A/N: Sorry for the terribly long wait, people! Life has kept me busy for ages and I hit a bit of a writer's block, but that's all resolved now and what with the insane COVID crisis going on, I guess I have more time on my hands. On that note, I truly hope everyone's faring well during this whole crazy situation, especially in the places that're worst affected. Hold strong, everyone, hold strong, take all the necessary precautions and pray that we all make it through this!
On another note, I do still enjoy writing this story. I love all the feedback it's gotten and all the wonderful friends I've made ever since I began this amazing journey and will most certainly try my best to complete it, even if I do stumble a little along the way, so I hope you can bear with me. If not, feel free to leave some angry reviews to get my gears rolling xD.
This chapter promises some really awesome moments, especially towards the end, so I hope you all enjoy!
As it's been ages since I last updated, I decided to give you folks a summary of where we previously hit it off:
Piccolo was pounding the living daylights out of Cell, until the latter spotted Android Eighteen. Cell rushed towards his terrified blonde-haired prey, but was stopped in his tracks by a kienzan from Krillin that hacked his tail off. Now, the monster faces off against Piccolo and his human comrade, not knowing what to do. Meanwhile, Vegeta and Trunks are training harder than ever, within the eerie confines of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and the others anxiously await the results of the cataclysmic battle against Cell.
Chapter 66: The belly of the beast
Fists clenched tightly by his side and teeth grit, Gero's biomechanical menace grunted aloud as the Namekian DNA within him worked its magic and helped regenerate the lower half of his ringed, oaken tail. The monster breathed laboriously thereafter, knowing that he was nearing his last reserves. He glared heatedly at the poised visage of his towering green adversary.
"Face it Cell, tail or no tail, you're done." Piccolo disdainfully sneered. "Why don't you do yourself a favor and accept your end with some semblance of dignity?"
'Darn it, there has to be a way out of this!' The insectoid creature frantically thought to himself, mentally sifting through any plausible solution that came to mind. He knew the solar flare technique wouldn't work, since he'd already used it to escape Piccolo and Vegeta during their first encounter (A/N: Refer to Chapter 59). His opponent would see it coming from a hundred miles away. What then? He had to come up with something fast. The longer he deliberated, the closer he ventured towards an untimely doom.
Soon he was struck by the most obvious idea, one that was foolproof. A sinister smile stretched across his cruel, callous countenance. "So you think you've won, do you?!" He raised his right hand towards the sky, palm facing upwards. The Namekian frowned dubiously, wondering what his ploy was. "Tell me something Piccolo: Exactly how much do you value the life of the peon behind you?" A flaxen saucer of Ki emanated above his palm and he instantly fired. "Kienzan!"
The moment the attack was launched, Piccolo took notice of it's downwards trajectory and realized that it wasn't just him who was being targeted- it was Krillin, who stood directly behind him. If he dodged the incoming disk, the human fighter was as good as dead.
"Krillin, get down!" Acting on pure instinct, Piccolo whirled around and simultaneously lunged towards the bald man, tackling him mid-air. With barely a few inches to spare, he'd been able to steer them both away from the angular path of the deadly saucer. However, that short moment of distraction was precisely what Cell was hoping for.
"Big mistake!" The tailed creature ploughed his heel hard into the preoccupied Namekian's spine, whereby the latter was launched a fair distance in the opposite direction to where the Androids stood, smashing right into the heart of a sizeable mountain right along with Krillin, causing the entire structure to crumble around them. As this was happening, Cell zoomed towards his prized target, knowing he'd bought enough time to finally realize his ultimate objective. The fate of the Universe was sealed. At long last, his glorious dreams were about to come to fruition.
"Get the hell away from me!" A panicked Eighteen yelled out as her terrifying tormentor closed in on her. She vainly fired a Ki blast at him, but it was easily swatted aside, like a a tennis ball.
"It's over Eighteen." Cell chortled sadistically as he landed before her, malicious grin widening in glee, dribbles of fresh saliva streaming down his chin. Eighteen shuddered in revulsion as he licked his thick, purple lips. "It's time for you to learn the true meaning of perfection."
