Videl tapped her fingers up and down on the plastic console that surrounded the bridge of their ship. Kuririn sat in his chair by the consoles that were in charge of steering the ship they were in, and 18 was leaning on his shoulder, with one hand on his messy hair. 17 was twirling around in the swivel chair, and the rest of the crew was sitting by the walls, except Yamucha who was pacing back and forth.

"Yamucha, you're going to wear a hole in the floor, and kill us all." Kuririn said, quietly.

"He's a liar. We can't trust him." Yamucha snarled, continuing to pace.

"Chi-Chi did mention she had a son." Tienshinhan said, quietly.

"She never said he was a Saiyan."

"She never said he wasn't."

"He's lying!" Yamucha insisted.

"Let's get down to the real issue, here." 17 said, turning about in his chair, lazily. "You don't like the fact that he said your girlfriend had a baby with a Saiyan Prince."

"Shut up, 17!"

Kuririn tapped a few switches. "He didn't know we knew Bulma or Chi-Chi. He couldn't have had any prior information, so the only way he could have had that information was if he was telling the truth."

"No!" Yamucha said, turning on him. "Bulma wouldn't just shack up with some… Saiyan, and have a baby with him."

"Look, I doubt it's that simple."

The room was silent for a long time before Videl finally spoke up. "What are we going to do with him?"

Silence filled the room again, and Tienshinhan removed himself from the wall. "Look, for now we have to figure out how to evade the feds. We're harboring a fugitive, and I highly doubt Freeza wants anyone knowing about his secret Saiyan projects, so he won't let us go even if we do hand him over. The kid is smart, and strong. We could dump him, but right now he's a bigger asset than a bane."

"So we're keeping him?" 17 asked, turning again. "Like a pet?"

"Shut up, 17." Yamucha hissed.

"Yes, we'll keep him around." Tienshinhan folded his arms. "Besides, if he is Chi-Chi's son, he might know where she is. Her and Bulma both."


It had been nothing short of a cruel calculated gesture to leave him in the dining room. There was an entire bowl of fruit on the table, and Gohan hadn't eaten in days. He was still bolted to a pole and it was torturing him. He was trying as hard as he possibly could to reach the table with his foot, and he had twisted his body into some bizarre yoga position in order to reach his goal. And yet he wasn't even close. He grimaced as he stretched his body further than it was ever meant to go and his legs went out from under him, and he crashed to the ground. He groaned and pulled himself back up to the pole and looked up at it, cursing it. Freeza had done this to him a few times. Restrained him, left food in the middle of the room, and told him if he could budge the two hundred ton weight he was chained too, then he could have the food. It had pissed him off then, and it sure as hell was pissing him off now.

He let his head hang, and was about to resign himself back to sleep like he usually did when the door opened. Gohan's head snapped up, and he looked over as Videl walked into the room. He offered her a small apologetic smile and she returned it briefly. She walked over and noticed the bruises that had formed on Gohan's exposed arms and legs, and frowned at him.

"What happened? Were those there before?"

"No… I… had a fight with gravity."

Videl blinked a few times and tilted her head. "What?"

Gohan flushed a little. "I was trying to steal your food."

Videl turned around and noticed the bowl full of peaches that was sitting tantalizingly close and she grabbed one up. Gohan winced, and wondered if she was going to eat it in front of him. That was another thing Freeza liked to do. But he was pleasantly surprised when she knelt down and offered it up to him. "Sorry, I can't undo your arms… I don't know where the keys are. Tienshinhan will come in later and unchain them."

"Really?" Gohan tried to keep the shock from his voice.

"Yeah, we deliberated. We're not going to turn you back over to Freeza."

"And your feeding me? Take my chains off? I like it here already."

Videl frowned and held the peach up to him and Gohan was all too happy to oblige and eat it out of her hands. She was soon holding a pit and it was all Gohan could do to not lick the juice off her fingers. But that would have been weird, so he restrained himself.

"Didn't get a lot to eat with Freeza, huh?"

"Well, as famous as Freeza's hospitality is, it's not exactly five stars."

Before they could advance the conversation further, the door opened and the captain from before walked into the room. He walked over and stood in front of Gohan. It made him feel small and slightly insignificant, and honestly he didn't like that feeling at all.

"We've decided not to throw you to the wolves."

"Videl told me."

"But we're not going to let you stay here for free."

"I figured." Gohan said, shifting in his binds. "I could tell the names were familiar. You knew my mother… didn't you?"

"And Bulma."

"I'm sorry." Gohan said looking down. "I wish I could tell you where they are. But… I haven't seen my mother in over five years."

