Chapter 3

Goku woke up with a throb in is head, his hands brushing over sand.

Sand?

He sat up to sea Ocean across from him, and he whipped around to see palm trees and-they were on an island.

He didn't remember much before the wave, but he remembered…Ox King being upset for some reason.

He scrambled in a panic to find his friends, sighing in relief when he saw Bulma washed up beside him, rinsing out her hair. She yelped when he hugged her. "Oh, Bulma! You're alive!"

She shoved him off, tears in her eyes. "I get that-that you're happy to see me but-I-I can't be happy right now I-"

"Hey, what-why are you-?

Then he remembered what he saw.

It was hard to tell from the fog, but he knew it was true.

Chi Chi walked the plank, and it was probably what saved their lives.

His chest tightened.

These escape rooms…they weren't even rooms at all. They were death machines. Bulma's head was on his chest now, and she let out a few sobs. He didn't know what to say, so he just hugged her, and let her cry.

But was everyone else okay?

He looked around the island, and he saw Ox King passed out in the sand.

But no one else.

No Dr. Turner.

No Vegeta.

Not even…Krillin?

Bulma sniffled. "M-Maybe the others are-are on another-part of the island."

"Y-yeah…" Goku swallowed." Maybe…"

He was surprised when Bulma stood, wiping her face with her sleeve. "W-well, what are we waiting for, Goku? Let's go find them."

()()()

Krillin woke from a kick in the side, wincing as he sat up in-sand?

Was this sand?

He squinted from the sunlight, thankful to see spikey dark hair. "Man, Goku…am I glad you didn't die."

"Not Goku." Vegeta huffed grouchily.

Krillin scowled. "Oh no….not you."

"I'd be careful what you say," Vegeta barked. "I'm the one that fished you out of the water. You were floating on a piece of wood. I could have just let you die."

"Thank…you?"

"That other runt went to look for food."

"Dr. Turner?"

"If that's his name. I didn't care to know. Our name tags are long gone anyway."

Krillin heard footsteps, followed by panting as Dr. Turner bounded up to them. "Hey, Krillin! You're awake! Thank goodness! If I hadn't told Vegeta to go save you, you'd probably still be floating in the ocean!"

"You had to tell him?"

"I had to beg him."

That sounds about right.

He winced when Dr. Turner grabbed his face, checking his head. "Hmm. Not much of a bump. You must have a really thick skull to get hit like that twice and still be fine."

Krillin rubbed his jaw. "Yeah, I-twice? I only hit my head once."

"Vegeta hit your head against the wood."

"Excuse me?"

Vegeta shrugged. "I thought it would wake you up. Guess not."

Krillin froze. "Wait…I don't see…the others…does this mean…"

"Now before you freak out," Dr. Turner said calmly, "This is quite the island. I'm sure everyone else is on the other side."

"You think so?"

"I'm quite certain."

"Or theyr'e dead." Vegeta scoffed. "How do you know I didn't see them drown myself?"

"You hush." Dr. Turner scolded. "You're not being helpful."

"That's funny. I thought dragging the bald kid out of the water was pretty heroic."

"I mean-kinda?"

"Well, there ya go. Your argument? Stupid."

"Oh no…" Krillin swallowed. "Chi Chi…Chi Chi's dead…"

It was quiet, until Vegeta broke the silence. "Tch. And you two said I was wrong. See? Someone died."

"And do you not care?" Krillin snapped. "Do you not care someone's dead?"

"Let me put it to you this way. I'm glad it's not me."

Another round of silence, until a yell interrupted.

A yell from…Goku?

Krillin whipped around, yelping as Goku picked him up out of the sand to hug him. "Krillin! I'm so happy you're alive!"

Krillin's eyes watered, and he hugged him back. "Yeah…you too, buddy."

"And what about me?" Bulma smirked. "Am I chopped liver?"

Goku stuck out his tongue. "You can't hug him until I'm done."

"No, no. Take your time. It's…really sweet."

Then the sadness hit her heart again.

She turned around, Ox king following them, but blankly and-man. He was really keeping it together, but it didn't take her long to see his clenched and bleeding fists.

