Chapter 23

'Reckoner'

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AN: You are all hereby ordered to put on Bruce Faulconer's 'The Dragon Theme' as you read this and to constantly repeat it until you reach the end of this chapter! Alternate for your sanity using Ennio Morricone's 'The Trio'. Failure to comply will be punished severely by my plot Saiyan.

watch?v=QgJ1heSrskY

/XP9cfQx2OZY?t=2m39s

AN 2017: Top link still works, bottom link has died and replaced. On the off chance that both links die, here's some searches:

Bruce Faulconer's Dragon Theme:

results?search_query=Bruce+Faulconer%E2%80%99s+The+Dragon+Theme

Ennio Morricone's 'The Trio'

results?search_query=the+good+the+bad+and+the+ugly+the+trio

For those on , I'm sorry but it doesn't seem to allow for off site links. If it can, please tell me and I'll fix it. Just search on youtube for those titles.

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As the dust got blown away Cell was revealed in all his naked glory. And to make matters worse he looked better then ever before. He was in his perfect form again. As arcs of electricity sparked around him the creature began to smirk again.

"So, he chose to save the Slayer instead," Cell smirked as he saw the bodies of Trunks, Mayan and Belmovekk lying on the ground, "I guess that showed his real daughter what her place was in the grand scheme of things. Lucky Slayer though. She doesn't seem very pleased though, in fact she seems kinda broken."

He was alluding of course to Buffy whimpering over Belmovekk's lifeless body.

"Why is he still alive?" Yamcha said horrified as he slowly took a few steps backwards.

"Because the universe has a perverse sense of humor?" Xander said.

x

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In a bar in Sunnydale everybody looked glued to the big television screen. For a while there had been only sound but then the camera feed returned. While it was grainy, and occasionally froze, what it did show made the whole bar remain silent.

"This is bad," Larry said softly, "this is very bad. He looks even bigger and meaner then before."

Not even Spike had a snappy remark at the ready. Oh, he had loved it when the Big Scary had gone down. But unfortunately he could also detect life signatures. And Cell's was off the charts. It had been off the charts before, but now it had entered 'And here be dragons' territory.

"I wonder if I can make it too that hole in space underneath the mountain in time," he said softly.

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"He was dead. He was supposed to be dead," O'Neill said back at the SGC.

"Then I guess he wasn't really dead," Daniel shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"I guess you're the expert," O'Neill said looking at Daniel, then back at the big screen, "This Cell comes back from the dead more often then Apophis did. I swear, Daniel, if Apophis would now materialize next to Cell as his sidekick I wouldn't even blink an eye."

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"He he he," Cell chuckled softly as he saw the shock and surprise on everyone's faces, "Surprised? Well so was I. Quite a stroke of luck on my part actually."

Cell pointed to his head.

"There's this small cluster of Cells in my head," Cell said as he tapped his skull, "It makes up my core. If that cluster isn't destroyed my body can go on regenerating even if only microscopic pieces remain. And when I self destructed my core was unharmed."

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Moments before, in the afterlife.

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"I'm sorry, Kaio Sama," Goku said apologetic after he materialized without warning on Kaio Sama's little planetoid in the afterlife, "This was the only place I could think off."

Before Kaio Sama could respond Cell blew up and tore apart the little planetoid.

DOOM!

A massive shockwave went through the afterlife, causing the insanely long Snake Way to ripple and be obliterated for the length of a thousand miles near the blast. Then, as the shockwaves began to abate three souls materialized in their bodies over the still intact portions of Snake Way further away.

But at the centre of Kaio Sama's former little planetoid all sorts of dust and debris still swirled around. Including organic material.

Including live organic material.

Amidst the debris a small clump of cells still clung desperately to life as it pulsed irregularly.

For a moment the small clump pulsed, then it stopped pulsing.

"Oh no you don't," a voice said, then a small arc of electricity hit the clump and it began to spasm again. Irregular at first, then at a steady pace for what seemed like a minute, then the pace increased.

As soon as it did it also began to increase in size with every spasm, doubling in size as cells began to divide, and divide, and divide again, until an embryonic life form began to emerge. One that rapidly began to grow and become more and more recognizable.

And then, finally, it stopped changing and Cell was once whole again.

Panting heavily Cell hung there above the yellow clouds of the afterlife. While he had no clue as to where he really was, he did know what had happened to him and that he was really, really, lucky.

Not only had he survived his own self-destruction, to his amazement he was back in his perfect form again, despite having lost Android #18. He could hardly believe his good fortune. Pumping the air in victory Cell laughed out loud.

And the laughter died suddenly.

Not far from him a small piece of Snake Way still floated above the clouds. Nothing much, less then a square meter. But it was enough for someone to sit on. And somebody did.

It was the demon called Skip.

"Flexing your new body I see?" Skip said cheerful, then he bowed his head, "You're welcome."

"What do you mean by that?" Cell said annoyed.

"You were spared, my friend," Skip said, "The Powers saved your miserable existence, well, I saved your miserable existence. But since I work for Them that means they can claim the credit. Not really fair I admit, but that's the way the system works, baby. I jumpstarted you again. I also gave you a few extras too. Like your perfect form. Also courtesy of the Powers."

"You're lying," Cell said quickly, to which Skip shrugged.

"Search your feelings, Cell, you know it to be true," he replied back.

For a moment Cell said nothing.

"What do you want?" he finally said.

"The Powers love you, Cell," Skip said as he got up to his feet, causing the piece of Snake Way to wobble, "You're their darling. They want you to win. They want you to destroy that miserable rock. They want you to kill that miserable Saiyan and his pet Slayer. And the others too for good measure if it makes you happy. We don't care. Just blow up Earth."

"What makes you think I will do what you and your so-called Powers want me to do?" Cell said defiantly, then he aimed his hand at Skip, "I could kill you now before you could even blink an eye."

"You could," Skip said deadpan, "But then you would be trapped in this place, this eternal limbo like forever. What would be the fun in that? I'm your ride out of this place, baby."

"You're lying," Cell said, "When Goku used his instant transmission to bring me here I finally understood how it works. I can do it myself now."

If he looked surprised Skip hid it well as he smiled some more, then extended both his arms.

"You still need to find your bearings back home, baby," the demon smiled confidently, "Without something to aim for instant transmission won't get you anywhere. But to prove my good faith, why not use your senses and check in that direction?"

Skip pointed to one direction and Cell looked that way, then extended his senses. At first he could sense nothing. But then…..

Elation!

"Thanks, but no thanks," Cell said and aimed his hand back at the floating piece of Snake Road.

But there was nothing to aim for as the demon was gone.

"Crafty bugger," Cell said both impressed and annoyed that he gotten cheated at his chance of killing him. Then he looked back into the direction that Skip had pointed too and brought two fingers to his forehead. Then he began to smirk.

"Alright, I'll play along for now," Cell smirked, "But once I do I will come after you and your precious Powers. Mark my words, I will not allow anything stronger then me to exist!"

And with that Cell winked out of existence in the Afterlife.

As soon as he did Skip winked back into existence on the floating piece of Snake Way. He hadn't really left at all, just created the illusion that he had.

"They just don't pay me enough for this shit," Skip said as he slowly shook his head, "What an asshole. I hope he does tear the Powers a new one. Well, I did my part, it's time to get out of here."

Using his hand he struck the air and a tear began to form, through which a bright light began to shine. Then he widened the tear so he could fit his body through.

"I hear Jasmine's hiring."

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Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, the present

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"I hadn't really counted on regenerating from that amount of damage," Cell explained, "I guess I was…. lucky? Even better, now I'm complete again even though #18 is no longer part of my body, and I've powered up as well, like Son Gohan."

That last remark drew attention to the arcs of electricity surrounding Cell and the yellow flames of chi that surrounded him now.

"I guess it were the Saiyan cells in my genetic make up," Cell said smirking, "A boost in power after a brush up with death."

Then he brought two fingers to his forehead.

"I've even learned to teleport like Son Goku and the other asshole, which means I've come back even more perfect then ever! Son Goku didn't defeat me as he thought, he made me better then ever!"

Then as everybody watched on in horror Gohan raised his own power again, arcs of electricity surrounding him again as well. And with it a smirk appeared on his face.

"Why the smile?" Cell asked contemptuous, "Did you finally go insane?"

"No," Gohan smirked back and held up a fist, "I'm just happy that I get another chance to kill the monster that killed my father. I really wanted to tear you apart with my own bare hands. And now I can."

"Oh really?" Cell snorted incredulously, "Didn't we dance this dance before? I don't think it worked out as well as you hoped the last time, now did it?"

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Two things were going on as Cell and Gohan exchanged their banter.

Vegeta didn't pay any attention.

All he did was stare at the corpse of his own son.

And all he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat, beating like a drum in his ears as nothing in the world seemed to exist any more but him, and the remains of his son.

Trunks was dead!

His son was dead.

He knew he had behaved like an asshole towards the boy. He knew that all that the boy craved for was his approval. To be recognized as his. Not in the formal legal Saiyan way of course. There was never going to be any question of that ever happening. He may have been living on Earth for almost five years, even longer then that away from Planet Vegeta. But he was too steeped in the ancient traditions to change. His son was half-Saiyan and as such could never be legally recognized.

Trunks was dead!

And yet the boy never asked for such a thing. Never asked to be called his heir. All he really wanted was his approval, a pet on the back that said 'well done, son'. And he had never done that.

Trunks was dead!

He had been a right asshole to his own son. And not in the usual 'tough love' approach that many Saiyan parents ascribed too. He had really treated the boy like one would a common servant. And despite that the boy had still shown him deferential.

Trunks was dead!

While his son had shown him respect, he had also shown him he had balls of Saiyan steel when he had stood up to him in the battles leading up to Cell's completion. Shown a willingness to even kill him if necessary. Which was good because standing up to one's elders when they were wrong was just as important as showing respect to them when they were right.

Trunks was dead!

The year he had spent with Trunks inside the Room of Spirit and Time had been quite…, for lack of a better word, enjoyable? At the time it didn't seem like it, more like the opposite in fact. But the year he would later spent in that godawful place alone showed him that without Trunks it was even worse. That he missed having someone around. Even if that certain someone just didn't know when to shut up.

Trunks was dead.

And not only did he let it happen, because of his damned pride, he never even got the chance to tell the boy that he was, there was no denying it any more, his son.

"Tru…., Trunks," Vegeta stammered as it dawned upon him that his son was dead.

His son.

"DAMN YOU CELL!"

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Not that far away something snapped in somebody else as well.

Barriers that had been in place for millennia, just to prevent this very moment from happening, and already weakened by the constant rise of her power these past five years, suddenly gave way as immense grief took hold of Buffy.

Belmo was dead.

"No, Belmo, don't die," Buffy wailed in despair over Belmovekk's corpse, "You promised. You'd never leave me. Not like….. FATHER!"

Looking up with eyes that shone in cold blue green Buffy yelled up towards the heavens and let her grief flow through her like a raging torrent.

One that finally broke through the barriers set in place by those Ancient scientists and practitioners of magic.

For the first time ever a human born Slayer, heiress to the power of the Legendary First Super Saiyan, reached her full potential.

And her power exploded in an orgy of golden chi.

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Furthest away, standing with the soldiers, Willow looked aghast at her friend as she transformed and gales of raw energy lambasted her and the soldiers.

"Buffy?"

