Piccolo couldn't believe what he saw, how all his hopes were crushed with every kick and blast that Buu landed on the fused kids. The nagging doubts that had warned in the back of his mind all along, silenced by an ignorance born out of desperation and sheer panic, now wailed and taunted with the strength of a hurricane, sweeping away all those carefully laid out plans and back-up plans. Stupid. He had been stupid and careless to forget. He should have known better, should have remembered the stunts Gohan had pulled in that year under his training so many years ago. He should have known and taken precaution... but what could he have done? Gotenks was so much stronger than Piccolo would ever be that he didn't take the Namekian serious. It was ironic - Piccolo Daimou's offspring, once feared and the strongest being on the planet, always in the first line of defense to protect mankind and Earth had been reduced to... a joke. Nothing but a clown, muttering, swearing, hoping and praying in the background while the decisions were made without him. A helpless smirk was etched on his face as he witnessed another of Gotenk's attacks, and he was somewhat glad that neither Goku nor Vejita were around to witness the tragedy that was unfolding. Then again, the two would probably succeed where Piccolo had failed - to discipline the dynamic duo. Because, no matter how strong they were, Goten and Trunks were children - and combined, nothing more than a goofball supreme with too much power at hand.

Power... How could he have himself being blended by all that power? He should have trusted his instincts. But could he refuse the orders of the Supreme Kaioshin? Who was he, Piccolo, to question the ruler of the universe? How could he have changed Son Goku or Vejita's decision when they had sat their mind on a fight? And still, the overconfidence and blind trust into the abilities and powers of others had brought him here, ended them all into a no-win scenario with no real way out other than death and destruction.

Another wave of guilt washed over him as he remembered his unspoken and spoken promises to each boy's father. Had he made the wrong decision? Should he have stayed with the kids and trained them instead of being ridiculed by Buu? Maybe they wouldn't face such a fiasco now if he had made the right choice back then...

'No! Don't go there!' He scolded himself, suddenly quite aware that he was spending too much time musing and thinking instead of paying attention to the combat at hand. Maybe there was still a chance left...

Torn between terror, fascination, utter disbelieve and annoyance, Piccolo was reduced to watch. He didn't like it. The inability to fight the threat was almost too much to take, screaming against every single instinct that made him a fighter.

Even though he had hoped and prayed for a miracle, he had entered the Hyperbolic Time Chamber fully aware that he might die. However, he hadn't expected to die from the embarrassment of surveying this travesty of a fight. Mankind's last hope for survival was more than Piccolo could stand to see right now. Buu bounced off Gotenk's 'Screaming Angry Wombat' attack with ease, clearly annoyed with the boy's antics, and for once the Namekian fully agreed with the demon.

"We're doomed..." Piccolo muttered and clasped a hand over his eyes, effectively tuning out what was going on around him. Any more of this mockery, he knew, and he'd just kill Gotenks himself. Strangle him slowly until his eyes popped out, then beat him into a bloody pulp and roast what was left on a stick over a campfire... When the fighting noise stopped, Piccolo was in the middle of mentally feeding Gotenks to a bunch of hungry rats. Someone tugged on his cape. Surprised, he searched for the source of the untimely interruption and found... Gotenks.

"Piccolo, be honest," the kid shot him an annoyed look. "Do you think there's any way I could beat this guy?"

Whatever anger Piccolo had felt, he swallowed it for the sake of getting his unwilling protege back on track. "I think there is a way to succeed in everything. You just have to be serious about it."

"That's no answer," the fused half Saiyan growled, shooting a glance over his shoulder to where Majin Buu waited impatiently for him to return.

The next thing Piccolo knew was that he was dragged sideways with powerful tugs at his cape by the small warrior towards the huge hour-glass that towered next to the building that marked doorway between the dimensions.

