Cell Saga - Part 8: Slice of Life
They didn't wait or hesitate; not a single word was spoken. Trunks needed no motivational speech from his father; Vegeta had nothing he needed to get off his chest.
Already this fight was unlike any other they had ever fought, a struggle against a foe so powerful that even two ascended Saiyans were hopelessly outmatched. From the beginning, both knew hope was out of the question. Yet hope wasn't what was driving them now.
They were driven by something entirely different, something that could only be described as inspiration. They expected no victory, but there would be no retreat and no surrender. Now, with the seemingly unassailable opponent facing them, they were both glad for the chance to fight side by side. If this was to be their end, both preferred to go out together in a blaze of glory, father and son.
A beautiful death. To attain such a thing was to gain eternal glory, to be remembered forever as a warrior who refused to back down. For Vegeta, Cell offered such an opportunity.
There were stories about these warriors: fighters who were brave and noble or bloodthirsty and violent. The Saiyans of legend always made it seem so easy, so natural—as if a beautiful death was the only option fate afforded them. Some, surely, only died out of stubbornness or pride or the belief in something they valued more than life; death wasn't always the only option. But all had taken a stand, foolish or stubborn though it might be, and sold their lives as deadly as possible.
But the real thing in real life—to accept one's fate and still fight on against death itself—that was the measure of true courage. Neither warrior had any illusions about how this would end. Trunks, though he felt his heart pumping faster than ever, would never stop fighting for others. Vegeta would remain steadfast in his defiance. As long as the other remained, neither would give a single inch of ground. The father determined to show his son one last example of bravery; the son wanted nothing more than to earn the respect of his father.
The two Ascended Super Saiyans tensed, standing side by side on an outcropping of rock just above the waves. "Tonight, son..." muttered Vegeta, "...tonight we dine in hell!"
The rock cracked and crumbled into the waves as the two warriors blasted off toward their menacing opponent. Rolling to one side and accelerating, Vegeta fired a burst of golden orbs from one outstretched hand. Trunks charged straight forward, swinging his sword behind him and then forward in a swipe aimed at Cell's neck. For two warriors who were certain to lose, they certainly had a lot of fight left. They were determined to make their last battle the greatest battle of their lives.
The rapid-fire attacks came less than a foot from Cell before being swatted away harmlessly. As Trunks reached him, the monster ducked to allow the blade to pass just above his head, then fired a point-blank energy blast at the young Saiyan. Expertly, Trunks whipped his sword around, allowing it to deflect the blast easily. Using his momentum, he plowed into Cell with a thrusting kick.
Cell caught his leg and twisted, spinning Trunks in midair and hurling him away. But Vegeta's own kick smashed into the back of Cell's head a moment later, knocking him forward. The blow hadn't done any significant damage, but it was still more than the monster wanted to allow. Growling furiously, he wheeled and plowed into Vegeta with a series of punches that came too fast and too hard for the prince to block.
By the time Trunks recovered and rushed in with another attack, Vegeta was already gasping for breath. Cell's blows hurt. Trunks charged, swinging his sword down over his head, but Cell merely lifted one arm to block it while giving the prince one more kick for good measure.
CHLLANG!
The force of the impact sent a shockwave through Trunks's arms...but the mystical blade held. To his surprise, there was now an angry gash on Cell's arm. With a furious shout, Trunks swung the sword around in a furious arc, aiming for Cell's center of mass with every strike. Ignoring Vegeta for a moment, the monster turned to block...but each time he deflected the shining blade, it opened another surface wound on his powerful forearms.
'Nice one, son!' the prince silently thought, ignoring the bruises forming on his body.
Angered, Cell shouted, his kiai knocking Trunks back slightly. The creature lifted his arms above his head, then thrust them forward, releasing a bright purple beam. "GALIC GUN!"
Uncowed, Trunks thrust the Brave Sword forward, gripping it tightly with both hands. He shouted, pouring all his energy into his aura. "YAAAAAAAAHH!"
The front of the Galic Gun met the tip of the sword...and immediately exploded outward in a whitish-purple cone, the sword completely shielding Trunks from the beam. The young Saiyan braced himself against the tremendous pressure, but a wild grin appeared on his face. Maybe, just maybe, they had a chance.
Vegeta had recovered quickly; his endurance wasn't even close to being exhausted and beyond that, his resolve was unshakeable. Looking up, he saw his son bravely holding out as the waves of energy surged around him. He remembered how the sword had proven to be a tremendous advantage against King Cold, its magic negating the evil monarch's energy. The prince's mind immediately began turning over the ways this could be used to their advantage.
"HEY CELL!" he roared. "LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT'S REALLY DONE!" He pushed both arms out in front of him, wrists together. "SUPER GALIC FLASH!"
Cell had only barely stopped his attack on Trunks when Vegeta's slammed into him, blasting him straight up into the air. The beam detonated a split second later, sending the creature spinning toward the water.
The two Saiyans gave chase, the gleaming blade in Trunks's hands tracing shining spirals through the air as they charged. Catching up to Cell quickly, they immediately fell into a smooth pattern. Trunks kept the monster constantly dodging with unrelenting swings of his sword, while Vegeta took every split-second opening as an opportunity to pummel Cell.
"Surely you can do better, Cell!" Vegeta boldly goaded.
As the monster continued to block, his mouth curled with frustration, he ignored the taunts. For the moment, he was actually forced to retreat; though Vegeta was the stronger of the two, he found himself to be more threatened by Trunks and his sword.
"Hah! That's what I thought," the prince laughed, trying to appear in control.
Unfortunately, Cell's power was far greater than Vegeta's. The odd blows didn't do much to wear the creature down; instead, they drained Vegeta's strength almost as fast. No, if they were going to put up a good fight, Vegeta reasoned, they would have to use his son's sword for more than just provoking the monster.
Tiring rapidly of the charade, Cell pulled his energy in around him and released it suddenly, hurling both the Saiyans away. As he fell, Vegeta glanced at his son. "Trunks, follow my lead!"
The prince stopped his descent by firing a purple Galic Gun straight down. But before it could land, he clenched his fist and curved it, pulling it back up toward Cell. The monster rolled his eyes, preparing to block what he was sure would be an ineffecitve attack.
Yet the beam's precise angle still appeared off, and a strangely grinning Vegeta released it from his telekinetic hold and teleported upward, above the level of his opponent. Stretching out his arm, he immediately fired the much faster Big Bang Attack. This ball of white energy was aimed perfectly.
"Have fun, Cell!" Vegeta yelled, nodding almost imperceptibly to his son.
Cell adjusted to block this attack, but Trunks was suddenly behind him, swinging the flat edge of his sword...not at Cell, but at Vegeta's misaimed Galic Gun. The purple attack glanced off the cold steel and suddenly surged forward faster, accelerated by the sword's magic. Feeling the energy building behind him, Cell turned...just in time for both the Big Bang Attack and the supercharged Galic Gun to slam into him simultaneously.
Trunks flared his aura, allowing the thunderous explosion to push him back without doing any damage. But the massive eruption of ki had stunned Cell, who was sent hurtling toward the surface of the water. Neither of the Saiyans had honestly expected their attacks to be so effective...but with such an opportunity now plain, there was no time to waste. Super-speeding past the falling monster, Vegeta punted him straight back up into the air.
"Here, son...catch!"
Trunks gripped the Brave Sword tightly, his muscles rippling with all the power he could muster. This was a perfect opportunity, one that was so rare it only came around once, and he desperately hoped he could make the best of it. As Cell's body hurtled toward him, he swung straight and true, sunlight reflecting off the tip of his blade. TTCHIING! It sliced cleanly through Cell's body just below the hip, leaving a jagged blue line of light refracting through the air.
