((Author's notes: Hello guys, welcome to Chapter 17. Chapter 19 is still currently being written, while 18 (the chapter not the Android) is being read and edited.

This chapter was a fun one to write, and the events of the Cell Saga are starting to diverge more and more.

Hope you all enjoy the series so far. Reviews and comments are always welcome. Thanks!

Beepx22))

Chapter 17

"I like the ocean." Krillin blurted out. His cheeks instantly became a rosy color.

"Hmm?" 18 looked at him. "I suppose it's okay." She looked back out over the endless expanse.

"I spent a lot of my childhood here, Master Roshi was my teacher." He relaxed a bit.

"Hmmhmm."

"What was your childhood like?" As soon as the words passed his lips he regretted them.

"I'm… I'm not sure." She looked back at him. "No one has ever asked before either."

"I…" Krillin began to apologize.

"My name is… was, Lazuli. It's definitely 18 now. 17 is my twin brother. His name was once Lapis. Now I guess that doesn't matter either. I don't remember anything from the time Dr. Gero kidnapped us til when we were woken back up. Honestly that's probably best."

Krillin edged a little closer to her. She pretended not to notice.

"Krillin, why haven't you guys just destroyed me?"

"What?" He looked terrified for a minute. "You're hard to defeat for starters. And we don't kill just to kill." He kept it secret that Bulma had called the island not long ago with a plan to do just what she was asking about.

"If Cell captures me though…"

"He won't! I'm here to protect you. I'll never let anything happen to you 18! I think you're wonde…"

His words were interrupted as the sand below her opened into a pouring funnel. 18 let out a slight scream and then was gone.

She was replaced by exploding sand and a blinding radiance.

Cell stepped from the crater, except he was different. More human like.

"Now this is perfect. What an amazing power! I truly am the greatest being that has ever existed!" He looked at Krillin who was scrambling away and to his feet. "And you baldy. Do you want to exercise revenge on me for absorbing your girlfriend. I think you should." Cell raised his right hand then made a come hither motion with his index finger.

Krillin stepped back into a defensive stance and gulped. Cell advanced slowly on him.

"If you want to run, I won't stop you. I wouldn't blame you. Standing in front of perfection must be both terrifying and

tiring."

A million thoughts flooded through Krillin's mind. He should at least try. How did Cell find them? What would Goku do? What was the right thing.

"She's disappointed that you didn't save her, you know. But how could you. I outclass you in every single way."

Krillin rushed, a Destructo disk forming in his palm.

Cell landed a single kick, and the short man when sprawling onto the beach of the Kame Island. When Krillin awoke, Cell was gone.

OoOoOoO

Kami stiffened in fear. "Oh, no."

On the lookout those who were gathered there stopped doing whatever they had been doing as huge waves of power washed over the planet.

Roshi spoke first. "That's coming from my island…"

"Krillin's power level just dropped quite a bit." Said Gohan, who stood near his father.

"That's serious power!" Goku said excitedly.

Angel and Yamcha had been sitting talking. Neither said anything now though.

Bea and Pikada though looked at each other. "Where's Vegeta?" they asked in unison.

No one seemed to have an answer.

OoOoOoO

"Where do you think you're going?" Asked Vegeta as he stopped Cell's flight.

"Why, I was just looking for you." Cell answered, coming to a stop with the Saiyan Prince.

"Well here I am." Vegeta held open his arms. "Were you coming to apologize to me, for keeping me waiting so long, and then showing up with such an inferior power level?"

"No, No. I was hoping we could get our rematch started as soon as possible." He made a show of looking around. "This place looks suitable."

"I suppose it'll do." Then Vegeta screamed, as his power increased and the super Saiyan form took over.

Cell also powered up, his aura visibly changing from white to yellow. More and more energy flew from the two as their powers increased. The land below them crumpled. Then in a blur that most mortals wouldn't even be able to see, they collided in a flurry of punches and kicks.

Vegeta instantly went on the offensive. He drove Cell backwards, forcing the android to continuiously block and leaving him no room for a counter strike.

"Still a weakling, Cell? What a shame, I was hoping you'd be a bigger challenge after reaching this form."

"This is just my warm up." Cell replied between strikes. "You should always stretch after all."

Vegeta ducked under solid left-right combo. He locked his left arm around his attackers extend right hand. Vegeta then kicked out with both feet, striking cell directly in the center of his chest. He went flying backwards.

"How's this for a stretch?" He extended his arms. "FINAL FLASH!"

The wave of energy shredded through Cell's body and his right arm disintegrated. He looked at the smoking absence with wide eyes.

"Not so cocky now, are you." Vegeta said arrogantly.

Cell continued to stare at the smoking hole in where his arm once was. Then He smiled.

"Oh, no. Still quite cocky." A new arm erupted out. Cell flexed his new hand a few times and then in a blur he was gone.

