Disclaimer
All original content is owned by Akira Toriyama and his affiliates.
Chapter 13:
Cell had been sitting cross legged in one of his infinite and imperfect rooms while in a deep meditative state. Feeling the presence of two powerful beings enter his space his pulled out of his self-fulfilling training. Quickly rousing to his visitors, his eyes opened just in time to see them materialize several feet in front of him and outside a further broken and severely charred doorway. He casually stood up and at his full height took a few seconds to study them. A small but sinister smile fell across his face.
"If you are my executioners, your power seems rather small to me," he said politely but with intended insult.
"You are the being known as Cell, yes?" Supreme Kai spoke trying to remain calm and collected. Luckily his voice did not show the nervousness he was feeling inside of him.
"I am," Cell replied as he crossed his arms at chest level and eyed the two visitors with pure curiosity. "To whom do I have the honor of speaking with?"
"I am the Supreme Kai who oversees the affairs of the universe. You may call me by that or you can keep it short and call me Shin," Supreme Kai stated.
"Supreme Kai? I was vaguely aware of the one called King Kai, who I killed not too long ago, but I didn't know he was just a pawn," Cell said matter-of-factly but with pure confusion showing in his face.
"YOU KILLED A KAI?! Do you have any idea how reprehensible such an act is?!" Kibito shouted without warning and began sliding into a fighting stance.
"KIBITO!" Shin called to his attendant sharply and caught both Kibito and Cell by surprise.
"Restrain yourself and show some manners of your own!" Shin continued with a lower but still fierce voice.
"Sir, this cannot go ignored!" Kibito contested.
"This being is in a Hell that fits his punishment. He will atone for his crimes for millennia to come. It is enough," Shin stated with a commanding tone to put the matter to rest. Kibito reluctantly withdrew from his fighting stance but remained on guard regardless.
Cell smirked with amusement and said, "Well, it seems I've made quite an impression so why are you here to see me?"
Shin gave a quick cough before replying, "Being the Supreme Kai, I am essentially tasked with the creation of all things in the universe so I want to know more about your origin."
"And why should I tell you anything about myself that King Yemma most likely already told you?" Cell replied coyly.
"Simple. From what he told me and what I can already gauge of you, you like an audience, which helps put you in a position of superiority, and you definitely fit the type of being who is proud of their own personal accomplishments. I'm guessing the name "Frieza" would come to mind in that regard," Shin explained.
"Hmph, you must be gifted with a unique power to figure all that out so quickly," Cell replied with a laugh even though he felt a little unnerved by the quick and well-founded judgement.
Shin smiled in return and added, "Maybe, but I've seen lesser beings that have similar personalities to your own. Also, I'm quite sure you have an open schedule ahead with no pressing issues so you are free to tell everything you see fit."
Cell narrowed his eyes at Shin out of disdain for a brief moment but quickly smiled with a devilish grin and said, "Very well. You are right in stating that I like a captive audience so I shall regale you and your attendant with tales of my origin."
Shin gave a nod of approval while Kibito just stared at Cell with an expressionless face.
Cell took that as his cue and still smiling he said, "To begin, what do you know about time travel?"
With a small but still somewhat satisfying meal in his stomach, Gohan was happy to hear his mother say that they should get on with the day and go for a walk around the area. They had made their way to the front of the building and heard the distant echo of a bell signaling the end of class and the start of lunch.
"Thank you for giving Gohan an opportunity to further his education at Orange Star Middle School," Chi-Chi said with high spirits as she shook hands with Mr. Clip.
"No, thank you for bringing him to our attention! I never knew of a young man with such a high capacity for learning!" Mr. Clip replied with a huge smile.
Mr. Clip turned to Gohan and said, "What do you think, Gohan? Is this school to your liking?"
A little embarrassed but grateful for the compliment Gohan replied, "Yes, sir. I look forward to being one of your students!"
"That's the spirit!" Mr. Clip replied with a chuckle. "I'll be in touch with you and your mom over the coming weeks as we get student schedules organized. Enjoy your time in the city and we'll see you again soon."
"Thank you Mr. Clip," Chi-Chi said as Gohan shook hands with him. "Let's go for a little walk before heading downtown Gohan."
Gohan nodded and he and his mom turned to walk outside the school while Mr. Clip stood and waved them off. "I forgot to ask what kind of vehicle they used to get here from so far away. Oh well, I'll be sure to bring it up when next we meet."
As they walked in the direction that took them downtown, Gohan became increasingly uncomfortable wearing his suit and the belt over his tail. "I really need to get out of this suit. It's too hot outside and the belt is really giving me a weird sort of tail wedgie."