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The two Super Saiyans, one born on Planet Vegeta, and ultimate heir of a bloodline going back thousands of years to an Ancient scientist and a Saiyan warrior, the other the end result of a Saiyan warrior taken from her planet by another Ancient scientist and created as a weapon for their purposes, looked at each other.

Without saying a word, or even using any form of telepathy Vegeta and Buffy looked at each other and each understood what the other was going through.

"Let's do this, Summers," Vegeta said.

And with that, the two of them launched themselves at Cell.

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"She too?" O'Neill said as he saw the duo assault Cell on the big screen, "It's Super Saiyans aplenty."

Meanwhile Joyce and Giles approached the big screen and watched with jaws nearly hitting the floor.

"Buffy?"

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"HYAAAAH!" Vegeta and Buffy yelled as they fired off a twin blast at Cell, who only barely had time to brace himself for impact.

DOOM!

A massive explosion rocked the valley. And as they scurried for cover it reigned pieces of dirt and rocks all around Bruce and the camera crew. Causing a very effeminate shout to come Bruce's mouth.

"YEEK!"

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"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Shouting pure shouts of pure hatred Buffy used her new found power to unleash a barrage of blasts at Cell, firing like two machineguns at a single stationary target shrouded in increasing amounts of dust.

In addition to her hatred she also couldn't help but revel in her new found power. It was the bees knees! Sure, there was pain involved. But nothing she couldn't handle. If this was what Xander was always crying about then he was the world's biggest crybaby.

That or unlike him this was power she was meant to have.

Either way, eat death, Cell!

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"YEAH, GIVE IT TO HIM!" a demon yelled excited in Larry's bar as they watched Buffy and Vegeta tear into Cell, "RIP THAT SUCKER'S HEAD OFF AND SHIT DOWN ITS NECK!"

As more and more demons began to shout shouts of encouragements to his surprise Spike found himself joining in. It would seem that self-preservation trumped hatred after all.

Even if the dolt had just gone Super Scary as well and probably would become insufferable once this was over.

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As everybody watched with bated breath as Vegeta and Buffy tore into Cell, Riley turned around and looked at the dead.

"What about them?" he said, "We can't just let them lie here."

"You're right," Yamcha agreed, "We should take their bodies to safety. The Dragon needs bodies to revive them. If we survive this that is."

"Let me take care of this," Willow said and knelt next to Belmovekk's body, then she pointed next to her, "Put them here."

Yamcha and Tien took the bodies of Trunks and Mayan and put them next to Willow.

"What are you going to do?" Tien asked after he put down Mayan's body.

"It's time we had some backup plans of our own," Willow said with grim determination, then she began to concentrate as she began to draw symbols on the ground, "I hope this works, stand back."

At first nothing happened.

But then Willow and the three bodies began to fade. Slowly at first, but then at an increasing speed.

"Are you taking them to the Lookout," Tien asked, but Willow shook her head.

"If this place goes the Lookout's the last place I want them to be," she said. And then she was gone.

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"DIE YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Vegeta snarled with pure hatred as he threw everything he had at Cell, "DIE!"

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"So this is what a Super Slayer looks like," Faith said as she watched Buffy and Vegeta fire at Cell, then she looked at Xander, "She looks different then you."

She was referring to the pale golden colour of both Buffy's hair and her chi flames, burning as bright as Vegeta's, but not in the same bright golden hue. Similar but not completely like Xander's, which had a more dull, tarnished hue.

"I just hope she's not in any sort of pain," Xander said.

"Stupid idiots," Piccolo growled, "They'll get themselves killed!"

"At least they're doing something," Faith bit back.

"Who cares about something when you're only in the way," Piccolo snorted, "All that work for nothing."

"What work?" Faith asked.

"Belmovekk's," Piccolo said, "It all makes sense now, why he was so desperate to get himself killed. He wanted her to become like this and figured that if he couldn't accomplish it while alive, maybe his death might trigger it. Turns out he was right all along. And now she's just wasting it away."

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Watching the proceedings on Earth with increasing worry, Thor felt ready to ditch this solar system at any seconds when suddenly something strange happened on his bridge. Out of nowhere four people, no, make that one person and three dead people began to materialize on his bridge in a slow form of teleportation.

Seemingly taking forever Thor watched with interest as he finally began to recognize them. Once it was completed the red haired assistant to the now dead Saiyan Belmovekk stood. And almost keeled over before steadying herself.

"Phew," Willow said tired, "That took more out of me then expected.

"You are Willow Rosenberg, are you not?" Thor asked formally.

"Yes," Willow said, then she walked up to him and put her hands on his console, "You teleported those dead soldiers, right?"

"Yes," Thor nodded, "I was told they might be revived."

"Yeah, about that," Willow said, "I need your help with that. If it looks like Cell's going to win, I want you to teleport these people and get the hell out of here."

She then told Thor whom she wanted to be teleported.

"I cannot teleport some of them," Thor objected, "I cannot get a lock there."

Willow slammed her hands on his console and a brief electrical discharge went through Thor's equipment.

"There, now you can," Willow said resolved.

Thor checked his scanner and to his surprise he suddenly could do as she asked.

"They might not want to come," Thor said, "It might not be ethical to take them against their will."

"Ethical?" Willow said flabbergasted, then her eyes narrowed as she glared at the little Asgard, who involuntarily flinched, "We're not going on some damn cruise! We're playing survival here. And I need those Dragonballs to revive them back. I need Belmo back! And when he does I'm not going to tell him that we left his wife and kids behind!"

Intimidated Thor kept his silence, upon which Willow turned around and steadied herself against Thor's console.

"It's bad enough that we'll probably going to have to leave Buffy behind as is."

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In the Afterlife Goku was watching through the extra sensory preceptors of Kaio Sama by putting his hands on Kaio Sama's shoulders.

"And she's human?" Kaio Sama said surprised, "Since when can humans go Super Saiyan?"

"Apparently she can," Goku said matter of fact, causing Kaio Sama to glance over his shoulder.

"You really never were much for the why, weren't you?"

"Does it matter right now?" Goku shrugged matter of fact.

"I suppose not," Kaio Sama said as he turned his attention back to the fight, "My, Vegeta has grown a lot as well. They're really letting Cell have it."

"Yeah," Goku concurred, "That would have been some fight between us once this was over."

"Too bad you're dead and he isn't," Kaio Sama chuckled.

"Oh, I think we might still have that fight," Goku said downcast, "And probably sooner rather then later."

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Holy crap!

That was what went through Bruce's mind as he watched the duo tear into Cell.

These guys are so much more stronger then me. What the fuck was I thinking coming here?

Bruce then looked sideways, to the reporter still speaking excitedly into his microphone and the cameraman still filming the fight with his make shift repaired camera.

They're not paying attention to me, Bruce thought, I mustn't draw any attention to me.

For a moment he contemplated running away.

If he ran away unnoticed they might say he was a coward, but if he spinned things right he might still explain it as that he was trying to place himself in a position to deliver the killing blow.

Yeah, he could work with that.

Probably more then he could by just standing here until the inevitable question came when he would finally step in. I mean, how long could he maintain that ridiculous excuse that he was suffering from a stomach ache?

Then, before he could make a move the camera man suddenly stopped filming, put his camera on the ground and opened a panel.

"Camera's dead again," the camera man said in a defeated tone of voice.

"Can you fix it?" the reporter asked concerned, "this is the story of our lifetime."

"Maybe if we were back at the studio," the camera man said shaking his head, "This thing's deader then the Dodo."

"What about the satellite uplink?" the reporter asked worried, "Are we still on live?"

The camera man checked the status of his satellite uplink pack.

"I'm not sure," he finally said, then he looked at the reporter, "it could be."

The reporter looked at the camera man like he wasn't sure what he was hearing. Like he was trying to piece 2 + 2 together. Then he turned around and resumed commenting on the fight like nothing had happened.

"So you're saying that we're completely cut off?" Bruce asked the camera man.

"Could be," the camera man said pointing to the uplink pack, it still draws power but the LED indicating whether or not there's still an uplink is damaged. It cut be on, it could be off. There's no way of knowing if there is."

"But the camera is completely shot," Bruce asked, to which the camera man nodded. Then Bruce turned around and began to smile again.

Finally things seemed to be looking up for him.

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"MORE, MORE," Buffy panted heavily as she tried to summon more energy to pour in her attacks. Which was kinda hard as she was so not used to being in this state.

"Concentrate your fire, Summers," Vegeta growled at her, "Don't throw them all over the place."

Shooting one more look of annoyance at Vegeta Buffy did as ordered and concentrated her fire at the centre of the cloud which by now had expanded to such lengths that it had almost reached them, causing them to fire almost blindly.

Something told her this might not be good idea.

"Maybe we shou…..," Buffy tried to say, but before she could finish her sentence something emerged from the cloud.

It was Cell.

The thing whizzed right passed her and then lashed out, swinging his open handed hand and smacking Vegeta right in the face, causing the Saiyan prince to fall backwards and then land face first into the ground, where all he could do was pant heavily as he tried to make sense and work through the pain.

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"Oh no," Kaio Sama said horrified in the Afterlife.

"Yeah, I was afraid of that," Goku said shaking his head, "I knew they couldn't overpower Cell."

"Strange that two strong fighters find it so hard to combine their powers," Kaio Sama remarked.

"It's so damn hard," Goku concurred, then his face contorted, "No, get out of there!"

x

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After having disposed of Vegeta Cell came around and swung his leg in a roundhouse kick aimed straight at Buffy's face. Only at the last possible moment was she able to raise her arm and block her attack.

But it still hit her with the power of a runaway freight train.

As her arm felt numb, Cell swung around and tried to drive his fist into her face. Instinctively she crossed her arms in front of her face and found that while numb, her arm still wasn't broken. Then she blocked Cell's attack.

"Impressive," Cell said impressed, "Your newfound power is a credit to you, Slayer. I see now why he was so desperate to bring it out."

Then Cell smirked maliciously in her face.

"Too bad it only puts you slightly above him. Close, but still no cigar."

Then Cell drove his knee into her stomach and knocked the wind right out of her.

x

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"I knew it, Goku said gloomily, "If Belmovekk had managed to goad her into this while in the Room of Spirit and Time she might have been trained to handle it. Get even more power out of it. Now she's just not equipped to handle this."

"Makes you wonder why he tried so hard to get it out of her," Kaio Sama concurred.

"He was a driven man," Goku said solemnly, then he looked around, "Say, why's he not here?"

"Maybe because if there's any justice in the universe he's roasting in hell right now?" Kaio Sama said in disgust.

x

x

As Buffy fell to the ground clutching her stomach Cell walked away as he shook his head disparagingly.

"All too easy," he said contemptuously, then he turned around and pointed one hand at Vegeta, the other at Buffy, "Time to die, insects."

Next thing two massive energy attacks began to glow brightly.

x

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By now they had lost the FOX NEWS feed, and even the reporter's voice faded in and out. But unlike the rest of the world the SGC still had access to imagery via the Predator drone flying overhead.

But as they saw Vegeta and Buffy fall down Joyce began to scream.

"BUFFY! NO….!" Joyce cried out as she fell to the floor, with Giles and two soldiers coming to her aid.

"Switch it off!" General Hammond said to a technician, "Switch the big screen off!"

Then he and O'Neill walked to a smaller screen near a work station.

