Val flew after Vegeta and the androids with the others. She could sense him powering up and fighting one of the androids, even if she could not sense the android he was fighting. She felt it spur her own to go faster, stomach sinking as they got closer. This could be where they were all supposed to die after all. Yet maybe they would not. They all had to be stronger than they were in the other timeline, surely...
They landed just at the sight of #18 knocking Vegeta into the cliffside on the road. "Are you okay, Vegeta!?" Trunks called out to him.
Val sensed him, seeing him pulling himself out of the rubble with a cocky grin. She felt a wave of relief. "You stupid bastards! You think you can fight these cyborgs?" he asked, looking over at them.
She gave her own smile, but noticed his strength had gone diminished from the fighting he had been doing so far. Val looked over at the female android, seeing her look worse for wear, but she could not sense anything off of her. No sign of her weakening, which could be good or might not be.
"Hmm. The help's arrived," #17 said, looking over at them with a nod. "I don't think 18 can take them all by herself. Oh well. Should I fight? Or you, 16?"
Val looked at them, reaching for the heat in her palms should they try anything, keeping her emotions in check though. "No, I won't fight them," #16 decided.
"You won't, you bastard? Why were you made?" #17 swore.
"To defeat Goku," #16 answered simply.
#17 grunted, "Okay then. You guys fight your hardest." He stepped towards them with his hands on his hips.
"Hey, 17's coming this way!" Tien pointed out, tensing up for a fight himself.
Trunks shouted fearfully, "run away, Vegeta! What good's your pride if you're dead!?" He put himself square in front of him.
Vegeta clicked his teeth. "You want me to hit you again? You're in the way. Move it!"
#18 said, "run if you want. We're not interested in cowards."
Vegeta snapped at her, "don't make me laugh. I'm going to kill you now! Why should I run? To tell you the truth, I'd rather die than rely on Earthlings, Namekians, Anthromorphs, and Kakarot's help!"
Val felt herself tense up and flinch internally at the unexpected sound of clapping. She looked over at #17 apprehensively. She could not sense anything off of him either, but the malice in his voice was evident. "Nice speech," he commented. "You've got a nice fighting style. You're a pretty good Saiyan prince!"
Val gritted her teeth at the goading targeting Vegeta, knowing how it could set him off. He would want desperately to win now with his temper rising. She hummed, wondering if the android weakened at all in her fight with Vegeta the way he had. Nothing could be sensed off them, it was so frustrating. "You rickety puppets have no right to say that. Especially you, brat."
#17 grunted. "It looks like you value the spirit of bushido, but just in case, if any of you try to help Vegeta, I'll have get involved," he half warned, half threatened. He brushed a few stray hairs out of his face ruefully.
Val dug her nails into her palms at the threat, trying in vain to get some sense off of him. She grunted, giving up. That failed just as it had with the other two androids nearby. She silently swore to herself she would get involved in need be, fearful of what would happen if she interfered to save him. The heat tried to flame up, but she suppressed it along side her own nerves and concern.
Vegeta growled, "those jerks are peaceful cowards! You didn't have to warn them."
"Ready to continue?" #18 asked.
"Of course," Vegeta answered.
"Then let's do it!" #18 said, charging towards him. She struck him in the face, sending him flying towards the cliff.
He managed to flip himself over in the air in time, push himself off the cliff, and launch himself at her. They struck each other in mid air. Val squinted, watching the fight without blinking. He knocked her into the rocks, sending a desperate blast down at her. Val felt a shiver go down her spine, trying to sense for the android, hoping that blast was enough to take her out like it had been with the android he defeated earlier that day.
Val felt her hands shake in frustration when the dust settled. The heat wanted to flame up. She shook out her hands just enough to quell it. She watched below, seeing the android, still standing, with a chilly yet determined glare on her face, aimed at him when he landed in front of her.
"You've really pissed me off. All calm like that," Vegeta griped at her.
#18 said nonchalantly, "I'm surprised. Even though you're an alien, I didn't think anyone could be so strong. Is Goku even stronger?"
Val cringed, her goading a grating sound in her ears. Vegeta barked, "don't be stupid. For a while he was, but things are back to normal. I'm stronger now." Val nodded to herself, not liking how this fight was escalating out of his favor. She sucked down a deep, controlling breath.
"What?" #18 commented. "He's not so strong then. Neither are you." She brushed her hair out of her face flippantly.
"What did you say?!" Vegeta asked, temper rising enough to use it against him.
