"I'm sorry, we're a little high up here." Gohan said when he heard what his father said. "What did he just say, Mister Piccolo?"
"I think he just said-"
"Gohan?" Cell repeated. "Out of the entire list, you pick...Gohan? He wasn't even on the list!" Goku flew up to us and landed next to Gohan.
"You're up for this right?" He asked his son.
"Are you out of your GODDAMN MIND!? HE'S 11 YEARS OLD!" I screamed at Goku.
"This is madness, Kakarot! There's no way Gohan can win!" Raditz told his brother.
"They're right! I'll admit, Gohan's abilities are far beyond what they used to be, but you're pitting him up against a foe even you couldn't beat!" Piccolo yelled angrily.
"Goku, we're not going to tell you how to be a parent right now…" Krillin began.
"I AM!" Piccolo and I screamed.
"-But how do you think Chi Chi is going to react to this?" Krillin asked.
"Guys, trust me on this one. I spent a whole year training him last week! So get out there, Gohan! You got this!" Goku encouraged his son. He then put his hand on Gohan's shoulder. "What do you think? Did you see Cell hit me with anything you couldn't handle? You see me go at him with anything you don't have?"
"Well… I don't think so…" Gohan began. "But you were both holding back, right? I'm sure it'd be a lot different if you were going all out."
"Now I don't know about Cell, but I was giving it everything I had." Goku told him. "You thought I was holding back because the whole time, you were gauging my energy against your own."
"Gohan, answer me. Is this true?" Piccolo asked him.
"Huh...yeah." Gohan nodded. No, this can't be happening. Goku isn't seriously going to do this is he!?
"All right, what do you say?" Goku asked Gohan.
"...Ok dad. I'll do it." Gohan said as he threw off his Piccolo cape.
"Gohan, wait. Before you go, remember this…" Goku began. "You're so much stronger than you think you are." Gohan turned to him and gave a timid nod before flying off to Cell.
"So, the biggest, most important fight of my life walks away, and sends in the world's strongest bookworm…" Cell groaned. "Fine, Goku. I'll play along with this little joke… But I want you to know, while I'm busy pounding your son, I'll be thinking of you the entire time." Ok, calm down Orion. Think about it logically. Gohan is actually at an advantage here. Cell took as much of a beating as Goku, if not more. And after training in the time chamber, Gohan should at least be around Goku and Raditz's level, even mine. If he's smart, which he is, he could easily win this.
"Oh, hey Krillin? Can you give me a Senzu Bean?" Goku asked Krillin, who was holding a bag filled with Senzu Beans.
"Oh sure, here." Krillin said as he gave Goku a bean. Wait…
"Thanks friend." Goku said as he then turned to Cell. Nooo…! "Hey Cell! Catch!" Goku then flicked the bean up to Cell, who caught it immediately.
"NOOOO!" Krillin and I screamed.
"WHAT!?" Piccolo and Raditz cried out.
"WHY!?" Yamcha and Tien asked.
"Is your brain on vacation, Kakarot!? Why the hell did you give him that!?" Nappa yelled angrily.
"Hey, take it easy. Cell's used up a lot of his energy. It's only fair to let him fight Gohan at full strength, don't you think?" Goku explained.
"THAT'S your reasoning!?" I shrieked.
"Dad! He is going to kill me!" Gohan shouted in a terrified tone.
"Hey, you said it, not me." Cell chuckled as he ate the bean. Gohan then charged all of his energy and rushed Cell as their fight began.
"Which one was it, Goku!? Which concussion did you suffer that made you think ANY of this was a good idea!?" Piccolo asked, completely furious at what Goku just did.
"Piccolo, just watch." Goku began. "You're going to see amazing things out there."
"What's so amazing about watching your 11 year old son get murdered!?" Raditz spat out.
"Gohan might be 11 years old, but he's also like, a hundred times stronger than I was at that age!"
"Kakarot…" I tried to say.
"He's been keeping pace with us since he was a baby. I mean, you should know, you, Orion, and Raditz trained him."
"Kakarot…!" I tried again.
"And after spending that year alone with him, I know more than anyone that he's going to-"
"KAKAROT!" I cried out.