"She already had to watch her husband die, I'll be damned if she has to watch her own daughter die as well."

x

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"Teleport her out if there!" Willow yelled on board of the bridge of the Beliskner II, "Please, teleport her out of there!"

"I cannot," Thor said as he feverishly worked his controls, "There is too much interference. Too much energies interfering with my sensors."

x

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"DIE!" Cell yelled and fired off two blasts.

THOOM!

Two blasts of energy speed from Cell's hands, one heading for Vegeta, the other heading straight for Buffy.

x

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Despite that the big screen had been turned off at the SGC control room, Joyce Summers could still see what was going on several of the smaller screens.

"BUFFY!" she wailed desperately, "Don't leave me! Please, no!"

"Damn you, Cell," General Hammond said as he watched on powerlessly.

x

x

"Oh my God, viewers, Cell's going to kill them," the voice of the FOX NEWS reporter blared excited through Larry's bar, "Oh my God, the humanity…."

First the Big Scary buys it, now the Slayer, Spike thought, I should feel happy, why don't I feel happy?

Because you're going to die as well, something said within his mind.

Shut up, brain, I want to enjoy this, no matter if it only lasts for a moment.

Suit yourself.

x

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"BUFFY!" Willow cried horrified on board the Beliskner II.

x

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"BUFFY!" Riley yelled as he tried to come to her aid.

And got tackled by Tien and Yamcha.

"NO!" Riley yelled.

"It's for your own good," Tien said as he clung on to Riley.

x

x

DOOM!

Two loud explosions happening almost at the same time.

Further destruction to the already heavily damaged Afghan countryside.

Another massive flash that blinded the forward observers that aside from the Predator drone were now the only eyes keeping an eye on things in this bizarre valley.

30 miles away in the command post, a US colonel together with a British second in command were trying to make sense of things. The results of their feeds went directly to the SGC, but it was up to them to keep them running.

With the US troops stretched thin after the disastrous attack on Cell they were fortunate that some of their NATO allies were able to pick up the slack, especially the British who had been deploying to nearby Helmand province. Up to a third of the staff was now British.

"Broadsword calling Danny Boy, Broadsword calling Danny Boy," a radio operator spoke as he tried to contact the forward observers, "report in, Danny Boy, over."

"Anything?" the colonel asked concerned.

"Nothing," the British major said shaking his head, "There's too much dust for the Predator drone to see anything. We need those eyes on the ground."

"Why not call Jamison or Riley?" a British lieutenant asked, "They're right at the thick of it. And they got radios."

The US colonel and the British major looked at each other.

"Simplest solutions," the colonel said shaking his head why he hadn't thought of that, "Do it."

But before his order could be carried out the radio crackled.

"Broadsword, this is Danny Boy, over."

"Danny Boy, do you have visual, over?" the radio operator asked.

"Affirmative, Broadsword," the radio crackled, "Target is still standing, I repeat, the target is still standing?"

"What about Black Prince and Angel One? Are they down? Over."

There was no immediate reply.

"Danny Boy, can you confirm, are Black Prince and Angel One down or not? Over."

"I…., um…., am not…, uh…., sure," the hesitant reply came back.

"Then tell us what you can see, Danny Boy, over."

x

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As the dust settled to her surprise Buffy discovered that she was still alive.

Still feeling pain: check.

Numb left arm: check.

Opening eyes and seeing maniacal bio droid: check.

She glanced to her left and saw Vegeta still alive and breathing in the center of his own little crater.

But she also saw Gohan lying on top of him. And he very much looked worse for wear. Bloodied and seemingly exhausted.

And then it clicked in her brain and she looked around.

And saw Xander lying at her feet.

Unconscious.

With a gaping hole in his side.

"Xander, no!" she yelled as she got up on her knees.

x

x

As he opened his eyes Xander knew that things were wrong when he couldn't feel any pain. Cause there should have been lots of it.

He could see Buffy hover over him, and although he couldn't hear a word of what she was saying due to the excessive ringing in his ears, from the look on her face he could tell that it was bad, really bad. Immediate senzu bean bad. Too bad they were completely out of the little beans.

He tried to move but found his body below the neck completely paralysed. Then he put back his head to the ground and began to chuckle.

"Well, just like back in high school, ain't it Buff?" he said. Or at least he tried to say as he couldn't hear a word of what he was saying. What he did fell was the taste of blood welling up in his mouth, indicating that he had sustained internal injuries.

Buffy again said something he couldn't hear, but which was probably meant to comfort him. Which could only mean one thing. It was dying time.

He didn't mind dying. He had always know, from the moment he had knew the truth about Buffy and began helping her that it would get him killed at some point. And after Jesse had died he no longer even cared any more. Just that he would take plenty of those bastards with him. And he liked to think that he had taken care of that many times over.

For a while he hoped that he would die Götterdammerung style, facing a horde of vampires and demons, killing a godawful lot of them in very gruesome ways before succumbing to their numbers, snarling one last shout of defiance to them before dying.

But that made no sense because it would still mean that the demons would have won.

No, far better to go out like he was going out now. Dying after having saved Buffy's life. It would give her a chance to save the day, and he knew it would make the Big Guy proud of him.

Yeah, if you had to go, this was absofragginlutely the way to go!

And it didn't even hurt! Talk about extra bonus score!

While Buffy talked some more, tears rolling down her eyes, Xander began to cough up blood in increasing amounts. At this rate he figured he might drown in his own blood at some point soon. Good, at least it would be over for him. He just wished he could do more for her. But now that she had the ability to go Super, she didn't really need him any more. Right?

Then a new face appeared in his line of vision. One he didn't recognize.

It was an old woman. And as she knelt next to him she smiled at him.

"You have done well, proud warrior," she said, causing Xander to be surprised because unlike Buffy he could hear her as her voice came through the loud ringing in his ears like a hot knife through butter.

As if to illustrate his point Buffy again said something that he couldn't hear.

"This is, cough, odd," Xander coughed, but the old woman shook her head.

"Easy, warrior, easy. Do not exert yourself."

At the same time Buffy also said something.

"That is, cough, easy for you, cough, to say," Xander coughed, then he looked at the old woman's face, "Who are, cough, you?"

Again Buffy and the old woman spoke at the same time.

"Who I am is not important," the old woman said, " Rest assured that once you die you will go to the Holy Afterlife of your ancestors."

"God, I hope, cough, not," Xander coughed, "My father, cough, and his, cough, father were all, cough, assholes. I'd hate the, cough, idea that I, cough, have to spent, cough, eternity with, cough, them."

The old woman and Buffy looked puzzled at him, but then the old woman smiled.

"I understand," she smiled, then her face turned serious as Buffy also began to talk again, "You have fought bravely warrior, you have come a long way, my distant child of mine, but I have one more task for you to perform."

"Which, cough, is?"

The old woman leaned over and whispered something in his ear.

x

x

Oh God, Buffy thought as she knelt over Xander, don't die, Xander, please don't die!

In response Xander began to cough up increasing amounts of blood.

"Oh God," Buffy muttered desperately, "Hang in there, Xander, everything will be alright!"

It wasn't of course, but she didn't know anything else to say.

"This is, cough, odd," Xander suddenly said in a surprised tone of voice.

"What is, Xander?" Buffy asked curious.

"That is, cough, easy for you, cough, to say," Xander coughed, then he looked aside, "Who are, cough, you?"

"It's me, Buffy," she said worried, "Don't you recognize me, Xander?"

"That is, cough, easy for you, cough, to say," Xander coughed, then he looked slightly aside, "Who are, cough, you?"

Buffy looked aside as well but saw nothing.

"What is it, Xander, what are you seeing?"

"God, I hope, cough, not," Xander coughed again, "My father, cough, and his, cough, father were all, cough, assholes. I'd hate the, cough, idea that I, cough, have to spent, cough, eternity with, cough, them."

Okay, this conversation officially ceased making sense long ago and now passed the crazy ocean into the port of Lunacy.

"Xander, you're not making any sense," she said worried, "Don't out phase out. Stay with me, Xander."

"Which, cough, is?" Xander coughed, then he lilted his head like somebody was whispering something in his ear. To astonished to say anything Buffy watched on in silence.

Then what ever he seemed to be hearing stopped and Xander looked at her. With each breath blood now gushed from his mouth as he tried to say something but couldn't. As blood began to gulp into his lungs Xander proved unable to speak and began to suffocate

"XANDER!" Buffy yelled frantically, "DON'T GO! Don't leave me like this! Not you too!"

x

x

"This is bad," Yamcha said as he saw Gohan having difficulty getting up after having taken the blast meant for Vegeta, and the Slayer falling apart over a dying Xander.

"This is beyond bad," Tien said, "This is a clusterfuck beyond all proportions."

Then they saw Gohan as he got to his feet.

And to their shock his left arm hung limp by his side.

"Gohan!" Piccolo said horrified.

"Idiots!" Krillin said angrily, "The Dragonballs could have brought them back. Now it's all for nothing."

x

x

Tap.

Gently Cell lowered himself down to the ground and took stock of the situation.

"This is an unexpected surprise," he said. While Vegeta and the Slayer brat were still alive, her sidekick was all but dead and Gohan severely injured. Yeah, he could most definitely work with this.

"Enough fooling around," Cell said after he had stopped gloating, "I think I have let this go on for long enough,"

Cell then held out one arm in front of him, then he placed the other below and cupped both hands. Then he retracted both arms and placed them by his side.

"This time there will be no mercy," Cell announced, "None of you will walk away. NOW DIE WITH THE REST OF THE PLANET!"

And then Cell's power exploded.

x

x

"Aw crap," Yamcha muttered as he recognized Goku's signature move.

x

x

"Not like this!" Faith said aghast, "Not like this!"

x

x

In the SGC General Hammond turned to a lieutenant.

"How many people have we evacuated to the Alpha Site so far?" he asked.

The lieutenant briefly looked at a screen totaling the numbers of evacuees so far.

"22.187, sir," he read out. After which the general looked at O'Neill.

"Let us hope it is enough."

x

x

In Larry's bar everybody, including Larry himself was to glued to the screen to pay attention to anyone else. And even here, despite the lack of visuals, it seemed clear that the game was up.

So when Spike, being able to register Cell's power going through the roof, wanted one last beer, he had to reach behind the bar to get it himself.

x

x

God, he's strong, Gohan thought as he watched Cell, he came back even stronger then I thought. There's no way I'm going to be able to stop him. Not like this.

Not like this.

x

x

The only one not panicking at the sight of Cell about to destroy the Earth was Buffy, as she was completely focused on Xander dying in her arms.

"Don't die, Xander," she pleaded, "Don't you die on me as well."

Xander didn't respond on the account of that he was too busy drowning and gargling up his own blood.

"Don't die, Xander," Buffy cried as she rocked back and fro, "Don't die."

x

x

"If only we had one more senzu," Krillin sighed defeated, "One more senzu."

x

x

Suddenly Xander stopped making gargling noises and his eyes narrowed at Buffy's, then he sat up straight and pressed his forehead against hers. It lasted only for a second, then he dropped down again.

And he stopped trying to breathe.

"XANDER!"

x

x

"Xander, no," Willow said on board the Beliskner II, then she fell to the floor crying.

x

x

As Buffy cried Xander's body disappeared from her lap. Part of her even noticed it and knew it had to be the Asgard ship. Like it had teleported the other dead away.

