Part 20
Cell Vs. Majin Buu, and Other Odd Events.
By Bobcat
Disclaimer: Sadly, I own very little of what I post (such is the burden of the fanfic author: to put out so much for no compensation).
Note: There are many references to Marvel Comics this chapter.
Universe FC-1
Downtown Tokyo
Phil returned to his senses and rubbed his hand along his jaw. That pink bastard packs quite a left hook. He was in the ruins of an apartment building, and thought he smelled a gas leak. He returned to his feet, and regretted it as spine and limbs protested with white-hot pain. Ignoring his injuries, Phil surveyed his surroundings. Apparently, judging by the fact that there were no corpses around him, the occupants of this building had evacuated before Majin Buu had punched Gohan and Phil out of Kawasaki Exhibition Center. "Gohan! Are you there?" A moan escaped a nearby pile of debris. The Saiyan's gloved hand extended from the rubble, and was attempting to claw its way out. Phil made a gesture, using the Force to clear the large chunks of wood and metal. Gohan was actually in better shape than Phil had been.
Phil reached into his back pocket. His supply of Zensu beans was rapidly dwindling, but he had enough to give himself and Gohan one apiece. "How do you feel?"
"Like an apartment complex just collapsed on me." The pair snarfed the magical beans.
"That about covers it. Ready for round two?"
"Am I!" The two focused their Chi and the energies of the Mystical Powerup strengthened them. Phil noted that Gohan was slightly more powerful than he had been before, due to the Saiyan's power to increase in strength after a battle, win or lose.
The pair flew across the street and saw that Majin Buu was already locked in battle with the last person that either of them had expected to see. "Cell?"
Phil nodded. "I wonder what makes him think that he can take Buu?"
"I'm more concerned about the fact that he should be dead!"
"That to. Wait a sec... this is odd. Cell is a lot weaker than he should be. He has to know that he doesn't stand a chance against Majin Buu. He must be hiding something."
"Hold the phone! Cell's in his basic form, and it looks like he's weaker than before! Oh, and I killed him."
"Quick question: did any of you ever think to destroy Geroe's laboratory after you beat Cell?"
"Why would we do that? Like I said, I'd already killed him."
"The Cell you beat was from an alternate reality, and from the future. Evidently, this is the Cell from your home dimension."
Majin Buu grinned wickedly at Cell. "Ah yes, the memories I absorbed from Gotenks identify you as Cell. You're far too weak to pose a threat to me. Now go away before I make you an appetizer."
"If I'm so weak, how was I able to strike you?" The green monster smirked arrogantly at Majin Buu. "You truly don't stand a chance against me. I know something that you don't know." Cell flew forward and punched Majin Buu into the crowd. Several bystanders were crushed, and the civilians realized that maybe it wasn't such a hot idea to hang around and wait to be blasted.
Hercule was at the head of the mob. "Help! Cell's back for revenge! Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Nobody asked why he was so afraid of such a "cheating weakling."
Buu's cheek stung. He felt his bones reforming after being broken. "That hurt!"
"The mighty Majin Buu. What a tasty treat." Cell's scorpion like tail whipped out, and the pink creature barely managed to avoid the strike.
The yellow aura surrounding Buu grew in intensity. In fact, the flap of skin that replaced what should have been hair turned a bright yellow. Cell seemed unfazed. "Ah, using Gotenks' level three transformation, are we? I suppose you think I'm defeated." At that moment, a dull yellow glow surrounded the composite fighter.
Up above, Phil's eye's widened. His Chi is identical to GoChibi's! "H-he's using GoChibi's improved Super Saiyan Transformation!"
Gohan looked at him. "Huh?"
"Don't you get it?" The Saiyan shook his head. "I'll explain. You see, if Cell has GoChibi's DNA and whatever knowledge he could download from her mind, that means that he knows all of her techniques. He can transform to Super Saiyan now; he couldn't before because none of the people he'd been created from knew how to do that at the time Geroe took their DNA samples. Thank God that she couldn't ever get the hang of my improved attacks, or else we'd really be screwed. GoChibi's improved Chi strength is gonna make this tough enough."
Majin Buu cupped his hands. "Ka...me..."
He was interrupted as Cell curled his fingers into gun like shapes. "Improved Kamehameha!" The invisible lasers sliced into Buu and exploded. When the smoke cleared, Buu had lost his right arm. The pink demon was screaming in agony as it attempted to regenerate the lost limb. Cell flew in and kicked him up and out of the arena. Majin Buu flew up high into the air, and then fell back down, creating a deep crater in the arena floor.
Majin Buu, still missing an arm, managed to crawl from the hole. "What are you?"
"You're new home." Cell's stinger arched back, ready to strike. He halted his assault when Phil kicked him in the back.
Phil was cursing his luck. Damn! He got my DNA too! Must have been pretty soon after I arrived. "Gohan! You hold off Cell."
Gohan nodded. "What're you doing?"
"You just focus on your job, OK?" Phil reached out with his finger, touching Buu's bloody temple. "Hope this Vulcan Mind Meld thingy really works. OK, Buu; your mind to my mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts." Buu attempted to resist, but Phil's stronger psyche managed to batter down the injured demon's assault.
