Disclaimer: Chapter one.

Author's Note:

*Whimpers* Don't hurt me for this, you guys. I think I'm sort of taking notes from an earlier writing endeavor on this… All well. Please, read, review, and enjoy!

A Deadly Situation

Pulling the last piece of plaster and wood from the hole they were clawing at, the teenagers groaned. Just like it had been on the other side of the room once they had made it through the brick and wood that was the structure of the building, in between the layers was a sheet of that glass like substance. They were surrounded by it.

Gohan walked back to the wall which covered the door, leaned back against it and closed his eyes. He had been hoping that one of the wall would not be coated in this glass like barrier. The half Saiyan slammed his fist hard into the wall behind him, getting no response from the wall. It was for selfish reasons that he wanted one escape route somewhere. Ceiling, floor, anything.

He had forcibly challenged the barrier to no avail as well.

The next step was to try super Saiyan, beyond that even, Mystic. He didn't really want to hit those extremes, but if that is what it would take to break out of this little room with its scent of old blood, well… A sobbing sound began quietly in the room before breaking into an all out wail. "We're going to die here and no one will know where we were!" Erasa bawled.

Sharpner, who was probably just as nervous as her, rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Erasa! We are not going to die in here!"

"You shut up, Sharpner! Not even Gohan can break us out of here, you SAW that. If he can't… Oh dear Dende… We're all going to die!"

Videl slammed her hand down hard on the dresser, the only piece of furniture in the room besides the bed, drawing the attention of all in the room. "We are not going to die here. I'm not giving up, and neither is Gohan! You just need to try again, right Gohan? Maybe give us a little of that Golden Fighter?"

The young man smiled, "Yeah, that's my next option."

He knew his smile was strained, but Gohan couldn't help that. There were times when he truly did not like that form, not because it hurt or anything, more so because of the state of mind it reminded him of. Like being on the brink of insanity. No, that was really level two, one was not so bad and in this case, was required.

Gohan clenched his fists, closed his eyes and let all the fury that was his Saiyan blood roar through him. He barely registered the golden flames of Ki that licked at his clothing, swelled his muscles, and bleached his ebony hair. Forcing his super charged body to relax, Gohan opened his eyes and noted that his companions had stepped back a pace. Except Videl. That was all right, watching your half alien friend transform wasn't exactly an everyday experience.

Nodding to Videl, the demi-Saiyan turned and slammed his fist into the wall. Hoping the slight shudder he had seen was not just imagination Gohan rammed the opposite fist into it. Stepping quickly out of the move Gohan allowed himself the required space, jumped, and pulled into a spin kick with all of his weight behind it. Landing ungracefully on his knees, Gohan looked up and glared pointed at his adversary. Not a dent.

Taking this as though he were training, Gohan launched into a series of punches into the devil. The rational part of his mind realized he would accomplish nothing by this and that it would be a good idea to take himself a step higher. The Saiyan in him was angered that a little glass could put up such resistance. So he continued punching until with a pop, something gave.

Videl was at his side instantly, inspecting the wall. "I heard a crack, I thought it had given maybe…"

Gohan sighed and cradled his left hand against his torso. "No, that was my hand."

Raising an eyebrow, Videl stepped up to him and gingerly took the protected hand into her own, feeling Gohan's knuckles gently. He grimaced, it hurt, but didn't say anything. "You broke it. You did a good job of it too."

Sharpner had been watching the scenario and looked to the ceiling. "This is just GREAT! Now what the fuck do we do?"

Videl glared at him. "This isn't anytime to panic, Sharpner. I'll just bind your hand Gohan and we'll find another way out of here."

"Isn't any time to panic?" Erasa had begun sobbing again, sitting brokenly on the floor at the foot of the bed. "I say this would be a real good time to panic! We're trapped in this tiny room, you can't get us out, hell, Great Saiyaman here can't get us out! What if this thing's air tight, and we're just burning all of our oxygen right now?"

