Chapter 30

LETTIE

"PICCOLO!!!!!!!!!!" I dashed towards him, followed by Gohan, who was just as desperate as I was.

We both leaned over Piccolo's body lying on the ground. Blood was dripping from his wound, staining the sand beneath him.

"Piccolo, please talk to me!" I grabbed his face and lightly patted his cheek.

But he didn't respond. His Ki was too low.

I exchanged terrified glances with Gohan. It wasn't possible... Could the attack have reached Piccolo's heart?

Tears flooded my eyes. It couldn't end like this! Piccolo couldn't die here! He couldn't die without us resolving our relationship!

But there he was, motionless in my arms. Again!

Another déjà vu hit me. Me, Piccolo and Gohan, together suffering for each other... Like in the battle against the Saiyans, years ago. The same feeling of fear and helplessness in the face of such powerful adversaries... It all came back!

Only much stronger.

While all this was going through my head and Gohan was calling for the fallen Mr. Piccolo, my brother's screams as his energy was absorbed by Android 19 continued to echo throughout the region.

Then, he appeared.

Vegeta.

He arrived OUT OF NOWHERE and simply punched Android 19, throwing him away. Everyone was perplexed.

"It is MY DUTY to destroy Kakarot!" He glared at an astonished Android 20. "You walking old scraps, stay out of this!!!"

Silence.

"Huh, b-but…" began Gohan. "Is that really Vegeta?"

"What?! Vegeta is here?!" Piccolo suddenly opened his eyes and stood up, as if nothing had happened.

Now, Gohan and I stared at each other in deep astonishment.

"Mr. Piccolo??" he exclaimed. "Are you… okay?"

I had no idea how my face was when I stared at him there, standing next to me, completely safe and recovered.

"B-B-B-But…" I stuttered in confusion. "Y-Y-You had…!"

Piccolo then turned to me with a little, embarrassed smile and said, "Sorry, Lettie… I had thought of helping Goku by pretending to be hit. Maybe the Androids would see me as an easier target at the moment and I would catch them by surprise. However…" He glared at Vegeta. "That guy showed up here when he wasn't needed. Idiot! He had to interfere with my plans!"

Okay. That seemed like a good plan, but it doesn't erase the fact that I was FREAKING WORRIED ABOUT HIM!!! If we weren't in such a complicated situation, I swear I would have given him a few good slaps for making me think he was dying.

Vegeta then started to curse my brother for turning into a Super Saiyan even though he was feeling sick and that now his illness would progress much faster, and that his goal had always been to defeat him, etc. etc. etc. Anyway, Vegeta being Vegeta. I didn't like his next attitude at all, but I wasn't surprised when he unpretentiously kicked Goku towards Piccolo, who caught him in midair.

"Daddy!!!" Gohan leaned over him when Piccolo put him down, defeated by the weakness of the disease.

Everyone in our group (except Vegeta and the Androids) surrounded my brother, saying encouraging words for him to react. Kneeling next to Gohan, I said, "We need to take him home. He needs to take the medicine as soon as possible!"

"I'll do it, Aunt Lettie!"

"No, Gohan." Yamcha stepped forward. "Leave it to me. It's embarrassing, but I'm the most useless one here."

We were quiet for a moment, but we ended up agreeing with his suggestion. Yamcha put Goku on his shoulders and prepared to fly off.

"Be careful," warned Piccolo. "This disease is spread by a virus. It can be contagious, so take a dose of the medicine too."

With that, Yamcha left, taking my unconscious brother with him. That broke my heart. Such a strong man, always so excited and ready for a fight, needing to be carried in that condition. Poor Goku...

Android 19 wanted to follow them, but Android 20 stopped him.

"It will be better if we leave Goku for last," he claimed. "First, we have to finish off those annoying insects. Now that Vegeta has arrived, it will be much more fun!"

The hatred for those Androids only grew in our group, and we gathered side by side, as we had done against the Saiyans, ready to fight.

There was silence for a long time. The tension was increasing with each second. Who would attack first? Us or the Androids? And what about Vegeta? His gaze was sinister. What was he planning?

"Hey, guys," whispered Krillin. "Don't you think it's better to run away from here, for our own safety?"

"What?!" replied Tien.

We stared at Krillin, stunned by that sudden suggestion.