On the astral plane, Phil found himself in a dark room. "Whoa! The astral plane! Cool!" There was no light, but somehow Phil could see the astral projection of Gotenks chained to the floor. "Wake up sleepyhead! We've gotta get out of here!"
The stunned Saiyan looked up. "Huh? Where am I?"
"Never mind!" Using a controlled burst of laser energy, Phil sliced through one of the chains. That was when a monster tackled him from behind. It was Majin Buu. However, it was much smaller than the adult form they now faced. "Kid Buu?"
"I'm no kid! Now go away! Gotenks is my toy!"
"I think not. Now go buzz off before I get mad." Phil fried the chain that trapped Gotenks' right arm. Kid Buu was not pleased with this development.
"Mine!" The tiny pink demon fired a Chi bolt at Phil. Phil deflected the strike easily. "What? You aren't strong enough to do that!"
"You see, Buu, on the astral plane physical strength has no effect. It's all about strength of will, and I've got that in spades. With the Force as my ally, you don't stand a chance here."
"This is my mind! My imagination becomes reality!"
"Aw crap! I was hoping he wouldn't realize that." Suddenly, the chains surrounding Gotenks reformed. Buu launched another attack at Phil and he was unable to avoid it in time. With the tiny terror beating him up, Phil yelled out to Gotenks, "Let the hate flow through you! Your anger makes you powerful! Think of your resentment towards Majin Buu for beating you!"
"Shut up!" Kid Buu kicked Phil in his astral groin, causing him significant pain. There was a flash of yellow light. "What the?"
Gotenks had transformed to level three again. His long, golden hair flowed down his back, and his sheer arrogance and rage began ripping apart the mental chains. "Hia! You'll pay, Buu!" As Gotenks' link to Majin Buu's mind was torn asunder, Kid Buu clutched his head and began writhing in agony. With the mental connection broken, so was the physical. The wounded Buu regurgitated Gotenks.
Meanwhile, in the physical world, Gohan was having his head handed to him. Even with the power afforded him by the Mystic Powerup, Cell was still far stronger. Gohan attempted to give the green creature a kick to the gut, but Cell's right hand deflected the blow. He twisted the ankle, causing the Saiyan significant pain. Then, Cell finished him off with an uppercut, sending Gohan flying into Phil. "Hey, watch it!" The pair became entangled and collapsed to the arena floor. "Gohan, he's evidently hiding his Chi with my technique."
"Hold on just a second here! He feels more powerful than a Super Saiyan! If he's hiding his full potential... aw crap!"
"Which is exactly why we have to keep him from absorbing Majin Buu. He doesn't need that kind of boost."
"I'm open to suggestions."
By this time, Gotenks had recovered. "Cell? What're you doin' here?" His jet-black hair shifted to blonde. "It doesn't matter! You're way too weak to beat me!" Gotenks' ego had gotten the better of him again. The Fusion warrior raced in and attempted to beat down Cell. Cell blocked each blow easily, and then smacked him in the face with his tail. This sent Gotenks flying into the wall. Finally, the tiny fighter couldn't maintain his fused state and reverted into an unconscious pair of Saiyan children.
Phil's eyes were almost emotionless. The icy coldness of his Chi was also disturbing to Gohan. "Gohan, listen to me. I just may have an idea." He reached out and grabbed Gohan's face. "Your mind to my mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts." Their minds became one. The Force allowed them to maintain this state long after Phil broke contact. And then, they began to move in perfect unison, doing a complicated series of kicks and hand motions. After a brief flash of light, one warrior stood where two had been before. He resembled Gohan, except that his hair was a dark brown and hung limply, extended to his shoulders. Also, his eyes were an odd size, somewhere between Gohan's Anime-style eyes and Phil's normal set.
Cell looked at him with confusion etched on his face. "Who are you?"
"I am Ph'lan." The fused warrior still maintained the icy coldness that Phil had been emanating.
"Flan? As in the delicious custard desert?"
"Uh, well, not really... damn! He's right!" Ph'lan focused and performed the Mystical Powerup. His hair was forced up by the waves of power. "But, I'm at least on par with you!" The two began to exchange blows. Ph'lan's uppercut would of broken Cell's nose, had the green being been born with one. It impact shattered every window within a city block. Cell retaliated with a high kick that caught Ph'lan in the temple. This attack sent him sprawling. The warrior leapt back to his feet and ignited his lightsaber. The sulfurous yellow blade lit the room.
Majin Buu had recovered by this time. I have to get to those kids! I need their strength to even have a prayer against that thing! Suddenly, a large Chi bolt vaporized the cement directly in front of him.
"Ah, ah, ah, Majin Buu. Can't have that! Now, where were we, Cell?" Ph'lan disappeared. Cell was having difficulty tracking him. After nearly a minute, Ph'lan reappeared behind Cell and attempted to amputate his head. Somehow, he was able to avoid the strike. "How the..."
