SailorStar9: This is Chapter 3 of the Incomplete Cell Saga. Read and review.

Disclaimers: Only the plot is mine.

Chapter Summary: A fleet of tanks roll into Ginger town to destroy the new threat, but Cell quiets the army's attempt with one swift blow. Now it's up to Piccolo to stop the monster, and his chances look slim. As the Namek struggles to survive, Cell takes the opportunity to introduce himself! He's actually an android, infused with the cells of the greatest fighters on Earth, the ultimate achievement of Dr. Gero! He also explains how the samples were gathered, through use of a inconspicuous robotic fly which followed Goku throughout his lifetime dating back from Dragon Ball! Ever since the first Martial Arts Tournament, where Goku and Piccolo met for the first time, Dr. Gero had been gathering specimens for his perfect creation! Cell is a living copy of the Z fighters attacks and abilities. How can Piccolo have any hope of defeating him?

Chapter 3: His Name is Cell

It's the real thing! Piccolo realized as the attack clashed into him. Barely escaping from the blast, Piccolo took to the skies, only to have Cell grab onto him from behind.

"Your life is mine!" Cell declared and drilled his tail into Piccolo's arm. "I struck your arm, did I?" he taunted. "The outcome is still the same. I will take your powerful life's essence from you."

"Still, who could it be that Piccolo is fighting, anyhow?" Krillin wondered.

"I don't think there's any mistaking that it's the monster that hatched after riding back in my time machine." Trunks concluded.

"Why do you suppose that thing has Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, not to mention Frieza and his father's Ki?" Krillin inquired.

"Why indeed." Trunks agreed.

"Damn!" Krillin cursed. "Just what exactly is going on?"

In Kame's House...

"Goku is getting just about over it, huh?" Chi-Chi hovered over her husband.

"Isn't that great, Mother?" Gohan smiled.

"Goku?" Chi-Chi blinked when Goku stretched himself.

"Father!" Gohan gaped as Goku fell back to sleep.

"Huh?" Chi-Chi peered.

"He's gone back to sleep." Gohan noted. "But he should be opening his eyes soon, right?"

"Yup!" Chi-Chi agreed.

"I'm going to tell Oolong and the others." Gohan remarked. "Guys!" he ran down the stairs.

"We have received word that currently the armed forces at Metro West have at length commenced an emergency mobilization towards Gingertown." the newscaster reported.

"Armed forces?" Gohan blinked.

"In consideration of the safety of the neighboring districts, it is hoped this will allow area citizens some peace of mind." the newscaster added.

"It would be nice if there were no more casualties." Master Roshii noted.

"This information just in: Please watch, as we have images of one of the tank divisions as they head towards the scene." the newscaster received an update. "The images, please." he requested. "Currently, we seem to have trouble connecting with our remote unit." he stated after the camera did not shift. "Ah, they're waiting? We appear to be connected." and the camera switched over to the battle zone.

In Gingertown...

"That's him!" the squad leader looked through his binoculars. "Hey, you up there!" he hollered over the loudspeaker. "You are completely surrounded! Surrender yourself without any useless resistance!"

"You dare interrupt my meal?" Cell demanded, destroying a tank with his laser eye beams.

"Dammit!" the leader cursed. "Attack! Attack!" he gave the order and the army rained their missiles at Cell. "We got him!" he grinned after the smoke cleared and Cell was nowhere to be seen.

"He's still alive!" a soldier shouted.

"What?" the leader demanded.

"You miserable cockroaches!" Cell glared down at the army, having moved out of harm's way.

"Dammit!" the leader growled. "Fire Missiles!"

Using his telekinesis, Cell stopped the missiles in mid-air, causing them to drop onto the army and demolishing the entire squadron with one shot. "That was quite the annoyance." he noted. "So then, shall we continue the meal?"

At Kami's Lookout...

Both Ami and Mr. PoPo felt a chill.

"Kami-sama..." Mr. PoPo dropped his watering can.

"Piccolo, hang in there." Ami prayed.

In Gingertown...

With a knock to Cell's face with the back of his head, Piccolo forced Cell to relinquish his hold on him and fled to safety.

"You were lucky to get away." Cell chuckled, the two adversaries landing on the ground. "But not having use of one arm, it seems the advantage has been reversed."

"Certainly true." Piccolo admitted. "My balance is quite thrown off by this, making it quite difficult for me. Unfortunately, it would seem you have won.

"Not even you can help admitting when you're beaten!" Cell taunted. "Rejoice! Once I absorb the magnitude of your life's essence, I will have drawn nearer to my 'Invincible Form'."