He charged at her, striking her. He met her strike for strike, temper making him sloppier. He was not moving as fast as she was, as fast as he had in the beginning of the fight. He was not blocking when he should, sacrificing defense to get a better strike at her afterwards. Val reached up and plucked at her collar absentmindedly. This victory was slowly slipping away from him. She felt her heart pound in her ears, not wanting to think the thought forefront in her mind. They had to be strong enough to survive this. He had to be strong enough, in this timeline, in Super Saiyan form.
"Do it! Finish her off!" Val heard Tien of all people cheer down at Vegeta. The sound of his voice broke her out of her derailing thoughts.
"Vegeta will be killed," Piccolo voiced what she did not want to think. She glanced up at him. "Look, the cyborg is slowly getting the advantage. She's not losing any power at all. But Vegeta gets tired as he continues to fight."
Val looked down at the fight, seeing the android gaining the advantage more outright now. She tried and failed to quell the heat over her hands, not wanting it to get at her wrists and bracelets. She sucked down another deep breath, keeping her emotions and the heat in check. She looked back up at Piccolo, throwing him a pleading look. She blinked back at the sting in her eyes. He looked down, understanding what she was asking without her voicing. He asked his own, matching it in a wordless, calmer, emotional question. 'Anything,' she mouthed. She reached for the heat, readying now to harness it after suppressing it for so long. They were all at risk of dying here and now by this road in the cliffside. It was a matter of when not if now, but not without a fight-
She tore herself away from his gaze when she heard Vegeta loose a pained scream. She felt sick when she saw the way he was gripping his arm, bent all wrong, clearly broken. "Dad!" she heard Trunks shout, being the first to charge down towards Vegeta and the android, not her nor Piccolo.
"That idiot!" Tien shouted. Val followed his gaze, seeing Trunks draw his sword and charge at #18.
The next few things all happened so fast. #17 charged into the fight right after Trunks. Piccolo swore and went in in turn. Tien went after him. Val took a few precious seconds to let the heat spread over her hands, wrists, and forearms as she too charged into the fray. It took time for her to allow it to release just enough for the power, but also allow her to maintain control. She mentally saw the girl from her fever dream once more, feeling the heat want to spread as she tried to hold it at bay, hold onto her self control as she was ready to fight. She charged ahead, realizing she should have taken off her bracelets before going into the fight, but it was too late now.
Trunks had drawn his sword, charging at #18, only to be struck across the back by #17. He fell hard on the ground. Piccolo reached #17, struck but still up there fighting. She looked back up, seeing Piccolo was fighting #17, or at least trying to. A swift strike in his stomach sent him falling down towards the ground. He was alive at least, they all somehow still were, but perhaps not for long. Val felt the heat try to flare up with her shock at the sight, but she stubbornly bit it back, shaking to do so.
#17 kicked Piccolo out of the way, sending him to the ground. Tien went in next, only to be locked in a headlock by #17, choking him. Val found herself staring in horror as she could not seem to get to him fast enough. The heat wanted to spread right through her, not wanting to be held back any longer. Another flash of the image of fever dream child blocked over her vision.
That was when Val felt herself snap, shouting wordlessly as she let the heat go and spread over her like she did when she fought in the former guardians within the Lookout. The heat was in control now. A victory did not matter now, one strike mattered now. Enraged, she shoved herself between the two of them, breaking up #17's hold on Tien, who sank in the air towards the ground. Val could sense he was still alive, much to her relief and also surprise. She saw Vegeta and Trunks on the ground as well, still alive at least.
She flew back #17, catching him off guard with her speed and striking him across the jaw. She gave a cruel smile seeing the smallest burn mark on his smug face. She tried to catch him again, wishing she did not have her bracelets on so she could curse him, but there was no chance now with him trying to strike her back in retaliation. She dodged him, barely, moving at a speed that she could not sustain for long. Just the heat, the rage, the fight, and the few seconds she could sustain it solely focused on it.
He struck at her. She raised her forearm up to block him, feeling before hearing an ominous crack and shatter that overshadow the crack of breaking bones deep within her wrist. The bracelet that had been cracking finally broke from that sudden strike. The pain in her wrist was overshadowed by the overwhelming panic at the sight of the bracelet, in two pieces, a large 'C' and a small 'c' shape falling towards the ground towards Piccolo. She reached out towards the pieces with her uninjured hand, only to feel a second but equally painful blow to that wrist and forearm. The pain flashed up from her wrist, targeting her chest and making her grow cold. The heat surrounding her evaporated, burned off and lost in the midst of the pain and panic overwhelming her senses. She felt a blow crash over her shoulders and send her down to the ground not to far from Piccolo.
