Hello everyone. Wow it's been a year already. I am sorry. I have been putting this story aside for so long and I had already decided to stop writing but then…guilt…yes I felt guilty. I know how it feels like to read a story only to find that it will never be completed. It feels horrible. I don't want that to be the case with my stories…at least not with this one. This story in particular is very precious to me. So here I am again, with a new chapter, albeit a rather short one. But don't worry. I am working on the next one right now. So if you can please read and review. I really have missed the reviews. So without further ado here it is:

Medjai 24

Break!

The ground shook with the force of the explosion, and a wave of debris rushed outwards from the epicenter crushing and slamming everything in its way. And then there was a loud, deafening sound, like that of waves building momentum before crashing back down into the sea.

"Run!" Someone shouted, as the cloud of debris loomed over their heads like a forbidding black avalanche. But it was too late to run.

Goten shielded his face as the first wave of debris slammed against him, dragging him back several feet, before picking him up off the ground. On instinct he reached for something, anything, but his hands found nothing, and then he realized... he couldn't breathe. The dust, the glass…everything was suffocating him. I'm going to die. The thought entered his mind and lingered there only momentarily, before he felt someone roughly pulling on his arm. He landed on the ground hard, and as he forced a breath of air into his painfully dry lungs, he was slowly lulled into unconsciousness by the deafening rushing sound of the waves.

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"What's happening?"

Goten could hear his father's urgent question somewhere far away. Slowly, he opened his eyes and noticed that Vegeta, his father and the two strangers were standing behind a large chunk of twisted metal staring at something up ahead, their faces, a mixture of awe and fear.

"What's going on?" Goten asked, rubbing the back of his head. He sat up, aware of the tense silence in the group. He froze completely when he saw Trunks.

Trunks was standing near the shattered remains of the fountain he had fallen into. His clothing was drenched with both blood and water. There were bruises and cuts all over his body but his eyes showed no sign of pain or weakness. They were blank and had turned an icy blue color.

"Trunks…" Goten stammered, standing up. He made an attempt to run, out of sheer panic and fear for his friend's safety, but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"No Goten," Goku admonished.

"But that's Trunks…"

"We don't know if it's safe…"

"It's not," Kray said bitterly.

Goten turned and looked at the young man who had led them here. His head was tilted and it reminded Goten of all the times he and Trunks had tried to eavesdrop on Vegeta's training.

"Kray is right," Jaune spoke, her voice distant and strained. "Kalele is…he's not himself. Not in that state."

"You've seen him like this before?" Goku asked, frustration clear in his voice.

"No," Kray answered, "never like this…not to this extent…that aura around him—it's corrupt."

Jaune looked at him carefully and then turned away despondently.

"And Bulma…" Vegeta interjected, his eyes focused on the man holding Bulma. The man had managed to retreat several yards back and away from the explosion. Vegeta turned and looked at Kray. "Can Trunks hurt Bulma?"

Kray understood what Vegeta was asking. It was not whether Trunks could hurt Bulma, but whether he would be willing to do so. He looked at Trunks' unforgiving eyes. That's how they look every time he fights… Kray thought miserably, remembering a conversation he had had with Trunks after one of Lord Kraden's shock sessions.

"Just show him the King's Scepter…it's not like he can do it just by looking at it."

"I can't…"

"Why not?"

"I'm afraid…"

"What?"

"This energy I feel…it's not right…the way it makes me feel…I'm afraid that next time, I won't be able to stop myself..."

Kray pulled out his sword and looked at Vegeta. "Yes. I don't think he can stop himself."

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Bulma whimpered from the pain as the man yanked her up by her hair. She slipped on the puddle of water around them and cried again as the man roughly forced her to stand.

"Stand up," he said fiercely, pushing her in front of him and jabbing the edge of the sword he was holding against her neck. "You're bait." He said and laughed nervously.

"Please don't do this," she choked.

He tugged on her hair again, shaking her roughly. "Shut up. Shut up. I can't think."

She closed her eyes to stop the tears and avoid looking at him. The way he was now—he terrified her.

"Why won't you die?" The man shouted, his voice somewhat hysterical. "Why the hell won't you die?" He took a hesitant step forward, pushing Bulma as well and laughed nervously again.

Bulma opened her eyes, no longer able to control her tears and the insurmountable fear. She looked up at Trunks. That's not him. That's not my Trunks! Her mind shouted at her.

"Stay back," the man shouted, taking a step back. "Don't come any closer." He pulled Bulma closer to his body, wrapping his entire left arm around her waist.

Trunks stopped in mid step, not taking his eyes off of him.

"I will kill her if you take another step," the man shouted.

Bulma watched as Trunks' eyes flashed gold once and then he did something that made her blood curl—he smiled.

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"I'll kill them…" he thought, relishing the exquisite heat flowing through his veins, "…all of them…one by one…slowly." He licked his lips and smiled.

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"Stay back!" The man shouted.

Vegeta watched as Trunks approached the man slowly. He's toying with him and… He's enjoying it… Vegeta thought, disturbed.

"Kakarot can you use your instant transmission to get Bulma?" Vegeta asked briskly.

Goku looked at him, frowning. "No. I can't get through whatever energy it is that is surrounding Trunks."

"Blasted!" Vegeta snapped. "I'm going to—"

"No," Kray said, grabbing Vegeta's arm to stop him.

"That's my wife and my son," Vegeta growled, pulling away from Kray's grip.

"That's not your son. That's not Kalele. Can't you hear?" Kray shouted, "Can't you hear it? The crying. The whispering…"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Vegeta snapped.

"I don't hear anything." Goten added, walking up between Vegeta and Kray. "What crying? What whispering?" He turned to look at Goku. Goku shrugged, also unaware.

"I hear them," Jaune said, clutching her sword. "Innocents," she said in a strangled voice.

"What?" Vegeta asked, thoroughly confused and annoyed now.

"Those are the innocent souls," Kray said, his voice rough, "of all the children Kalele has murdered."

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So here is chapter 24. Ooh I will have chapter 25 up soon. Really :) Ciao for now. Oh and of course…please review. Thank you.

7/23/09 12:38 AM