Both warriors immediately tensed, expecting the afterimage to fade and Cell to appear close by...but it was no afterimage. A gush of purple blood ran down both his legs and he dropped like a stone.
"Did that actually work?" Trunks wondered aloud. Were they actually winning? He was skeptical.
The blade itself, of course, was magic; it dealt extraordinary damage to any being with evil energy. But his own speed and strength were less than half of Cell's; surely his opponent should have had time to dodge the sword. The explosion must have been much more effective than they had thought...maybe using the sword had amplified the Galic Gun? As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Trunks dove down toward the foe.
Cell was lying pitifully on a rocky plateau just a few feet above the surface of the water. Both his legs had been severed from his torso; fortunately for him, his tail had been raised or else it too would have been cut off. Most surprising of all was the look of shock, pain, and frustration on the monster's hideous face.
Vegeta arrived a split second earlier than Trunks, amazed and invigorated by the success of their joint attack. Clearly the sword had lost none of its magical properties. Intent on repeating the same success, he charged Cell's bleeding upper body with one fist cocked.
The bio-android pushed his torso off the ground, rolling to one side in the hopes of buying time to regenerate, but Vegeta was faster. His punch caught the monster full in the face, stunning him for a moment; with a twisted grin, Vegeta turned to Cell's severed legs and blasted them into oblivion, then sent his enemy flying straight up with a powerful kick. Trunks lifted his sword again as the monster came straight toward him, ready to slice him from top to bottom. But this time, Cell retained his presence of mind just long enough to throw up his barrier.
"NO YOU DON'T!" the panting monster yelled, summoning his blue protective energy shield.
ZZNNKKKK!
The Brave Sword slammed into the purple forcefield with a spray of orange sparks, a screech that set everyone's teeth on edge. Angry, Trunks continued swinging his sword furiously, smashing into the protective shield over and over. The barrier might have been a purely mechanical technique when used by the cyborgs, but now it was being powered by Cell's evil energy...energy that simply had to yield to the Brave Sword's magic.
"Keep dreaming, Cell! You're going down!" Trunks shouted.
Sure enough, the shield began weakening, its translucent purple vibrancy fading almost imperceptibly with every stroke. His courage renewed, Trunks swung faster and faster.
Vegeta immediately realized that Cell would take the opportunity to regenerate and regain his energy for as long as the barrier held. While the prince knew he couldn't break through the barrier himself, he could certainly think of something to build up to. Positioning himself exactly level with Cell, Vegeta stretched out his hands on both sides of his body. Crackling energy began arcing around his body, a golden glow surrounding him.
"Ready for round two, Cell?" Vegeta chuckled, pouring vastly more energy into his blast than ever before.
Out of the corner of his eye, Trunks could see his father charging his most powerful attack, and for a moment hope surged in his heart. So far they had done surprisingly well, exacting significant damage and emerging mostly unscathed. How was it even possible? His sword had done the work of slicing through Cell, but it seemed it had also somehow amplified Vegeta's Galic Gun, making it that much more effective against the evil monster. Now, they were poised to deliver a truly devastating attack—he had begun to believe again.
"HIYAAAHH!" With one final swing, Trunks shouted as his blade broke through the barrier.
In that few moments within the protective casing of his barrier, Cell had been able to sprout new limbs, but they were still dripping with greenish-yellow fluid and were not fully formed. Now that he had broken through, Trunks fired a point-blank energy blast at the monster's lower body to distract him, using its momentum to push himself upward and out of the way. Intent on finishing his regeneration, Cell didn't yet give chase, but rather stayed just where he was. When he then heard Vegeta's cry, emerging from the cloud of smoke left by Trunks' attack, he barely even had time to spin around in horror.
"CELL! YOU SHALL NOT DEFEAT THE BRINGER OF DEATH! NOW, TASTE MY FINAL FLASH!"
Vegeta's favorite move had formerly required a lot more time to fully charge, but the prince had honed his technique after the fight with King Cold. Now, he could concentrate his energy and charge it much more quickly...and it was going to pay off here just as it had against android 17.
"OH, SHIT!" Cell's panicked voice rang out as the energy beam bore down upon him. This didn't make any sense. How did that damn sword hurt him? How had Vegeta's comparatively weak energy blasts stunned him?
"NOO!" he shouted, holding up one hand to try and block the Final Flash...but the golden wave didn't even slow down as it engulfed him entirely, slamming into his body with violent force. Gravity could not contain its momentum; rather than curving along with the surface of the Earth, it pierced through the clouds and atmosphere into space. The Final Flash would extend nearly twelve million miles before dissipating halfway between Earth and Mars.
Trunks raised one arm to shield himself from the brilliance of the beam, but kept his sword at the ready. He was poised to attack at the first sign of Cell. Above, his father panted, trying to catch his breath as quickly as he could in case Cell had managed a miracle escape.
Still trapped inside the Imprisonment Ball, the blonde cyborg had long since given up hope. She was doomed, and she knew it. But now, seeing Cell's body engulfed by the fury of Vegeta's Final Flash, she dared to imagine...perhaps, just maybe, there was hope. She prayed for the chance to live, that her prison would disappear along with Cell so she could be free.
18 still remembered how Vegeta had so brazenly offered to sacrifice her to Cell just hours before. She still didn't trust him. But clearly, he no longer wanted Cell to absorb her—though it was clearly his hatred of the monster that drove him rather a desire to protect her. Even so, she felt a little less antagonistic toward the prince. Seeing both the Super Saiyans facing near-certain death in an all-out assault against Cell had allowed her to find a strange thing, something she thought she had lost: faith.
Now, she waited to see what would happen next.
On the sidelines of battle, the Z fighters were in utter awe of the Super Saiyan duo. Even Goku was impressed. Though it had been less than twenty-four hours since the fight with Cell had begun, it seemed like practically forever. It would be twilight soon, the long day coming to an end. And when that time came, he hoped Cell would be no more. So far, however, the monster had miraculously survived every attack and effort the team could muster.
But things were beginning to turn around. Though Vegeta and Trunks were nowhere near Goku in strength, they were seemingly mounting a successful assault. For a brief moment, hope lifted the hearts of the spectators.
"Dad, what's...I mean, how are they doing this?" wondered Gohan. Goku was still utterly exhausted, not yet able to stand. He had considered teleporting up to Korin's tower to see if they had any senzu beans, but didn't know if he had enough energy to do so. Besides, something was going on here that was too big to miss. He had to stay.
The Saiyan smiled at his son's question. He knew he wasn't the greatest father ever; he certainly hadn't ever been able to help out with math homework...but he always knew the answer when it came to questions about battle. At least, he had before now.
"Well, Gohan...I honestly have no idea!" Goku laughed quietly.
"Isn't it obvious?" asked Piccolo, who stood near them on the outcropping of rock. "We know that the sword has magical properties; we saw it used against Cold. Trunks said it was useless against the cyborgs, but their power was mechanical; Cell is biological. I think that explains it...at least partly."
Gohan nodded. He remembered when he had a sword, the blade given to him by Piccolo when he was first learning martial arts. Holding that shining blade was empowering; it gave him confidence and strength. Or perhaps it had simply brought out his own hidden strength.
He wished he had his own sword too. It wouldn't have to be magical...but maybe it would give him the courage to be as strong as Trunks, Vegeta, and his father. During the fight, he had also tried to ascend, doing his best to collect and concentrate his energy just as the other Super Saiyans had done. All his life, warriors had told him that he had great hidden power, an incredible well of potential. Was it really true? If so, he should be able to ascend just like the others. Then again, he had only been a Super Saiyan for a few days; maybe he just needed more practice.
