All of Earth's heroes gathered in an absolutely secluded wasteland, as close to the desolate center of the continent as they could get, well out of harm's way. There were no farms, cities, or civilians for miles in any direction.
The atmosphere was heavy, humming with quiet anticipation. In just a few minutes, the DFA fleet would break through the atmosphere, and the war for Earth would officially begin. Everyone knew what was at stake—and what was on the line. The heroes stood shoulder-to-shoulder, scanning the cloudless sky in an uneasy, watchful silence.
Vegeta: "Where's that brat of yours and Broly's kid?" *Vegeta barked, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.* "Why aren't they here yet?"
Goku, who had been lazily stretching his arms overhead, paused mid-motion and blinked at the Saiyan Prince.
Goku: "Huh. You're right—Goten and Melody should be here by now." *He scratched the back of his head, turning toward the northern horizon as if expecting them to fly into view any second.*
Piccolo: *He folded his arms under his heavy white cape, his brow furrowed.* "Knowing those two, they probably got sidetracked. Or worse—decided to pull some reckless, last-minute training stunt."
Trunks: *He groaned out loud, pinching the bridge of his nose in sheer annoyance.* "I swear, if they're actually late to an apocalypse—"
Yamcha: "Hey, give 'em a break," *Yamcha spoke up in their defense.* "If it wasn't for those two, none of us would even stand a sliver of a chance right now."
Krillin: "Yamcha's right. Without those energy boosts Melody gave us, I'm pretty sure we'd all end up as cosmic spaghetti."
Most of the group nodded in silent agreement. No one could deny that having Melody and Goten amplify their energy levels had given them a fighting shot against a planetary threat like Captain Gorge.
Piccolo: "That still doesn't change the fact that they're late."
Vegeta: "The Namekian actually makes a point."
Goku: *He chuckled softly, completely unbothered.* "Knowing those two, they're probably just running behind because they got caught up in some small shenanigans on their way back."
Piccolo: *He rolled his eyes dryly.* "More like they were making out at some secluded spot on the way back from Jingle Village."
Trunks: *He nearly gagged on the spot, his face twisting in disgust.* "Ew! I really, really didn't need that mental image so early in the morning!"
Vegeta: "Tch... Kids. Always such a useless bother."
Piccolo: *He snickered softly, the long tails of his white turban flapping in the dry breeze.* "Oh, come now, Vegeta. Don't act like you were never their age once."
Vegeta instantly snapped his head toward the Namekian, throwing him a sharp, lethal glare that could have sliced the equator clean in half.
Piccolo: *Completely unfazed by the death glare, he simply smirked.* "Did I strike a nerve... Your Majesty?"