"I'm serious," he continued. "Don't you remember what the boy from the future said? Goku will get sick and all of us, including Vegeta, will be killed by those Androids. The situation is a little different. We were warned and trained for this day, but no one can guarantee that this will actually change the future."

My heart raced and I looked at Piccolo. He was once again showing that same troubled expression since our conversation yesterday. Did he… agree with Krillin? Did he think there was really no way out for us? That our destiny was to perish at the hands of those Androids and leave our daughter an orphan?

Was there really no happy future for our family?

A big lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it.

No. I didn't believe that. I didn't ACCEPT that!

Fortunately, my nephew seemed to share the same feelings, "If we run away, they'll destroy the entire Earth, just like they did to the city! I won't allow that, I'd rather risk my life!"

I've never been so proud of Gohan.

"But we can go back when Goku feels better," replied Krillin

"There's a possibility that the arrival of that boy has changed the future for the worse." Piccolo finally spoke, and his voice was filled with desolation. "We can't predict anything. From now on, everything is uncertain."

His words threw cold water on our spirits. Gohan and I looked at each other with deep sadness at seeing Piccolo so pessimistic. Of all people, him. Our former Master and Leader.

In any case, we didn't have time to lament, because Android 19 asked Android 20 for permission to fight Vegeta all by himself. Android 20 didn't like the suggestion, but he ended up giving in on the condition that he would fight against the rest of the five of us by himself too.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Vegeta turned into a Super Saiyan.

His transformation was very different from Goku's. The sky darkened, and a chilling gale swept around us. A crater formed around him and a strong, cold blue light emanated from him, forcing us to cover our eyes to avoid going blind.

It was a terrifying sensation.

"Th-This can't be happening!" exclaimed Krillin. "How did Vegeta manage to turn into a Super Saiyan??? Wasn't it true that a Saiyan could only transform if he was calm and had a pure heart???"

From behind the smoke of the crater, Vegeta walked slowly and said, "Well, but I am calm, and my heart is pure." He then gave a sinister smile. "My heart is pure evil!"

All the hairs on my body stood on end. Indeed, despite the great power he exuded from his transformation, an evil aura surrounded him. His eyes gleamed with a bloodlust on a very disturbing level.

Beside me, Piccolo shivered. His face did not look surprised by Vegeta's sudden transformation into a Super Saiyan, on the contrary. He looked terrified. At first, I did not understand why, but I soon realized.

Piccolo was not afraid of Vegeta, but of what was inside Vegeta.

"All I wanted was to be the strongest!" continued Vegeta, walking towards Android 19. "That's why I trained hard and never gave up!" He then turned to me with the same macabre look and said, "What about you, Lettie? Have you managed to turn into a Super Saiyan yet, or have you spent the last three years playing dollhouse with that green alien and that peasant little girl?! Apparently, you're now the only pure-blood Saiyan who hasn't managed to transform yet! WHAT A SHAME!" And he spat on the ground.

Considering that anger is the trigger for the transformation into a Super Saiyan, I wouldn't be surprised if I transformed right there, at that moment. It seemed like people had taken the day to insult us. Seriously, what did others have against me for wanting to be the wife of the man I love and the mother of a wonderful daughter?? Why did that bother them so much? Was it wrong to want to live a calm and peaceful life with your family??

Apparently, Piccolo had also almost transformed into a Super Saiyan next to me (or rather, a Super Namekian), as his face turned red as a bell pepper when he heard how disdainfully Vegeta spoke about us.

However, to our surprise, it was Tien who stopped us from doing something stupid. "Don't let that idiot's words get to you." He placed his hands on our shoulders, squeezing them affectionately. "That's called envy. Just ignore it."

My level of admiration and respect for Tien rose considerably with his behavior. It was difficult to control my anger, but I accepted his advice and took a deep breath. Fortunately, Piccolo did the same and the three of us exchanged a friendly nod.

Vegeta continued his speech, "I couldn't contain my excitement when I turned into a Super Saiyan." He clenched his fist and admired his shining hand. "I will finally surpass Kakarot!!! The time has come for the return of the Prince of all Saiyans!!! Everyone must be loyal to me!!!"

Vegeta might be royalty, he might share my race, but I was loyal to only one man, who was more worthy than any title.

