"Hehehe nice shot." Serena giggles at the site of Nappa hopping around trying to fan the burn between his shoulder blades. The tips of Piccolo's panting mouth twitched upward for a second hearing her melodic voice but stopped quickly shoving the confusing feelings down.
"BWAA HAHA! Having trouble Nappa!" Vegeta shook with laughter at the scene.
"The Earth doesn't go down easily." Piccolo growled through clenched teeth, forcing himself to balance his weak body.
"You stupid freak! Now you've made me more mad." Nappa barked, "I took it easy on you because we want you to tell us where those dragon balls are! But now.." He was huffing and puffing so hard and the veins on his bald head were showing.
Suddenly, there was an immense spike of energy felt only by those who had felt this energy before. "What is this feeling?" Piccolo stuttered, whipping his head both ways. "It's like a tremendous power is approaching from afar."
"I feel it too.." A smile wiggled onto Gohan's face. "It's huge but it's familiar."
Serena turned her head in the direction the energy was being felt, and Piccolo could hear her faintly whisper "Goku.."
'So, she does know him.' A surge of jealousy ran through him at the thought of what her relationship with his rival could be, but then he wondered if since she knew Goku was that the reason she didn't try harming them. Did she know Gohan, too? If she was just staying out of the fight for Goku reasons, then why was she flirting with him? Why did blood rush to his cheeks whenever she claimed to want him as a pet? What was this woman doing to him...
"Your tricks are getting tiring." Nappa yelled, since he wasn't sensing anything.
"It's no trick, it's Goku, He's coming!" Piccolo smirked, "I should have known that fool would make us wait."
"Daddy! Daddy's coming." Gohan cheered with excitement.
"They seem to have the power to detect Chi." Vegeta concluded, tinkering with his scouter. "Let's see-?!"
"Vegeta, are they serious?" Nappa asked seeing the horrified expression on his face.
"I don't know if it's really Kakarrot but he'll be here in four minutes." He informed. "With a power level of 5000!!"
"5000! But how that's impossible?"
Piccolo was enjoying how traumatized the male Saiyans were. "Heh, I do believe your brother and his partner are actually worried." He told Serena, who remain at his side since he had yet to strike at her. Both strangely feeling at ease in each other's presence.
"Oh, someone's cocky." Serena teased, poking the bulging muscles on his arm. "And of course, they are. Some people are just so melodramatic." The green man snorted at her words, concerning how he had been observing her this whole time. He'd say she was the melodramatic one.
"Nappa! Kill those weaklings now!" Vegeta commanded, causing the pair to tense along with Gohan and Krillin. "Their help could actually make Kakarrot a challenge, but their corpses might shake him up."
"What?!" Piccolo hissed, sharing a worried glance with Serena.
"But brother, you said I could keep the Namekian." She argued, trying to keep Piccolo alive long enough to form a hopefully this time successful plan to save Gohan and Krillin.
"I said 'maybe' and I don't think you want him as just a pet anymore." His glare caused the pinkette to flinch. Vegeta had been watching his sister's interaction with the Namekian Slug and it disgusted him. He'd never let his baby sister be with such a lesser, lower life form.
"T-then what about the Dragon Balls? How'll we find them?" Serena pitched in, drops of fear were filling her at the anger in Vegeta's voice, it reminded her of their father. Piccolo saw the fear in her golden eyes, but force himself to ignore the urge to protect her.
"Never mind that! We don't need them!" He snapped, guilt creeping into him seeing her flinch once again at his tone. "I never truly believed the legend of the Namekian power shreres, but since Kakarrot really has return from the dead, then they are true." He said in a calmer fashion. "This means there'll be more balls on the green fool's home planet. A little rampage through Namek would be a lovely way to relax after the destruction of Earth."
"Piccolo- You've got to run! If you die, then the Earth-God Kami will too and then the Dragon Balls!" Gohan exclaimed, "Just go! I'll hold them somehow 'til daddy comes!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Boy. You can't hold them alone." Piccolo said with pride in his chest on how courageous his student was being.
"So the little lad's going to hold me, eh?" Nappa scoffed at the idea, then sent himself flying at him. "Don't make me laugh!"
"Gohan!" Piccolo stepped forward to stop Nappa, but Serena place her hand on his chest to stop him, and maybe internally squealing at the niceness of his pecs.
"Wait." She said, both sensing an increase in Gohan's power that he released in a single kick that sent Nappa flying towards them. "Duck." She curls her hand on his gi and pulled him down with her to avoid the impact of Nappa's body hitting them instead of the rocks behind them.
