Mia slept for the whole day in the comforting enclosed space in the closet. She still felt Piccolo's presence emanating through her, and she felt as long as this strange bond of theirs remained, she would be alright....for now at least.

Piccolo sighed as she slipped deeper into sleep. It would be all right to leave her now, but still keep the connection strong.

They had left Goku on Earth to keep it safe, seeing as the majority of them were away for the time being. He had insisted on coming, but Kami convinced him other wise.

The old god stood off to the side, watching Piccolo closely. 'The time may be near.' He smiled calmly as Ezekiel rolled over in his fathers lap, and Piccolo's large hand came to rest one the boys back. Kami played with the thought that his other half was not even aware of the gesture, but it was a sure sign that he had changed. Greatly.

The rest of the crew was sitting around, waiting, except Krillin and Gohan who were sipping a soda.

Bulma's eyes grew wide, watching as they approached a huge floating palace in the breadth of space. "I think we're here guys." She squeaked, a bit nervous now that the time was at hand.

Vegita, who was resting his back on the doorway to the hull, cracked one eye open. Both eyes shot open, and he watched in amazement.

"That is of the same design as Freeza's ship!" He narrowed his eyes. "It makes sense now, how a beast like that came to power."

Adia shifted on her seat to cross her legs in the other direction. "Of course it looks like Freeza's ship! Freeza and Krill were lovers until he was destroyed!"

Krillin choked and immediately spat out hit soda, sending carbonated squirts all over an angry Vegita!

"You mean that Freeza was a...!" He snorted and began to laugh. The others joined, but it was the look on Vegita's face that instigated it.

"BALDY! WATCH WHERE YOU SPIT!" The Prince barked. He wiped some soda off his face and shook his hand as he tried to rid himself of the sticky substance.

Tien smiled at the scene.

"It does make sense though." He said thoughtfully, "From what I've been told, he wore lipstick right?"

The conversation deteriorated from there. And Piccolo tried to stay out of it and hoped his son was oblivious to what they discussed.

Krill lay amidst a dozen women, all running adoring fingers down his body. His mind paid them no heed however. His thoughts remained on Mia.

'That girl was calm...what could have administered such a thing?' He purred as he remembered the way he violated her. How she trembled and cried for help. It made him hungry for more. But it would have to wait. The doctor would be coming for her soon, so he had to occupy his appetite with his prostitutes.

With a start, Mia's eyes shot open. 'He's here!' She had been there 3 days, and each day, he came for her at least twice, and she shuddered as she thought back to what had happened. 'Piccolo?' She thought out. 'Piccolo!'

She began to panic, hearing the footsteps approach.

The closet door opened, and she looked away.

"Poor thing. Come on."

Mia looked up to see a blue tinted alien, which she assumed was male by his masculine physic. She blinked.

"Who are you?" She whispered, unsure of what was happening.

The short blue alien leaned down and smiled at her. "I'm a doctor. I'm here to examine you and make sure you're in good health."

Mia nodded, swallowing hard.

"Come with me, I have to take you to the office."

She remained seated with her sheet wrapped around her.

The sharp eyes of the doctor sparkled a bit, amused with her timid ness. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He stood fully and opened the door for her as she stood and made her way out.

She looked beside her at him. "What do you need me for?"

"Just checking you for pregnancy."

Piccolo's senses popped alert as he felt the emotions that tidal waved through Mia in that moment. She might be pregnant?

He snarled, beginning to stand.

Ezekiel grabbed his father's tunic as he stood and climbed to his shoulder and sat, yawning, his little fangs peeking out below his upper lip.

He walked to the control center, and had to duck to clear the walkway.

Ezekiel grabbed his head and used his antennae as reigns. He giggled and tugged.

"Faster horsy!" Piccolo snorted as his son yanked his sensitive appendage.

"I'm not horse, let go of that!" He snarled. Ezekiel climbed over and with his feet on each side of his neck, bent over and looked his father in the eyes as he dangled upside down.

Bulma and Krillin chuckled, and Vegita smirked, taunting, "Having some trouble Namek?"

"Shut up Vegita!" Piccolo turned to Bulma. "We have to get inside, I have a bad feeling about what's going to happen to Mia."

Without another word, she nodded and sent grapplers into the enemy ship, taking firm hold of its outer shell.

"I can create a bridge across, but you guys have to be in and out of there real fast!" Bulma speculated.

"How fast?" Kami asked, leaning on his staff as he walked forward.

Bulma thought a moment. "Probably at the most 15 minutes."

"That's fine, all I have to do is get a mental lock on her and go." Piccolo stated.

Ezekiel curiously listened. 'We're going after mommy?'

~Yes...your mother. But why? She gave you birth...what else is she needed for?~

Ezekiel jumped down from his fathers shoulder and walked to the back room of the ship, unnoticed by the other passengers.

'Don't talk about mommy like that! Dad and I need her! She's...'

