a/n: Some DBZ-esque fighting! Yippee! Also, as an added bonus there's a bit of saiyajin nibbling somewhere toward the bottom… ENJOY!

-

The air crackled and snapped, as though it was insulted that the two strong aliens dared to disturb it. Large green hands were balled into tight fists, hairless brows furrowed deeply enough to crease his forehead between the antennae. Weeks ago Mirai Trunks had first arrived and verified that two of the earths worst villains had followed them, he just never thought he'd be facing one of them alone.

"Why did you come here?" Piccolo growled, body clenched with tension.

Zarbon hovered feet away, a coy grin twitching on his swollen lips. "Why?" A wheezing laugh rolled out of Zarbon, "Why not?"

"Don't play games with me. I tend to get tired of them quickly."

Zarbon snarled, "Too bad, Namek. I love to play," he floated closer, eyes hardened into flint, "and I hate to lose." He snapped his fist forward, catching Piccolo in the chest. The Namek grunted and scowled as he blew backward, Zarbon could see him scolding himself for his lack of attention and he laughed.

A fist, a foot, a sharp elbow slammed into Zarbon's torso with incredible power. His eyes widened in surprise as he felt himself freefalling toward the earth, too awed at what had happened so quickly to catch himself. He divoted the earth and lay gazing up into the sky. He could see Piccolo, a blurry dot high above him, and a sick smile curled his lips.

Piccolo watched him come, a sharp spear of color and waves of splayed energy. He narrowed his eyes and dodged a fraction of a second before the blue alien could hit him. He caught Zarbon at the elbow and swung the surprised man around and jammed his knee into his face. There was a sick crunch and sticky warmth spread across Piccolo's patella before he planted his foot in Zarbon's chest and kicked him away.

Frustrated and howling, Zarbon flew back at him, pumping up his energy as he went. He disappeared before Piccolo's eyes and materialized below him. Zarbon grasped Piccolo's ankle and used the Namek's own weight and strength to heave himself around Piccolo's bulk to kick him in the jaw. Piccolo bit his lip and hissed as violet blood flooded his mouth.

Piccolo spun in the air and caught himself, wiping the trickle of blood from his chin.

"I'm impressed." Zarbon drawled, lazily clapping his hands. "You've improved quite a lot since I've seen you last."

The Namek spat and scowled at Zarbon. "Should I be flattered?"

In a flash, Zarbon was an inch from Piccolo's face, grinning widely with a foreign glint in his eye. "Not yet." Arms of iron clamped around Piccolo's midsection, trapping his arms at his sides. The Namek growled and struggled, and to his intense surprise, the arms only tightened their hold the more he moved. Eventually he had to stop, wheezing in breath as Zarbon held tightly enough to bend his ribs, hindering his breathing.

Piccolo thrashed, throwing his head and shoulders from side to side, yanking Zarbon right along with him. "You know," Zarbon panted, grinning with head arched back and away from Piccolo's striking range, "I used to find your kind revolting. Slugs as Lord Freeza puts it."

Piccolo growled, frustrated beyond belief and in complete denial that Zarbon was besting him so easily. Zarbon laughed breathily and flexed his arms, stilling Piccolo's movement again with a grunt. "But you," Zarbon intoned, eyes narrow as they raked across Piccolo's face. The Namek snapped at him, gnashing his teeth and Zarbon scowled. Piccolo hissed, afraid to breath as the pressure on his ribs increased and he felt one of them bend to the point of cracking. "There is something different about you now, isn't there? Maybe the years I've spent in HFIL have done their number, but something..."

Zarbon frowned at Piccolo's sneering face and flexed his arms again. The rib directly beneath his right arm snapped painfully and he watched as the lush green of Piccolo's face faded a shade. He flexed again, feeling the bone pinch forward and cut through tissue, Piccolo convulsed lightly and Zarbon smiled evilly. "Something..." He bent his head forward and ran his tongue up Piccolo's neck.