"Well…" Bulma swallowed. "It looks like we were taken to the island."

"Thanks to Chi Chi." Dr. Turner announced. "That has to be it. A brave…" He eyed Ox King sadly. "A…very brave girl."

"I thought it was stupid." Vegeta scoffed. "But I guess the dumb ones always die first."

There was a crack, Vegeta's head reeling back from Ox King's fist. "How dare you talk about my daughter that way!" He snarled. "How-How dare you!"

Vegeta's nose bled, but he didn't seem to care.

Goku held back Ox King by the arm, the wrestler's teeth gritting.

"He's not worth it." Goku pleaded.

"You'e right. He's worth nothing. He should have been the one to die."

"If only." Vegeta spat.

Ox King charged, tackling him until the two of them were rolling in the sand.

"Quit fighting!" Bulma screamed. "His daughter just died! Vegeta, get off him before I kick you!"

She jumped into he pile, Vegeta yelling in confusion when she pulled his hair.

"Stay out of this, Miss Briefs!" Dr. Turner cried. "They're much bigger than-"

Vegeta yelled when she kicked him in the crotch.

Never mind.

She didn't need help.

Ox King punched Vegeta in the face, both of them slamming him into the sand before he could fight back.

"Bulma!" Goku whined. "You'll get hurt! Stop it!"

Vegeta fought back, flipping Ox King down into the sand so hard and fast that Bulma ran away with a scream. Krillin winced with empathy when Ox King took another hit, the two of them now halfway in the water, wrestling viciously in the wet sand.

"Goku!" Bulma ordered. "Pry them off each other! Now!"

They watched as Vegeta choked on water.

"But Bulma-"

"Do it! We can't have him die! We need that idiot's muscle!"

Goku ran to them, muscles aching as he pushed them apart, struggling to keep it that way. Krillin yanked Vegeta's sleeve, and Bulma did the same with Ox King. Dr. Turner stood by a palm tree, dumbfounded.

Ox King and Vegeta tried to drown each other?

This charade of idiocy definitely wasn't the escape room adventure he imagined.

Goku dragged them back to shore, Ox King sinking to his knees when Vegeta shoved Krillin to the side. "Touch my jacket again, and I promise you, you'll be the next to drown."

"Next to drown?" Krillin snarled. "This was your fault in the first place! How could you say something so heartless about his daughter? She's the reason you're alive!"

"I said it because it's true. She was an idiot, and so are all of you."

Krillin clenched his fists. "No wonder Ox King tossed you around like a damn salad. If I were him, I'd try to kill you too!"

"Why you little shit-"

"That's enough." Goku stepped between them. "One more fight, Vegeta, and I'll knock you out myself. I don't want to, but I will."

Vegeta grunted, middle finger raised as he trudged towards the forest.

"Good riddance!" Krillin yelled to his back. "Good riddance to a low-life bastard!"

Vegeta whipped around. "Little shit!"

"Bastard!"

"Shit!"

"Bastard!"

Vegeta scoffed, snapping off branched as he charged into the trees. Krillin kicked the sand, Goku grabbing him by the shoulders. "T-take it easy."

"Take it easy?! Goku, we almost died! You almost died! Bulma almost died, I-"

He faced Ox King, the man staring out into the sea.

Krillin's eyes watered. "Damn it. I hate this. Someone did die. Whether it was dumb or heroic depends on who was there I guess, but I don't know what I would have done if it had been you or Bulma…some spring break, huh? To think, we could be living it up at that beach house right now, but here we are, being tortured by a maniac in the magical land of The Kame House of Horrors! Step right up and die, ladies and gents! It's a grand ole time!"

He kicked more sand, still kicking when Goku plucked him off the ground.

"Put me down, Goku!"

"Calm down first!"

Krillin squirmed. "Telling me to calm down doesn't help at all!"

"Well-you-I-just calm down!"

"I won't hesitate to bit you!"

"Do it if you want. Go ahead an act like a brat."

"I'm not acting like a brat. I'm-I don't know? Having a breakdown? Losing my mind? Either of those two will sum it up."