But the greater part of her didn't notice. And frankly didn't even care.

Xander was dead.

x

x

Where the hell am I?

Standing in front of a large building floating amidst a sea of clouds Xander stood on top of a large floating road that led towards that building. It even had a gate with a sign that said WELCOME.

As a long line of small clouds floated past him towards the gate Xander couldn't help but be struck that the afterlife was a lot different then he was led on to believe.

"Sir, would you please be so kind as to move on," somebody said, upon which Xander turned around.

It was a man, dressed in a shirt and tie with a single horn growing straight up from his head holding a megaphone.

"Sir, you're holding up the line," the man said pointing to the road behind Xander, with a line of clouds now forming a small traffic jam behind him, "We're expected a lot of traffic to arrive shortly."

"Sorry," Xander said and made for the gate, where he saw more of the strange men guiding the clouds into the main building.

"No cutting in line," one of them spoke into a megaphone, "All souls are to continue in an orderly line and fashion. All will be judged properly."

"Judged?" Xander said aghast, "As in who gets to go to heaven and who gets to go to hell?"

"Yes," a voice suddenly said behind him.

x

x

On the bridge of the Beliskner II Xander's dead and damaged body materialized not far from Willow, and the red headed sorceress threw herself on top of it crying.

"Xander, no!"

Leaving her to her grief Thor continued with the preparations for immediate departure. He had the list of people she wanted him to save, he would do so as asked. Cause after all, she was right. Something had to be saved from this sorry mess.

x

x

Goku and Kaio Sama had been engrossed watching what went on back on Earth when suddenly two figures flashed into existence in front of them.

"You!" Kaio Sama hissed horrified as he recognized one of them as Belmovekk, "Why aren't you in Hell where you belong? With the rest of your kind?"

"Nice to see you again, Lord of Worlds," Belmovekk said as he made a brief polite bow, then he grinned, "And to be honest, I was as surprised as you are."

"You should be in hell, you mass murdering bastard," Kaio Sama spat angrily, "Hell, you shouldn't even have your own body. That's an honor reserved only for great heroes."

"And so it would seem also for disciples of Gods," Xander said.

"Not if they're mass murderers," Kaio Sama said frowning.

"My role is not finished yet it would seem, o Lord of Worlds," Belmovekk said formally with just a slightest hint of mockery, "But there is not a whole lot we can do from this place. Except you perhaps."

"You want to put your filthy mass murdering hands on me, don't you?" Kaio Sama said disapprovingly.

"I am willing to say please?" Belmovekk said deadpan, then his face turned serious, "I must know what is happening to Buffy."

"He's just worried, Kaio Sama," Goku interjected, "Maybe you should let him?"

Kaio Sama looked at Goku, then at Belmovekk, then at Goku again, then he sighed.

"Fine, but only because you asked me."

x

x

At the SGC General Hammond had ordered that the Predator drone feed be turned back on the big screen now that the demise of the Slayer had been averted."

"Ma'am," the general said towards Joyce, "Maybe you should go through the Stargate and leave while you still can. Teal'c's already taken your dau…."

"I'm not going anywhere else without my daughter," Joyce said shaking her head, "As long as Buffy's out there I'm not going."

"This might be our only chance," Giles said as he tried to goad her towards the exit, but Joyce pulled her arm free.

"I've already lost my husband today, I'm damn well not leaving without my daughter too."

x

x

"DIE ALONG WITH THIS MISERABLE PLANET!" Cell yelled as he continued his power build-up.

x

x

As he watched Cell's build-up of power Gohan felt both fear and shame.

I am sorry, father, he thought dejected, I'm sorry that I could not save the Earth from Cell, the Earth that I was supposed to protect.

x

x

Xander was dead.

"No Xander, this can't be happening," Buffy muttered defeated, "not you too."

x

x

"Xander, no," Willow cried on top of Xander's dead body onboard the Beliskner II

x

x

"Good God people," the reporter spoke into his microphone, "Could this be the end of us all? Cell is making the ground shake underneath our feet and there seems to be nothing anyone can do about it!"

x

x

Having finally gotten a hold of himself Vegeta began to sit up straight and looked at Gohan's limp arm, then at Cell powering up.

Is this the end? Is this the end of me? Is this the final end of the Saiyan race? To be spared annihilation at the hands of Freeza and then to die here on this miserable planet?

If only he hadn't…..

"I…., I can't believe it," Vegeta said in utter disbelief, "All this effort, all the training, and I was just a liability? Gohan, I am sorry."

x

x

Xander was dead.

They all leave me. Just like my father did. Then Belmo, now Xander. Soon, mom, Willow and the Twins will too. I just wasn't good enough.

x

x

Hearing Vegeta apologize almost had Gohan drop his jaw in utter disbelief. Vegeta? Apologizing? Those were two words that were destined to never be in the same sentence. Ever!

The world must be coming to an end.

And he knows it. He knows that there is no more hope left.

x

x

Xander was dead.

I got him killed. I did it. I may not have pulled the trigger but I did it. I'm not good enough. I'm just not good enough. I'm…..

x

x

The remaining Z-fighters were watching on in horror, it wasn't like there was much they could do. Then Piccolo spoke up.

"Fuck this," he said softly, then he yelled in utter frustration, "FUCK THIS SHIT! I hate our complete and utter lack of power!"

x

x

Xander was dead.

I wish I never met Belmo. Sure we would all still die, but then at least I wouldn't feel like this….

x

x

As Cell continued his power build-up he literally made the Earth shake.

"HAHAHAHA!" he laughed maniacally, "HOW DO YOU LIKE IT NOW? I'VE GOT ENOUGH CHI GATHERED NOW TO NOT ONLY BLOW UP EARTH, BUT THE ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM!"

"AND I GOT MORE!"

x

x

Xander was dead.

Forgive me Belmo, forgive me mother, for being this useless….

x

x

In cities throughout the Earth buildings were shaking and people were panicking, fearing imminent collapse. Cities with less stringent building codes were already experiencing collapsing buildings.

x

x

As she heard Piccolo lament his uselessness Faith felt sorry for the Jolly Green Giant. He had done so much for her, he deserved better then to be and feel this useless.

"If only we had another Super Saiyan beyond a Super Saiyan," Krillin lamented.

That gave her an idea.

"What if we do?"

x

x

"COME ON, SON GOHAN," Cell yelled challengingly, "SHOW ME THE DEPTH OF YOUR RESISTANCE!"

x

x

"What is wrong with him?" Goku said astounded in the Afterlife, "Why's he not fighting back?"

"The Powers That Be must still exert a strong influence on him," Belmovekk said, "If only we…."

"Why don't you just talk to him," a new voice spoke up.

"Who said that?" Kaio Sama asked as he looked around.

"Just talk to him," the voice said, a voice rich in harmonic overtones.

Then a hand appeared on the edge of Snake Way.

And another.

Then some grunting followed and then Amūn hoisted himself over the edge and fell down panting on Snake Way.

"Damn," the Goa'uld mirror image of Belmovekk in gold armor panted heavily, "That was a long climb."

x

x

Xander was dead.

Her friend was no more. Dead as he saved her from the most boneheaded thing she'd ever done. And now it was too la….

Then something stepped into her vision and knelt in front of her.

It was Faith.

x

x

"Where the hell did you come from?" Belmovekk said as Amūn kept panting.

"Funny you should…, pant, mention…, pant, Hell," Amūn panted.

"You do not make any sense, Worm," the Saiyan said, to which Amūn responded by putting his foot over the edge of Snake Way and tapped the edge a couple of times.

"What's down there?" Xander asked as he looked at the endless sea of yellow clouds below.

"Hell," Kaio Sama said.

"Like in fire and brimstone and all the demons we've been fighting for all these years?" Xander said incredulously?

"No," the Lord of Worlds said shaking his head, "There are many Hell dimensions. This one is closest though. It's were we send the bad people. Like this…."

Kaio Sama turned around and looked at Amūn.

"You're a Goa'uld. You belong in Hell. How the hell did you get out of Hell? And how did you get a body?"

"We are linked," Belmovekk said, "Somehow we are linked. And when I retained my body, he did too. And since his last body was mine…."

"You can escape from Hell," Amūn said as he began to grin, "especially if you have a body."

x

x

"What is the point of fighting?" Gohan said to Cell as he clutched his injured arm, "Just get it over with. My best isn't good enough anyway. I just wish I could have defeated you."

"He he he," Cell chuckled, "Not only stupid last words, but also a very dull ending."

x

x

"B.!" Faith shouted in Buffy's face, "Snap out of it!"

"Xander's dead," Buffy said back sullen, "It's my fault. I killed hi…."

SMACK!

With almost visible glee Faith planted her hand into Buffy's face.

A feeling which almost immediately died as her hand turned numb. Damn! Hitting Super Buffy was like hitting that proverbial brick wall. But it got the trick done.

"Hey," Buffy protested as she rubbed her cheek.

"Newsflash!" Faith yelled into Buffy's face, "Yeah, Xander's dead. That's bad. You know what's also bad? Us dying too!"

x

x

"Talk to your son, talk to your daughter, Saiyans," Amūn said, "Cause they are the only hope we got. Only if the Slayer and the Saiyan, in this case half-Saiyan, work together can Cell be stopped. But you two have to talk some sense into them first."

Belmovekk and Goku looked at each other.

"But how?" Goku asked the Goa'uld. Who then facepalmed himself.

"What an imbecile," he groaned.

"Through me of course," Kaio Sama said.

"But who are we going to talk too?" Belmovekk said, "Surely we cannot talk to both of them at the same time?"

"Of course you can," Kaio Sama said as he rolled his eyes, "My powers are limitless. If you want I could make the whole world hear you. But two conversations at the same time however…"

The two Saiyans looked at each other.

"You go first," they both said at the same time.

Then, before they could say anything again Xander stepped in.

"You! Talk to your son, he needs an immediate peptalk," Xander said pointing to Goku, then he pointed Belmovekk, "You, wait your turn. Faith might pull something off."

x

x

Standing there clutching his arm Gohan waited for the inevitable defeat when suddenly he heard a voice in his head.

Gohan! Don't you dare give up!

Gohan immediately recognized that voice.

"D-DAD?!" he shouted as he looked up, "B-but where are you?"

x

x

"Sure, B., you got people killed," Faith continued, "But you're going to get a hell of a lot more people killed by playing the Angel game. Don't play the Angel game. That's not the B. I remember. Where's kickass B.? I wanna see that chick again!"

x

x

"I'm in the afterlife, son," Goku spoke as his words were relayed by Kaio Sama, "The Lord of World is putting me through. Special long distance as it were."

Goku swallowed briefly before continuing.

"Now, come on and fire up a Kamehameha like Cell and blow him to kingdom come. If you do it, I'm sure you can win."

x

x

"I'm just not good enough," Buffy said as she shook her head dejected, "I'm just no…."

SMACK!

Again Faith slapped Buffy in the face.

"Stop it!" Faith yelled angrily, "I've had it up to here with your self pity. The fucking world's at stake! Gohan's injured and we're in injury time here. You're not useless. You're the fucking Slayer! Act like one! For fuck's sake we're the descendants of the Legendary Super Saiyan. Saiyans should shit their pants about us!"

x

x

Something odd was happening, Cell thought. The two Slayers were talking to each other, but Cell didn't mind. Despite her recent power up she didn't matter. But Gohan had started to talk as well. To somebody he couldn't see.