The Namek shuddered and fought again, his energy renewed as he felt Zarbon's saliva dry on the column of his neck. The pain in his side flared hot and intense as the blue alien clamped down, trying to still him. Howling, Piccolo summoned all the energy he had in him and pulled it as quickly as he could to the surface. Zarbon grinned even as his arms were pushed away from Piccolo and he flew backward from the force of his energy.

Free of Zarbon, Piccolo pressed a hand to his side and hissed. He glared at Zarbon and raised his energy, concentrating it at his side until he felt the bone slide around in his flesh and fuse to the broken edge. It wouldn't completely heal for minutes yet, but it had a stable knit. Hopefully if he could keep Zarbon from hitting it directly it wouldn't break again. Piccolo then raised a hand to his neck and scrubbed furiously at the trail of taint he still felt clinging to his skin.

Freeza's right hand had stopped his drive backward and was now coming at him full force, energy crackling harshly around him. "Does my touch disgust you?" A hard laugh ripped from Zarbon's chest.

Piccolo blocked the coming blows, each one hitting harder than the last until a solid hit to the jaw sent him flipping completely backward twice in the air. He caught his balance and blew at the alien again, snapping his teeth wishing there were flesh between them instead of air.

"Everything about you revolts me."

A hard kick to Zarbon's ribs made two crack but not break entirely. The alien curled his arm around Piccolo's leg before he could get it away and Zarbon drove them both to the earth, one foot at Piccolo's throat waiting to pin him to the ground like a spike.

"After I break your body," Zarbon panted, blood dribbling from his lip, "I will ask Lord Freeza if I can keep you as a pet. Then I will break you in the best of ways." He smiled viciously, large incisors glinting and tinted with blood.

Rage flushed through Piccolo as the earth came up fast beneath him. His stomach rolled in disbelief and disgust. His mind flashed an image of being beaten bloody and raw on the earth, Zarbon standing over him with leering eyes. Bile rose in his throat and Piccolo saw Legolas' face before his eyes. The elf was scowling hard, eyes like chips of ice. Ignore him, break his body. The elf's normally cool voice was harsh and biting and Piccolo's eyes widened fractionally before he nodded imperceptibly to the phantom.

Zarbon noticed the change in disposition. Piccolo had been revolted, not even willing to touch him in the fight because of the unbalance Zarbon had put in his mind. But the onyx eyes that seconds ago were filled with the fear of a man resigned to doom were now clear and staring at him with so much hate Zarbon could nearly feel the heat of them.

They were feet from the ground when Piccolo heaved his energy down and spun them in the air, the leg Zarbon held bending and pinning the stricken alien to the earth as the Namek drove him deeper and deeper.

A rib snapped, then another and Zarbon saw red. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Throwing a blast of ki took Piccolo off of him. Zarbon lept from the crater and stood on the earth. Lord Freeza would be furious if he lost, and Zarbon was loathe to incur the lord's wrath. Besides that, he had an insatiable urge to have Piccolo...funny that. He hadn't ever thought of the Namek twice, they were all slugs to him, so when did this slug make him want to peg him to the earth and ream into depths of body and blood to make Piccolo scream himself ragged?

Decades of celibacy most likely. Zarbon wolfishly grinned as he powered up. And the need for control. The alien grunted as his body began to reform. His bulk shifted and swelled, his fine-boned face swelling and growing into a grotesque reptilian shape complete with scales. He heard Piccolo snort above him and the Namek was barreling at him, ki energy flickering at his palms.

"Perhaps I should take you in this form and show you just what pain is." Zarbon growled, arms splayed ready to grapple Piccolo and beat the sense from him.

Revulsion pinched Piccolo's face. Zarbon's normal state may have been pretty, but he was still nothing compared to his elf and the differences between Legolas' heart and Zarbon's were as stark as day and night. There was a difference between beauty and attraction, because not all things that are beautiful can arouse want...and Zarbon was the latter.

