Chapter IV:
Progress

The young Sayian scanned the rocky landscape, not quite sure when he had arrived at this particular location. Somewhere near here, he knew the Cell Games were taking place, but he couldn't make out anyone's energy, and what was worse, he couldn't seem to summon the strength to fly.

"Someone has to be close by," the boy stated as he started forward. "Dad?! Piccolo?! Can anyone hear me?!"

The Saiyan stopped abruptly as he felt the earth rumble beneath his feet. Casting a startled gaze towards the sky, he noticed several dark figures coming his way, appearing to be fleeing from whatever was causing the commotion. Gohan's eyes widened the moment they came within a rock's throw of him. The creatures were a spitting image of Cell, though much smaller and more blue in coloring. The boy instinctively took a fighting stance, though the odd creatures didn't seem to be paying him any attention. They looked quite panicked in fact, some of them suffering from minor gashes and scratches. Gohan followed their gazes, not sure what to expect. His father perhaps?

A new figure reemerged, barreling towards them at breakneck speed. The individual stopped suddenly and dropped to the ground, startling the three androids and forcing them all to take cautious steps back. Gohan immediately felt his knees buckle the moment he laid eyes on the individual.

"No…that can't be…"

Electricity surged all around the young boy, his aqua-colored eyes narrowed to slits.

"That can't be me," Gohan whispered, taking a step back.

The Super Saiyan's gaze shifted, finding its way to one of the cowering androids. The creature squealed in fear, turning to flee without a moment's hesitation. Gohan stepped to the side as it flew past him, watching it momentarily before looking back at his Super Saiyan self. The boy didn't wait long before charging the fleeing android, disappearing momentarily from view before reappearing directly in the creature's path. Before it could react accordingly, the Saiyan swung his leg out swiftly, severing the android in two with one blow.

Gohan's eyes widened in horror as he saw the creature disintegrate. Looking back over at the remaining two androids, he saw that the looks on their faces weren't much different, and their horror became even more apparent when the Saiyan set his sights on them next.

"Wait, stop!" Gohan cried out as he watched his duplicate charge once again. He only gave chase for a few seconds before he was able to catch up with his fleeing target. He drew back an arm and sliced through the creature's neck, severing his head.

Gohan couldn't believe what he was seeing. This was so senseless, so unnecessary. The creatures weren't even fighting him at this point, and yet he continued to cut them down without a second thought. Glancing off to his left, Gohan laid eyes on the only remaining android, paralyzed with fear after having watched its siblings be slain before his eyes. The Super Saiyan slowly turned to him, his teal eyes cold and ruthless, no indication of mercy present.

"Don't!" Gohan called out angrily. "You've done enough!"

But the Super Saiyan paid him no mind as he vanished from view, materializing directly behind the android. He shot his hand forward, piercing through the creature's back and out his chest, a sight so horrifically cruel that it nearly brought Gohan to tears. The android gagged, purple blood trickling from the corner of its mouth. The Saiyan drew his arm back and the android sank to its knees, collapsing to the ground in a bloodied heap. The Saiyan stepped back, pointing a finger at the unmoving creature. A blinking sphere of energy formed at the tip of his finger, which he fired quickly, consuming the android and completely obliterating it.

Gohan trembled where he stood, horrified by what he had just witnessed. "You…You…"

The Saiyan slowly turned to acknowledge him, his cold eyes locking with his gaze.

"You're not me," the boy whispered, fighting back tears. "You're…You're not me!"

His double sneered. "I am you, Gohan. This is your true power. You just didn't want to accept it."

"NO! You're a monster! I'LL NEVER BE YOU!" The boy suddenly rediscovered his strength and fired multiple blasts of energy with a feral cry of rage. His double simply swatted away the attacks, never blinking. He slowly raised a hand, a sphere of energy taking shape.

"You're no longer of any use," his double remarked coldly as he let loose his attack.

The blinding light overpowered his vision, and the boy let out an ear piercing scream as the energy consumed him.

0ooooooo0

The boy woke from his hellish nightmare with a start, glancing around the campsite frantically to reestablish where he was and that the horrific events he had witnessed were just a dream. Of course, the dream was hardly an exaggeration. That had been him. He had carried out those ruthless slayings without a lick of remorse. But actually seeing himself do it, even in a dream, left him feeling sick at his stomach.