"Just die already and leave me the hell alone!" She screamed, deluged with dread, meeting each of Cell's forward strides with a tremulous step backwards, though she knew it was all for naught. She was finished. 'I should've gotten away, while I had the chance, goddammit! I'm so stupid!' The blonde ruefully cursed. She had no one to blame besides herself, for ending up in this godforsaken crisis. Oh God, she didn't want to be a part of this grisly, gruesome abomination. She didn't want to be digested into his slimy, disgusting innards, the way Seventeen was. She could imagine no worse fate.
All of a sudden, Cell felt a burly pair of arms wrap around his torso, in a constricting bearhug.
"Eighteen, run!" The redheaded robot frantically yelled, using every ounce of his strength in a bid to keep the monster at bay. The insectoid scoffed, insulted at the mere notion that one as mighty as himself could possibly be constrained by this failure. He smashed the back of his head against Sixteen's face, whereby the giant staggered back, forced to release his hold. Cell followed up with a crunching side-kick to the midsection that launched his unworthy foe right into a hill behind, causing the rocky structure to collapse around him. He promptly held up a palm towards Sixteen, ready to finish him off once and for all.
"Don't touch him!" Eighteen yelled, brazenly charging Cell without a second thought, overcome with a surge of protectiveness towards her giant comrade. It proved to be the most fatal mistake she ever made, as the insectoid easily caught her incoming fist.
"It's time for you to join me, sweet sister." Cell grinned ear-to-ear, his tail rising up above him, stinger dilating wide. "At long last, we shall be united into one, perfect being."
"NO!" She frantically raised her free hand to try and blast him, flush in the face. Anticipating the move, however, the insectoid grabbed her wrist, cutting off her Ki circulation and rendering her helpless.
"Very soon, my dear, all will be made clear." The monster sang, subsequently enveloping his petite prey within the mucilaginous confines of his expansive stinger. Eighteen screamed like there was no tomorrow, heart hammering with unequivocal horror, as she was engulfed in pitch-black. The blonde beauty flailed her lissom legs about, but it was utterly futile as she was swallowed whole, right into the belly of the beast. Cell's bodily fluids engulfed her, having a strong, soporific affect that almost immediately rendered her unconscious and immobile. It was all over. Her life was forfeit.
An eerie, electric stream of newfound Ki coiled through the insectoid creatures blood-cells, as he felt the cosmic changes surging within him. An ethereal light framed his gigantic figure, as a blinding aura exploded around him of its own volition, his roars of ecstasy, damn-near deafening. Sixteen rushed forward to try and attack, but was hurled back almost instantly by the sheer maelstrom of Cell's sweeping aura.
"No! No! No! Goddammit, no!" Piccolo yelled, as he finally recovered and rushed towards the scene, only to realize to his utmost dismay that he was too late, far too late. Cell's last attack had kept him out of bay long enough for the monster to claim his prize.
"Piccolo, what's happening?!" Krillin followed after him in panic. His breath hitched, as he caught sight of Cell and felt the meteoric power leaps of the heinous creature. He knew immediately what that meant. He failed. He couldn't save her. He failed. His heart wrung in pain, as involuntary tears welled up, within his hickory eyes. "Eighteen, no." The monk's body sagged as he descended towards the ground, forlornly falling to his knees in despair. He pressed a fist against the ground, recalling the beautiful, angelic features of the cybernetic creature that had somehow captured his heart. Several moments passed before he determinedly lifted his gaze towards the dastardly fiend responsible for all of this. Standing up, he raised his hand towards the sky and materialized a razor-sharp disk of Ki above it.
"Krillin don't, it's no use!" Piccolo frantically cautioned him, but the bald man would have none of it.
"Kienzan!" He fired, only for the discus to shatter like glass, against the metamorphosing creature's body. Incandescent beyond reason, Krillin launched the same attack again and again, vengefully resolved to make Cell pay or die in the process. "You sick, coldhearted bastard! She never did anything to you! She was innocent, you hear me?! She was innocent!"
