Chapter XIII: A cunning foe… matched against a versatile opponent
Disclaimer: I do not own this great series in any way.
AN: What a fab start have the 'Cell Games' gotten… it's almost like a dream for yours truly that his visual idea got such an excellent platform to showcase the former.
The kind reviews by 'Scion 141', 'XYZ', 'Wavern' and 'Kutasan' have also helped a great deal as far as improvements, for the past few chaps in general, are concerned. It is their invaluable input that has been able to strengthen my resolve to get things done on time AND make sure that the quality standards are regularly (and faithfully) met.
So… now that I know what exactly went wrong with the last one (awkward fight scenes anyone?), it's time to get the ball rolling again!
Match 1: Goku vs Cell
"…?"
Tok.
Nothing.
Tok.
...
Looking onto his left and then his immediate right, an utterly bemused Cell widened his blue orbs upon realizing his grave error. Sine it was of the silly sort.
He's disappeared again! Curse you and your childish tricks Goku!
Clenching both of his fists as a foreign feeling of doubt enveloped his entire frame, from tip to toe, the confused bio-android briefly glanced towards the group onto his far right. Their shocked faces told the entire story of all that had transpired within the ring... inside the space of the past five minutes.
"…" Hmph, he won't be able to hide forever. Every worm has to dig its way out of the dirt at some point anyway.
As he remained steady, tiny droplet of sweat trickling down and past his jawline due to his prior exertion, no matter how meager, Cell kept his senses on high alert lest he be ambushed (again) by the skilled saiyan warrior. He's not dumb enough to try something like that again. Surely.
Even though he had absolutely nothing to fear at that stage; vast amount of raw power, without question, being his unparalleled trump card, the host of the vile tournament couldn't help but feel a tad bit... 'apprehensive'.
Well, I knew that fighting this one wouldn't be a simple 'walk in the park'. He's definitely good… far better than any of those fools anyway.
"!" Ah!
Picking up the trail of a faint stream of ki that had just passed by him, from literally right in front of him, Cell smirked before punching the empty space onto his immediate left. No hesitancy coming from his end.
"HA!" Found you!
WHAM!
"…?!"
Taking the hard hit at point blank range, a befuddled Goku crashed heavily upon the tiles beneath him.
"Urk!"
Hmph. Laughable.
Reeling his fist back whilst resisting the urge to snicker 'out loud' at the state of his disoriented opponent, Cell stood up straight before proceeding to trot over to the former.
His constant mistakes just make me want to drag this out for longer than necessary though, hm-hm-hm.
...
Swiftly returning to his feet, the weary man gripped at the area right below his ribcage, force of the unexpected blow making him stagger… if only slightly.
Wow, Goku panted, back of his right hand being raised to wipe the grime off of his chin as he put on a brave smirk, It's a good thing that he only decided to 'punch' the air… anything more and I would've been in a good heap of trouble.
Regaining his bearings quickly enough, the blond fighter was just about ready to kick it up a notch when…
"Hm-hm-hm."
"...?" Uh...
Raising an eyebrow in genuine interest, Earth's finest combatant kept his now 'frowning' expression in check, Eh? What's he finding so funny all of a sudden?
Dusting his hands off in as leisurely, albeit mocking, a manner as possible, Cell eyed his opponent knowingly before stating his thoughts.
"Alright then. I suppose that should do it for warm-ups."
By the sidelines –
Arms crossed as an aura of impatience surrounded his one-tracked mind, Vegeta 'humphed' in mild annoyance at the sight; right forefinger being tapped against his bicep as he looked on with his signature scowl in place. Why am I not surprised?
His sour mood was well visible to his long-haired offspring however, the latter glancing over soon after he had sensed a sudden, yet brief, surge in his father's potent ki.
"…"
Observing the effect that Cell's bold statement was having upon the man, a somewhat concerned Trunks sighed softly before returning his gaze onto the battle at hand. Boy oh boy, if that was just a warm-up… I don't even want to imagine what'll go down next.
The youth's worries were of the understandable sort too. Seeing as the rest of the group (barring a certain saiyan and namek) were harboring similar thoughts and feelings.