Glancing towards the sky, he was able to ascertain that the sun's position hadn't altered, and so he had likely only been asleep for a few minutes. The boy then looked towards the cave, sensing the android's weak ki. "Still in there, huh?" he asked tiredly. He leaned back against a rock and stared longingly into the cave. "I'm running out of ideas here, Cell. I don't know what more I can do to get you to trust me."

The boy began drawing random shapes in the dirt as he desperately searched for something meaningful to say.

"But what more can I expect? In your eyes, I'm the one who's the monster. And…if you were to ask me, I'd probably agree with you. I lost control. I lost all sense of who I was and what I believed in." The preteen grit his teeth in agitation as he felt his eyes sting with tears. "I didn't want to fight! I knew there was a chance I might have to, but I was certain my father would be able to defeat Cell! I never expected him to put it all on me. I'm not a fighter like my father. He lives for it, but it wasn't something I had any desire to do. It was for the sake of my friends and family that I ever fought. That person that you saw out there…that wasn't me. Or at least that wasn't who I wanted to be. I knew what that kind of power could do to me. I wanted nothing to do with it! But the fate of the world was at stake! I didn't know what else to do! I was just as much afraid of that person as you were!"

Gohan paused to take a breath, waiting patiently for a reply, or even the slightest hint of music. He sat up straight, folding his legs beneath him as he leaned in. The silence that met him nearly prompted tears of frustration.

"Please…"

Again, nothing.

He heard you, he mentally told himself. He may not have responded, but he still heard you. It's a process, remember?

From then on out, Gohan simply continued with his routine. He fixed both himself and Cell Jr. lunch, leaving the android's plate at the front of the cave for him to retrieve when he was ready for it. He paid very little attention to the creature as he finally came out to claim his meal. He wasn't about to spook the android again. He had made that mistake one too many times already.

Gohan had occasionally mulled over the idea of possibly withholding food from the android. He would have liked to see if the Cell Jr. would come out of the cave and ask for something to eat if he was hungry. But was that too cruel? Was is wrong to hold his meals hostage just to get him out of the cave? But it wasn't so much to ask for. All he had to do was come out and ask for something to eat. Simple as that, but he still couldn't help but feel it was slightly mean-spirited. He didn't know how long the android would be willing to starve himself in order to avoid the boy. Gohan still found it hard to believe the creature was capable of eating.

Looking down, Gohan noticed the rubber ball that had been left in his possession. Bored, Gohan reached for it and tossed it into the air, letting it fall back into his open palm. After catching the ball a few more times, he stared at it with a thoughtful gaze, glancing at the cave out of the corner of his eye. "Hmm. I wonder…" he said softly, getting to his feet. He had a seat at the mouth of the cave, staring into the darkness where he knew the Cell Jr. was residing quietly. He glanced at the ball again, and then looked up with a grin. "Hey, catch!" he said before tossing the ball into the cave.

The Cell Jr. had been sitting quietly at the back of the cave, his legs pulled to his chest and his arms folded on top of them. He had noticed Gohan moving towards the cave and immediately became curious of his intentions, seeing as how he didn't seem to be carrying any food with him this time. He saw the ball being thrown into the cave, which bounced across the ground three times before hitting the wall, rolling to a stop beside the android's feet. Cell Jr. blinked as he reached down to pick up the strange object, squeezing it slightly. He glanced back up at the Saiyan, blinking.

Gohan waited patiently, hoping the android would respond and toss the ball back. He hoped that maybe being playful with him would bring the Cell Jr. around, but it didn't seem like the android could be bothered, which made Gohan sigh in disappointment, lowering his head. He was just about to get to his feet and walk back to the camp when he suddenly looked up, unable to react as the blue ball flew at top speed from the cave and smashed into the center of his face. Gohan let out a loud yelp as he fell back onto his back, vision spinning and leg twitching slightly.

"Ow…" he whimpered. The next sound he heard nearly made him question his sanity. He sat up abruptly, rubbing his red nose as he listened. Was that…laughter he was hearing? Was that android actually laughing? "Oh, you think that's funny, huh?" Gohan asked, grinning. "Nice one, getting me while I wasn't looking." The boy picked up the ball again and tossed it into the cave. "Not so hard, okay? This isn't meant to be a blood sport."