"Krillin, that's enough, dammit!" The Namekian gripped Krillin's wrist hard enough to make his Ki dissipate. Piccolo was astounded at the unbridled rage lacing his comrade's indignant features, as the bald man turned around to glare at him. It was no secret that the short warrior held a soft spot for the Androids, but he hadn't known his feelings ran quite so deep. He shook his head clear, knowing that now wasn't the time to deliberate over such thoughts. "Krillin, listen to me. You've got to get out of here, while you still have the chance. I'll hold off Cell, for as long as I can."
"I'm not going anywhere!" The hairless fighter resolutely declared. "I'm gonna tear that son-of-a-bitch apart, if it's the last thing I do!"
"Look, we both know that's impossible!" Piccolo growled back impatiently. "Do you feel his power?! It's far beyond anything I've ever witnessed! You saw just how futile your attacks were! He's too strong for you and I can't fight at my full power, knowing you're around, so just go dammit!"
The heroic duo suddenly flinched, as a dazzling wave of light engulfed the entire scene. Once the light died down, Cell was finally visible, in all the breathtaking glory of his final form. His figure was similar to that of his previous state though smaller and far more comely, skin now light-grey with a broad nose, beady red eyes and two streaks of purple on either side of his face. One could fairly observe the obvious parallels he now bore to Frieza. A pair of lengthy wings stretched out from his shoulder-blades, making him appear more insect-like and a small stinger manifested, where his tail once was. What stood out most, however, was his overwhelming power that shook the very foundations of the Earth.
Taking a deep breath and releasing it, the horrendous monster held up his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists, before testing out a few punches and kicks, himself stunned by the raw power, coursing through his veins. This was well and truly marvellous. After all the perils he'd endured, at lost last his dreams were fulfilled. He was nothing short of perfect, just as his creator had intended for him to be. No one could stand in his way, any longer.
"Damn you Cell!" Piccolo cursed aloud. "Damn you to hell!"
The monster looked up and smirked at his Namekian foe.
"Oh Piccolo, from where I stand now, you're hardly worth a second thought, but since you did almost succeed in keeping me away from my destiny, allow me to do you the honor of being the first recipient of this perfect power." Cell's voice had a strangely pleasant tonality in this form. He dropped his hands and stood up straight. "You may attack at your leisure."
The green warrior frowned, teeth ground together in sheer frustration. He tried getting a feel of the insectoid's power, but no matter how deep he ventured, he couldn't reach the bottom of that expansive well of energy. One thing was certain however: he stood no chance, none whatsoever. Even so, he decided that he wasn't going to allow Cell to get out of this unscathed. Sometimes, physical attacks weren't the only ones that left a mark. That in mind, he stared condescendingly at the evolved monster, not willing to back down in fear as he normally would, in such a perilous situation.
"This doesn't change a goddamn thing, you hear me Cell?!" Piccolo haughtily declared. "Like I said before: No matter who you absorb, deep down, you're still just a coward - a weak and insecure, coward!"
The biomechanical fiend gaped askance at Piccolo, completely caught off guard by the bold and brash response of his alien adversary, having almost expected him to fall to his knees in utter despair and resignation.
"A final show of bravado before you bite the big one, huh?" The insectoid spat indignantly, irked at his inability to cow the pathetic being before him with his mere presence. "Want to go out swinging, is that it?"
"I could care less about that." The Namekian replied, lip curled up in disdain. "I take back absolutely nothing. Where I failed, Goku and Vegeta will succeed and once they're through with you, your true cowardice will reveal itself once more, only then you'll have no more Androids left to absorb."
"Ha! You seriously believe those two weaklings can save you?" Cell practically laughed, though a part of him was boiling at the gall of this inferior cretin. He should've been kneeling at his feet, begging for mercy, but was instead touting, as though he had the upper hand. "While you were absent, I nearly killed Vegeta in my first form. What madness could possibly drive you into believing that he can stand up to me now?" (A/N: Refer to Chapter 62)
"Gero might've given you their cells, but those Saiyan bastards have a knack for battle that you'll never possess." Piccolo earnestly proclaimed. "When all is said and done, you're nothing more than a cheap replica. You rely on absorbing others for your power, whereas Goku and Vegeta earn it, the good old fashioned way, by training to their very limits and beyond, constantly reaching unprecedented new heights." He sneered disdainfully at the insectoid creature. "You call yourself perfect, but in their vocabulary, that word doesn't exist and do you know why that is?"
