POV - Piccolo
"Next time, you may want to listen to me when I make a suggestion."
As if getting repeatedly punched in the face wasn't enough, I also had to listen to the old slug getting all high and mighty because of his totally fortunate—or unfortunate in this particular case—predictions.
I was already quite tired, and it was becoming harder and harder for me to evade the onslaught of hits coming from Android 13... or whatever this thing was now.
Another punch in the face sent me crashing to the ground, ironically enlarging that same crater where I had sent Android 13 just a few minutes earlier. I quickly rose to a defensive position, noticing only then how the Android was now focusing his attention on Vegeta. This was good; at least I could recover some of the energy I lost in this short while. Considering that while I and the others were tiring ourselves in this fight, Android 13 didn't appear to be fazed in the slightest.
Saying that the fight wasn't going well was an understatement. Krillin was already out cold; just one punch was enough for the earthling warrior to lose consciousness... Lucky him.
The three-eyed warrior was the second to go, a while later, after receiving a knee where his reproductive organs were located; it wasn't a nice spectacle seeing him go down like that. I was actually quite glad in that moment that I lacked such an obvious weak spot compared to the other warriors with me.
Still, as I watched Super Android 13 evade a Ki Blast from Vegeta, only to respond a second later with one of his own, point-blank, I thought that at least I was doing better than the Saiyans.
"Piccolo, is this really the time?"
Well, the old pest was not wrong, for once.
While in the first moments of the fight we had been disorganized and attacked whenever we wanted, it soon became clear that the enemy was not only stronger than us but tireless too. So we were obligated to put aside our differences and work together.
Or at least, Trunks and I did... Vegeta just continued to do whatever the hell he wanted, but the result was still the same, with Android 13 laughing off both our assaults as mere jokes. Sadly, even with two of us working together, we were doing absolutely nothing to the Android, who actually looked mildly entertained, even amused by our attempts to bring him down.
"Ahahah. Your pitiful attacks are completely useless against me; I am now the strongest being on this planet, nothing can stop me!" If there was something that he lacked, though, it was modesty.
"You are the one to talk... ten minutes ago you were in his exact same po—"
"Rehashing the past wouldn't help anyone."
A scream from Trunks, noticing his father being defeated probably for the last time, distracted me from my thoughts as the young Saiyan rushed at full speed toward the blue Android's back and swung his sword, targeting his unprotected neck.
For a split second, despite knowing deep down that it wouldn't amount to anything, Trunks's actions gave me some hope that perhaps we could still win... and that hope was immediately squished as the Saiyan blade broke into pieces on contact, without leaving even a mark on that monster's neck.
Trunks froze for a second, his eyes wide open in what was probably fear as a moment later, a blow from the elbow sent him crashing to the ground as well, close to his father, who was barely able to remain conscious. Just like Vegeta, Trunks was still conscious but would probably be unable to continue the fight in his condition.
I was the last one standing, but even then, I didn't have any illusions about how this fight—if it could even be called a fight—was going to end.
"It has been fun, Piccolo. But now, I have a bigger fish to catch."
As the Android rushed toward me, I was ready to receive the blow that would probably put an end to the fight. Nonetheless, I would gain as much time as possible for Goku to recover, despite the odds... or at least, those were my intentions. Just as I saw the Ki-charged punch directed toward my face, I knew that I was too tired and slow to even attempt to dodge it.
The fight was lost... or so I thought.
"Wha—?"
Because then, something none of us expected happened.
The Android's punch was stopped in its tracks, just short a few centimeters from its target, held in position by... something.
A green hand was holding the Android on the wrist, stopping him from proceeding further. That hand belonged to something I had never seen before; a hideous humanoid beast, half man and half insect in appearance, sporting a long tail with a stinger at the end.
There was something about the newcomer that made me slightly uncomfortable, even if I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
"Are we being saved by a man-sized bug?"
"Oh, thank Kami! For a second, I thought we were hallucinating."
"I can see him too if that makes you feel any better."
"Strangely, it does... a little."
The still-flabbergasted Android 13 was pushed away by the newcomer when he exerted some force with his arm. The Android then distanced himself from the insectoid being, probably unsure about how to proceed with this new predicament.
Our new unexpected ally turned toward me. "Hey, green guy, are you okay? Need any help with this blue gorilla?"
"Did this green guy just call us 'green guy'?"
"Ah... Yes, I'm fine. Also, who the hell are you?!?" I realized later that perhaps I was being a little too confrontational, but I was too tired to even care.
The newcomer didn't seem to hold it against me; apparently, he understood and didn't mind. "Presentations later; we have a bigger fish to catch... am I right?"
