A/N: Just to let you know, things start to get dramatic in this chapter! Consider this your only warning!
Chapter Four
It was late in the morning a day later, when suddenly, the house shook with a tremendous force. Chi-Chi fell on her back.
"What was that?" she demanded apprehensively. "Is Cell attacking?"
With great difficulty, Master Roshi crawled to the window and peeked outside. His eyes widened in horror, "Oh, no! It is Cell! He's blasting the islands!"
"What? But why?" Chi-Chi asked incredulously, panic rising in her voice.
Krillin glanced out the window as well. "It'll only be a little while before he reaches us!" he exclaimed, "We're doomed!"
"No! We have to at least try to stop him!" Tien proclaimed bravely.
No one said a word, but then Yamcha nodded. "Yeah," he said, trying to sound confident.
"We'll do our best." Tien smiled, and both of them looked expectantly at Krillin.
Krillin froze in terror. "Are you guys kidding me? We don't stand a chance! Cell's way to strong for us!" He clenched his fists. "Argh! I wish Goku was here!" Glancing up at the two guys, Krillin hesitated. "I guess I'll go, too…since we have no choice."
As the three Z-fighters headed out the door, Master Roshi called out after them, "Be careful, you guys! Come back alive!"
Chi-Chi scowled while Bulma tried to quiet Trunks, who was crying in fear.
In no time, Chi-Chi, Bulma, and Master Roshi were all glancing out the window anxiously, hoping that everyone would be okay.
The battle got underway soon enough. Yamcha was the first to attack Cell, but to now avail. From what Chi-Chi saw, he threw a series of punches and kicks at the creature, but Cell just stood there perfectly still before knocking him out with a punch to the face.
Chi-Chi held her breath. She all ready hated Cell for what he did to her home and father, but watching him torment these people—even though she'd only known them for a couple of days—was more than she could bear. She turned away and shut her eyes out from the horror. But she could still hear the cries of agony and their names being called out in desperation. "Yamcha!" "Tien!" "Krillin!"
Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin…weren't there only three people who volunteered to defeat Cell—or rather, be defeated by Cell? They're all gone! Who's left to protect us? Are we going to die all ready? Just like that?
Chi-Chi couldn't help but open her eyes and see what was going on. To her horror, she could hear Cell's sinister laugh from overhead—he wasn't far. In fact, he was closing in on them.
"Oh, no! He's coming!" Master Roshi pronounced, even though they all knew it.
Bulma turned her head and shut her eyes tight, bracing herself and poor baby Trunks, who was now crying his eyes out.
Chi-Chi couldn't help but stare at Cell as he approached the little pink house slowly—as if tormenting them. She just had to look into the face of the cold-hearted assassin that killed her father.
Cell's face twisted into a wicked smile, and a yellow ball on energy began to gather in the palm of his hand. "Such a pity," Chi-Chi heard him say, "I thought I'd have more of a challenge before killing any more victims. Oh well…" He raised the ball overheard, ready to launch it. "…Say good-bye!"
Chi-Chi shut her eyes, bracing herself for the worst.
Suddenly, the sound of thunder echoed throughout the small house, which once again, shook with a tremendous force. Everyone fell back, and glanced around.
"A-are we dead?" Master Roshi asked uncertainly.
The ground continued to tremble violently. "No, we are not! But I don't know how much longer my poor little Trunks—or even I—can put up with this!" Bulma exclaimed angrily.
"What was that anyway?" Chi-Chi asked curiously, struggling to pull herself to her knees.
"That's what I'd like to know," Master Roshi said, "I thought Cell would have just killed us—not blast the ocean!"
Chi-Chi scrambled over to the window and peered outside once again. To her surprise, something had crashed into the water with a great amount of force, for the seawater had risen a few hundred feet before plunging back to the ocean. It must have been a meteorite or something, Chi-Chi decided, but then where's Cell?
She looked in all directions, but couldn't find the locust-like creature anywhere. He must be hiding somewhere…ready to strike when we least expect it. The thought seized Chi-Chi with fear.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small figure floating in the air far from the ground. Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes, trying to make out who the person was. From where she stood, she was relieved that the figure was not Cell, for he/she did not possess its speckled green skin and distinctive, pointed wings. In fact, the person had spiky black hair and an orange outfit…
Chi-Chi felt a sudden wave of joy pass over her. "Goku!" she cried happily. "He's back!"
"What?" Master Roshi's shrill voice echoed throughout the house from behind her. Now that the violent shaking had subsided, he hurried to the window. "Where?"
Bulma glanced out the window nervously. "Did he get rid of Cell?"
Without thinking, Chi-Chi dashed out the front door, and stood out on the little island. She waved over to him. "Goku! You came back! I'm so happy to see you!" Even though he'd been gone for only a few days, it felt like forever to her.
"Go back inside! It's not safe out here!" Goku yelled from far off in the distance.
"What are you talking about?" Chi-Chi asked in disbelief. "Cell's dead! You defeated him!"
She could just barely make out Goku shaking his head. "No," he stated grimly, "He's still alive. He's just hiding."