"So you don't know either…"

"Well, she's probably close to where my father and brother are being held." Gohan looked up. "They're both still alive, I'm sure of it." He sighed a little bit and his eyes darkened. "At least, they'd better be, if Freeza knows what's good for him."

"Well first thing's first. We're going to need a new ship. Freeza's men have this one tagged."

"What? I love this ship!" Videl gasped. "We can't just trade her in!"

"We have to, if we don't want her to be space debris." Tienshinhan looked over at Videl, folding his arms. "It will only be temporary, we'll see her again."

Gohan had never really understood referring to ships in the feminine. His father had explained it to him once, saying: "Because, Gohan. Ships and women are very much alike. If you treat them badly, they will kill you. Probably in some explosive manner." Gohan didn't buy that for a second.

"The first order of business is what to do with you." Tienshinhan looked down at him. "Videl will take you to get some better clothes, and figure out something for you to do. Any skills?"

"Well, Saiyans are a warrior race, but I'm no mindless brute."

"No, that's what 17 and 18 are for."

"Harsh, Tien." Videl whispered.

"I'm smart." Gohan said, shifting again. "I know how to build things, and math always was my best subject." He blushed a little. "Just don't ask me to program any computers or steer anything."

"Deal. Ever since Bulma vanished we've needed a new mechanic. You think you can manage that?"

"Sure."

"Good." He walked over and grabbed the chains that connected to the cuffs on Gohan's wrists and pulled them apart. "I can't remove the cuffs. They're made of stronger stuff than most of this ship."

Videl tapped one of them as Gohan stood up, stretching his arms out. "How much do these things weigh?"

"Hm?" Gohan looked down at them. "These? About twenty tons."

"Twenty tons? You're moving around like it's nothing, but you've got twenty tons of weight on you?"

"No." Gohan shook his head. "Eighty tons. I've got four of them."

"They weigh twenty tons each?"

"It's not so bad." Gohan frowned. "My father has fifty ton shackles. So does Vegeta. Goten and Trunks have ten."

"Fifty..?" Videl's jaw dropped. "Saiyans must be some mighty people…"

"They don't bother me. I'd almost feel naked without them, I think." Gohan laughed. "Speaking of, could I maybe get some better clothes?"

"Oh… oh sure." Videl said, motioning to the corridor. "Here, follow me."


The room was absolutely still. Not a single thing was stirring, and Trunks almost dare not breathe. His heart was pounding and he was plastered up against the wall of the enormous maze he stood in. The air was almost stagnant and Trunks closed his eyes, and swallowed heavily. He listened. There off in the distance, he heard it.

Ba-thump, screeeeech. Ba-thump, screeeeech.

He swallowed hard again, and silently prayed. "Please…" He whispered. "Don't let it find me." He knew it would. Still he was ever hopeful that today would be the day he succeeded at Freeza's so called 'stealth training. Of course, Freeza had made it perfectly clear that he didn't expect much from 'a bunch of monkeys, bumbling about in the maze.' Trunks was scared to move.

Then, suddenly, a huge slimy green hand slapped onto the corner above Trunks' head and he jumped a little as the enormous scaly face of some nameless lizard alien slid around the corner, to face him. A forked tongue slithered out between the sharp fang and Trunks felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead, as a puff of hot breath hit his face.

"Found you… Little morssssel."

Trunks' instinct to panic kicked in and he ran. He bolted down the rooms of the maze and could hear the rhythmic pounding of the thing chasing after him. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, trying to calm himself enough to keep running. The chains on his shackles had been removed, but it didn't help his movement any. He rounded a few more corners, and slid to a halt in front of a wall. Dead end. He turned around to run the other way, but the lizard was right up on him in no time. Trunks fell back wards and began to scoot away as fast as he could. The alien stepped forwards, bracing his huge form up against the walls.

"Don't be afraid, little bite… Thissss won't hurt."

Trunks knew better than to trust that phrase. When adults said, not to worry, or to not be afraid, you had better buckle up. Because that generally meant something incredibly painful was about to happen. Trunks backed himself up into the wall, and stared up at the alien wide eyed. This always happened. He wasn't any good at stealth, and he never would be. His father had always dismissed it as cowardly, and said any man you kill should be facing you. Aware of your presence. Aware that you were so much better than they were.

The alien licked its lips, and suddenly lunged forwards, trails of saliva trailing down its chin onto the floor. Its hand shot towards Trunks with frightening speed, claws extended. The intent to kill very much evident in the attack. Trunks panicked again. He extended his hand out to the creature, and a blast hot enough to melt metal radiated from his palm, incinerating the alien from the waist up. He gasped for breath as the torso of the alien crumbled to the floor, smoke rising up off it. He winced. This wasn't good.

