The Saiyan Heritage and the Loneliness of the Warrior [Piccolo x OC]

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!"