Chi-Chi turned pale. "What?"
All of a sudden, a figure—Cell—blasted from the water at incredible speed, and rammed Goku before he had a chance to react.
Chi-Chi's hand flew up to her mouth as she held in a gasp. "No! Goku!" she cried in terror.
Goku quickly recovered from the sudden attack, and vanished out of thin air.
Chi-Chi glanced around frantically. Where did he go? Surely he didn't withdraw! He can't just abandon a fight like this!
Cell, too, looked around, but only for a brief moment. Then, he stood perfectly still before abruptly turning around. However, he wasn't fast enough, and Goku—who suddenly reappeared as quickly as he disappeared—whammed him in the head with his fists clenched tightly together.
Plunging down toward the sea, Cell managed to stop himself just before hitting the water. "Urrh!"
Chi-Chi held her breath, for Cell was now only a good fifty yards away from her. From where she stood, she could see a smear of purple blood out from the corner of his mouth. Though it didn't suffer much physical damage, she could tell the creature's ego was cracked.
Seeming to sense Chi-Chi's fright, Cell turned to face her with a wicked smile.
Chi-Chi backed away in horror, paralyzed with fear.
Suddenly, he vanished right before her eyes, and then the next thing she knew was that a strong arm was pressed around her neck—but not too tightly. Chi-Chi struggled to pry the arm as far from her as possible, but the grip was too great. "Get your hands off me, you jerk!" she snapped at Cell.
A look of panic flew across Goku's face. It was a strange feeling to him. Sure, he'd been fearful for his friends when they were in similar situations, but this time was different…Suddenly, he felt protective of her… "Cell! Don't you dare!" He formed a kamehameha beam in his hands. "Or I will!"
Cell drifted away from the ground and hovered in the air right in front of Goku. "Go on, I dare you," he taunted, "Unless you're too scared to hurt the girl…Though it interests me why she matters the least to someone like you, Goku. I only wonder what would happen…if I killed her now." With that said, his arm tightened around Chi-Chi's neck.
Chi-Chi choked for air, and then soon felt her eyes grow heavy and her face turn pale. It would not be long now until she'd run out of air…
"Don't hurt her, Cell!" Goku demanded, fiercely, "Your battle's with me! Leave her alone! Do you hear me?"
A sinister smile came across Cell's face, as if he had something planned in mind. Suddenly, he released his grip on her, "Very well."
Chi-Chi let out a scream as she plunged toward the ocean, but Goku quickly sped after her and caught her just before she hit the water. Now back in his arms, Chi-Chi felt that same sense of security again, but still clung to him tightly, afraid to let go. A pang of remorse swept through her, for she knew she was only getting in his way. "Goku, I'm…"
To her surprise, he was not angry with her. Instead, his face looked understanding, but Chi-Chi could still sense his concern. "It's okay," he said, his voice sincere, "I shouldn't have left…"
Chi-Chi's eyes suddenly widened in horror, "Goku!" she cried frantically. "Look out—behind you!"
A wicked laugh came from behind Goku, and by the time he knew what was coming, it was too late. A huge ki blast shot out from Cell's hand. Knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it, Goku turned his back swiftly and took the blast head-on.
Pain shot through him, and the next thing he knew was that he was falling…straight toward Master Roshi's small island!
Both Goku and Chi-Chi crashed hard on the dirt ground with a thud. Mustering all her strength, Chi-Chi struggled to pull herself to her feet. Only a few feet away from her was Goku, sprawled face-down on the ground, and lying completely still.
She ran to his side and turned him over. "No, Goku…"she said to herself faintly, her eyes welling up with tears. "Don't do this to me. I need you…please…" She inspected him for injuries.
His face was scarred, his hands were bruised and slightly scraped, and his clothes were dirty and torn here and there. Worst of all, his eyes were shut and he was barely breathing. It pained Chi-Chi to see him like this—all injured and lifeless. She gazed at him in horror and sobbed.
By now, Master Roshi and Bulma had come out of the house as well.
"…Is he going to be all right?" Bulma asked uncertainly.
Master Roshi looked sympathetic. "I'm not sure," he answered. "If only we had a senzu bean…"
"Have you forgotten about me?" came a voice from overhead.
All three of them glanced up. It was Cell.
Chi-Chi glared at him with fiery in her eyes. She stood up and clenched her fists. "What did you do to him?" she demanded.
"Don't feel bad about Goku; I simply knocked him out cold," Cell said casually.
"And why would someone like you only go that far?" Master Roshi wanted to know.
Chi-Chi agreed, though she didn't like what he was saying. To her, it sounded like, "Why couldn't you just kill Goku and get it over with?"
Cell grinned sinisterly. "Because then what fun would I have if I killed him now?"
"What do you mean?" Chi-Chi asked.
"In ten days, I'm going to have a tournament…" a twisted smile etched across Cell's face again. "…And I want the best fighters to be there."
"A tournament?" Master Roshi repeated in disbelief.