He was used to seeing everyone around him achieve new power and being left behind. Gohan had never been the hero before, never saved the day—at least, until he had transformed and defeated Android 21. But his victory had been overshadowed by the real threats of 18, 17, and 16 later on. Even so, he did his best to keep up with all the others.
"I wish I could help, Piccolo," he said. "But I know I'd only be in the way right now. What should I do?"
His mentor turned and gave a rare smile. "I feel the same way, Gohan; we all do. Sitting on the sidelines is really tough, especially after all the hard work I have done to train myself." Piccolo knew his own limits were becoming more and more clear when compared to the feats of the Saiyans. It was frustrating that he could work just as hard for so much less. But he was learning patience; there was more to life than being the strongest. "Listen, Gohan. As soon as there is a chance for us to help, I promise we will. I'm itching to get my shot at Cell just as much as you."
Gohan nodded. It was strange, he thought. He was now stronger than Piccolo had ever been, yet was still dependent on the Namek to guide him. That's how things had always been; the fact that he was now far more powerful still didn't make any difference. Oh, how he wished he would have been this strong against Nappa, or against Frieza on Namek. Gohan knew he had the power to defeat them, now. His confidence was no longer frail and temporary; when he transformed into the Super Saiyan state, he felt invincible. But he knew better. Watching Trunks and Vegeta seamlessly combine their attacks, seeing how flawlessly they executed their assault, he worried that he would only get in the way if he tried to help.
"Come on out, Cell!" Trunks yelled, his voice threatening. "You can't fool us; we can sense you!"
A few dozen yards away, the prince did his best to focus. Like Goku before him, he had spent almost all his energy in his ultimate attack; he prayed it would not have been in vain. His reasoning was different—having seen android 18 nearly die against his son's Buster Cannon, he had realized that the purple barrier couldn't be immediately reactivated after it had been used. There was always a chance that Cell's version might be different, but Vegeta hoped not. His attack had been almost equal to Goku's Ultra Kamehameha from before; if Cell had been unable to reactivate his barrier, it could potentially have done real damage. Even now, Vegeta could feel Cell's energy...but it was much, much lower. He was anxious to see what kind of damage he had done.
The dust was clearing. Hopes were beginning to fade; most of them could sense something of Cell's energy inside. Assuming Cell had been able to activate the barrier again, there was no surprise at his survival. Only Vegeta and Trunks suspected that perhaps the barrier had failed.
"Show yourself, you freak!" Vegeta yelled from above. Impatient, he threw his hand forward and blasted the dust away with a kiai. He was quite pleased with the result.
Everyone's jaws dropped in complete shock. Cell's body was warped and melted; three of his limbs had been blown completely off and his face was burned and contorted. He hung in place, motionless, dripping purple blood. His one remaining arm was shaking uncontrollably.
Joy, pride, and contempt all rushed into Vegeta's mind simultaneously. "HAH!" he roared. It was almost too good to be true. "You're pathetic, Cell! Once again, you have taken the power of true Saiyan warriors for granted."
Trunks felt a surge of joy as well. 'This is it,' he thought. 'That attack just cut Cell's energy in half—or more!' There was no time to celebrate; he gripped his sword tightly, swinging it behind his head. "YAAAAHHHH!"
Cell twisted in midair...only to see the Shining Sword Attack's first strike slicing down from top to bottom. The slash bisected the stunned monster vertically, the two halves of his body sliding off each other and warping Cell's fearful expression. With a furious grin, Trunks swung his sword back around, slicing Cell from the hip to the shoulder. The blade swung in a rapid series of arcs, slicing horizontally, diagonally, vertically—from every possible direction.
Vegeta then appeared just across from Trunks, the cold cuts of Cell's body still floating between the two of them. With a warrior's grin, he placed both hands forward. Trunks, timing his attack to coincide with that of his father, lifted one palm from under his sword arm. "The nightmare is over, Cell," the young Saiyan yelled. "DIE!"
The two golden beams rocketed toward each other, meeting at the center and completely swallowing up the falling fragments of Cell's body. A brilliant sphere of energy ballooned into existence at the epicenter...then exploded mightily an instant later. When the smoke cleared, everyone watched carefully...but there was nothing left of the monster, not even ash.
"AHH! They did it!" Piccolo yelled. "It's unbelievable!"
"Don't we need to make sure none of him survived first?" Tien quickly asked. "We already made that mistake once."
"Of course," the Namek said. "But you won't find anything."
"How do you know for sure, Mr. Piccolo?" Gohan asked.
"Vegeta's Final Flash. Somehow, Cell wasn't able to use the android barrier again, likely because Trunks' sword broke through it earlier; he took the full force of the attack! Cell's energy has been cut in half if not more, not to mention that I got a good look at that monster's face—he clearly wasn't expecting the Brave Sword to be so powerful."
"Yup!" Goku said, trying to be cheerful in spite of his weariness. "I have to agree with you, Piccolo. I had a good feeling about those two working together. I know we're all hesitant to believe it, but it honestly looks like he's really gone this time."
Trunks and Vegeta both stared down at the waves below them. It was hard to believe...it didn't feel possible that they had won. They had come into this believing that their own deaths were practically a certainty. And something about Cell—the way that he had stood up to so much power and managed to come back from certain defeat time and again—made them all the more skeptical.
Wordlessly, Trunks finally looked up at his father. Without speaking, Vegeta understood what his son was asking. The prince nodded, signifying that he believed Cell to be dead. His son suddenly felt chill bumps pop up on his arms; he paused to take in the actual significance of the moment. Trunks then turned toward his friends, dropping to the outcropping of rock where they were gathered.
Immediately, Gohan ran over to congratulate him. Yamcha and Tien helped Goku to his feet and they followed. Vegeta, annoyed, turned his back and crossed his arms.
"You did it!" Gohan cheered as he ran up to Trunks. "That was awesome!"
Trunks smiled slightly, flipping his sword through the air and re-sheathing it. "It's a miracle, Gohan. That's the only way I know how to describe it."
"Great job, Trunks," Goku said, his arms around Tien and Yamcha's shoulders. "I wish I would have thought to try using that sword of yours myself. Maybe I wouldn't have ended up like this," Goku chuckled.
"Yeah, well it is one of a kind, Goku," Trunks said. His mind wandered as he remembered Tapion and the sacrifice the brave Konatsian had made...he hoped his friend would be proud of him today.
"Kakarott," Vegeta interrupted, obviously still grumpy. "Tell me this: when you wasted all your power on that failed attack, did you not consider that Cell was making it too easy on you? Really, it's as if you think that instant whatever-it's-called move makes you indestructable or something. Frankly, it showed a pathetic lack of tactical foresight."
Goku laughed, not taking the intended offense. "Yeah, I should have known he was expecting it. That was a big mistake! I'll need to think of something else next time. But hey, it all worked out in the end, right?"
"Hmph. Thanks to me," Vegeta said gruffly. Secretly, the prince admired Goku's teleportation ability...but the other Saiyan's poor execution of it left a lot to be desired. Since it was clear that he had once again been surpassed in power, Vegeta had to find something about Goku criticize.
"Yep," Goku replied. "We owe you and Trunks a big one, right guys?"
"Indeed," Piccolo said. The Namek was still his typical arrogant self, but seemed more relaxed now. "One thing. Goku, would you mind contacting King Kai about this? I want to check with Otherworld and be absolutely certain that Cell is really dead this time. We can't risk him coming back again."
"Oh, right," Goku quickly agreed. "Good idea. I'll ask right away."