"But what good would it do now?" he heard Gohan say, "I can only use one arm, and my power is less then half now."

"Hehehe," Cell chuckled relieved, "He's talking to himself out of fear."

x

x

"You did what I didn't think was possible," Faith continued, "You broke the barrier and became a Super Slayer. You proved me wrong, hell, you proved everybody wrong. Except for Belmovekk. That fucker believed in you, all the way! He died for you! Give his death some fucking meaning!"

x

x

"Tough love approach," Xander said in the Afterlife, "Faith really doesn't know how to do subtle."

"She may surprise you all," Amūn said and took hold of Xander's leg, "Don't mind me, I just want to see what's going on."

x

x

You can do it Gohan, Goku's voice spoke in Gohan's mind, you can win if only you start believing in your own power. Remember those people Belmovekk talked about? They're afraid of you. They filled your head with doubts. Made you not believe in yourself. Believe in yourself and you have that power. Show me the power that we both made.

"O-okay," Gohan said, "I'll do what I can."

x

x

In the Afterlife Xander and Belmovekk looked at each other.

"That doesn't sound like someone who plans to win," Xander said, causing Goku to glance at him.

"Have a heart," Goku said in Gohan's defense, "all things considering he's doing great."

x

x

"Look," Faith said as she nodded towards Gohan, "He's getting back in the fight. It's about time you did also, B."

"He's like a friggin' Super Saiyan on Popeye spinach," Buffy protested, "At best I'm just a regular Super Saiyan, even Vegeta's stronger then me. There's no…."

Faith raised her hand in anger.

"So God help me, B.," she said angry, "If you say the words nothing and useless one more time I'm gonna tear off your ass and wear it for a hat."

Buffy wanted to say something, then she didn't.

"You broke the barrier, girl," Faith said and grabbed hold of Buffy's head with both hands, "It's gone! Nothing is now beyond you. You want some of that Super Saiyan Popeye spinach? Let's get some!"

Then Faith pressed her forehead against Buffy's.

x

x

"I'm sorry father," Gohan said regretful, "I let you die because I let my power get to my head."

That's okay son, Goku's voice spoke in his mind, I'm here with Kaio Sama and the others. We'll have a lot of fun here together. You just have a good time there on Earth.

"Got it!" Gohan said, then he raised his power, and his chi flames and electrical discharges came back to life.

x

x

"That's one," Xander said, "Now let's hope that Faith will get Buffy back in the fight."

x

x

"Where the hell are we?"

As Faith looked around both Buffy and her were on some god forsaken dusty plain, with a sun high overhead.

"Well, the sun seems normal, so I guess while not Kansas, at least somewhere on the same planet at least?" Buffy said.

"I guess you're the expert," Faith said, then she gestured ahead, "Shall we get on with it? Time's kinda short right now."

"We're inside, well, I guess, we're inside me," Buffy said as she had one more look around, "I don't think time's gonna matter much."

"Why take the chance?" Faith said as she began to walk. Buffy watched her walk away in disbelief.

"Where are you going?" she asked as she finally began to follow Faith.

"To get to the heart of the problem," Faith said as she kept up a brisk pace.

"But how do you know it's not the other way?" Buffy protested.

"We're inside your mind, B.," Faith shrugged, "This isn't real. This is how…. how do you call things which represent things but are called something else?"

"Metaphors?" Buffy suggested.

"Godblessya," Faith grinned.

x

x

Belmovekk knelt next to Amūn, still lying on Snake Way and panting as he kept touching Xander's leg.

"Tell me this," the Saiyan asked curious, "When you found yourself in Hell, in my body, did you find yourself there after I died? Or were you there already? Having spent all these years paying for your arrogance thinking you were a God?"

Amūn looked at Belmovekk and his eyes narrowed.

"I remember everything of our time together, Saiyan," the Goa'uld said, "All the craziness, the strange things we did, the killing, the slaughtering."

"I see," Belmovekk said pensive, "Does that mean that your soul was inside me for all this time?"

Amūn wanted to say something, then he changed his mind.

"I'm not sure," he said uncertain, "I feel like I was here as well. And yet I do not remember."

x

x

"More metaphors?" Faith said as she halted.

They had crossed the plain of Buffy as she had dubbed it, in a time that seemed like it had taken an eternity, only to arrive at a mountain range of unassailable heights. Even more so because in Buffy's fucked up mind they couldn't fly or use their great strength. Climbing these mountains using old fashioned elbow grease would take like forever.

But then they spotted a pass right between two mountains, a narrow valley. It seemed like the answer to their problems. Only to then run into a different problem.

At the heart of the mountain pass stood a group of men blocking the way.

They were black and dressed in African tribal clothes and furs, radiating a vibe of older wisdom and some form of magical power at the same time. As they saw the two of them coming they got up from the campfire they were around and blocked their way.

Then one of the men stepped forward and spoke to them, in a language which they didn't recognize and yet at the same time understood perfectly.

"You cannot pass," the man said.

"Yeah, you and what army?" Faith said defiantly, to which the man just shrugged unimpressed.

"You cannot pass," the man repeated as he not stepped aside.

Faith glanced at Buffy, then she sighed.

"Out of my way, oldtimer," she said and put her hand on his shoulder to push him aside.

Only to get an electrical shock which made her instinctively withdraw her hand. The shock then stopped, but her hand felt completely numb. As she began to rub her hand she looked at the man with eyes glaring pure murder.

"So you like to play games, huh?" she said, then she lashed out with her other arm and tried to plant her fist into his face.

Only to have it stopped as the man caught her fist and held it inches from her face. Next thing she fell on her knees as she experienced another electrical shock that turned her entire arm numb.

"Damn!" Faith exclaimed as her arm fell limp by her side.

"FAITH!" Buffy yelled as she came to her fellow Slayer's aid.

"We may have a problem, B.," Faith said deadpan, "George of the Jungle here won't budge."

As Faith mentioned the strange men Buffy couldn't help but look at him. When she did she looked right into his eyes. And the man looked back.

Then, to her surprise the man stepped aside.

"You may pass," the man said in that strange yet understandable language of his.

"You've got to be friggin' kidding me," Faith said as she stood up, her hands now clutched underneath her armpits. But as she tried to get passed the man stepped back in front of her again.

"You may not pass," the man said, "Only she is allowed. For now."

Faith looked at Buffy.

"I guess this is where we go our separate ways again, B.," Faith said.

"But I thought…..," Buffy protested, but Faith cut her short.

"Just get on with it!" she shouted, "Cell's about to blow up the world, remember?"

A little uncertain Buffy walked past Faith and the man stepped aside again, then she walked past him, and through the other men. After she had passed she turned around one last time to look at Faith.

Only to see that the men had changed.

No longer were they black men dressed in tribal clothing, they were now Caucasian men, dressed like scientists. And the fire was now replaced by a large computer bank scrolling various data.

"Just go!" Faith called out one more time, "Go find that spinach!"

Nodding one last time to her fellow Slayer, Buffy turned around and ran through the mountain pass.

x

x

Lifting up his one good arm in front of him Gohan began to gather in his energy.

"KA!"

Then he withdrew it to his side.

"ME!"

Normally this would be the point where both hands would cup each other at his waist side, but he only had one good arm.

"HA!"

Then Gohan's power began to rise sharply as he began to charge his attack.

"ME!"

x

x

"It's no good!" Piccolo called out horrified as he watched his former student charge his attack, "He can't win! Gohan's power has weakened!"

x

x

After passing through the mountain pass Buffy emerged onto yet another plain. Another one with seemingly no end in sight nor any visible clue as to where to go next.

"Where do I go from here?" she said desperate.

Then a familiar voice spoke up.

This way.

"Xander?" Buffy said as she looked around, but she saw nobody. But then she again her the voice whispering.

This way.

x

x

As the two powers drew in more and more energy the whole valley was shacking and earth and small pieces of rock began to rise into the air.

"Buffy!" Riley called despairingly, still in the grip of Tien and Yamcha.

"I feel for you, dude," Yamcha said, "But its too dangerous to let you go. You'll only get yourself killed."

"We'll die anyway," Riley said as he looked at Yamcha, "If we're gonna die, at least I want to die together. With her."

Tien looked at the two Slayers, still locked together, forehead to forehead.

"Let's give them a little more time," he said tentatively.

"You think they're up to something?" Yamcha asked.

"With these Slayers you never know," Tien replied, "You never know."

x

x

This way, what seemed like Xander's voice whispered again.

For what seemed like forever Buffy had run across the large plain, to the point that even the mountains behind her had disappeared, with only the mysterious voice guiding her on.

Just as it seemed like there was no end to her journey and she would give up she spotted something in the distance. A small dot on the horizon.

This way, the voice spoke again.

"God, this is more wigsome then those wiginfested dreams Adam used to send us," Buffy muttered.

x

x

Sitting on a large rock Faith eyed the old men wearily.

They had gone back to standing around the campfire, but each time she tried to sneak past them, they were on to her.

She had contemplated climbing the mountainside and that way get past these men, but the mountains were smooth as a billiard ball. There was literally nothing for her to grab on too.

"Come on, B.," Faith said impatiently, "Let's get this over with."

x

x

The small dot in the distance turned into a larger dot, then into a stone dais. And then Buffy stopped as she recognized who was on top of the dais.

It was the First Slayer, lying on top of the dais like a sacrificial offering. Her black unkempt hair flowing out from her head, the tribal markings on her face.

The last time she had seen the First Slayer it had stalked her inside her dreams. Which kinda made her a bit hesitant to move on.

Touch, the voice that sounded so much like Xander now said.

"You've got to be kidding me," Buffy said incredulously, "That's the First Slayer, she'd tear me apart if I did."

Touch, the voice repeated in an insisting tone of voice.

"But what if…..," Buffy said hesitantly.

The voice didn't reply. And yet she could almost feel that it was losing patience with her.

"Alright, alright," she said as she began to walk towards the dais.

She had barely taken five steps when out of nowhere somebody appeared in front of her. One that she immediately recognized.

"Whistler?" she said surprised as the balancing demon straightened his pork pie hat.

"The same," Whistler replied, then he shook his head, "Don't go there girl, this power is not for you. It was never meant for you."

"But I have too," Buffy protested, "Otherwise…., Cell…, he'll destroy the Earth."

"Gohan is stepping up to the plate kiddo," Whistler said, "No need for you to do the same."

As he spoke Buffy had a vision in her mind of Gohan charging his own mother of all Kamehameha's to counter Cell's.

"He is?" Buffy said softly, "Then I don't…..?"

"You can finally go back to the bench and let Gohan swing a home run, kiddo," Whistler smiled encouragingly, "Besides, it's not like you could have done a whole lot anyway. Both Gohan and Cell are way out of your league to begin with."

'I, uh," Buffy stammered, then she eyed Whistler wearily. Something was wrong.

He lies, the voice whispered, sounding more like Xander then before, you know it.

"How come you're not dead?" Buffy said as she pointed at Whistler, "Belmo killed you. He tortured you to death."

"We're inside your mind, kiddo," Whistler shrugged, "Anything can happen there. Including me coming back to life."

"Yeah, but why you?" Buffy countered, "Why are you here?"

Because he's the one messenger of the Powers That Be that you've interacted with, Xander's voice said, sounding so tangible now that she feared that if she looked around she might look into his face.

