Chapter 66

Genji moved slightly back towards the trees as the three dragons washed up on the shore. Piccolo decided to back up with Genji, and both hid themselves in the fog. Genji could easily see three dragon heads attached to snake-like necks rising out the water. One of the heads sounded like it was yelling and screaming in a high pitch, so it lowered to the beach and dropped something out of its mouth. It was a yelling and screaming person! And judging by the voice, it was…

**Marron!**

He couldn't quite see her in the fog, but her incoherent yelling was full of pain. She was in a lot of pain! He had to help her!

"So now what, Don?" the one carrying Marron asked.

"Now," Don proposed, "we wait for about two hours."

"That's a long time." The third one bit his lip. "I hope Genji gets here soon. I'm freezing my wings off, and I hate coming here…"

"Genji?" Piccolo whispered, turning to the boy.

**Yeah?**

**Don't show yourself just yet. I'm going to see what they want.**

**Okay.** Genji nodded. **Be sure Marron is okay.**

Piccolo walked up to the dragons, out of the fog. He was immediately noticed, and all three dragons roared.

"Hey! Who're you?!" Don shouted.

"Good evening." Piccolo greeted, walking towards Marron. "Fancy meeting gentlemen like you in a godforsaken place like this."

"Who are you?" the one who was holding Marron asked. Piccolo reached the girl and carefully cradled her in his arms. Her left arm was broken in two places; the dragon had bitten her to keep her in one place in its mouth. Marron burst into happy tears seeing the Namek.

"Piccolo! Oh, thank God! Help me! I wanna go home!"

"Put her down!" Don roared, flapping his wings. "We need her!"

"Were you going to eat her?" Piccolo asked.

"No! We need her alive!"

"Yeah." The one who was carrying Marron agreed. "How is Genji going to come to us if she's dead?!"

"Idiot!" Don roared, biting the other dragon's ear. "He doesn't need to know that!"

"What does Genji have to do with this?" Piccolo demanded. Don released his brother's ear and sighed.

"Alright, I'll tell you. But first, I want your name."

Piccolo grinned.

"I guess not all dragon gods are dumb then. I am Ma Junior, nomad and respective fighter. Now, your name."

"Don-sama. These two are my brothers: Sei-sama, and Po-sama. The three of us hatched from the same egg, making us triplets."

"So, you three are the infamous StormGod brothers, the scum of the seven seas."

Po growled.

"Hey, watch it buddy. We don't take insults lightly."

"Don-sama!" Piccolo called. "Tell me why you want Genji!"

"We were hired to take him to someone. We'll get redemption for our success."

" 'Redemption?' "

"His death will justify our mother and father's death, and we will no longer be disgraces to our people."

"I don't think this boy is capable of killing two dragon gods…"

"He is!" Po insisted angrily. "He destroyed all the islands except for this one and Summoner's! Do you know how many dragons, priests, and humans died in the blasts?! Thousands! The three of us are among the damn lucky survivors!"

"I thought Cell destroyed the islands," Piccolo narrowed his eyes, "and sixteen years ago at that. Genji did no such thing, he wasn't even born yet…"

"He did too!" Sei insisted. "Genji is Cell!"

"HUH?!" Marron screamed. Piccolo silently frowned.

"Who told you that? The man who wants to see him?"

"He didn't tell us his name." Don answered. "But I remember his scent."

"Why does he want Genji so bad?"

"I dunno. Now enough questions, give us back the girl!"

Marron clung tighter to Piccolo, shivering.

Genji watched and listened on with anger.

Who would want to see me so bad that he'd hire even these bozos to come and get me? Who would even go as far as to hunt me down by any means necessary?

How about the guy who ordered the Yuzuha temple priests to kill you?

Oh…hey, you're right…

Or maybe the guy who framed you as a criminal in West City? Or perhaps the guy who sent Arangami after you… Or are all three the same person?

**The same person…did all that?**

Suddenly, all three dragons roared at the top of their lungs! Genji covered his ears and stumbled away while Marron screamed. Genji stumbled a couple steps further into the fog…

And then…

"So, the big one is more powerful than I realized… Interesting…"

Genji froze. It was his demon's voice! He closed his eyes and put his hands to the temples of his head. When he opened them again, the dark, foggy, marshy, cold island around him seemed to disappear. He was now standing in bright sunlight on solid ground and in blazing summer heat. Across from him, he could see two men, and in the farther distance looked like a slightly younger 18. The two men had his attention for a moment, one was on the ground and looked very beat up, and the other was standing challengingly.

