To be honest I don't think this chapter is truly finished. I think I will probably go back and fix it up. Hope nobody is ticked off by that.

Trunks crept down the hall each breath shaking his body. His eyes darted left and right searching frantically for any sign of a threat. Every single moment seemed to be an hour reaching on and on. Time felt like it was taunting him, slowly moving along, any moment feeling like it could be his last, then shattering in his face.

As he came towards one door on his left, he let out a breath and leaned against the wall. This was the entrance to the main gravity room. If he remembered correctly there was a ventilation shaft connected to this chamber. He should be able to hide out in the vents like before until something happened, but what? It wasn't like his Tousan, no matter how strong he was compared to most people, was going to be able to suddenly going to save the day.

Gripping the doorknob, he turned, then pushed and to his surprise the door didn't budge. Huh? The knob had moved, so why wouldn't the door? He gritted his teeth and pushed again. Still nothing. He braced his legs firmly against the floor and with all his might, he pushed once more. Finally with once last heave, the door sprang open, launching him onto the floor.

The first thing Trunks was aware of after he hit the ground was the pressure. While the lower half of his legs, seemed perfectly fine, it felt like the rest of him was being slowly crushed. A thousand pounds on every inch of his body would have been more comfortable. Eyes goggled involuntarily, feeling like they were going to be sucked out of their sockets.

Desperately, he tried to take a breath, but the air just refused to come into his lungs. Nothing filled them and strength was viciously ripped from his body.

Oh Kami, he was suffocating. No, it couldn't end like this. It couldn't be happening. He didn't want to die. Not like this.

Suddenly, he felt someone pick him up by the back of his gi and toss into the hall. The pressure instantly released, though his body still screamed from the aftershock. What had happened? He was still alive, but how?

Reluctant arms and legs, all too happy to lie there were instead forced to work. He moved slightly and he managed to look up at his saviour.

"No…" On instinct, Trunks barely managed to bring his arms up to protect his face from the blows that were bound to come. He waited for minutes unend. Then with his heart thudding, he slowly made himself look around.

The hall was clear once more, but eyes inched towards the room and were met by another pair.

There was Goku, standing next to the gravity machine with his head titled slightly to the side a breathing mask attached to his face. The man seemed to examine him like a little kitten. A curiosity and amusement filling his gaze, perhaps a wondering if he was good to eat. He would probably wanting his revenge on him now, Trunks reflected grimly, but it didn't make sense. Why hadn’t he attack by now?

Goku's eyes shined, making Trunks want to curl up right there and then. What do I know that you don't? it seemed to say and that unsettled the young Briefs more than anything. A single finger came up to where the grown saiyan's lips would have been without the mask, indicating for Trunks to be silent. Then the same finger snaked down and touched the gravity machine's controls, tapping them a few times.

Trunks watched, half terrified, half… curious?

Why hadn't he attacked? If Goku wanted he could have killed Trunks in a split second, either that or something else. It would be a lot more merciful just to kill him and get it over with instead of this game. Had Goku changed so much that he enjoying playing with people's lives? What had happened to the man he had once admired?

Keeping an eye on his enemy, Trunks carefully got to his feet, wincing as his body throbbed. He half limped away, but all the time Goku just stood there, watching him with that disturbing look never changing in the tiniest of ways. How come Goku looked so calm and confident? Goten was still out there and hopefully Krillin as well.

A sinking feeling built up in the pit of his stomach. He hobbled along faster and faster, heading back to the bathroom. He zipped down the curving halls as fast as he could in this state, not letting his aches and pains bother him. He turned at one last place and met with a horrible sight.

Standing outside the bathroom door was Krillin, Vegeta, and Gohan. His eyes fastened on Gohan and looked in horror at the terribly bruised figure cradled in the eldest demi-breed's arms. Black and blue spots speckled the figure's skin like chickenpox and his face looked incredibly pasty.

The prince spotted Trunks first. Though Vegeta showed emotion rarely, this time surprise spread across his features, followed by intense relief.

Krillin turned and made a weak smile. "I thought he had gotten you," the he managed, then gave Gohan a light touch on the shoulder. "Hey Gohan, Trunks is here." Gohan glanced at Trunks, and his expression made the boy feel all the guiltier. There was no anger at him, not in the slightest; it was more of a dull acknowledgement.

"We've got to get Goten to the healing chamber," said Gohan flatly. "If we wait too long, I think he will die."

Those words hit Trunks like a sledgehammer; even the idea that his best friend might die because of him was shaking. It hadn't been so long ago that Goten had stood up to Goku when he had been in danger and he had been injured by that, but when Goten might die because he had run off to save his own skin…

He had thought that it would help both of them. Goku wasn't supposed to check under the sink. Trunks had been so sure that Goten would have been save under there, at least until some kind of help had come. Besides even if he had stayed, what good could he have done?

No, he had run away… again.

"What did he do to you, Goten?" he heard Gohan whisper and he bit his lip until a single stream of blood feel from his mouth, not letting himself wince. He had been too weak already. How could anyone do such a thing? Why did people do such things in the first place? Anything that would anything like that couldn't be human.

Trunks wasn't sure who he was talking about, Goku or himself.

"Come on, brat," Vegeta said to his son with an almost gentle hint to it. The little party headed off to the medical room at a easy pace. It seemed strange wandering down the hall at this speed in one big group. They merely walked. They had simply realised that if Goku suddenly appeared there would be nothing they could do except to hope he had a change of heart.

They came to the medical room without anything trouble. If anything this made an aura of tension, like the calm before the storm and none of them liked it in the least. It was like they were crossing a bridge made from grass and it wouldn't be long until it broke, letting them fall into whatever was beneath.

Gohan brought Goten over to the healing tank in the middle of the room, then the young man paused his eyes widening with horror as they fell onto the tank's control panel which as mess of wires and shattered plastic.