"Why do you not want me to touch the First Slayer?," Buffy said as she stepped forward and thumbed Whistler on his chest, causing him to stagger backwards, "You work for Them, right? You've always worked for Them."

"You don't understand," Whistler said as he clutched his chest, now looking very much like he did in Belmo's torture movie, haggard, bloodied and defeated, "You really weren't meant to have this kind of power. You'd tear the world apart. Just like she did."

The First Slayer had now also changed.

As did the dais.

Gone was the dais, instead there was now a surgical table, with on it the First Slayer. But she no longer looked like the menacing possessed girl that had haunted her in her dreams. Instead she looked like remarkably much like Mayan. With a different face of course, but aside from that it could almost be her sister lying up there.

The girl was hooked into all sorts of medical tubing and wiring, lying there unconscious. As she looked at her Buffy felt sympathy well up for her. Here was a girl, very much like her, and taken away from what would have been a normal life. And instead she had become a pawn in someone else's game.

"See the truth they didn't want you to see," Xander's voice now whispered in her ear, so tangible she could feel the humid air from his breath, "Go up to her and take what is yours."

Buffy walked past Whistler and up to the surgical table.

"No, you can't!" Whistler protested but she ignored his cries. She understood it now. He was just the final remnant of their programming meant to control her. He didn't matter.

As she stepped closer to the First Slayer/Saiyan Buffy could feel her power grow again, the chi coarse through her veins.

"Put a sock in it," she said, aimed her hand and Whistler and shot a ball of energy at him.

"NOOOOO!" Whistler wailed as the ball of energy slammed into him, then he dissipated as the energy consumed him.

Meanwhile Buffy walked up to the First Slayer/Saiyan, lying on the surgical table.

"They took you away from your friends, your family, your loved ones, your home," Buffy said softly, "They used you as a weapon for their own purposes, now the time has come for us to take the power back. And give them something to really cry about."

And with that Buffy thrust her hands forward and placed them on the First Slayer/Saiyan's chest.

Who then opened her eyes and looked up at Buffy. Then Buffy heard two voices speak as one, one the First Slayer/Saiyan, the other Xander's.

"Avenge us!"

x

x

Faith was still sitting on her rock, brooding, trying to come up with a way to get past these shadow men when suddenly something clicked in her mind and she looked up.

As the world around her began to fade she jumped up, began to grin from ear to ear and raised her fist in celebration.

"HELL YEAH! GO B.!"

x

x

Just as Tien and Yamcha were about to let Riley go, Faith opened her eyes, got up and ran away.

"THE SHIT'S GOING TO HIT THE FAN!" she yelled frantically as she ran for cover.

Then Buffy opened her eyes also.

x

x

"SHE DID IT!" Xander yelled triumphantly in the afterlife.

"Attagirl," Amūn said appreciatively.

"I am so proud of her," Belmovekk said, beaming with pride.

x

x

In Larry's bar, Spike, with his ability to detect chi, stopped trying to drink himself senseless. Something had happened. The power of the Slayer had suddenly more then doubled.

Did that mean there was still a chance he might survive?

And did he really want to live in a world where the Slayer could be this powerful? After all, there would be no stopping her ego right now.

x

x

As the others watched on in both horror and fascinated awe Buffy got to her feet.

"What? She's now reached the second level as well?" Yamcha exclaimed as he let go of Riley, then he looked at Tien, "You were right."

"Yeah," Tien said softly as he too let go of Riley.

"Cheer up, bro," Yamcha said as he patted Tien on the shoulder, "See! There's hope for you after all. For all of us."

Like Gohan her hair stood up more straight, and electrical discharges arced around her. But her chi flames were even duller then before, more silver then gold, and her hair had turned platinum blonde.

"Buffy?" Riley exclaimed in shock as he watched his fiancée get up.

"I think we should leave," Faith said as she dusted herself off, "With two of them things might get a little hairy."

"Faith's right," Piccolo agreed, "Everyone, fall back!"

"But Buffy," Riley protested, as one after the other took off. Then he felt a hand take hold of his shoulder.

"Come, Major Finn," Jamison's voice said calmly, "You're not going to be of much use to her now. Let's give her some room to fight."

x

x

To Cell's surprise the Slayer went from being psychologically broken to reaching a new level of power similar to Gohan and him.

This was really starting to turn into a weird kind of a day.

He briefly even wondered if that strange demon had something to do with it.

"So, the Slayer's come to join the party," Cell jeered, "A little late don't you think? Run away, little Slayer, the grownups are about to play."

Buffy didn't immediately respond. Then she began to smirk.

"So you're going to ignore me then?" she said, "Don't you know that that don't work with girls like me?"

"I was kinda hoping that it would," Cell said annoyed.

Stepping aside Buffy used her nail to make a slash in her other handpalm.

"Think again, Supreme Dalek."

x

x

"What's she doing?" Goku said worried in the afterlife, "If she wants to combine her attack she shouldn't be walking away from Gohan. They'd need to be as close together as possible."

"Maybe she's not planning to work together with your son?" Kaio Sama remarked, "Maybe she has something different in mind."

"That would get them killed, right?" Xander said equally worried, then he looked at Belmovekk, "Maybe this new power got to her head?"

"I do not think so," Belmovekk said pensive as he watched Buffy move further and further away until she, Gohan and Cell formed a triangle, then he understood what she was going for, "Clever girl!"

"What?" Goku asked.

"The Trio," Belmovekk remarked.

"Is that some new flashy move you've made?" Kaio Sama asked.

Then the Goa'uld began to laugh.

"Flashy move?" he snorted with laughter, "Think Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo."

Xander looked at the Goa'uld, then his eyes grew big in realization as he began to laugh as well.

"The Good, the Bad & the Ugly? Hahaha!"

Meanwhile Goku and Kaio Sama looked at each other, not getting it.

"Would somebody please explain to me what's going on?"

x

x

Much to his surprise Gohan watched Buffy, whom he thought would fight along his side, move away from him.

"Well, if you're not going to join in the fight, why not be so kind as to bugger off," Cell said annoyed, "You're kinda cramping my style here."

"Yeah I know," Buffy said as she used her fingernails to slash her other handpalm, "You want to have a big strong lightshow with Gohan there."

"So you see reason?" Cell remarked, "That you're kinda superfluous here?"

"I wouldn't go that far," as Buffy bend over and picked up a rock, "Shoot Gohan and you'll lose."

As Cell and Gohan watched her in amazement she then pretended to write something on the rock, then she threw it in the middle.

x

x

"Oh, shameless plagiarism," Amūn chuckled in the afterlife.

"Think of it more like a tribute to the classics," Xander said.

Kaio Sama and Goku again looked at each other. Then the Lord of Worlds began to yell again.

"WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?"

x

x

"What's on that?" Cell asked as the rock landed in the middle of the three of them.

"The answer to the $200.000 in gold question," Buffy replied as she held her injured handpalms up, letting the blood well from her wounds. Then two dots of red energy began to glow and the blood from the wounds began to mix with the energy, further increasing the power growing.

"There's two kinds of people, my biological android friend," Buffy said as the power of her attacks began to increase, "Those with loaded attacks, and those who have to face two of them."

x

x

"Now I get!" Goku said in the afterlife, "She's going to attack Cell separately."

"Isn't that stupid?" Kaio Sama said back, "I mean Cell's stronger then either of them."

"Yeah, but they can throw everything they got at him," Goku countered, "He can no longer concentrate everything he has on Gohan, he has to take her into account as well."

Kaio Sama looked oddly at Goku, then at the others who nodded in agreement.

"This goes against everything I have ever taught," the Lord of Worlds said dejected.

x

x

"Your choice, Supreme Dalek," Buffy said as the two orbs of energy had grown to the size of two beach balls, "Shoot Gohan and I'll fuck you up so hard you'll be shitting out that other android as well."

Now I get it, Gohan thought, she's forcing Cell to divide his power. I may not have to take Cell full head on!

x

x

Up on the ridge the Z-fighters had touched down amidst the remainder of Belmovekk's soldiers and they had come to the same conclusion.

"How come that's never worked for us?" Yamcha asked, "We've always attacked in groups without success."

"Because Cell has to concentrate everything he has to defeat one of them," Piccolo explained, "and if he does so he becomes vulnerable to the other. He has no choice but to face them both at the same time. Normally it would never work, but now… Quite clever actually."

As he put down #18's still unconscious body Krillin let out a deep sigh.

"I hope this works."

x

x

"I've had enough of this," Cell yelled annoyed, then he released his energy, "DIE!"

x

x

"FATHER!" Gohan yelled as he released his.

x

x

"This is for you, Belmo," Buffy said, then she brought her hands again in front of her and combined the two globes of energy into a single big one, "FIRE AND BLOOD!"

x

x

"I taught her that," Belmovekk said proudly in the afterlife, "That's my move."

"Nice," Goku said appreciatively.

x

x

As one pale blue and one ruby red beam lanced towards Cell, two pale blue beams sped to meet both attacks head on. At the last possible moment Cell pulled apart both hands and split his attack.

"DAMN YOU, SLAYER!" the biological construct yelled angrily.

x

x

"YES! She did it!" Xander yelled elated in the afterlife, "She managed to split his attack!"

"Yeah, I can see that," Kaio Sama said a little short tempered, "So she managed to do that. What now? How can they win?"

The two Saiyans, the earthling and the Goa'uld looked at each other a little unsure.

"Please tell me there's a plan?" Kaio Sama asked, "Please tell me there is more to this then just divide his big beam into two smaller beams? Please tell there is some kind of greater strategy here at work?"

"I, uh, don't know," Xander said a little sheepishly, "I, um, mean, it's Buffy, she, um, always kinds of wings it."

Next thing Kaio-Sama facepalmed himself. Then he looked to the heavens.

"No Kaio Sama," he said in an poor imitation of Goku's voice, "my son will win the day. I'm going to let him face an evil robot monster all by himself. And then I die and leave him completely to his own devices."

Then the Lord of Worlds turned to Belmovekk.

"And you! You mass murdering bastard and your Goa'uld sidekick. Trying to get himself killed just so his girl could go up a notch or two."

Kaio Sama rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses.

"Here we have two Saiyans, supposed masters at fighting. Geniuses in the art of combat. And this is the best plan you guys could come up with?"

Before anyone else could say anything Goku spoke up.

"Gee, Kaio Sama, when you say it like that it sounds kinda lame."

Kaio Sama's face turned purple as he made strangling noises, then he facepalmed himself. Then Amūn spoke up.

"I think that was his whole point."

x

x

As the other fighters watched on from the distant ridge they saw two massive spheres of energy eating away at what remained of the valley. One pale blue, the other half pale blue, half ruby red.

"They're gonna tear the planet apart," one of the soldiers said, "This fight will be the death of us all."

"Better that it happens during this fight rather then at the hands of Cell," Riley said, "At least with them we still got a chance."

"I'm not so sure about that," the soldier replied unconvinced.

x

x

As the SGC shook on its foundations to the point that pieces of concrete were falling from the ceiling General Hammond spoke into a phone.