Videl growled dangerously, "Then maybe you should quite bitching and start thinking of a better way out of here fast. And for Dende's sake, Erasa, shut up!"

"I can't, Videl," sobbed the blonde in question, "We're all going to die in here and you just get rude about it… I don't want to die like this!"

Closing her eyes tightly and pinching the bridge of her nose, Videl began again in a gentler tone. "No one wants to die in here Erasa. No one is going to. We just need to keep our heads on straight and think this through clearly. Maybe if we could try some indirect route…"

Feeling Piccolo's Ki come back to the area, Gohan was turning to great him when he heard a yelp from Sharpner and looked back to his friend. "Guys…. There is something big and green standing just outside this wall…. Its fucking huge!"

Videl turned quickly to the door and saw Piccolo standing there. She looked at Gohan then. "I'm pretty sure that whatever this stuff is, it's sound proof, how do we tell him what's going on, Gohan? How do we get him to help?"

"Leave that to me."

She threw him a questioning look and Gohan explained. "I… I know a little bit of telepathy. And Piccolo knows a lot."

He looked back to the door to find the Namek pushing experimentally on the glass. Gohan closed his eyes and brushing his mentor's mind asked quietly, 'Can you hear any of what we are saying in here, Mr. Piccolo?"

It was a moment before his question was answered. 'No.' A twinge of frustration touched that thought. 'I can see you have tried to break through this barrier. You are injured.'

Gohan felt his cheeks grow hot, yet he responded. 'I broke my hand. This wall doesn't seem to give, I think I'll just give up on Super Saiyan all together and go back to Mystic.'

There was a hesitation from the other side of the glass. 'I captured Siaka and deposited him with the police. He informed me that this room was designed to Saiyaman's power.'

Gohan sighed physically, 'I noticed. I've been thinking. This material, it reminds me of the glass that Bulma puts into her Gravity chambers. You know, the stuff that Vegita can throw blasts at and not get broken. I'm hoping maybe in Mystic, but that glass doesn't even break when Vegita is in level three…'

Gohan felt their communication cut off abruptly and looked up to see Piccolo motioning he and Videl out of the door. Videl was confused, the look she shot him promised questions but she moved with him to the side. Gohan felt his mentor's Ki energy being focused into his fingers and prepped himself to witness the blinding Makensappo attack from an angle he would really rather not be at.

The blast struck with enough force to have obliterated several acres of land, but the glass did not budge.

Sharpner and Erasa had both dove behind Gohan and Videl before the blast hit and cowering as such, Sharpner said, "That's… he's the green guy that was at the Boudaki! What is he doing, trying to kill us?"

"No," Gohan half choked, surprised by the tenacity of the wall, "He's trying to help us. He's my friend."

Videl nodded backing up Gohan's story while the half Saiyan turned back to face his teacher. Piccolo was once again inspecting the wall. Gohan inhaled deeply to clear his mind and stopped short. Turning on his heel he proceeded to sniff about the room. "What's that smell?"

His three companions sniffed at the air as well each wrinkling their nose in turn. "I don't know," said Erasa, "But it sure is nasty."

Sharpner mumbled something of agreement through his shirt, which he had pulled up over his mouth and nose. Videl looked thoughtful. "It kind of smells like… but no… that doesn't really have a smell. But.. It kind of smells like chloroform…"

Gohan thought on this as he looked around the room, "It kind of smells sulphiric too. But sulphur has a yellowish gas… not purple."

"Oh shit," came Sharpner's muffled moan as he tried to cower from the purple mist which was eeking from somewhere into the room. "That was the purpose of this room, to poison us!"

Erasa screeched and attached herself to Sharpner's middle, sobbing into his tank styled shirt. Gohan felt Videl's body suddenly press hard into his own. Closing his eyes, the teen sent a hurried message to his mentor. 'Mr. Piccolo, there is some sort of gas leaking into the room… I think it might be a poison!'