Cell grinned arrogantly. "My Spider Sense was tingling." He began to bounce from wall to wall with blinding speed. Even with the power of the Force, Ph'lan had difficulty predicting his movements. Suddenly, Cell bounced into Ph'lan's back, sending the fighter sprawling. "Of course, the proportionate strength, speed and agility of a spider don't hurt either."
"How..."
"This dimension has been linked to several others for at least two weeks now. The computer used Phil's memories to determine which super-beings it would be best to include."
"Damn my encyclopedic knowledge of comic books! I'll still win, Cell."
"Flame On!" His body was wreathed in fire, and he began power up the flame. "Nova Flare!" The heat put out by Cell was about equal to that of the surface of the sun.
Ph'lan raised his hands above his head. "Masenko!" The yellow blast of energy forced back the wall of flame, and then appeared to vaporize Cell. Ph'lan was rather shocked when Cell appeared directly behind him and caught him in the back of his head with a double-handed blow. "What?"
Cell's voice took on a German lilt. "Nightcrawler's teleportation abilities are very useful, Ja?" Suddenly, he glowed, and a gray, metallic substance replaced his green skin. This time, he adopted a Russian accent. "Then again, comrade Colossus' power always was rather impressive." Phil sliced out, successfully amputating Cell's right arm. The being looked at the stump. The limb was already beginning to grow back. "Hmmm. This state would appear to slow me down. Definitely a dead end." His skin shifted to its normal composition, and he grinned. His exoskeleton pushed outwards in places, giving a rocky appearance. "It's Clobberin' Time!" He struck out, and Ph'lan had difficulty dodging the assault.
"Shit!" Ph'lan was still more powerful than Cell. However, all of these curve balls the green creature kept throwing were tipping the balance. He briefly considered the Reality Checker, but remembered that Cell was infused with nanobot technology. He'd still be just as strong as he is now, and I wouldn't. Damn. "Y'know, I have a few skills of my own." He halted, and cupped his hands and built up some power. "Saotome ryu ougi*!" Ph'lan's opponent moved to block the perceived attack. Cell's Spider Sense began buzzing, but he couldn't react fast enough. Ph'lan struck out and caught Cell with a nasty uppercut. He followed up his strike with an improved Rapid Fire Kamehameha that reduced their surroundings to rubble. It was not a good day for insurance agencies across Japan.
Cell wobbled unsteadily to his feet. "That was a cheap shot. Borrowing from Ranma again, I see. Now, a rapid-fire version of the Kamehameha? That was an impressive trick. I'll have to learn it. After I assimilate you."
Ph'lan could sense that Cell was blowing smoke. "Cell, that blast weakened you more than your letting on. Your Chi dropped dramatically."
"True enough. However, you cannot maintain this state forever. When your Fusion Dance wears off, I'll hold the advantage again." It was at that moment that a Time Hole opened up between the warriors. "What?"
A girl who appeared about GoChibi's age exited the hole. She had flat, green hair that extended to the center of her back and a pleasant face. "Yes, you can fight two Mystical Warriors. But what about three?" She initiated the Mystical Powerup, and Ph'lan and Cell could sense that she was stronger than either Gohan or Phil.
Cell narrowed his eyes. This girl is strong. Who is she?
Majin Buu grinned sadistically. "I no longer need Gotenks to match these two. I'll feed off of this girl!" He raced forward, intent on swallowing her. With a speed that surprised all three combatants, she casually spun about and vaporized Majin Buu with a Chi bolt.
Ph'lan looked at the scene in shock. "H-how? She's impossibly strong!"
"Oh, hi Ph'lan. Queen Neo-Serenity says hello to both of you."
Momentarily ignoring this new development, Ph'lan turned to face Cell. "It's obvious that you haven't reached your full potential yet. At the moment, we are too evenly matched to fight; a victory wouldn't be so much a matter of skill as luck."
"You speak the truth. What do you propose?"
"In one month, we shall have a battle. I think that should be plenty of time to train, don't you?"
All I need to do is find those pesky Androids and I'll be able to mop the floor with this "Ph'lan." Cell smirked. "Agreed. Where shall this epic battle take place?"
"I propose the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo."
"Very well. In exactly one month, I shall enjoy killing you."
"The same to you." As soon as Cell was out of sight, Ph'lan reverted into Phil and Gohan.
Phil shook his head to clear some cobwebs. "What a rush! I felt invincible!" Then, he remembered what they had said. "Just a moment, please." Phil flew up into the clouds.
Gohan looked at the girl. "What's he doing?"
"Probably talking to the Author again."
"Ah. So, I see that you're from the future to. Are you my kid to?"
"Nope. I have been instructed to keep my father's identity a secret."
High above their head, Phil addressed Bobcat. "Yo! Bobcat!"
What do you want?
"I understand that you've had the bright idea to have me fight Cell at Jusenkyo. Might I enquire why?"
Well, for one thing, it's isolated. For another, it's dangerous enough that the constant tingling will negate Cell's Spider Sense.
"Ah, c'mon. The only reason any author puts their character at Jusenkyo Springs is so that they fall into the Spring of the Drowned Girl!"
And your point is?
"I don't wanna be a girl!"
Oh, all right, I promise that you won't fall into the Spring of the Drowned Girl.