Cell nodded slightly. "When Goku awakens, tell him about it, and make sure he tells all his friends... It will be their last chance to try and stop me." Another sinister smile etched across his face. "…Before I take over this pathetic planet… The Cell Game will be held exactly at noon. I've prepared a ring northwest of Central City, at Point 5 of Region 28 KS." He turned to leave. "…I'll be waiting." He then flew off into the distance, completely out of sight.
Chi-Chi fixed her gaze back on Goku. No way would she tell him about the tournament! He'd only get hurt again! And who knows? Cell might not go so easy on him the next time. He'd said so himself: "Because then what fun would I have if I killed him now?" The words haunted Chi-Chi, and she tried to shake them off. She knelt down beside Goku's limp body, and tried to smile. Well, at least he was alive…but for how much longer?
She felt anger build up inside her. She clenched her fists once again. Cell, this is the last time you will ever hurt anyone! You've gone too far now. I won't let you get away with this—you're gonna pay!
Back in the house, Master Roshi, Bulma, and Chi-Chi had all carried the fallen warriors inside and placed them in small separate beds. Not long afterward, Tien, Yamcha, and Krillin woke up. While Master Roshi explained to them what had happened when they were knocked out, Chi-Chi attended to Goku, wiping his scratched face with a damp, warm cloth.
"A tournament, huh?" Chi-Chi overheard Krillin. "I don't think I'd want to compete. We've all seen how I compare to Cell; I don't stand a chance!"
Both Tien and Yamcha nodded. "Count me out," Yamcha agreed.
"But we'll probably stand by and watch," Tien explained, "Just to see how the fight turns out."
"This is a battle for the Saiyans," Krillin continued, "and Piccolo, too. I'm sure he, Vegeta, Trunks, and even Goku—when he gets better—will all be happy to finally take Cell out."
"Yeah, but Cell's really strong," Yamcha put in, "They'll all need a lot of training in these last ten days."
Chi-Chi remained silent at first, but then couldn't hold it in anymore. She turned around to face the guys. "How could you just say things like that?" she snapped.
They all backed away in shock.
"W-what do you mean?" Krillin asked anxiously.
"You saw what happened out there! You all got beaten—even Goku!" Chi-Chi continued. "Cell's too strong! You're all just wasting your time!"
"But…we aren't going to fight Cell, Goku and the others will," Yamcha added.
"No, he won't!" Chi-Chi insisted, "I won't let him!"
The others all gaped at her in shock.
Chi-Chi folded her arms and nodded indignantly. "That's right, boys," she said, "You heard me."
"B-but don't you want to see Cell to an end?" Master Roshi asked.
Chi-Chi felt a wave of anger fall over her again. "More than ever," she replied bitterly.
"W-well then, we need Goku and the others to do it," Krillin reasoned timidly.
"Don't you dare say that to me!" Chi-Chi shouted, which made the other guys just back away in fear. "He's not going anywhere! Not if I have anything to say about it!" She stared hard at all of them with narrowed eyes before storming out of the house. No one said anything.
As soon as she had slammed the door behind her, Yamcha spoke up. "Talk about your commanding officer."
"Gee, I thought she was cute," Krillin put in, "but she kinda reminds me of…Bulma!"
As if on cue, Bulma, who'd just put Trunks to bed, came downstairs. "What's that about me?" she wanted to know, a little edge to her voice.
"Nothing!" Krillin insisted at once, trying to act nonchalant.
Bulma scowled, and then looked around curiously. "Hey, where's Chi-Chi?" She glanced at Krillin and the others. "Don't tell you guys scared her off all ready."
"No, we didn't!" Yamcha said defensively. "She just went outside."
"And I bet you had something to do with it, am I right, Yamcha?" Bulma accused.
"I did not!"
"Yes, you did!"
"I did—"
Master Roshi broke the tension. "Will you two please stop arguing? It's nobody's fault!" His expression then turned serious, and he explained in a low tone, "She's very fond of Goku. It's hard for her to see him like this. She needs some time alone."
Bulma and Yamcha abruptly ceased their arguing, and then nodded.
Outside, Chi-Chi leaned against the small pink house and gazed off into the distance. I can't let him fight Cell. There's just no way…I-I can't bear to see him get hurt again—and what if he dies this time? How will I ever be able to live with myself? He's all I have left in this world…She tried to blink back tears, but they streamed down her face anyway. Oh, Goku…it's all my fault. I shouldn't have gotten in the way. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be in this condition. I'm so sorry…
A/N: I bet all you G/CC fans hate me now for what I did to poor Goku, but I had to do it. I just had to add more drama to this fic… But don't worry, Goku will be back on his feet soon.
Yeah, I know Goku doesn't stand a chance against Cell right now, but I had to make Cell close enough to get to Chi-Chi and I couldn't think of any other way besides Goku hitting him down... Please don't let it get to you.
As for the Cell Game, I know it was supposed to be announced on TV, but nah, I didn't want to completely stay true to the show. About the tournament's location, I got it off the manga. I hope it's the same as in the anime.
Please R&R if you want me to continue this fic! I love hearing from you!