Seconds later, the ball bounced back out of the cave and into Gohan's open palm. "Better," he said, pulling his arm back and tossing the ball again. He wished he knew where he was aiming, but it was clear the Cell Jr. was catching the ball just fine. However, after the fifth toss, the ball didn't return, leaving Gohan wondering if the android couldn't find it this time. He stilled as he heard footsteps echoing off the walls, becoming louder and louder. He waited with silence, watching as the android slowly stepped into the light, the blue ball secured in both hands. Gohan slowly got to his feet but he didn't dare take a step towards the smaller creature. He simply waited for him to make the first move.

The aqua colored android tossed the ball lightly, which Gohan caught easily. The boy looked at him curiously and suddenly smiled. He leapt off the ground and rose high into the air, leaving the android staring after him with a startled expression. "Heads up!" he shouted as he tossed the ball with a bit more force this time. Cell Jr. rushed forward and caught the ball just before it hit the ground. He glanced up at the boy, who was grinning down at him playfully. Clutching the ball, the android rose into the air to join the Saiyan. He gave the smallest of smiles before he tossed the ball past the boy's head. Gohan immediately rushed after it, disappearing and reappearing directly in its path, catching it in one hand. "Let's see you catch this!" he shouted as he turned to his left and hurled it with all his might.

Cell Jr. quickly rocketed after the ball, grinning widely as he flew right past the ball, turning to catch it. He lifted his arm above his head and drew it back slightly, hurling the ball forward with a grunt. Hundreds of yards away, Gohan saw the ball come his way, making a loud whooshing sound as it sailed past him. He took off after it, unable to quiet his laughter as he extended his arm out and closed his hand aground the ball. He spun through the air one time, turning himself around again. He could see a blue speck heading his way and the boy grinned, tossing the ball up into the air and catching it.

As Cell Jr. came within close range, Gohan looked slightly to the right and threw the ball again, watching as the android careened off to his left to chase after it. He swooped underneath it and stopped in its path, lifting a hand up and catching it before it struck him between the eyes.

Gohan laughed, crossing his arms. "You're quick."

The android smirked, tossing the ball straight to the Saiyan, who caught it easily in one hand, though he winced slightly. He rotated the ball to his other hand and shook the one that caught it. "I think you could give any pitcher a run for his money." Glancing off into the distance, the boy smiled. "Come on!" he shouted as he blasted off, beckoning the android to follow. Cell Jr. took off after him, almost completely forgetting his fear of the boy at this point. Gohan turned on his side as the android caught up with him, throwing the ball his way. Cell Jr. extended both hands and caught the ball with a giggle, moving further ahead of the Saiyan. The two boys circled each other as they flew, the ball nothing more than a blue blur as it was passed between them. They disappeared and reappeared in different locations, bouncing off rock formations and somersaulting through the air as they tried to make each catch more dramatic than the last.

Gohan eventually slowed to a stop, breathing heavily. The Cell Jr. floated near him, the ball grasped in both hands. "That was…pretty fun," said Gohan as he attempted to catch his breath. "I didn't realize how much pent up energy I had. Did you have fun?"

The android smiled softly, giving a nod. Gohan straightened up. "Good. It's about time you got out of that cave."

Hearing a light rumble towards the south, both Gohan and Cell Jr. shifted their gazes towards the dark clouds approaching. "Great, the second I get you out of the cave, a storm approaches." The boy turned to the android and smiled sheepishly. "Well…I hope you don't mind having company this time." The boy nodded for him to follow him back to the campsite. "C'mon, let's take cover."

Arriving back at camp, Gohan quickly set to work at relocating all his things into the cave before the storm arrived. He settled down on one end of the cave's entrance, Cell Jr. sitting opposite of him. The two sat in silence as they stared up at the darkening sky. Storms were nothing new to Gohan, but Cell Jr. regarded the dark clouds with fascination, which Gohan noticed. "I guess you've never seen a storm before, huh?" he chuckled. "You haven't seen a lot of things, in fact."

Dust blew about as the wind picked up, the air becoming cooler. Their surroundings became darker as the sun disappeared behind the storm clouds. Gohan inhaled deeply, picking up the smell of rain in the air. "I used to be afraid of storms when I was real little. Every time I saw dark clouds, I'd run and find my dad. It was the thunder that scared me."