"Yes, Mr. President," he said with a calmness that belied the Earth's current predicament, "I am aware that there are reports of earthquakes all over the planet…. yes, that includes Washington DC…. no, I did not know there's now also freak weather across the planet and that Airforce One is experiencing extreme turbulence….. I am sorry, Mr. President, that Laura has thrown up on the Secretary of Agriculture, but there's not a whole lot I can do about that…. It's now up to them, Mr. President….. I know I said that before. But we lost our space ships and not even Thor thinks his main gun is of much use…. I know, Mr. President. We will do what we can."

As he handed the cordless phone over to an aide General Hammond flopped into a chair.

"Lemme guess," O'Neill said as he joined General Hammond's side, "The president is not pleased? Or is that an understatement?"

Before General Hammond could say anything a piece of concrete broke off the ceiling and fell down beneath the two men.

Meanwhile Daniel was with Giles as he feverishly scanned through his prophecies.

"Are you sure there's not a single clue in them as to how we can deal with this Cell?" Daniel asked, but Giles just shook his head.

"Nothing," the former Watcher said as he wiped away concrete dust that had fallen on top of his papers, "there's not a shred of a clue to be found. All it says is that the Great Enemy has increased Cell's power dramatically, and that we should listen to the Dead."

Daniel looked at the exhausted former Watcher.

"You know, with clues like that they might as well not give you any clues," he said dispirited, "It would save you a lot of time to begin with."

x

x

While very much accustomed to earthquakes, the current tremors were hitting Sunnydale pretty hard, causing more then half of the clientele of Larry's bar to have run away. But as pieces of bar were falling all around them, those that stayed continued to listen to the audio fragments that still came in from the Cell Games.

x

x

Good God!

As Cell's attack hit Gohan's own Kamehameha the clash reverberated back through his own beam and nearly caused him to lose control.

What the hell? This was Cell at half power?

Then it was a good thing he thought that Buffy had joined in. Otherwise this duel would have been over the instant Cell had fired on him alone.

x

x

"What kind of vitamins did he take in that Afterlife?" Buffy grunted as she poured her energy into her Fire and Blood attack. Which in hindsight wasn't probably the best attack she could have chosen. Sure it packed a slightly bigger punch then the Kamehameha, but at least she was more familiar with that one.

x

x

Much to his surprise Cell found that despite having split his attacks, he seemed to be doing quite alright against the both of them, thank you very much!

"HAHAHAHA," Cell laughed out loud, "Somebody's not been taken their vitamins!"

x

x

"They can't do it!" Piccolo said out loud, to make himself heard above the strong winds blasting their position, "They're being overpowered!"

"There has to be something we can do?" Riley shouted.

"Like what?" Yamcha yelled back, "You walk into one of those beams and you're instantly vaporized!"

Riley looked at Yamcha, then back at the fight.

Be careful, Buffy, be careful.

x

x

Despite everything the last Predator drone had survived everything in collateral damage effects that the Cell Games had thrown at him and continued to relay imagery from the battlefield, and at the SGC command room everybody was staring at them.

"Two battles at the same time," Daniel said in awe, "Each probably big enough to blow up the planet."

"Well, Daniel, if my numbers are correct," Sam said, she then stopped to find the right kind of words, "well, let's just say the whole Solar System will be a gonner."

"Actually, Major Carter," the voice of Thor spoke like he was actually present in the room, "Everything in a three light-year radius from Earth will be destroyed."

"Thor, budy," O'Neill spoke up, "never tell us the odds."

"I am sorry, O'Neill," Thor's voice said regretful, "I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay, buddy," O'Neill said, "Is there a point to your call? You're leaving right?"

"If the Beliskner II is to survive the blast I must take her out of here right now," Thor's voice said even more regretful, "I can however do you one last favor."

Thor then proceeded to tell them Willow's backup plan.

"That's actually not a bad idea," General Hammond said afterwards.

"Those Dragonballs can actually restore a destroyed planet?" Sam said incredulously, "If they're that powerful, why not use them against Cell?"

"I asked that question myself, Major Carter," Thor's voice said, "I was told that, 'it does not work that way'."

"Figures," O'Neill snorted, "It can never be easy."

x

x

Sensing that he had the upper hand Cell began laugh again,

"WA HA HA!" he laughed, "This is it! Thanks for all the good times, now I'm going to finish you. So….. DIE!"

And then Cell cranked it up a notch, causing both event horizons to move forward as Cell now completely gained control of both massive spheres.

x

x

"They're slipping!" Xander yelled in the afterlife, "They're slipping!"

"We've got to do something," Amūn said frantically, "They're gonna lose."

"We've got to speak to our kids again," Goku said to Belmovekk.

"I concur," Belmovekk replied.

x

x

God, this is awful, Gohan thought as he desperately tried to hang on in there. What kind of energy reserves does this monster have? I….

Gohan!

"Dad?" Gohan said out loud, "Is that you again?"

Come on son, Goku's voice said encouragingly, hang in there! You still haven't used all of your power yet. Just let it rip, son.

"I'll try, dad," Gohan grunted, "I'll try."

x

x

Unless you were a Jedi knight hate could be a good thing. Hate was a powerful motivator. Hate brought clarity, hate brought focus, but above all, hate allowed you to go that extra mile.

I hate you, Buffy thought viciously as she poured her essence into her Fire and Blood attack, I hate you with every, what are those tiny things you put in your food to produce a big dump? Those things! I…..

Buffy!

Hearing Belmovekk's voice almost caused Buffy to lose control. Thankfully she managed not to.

"Belmo?"

Yes, Belmovekk's voice said, I speak to you from the Afterlife. I am here with Goku and Xander and…, well, as you always called him, my best invisible friend. He sends his regards by the way.

"Am I crazy now?" Buffy said confused, "I'm hearing voices."

Her confusing was allowing the event horizon to further slip back towards her.

Focus, young lady, Belmovekk's voice snapped, focus!

"Sorry," Buffy said as she focused her attention and pushed the event horizon back a few feet.

Now, listen up, Belmovekk's voice spoke, we are watching you both from the Afterlife and Goku has already spoken to his son. It is now my turn to speak to you.

Do not hold anything back. Give it everything you have. Any doubts that you might have are the result of the Powers That Be still trying to influence you. So tear Cell a new one, and avenge us! Do not bring shame to the house of Movekk or so help your mother, I will rag you over it in the Afterlife like forever. Got it?

x

x

"That's your idea of a pep talk?" Kaio Sama said incredulously as he looked at Belmovekk.

"Actually, for him that's a very good pep talk," Xander chuckled.

"She knows that I am proud of her," Belmovekk shrugged, "To add false sentiments would take away from the message."

"Saiyans," Kaio Sama said as he shook his head in dejection.

x

x

Whatever it was, Belmovekk's little speech seemed to have worked as Buffy managed to push the event horizon back to the center of her red/blue energy sphere.

"She's back in the fight," Faith said on the ridge, "Wherever she got it from, she managed to do it."

"But she's not overpowering Cell," Piccolo said stoically, "Until she does that it's still a tie.

"Mister sunshine," Faith grumbled. But deep down she knew that Jolly Green was right.

"To bad Gohan's still slipping," Krillin said next to her, "

x

x

GOHAN, Goku's voice yelled in Gohan's mind, you're still holding back!

"I'm doing my best, father," Gohan grunted, "I can't do any better then this!"

No you're not, Goku's voice said almost accusing, I can sense you holding back. You're holding back because you're worried about damaging the Earth, right? Don't! We've got the Dragonballs, remember? We can fix anything that happens to the Earth. But only if you defeat Cell. Now, give it everything you got! You can do it!

x

x

"You guys think that will work?" Goku said in the Afterlife, "It sounded kind of corny. Maybe I should have told him about those influencing Powers?"

"He's a twelve year old child," Amūn replied, "What he wants above all is his father's approval and faith, to hear his father tell him that he can do it."

"How come you're so knowledgeable about raising kids?" Xander asked the Goa'uld.

"I do have children of my own, you know."

x

x

"He's coming back in the fight," Tien said as Gohan managed to push the event horizon back to the centre of his gynormous sphere of energy.

"Its not enough though," Piccolo said worried, "unless something tips the scale it's not enough."

x

x

Having tried to overpower both fighters at the same time and gotten rebuffed Cell thought a new strategy might end the current stalemate. Instead of trying to overpower both, why not try and overpower one? And he had just the one in mind.

While technically the stronger of the two he figured that the Slayer was the more vicious and stubborn of the two. She had to be, as a Slayer she was destined for a short brutal life. The fact that she had lasted for this long had to speak of her character.

No, Gohan seemed the weaker one of the two.

"This must be hard for you with all those wounds," Cell gloated loudly, "I'm sure this will make them BURN!"

And with that he pumped up the amount of energy he poured into the attack aimed at Gohan.

x

x

Damn you Cell, Buffy thought as she saw Cell push back the event horizon on Gohan's attack.

Going for the old divide and conquer huh?

"GOHAN, HANG IN THERE!" she yelled, then she dug within herself to find some more energy, "HEY CELL, SWALLOW THIS!"

x

x

Bitch!

As the girl managed to push him back through her attack Cell hoped he could hold out long enough for him to annihilate Gohan first. So he poured more of his reserves into the attack against Gohan.

"This is where you END!"

x

x

"Aarrgh," Gohan said as he fell back onto one of his knees.

Hang in there Gohan, Goku's voice spoke into his mind, you already have all the power you need, son.

"I can't, father," Gohan grunted, "I can't do this, I'm just a kid."

x

x

"He's really losing it," Goku said desperately in the afterlife, "I don't know what to say to motivate him any more."

"Let me," Belmovekk said.

x

x

Gohan, a new voice spoke in Gohan's mind, one that he recognized as Belmovekk's, listen to me. Other then your physical injuries there is nothing wrong with you.

"But I can't do this," Gohan protested, "I just can't!"

So you are going to give up, just like that? Belmovekk's voice said incredulously, You are going to let Cell win? Blow up your planet? Your friends? Your mother?

x

x

In the Afterlife Belmovekk looked briefly at Goku.

"I am truly sorry for what I am about to say next, Goku," he said regretful, "Please forgive me."

x

x

"Father?" Gohan called out in despair, "Are you there?"

Your father no longer wants to talk with you, Belmovekk's voice said in a pitiful tone of voice.

"But….," Gohan tried to say.

If you will just give up your father will not ever speak to you again, Belmovekk's voice continued, not here, or in the Afterlife. Or anywhere else for that matter. You are dead to him now.

"NO!" Gohan wailed.

So don't you dare give up, Belmovekk asked, cause then you will get my Buffy killed as well. And frankly, you snotnosed punk, if she dies because of you, you wish you had been absorbed by Cell instead. So are you going to give up?

"No," Gohan said after some thinking.

Good, Belmovekk said approvingly, now listen up. Remember those bad people I talked about in my gym? The ones who try to manipulate things? The ones behind Cell?

"Yes."

They are the ones why you doubt yourself. They fill your mind with reasons why you think you cannot win. Who cause you to doubt yourself. But it is only that, Son Gohan, feelings. They are afraid of you, of your incredible power. They want you to give up. Do not give them the satisfaction! If you must die, die on your feet, never on your knees! There is no shame in losing to a better opponent. But there is only shame in giving up. Make us proud. Make your father proud!

Remember, any time you think you cannot win, that is not yourself talking, it's those bad people whispering to you!

x

x

"That was brutal," Xander said softly in the Afterlife after Belmovekk had given his little speech.

"I am sorry, Goku," Belmovekk said as he turned to Goku, "I am truly so…."