...
Clenching his fist before raising it up to chest level, Krillin frowned deeply as his blood began to boil, uncharacteristic anger being directed more towards his own inability to assist his best friend rather than the words uttered by the devious creature standing in front of them all. He was probably one 'spark' away from forgetting all about the plan and jumping right in.
Darn that guy! Does his power have no limit at all? How can Goku fight against someone who doesn't even take a fight of this level seriously?!
Having allowed his innate frustrations to emerge onto the surface, the bald man was rightfully surprised (and as he would later himself admit, 'relieved') to find a hand land upon his shivering left shoulder.
"Huh?"
"…"
Locking eyes with the short male for the first time since they had arrived, a calm Gohan kept his typical smile of reassurance in place… knowing in his heart of hearts that things could only go in the right direction from that point onward.
For some strange reason.
"Don't worry Krillin, it's gonna be alright. My dad will make sure that Cell is made to eat his own words."
"..." Gohan.
Putting up a smile of his own, although with slight hesitation from his end, Krillin nodded solemnly before returning his gaze towards the currently 'stalled' fight. "R-Right. Thanks Gohan."
His associate could only rub the back of his head, in trademark Son fashion, at that.
"Hehe, don't mention it."
Although the boy had his hopes up, his more rational side, one that he had managed to discover with the help of his green teacher and mentor, kept him more on his toes. He knew that if his father couldn't do it, there was little hope that anyone else could… not even Vegeta or he, himself, would be able to do much against such a deadly adversary at that point in time. Not unless they could get more time to train further... which was nigh impossible as well.
The days... were he had blindly, in a fit of righteous rage, attacked the likes of the Ginyu Force and subsequently Freiza himself, were long gone. Being a youngster still in learning, he had successfully grown past the stage where he would allow his emotions to just 'burst' up onto the surface and overtake his better judgment.
Or in Piccolo's wisdom-filled words, a critical error on his part... all extraordinary benefits due to him being a demi-saiyan forgotten.
Yes, young Son Gohan had managed to garner some much-needed (present circumstances being taken into some serious consideration) 'maturity' in the past few years of his short life. Said events had helped him to not only understand how to tackle various scenarios involving him and his comrades, but also helped him to come to terms with his own indispensable role in the scheme of things.
"…?"
Noticing that his tall instructor had been staring at him for quite some time, the youngster nodded to let the former know that his focus was still, well intact.
"..."
Easing his gaze, which bordered more on interest rather than trademark scrutiny, Piccolo nodded back before turning his attention back onto the task at hand.. mind dead-set on putting it all on the line should the opportunity present itself.
Finally, the real battle begins. It's time to show your son just how much you have improved… Goku.
Masterfully masking his concern for his former rival, the namekian warrior simply kept his arms crossed... sharp vision allowing him to read the respective expressions that were being portrayed upon the two battling combatants faces.
And within their eyes.
The time has come… for all of us to witness Cell's true potential.
With Broly –
Heh, the bastard was banking upon that first round to gauge just how good Kakarot actually is.
Keeping his grim expression in place, mind genuinely amused (not that he would outright 'admit' it) at the way things were progressing in front of him, the saiyan glanced over at the tense group onto his left for a passing moment before feeling his innate thirst for battle take hold.
Again.
His natural instincts going into overdrive was not the problem at that point however, it was the sheer fact that he would have to wait for his turn to face the giant cockroach that made him mad.
If they plan on taking all day to finish this up, I swear…
But there was little he could do as well; recent 'pact' with his most detested enemy being the reason for the former.
That Kakarot, he wanted to have all the fun while I just stand here and watch him go at it. I really hate that guy's guts sometimes.
Feeling a smile creep onto his lips, Broly immediately vanquished the brief slip of control before planning his own course of action. It was vital that he had a strategy up his sleeve… should things decide to rear their ugly head all of a sudden.
For the big man, not being one quite used to tense and anxiety-inducing situations, everything around his frame was progressing at a painfully slow pace.
Something… anything, just had to give.
And soon.
Hmph, I guess I'll just hafta wait till their done playing.