While the Saiyan hero began to concentrate, telepathically contacting the rotund blue deity, Trunks suddenly remembered something. He quickly turned to check on 18...but stopped short. There, hovering just a few meters above the surface of the water, Number 18 was still imprisoned in the crimson sphere. Why, if Cell was gone, hadn't the attack dissipated?
The thought had only barely crossed his mind before the water underneath 18 erupted, Cell's body bursting out completely whole. A sadistic grin on his face, he reached out one hand and released a burst of reddish energy, deactivating the Imprisonment Ball. Trunks' entire body suddenly froze, his mind in complete shock.
"What...but how!?" stammered the young man.
Everyone else immediately spun around in terror. "NO!" Piccolo yelled angrily. They had genuinely believed that he was gone.
"That's impossible!" Vegeta gasped, his eyes shaking. "I saw every shard of your fickle biology get vaporized!"
"So sorry to rain on your parade, but I simply grew tired of the charade," Cell said, laughing confidently. "Now, nothing stands between me and perfection!"
Trunks and Vegeta, both utterly exhausted, instinctively started toward the monster. How had he done it? It couldn't have been a trick! His body was completely whole when they had attacked him; they had been sure no small portion of it got away. Vegeta had been certain he destroyed Cell's severed limbs too, even though he didn't know whether the creature could use them to regenerate. Besides, a full regeneration took time, and it had been less than two minutes since they had destroyed his body. But this was real, he was back...and however he had done it, the only thing that mattered was that they had failed.
Before Trunks or Vegeta could reach him, Cell reached through the fading Imprisonment Ball and grabbed 18 by the hair, laughing. "You can thank Tien this time...for a little move called the multi-form technique. Hahaha!"
"No way!" Tien yelled.
Piccolo spun. "Tien, what happens if one of the copies is destroyed while you are in multi-form? Do the others die too?"
Tien grit his teeth. "No, Piccolo, they don't. The clones are real physical beings, but only one of them is the real me. Though I've never had one of the clones destroyed, I know that injuries done to them don't affect me. As long as the original copy survives, it doesn't matter what happens to the clones."
No one could believe it. Cell had fooled them all, easily. Momentarily shrouded in the cloud of smoke from a smaller attack, he had cloned himself and slipped silently into the water, leaving the copy to absorb the full force of the Final Flash. He had given them exactly what they wanted, feeding them a lie they desperately wanted to believe in.
"Tien is quite right," laughed Cell, a chilling madness in his voice. "False hope is such a powerful tool, is it not? Thank you ever so much for giving me the means to fool these ignorant children."
By now, Cell's tail had already expanded at the tip and was poised above 18's head. Of course, Trunks and Vegeta were charging him full speed now...but it was a minor nuisance. He reached his hands up to the sides of his head, fingers pointed at his skull.
"Solar Flare!" yelled the bio-android.
Instantly everyone who would try to stop him was blinded. Cell chuckled at the simplicity of his plan. He even felt a tad foolish that he hadn't tried something like this before now. Oh well, in the end he reached the goal all the same.
"Damn it!" Vegeta swore, clutching at his eyes. He and Trunks both halted in mid-air, unable to continue their attack. Cell grinned...now, there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.
The girl screamed as she tried to fight back, but the monster backhanded her across the side of the face. His tail swung swiftly over the top of her head; the monster licked his lips as he stared one last time into her frightened eyes.
"Pleas—"
But her last desperate plea for mercy was cut off as the tail swallowed her whole. In moments, her entire body was completely gone, utterly consumed by the monstrous creature.
"No no no!" Trunks screamed aloud. "We can't let this happen!" His and everyone's vision was just returning, but it was clearly too late. Fury burned in his eyes as he watched Cell's green body start to glow.
A clean white aura now also surrounded Cell, matching the clear outline of his form, hotter and more pristine than his previous golden one. The android's deep throaty growl began to echo across the landscape, the monster's face glowing too brightly to reveal his expression.
Immediately, Trunks threw his hands forward at the monster.
"Burning Attack!"
The powerful orb of energy crashed and exploded against Cell's aura, yet it was nothing more than a bug bite to the creature. When the smoke cleared, it revealed Cell's aura to have become a rounded white vortex, much like the infamous energy shield.
"What a waste," Vegeta snapped. It seemed the prince had already lost hope...or perhaps he was simply the only one who knew how futile their attempts would be now.
White currents of electricity rippled across Cell's form and all around him, cutting into the small bit of land he stood on. Lightning repeatedly struck the sky, shooting outward from the monster, and the ground and sea began to shake with a low rumble.
Yet Trunks' act of desperation had inspired the other remaining Z fighters—those with the strength left to help, at least. Instantly, Piccolo, Gohan, Tien, and Yamcha were all there beside him. This last desperate attempt to stop the transformation was all they had.
"Kaioken!" Tien shouted, readying his most powerful attack despite the consequences it would have on his body. "Kikoho!"
Piccolo grunted with intense effort, then launched his Makankosappo. Gohan threw out his hands and unleashed his strongest Kamehameha, followed lastly by Yamcha who did the same. The beams all coalesced into a single brilliant point, only to be met at the last second by Trunks' Buster Cannon. The swirling combination of energy melded into a sparkling kaleidoscope of energy and rocketed toward Cell.
The attacks collided with Cell's aura in a blinding burst of explosive light, releasing a flare that extended miles up into the atmosphere, easily visible from space. Yet all the while, Cell's scream became louder and louder along with his power.
As if all of their attacks were nothing, the bio-android continued his transformation. The light of their attacks died out, revealing a sickly green dome surrounding Cell. At first, it was only a few meters wide...but as his growls of fury increased, the sphere expanded to cover the size of a whole city block, all while bursts of lightning shot into the sky.
The Z fighters now looked helplessly on, their eyes shaking in fear. What could they do now? It was all over.
The peals of thunder continued as arcs of lightning shot not just through the atmosphere, but seemingly all the way into space. Satellites in orbit blinked off or simply exploded from the surges of power. The Earth wore Cell's deathly energy like a crown, the violence stretching out across its surface.
Terror gripped the Z Fighters; even Vegeta felt himself trembling at the energy they felt. Through the hazy, translucent shield, they could make out Cell's form. His shoulders and torso contorted as if in intense pain; his chest bulged outward as he clenched his fists. The transformation reached his eyes first, transforming them from their former subhuman appearance into deep green pupils. A burst of light flashed around his face, then subsided to reveal an almost handsome structure, outlined by a thinner purple jawline.
The Earth shook as Cell's transformation sent tremors through the deep. Miles away, the waves drenched the land; at the epicenter, tornado-strength winds kicked up violently swirling whirlpools. It seemed the apocalypse was upon them.
Gohan continued looking on with the others, none of whom could even speak. He had never seen anything like this. Behind the massive white dome was the sickening feeling of Cell's ever-growing ki. The dome continued to swell, pulsating with a twisted, unapproachable green light.
The boy gulped in fear once again. Hanging in midair, it was all he could do to maintain his position so close to this creature who spelled doom for the entire world. The bluish-green energy radiating off of Cell reflected in the boy's eyes, a sight he would well remember for years to come. Suddenly, a crackling wave of blue electricity sprayed too close to his body, singeing his hands and knocking him away. He and the others wisely fell back further, now more apprehensive than ever.
Yet even as they backed away, each one retreating only out of necessity, it seemed as if Cell's deathly roar became only more fearsome. The monster's tones were nothing like before, now demonic and warped more than any terrifying scream. The pulsations in Cell's aura intensified as well, ripping the few remaining outcroppings of rock to shreds. Boulders were ripped to pebbles as the shards of rock lifted mysteriously into the air. The wind howled, cutting into sea and stone all around him. Cell seemed the very definition of true power.
