Hello, everyone, thanks for the reviews/follows/faves! I think I caught my muse for this fandom after awhile so here's to hoping my creativity doesn't suffer or take a nose dive... This chapter is kind of a long one but hopefully it's not too much for you guys to digest. Chances are, there's going to be plenty more long chapters.

I also wanted to reply to and thank YourFace for all the reviews! I'll reply typically reply to anonymous reviews via my author's notes for future reference. I'm happy that you're enjoying this so far and that you had so much to say about it. I also really appreciate your honesty and critique and I will keep it in mind too, every little bit of criticism is good and will only help me to get better. Hopefully you'll stick around and see what more I'll produce and type up. So again, thank you!

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this update! Please enjoy!

Chapter 9 Gauging

(two months later – island)

Orey quietly watched the meditating form of her daughter from afar. She still couldn't get over the fact Cixi was now levitating about two feet off the ground as she sat in a lotus position. The woman was aware her child had difficulty in flying and hovering but now it seemed that the concept had finally come to her. There was some relief she felt that Cixi began to master that ability but she also dreaded it because it just meant she was getting one step closer to receiving less mercy.

Over the past few months, Orey silently watched her daughter train. There were times when she was compelled to race out and use herself as a shield for Cixi but she knew it would be a foolish thing to do as well. Orey knew without a doubt that her child had a greater chance of surviving the blows than she would. She was fully aware that the bio-android was still rather angry with her for plotting to pull the stunt and she didn't want to goad him anymore. Though Orey still remained somewhat fearless before Cell, she was afraid of what would happen to her child if she had stepped in. Orey knew that her time would come but she wanted to remain with Cixi for as long as possible. She had no desire to have her time cut short. Cell would remind her that her usefulness would run its course in due time but he had been telling her that for a number of years now. It could be in a few months, next year, four years from now or even the next decade. There was no definite concept of how long she had left but Orey didn't exactly care either.

As she watched her only child train, she could certainly see that she was changing. In the beginning, she was well aware that Cixi had no desire to fight. But as time went on, it was becoming clear that the girl was steadily growing addicted to training and fighting. She figured that was because Cixi was desperate to get stronger to defeat Cell at long last but she suspected it was also due to her parentage. Now that she was fighting, that most likely awakened her acclimating zeal and desire. It alarmed Orey and made her fret and fear her beloved daughter was embracing the inner monster she feared. Yet she tried to calm herself and reason to herself that perhaps it was best to sit back and see what would unfold in time. She only hoped her daughter's gentle and good nature would win against whatever was starting to blossom in her blood.

Silently, she approached Cixi as she decided to take advantage of the knowledge Cell headed to the mainland to gather some supplies for them. These moments had been rather rare and nearly all of his time lately had been devoted to her training. Orey couldn't believe she actually felt a little nervous with approaching her own daughter but she couldn't shake off the feeling. Mentally, she chided herself for this and pressed forward to confront her.

"How well do you think you can fly?" Orey said in a soft voice as she approached Cixi.

This startled the girl and her eyes fluttered open. Once her concentration had been lost, Cixi ended up plopping to the sand on her rump. She cringed slightly and rubbed her backside but she stood up and faced her mother. After her eyes focused on her, Cixi gave her a small smile.

"Sorry, I should've waited until later to ask you," Orey apologized as she gave her a mellow smile.

"I'm happy you're talking, Mommy," Cixi confided. "But I don't think Cell will be happy if he comes back and sees I'm not meditating anymore."

"He has to realize children need rest every so often… Besides, he didn't act like it was so important before he left for the mainland."

Cixi was so used to being in Cell's presence that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to have some privacy with her mother. She certainly craved and missed the closeness the mother and daughter had with one another.

"I just wanted to ask you something, sweetie," Orey said in a calm and levelheaded voice. She smiled at her daughter to assure her everything was going to be alright.

"What is it?" Cixi asked, her head tilting slightly to the side as she gazed at Orey questioningly.

"Do you enjoy your training?"

The girl beamed at Orey and laughed to herself. Orey could feel her stomach drop as she observed the grin on Cixi's face. It reminded her too much of Cell's but the woman buried her disgust and worry as she forced herself to maintain a positive front before her child.

"It makes me feel strong!" she said enthusiastically. "If I keep doing this for a few more years, then I will be really strong and I'll challenge him! I didn't like it when I first started but now I see this is the only way."

"Is that so?" Orey said. She could feel and sense the nervousness laced in her voice but Cixi seemed to fail to notice this.

