Ranma's gaze focused on the warrior bathed in golden light. He had seen Gohan go Super Saiyajin before, but this new guy looked different... he did vaguely resemble the demi-Saiyajin who had become his roommate and friend. Ranma managed to crawl over to Akane who lay face down in the soil. Her back and sides slowly expanded, confirming Ranma's notion that she was, thankfully, alive. Faster than the eye could register, the genetic aberration that should have been the villainous Cell reappeared. It hissed, rubbing a shoulder. Ranma carefully lifted Akane to a sitting position, but she hunched backward on her palms.
"Who is that incredibly strong guy?" Ranma choked between gasps. By chance, or perhaps more so, Genma Saotome materialized behind the couple.
"It's quite obvious, son, focus on his Ki," Genma kneeled behind his son and future daughter-in-law, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.
"I don't get it, Mr. Saotome, it's not anyone we know, but almost… a-"
"Mixture," Ranma concluded Akane's thought.
"Correct," Genma nodded, as the two combatants traded blows back and forth. "You are witness to an incredible technique used only by the greatest of martial artists." A crash behind them startled the trio. Videl had pulled herself out of the ruined building and collapsed onto a pile of rubble, breathing hard. Ranma and Genma quickly carried her to where Akane sat.
"As you were saying, Pop?" In the distance, the two energized fighters flew high into the air as a mushroom cloud of energy formed in the horizon.
"Y-yes, the technique is known as Mergence. It is similar to the mythical (so mythical it is now considered non-existent) technique of Fusion. However, instead of performing an intricate dance, two martial artists run parallel to one another at tremendous speeds. At just the right moment, as their Ki's flare in unison, their paths intersect. If performed properly, the two will merge to become one, similar in method to the way two rays of light can merge. Their physical presence is a combination of the two bodies. It greatly increases their power, but not as much as Fusion does."
"Wow…" Akane exclaimed.
"Yes, yes, quite amazing. However," he held up a cautioning finger. "The technique is far more dangerous than Fusion. For if the Fusion dance is performed incorrectly, an improper being results. If Mergence is performed incorrectly, the results can be utterly disastrous."
"Meaning?" Videl coughed.
"Meaning, at that speed, should they connect improperly, they could, potentially detonate on impact, thereby killing both of them them instantaneously."
"So Gohan and Trunks…" Videl paused to inhale a lung-full of air.
"Are that guy over there," Genma nodded in the direction of the battle.
"The transformation can, potentially be permanent, only by the choice of the warriors can they separate. Or, if their opponent knows the weak point of the Mergence technique."
"Which is?" Ranma inquired. Genma responded by raising a fist in the air, inches from Ranma's face, causing him to blink. He then opened the hand as if to perform an open palmed blow, but rotated his hand so that the outer edge was positioned a hair-breadth from Ranma's nose.
"He must strike the merged person between the eyes, and down the center of the face, including the nose and lips. Just as an obstacle can separate the paths of the rays of light, so too, the merged persons will split apart, each to go their separate way."
"Good thing Cell doesn't know about this…" Videl murmured. She sat back against a large piece of debris, deep in thought. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the merged Trunks and Gohan soared overheard and landed nearby. As he raised himself to a standing position, momentarily powered down from Super Saiyajin form, the others noticed his appearance for the first time. His hair was long like Trunks, but was colored mainly black with purple streaks like lightning bolts emanating from the center of his scalp. The face was a perfect blend of both Gohan's and Trunks' handsome visages. He wore a sleeveless blue-orange gi, with yellow-orange boots, and a blue-jean jacket. The new warrior removed the sword and sheath from his shoulder and tossed it gently to the ground. Akane leapt to her feet and plodded over to him.
"Who are you?" The intense iridescent eyes focused on her scraped and bruised features.
"I am Trunkhan." He replied in a low, steady tone.
"Incredible…" she commented, walking around him while eyeing his superbly chiseled physique.
"Wait, this isn't right. Where's Cell?" Before someone could answer Videl's inquiry vocally, the monster flew over their shoulders in a mad dash toward Trunkhan.