"Enough of your bullshit!" shouted Android 20. "It doesn't matter that you've changed. It's still impossible to defeat us! We're Super Androids! You'll suffer the same as Goku!"

The fight began. Android 19 launched himself into the air, shooting laser beams from his eyes at Vegeta. A bright red flash covered the entire landscape, raising more smoke.

However, Vegeta emerged unharmed, still showing his sarcastic smile.

It was a very intense fight. Android 19 was punching Vegeta non-stop, but he only responded mockingly, seeming to feel absolutely nothing from the blows.

But then Vegeta decided to attack. With a single blow, he threw Android 19 away, which only showed how strong he was. You could tell how frustrated Android 19 was at being hit so easily, but he simply didn't stand a chance. Vegeta was acting like a professional sadist, attacking and mocking him without a shred of mercy. His behavior was so violent and bloodthirsty that it scared me.

Finally, Vegeta threw his opponent to the ground with such force that he created another crater. We ran towards it. When we reached the edge, we witnessed Android 19 grab Vegeta's arms and laugh out loud, claiming that he would absorb his energy.

Vegeta didn't move. His face was impassive. In fact, he seemed to enjoy the whole situation. That's when it happened. Vegeta jumped in place, so that he managed the feat of placing both feet right in the middle of Android 19's face, still holding his arms, and then, without further ado, he TORE OFF BOTH OF THE ANDROID'S ARMS. In one go.

Everyone was left open-mouthed and astonished, including Android 20. Blood and oil were flowing from the arms that had been torn off of a terrified Android 19. Unconsciously, I cringed closer to Piccolo and, likewise, I believe he didn't even notice when he placed his hand around my waist and brought me close to him.

Vegeta then walked towards Android 19, who was leaning against the crater wall, crying in fear as he saw that his end was probably near.

And indeed, it was.

In an act of desperation, Android 19 managed the feat of climbing the crater and running away, screaming in panic. Vegeta propelled himself into the sky and, floating in the air, extended his hand. His aura of power increased exponentially, bringing a strong gale with it. I managed to pull Gohan closer and Piccolo held us tightly, in an act of protection.

"TAKE THIS!!!" shouted Vegeta. "THIS IS 'SUPER VEGETA'S BIG BANG ATTACK!!!'" 

I didn't even have time to think about how cheesy the name of that attack was, and an energy ball shot out from his hands, hitting Android 19 with precision. A huge yellow flash covered us and, when it dissipated, it left only a mushroom-shaped tower of smoke in its place.

When I opened my eyes, I covered my mouth to contain a scream of terror.

Android 19's decapitated head lay in front of us.

Dead. Or should I say: turned off?

Either way, that was the truth: Vegeta had defeated Android 19.

Android 20 was not at all happy about the loss of his comrade. Vegeta landed in front of him in his normal form and invited him to a duel, but then, suddenly, Android 20 flew off and shot toward the cluster of rocks beyond.

After threatening Krillin to hand over a Senzu Bean and eat it, Vegeta turned into a Super Saiyan again.

"You five there!" He turned to us with a haughty look. "You can go home and drink milk! DON'T INTERFERE IN MY FIGHT!" And he dashed off to follow Android 20.

"Who does he think he is?!" Krillin raised his fists in Vegeta's direction. "No one tells us to drink milk!"

I won't lie that I also made a grimace of discontent. Vegeta had that effect on people. However, I realized how close Piccolo and I were. Blushing, but with the same sad look as always, he moved away from me, cleared his throat, and said, in an anxious tone, "Well, the fact is that Vegeta lost a great amount of energy when fighting Android 19." Sweat dripped down his forehead. "And he prolonged the battle on purpose to prove that Androids really did absorb energy through their palms."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked in worry.

"Yes." He looked at me with a closed and sinister expression. "Worse than that, I'm sure that if one of us had fought Android 20, we would already be dead."

There was a morbid silence.

I looked at Piccolo with deep regret. That was not good at all. He was becoming more and more pessimistic about our situation. I had never seen him like that.

"I hate to admit it," he concluded, "but Vegeta really is a battle genius."

No one said anything, or at least I think no one knew what to say. However, a thought came to my mind and I expressed it, "I hate to admit it too, but I believe that Vegeta may have surpassed Goku."

"WHAT???!!!" was everyone's response, except for Piccolo, who remained silent. I bet he also came to the same conclusion as me.