Finally, the eerie light-green color of the monster's aura began to heat, reaching a warmer yellow. The rays of light it emitted cast deep long shadows in every direction, a small sun appearing at the center; Cell's aura seemed just as deadly and bright as the core of a star. The constant strobe-like flashing of bright yellow made Gohan's eyes hurt; his brain felt like it was being turned inside out. It increased, shaking the planet harder and harder until the boy was sure the Earth couldn't take it anymore.
Then, at long last, just at what seemed like the very last moment possible, the light flickered and stayed on. A yellow wall of power shot deep into the heavens, as if Cell were displaying to universe his grand new perfection all at once. But then, as if nothing had happened, the darkness of the sky slowly faded back to blue, the sun's lights once again invigorating the planet with life. The Earth was still, the skies quiet, and the seas calmed their rumbling. Everyone held their breath, waiting and watching.
As the golden light slowly subsided, it revealed a glowing green figure, bathed in vibrant energy. Its outline seemed calm now, its arms at its sides and its chin slightly lowered. Slowly, like an overheated engine cooling down, the searing glow of energy began to fade. Normal colors began to return to Cell's visage, revealing what he had become for all to see.
At last, he was complete. Cell's tall green form levitated only inches above the ground, his yellow feet pointed downward. He appeared to hardly notice anything but himself, simply basking in perfection. As Cell lifted his hands out in front of his face and curled his fingers, the creature reflected on the glory he had now obtained. His excitement was not visible, however, as his sharp new nose and mouth were merely pointed with unemotion.
"Yes...I can feel it. At last, all that I have ever imagined is now within my grasp. I have obtained that which no other ever could...I am perfect." The being slowly levitated toward them, dropping down to the last remaining outcropping of rock where they all stood. His feet landed on the rock with an echoing TLANK. To the Z Fighters, he appeared to be a strong tower, an unmovable new terror.
The green armor plating around his shoulders and chest had been replaced with a smooth grey version of the same thing. His stiff exoskeleton was now a paler, uniform green dotted with a darker shaded pattern. The wings of his Imperfect form had returned...but these were longer, narrower, and a deep dark grey that was almost purple. Most of the purple accents on his torso had disappeared.
His hands and his face were now pale white. Angled barbs protruded from his upper arms, reminiscent of Cooler's fifth form. Also resembling Cooler's monstrous form was the four-horned crest on his head, complete with a smooth purple jewel at the center.
The biggest difference was the face. The monstrous green visage was gone, replaced with a completely human nose and mouth. His face was narrow and smooth, as if marked by wisdom and cunning. Lastly, the snakelike tail was gone, its function no longer needed.
Cell clenched his right fist then threw a punch into the air in front of him—a test of his new speed. In a lightning fast display, he let fly a series of jabs with each hand, then lifted his muscular left arm triumphantly into the sky. The glare of the sun shone brightly on his outstretched arm, his fist tight. Cell smiled, truly pleased as if for the first time.
The tall creature turned to face the group. "Well now. Aren't any of you going to attack me?" No one replied.
"Look, I'll make it easy on you," said the monster ingratiatingly. "I'll give you all as much time as you need to charge up. Combine your attacks in any fashion you choose. I'll take them all at once."
Trunks gritted his teeth in anger at the taunt, but it was Vegeta who spoke, much to everyone's surprise. "Save your arrogance, green freak. Why would we simply exhaust ourselves for no reason? If you think we'd take that bait, you're an idiot." The prince was defiant no matter what.
Cell folded his arms, a mild scowl showing on his lips. "Well, it's too bad. I had hoped for some sort of a challenge." He paused, looking at each face in turn. Though all the Z Fighters were flatly terrified, they showed him nothing but bold defiance, impassioned solidarity.
The creature paused, thinking. Goku's question from earlier weighed heavily on his mind. What did he want, now that he had achieved perfection? He could always realize Gero's goal of killing Goku; in the Saiyan's weakened state, it would be as easy as squashing a fly. But the thought didn't appeal to him. Gero might have been responsible for the genesis of his power, but the old fraud's twisted schemes had no control over him. Cell felt himself entirely above such petty vendettas.
"Well, it seems there's nothing more for me here." The bio-android's words were calm, casual...almost conversational.
The Z Fighters tended. Was this the end? Would their enemy simply obliterate them right here...or perhaps blow up the planet without a moment's warning?
Vegeta took a deep breath, tightening his chest. He would show no fear. He had faced death before; he could do it again.
Goku's mind was racing. Could he summon the energy to teleport his friends to safety? He didn't know...and would any place be safe from this terror? He could take them all to King Kai's planet or to Namek, but doing so would only leave the Earth at Cell's mercy, including Chi-chi, Bulma, and so many others. No, his gut told him to wait to see what Cell would do.
Gohan's jaw was clenched. If only he had the power to do something! If only he could rise up, fully empowered, and fight for his friends! Surely there was a way, a strength deep inside just waiting to be released. If only he had become a Super Saiyan earlier; perhaps his anger could now give him the strength to ascend. But could even his anger lift him high enough to take on Cell's dazzling power?
Trunks swore under his breath. This was his fault, he was sure of it. Of course, he had never intended to open up an entirely new world to the scourge of Dr. Gero's creations...but his time machine had been the tool Cell used to enter this timeline. He was responsible, and now he could do nothing but watch.
The perfect android turned his head, again examining each of the Z fighters before him. He could squash any of them with a mere thought. Even the ultra-powerful form used by Goku would be nothing to him now. They were worn and weak, wounded and spent. What possible enjoyment was there in destroying them now? Something about his perfect form had altered his paradigm...he was now considering everything based on how much enjoyment it might bring him.
Blowing up the Earth would be fun, but it would be a terrible waste of all the joys it could offer him. As much as he might relish the indiscriminate slaughter of the Z Fighters, doing so now would be pointless. He much preferred destroying warriors at their prime, rather than when they were weak and helpless...it was probably a side effect of his partial Saiyan genetics. Perhaps, one day, their combined power could even pose a challenge to him. After all, they had succeeded in delaying his final transformation for quite some time.
"Well," began Cell, breaking the silence. All eyes were on him, waiting. They knew where they stood—not only could they feel his new power, but each Z fighter was well aware that they couldn't have stopped him even before.
Cell continued. "I've decided to take some time to enjoy my perfection and ponder my opportunities. In the meantime, I encourage you all to take this chance to heal yourselves. Oh, and train all you wish; build your strength to its absolute maximum. I will fight you again, that confrontation is unavoidable, but I want it to be when you're all at your best."
He paused to let the words sink in.
"You see, as a perfect being, I have no equal anywhere in the universe. Though it really means nothing to me whether any of you live or die—no offense, of course—showcasing my abilities will be the ultimate display of my perfection. You should all consider it an honor that I deem your small band the most worthy to face me, hah!"
No one could really believe what they were hearing. Was Cell really going to just...leave?
"You'll be hearing from me soon. How soon, I haven't decided. In the meantime, try to enjoy the Earth. It might not be around for too long!" His tone was jovial...almost friendly.
Cell suddenly kicked his feet off the ground and rose ten feet into the air, his wings spread wide behind him. He maintained his frighteningly calm expression a few more seconds, staring with amusement at the Z warriors, then lifted his chin to the sky. Just like that, Cell was gone, shooting straight up through the upper atmosphere into space.
