SailorStar9: This is Chapter 8 of the Complete Cell Saga. Read and review.

Disclaimers: Only the plot is mine.

Chapter Summary: Krillin launches an attack on Cell and is easily beaten back. All he is interested in fighting is Vegeta, who feels the exact same way. Round two begins and things start out smoothly enough for Vegeta. However, the tables quickly turn. Everything Vegeta tries fails, while Cell gives him one painful beating after another. Things only threaten to get worse for the Saiyan Prince from there.

Chapter 8: Vegeta Must Pay


"Krillin..." Trunks muttered, seeing Krillin beaten to the ground.

"He's too awful..." Krillin stated. "This is a first. There wasn't even time for feel pain. I'm still falling to pieces." he chuckled at his helplessness, before passing out.

"Krillin!" Trunks shot over.

"Such a fortunate man to be the first to taste of this perfect power." Cell remarked.


"Stay with us, Krillin." Trunks rolled the unconscious warrior over. "Here's a Senzu." he pulled out a Senzu Bean. "Can you eat it? Please, swallow it somehow." and pushed the said Bean into Krillin's mouth.


His smirk widening, Vegeta landed beside Cell. "Did it make you happy to pick on that scum?" he questioned. "Just as I thought, it would appear that even in this 'Perfect Form', you're nothing special."

"You'll have to excuse me." Cell flexed his arm. "Now then, would you assist me in warming up?"

"Very good." Vegeta smirked. "I will finish you off as you warm up."

"If you please." Cell remarked.


"Thank goodness, Krillin." Trunks heaved in relief as Krillin awoke, just as Vegeta powered up. "That was a close call. I thought you might have had it. Krillin?" he wondered.

"This isn't good." Krillin cautioned. "Vegeta's going to get killed. I'm certainly not much at all when compared to you Saiyans. However, I more-or-less know the strength of this opponent. I know... I know how terrible he is. To him, he probably did more than tap me, but I learned how terrible he is."


"Cell has truly grown stronger." Android 16 admitted. "However, Vegeta still exceeds him in every way."


"You can't feel the Ki you can feel now as a reference." Krillin stated. "He's hiding a much, much more phenomenal power. Just like you are, Trunks."

"You knew?" Trunks wondered and Krillin nodded.


"It seems the power-up from this 'Perfect Form' of yours was not altogether an exaggeration after all." Vegeta snorted, his punches and kicks blocked off easily by Cell and charged at the Android, throwing punches at Cell, who simply blocked the attacks off.


"Vegeta isn't that sort of guy, so maybe he doesn't realize it, but somehow, I could tell" Krillin added. "You've been sort of... reserved toward Vegeta. You've overcome the wall that Vegeta could not overcome. Am I wrong?"


Meanwhile, Vegeta and Cell had taken the fight to the air, with Cell merely deflecting each and every one of Vegeta's punches.

"What's the matter?" Vegeta taunted, having forced Cell against the wall. "Is this all the power of your 'Perfect Form'?" angered by Cell's superior smirk, the Saiyan Prince charged in, only to be pushed against the cliff.

Cell then punched the side of the cliff beside Vegeta's head, stunning the Saiyan Prince, before injecting his Ki into the rock, exploding the said cliff.

With a growl, Vegeta took off after his opponent.


"Dad has gone beyond the limits of Super Saiyan." Trunks admitted.


"It would appear that you have become able to fight a bit more decently." Vegeta remarked, the two adversaries landing on a ledge. "But you're still a long way from being a match for me. Sure enough, this is the power-up you would have gotten from absorbing those flea-market Androids."

"Maybe so." Cell stated.

"Smile, would you?" Vegeta hissed.


"He achieved outstanding power, such as the strength he has now." Trunks continued. "However, one day, I went beyond even that world. I realized this must have been what Goku was speaking of. I couldn't tell Dad about it." I couldn't tell Dad, not with his towering pride."

"Trunks..." Krillin voiced.

"Dad should have defeated Cell as he was." Trunks cursed.


At Kami's Lookout...

"Vegeta is sure impressive." Tien admitted. "He's fighting toe-to-toe with the 'Perfect Form' Cell."

"Toe-to-toe, you say?" Piccolo scoffed.

"Vegeta is getting frantic." Ami agreed. "With someone of equal – no, perhaps even greater ability before his eyes, his rational judgment has been dropped."

"Hey there." Bulma chided. "How long are you three going to be enjoying this all by yourselves? You let me know just what's going on as well. I mean, really…!"


Back in the battlefield…

"Mock me, will you?" Vegeta growled at the smug Cell and charged towards the Android, who simply leapt away, making Vegeta follow him. The fuming Saiyan Prince released a barrage of Ki blasts at the Android who merely dodged the energy attacks. "You can't get away!" he gave chase, a couple of his Ki blasts hovering above the Android, before closing in on him, along with the incoming blasts from below.

"Just as I expected, Vegeta." Cell chuckled, having removed himself before the combined attacks hit. "That attack just now was pretty good."

"Don't you make light of me." Vegeta growled. "Take this!" he released another wave of Ki blasts at the conceited Cell.


"Dad…" Trunks muttered.

"Vegeta there has lost his composure." Krillin remarked.


"To think that by absorbing No. 17 and No. 18, Cell's power would rise this much…" Android 16 cursed.

"Dammit!" Vegeta hollered, powering up even more at Cell's unfazed stance and charged right into the smoke, throwing kicks and punches at Cell, who simply caught his ankle, tossing him back. "Dammit!" he flared up, the sheer power dispelling the smoke.

"What sort of monster has Dr. Gero given rise to?" Android 16 wondered.

Enraged by the smirking and unscathed Cell on the ground, Vegeta charged in, resuming his attack. "Don't toy with me!" he snapped, Cell having caught his wrists.

Cell leapt back to avoid the pending kick, giving Vegeta the chance he needed to restart his assault.

Cell jumped back, after blocking the punch.


"Dad…" Trunks started.


"You mean there's that much difference between their powers?" even Android 16 was stunned.

"You miserable jackass!" Vegeta cursed. "You're not taking this seriously, are you?"

"I did say this would just be warming up, didn't i?" Cell reminded.

"What?" Android 16 gasped.


"He's saying everything up to now was just warming up?" Trunks echoed.


"Fight like you mean it!" Vegeta demanded. "After that catastrophic beating from me, you must be angry, right Cell? You've become your 'Perfect Form', but nothing has changed in the least. You're just the same as you were when you were getting beaten up. If that bothers you, then show me the power of this 'Perfect Form' of yours."

"Well, maybe just a bit." Cell relented and came at the Saiyan Prince.

"When I have become Super Vegeta, do not mock me." Vegeta glared after Cell shifted behind him.

"He connected." Krillin beamed when Vegeta landed a kick on Cell's head.

"What?" Vegeta gaped, his kick having no effect on the powered-up Android.

"Super Vegeta, huh?" Cell taunted, Vegeta having put some distance between them.


"That should have connected." Krillin remarked. "Vegeta's kick had to have connected perfectly with Cell's vital point. And yet, there's been no damage at all. He really is a monster. Trunks, aren't you going to help with that hidden power of yours?"

"Dad…" Trunks started. "Dad would look upon being helped by myself or goku to be much more humiliating than being defeated by Cell. That's just the kind of person Dad is."

"But still…" Krillin protested.


At Kami's Lookout...

"He'll be beaten." Piccolo realized. "Vegeta will be beaten."


SailorStar9: Phew, another chapter down. Stay tuned for Chapter 9: Trunks Ascends.