Pan vs Goku, again.

As Pan is about to punch one of the demons dashing toward her, Goku calls.

"Pan, stop! We need to get outta here."

She grits her teeth, and her shoulders slump, "Tch... This is your fault!"

"Huh?" Goku replies, his left eye brow rises.

"You let this happen, grandpa!"

"I did?"

"Yeah," she turns around, "Why didn't you let me fight? If I had, Bulla wouldn't have gotten away!"

"No way, besides Trunks was with her. It's not your fault."

Trunks fights off the relentless, crazed demons, "We need to go!"

"Tch." Pan clenches her fist and her head bows.

"Come on!" Goku calls her.

"Hey Goku," Trunks yells as he approaches them, "You grab one of their ships. I'll get ours. I got a hunch we'll need them."

"Got it."

"Follow Goku, Pan. We'll figure this out."

She flies behind her grandfather who is carrying one of the spaceships Duma's forces left on the mountain top.

Meanwhile, Trunks knocks out many of the chasing demons.

Man, these crazies won't quit.

Hang in there, Bulla. I'll get you back.

He hurries over to their badly damaged soherical shuttle below and carries it.

The demons start firing at it.

"Hey stop it!" Some of their attacks hit the shuttle.

"Keeping the barrier as a super saiyan is a pain."

I'm outta here!

He zips away from them, leaving a huge dustcloud that covers the mountainous area.

As Trunks speeds up to reach his remaining teammates, the fast approaching fleet ordered to shoot down all they encounter at the peaks start firing.

"Sir, we lost one target."

"What?"

"It definitely seemed like one of them just vanished outta the radar."

"Doesn't matter, just shoot at all signs of life."

"You hear that boys? We get to crank it up: Let's go!!!"

"We're gonna see who gets the most of these bastards."

"Yeah!!!"

They laugh over the radio as they fire indiscriminately.

Soon, the demons and the airfleet engage in an aerial exchange.

However, quite a distance away from their war, the villagers who noticed the earlier confrontation begin to wonder at the strange site in the sky:

"What is going on over at the mountains, brother?"

"Mommy, is everything alright?"

"It's so beautiful."

"It sure is loud up there today."

Trunks catches up to Pan who is lagging a bit behind Goku.

"Pan, I know you're worried about Bulla--"

"If I were stronger, this wouldn't have happened."

"What? No. Don--"

"I know that's why grandpa doesn't want me fighting even if I'd been training for 10 years just so I could show him that I've grown up and gotten stronger."

"..." Trunks slows down as Pan continues following Goku.

A drop of sweat rolls down the side of his face as he realizes:

So that's it. Does she...

Goku lands in a rocky area, a little away from a forest nearby.

Pan lands soon after, but Trunks notices their landing spot and heads over.

"Whew," Goku wipes off the sweat from his forehead.

Man, carrying this huge ship really wiped me out. Now, I'm hungry.

His stomach grumbles, then he places his hands over it.

"I gotta eat something."

"Grandpa, fight me," Pan says, folding her arms as she stands behind him.

"Not now, Pan, I'm really starving," he turns around and walks past her with a drowsy face.

"You're already hungry, again? Really?"

"Uh huh. It's been a while since I used to have these."

Trunks lands and then gently sets the shuttle on the ground after undoing his barrier.

"Hey, Trunks," Goku calls out to him.

Trunks powers down, "Yeah?"

"I'm hungry. We got anything to eat?"

"Hmm."

Meanwhile hiding behind one of the larger rocks, Ginro observes the trio.

"Need preliminary information about target, Ginro!!"

Soon, a bug-sized drone flies out of one of his compartments and heads toward them.

"Readying audio intel collection, Ginro."

As the spy bug hovers silently besides Trunks and Goku during their conversation, "Yeah, let me check, Goku. I'm pretty sure the storage is safe."

Goku falls on his bottom while he rubs his loudly rumbling tummy, "Hurry."

Trunks sets the shuttle the right way up before entering it.

While Trunks searches for a meal for Goku, Pan is sitting by herself, with a few tears rolling down the side of her eyes.

Bulla, wait for us, ok. We'll get you outta there.

She shuts her eyes:

I'll find you. My senses are pretty sharp.

She smiles:

Piccolo told me that.

No matter where those creeps took you, girl, your energy will bring me to you. You remember, right? So, fire it up. I'm looking

out and won't stop.

Meanwhile on the demon's planet where Duma's elder brother Nedra resides, Cardinal Muchi one of Nedra's siblings touches down.

