Alone
A cloud of smoke hung in the area where Piccolo had been a while earlier.
Nappa eyed his scouter as the reading on it continued to drop. "Yup. Down to zero," he commented.
Gohan stood in shock at what had just transpired. Could this really be it? Could this be... the end?
Smoke slowly cleared as Gohan watched on. The boy was hoping against hope that he could see Piccolo standing there, unfazed, with the characteristic scowl on his face.
The boy almost jumped with joy. He could make out the figure of someone standing.
"Huh?" Vegeta raised his eyebrows.
Piccolo stood there. His clothing had been torn off at various places and his body was bleeding from multiple areas.
However, just then Piccolo's eyes rolled upwards and he dropped forward on to the ground like a tree trunk.
Gohan's mouth dropped open. He couldn't sense any energy coming from Piccolo.
Nappa yawned. "Oh man, I thought I would be having a decent fight for once. Too bad the toad got himself killed."
Gohan dropped to his knees. It was over. There was nothing that could be done. Mr Piccolo had been killed. His dad was still somewhere in outer space. He was all on his own now...
Nappa handed his scouter to Vegeta. "I am going to make the boy talk. He will tell us just where Kakarot is hiding," the big Saiyan said.
Vegeta took the scouter and put it into his pocket without an expression on his face.
Nappa walked towards Gohan. The bald Saiyan found himself much at ease during fights without a piece of metal distracting him with powerlevels. Back in his day no such devices existed and he had been used to fighting this way (without a scouter) since then.
Gohan was on his hands and knees. The boy had closed his eyes to stop the tears from coming but they still escaped. 'That's not what Piccolo would have liked to see,' he told himself, wiping away the tears. 'Come on, be strong, Gohan.'
Gohan could sense Nappa coming near.
Nappa grinned as he stood in front of the boy. "Just what sort of a man is Kakarot? Hiding his sorry self while leaving his little son out to fight? Does he have no pride?"
Gohan didn't respond. He was too pre-occupied to even make sense out of what the big Saiyan was babbling about. 'God, give me strength,' he prayed in his mind.
Nappa continued. "Just where is your father hiding, boy? I am beginning to doubt if he is a man even," the bald Saiyan taunted. However, he couldn't get any response from the boy. "Not one to talk, eh?"
Nappa pulled back his foot.
BAM!
Gohan groaned as Nappa's kick collided with his forehead. He was sent tumbling back to slam into a rock.
Gohan slowly stood up, panting. He could feel something warm where Nappa's kick had landed. Gohan knew the sensation all too well. He touched his forehead with his fingers and lowered his hand to see. His fingers were stained red. He was bleeding, severely.
He could sense Nappa approaching him again. The boy's vision swam. He struggled to hold onto consciousness. Nappa was still blabbering something about his father.
Nappa sneered, walking. "Come on, talk, boy. You are making me look bad. I am not exactly fond of using my strength against children, you know."
Gohan held onto himself, exerting with every breath. He had decided now. He won't be used by these Saiyans. He would die fighting ...just like Piccolo had.
The boy gathered what remained of his energy around him. He knew it was nothing compared to the big buffoon approaching him but he had to make Piccolo proud when he would meet him in heaven.
Tac.
Suddenly, Gohan's view of Nappa was obstructed by someone landing in a pair of green pants.
"Back off, you bald freak," said Tien, his brows furrowed.
Nappa grinned. This must be one of Kakarot's friends. "Look who's talking," the Saiyan replied.
Tien concentrated his energy around him. He could sense an enormous amount of power from each of the two Saiyans. They had to be several-folds stronger than Raditz was; he was sure about that.
However, something about the shorter spiky-haired one really disturbed Tien. It appeared he was actually hiding some of his power. Just how much he was holding back?
Vegeta smiled as he eyed the newcomer. His scouter could detect some other power levels arriving as well.
Tac.
Krillin landed on to the scene. He was quick to grab the injured Gohan and dash to the side to gain some distance from the bigger Saiyan.
Nappa watched as Krillin went. Well, he could make Kakarot's son speak later. These newcomers need to be taught a lesson first.
Tac.
Tac.
Yamcha and Chiaotzu landed in succession beside Krillin and Gohan.
Gohan was panting. The boy didn't really look in the best of conditions. "K-Krillin... they.. they.."
Krillin took out a small bag from his pocket. "Calm down, Gohan. Take this first."
Gohan opened his mouth as he was fed a little bean by Krillin.
The boy's eyes widened as he could feel his body begin to mend itself.
"Wow," Gohan mouthed. In a span of a few seconds he was back to his best, coarsing with fresh energy.
Krillin looked around. "Where are those green little monsters?"
Gohan blinked. "They are dead ...but how do you know about them, Krillin?"
Krillin smiled. "Thank the news."
Yamcha turned towards Gohan. "Where's Piccolo by the way?"
Gohan hung down his head. "H-he's dead..." he said in a tearful voice.
"What?!"
Each of Krillin, Yamcha and Chiaotzu's eyes widened in shock. They looked behind Gohan and indeed some distance from them, Piccolo's body lay motionless.
Tien turned back to see what the commotion was about. He could see his friends looking in a particular direction. When he followed their gaze his eyes widened as well. They had killed Piccolo!? One of the few times he was at their side for a change and he had to fall so soon!
Nappa smiled at his opponents' discovery. "Your green friend died fighting one of his own kind. I am not to blame..."
Tien was sweating. He than dashed backwards to land beside the rest of Earth's fighters.
Nappa looked towards his comrade. "Hey, Vegeta! What's the powerlevel of each of them?"
Vegeta pressed a button on his scouter as multiple readings flashed across the device's screen. "The midget's at 982... three eyes is at 1005... scar-face is at 954 and the clown-doll's at 700..."
Krillin flashed a wry smile at Yamcha. He had surpassed his friend by some distance.
Meanwhile, Nappa laughed loudly at Vegeta's announcement. "That's all?"
Tien nodded towards his friends. The rest of them nodded in return.
Yamcha clenched his fists. "All right, guys."
Chiaotzu looked on seriously.
Krillin grinned. "Let's turn up the heat!"
The ground appeared to shake as a white aura erupted around each of the four human fighters.
"Haaaaa!"
Vegeta looked on expressionlessly as the readings on his scouter continued to rise. His spiky hair shook from the wind generated by the aura of the Earth's fighters.
Nappa grinned. "Yes. Fight me at your best."
"Haaa!"
Then just as soon as it had begun, the power-up stopped.
Each of Tien, Krillin, Yamcha and Chiaotzu fell into their battle stances.
Nappa smugly crossed his arms over his chest.
With a yell the four fighters of Earth launched themselves at their opponent.
To be continued...
Do the fighters of Earth really stand a chance? Find out in the next exciting chapter of Dragon Ball Z: One!
Author's note:
Q. Did Chichi spend the entire time on King Gai's planet in the spaceship?
Ans. Yes, sadly she did, because with the power level of around hundred it would be difficult for her to stand even in ten times earth gravity. Still better than staying all alone in Mount Paozu, I guess.
Q. Bulma has been strangely absent.
Ans. Yes, she has been. She will make an appearance later on, in a different manner than the original series.
Q. Z fighters using cell phones seems weird to think about.
Ans. Since there are no Dragon balls and less of some other super-powers, the Z fighters are relying on smart-phones which come with their limitations and will make for some interesting situations. Hopefully the readers will get used to it.
Q. How will the future events and sagas take place without the Dragon Balls to the rescue?
Ans. Well that's for me to think! It will go smoothly, trust me.
And also many thanks for all the reviews.