The smirk he directed toward me did nothing to put me at ease, but the fact that he mirrored the words of the Android back to him was somewhat satisfying... in a way.
"Of course, but don't expect me to sit this one out. I'm going to help..." A nod from the insectoid was enough to put me at ease. "Do you think we can do it?"
The insect-man seemed to think about that for a second. "I'm not sure, but I think our chances are good. I have a special attack that should be able to destroy him... it's just a little tricky to use, so I will probably need your help with it... Deal? Oh, I'm Jamall, by the way."
I decided to give the new guy the benefit of the doubt since he was clearly stronger than I was but was not condescending and accepted my help regardless. It was a refreshing situation, compared to all the times I had been left behind in the past. I smirked in response; perhaps this newcomer was not as bad as his first impression led me to believe.
"I'm Piccolo... and yes, we have a deal."
Pov:Jamall
I decided to intervene at the last moment, partly for the drama but mostly because it would make me look even better in the eyes of the Z Fighters. After all, what could be more heroic than a new savior swooping in just when it seems like everything is lost?
After leaving Dr. Gero's lab and rushing at full speed toward the battle, I expected to find the Z Fighters squaring off against the Cyborgs. I definitely wasn't prepared for this Bojack-like Android that appeared to be even stronger than Piccolo himself. Seriously, how did I not know about this guy?
Initially, I felt a twinge of disappointment at the absence of my primary targets and was a bit thrown off by this unknown Android. But then it hit me: this was the perfect opportunity for a surprise entrance! I positioned myself to observe the fight, gauging the strength of this new Android.
To my pleasure, I saw that while the Android was stronger than everyone else there, he was only slightly more powerful than Piccolo. He gained the upper hand only when the Namekian began to tire, placing him in between Piccolo and Android 16 in terms of overall power. So, he wasn't a huge threat—definitely weaker than me—but strong enough to keep things interesting.
I knew I had to wait until Vegeta was out of commission. The last thing I needed was for that arrogant Saiyan prince to interfere. I could almost picture him scoffing at anyone who dared to work with him, especially someone as "alien" as I was.
Once Vegeta was spent and out of the equation, I readied myself for my entrance. Just as things seemed hopeless, I stepped in, poised to earn some major karma points with Piccolo and Trunks, who looked like he was about to pass out. I could already see the gears turning in Piccolo's mind. He might not fully trust me, but I could sense his desperation.
After my brief chat with Piccolo, I noticed the unknown Android was charging a Finger Beam. He fired it at me, but I dodged just in time, which only fueled his anger. He shot another beam, then a third, all missing their mark.
"Aaaargh! Why don't you die, pathetic insect?"
"Wow, can't you see we're talking here? Rude," I replied, watching as he seethed even more. It was almost entertaining how easily I could get under his skin. "Piccolo, I'm going to need you to lock him down for a few seconds. My special attack requires me to be close."
"I can try," Piccolo responded, his voice tinged with uncertainty. But I knew he was resourceful; he could make it work.
"Good."
I powered up, letting my immense energy burst forth for the first time in front of them. I watched as the Android paused mid-attack, eyes widening in shock. Piccolo and the remaining Saiyans were similarly stunned. My Ki signature felt familiar, echoing traces of their enemies, allies, and even themselves.
"What are you?" Piccolo finally asked, but I wasn't ready for the big reveal just yet.
"As I said, presentations later... Now, big guy!" I called out, turning back to the Android. "Weren't you coming here to kick my ass?"
With that, he charged at me, rage fueling his speed. I was momentarily caught off guard by his eagerness, but I quickly braced myself for impact. The Ki-charged punch hit me square in the stomach, knocking me back a few meters.
The surprise of the hit actually worked in my favor; it halted his rush for just a moment, and Piccolo seized the opportunity. He extended his arms to wrap around the Android, holding him in place. In a normal situation, this would be a reckless move, leaving him exposed. But today, a few seconds were all I needed.
As Piccolo restrained the Android, I quickly expanded the end of my tail into giant sucker mode, stretching it to its maximum without tearing. I dropped it down onto our enemy, a satisfied grin forming on my face.
Piccolo, caught in the excitement of the moment, didn't realize until it was too late that my tail was absorbing the Android along with his own arms. The Android struggled futilely, but I was stronger. I could feel the rush of power as I absorbed him, but as I processed him, I realized that I wasn't gaining any energy from him.
The battlefield fell silent. I noticed the remaining warriors staring at me wide-eyed, some with varying degrees of fear. Were they worried I'd turn on them? Or was the absorption process just that intimidating from their perspective? Either way, I needed to defuse the tension.
I turned to the two Saiyans still on the ground, putting on my best casual demeanor. "Wow, that was really hard! So... who are you guys?"