"Yes. Don't worry, someday, I'll be strong enough. I'll make it all better!" Cixi then hugged her mother. Orey cringed at the strength her child exhibited and gasped as she felt her back pop a little from the pressure. "Sorry…" Her hold on Orey lessened as she restrained herself more but she still kept close to her.

The widow held her daughter in return and she smiled at the warmth and comfort of the moment. Orey ran her fingers through her daughter's long, black, wild hair and chuckled gently at how it felt.

"I think you're way overdue for a haircut, little girl," she said as she gave her a smile.

"No way!" Cixi debated but she continued grinning. "I like my hair! I don't want it short!"

"But it'll get in the way of your training. Maybe you can at least think about it?"

Cixi rolled her eyes and she folded her arms as she mulled over her mother's offer. Even as she did that, she still smiled at her. The girl had her hair cut only a handful of times in her life but she was somewhat prideful of her locks. Granted, it hadn't been the nicest looking hair due to the conditions she was forced to grow up in but Cixi still liked it as it was.

"Maybe, Mommy," Cixi decided. "But I like it in the middle of my back! It feels weird when it's short!"

"You'll feel better with some of that hair gone," Orey reasoned. "How about I cut it to the top of your shoulder blades? You'll look very adorable. You're also nine now so I thought maybe you'd like that as a little birthday present."

"But I don't want to look adorable! I want to look cool and strong!"

"Maybe that'll be something for another time then…" Orey sighed. "Cixi, I just wanted to also remind you of how important it is to not let this power get to your head. I know you really like it and I know you're most likely stronger than anyone else on this planet other than those two boys. But you have to remember to keep that strength in check and not use it unless if you're fighting Cell or protecting someone. You…" She took a deep breath. "You have to realize fighting is a part of who you are. Do you think you can remain strong enough against yourself?"

Cixi found herself perplexed by her proposition. She had an inkling of an idea with what her mother meant by this but she still wasn't entirely sure. A nagging feeling formed in her being, making her wonder if perhaps she was hinting to this elusive other half both Orey and Cell referred to frequently. The subject still unsettled Cixi and made her feel as if she was some accursed reject but as time went on, she became more open to it. She fully accepted she wasn't a pure Earthling and she was also starting to have alarming and disturbing thoughts about her true parentage.

"Let me ask you something, Mommy," Cixi said. The smiles had all but disappeared and her tone no longer appeared jovial and light.

For a moment, Orey regretted bringing the matter up. She could see and sense the seriousness that suddenly sprouted up in her child but she wouldn't make an effort to change the subject either.

"O-of course you can," the woman nodded. "What's on your mind?"

"Cell told me I'm like the two boys who live here," she started. "He said they're very strong and they're half Saiyan. He said I'm Saiyan too."

Orey was aware of the two half breeds that Cixi was referring too. She had heard Cell talk about them before and she was fully aware he planned to fight them to the death one day.

"He said I'm not half like them but I have a little bit of it in me," Cixi continued. She fell silent for a few moments as she struggled with trying to describe the exact thoughts she had floating around in her head. "You have to tell me the truth. I know you were lying."

Her blood ran cold and her eyes widened at what her daughter had concluded. It was always a fear of hers that she would eventually suspect the truth about herself. For so long, she dreaded this moment but she knew it would arrive sooner or later. Orey feared that her daughter would hate her for having to lie to her for so long and having kept her in the dark about so much. Ideally, she wished Cixi would never learn the truth but she was surprised that Cell hadn't even told her outright that she was indeed connected to him. Certainly, she knew that he was dropping hints and trying to make her question and doubt herself but he was only waiting for her to figure it out herself.

"Cixi," she said in a weak tone, "you have to understand I lied to protect you. I did it to keep you safe from other people too. If they found out who you were, they'd kill you as soon as they could. That's why we never settled with anyone in a community. I didn't want you to kill anyone or for them to kill you. I was always afraid someone would find out the truth so that's why we always wandered and never stayed in one place for too long." She couldn't believe she was really having this conversation with her young daughter. "I have to ask you this, Cixi… What do you feel in your heart? What do you feel in your gut?"

The hybrid child's head hung low for a few seconds as the impactful truth of her mother's words weighed in on her. She felt sickened that she was the reason why her mother never seemed to find the perfect place they could call home. For so long, she assumed she was an ordinary child but as time passed and she trained, it became glaringly obvious that this was a lie that Orey had adopted. Cixi wanted to feel angry at her parent for doing this but simultaneously, she couldn't find it in her to be upset with her. There was no desire in her heart to be mad at her mother and Cixi was already aware that she could kill Orey if she wasn't careful enough. Any rage she had would be diverted to the bio-android.

