Previously: It's the Cell Games and they aren't going well for the Z fighters. Cell has just reformed after being blown to dust and has attacked a weakened past Vegeta.
Now: Bulma makes a desperate attempt to save the day.
UK English. I don't own the characters!
After all his training, Trunks knew he was the strongest he'd ever been. He even knew that he could defeat the androids back home. But Cell? The monster's Frankenstein genes meant his power was beyond comprehension.
The hit that had blown Cell into molecules was more powerful than anything he'd ever felt. Young Papa had radiated with the power of it, and Trunks had worried for a moment that it would blow Vegeta up too.
Trunks considered himself to be a brave person. A soldier in an army of two against the androids of his time. He might only be a child, but he'd seen more in his young life than most people in this timeline and felt prepared to face any threat that came his way. Regardless, he'd felt overwhelmed with relief seeing Cell destroyed.
Now his relief was eclipsed by an all-consuming terror as he watched the creature reform from mere particles and pick up his young father as if he were a rag doll.
The creature had Young Papa by the throat. Spent of all energy, the man's legs fell limply, but he still clawed at Cell's arm, his furious, bloodshot eyes showing no fear. It was both Vegetas' mantra and Trunks knew that even with no oxygen and no hope the man would go to his death before letting an enemy know he was scared.
At that moment, Trunks felt his own fear slip away. There was only one thing he could do. What his father - both of them - had trained him for.
Fight.
Trunks was not going to stand by and watch any version of his father die at the hands of this monster. His fear evaporated completely, and Trunks powered up then threw himself at Cell, aiming a ki blast at the creature's head.
The blast missed, but Trunks' fist didn't, and Cell was surprised enough to drop Young Papa. The man crumpled on the ground, the only sign that he was still alive, his ragged, wheezy breathing.
As if jolted out of their own frozen stupor of fear, the other Z fighters joined the fray, each attacking Cell relentlessly. Cell brushed everyone off as though they were no more than flies. Instead, Cell's cruel red eyes tracked Trunks' every move.
Hoping the others could hold Cell off for a while, Trunks went to check on Young Papa, who hadn't moved from where he'd fallen.
As soon as Trunks moved in that direction though, he felt a sharp tug on his hair.
"Where do you think you are going, brat?" Cell asked from behind him.
With a cry, Trunks felt himself lift up into the air, before being slammed back down. He scrambled to get away but Cell's yellow boot stomped on his chest, grinding him into the muddy arena.
"Like father, like son, I see." Cell bared his teeth as he chuckled. His foot increased in pressure and Trunks gasped as he heard a cracking sound in his chest. "All brawn and no brains. Let me make this simple for you imbeciles. You are already dead. You just don't know it yet."
Above him, a bright light formed, and Trunks knew that this was it. So much for returning to defeat the androids. He was going to die at Cell's hands in another timeline, and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Get. Away. From. My. Son!" The cry of rage from Papa was accompanied by a huge burst of ki.
The light above him exploded, and Trunks found himself skidding and rolling over the ground until his head collided with a large rock and he came to a sudden stop. Dizzy, with dancing black spots in front of his eyes, Trunks was confused as to how he was still alive. But he had to be alive because there was no way he would be in this much pain if he had reached the afterlife. With a groan, Trunks struggled to sit up, clutching his painful ribs.
Blinking to clear his eyesight, he looked for Cell. He found him easily enough, standing where he'd been just moments ago. But instead of Trunks being at his feet, there lay another.
"How very noble." Cell nudged the body with his boot. It rolled slightly, and the man's head lolled to the side, revealing open, black eyes that saw nothing. "Sacrificing himself for his son. Too bad it was all for nothing."
"Papa?" Trunks cried out, his voice cracking.
Desperately he reached out, trying to feel his father's ki. But the amount of blood pooling around his body, turning rusty as it soaked into the dry, clay earth, made it obvious. Other than Young Papa, who could be felt still clinging to life, there was no trace of his real father. Not even a slither of ki.
Papa was dead.
Bulma held her chest as she hyperventilated from her hiding spot in the cliffs just beyond the arena. Beside her, Ara covered her face, her shoulders shaking. The moment Bulma had got close enough she'd pinged Ara on a comms unit she'd snuck to her before the battle. Ara had slipped away to come and bring her closer, but neither of them had expected to arrive back to this.
Cell had taken out Future Vegeta as if he was nothing. Like this whole time, he'd merely been toying with them all.
For a moment, when Vegeta disintegrated Cell, Bulma thought her plan wouldn't be needed. Now she worried she was too late. Goku and Future Vegeta were dead. Her Vegeta didn't look like he could harm an ant in his current state. The children were exhausted, the senzu beans were long gone, and Piccolo, who'd merged with Kami to become stronger had been holding his own, but she didn't think he'd be enough, even if her crazy plan worked.
