Piccolo flew swiftly through the low-hanging sun toward Y/n's village. The air felt heavy, ominous, as if something were waiting for him. As he descended, an unusual stillness made his senses prick up. Villagers moved slowly, their faces somber, deepening Piccolo's concern.

He landed near Y/n's house and spotted Upa in the fields. The boy, now a young man, worked silently, his movements mechanical, as though something weighed heavily on his mind. The house was empty, desolate.

Piccolo's cape billowed behind him as he approached Upa, his footsteps soft but purposeful. "Upa," he called, his deep voice cutting through the stillness.

Upa looked up, surprised. "Piccolo, what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Y/n," Piccolo said, skipping pleasantries. "She hasn't been to the Lookout, and something feels off. Do you know where she is?"

Upa's face tightened as he stood, wiping his hands on his pants. "I saw her a few days ago grabbing supplies. She asked me to watch the yard until they got back."

"They?" Piccolo pressed. "Her and her father?"

Upa nodded. "Yeah. She didn't say much, just that they were heading toward the city, but she didn't mention when they'd be back."

"Did she say why?"

"No." Upa shook his head. "Just that they were leaving. I thought they'd be back by now."

Piccolo grunted, unsatisfied but knowing Upa had told him all he could. He was about to take off when he noticed a small figure standing at the edge of the fields, watching him.

It was a boy, no older than eight or nine, staring at Piccolo with wide eyes. Fear—and something else—froze the boy in place.

Piccolo turned toward him. "Stay here," he muttered to Upa before striding toward the child.

The boy took a step back, glancing nervously toward the village.

"Hey, kid," Piccolo called, his voice low but firm.

The boy swallowed nervously. "I-I didn't do anything."

Piccolo knelt down, keeping his voice firm but gentle. "I know. I just want to ask you a few questions. What's your name?"

"Benny..." the boy mumbled, clutching the hem of his shirt.

"Benny, did you see something? Do you know what happened to Y/n or her father?"

Benny's eyes darted around, his small frame trembling. For a long moment, he said nothing, fear palpable. Piccolo softened his tone just enough to coax the boy out of his silence.

"I need to know, Benny. If you saw something, it could help Y/n."

At the mention of Y/n's name, Benny's lip quivered, and his eyes filled with guilt. He shuffled his feet before whispering, "I-I saw some people come to Y/n's house. They were looking for her dad."

Piccolo's eyes sharpened. "Who were they?"

"I-I don't know... They looked scary," Benny stammered.

"They didn't look like the people from the village. They were... different."

"You're going to have to be more specific, kid. What do you mean by 'different'?"

Benny bit his lip. "They looked like they were from somewhere else. They were tall, and their clothes were strange. They went into her house... and then there was a fight. I didn't see much, but I heard a lot of noise. I saw Y/n's dad fighting them, but I was too scared to get closer."

Piccolo's mind raced. Whoever those people were, they were after Y/n's father. This was bigger than he thought. Y/n might be in serious danger.

"And you didn't tell anyone?"

Benny shook his head quickly. "I was too scared. I didn't know what to do..."

Piccolo stood up, the pieces falling into place. Without another word, he took off into the sky, heading toward the city. Whatever was happening, he would get to the bottom of it—and fast. If Y/n was in danger, he wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Not if he had anything to say about it.

--

Hours passed, and Piccolo hadn't found a single clue as to where Y/n or her father might be. His search had taken him through countless fields and villages around Y/n's home. The villagers were just as clueless as Upa and Benny.

Frustration tightened in his chest. Y/n had left in a hurry, but where could she have gone? He debated his next move. Capsule Corp? No, Y/n hadn't met Bulma or her family yet, so why would she go there? She wasn't friends with the other Z Fighters, except for Goku and Gohan. This was a dead end.

Clenching his fists, Piccolo soared toward Goku's home. As soon as he landed in front of the house, something felt off. He knocked on the door and waited. A moment later, Chi-Chi swung it open, her face twisted in irritation.

"What?" she snapped.

Piccolo blinked, surprised. Chi-Chi was always blunt, but this was different. Quickly refocusing, he cleared his throat. "Is Goku here? Or Gohan?"

Chi-Chi crossed her arms. "I have no idea where those two idiots ran off to," she said, her frustration evident.

Piccolo's anger flared. Goku, fine. Call him whatever. But Gohan? He wasn't going to let that slide. "Don't call Gohan an idiot," Piccolo said, his voice dangerously low. "Goku, fine. But Gohan? He's far from an idiot."

Chi-Chi's bravado faltered. She opened her mouth to respond but thought better of it, simply nodding.

Piccolo turned on his heel and took off again. Time was slipping away, and he couldn't afford to waste any more of it. After scanning the area, he spotted Goku and Gohan by a nearby lake, casting their lines into the water.

As he landed near them, Gohan looked up, recognizing the tension radiating from Piccolo. "Hey, Piccolo! What's wrong?"

Goku turned as well, his usual cheerful demeanor fading as he noticed Piccolo's serious expression. "Yeah, what's going on?"

"I've been searching for Y/n," Piccolo said urgently. "I went to her village, but I couldn't find her."

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, concern flickering across his features.

"I spoke to Upa and a kid named Benny," Piccolo explained. "They said Y/n left a few days ago, but they didn't know where she went. I thought of checking Capsule Corp, but it didn't make sense. She hasn't met the others."

Goku furrowed his brow. "She's only really met you and us... but wait, didn't she drop you off there, Gohan? I think she talked to Vegeta, too."

Piccolo's eyes sharpened with newfound focus. "You think she might have gone there?"

Gohan nodded. "It's possible. I've talked to her about Bulma's work before. If she's looking for answers about her father, she might think Bulma could help."

"Then we should go!" Piccolo said, resolute.

"We'll find her," Goku assured him, determination in his eyes. "Let's head to Capsule Corp."

a/n- this is definitely a slow burn story so i apologize to all those waiting for them to get together, it will probably be a little while but i think it'll be worth the wait, at least i hope! Thank you for reading!