Deep within the core of her being, she knew that she was connected to the destroyer. With the revelation of finding out Tomo was never her real father, her latent abilities and her mixed heritage, Cixi quietly pieced together the pieces of the puzzle. The image the puzzle was forming was an ugly one that she never wanted to consider but it was obvious to her at this point. Earlier, she had been so ignorant of it but as time went on, she realized and noticed things more and more. The way her mother looked at her when she killed the highway man was something she would never forget either. To her, it seemed as if Orey just witnessed a monster slay that villain. As far as Cixi knew, the only monster on this planet was the one she had been training with every single day.

It all made crystal clear sense to her now. Orey's testament only proved it further. She was indeed the offspring of the destroyer. At last, he acknowledged her and took her under his wing when she displayed her power. The reason why she was so strong was because she was a part of him. It suddenly made sense that Cell said that she was much a monster as he was.

"There's also a reason for that 'anemia' that you have," Orey explained. "I think it's an evolutionary trait that was given to you. I'm so thankful it was never as powerful as it could've been." She was merely thankful that her daughter was never as voracious as Cell had been in his Imperfect form when it came to the subject of capturing and consuming prey. Cixi would only feel weakened and aggressive as she was denied of the iron her unsettling instincts craved. "But it doesn't change anything, dear…" Orey set a kiss on her cheek and looked deeply into her child's eyes. "You're still my daughter and I still love you so much. I only want you to remember that and never forget it. I know I've showed recently I'm not the perfect mother but I regret what I've tried to force you what I've wanted to do. I'm never going to do something like that again. My existence rotates around being as close to you as possible. I'm not sure what the future holds but I know mine won't last for too much longer."

"No," Cixi interrupted. Her stare was hard and stern. "It's going to be okay."

Certainly, Orey didn't expect the sudden firm conviction in her daughter's tone. She expected Cixi to be more withdrawn and shocked as she steadily warmed up to everything. Instead, she only appeared tense and unwavering, almost as if she wasn't fazed at all. It alarmed her how much her child seemed to have grown up and became more serious and determined in that span of eight months. Slowly but surely, she was being molded into someone else. She could only imagine what she would be like even three years down the road.

"You're going to live," Cixi told her. "I don't care what happens. I'm going to save you." She took a deep breath and collected herself as she struggled to process the plethora of emotions and thoughts she was faced with. "He's going to pay for what he did. I should've never been born…"

"Don't talk like that!" Orey scolded her. It was true that the woman was at first dead set against being chosen but as time went by, she grew to cherish her child and came to see she wasn't grotesque and as bestial as she assumed she was going to be. "What's done is done and I won't ever regret you being born! You are my daughter and I don't care about your other half anymore. I'm not as afraid of it anymore… That can be used for good, Cixi. Prove it to me and prove it to Cell. That power he gave you can be used against him and if you work hard enough, maybe it can do something to stop him."

Cixi felt as if she was a loathed and vile being. She felt so ashamed and a part of her wanted to wallow in self hatred and pity as she dwelt on the knowledge. But she knew that her mother was correct. She was stronger than many others and she knew it would help her if she embraced her abilities.

"How come I don't look like him?" she asked as she remained silent for a few moments.

Orey wasn't entirely sure of an answer for that question but she considered it a blessing she didn't look like Cell. If her daughter had took on his appearance, she had a feeling people would've attempted to murder her. She certainly expected Cixi to inherit some of his physical features when she was about to born but she was pleasantly surprised that wasn't the case. She had half expected her to be born with his eye color yet Orey was happy Cixi had her late mother's dark brown eyes. The woman was further pleased she wasn't born with his pallid skin color which would've certainly made some more paranoid and suspicious fellow survivors anxious. It almost seemed as if she was born with this camouflage of sorts to ensure her survival and that thought unsettled Orey.

Whereas Cixi looked Human physically, there were little quirks that were undoubtedly attributed to her unearthly father. The borderline and uncommon feral hunger for flesh was one such attribute and as her training progressed, more and more of his influence was beginning to show. Her desire to get better, train and fight was an attribute she shared with him. Orey was afraid she would become more like him but she trusted her daughter to rise above that vile stigma and use that potential for something else other than death and destruction.

"I don't know," Orey disclosed. "But maybe it's a good thing you don't look like him."

Cixi only nodded and she sat down on the sand beneath her. She looked over her shoulder and up at her mother. The girl gave her a smile and she grinned at Orey. One of her hands patted the unoccupied sand around her.

"I'm gonna meditate and try to focus on levitating," she explained. "Mommy, you can sit next to me if you want."

Orey laughed softly and took a seat next to her child. She set a hand on the crown of her head and stroked her.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie," she said.