In the ring –
Letting out an amused chuckle at the statement, Goku smiled back at his sneering foe before responding.
"Hehe, I agree."
"…!"
Taken aback at the strange confidence on display, by a man far 'below' his own level of power no less, Cell simply kept his smirk in place and addressed the former... mind still trying to figure out the reason behind his opponent's strange sense of assurance.
The fool, he probably has some pathetic plan up his sleeve. A final card left in hand, I suppose, should his luck turn against him.
Choosing to keep his thoughts to himself, for the time being, the semi-curious villain cracked his knuckles before getting into his signature stance. Fine then, I'll pay along… for now.
"I see. Your confidence is indeed quite admirable."
Adopting a gentle glare, Cell widened his smirk before continuing, "Well, Goku, I believe it's about time that I demonstrated the true nature of my power… to you and your little friends."
The additional line was a must-have at that particular stage; setting being oh-so delicious as the speaker promptly adopted a wide stance; face reflecting his inner evil in all clarity.
"You ready?"
Swallowing the tension that had risen up throat at his fellow combatant's words, Goku simply kept mum as the mighty being in front of him began to raise his ginormous ki. Said act causing the saiyan to clench both of his fists in tandem.
Phew, here we go. Let's see what we'll 'actually' be dealing with then…
Things, to cut a long story short, were about to change drastically from that point onward.
"…"
Bringing both arms to his sides, elbows pointed towards his torso as his face sported a look of deep concentration, Cell let loose a yell of effort as his aura fluctuated and burst forth… enveloping the entirety of the large ring; ground beneath beginning to crack and tear apart from any and all sides throughout. In as 'ungraceful' a manner as possible.
"YAAARGH!"
The sight was one that had to be seen to be believed.
All of the surrounding landscape was overtaken by a faint yellow glow… one that soon evolved into one of a bright 'gold' in color. The ultimate being, Cell, was unleashing a mere fragment of his frightening power for his critics to witness… firsthand.
Hmhm, this should be enough.
As the creature's brilliant aura began to expand further… before abruptly dissipating (lest more Earth-shattering events occur before their time), the cloud of dust and debris that had been accumulated also began to ease…
... having been successful at hiding their host from immediate view.
It only took a moment, and a tiny one at that, for the gathered company to register what had just occurred. Mere feet in front of their semi-blinded eyes.
"…!" Huh?
Taken completely aback at the sudden halt in his opponent's rising power level, Goku promptly readied himself, mind trying to block any and all distractions that were flowing in. Yosh, no time to think over why he stopped powering up. I gotta focus on the job at hand.
Observing how Cell's frame now sported a 'glow' of sorts, muscles appearing more defied than before and gold aura crackling with unbridled energy… unlike before, the wary saiyan chose to keep his lips sealed as his own level of tension began to rise steadily.
Yep, any more mistakes against this guy… and I'm definitely history.
The grim declaration spoke volumes about how mentally serious Goku was, regarding his future performance against the monstrosity that was currently staring him down.
Like a predator zeroing in on its vulnerable and unsuspecting prey. Treating it like a mere 'sitting duck'.
"..."
Taking a good look at himself, as he had previously done upon attaining his perfect form, several days ago, Cell smiled in callous satisfaction... before speaking.
"I apologize for the small wait. But it is quite a challenge to rein in one's well of power."
"!" What?! H-How does he-?
Goku's flabbergasted reaction was just the tonic that Cell required at that point.
And... there we have the expression of a challenger who knows he's in deep trouble. Hmhmhm.
Utterly relishing the look of shock and bemusement adorning his opponent's face, the devious bio-android chuckled softly before ploughing on; mocking undertone echoing in the ears of all the onlookers by the side of his self-made ring, "Oh? Did your primitive mind not realize that someone as advanced as I could also harness that sort of low-level control?"
Shaking his head, akin to a patronizing elder trying to correct a youngster when he's done a mistake, Cell continued on in a smooth vein, "Tsk tsk. I honestly expected you to connect the dots much sooner... judging by your proficiency in such things. Atleast, in regards to training alone."
"…!"