She was not sure how long she lay there, feeling the throbbing pain in her wrists invade and set up camp in the forefront of her mind. She heard Krillin call over to Piccolo to catch... something... She cringed as she dragged her hands protectively to her chest, straight as she could manage so not to harm them any further. The pain, the crippling pain, was the worst. She would not be able to fight at all in this state. One of the androids would hardly have to try to take her out now. Or worse, leave her alive after being unable to win that fight, if she could call it a fight.
She shoved herself up shakily without using her hands or arms to move. She felt stray hairs on her face, making her flick her head up to get them out of her face, which hardly worked. She could not even do that, let alone fight anymore. She pressed her arms harder against her chest protectively. She wondered how she was still alive, looking up see Piccolo closest to her, still alive, chewing on something. He held the two pieces of her bracelet in his hand. She looked down at her hands cradled on her chest, not explaining anything. When he stepped over to her, she closed her eyes, waiting to hear him chastise her for not repairing it when she had the chance. He only reached down and she felt him slip the bracelet into her pocket before removing his fist. In desire to not look at him, she looked away and over at the road, wondering when the androids were going to finish them off and the shame of losing the fight so easily. He was alive, too, the shame and the relief in that went hand in hand.
"Hey, Val," she heard Krillin call over to her, digging into the small bag of senzu beans he held. She looked up at him, standing up at the road, looking completely uninjured.
"He didn't fight," she whispered to herself, mad at him as well as herself. She saw Trunks standing between the two of them, looking over at her when she spoke, making herself feel ashamed to say them. She looked down and away from him to avoid eye contact.
"Catch," Krillin kept talking, tossing a senzu bean towards her.
She frowned, feeling even more annoyed at him because she could not move her hands to catch it. She saw Piccolo's hand snatch the bean from the air by her face, holding it up on his open palm. She pouted, looking down at her hands balled up on her front tightly. "Please," she said softly, face feeling hot to ask for such a small bit of damning help.
He hummed deeply, plucking it up from his palm with his thumb and forefinger, feeding it to her. The move was simple and slight, but felt so public and so intimate.
She felt one set of eyes boring down on the two of them, figuring they would have to belong to Tien. Much to her surprise when she looked up to see Trunks, not Tien, was staring down at the two of them eyes wide. Val met his gaze, just as confused as he was. She brought her hands down to her sides, rolling her healed wrists out, relieved to be able to move them again. Perhaps he was also confused about why they were all still alive. She shrugged at him, which lead him to look even more confused. He looked over at Tien, who was being helped by Krillin to eat a senzu bean himself. He then looked back at Piccolo and then at her, a shocked face with a flash of realization not unlike Vegeta's earlier when he realized Trunks was his son from the future. She gaped at him, taking a step towards him to ask him what was confusing him.
She halted when she heard Vegeta complaining, "what the hell do you think you all were doing?!" He drew everyone's attention on him in the area. "I told you not to interfere."
"You're welcome," Val snapped back, surprised to even hear herself say those words. He stared her down, prompting her to give in and look away. She looked past him and up at the road, not seeing nor sensing the androids anywhere. "Why didn't they kill us?" she asked out loud what they all were probably thinking. She could hear the complaint in her own voice. They all lost so easily, not even worth killing apparently. She brushed a few stray hairs out of her hot face before tightly crossing her arms over her chest.
"Goku's still alive, Goku's still their target," Piccolo figured.
"So why bother...," Val grumbled, mainly to herself.
"They weren't going for the kill then. Especially since they told me to give you guys senzu beans," Krillin explained.
"What?!" Piccolo asked. "You said they even knew about the senzu?"
Tien asked, "what does it mean? If they knew about it, why didn't they kill us?"
Piccolo grumbled, "are they trying to say we're not worth the effort to kill? Of course, they're incredibly strong... too strong... I didn't think they'd be that powerful..." She sensed off him a growing sense of... desperation. She noticed him reach down at his pocket and tapping it.
She looked over at him questioningly, but then blinked at the unexpected sign of Vegeta flying off. Trunks seemed ready to chase after him, shouting, "wait!" He seemed ready to go after him.
"Stop it!" Piccolo snapped, stopping Trunks from chasing after Vegeta. "Don't chase them or him! Leave them alone for now!" An uneasy silence settled over the area. "When Vegeta became Super Saiyan, his confidence and pride returned. But when he was beat by that girl cyborg, that pride took a huge blow."
Krillin sighed, "I'm sorry I wasn't even able to fight."
Piccolo clicked his teeth, saying, "don't worry about it. Even Trunks in Super Saiyan mode was pretty much taken out with a single attack."
