Smoke escaped wherever it could, as the vessel creaked and wail after the rough landing. A new flame just randomly appears where it deems fit, parts falling off and crashing on the ground, the massive ship thrusters spit its last jet, giving up on its deed, is done.
Survivors of the calamity crawled their way out, scrambling as far as they could from the ship. Our heroes lay in all positions in the control room, Jaco checked him, 'alive' he thought, the flashing light of the screen illuminating his face.
Drained, they all were drained, too tired to move, to save themselves.
"Is...everyone alright?" 18 asked as she looked through the room. She blasted a hole through the wide shield and carried everyone out two at a time. She was extra careful with both Krillin and Gohan.
When Videl reached the ground, she being to worry "Pan! Where is Pan?" She ran through the crowd looking for her daughter, calling out to her as loud as she could. "Pan...Pan! Have you seen my daughter?"
Inside, Marron was knocked out, Pan carried her on her shoulder, while Bulla lit the way.
"What do you think happened?" Bulla asked.
"Well, the gravity is a lot heavier, safe to say we landed on the planet or a planet."
Bulla liked that answer, but couldn't shake how rough the landing was, "Where do you think the rest of them are? If they are even doing alright?"
"Everyone we know is strong. So they are going to be fine, however, I am more worried about the normal people since they are the ones more likely to get hurt from something like this." Pam responded, that he gaze was fixed on an unlucky individual, who was stabbed in the chest, which cause the girl to stutter. It reminded her that her father is possible on death's door. That was before, yes he was healing, but he is weak.
Bulla asked, "What can be done about it?"
The sound of uncoordinated pounding, echoes along the halls. Whatever it was, the girls didn't want to find, it since most of the horrors reside around the corner.
Walking along the halls, carefully stepping over the destroyed droids, the sound getting farther away from them, how something felt off. Pan had no intention of investing that feeling, but it didn't matter, as whatever was coming after her, held three yellow orbs, and had three purple dots on its forehead.
"Bulla slow down a bit."
"Sorry, I am just nervous, and want to get out of here as soon as possible." She stopped, waiting for Pan to catch up, "Do you think Trunks and Goten would be fine? Those robots seem powerful, especially the way they moved."
"It's a machine. It has unlimited energy, so let's hope the boys took it down before it powered up."
Bulla wonder if the same applies to Marron since she is part Android. "You know what's strange Pan?"
"What's that?"
"It's just that, every time we think we stop this guy, he comes back. Or does something that causes us to suffer in the long term." She tears open a door that was blocking their path, then continued, "Like him damaging the earth, the ship filled with monsters." She then stops, "He came for the Dragon Balls."
"What makes you think that?"
"Because don't you think it's weird that my mother is here. She was obsessed with them. Why not send the expert?"
Pan thought about it, "On one hand, it makes sense. But why not send one robot, then leave?"
"Or send an army, have that army distract us, take what you want and leave while we think we won?"
Pam scoffed, "You are crazy you know that right?"
"No, she is on the button."
The girl spun around to see Bulma, she was juggling the three dragon balls in hand, she used her next to hold the girls in place with her new powers that were gifted to her by Brainiac.
"I...can't.....move..." Bulla said, struggling to free herself.
"Unlike your brother, you have always shown promise of intelligence. Nothing can get past you my child, but your friend here is holding you back from reaching your full potential." Bulma lifted the girls, heading back deeper into the cruiser.
Pan couldn't shake the strange energy coming off of Bulma, nevertheless, she tried powering up to free herself. The girl did for a brief moment, landed on the floor and tried to free Bulla, however, she was stopped instantly.
"Tsk tsk, that was your only chance to leave, Pan. But I admire you wouldn't abandon my daughter, what a true friend."
"That's not your daughter you freak!" Pan screamed. She powered up some more, trying again to overcome her power, she didn't have much of a plan but hoped that her focus with mostly is on her.
