Cell finds a space to hide out, a back computer room at Domino City University. A temporary staying, but the location is ideal for if they needed something close. His holo-generator's condition worsens from its own malfunctions, and his body has become transparent. Though shutting himself down for now would slow the damage, the possibility of being caught was great.
The computer lab's door slowly opens with a loud creak. Cell quickly turns towards the door and stands perfectly still.
"I know you're in here..." says a voice. A figure enters the room and walks slowly pass the computers.
Cell doesn't recognize this person, but stays hidden.
The stranger finds a glimmering object on one of the desks, the Millennium Necklace. Yami Bakura laughs, "This confirms it. Where are you hiding?"
"What do you want, child?" questions Cell's echo.
"Well, this for starters."
"You can't have it."
"What use would you have with it? I saw you earlier... In the park, and on the news. Interesting how it has changed now for you to be hiding in shadows," says Bakura as he turns to face a certain area.
Cell comes out, still transparent but visible enough. "If you think I'm weaker now..." he threatens.
Bakura grins, "If you were weak, then I wouldn't be here. I wish to help you..."
"Why?"
"We have the same enemies but different goals. My goal is something you have no use for, the Millennium Items."
"What do you propose?"
"My services of course. You guys really stand out anywhere you go." Bakura forces a holo-generator from his duel disk, "This is what you need, isn't it? And next, I'll show you that the shadows can be your best friend..."
Vegeta continues to pursue Frieza and Cooler after they stole equipment from KaibaCorp. He's catching up, only about ten yards behind now on the straight path.
-Where are you two going!- thinks Vegeta. -We've passed this place already.-
"I think we've traveled far enough," says Frieza as he descends for a rooftop. He drops the cases he was carrying without slowing down his speed too much. But once he gets back up into the air, Vegeta tackles him, causing them to roll through the air.
Cooler descends to another rooftop and drops his cargo there. He then heads into battle to help his brother.
Vegeta and Frieza struggle for the upper hand. Vegeta manages to toss Frieza over him, so to take on the other brother. Cooler checks the Saiyan back hard and almost slamming through a office window. Vegeta leaps out of the way as Frieza's death beam blast just misses him and does hit the office building.
"This is going to be entertaining," smiles Cooler.
Frieza laughs, "Maybe we'll be able to get the others to come in join the fun."
Vegeta growls, "I don't need the others to help me take you down!"
"It's not to help you, but save you!" Cooler fires a ki blast at the Saiyan, but Vegeta backhands it away before charging in at Cooler.
Vegeta punches Cooler hard in the face, causing him to moan in pain. Vegeta grunts again to deliver another punch with the same hand. And then a strong hook to knock the alien away.
Frieza dives down with a kick, just missing Vegeta. Both go to strike and collide forearms. Both lunge back and fire a ki blast. The resulting collision causes an echoing bang. Both fighters collide again.
-
Piccolo's eyes suddenly open.
The entire hospital room vibrates from the noise, very faint but noticeable. "What's going on now?" asks Marik. "Can anyone else hear it?"
"I feel something moving the floor," replies Yugi.
Piccolo lowers his feet to the floor from his meditation state and stands perfectly still.
"You sense something, Piccolo?" asks Gohan.
Another vibration happens, still very faint.
"Some kind of explosive force..." says Piccolo. "Almost directly east of here."
"It's just buildings, shops, home, and the ocean," replies Joey. "Why would there be explosions out there?"
Piccolo heads to the window, which faces west, and opens it.
"Where are you going?" asks Goku.
"I have a bad feeling about this... You two can do what you want." Piccolo takes off through the window.
"Just make sure to call for help if you need it!" yells Gohan.
"HUSH!" whispers Joey loudly.
-
Piccolo flies towards the disturbance. "Hm?" he notices the flashes of light ahead. "This doesn't look good."
-
"We got company..." says Cooler.
Frieza looks in the same direction as his brother. "Well, you can take care of that one."
"Come on!" yells Vegeta, "I don't need a greater advantage! HA!" Vegeta fires a large ki blast at the two, both barely dodge it.
-
Piccolo stops advancing when he sees the ki blast fly onward. "Trouble..."
There is a breeze of wind from behind him, causing his cape to flutter. "You don't know how much," smiles Cooler.
Piccolo quickly swings his arm for a backhand attack, but Cooler grabs the arm and counters with a strong kick. Piccolo recovers a short distance away.
Cooler powers up and charges in. Right at the moment of contact, Piccolo removes his cape and turban, and captures Cooler inside the cape. He swings around twice before throwing Cooler against a building. Cooler tears through the cape after impact, which then fades out.
"Clever..." smiles Cooler. He charges out at the Namekian.
Piccolo dodges hard and fires a ki blast at Cooler. But the blast misses the alien greatly.