Left in thorough disbelief, the evil being's words clearly boring holes within his skull as his ears burnt due to the fact that their hopes of defeating the monster had dwindled by a substantial amount, Earth's champion grinded his teeth as his own ki began to bubble and simmer; courtesy of his rising frustration at the way things had slipped out of his grasp within a few simple moments.
Darn it! He's outsmarted us again! Goku moaned, his tone bordering on lines that were both pathetic and demoralizing in nature.
And yet, the man's determination and courage was still intact... in light of the fact that Cell had managed to remain one step ahead of them all yet again.
Yamcha –
Having heard the green abomination's words all too clearly, in a similar manner as his shocked comrades, the scar-faced man began to feel his knees shake... out of raw fear and severe apprehension.
H-How does he know so much? Surely he can't read our minds too?!
"...?"
His former rival had managed to detect his state of unease despite the latter's internal wails being of the silent sort.
"Yamcha!" Tien, being equally nervous at that moment in time, somehow managed to let his feelings be known via a harsh whisper.
"H-Huh?"
Turning his head to the left to meet his associate's eye, the genuinely scared male kept his fists clenched and lips parted; fear remaining etched upon his face as he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.
"..."
Frowning once, before looking back at their common foe in the ring, the triclops shared his thoughts in as brief a manner as possible.
"Look, all of us, including you, trained our backs off for the past few days just to be able to stand up to this guy. Even though things may look bleak right now, we simply can't let a tiny setback like this bog us down."
Letting a rare touch of passion ignite his positive words further, the former Crane-student ended his speech on an encouraging note.
"Just try to keep your head on your shoulders Yamcha. This... This moment right here, is when all of us must be at our very best, because it is this very moment that can mean the difference between victory and defeat!"
Leave it to the stoic man to be able to provide a good dose of 'pep-talk'… and that too in the form of mere whispers!
...
Tien. He's got a point. I-I just gotta quit with the whining already. Yeah!
Left with his friend's positive words still ringing in his ears, the former bandit swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat and then felt his stomach churn up with righteous anxiety. Difference being the fact that said 'anxiety' was of a far lesser quality (and quantity) as compared to before.
Oh man, the Z Fighter finally let his feelings loose; entire frame relaxing a touch as he somehow managed an unsure smile.
You'd better do your very best Goku cuz... we're all counting on you!
In all honesty, rooting for a (much stronger) friend was a much better option as compared to fighting... as far Yamcha was concerned.
Back with Goku -
Left dumbfounded at how far ahead his foe had planned his calculated assault, the blonde warrior glared back at the tall being in front of him; feeling his insides boil at the cocky smirk still plastered upon the latter's lips.
This is bad. I knew he was strong, stronger than even me. But... now, with him knowing how to control his ki too...
Harboring pessimistic thoughts for the first time in a long time, Goku sucked in a much-needed breath of fresh air… hoping that the act would help in clearing his heart and mind. He just needed his head to be thoroughly calm and composed at this stage… at all costs.
What should I do? I can't carry out my plan like this… not when I need more time. Darn it.
The worried saiyan was soon brought out of his reverie by the voice of his, now undoubtedly 'fearsome', adversary.
"Well, it can't be helped I suppose. You'll simply have to face me seriously… now that you know that my power has risen to levels beyond even your miniscule imagination."
Goku did not miss the hint of 'finality' in that statement.
(Sigh!) Alright, no choice then.
Wordlessly crossing both of his arms across his face, knees following suit as he bent his legs a notch; entire frame adopting a crouched position akin to a defensive stance, the suddenly stern warrior kept his glare fixated upon his target… invisible ki beginning to rise at a rapid rate as he did so.
"…" Oh?
Not in the least bit deterred by the lack of an adequate response from the once 'cheeky' saiyan, Cell merely stood his ground… mind opting to be patient as his challenger proceeded with his long-delayed power-up.
Aaah… he's finally going to fight me at his best is he? It's about time. I was starting to get bored.
Broly –
"…?" What the-
Sensing the rising power of his rival, the raven-haired male sported a look of genuine surprise... before replacing it swiftly with a wide grin; blood beginning to race as his need for battle started to swell to dangerous levels, courtesy of the awesome sight on display.
