The Friction

Dislcaimer: I don't own DBZ, any of its characters or contents

Thanks for your reviews - it's hard to know if a story is going to go anywhere so it's good to have some feedback, plus thank you dragon96 and volcanic - your reviews have pushed me onwards! Not that I'm being particular, I appreciate them all.

I had one comment about Daimao being OOC - I suppose he is, but I've chosen to elaborate on his character and I've taken liberties, gave him a few extra sides I guess - please consider this a warning that while I try to keep canon as much as possible, I haven't watched much of the earlier series, so this is my perception of him. Or how he would need to be for me to write him.

Chapter Two

The resounding bang hammered against Gohan's ears before he could even register the gun shot. His eyes went wide as he turned his head, each movement achingly slow as his mind raced. No

Gohan froze when he looked at the standing form of his mentor, who's head was still intact. Zak narrowed his eyes as he watched his bullet ricochet off the Chi shield standing between himself and Piccolo. Dropping the gun to his holster, he scoffed and raised both of his eye brows at Daimao's out stretched hand. Piccolo exhaled slowly, having unintentionally held his breath, and felt the small trails of perspiration cool on his skin. The shield had felt dark and unhealthy as it wavered near him and dissipated. His wide dark eyes glanced sideways at his Sire and he felt confusion bubble in his awareness. It was clear that the other Namek had erected the shield. But why?

Daimao let his hand fall and now appeared to be displaying the only emotion he had shown since his arrival. Contempt, in its most pure and unrelenting form. Zak's voice literally laughed at him.

"Looks like you have a heart after all…the Hatu is going to eat. You. Right. Up" He punctuated each word with a step forward. His advance was halted only by Krillin's declaration.

"He doesn't have a heart you idiot, they're linked. If you kill Piccolo, he dies as well"

Daimao looked at Krillin then, with no small amount of anger at the apparent exposure of his weakness. He bared his fangs and held up a hand to attack.

"I will fucking kill you"

Goku stepped in his line of sight and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Hang on-" He barely had time to dodge a green fist as it skimmed his cheek bone. Swinging around, he blocked the second punch with his left arm and choked as jade fingers wrapped around his throat, nails scraping grooves in his skin. He leanes in close, ignoring the Saiyan's thrashing and the cries of his friends.

"You don't know how much I've wanted to choke the life from you". He tightened his hands. "It would be a thrill" He breathed "to end you"

He threw Goku to the ground roughly, kicking up white tile in the process. A part of him well aware that the do gooder's many minions would have intervened if he had persisted and if his senses were correct, they weren't the insensible weak gaggle he dealt with last. He was also conscious that the monkey had defeated him once already, and he didn't want to risk a repeat performance. Not when the creature on its way to them would do that very task for him.

Bulma focused her large blue eyes on the former King, watching him hurl her long time friend to the floor. That's the Piccolo I remember. She had thought he had seemed calm, collected and all together not what she had known him to be. A scam.

The Supreme Kai intervened once again, growing tired of the squabbling.

"Enough. If we're going to have a chance at destroying this thing, we need to start preparing now! Follow me" He bellowed as if his lungs weren't the size of a child's and stalked inside the palace.

The Z senshi faltered at the deity's outburst before slowly, the group began to trail after him. A few moments later, Daimao and the groupd of bandits were the only ones remaining outside. Goku waited in the doorway with an expectant look. Zak scoffed.

"You are joking" He folded his arms and scowled at his gang before nodding for them to enter, sparing an irritated glance at Daimao as he followed.

The Namekian looked at the Saiyan and allowed himself a moment to think. Co operating with the man child who killed him made his stomach turn but, as he stared, he caught himself thinking of something more important. He had no interest in ruling a world with no people, and certainly not a universe with no worlds. Once they had killed this thing, he would have his strength and his freedom, and no Goku. He watched the criminal lot stalk inside with its bleating leader and smiled, but there was no humor in it.