Vegeta doubled over, blood tinged spittle spewed from his mouth. Then he noticed Cell, and the hand that he had driven into Vegeta's gut.

"How?" Vegeta croaked.

"How?" Cell replied, "I'm better than you. Stronger and Faster. I am perfection, and you're one of the last of a failed inferior race." His voice took on a mocking tone. "I'm Vegeta, Prince of five saiyans." He scoffed. Then he moved.

An elbow strike to the base of his neck made Vegeta see white for a moment. When his vision returned, Vegeta stared into a purple orb, and the smiling face of Cell.

"GALICK GUN!" The blast hit him point blank and he was driven towards the ground. Vegeta's anger soared, his aura erupted, and he forced the blast away from him. He looked back to Cell and charged, firing quick blasts as he rose to meet the android. Cell laughed and knocked each blast away in turn. Vegeta drove a rapid fire series of punches into the android's midriff.

Cell was driven back with each hit, and for a moment real worry crossed his face. Vegeta wiped that away though, extending both hands. "FINAL FLASH!"

Cell was flung high into the atmosphere, blinded and damaged from the attack. He felt Vegeta's power fly by him, and Cell snaked out a hand, grabbing the Saiyan prince by an ankle. He flung Vegeta towards the earth, snapping him like a whip. A fireball formed around the Prince from the atmospheric friction, and he collided with the planet, and huge crater and blast exploding around him.

When the dust settled Vegeta lay motionless, his hair back to its normal color. But a figure knelt beside him, his own golden aura rolling off of him in waves.

"Cell!" Trunks yelled, feeling better knowing that his father still lived.

"Trunks!" Cell said joyously. "Long time no see! You're looking far better than the last time I saw you."

Trunks floated into the air meeting Cell there. "Enjoy the view while you can, Cell, because it's the last thing you'll ever see." A lifetime of hate and rage boiled over. Sheets of raw energy cascaded from the saiyan hybrid and washed over the broken and scarred landscape.

Cell smiled. "My, you are strong. Even stronger than your dear daddy."

A knee slammed into Cell's neck. Before this registered Trunks fired a double handed ki blast into the android' face.

"And you have the same anger issues. How quaint." Cell turned his face back towards Trunks' and then backhanded the Saiyan across his face. Trunk slammed into the ground and slid, while Cell followed his motion. "Too bad you're nearly as weak as him though."

Trunks got to his feet and clenched his hands. "I'll show you strong." Trunks screamed and his aura exploded, rock hovered int the air as his power increases. His muscles expanded, bulking out, making him look twice his normal size.

"A new form! Delightful! You have a new form, I have a new form. Everyone gets a new form! This is going to be grand."

Trunks said nothing, instead he slammed him fist into Cell's faces. The Android grunted in surprise. And barrage of other punches followed the first, and Cell was pushed across the desert. Trunks swung a leg up, contacting with Cell's Jaw. He went airborne and landed with a umph, rolling back to his feet. Cell massaged his jaw.

"Not so conceited now are you!" Trunks yelled.

"Actually…" Cell replied as he faded.

Before he reappeared, pain racked Trunks as Cell pounded him the kidneys.

"What?" Trunks yelled in exasperation.

"Do you know something, Trunks?" Cell mocked. Another flurry of punches pounded the demi-saiyan's back.

Trunks grunted in pain, and fear, as he realized his muscles over his kidney's where beginning to tire. Then the attack subsided, and he went on the offensive.

Trunks threw punch after punch and kick after kick at Cell, who simply dodged each one with ease.

"Well?" Cell asked with a smile on his face.

"What?" Trunks grunted between heavy breaths.

"I asked if you knew something."

Trunks just stared.

"I know I've already won this fight. Because you can't even hit me. That form is far too slow. I can also obtain it, but there isn't enough speed with it." Cell suddenly expanded into the same form. Then dropped back to his normal size. "Even your father knew it. I'm sure he could also do this. He was just wise enough no to, and now, for my next trick."

Trunks' eyes went wide as Cell faded. He felt his position change, suddenly he was looking straight up. Then pain ripped through him. He heard a distant snapping, then the whistle of air. He collided with the ground. Fear ran through him as he fought to get up, but couldn't feel anything near his legs.

"I see you're scared. You should be. But don't you worry. I didn't break your back, I simply overloaded a nerve cluster. You'd be up walking in an hour, if you weren't dead by then." Cell cupped his hands at his side.

"Do it." Trunks said, defeat apparent in his voice.

"Excuse me?" Cell tilted his head.

"Do. It." Trunks tried to shift to his knees, but still nothing below the waist responded. "Kill me, this whole world. In the end, it doesn't matter. You'll still be nothing, No one will remember you. You'll suffer the greatest defeat of all. Being forgotten."

