Chapter 5: Bad Blood
On the morning of the sixth day, Krillin walked out onto the patio of the Lookout. It was before daybreak, but the could see the massive figure of Android 16 and the chubby Android 19 next to him. They were both staring northeast.
"Hey guys, what's up?"
"The Saiyans are coming. They should be in sight within thirty seconds." Android 16 pointed. "They will emerge over there."
Krillin stared. A few seconds later, he saw a little red line start to carve it's way through the atmosphere, followed by wht looked like four or five more. "Six saiyans?"
"Seven."
"Oh, well," Krillin scratched the back of his bald head, "Cell should be more than a match for them. He's handled more than that."
"These are the elite." The android doned back. "Both Super Saiyans. Vegeta and Goku are here. Much more powerful than the others. Maybe even too strong for him."
"Talking about me?" The smug voice spoke up. Cell came drifing towards them, away from his pearch at the Lookout's highest point.
"Cell!" Krillin exclaimed "You're still here? I thought you were going back to Dr. Gero's."
"I will. As soon as the pathtic being that claims to be my student wakes up. Lunch was most insistant that he get some sleep after yesterday's training. And we all know how much trouble Lunch can be."
Krillin nodded. She didn't train, per se, but she had been doing some psychological experiments on herself in an attempt to gain more control over the reality-bending Evil Lunch. Krillin hadn't seen any differance, but Tien claimed it was working.
Goku awoke and quickly eased open his space pod. He could sense Vegeta there, as well as Verrita, Seng, Gris, and the twins Eizel and Dizel.
"Take 12." Vegeta said to the others. "Kakarott, come with me."
"Yeh?" Goku followed the prince, who led him away from the compund near where they had landed. Vegeta didn't reply, but merely kept walking. Goku followed. Five minutes later, well out of even Namek hearing range, Vegeta turned.
"Alright, Kakarott, time for some explanations. I know that the thing we're here to hunt has something to do with your little friends. I want to know how to reach them."
Goku rolled his eyes. "Listen, my friends might know something, but I doubt they'd tell you. If you want, I can go and talk to them, but you can't come. They don't like you, for obvious reasons."
"Stupid Kakarott! I doubt they even like you at this point. After all, you abandoned their planet for Vegeta-sei in a moment's notice."
"It's not like that!"
"What? Are you telling me that you maintain some loyalty to this- this- mudball? Or are you planning treason?"
"That's idiotic, Vegeta, and you know it!"
The prince smirked. "Maybe. But I'll never know unless I come along, will I?"
"You're trying to force me to take you to the Lookout, aren't you?"
"I'd say I succeded quite nicely, don't you? Take me to this 'Lookout.'"
"Grrrrr..."
Cell was still waiting on the Lookout when all heads turned. Everyone could sense the familiar signatures.
"Goku and Vegeta, incoming!" Piccolo roared. "Places, everyone! Tien, break out that improved multiform of yours."
Even as Tien split himself in four, the two Saiyans streamed into view, Vegeta in the lead. The two of them quickly alighted, and Goku looked around self-consciously. "Uhhhh... hi guys! Long time, no see?"
"Goku!" Chao-tzu squeaked in outrage "What do you think you're doing? Bringing him, here? After all that you did-"
"Quiet, brat, or 'he'll' remove you from here. PERMINANTLY!"
"Hey, easy, Prince Vegeta. They have a right to know." He stepped forward. "I didn't want to bring him, but he's real paranoid-"
"HEY! Just who do you think you are, Kakarott?"
"- and he said that he'd start accusing me of treason if I went alone."
"Well, judging from your record, 'Kakarott,' I'd have to say that he wasn't being unreasonable."
All heads turned to Krillin. "Well, it's true!" the bald monk protested. If looks could kill, Vegeta would have left him in a pine box.
"Krillin," Piccolo interjected "keep quiet. There's bad blood, but we don't need you making the situation worse."
"Well, how's it been going?" Goku was still cluelessly trying to break the ice. "I see some new faces. The big one, the little white one, and the-er- green one. Anyone want to do the introductions?"
Master Roshi spoke up. "The green one over there is Cell." Goku and Cell shook hands curtly. "The short one is Number 19- he doesn't talk much-" Goku shook hands with 19 "-and the large one over there is Number 16."
"Ninteen? Sixteen?" Goku laughed "Funny names." He took Android 16's proffered hand. "Who, you don't need to squeeze that hard- WHAT!" Goku tried to pull back, only to realize that Android 16 still had an iron grip on his hand "Why are you wearing the Red Ribbon symbol?"