"Oh no!" Ranma cursed. "You don't think he heard-" he glared angrily at his father. Genma clenched his teeth in a nervous smile. Cell batted Akane aside with a deft backhand, then tackled Trunkhan. Trunkhan has just enough time to power up into Super Saiyajin mode before Cell slammed into him bodily. The two tumbled end over end through a nearby building, which then fell inward onto them. Ranma sprang into a run toward Akane.
"Ranma…." She whispered before passing out. Anger boiled within the young man. A blinding green-white light emanated from the newly demolished building. With a very audible explosion, Trunks and Gohan were propelled into the air, each flying in opposite directions, clearly not of their own will.
"You and your big mouth!" Videl smacked Genma, but failed to realize how much force she put behind the blow. Genma flipped up into the air, and disappeared into the next neighborhood. Cell bounded forward several meters then jumped into the air to follow Trunks. Using its stiffened tail, it slammed him down into the ground causing a great crater to form. Following him downward, he raised the half-Saiyan by his throat. The others looked on in horror while Trunks hung there, limbs swaying in the wind. Gohan landed with a soft tap behind Ranma.
"Ranma, it's up to us now," he wiped a minute stream of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"What the hell do you mean? Trunks isn't dead!" Ranma's eyes bugged out in disbelief.
"You don't seem to understand, somehow that thing is stronger than the original Cell I defeated, my great power also faded in the years since that day, as I neglected my training and turned to my studies." Ranma still looked puzzled, but Gohan continued rambling in a vain effort to explain the matter.
"You know the basic story of Cell, right? Dr. Gero, the resident mad scientist of the Red Ribbon army created a bunch of androids. Cell was the "perfect" android, but needed to absorb the androids 17 and 18 to change to his perfected form. The actual monster was created from cell samples taken from Earth's greatest warriors at different time periods, which explains why it couldn't go Super Saiyan, since Gero stopped taking samples prior to our expedition to Namek, which is another story."
"I'm lost…" Ranma scratched his head.
"The point being, that is why Cell is called Cell, because he was created from a bunch of cell samples from different warriors."
"Now I get it," Videl nodded.
"And maybe that is why he is stronger, and also why he looks deformed. Maybe this Cell is from another timeline and therefore has cells from another warrior not originally included. The new sample somehow corrupted the mix and that," he pointed to the creature wailing away on a vegetative Trunks, "is the result."
"So you're saying…" Gohan could almost see the figurative cogs working away in Ranma's skull.
"I'm saying that I can't get that thing to let go of Trunks by myself, so I need you to do Mergence with me, and maybe we'll have a chance then."
"What about me?" Videl piped in.
"Mergence has never been tested with two people of opposite gender, the technique was not really practiced by females to begin with, so I wouldn't want to risk-" Videl cut him off throwing a punch at his face. He easily caught it, and concluded "-any unusual side effects. Are you up for it Ranma?"
"Sure, let's go for it!" He replied, always eager to learn new techniques.
"Follow me!" Gohan took off. Ranma sped after him, matching his speed.
"Now, we're parallel, just increased your speed in unison with mine," Ranma did so.
"When I tell you, veer you path slightly toward me so that we connect at just the right angle."
"How the hell do I know when that is?"
"Oh you'll know, 'cuz if you screw up, we're both gone." A few moments passed. A sudden compelling force beckoned Ranma.
NOW, it said. He gently redirected his path toward Gohan, and the two collided, cheek to cheek, nose to nose, palm to palm, torso to torso, and leg to leg. A blinding green-white light filled the air. Slowly, it narrowed to a straight column rising upward from the spot where the two had made contact. As the beam of light began to dissipate, Akane and Videl caught glimpses of a new person.