Heh, let's see it Kakarot. Show me what you can really do.
For the tall saiyan, nothing... absolutely nothing in the entire (known and unknown) cosmos held more precedence than the event that was occurring in front of his curious eyes.
He's gotten stronger than our last fight... but only just.
Goku –
Clenching his jaw tight, fingers dug deep into his palms as a golden glow blanketed his entire form in a ball of blinding light, the mighty saiyan let loose a roar of effort as pure ki flowed out and past the surface of his trembling body…
... making his frightening aura expand and intensify beyond comprehension.
"Grraaah! Hnnn-aaah!"
Eyes growing wide as he found the innermost depths of his power to be within attainable reach, Goku promptly raised his right fist up into the air before pulling it back slightly…
… only to thrust both of his arms swiftly into the air up and above his head after the prior act; latter being similar to his pose when preparing an attack like the spirit bomb.
The sole difference in this case being, the impromptu yell of animalistic fury that followed.
"RRRAAAAHHH!" I've got it!
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion of super saiyan energy and it felt as if a major sandstorm had entered the fray; dust and rocks being thrown and pelted in every possible direction as the group of witnesses surrounding the ring were pushed back by a considerable distance; arms raised to shield their vulnerable eyes from the meddlesome particles as they struggled to keep their gaze locked onto the one individual standing on the 'brighter' side of the ring.
The befuddled Z Fighters –
Shielding his eyes from the various portions of debris that was being thrown his way, Trunks kept his one eye open… not really wanting, or even being able to, ignore the interesting developments occurring upon the large Cell Games stage.
Wow! That's some power he's got! So this is what made Goku so confident that he could do it.
All 'exciting' things aside, the naïve yet powerful youth from the future still had a lot to learn in regards to power levels and their overall usage in battle.
…
Crossing his arms in front of his face, eyes shut tight as his senses picked up on the rising level of Goku's awesome ki, Piccolo felt the bio-electrical discharges clash against his heavy cloak… said discharges only being repelled once he put some effort into the attempt.
Gugh! How does he do it? Every time I see him fight, he's always different in some way or another. To be able to generate this much power… just what kind of training did he and Goha-?
Then it struck him square in the face.
Wait a sec!
Snapping his head towards his student, raised cape now shielding his vision as he caught a good look at the boy, the super namek felt his eyes grow wide in shock as realization soon set in.
They… They trained together! That's it! That's what he's been planning all along! The sheer 'reason' for him being so confident was standing in front of my eyes all along!
As much as he would have loved to question his pupil about the recent discovery, goal being to discern whether the lad knew about the plan, if at all, Piccolo held his tongue at the very last second. Fortunately enough, as the blonde youth was busy in utilizing his own cape to shield both himself and Krillin from the pelted stones and gravel.
No. Now's not the time.
Feeling the harsh winds ease up a tad before completely disappearing, the former guardian of Earth frowned deeply as his mind began to race. Even so, this means that Goku will probably not be fighting to the death here… or be in the search for any sort of victory.
Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the boy upon his right, the tall namekian warrior grimaced… a parade of skeptical thoughts popping up within his sharp brain.
But… even if Gohan surpasses him in terms of power, his lack of experience will surely cause a few problems. Especially in a fight of this level.
The present situation was one that Piccolo wasn't enjoying being in the midst of. At all.
In hindsight, he simply wasn't made to tackle an event that invited dilemma… especially if said dilemma revolved around his 'first friend' and loyal protege.
(Sigh) No point in pondering over such matters. All I can do right now is wait and confirm whether my suspicions are accurate… or not.
Honestly speaking, Piccolo, in the innermost recesses of his heart, was wishing for it to be the latter.
Inside the jetcopter –
R-R-Rumble!
"!" Kya! What's happening?
Feeling the floor tremble underneath her small frame, Videl let out a small yell as her bottom connected with the hard ground... reason being that she had been thrown completely off balance by a set of fierce winds blowing in from the direction of the ring.
"Owie!" What gives? Where did this storm come from?