A few minutes later, they were all assembled around an old, oblong stone table in what was assumed to be some ancient conference room. Bulma immediately felt at home and stood to co ordinate the rabble. Videl, who had been more than quiet throughout the whole fiasco, sat down at the table and sighed. She contemplated the Gohan before her, this was a side of him she wasn't very familiar with. He was tense, irritated and…scared. If it frightened him, she should be terrified.

Most sat around the table, Krillin with Eighteen, Vegeta stood with Bulma, Trunks and Bra, the Son family, and a few stragglers consisting of Tien and Master Roshi. Dende stood with the Kai and watched suspiciously as the more irreputable of them entered. Up close, Zak's three companions had a sort of detached menace about them. As if killing didn't amuse them, crime didn't interest them, they just did it because they could and it paid well. The female's cold grey eyes locked onto Dende's as she sat on a stone bench two metres away, crossing long legs as she smiled with painted lips. The blonde male's hair was thick but a lot of it was held back by sunglasses, or goggles, he couldn't tell. He, to Dende, seemed to be the most upbeat of them, though it was at a push. The other, a dark haired man who was taller than Zak, simply stood in the background with a hand securely placed on his weapon. He had very narrow eyes and a strong jaw. Bizzarre little group.

Daimao eventually entered, sauntering up to the table and sitting down, to everyone's chargrin, on Chi chi's right hand side. He lounged back in the stone chair enjoying her discomfort whilst Piccolo, who was opposite, tried not to look in his direction. Not out of fear, but out of an inability to deal with the reality of his existence. The older man seemed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. Bulma's assertive voice demanded attention as she spoke.

"Okay, so what's the plan?"

The Supreme Kai answered "When it arrives, it will most likely attack the largest populations first. We'll have to catch it as it enters the atmosphere if we want to avoid a high body count"

Zak stood at the end of the table with crossed arms and despite the severity of the situation, his tone was everything but serious.

"And why would we want to avoid that?"

Daimao smiled and pulled out another cigerette, lighting it with a flash of chi. Being stationary and civil to these people was making him tense, his behaviour was a contradiction to his very soul. His need for vengeance would overwhelm his sensibility if he wasn't careful and that just wouldn't do. He had a plan, after all.

"What would you gain from allowing it to destory everyone before hand, exactly?"

"A bit of peace and quiet, I suppose" Everything, it seemed, as a joke to him.

The Kai dismissed him and continued, though he was careful not to be too rude, lest he lose the mercenary's interest.

"It is humanoid, most of the time, so you'll be able to engage it in battle. It feeds on positive energy, literally, by touching or even its proximity, so the rest of you will have to stay clear" He paused to ensure that he had everyone's attention "I'm not sure you have the power to kill it, but this is our only option. If, now I'm just covering every angle, there is something good somewhere deep in one of you. It will eventually find it"

"I wouldn't count on it" The dark Namekian was looking directly at his offspring, his ebony eyes willing the younger man to even glance in his direction. Look at me you little shit. To say that he had been disappointed that his child hadn't killed Goku and then ruled the world, was an understatement. He had then been royally pissed off to find that he had instead befriended the bafoon, and now seemed to be well integrated into their happy little clan. Had he wanted to kill him for it? At first, but as the years passed by, he found himself craving a different kind of vengeance. Something more concrete and longlasting. He was drawn away from his musings by Zak, who was countering the Kai at every turn.

"What if it gets to them, to Daimao's son and he dies? Am I going to be able to face this thing on my own?"

"No, though you won't have to" He didn't elaborate.

Goku folded his arms and his features took on a quizzical yet serious look.

"I don't-"

"It's not important. Now, you're all going to have to learn to work together if you want this to work. I have other matters to attend to"

With that, the Supreme Kai vanished, leaving Goku wondering what other matters could take precedence over this. He turned to the criminal and used a tone he usually reserved for his enemies, though it wasn't entirely inappropriate in this instance.

"Right, we'll start by getting used to each other - are you a trained fighter Zak?"