~Weak. She let herself be captured.~

Ezekiel shook his head. "No." He whispered. "That's not true!"

~Why do you doubt me. I've told you the truth when all was kept from you. You're such a quiet boy. You have so much power within you! You need to use it!~

"NO!" He yelled, eyes shut tight and his pretty emerald skin began to appear yellow as a burst of energy engulfed him. "NO!!!!!"

Gohan yelped in surprise. "What's happening?"

Bulma checked the controls. "Everything on the ship is normal, but it won't hold together if this turbulence keeps up!"

Piccolo felt a disturbance. A heavy unsettling feeling. It was familiar.

"Something's not right!" Piccolo whispered. "I don't feel a ki but there is a presence here."

Tien gasped. "That's the same telepathic energy that Choutsu and I felt before our house burst into flame!"

Bulma yelped loudly as the control panel began to sizzle. "What's going on?"

Vegita grabbed her shoulders and yanked her back. "Dammit woman, you move when something does that!"

Piccolo's ears twitched backwards slightly, hearing something.

"The ships going to explode! We have to get off!" Bulma whimpered, as she wrapped her arms around Vegita's neck. Vegita grunted, as her grip tightened, almost cutting off his air passages.

"Did you manage to create that bridge?" He yelled over a now blazing fire.

"Yes, but there's no way to get to it!"

The heat from the fire overwhelmed the control room and forced its occupants out.

"There's always a way out!" Vegita declared, lifting his arms and powering a blast. "I'm going to blow a hole and everyone has to get out and onto that ship immediately!"

Tien and Krillin nodded, but Kami and Gohan noticed Piccolo's present state.

Kami began to shiver. "That force? That...energy..."

Piccolo's eyes widened and he ran to the back of the ship. "EZEKIEL!" He hollered, throwing the ships back room door open. A blazing fire burst out, urging him back.

Gohan watched in horror as Piccolo dashed into it. "Piccolo-san! Come back!" He began to run after him, but Vegita caught the scruff of his neck.

"Let him be. That's his son in there!" He ordered. "The rest of us leave now!"

He shot the hole and a suction pulled at the occupants.

"Hold your breath and get to the ship, I'll blow another opening in the hull!" The prince leapt from the burning ship, Bulma holding onto him tightly and his hand firmly holding her to him. Tien and Krillin followed, glancing back to see Gohan still standing there in wait of Piccolo, and Kami remaining beside him. Without other choice, they had to leave, or risk their own survival.

Piccolo made his way through the fire, his own ki barely keeping the flames from touching him. 'Where are you?'

"EZEKIEL!" He shouted again, his eyes stinging from the smoke.

Then there, huddled into a little ball, was his crying son, surrounded by an unusual orb of power.

His sad eyes looked up, and connected with his fathers. "Daddy?"

Piccolo leapt forward to get him, but the energy pushed him back away from him.

"Daddy don't leave me! It's not leaving me alone this time!" He cried, holding his head in his hands. His little antennae were being pushed back like pieces of string as a great wind entered the room, and there stood Gohan. His Saiya-jin power was being pushed in all directions, and the shield around Ezekiel began to fluctuate. Gohan roared with all the power he could muster, and the barrier shattered. Piccolo quickly scooped up his son and ran for Gohan, who turned tail as well. They ran for Kami, who had his hands out, pushing an unworldly force out to keep conceal them.

A bubble formed around them and they floated toward the ship. The hole that Vegita made as an entrance to the ship was being sealed, and the ship s bridge had failed, causing the ship itself to float away from the target. With nothing else to do, Piccolo charged and created another hole, and still in the bubble, Kami nestled it into the opening.

Once inside, the outer ship began to heal itself.

The group gasped for air. Things just happened so fast they had no time to think. Now, they were inside the ship but had no way out. Kami gasped for air, the use of his power draining him. Gohan was coughing and wheezing trying to get the smoke out of his lungs, and turned to Kami. They were both all right.

Then there was Piccolo, huddled over his son.

"Ezekiel wake up!" he shouted desperately, shaking the boys shoulders. "Come on! This isn't a game!" He bent over and pressed his ear to his chest. There was no heartbeat...

He growled, and stood. "WAKE UP!" He shouted, tossing a piece of energy at him, shaking his little body.

Gohan gasped and tried to stop him, but Kami grabbed his shoulder. "Don't...he's trying to restart his heart, hoping that the energy will shock his system into working again." Kami averted his gaze, tears in his old eyes.

Piccolo kept tossing energy at him, burning a hole right through his shirt, then, he sputtered a small cough!

Carefully, he bent over and picked his son up, cradling him in his large arms.

Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw, was his father.

"Dad?"

Piccolo sighed. "Don't do that again...You almost scared me to death."

Ezekiel's eyes widened. "You get scared?"

For the first time in his life, the once fierce and merciless killer nodded, admitting, that even he, could feel fear.