Having dried her tears some minutes back, the girl had been in for a nasty surprise… latter being that her copter had started to sway from side to side.
Incessantly.
"Aagh!" M-Make it stop!
Tiny pebbles fell like showers of hail against the glass at the front of the vehicle, making various sounds echo within the confines of the machine whislt leaving a reasonable amount of cracks in their wake.
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!
"Ügh! What is going on?!"
Covering her ears before peeking out from a side window, lest she be blinded by a stray rock that would, if the furious wind kept up, undoubtedly break through the thick glass, Videl gazed out into the distance ahead of her… somehow being able to make out two figures in the very center of the large ring.
"Wh-Whose that other person?" she wondered out loud, curiosity peaking as her azure orbs narrowed down slightly at the impressive sight.
...
On one end of the ring was a medium-sized ball of brilliant gold, sparse silhouette of a person being somewhat visible to her eyes as the surrounding light and, Was that lightning just now?! But… it isn't even raining! bio-electrical discharges kept the wind blowing at full strength.
She had never seen something so… 'beautiful' yet mysterious ever before in her short life. It was truly a magnificent sight in her eyes. One that deserved to be remembered… easily being able to put any other type of firework display to complete and utter shame.
"Wow…" was all that she could utter at the glorious display of power, although she was still far too young to understand any of the above technicalities.
Having half-a-mind to step out of the vehicle and head on over to the origin of said 'ball of light', the cautious girl decided to wait it out, furious winds having only started to die down.
Before vanishing as suddenly as they had originated.
"…?" It stopped?
Click!
Bravely unlocking the hatch that kept the jetcopter sealed (and secured) from any outside elements, Videl hopped down onto the hard soil before promptly dashing over towards a nearby pile of large rocks… hoping that they would serve as adequate shelter against any further events and surprises.
Once there, she crouched down before peeked out from behind the biggest of the troupe, view being a really good one since she could now make out the strange man's clothing… as well his hair color.
As she sat amongst the rocks, the inquisitive girl thought, If daddy were here, he'd think that it was all a trick. But what that man just did was definitely not a magic trick. No illusion can make the ground shake and hurricane's pop up out of nowhere. Nu-uh.
For now, all the vulnerable child could do was hope that she would not be noticed or found out by any of the gathered company… who, she somehow innately felt, wouldn't be all that pleased to discover someone like her in their midst.
Back in the middle –
"…" Okay. So far so good.
Lowering his arms down by his sides before standing up to his full height, stern expression still in place, Son Goku let his opponent face the full brunt of his fierce glare.
"..." Well well. He did train seriously after all.
Smiling slightly at the, he would have to admit, impressive sight, Now this is real power, Cell narrowed his amused gaze down before scrutinizing his opponent from head to toe.
Hmhmhm. It seems that beauty indeed lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Adopting a smug grin, the powerful being kept his eyes squarely upon his opponent, mind trying to resist the urge to give his thoughts a verbal form. Now then, let's see how it fares against its more 'perfect' counterpart.
...
Blonde hair now sporting a few additional spikes whilst retaining its original color, arms, shoulders and torso being racked with muscles of a slightly more defined nature (as compared to before when the man had been 'holding back') and a far more brighter hue of gold radiating all over his clothes and visible skin, Goku truly looked cocked and ready… for a highly intense battle.
It was almost as if he was a different person, whilst not necessarily having transformed into one. That had last occurred on Namek when he had gone 'super' for the very first time.
This time around though, he had left all other inhibitions and worries at the very back of his mind.
This... 'fight' would simply have to give, one way or another; inevitable bloodbath being only mere moments away.
"Cell…" the man spoke, voice laced with a deadly calm and ice-cold conviction.
"Hm?" the 'ever-patient' host inquired, albeit half-heartedly.
Letting an uncomfortable (for his nervous friends atleast) second pass them both by, Goku took his own sweet time to gauge his enemy's reaction, before proceeding, "… I'll offer you one final chance to surrender and stop this senseless violence."
"…"
Cell had, in all honesty, been left completely speechless.
He has got to be joking. Surely.