(…)

The Arcosian survivor removed his scouter and stared down his sparring partner. His tail lightly slapped at the ground as he anticipated the training session that was about to begin. Cero could feel his blood begin to warm up and he was becoming more eager to fight and show off his power. Slowly, he began to pace back and forth, his orange eyes still glued to the form of the Sorbet. Without taking his eyes off him, Cero tossed the scouter over to Sleet who stood a ways from the warriors.

The young frost demon caught his uncle's possession and gently held it in his right hand. Sleet stared at the silent and focused form of Cero, very much anticipating that was about to unfold before his very eyes. It had been two months since his uncle and Sorbet declared peace to unite their forces to challenge Cell but Sleet was still very much antagonistic and distrustful with his new allies. The Arcosian boy wouldn't so easily forgive and forget the past transgressions the enemy brought upon him and his uncle. More than anything else, he wanted Cero to put too much power into the fight to make it seem like he accidently kill his opponent. However, he knew his relative wouldn't make such a move as he knew he was far too honorable for that.

For now, he figured he could only wait and see what would happen. Sleet was confident that Cero would win. The elder Arcosian's power level was a little lower than that of Frieza's late henchmen, Zarbon and Dodoria, and his strength only grew for as long as he kept training. As far as he could see too, Cero's power level was virtually identical to Sorbet's.

"Now, let's not kill each other," Cero smirked, his tone a bit playful yet challenging.

Sorbet answered with a wry grin of his own. The blue alien clenched his clawed hands into fists and his gaze sharpened. It had been quite awhile since he last fought anyone but lately, he had been training extensively. Nearly every day, he either trained with one of his underlings or by himself. He could see and feel the improvement from that training but he knew this particular session was going to be particularly strenuous and rewarding. He and Cero had never sparred before but from what he knew, they were both at the same level. Due to that, he knew it would be a challenging duel. It would be especially gratifying and satisfying if he bested his former enemy.

"No, you have more use to me alive than dead anyway, Cero," he said, laughing mirthfully. "Besides, it feels good to be off that ship and have our feet on some solid planetary ground. We don't want to risk damaging the ship with our training anyway, right?"

"You make a fair point," Cero nodded. The tip of his tail was starting to thump impatiently at the soil. "Should I go first or would you like to go?"

"You may go first. I have to admit I am curious to see your power. When we were at war, I know that you killed some of my men so I want to see what you are all about."

"Meanwhile, I've never heard of or seen you strike anyone down." Cero straightened his posture. "Fine, I'll go first."

A slow, deep sigh came from the frost demon and he closed his eyes. For a few seconds, he remained quiet and unmoving. Then his eyes abruptly opened and he let out a loud and powerful yell. A red aura began to flare up around Cero as he started to power up. His muscles tensed as his power surged through him and made his body go rigid as he harnessed himself. His orange eyes narrowed and focused on Sorbet's puny form. It would certainly feel good to spar with his former foe.

Sorbet maintained a stony expression, showing that he wouldn't be swayed or intimidated by Cero's mounting power. His scouter beeped as it registered the activity but he hardly paid any attention to it as he stared him down. He had a feeling he would enjoy this spar. A small smile appeared on his blue face and he waited for his opponent to stop powering up.

A minute or two later, Cero finished his power up. A slight red aura flickered and licked at his form and there was a confident yet serene smile being borne to Sorbet. The Arcosian chuckled and folded his arms across his chest.

"Would you like a turn?" he asked.

"There's no need," Sorbet retorted.

"Suit yourself."

Cero wasted no time and lashed his tail out with the intent to constrict around one of his opponent's limbs and throw him off to the side to startle and disorient him. He wasn't sure what this sparring partner was going to bring to the table but he knew he had to be wary and not lose. For the moment, he decided that remaining offensive would prove to be the best defense and prevent Sorbet from acting as he kept him on his toes.

However, his plan was quickly foiled as Sorbet performed an afterimage and manifested behind Cero. When he did that, he struck out with his foot and kicked the Arcosian in between the shoulder blades.

The taller fighter wasn't deterred by this attack and quickly performed a back flip, swatting his opponent with his tail in the process and sending him flying back a few feet. Sorbet quickly caught himself and quickly fired a hailstorm of small, purple energy blasts at Cero. The other warrior batted them aside with his hands and while he was occupied with the flurry of blasts, Sorbet fired a large energy wave.

"Clever," Cero mentally noted.

He managed to move out of the way before the wave could reach him. After dodging that attack, Cero made a beeline for his sparring partner and sped towards him as he charged an energy sphere in his left hand. As he came closer, the sphere grew larger and brighter and he readied himself to hurtle it at Sorbet.

