Warning: This story will contain: references to male/male relationships, bad language, and will probably get very angsty. The rating might rise later on in the story--I don't know.

Disclaimer: Saiyuki is (c)Kazuya Minekura, Enix Co., Tv Tokyo, etc. I do not claim to own any of these characters, though the views expressed within my story are my own. All original characters and ideas in this story are (c)kitsune-oni (userid:289468), and use of my stories and/or any original plots, themes or characters will not be tolerated. This disclaimer applies to the entire story, "No Way Out".

Written: August 15, 2004

A/N: I originally wanted to title this fic "Betrayals" because I'm inspiring myself with all the betrayals I have suffered through the hands of family and friends. After all, an enemy can't really betray you, can they? I decided to transfer the general situation to the Sanzo-ikkou, with Goku as the one I identify myself with. Then I mixed in a lot of fiction so that you can't really distinguish truth from it. g
This title comes from a poem I recently posted on deviantart, because it matched up with what I'm writing as the last chapter. So that's cool.
I'm quite inspired on this fic (which pleases me) but not inspired on my others already posted (which sucks)... but I'm going to try update at least once/fortnight.

Chapter 1 - Trapped

"The treason pleases, but the traitors are odious."

They were trapped. Stuck in this dark cave ever since the road had collapsed beneath them and they'd tumbled don the mountainside 'til they'd all fallen in. Stuck with an ever decreasing amount of supplies.

They'd tried to climb out, of course. Gojyo had even thrown his precious weapon deep into the rock in an attempt to use it as a handhold. But it was useless. The rocks crumbled beneath their weight and the mouth of the cave seemed so far off and distant....

Goku glanced around but could barely make out the cave walls in the dim light. Night was fast approaching.

He stood up wearily and brushed himself off, ignoring Sanzo's sharp glance as he headed towards the walls for the fifth time that hour. Maybe he'd missed something. Maybe the meager sunlight that had filtered through earlier on had not touched all the cave walls. There had to be an opening somewhere. There had to be.

He traced his way around the edges of the cave, reaching as high as he could and knocking to test whether the walls were hollow.

"Urusai." Sanzo's voice was tired, so bone weary that Goku shuddered to hear it.

"Goku, we've all looked," Hakkai murmured. "Sit down and save your strength."

Goku turned to look at them. They were sitting in the middle of the cave, the only place where the moonlight touched the ground. He looked at them, and all he could feel was hate. They'd all betrayed him. Their words of friendship had been nothing more than that--words. As much as they might've cared for him, they'd broken his trust, hurt him and scarred him.

He'd tried to continue caring for them. He'd pretended to be completely at his ease after all those troublesome events had blown over, but there was always that small niggling of anger in his heart, and the sight of them giving up and being so weak made his blood boil.

He finally chose to respond, and gave a hollow laugh. "Save my strength for what? Hakuryuu is not going to make it back in time."

Hakkai winced at this last comment as if it were an attack on him, but he didn't deny it. It was only the truth, after all. They were out in the middle of nowhere, and the dragonet had been gone for days. There was no help coming.

Goku finished his circle around the cave. He'd found nothing but cold wall beneath his fingers. Had he really expected the cave to change in the space of ten minutes?

"There's got to be something we can do," he muttered. He summoned Nyoibou and did a few loose movements to stretch his muscles. His stomach panged painfully with the effort, clamoring for food. He ignored it.

"Maybe...."

"Goku," Hakkai spoke up again. "We've already told you: if we hit the walls the whole cave could crumble down on us. It's not safe."

"Eat the last meat bun and shut up," Goku hissed back venomously. "After all, aren't you the one who finishes our rations when we need them?"

Hakkai's head jerked back as if Goku had slapped him, but he said nothing. He simply bowed his head down mournfully, examining his hands.

"Monkey," Sanzo growled. "Don't do anything stupid."

Goku narrowed his eyes. "There was a time when you would have scoffed at the idea of accepting death, and you'd have fought it tooth and nail, even at the risk of bringing it closer."

Gojyo chuckled weakly. "I'd still do it if there was a woman on the other side."

Goku snorted in disgust. Gojyo and his women. Nothing else mattered to that pervert. How could he have not realized from the beginning that all his traveling companions were too self-involved to truly care about others? They would never be free from their past or their vices, never be free to dedicate themselves to the present.

He slumped down on to his knees and looked up at the faint light above them. If only that weren't there... It would have been easier to forget that a world outside existed. He vaguely remembered wishing something similar while imprisoned in Mt. Gogyo.

This time, however, hurt more than the last. Goku had a feeling that as hungry as he was, as weak as he felt, he wouldn't die for a long, long, long time yet. But the others would, and soon.

He could feel their resentment at his longevity, but nonetheless thought his fate was worse. He'd have to watch them all die, watch them all rot and turn to skeletons, unless....

Goku surged to his feet with a rush of adrenaline. He planted his feet firmly and swung Nyoibou with all his might, aiming for the wall.

"Goku! No!" Sanzo cried out, but it was too late because he'd already hit the wall.

Cracks began to spread rapidly, an ominous rumbling in the air. Goku watched in fascination as little pebbles began to rain down like hail. It was amazing how everything started out small. How everyone did. Who would have thought that a small boy imprisoned in a cave would have turned out like this? Would have become strong enough to fight the gods themselves?

Goku turned to face Sanzo, and the instant their eyes met he regretted ever having hated the monk. Suddenly there was so much he wanted to say, but there was no time left to say it.

He walked over and stood before Sanzo, looking down at the top of Sanzo's head. He reached down and lightly touched Sanzo's cheek, moving his fingers under the monk's chin and raising Sanzo's face so their gazes could meet once more.

He tried to convey everything he felt through his eyes. His regret, his sorrow, his joy, his love.... And he knew Sanzo understood when a small, almost invisible smile graced the monk's lips.

Bigger stones began to fall, knocking Hakkai and Gojyo unconscious. The stones cut into Goku's skin like the sharp little bites Hakuryuu used to give him sometimes, and he felt a pang when he thought of the little dragon.

Goku looked up and saw Sanzo do the same. They both stared up at the roof caving in over them. This was their end.

He wiped at a cut on his cheek, and felt Sanzo looking at him. He decided to continue looking up as the roof fell down, so that just maybe he'd catch one last glimpse of the sky.

The roof began to fall, and something small and white flickered above them--the moon?

No. It was too long. It was long and white and moving fast, crying piteously.

Goku gasped in horror as he realized what he'd done, and he raised a hand blindly, trying to stop the mass that tumbled down. Sanzo grabbed his other hand and squeezed tightly.

He felt a brief, white flash of pain, and then there was nothing.