Narrowing his eyes dangerously, the unamused creature adopted a more serious tone before replying, "Goku, I suggest you not bore me at this stage and make your first move because I haven't gotten my hopes up for a no-show." If he even thinks that he can talk his way out of this one, he's got another thing coming.
Undeterred by the undisguised threat, the stoic saiyan kept his voice level before cracking his knuckles. First one set, then the other.
"Alright, but don't say that I didn't warn y-"
Cell had, without a shred of doubt, heard his fair share of speeches for the day.
"ENOUGH!"
"!" Whoa!
POW!
A ferocious blow from seemingly nowhere effortlessly downed the surprised warrior... prompting the latter to soften his fall by somersaulting backwards and getting onto his feet.
Wiping at the trail of blood that had trickled past his lower lip, the man smirked, I… might have struck a nerve there.
Clenching his jaw, mind now irritated at the sheer nerve of the saiyan pest in front of him, Cell dashed after the latter at top speed… fist cocked and ready to deal yet another heavy blow. First, he must suffer a small punishment for boring me to death with his speeches. The cad. Even after I had clearly stated that I despise hearing those.
Still in the same position as before, Goku lifted his hips up and into the air whilst keeping both of his hands grounded... almost as if he was getting ready to run a 100 meter dash. Alright… time to shake him up a bit. Hehe, it's been a long time since I tried this one.
"…!" What?
Piccolo's eyes widened, mind recognizing the long-forgotten pose almost immediately; almost as if it belonged to a distant memory. That's... the same move he used against me at that tournament!
Dashing forward and towards the approaching Cell, Goku improvised by instead cocking back his own fist and launching it straight towards the devious monstrosity... hoping to follow up his move with a combination kick, if need be.
"HAAA!"
Cell could only join his adversary in the physical duet.
"RRAAAA!"
BAM!
Both of their fists collided at center-stage, sending clear shock waves throughout the entire ring and beyond… making the four tall pillars tremble and shake due to the sheer power on display.
Locked for a brief moment in a fierce struggle for dominance, both fighters leapt backwards at the exact same time before using their chosen spot of landing as leverage to fire themselves back into the center of the ring. Again.
This time though, Goku merely struck an afterimage of his foe, eyes widening as he felt the evil being's presence behind his neck. Crap!
Pulling his right leg back slightly, Cell let it fly with a grunt of effort, aiming to decapitate his adversary on the spot.
"HRAAA!"
Goku, with a pensive frown in place, swiftly made his move without a second thought.
Chwing!
"…!" Again with that despicable trick! the host of the Cell Games inwardly growled, intensity of the situation almost getting to him. But only just.
Concentrating upon his opponent's fain ki signature, Cell soon ducked underneath an attack from behind, kicking out his ambusher's legs from under him by performing a reverse sweep using his left leg. I have you now!
Wasting no time at all, the relentless bio-android double axe-handled the man into the hard earth by smashing both of his conjoined fists into the latter's stomach.
"GAH!" the saiyan let out a cry of pain, back being brutally smashed into the cold tiles as he found little time to attempt another 'jump' using his instant transmission. Even a regular afterimage would have been tough to pull off with how fast Cell had gotten.
"Hmph."
A sound of displeasure and the 'perfect creation' had flown up and into the air, several meters above his prone target. I've had my fun. Time for lights out, Goku.
Once at a good distance, he glared back at the unmoving fighter, hands cocked over to his left side as he prepared an attack that had been 'long-forgotten' as well.
"GALICK GUN… FIRE!"
…
The maneuver had managed to catch a thoroughly observant Vegeta completely unawares. Crafty bastard. I'd nearly forgotten about that move.
For Krillin and the other two humans though, it was a completely different story...
"Goku MOVE!" the bald warrior yelled out, hands cupped against his mouth in his panic... head gleaming with sweat.
"C'mon man, get outta the way!" Yamcha hollered in tandem, his voice nearly cracking due to the tension.
"Dodge it, hurry!" the ever-cautious triclops bellowed out with one eye locked onto the huge purple beam that was headed their way.
Their pleas were bordered around the same idea… and yet, it was the last thing that their friend would have done in any case. What with the Earth itself being the next target of the deadly attack should he choose to dodge the latter.