Aboard Vegeta's vessel, Oniya had been carefully running scans of the shields. Though they had been a good distance away from the epicenter of Cell's transformation, their position in the sky had attracted a great many stray lightning bolts. But the ship was designed to handle much more than that with ease. All the same, Oniya preferred to be on the safe side regarding shields from now on.
Bulma, still attending to Krillin, had heard the noise outside and felt the ship shake a few times, but was too distracted with caring for her friend to investigate. Standing behind her, still tinkering with the various remains of 16's body, was the loveable, cuddly assassin droid–he really had no choice, as he was hardwired to that one room.
"Statement: I've just detected a most curious occurrence. The biological entity known as Cell has abruptly disappeared without any further engagement against the master or any of the other meatbags. My best estimate of his trajectory puts him on an escape vector from Earth's gravity.
"Curiosity: For what purpose would he simply abandon his current battle and leave?
"Theory: My scanners indicated that prior to his most unusual departure, Cell's power measurement received a substantial increase. It could be possible that he now deems himself far too superior to the master to even proceed with standard assassination protocols.
"Suggestion: If I were Cell I wouldn't be so hasty to disregard the master, as he has proven on many occasions that he possesses a unique potential to overcome more powerful foes through extensive training."
Bulma was listening, and she was glad to have the updates, but her mind was still frantically trying to monitor Krillin's vital signs. He wasn't out of the woods yet, but she still couldn't help but theorize on different ways she could use android technology to restore Krillin's leg. It was an unparalleled field, for any scientist besides Doctor Gero at least, but she knew that her best insights usually came when they were needed most.
"Query: Are you done fixing up that undersized meatbag, woman? I'm rather tired of being plugged in over here."
C47 was pressed stiffly against the wall, a spiderweb of wires and cables running from his back into the ship's wall. Though he was able to move around with his new chassis, it drained his battery quickly; he had to be recharged every few hours.
"Just hang out a little while longer," Bulma said, annoyed. "Can't you find something to amuse yourself with over there? I'm really busy."
"Mockery: Amuse myself? What do you think I am, woman, some kind of protocol droid desperate for conversation—a slave to foolish programming which permits them from ever shutting up?!"
The blue-haired woman immediately chuckled; that description sounded EXACTLY like C47. She grinned briefly, but it vanished once she turned to look at the broken, bruised body of Krillin in the tank once more.
'Hang in there, buddy,' she thought.
Oniya had just returned to the cockpit, having double checked that all the ship's systems were again running at full capacity, when she noticed a light flashing on the comm panel. Collapsing into her usual spot with a tired but still delicate huff, the blue-skinned alien reached out and accepted the transmission. It began immediately.
"Vegeta base 79 to Bringer of Death..." a gruff alien voice said.
Oniya put on her headset, the soft cushions enveloping her ears as the voice rang inside.
"Vegeta base 79, this is Commander Oniya speaking."
"Commander! We've been trying to reach you for hours! I have a top priority message for Lord Vegeta, urgent!"
"The master is currently unavailable," she replied. "But I will inform him at first opportunity. What news?"
The voice paused, realizing that Lord Vegeta and his crew were possibly the only ones in the entire Empire who were not privy to the challenge of the impending usurper named Broly. He quickly began again.
"It's best if you see for yourself. Transmitting playback now," the alien replied.
The screen before Oniya buffered for a half-second, then showed a beautiful landscape from the perspective of a warrior flying through the air. The transmission then proceeded to show the death of each mercenary by the hands of Broly, concluding with the direct threat from Paragus and his son, challenging the 'false' Lord Vegeta to face the true Legendary Super Saiyan. Oniya gulped as the screen faded to black...this was going to change everything.
Be sure to check out our DeviantART account (that's bringerofdeathDBZ) for art of Cell's new Perfect Form!
Happy Tuesday. For those of you growing impatient with Semiperfect Cell, the wait is now over. We realize this was drawn out, but it was intentional. Still, this last stand against Cell had a point—Cell showed how clever he could be, but we also got to see how the Brave Sword nearly killed his ass. Thanks for reading this week's release, and feel free to ask any questions.
By the way, special thanks and shout-out to Kid Goku Forever, who has been reading back over all our old chapters and reviewing his/her way through! We appreciate it!
We'd also like to say how glad we are that you regularly read our story. BoD means a lot to David and I, and we would write this even if it was only the two of us who got to read it. We just wanted to create a world where Vegeta was even more awesome, one that we could enjoy both designing, bringing to life, and reading. Let it never be said that we are in this for popularity or for the reviews. It isn't a competition, this is how we have fun and express ourselves. That said, your comments and reviews mean a lot to us: they let us know if you are catching the little details and hints we leave. They also let us know if you enjoy reading it as much as we do. It's always good to hear a bit of encouragement, but equally nice is giving out constructive advice. We hope you'll not only review our story, but do credit to every author that you read and kindly review them. Thanks!
As for the questions from this week's reviews:
Q: I'm not sure if I can survive another week without an update!
A: We hope you're still alive to read this week's chapter!
Q: It would be nice if you had an update on what Broly is currently doing; haven't heard from him in awhile...
A: Hopefully this chapter has at least progressed that story a little. Don't worry, we get closer to Broly with each passing chapter.
Q: I can't help but feel that you are dragging out the use of Semiperfect Cell's form which I don't mind since it makes things that much more intense and readers like myself that much more eager to read the next chapter, but I really just want to see Cell become perfect which I know will happen in due time...it's just taking so freaking long. XP
A: Having him be so resilient in his Semiperfect form is partly due to the fact that the Z fighters never trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. If they had, he would have likely been overpowered much sooner and used a desperate ploy to become perfect before now. Still, drawing it out has helped develop his relationship and history with each one of the Z fighters. It'll all work out, we promise.
Q: Are you going to make Future Trunks live up to his half-saiyan potential? I mean, in the Cell Games he was effectively equal to Vegeta even after he went into the HTC a second time while being equal to him. Also, how would a canon Cell Games FPSSj Trunks compare percentage wise to Gohan and Cell?
A: Trunks will definitely have a part to play. Things are different this time around, particularly since he has already seen the Ultra Form and its limitations. How will he develop in spite of this? We will get there!
Q: You said that when a Saiyan starts nearing their plateau in power, the rate at which they gain power starts slowing down (I have a theory like that about the Heart Virus). When Gohan flashed into Super Saiyan 2 (my fav form), he achieved a new transformation which increased his plateau and let him regain the rate of power gain he had before. This is what put him above Goku, who still had the FPSSJ limits. So basically, if it weren't for Gohan flashing into Super Saiyan 2, he would have been weaker than Goku. Right?
A: That's pretty much exactly what we've always said. It's why Goku couldn't get any stronger but Gohan could.
Q: Must... resist... complaining about... lack of Gohan rage... jk. Said I wouldn't talk about him for a while, and you guys seem to know what you're doing... so I'll try to last a little longer. Nice stuff here. I am very interested as to how you will deal with Perfect Cell (and yes I know he will appear. Why else would there be art for him?) and Broly. Question: Will we ever see Kamicollo or ever go to Namek?
A: Since Gohan is already considerably stronger and more useful than this point in canon, I don't know what to say to any complaints. He already let loose his SSj rage against android 21 and whatnot, but that doesn't make him a SSj2 out of the blue. As for Kami and Piccolo fusing, you're on the right track...be patient.
Q: Will you make Trunks and Vegeta go fpssj here? It was so stupid they did not do it in canon but Goku had to be the best so its okay. Also how would a canon cell games fpssj Trunks and Vegeta compare to Goku and Gohan ( I'm guessing Vegeta would be really close to Goku and Trunks really close to Gohan).
