Chapter 29: Royal Flush

A/N: Finished this sooner than expected. So, here ya go!


Krillin and Mascara descended upon the Lookout.

"Wow, so this is the Lookout? It's so high! How does it stay up here?"

Krillin shrugged. "Magic, I guess. Look, there's Dende." Krillin landed lightly near the young Namekian. "Hey, good to see ya, Dende. Ah, well, it's not under the best circumstances…"

Dende smiled and shook his head. "No, it's good to see you, too, Krillin. Who's your friend?"

Mascara got down from Krillin's back and curtsied. "My humble name is Mascara, your lordship."

Dende blinked, his cheeks turning red. "Wha—? Lordship?"

Krillin rubbed his forehead. "I, uh, kinda told her that you're God. I mean, you are... kinda.

Mascara giggled. "I was just trying to show the proper respect to such an important personage."

Dende puffed his chest out, standing straighter.

She stuck her lip out at Krillin. "Did I do it wrong?"

"Well… no. I guess not." He shook his head. "More importantly, Dende, what's going on? We were attacked by some kind of Android. Like, metal parts, glowing eyes, the whole shebang!"

Dende nodded solemnly. "Someone has gathered the Dragonballs. I think this is a distraction so they can use them." His eyes widened. "Right! It's good you're here. I sent Gohan after them, but now I need someone to deal with the threat at Capital City. Do you think you can do it?"

Krillin scratched his head, glancing at Mascara out of the corner of his eye. "Well… I mean, I'd love to help… I'm just not sure—"

Mascara put her hands on his shoulders. "Hey, don't worry about me. You said it was safe up here, right?"

Krillin nodded. "I did say that."

Dende coughed. "If anything happens, I could take her into the time chamber and call for help. That'll give you plenty of time to get here."

Mascara smiled. "Yeah, we'll just go in the… what? Time chamber?" She frowned. "That's not what it sounds like, is it? I really can't tell with you guys…"

Krillin chuckled, scratching his nose. "No, it's exactly what it sounds like."

"Y-You're kidding! You actually have something like that!?"

Dende nodded. "Yes. It's a very ancient and valuable artifact." He raised a finger, eyes shining. "I also have this other room that I made—"

"Alright, I'll go," Krillin said. "Just… stay safe, alright?"

Dende's jaw fell, his hand reaching out as if to grasp the attention they'd taken from him.

Mascara took a deep breath and smiled. "That's what I should be saying. You're the one going into a dangerous situation. So, be safe, Krillin. I don't want this to be our last date."

Krillin flushed, waving a hand lazily. "No worries, babe. I've handled androids before."

Mascara quirked a brow. "The way I heard it, you're the one that was handled."

Krillin coughed. "Yeah, well, different points of view and all that…" He took a deep breath. "Well… I should go."

Mascara nodded and cupped his cheeks, giving him a kiss. Krillin's eyes went wide as saucers and he stumbled back a few steps.

Mascara wiggled her fingers. "Good luck!"

Krillin nodded, beat red, and took off, Dende's laughter trailing off behind him.


Cell crossed his arms. "Well, well, well. Vegeta, Ponce of Saiyans. Quick question: have I killed you before? I feel like I have, but I don't quite remember."

"Cute. You think you're very clever, don't you?" He frowned. "You oversized insectoid. It'll feel good to finally crush you underboot."

Cell laughed. "Oh, come now, Vegeta. You just watched the only one capable of challenging me fly away. Is this another pride thing? You want to test your mettle again? I must have hit you really hard if you can't remember what happened last time."

Vegeta snorted and looked up at Shenron. "Hey, dragon! Bring Cell back to life and beat it!"

Shenron's eyes glowed red and Cell's halo shattered. "Your wish has been granted. Farewell." The Dragonballs lit up and flew into the sky then scattered across the world.

Cell held his hands in front of him, examining himself. He laughed. "I never took you for a philanthropist, Vegeta. I'm surprised."

"Ha. I just wanted the pleasure of squeezing the life out of you. Killing a dead man is meaningless."

Cell smirked. "I see. Well, if it's a fight you wish, I'm happy to oblige. Of course, I'm a busy man, so I'll have to kill you quickly. I've other obligations, you see."

Vegeta ascended to Super Saiyan, golden aura spouting up from his feet. "Don't worry, I won't keep you long."

Cell covered his face, laughing. "You think you actually have a chance! Oh, you poor misguided soul!" He stood straight, arms curled to his side and let his power rage. Aura and lightning spewed and sputtered about him, the ground shook, rocks fell from the cliffs on either side, splashing into the narrow river at the center of the canyon.

Cell cut it off. "Do you see, Vegeta? Your inferiority? It's humbling, isn't it?" He clenched a fist before his eyes, knuckles cracking audibly. "Thanks to my Saiyan DNA and the optimizations of Dr. Gero, I'm stronger than ever now that I've come back to life. You stand no chance."

Vegeta snorted. "We'll see."

Cell fired a ki blast and Vegeta knocked it away, barreling forth with enough force to carve a line in the ground beneath him. He threw a fist and Cell blocked then tossed his arm out, knocking Vegeta into the cliffside. Vegeta burst back out and attacked in a flurry, kicking and punching like the wind. Cell dodged and weaved, barely taking a scratch.