"Your aim is greatly off," taunts Cooler.
Piccolo smiles, "Who said I missed?"
"Huh?"
-
The hospital room suddenly shakes hard from another vibration. Joey yells from being caught off guard.
"That definitely was bad," says Goku. "Something hit the building."
"Think Frieza and Cooler followed us here?" asks Yugi.
"Better go check to see what that was," says Gohan as he goes out the window.
"We'll make sure that nothing happens to this building," says Goku. "No reason to fear." He flies out as well.
Yugi looks at Marik and Joey. "You guys think we should stay here while they're out there? I mean, what if it is them, and Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo need us to be out there with them?"
Joey shakes his head, "If there is danger, I don't wanna be--."
"You're right," interrupts Marik, with anger in his eyes. "If it is them, we better make sure that they stop hurting people."
Yugi nods, "But what about leaving your sister here."
"It's not like she can come with us," thinks Joey out loud.
"She'll be alright with the staff here," replies Marik. "Besides, I doubt that me being here by her side is something we wanted me to do with what's going on."
Yugi nods again, "Come on, let's go." He leaves the room, Joey follows him.
Before Marik leaves after standing up however, he takes another look down at his unconscious sister. "I'll be with you... even when I'm far away... Please, wake up soon, Ishizu..." he says with a few tears in his eyes and a sign of anger towards her condition. He runs out of the room to catch up to the others.
-
Vegeta continues his raging assault on Frieza, but his rage causes him to misjudge and Frieza to get the occasional open hit.
Vegeta grunts as he swings for another punch at Frieza, but the alien twists to dodge it and uses his tail to know the Saiyan away hard. Vegeta recovers and holds his arm, "Damn you..."
Frieza laughs and smiles at his foe.
"Hey! Frieza!" yells Goku's voice. Frieza turns around. "You're going to pay for what you did!" yells Goku in anger.
"Stay out of this, Kakarot!" yells Vegeta. "Frieza's mine!"
"Vegeta! You can't take him on alone!" yells Gohan, just beside his father.
There is another's laugh. "This is quite entertaining," smiles Cell as he hovers downward to their level. He's now in perfect working order. "Think I can join in."
Vegeta growls. "Scratch what I said! You can have Frieza, I want Cell instead!"
Cooler flies up to just behind Cell, but is unaware of what's going on. Piccolo comes in too, but away from everyone so to have them all in his sights.
"We still have you three out numbered," says Gohan
Cell laughs, "I doubt the odds would matter in a moment."
"SHUT UP!" yells Vegeta as he charges in to strike Cell. Cell manages to block the attack partially.
The other five enter the fray of battle.
-
Yami Bakura watches the battle a fair distance away from atop an old cement building. He holds his Millennium Ring out forward slightly with his right hand. "Time to show them how these Millennium Items can be useful for them." It flashes then glows with its dark energy...
-
Yugi, Joey, and Marik finally make it out of the hospital building. "Up there!" Joey points up amongst the buildings at the flying figures.
"Are the two that hurt Ishizu up there?" asks Marik with signs of anger.
"I think so," replies Yugi.
-Yugi,- says Yami's consciousness. -I sense something... something dark. I think it's best we switch."
-Right!- The Millennium Puzzle glows around Yugi's neck, "YU-GI-OH!" Yugi's body and face shifts to Yami's appearance.
"Pharaoh!" gasps Marik.
"What's--" Yami suddenly winces.
"What's wrong, Yug?" asks Joey.
-
The sky darkens further, turning the pre-dusk horizon back into moonless night.
"Huh?" Piccolo notices the change almost instantly. "What's wrong with the sky?"
Goku and Gohan notice it too. Vegeta is too focused on another matter to notice anything.
-
Bakura laughs. "Now, show us all what power you have..."
-
"It feels like we're in a Shadow Duel..." says Yami, overcoming the pain of its presence entirely.
"Someone is misusing a Millennium Item then," concludes Marik. "But do you think it's related to the fight up there?"
"I'm not sure... But it's too great a coincidence to be one."
"Wait," says Joey. "Weren't Shadow Realm occurrences just small domes and stuff? I don't see anything that looks like one."
"Perhaps it's being amplified somehow, and we're in it," suggests Marik.
"Maybe... it has been amplified by the night itself..." thinks Yami out loud.
-
The combat fury continues above the city. Flashes of ki blasts light up the sky rather than stars.
Vegeta charges in at Cell, but Cell counters with an elbow attack to his nose. Vegeta moves back in pain, but something felt different, even surprising Cell. Vegeta closely removes his hand away from his nose... his bloody nose. Vegeta looks at his gloved hand in surprise. "I'm... bleeding..." he said when he sees a few specs of blood on one finger.
"Huh?" Piccolo heard Vegeta and stops.
