Chapter 7: The Master Commands

Cell had vanished, but his quadruple Special Beam Cannon attack had scattered the Saiyans, who were regrouping. All except Goku, whose mangled form was being healed by Kami on the lookout.

"Thanks, Kami." Goku said as he sat up, body fixed. "Now do you see what I mean about Cell?"

Nods permiated the group. "I can't believe that he could be so evil!" Chao-tzu squeaked. "After he did all those things to help us, now he goes and does this! There's no sense to it!"

Suddenly, a shadow fell over Goku. He looked up to see the hulking form of Android 16. The Saiyan held up one hand. "Please. We can fight later, but if you don't want the earth blown up, you have to let me alone. I have to try and defeat Cell."

With one swift motion, the android grabbed Goku and set him back on his feet. "Go. Defeat Cell." he smiled. "I was created to destroy you, but I have decided not to- you do not deserve it."

Goku grinned. "Thanks." With that, he lifted off to see Dizel heading for his brother and Vegeta. As he passed by the lip of the Lookout, Goku saw something. "Dizel! Watch out!"

The Saiyan spun to see Infinite Cell rising behind him, all four arms drawn back. He spun and accelerated towards the group, as though seeking saftey in numbers.

But Cell had blindsided him, and was quick to take deadly advantage of the situation. Suddenly, he flew into action, synchronizing all four arms into a double Gatling Gun attack. There was nothing to do as the hail of energy overtook Dizel. Eizel stared in horror as his brother was buffeted around in the air, being quickly torn apart by the rain of power. Blood spurted out of his ruined back as Cell drew his hands back one last time. "Time to say goodbye."

With that, the android launched a double energy blast. Dizel, falling, had no way to defend himself. He died, his scorched body falling to the deck of the lookout.

Eizel roared. His brother had just been murdered in front of his eyes, and he was powering up. Suddenly, his hair flaired gold and stood on end.

Cell laughed again. "So, Eizel, I see i was able to jump-start you into Super Saiyan. Maybe I should kill everyone's brother. It would certianly make things more- interesting." His speech had been disruped by Eizel hurling himself at him, launching a flurry of blows. Cell was falling back on under the rage-filled attack, but he hadn't lost his smirk. Faster and faster the blows came, and faster and faster the upper set of amrs blocked. Suddenly, the lower set shriveled away, leaving only bare patches or armor. Cell's smirk grew wider. "Good. Your attack is powerful- so powerful that you broke my concentration, at least enough to loose control of the spare arms. However, rage alone is not ENOUGH." With the last bellowed word, the android hammered his fists down on Eizel's head, sending the new Super Saiyan hurling to the Lookout. Cell flared his wings and followed, moving in for the kill.

The android alighted on the lookout. The crowd parted as he moved towards Eizel, his hands glowing. "I see you know what's good for you."

He was five feet from Eizel when someone finally struck. Cell's arms were clamped to his side as he was pulled up in a bear hug by Android 16.

"16! What are you doing?"

"You cannot be allowed to continue, Cell. Everyone leave. Cell must be stopped, even if it means my destruction." Cell was writing in his grip, but so far he was holding fast as the Z fighters lifted off, Yamcha and Tien lifting Verrita and Eizel, who had reverted to normal Saiyan.

"Android 16," Cell spoke up again, his voice authoritative. "Master command: Terminate self-destruct, code AA-64/ ZZ20001/16. Authorization name: Charles Darnay. Time: 12 hours." 16 stiffened, a look of agony crossing his face. Suddenly, he went slack.

Cell flexed, straining as he forced his shoulders apart. There was a crack, then a burst of splintered metal and shattered electronics as he tore both of Android 16's arms from their sockets. Spinning around, he jammed a plam into the disarmed android's chest, sending him hurling back into one of the walls of the lookout. Power flaring around him, he lifted off towards the three waiting Super Saiyans.