"Mom, I'm starting to feel hot and sweaty walking around in these clothes. Can we change out when we find a place to eat?" Gohan asked.
"I'm aware that it's uncomfortable but it makes a good impression to the people around us," Chi-Chi replied sternly.
"I know Mom but I think my sweat is leaking through the clothes. I don't want to ruin them. Plus, I brought a change of clothes that's more comfy for the heat. I even pulled out one of your outfits in case you felt the same," he pressed on trying to not sound like he wasn't just whining.
The ploy of sweat wearing out his suit worked because Chi-Chi took one look at his clothes and hers and realized Gohan was right. "Alright, I see your point. We'll use the restroom at the first restaurant we see for the rest of your lunch. I hope you didn't bring your gi as a second outfit though."
Feeling relieved inside he replied, "Thanks Mom! And no I brought normal clothes to wear."
The sound of a large engine emanated from behind them and Chi-Chi turned to notice that the city bus was coming down the street by them. Thinking on her feet, she signaled for the bus to pick them up since they were really close to a nearby bus stop.
"Why don't we cool off and hitch a ride downtown?" She said to Gohan smiling.
"I guess that would be better than walking downtown," Gohan replied.
Luck was on their side as the bus was heading downtown after all. Not ten minutes later they found themselves near the center of Satan City and conveniently next to a cozy and quiet looking restaurant that Chi-Chi took immediate approval of. As they got off the bus they looked around and took in the site of some of the fairly tall buildings around them. There were many buildings ranging from different hues of pink to blue in the near vicinity with mostly glass floors. They had box and cylindrical shapes but one large white building stood out among the rest as it had stone columns underneath a large but perfectly designed triangle shaped overhang. Taking a closer look, Chi-Chi noticed that it said Satan Bank in large engraved letters.
"I hope he doesn't own that bank! If I see his face on any zeni bills I'll burn them!" She thought in silent frustration.
Mostly the sounds of traffic, as well as people walking to and fro amazed both Gohan and his mother. They usually kept away from such a busy place so to see it in the raw was surreal. Taking her gaze off the world around, she quickly ushered her son inside and got a table nearest to the bathrooms and away from the outside city. As unique as the city was, she was easily reminded of how much she preferred the comfort of her own home. Crowded was an understatement! She had Gohan go change his clothes first and wash up. Not one to miss an opportunity, Gohan entered the bathroom and quickly changed into a summer outfit wearing a blue shirt and black shorts.
"I'm going to have to wrap my tail like a belt again. Hopefully it doesn't attract attention but at the same time this feels more natural," He thought to himself while relieved to be out of the tight suit.
He left the restroom and gave the capsule to his mom. She got up and went to change her clothes as well. "Hah! I knew Mom was feeling the heat too!" He thought smiling while taking a look at the menu in front of him.
Chi-Chi returned a few minutes later in her traditional purple dress. She was feeling a little better herself. "Go ahead and order what you want. You can thank your grandpa for this gift but try not to put the store out of business. I've heard stories of your father spending thousands of zeni in one sitting," She said smiling while looking for her own meal.
Gohan settled on a buffet style meal in the hopes that he could get away with eating a larger portion and not bring himself unwanted attention. His mom agreed to have the same and they spent the next hour enjoying the food and discussing his future at the middle school.
"Once we get the course schedule, we'll shift the last bit of your current studies to prepare you for the next term. All this hard work has really paid off!" Chi-Chi stated happily.
"Mm-hmm" Gohan said nodding as he indulged in the assortment of meats, noodles, and rice in front of him.
"And once you get accustomed to the new lifestyle maybe you'll start making some friends and even get involved with extracurricular activities! Those will look good for college too!" Chi-Chi added in a seemingly obsessed and excited tone of voice.
"Great! It's like Mom is already planning my life for me and won't even let me have my own opinions on it," Gohan thought to himself sourly as he was finishing the current plate of food in front of him.
"And I'm fine with you going to school your own way since we live so far away, but I want you to do your best to keep our unusual methods of transportation a secret," Chi-Chi said after finishing her third and final plate.
"I know Mom. I'll be careful," Gohan said after having his seventh and started to get up for more.
"Gohan, I think you can have dessert now," Chi-Chi said with a sudden and stern tone.
Gohan looked at her like she was the craziest person on earth. "Um, ok, I guess it's time for dessert," he said feeling down about not getting anymore. "This is still barely enough to eat."
She flicked her eyes from side to side and following their gaze without moving his head, Gohan realized why she said that. Several people, including the staff had been looking at Gohan with uneasy and horrified expressions on their faces. Sighing inwardly, he got up to grab some small items from the dessert bar and kept himself from completely filling the plate. The whole time he was up and moving, he could feel eyes from everybody following him. If his mom hadn't pointed it out, he wouldn't have felt the embarrassment of his eating habits.