"Serena what are you doing?!" Vegeta yelled seeing her help their enemy.
"I-I-" She couldn't speak properly, because she was betraying the only family she's ever had once again. She was afraid that this time he wouldn't be so forgiving.
"Now, I've had enough!" Nappa growled, he sure as hell knew from the start Vegeta should have never forgave her, neither should Lord Frieza have. "I knew that half-breed bitch would betray us again one day." He jumped over to where she stood and punched the ground between Piccolo and her, resulting in the two to jump out of the way closer to where Gohan was. He now had all three of them lined up with Serena in the middle of Gohan and Piccolo.
Now that Gohan had a closer look at Serena, he felt as if he knew her or more like her presence and energy were familiar to him, though he couldn't recall meeting her before. His wandering questions would have to remain unasked for now. Nappa wanted their blood and he was going to get it. "I'll just kill you with them, but I'll start with the kid first!" He gathered all 80% of his energy into one hand that was powerful even to kill a half-saiyan child like Gohan, but it was leave a person like Serena only with bad burns. So, she didn't hesitant to jump in front of him for the blast hit her only.
"Serena!" She heard Vegeta's worried voice shouts, her eyes closed due to the brightness. She waited for the burning sensation to tingle her pale skin, but she gasped when she opened her eyes to find Piccolo standing there as a human shield to protect Gohan and her from the death beam.
"Piccolo?" Gohan asked, wondering if he was still breathing.
"Run." He croaked, his legs giving out from under him. Serena caught him before he could hit the ground and slowly turning his burnt form over to rest his head on her lap. If he had enough strength he would argue against the public closeness, but he had no energy and in his time of impending death he allowed it. He allowed her to pet his green head and pull his antennas back. It felt peaceful despite the situation.
"W-why'd you save me?" Serena finally asked, staring down at the dying alien. "Gohan I understand but why me?"
"Because I knew you weren't really on their side since you knew Goku and you were willing to sacrifice yourself for Gohan." He said between breaths, taking in the surprise on her beautiful features. He dragged his gaze over to Gohan. "Now run..h-hurry."
"You can't die Piccolo! Daddy will come soon!" Gohan cried falling to his knees beside them. "P-please don't die."
Tears gathered in Piccolo's eyes seeing the sadness in both Serena's and Gohan's eyes. "The Shame..Piccolo the great... the incorruptible evil..saving a woman and child how pathetic hehehe." He confessed; it was strange for him to cry since he had never performed such humanly acts. He gave Serena a half-hearted smile saying, "For you I blame you for mixing strange feelings in me the first time you were on Earth." He watched Serena scrunch her brows in confusion because this was the first time she had ever met him. Vegeta, who was listening in, copied her brows because it was new information to him that Serena had been to Earth before.
Piccolo then gave the last of his strength to smile at his student. "And you Gohan, it's because of you and your dad's softness that infected me." He joked, while more tears streamed down. "You know, Boy. You were the only one whoever..ever..really talked to me.." Serena's heart broke watching the two friends sobbing. "The couple of months I spent with you weren't really so bad.." And with his final breath he told Serena and Gohan, "Don't die.."
With his friends passing, a combination of grief and rage swirled inside Gohan and increase his power level to 2800. He cried racing towards Nappa while firing a powerful blast that was strong enough to sting Nappa yet he was able to reflect the shot off his wrist guard in Serena's direction, who was now standing up. Nappa was hoping to injure her for her betrayal, however, Vegeta had grabbed her in time for the blast to miss her.
He pinned her arms to her side, so she wouldn't try anything, his dark orbs glaring into her golden ones. "We will talk about your actions later sister for now I think your punishment is watching Nappa kill the kid your soft heart tried saving."
"No!" She shouted struggling against his tightening grip.
Gohan barely had any energy to stand and Krillin couldn't feel a single muscle in his body, so he could only watch in horror when Nappa raised his foot into the air to stomp the life out of Gohan. To everyone's surprise, no screams of pain or bone crushing was heard, instead Gohan was seated safely on a fluffy yellow cloud.
"K-ki..Kinto'un?" Gohan gasped in disbelief.
"That means-" Attentions followed the incredible power source above them to see an orange clothed figure with spikey black hair.
"Goku!" Krillin smiled, at their survivor's arrival.
"Well, finally." Vegeta smirked because now the real challenge for him had at arrived.