"Prepare to die Cell, for I am..." the warrior paused and turned his head in a dramatic pose, revealing the trademark Saotome sly smile, "Gohanma!" He wore the typical Ranma Chinese style shirt, blue gi pants, with orange armbands. His pig-tail hung across his right shoulder, and a lock of jet black hair fell down over his eyes. In a burst of gold, he had powered up. Cell ceased his endless attack on Trunks, stole a gaze at the new opponent, and thought for a moment before tossing Trunks aside. It smiled demonically, while a raspy laugh emanating from its throat. The final battle had begun…
"Who is that incredibly strong guy?" Ranma choked between gasps. By chance, or perhaps more so, Genma Saotome materialized behind the couple.
"It's quite obvious, son, focus on his Ki," Genma kneeled behind his son and future daughter-in-law, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.
"I don't get it, Mr. Saotome, it's not anyone we know, but almost… a-"
"Mixture," Ranma concluded Akane's thought.
"Correct," Genma nodded, as the two combatants traded blows back and forth. "You are witness to an incredible technique used only by the greatest of martial artists." A crash behind them startled the trio. Videl had pulled herself out of the ruined building and collapsed onto a pile of rubble, breathing hard. Ranma and Genma quickly carried her to where Akane sat.
"As you were saying, Pop?" In the distance, the two energized fighters flew high into the air as a mushroom cloud of energy formed in the horizon.
"Y-yes, the technique is known as Mergence. It is similar to the mythical (so mythical it is now considered non-existent) technique of Fusion. However, instead of performing an intricate dance, two martial artists run parallel to one another at tremendous speeds. At just the right moment, as their Ki's flare in unison, their paths intersect. If performed properly, the two will merge to become one, similar in method to the way two rays of light can merge. Their physical presence is a combination of the two bodies. It greatly increases their power, but not as much as Fusion does."
"Wow…" Akane exclaimed.
"Yes, yes, quite amazing. However," he held up a cautioning finger. "The technique is far more dangerous than Fusion. For if the Fusion dance is performed incorrectly, an improper being results. If Mergence is performed incorrectly, the results can be utterly disastrous."
"Meaning?" Videl coughed.
"Meaning, at that speed, should they connect improperly, they could, potentially detonate on impact, thereby killing both of them them instantaneously."
"So Gohan and Trunks…" Videl paused to inhale a lung-full of air.
"Are that guy over there," Genma nodded in the direction of the battle.
"The transformation can, potentially be permanent, only by the choice of the warriors can they separate. Or, if their opponent knows the weak point of the Mergence technique."
"Which is?" Ranma inquired. Genma responded by raising a fist in the air, inches from Ranma's face, causing him to blink. He then opened the hand as if to perform an open palmed blow, but rotated his hand so that the outer edge was positioned a hair-breadth from Ranma's nose.
"He must strike the merged person between the eyes, and down the center of the face, including the nose and lips. Just as an obstacle can separate the paths of the rays of light, so too, the merged persons will split apart, each to go their separate way."
"Good thing Cell doesn't know about this…" Videl murmured. She sat back against a large piece of debris, deep in thought. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the merged Trunks and Gohan soared overheard and landed nearby. As he raised himself to a standing position, momentarily powered down from Super Saiyajin form, the others noticed his appearance for the first time. His hair was long like Trunks, but was colored mainly black with purple streaks like lightning bolts emanating from the center of his scalp. The face was a perfect blend of both Gohan's and Trunks' handsome visages. He wore a sleeveless blue-orange gi, with yellow-orange boots, and a blue-jean jacket. The new warrior removed the sword and sheath from his shoulder and tossed it gently to the ground. Akane leapt to her feet and plodded over to him.
"Who are you?" The intense iridescent eyes focused on her scraped and bruised features.
"I am Trunkhan." He replied in a low, steady tone.
"Incredible…" she commented, walking around him while eyeing his superbly chiseled physique.
"Wait, this isn't right. Where's Cell?" Before someone could answer Videl's inquiry vocally, the monster flew over their shoulders in a mad dash toward Trunkhan.
"Oh no!" Ranma cursed. "You don't think he heard-" he glared angrily at his father. Genma clenched his teeth in a nervous smile. Cell batted Akane aside with a deft backhand, then tackled Trunkhan. Trunkhan has just enough time to power up into Super Saiyajin mode before Cell slammed into him bodily. The two tumbled end over end through a nearby building, which then fell inward onto them. Ranma sprang into a run toward Akane.