"You are like your father and grandfather, stubborn bulls that keep on pushing. I warned Brainiac, I told him to destroy earth while you all were on it." She continued down the hallway, carrying them closer to the pounding noise, "Now you all are scattered all across the stars. As we speak, Bulla, your father is fighting one of Brainiac's Biodes, bioroid. If you only see what he looks like now, however, it's happening so fast I doubt you can perceive it."
Bulla angered, but more so upset, cried out "Shut up you, you, fake!"
Bulma spun around, "Don't you raise your voice at me, young lady!" She pulled her closer to her, glaring with menace.
The young girl felt the emotions she would normally get whenever her mother said that, she was about to reflexively respond with "Sorry mother." But she held it back. Tears welled up in her eyes, her lips pressed against one another, "You....are...a....b-beanie!"
Pan rolled her eyes, at hearing this, and then she wondered if she was about to say it.
"A beanie?" Bulma repeated.
"Yes, you are a beanie" confirm Bulla, even struggling to nod about it.
Confused at her daughter's somewhat defiance, "Exactly what that supposed to mean."
"She was going to say bitch, you airhead."
The woman turn her attention to where that voice came from, she then notice that Marron was finally awake.
"Say that again young lady." She said, leaning closer to her.
Marron didn't flinch, she just looked at Bulma, deep into her purple glowing eyes and smiled. "You are, a B-I-T-C-H. A weak, whimpering one at best. Sucking up to whomever you deem fit you...."
Pan tried to silence her friend, by powering up. Since she was on her back, she felt the brunt of her energy, it wouldn't hurt, but it was the only way she can send the message.
Bulma burst out laughing at her foul mouth, she turns back to face the end of the hall still juggling the dragon balls, "You really mean that huh? How cute, a potty mouth, sure you think you are so tough?" She took them closer to the noise some more, inside was the super mass.
It was as big as the ship's engine but shaped like that of a heart. Each beat had a bioluminescent glow pulsing with it, defusing through the flesh. It leaked some yellowish-white substance, which coated the ground closest to the unusual structure.
"This is the heart." Announces Bulma, "One of the many structures created by Brainiac to forge what will become the being of all beings."
"Why? Isn't Brainiac every robot we fought?" Bulla asked.
"Yes, he is and is quite powerful indeed. However, what he wishes to do requires a soul, one that has undergone untold agony."
Pan and Marron looked at each other, and then both of them stared at the super mass, "Gross." They uttered in sync.
Then Marron implored, "So wait if he can do all this, I mean, he destroyed our planet, killed all these people. Turn them into goop, make some kind of heart. He did all that without the dragon balls, why does he want them now?"
"That's an excellent question, that I wouldn't answer, sewer lips."
Bulla tried piecing together the information given, what would a person who called themselves Brainiac want? An answer appears though she believes it might not even come close to the actual objective. "Maybe he just wants a bigger brain, or a stronger body?"
Brainiac chuckled, his droid came from the shadows, "Good answer Bulla, but you are nowhere close. Nevertheless I will teach you, I will free you from the shackles of ignorance, but first, your friends must go." he clenched her hands, crushing the two girls. They begin to cry out in pain as they felt their chest taking on more pressure than it should. "Bulma, the main ship is on its way."
Marron handled it well, though it got to her, as for Pan, her body wasn't as durable. She screamed, as his bones slowly crack, she just watch Bulma, who stood there and watch, however she noticed a slight twitch from her, her smile wasn't as sinister.
However the droid arm was cut clean off, and its body was scrapped in an instant. Bulma was shocked at the sight, then she felt her vision go black. The girl dropped to the floor, and Pan and Marron flew into something's lap.
She was dizzy, and couldn't make out who stood before her, the figure was dressed in all white, no, they, she couldn't tell. But the voice said, "It is going to be fine, my little Pan."
The figure lifted it's head, sensing the impending doom on the horizon, "I will not stop, till this is over."