"It's not like I was eating it like a caveman! Mom would have scolded me if I did! Why can't they mind their own business?!" Gohan thought to himself irritably as he ate the pudding and cakes in front of him, his face beet red.
For better or worse his embarrassment was cut short as the sounds of police sirens caught the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
"What on earth is all that ruckus about?!" one customer said over the noise as he got up from his seat and strode over to the front window of the restaurant. He was followed by several other curious customers as they began crowding around the window.
"THIS IS THE POLICE! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE SO WHY DON'T YOU ALL COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" A voice shouted through a megaphone that everyone within a few blocks heard.
"Oh, wow! The bank across the street is being robbed!" An excited young lady piped up from the window. She and several other customers bared witness to three police cars blocking the exit from the bank across the street and several buildings over from the restaurant. There were at least half a dozen policemen taking cover behind their cars with guns aimed at the bank entrance.
Gohan sat fidgeting in his seat and wanted to do nothing more than help out but recent events began plaguing his mind. "I can't just jump in without knowing everything and I'm not sure how these people will react to seeing me. Maybe they can handle it…but should I at least check it out? Ah, I'm sure they wouldn't be policemen if they couldn't handle a simple robbery…right?"
A few seconds passed before the sounds of gunfire erupted from inside the bank and the policemen had to take cover behind their vehicles. A rapid sound of bullets hitting metal was heard by all in the vicinity of the robbery and the customers watching at the front of the restaurant fell all over each other to get away in case bullets came rushing into the window.
Doing his best to not get his mother worked up as he could see she was trying to ignore it herself and leave the matter to the police, Gohan closed his eyes and began feeling the situation out with his senses, "Ok, that didn't sound good, but I don't feel anybody losing their ki or life force so nothing to worry-"
His thoughts were silenced as a loud bang rang out and the people in the restaurant felt the force vibrate through the walls. Panic ensued and people quickly lost interest in the food in front of them or the little boy who seemingly had more than four stomachs. Their attention was on surviving and they began rushing out the front door in a hurry. Several forgot to pay for their food in the chaos.
Gohan stood up and said, "Mom, I'm going to go see what's going on."
"Oh no you're not!" Chi-Chi said standing up just as fast. "We're going to go the opposite direction of whatever is happening! I forbid you from getting involved young man!"
Gohan just stared at her in shock for a moment before saying, "But Mom! What if someone is hurt really badly? I can help!"
"You will do no such thing and leave it to the professionals! And I'll hear no more of it! Now, let's go!" Chi-Chi said defiantly while she reached into her purse and pulled out a large amount of zeni to put on the table for their meal and some of the other unfinished meals.
Feeling exasperated, Gohan silently followed her towards the front of the restaurant briefly before another loud bang sent more vibrations through the downtown area. Feelings of frustration and anger began building in him as they rushed to the front door and just as they reached the door he grabbed at her right hand with his and held her back.
"Gohan what are you doing?" She said turning around to see an angry glare on his face that somewhat unnerved her.
"Mom, if we go out that door we'll be pushed and shoved around and I wouldn't want my future sibling to get hurt. Let's get out of here my way!" he said firmly.
She looked back outside and understood what he meant as she could see the chaos of people fleeing the scene in various directions. Lots of people were falling and tripping over one another.
"Ok, what do you mean by that?" Chi-Chi asked.
Without a word, Gohan picked his mom up as if she were a baby and ran towards the back of the restaurant. The store owner watched in horror and with his mouth agape at the speed of Gohan rushing past him and carrying his own mother with no effort. Ignoring him and speeding quickly out into the back alley; Gohan immediately jumped into the air and flew up onto the roof. As they landed he let his mom get to her feet while he walked to the edge to see what was going on below.
"Gohan, I thought we were leaving?" Chi-Chi said while trying to register how quickly they got where they were.
"I'm sorry Mom. You can yell at me later all you want but I can't just sit here and let this happen! If people died and I could have prevented it then I never really deserved being called a hero!" He said to her with a look of pure determination on his face.
"Gohan! Don't you dare go down there!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.
Stepping away from her a few feet, Gohan willed his power out and transformed into his Super Saiyan form. Chi-Chi fell backwards while shielding her eyes as the sudden flash of light and surge of ki surprised her. Adjusting to the light, she locked her eyes with Gohan's for a few moments before Gohan gave a quick smirk and said, "Don't worry, Mom. Nothing they can do will hurt me. I'll be right back."