"'Invincible Form'?" Piccolo echoed.

"You will be of great service to me." Cell declared. "Aren't you glad?"

"Before I am to be absorbed by you, you have to tell me something." Piccolo requested. "What the hell are you? Why is that you have Son Goku, Frieza and everyone's Ki, and are even able to perform the Kamehameha?"

"Very well." Cell straightened. "You're going to die anyway, I'll tell you. My name is Cell. I am an Android."

"Android?" Piccolo echoed.

"I was born of the computer used by Dr. Gero." Cell added.

"Dr. Gero again!" Piccolo cursed.

"A long time ago, Dr. Gero began gathering the cells of the greatest warriors." Cell narrated. "To research how he could synthesize an Android with those cells. However, because it was taking too much time, he gave up on it partway through. But the computer continued its operation. Piccolo... Son Goku... and Vegeta's cells were collected at the battle when Vegeta first came to Earth."

"Hmph, Goku from that period of time, huh?" Piccolo snorted. "That explains why your Kamehameha before wasn't all that great."

"Further, we had the good fortune of obtaining Frieza and his father's cells when they came to Earth." Cell added. "We could have taken the cells of that guy, Trunks as well, but there were already enough from the Saiyans."

"How did you collect the cells?" Piccolo demanded. "There wasn't anyone suspicious there at the time."

"You should have heard this from Gero, how all your actions have been examined via a spy robot." Cell replied. "There is a small robot, similar to myself. No one is likely to have noticed it. That's what took the cells. Take a good look." he pointed to the incoming bug. "It's even here now, relaying the data of our situation back to the computer. It probably wants to take your cells as well."

"You bastard!" Piccolo destroyed the bug with a Ki blast.

"It's too late to destroy it now!" Cell laughed. "The necessary cells have already been collected, and the experiment has begun. Indeed, it will be twenty-four years from now when I will be completed."

"Impossible!" Piccolo barked. "Dr. Gero's laboratory has already been destroyed!"

"There is a room underneath the laboratory where the computer is." Cell rebutted.

"So, that's it." Piccolo realized. "Once you came to this era, why has it taken you 3 years to change from an egg to the way you are?"

"Once I return myself to an egg, I require 3 years underground to mature again." Cell replied. "That's how much time it takes. That's all I have to say. It's about time you let me absorb you."

"One last question!" Piccolo barked. "For what reason did you go to the trouble of coming here from the future?"

"In order for me to become my 'Invincible Form', the absorption of human essences is not enough." Cell replied. "It is necessary for me to merge with 3 essential specialized life forms. The computer has told me that those 3 specialized life forms were the Androids that Dr. Gero had created, No. 17, No. 18, and the Namekian Princess, the only daughter of Porunga, the Namek's Eternal Dragon and Eonar the Lifebinder."

"What?" Piccolo gasped.

"However, in the future where I was, for some reason, perhaps they were defeated by that Trunks guy, I don't know – No. 17 and No. 18 weren't around. And without them, I don't have the capability of absorbing the girl possessing Divine Ki. But luckily for me, Trunks had his time machine. After killing Trunks, I used the time machine to come to this era in search of No. 17 and No. 18."

"Why did you choose this era?" Piccolo demanded.

"Well now, Trunks' time machine was already set for this era." Cell shrugged. "All I did was push the switch. Imagine my glee when I sensed the little girl in this era as well."

So, that's it. Piccolo realized. Trunks must have set the time machine so he could come tell us that somehow, he had destroyed the Androids. And then, he came along...

"The computer also told me this," Cell added. "Once I become my 'Invincible Form' , I will have a terrible power, far beyond imagination, in the palm of my hand!"

"For what reason?" Piccolo barked. "Why is it you seek to have that much overwhelming power?"

"What reason?" Cell snorted. "You ask such a nonsensical thing! The computer had been input to create a strong being, one to the very limits of its consideration. Or for that matter, it may be what the blood of the Saiyans, Frieza, and Piccolo that flows within me seeks!"

"I get it." Piccolo relented.

"So then, are you satisfied?" Cell mocked.

"My gratitude." Piccolo replied. "Thanks to you, all of the mysteries have now been solved." pulling off his dried up arm, Piccolo let out a cry and regrew the limb. "You've been quite informative."

"You did all that to get me to talk?" Cell stammered.

"I will not allow you to become this 'Invincible Form' of yours." Piccolo declared. "Nor will I allow you to harm the Princess. For you to have inherited my blood and not realize that I could regrow my arm, makes you an idiot."

SailorStar9: Phew, another chapter down. Stay tuned for Chapter 4: Piccolo's Folly.