"Ranma…." She whispered before passing out. Anger boiled within the young man. A blinding green-white light emanated from the newly demolished building. With a very audible explosion, Trunks and Gohan were propelled into the air, each flying in opposite directions, clearly not of their own will.
"You and your big mouth!" Videl smacked Genma, but failed to realize how much force she put behind the blow. Genma flipped up into the air, and disappeared into the next neighborhood. Cell bounded forward several meters then jumped into the air to follow Trunks. Using its stiffened tail, it slammed him down into the ground causing a great crater to form. Following him downward, he raised the half-Saiyan by his throat. The others looked on in horror while Trunks hung there, limbs swaying in the wind. Gohan landed with a soft tap behind Ranma.
"Ranma, it's up to us now," he wiped a minute stream of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"What the hell do you mean? Trunks isn't dead!" Ranma's eyes bugged out in disbelief.
"You don't seem to understand, somehow that thing is stronger than the original Cell I defeated, my great power also faded in the years since that day, as I neglected my training and turned to my studies." Ranma still looked puzzled, but Gohan continued rambling in a vain effort to explain the matter.
"You know the basic story of Cell, right? Dr. Gero, the resident mad scientist of the Red Ribbon army created a bunch of androids. Cell was the "perfect" android, but needed to absorb the androids 17 and 18 to change to his perfected form. The actual monster was created from cell samples taken from Earth's greatest warriors at different time periods, which explains why it couldn't go Super Saiyan, since Gero stopped taking samples prior to our expedition to Namek, which is another story."
"I'm lost…" Ranma scratched his head.
"The point being, that is why Cell is called Cell, because he was created from a bunch of cell samples from different warriors."
"Now I get it," Videl nodded.
"And maybe that is why he is stronger, and also why he looks deformed. Maybe this Cell is from another timeline and therefore has cells from another warrior not originally included. The new sample somehow corrupted the mix and that," he pointed to the creature wailing away on a vegetative Trunks, "is the result."
"So you're saying…" Gohan could almost see the figurative cogs working away in Ranma's skull.
"I'm saying that I can't get that thing to let go of Trunks by myself, so I need you to do Mergence with me, and maybe we'll have a chance then."
"What about me?" Videl piped in.
"Mergence has never been tested with two people of opposite gender, the technique was not really practiced by females to begin with, so I wouldn't want to risk-" Videl cut him off throwing a punch at his face. He easily caught it, and concluded "-any unusual side effects. Are you up for it Ranma?"
"Sure, let's go for it!" He replied, always eager to learn new techniques.
"Follow me!" Gohan took off. Ranma sped after him, matching his speed.
"Now, we're parallel, just increased your speed in unison with mine," Ranma did so.
"When I tell you, veer you path slightly toward me so that we connect at just the right angle."
"How the hell do I know when that is?"
"Oh you'll know, 'cuz if you screw up, we're both gone." A few moments passed. A sudden compelling force beckoned Ranma.
NOW, it said. He gently redirected his path toward Gohan, and the two collided, cheek to cheek, nose to nose, palm to palm, torso to torso, and leg to leg. A blinding green-white light filled the air. Slowly, it narrowed to a straight column rising upward from the spot where the two had made contact. As the beam of light began to dissipate, Akane and Videl caught glimpses of a new person.
"Prepare to die Cell, for I am..." the warrior paused and turned his head in a dramatic pose, revealing the trademark Saotome sly smile, "Gohanma!" He wore the typical Ranma Chinese style shirt, blue gi pants, with orange armbands. His pig-tail hung across his right shoulder, and a lock of jet black hair fell down over his eyes. In a burst of gold, he had powered up. Cell ceased his endless attack on Trunks, stole a gaze at the new opponent, and thought for a moment before tossing Trunks aside. It smiled demonically, while a raspy laugh emanating from its throat. The final battle had begun…