He quickly vanished and Chi-Chi was left standing there to do nothing but wait for Gohan to return. With her temper reaching its boiling point she began jumping and shaking her fists in anger while shouting "Rrrr…Gokuuuu! If you were alive right now, I swear I'd kill you myself!"
Grumbling to herself, Chi-Chi walked over to the edge and looked to see where Gohan actually disappeared to. She scanned the street below and the bank where the policemen were still taking and giving fire to the unseen robbers inside. Her eyes fell across the front of the bank and she took notice of a figure standing on the roof and realized who it was. She saw something peculiar and squinted her eyes to see what it was but the figure disappeared behind the building just as she figured it out.
"Why is Gohan's tail golden and not wrapped around his waist?" She said aloud to nobody in pure confusion.
"I see that I just keep making more impressions on the gods of the universe," Cell said actually feeling in good spirits as he finished telling what had been asked of him.
Shin continued to keep a calm demeanor on the outside but inside he was really nervous, "This is both amazing and troubling! How did this go unnoticed by us? A being from the future made up of some of the universe's strongest and he is on par or maybe stronger than me? I must meet the person who defeated him!"
Kibito was not able to compose himself as well as his master and was visually sweating out of nervousness.
"Alright, I understand how you came to be and I am surprised at how much that planet has progressed. I haven't been checking up on it as much as I should be, let alone that area of the universe," Shin said thoughtfully. "You didn't go into much detail on how you got here. Who was the person to defeat you? I assume it was a rather intense battle based on your strength."
Cell's jovial mood was slightly deflated as he was reminded of the boy who sent him to his eternal prison. He scowled in content at the notion of it even being brought up.
"That battle was indeed a fierce battle. Even though I was defeated there, it will only ensure my perfect win over him the next time we meet!" He began raising his voice while getting more heated as the memory began playing over and over in his mind. "I'll show that boy who the superior warrior really is in the universe!"
Suddenly Cell's prison was filled with sounds of TVs coming to life and replaying his last minutes on Earth. Shin took a glance at the broken TV next to Cell and glimpsed at how the event played out through the cracked screen.
"A child has that kind of power?" Shin asked in pure shock. All previous hints of calm fell from him like a cascading waterfall. Kibito was too stunned to say anything as he watched with wide eyes at the huge explosion of blue and white energy engulfing Cell in his final moments alive. The view of a young boy with spiked blonde hair, the enormous golden aura and electric field of energy flaring around his body, and his pure determination and hatred of Cell visually showing all over his face actually sent shivers down both Kibito's and Shin's spines.
"It's quite a sight isn't it?" Cell asked with amusement. "Though he is my enemy, I admit that his battle prowess is commendable."
"This child is a descendant of the Saiyan race that was wiped out by Frieza?" Shin asked in a whispered voice.
"Indeed, though the race was weak at the time, their capability to grow stronger seems to show no limits, especially with the survivors and recently deceased. And I am the perfect example of their lineage," Cell commented with pride.
"And the Saiyan you call Goku is this child's father?" Shin asked recovering from his shock.
"Yes, I defeated him along with the Kai I spoke of earlier," Cell replied.
"Well, it seems my search for answers leads to more questions, but I also need to speak with others to sort this out. Cell, I believe we have concluded our business at this point," Shin said.
"Do you not take my words as truth? I have no reason to lie to you," Cell commented while smirking.
"Not at all. But hearing it from a different perspective tends to give me the whole picture," Shin replied.
"Very well but I have one last item of business I wish to discuss with you," Cell said as his arms unfolded and fell to his sides.
"And what might that be?" Shin said sensing a change in the atmosphere around them.
"I have my doubts on your own power and title. If you are the so-called Supreme Kai of the universe then I must test my merit against you," Cell said matter-of-factly. "And honestly I don't see this being much of a fight!"
Cell powered up his aura and let the hallways of his eternal Hell feel the surge in power. The rush of power took both Shin and Kibito by surprise and they barely had time to cross their arms in front of their bodies and shield themselves before they were blown backwards several yards and knocked off their feet.
"Well, what do you think Kai?" Cell shouted with laughter. "Is my power too much for you to handle?"
Shin stood up while still shielding his eyes from the surge of Cell's aura and the golden flashing light.
"This isn't good! I don't know if I can handle him in a physical fight, but I can't show any further signs that he is out of my league!" Shin thought to himself as he regained his footing and leaned into the incoming aura. Crossing his arms, Shin glared at the now gloating Cell.
"Prepare yourself, Kai!" Cell yelled and rushed at Shin with his right arm poised into a punching position.
Author's Note:
Chapter 14 added at the same time.