He smirked. "It's obvious you're no match for me, so I'm just going to end this sham." He caught Vegeta's hands and kneed him in the gut. Vegeta coughed, spittle flying out of his mouth, and tore his hands away, taking distance.

"Damn!" he shouted. "I can't believe this! He's got me totally outclassed!" His lips curled into a grin. "If only there was a way to increase my power… to go to the next level." He chuckled. "If only."

He spread his arms and shouted and his aura burst forth once again but, this time, it was fiercer and lightning coursed through it. The next level. An Ascended Super Saiyan.

Cell's jaw fell, but he quickly gathered himself. "Alright, so you can do that little trick. Meaningless. I'm far greater than I was last time." He grit his teeth. "I have achieved a perfection FAR GREATER!" He let his power go wild. Wind whipped through the canyon, tossing the river into a froth. Boulders broke from the cliffs but didn't fall, instead rising further into the air.

Cell hurled himself forward, pitting his strength against the Prince of Saiyans.


Tien dodged an energy volley, aiming a Dodonpa at his opponent. A second android kicked him in the back, sending him into the side of a building. The Dodonpa fired off into empty air. Tien brushed some rubble off himself. "Tch, it's hard to fight more than one when I can't even sense them."

One of the androids, a man whose entire body seemed to have been swapped for a mechanical version, stepped through the broken wall. Tien rolled and swept his legs out from under him. The android fell to the ground.

Tien laughed, aiming another Dodonpa at the back of his neck. "These guys don't seem to be used to their powers. They can fly, but they don't make good use of that during combat." When his legs were taken out, he could have kept himself in the air, but he didn't. It was good evidence that he came into his enhancements quite recently.

The second android burst in. A woman this time. Her hands were made of a black metal with knife-like fingers.

Tien held up a hand. "Stop right there, or he dies."

She lunged and Tien pushed himself into the air, spinning and launching an axe kick on her back. She slammed into the ground, cracking the floor tiles. The man spun to his feet, charging a blast in his hand, but Tien had already taken a position above them, his hands in the position for the Kikoho.

Neither android moved.

Tien smirked. "I thought you might know what this is." The smirk faded. "You're from the Crane school; I recognize your technique. What does Tao stand to gain from this attack?"

No answer.

He grit his teeth and began charging his attack, shimmering yellow energy gathering between his hands. The two's eyes met.

"Don't move!" Tien shouted. "I was once a student of the Crane. You should know I have no qualms about killing you. Especially considering all the people you've already killed." His eyes narrowed. "Where is Tao?" He looked back and forth between them. "Where is he!"

The man raised his metallic hands slowly. He gulped. "He's… he's heading for… West City."

Tien furrowed his brow. "Why? What does he want there?"

They looked at each other. The woman spoke. "We don't know. He just told us to head there after we received the signal."

"What signal?"

She pointed at her head. "The one from our transmitters."

Tien exhaled heavily. "West City, huh? He might cause trouble for Bulma. I'm fairly certain I felt Vegeta leave a while ago. She might need help." He nodded to himself. The energy in his hands glowed brighter and a powerful pillar of ki obliterated the two and the floor of the house, creating a deep hole.

"It's a good thing I didn't bring Chiaotzu. I'm not sure he could handle a reunion." He took to the air and headed for West City.


Within the Satans' mansion, Joey snuck and rifled around like a thief in the night. Actually, it was night and he was here to steal something. If he had any other options, he'd gladly take them, but there was little choice if he wanted to accomplish what he'd set out to do. Record a fight the likes of which had only been seen at the Cell Games.

After Gohan flew off, his chances of doing so had decreased dramatically. He'd never expected the fight between him and the android would be over so quick. So, in order to get his fight, he'd have to track Gohan down. To do that, he needed a jet. So, here he was.

He clicked his tongue. "Where do they keep their vehicles? Agh, they could be anywhere." Capsules made it way easier to store large items but much harder to find them. He stumbled around through the hallways, not daring to turn on the lights. Somebody might still be outside, waiting to enter the bunker. He was fairly certain no one had seen him sneak away from the crowd, but he wasn't about to go asking for trouble.

He came to a door and tested it. It opened. He went through to a large, open space. It was a garage; three large retractable doors let light in through high windows, enough to let him see. He smiled, attempting to adjust his glasses. Then he remembered he wasn't wearing them. "Right. Anyway, the garage. I bet I'll find something here."

He searched the place and found a panel in the wall, slightly ajar. Within were rows of Capsules in custom holders. "Jackpot!" he thought. He picked out a two-seater jet and stuffed it in his pocket. After sneaking back out of the building, he released the jet and climbed in. Luckily, the controls were pretty simple and he'd read up on how to fly a jet before. "I've always wanted one of my own." He grimaced. "But… I should probably bring this one back when I'm done. I'll make enough money from the footage to buy dozens of these."

He reached for the ignition button but stopped, furrowing his brow. "I can't fly and film at the same time…" He rubbed a hand on his chin then snapped his fingers. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Clara? Where are you?"


