably right. But just to be sure…"

… A bright flash illuminated as she fired down at Vegeta's body. The saiyan didn't even growl through the blast, and when it was all over there was only silence.

"The other one was this way." Eighteen said then. "He might already be dead, too."

"Weren't there three?" Seventeen replied. The Androids were now slowly making there way to the forest, drawing a straight line towards where Piccolo sat. "What about the kid?"

"He's the only one left that would actually be fun to meet again. I say we leave him alone until next time. Plus, he can wake up to discover his friends' bodies. Serves him right."

"Sure."

'Good.' Piccolo couldn't help but grin at hearing this. Even if they were doing it out of grotesque motivations, those two were going to leave Gohan alone. He was going to make it to see another day.

He knew the boy would be shattered by what had just occurred, and he knew that Gohan would likely blame himself for it all. But Piccolo also knew more than anything that the boy was more resilient than he gave himself credit for, and he would do what he could to make things right.

The Namekian closed his eyes when the Androids' feet stopped in front of his body. But it wasn't out of fear – it was simply becoming too exhausting to try and focus his vision on anything at this point.

'Gohan.' He thought, his grin widening. 'You're going to be alright.'

"Why does he look so happy?" Seventeen asked. He looked to his sister, his broken face clinking as he tried to raise his eyebrows at her.

"Who cares." Eighteen replied. "You do the honors."

Seventeen's left arm was completely ripped apart, nothing more than a mess of wires and hanging scraps. So he raised his right one to point a finger at Piccolo, channeling the energy into his fingertip.

And then, Piccolo broke into a snigger.

He still had his eyes closed, not caring to look up at them, but the Namekian let his head drop back as he lost himself into his full blown laughter. 'They think they've won.' He thought. Eighteen's only saving grace had been that Gohan had over-exerted himself by trying to raise his power too high. If he had been able to keep it together, she would have been in trouble. In just a few months the boy would be even more grown, and if he stuck to his training, those two Androids were screwed.

"What's so funny ?" Eighteen demanded. It seemed that she was offended by Piccolo's ability to see humor in the situation. "Tell me!"

But the Namekian shook his head, his laughs coming out even louder.

"Never mind him." Seventeen replied, narrowing his eyes. The energy in his finger was ready, and he let it release.

.

Still seated across from the Dragon Balls, Bulma had her face slumped in her hands as she dozed the minutes away. At some point she had fallen asleep, having succumbed to the late hour.

Her position on her wobbly chair was unfortunate, though. For as her body gradually relaxed deeper into it, the chair become even more unstable against the cold ground. At some point she managed to put just enough weight onto the chair, rather than on the table, and the poor Bluehead went falling back as it gave out.

She woke up with a gasp, wondering how she had managed to end up on the floor. And it took her a few more moments to gain her bearings.

In that moment all she could think about was how full her bladder was from all of the tea she'd been drinking earlier. And not only that, but Bulma was really cold! Her body had grown chilly sitting like this for so long!

… A few minutes later the Bluehead had relieved herself, and had grabbed a blanket from her bed. Draping it around her shoulders as a makeshift robe, she went strolling back into the main room. Peeking out the window, the sun was barely started to reveal itself in the early morning sky.

Had it really been that long, already?

It was almost day!

Pulling the blanket even tighter around herself, Bulma continued to the dining room. Something just didn't feel right, but in her groggy state it was hard to put everything together and feel the severity of everything that had occurred.

That was, until she made it to the dining room and looked to the table. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped, and she felt as all the air was ejected from her body.

Was this why it had been so long, and yet nobody had returned?

On the table, where the dragon balls had once been waiting, there now lay only stone. Five grey rocks, spherical in shape and small in size, were aligned together in a neat pile.

"Oh, no."

She made her way to the table, snatching one of the stones from where it lay. It was cold against her palm, heavier than she remembered any of the dragon balls being. "No…"

She dropped it, clumsily backing away. Her back hit the side of the doorframe, and she turned to run into the living room. She couldn't believe this – how could it be true?!

She knew what this meant of Piccolo's fate. He had been defeated. And if he had been killed, then that meant that the fight was going bad enough that he'd had to even get himself involved. What did that mean for Vegeta and Gohan? They obviously weren't doing well if Piccolo had seen it necessary to pitch in…

What if they were… gone… too?

The pain in her stomach was returning, and Bulma pulled the blanket even tighter around her frame as she dropped herself onto the couch.

"I told you…" She whispered, shaking her head. "I told you it wouldn't work… Why didn't you listen? Oh, Veggie…"

Well, here it is. This chapter was hard to write. I typed and erased so much that it started making my head spin. In the end I decided to tell it this way, not going into as full of detail as I originally planned when it came to Piccolo's fight. It was just too much, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. I hope you enjoyed. Next update shouldn't take too long!

As always, thank you to everyone who reads, favorites, follows, and reviews. None of it is taken for granted. :)