"Do tell." Cell rolled his eyes, already tiring of his green foe's inane bluster. He'd heard it all before.
"It's because being perfect means you've hit a ceiling and believe me when I tell you this, Goku and Vegeta have no ceiling, none whatsoever." The Namekian averred, with steely confidence. "Every time they reach a limit, they find a way to surpass it. What you saw from Vegeta before wasn't anywhere close to his true power and believe me, he will realize his true power; as will Goku. And when that time comes, you'll be nothing more than a blood stain."
The biomechanical beast frowned, mulling over Piccolo's boldfaced assertion for a few moments. While Frieza's cells within him still sizzled at the nerve of this foolish Namekian, his Saiyan cells were gleefully dancing about in frenzy, for a whole other reason: the prospect of a good challenge.
"You know what, you've piqued my interest." Cell decided, the Saiyan part of him eventually winning out. He momentarily turned his gaze to the red-haired Android behind him, who was readying a surprise attack. "I wouldn't recommend that Sixteen, unless you wish to lose whatever functional bits you have left." The threat worked and the large Android immediately backed down, knowing he wouldn't do any good by being destroyed. "Anyway, as I was saying Piccolo," The monster faced the Namekian once again. "Are you truly of the belief that your Saiyan saviours have what it takes, to bring me down?"
"I am." The green giant nodded, without the slightest bit of hesitation.
"Very well." Cell grinned from ear to ear, spreading his hands out. "In that case, since you obviously have sense enough to realize you're no match for me, I have a little proposition for you."
"We're not interested in your propositions, you bastard!" Krillin snarled, daringly moving closer to the scene. "The only thing that'll satisfy me is your blood, on my hands."
The insectoid snorted, aiming a deathly finger towards the bald man, hardly considering him worth acknowledging.
"No, don't!" Piccolo yelled in alarm, not wanting his diminutive comrade to foolhardily get himself killed. "Krillin, do yourself a favour and shut up!" He hissed, momentarily shooting a glare towards the miniature fighter, who promptly decided to remain silent. "Go on Cell, I'm listening."
With a smirk, the biomechanical beast lowered his finger, deciding to spare the measly human for the time being. They'd all die sooner or later, so his spark of defiance was of little consequence.
"Well, as I was saying, I have a proposition." Cell smugly continued. "In ten days, I will host a tournament that will decide the fate of this planet and ultimately, the fate of the Universe." He went on. "The rules are quite simple: It will be myself against any warrior of your choosing. Once the first of your pitiful champions inevitably falls, you may summon up the next and so on, until there're none left to challenge me."
A short pause ensued.
"I don't understand." Piccolo frowned suspiciously, his expression intense. "Why would you go out of your way? Why not just launch an all-out attack now? Isn't that what Dr. Gero would've wanted?"
"If we're truly being honest, I could care less about Gero and his silly ambitions of revenge." Cell scoffed. "While that may have tickled my fancy earlier, now all I'm interested in is testing out this newfound power of mine. Perhaps it's the Saiyan cells boiling inside of me, perhaps it's something else altogether, but the bottom line is I do so very much crave a good challenge. If Goku and Vegeta can offer me that challenge, then so be it, but remember, ten days is all you have."
Another brief lapse followed.
"Very well then, I agree." Piccolo nodded in assent, knowing that this was their only real chance at victory.
"Piccolo!" Krillin reproached, in a low voice. "We can't trust him! He could just leave here and blow up the entire planet at any time!"
"He can do that, either way!" The Namekian riposted. "In case you haven't realized it yet, his power far eclipses my own! There's no way in hell I can stop him! As much as I hate to say it, we have no choice in this matter!"
The bald warrior wanted to protest, but knew he could say nothing. If Piccolo truly stood no chance against Cell, then awaiting Armageddon was their only option.
"Fine." Krillin released a resentful sigh of surrender.