"And I don't wanna turn into a pig or something really embarrassing like that."
Tell you what; I swear that you won't fall into any of the springs. Happy?
"Very." He floated on down.
Little did Phil know that the author wasn't one to give up so easily.
"I heard that!"
D'oh! Just get back to the story already! Sheesh!
Phil found Gohan and the girl chatting. "Sorry about the holdup. I needed to lay down the law with the author." For some reason, there was an ominous crack of lightning, but all three ignored it. "Now, what say we go back to HQ?"
The girl nodded. She tapped a button on her wristwatch. "Jack, we need transport for five."
"Roger that." A wormhole opened up nearby.
Gohan queried, "Five?"
"Oh, so your going to just leave your brother lying there?"
"Oops." Gohan and Phil each grabbed a Saiyan. Phil looked at the girl. There's something familiar about her. "Who are you?"
"My name's Omi. As you may have guessed, I'm from the future."
"Where did you get that watch?"
"I'm a junior member of the force." They flew into the swirling vortex.
GoChibi was looking into the monitor. Her eyes lit up. "Omi! It'll be so good to see her again!"
Goku looked down at his granddaughter. "Who is she?"
"Oh, she's my best friend from the future. We're like sisters."
"Was she always that strong?"
"No. I don't know where she picked up the Mystical Powerup either. She wasn't ever anywhere close to this power level. I don't get it."
Goku placed his hand on her shoulder. "That's alright, GoChibi. There's lots of stuff I don't understand. Like, when you put bread in the toaster, toast comes out. But where does the bread go? And why do you need to put in bread in the first place?"
"Uh, Grandpa, toast is just cooked bread."
"Oh. Well, I guess you learn something new every day**."
GoChibi hugged him fiercely. "It's so good to see that you haven't changed a bit. Let's go see them!" She began pulling her Grandpa along.
In transporter room A, the trio of fighters gave Goten and Trunks over to the awaiting medical personnel. GoChibi burst into the room. "Omi!"
"GoChibi!" The two embraced.
"It's been way too long!"
"I know!" They began to speak at a very rapid clip. Phil could sense that they were using the Force to supplement what they were saying with mental images.
Phil coughed into his hand. "So, I take it that you know each other?"
Omi looked up. "Of course, Dad." GoChibi smacked her in the back of the head. "I mean, of course, Dad...io!"
"Dadio? Are you trying to tell me that lingo from the 1950's reappeared in the Future?"
"Uh, yes, you...swingin' hepcat! It's a very groovy place to be, dude!"
"Omi, you just shot your story to hell. You combined lingo from at least three different decades. Would you mind telling me why you called me Dad?"
Omi hugged him, causing several of his bones to crack. "Not this again!" Phil was unable to pry her off.
"Oh, Daddy! I've missed you! I can't take your questioning anymore!"
"I asked two questions. Wait a sec... you're my daughter?" She nodded. "Then, who's your mother?"
"You told me not to tell you. Something about changing the time stream."
"Oh, like telling me that you're my kid won't change the timeline."
"Actually, you said that you remembered me telling you, but that you found out about Mom on you own."
"Fine. Now, we have a month to prepare, so we'd better get going."
GoChibi sighed. "I can't help! I'm way too weak! You saw how Buu tossed me around!"
Omi grinned confidently. "Not once I'm done with you, you won't!"
Gohan raised his eyebrow. "Speaking of which, where did you learn the Mystic Powerup, anyways?"
"Oh, right before I left I spent two days in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with the Supreme Kai. He did his little spell and left, so I mostly had Artoo for company."
"Wait a sec... Artoo? As in R2-D2? Where did you get that?"
"The Physics Police have just about anything you can imagine at the General Store."
Phil scratched his chin. "Note to self: get some shopping time in. Now, Goku, I don't want you or the others interfering."
The Saiyan looked at Phil in shock. "Hold it! You'll need our help!"
"Not quite. You see, I think that the Fusion Dance will give us the boost we need. Besides, you just can't maintain the necessary level of power for long enough to help us. Remember what happened to Gotenks."
Goku sighed. "Very well. I just hope you know what you're doing."
Phil pointed at Omi and GoChibi. "Here's living proof that I do." He faced Gohan, GoChibi and Omi. "C'mon, we have to go get Ralph and Ecks."
Gohan looked at Phil with a look of confusion on his face. "Why me?"
"We've fused before, and I think that you can only fuse with one person in your lifetime. I could be wrong, but I don't feel like taking any chances. Besides, you saw how well we did against Cell."
Omi queried, "Where are we going?"
"We're going to go visit the "greatest scientific mind in the Universe."
GoChibi said, "Washuu?"
"You got it." The quartet of fighters left to fetch the rest of SU5.
End Part 20
What does Phil want with Washuu? Who is Omi's mother? These questions may or may not be answered in the next chapter of the Ballad of the Physics Police!
*The Japanese name for the "Saotome Desperation Move." Having no "raw" Anime, Ralph used the English version. As you may recall, Ralph used it against the Sailor Senshi in chapter 9.
**Does anybody really think this is out of character for Goku?
Cell Vs. Majin Buu, and Other Odd Events.