Piccolo's foot drove into Zarbon's armor clad chest at the same moment the heels of his hands connected and blasted energy into his ugly blue face. The alien was rocketed backward but rebounded far too quickly for Piccolo's like.

As they continued to struggle to get the upper hand, only one thing echoed in Piccolo's mind...if he couldn't win he prayed to be dead.

-

The estranged crew of Middle Earth's creatures and Ningin Earth's aliens had reached the river, a branch of the great river Ethir Anduin, as if flowed in great steady currents to the sea.

Legolas breathed deeply of the mists that came creeping along the breezes as they traveled, his eyes trained on some far away place with features layered in calm and peaceful thoughts. It was as though he had no comment on the many legions of men that walked along the earth behind them-without shadow or need for breath.

The early morning sun was just stretching along the horizon and the whole of those living welcomed its brilliance like a weary traveler welcomes the comfort of his lover's arms. None more so than Son Goku as the saiyajin felt warm and safe for the first time in so many laborious hours. For a moment in time, the great throng of ghostly men that trudged on behind were forgotten.

A port city-large in its number of buildings and towering masts that cramped the narrow flat of horizon; yet not as great as any large city of the plains-grew steadily as the weary crew moved toward it. The wafting smell of stewing meats made the empty and bottomless stomachs of three famished saiyajins yowl with hunger. No other that moved along with them could smell the aroma and they watched as the trio hurried along, their paces set far greater than moments before.

The townsfolk of Pelargir watched them with amused and curious stares as the leaders of the city came to meet the call of the returned Gondorian king. The masses of the long-since-dead had no need for feasting and all eternity for resting. They themselves gathered along the waters edge outside the city limits grumbling over the limited use of mortality and the waste of resources it took to sustain it.

While Legolas and Aragorn met with the Portmaster, three saiyajins and a dwarf found themselves sitting at an Inn surrounded quite suddenly with fluttering damsels and bowls of food and fresh ale.

Goku glanced at Vegeta, but spoke not a word as he smiled brightly and dug heavily into the plate before him with a vigor that was all too familiar.

"Easy, Kakkarot," Vegeta warned, eating his food far more politely without eating any less than his companion. "You'll wind up inhaling a bone and killing yourself before any good fighting happens."

The third class gave him an incredulous look and began to speak around a mouthful of pork roast and potato, "Hey, 'Geta, gimme a break we haven't eaten a meal in-ack!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes as Goku began to whooping cough as a chunk of potato lodged itself in his wind pipe. The ouji slapped the other on the back twice before Goku swallowed hard and took in a great breath. He glanced at Vegeta and nearly mimicked Vegeta's trademark scowl as he turned back to his plate. Vegeta only watched him with a superior smirk and raised eyebrow as the man continued to eat at a far more subdued pace.

After feasting they rested contentedly on cushioned chairs, stomachs full-or at least not as empty as before-and gazed out along the waters. The sun had risen further, posted between mornings low rise and noon's high heat.

Goku and Vegeta had given up on the seats and the company of the others and found themselves swimming beside the docks and sitting underneath the worn wooden planks in the shade. Goku took more advantage of the cool water than the saiyajin prince, though Vegeta was quite happy to watch Goku's back muscles bunch and release as he moved through the water.

Ten minutes into their private excursion and Vegeta was pounced upon by a half aroused and widely grinning third class. Naked and dripping, Goku pressed Vegeta back into the wet clay and nipped along the prince's neck.

"Just what do you think you are doing, Kakkarot?"

Goku shrugged his broad shoulders as he lapped a bead of water from Vegeta's collarbone. "Nothing."

Vegeta shivered and fisted the thick hair at the back of Goku's head, using it as leverage to pry the man's head back. "Well if you continue on with this 'nothing' you are going to start something you will have to finish."

Goku only grinned, a sly and sinister look edging it as he gripped Vegeta's hip and pulled the ouji up to him. Vegeta grunted as Goku kissed him and eased his death hold on the third class's mane.