"That's simple." Roshi continued, apparently oblivious to the sadistic grin growing on 16's face as his programming began to engage. "All three of them are the creations of Dr. Gero. I seem to recall you having run-in with him a while ago, but his androids have made excellent additions to the team. 16 and 19 compliment each other quite nicely. And you should see 16 fight, Goku! Yamcha was using your techniques on him, and he was able to bypass every one. You'd think he had been programmed that way."
Goku gaped as in his mind's eye, the lookout changed from a collection of friends that he had an obligation to to a collection of enemies, bent on his distruction. But 16 was smiling in a way that did not instill comfort. "I've waited a long time to meet you, Son Goku. Now I feel that I can truly begin to achieve my purpose."
Goku didn't like the sound of that. He levitated, bringing himself to eye level with Android 16, whose eyes had begun to glow. "Let go of my hand."
Tha android opened his mouth, but Cell cut in "Do it." When Android 16 failed to comply, he raised his voice ever so slightly. "Now." With great reluctance, the android complied.
Goku backed away and turned to Piccolo. "What's gotten into you guys? Why on EARTH are you accepting help from Dr. Gero? You know that he's an insane aspiring tyrant, right, how he created Androids 17 and 18, who were thankfully shut down by Bulma?"
"Listen to him." Krillin sounded incredulous. "You'd think he actually had the Earth's best interests in mind."
"Krillin, this is more important than that! You don't know what these things are. Gero made strong androids before, who knows how powerful these models are. Android 8 was bad enough, and he was nothing next to the incomplete fusion of 13, 14, and 15. Image what complete 16, 19, and- er..."
"21." Cell put in.
"-21 are like! Guys, you can't do this."
"Really." Tien said dryly. "Chao-tzu, go get Lunch and Akula."
"It's not even 6:00!"
"I don't care. Go get them. Goku, over here." he motioned to a removed edge of the lookout. After the two of them withdrew, Goku started.
"Tien, I'm serious. These things are insanely powerful, you need to try and get rid of them. None of you know Dr. Gero like I do. He's a maniac who-"
"VEGETA is a mainiac too. Goku, Saiyan control of Earth has put us in a bind. We need allies wherever we can get them. Besides, this isn't the Dr. Gero you knew."
"What?"
"Time travel. Long story. Apparently him and his 'perfect creation' -Cell- time traveled to this place to collect data on alternate timelines, and the Saiyans broke their time machine. That was eight years ago."
"But if this Dr. Gero is anything like the one I remember, it isn't going to be - Hey! LUNCH!" Goku waved at her as she and an orange-haired kid came out. "Who's the kid, Tien? Did you and Lunch finally-"
"He's not my son."
"Huh?" Goku scratched his head and looked around. Everyone was staring at him.
"You there!" Vegeta shouted. "Where did you get a Saiyan child?" Goku jumped and looked. The orange-haired kid was now hiding behind Cell, but Goku could see the tip of his tail.
"He's not a Saiyan." Android 16 said simply. "He's half-Saiyan."
"Don't speak unless spoken to, android!" Vegeta snapped. "And that doesn't answer the question! How did you get your filthy paws on it?"
"I bought him." Android 16 shot back. In ths instant that followed, you could have heard a pin drop. Almost everyone except Goku and Vegeta knew, of course, but Android 16 had obviously turned that fact into a weapon. Goku could sense a subtle change in the android. Where once he had been maifesting sadism, everyone could feel the outrage radiating from him. Android 16 began to advance on Vegeta. "He was one of the strongest that your slave dealer had. The least destroyed. All of them were mistreated. Malnourished. Atrophied. Sick." The huge Android was advancing on the small Saiyan, going down the laundry list of offenses. When he finally stopped, Vegeta was left staring at his waist.
Everyone was flummoxed with the new turn of events. Android 16, who minutes ago looked like he would have torn out Goku's and drunk his blood for the hell of it was now ragging on Vegeta over some... children? And he was genuinely outraged, too, making the situation even stranger. The shock was broken by Vegeta's chuckle.
"So, the big bad android still doesn't get the facts of life. It doesn't realize that the strong prey on the weak, and either destroy them or make them worthwhile."
"This from someone who shares his bed with one of the 'weak.'" Android 16 couldn't snort, but he obviously would have. "I'm glad that Cell devoured so many of your kind. Would that his hunger remained."