By Bobcat
Disclaimer: Sadly, I own very little of what I post (such is the burden of the fanfic author: to put out so much for no compensation).
Note: There are many references to Marvel Comics this chapter.
Universe FC-1
Downtown Tokyo
Phil returned to his senses and rubbed his hand along his jaw. That pink bastard packs quite a left hook. He was in the ruins of an apartment building, and thought he smelled a gas leak. He returned to his feet, and regretted it as spine and limbs protested with white-hot pain. Ignoring his injuries, Phil surveyed his surroundings. Apparently, judging by the fact that there were no corpses around him, the occupants of this building had evacuated before Majin Buu had punched Gohan and Phil out of Kawasaki Exhibition Center. "Gohan! Are you there?" A moan escaped a nearby pile of debris. The Saiyan's gloved hand extended from the rubble, and was attempting to claw its way out. Phil made a gesture, using the Force to clear the large chunks of wood and metal. Gohan was actually in better shape than Phil had been.
Phil reached into his back pocket. His supply of Zensu beans was rapidly dwindling, but he had enough to give himself and Gohan one apiece. "How do you feel?"
"Like an apartment complex just collapsed on me." The pair snarfed the magical beans.
"That about covers it. Ready for round two?"
"Am I!" The two focused their Chi and the energies of the Mystical Powerup strengthened them. Phil noted that Gohan was slightly more powerful than he had been before, due to the Saiyan's power to increase in strength after a battle, win or lose.
The pair flew across the street and saw that Majin Buu was already locked in battle with the last person that either of them had expected to see. "Cell?"
Phil nodded. "I wonder what makes him think that he can take Buu?"
"I'm more concerned about the fact that he should be dead!"
"That to. Wait a sec... this is odd. Cell is a lot weaker than he should be. He has to know that he doesn't stand a chance against Majin Buu. He must be hiding something."
"Hold the phone! Cell's in his basic form, and it looks like he's weaker than before! Oh, and I killed him."
"Quick question: did any of you ever think to destroy Geroe's laboratory after you beat Cell?"
"Why would we do that? Like I said, I'd already killed him."
"The Cell you beat was from an alternate reality, and from the future. Evidently, this is the Cell from your home dimension."
Majin Buu grinned wickedly at Cell. "Ah yes, the memories I absorbed from Gotenks identify you as Cell. You're far too weak to pose a threat to me. Now go away before I make you an appetizer."
"If I'm so weak, how was I able to strike you?" The green monster smirked arrogantly at Majin Buu. "You truly don't stand a chance against me. I know something that you don't know." Cell flew forward and punched Majin Buu into the crowd. Several bystanders were crushed, and the civilians realized that maybe it wasn't such a hot idea to hang around and wait to be blasted.
Hercule was at the head of the mob. "Help! Cell's back for revenge! Aaaaaaaaaaah!" Nobody asked why he was so afraid of such a "cheating weakling."
Buu's cheek stung. He felt his bones reforming after being broken. "That hurt!"
"The mighty Majin Buu. What a tasty treat." Cell's scorpion like tail whipped out, and the pink creature barely managed to avoid the strike.
The yellow aura surrounding Buu grew in intensity. In fact, the flap of skin that replaced what should have been hair turned a bright yellow. Cell seemed unfazed. "Ah, using Gotenks' level three transformation, are we? I suppose you think I'm defeated." At that moment, a dull yellow glow surrounded the composite fighter.
Up above, Phil's eye's widened. His Chi is identical to GoChibi's! "H-he's using GoChibi's improved Super Saiyan Transformation!"
Gohan looked at him. "Huh?"
"Don't you get it?" The Saiyan shook his head. "I'll explain. You see, if Cell has GoChibi's DNA and whatever knowledge he could download from her mind, that means that he knows all of her techniques. He can transform to Super Saiyan now; he couldn't before because none of the people he'd been created from knew how to do that at the time Geroe took their DNA samples. Thank God that she couldn't ever get the hang of my improved attacks, or else we'd really be screwed. GoChibi's improved Chi strength is gonna make this tough enough."
Majin Buu cupped his hands. "Ka...me..."
He was interrupted as Cell curled his fingers into gun like shapes. "Improved Kamehameha!" The invisible lasers sliced into Buu and exploded. When the smoke cleared, Buu had lost his right arm. The pink demon was screaming in agony as it attempted to regenerate the lost limb. Cell flew in and kicked him up and out of the arena. Majin Buu flew up high into the air, and then fell back down, creating a deep crater in the arena floor.
Majin Buu, still missing an arm, managed to crawl from the hole. "What are you?"
"You're new home." Cell's stinger arched back, ready to strike. He halted his assault when Phil kicked him in the back.
Phil was cursing his luck. Damn! He got my DNA too! Must have been pretty soon after I arrived. "Gohan! You hold off Cell."
Gohan nodded. "What're you doing?"
"You just focus on your job, OK?" Phil reached out with his finger, touching Buu's bloody temple. "Hope this Vulcan Mind Meld thingy really works. OK, Buu; your mind to my mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts." Buu attempted to resist, but Phil's stronger psyche managed to batter down the injured demon's assault.
