Bulma stomped through Capsule Corp's hangar, her heels clacking against the metal floor. Buu followed behind her with a grin far too wide for someone who had just threatened to flatten the planet.
"Unbelievable…" Bulma muttered under her breath as she typed rapidly into the console. "First Saiyans, now this pink freak. Why do I always get dragged into cosmic lunacy?"
"Because you're smart," Buu said cheerfully, leaning on a pillar as if he belonged there. "Smart people attract attention. Lucky you—it's my attention you've got."
"Lucky isn't the word I'd use," Bulma shot back, fingers flying over the keyboard. "And if you break anything in here, I swear—"
"Relax." Buu raised his hands mock-innocently. "No smashing… unless…"
Bulma froze for just a second before forcing herself to keep typing. The tension was unbearable, and yet she had no choice.
The engines of a half-built space pod rumbled awake, its capsule-shell glowing faintly as the systems hummed to life. Bulma exhaled. "Fine. There. With a few adjustments, this will take you to Namek."
"Us," Buu corrected with a sly grin. "I told you, Bulma—you're coming with me."
Bulma spun on him, eyes blazing. "You can't just—"
"Shhh." He pressed a finger to his lips, crimson eyes gleaming. "I can. And I did."
Meanwhile, high above at Kami's Palace, the Z Fighters' voices rose in heated debate.
"We can't just let him take mom!" Trunks shouted, his fists trembling.
"He was searching for Namek specifically," Piccolo cut in, grim. "Maybe he knows about the dragon balls...."
Krillin paled. "So what do we do? Chase him?"
Goku's brow furrowed. "Then we can't wait for him to make the next move. We strike first."
Everyone turned toward him, stunned. Goku rarely sounded so decisive.
Piccolo nodded slowly. "He's right. If we don't stop him now, we'll lose our chance."
Back at Capsule Corp, inside the ship, Buu curiously inspected everything while Bulma worked on the engine. Then his crimson eyes snapped sideways. His grin sharpened.
Well, shit. What do I do now? Looks like they want to stop me at all costs… maybe I could use a clone or more. Heheheh…
From the shadow of the hangar, ki signatures flared—Goten, Trunks, and Piccolo, their auras blazing like torches in the dark.
"Step away from her, Buu!" Piccolo shouted.
Buu clapped, delighted. "Which one of us?"
The air rippled. In the blink of an eye, two more Buus peeled off his body, identical grins stretching across their faces.
Now three crimson gazes burned at the Z Fighters, their laughter echoing through the hangar.
Goten and Trunks instinctively shifted closer together, their eyes flicking to each other—already thinking of the fusion.
Bulma's breath caught in her throat. The ship's engine roared to life, shaking the chamber.
And in that charged silence, the clash became inevitable.