"Hey!" Hopping on one foot and trying hard to keep his balance, the Namekian followed, fighting all the way that he was treated like an impertinent brat. He just couldn't believe this was happening. What had happened to things like listening to a more experienced fighter or respect your sensei? Apparently, those virtues didn't exist in the vocabulary of one obnoxious fused brainiack of a Saiyan. As if that wasn't bad enough, Piccolo thought his ears were playing tricks on him when he heard about Gotenks 'ingenious' plan as the two sat down to 'talk business'. Was the kid insane? Didn't he understand that the fate of the world depended on him? Piccolo knew it was a waste of oxygen the moment he had spoken the word. The little know-it-all-better punk had his own world of reasoning, and no logic or strategies the older fighter came up with were accepted. No, the kid had a glorious plan and expected his mentor to watch with baited breath. On top of it, Buu wasn't pleased at all, blowing a fuse when the forced break proved to be too long for the impatient demon. As Gotenks threw himself into the battle again, all Piccolo could think was: 'He'll better do it right this time...'

And for a short time, it seemed like his prayers had been answered, as if the kid had finally taken to heart the advice the Namekian had dished out. The green skinned alien was sent on another emotional roller coaster ride between optimism and devastation when Gotenks powered up to Super Saiyan and his 'Cosmic Halo' attack almost smashed Buu. Was there a chance after all?

But as quickly as hope was born, it died again, drowned in frustrated, helpless anger when the pink creature broke the lock and kicked Gotenks into oblivion. He crashed hard on the ground, then was sent flying straight into Piccolo...

Water. He was under water, pressed down by someone small with an enormous ki. Piccolo required a moment or two to kick his brain into working gear again and puzzle together what had happened. It didn't help to enlighten his mood. He and Gotenks climbed out of the tub where Buu's attack had deposed them, and if the situation hadn't been so grave, Piccolo would've laughed. Laughed at the silliness of it all, laughed about the sorry excuse of a fight he had witnessed, laughed about his own role in this pitiful play. He caught a glimpse of the distorted image of his reflection in the shattered bathroom mirror, and the laugh he had stifled turned into self loathing. Droplets of water trickled down his face, humiliation was etched on his features and he couldn't help but feel his resentment grow towards the sorry excuse of a warrior that he had become in just a few short days. The fact that his cape was now soaking wet and, just like the rest of his clothes, left a trail of water puddles with every step he took didn't help, either.

Buu waited for their return with a mocking smile, and Piccolo had to suppress the urge to jump at the demon in blind rage as Gotenks' awkward onslaught continued. Attack, fight, die... Anything to end the misery, stop the humiliation and emotional pain that ravaged through him.

The next moment, he could only stare and gape in puzzled confusion, trying to figure out what the heck this 'Kamikaze Ghost Attack' thing was that the kid was pulling. Piccolo's heart thumbed harder, made a little leap of joy when he saw how the pink muscle blob was shredded to fragments, and he felt excitement when the gooey substance frizzled and sizzled under the destructive energy blast he fired at it. Carefully, he finished the 'clean-up duty', snarling at Gotenks who still acted like it was below him to make sure that their enemy was really destroyed. For a brief moment, Piccolo allowed himself to become confident, ventured down the road of victory... just to have all hope destroyed once again when Buu regenerated himself from the vapor.

"It's him, Majin Buu! No!!" Close to a panic, unable to comprehend as to how anything could survive seemingly total annihilation, Piccolo listened to Gotenks' bragging as the demon took shape over their heads, only to be confronted by an innocent question when Buu had fully materialized.

"Er... This time, you have any ideas for me? I tried everything and I'm freshed out..."

Trembling from irrepressible aggressions, fears and frustrations, grinding his teeth in the frantic attempt to get himself and the situation under control, Piccolo finally did the only thing that his instincts supplied and dropped into a fighting stance.

Next to him, Gotenks sounded as frightened as Piccolo felt. "Oh-oh... Piccolo? I don't like the look in his eyes..."