"I meant the biting part. But…please, at least try to calm down?" Goku pleaded. "I-don't like it when you're upset…I already saw Bulma get upset, I can't bear it again."

Surprisingly, that seemed to help.

He was still upset, but now Krillin was just tired. He was too tired to act out, and the concern in Goku's eyes was enough to set him straight.

His feet touched the ground, Goku smiling. "We can get through this. We're best friends. We always do."

Krillin couldn't help but smile back. "I guess you're right…I'm still not…what I mean is…" He hugged his shaking arms. "Thanks, Goku."

Bulma screamed, (When didn't she?) followed by Ox King and Dr. Turner.

"Quicksand!" Bulma screeched. "Oh no! We're sinking! I'm going to get sand in my skirt! Goku, dig us out! Help! I'll die! I'll die if I have to die in a sandy skirt! I'm suing!"

She let out a wail, Krillin's nerves sky-rocketing when he and Goku started to sink as well. "This might as well happen…"

"Oh no." Goku frowned. "This won't do."

"Won't do, huh? Well, that's a strange reaction to sinking."

"Get me out!" Bulma howled. "What was it? Flailing makes you sink faster? Nobody move! Nobody else die!"

"Not even Vegeta?" Dr. Turner smirked.

"Not even him. What if we need him to break something?"

"Point taken. We do need those rock hard abs."

"Hey Vegeta!" Krillin yelled. "Are you out there? Sinking perhaps?"

"I hope he's not." Goku frowned as sand filled his shoes. "I wanted to see if he'd train me when we got back home."

"If I ever see that jerk in our dorm-"

Sand filled his mouth as he sunk in-no warning, and not slow.

Just straight down into an endless realms of sand and suffocation.

He heard more screams from above, unsure if they were from Goku or Bulma or-

He woke up, gasping for air, Bulma at his side as he hacked out his lungs.

He was getting real tired of passing out like this.

"You imbecile." Bulma snarled. "How dare you make me think you died too."

Sand piled around them-some in Bulma's hair, and some in places Krillin really wished didn't have sand.

"Wha-" He coughed. "What happened?"

His mouth tasted gritty.

"The quicksand swallowed us." Dr. Turner explained. "All of us."

They glared at Vegeta who was off by himself.

"Yeah," Bulma scoffed. "Then that icky sand portal spat us all out into a mall."

Mall?

He looked around.

Dirt.

Debris.

Dim lights.

A run-down mall, with…a table full of weapons?

Goku was looking them over, smiling and cheerful as if they were toy. With the way things were going, they were probably real.

Ox King handed him a piece of paper. "It's the clue. We didn't really get it…so maybe you will."

Krillin took it from him, chest burning from all his coughing. He blinked himself awake enough to look at it.

"Dead Shoppers," was all it said.

Dead shoppers?

Would they die of they didn't buy things?

Obviously Bulma wouldn't die then.

He winced.

Man, his head hurt.

"This kinda reminds me of Back From The Dead." Goku chuckled. "You remember it Krillin? We used to play it all the time."

Krillin smirked.

Leave it to Goku to compare a life-threatening situation escape room to a zombie apocalypse game.

Wait.

A Zombie…Apocalypse…Game…

He scrambled to his feet. "G-Goku, you're right."

"Huh?"

"Th-this room. It's…we-" He took a breath. "Zombies are going to come attack us, and we have to find the safe room before they kill us."

Vegeta actually laughed."Zombies? I think you hit your head too hard."

"I'm serious. This mall will be flooded with zombies, which is why we have the weapons."

"Or maybe they're for us to kill each other."

"I'll have to side with Vegeta." Bulma cringed. "I mean…really, Krillin? Zombies? Been there, done that. That's too crazy for a place like this."

Krillin rolled his eyes. "We nearly die on a pirate ship and you think I'm being far-fetched about zombies?"

"I'll side with Krillin." Goku announced.

"M-me too." Ox King whimpered.

"You too-?" Bulma's face paled when she saw the hoard.

Zombies.

Lots of them.

Running towards them from a Dillard's.