"All hail Cardinal Muchi!" The demons chant as he walks out of his shuttle.

As he looks up to meet the gaze of his mighty brother's who is standing at the balcony on the highest floor of his residence, he smirks:

I've retrieved it: The Demons' Dragon Ball.

His brother smirks then leaves the balcony, causing Muchi to blush a little.

I'll never let you down, Nedra.

A few light years toward the Demons planet, Bulla is in a dungeon within Duma's spaceship.

She sits on the ground, her limbs shackled to the wall.

"Hey!!!" she tries to scream, but her voice is coarse and almost gone.

"You'll regret this! You hear me: Trunks, Pan and Goku, too. They'll find m--"

"I see you've calmed down, little girl," Duma smiles at her.

"Get me out of here," she tries to gather dirt in her palm so she can throw it at him.

"Hmm, that's not up to me."

"Get. Me. Out. Now."

"We'll reach Demons planet soon," he laughs heartily as he departs from her view.

"Trunks, Pan... Goku, too... I'm waiting for you," she mutters with tears dripping down her face.

Meanwhile back on the planet where the trio are, Goku rubs his protruding tummy and lets out a loud belch.

"Mhmm, that hit the spot and then some."

Pan gets up and calls him, "Grandpa, fight me."

"Huh?"

"But, Pan--"

"Stay out of this Trunks."

"..."

"This is between grandpa and me."

Goku stands and dusts himself off before saying, "We don't exactly need to fight, right? Can't we talk instead?"

"That's not good enough right now."

"Why not?"

"Get ready, grandpa."

She takes a stance and frowns, and starts charging her energy.

"Pan, surely there's no need for you two--"

She lunges at her grandfather, but he blinks out of sight. She looks behind her and realizes that he's hovering.

"Fine."

She hovers up to his level, stares into his focused glare.

"Let's settle this."

She starts charging for an all-out attack, "Kaa... mee..."

He also starts charging his, "Kaa... me..."

However, Trunks is below watching them ready for a powerful clash, "Maybe... This is the only way she knows to get his attention. Good luck, Pan."

"Haa... me..." they chant in unison.

Trunks gulps, meanwhile Ginro hides under a big rock expecting the shockwave to be immensely powerful.

"Haa!!!"

Their attacks collide and a powerful shockwave starts shaking the ground. The winds begin to create a storm and lightning and thunder suddenly echo all around them.

Some of the rocks start vibrating, even Ginro starts to panic while Trunks begins to sweat.

Pan takes her eyes off of her grandpa and unto the clash itself. She isn't smiling.

Why, grandpa? Why wouldn't you let me fight?

It's the only thing I want to do: to fight by your side, as your equal.

So, why? Why did you try so much to hold me back? Don't you believe I have what it takes?

What is it about him instead of me? Why?

Why leave me so you can train him? Why miss some of my birthdays? And now... you don't want me to fight?

Am I disappointing you?

"Ah!" Goku suddenly releases his attack.

Pan promptly drops hers, but she gets behind him and lands a clean hook on his jaws.

He falls to the ground and a dustcloud surrounds him entirely.

She extends her palm and fires an energy blast, but then realizes his energy has disappeared.

She raises her guard and as Goku's about to kick her back, she blinks out of sight.

Soon, they start exchanging, blocking and dodging each other's jabs and kicks.

Wow, she's gotten much better.

Then Pan lands a kick on his chest and yells, "Why??!!"

"Woah!!!" He falls on all fours and sees her energy then remarks, "Incredible."

"Then, why?"

"Ah..." He's unable to answer.

"Pan, you're crazy strong," Trunks says.

"Yeah, he's right, Pan. You're strong," Goku smiles as he dusts himself off.

"Answer me, grandpa," she stutters as tears begin to run down her face, "Why won't you let me fight?"

"There's no need to rush into a fight, y'know?"

"Ah." Her eyes widen open, her pupils dilate, "What... did you say?" she mutters.

"I get it. But I also have a job: to keep you safe until we return home."

"Huh?" She hovers down to the ground, her posture slouched.

"I know you wanna fight stronger opponents, but that's not something I can allow if I can help it. You'll return home safe and sound, just like I promised to Chichi, Videl and Gohan."

He smiles at his surprised, teary-eyed granddaughter, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing that'll get in my way of keeping you outta harm's way."

She falls to the ground and starts crying.

Goku hovers over to her and hugs her, "You're strong, Pan. But I don't plan on letting you get in danger."

She shivers as she cries, managing to speak, "Bring Bulla back, ok."

"You don't gotta tell me twice."

She nods.