As if on cue, there was a loud, thunderous boom that seemed to shake the ground around them, causing the Cell Jr. to scoot away from the mouth of the cave in fear. "Yeah, like that," Gohan laughed.

The android slowly crawled towards the cave's entrance, staring nervously up at the sky. At that very moment, wet spots started appearing all along the ground. Cell Jr. blinked as he watched his surroundings become blurred in a wall of rain. There was a bright flash of light, followed by another rumble of thunder. The android pulled back slightly, still unsure of the strange phenomenon. He glanced towards Gohan, noticing the boy had stuck his hand outside the cave to catch the rain in his palm. Cell Jr. mimicked this, holding out his hand into the pouring rain. He extended his other hand, cupping them both together to gather a pool of water. He drew his hands towards his mouth and drank the water, realizing then how thirsty he was. He wiped the corner of his mouth and rested his hands on his lap, his gaze refocusing on the storm outside.

Gohan watched from across the cave, amused by how the android seemed to be in a trance. He took a moment to truly feel the triumphant of today's events. He was finally over the hill now. He had managed to not only get Cell Jr. out of the cave but also to interact with him. And now they were within feet of each other, and the android didn't seem threatened at all. The only question that remained was where did they go from here? Did Gohan work up the courage and take the android home with him? Did he dare face his mother? Was it really safe? Even if the android seemed docile now, could he still turn violent? Studying the creature closely, Gohan truly didn't see any reason to suspect the Cell Jr. would be a threat to anyone. He saw curiosity and wonder, not a thirst for power. It was like he was an empty capsule that just needed to be filled with the right knowledge. All he needed was the right person to guide him. He was an innocent child, and Cell's ruthlessness had almost corrupted him before he even had the chance to consider his actions. It honestly made Gohan regret having killed his brothers, but at that time, he just didn't think, and it wasn't as though he could have tried to talk sense into seven androids, especially with Cell still there to influence them. But saving just one was better than none.

"Looks like we'll probably be stuck here tonight," Gohan said, breaking a long silence. He looked to the android hopefully. "I'd kind of like to take you home with me."

Cell Jr. finally turned to him, blinking curiously.

"You might like it. We live away from the city, which will really be good for you. I mean, people might start panicking if they see you flying around. I might have to persuade my mom, though. I'm not sure how she'd react. She can get pretty angry sometimes."

"Mom?" the android questioned meekly, startling Gohan. It was the first word he had ever heard the creature utter.

"Ugh…yeah, my mom."

"What is…a mom?"

"W-Well, a mom is a parent. You know, like a father. They help take care of you, and protect you, just like a father does." Gohan chuckled softly, adding, "But sometimes moms can be a little overprotective, but they make you feel safe."

Cell Jr. looked down at his hands. "Do I have a mom?"

The question felt like a knife to Gohan's heart. "Well…no," he answered sadly, noticing the android's shoulders slump slightly.

"I don't have…a father, either," he said softly, staring out into the rain. Unable to bear it any longer, Gohan stood up and approached the small android, kneeling beside him.

"Listen…Cell wasn't a father. He may have created you, but he was no father. A father is supposed to love and protect his child. He's supposed to look out for them. Your father used you. He purposely put your life in danger just for the sake of battle."

Hearing these words, the android's expression seemed to change somewhat as he glanced up at the boy. "Are…you my father now?" he asked. Gohan's mouth fell open with the slightest gasp as the question echoed loudly in his mind, nearly forcing his heart to stop.

"N-No, Cell. No, I'm not your dad."

Cell Jr. looked back out into the rain, appearing more lost and without a purpose than he ever had before. Pushing through his guilt, Gohan placed a hand on the creature's shoulder. "But…I can be your brother if you want," he said hopefully. The android slowly turned to look up at him again, his magenta eyes appearing to have gained a flicker of life. He managed to pull the corner of his lips into a smile as he nodded. This brought a great sense of relief to Gohan.