Gohan hurtled through the air to his home, focusing his senses. "Alright, I can feel Goten. What about Mom?" He furrowed his brow, honing in on her familiar signature. He grinned. "She's there!" They were both still alive. It was everything he could hope for. His face turned grim. "Now, I just need to get there before that changes."

He summoned all his speed, turning the landscape into a blur. Soon, mountains came into view, then Mt. Paozu, then his home. He landed outside the domed house, noting some fallen trees and scores in the ground. His mouth went dry.

The door slammed open and a golden blur slammed into him. "Gohan! You're here!" Goten cried, looking up with teal blue eyes.

Gohan's jaw fell. "G-Goten! Your hair!"

Goten frowned. "What?" He tried to get a look at his hair but found it to be an impossible task.

Gohan ran a hand through his own blond hair. "You're a Super Saiyan! That's… that's incredible!"

Goten blinked. "I am?" He pulled a lock of his hair down. "My hair looks like a banana!" He pulled it further, sticking his tongue out.

Gohan flicked his forehead. "You're hair is not a banana!"

"But it looks like one!"

Gohan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Goten, I promise your hair tastes nothing like a banana." He knelt before the boy. "Is Mom okay? What happened here?"

Goten's eyes widened. "Oh! Right! Mom's inside with the bad guys. She went to look for some rope to tie them up!"

Gohan nodded. "Good. And you're both okay? No injuries?"

Goten frowned. "One of them hit mom really hard, right on her cheek. Then I got really mad and beat them up." He grinned. "Mommy said I did a good job."

Gohan smiled and ruffled his hair. "You did, Goten. I'm proud of you."

Goten's grin got wider.

"Y'know, I think you can drop the transformation. If anybody else shows up, I'll take care of them, alright sport?"

Goten tilted his head. "Uh… I don't know how?"

Gohan laughed and stood. "Well, we can work on that. Let's go see Mom, okay?" Goten nodded and skipped inside. Gohan took a breath and followed. "I got here too late." His gaze darkened. "It's good that everything worked out, but I was still too late to prevent Goten from having to fight. What if they had been stronger?" He shook his head. This wasn't a good line of thought. Though, it was something that deserved consideration. But, perhaps at a later time.


Vegeta and Cell clashed, every blow creating a shockwave that tore at the nearby cliffs, ripping boulders from their sides. They flashed through the canyon, meeting blow for blow, until Vegeta slipped past a punch and crushed a fist into Cell's chest, shattering the carapace. Cell flew back, digging a furrow into the ground and slipping into the river.

Vegeta smirked and flicked his hand to get purple blood off his glove. Cell burst from the water, seething, and the crater in his chest quickly repaired itself. He growled and attacked. Vegeta caught his fist, throwing it to the side and sunk a fist into his cheek then an elbow into the other.

Cell reeled back and fired a wave of ki, encompassing Vegeta. He didn't let up and went on the attack again, sending an air-shattering kick to Vegeta's ribs. The Saiyan prince raised a leg to block it then placed his hand on Cell's leg, creating an explosion of ki at the point of contact. Cell shouted as the armor on his leg cracked and he swiped his arm to force Vegeta away, gaining some distance, himself.

Vegeta brushed his fingers against his armor, wiping away some dust. "Pitiful, Cell, really. I knew I'd defeat you handily, but this is just sad." He snapped his fingers, pointing to his cheek. "Here, I'll let you have a free hit. Maybe that will make things a bit more fair?"

Cell's face twisted in fury. "You! You insufferable cretin!" Vegeta laughed and dodged an onslaught of blows, grabbing Cell's arm as it flew past and throwing him into a cliff. Rocks cascaded down, burying him with rubble.

Vegeta sighed. "This is a waste of my time. It's time to finish this." He spread his arms wide, gathering yellow energy into his hands. Golden lightning sparked between him and the nearby cliffs, carving grooves into the rock. Vegeta's aura flared brilliantly as he charged up his most powerful attack.

And then Cell burst from the rubble, getting right in Vegeta's face. His hands grasped each of Vegeta's arms firmly, locking them in place. Vegeta was unable to bring them together to finish the attack.

Vegeta's eyes nearly popped out of his head and he struggled to free himself, trying to get his legs between them to push Cell away. Cell didn't let him get purchase and increased his grip, making the veins pop out on Vegeta's arms. He grinned. "Vegeta, you poor soul. You've played right into my hands." His tail extended, snaking up until it was next to his face. "I wasn't certain I'd be able to defeat Gohan but... with your power added to mine? There can no longer be any doubt."

Vegeta grit his teeth and exerted all his strength to free himself. "Damn you! I will not be—" He wracked his arms back and forth, but Cell's grip remained firm. "—defeated! Not like this!"

Cell's stinger plunged into Vegeta's neck. He screamed. The ki in his hands faded and his aura dispersed. His hair flicked back to black.

"That's it, Vegeta! Scream! This is a special occasion and I want to enjoy it!"


A/N: So, I guess Vegeta fans hate me now :P Also, if you're interested in what I've been doing for the past 6 months or so, I updated my profile with details.