A buzzer sounded and Trunks looked up as the walls of the maze lowered back into the ground, leaving him in a huge and bare room. He turned over onto his hands and knees and pushed himself up as the door opened. He winced as Freeza and Zarbon walked through the doors. Dodoria walked in a few seconds behind, and shut the door behind them. Freeza walked over, and Trunks took a few steps back, shuffling his feet, visibly cowed by the tyrant.

"… Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the order was for a… stealth assassination."

"It was, lord Freeza." Zarbon was all too quick to answer.

"This doesn't look very stealthy, SV002." Freeza looked down at Trunks who backed up a few paces.

"He was going to kill me." Trunks stared down at his feet, folding his arms behind his back. "I tried to hide and kill him that way, but he found me too easily."

"Yes, because you gave your position away."

"I tried." Trunks closed his eyes. "I tried really hard."

A vicious strike to his face nearly sent Trunks through the floor. He fell backwards and Freeza's clawed foot collided with his chest. "Trying doesn't count for much, little monkey. The only things that count are success and failure." His eyes narrowed. "This is a failure."

Trunks wasn't sure what to do. He struggled underneath the foot, wincing and tears brimming in his eyes. He wanted to call out for someone to save him, but he had learned early that no one came. No one ever came, and no one ever would. And it only made Freeza laugh.

"Well, we can't expect too much from him, lord Freeza." Zarbon folded his arms behind his back. "He is Vegeta's son. While Vegeta is powerful, he lacks the intelligence necessary for stealth."

"My father isn't stupid!" Trunks snapped from the floor, glaring at the green haired man.

"Be quiet." Freeza snarled. He then sighed theatrically and reached down, grabbing the collar of Trunks' shirt and pulling him out from underneath his foot. "Still, I had hoped you wouldn't take after your father so much, SV002. I mean, I had hoped we'd raised you better than that. Well, we still have the woman, we can always scrap you and start from scratch."

Trunks' eyes widened in fear and he grabbed onto Freeza's arm to steady himself as his feet left the ground. "N-No!" He cried out. "Please, don't! I'll get it right! I promise I'll get it right!" He said, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Really now? What do you think, Zarbon? Should I get the boy another chance?"

"I think he's had enough chances."

"You hear that, SV002? Zarbon thinks you've had enough chances."

"I'll do better! I'll get better, I'll be stronger than he is!" Trunks said, pointing a shaking finger at Zarbon. "I bet I'm stronger now! I'll get it right…" He whimpered. "I'll get it right, I'll practice…"

"Stronger than Zarbon? Well that's a hefty claim, little monkey."

"I'll prove it." Trunks sniffled. "I'll fight him!"

"What do you think, Zarbon?"

"I'll gladly put the little wretch in his place."

Freeza dropped Trunks to the ground who stood up quickly, wiping his nose on the back of his hand, sniffing. Zarbon took a step forwards, and Freeza stepped back to stand with Dodoria. Zarbon smirked down at him, and Trunks curled his fist angrily and wiped his reddened face.

"Please begin." Freeza smirked.

"You know, I get no pleasure from beating children generally, but you're a special case-"

Trunks wasn't one who allowed talk time. His father had always told him that a battle was no place for idle chatter. It gave your opponent a chance to rile you and Trunks was already angry enough. He kicked Zarbon in the chest hard enough to knock him backwards. Zarbon crashed to the floor and looked up.

"Why you little-" He reached out to grab the scruff of Trunks' shirt, but Trunks was too angry, and too upset to be deterred. He jumped up and landed on Zarbon's neck, pinning him to the ground, by his shoulders, and with more satisfaction than he probably should have felt he landed a punch between Zarbon's eyes. And another. And then another. And then maybe five or six more. This would have gone on for hours if he wanted, but he felt a hand grab him by the back of his shirt and lift him off the ground. He looked back at Freeza who was holding him.

"Alright, I believe you've made your point."

"You little savage!" Zarbon said, holding his nose. "I ought to…"

"You'll do nothing, Zarbon. You'll go clean yourself off, and report to me about SG002's status." Freeza turned around, handing Trunks off to Dodoria. "You take him back to the cell. He's done for today."

"Yes, Lord Freeza."

"Gohan's status? Did something happen to Gohan?" Trunks asked, confusion showing plainly on his face.

"Yes, dear boy. It seems he got… lost."

"Lost? Is he okay?"

"Well we'll find out, won't we? Do say hello to your father for me. I didn't have time to go see him today." With those words, Freeza left the room.

Trunks frowned and looked down as Dodoria pulled him off back towards his tiny cell. He'd have to share this knowledge with the others, at least. He wondered if Gohan was okay. No, he didn't wonder. He hoped.