Tien agreed, "he's the guy who was able to defeat Frieza easily. Yet he couldn't do a thing against the cyborgs!" He sighed heavily. "to tell you the truth, no matter how strong Goku's gotten, I don't think he's as strong as Vegeta or Trunks. Goku wouldn't be able to beat even them..."
Trunks shook his head, explaining, "they're different than the cyborgs I'm familiar with. They weren't that strong... I could fight them both for a while."
Val found her voice, groaning, "no matter... Our future's black now." She hated the thought of it.
"What should we do now?" Tien asked no one in particular.
Val felt another discordant wave of desperation, so strong it made her lose a small gasp. It was not her own. She looked up at Piccolo, who said, "you should go to Goku's house and and move him somewhere safe. Our only chance to do anything may depend on his health." She saw him tap his pocket again.
Krillin nodded. "You're right," he agreed. "What are you going to do, Piccolo?"
Piccolo looked up at the sky. Val followed the gaze, needing a second to sort out that that was the direction of the Look Out. "I have an idea," he preempted.
Krillin asked, "why do you look like that? Do you have some kind of plan? Tell us, Piccolo! We're on your side!"
Val felt the temper flare up before Piccolo released on Krillin, "you're on my side?!" She watched Krillin shrink back, Val feeling even her own self draw back. "Don't piss me off! Since when did I become your friend? Don't be foolish! I'm evil! I'm just using you to help me conquer the world! Never forget that!" He took off in the direction of the Look Out at that.
Val gasped, dropping her hands down to her sides in shock when the intensity of the feeling between them subsided. "Why...?" she started, but then she bit lip to keep herself from finishing her sentence.
Tien sighed, saying, "that's right, he was the Arch-Demon Piccolo before. Even I forgot that! Does he still want to rule the world?"
Krillin shook his head, saying, "I think he was just lying. He's like Goku and Vegeta. He just wants to be stronger than everybody else. So he flew off to take advantage of his last secret weapon."
Val rounded on him, asking, "what's that?" Her mind raced, trying to think of what it could possibly be.
Tien asked, "secret weapon?"
Krillin pointed towards the Look Out. "He flew off in that direction. Do you know what's there?"
"The Look Out!" Val blurted out.
Krillin looked up at her, not expecting her to blurt that guess out so easily. Tien asked, "the Look Out? What's that mean?"
Krillin explained, "when I was on the planet Namek, the Great Elder told me that if he hadn't been split into Kami and Piccolo, he would have been able to easily a Saiyan. So I think he's gone off to rejoin with Kami." Val felt her stomach sinking at the idea. Her ears drew back. If they did that, one of them would die just as Nail had on Namek. She felt her hands begin to shake anew.
"What?" Trunks asked.
Krillin continued, "Kami and Piccolo are going to rejoin to become a Namekian warrior. And since Piccolo's gotten so strong, he'll become a Super Namekian like how Goku's become a Super Saiyan."
Tien explained, "but if Kami is gone, then the Dragon Balls will disappear as well!"
Val gasped, "that would leave the Earth without a guardian!" She looked towards the sky, tempted to go after them. She had to go after them, she had to stop them. Val brought her hands up to her face, feeling them tremble harder at the thought. She recalled the history of the guardians of the Earth Kami had told her within the Look Out before he asked her to be the next one. She shudder to think what would happen to the Earth without one.
Krillin nodded, explaining, "yeah, you're right. But if Piccolo or Kami get killed, the Dragon balls will disappear anyhow and there will be no guardian left. If he really is going to rejoin with Kami, then he must've felt the cyborgs were incredibly powerful opponents."
"No, they can't-" Val started.
"Where's your bracelet?" Tien asked stepping away from her cautiously.
She looked over at him, his question completely derailing her thoughts. She looked down at her wrists, seeing she was still only wearing one bracelet. One bracelet. One of the two bracelets Kami had created for her to keep her from accidentally cursing anyone. With a spare set tucked away in her dresser in her bedroom. The bracelets only Kami could fix. "I have it, I have it. It just broke," she admitted, reaching into her pocket.
Her hand stopped when she felt a sharp, jagged edge. She felt the blood drain from her face when she pulled out only the bigger of the two pieces from her pocket. She gasped, feeling panic and fear wanting to overwhelm her. She could not lose these, it was far too dangerous for others. She tapped and tugged at her pocket, not feeling the other piece. She checked the other pocket, finding it equally as empty. She backed up a few steps and then took off towards the Look Out without another word to any of them. She could hear them call after her not to go, but she ignored them. She flew towards the Look Out as fast as she could go, hand locked around the broken piece of her bracelet.