A loud rumble of thunder suddenly shook the two boys out of their thoughts, reminding them that the storm was still lingering, though it seemed the rain wasn't falling quite as hard now. Gohan looked down as he noticed something move just outside the cave. "Hey, what are you doing out there, little guy?" he said upon realizing it was a lizard. He reached outside and scooped up the reptile, pulling it out of the rain. "You're going to get washed away if you're not careful." The boy laughed as he allowed the small creature to crawl over his hands and arm, pulling it back as it attempted to venture down his shirt. Cell Jr. leaned in to study the tiny specimen. "Here," Gohan said as he held the lizard out to him.

Cell Jr. held out both hands, and Gohan allowed the lizard to scurry from his hand and into the android's awaiting palms. The reptile scampered up his arm and perched itself onto his shoulder, flicking its forked tongue. Cell Jr. tried to reach for the reptile but it quickly crawled along the back of his neck. The android giggled as he tried to grab at the creature.

"Careful," Gohan laughed as he reached behind him and gently picked up the lizard. "Don't crush him." He held the creature back out to Cell Jr, who now looked more like a child than he ever had before. The life in his eyes as he played with the tiny creature, his laughter, his smile, it all reminded Gohan so much of himself when he had been so little and innocent.

The pair watched as the small reptile made its escape, scurrying down the android's arm and hopping onto the ground before disappearing from sight. "He'll be fine," Gohan remarked as he pushed himself to his feet and walked back to the other side of the cave, grabbing his geography book. "Not much else to do," he sighed, opening the book. Cell Jr. sat and watched as the boy held the book close to his face, his dark eyes rolling from side to side as he read. The android crawled towards him, eager to find out just what could possibly hold the Saiyan's attention for so long. He sat down next to the boy, stretching his neck slightly to get a view of the book.

Gohan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, snickering at his curiosity. He lowered the book slightly so that he could get a better view. "That's the Grand Canyon," he said, pointing to the large, colorful photo that took up the top half of both pages. "It's way out west. Pretty cool, huh? And look at this…" Gohan flipped over a few pages, revealing a photo of an icy terrain. "That's Antarctica."

"Anta…Anarc…"

"Ant-arc-tica," Gohan repeated.

"Ant…arctica."

"Good."

Gohan continued reading through the textbook, trying to study the information given, though it was difficult to focus with the android constantly trying to flip the pages to see the pictures before Gohan could finish a single paragraph.

"Stop it, Cell," he scolded, though his voice was quivering slightly with laughter. "I have to study this stuff for school." Gohan stopped reading suddenly, glancing back at the android. "Cell…" he repeated the android's name with a slight hint of dissatisfaction, prompting Cell Jr. to raise a nonexistent brow. "You know…I really think you need your own name."

The android looked puzzled. "I have a name."

"I know but…I don't really like calling you Cell. No offense, but I don't like being reminded of your father. I guess I could just call you Junior, but that doesn't really sound good, either. To me, 'Cell Jr.' just doesn't represent a sense of individualism. It sort of reinforces the notion that you're a carbon copy, and well…I don't really see you that way. I think you're more than that."

Something seemed to click in the android's mind as the word 'carbon copy' left the boy's lips. "Carbon," he spoke softly.

"Yeah, exactly," Gohan replied half-heartedly as he continued to mull over a number of possibilities for a new name, not picking up on what the android was actually saying.

"Carbon," he repeated, a bit more firmly this time. Gohan raised his brows, staring down at the creature quizzically.

"Huh?"

"Carbon," the android said for the third time, smiling this time.

"Wait…are you saying that's what you want your name to be?"

The android nodded. Gohan frowned, scratching the back of his head. "Umm…are you sure? I mean…it's not really…Do you really want a name that makes you sound…artificial?"

The Cell Jr. looked hurt at this point. "I like it," he said.

"Well…I guess. It's your name, after all, so you should get to choose what it is. Okay, if that's really what you want, I'll call you Carbon."

Carbon looked fairly pleased with himself. He settled in closely next to Gohan as he resumed his reading, peering over his arm to stare at the colorful pictures. After a while, the android's eyes began to flutter as they grew heavy from fatigue. He eventually found himself leaning against Gohan as his exhaustion overwhelmed him. He didn't know why he was suddenly feeling so tired, but he was hopeful that he could sleep more soundly than he had been.