Puar had alrady alighted next to the broken android as the battle above them recommenced. Cell was in high spirits, but the speed of the enraged Saiyans had caused the fight to degenerate into a slugfest.

"16!" she shouted into one ear. The big android stirred. "Please don't be dead! What did he do to you? Did something go wrong?"

16 smiled at her. "Yes. He used a Master Command on me. It's one of a set that Gero placed in his creations."

"Even Cell?"

"I do not believe so."

"Why wouldn't he? Gero was canny- he'd be afraid of Cell turning against him. Think!" Puar smacked him upside the head. "What are the commands? It can't hurt to try!"

"I do not know the commands. They're encrypted in my system, but my consciousness has no acess to them. In fact, I cannot recall the one that was just used. My system erased it."

"If we could just get the commands- I know! VEGEEEETAAA!" She squealed up at the sky. As if in response, Vegeta came crashing down, leaving a splinted crater as he hit. As he dragged himself to his feet, Puar jumped on him.

"Vegeta! I have a plan that can beat Cell!" *I hope.* she added mentally.

"Speak, feline! What is it?"

"There's commands that Gero hardwired into him. We don't have them, but they must be stored inside Android 16's system- otherwise he couln't recognize them.'

"Well, if we dont know what they are, we can't very well get at them, can we." He snarled at her turning, he started to lift off.

"BULMA CAN!" Puar squealed desperatly after him. "IF YOU CAN PATCH US INTO BULMA'S VIDPHONE, SHE CAN INTERFACE WITH HIM AND HACK HIS SYSTEM!"

Vegeta spun. "Why didn't you say so sooner? Where's the terminal?"

Up in the air, Goku stared as Vegeta ran inside the Lookout building with Puar and Android 16. *Is he abandoning us? Naah, can't be. Training, maybe?*

The questioning moment cost him dearly. Cell slammed him in the jaw then sup around, slicing his forearms open with his serrated wings. The android vanished as Eizel fired a blast at him. Goku hurled himself to intercept, but Cell was happy to oblige. The two of them erupted in hail of punches and kicks, Cell blocking everything and landing about one blow in three. Spent, Goku he pressed on. *How does he do this? He's just playing with us, I can feel it. How can we hurt him and make it stick?* Eizel appeared behind Cell as the two of them continued to pummel it out. The android moved with lightning speed as he dodged to the left and lashed out with both arms. Catching the two Super Saiyans' heads, he cracked them together, sending them both reeling.

"Come, come, you can do better than this." Cell taunted. "I havn't even broken a sweat! Surely there must be some Saiyan secret that you can throw at me." He glanced at the lookout. "Ah. Here he comes now. In the unlikely even that you three can scrape your act together, this could still be interesting."

Vegeta flew up to his beleagured comrades, a grimace plastered on his face.

"My prince!" Eizel shouted as he approached. "What can we do? Cell is so powerful scouters can't go that high."

Vegeta turned on him. "We fight on." he snarled. "Even if it is a losing battle, we must press on. It would be unbecoming of us to retreat, under any circumstances."

"Vegeta, what were you doing there? And should I ask the other to help?"

"Your friends, Kakarott, are far too pathetic to do anything against Cell. He would merely use them as target practice and shields until it ceased to amuse him, then he would destroy them. Inside- let's just say that the irritating feline and the woman have plan. I doubt it will suceed, but it would be foolish to dismiss it out of hand. A warrior must use everything he has when the situatuion gets desperate."

"If your football huddle is finished," Cell shouted "we can get back to the game. I already have my next play."

"Blitz?" Goku asked warily.

"Exactly."

The android flickered, reappering among them. One roundhouse sent all three reeling, and Cell quickly follwed up by pressing his advantage on Goku. Still reeling from the android's powerful hit, Goku could ffel himself faltering. The rain of blows was unceasing when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vegeta hurling towards Cell's back.