"Anyway, I'm going after him!" claimed Tien in indignation. "I want to confirm with my own eyes that Android 20 will be eliminated."

"Then I'm going as well!" added Krillin.

"Me too!!!" exclaimed Gohan.

As for me, I just looked at Piccolo, waiting for his reaction. That was a very serious decision, one that could cost all of our lives. I didn't want to make a decision based on the impulse of my aversion to the Androids. Not when I had a little daughter waiting for me to come home alive, preferably with her father alive as well.

"Calm down, Gohan," I said. "Let's think about this carefully."

"But Aunt Lettie, if we stop now, our hard Training over the past three years will have been in vain!"

"Your aunt is right, Gohan," said Piccolo. "And just because we trained doesn't mean we should act in the heat of the moment. We need to analyze things carefully." He sighed and remained silent for a while, until he concluded, "Alright. I think we can just go and watch the fight between Vegeta and Android 20 and see what happens, but now listen to me: none of you will fight, understood? We are no match for that Android!"

The boys didn't like the idea at all.

"Guys, I know how frustrating this is." I spread my arms in a placating gesture. "As Gohan said, we've trained hard for this day, but we can't rush into things. It's unfortunate to say this, but our opponent is much more powerful than we anticipated."

Silence. It seemed like the others were beginning to understand the gravity of the situation.

"Yeah... I think Piccolo and Lettie have a point." Tien crossed his arms. "Besides, who can guarantee that Vegeta himself won't kill us if we dare interfere in his fight against Android 20?"

Wow. That was a good observation.

"Right," Piccolo nodded. "We'll follow them. But be extra careful, because Android 20 can hide among the rocks. Also, don't forget that we can't sense his Ki, so it'll be nearly impossible to locate him."

As the others nodded and flew off, Piccolo made me stop and look at him.

"Lettie…" His voice was shaky. "Don't fight if you find the Android." Our gazes held for a moment, until he whispered, "Please."

His eyes, so small, bright and intense, and his pleading tone broke my heart. Of course I wouldn't contradict him. Gently and lovingly, I squeezed his arm, as I always did, and nodded in agreement.

Piccolo took another sip from his waterskin, and everyone flew off. We decided to split up so that each of us could investigate more thoroughly. Suddenly, I found myself alone in the middle of that rock maze. At any moment, I could bump into Android 20 or Vegeta. Which of them would be worse? Honestly, I don't know.

It was so strange to be all by myself. I had gotten so used to Piccolo's protective presence over the past few years that it was as if a part of me was missing when I was away from him. Did he feel the same way about me?

I decided to lower my Ki to the maximum. Carefully, I slipped between the rocks, trying to stay as hidden as possible. The sound of my breathing was the only thing I could hear, which only made me more anxious. Where were they??

It was then that, behind a sharp rock, I saw Vegeta in the distance. He was standing on top of a rock formation, still in Super Saiyan form. As usual, he was shouting something, calling for the Android and using up his extensive vocabulary of curses.

Vegeta seemed increasingly irritated and flew off, probably to get a better view. Android 20 was certainly using that terrain to his advantage.

"SINCE YOU DON'T WANT TO SHOW UP," he created a large energy ball in his hands, "I'M GOING TO DESTROY ALL THESE ROCKS!!!"

Wait a minute. If Vegeta throws that energy here, he will... he will kill us all!

Oh, no... Piccolo and Gohan would be hit!!!

I couldn't contain myself. I came out from behind the sharp rock and shouted, "VEGETA!!! DON'T DO THAT!!! THERE ARE PEOPLE DOWN HERE!!!"

But Vegeta didn't hear me. Or pretended not to.

The energy ball grew in an astonishing way, until it formed a flash, and began to fall. I only had time to grab my hair, desperate with that sudden change of events.

Until he appeared.

Android 20 suddenly popped up and positioned himself right under the energy ball that was falling rapidly toward us. What was he doing???

He raised his hands and, with a scream, contained the energy ball. A strong wind passed through that area and then, five seconds later, the flash disappeared.

The Android had absorbed the entire energy ball.

Although my heart was still racing in panic after our "near death", I wasn't going to stay there to see the outcome of that. I ran away as fast as I could, hiding again among the rocks. I only had time to hear a possessed Vegeta cursing as he flew through the air for having his plan thwarted.