They were oblivious to the bustle above them on the boardwalk, even as those that walked above looked queerly around them when they believed to hear gasps, pants and grunts. Both were covered in a fine layer of fingertip bruises, nail scratches and love bites that had brought blood welling to the surface of their skin-and one or two that allowed it to spill in thin trails only to be laved away with eager tongues.

The bliss of being was just clutching them and begging for completion when a great spike of ki crackled across them like thunder. Goku sat up quickly, breath coming in great pants and skin flushed in rosy tones. He hit his head on the dock above them and rubbed at the pained spot as he tried to feel out the ki that hit them only moments before. He gazed down on Vegeta to see if the ouji too had felt it and knew he had by the curious eyes that scanned the skyline just visible between the plank cracks.

A long moment passed and nothing came back to them. Unsure, Goku looked again to the sky and felt carefully around but found nothing out of the ordinary and turned his eyes back to his captive prince still pinned under his bulk. His forgotten arousal thrummed to life again and he bent his head and continued to slowly undo his mate's strong resolve.

Vegeta squirmed beneath him, though not entirely from pleasure. He pushed at Goku's shoulders and struggled to sit up. "Kakkarot."

"Mmm..." Goku mumbled, mouth too busy with torturing bits of sensitive flesh to be wasted on talking.

"Kakkarot." Vegeta bit out, trying not to give into Goku's talents. A minute passed with his eyes closed and nearly purring before he remembered that he had wanted Goku to stop-though for the life of him he couldn't remember exactly why.

The ouji pulled his raveling stings of self control and grasped Goku's face between the palms of his hands. He made the third class look at him but forgot what he was going to say and forcefully pushed his tongue into the other's mouth.

Needles of energy pieced through the fog of their lust and startled them enough to push them away from each other. Goku's eyes hardened as he felt Piccolo's ki jump enormously. He looked somewhat apologetically down at Vegeta but the saiyajin prince was not blaming him for anything. Instead, the Ouji tossed Goku his clothing and pulled on his own in record time. He stopped a moment before topping the dock and pulled Goku into a lip splitting kiss. He lapped the sting of the cut twice and frowned. "Come on, Kakkarot. The boy has probably noticed as well."

It was true. By the time both pure bloods had returned to the Inn, they heard Mirai moving around the lobby with thundering steps and toppling furniture. They entered in time to see the lavender haired demi leaning in a doorway with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and a few others watching him warily, ready to spring on him.

The room was in disarray, tables turned over, ale cups shattered and chairs in splinters. Vegeta scowled hard at the back of his son's head and stormed to him. He grasped the surprised demi by the elbow and swung him around, bracing the weight and threw the boy onto the floor. Trunks lay in a shocked stupor, only regaining his bearings after Vegeta pressed a knee into his chest and his fuming onyx eyes bore down on him. Trunks opened his mouth to speak but was cut off rather roughly by a press of his father's knee and a quiet, biting tone only meant for him to hear escaped Vegeta's lips.

"You will get up and apologize to the patrons here and then clean up your mess. It is unexcusable for a saiyajin prince to blatantly destroy another's belongings in frustration."

Mirai narrowed his eyes and nodded, biting his tongue to keep from reminding Vegeta of his own temper that caused the ouji to explode through the Brief's house and belongings for years. Vegeta let him up and stood watching as Mirai muttered an apology to a young woman that looked about ready to pass out from fright.

"What happened?" Goku asked in quiet awe as he took in the destruction.

"I am unsure. One moment the boy was sitting quietly, sipping his ale. The next he was staring off into space and then began to pace." Aragorn informed them. The ranger was watching the young saiyajin as he began to right tables and sweep together broken glass and pottery. "Is there something about him that we should know about?"

Vegeta scowled at what the question could imply, as though his seed would bear destructive and vindictive children. Goku set a calm hand on his shoulder and answered for him. "I think Trunks is just frustrated. His whole life has been based on events he couldn't control. Now it's just getting to him."