But the android's perception had grown strong. Not even pauing to look, he flipped his left hand over his shoulder and fired a ray from the index finger. Vegeta swirved violently, killing his momenum, but he wasn't able to fully dodge the premptive strike. Pain hit him like a hammer as the say laid open the skin on his right thigh. He charged at Cell again, despite his lost momentum, only to be batter away in Eizel by the wings. Cell was finally starting to make a serious investment, and was cleaning up as a direct result. Blood sprted from Goku and Vegeta as Cell slammed them together and hurled them towars the ground. Griing, he spun on Eizel, hands glowing. Not een bothering with the complexity of a Kamehameha wave, he unleashed amassive beam of pure energy straight at the Saiyan. Eizel's flesh started to scorch as he was caught by the beam, his body being ripped by the power that Cell was pummeling him with.

"Cell!" a droning voice amplified many times cut through the air. "Master Command: Flush programming, code DG-11/AL43434/00. Code name: Frederick Douglas." Android 16 was there, still short two limbs, but Cell was twitching in the air, trying to resist his programming. Suddenly, the Cell straightened up.

"Very good, Android 16. You've destroyed my programming. I'm still going to kill you all." Everybody's jaw dropped.

"Why?" Demanded Android 16. "Freed from your programming, you should have no motive to. After all, after you destroy eart, what will you do after that?"

"Why? Two reasons. First, to rid the universe of this insufferable prince," Cell glared at the exhasted Vegeta "Second, because I feel like it. I am immortal- as I result, I have no need to have any concern for consequences. I only hasten the inevitable."

"16!" Puar squeeked as the battle broke out again. It wasn't even a contest this time- Cell was pummeling all three Super Saiyans, playing with them like a cat plays with a mouse; letting them land a few hits, then returning with a devastating counterattack. "There must be another command you can use!"

"I'm not sure. Bulma?" He adressed the uplink in his own system.

"I'm here." Came Bulma's worried voice. "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that I've unlocked the other commands- I'm transmitting them into your consciousness even as we speak. The bad news is that, at least in your system, there's a three-minute down time on the Commands. You have about...two and a half minutes before you can issue the next one. Erasing his programming didn't work, huh?"

"No. Which command should I use?"

"I don't know. There's dozens of them- I have to leave it to your discretion. Use whichever one we could use to put him out of action. Killing him isn't a requirement. Just decomission him, somehow."

There was a flash of white as Chaiotzu flew into the battle. Something went hurling towards Goku, who caught it. Senzu beans. Quickly swallowing one, he quickly distributed them to the other two Super Saiyans. Cell didn't move, allowing him to restore his allies.

"Finally. We can make this match interesting. As long as the beans hold out." The android smiled and rushed Vegeta.

*Goku!* Goku turned. No one. *In your head, idiot. It's Piccolo.*

*What?*

*You know that teleportation you used earlier? Could you get to Vegeta-sei with it?*

*I think so.*

*Good. I've been talking with Kami- we need the Dragonballs. Teleport to Bulma and have her get Vegeta's. I'll get ours.*

*Right.* Goku vanished.

"Kakarott! You coward!" Vegeta shouted at where Goku had been. Then the prince went realing as Cell struck him in the back.

"Vegeta, Vegeta, you're getting sloppy. Your mind must be wearing thin from this fight. Not that it was the picture of health to begin with." Cell laughed. "Goku simply knows what's good for him. What he doesn't know is that as soon as I'm finished with Earth, Vegeta-sei will be my next target."

"I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU!" Enegy flamed around Vegeta as he poured out a ki beam, catching Cell in the back. The android spun, and snarled on seeing the smouldering armour. "You recovered quickly, little man. Too bad it won't help you, now that you're in the big leagues."

Pausing only to knock Eizel aside, Cell launched a flurry of blows at Vegeta, only different this time. As Vegeta was buffeted in the rain of punches, everyone could see Cell's fists going faster. He was accelerating, each blow being dleivered faster then the last.