"What?" I then pointed to where Cell and Gohan were. Cell had grabbed Gohan and was repeatedly punching him in the face.
"Thinking of you, Goku!" Cell shouted as he continued to pound on Gohan.
"Goku…" Piccolo began.
"Don't worry, you guys. Gohan's got this." Goku reassured us, though it was a poor attempt. Cell had begun to fire multiple beams at Gohan, to which Gohan was actually dodging, though his luck could only last for so long. Eventually, Cell got the drop on him and appeared right behind Gohan.
"Game over, kid." Cell said as he fired the blast into Gohan's back, sending him into 5 different mountains.
"I-Is Gohan…?" Yamcha began before Goku raised his hand to stop him. Not a moment sooner, an enormous amount of power shot out of one of the mountains and completely destroyed it, revealing Gohan to be mostly fine.
"Oh, goody…" Cell sighed. Gohan walked back over to Cell with his head down until he reached Cell.
"C-Can I say something?" Gohan asked.
"I've been humoring you this entire time anyway, so why not?" Cell told him.
"I know why I'm here. I know why my Dad threw me to the biggest wolf in the woods." Gohan said. "It's because whenever I get backed into a corner, I snap. And when I do, I hurt people."
"Well, like, uh...w-what do you do to 'em?" Cell asked, his interest peaked.
"When I get angry...when I lose my mind, my power skyrockets, and...everything goes red." Gohan explained. "The world around me just...fades away. And all I can see is the person I want to kill. Of course, I've never actually managed to beat anyone in the past, but I think my Dad knows that if I snap here…"
"Let me guess: You'll kill me?"
"You said it, not me." Cell stared at Gohan before he slowly erupted into boisterous laughter.
"Well, threaten me with a good time!" Cell proclaimed. "Perhaps I'll get you angry so I can see this hidden power of yours."
"Wha-?" Cell then fired Death Beams at Gohan. But when Gohan dodged, Cell caught in a strong bear hug.
"So to be clear: When you break, I die! Is that the gist of it?"
"That would be the process of events, yes."
"Well, then...let's see which breaks first!" Cell said as he started to squeeze Gohan, causing his bones to creak and Gohan to scream in agony. I was starting to really lose my patience at this point. I was about to rush in to help Gohan, but Goku stopped me.
"Stop. Don't interfere. Gohan's got this." He told me. That was the last straw.
"Are you KIDDING me!?" I screamed. "Gohan is dying right now! You're expecting me to just WATCH!?"
"I get what you're saying, but this is exactly what I've been planning out this whole time!" Goku told me.
"Plan? What plan?"
"Why do you think Gohan, Raditz, and I went into the Time Chamber after Vegeta, Nappa, and Trunks?"
"Uh, Vegeta forced you to?" I guessed.
"It was because if we came out first, we would have killed Cell right away! But leaving that job to Vegeta? Well, I mean, you saw what happened."
"I'm...confused, because it sounds like you knew Vegeta would screw up." Piccolo said nervously.
"Well, it was gonna be him or Krillin." Goku said.
"Oh my god…" Piccolo muttered. "B-B-But how did you know he wouldn't just kill everyone after becoming perfect!?"
"I took care of that myself." Goku explained. "I told Cell that I would just need a single day before I would become strong enough to beat him. There was no way Cell would pass that up, because no Saiyan would."
"Okay, but...why Gohan?"
"Piccolo, I'm not going to be around forever. One day, like in Trunk's future, I'm going to die and stay dead. What will happen then? Someone's gotta be here when I'm not. And when I was in the chamber with him, I realized...that person...was Gohan."
"Well, it seems you thought of almost everything…" I muttered as I moved towards Goku. "Unfortunately, you skipped one small, minor detail."
"What's that?" I then punched Goku as hard as I could, sending him back a few feet.
"GOHAN DOESN'T LIKE FIGHTING, YOU MORON!" I screamed as loudly as I could. Goku stared at me as my face twisted up in frustration and anger. "It doesn't matter how strong Gohan is! Gohan isn't the fighter you are! Every time he's ever fought, it was only because it was literally do or die! Think, Kakarot! This grand strategy of yours...does Gohan actually even know what it is!? Do you have ANY clue what's going on in his head right now!? He's not angry, he's scared out of his mind! That boy is in greater agony than he has ever known in his entire life! And he's probably wondering why his family, his friends, his FATHER, hasn't stepped in to save him!"