"Not really. I usually scare my enemies away"

Goku hesitates. "Right. And Daimao, I know you can fight" He thought for a moment, the Chi sheild he conjured earlier was potent and reaked of power, though it wasn't the pure kind. He wondered if the Namek had tapped into another power source, either that or his abilities have improved dramatically. Despite needing him to fight this thing, he wasn't comfortable with his old nemisis being any stronger. He schooled himself, they would work together to defeat this. Daimao cool tones contributed to the conversation.

"It fights on another level moron, so whatever method we use, it will most likely be obsolete"

Piccolo then intervened, locking his Sire's gaze with his own. It made his skin prickle.

"I'm tired of this nonsensical bullshit, can you kill it or not?"

"I hope so, it would be quite hard to build an empire out of dead bodies, after all"

The younger Namek slammed his right fist on the table, splitting the stone slightly.

"Will you shut the fuck up about your damn empire. Can you kill it or not!?"

He didn't know why his anger was burning so suddenly but he'd more than had enough of the bickering. His Sire smiled then, it was sinister but there was something else there. Gohan looked on, wondering what else the older Namekian was thinking.

"We'll have to, but to answer your question. I'm not sure"

He inhaled through his cigerette, a habit he had picked up whilst stealing the ship and travelling to Earth. Whilst the Kai's had given him a body, they had popped him into existence in the middle of space, probably deliberately to give them time to persuade the mercenary. He had a feeling that there was a specific reason for them arriving at the same time, though he wasn't sure why. He had come to Earth at the Kai's instruction, but not for the same reason. He came because it suited him to, that and he had unfinished business here. The time he had been dead, he was deprived the privillidge of HFIL and instead was imprisoned elsewhere. He didn't know the name of it but there were only a few inmates, creatures whose morals made him cringe. There was no escape from that place, no magical worm holes, no transportation technique, only the Supreme Kai could permit one to exit. No exceptions. When he was offered this opportunity, he felt obliged to accept.

Piccolo breathed out loudly and walked away, his cape fluttering behind him. He was outraged, unable to believe that they had to rely on such a useless bunch of lowlives to save them. Vegeta watched the Namek leave in anger, feeling every bit as irritated and taken for a ride. He had seen snippets of the same temper in their spar that day and wondered just what it would take to push the taller warrior over the edge. It was times like these he felt closer to his ally, though they didn't come around often. He looked at the man's Sire and noted the differences between the two, though he figured their fighting style would be similar. The older man was slightly taller and broader, and his features were stronger. Instead of Piccolo's almost elf like appearance, his father's jaw was wider, making the younger look delicate in comparison. He scoffed, never thinking that he would ever consider the giant Namek to be delicate. Goku distracted him from his rambling thoughts by rubbing his hand through thick black hair and held it at the back of his head, his tone more cheerful than it had been.

"Lets get started then, we don't exactly have time on our side"

Daimao stood, his skin crawling with being around Goku and so many people, milling like insects under his feet. Zak then walked up to the elder Namekian and clasped a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Right then, let's see what you've got old man"

The Namek froze at the contact, not enjoying the heat strumming through the other man's fingertips. Zak noticed and held tighter. He knew how to push Daimao's buttons, since the two were already well acquainted, and he missed it. Though he was surprised to see him just as young as he was when they first met, the Namek had been only around thirty years old.

Piccolo had left the group to stand by the window, which was just an elegantly carved hole in the wall. The mercenaries had walked outside along with his Sire, Vegeta and Eighteen. They had been silently volunteered for the time being, the hope being that their reticent and hardened exterior would sustain the least psychological damage from their visitors. Gohan walked up to his mentor and stopped short of placing a hand on his arm., he let it fall to his side.

"You don't think we can trust them, do you?"

"No"

"But we have to, right?

Piccolo growled and looked at the younger man.