"It seems we have a deal." Cell chortled, levitating into the air. "I suggest paying close attention to those news outlets of yours. I will be making announcements with further details as to where this tournament will be held and what rules may apply, if any." Just as he was about to fly off into a secluded area, he remembered something else. "Oh and one more thing. Should all of your champions fail to defeat me and they will undoubtedly fail, this entire planet is history, along with every living creature, residing in it." He grinned maniacally at the subsequent looks of horror on all those present, before taking his leave and deciding to do some solitary training of his own, wanting to get a better handle over his final form. While he wanted nothing more than to pummel the living heck out of a worthy foe, at this point there were none who could handle even a smattering of his true power, not even Piccolo. He would have to wait it out. Once it was all over, the Universe would fall to it's knees before his monstrous might. His reign would be without end, for he was the ever-living embodiment of perfection.
"So what now?" Krillin asked helplessly.
"Now we train, as hard as possibly can." Piccolo ardently replied, eyes squarely set upon the short warrior. "That means you too Krillin. If it comes down to it, we'll need every single one of us to be at peak strength and that means no slacking off."
"Agreed!" The bald fighter earnestly nodded in assent, clenching his fists by his side.
Piccolo was a little surprised by the quick and avid reminded him of another matter that'd been on his mind.
"So while we're still here, would you mind telling me why you're so particularly mad at Cell, besides the obvious reasons?" The Namekian raised a curious brow. "I'm guessing it has something to do with the Androids right, Eighteen in particular?"
"Umm- I, well, I just- you know-" Krillin fumbled for a moment, before catching himself and replying, in a more even tone. "Look Piccolo, you may find this hard to believe, but I've seen a different side to the Androids that none of you have. They're a lot more human that you might realize and I felt that because of that, they deserved a chance at life." The bald man sighed in dismay. "But now that bastard Cell's taken it away from them and ruined everything. Goddamn him! They didn't deserve that! She didn't deserve that!" (A/N: Refer to Chapters 57 and 64)
A brief pause followed, the Namekian closely gauging Krillin's reaction, particularly his aggrieved tone and expression when he mentioned the blonde-haired cyborg.
"You have- feelings for- Android Eighteen?" Piccolo asked, not quite believing that it had actually come to this.
"Hey, I never said that!" Krillin objected, though his rubescent features told a different story.
"I couldn't care less either way." The Namekian scoffed, then looked at him more solemnly, a gleam of sympathy lacing his normally stoic features. "But for whatever it's worth, I'm- sorry for your loss." The green warrior was surprised by his own admission, but then realized that he was no longer just Piccolo - he was also Kami and Kami was nothing, if not disgustingly sentimental.
"As am I." Android Sixteen approached the two warriors and placed a hand on Krillin's shoulder, whereby the bald man peered up at him. "I thank you for trying to help Eighteen." He said in his mechanical voice, tone laden with grief and remorse. "I would have died to protect her, if I could have." He grunted in frustration. "Now I am all but useless in battle."
"Hey don't say that, big guy." The human fighter smirked encouragingly at the cybernetic warrior. "My friend Bulma's a freaking genius! I'm sure she can have you patched up, before you know it!"
"I thank you." Sixteen smiled kindly.
"Are you sure about this Krillin?" Piccolo raised a skeptical brow.
"Of course I'm sure!" The bald man fervidly replied. "We need all the help we can get!"
"If you say so."
XXXX
Up in Kami's lookout, the remaining crew were all stunned that Cell had ultimately gotten the best of Piccolo. That certainly did not go down as expected.
"Man, I can't believe this!" Tien seethed, holding up a wroth fist. "Piccolo could've killed Cell so many times, but he kept holding back and now look what's happened! We were so close, darn it!"
"Come on Tien, you can't blame Piccolo for-"
"I can and I do blame him, Gohan!" The three-eyed warrior cut off the adolescent half-Saiyan. "He should've known better, period! He's faced Cell before and knows just how sly and cunning that bastard can be! But no, he had to go and underestimate him once again and look at what it's cost us! Now there's no way we can beat Cell!"
"You don't know that for certain, Tien." Goku repudiated.
"Don't I?"
"Please, calm down everyone." Mr. Popo ardently pleaded. "Now is not the time to argue amongst ourselves. I urge you all to concentrate solely on the task at hand." He turned towards the father-son duo. "Goku, Gohan, you must not despair. You must remain entirely focused on your training. Once Vegeta and Trunks are finished, it'll be time for you two to enter the Hyperbolic Time-Chamber and when you do, you need to be fully prepared. We can still win this."