A: It would simply depend on whether or not any of them can max out the FPSSj Form like Goku did. But we have to note that even if Vegeta and Trunks aren't in their SSj forms all the time, it doesn't mean they aren't FPSSj—that's a common misconception. Just wait and see how we handle it. It makes sense.
Q: Just something I was wondering though: you guys seem to be awfully low on the USSJ form. Consider that a USSJ Trunks was essentially ahead of PERFECT Cell in terms of raw power... He was kicking his ass in the beginning IIRC, until the speed caught up with him towards the end. It's a pretty good transformation. I just feel USSJ Goku should have been more of a match for a SEMI-Perfect Cell considering what we saw in the anime. I understand Cell was supposed to win, but I'd have enjoyed seeing him knocked out of his stride at least for a bit. Anyway don't mind me, I was just caught up in the badassery of Trunks' transformation in the anime!
A: I understand your point, but I think you just aren't taking the changes we've made into account. Our system uses rules, such as the fact that USSj doubles the SSj boost of the user (starts at 145, but grows through specific training). Now, when Trunks came out of the HTC in canon, he was a friggin beast. When he used USSj, that 2x boost doubled his power as a SSj...which was a lot more than when Goku used it just now. If Goku had built up his USSj in the HTC, he would have been just as strong as Trunks. And also, to avoid confusion, we believe that USSj Trunks was stronger than SUPPRESSED Perfect Cell. Cell didn't even use his full power against Goku...it wasn't until he fought SSj2 Gohan that he did. Cell's full power is WAY stronger than USSj Trunks was. He only used the buff form to make a point to Trunks about how stupid he is. It was clever really, because Cell didn't have to give away any of his true power and was able to keep the secret under wraps.
Q: Fantastic story, not sure how Vegeta and Trunks are going to get out of this one. Maybe Broly shows up? Hey, don't look at me like that, a sane Broly would make for a nice change!
A: Everyone seems to like/prefer sane Broly. He has been made so in many of the great fanfics on this site, almost universally. So I really don't see how that would be a change, unless you're referring to canon. As you saw, though, he didn't show up. I know there is much anticipation regarding Broly, but we must ask for patience. We can only say so much, and the story has already been decided, so...yeah.
Q: Also regarding the whole Superman debate, the only thing I would note is that you seem to get a lot of facts about the Man of Steel wrong. He does have massive explosive strength, he can easily handle 6 sextillion tons (check out latest 52 comic) and he has survived a red giant supernova before (he was only knocked out for a second or two). Don't get me wrong, I also believe that the Death Battle underestimated a number of facts about DBZ themselves. The strength calculation comes to mind.
A: As we've said before, his strength is all over the place. This is just another example of the same discontinuity.
Q: Wow great story, just so epic. This is my most favourite fanfic. If this had a chance to become a new dragon ball z cartoon, I'd definitely watch it! You guys are great, keep up your hard work! :D
A: Thank you! Having this animated would be a dream come true, but as it's fanfiction that will likely never happen.
Q: Such an amazing fanfic! I figured I'd check it out after seeing the link on a DBZ board, ended up reading through the first 30 or so chapters (however many were up at the time), and since then I've made sure to check it out every Tuesday at midnight. I love how you get inside every character's' head. Not only are you keeping the personalities true to the manga/anime, you're expanding on them, showing us their innermost thoughts.
A: That's one of my favorite things to do as a writer. It's hard to sometimes conceal things when I so frequently show character's thoughts, yet it makes other things so much more understandable. For me, also, it makes the whole story more believable. When I read a good story, what draws me in isn't just what happens, but WHY it happens. That's why it's important to reveal the driving factors of each decision...my way is often through character thoughts.
Q: One of the parts of DBZ that I liked the most was the different forms of SSJ, like ascended, ultra, and full power. I liked how different each form was, and how it took a different training approach to reach each form. I did always wonder why Goku was so much more successful than Vegeta training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, when before they'd both always seemed very skilled at training and improving. I guess Goku just had a breakthrough that time around. I'm very interested to see how you handle FPSSJ, and who gets there first. It looks like pretty much everyone realizes now that USSJ isn't going to work. When Goku cleared his mind at the bottom of the ocean, is that going to lead him toward FPSSJ? When I read that I immediately thought "Next time he trains, he's going to use that feeling to master SSJ." Just thought there may be a bit of foreshadowing there.
A: Goku had more success in the HTC because he had a training partner. Plus, Gohan eventually even surpassed him, which made for an even better challenge. Vegeta was too proud to train with his son, which slowed his growth. Also, at the time, Vegeta was stuck on the ascended form, but Goku found a way around it, making that state obsolete.
Q: When I saw all those reviews following on from your reply to me about the Death Battle, I was worried that some of the butthurt rage over Goku's loss would migrate over here and it would all be my fault! Good to see that the reviewers here remained more level-headed than elsewhere.
A: Right, the last thing we want is to start a huge debate.
Q: If Vegeta's jumped up to 360 million without being fully healed does it mean that as regular training gives better results when someone's recently reached a new form, so do zenkais? But while a (full) zenkai from being beaten nearly to death would trump a few days regular training it's not as good as specifically squeezing power out of ASSJ in those same days like Goku did?
A: Something like that. Basically, the ceiling cap being raised, Vegeta had a lot of pent up gains stored up. Also, he got the crap beat out of him and enjoyed a nice Zenkai. But, you see, he didn't just increase his Ascended Form...he grew his regular SSj boost as well. That is key. However, in Goku's case, he was able to actually train the form and made it back to full strength. Zenkais are cool, but at this stage control and practice is more important.
Q: You've already thought about the Mystic unlock (interesting because someone else will be given it?), how far in advance do you have the story beats worked out and how much have they changed before when it's come closer to putting them to paper? Any examples of thigns that have already happened that were wildly different from what your first planned?
A: That's a great question! As far as the story that's set in stone, we have all of the Cell arc fully planned out to a T. After that, we've thrown out a million different ideas. Some of them are absolutely certain to happen, things we've been planning since the very beginning-some are twists that will blow your mind and make you want to go back and see how you possibly missed seeing it coming. But other aspects we won't be able to flesh out until we have some time. Most likely, at the conclusion of the Cell saga, BoD will take a hiatus to plan out the next arc of the story. That'll be a while longer, though. As for things in BoD we had planned but changed somewhere along the way, David would know more than me. See, I usually get my way storywise, or I argue until he agrees. But he has had a lot of ideas that I probably changed. Other than that, let's see, I think Yamcha was scheduled to die a few more times. We had some negative feedback, so we cut out at least one of his deaths (That doesn't mean he won't ever die again...muahahahaha). At one point we considered having a Mecha Frieza or Cold or Cooler, but that didn't pan out. I don't believe android 21 was in the original plans either—he was David's creation, one of the ones I liked, lol. One big thing that wasn't always planned was the Lord Slug saga. But when the ideas hit us, we felt they would work well with what we were aiming for.
Other ideas that didn't make it? Well, we originally considered featuring Turles and the Tree of Might on Yardrat as a catalyst for Goku's transformation, but ended up going with a King Cold Tokusentai. We also toyed with the idea of Oniya getting pregnant, but the Garlic story threw a wrench in that subplot. Speaking of which, we considered going into more detail with Kami's role in the Garlic story, but didn't.
Q: What the hell is with people letting others transform? Yes.. I know that they trying to stop Cell from absorbing #18 (even in cannon they tried to stop Cell) but most of the times, hey just stand there as people reaches a new form.
A question: If Cell this strong; how the hell will they stop BROLY? Unless you give them years... and they train in the HTC (I still doubt it would be enough) or they'll train in it this saga? Cause it look like there might be another Cell games similar to cannon) Either way, they need a miracle.