"I guess so, but don't hedge your bets on those assholes being our saviour kid"

He could hear the sounds of Zak and Vegeta fighting outside, not a fighter my ass. They both walked into the courtyard to look at the ongoing battle. Vegeta was throwing punches at an alarming rate and Gohan noticed that Zak was holding his own, though he was clearly used to a different sort of fight. The older Piccolo stood with his arms crossed and frowning, looking so much like his mentor it struck an odd chord with him. It was then that Daimao came towards them, stopping to look at the demi Saiyan with ancient, knowing eyes.

"So this is the little monkey spawn that idiot conceived"

Gohan growled and felt himself immediately tense, it was made worse when one of the mercenary's made their way over. She came to a halt next to the former King and to Gohan's surprise, she was almost as tall. Her pale blue hair whispered around her even features, a stark contrast to the rouge applied to her lips. She was wearing a lot of dark blue layers, all pulled in by straps which held her weaponry in place. Grey eyes were amused as she spoke with soft, dulcet tones.

"So this is your kid Daimao? He's cute, I'm actually surprised"

She glanced to the man she addressed and smiled, displaying an array of straight white teeth. Piccolo's sire looked at her with badly concealed displeasure and a hint of something Gohan couldn't quite identify. It wasn't until she spoke again, that he recognised that look.

"You know, I might just hurt him so I can hear him scream"

Gohan had seen that look countless times in his own father's eyes, amongst the dissatisfaction, there was a protectiveness there. He didn't quite know if to believe his vision, this monster was responsible for the murder of thousands, and he wasn't capable of such an emotion. In fact, the Supreme Kai had promised as much. Something else didn't sit right, why would he be so unsettled by this woman. Sure she was a criminal, but as far as he could tell, she was hardly anything to be alarmed about.

"If you don't kill him first that is"

Could he really have a natural paternal feeling? Surely not. This creature was lacking in anything that was even remotely good. His father had told him about the man's hell bent determination to maim, destroy and rule, Piccolo had even assured him that he was, quite simply, evil. Something's not right here.

From his periphery, he could see Goku looking in their direction. He nodded to Piccolo, who wandered in the opposite direction and made his way over to his father, keeping his voice low.

"Hey dad, I need to ask you something"

"Sure"

"There's something…wrong about Daimao"

"That's an understatement"

"No, I mean…he hates us, you, Piccolo. Yet he hasn't tried to kill you and correct me if I'm wrong, but he's hanging around Piccolo like a…"

"Vulture?"

"No, like he doesn't want him out of his sight"

Goku seemed to think then and moved closer to Gohan, making sure the Namekian ears around the lookout weren't twitching with recognition.

"He's hiding something, that's for sure. But what?"

Gohan shook his head, at a loss. Goku heard the voice of King Kai in his head and sighed in relief, hoping the blue deity would have something useful to add.

"Hello Goku, how goes the negotiations?"

"Badly King Kai, I'm not even sure they'll fight this thing when it arrives"

"Oh they will, the deal is too sweet for the likes of them to pass up"

"But Zak isn't even a fighter. And Daimao would sooner see it kill us than help"

"I wouldn't make too many assumptions about this Zak Goku, he was chosen for a reason. And not just because he's evil. There are plenty of strong, bad people out there, many easier to please too. As for Daimao, he wants you dead. Piccolo too, I would imagine"

Goku had figured that on his own, though he continued, wanting more information.

"Well, at least he won't kill Piccolo. But if he wants me to die, why doesn't he just attack me now?"

"Wait, why wouldn't he kill Piccolo? And I imagine he's got some sort of plan for your demise"

"Well, he'd die as well. They're linked, remember?"

The Deity's nasal voice rang in his mind with his chuckle.

"They're not. Cutting the link was one of the conditions of his co operation"

"What? Then why did he…"

"Save Piccolo? You'd have to ask him"

King Kai stopped their communication, amused at the Saiyan. This irritated Goku despite his good nature. He saved Piccolo for a reason.

Knowing Daimao as he did, and he really did have quite the insight, fatherly love wasn't the reason he had intervened. No, it was deeper than that. And he would get to the bottom of it before Daimao had a chance to implement any plan he had in mind.

Please read and review! Thanks for reading