"I wish I shared your enthusiasm Mr. Popo, but I don't!" Tien indignantly spat. "I don't know why we always get ahead of ourselves and lets our enemies gain the advantage over us, time and time again! First Vegeta and now Piccolo?! If the two of them had used their brains, they might've been able to stop Cell from the get-go!"
"Come on Tien, you're being too hard on them." Gohan insisted.
"I don't think I am, Gohan." The bald warrior shook his head. "They had Cell right where they wanted him, back in Ginger Town, but they let him escape! And since then, they spent days trying to track him down, but he got the jump on them at every turn! That kind of failure is inexcusable!" (A/N: Refer to Chapter 59)
"Tien, that's enough!" Goku rejoined in irritation. "I get that you're upset, we all are, but we need to focus on the present, instead of digging into the past!" He calmed himself with a deep breath. "We have a mess on our hands and the only way to solve it is by training as hard as we can." He shifted his gaze towards the edge of the lookout. "It appears that Cell's decided not to launch a full-scale attack just yet, so that at least gives us time to prepare."
"Fair enough." Tien let out a relenting sigh. "You've got to understand Goku. I nearly died out there, stopping Cell from absorbing Android Eighteen, but now all my efforts have gone to waste. I'm sure you can understand if I'm a little frustrated. I just wish it hadn't come to this." His shoulders drooped, before he looked more gravely at Goku. "In any case, after you and Gohan are done training in the time-chamber, I wanna give it a shot myself."
"You're most welcome to do so, Tien." Mr. Popo smiled encouragingly. "Although I may have to restock the food supply there, sooner than expected."
XXXX
A long period of time had passed within the eerie dimension in question, which currently housed a certain pair of royal Super Saiyans.
"You see Trunks, you're already outpacing me." Vegeta remarked with a clear undertone of pride, as the teen prodigy deftly evaded a series of quick, close-range attacks from his fiery father. "When you put your mind to it, nothing is beyond your reach, you hear me? Nothing."
They'd been going at it for a good half-hour or so. For the last seven months, Vegeta had really put Trunks through the wringer, pulling no punches and in doing so, springing forth the boy's latent potential, bit by bit. At long last, it had all paid off and the future half-Saiyan had actually managed to surpass his legendary father. The impossible had now been realized.
The truth of the matter was that his power level had been higher than Vegeta's for quite a while, only he hadn't been able to one-up his father during their sparring sessions, due the older Prince's vastly superior combative prowess and lifelong experience in battle.
Overtime however, with the guidance of his curmudgeonly father, he was able to enhance his fighting moves in such a way that he could utilize his full power, with little energy wasted in the process, allowing for maximum efficiency when it came to battle. Through this taxing ordeal, he truly came to realize just how far behind he'd been, before the elder Prince picked up the mantle that Gohan had left behind, on his training.
Trunks held his deceased Master in very high esteem, he truly did, but his time in the boundless void of the chamber had shown him just how lacking Gohan's training had been, in comparison to his father's. It was as though he finished elementary school and jumped straight into college with no in-between, Vegeta essentially forcing him to close that learning gap as quickly as possible. Under his old man's harsh tutelage, there was no room for error. Each and every mistake cost him a great deal of pain that he would never forget. There were times when he hated his father and wanted nothing more than to quit, but he repeatedly squelched such faint-hearted thoughts and urged himself forward, reminding himself that he owed this to Gohan, to his mother and to all the heroic martyrs of his world. He would make his father proud and be worthy of the title, Saiyan Prince.
Trunks caught an overhand-right from his foe and fired a powerful punch to the midsection, only for it to be caught as well. Father and son were locked together, in a grinding stalemate, teeth clenched tight and golden auras pulsating around them, creating intense tremors in their wake.
"Okay, that's enough for now Trunks." Vegeta instructed, powering down, much to the surprise of the younger Prince who immediately followed suite. So far, the old man had always seen sparring sessions through to the bitter end. The two released their grip on one-another, taking a short moment to catch their breath.
"Aw come on father, I was just getting warmed up." The boy mock-grumbled.