"B-But...he went into the chamber with me and Raditz for that whole year."
"Because he wanted to spend time with YOU and Raditz! His father and uncle! That's something I would have done with our father if he was still here, even though I don't like fighting as much as you!" I spat out. "Open your eyes! Regardless of how strong he is, he's still a child, your 11 year old son! The son you tossed into the deep end so that he could die! Why did you even let him fight!? I was more than willing to fight Cell myself! Hell, I was confident I could beat him!"
"I knew that! But if you fought Cell, you might have done something completely reckless and killed yourself along with Cell!" Goku screamed at me.
"So you'd rather have me alive than your own son!?" I asked. "I am MORE than willing to die if I have to, and I don't care if I get brought back or not! I'm here to protect you all! I will destroy my body a hundred times over than let anyone one of you suffer like Gohan is right now! So I'm going to go out there and save him!" Everyone stared in disbelief after I said that. Goku's expression was now petrified as he thought more about what he was actually doing, before it hardened with determination.
"Krillin! Toss me a Senzu Bean! I'm going to help Gohan!" Goku told him.
"Right!" Krillin nodded as he grabbed the bag. At that moment, Cell dropped Gohan and appeared right in front of us. None of us could move before Cell quickly stole the bag from Krillin.
"Uh, just a quick update, everyone; these are now tournament illegal. Wouldn't want them in the wrong hands." Cell said as he turned around and flew away. Cell then flew back to Gohan with a sinister smirk. "I see now that not all roads lead to Rome. Torture won't do the trick, so let's change up the game plan, shall we?" He told the boy. "How about I drag down each one of your friends and family down here and murder them until you give me what I want?"
"N-No, please!" Gohan pleaded. "Stay away from them!" Gohan tried to attack Cell but Cell effortlessly kicked him aside.
"Sit down. This might take a while." Cell chuckled.
"ENOUGH!" Cell turned around and saw 16, who grabbed him in a giant bear hug.
"16!? What are you doing!?" Cell shouted.
"Within me is a high-yield nuclear explosive." 16 explained. "I am going to self-destruct and take Cell with me." Everyone began to freak out as soon as he said that.
"You're crazy!" Raditz shouted.
"You all must take cover! Don't get any closer! It is highly unlikely you could survive such a blast!" 16 told us. "Cell! I know now that I must rid the world of your evil presence regardless of the cost! We will both be destroyed and with us this nightmare ends! All of Doctor Gero's ambitions, his plan to conquer the world and wreak senseless havoc. It is finished! My countdown has started!" 16 then began to count down from 10. Each of us quickly moved to cover as 16 reached the end of his countdown. "...3...2...1...0!" 16 started to glow as we all braced for impact, however… "...-1…-2...Negative-A critical error has occurred. Where's the 'kaboom'!? There was supposed to be a Cell-shattering 'kaboom'!?" I thought about it for a bit and face-palmed.
"Oh, right. Bulma took out your bomb during repairs!" I shouted to him.
"WHO GAVE HER THE RIGHT!?" 16 screamed.
"Well, 16, not that this long embrace hasn't been heartwarming and all, but I have a child to break." Cell said as he broke out of 16's hold, which was now weakened from his shock. "Now, if I'm correct, you were looking for...a 'kaboom'?"
"If I said 'no', would you still-?" Cell then fired a blast into 16, tearing him into multiple pieces and destroying his body.
"16!" I shouted as his parts flew across the field.
"Geez, now I don't even feel like killing these fools…" Cell muttered after dusting off his hands.
"D-Does that mean-?"
"Yes, kiddo, I'm not going to kill any of them." Cell told Gohan. "...They are."
"...The implication being…?" At that moment, Cell's tail, or the part that used to be his tail, opened up wide and began to shoot out multiple creatures. "Oh my god…"
"Ladies and gentlemen at home, the terrible Cell is now...doing one of two things, I'm pretty sure we can't show either on network television…" Jimmy said in the background in terror and disgust.