Aragorn frowned, unsure of what it was exactly Goku was talking about. Legolas, ever the intuitive one, sensed the questions on his friend's mind and voiced them for him. "I understand his frustration, but what has set him off?"

Vegeta frowned, watching his son in satisfaction. He turned his eyes to the tall elf, "The Namek."

Brilliant eyes widened and the others could see Legolas pale a shade as his long calloused fingers unconsciously came up to touch the badge on his breast. "What has happened?"

"We can't say for sure," Goku scratched the back of his head, "but he's powered up and Zarbon is in the same area."

Legolas tensed, eyes flicking back and forth between the saiyajins. "What does that mean?"

"It means the Namek is currently battling Freeza's strongest henchman."

The elf nodded stiffly, unmoving even as Aragorn set a comforting hand on his elbow. "Then why is your son so angry? If he is worried, he could have easily gone to him."

"No." Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest as Trunks finished and carefully approached them. "Piccolo told him to stay with us. The boy is only doing as he was told."

"I'm sorry, Aragorn." Miria looked at his feet, the bridge of his nose pink. "I didn't mean to-"

"Don't apologize." The ranger cut him off. Trunks met his gaze and smiled lightly. Strider smiled knowingly, "besides, I am sure it is that fire that draws my foster brothers to you."

The pink along Mirai's nose darkened but he grinned anyway.

The three saiyajins looked out the doorway and up into the sky at the exact same time. The others around them were a bit unnerved and looked up as well but in vain. Aragorn saw a tremble of anger shake at Trunks' shoulders but the young man held himself together and turned his eyes from the sky hastily.

"What do we do?" He asked his father quietly.

Vegeta's eyes did not divert from their spot for a long moment. Finally the saiyajin prince looked up at Goku and then to his son. "Nothing."

Beside him, Legolas stiffened. Vegeta glanced at him from the corner of his eye and snorted. "The Namek was correct in dividing us as he did. We'll keep his wishes...for now."

The mismatched crew moved from the Inn and walked the narrow streets. Aragorn began to speak quietly, trying to take the others mind's from Piccolo. "We have the support of the manned boats at our backs. They will keep the hoards from crossing the river as long as possible."

Gimli looked mildly impressed. "You would be hard pressed to see a Dwarf on a boat. Why men are so consumed with new ways to kill themselves I do not know."

Aragorn grinned as his eyes scanned the fluttering sails around them. "Only to make you curious, Master Dwarf."

The mood had lightened well enough over the fast few minutes, but it was not to last long. As they slowed to a stop on a long pier, the saiyajins scared them all again by spinning on their heels and gaping into the sky.

Legolas paled again and his sharp elfin eyes saw a bright blast far, far in the distance. He gasped and gripped Gimli's shoulder without realizing he was doing so until the dwarf growled and squirmed from his grasp.

"That's it!" Trunks growled. He had taken three steps before his father had his elbow in a tight grip. "Let go!"

"No." Vegeta narrowed his eyes at his son.

"I can be there to help him in ten minutes!" Trunks breathed, anxious tension making him twitch.

Goku stepped forward, eyes turned in another direction. "I think we need you here."

Brow furrowed, Trunks shook his head. "What?"

At that moment a great cry rang from a nearby tower and a deep bell tolled. The city before them erupted into motion. Mirai followed Goku's gaze and frowned deeply, shoulders slumped.

"If we can take care of this quickly, you find Piccolo then."

Trunks nodded as he followed the group of warriors to the front lines. There before them a great swarm of black and sweaty beasts were pouring over the hillside. Great throngs of orc, Urak-hai and other beasts of Sauron were jeering as they fell upon the port-side city. The small group of warriors were soon backed by other men and able bodies from the city, and the eerie and oddly excited group of phantoms tinged in green and greys along the banks.

As they moved ahead to meet the first ranks of evil, Piccolo's ki jumped and crackled along with them.