AN: This chapter is going to be very Vegeta-focused, but I'm using it for some character development for Trunks so be patient with me, please!

The shock of feeling Goku's energy passed and was replaced by confusion for Trunks. He felt a much smaller, and extremely pure energy. It couldn't possibly be anyone associated with the evil men responsible; it was too inexplicably good for that. But it also didn't belong to Gotu, Goten, Goku, or Bulma, either. Something about it reminded Trunks slightly of himself. He tried to focus on it, but it faded away again.

Without a word, Vegeta flew off in the direction of the battle. His thoughts were only on assuring Bulma's safety. Trunks quickly followed behind his father. In the back of his mind, he was slightly hesitant. His body ached with exhaustion from struggling against the deadly virus that plagued him for the better half of the day. He watched his father closely ahead of him. There was no sign that Vegeta felt any of the same tiredness; he was completely focused. 'How can he be so resilient?' Trunks wondered.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Goku and Goten faced Refone's three men. They had been waiting for the Saiyans in the room where Gotu and Bulma were held. Feeling the powerful energies of the three men, Goku and Goten immediately powered to full strength and readied themselves for the fight.

"Let them go." Goku said. "We can still battle but let Bulma and Gotu leave this place."

Refone appeared from behind his men, laughing heartily as he turned his eyes to meet Goku. "No, no, my dear boy. Bulma's destruction is integral to my vengeance. Besides, you are no match for my fighters. If we let the women go, we will just need to hunt them down again once we have killed you and your scrawny partner." He gestured to Goten at his last phrase. "Well, boys, I will be a few rooms down. Please come find me once you have disposed of these two." Refone walked away, leaving his men to their work.

Verizio and Atandt used their instant transmission to appear behind Goku before he was prepared. Verizio landed a punch directly to Goku's side before he had time to react. The power packed into the hit was obvious from the pained expression on Goku's face.

"Dad!" Goten turned towards his father, leaving Spantru the perfect opening. He began to gather his energy for a ki blast. Goten turned his eyes back toward Spantru just as it was too late. The blast had already left his hands, and Goten struggled to push it back. Goten began to feel the tips of his fingers burning as he struggled against the ball. After another minute, the ball broke past his grasp and landed straight to Goten's chest. He was knocked back against the wall, cracking the structure, and lay there, motionless.

Gotu watched helplessly as her father fought against the three powerful fighters. One blast was all it had taken to knock Goten out, and her father was beginning to look as though he would soon meet a similar fate. Verizio and Atandt continued to land punch after punch. Their speed was incredible, and their strength was beyond measure. Even if Goku somehow managed to defeat these two, he still had Spantru and Refone to contest with. The odds were not in their favor. The battle went on for another few hours. Goku fought desperately, but it was clear that with every blow, his strength was nearing its breaking point. Finally, Atandt hit Goku with a blast that engulfed him in flames upon impact. As the flames subsided, Goku struggled to get back up, but fell back again. His hair returned to its normal state; his super saiyan powers were gone.

"Daddy!" Gotu screamed. She watched as Verizio inched slowly towards Goku with a menacing smirk on his face. Her heart began to pound as she realized what she was about to witness. But then, she felt a power nearby and heard a low rumble coming from the ceiling. She looked up and saw the ceiling beginning to crack and a yellow glow started to pour through the cracks and into the room. It appeared that she was the only who was noticing.

-Crack-

A large piece of rock had broken off from the ceiling and fell to the floor, taking Verizio down with it. Before anyone else knew what was happening, the ceiling began breaking away, and Refone's three men were buried under the rubble. Gotu looked up as the sunshine from outside began to pour into the room, slightly blinding her for a moment. She blinked the sun from her eyes and looked up to find Vegeta and Trunks standing angrily in front of the rubble. Sensing that the men were still alive beneath it, Trunks and Vegeta blasted the piles until it appeared that nothing was left but dust. Believing the fighters were dead, Trunks let his guard down and went over to Goku. Vegeta turned to the cage and eyed Bulma. His stoic expression broke for a moment as relief to see her safe washed over him.