…
"Ugh..."
Getting to his feet, as the bright purple wave of energy headed straight towards him at a frightening pace, Goku narrowed his eyes before bringing his hands to his side.
This'll use up a lot of power but… right now I have no choice!
Five legendary words were then stated by the man; lethal beam getting closer to his position by the millisecond.
"KA… ME… HA… ME… HAAAA!"
A roar of effort and the giant wave of bluish-white ki had been fired, from the center of his outstretched palms… straight up and into the sky to meet the slightly thinner, more streamlined beam that had been blasted off from Cell's end.
BRAAAAM!
The meeting of the two mighty energy waves made the surrounding area, for as far as the eye could see, tremble and shake as high tides and landslides rocked the entire region for miles around… shock waves being of the relentless sort as the clash commenced.
The fight was nearing it crescendo.
Kame House, prior to the beam struggle –
"..."
Having sat in front of the idiot box; entire frame shivering every few seconds due to the sheer tension that had managed to set in, for the past half hour with no one but two shape-shifters for company, Roshi found himself frowning at the ongoing proceedings for an even longer duration of time than usual.
"Mm…" the wise hermit mumbled, more or less to himself; aged cane gripped tight in one hand as he stared at the cloud of dust from which a powered-up Goku had now emerged, "... it doesn't make any sense."
Whipping his head in the direction of the founder of the Kamehameha Wave, Oolong grunted out his query, "Ëh? Whaddaya mean?"
Puar, who was floating around his (former) academy mate's right side, merely nodded his head in compliance, having not understood the old timer's cryptic message as well. D-Did something happen? Oh…! I hope it's nothing bad.
Shaking his head, whilst effortlessly giving off the impression that he hadn't even paid attention to either of his guests concerns, Roshi kept his eyes glued onto the screen… events and occurrences being reflected within his spotless shades all the while. I wonder…
"!"
Promptly brought out of his musings by an overtly anxious Oolong, latter having shook the old man's right arm a tad to see if he was still in the world of the living, the flustered master took a moment to regain his composure. Gah! I wish he'd just stop doing that!
Convinced that the man had heard him, the swine (shame) of all shape-shifters heaved a small sigh of relief before opening his mouth to repeat his question. Crazy old kook. First he blabbers something that we've never heard him say before and then he just bottles it all up again.
"I asked you what hap-?"
Tapping the pig none-too-gently atop his shiny head, the turtle hermit adopted a calm tone, "I heard you the first time, Oolong."
Grumbling slightly at the gesture, yet still being highly curious about what the aged male had to say, Oolong chose to keep mum. The old man finally decides to spill the beans!
"…"
Almost glaring at the screen now, Roshi subconsciously tightened his grip upon his cane, before speaking.
"Goku… is about to lose."
"!" EH?!
"I-It can't be!"
...
The reactions from the two were, to be fair, expected. The news 'oh-so-bluntly' stated by the worried hermit however, was, for many, difficult to digest.
AN: No excuse can be made for the lengthy delay (2 1/2 months to be precise) in proceedings my dear readers. All I CAN do to rectify the issue however, is offer a fervent apology and assure you all that things will be more consistent from here on out.
Nothing much happened this chapter, that much I'm aware of. But seeing as I've got a new job that eats up about 10 hours of my daily time, the former is pretty much understandable.
Expanding upon that, I would like to bring to my readers attention that the second half of June (post my previous update) as well as the entire month of July (and August too) was used up by me for interviews in various firms and companies.
Since it's pretty much clear that a man needs his food as well as his money, I'm hoping that you all will empathize with my situation.
Okay, REVIEW RESPONSE TIME!
- fightingchampion:
1) I was wondering if you intended to have broly learn the instant transmission technique down the line? Or the superior instantaneous movement technique ?
A: Good question. At this stage it would be unjust for me to disclose anything in relation to our query my friend. Kindly stick with me though, and I promise you that you WILL be pleased with what's to come.
Okie-dokie then, please share your thoughts about this one folks... cuz things are about to get REALLY interesting, that's for sure! ;D