"What are we going to do now?" Ara asked, bringing her hands down. "Cell killed… he just killed Vegeta."
Bulma peered at the younger Vegeta. He'd managed to get to his knees but even from her distance, he looked awful. If he got back into the fight now, he'd be dead in seconds.
"This can still work," she replied. It had to. She didn't have a choice. But it had to be now. Vegeta and everyone else had to know that there was a way to end this before they did something stupid.
Taking a few deep, fortifying breaths, Bulma brushed the tears from her eyes, then placed her hand on Ara's shoulder. "Remember the plan. You need to do it the moment I give the signal."
"I will," Ara said, holding out her hand.
Bulma dug a gun out of her backpack and placed it in Ara's palm. It was much smaller than Ara was likely used to, but it would do the trick.
"It's already loaded," Bulma said as stood up from her crouched hiding position. "Don't miss."
"I never do," came Ara's soft reply.
Putting on the game face she used when pitching a new idea to the Capsule Corp board. Bulma strolled confidently into the arena.
"Yoohoo! Cell!" She waved brazenly at the creature, channelling the same energy her mother gave to every visitor to Capsule Corp. "I need to talk with you!"
Cell stepped back from the dead body, genuine surprise on his face. "Ah! My blue-haired villain protégé!" He smiled suddenly and it transformed his face into something almost charming. "How lovely to see you, my dear. But the battle isn't quite done yet."
Bulma made a show of looking around the arena. "Really? It's quite obvious you've won." She smiled back, sauntering straight up to him, forcing herself not to look at Vegeta's body. "Isn't it about time we negotiated terms?"
"Negotiate?" Cell's smile increased and he let out a low chuckle. "To negotiate both sides need to have something the other wants. I've proven that no one can defeat me."
"Come now." Boldly, Bulma placed a hand on his scaly, muscular arm. "There must be something you want from the people of Earth?" She fluttered her lashes as she trailed her fingers up towards his shoulder. "Something that would make sparing the planet, or at least some of us, worth your while?"
"Well..." Cell grabbed her other wrist, making her gasp with surprise, and leaned in, lasciviously waggling his green eyebrows. "When you put it like that… I might be able to come up with something."
"Bulma!" The younger Vegeta rasped out her name, scrambling to his feet unsteadily, his eyes wide with panic. "What are you doing?"
Up this close, Bulma could see purple bruises wrapping around his throat and she tried not to wince. "Now honey bunny," she said with a pout, making Vegeta frown in confusion. She had never used stupid nicknames on him before. "You know I'm only interested in being with the strongest there is. It was fun while it lasted, but…"
Bulma forced her face back to Cell, and traced her fingers across the back of his shoulder, finding a soft, fleshy spot next to his armpit and tapping it before bringing her hand back to settle on his chest. "Cell here is simply the better man." She pasted on a sultry smile. "A big strong man like you might be undefeatable, but everyone has… needs."
"You know me so well already, my protégé," Cell purred. "I… what was that?"
Cell released her arm to reach back to his shoulder. Bulma took a step back as he found the object embedded in his armpit.
"A modified tranquilliser dart," she offered in reply. "Made to get through rhinoceros skin."
Cell just laughed. "No amount of sleeping poison will take me down, you stupid woman. And here I was thinking you had a brain."
"I said modified tranquilliser dart," she corrected. "This one has something special in it. And judging from how empty that dart looks, I'd say it is finding its way through your bloodstream right now."
Cell's smile vanished. He snatched her wrist again, this time squeezing so hard Bulma fought back a whimper of pain.
"What," he snarled, "did you do?"
"I levelled the playing field." Despite the pain, Bulma grinned at him. "You now have the same virus that killed Goku in another timeline. Don't worry, it's not active… unless you regenerate again of course."
Cell's eyes went wide, then narrowed. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, the next time you lose a limb, it won't grow back without stopping your heart. And the next time you get blown up, you won't be returning." Bulma patted his shoulder with mock sympathy. "Is that simple enough for you?"
"No." Horror flooded Cell's features moments before anger took over. "I'm going to make you wish you'd never been born." Spittle flew from his mouth as he powered up, his ki pulsating around her, making the ground shake and the wind howl around them. "I will destroy you, then I will hunt down everyone you love and destroy them, and then I will end the rest of this planet."
Bulma couldn't help but scream as the energy Cell unleashed felt like lightning striking her skin, over and over, tearing at her flesh and rattling her bones. She tried to pull away but he had a vice-like grip on her arm and with every tug, he dug his claws in deeper.
She locked eyes with Vegeta over Cell's shoulder. He was running towards her, lithe as a panther, red dust churning around him, his mouth open and calling her name.
"Vegeta!" She cried out over the noise and stretched out her hand toward him.
But he wasn't close enough to help her.
Another flash of light and searing heat ripped the rest of her words from her mouth. "Save-"