"You know, thinking about it Trunks, I think you're right." Cell landed. "So I'll let you live. I have some business to attend to. You have a senzu or two right? Good. Eat one, give one to your father. Then go spend some time with your friends and family. And do make sure you watch the news tonight. There will be a special report you'll want to watch." Cell blasted off into the sky.

Trunks fished for the bean in his pocket. After he was healed, he force fed one to his father. Together they flew back to the lookout.

OoOoOoO

"…So ten day from now, I'll accept all challengers at the Cell Games, and when I've defeated them all, I'll destroy this planet."

Bea turned off the display, and leaned back in his bunk. "Well that sounds…" he drew his lip up into a smirk "Interesting."

Angel and Pikada both looked at each other and back to Bea. "Interesting?" quipped Pikada.

"HmmHmmm." Bea turned slightly to glance at a starmap.

"What are you looking for?" asked Angel.

"Seeing if there's another life supporting planet nearby."

"Are… We leaving?"

"We aren't. But I figure about 50 people can escape on this ship." He typed in a note, then stood. "But first we have matters to discuss." He clasped Pikada and Angel by the shoulders. The ship's interior twisted and reformed as the lookout.

On the lookout the trio walked to where a group was gathered. Noticeably missing was Kakarot.

Bea started to ask where he was at, but the question answered itself as he reappeared, with a very young Namekian.

"Dende!" Kakarot's son ran forward to embrace the newcomer.

"Gohan!" the two danced around a bit.

"I take it you've heard the message from Cell." Bea walked up to Kakarot.

"Yeah, it's exciting. Too bad I can't possibly beat him."

Bea's lip twitched.

"What do you mean?" Bea looked hard at the other Saiyan.

"You've fought him, he's strong. I can't win."

"Well, then…" Bea lowered his voice, "Listen, Kakarot, We will fight with you, the three of us a willing to do whatever it takes…"

"It won't matter, All of us together, fighting 1 on 1 with Cell, well we all lose. But it'll be a good fight."

"Then let us send the humans away, Your family, and Vegeta's. Our ship will hold 50 people and supplies to the nearest habitable world. Let them survive."

"Well, that sounds okay, but I might have a plan." He looked at his son.

Bea stared.

"Well..?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"The Plan, damnit!" Bea snapped at him.

"Oh! Gohan and I are going to train."

"You think you can get that much stronger in 10 days?"

"No, but I think in a year we can both get way stronger."

"Year? We have ten days!"

"So that leaves time, for a year for us, a year for Vegeta and maybe trunks, and a year or two for you guys."

Bea turned around, "What the fuck is this moron talking about?" He asked to anyone present.

Piccolo put a hand on his shoulder and led him away from Kakarot.

"There's a room here at the lookout, in which a year passes, for every day on the outside. The Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Only two people can enter at once though." Piccolo told him as they walked.

"That is," Bea paused, "pretty amazing."

"It has definitely proven useful over the years." Piccolo agreed.

"Say, Piccolo. I think I'm going to let a few of the earthlings take our ship and fly away before the Cell Games. One, in case we fail, some will survive. Two, it'll deny Cell the use of it to go to other planets." Bea looked away, back towards the gathered peopled. "I would like for Vegeta's family to go. Do you think he'll mind?"

"I think in his own way, he'll be grateful." He answered gruffly.

"Good, as many as 50 can go. I think we should be quiet about it. Friends, families. If Cell finds out, I'm sure he'll stop the plan.

Piccolo turned to look back at the time chamber. Goku and his son were walking in. Bea also turned. "Thank you Piccolo, If you don't mind I'm going to ask Vegeta now."

Bea walked towards the prince. Vegeta stood staring at the closed doors. He spun towards Bea as he approached.

"What?" He snapped.

"Prince Vegeta, may I have a word."

"Go on." Vegeta knew when someone was about to say something he didn't want to here, and Bea carried that impression.

"In private." He grasped the surprised prince by the shoulder and put two fingers to his own forehead.

"Wait just a…" everything got strange.

"Damn minute!" Fury boiled behind Vegeta's eyes. Then he looked around, taking in the familiar yet slightly strange surroundings.

"This is one of Frieza's starships."

"It is, we… commandeered it some years ago. Now I'd like to offer its use to your family. And Kakarots, the inhabitants of the lookout, and the rest of the weaker humans that are friends or relations to our allies. There's a suitable world a few months travel from here. It'll allow them to survive, and keep Cell from using the ship. Should we fail."

"You don't think I can defeat him?"

"I'm not sure any of us can. I do know that we'll all die trying. Should we fail though…"

"Fine. They can flee, the woman, the brat, her annoying parents…" He drifted into silence.

"I'm glad. Allow me to return you to the lookout?"

Vegeta punched a few numbers into a panel and the overhead port swiveled open. "No thanks, I'll make my own way back." In a flash, he was gone.

"One more thing to do." He placed his fingers to his forehead.