SMACK

With a loud thud Goku planted his fist in Belmovekk's face, causing the Saiyan to land on his back.

"I guess I deserved that," Belmovekk said rubbing his jaw.

"That was for the awful things you said to Gohan," Goku said angry, then his scowl faded and he held out his hand, "And this is because I could never do what you just had too."

x

x

Damn those kids!

They were still managing to hold their own.

"IF YOU THINK THAT'S ALL I GOT YOU'RE WRONG!" Cell yelled. Then he poured just enough extra energy in his attack against Buffy to push her back to the centre, then he poured even more in his attack against Gohan.

As the saying went, it was good to be the one who still has energy in reserve.

"TIME TO DIE!"

x

x

"This is not going to work," Jamison said as he pointed to the fight in the distance, "They're being hard pressed to hold on for dear life, he on the other hand seems to have energy to spare."

"Soldier boy's right," Piccolo agreed, "They're losing, and sooner rather then later."

"We have to do something," Riley said adamant.

"If you have any ideas, I'm listening," Faith said calmly, "If not, please shut the hell up."

"You shut up, murderous bitch!" one of the soldiers said back.

"Make me," Faith said defiant. Upon which some of the soldiers gathered behind the one who had spoken.

"Please, everyone," Krillin said as he stepped in between, "This helps nobody."

"Then he shouldn't have called me that," Faith said as she pointed at the soldier.

"I call it as I see it," the soldier said back unrepentant.

"SHUT UP!"

Everybody looked around at Piccolo.

"I will not have you badmouth her while they are fighting for our future," Piccolo said pointing towards the battle, "They're fighting for our lives, the Earth. And all you people can do is drag up old history?"

"But….," the soldier tried to say but Piccolo's glare was enough to shut him.

"We've got to do something," Riley said, "We can't just let them die out there."

"There's nothing we can do," Yamcha said, "They're way out of our league right now.

As she watched on Faith knew exactly what Piccolo was going to do. Hell she had every intention of joining him.

Even though it was surely going to get them killed.

Faith.

What the hell?

Did she just hear something or someone call for her?

Faith.

As everybody kept bickering Faith turned around. That was a woman's voice she'd just heard. And aside from the still unconscious Android #18 she was the only woman present.

Faith.

As she looked around Faith suddenly saw an old woman, standing near a nearby rock wall.

"Who are you," she asked as she approached the old woman.

"Does it matter?" the old woman smiled.

"Uh, yeah?" Faith retorted.

"I'm a friend," the old woman said.

"Anyone can say they're a friend," Faith said back, "It's the actual being a friend that's the hard part."

"It's no secret that a friend is someone who lets you help," the old woman said.

"Yeah, and it's no secret that a liar won't believe anyone else," Faith replied.

The old woman began to grin and revealed a perfect set of teeth.

"They say a secret is something you tell one other person," she grinned, "So I'm telling you…. child. My name is Priya and I'm the Saiyan Goddess of War."

To her credit Faith didn't bat an eye.

"Normally I'd say the crazy house is over there," Faith said and pointed to the general direction of where America was, "But we're too far away, and I don't think the locals have one either."

"Listen," the old woman claiming to be Priya said, "What your friends are planning will not work. Cell can only be distracted once."

x

x

"Then we are in agreement," Krillin said as he looked around, "We'll all try and attack Cell at once, hopefully buying Gohan and Buffy a chance to turn the tide. Is everybody okay with that?"

"Yeah."

"Sure thing."

"Even though we might not survive," Krillin stated, but again there was no dissent, "Good, then let's…."

Touching down from the sky Vegeta, still battered and bruised from his encounter with Cell landed next to them.

"Is there still room for one more?" the Saiyan prince asked, still in pain.

"You think you can squeeze one more out?" Piccolo asked.

"Try and stop me," Vegeta said determined.

"Then let's go," Piccolo said, then he looked around, "Faith, saddle u…. where's Faith? Where did she go?"

"I think she went down there," one of the soldiers said as he pointed in the valley below.

x

x

"ARE YOU FEELING IT?" Cell yelled as he kicked it up a notch, "THE WORLD'S END! EXHILERATING IS IT NOT?"

x

x

"I'd just settle for him to shut up," Buffy groaned as she battled to hold her position on Cell's onslaught, her feet slowly sliding backwards in the dirt.

x

x

"You knowz, I really likes you guys."

By now even the sporadic news reports from the FOX NEWS team had stopped completely but in Larry's bar nobody no longer cared, instead it was free drinks for everyone right now as the whole joint was shaking like a guitar string and anyone left was getting really juiced up.

"You knowz, for a Glo'bex demon youse two look kinda hot," Spike said drunkenly as he lustfully eyed the two demons next to him, his arms wrapped around their shoulders, "Nowz, is it true that you Glo'bex'es have only one sex?"

x

x

"I WILL BE THE UNIVERSE'S END!" Cell yelled in glee, "I WILL TRAVEL FROM ONE WORLD TO THE NEXT AND OBLITERATE EVERYTHI….."

"HEY!" a new voice yelled.

Floating not that far from Cell was Faith.

x

x

What the hell is she up to now, Buffy thought.

x

x

"She's up to something," Amūn said in the Afterlife.

"Yeah, getting herself killed," Xander said shaking her head.

x

x

"Do you want to play, little girl?" Cell sneered at Faith, "Shoo, go away, the grown ups are playing."

"William Shatner called," Faith said deadpan, "He demands that you cease and desist copying his routine."

"How droll," Cell chuckled, "Why don't you make me?"

Faith began to smirk.

"Oh, I will," she said, then she balled her fists and began to yell, "AAAAAAAAAHHH!"

x

x

"What's she doing?" Piccolo said worried, "Faith…."

"Dear Kami," Tien exclaimed, "Is she….."

"It looks like it, bro," Yamcha said, "She's transforming too."

x

x

"How are you liking this one?" Faith yelled as her eyes turned to a cold blue green and her hair began to stand up straight, then she raised her arms and yelled some more. And she exploded in a burst of golden energy.

x

x

"Faith?" Piccolo exclaimed surprised.

x

x

"Did she just go Super?" Xander said surprised as he looked at Belmovekk, then Goku, "Did you know she could do that? Did ya?"

"Don't look at me," Goku shrugged, "I'm just as surprised as you are."

x

x

"Fine," Cell shouted after she was finished transforming, "you're now a part of the Super Saiyan club too. What are you going to do? Bleed on me in a different color?"

"Oh," Faith smirked, "I'm going to do so much more then that. Guess what, when I helped B. to the next level I learned the trick as well."

Then she balled her fists again, looked up to the heavens and yelled again, her chi flames shooting up as her power increased even further.

x

x

"Dear Kami," Yamcha said as his jaw nearly dislocated itself dropping to the floor, "The second level too?"

x

x

"So, Cell, what do you think?" Faith said as she struck a seductive pose, electrical discharges arcing around her body, "Don't I look hot and smashing?"

"Bitch!" Cell groaned angrily.

"Yeah, I'd thought you'd like it," Faith grinned, then her face turned serious and she brought her right hand to her forehead, two extended fingers touching her forehead, "This is the end for you, my android friend. You're barely holding your own against those two, I don't think you can handle a third."

"You're bluffing," Cell snarled, causing Faith to laugh.

"Silly Cell," she laughed, "Always so full of it. We shall put that on your tombstone. Do I look like I'm bluffing?"

To illustrate her point energy began to flicker around her two extended fingers.

"Last time we fought I was a fake blonde, now I'm a real one," Faith grinned, "I wonder if its gonna make a difference?"

x

x

"How the hell did she manage to reach the second level?" Goku said flabbergasted, "Look to all the trouble Gohan had to go through to reach it. Or Buffy. And now…."

"It's your regular Super Saiyan inflation," Xander quipped.

"It does not matter," Belmovekk said, "It happened, we must deal with it."

"Don't you mean Cell's gonna deal with it?" Xander said.

Before anyone could say anything Amūn interjected.

"Let's be ready," the Goa'uld said as he patted Kaio Sama on the shoulder, then he looked at Goku and Belmovekk, "I think I know what she's up too."

x

x

"OH, CELL, BABY, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS!" Faith yelled as her charged attack crackled with energy, "IT'S FULL OF CHOCOLATEY GOODNESS!"

x

x

"Hey, that's my line," Xander protested in the Afterlife.

x

x

"TIME TO DIE!" Faith yelled, then she aimed her charged attack at Cell, "MAKANKOSAPPO!"

A burgundy red energy attack with an another attack spiraling around it sped towards Cell.

"DAMN YOU BITCH!" Cell yelled. Then he braced himself for impact and inevitable defeat. Not even he could stand up to three of these second level Super Saiyans, or whatever the hell they were.

DOOM!

With a minor explosion Faith's Makankosappo petered out relatively harmless against Cell. Causing Cell to look at her weird.

"What the…."

x

x

"It's a ruse!" Krillin yelled back on the ridge, "It's ruse!"

x

x

Gohan, a voice spoke in Gohan's mind.

x

x

Do it now, Belmovekk's voice spoke in Buffy's, while he's destracted!

x

x

Taking advantage of Cell's momentary distraction both Gohan and Buffy poured in that extra ounce of willpower they still had left and pushed back. Cell had withdrawn some of his reserves to brace himself against Faith's attack and that had allowed them to push back the event horizons back to the centre. But now that he was distracted they pushed it all the way back and the two massive spheres of energy began to move.

"BITCH!" Cell yelled angrily at Faith, "I'LL KILL YOU FO….."

It was only then that he noticed that he allowed his attention to slip on his main fronts.

"NOOOOOO!"

Normally two smaller powers taking on a bigger power had no hope in winning as their attacks would come uncoordinated and separate. The most successful combined attack so far was the Ghostbuster Kamehameha. But it was incredibly hard to pull off, and required a combined approach from the start. Neither Buffy nor Gohan had coordinated their attacks, nor could they because if either would add their energy to the other attack they would get slammed by Cell's.

Unfortunately for Cell his own double Kamehameha was not really a double executed Kamehameha. Instead it was a single one that he had split up at the last moment, but which at its heart was still a single attack.

So when the two attacks finally hit home they ended up sort of merging into one big attack that slammed into Cell.

"GYAAAAAH!" Cell screamed as the combined attack hit home and sent him flying backwards.

"IM….POSSIBLE," Cell screamed as his body began to contort and twist under the attack's pressure.

"IT… CAN'T….BE…," Cell moaned as the attack began to vaporize his outer skin.

"I'm…. invincible," were the last words coming from him as more and more of Cell got consumed by the attack's gruesome power.

Then Cell's body lost all coherency as it began to breakdown into smaller and smaller parts that got consumed at a faster and faster rate.

And then, if there was to be a last word of sorts, it would have been 'poof' as his final cells, the ones that would allow him to regenerate, got vaporized as well.

x

x

"THEY DID IT!" Goku, Kaio Sama, Xander and Amūn yelled victoriously in the Afterlife, "CELL'S DEFEATED!"

Belmovekk however did not join in, instead he let himself fall on his ass and stared ahead blankly.

"It is done," he said softly, then he put his hand over his mouth as he began to choke up and felt his body shake and tremble.

"It is done."

x

x

With their last ounce of control Buffy and Gohan steered their now combined attack into space, where it would go on indefinitely until its power had dissipated. Then the two of them de-transformed and fell down to Earth.