"How can I bleed!" says Vegeta in anger.
Cell's expression turns back into a smile. "So, this is what he meant. The powers of the Shadow Realm..."
"The what!" yells Piccolo. "WHOA!" he yells as Cooler gets the sneak attack on him, knocking him away.
Vegeta growls and throws a fast ki blast at Cell. It misses and hits the building, hard. The building actually fragments more from the blast.
Gohan gets knocked away by Frieza, and Goku charges in for the attack. Frieza blocks the blow just barely, and pushes the Saiyan back. "Death Beam!" Frieza fires a laser from his finger tip. Goku dodges it, but it hits another building, breaking a few large windows on it.
"Whoa!" gasps Goku. "We have to tone this down. People are going to get hurt!"
"Ha! You go down then!" Frieza fires another Death Beam at Goku.
Gohan locks Frieza's arms from behind. Frieza tries to shake him off.
Cooler and Piccolo face off against each other. Both suddenly charge in at each other. After the first collision, both disappear from sight. Their speed increased as well from the Shadow Realm's presence.
All seven start to show signs of their fights, from fatigue to bruising. The strange Shadow energy has made this fight more dangerous, it has made its fighters real...
-
-How can we stop this!- thinks Yami.
-
Bakura grins widely. Then his expression changes, "Huh?"
Sunlight starts to pierce through the dark sky.
"Damn," says Bakura. "Oh well, that was a good demonstration." His Millennium Ring stops glowing.
The horizon suddenly brightens, revealing the sun had come above the horizon a short moment ago.
-
"It's morning," says Joey.
-
Vegeta and Cell break from their fight for the moment. Vegeta suddenly realizes that his bloody glove is now clean.
Cell looks at the sun. "Looks like we're done here."
"What do you mean?" questions Cooler.
"We have to meet someone. Let's go."
"You aren't going anywhere!" yells Vegeta. He charges back in again.
Cooler heads back to the rooftop where he dropped his cases.
Frieza evades his battle. Gohan starts to pursue but Goku stops him, "Not now, Gohan."
"Huh? Why?"
"We've caused enough damage. If they want to go peacefully, let them."
Frieza goes to his cases, picking them up, and heads off. Vegeta quickly fires a shot at him, and he accidentally drops them.
"You're not getting away that easily!" yells Vegeta.
Frieza follows the cases downward, catching up to them. Vegeta aligns himself above. "GALLIC GUN!" Vegeta yells as he fires his attack directly down at Frieza.
The alien overlord accelerates as fast as he can after the cases as the blast catches up faster to him. About twenty feet above the street, he grabs onto both cases, quickly does a ninety degree turn, and flies off level to the street.
"Damn it!" curses Vegeta.
"It's okay, Vegeta," says Goku.
"No, it isn't! I was made a fool of! And worse yet, I was sent here to get what they stole, and guess what, Kakarot! They still have it!"
"Calm down," says Piccolo.
"Yeah, it's better that one of us weren't damaged or destroyed in that battle," says Gohan.
Vegeta turns to leave. He mutters something before flying back to KaibaCorp.
-
Bakura watches the Saiyan Prince leave the area from his position...
"It's over?" asks Joey.
"Looks like it," replies Marik.
Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo land on the paved parking lot. "They're gone," reports Piccolo.
"What was that all about?" asks Yami.
"Don't know," replies Goku. "But it was weird..."
"How so?"
"During the last few minutes, what was happening wasn't making sense to us," says Gohan.
"Yeah. We were all faster, stronger, and we had alot more energy."
"Not to mention what Vegeta experienced," added Piccolo.
Goku and Gohan look at the Namekian as well. "What happened with him?" asks Gohan.
"He bled. Not much, but he did."
Everyone is surprised and confused by it.
"Maybe it's some sort of animation with your programs," suggests Marik.
"Do we have one like that?" asks Goku as he scratches his head.
"We can find out when we go see Kaiba," says Yami. "We're supposed to meet him this morning."
Joey yawns a little bit. "Can we get something to eat? Preferably something with alot of sugar to keep me awake today?"
A few laugh in response.
Piccolo's turban and cape materialize in his hands and he puts them on. He then stares at the horizon, thinking about what happened earlier.
-Was that really the Shadow Realm you sensed?- asks Yugi's consciousness.
-I'm not entirely sure. It felt like it... I'm not sure what to make of it.-
-Well, maybe the one who created merely expanded a Shadow Realm to a greater size.-
-That could be.-
-And if that is true, then the reason it didn't feel like one was because it was stretched to cover a greater area.-
-Yeah. But that brings up another question. If what we saw during the fight was from only due to a low-density of the Shadow Realm's presence... what powers and strength will these fighters... and their enemies have when the Shadow Realm's power is at its peak...-