Doomed. They were doomed and Buu knew it. If only Gotenks hadn't wasted so much energy with his games! Damn that boy! Damn the inbred Saiyan arrogance! Why hadn't the stupid, self-absorbed kid tried harder? "We've failed. Even blasted into molecules there was still left enough of him to be reformed..."

The reasonable part of Piccolo reminded him that Gotenks was just a child, that they had been out of options. And coming up with options had always been Piccolo's field of responsibility. So the only person he could really blame was the one who sent Goten and Trunks in here in the first place. Himself. "It's my fault... I thought that by luring Majin Buu into the Hyperbolic Time chamber it would give you the advantage you needed to destroy him. I put too much faith in you..."

No! He'd have none of this depressing, unproductive self-contempt. He could tear himself to pieces after Buu had killed them. He'd sure get all the time he needed to sulk over his incompetence once he was in hell. But as long as they were still alive, they could try to twist their fate. A new, frantic and utterly irrational plan began to form, zig-zagging through his aching skull with the speed of a lightening bolt. "Gotenks, can you do another one of those 'Super Ghost Kamikaze' attacks like the last one?"

Unaware that the boy had listened to his rant, not seeing the cunning smirk on the kid's face and misinterpreting the silence, Piccolo demanded: "Come on, do it!"

Nothing could have prepared the green skinned fighter for Gotenk's outcry of sheer devastation. "Something's wrong! I'm trying, but I can't find the power to do that trick again... It's no use!"

'No use...' the words echoed through Piccolo's mind as the last straw of hope turned to ashes right before his unbelieving eyes. Maybe he had said too much, maybe he should have encouraged Gotenks instead of destroying the kid's shattered self confidence.

"..I can't fight any more, the world is finished!" Gotenks clasped his head, trembling in fear, only to be grabbed by the ankle by Buu who had a fun time playing 'whip the monkey'.

The young fighter's screaming and crying trampled out the last spark of faith Piccolo still harbored. It was over. He had gambled high, and he had lost. Once again, the fate of the world had been put into the hands of a child when a grown up was needed. And just like with Son Gohan back so many years ago, the plan had failed. But Piccolo wouldn't let the demon escape, even if that meant his death... and the death of Goten and Trunks.

Piccolo swallowed and took a deep breath, gathered his courage and ki. With fierce determination, the Namekian fired the destructive charge at the gateway between the dimensions, obliterating it completely. Now they were locked in with Buu, they would pay the ultimate price, but at least the world would be free and safe again.

With a triumphant grin he faced the demon, spelled the brutal truth out with grim satisfaction. "... whether you like it or not, Majin Buu... we'll be spending the rest of our lives in here together..."

With fatalistic glee he watched how the monster stumbled around in shock. Gotenks wasn't off much better, desperate tears running down his cheeks as he buried his hands in the green sand of the hour-glass, hugging his knees to his body. Piccolo felt sad for the boys, but all they could hope for now was that Buu killed them off quickly before they'd die slowly of hunger and thirst. However, he wasn't prepared for Gotenk's outcry of rage.

"Great, this is great!" The kid yelled so loud that it almost bursted Piccolo's eardrums. "Who told you to lock us in here, huh? For your information, I still had my best technique!"

The Namekian gaped, then shouted back as his anger took the better of him. "I thought you said you had no strength left and your powers had reached their limit. I had to do it!"

But that didn't seem to calm Gotenks, on the contrary. "I was just trying to make the fight more fantastic... If you would have let me, I could have taken care of Majin Buu and we'd be on the outside now! You blew it!"

"You what?!? You put the world at risk just to be more fantastic?" Pent up irrational aggression and pure desperation searched a vent and Piccolo's sneer was meant to harm this nightmare of a child's ego. "What kind of kid are you? You idiot!"

"Well, you are the idiot who blew up the door, so you are the idiot who has to get us out and if you don't I'll use my special technique on you!" Gotenks just screeched louder, but the older fighter was beyond caring.