"I don't understand! Where's the egg!?" Piccolo cried out as we continued to only watch in stunned terror.
"Life, uh...finds a way…?" Krillin suggested.
"To make me vomit!" Vegeta finished. Eventually, the deed was done, and Cell's tail closed up.
"Goku, I've decided that your insistence on fighting your progeny would be best returned in kind." Cell told us. "So behold: MY CHILDREN!" He shouted as he gestured to the tiny blue clones of himself he just made.
"It's like every nightmare I've ever had fused into one, cloned itself, fucked the clone and then made THOSE!" Vegeta muttered.
"That is...terrifyingly accurate!" I added.
"Gather around, children. Daddy's set up a playdate for you!" Cell told his 'kids'. Now make sure you share your toys, don't leave Daddy's sight… and bring me the bodies. But most importantly, have fun!" Right after he was done speaking, the little blue monster flew straight at us at incredible speeds. There was one for each of us, and it was fucking horrifying!
"Cell Juniors incoming!" I shouted as I braced myself.
"We are NOT calling them that!" Vegeta shouted. Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha activated their Kaioken as we all began to fight a Cell Junior. I formed my Sword of Mars and swung down at my Cell Junior, but my blade is a small starry shield.
"Noo…" I muttered as the Cell Junior smirked at me. He then created his own blue Sword of Mars and tried to hit me, but I blocked it with my own shield. "Ok, if this is the game we're playing, then come at me!" I shouted as I began to clash my blade against the CJ's, each of our attacks clashing with the other's perfectly. These little bastards weren't making anything easy though, as they were very intelligent, being able to use clever tactics against each of us. Each of us were holding our own against these monsters, but Goku was losing ground at an alarming rate.
"Yamcha! Tien! Raditz! Nappa!" Piccolo called out after he knocked his CJ to the ground. "Goku used most of his strength while fighting Cell! We're gonna need to back him up since we're the closest ones to him!" Piccolo then turned around and caught the CJ's arm before throwing him into the one fighting Raditz. Yamcha then flew over to Tien with his Kaioken ready.
"Tien, duck!" Tien did as Yamcha said as Yamcha flew over him and rapidly hit Tien's CJ with a flurry of Wolf Fang Fist attacks to send him flying. Raditz then helped Nappa knock away his CJ before going to Goku's and grabbing it's arms. The two Super Saiyans then kicked the CJ away like a football, but none of the damage they dealt to any of the Cell Juniors did any real damage. They just got back up and slowly moved towards them again. Tien, Raditz, Nappa, and Yamcha surrounded Goku and flared their energy as they began to help defend him.
"I owe you guys one." Goku said with a smile.
"Forget about it. Not like it really matters if we owe each other anything at this point." Nappa said with a grin. Trunks, Vegeta, and myself were still fighting our own Cell Juniors, but we weren't making much progress in killing them either. They were like cockroaches! Krillin was also by himself, and like Tien and Yamcha before, he was holding his own, but not as much as the Super Saiyans. Piccolo rushed in and knocked Krillin's CJ away, but another one appeared behind Krillin and axe-kicked him to the ground. The Cell Junior then flew at Krillin and slammed his knee into Krillin's back, causing Krillin to scream in pain and his Kaioken to dissipate. The Cell Junior then began to kick Krillin's sides as he was done. I saw this and gritted my teeth in anger.
"Leave him alone!" I shouted as I used Instant Transmission to teleport over to Krillin and knock the Cell Junior away. My CJ and Krillin's then began to fire Kamehamehas and Galick Guns at me, forcing me to stay in place and protect Krillin and myself with my Saturn's Shield. Luckily, my shield was strong, with their combined attacks only breaking 2 layers. Damn it, if this keeps up, I'll start losing steam, and my shield won't be as effective. I wasn't the only one losing steam either. Goku was already on the ground, and Piccolo, Tien, and Yamcha were starting to lose ground against these monsters. Even Vegeta, Trunks, Raditz, and Nappa were having a hard time.