"It's clear to me that you would've won that match." Vegeta pointed out. "But don't let it go to your head." Trunks' ensuing smirk told him that he'd done just that, i.e. let it go to his head. "I'm serious boy!"
"Yes, father." He nodded, his expression instantly sobering as he squared himself up, conveying an immense degree of discipline that'd been drilled into him, since the moment he began this arduous training journey with the elder Prince. Despite becoming the stronger fighter between the pair of them, he still recognized who the pupil was and who the Master was, in this relationship. That was something which would never change, no matter what.
"Good, now listen up." Vegeta locked his gaze onto that of Trunks. "We're going to spend this next month, practicing a different exercise altogether and that is how to deal with multiple opponents at the same time. The fundamental principle here is that if two or more warriors know how to fight together in sync, they can generate far greater results than they ever could, individually. I have first-hand experience of this myself." He continued, more sombrely. "But there's a downside. If the warriors in question don't co-ordinate properly and don't know how to complement each other's fighting techniques, a skilled opponent can easily see through it and get the upper hand."
"Yes uh- father." His son replied rather half-heartedly. The Prince could tell by his expression that he wasn't fully focused. Something else was eating at the boy and it was quite obvious.
"Go on, spit it out." Vegeta huffed in frustration, folding his arms.
"What?" The demi-Saiyan asked, perplexed all of a sudden.
"You clearly have something to say, so say it!" The shorter Saiyan barked impatiently.
"Oh, uh- okay." By now Trunks shouldn't have been surprised by his father's intuitiveness. The man could practically read him like a book. "I was just wondering about what you told me a couple months back, something about a power level beyond Super Saiyan." (A/N: Refer to previous chapter)
A brief moment of silence passed by.
"What about it?" Vegeta finally spoke.
"Do you think it's something we can work towards?"
"Not at the moment." Vegeta rejoined, grunting as he noticed the boy's shoulders sag in disappointment. "You have that power lurking somewhere inside you Trunks, but it's not something that can be forced out on a whim." He knew they'd eventually be having this conversation, but was hoping he could defer it for the time being. "It'll only truly manifest itself, under the right circumstances. We've already learned how to naturalize and refine the Super Saiyan form, but training alone will not be enough to reach the next level, not at this point in time, anyway."
"Right, right." The teen frowned, recollecting some key moments during his training when he'd been pushed beyond his limits. "But I could've sworn I felt something incredibly powerful inside me, if only for a very brief instant. Then it just disappeared as quickly as it began and I couldn't tell whether or not it was just a figment of my imagination."
"It wasn't." The flame-haired warrior affirmed. "I saw it too, but like you said, it was only present for a brief instant. You clearly don't have a proper handle on it yet and you won't be able to, unless the right opportunity presents itself. It's there, that's all that matters. Now you just have to wait for the right moment, but until then, concentrate on the here and now."
"Alright, father." Trunks took a deep breath, before looking intently at the old man. "I understand what you're saying. If you feel that trying to force out that power will do more harm then good, then I trust you."
A flicker of emotion sparked in Vegeta's ebony eyes at that last word: trust. Ever since his father had given him away to Frieza, the Prince had lost all of his trust for anyone and everyone. Truth be told, he didn't even trust his own henchmen Nappa and Raditz, the former lacking in the brains department and the latter, lacking in the brawn. It wasn't until he fought alongside Earth's warriors against Frieza and his forces on Namek, that the Prince began developing some level of trust with others. Shaking those thoughts aside, he looked solemnly at his son.
"Good, because this new exercise is entirely about trust." The Prince earnestly stated. "Here's what we're going to do."
And so the royal pair began the final phase of their training.
A/N: Looks like Trunks has finally surpassed Vegeta in power. Who could've seen that coming, eh? Their relationship has really evolved, hasn't it? Definitely my favourite scene to write. Just what kind of training does he have planned for his son? Will it truly be enough to thwart the sinister plans of Cell, who's proven himself to be cleverer than ever, by outwitting the likes of Piccolo and acquiring perfection? Find out next time!
Be sure to leave your thoughts and hit the review button! Most importantly, stay safe during these trying times! Much love, as always! :D