Gohan felt a mental grimace from the Namek. 'I will go to Capsule Corporation and bring back help, Gohan. Conserve your breath and be alive when I come back.'

The half Saiyan opened his eyes and watched Piccolo disappear through the purple haze. "Thanks, Mr. Piccolo."

Gohan looked to his two blonde friends then, both were screaming hysterically. "Guys, you need to calm down! The more you scream, the more of this your pulling into your system!"

Videl, who had somehow worked her way under his right arm, shook her head. "It's no use, Gohan. I've seen things like this before… when people start to panic common sense goes right out the window."

Both watched with a sort of morbid fascination as the screams began to ebb and their friends slid slowly to the floor crying in each others arms, sobbing about not wanting to die like this. Ten minutes after they had first caught scent of the stuff, Erasa and Sharpner passed out.

Watching they're friends surcome to the gas, Videl swayed against Gohan. "I don't know what it is, but there is defiantly a knock out chemical in this…"

Then young man looked at his friend and love interest and flinched, she was an unhealthy color of white. Moving back beside the wall, Gohan sat with his back against it and pulled Videl down to sit in his lap. She sat there quietly for a moment and then began to rip at the bottom of her shirt. "What are you doing?" Gohan asked quietly.

The young woman finished pulling a long strip from around the shirt and reached for his left hand. "Binding your hand."

Taking the strip of cloth she wound it gently but firmly around the offending appendage. Videl bit her cheek as she did such and then started talking. "Gohan, I don't want to loose hope or anything, but… if this is the way I have to die than… than I'm glad it's with you. No that's not right. I don't want you to die… but I'm glad you're here with me."

"I don't think we're going to die here, Videl. You shouldn't be thinking like that either."

"I know and I'm not. It's just.. What if.. Gohan there is something I need to tell you just in case…"

Gohan pulled her closer to his chest and propped his chin on her head. "We will both come out of this fine, Videl. You can tell me just as soon as we get home."

"No!" her voice was fading but she seemed determined to make this point. "Gohan… I need to tell you this. I… I…"

Gohan felt her shudder against him and hugged her tighter, just avoiding hurting her. "It's all right, Videl."

She slowly wrapped her arms around him then and mumbled into his chest, "I love you."

The half Saiyan thought he felt his heart stop. He had dreamt of hearing those three words from her, had hoped beyond hope that she would some day return his affections. But to hear them now, in this deadly situation… Gohan felt a tear slide down his cheek. Feeling Videl's breathing begin to slow, Gohan bent his head further and gently kissed her forehead. "I love you too, Videl."

The young woman breathed a long sigh, snuggled into his chest, and then responded no more. Gohan sat listening to her breath for an undetermined amount of time. He felt numb, cold, angry. Not understanding how it happened, Gohan found himself standing, Videl resting instead against the wall. His ki pulsed about him and the teen realized he had hit level two the lighting streaking about his form and small red bolts of energy intermingling with his golden ki.

He was beating on the wall he knew. Using both fists and feet, having no care for his broken hand. It didn't matter. He needed to break out. He needed Videl to live. He needed Videl.

Bloody streaks were appearing on the barrier and tiny red droplets dripped down the lengths of his arms to intermingle with his sweat. The world was growing hazy, more so than the purple fog could account for. Black was encroaching at the edge of his vision. The young man screeched in his fury, fighting passing out as hard as he fought the glass wall.

The world swayed dangerously and Gohan was forced to a grinding halt, bracing himself against his foe. It occurred to him that he was no longer in any form of Super Saiyan. His one black bang hanging limply before his eyes. It was a bad sign, Gohan knew, to fall out of both forms of Super Saiyan with out knowing it. He slid ungracefully to the floor.

Looking through the haze that was his mind and the mist, Gohan spotted Videl. With an effort, he pulled himself to his hands and knees and crawled shakily over to her inert form. Sitting heavily beside that unreasoning body, he pulled her into his arms. As he listened to her slow, hitched breaths, Gohan admitted his defeat and allowed the blackness to overcome him.