Ch.5
    "Hi guys, what's up?" Tien said quietly, as he strode into Kame House. Chiaotsu, ever the faithful companion, was on the heels of the three eyed one, falling behind somewhat due to his small stature. Rosy cheeked and wide eyed as ever, he beamed at everyone in turn, a wide smile brightening his pale face.
    "Wow, Tien and Chiaotsu!" Gohan said, with the overenthusiasm that was his and Krillin's trademark. Krillin added, "It's great to see you!"
    For no reason other than to get in the conversation somehow, Yamcha piped in, "Yeah!" nodding his head profusely. How come I always sound so stupid when I say stuff like that? Krillin and Gohan manage to pull it off, but not me.
    He sweatdropped, glancing around to see if anyone besides himself had noticed how ridiculous he sounded. They hadn't, of course, because Yamcha saw his statements in a much more critical light than anyone else ever did, except maybe for Bulma.
  
   ***
  
    The earth seemed to welcome the spaceship as it settled in slowly, carving a long, deep furrow in the dirt and rock that could be seen for miles from the air. A few trees were felled in the process of touching down, but this was of little consequence to the creature inside.
    After completely ceasing all forward motion, the craft gave an almost audible sigh of relief, as though pleased that its journey was over. The only sound breaking the silence was a quiet ticking as the engines cooled down.
    Creatures in the surrounding forest had failed to resume their normal activities, even after the woods had returned to a state of comparative calm and tranquillity. It was almost like they could sense that something was wrong, some evil descended upon them, and didn't want to call attention to themselves.
    Indeed, this is just what had happened. It wasn't an entirely new experience for the Earth, having some would-be planetary conqueror or warrior on safari decide to make a pitstop; however, the creature in the wrecked spaceship was no ordinary villian. In truth it couldn't quite be called a villain at all, as it's sole reason for visiting the 'pathetic little mudball' was finding worthy opponents to combat.
    The alien also had a code of honor that it adhered to strictly; never killing an unarmed person, although anyone with a means of protecting themselves was fair game. The only exception to this rule was pregnant women. The creature refused to injure a female with child, even were she to openly threaten it with a weapon. This peculiarity made the Predator different from other seemingly malevolent beings, though by no means making it benign in nature.
  
   ***
  
    Piccolo inclined his head towards Tien in what passed for a greeting, and the fighter in green and white returned the slight nod in kind. Tien spoke the language of silence very well, having much the same attitude and personality as the Namek, though far less severe and formidable in nature.
    The quiet, tri-eyed man had embraced the silent meditation and training needed to hone his skills and abilities; this rigorous lifestyle didn't exactly encourage vocalization of any kind other than the stress-relieving grunts and yells that often accompanied serious workouts. Besides, as a former assassin he knew well the value of silence. Old habits were hard to break.
    Tien's one acknowledgement of and weapon against loneliness was his best friend Chiaotsu, who was constantly at his side. The occasional visits to Master Roshi and the other friends he had managed to make over the years also helped provide him the small amount of contact with other sentient beings needed to maintain his healthy state of mind.
    Bubbling with joy at seeing the others again, Chiaotsu greeted everyone happily. The little guy had a huge heart that made up for his below average size, and then some. He had given his life for his friends and the Earth before, and would do so again the moment he was needed.
    Unlike Tien, Chiaotsu enjoyed socializing with the other Z-fighters alot more than he enjoyed being alone. His wish to maintain contact with them was the driving force behind Tien's infrequent and, more often than not abrupt, layovers at Kame House and the few other places that the two were welcome enough at to drop in suddenly and not be an inconvenience.