I then felt something kick my back, sending me flying away into the side of a rock. I strained myself to get back up and saw a 3rd CJ coming towards me with the other two. There's just too many for us to handle like this. They can easily gang up on one of us and quickly overwhelm us! I can barely move a foot without one of these things attacking me! I'm not going to be able to protect Krillin for much longer.
"G-Guys...I'm sorry. Forgive me…" Goku said with a raspy voice. "I...I never thought that...that things would end up like this!"
"P-Please! I take back what I said about my hidden power!" Gohan begged. "I don't want to fight you! This is my Dad's fight, not mine! So I'm begging you, just rein them in! Give my Dad a Senzu Bean and-"
"And there it is!" Cell said angrily. "That right there! That is why I despise you. You know what they all have in common? The Saiyans might be fools, the humans might be weak, and the Namekian might not belong… but they're still out there fighting! Not just for their lives, but for this dunghill of a world! But none of them, boy-NOT A ONE, shares that trait with you. It's so vile, it drives me to retch! The only one that is remotely similar is Orion, and even he has put aside his fears and morals to try to do what's right and kill me! You, Gohan...are a coward."
"No...I'm just a pacifist! I don't like fighting!"
"So a coward patting himself on the back. Congratulations, pint-size, you can stand proud next to the bodies." Cell shot back. "I just don't get it! Your friends and family are getting beaten into mulch, and all you can do is...cry?" Cell said as he turned back and saw Gohan crying. "And now you're crying!? Are you SERIOUS!? Dear Lord, you are worse than Orion! That's it! Kids, put your toys away. We're going home."
"Wait!"
"And to be clear, I mean 'kill them all so I can blow up this shithole and find something better to do'! What a waste of a fucking Sunday."
"Hold on! I'm just one step closer to the edge, and I'm about to-!"
"Everything! You say to me! Is pissing me off!" Cell cut him off. "You had your chance, kid! And in the end, it didn't even matter."
"WAIT!" At that moment, 16's head came tumbling down from the sky. I looked over to see that Mister Satan had thrown his head over to where Gohan and Cell were. 16 then looked at Gohan with a serious expression. "Gohan."
"Wha...what are you-?"
"Grow. Up." 16 stated plainly. "You are acting like you are the only one suffering, but I believe that Trunks has some stories for you, and I can assume they all end with, 'and then he died too'. And before you start whining about your other problems, and again, I get it, take a moment to realize that everyone here has problems, from your father, to your uncles, to everyone else. My own father made me a soulless killing machine to kill your father. Cell was right. You are nothing more than a good man doing nothing. And while evil triumphs, and your rigid pacifism crumbles into blood-stained dust, the only victory afforded to you is that you stuck true to your guns."
"You were a coward, to your last whimper." 16 continued. "You need to understand that there are some folks that cannot be reasoned with. It is not a crime to fight on the side of righteousness. You are allowed to get angry. To use it like a weapon to fight against those who wish you and your loved ones harm. Holding it is pointless. Of fear and love, I fear not that I will die, but that all that I have come to love: the planets, the animals, and the people here, will perish along with me. So please, Gohan...stop holding back. Please protect this world for me." Cell chuckled as he walked towards 16's head and placed his foot on top of it.
"You've prattled on long enough, you factory defect." Cell then crushed 16's head under his foot, destroying what was left of 16. "I'd say he's gone to a better place, but we both know he never had a soul." My eyes widened at the sight. Everything about him was destroyed. There was...no way to bring him back. He had no soul...and all of the parts that made him 'him' were now just broken pieces of metal. He was...gone. Gohan stared at the broken pieces of 16 for a few seconds before something changed in him.
"RR-RRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" He closed his eyes and screamed as loudly as he could in all of his anger, his energy exploding from him like a broken dam. The ground he was standing on immediately shattered as his energy shot into the air. Everyone, even Cell and the Cell Juniors, stopped in their tracks as we all began to stare at Gohan.
"G-Gohan?" I muttered as I looked at him. His hair was much more spiked up now than his normal Super Saiyan form, and lightning was surging around him constantly. He had tears in his eyes as well, but they didn't stop the angry and now composed expression that was on his face that hardened when he looked at Cell. His tears then dissipated as his power reached his peak. He was now ready.