The standing man was enormous! He was about as tall as Piccolo, and had a tuft of red hair on his bald head, and wore strange lime green armor over a black spandex one piece. His face showed completely no emotion, and he looked ready for a battle he wasn't sure he would win.

He could hear the beat up man on the ground yelping at the red head.

"16! It's you! I don't believe it! How did you get that thing off me?"

"I used one of my hard punches." 16 replied with an unemotional mechanical voice.

Then, Genji heard growling and angry hissing behind him. He turned over his shoulder, and saw the shadowy figure of his red-eyed demon. The monster was staring past Genji and at 16, as though the boy wasn't even there.

Ktssssssst! it hissed through its fangs. I find this disturbance to be refreshing. Oh, YESSSSSSS! It quickly struck a defensive fighting pose and glared at 16. Genji backed away from the fight about to start.

**What in…**

So, I was standing right about there just before I fought 16…

**Cell, what is going on?! What happened to the island?**

We're still on the island… This was it sixteen years ago before it had more holes than Swiss cheese…

**So, why are you showing this to me?**

I'm not showing you anything! I don't know what's causing this…

Genji closed his eyes again, then snapped them back open. The foggy marsh was once again around him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. One last reminder of his vision echoed in his ears: challenges 16 and his demon shouted at each other.

"Cell, I recommend that you surrender!"

What? To a rustbucket like you?!

Cell… Genji realized. Wait a minute…Guardian, that demon creature…my demon creature…was that you?!

No time to explain now, kid. Listen.

Genji raised his head and listened the best he could. It was quiet all around, not a thing to be heard.

**I don't hear anything…**

Exactly. Where did those dragons go?

Genji gasped as he remembered the StormGod brothers! He walked back through the fog to the beach.

**Dear God…not even the movie The Fog had this much fog…**

He came in view of the beach, and all three of the dragons were gone. Only Piccolo, still holding the injured Marron, was standing on the shore. Feeling it was safe, Genji ran to them. Piccolo turned his head to the boy with a snarl.

"Where did you go?! Those dragons are after your head!"

**Sorry, I got sidetracked. Is Marron okay?**

"It's just her arm. The dragons left, but I don't know if they'll be back. They're suspi…"

"Genji!" Marron cried happily. He quickly rushed to her.

**Marron, are you alright? Show me your wound!** He looked at her arm, shattered in two places. Genji gritted his teeth as he shrugged off his shirt.

They are going to pay for this…

He quickly wrapped her arm in his kimono shirt as he looked at Piccolo's eyes.

**Piccolo-san, she needs those beans…whatever you gave me to heal me before…**

"Senzu?" Piccolo asked. "My hands are full. Here." He carefully handed Marron to Genji, and the girl yelped and screamed as she was moved. Her arm was hurting very badly. Genji lowered to the ground on his knee, getting a better hold of her and letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

**Marron?** Genji asked, turning her head up with his free hand. She looked at him with tired, tear battered eyes.

"Oh, Genji!" she cried. "I wanna go home…"

**Don't worry. You're fine now. The dragons are gone, and I'll make sure they never do that to you again.**

"Let's see…" Piccolo reached for his senzu pouch…

…but before he could grab a hold of a bean…

WROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORR!

All eyes turned away from the beach and to the island. All three of the dragon brothers were charging for Genji. They had swam to the other side of the island and crossed on land to the beach!

Those bastards…

"We got you now, Cell!" Sei shouted as he ran. Marron screamed, and clung to Genji with her good arm. Genji stayed crouched on the ground with one arm wrapped around Marron and his free hand flat on the ground. Piccolo turned to Genji urgently.

"Genji! Run!"

Don, the closest to the boy, lowered his head to snatch Genji in his jaws.

Before that could happen…

…Genji sprung into the air…

…Cleared Don's head…

…his feet scarcely touched the scaly back…

…he quickly scampered across the spine…

…leaped past the tail…

…then ran into the fog…

…just as Genji disappeared, Don came to a complete stop on the beach.

"Whoa!" Po gasped. "Did you see that?!"

Astounded, Sei shook his head

Don looked behind him angrily where Genji had ran off.

"Damned insect! He's not getting away!" He turned and ran back towards the land. His brothers followed him.

"How could he be so fast?!" Sei asked as he and Po scrambled after Don. Piccolo smiled and walked towards a big patch of mud.

"I wouldn't expect less of the son of Cell." He chuckled to himself, dipping his hand in the mud. "But right now, he needs help. And since dragons have a keen sense of smell…"

He smeared thick stripes of mud across his face, then scooped up more mud to cover his arms…