Sorbet flinched at the growing luminosity of the snow white orb and was forced to squint as he tried to keep wary and careful to see what Cero would exactly do. He fired another energy wave but it proved to be a vain effort as the Arcosian simply dodged it. To rectify that situation, he merely started to move away as the light continued to grow brighter and obscured his vision and Cero's figure more. Undoubtedly, it was a distraction and a hindrance that the other was attempting to use to disorient and confuse him.

"Flashbang Blast!" Cero exclaimed as he announced his attack.

Grunting, he tossed the white orb at Sorbet. The other alien quickly debated over either weathering out the attack or attempt to deflect it. Sorbet ended up deciding on the latter and struck it with the intention to bat it away. Once he had done that, the orb exploded, causing a loud, ear shattering explosion that also temporarily blinded him with the brightness. He cringed at the disorienting sensations, leaving him open and vulnerable.

"Damn you!" he yelled as he covered his eyes and hunched in midair.

He then felt Cero's fist collide with the back of his head and he was sent falling to the ground below at a rapid rate. His vision was still white and the violent ringing in his ears persisted but the added pain from the punch only annoyed him even more. A second later, Sorbet crashed into the earth, creating a small cloud of dust from his landing.

Sleet only could smile as he witnessed his uncle gaining the upper hand so far in the spar. He folded his arms across his chest and he smirked. His eyes narrowed as he studied the prone and recovering form of Sorbet.

"Uncle, it looks like you won," the Arcosian lad said. He knew the fight wasn't over but he primarily uttered those words to anger the military leader.

Sorbet snarled as he heard that come from Sleet's mouth. Though he was annoyed and angered, he restrained himself from launching an attack at the boy, knowing that he didn't want to sever and ruin the alliance he solidified with Cero. Not only that, his frustration was going to be directed to his true opponent, not the spectator.

He stood up on his feet and removed his damaged scouter once he saw that its visor had shattered from the impact. His vision began to return to him and the ringing started to subside slowly but surely. He had to admit it was a crafty and well placed maneuver and he had no idea of its capabilities until it had detonated when he touched it. Clearly, Cero wasn't going to be as easy as he had assumed he would be at first.

"Good," Sorbet compliment, "very good. I like that tactic."

"Well, thank you," Cero said as some arrogance tainted his smirk. "I like that little trick myself. It's handy and people always underestimate it."

"I did and I won't make that mistake again. There's a reason why I've held power over Frieza's armies after his death. I'm not someone who had bought their position or manipulated their way to the top. I may be small and may look puny but that will cost you. I will avoid fighting if I can but if I have to do it, then I certainly will!"

Sorbet only laughed softly and then began to charge up. His purple aura engulfed his form as he tilted his head back and cried out, calling upon all his inner strength to use it against his former foe.

Cero only readied himself and waited for his opponent to finish power up, eager to see him fight at his full strength and reciprocate the privilege Sorbet had given him at the start of the fight. Although the frost demon couldn't detect energy, he could tell that he was indeed getting more powerful and was aware he needed to be on guard. They were equals in power but if he was too careless, it could cost him his pride and the fight.

It didn't take long for the blue alien to finish his powering up and he quickly teleported from Cero's sight. The other combatant was caught off guard by this significant boost in speed and looked in all directions as he struggled to pinpoint where Sorbet had gone. He entered a defensive posture as he readied himself for anything that he might dish out.

That plan was quickly foiled however as he could see a shadow suddenly being cast over him. When Cero defensively lashed his tail out to bat away Sorbet, he was shocked when the other fighter grasped onto that appendage. He then felt himself being spun around madly in a circle and then being released. As he was sent careening through the air, he could feel two feet slam into the middle of his spine. Cero felt his whole body go numb from that blow and he could hardly control himself for a few seconds as his motor systems temporarily faltered.

"Give up!" Sorbet taunted.

Cero couldn't recover in enough time and another paralyzing kick sent him reeling out of the sky and straight to the ground below. He yelled as he fell helplessly, his body still seized by pain and temporarily unable to feel his limbs. He collapsed in a heap only a few feet away from his nephew, startling the young frost demon in the process.

"Uncle, get up!" Sleet urged. He knelt down beside his form and attempted to help him stand back up on his feet. "You can't be beaten or give up just yet!"

"I-I'm fine…" Cero assured his family member. "I was just foolish and I paid the price."

He allowed Sleet to hoist him up as he could still feel his body tingling from the crippling kicks. The elder felt no shame in having his nephew assist him and he even felt a little touched that he was concerned for his honor and wellbeing. As Sleet attempted to position him upright, he could feel his body starting to recover and he felt that he had control of his limbs again.