On the astral plane, Phil found himself in a dark room. "Whoa! The astral plane! Cool!" There was no light, but somehow Phil could see the astral projection of Gotenks chained to the floor. "Wake up sleepyhead! We've gotta get out of here!"
The stunned Saiyan looked up. "Huh? Where am I?"
"Never mind!" Using a controlled burst of laser energy, Phil sliced through one of the chains. That was when a monster tackled him from behind. It was Majin Buu. However, it was much smaller than the adult form they now faced. "Kid Buu?"
"I'm no kid! Now go away! Gotenks is my toy!"
"I think not. Now go buzz off before I get mad." Phil fried the chain that trapped Gotenks' right arm. Kid Buu was not pleased with this development.
"Mine!" The tiny pink demon fired a Chi bolt at Phil. Phil deflected the strike easily. "What? You aren't strong enough to do that!"
"You see, Buu, on the astral plane physical strength has no effect. It's all about strength of will, and I've got that in spades. With the Force as my ally, you don't stand a chance here."
"This is my mind! My imagination becomes reality!"
"Aw crap! I was hoping he wouldn't realize that." Suddenly, the chains surrounding Gotenks reformed. Buu launched another attack at Phil and he was unable to avoid it in time. With the tiny terror beating him up, Phil yelled out to Gotenks, "Let the hate flow through you! Your anger makes you powerful! Think of your resentment towards Majin Buu for beating you!"
"Shut up!" Kid Buu kicked Phil in his astral groin, causing him significant pain. There was a flash of yellow light. "What the?"
Gotenks had transformed to level three again. His long, golden hair flowed down his back, and his sheer arrogance and rage began ripping apart the mental chains. "Hia! You'll pay, Buu!" As Gotenks' link to Majin Buu's mind was torn asunder, Kid Buu clutched his head and began writhing in agony. With the mental connection broken, so was the physical. The wounded Buu regurgitated Gotenks.
Meanwhile, in the physical world, Gohan was having his head handed to him. Even with the power afforded him by the Mystic Powerup, Cell was still far stronger. Gohan attempted to give the green creature a kick to the gut, but Cell's right hand deflected the blow. He twisted the ankle, causing the Saiyan significant pain. Then, Cell finished him off with an uppercut, sending Gohan flying into Phil. "Hey, watch it!" The pair became entangled and collapsed to the arena floor. "Gohan, he's evidently hiding his Chi with my technique."
"Hold on just a second here! He feels more powerful than a Super Saiyan! If he's hiding his full potential... aw crap!"
"Which is exactly why we have to keep him from absorbing Majin Buu. He doesn't need that kind of boost."
"I'm open to suggestions."
By this time, Gotenks had recovered. "Cell? What're you doin' here?" His jet-black hair shifted to blonde. "It doesn't matter! You're way too weak to beat me!" Gotenks' ego had gotten the better of him again. The Fusion warrior raced in and attempted to beat down Cell. Cell blocked each blow easily, and then smacked him in the face with his tail. This sent Gotenks flying into the wall. Finally, the tiny fighter couldn't maintain his fused state and reverted into an unconscious pair of Saiyan children.
Phil's eyes were almost emotionless. The icy coldness of his Chi was also disturbing to Gohan. "Gohan, listen to me. I just may have an idea." He reached out and grabbed Gohan's face. "Your mind to my mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts." Their minds became one. The Force allowed them to maintain this state long after Phil broke contact. And then, they began to move in perfect unison, doing a complicated series of kicks and hand motions. After a brief flash of light, one warrior stood where two had been before. He resembled Gohan, except that his hair was a dark brown and hung limply, extended to his shoulders. Also, his eyes were an odd size, somewhere between Gohan's Anime-style eyes and Phil's normal set.
Cell looked at him with confusion etched on his face. "Who are you?"
"I am Ph'lan." The fused warrior still maintained the icy coldness that Phil had been emanating.
"Flan? As in the delicious custard desert?"
"Uh, well, not really... damn! He's right!" Ph'lan focused and performed the Mystical Powerup. His hair was forced up by the waves of power. "But, I'm at least on par with you!" The two began to exchange blows. Ph'lan's uppercut would of broken Cell's nose, had the green being been born with one. It impact shattered every window within a city block. Cell retaliated with a high kick that caught Ph'lan in the temple. This attack sent him sprawling. The warrior leapt back to his feet and ignited his lightsaber. The sulfurous yellow blade lit the room.
Majin Buu had recovered by this time. I have to get to those kids! I need their strength to even have a prayer against that thing! Suddenly, a large Chi bolt vaporized the cement directly in front of him.
"Ah, ah, ah, Majin Buu. Can't have that! Now, where were we, Cell?" Ph'lan disappeared. Cell was having difficulty tracking him. After nearly a minute, Ph'lan reappeared behind Cell and attempted to amputate his head. Somehow, he was able to avoid the strike. "How the..."