"There's no way out of here!" Piccolo roared on top of his lungs. "The only door has been blown up! It's gone. Gone!"

"Buu want candy. Want candy now...!"

Too wrapped up in their argument, they had forgotten about the demon. Piccolo muttered a curse under his breath. But then, Buu was locked up here with them, and they could care less about his whining...

Once again, Piccolo had to learn the hard way that his plan had a few loopholes that he hadn't taken into account. The scream that ripped a hole into the dimensional walls shattered every hope that was still left in the green skinned fighter. The demon had breached the prison walls! What now? Desolation settled in when Majin Buu disappeared through the rapidly shrinking hole. For a moment, all Piccolo could do was stare. Rational thought had long deserted him, only a dark void filled his head.

'Think! Snap out of it!' He had to come up with a way to get them out of this malaise. Dende and the others were still on the Lookout depended on Piccolo, and there was no doubt that Buu would kill the young Guardian of Earth - him and with him all dreams to restore the planet and rescue mankind. Because with Dende, the Dragonballs would die as well.

But no matter how much Piccolo wracked his brain for a solution, even with Kami's vast knowledge at hand, all he ended up with was the petrifying conclusion that they were marooned here. Gotenks' constant complaining wasn't helping any. Or maybe... a glimpse of hope crawled over the dark horizon of the future. "Wait a minute... maybe you should sing that song. Let's put your voice to work."

And they did. For hours, the two prisoners screamed, trying to match the right frequencies to repeat Buu's vanishing act, screamed until their vocal chords were sore. Screamed until Piccolo gasped for air, exhausted after countless, in vain attempts to break free. Hope had died with every minute that passed and what he had feared, denied to admit and never thought possible was becoming harsh, unwanted reality. "I'm afraid, Gotenks, this is one fight we're not going to win..."

It hurt. Piccolo had sensed the last remaining kis on the Lookout sniffed out like a candle in a storm a long time ago. Nothing had worked, Buu had won. The Namekian hated to give in, but he had to face the truth. He had failed, and all that was left now was to face the end with some honor and dignity. At least, Trunks and Goten wouldn't suffer long, he'd make sure of that. As for himself... the thought was cut short when Gotenk's voice pierced through his mental turmoil.

"Then I guess I don't have a choice." The kid gloated. "It's too bad. I wished there was a crowd around to see me do this..."

"Huh?" Piccolo's curiosity took the better over the morose feelings that coursed through him. "What are you going to do?"

Gotenks laughed and folded his arms in front of his chest in a pose that reminded Piccolo about Vejita. And with a Vejita-like smugness, the kid teased : "Just have a guess..."

Something in the Namekian snapped when it dawned to him that the boys were still hiding their true power. This just couldn't be true! Mankind had been wiped out, Vejita was dead, Chi-Chi had been killed right in front of Goten and by now the others were dead as well and Earth was probably already destroyed. How much more had to happen before the kid understood that this wasn't about fame or coolness? They were in a godforsaken war, a war that they were losing fast. His already battered nerves were taking a hike and he smacked Gotenk's head hard. "This is no time for your games!"

And then, all the once mightiest fighter could do was gape as Gotenks, a creature formed out of two little boys, fired up to an incredible power level and screamed a hole into the dimensional wall, single handed succeeding where all had seemed lost before...

"C'mon, Piccolo... if you don't make it through this one, I not busting you out again..."

Once, Piccolo had had the heart of a fighter, but now he felt he was at the receiving end of a mean joke the universe was pulling on him. Required to watch over a fused, overconfident brat from hell, helpless against a demon against who there was no chance to win, Piccolo's mind screeched along the borders of madness as he was forced to accept the deaths of his friends, forced witness how the Lookout was destroyed. Shaken to the very core of his being, all that he could do was clasping a piece of rubble in his hands and tremble. Tremble and wide eyed stare at what was left of his life. "All gone... all gone!"