Upon seeing his strength returning, Sleet released him and stood aside to allow Cero to fight again. Sleet growled within his throat at the whole incident, feeling angered that Sorbet would dare to strike him like that. It was true that it was a fight and anything could go but he still felt as if Cero didn't deserve such a blow. The small frost demon held his family member in the highest regard and he looked up to him. His uncle was the ideal model to him and he yearned to be like him when he grew up.

"Touching," Sorbet commented as he watched the duo.

"Pardon me for caring for my uncle," Sleet said in a snide and displeased tone. "Thanks to your precious Lord Frieza, he's all I have left!"

"Let's not bring this up," Cero chastised his nephew. "Silence, Sleet."

"Are we going to continue this fight?" Sorbet pressed. "If you want to quit, you can but I'll be declared the victor."

Cero only shook his head and his red aura flared to life once again around him. He looked back at his opponent sternly and popped some vertebrae in his neck. He let out a sigh of relief from the satisfying sensation and a smile began to show on his face, giving another sign that he wasn't going to backing down just yet. He still wanted to go on and he wasn't going to be so easily defeated. It'd be too easy and even too cowardly to quit. Everyone needed to be stronger if they wanted to survive for whenever the dreaded tyrant would make his inevitable return…

(…)

Goten and Trunks both halted their training when they sensed something.

They ceased the close quarter combat they were engaged in but they remained in their Super Saiyan states. Their blue-green eyes stared off to the horizon, feeling that someone was indeed approaching them. The two little powerhouses remained hovering in place and continued to gaze off, quietly surveying the power that radiated from this soul. They felt dread as the power drew nearer, enabling them to recognize it in no time at all. It felt evil and overwhelming… They almost felt as if it was crushing them before this intruder could even stand before them.

"Trunks," Goten almost whispered, "you feel that, right?"

The eldest hybrid could only stare ahead as he could hardly believe he was going to be cut down this early. Panic started to grip him but Trunks refused to give in to that fear just yet. Not only that, he and his friend had already planned without their mothers' knowledge to confront the tyrannical bio-android one day. But despite that plan, he was concerned as to why he was approaching them. He knew that Cell planned on challenging them to a fight to the death one day but he thought he would give them both more time to build up their strength.

"Yeah, Goten, I do," Trunks nodded.

"What should we do?" the younger half-Saiyan asked. "We're not strong enough, should we hide our power and run off?"

"I'm not a coward and I'm not afraid of him!" The son of Vegeta hardened his gaze and entered a defensive stance.

"Trunks, don't be crazy! We're still kids and we're not strong enough! We're Super Saiyans like our dads but we're still not ready! I can feel his power, it's too much! I told you we shouldn't have flown out of the city to go train!"

As soon as the other boy was about to argue with Goten, they nearly reeled back in terror as Cell had suddenly teleported before them. Trunks' eyes widened and he visibly flinched while Goten cried out in surprise at the unexpected appearance.

"Goten!" Cell exclaimed. "Look at how you've grown! The last time I saw you, you were only a few minutes old! You're the spitting image of your father too! I bet he would've been so proud to see you now."

Goten couldn't say anything in reply and all he could really do was hover in place and gawk at Cell. He knew he should've been angry and eager to challenge him since he killed his brother and father before he was even born but he was also afraid of dying prematurely at the monster's hands. More than anything else, he wanted to surrender and convince Cell that they both were not ready to fight. They needed more time to go above and beyond the level of a Super Saiyan. At this time, they were still pitiful and weak in comparison to him.

Cell found himself amused that he could feel the apprehension and terror radiating from Goten while Trunks was trying his damndest to put on a brave and confrontational front before him. He eyed the two boys, quietly surveying their power. This was the first time he personally confronted them since they were infants and he could see that they had made leaps and bounds in their short lives thus far. From afar, he could sense their power as they trained but he wanted to see where exactly they were at. Obviously they were Super Saiyans but Cell yearned to see how close they were to Gohan's level at his death.

"It's good to see you're alive and well too, Trunks," he said. "My, you remind so much of Vegeta…maybe it's that look on your face. It looks like you want to rip my head off."

"You're damn right I do!" Trunks retorted with a snide grin. "I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to everyone!"

"Yeah, whatever…" Cell brushed off his threats and rolled his eyes. "Now, I know that your mothers told you of your future and you know what's going to happen. Don't you worry just yet. I'm still going to give you plenty of time to train so we can have our little fight. It's nice that you're Super Saiyans but I want something more than that. I felt that you two were alone so I decided to track you down and speak to you so your harpy-like mothers wouldn't screech at me. I'm here for one thing and one thing only."