The cycle was broken by a well-aimed kick form Eizel, but the damage was done. Vegeata was floating towards the Lookout, lacking the strength to sustain flight- Goku had taken the Senzu beans with him. Eizel was being battered by Cell, now.

As Goku flicked into view, Cell vanished.

"Piccolo!" Goku was waving the seven-star Dragonball. "Do you have the others?"

"Right here." The namek unrolled his cape, dropping the other six in a bunch on the Lookout's patio. Just then his eyes bugged. "Goku! Watch out!"

It was too late. Having flown over a mile away, Infinite Cell had flown far to fast to be precieved at Goku. Even as the Saiyan turned, the android struck him. Headfirst. Goku was pinioned to the wall, impaled on Cell's crown. The android pulled back, letting the bleeding Goku slide down the wall. In one white hand, he held the Dragonball.

"So nice of you to set them up for me, Piccolo. Strike!" With that, he bowled it right into the others. There was a loud metalic clang as the balls bounced off each other, five being hurled off the Lookout by the force of cell's bowl. "Just to make sure you don't make any bothersome wishes- ah. Vegeta."

The haggared Saiyan prince, not even noticing the android, had come to rest not ten feet from him. The android flickered and appeared behind him. "Lookoing for a break form- this?" He rainsed both arms and hammered them down, Vegeta sit up blood as he fell to the floor, down for the count. Eizel was badly torn up, and Goku was still bleeding against the wall. Cell glanced around. "What? No more challengers? Then..." a ki ball formed in his hand "I guess I'll just have to end this."

"Cell. Master Command." Cell spun. Android 16 was there, with Piccolo hovering in front of him. "MB-49/DB77124/10. Code name: Robert Wolf." As the last word faded, Cell reeled, obviously fighting his programming. He fell to the floor as a spasm shot through his body. Then he lay still.

"What did you do?" Krillin asked, awestruck.

"I erased his memory. Quickly. Kami, please heal the Saiyans. Tien, Krillin, Yamcha, Chaiotzu, Puar- take Cell to the hyperbolic time chamber."

"WHAT?"

"Please. This is very important. As soon as his mind wakes up, he will subconsciously accept whatever you tell him. This command must have created by Gero as a way of reprogramming his androids without a computer. Please. He will believe whatever you tell him for the first hour or so, and we cannot risk Vegeta being allowed to program him."

Everyone rushed off to their tasks.

Epilogue

Cell had been reprogrammed into one of the Z fighters. It was now two weeks since their titanic battle with his Infinite form. While everyone else had been busiy, Piccolo had collected the Dragonballs and restored his and his teammates' mortality. Since the Dragonballs had been subsequently scattered, Vegeta's stranglehold on the Z fighters had been largly ended.

Dawn broke on the two-week anniversary of Cell's reprogramming to find Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Cell standing on the lookout. Piccolo was the first to speak.

"So, Goku, you've decided to return to Vegeta-sei?"

Goku nodded. "Yup. I figured that my family is there, and I wouldn't want to mave them again- besides, I think that the Saiyns need me more than the humans will. After all, they've got you guys."

"Are you sure? You were always the leader, Goku- we'd be happy to have you back."

"Listen, Namek, Kakarott has already made up his mind. There's no use trying to change it for him."

"Lay off, Prince Vegeta. Piccolo, I'm not needed anymore. After my death, when you took charge by training Gohan, you really began to be the leader. All these years have cemented it. Besides, you can teach Cell more than I can; he's going to need guidance for those incredible powers of his."

Vegeta looked at the clock in his scouter. "Kakarott, we have ten minutes. Time to end this mush-fest."

"Right." The two Saiyans lifted off. "'Bye guys! I'll visit whenever I have time- Instant Transmission will really save on plane fare."

As the two of them sped off, Cell truned to Piccolo. "Will we be able to free earth?"

Piccolo felt the massive power raditaing from Cell, and smiled at the knowledge that he could only sense the tip of the iceberg. "I'd say we have a fighting chance."