Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ.

Shadows of the Night

Chapter 2

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Goku's eyes snapped open. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. He hopped out of bed and glanced out the window. There were stars in the sky winking back at him and the three-quarter moon was smiling at him. "Odd…" He murmured to himself. What had awakened him?

He exited the room quietly, not awaking Chi-Chi for fear of her going off for him waking her in the early morning. He could imagine it wouldn't be a pretty sight. He first checked the hallway carefully. No disturbance he could see was present. Carefully crossing the hall in silence, he came up to his youngest son's room. Hopefully nothing was wrong in here.

Goku opened the door to see everything neat and orderly, but there was no trace of Goten. "Son?" He called out into the room. No answer replied. Goku took a few steps inside the room and glanced about. Everything was still as it was when he left earlier after telling his son goodnight, but he couldn't see Goten yet. "Goten?" He asked a bit louder, hoping for any kind of a reply. Even then did he not get a response.

Fear whelmed up inside of Goku. Where was his son? "Goten?" He yelled in hopes again. Still not a single sound came to Goku's ears, besides his own voice. A single thought came to his mind, and he knew it to be true:

My son is missing.

He closed his eyes and put two fingers to his forehead, trying to search for his son's ki. He couldn't feel him at all, a sign of something amiss. Darn it! Where is my son? He continued to stand stock still in the room, searching fruitlessly for his son's ki, well into the early morning hours with the sun's rays starting to shine through the window.

Goku heard footsteps slowly coming down the stairs and he knew Chi-Chi was up, heading either to the kitchen to fix breakfast or coming to look for him. His second assumption was correct as Chi-Chi appeared at the door, a look of fear on her face.

"Goku, what are you doing in here? Where's Goten?" Her voice was full of concern with an outline of a certain kind of fear. Goku stood silently for a few minutes then dropped his hand to the side. Chi-Chi heard a small, crying sound and when Goku turned to look at her, he didn't seem like the carefree hero he always was, but rather a terrified, sad father who missed his son, tears streaking his face.

"I can't find him…" Goku replied, and the voice of him was a hollow one. Goku had lost his innocent nature in a split second. Chi-Chi could say nothing but stand there and look at him, shocked beyond all comprehension. Her youngest son was missing. And she hadn't known until after hours it happened. Suddenly all feelings of grief erupted into her and she began to shake terribly.

"My son is… gone…" Once after she mumbled that little piece of fact, she screamed, "MY SON IS GONE!!!" so loud that the house shook on its foundation. Goku only looked at her with a sorry expression. Hopelessness quickly arose inside the Earth's Hero's body.

---

"WHERE IS MY SON?!"

Vegeta gave a groan. "Shut it woman. Like I would know." He immediately knew he said the wrong words as Bulma got into his face – literally.

"How DARE you TELL ME OFF, VEGETA!!! OUR SON IS MISSING AND YOU'RE JUST STANDING THERE LIKE IT DOESN'T MATTER A BIT!!!" Vegeta plugged his ears with his fingers. His wife was being VERY annoying. He cared for his son, that was true, but he knew yelling and hollering wouldn't bring him back. And besides, he could just use Kakarot's Instant Transmission to find his son.

When silence followed Bulma's shouting, Vegeta unplugged his ears and stated quite calmly, "I do care, Bulma. I just take it better than you can." It seemed he couldn't say the right words to his wife for she was about to yell again, before Vegeta put his hand in front of her mouth. "I'm going to see Kakarot. I'll find our son." And with that he walked off.

Bulma stared at him, her face red from shouting and the look in her eyes with a mixture of emotions. Then she nodded and sighed. "I guess you're right, Vegeta. Go find him."

Vegeta gave a small laugh and smirked. "I plan to." He exited through the doors and flew off. Bulma watched him leave, her heart thudding in her chest.

"Find him, please…"

---

Trunks slowly opened his eyes. Dim lights met his eyes and he squinted to see through it all, through all the darkness. Moaning was heard next to him, to his left, and when he turned his head, he could make out a light outline of a small boy. "Goten?"

Goten perked his head up and glanced at Trunks. "Trunks?" He blinked, though Trunks couldn't see him do it through the dark. "What are you doing here? Where are we?"

"I don't know, Goten, I don't know." Trunks took in that they were in a small cell. Three of the four walls were iron bars, the bars too close together to allow them to squeeze through and escape. The one behind him, that his body was touching, was damp stone wall. Moisture floated in the air. We're underground in a cave somewhere he soon realized, but that didn't give him much hope. They could be anywhere and for all he knew, many days could have passed by now.

Goten seemed to sense his friend's uncertainness, as he stayed silent and gazed forward. To their right, a door opened and light flooded the room, almost blinding their eyes with the light. A figure stepped into the light and walked up the edge of the cell, squatting down on the edge of his feet, bent over.

"How are you doing this fine morning?" His voice was gruff, and felt dark-possessing like. Trunks gave him a drop-dead look and the man clicked his tongue. "That's no way to treat someone who holds your life in his hands, now is it?" Goten shook his head in agreement. Trunks obviously knew his friend didn't understand the man was evil – he could feel it.

The man seemed satisfied with Goten's answer as he stood up and unlocked the cell door, opening it. "Now follow me, please." The man turned and left through the door, and Trunks and Goten exchanged glances and followed shortly behind him.