Cell grinned arrogantly. "My Spider Sense was tingling." He began to bounce from wall to wall with blinding speed. Even with the power of the Force, Ph'lan had difficulty predicting his movements. Suddenly, Cell bounced into Ph'lan's back, sending the fighter sprawling. "Of course, the proportionate strength, speed and agility of a spider don't hurt either."
"How..."
"This dimension has been linked to several others for at least two weeks now. The computer used Phil's memories to determine which super-beings it would be best to include."
"Damn my encyclopedic knowledge of comic books! I'll still win, Cell."
"Flame On!" His body was wreathed in fire, and he began power up the flame. "Nova Flare!" The heat put out by Cell was about equal to that of the surface of the sun.
Ph'lan raised his hands above his head. "Masenko!" The yellow blast of energy forced back the wall of flame, and then appeared to vaporize Cell. Ph'lan was rather shocked when Cell appeared directly behind him and caught him in the back of his head with a double-handed blow. "What?"
Cell's voice took on a German lilt. "Nightcrawler's teleportation abilities are very useful, Ja?" Suddenly, he glowed, and a gray, metallic substance replaced his green skin. This time, he adopted a Russian accent. "Then again, comrade Colossus' power always was rather impressive." Phil sliced out, successfully amputating Cell's right arm. The being looked at the stump. The limb was already beginning to grow back. "Hmmm. This state would appear to slow me down. Definitely a dead end." His skin shifted to its normal composition, and he grinned. His exoskeleton pushed outwards in places, giving a rocky appearance. "It's Clobberin' Time!" He struck out, and Ph'lan had difficulty dodging the assault.
"Shit!" Ph'lan was still more powerful than Cell. However, all of these curve balls the green creature kept throwing were tipping the balance. He briefly considered the Reality Checker, but remembered that Cell was infused with nanobot technology. He'd still be just as strong as he is now, and I wouldn't. Damn. "Y'know, I have a few skills of my own." He halted, and cupped his hands and built up some power. "Saotome ryu ougi*!" Ph'lan's opponent moved to block the perceived attack. Cell's Spider Sense began buzzing, but he couldn't react fast enough. Ph'lan struck out and caught Cell with a nasty uppercut. He followed up his strike with an improved Rapid Fire Kamehameha that reduced their surroundings to rubble. It was not a good day for insurance agencies across Japan.
Cell wobbled unsteadily to his feet. "That was a cheap shot. Borrowing from Ranma again, I see. Now, a rapid-fire version of the Kamehameha? That was an impressive trick. I'll have to learn it. After I assimilate you."
Ph'lan could sense that Cell was blowing smoke. "Cell, that blast weakened you more than your letting on. Your Chi dropped dramatically."
"True enough. However, you cannot maintain this state forever. When your Fusion Dance wears off, I'll hold the advantage again." It was at that moment that a Time Hole opened up between the warriors. "What?"
A girl who appeared about GoChibi's age exited the hole. She had flat, green hair that extended to the center of her back and a pleasant face. "Yes, you can fight two Mystical Warriors. But what about three?" She initiated the Mystical Powerup, and Ph'lan and Cell could sense that she was stronger than either Gohan or Phil.
Cell narrowed his eyes. This girl is strong. Who is she?
Majin Buu grinned sadistically. "I no longer need Gotenks to match these two. I'll feed off of this girl!" He raced forward, intent on swallowing her. With a speed that surprised all three combatants, she casually spun about and vaporized Majin Buu with a Chi bolt.
Ph'lan looked at the scene in shock. "H-how? She's impossibly strong!"
"Oh, hi Ph'lan. Queen Neo-Serenity says hello to both of you."
Momentarily ignoring this new development, Ph'lan turned to face Cell. "It's obvious that you haven't reached your full potential yet. At the moment, we are too evenly matched to fight; a victory wouldn't be so much a matter of skill as luck."
"You speak the truth. What do you propose?"
"In one month, we shall have a battle. I think that should be plenty of time to train, don't you?"
All I need to do is find those pesky Androids and I'll be able to mop the floor with this "Ph'lan." Cell smirked. "Agreed. Where shall this epic battle take place?"
"I propose the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo."
"Very well. In exactly one month, I shall enjoy killing you."
"The same to you." As soon as Cell was out of sight, Ph'lan reverted into Phil and Gohan.
Phil shook his head to clear some cobwebs. "What a rush! I felt invincible!" Then, he remembered what they had said. "Just a moment, please." Phil flew up into the clouds.
Gohan looked at the girl. "What's he doing?"
"Probably talking to the Author again."
"Ah. So, I see that you're from the future to. Are you my kid to?"
"Nope. I have been instructed to keep my father's identity a secret."
High above their head, Phil addressed Bobcat. "Yo! Bobcat!"
What do you want?
"I understand that you've had the bright idea to have me fight Cell at Jusenkyo. Might I enquire why?"
Well, for one thing, it's isolated. For another, it's dangerous enough that the constant tingling will negate Cell's Spider Sense.
"Ah, c'mon. The only reason any author puts their character at Jusenkyo Springs is so that they fall into the Spring of the Drowned Girl!"
And your point is?
"I don't wanna be a girl!"
Oh, all right, I promise that you won't fall into the Spring of the Drowned Girl.