No one was paying attention to the pile of debris, but Spantru was not dead. He gathered his Ki as the fighters tended to their wounded. The blast finally reached full power, and he positioned it towards Trunks and Goku. It was a direct hit, and Trunks fell against Goku as they both flew across the room. A gash appeared on Trunks' head as his skull hit the concrete wall. The blood began to trickle down his cheek, and his eyes rolled in the back of his head as he slumped forward. Goku was still conscious, but scrapes, blood, and sweat covered his body. It was clear that he could barely move. Vegeta turned and took in what had just happened. He began turning his head, frantically looking for the source, but Spantru was suddenly behind him and landed a kick against the side of his head.

"ENOUGH OF THIS! YOU ARE NOTHING!" Vegeta powered up beyond any level he had reached before as he saw Trunks lying against the wall. He pummeled Spantru without mercy until shooting an energy blast to ensure Spantru's death. Silence filled the room as Vegeta turned back to the enclosure.

"Vegeta… That was amazing." Gotu breathed. "I overheard them speaking earlier, and only Refone can open this cage. If you touch the electricity, it will just drain you of your power. We've tried everything!"

"Hmph…" Vegeta scowled at the cage. "And where is the coward now?"

"He said he was going to be a few rooms down. Vegeta… You and Nappa destroyed his planet. Those three men were subjects of his, and they escaped and wished him back to exact their revenge against you. It's why he wanted you, Bulma, and Trunks dead."

Vegeta thought for a moment. "Yes, that's right. I recognize them now. Such odd looking creatures. I will find him and come back." Vegeta's eyes met Bulma's again. She smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up, while Gotu watched the silent interaction of the strange couple and laughed to herself.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Refone could sense that his men were gone, but he also could sense that the only fighter left to contend with him was Vegeta. He opened the door to the room he was in, inviting Vegeta inside.

"Interesting how fate works itself out, isn't it, Vegeta?" Vegeta looked up at Refone as he entered the room.

"You are a disgrace. You call yourself a ruler of a great warrior race? You wanted to get revenge against me and then can't even face me yourself? Instead, you grovel to a dragon to do your dirty work for you. Then, you kidnap my wife who cannot even defend herself. Where is your pride?"

"Some things are even more important than pride, Vegeta." Refone smirked and became engulfed by a bright blue aura. His hair changed from black to a matching shade of blue, and he suddenly appeared as though he was a sapphire crystal on fire.

Vegeta sensed his dramatic increase in power, but he laughed. "I'm going to turn your into dust, you imbecile."

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Gotu and Bulma sat uneasily, hoping Vegeta would return any moment. Gotu could feel both of their powers; they were quite evenly matched. She glanced to Trunks and her heart ached to see his blood stained face. He was so close, but so far from her. All she wanted was to cradle his head in her lap and meet his eyes when he returned to consciousness.

"Do you love him?" Bulma asked.

Gotu gasped at the unexpected question. "I… I do…. No one else could ever understand me the way that he does. I think I always have; even when we were children. I think we've always been tied together, like this is how things were supposed to be… Is that weird?"

"If there is one thing I learned from when Trunks came from the future all those years ago, it was that some things are meant to happen, regardless of what goes on in the rest of the world. Trunks came to us to warn us about the androids before Vegeta and I had felt anything for one another. Even though many things were different from that point on than they were in Trunks' original time, we still ended up with Trunks in our time. Vegeta and I were supposed to exist together; whether here or there."

Gotu had heard that a different Trunks came from the future once, many years ago, to help the Z fighters, but she had no idea they didn't originally know who he was when he came. Bulma was right. It was amazing that she and Vegeta had still found each other under such different circumstances. Maybe thinking that she and Trunks were connected like this wasn't so strange after all. A sudden drop in Refone's energy shook Gotu from her thoughts and she shot her head up to stare at the entrance.

A minute later, Vegeta came stepping in, dragging Refone, who was covered in cracks and with broken limbs, behind him. "You will do whatever is required to let the women out." He threw him roughly in front of the cage.

Refone spoke a strange language and the electricity disappeared. Gotu pushed the door open and helped Bulma out. The second they were far enough away, Vegeta blasted Refone until there was nothing left but a small pile of baby blue sand.