Gohan continued with his reading, not even caring that the android was using him as a pillow. He would occasionally glance at the blue-colored android, still finding it hard to believe that he had woken up this morning still rather weary of the Saiyan, and now he was cuddled up next to him, sleeping soundly. Today's events gave the boy more than enough reason to be happy, but he soon found his good mood slipping below the surface as he recalled his words from earlier:

"A father is supposed to love and protect his child. He's supposed to look out for them. Your father used you. He purposely put your life in danger just for the sake of battle."

The young Saiyan suddenly felt sick at his stomach as he saw the irony of his own words. He recalled his battle with Cell with great disdain, painful images of himself being brutalized by the android making him visibly cringe. And then there was his father, standing off to the side and watching with a smile as the brutality continued, in much the same way Cell had after he had unleashed the Cell Jrs.

No, no, it's not like that, Gohan told himself. My father just wasn't thinking.. He just…He thought… Gohan grit his teeth, his studies forgotten. Did it matter what he thought? His father had still sat idly by while his own son was beaten mercilessly. The whole plan had been for him to get angry, and how else could that have happened unless he got kicked around a bit? His father had wanted Cell to hurt him. He knew Goku couldn't have possibly predicted everything that had unfolded, such as the destruction of Sixteen and the unveiling of the Cell Jrs, but it hardly mattered to the young Saiyan. Now that he had actually had time to sit down and mull it all over, it left him feeling bitter, angry, and above all, betrayed.

Images of his nightmare flashed through his mind and he winced with self-loathing. The person he saw in that dream was a monster, as far as he was concerned. But that had been the end result his father had been hoping for. That was the person he had pressured Gohan into becoming. Why, Dad? How could you ever want me to become…that?

The boy sat his book aside and glanced down at the sleeping android, suddenly feeling an urge to wrap an arm around him. Were their situations just two sides of the same coin? Did they really both have irresponsible and cruel fathers?

0ooooooo0

Gohan groaned as he woke, his arm feeling numb from having his head resting on it for most of the night. He sat up, feeling incredibly stiff. He spared a quick glance at Carbon, who he noticed was curled up on his side, still sleeping quietly. Gohan staggered to his feet and walked outside the cave to relieve himself. The rain had stopped falling hours ago, though there were large puddles of water scattered about, evidence of the downpour. They would likely be gone by the afternoon, and the rocky terrain probably wouldn't see another rain for several months. Gohan glanced up at the sky, noticing that the clouds were broken up, patches of a bluish pink sky visible amongst the gray.

"Well…I guess I can go home today." Gohan paused and smiled, adding, "We can go home. I hope Mom's in a good mood."

After finishing up, Gohan started heading back to the cave, intent on waking the android so they could pack up and leave, but something didn't seem right to him. "That's strange…I'm barely sensing his energy…and he's just right inside the cave." Gohan's brows furrowed with concern as he kept walking, but he stopped suddenly when he noticed the android slowly shuffling out of the cave, looking anything but lively. "Carbon? What's wrong?"

The android groaned softly as though he was in pain, his legs beginning to tremble. Unable to support his own weight any longer, he fell to his knees, his upper body toppling forward and hitting the ground with a thud, his face splashing against a muddy puddle. With a cry of panic, Gohan rushed forward, turning the small android over and shaking him slightly. "Carbon! Wake up! What is it? What's wrong?"

He didn't receive so much as a whimper.

Gohan quickly gathered the android up in his arms and stood up, blasting off into the sky without a moment's hesitation. He held Carbon close as he raced across the sky, clueless as to what could have caused the android to suddenly collapse. What was most frightening was how low his energy was, and the fact that it seemed to keep dropping.

"Just hang on a little longer."

Author's Note: Oh my Gamikai, I'm so sorry for taking forever with getting this chapter out! Had it not been for the fact that I went back and added a lot to this chapter, then it probably would have been out a lot sooner. This was mostly due to a review I received. It also gave me another idea for an added scene. But besides making changes to this chapter, there's also the fact that work keeps getting in the way, so updates WILL be slow, I'm afraid.

Once again, thanks for all the feedback, guys! Especially to Ky111 and Turmanarmo for their detailed reviews!

I'd really like to find the time to sit down and do some art for this story, as there are so many scenes I'd like to illustrate. If anything, I'd at least like to whip up some sort of cover art.