Guru's place...
Nail stood near the entrance, his expression tense, worry etched across his features. "Master," he said, glancing toward Guru. "It's been hours. Dende should have returned by now."
Guru's deep voice resonated, filled with quiet dread. "I know, Nail. I fear the worst for him."
Nail's eyes widened, heart sinking as Guru's words hung heavy in the air. "What...? No... Dende..."
.......................
Miles away...
The group of Namekian children gasped in unison, wide-eyed as they gathered around the unconscious figure before them.
One of the boys knelt down, gently shaking the alien. "Hey... wake up," he whispered, but there was no response.
"We need to get him healed," another said urgently. "We have to save him."
The others nodded in agreement. "Right."
Carefully, they lifted the alien, each boy taking a limb and draping it over their shoulders. Together, they marched toward a nearby house, their faces filled with determination.
Vegeta stirred faintly, aware of hands carrying him, but powerless to respond. His body was too weak, his mind too far gone to even open his eyes. The world around him faded once more as he slipped back into unconsciousness.
..................
Nail's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his voice erupting in frustration. "No! This can't be happening!"
"Nail, calm yourself," Guru said softly, though his tone carried the weight of inevitability. "There is nothing we can do now."
"NO!" Nail roared again, his face contorted with rage and helplessness.
Guru sighed, understanding the inner turmoil boiling within his protector. "I know what you desire, Nail. Go ahead."
Nail looked at him, disbelief flickering in his eyes. "What?" Was Guru truly giving him permission? Allowing him to break his sacred vow to never leave his side?
Guru remained still, watching him silently.
Gritting bis teeth, Nail turned around and went downstairs. His heart pounded as he stepped outside, staring into the vast horizon. 'Somewhere out there, powerful enemies await me... and hopefully, Dende is out there too,' he thought, his teeth grinding together. He glanced back at Guru's place, torn between his duty and his brother.
But then, something shifted inside him. With a deep breath, Nail turned and walked back toward the entrance.
...
"Huh?" Guru's eyes widened, genuinely surprised to see Nail return.
"I'm sorry, Guru," Nail said quietly, resolve hardening his voice. "I can never leave your side. Frieza and his men are on this planet, searching for you. I could never forgive myself if they reached you while I was gone."
Guru studied him for a moment, his eyes reflecting both pride and sorrow. "Are you certain?" he asked, voice soft but piercing. "Even if it means your younger brother might perish?"
Nail's gaze grew cold, his decision final. "Yes. Even if Dende dies, I cannot abandon you."
A deep sigh escaped Guru's lips. He had anticipated this outcome, knowing Nail's unshakable loyalty. There would be no convincing him otherwise, no words to sway his heart.
........................
A makeshift bed had been assembled for Dende, using what little materials our heroes could scavenge. Krillin worked carefully, tending to Dende's burn wounds with strips of cloth, while Gohan had crafted a hollow tube, likely from the stem of a nearby plant, cleaned out and repurposed.
A small stove had been constructed, surrounded by crude wooden utensils they had fashioned from the environment. Gohan diligently boiled the tube over the fire, ensuring it was sterilized before gently sliding it into Dende's mouth, guiding it down to his stomach. They had no other way; this was how they would administer fluids to keep him alive.
Nearby, Yamcha was hard at work, collecting and chopping logs. His muscles strained as he worked quickly, preparing to build shelter in the natural crevice between two massive boulders. The rough terrain offered little comfort, but it would have to do for now.
Amidst the quiet urgency, the air was thick with concern, each of them knowing that this fragile situation was all they could manage to help their fallen friend.
..........................
Meanwhile, in one of the shadowy corners of Frieza's ship...
Yajirobe floated in a healing tank. His body was suspended in the thick fluid as his vitals fluctuated on the nearby monitors. His eyes twitched behind closed lids, his face contorted in a silent struggle. His EEG spiked wildly, as if his mind was trapped in a nightmare.
Dodoria stood by, watching with a twisted grin, eyes gleaming. "Yes... I've found my way into his nightmares," he whispered with satisfaction.
Bubbles rose slowly from Yajirobe's facemask, his brows furrowing as his subconscious mind wrestled with invisible horrors.
...
The door to the dark chamber crashed open, and Krillin and Yamcha stormed in, their faces twisted with fury and grim determination. The dim light cast long shadows across their tense figures as they confronted the hulking menace before them.
"Hey!" Yamcha bellowed, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and fear. "Let Yajirobe go, or else!"
Dodoria turned, his bloated frame moving slowly, and a wicked grin spread across his grotesque face. "Or else what?" he sneered, his words oozing mockery.
The oppressive weight of Dodoria's power pressed down on them like a vice, thickening the air with dread.
Krillin's fists trembled, veins bulging as frustration boiled over. With a guttural roar, he charged forward, his fist aiming to smash into Dodoria's face. But the brute's massive hand shot out, snatching Krillin's fist with bone-crushing force.
Krillin's eyes went wide with terror as he felt his knuckles grind beneath Dodoria's grip. "Let… go!" he screamed, thrashing in desperation, but Dodoria only smiled, his grip tightening.
"Let go?" Dodoria mocked, his voice cruel. The sound of bones snapping echoed through the chamber. Krillin's scream was sharp and piercing as he dropped to his knees, tears of agony streaking down his face.
With casual brutality, Dodoria swung his arm in a backhand strike. Krillin was sent flying, his body slamming against the stone wall with a sickening crunch, blood splattering the surface as he crumpled to the ground, barely conscious, wheezing in agony.
"Krillin!" Yamcha's voice cracked with desperation. Fury consumed him, and with a savage yell, he hurled himself at Dodoria, his leg sweeping toward the brute's head with deadly intent.
Dodoria barely flinched. He caught Yamcha's leg mid-air, his monstrous fingers digging into flesh and bone. Yamcha gasped in pain, his leg bruising under the pressure. "Is this the best you can do?" Dodoria hissed, his eyes glowing a fiery red.
With a cruel grin, Dodoria twisted Yamcha's leg until the sickening sound of tearing ligaments filled the room. Yamcha howled in anguish before being hurled across the chamber like a ragdoll, his body colliding with the floor in a brutal heap. Blood dribbled from his mouth as he struggled to breathe, his chest rising and falling in ragged, shallow gasps.
Dodoria stood amidst the carnage, his eyes sparkling with delight as he looked upon the broken bodies of his foes. Slowly, deliberately, he reached behind his back and produced a glowing iron rod, its tip sizzling with searing heat. He turned his attention to Yajirobe, still unconscious in the healing tank, his grin widening into something monstrous.
"Looks like no one's coming to save you," Dodoria whispered, his voice dripping with venom as he advanced, the heat from the rod distorting the air around it. "You're mine now."
...
Inside the tank, Yajirobe's body twitched violently, his subconscious mind consumed by the nightmare. Bubbles escaped his facemask as his face contorted in fear, his struggle invisible to the outside world.
To be continued...