"Spit it out or I'll send my fist right through that ugly face of yours!"

"What a little spitfire you are, Trunks!" Cell only ignored his words and placed his hands on his hips as he stared them down. "I'm here to test your power. I want to see where you are exactly."

Goten eyed Cell curiously, wondering if what he just heard was true. He still held his ground as he certainly didn't trust the genetically engineered terror. He suspected he might be up to something but what exactly, he wasn't so sure.

"Hit me with everything you got," Cell said. "Put all of your power into one blow and show me what you have!"

Without hesitation and in the blink of an eye, Trunks dashed forward at an incredibly fast speed. He vaulted himself forward and fiercely jabbed the bio-android directly in his stomach. Just as his father's murderer had encouraged, he put all of his energy and his rage in the punch and didn't hold back in the slightest. When he had struck him, he was fully confident in his power and had expected Cell to buckle before his might.

"Really?"

The elder boy's eyes widened upon hearing the condescending disappointment and boredom in Cell's voice. Yet Trunks would not be so easily deterred and he would avenge his father.

"Shut up!" Trunks spat.

Grunting with effort, Trunks drove his fist deeper into the creature's abdomen, hoping he would at least leave some mark or damage. To his mounting horror and anger, his fist didn't even seem to budge or make an impression on this living punching bag. Again and again, he punched, each attempt becoming more desperate and fevered than the last.

"Dammit!" he swore. "It's no good!"

Goten could only look on, disbelieving that this was really happening. He knew that Trunks was stronger than him and he also knew that Cell was certainly powerful but he had no true concept of it until that moment. If Trunks had punched him with that power, he'd be crippled and doubled over in pain. But as his friend continued to punch Cell, the bio-android started laughing at his vain efforts. When he did that, the younger Super Saiyan slightly shrunk back.

"Alright, that's enough from you," Cell smirked.

"No, I can't give up!" Trunks yelled irately.

The green man begged to differ on the other hand. He merely raised a hand and swatted Trunks away, sending him careening to the ground below. Like a hawk, he watched as Trunks didn't seem to react to being struck and had no control of his own movement as he continued to fall. His smile grew as he watched the boy crashed violently into the ground, creating a crater in the process and sending soil and rubble dispersing from the collision.

"Tell your mother I said 'hi'," he said.

Goten could only watch in horror as he saw this incident before his very eyes. His eyes widened hugely as he saw Trunks get cast aside as if he was an annoying and petty fly. It all happened in the blink of an eye and Cell had struck out at him with such speed that he could barely process what had happened. All he knew was that his friend was sent racing to the ground a few hundred feet below. When he saw him crash into the ground, he observed how Trunks made no movement and seemed to be totally unresponsive, almost looking as if he was dead.

"Oh my gosh, Trunks!" Goten cried out in fear and worry.

The little boy sped to the solid ground below to aid his wounded and battered comrade. It didn't matter to him anymore that Cell was right beside him and could do the exact same thing to him. All that mattered to him was trying to help Trunks.

Within no time at all, he was at his side and as Goten started to kneel beside him, Trunks' aura dissipated and the gold color had left his hair and was replaced by his natural, lavender hair color. Upon seeing this reversion to his resting state, Goten immediately assumed the worst and could feel tears licking at his eyes. He began to panic and started to believe that he really was gone and was left alone with the monster.

"Trunks, no!" he begged as he shook him. "Don't die! Please, hang in there! I'll get you to your mom!"

"Oh, please, he's fine," Cell said as he alighted slowly next to the crater. He peered into the hole, glaring at Goten as he still wore his sickening smile. "If you bothered to check, you can still feel his energy. He's still alive. I merely slapped the Super Saiyan out of him when he annoyed me."

He took a moment just to see if he could feel his energy and confirm that he was still alive. Goten took a huge sigh of relief as he could feel that Trunks was indeed alive but his power was quite low. While he had survived the encounter, it was more than likely he had some broken bones and was going to feel very sore once he regained consciousness.

"You jerk!" Goten angrily exclaimed. He turned around and hopped out of the depression in the ground. His eyes narrowed at Cell. "You almost killed Trunks!"

"There's that fire in you, good!" Cell laughed and sneered back at the surviving son of Goku. "I was hoping that would trigger you and motivate you to give me your best shot. I must admit I'm disappointed that I could almost smell that fear coming from you. Your father would be so ashamed of you."

The insult had stung him much more than he thought it would. Goten had held his brother and father in high regard and he greatly admired them and their efforts to try to save the world. He had always wished he could see them with his own eyes and he felt cheated over the knowledge they couldn't be brought back with the dragon balls and have their second chance.