"And I don't wanna turn into a pig or something really embarrassing like that."
Tell you what; I swear that you won't fall into any of the springs. Happy?
"Very." He floated on down.
Little did Phil know that the author wasn't one to give up so easily.
"I heard that!"
D'oh! Just get back to the story already! Sheesh!
Phil found Gohan and the girl chatting. "Sorry about the holdup. I needed to lay down the law with the author." For some reason, there was an ominous crack of lightning, but all three ignored it. "Now, what say we go back to HQ?"
The girl nodded. She tapped a button on her wristwatch. "Jack, we need transport for five."
"Roger that." A wormhole opened up nearby.
Gohan queried, "Five?"
"Oh, so your going to just leave your brother lying there?"
"Oops." Gohan and Phil each grabbed a Saiyan. Phil looked at the girl. There's something familiar about her. "Who are you?"
"My name's Omi. As you may have guessed, I'm from the future."
"Where did you get that watch?"
"I'm a junior member of the force." They flew into the swirling vortex.
GoChibi was looking into the monitor. Her eyes lit up. "Omi! It'll be so good to see her again!"
Goku looked down at his granddaughter. "Who is she?"
"Oh, she's my best friend from the future. We're like sisters."
"Was she always that strong?"
"No. I don't know where she picked up the Mystical Powerup either. She wasn't ever anywhere close to this power level. I don't get it."
Goku placed his hand on her shoulder. "That's alright, GoChibi. There's lots of stuff I don't understand. Like, when you put bread in the toaster, toast comes out. But where does the bread go? And why do you need to put in bread in the first place?"
"Uh, Grandpa, toast is just cooked bread."
"Oh. Well, I guess you learn something new every day**."
GoChibi hugged him fiercely. "It's so good to see that you haven't changed a bit. Let's go see them!" She began pulling her Grandpa along.
In transporter room A, the trio of fighters gave Goten and Trunks over to the awaiting medical personnel. GoChibi burst into the room. "Omi!"
"GoChibi!" The two embraced.
"It's been way too long!"
"I know!" They began to speak at a very rapid clip. Phil could sense that they were using the Force to supplement what they were saying with mental images.
Phil coughed into his hand. "So, I take it that you know each other?"
Omi looked up. "Of course, Dad." GoChibi smacked her in the back of the head. "I mean, of course, Dad...io!"
"Dadio? Are you trying to tell me that lingo from the 1950's reappeared in the Future?"
"Uh, yes, you...swingin' hepcat! It's a very groovy place to be, dude!"
"Omi, you just shot your story to hell. You combined lingo from at least three different decades. Would you mind telling me why you called me Dad?"
Omi hugged him, causing several of his bones to crack. "Not this again!" Phil was unable to pry her off.
"Oh, Daddy! I've missed you! I can't take your questioning anymore!"
"I asked two questions. Wait a sec... you're my daughter?" She nodded. "Then, who's your mother?"
"You told me not to tell you. Something about changing the time stream."
"Oh, like telling me that you're my kid won't change the timeline."
"Actually, you said that you remembered me telling you, but that you found out about Mom on you own."
"Fine. Now, we have a month to prepare, so we'd better get going."
GoChibi sighed. "I can't help! I'm way too weak! You saw how Buu tossed me around!"
Omi grinned confidently. "Not once I'm done with you, you won't!"
Gohan raised his eyebrow. "Speaking of which, where did you learn the Mystic Powerup, anyways?"
"Oh, right before I left I spent two days in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with the Supreme Kai. He did his little spell and left, so I mostly had Artoo for company."
"Wait a sec... Artoo? As in R2-D2? Where did you get that?"
"The Physics Police have just about anything you can imagine at the General Store."
Phil scratched his chin. "Note to self: get some shopping time in. Now, Goku, I don't want you or the others interfering."
The Saiyan looked at Phil in shock. "Hold it! You'll need our help!"
"Not quite. You see, I think that the Fusion Dance will give us the boost we need. Besides, you just can't maintain the necessary level of power for long enough to help us. Remember what happened to Gotenks."
Goku sighed. "Very well. I just hope you know what you're doing."
Phil pointed at Omi and GoChibi. "Here's living proof that I do." He faced Gohan, GoChibi and Omi. "C'mon, we have to go get Ralph and Ecks."
Gohan looked at Phil with a look of confusion on his face. "Why me?"
"We've fused before, and I think that you can only fuse with one person in your lifetime. I could be wrong, but I don't feel like taking any chances. Besides, you saw how well we did against Cell."
Omi queried, "Where are we going?"
"We're going to go visit the "greatest scientific mind in the Universe."
GoChibi said, "Washuu?"
"You got it." The quartet of fighters left to fetch the rest of SU5.
End Part 20
What does Phil want with Washuu? Who is Omi's mother? These questions may or may not be answered in the next chapter of the Ballad of the Physics Police!
*The Japanese name for the "Saotome Desperation Move." Having no "raw" Anime, Ralph used the English version. As you may recall, Ralph used it against the Sailor Senshi in chapter 9.
**Does anybody really think this is out of character for Goku?