Vegeta started to laugh when his mind made the connection. "Devoured? Saiyansnatcher? CELL!" With that bellow of rage, Vegeta rose into the air, his hair changing to yellow, power streaming all around him. Goku flew to his side too, going Super Saiyan as he did so.
Cell laughed. "Surprised, eh? Having some delusion of grandeur, hoping to avenge their deaths on me? Well, forget it. I know you came to kill me, but you're in far over your heads."
"See what I'm talking about?" Goku yelled at Tien.
"Stay out of this." Cell snarled at everyone else. "This fight is between me and these Saiyans alone. If I can, Android 16, I'll leave Goku alive enough for you to fulfill your programming on him." With that, he rose off the lookout, flickered, and reappered behind Goku and Vegeta.
"Vegeta!" Goku whispered to him. "Keep him occupied! I need to ascend."
"Kakarott, I'll have this fool destroyed before you can ascend. Can't you sense his power? It's allright, but it's nothing compared to mine." With that, the two of them swung into action at once. The halo of energy surrounded Goku as he powered up, ascending to the next level of Super Saiyan. Vegeta roared and unleashed his Gattling Gun attack at Cell, who made no move to dodge. Vegeta's arms were moving faster asnd faster, adding to the huge fireball that was blossoming in the sky. At the core was Cell.
"Vegeta! Ease off!" Goku yelled. "You shouldn't waste your energy! We don't know if it hurts-" the smoke was clearing. In the exact same place was Cell, completly unfazed.
"Now you know." He smiled. "It doesn't." he blurred out. There was a sharp CRACK as he reappered, giving Vegeta a right to the jaw, then flickering away as Goku fired a blast at him. One kick sent Goku sprawling into Vegeta. The two saiyans pulled back a few yards, sizing up Cell. The android laughed again. "Are these the Super Saiyans of legend? Bit overrated if you ask me. I thought a pair of them would give me a challenge. It seems I was mistaken." Goku and Vegeta looked at each other and nodded, then oth blurred out. "Wha-"
Cell reeled as Goku's fist caught him in the chin, snapping his upper body back. Vegeta flashed into the air above him, giving the android the hardest kick he could to the gut. Still off-balance from Goku's attack, Cell lost contol and fell. Vegeta snickered-
-and stopped as Cell reversed his fall, shooting back up at him like a bullet. Vegeta moved like a flash, dodging out of the monster's reach, or so he thought. Suddenly, he felt a painful grip on his tail.
Cell had lost it. Bellowing in rage from the sudden humiliation the prince had given him, Cell swung him like a whirligig, building up as much speed as he could. So intent was he on Vegeta, he didn't even hear Goku's words behind him. "KA-ME-"
Cell was snapping Vegeta back and forth now, and blood was coming out of somewhere. "HA-ME-" The android had had enough. With one snap of his arm, he sent the injured prince crashing towards Earth- but his aim had been better than anyone had guessed. Before he could attempt to reverse his fall, Vegeta was hit. The edge of the Lookout caught him square across the chest. There was a sickening spurt of blood as he bounced off, his sturnum obviously caved in. Broken and bleeding, Vegeta fell to the Lookout's deck. "-HAAAAA!!!!!"
An incredible beam of energy suged out of Goku's outstreched hands towards the unwary android. There was brilliant explosion of blue light as it punched straight through him and continued on, leaving the android's abdomen more hole than chest. His right wing and arm were completly obliterated.
Everyone stared at the dripping, ruined android in shock. Shock of two things- that something so powerful could be caught so completly off-guard, and that he was still talking. "Me- my body- you've mutilated me!" Goku was panting, strained from the effort of gathering so much energy. He swooped down to the battered prince, but just as he picked him up, he saw a grey, leathery bad forming inside Cell's broken portion As he watched, it grew larger, bulging and filling the whole destroyed space. Then it burst- restoring Cell's body completly.
"Thought you had beaten me, eh? Run along little Saiyans, I won't fight you like this. It would just be too easy." He sneered "This is the only reprieve. After all, now that you've seen my perfect form, it wouldn't be fair to let you live a second time. Now that you've been blindsided, go home and lick your wounds." Goku turned and flew off. Cell was smiling when Dr. Gero's voice spoke up in his head. *Cell! Come quickly! Return now, leave that brat trainee of yours there.*
*What for?*
*Don't question me, you dolt! I have had an epiphany.* On hearing that, Cell lifted off and flew for the lab as fast as he could. A small smile was on his face. Power awaited him. He just knew it. So intent was he on reaching his goal, he never noticed the Saiyan trailing him in the distance.