A: Letting others transform is the DBZ staple move. Everybody mocks how the Z fighters just sit there and watch. Truth be told, though, they have tried on many occasions to stop a transformation from happening—they were just rarely successful. Now, as for stopping Broly...well, you must have faith in us. Cell is strong, true, now more than ever. But the good guys are going to gain their own power increases soon as well. Things will happen in such a way that you will wonder if it could have ever happened differently.
Q: First, let me tell you that BOD is freaking awesome. The way the characters are true to their nature, and the way things are wildly different from the original DBZ, yet remain perfectly parallel is a balance that no fan fiction i have read has been able to keep for as long as you have.
I have one question, since you guys are masters at fitting in power levels with your beautifully logical model: episode of bardock... Now, i understand that it is little more than fan service (bardock is one cool character, i wish there was a way you guys could somehow fit him in in BOD) but where would you place him at power wise?
A: The Episode of Bardock is tricky. In DBZ, time travel is portrayed as branching (multiple timelines), not looping as in this version. Plus, since when do planet-destroying energy balls send you back in time? The best explanation we ever heard was that the entire Episode was a split-second hallucination, a dream in which he saw himself ascending to defeat an icy tyrant just as his son later would. And it's such an afterthought to the actual series and story, we can't imagine they had any kind of consistency in mind. Plus, the characters can't be compared to anybody we know. I wouldn't bother trying to fit our system into that movie...
Q: Once again you gents outdid yourselves once more this chapter. Well done!
Regarding movie villains, Metal Cooler is obviously unable to happen, but what about Metal Cold? He was after all blasted away from Earth, so perhaps the Big Gete Star will establish a connection with him?
This would be a great add on after the Cell/Broly arc, Cold at full power should he have managed to maintain control would have been able to wipe out three Super Sayains with ease, even with his fluctuating levels he still far outclassed two of him.
Looking back to the Cooler movie, his final form was unable to touch a super sayain in the slightest, yet his metal form once again far surpassed two Super Sayains who had far more training with the form. With this thought in mind, Metal Cold, already with a full power of over 200 million, should be tripled or even possibly quadrupled with ease? Making him vastly superior to the ASJJ form, and once again able to dominate two or three of them, perhaps even one or two full powered super sayains, and at a stretch the SJJ2 form depending how you level that? Was just wondering your thoughts on this matter and whether you are, or at the least consider the possibility of Metal Cold as a possible villain in his own right.
A: Well, Cold was a villain we really did want to explore further than canon did. That's why we expanded him and allowed the king to transform like his sons. The Big Gete star, while a decent movie, was just too similar to Slug and his terraformation for us to stomach. We considered having Cold merge with the Big Gete star, but Slug proved to be a more credible and meaningful threat to Namek. That's not to say somewhere down the road we find a use for it and it pops up—it could happen, I suppose. But it's not in the plan.
Q: Oh, by the way, the ScrewAttack user who calculated Giant Piccolo to be 180 tons wasn't actually called tl;dr - that acronym is just there next to the summaries of users' blog entries. Having googled [piccolo 180 tons] I think Zongetsu is the guy you meant unless someone with a confusing user name came to the same conclusion! I'd read his post before but forgot about it until you (probably) referenced it.
A: Yeah, whoops. I should have looked closer. Sorry.
Q: Great nod to canon with having Vegeta flash back to that defining moment of choice, realizing that it could have been Goku to go SSj. I also like the fact that instant transmission wasn't made into the "epic trump card of all time" like it is in Honor Trip. It's a useful move, and as much as I hate to see Goku's instant kamehameha fail, it needed to happen. Now maybe Goku will try to develop something even more awesome, or complicate the move more so it isn't so easy to predict. Also I liked the way you changed up the imprisonment ball of Frieza to suit your needs. That's a move canon Cell never used, but could have.
This whole chapter seemed to really convey the classic DBZ style of revelations. The way you described the explosion from everyone's point of view and then made us wait was very true to DBZ. And, of course, even though I know by now that Perfect Cell is on the way, I'm still very interested to know if he will achieve it on his own. It's unlikely Vegeta would let Cell transform again, so that seems to imply that he will. But he probably won't have anybody left to fight when he does. Now that I think about it, when you had Goku ask Cell what he wants and he didn't know yet, that might be a clue. Hmm.
The only thing here that I was worried about was Goku going Ultra, since he is smarter than Trunks was and would realize the weaknesses. But you accounted for that, I guess, since there really wasn't any other option. Plus, Goku did figure it out. My guess is that this is the last we see of this form, since all the Saiyans saw how bad it failed. Goodbye Ultra.
Last thing. When Broly arrives, or they find him or whatever, I'm excited to see if you let Vegeta have the chance to redeem himself from canon. I hated how much of a pansy he was in that film, overwhelmed by the power of the legendary super saiyan. Everybody here seems to want Cell vs. Broly, but I want to see Vegeta suck it up and face Broly head on.
A: Wow, awesome review! I have to say, you hit on all the things we are most excited about. We've got a feeling you'll enjoy what's to come. And as far as Ultra is concerned, good guess...or is that merely what we WANT you to think?
Q: Excellent chapter guys! You've introduced the power-weighted SSJ form in a VERY interesting way - one that exceeds everyone's expectations of the form, I daresay. It's good to see that the heroes, Goku especially, aren't winning from the get-go. Villains are more compelling when they seem impossible to overcome, & I was incredulous that Semiperfect Cell would hold this honor in your story, rather than Perfect Cell. If they're having this much trouble with his 2nd form, I imagine that if they don't shape up soon, his final form may well annihilate them...but we all know the Prince of All Saiyans won't allow that by a long shot.
I gotta say that I love how you re-purposed my favorite attack in the entire series - Frieza's Crimson Sphere! It had so much potential, & it could have been a game-breaker, if utilized decisively in canon. I also like the dynamic in Vegeta & Trunks' relationship, how they feed off of each others ambition. Very Saiyan-like & plausible. I'm looking forward to your next chapter, waiting to see what will happen in the battle. Will Trunks' sword break, as it did against a superior opponent in canon? Will Vegeta witness his son's death & achieve a new level of SSJ? Or will that situation be reversed, perhaps? Goku seems out of commission, but maybe he has a few surprises left. Keep up the good story-telling!
A: Thanks for the excellent review, Roketto! We're glad the use of Frieza's technique met your approval; Honor Trip showed how Cell could have used it offensively, but we wanted to show a more creative use. And you had a lot of insightful observations...so yeah, thanks!
Q: Nice chapter. I enjoy how well you write Cell's dialogue, however, it is starting to feel like some of the lines from Cell have been recycled, which, even though those lines are great and the portrayal of Cell is spot on in my opinion, might get stale if they are too similar to ones repeated before. In addition, I was noticing you spell "Kakarott" as opposed to "Kakarot", however, when I looked it up, it should be spelled Kakarot, so I thought I would let you know. I believe the japanese spelling is "Kakarotto" with two T's, but I am not sure about this either, but that may be where you had gotten that spelling from. Anyway, I look forward to seeing some father/son ownage in the next chapter.
A: Some of the lines we use are borrowed, yes, but I feel that when the reader reads that line they can actually hear it in the character's voice inside their head. That helps them, subtly, read the surrounding dialogue in the same way. Basically, using a smattering of canon dialogue helps to ground our story and make it more believable as a whole. As to the Kakarott spelling, this is intentional. The Japanese and French versions, Kakarotto, have two t's. While we aren't going to add an "O" to our english version, we felt it would be a nice tribute to the original Japanese to leave in the extra "T". So that's why!