A growl came from Goten and he clenched his fists as she began to size his much larger and more powerful opponent up. The smarmy tone in Cell's voice and the arrogant and cruel smile he wore only made him angrier and more motivated to attack. Yet he still held back, not wanting to bother as he knew it would be pointless to do any damage to him.

"You have the Saiyan blood and capabilities but here you are, constricted by fear," Cell noted. "You know…you remind me of when Gohan didn't want to fight. He was so afraid and reluctant."

"Shut up, don't talk about my big brother!" the small warrior fumed.

"Do you know why he died? Do you know why he failed and doomed the universe? It's because he was too weak and he couldn't hold a candle up to my brilliant design! Are you going be that weak like him too? If you are, then you have no purpose to live."

"I'm going to get stronger with Trunks and we're going to send you to Otherworld! When you're there, you can get beaten up forever by my dad, Trunks' dad, Gohan and everyone for eternity!"

Cell laughed loudly at Goten's words and wiped an imaginary tear away from his eye. He hardly gave any notice to the swelling fury burning brightly within the boy and his climbing power level.

"That's a good joke, kid," he chuckled. "Do you do standup routines when you're not training?"

"Take this!" the golden haired warrior proclaimed.

As soon as those words left Goten's mouth, he lifted one of his feet and dashed forward. Goten directed all his power into the tip of his foot and focused all of his energy in the blow he had in mind.

Not even a second later, he landed a kick directly on Cell's pelvic region. His foot collided with the black bio-gem and Goten smirked as he landed the blow, expecting the monster to shrilly cry out and buckle from the unexpected, cheap yet albeit clever hit. He was confident that this blow would bring him to his knees.

To his horror, however, this seemed to do absolutely nothing. Cell didn't even flinch and he appeared to be entirely unaffected from Goten's attack. The boy dared to turn his eyes up to the bio-android's face. When he did that, all he was met with was an unpleasant and displeased scowl from Cell.

"You little punk," he hissed.

Before Goten could even begin to regret landing a blow there, Cell grabbed him by his hair. His fingers dug through his locks and grasped him by his very roots, eliciting a very anguished and painful cry from the youngster. He then proceeded to launch a single punch into Goten's stomach, causing the boy to expel blood and spittle from his maw from the blow.

Though Cell had managed to control himself in his anger and restrain himself from punching Goten repeatedly, he got some satisfaction as his solitary, watered down blow took its toll on his body. He could see the child struggling to cope with the agonizing, debilitating pain but it proved to be too much for him. He watched as his eyes turned to their black irises once more and his hair became dark again as the Super Saiyan state had been temporarily knocked out of him. After he had regressed, Goten lapsed into unconsciousness and went limp in Cell's grip.

"Serves you right," he huffed indignantly.

Unceremoniously, he tossed Goten's form into the crater, allowing him to land on top of Trunks. Quietly, he studied their unmoving forms, evaluating their levels and just how much power they had.

"Looks like they're roughly equal," he noted. "Trunks is a bit stronger than Goten but when Goten got mad, he was around his friend's caliber. Of course they couldn't damage me but I could certainly feel their power. I'd say they're a little under their fathers. That can change with a few more training sessions though. They might make it to the next level if they train hard enough or are motivated enough. Not bad. But I expect much more if I want my inevitable fight. For now, I suppose I should be happy that they can turn Super Saiyan."

He would need to wait longer. Luckily, Cell was rather patient and he would happily give them more time to improve themselves and in return present him with an amusing challenge. Within the next decade or so, he expected them to improve massively and then see what would happen from there. He knew they were certainly motivated to train and better themselves; his continued existence was all the drive and desire they needed. Sooner or later, they would be ready and he would be all too happy to have a fulfilling fight and then finish them off as he had done to their family members and friends.

Then another thought had occurred to him in that moment. He smirked and turned his head to the direction where his island sanctuary lied, thousands of miles away. Cell focused his senses more and he could easily pick out an energy signature from that great distance.

"She's nowhere near their league," he told himself. "She's definitely made progress but she's no Super Saiyan. If I pitted her against them, they'd kill her in no time. More training and progress will change that. They've had a head start but that's fine. I'll be the one to kill them."

Cell looked over at the knocked out half-Saiyans one more time and then levitated up into the air. He knew their mothers would undoubtedly be furious that he attacked their children but he hoped that they would be grateful that he at least spared them for now.

"Ah, that's right!" he said out loud. "I was gathering things for them before I decided to take this little side trip. At least I can get it done faster than they could."