Silence returned.

After walking for a few minutes, I reached an area where it was impossible to continue on foot and I had to float, but I remained alert.

A strange sensation took over my body. Fear and growing distress. I was feeling an evil presence nearby, but where was it? No matter where I looked, all that covered my vision was an extensive desert with hundreds of rocks.

It was then that something grabbed me from behind, or rather, someone, locking their legs around my body and applying a rear naked choke.

"Well, well..." Android 20 whispered in my ear. "What's a beautiful female Saiyan doing here, all alone? Where is your green husband? He abandoned you here, didn't he?"

My eyes widened in despair. I tried to scream, but my mouth was covered by the Android's wrinkled and disgusting hands.

"Shh, be quiet," he continued. "It will be quick, and soon, you will fall into a deep and eternal sleep." And he began to absorb my energy.

My vision began to blur from the strangulation and lack of air. A tingling sensation ran through my entire body as my energy was drained from me.

No… Don't sleep, Lettie! Hold on!

The first thing I did was stay calm. Panicking wouldn't help me at all. Besides, I was a Saiyan and had been trained by the best Master.

I WOULDN'T GIVE UP!

Quickly, I tucked my chin towards my chest, creating a small barrier against the strangulation, but enough for me to escape from the hand that was absorbing my energy. I breathed in as much air as I could. In a sudden movement, I forced my body towards the ground and managed to free myself from the Android's legs. Without wasting a single second, I turned my torso to the side and finally got free, but not before elbowing the bastard right in the face.

The Android and I glared at each other, floating in the air.

My chest rose and fell with the adrenaline that was already running through my veins, but I calculated that the Android had absorbed about thirty percent of my energy.

I was at a huge disadvantage.

"So, you decided to be stupid enough to want to fight me." He laughed, wiping a trickle of blood and oil that was running down his nose. "Very well. So be it." And he launched himself towards me.

I barely blinked and the Android was already in front of me. How fast he was!!! I managed to dodge a punch in the last millisecond, but I was fully hit in the stomach with a knee, making me lean over my body, once again feeling out of breath.

He hit me in the ribs, leaving me even more breathless. A tearing pain took over me and I fell towards the rocks. I must have broken something, however, before I was impaled alive by a sharp rock, I floated, straightened up and shot towards him to counterattack. Screw the pain.

My target was his hands. If I could rip them off, as Vegeta did with Android 19, I would at least take advantage of his ability to drain the rest of my energy.

But he obviously realized that, leaving them out of my reach. Well, if I couldn't reach his hands, I would go for his legs! I turned my body and, in a quick movement, hit him right in the middle of his left knee.

Crack! — I heard the sound of bones breaking.

The Android grunted, and now, his left leg was in a strangely crooked position. However, to my dismay, my foot was also strangely crooked. Great. I had broken my foot in the blow because of the hardness of his shell. The sound of bones breaking came from me.

I faced the Android again. He was furious.

"Do you think you can break me???" With a maniacal look, he threw himself at me, applying punches and kicks with unmatched speed. I managed to dodge some, but I was hit by many blows.

It was impossible to fight him back! And the fact that he had absorbed Vegeta's energy ball must have made him even stronger. I didn't even have time to think about how I could defend myself or counterattack, and he was already hitting me with another full-on blow. Every inch of my body was throbbing with pain. I had already lost count of how many of my bones had been broken by him.

What kind of opponent was that?!?! He was on a level far beyond what we imagined! I felt like I had thrown the last three years of Training in the garbage!

My eyes began to blur again.

"DIE!!!!!" The Android brought his fists together above his head and then hit them right into the middle of my spine, instantly breaking it in half.

I fell with a thud between the rocks, no longer feeling my body.

"P-Piccolo…" I whispered, or thought I whispered.

Between my black and swollen eyes, I manage to distinguish Android 20 landing on the ground next to me and turning me to face him.

"Piccolo can't save you now." He locked my neck with both hands. "Don't worry, I'll tell your precious little girl that her mommy died like a weakling. I'll have a lot of fun breaking her neck."

No… Naíma… My daughter…!!!

The Android started to absorb my energy.

Fifty percent… Forty percent… Thirty percent… Twenty percent… Ten percent… Five percent…