AN: Tada!!! One more left...
I hope everyone enjoys reading this chapter as much as I did writing it!
ChickFlick Chapter 23
"I'm sorry... I tried..."
It was these words which dragged Pan out of her semi-conscious daze. She could not bear to see it; her own grandmother, one of the strongest and most determined women she knew, finally broken.
With a muffled groan, Pan dragged herself up so that she was clinging to a machine, half in and half out of the water that was by now well and truly over her head. The room was almost half-filled with water. Cell had turned away from them all now, and his fingers were lovingly stroking the surface of the main computer keyboard. Another smirk was hovering around his lips.
"Just a few more minutes..."
Pan bit her lip to keep herself silent. She was searching inside one of her pockets, her fingers probing... where WAS it? She carried it everywhere, she knew she had it somewhere with her... then her fingers closed around a small, brown, draw-string bag. The felt was well-worn and looked rather old. Cell had begun to talk.
"In a very short time I must take my leave of you all, I'm afraid. I think you'll find this cave will shortly be underwater, and I DO so hope that you all can swim." He looked around at all of the weak figures just managing to stay afloat, and he laughed - a cruel, grating sound.
Pan had been blocking his words from her mind. She pulled the little bag out of her pocket and weakly raised her head to look at the cage which held her grandfather. Slowly, as if the mere action was almost too much of a drain on his exhausted energy supply, Goku nodded. Pan untied the strings and tipped the contents of the bag into the palm of one hand. She counted at a glance, making sure they were all there.
Five Senzu beans. The last hope of them all. The last hope, probably, for Earth.
Taking just a second, she closed her eyes and let the memory flood back to her...
* * * * *
It was her fifth birthday. Late evening, and she was tired but happy, well-satisfied with all of her new presents and cake. She was curled up in front of the open fireplace in her home, drowsily gazing into the flickering flames. The laughter and chatter of her family and friends floated in the air around her. She was warm, safe and content.
Feeling a light touch on her shoulder she rolled over slightly and looked up to see Goku standing above her. He smiled widely and gently placed a little draw-string bag in her hands.
"Happy birthday! These are for you." Curiously Pan opened the bag and inspected what was inside. Goku explained, "They're Senzu beans, and pretty rare they are too. Save them up for something special."
And she did. She had carried the bag with her ever since that day. Now, perhaps, they would finally be used.
* * * * *
She was flooded with the sense of that memory in only a few seconds. Then she opened her eyes to the scene of wreckage before her. Cell had started to blather on in his self-satisfied way again. Pan ignored him and started moving through the water. Slowly, carefully, so she didn't catch his attention. He was still gazing at his machine even as he spoke to them. Pan put one of the beans in her mouth, then started to move towards Bulma, praying that Cell would not notice her. But he was far too absorbed in himself to do that.
"This day has been a long time in the coming. For years I have waited... it was I who was meant to be the ultimate power of the universe. But it was denied me, by YOU." His mouth curved upwards in a cold smile. "How ironic that it will be yourselves who finally give me the power to take my revenge on this world. All that power, and not one of you left to stop me!"
While he was talking Pan had given a bean to Bulma, Videl, Eighteen and Chichi. Slowly they felt energy seeping back into their bodies once more, ready for one final fight. They gathered quietly, waiting for Cell to finish his little speech.
"All I have to do is throw those pathetic creatures out of their little cage, and stand inside the sphere. Once inside, I just stretch out my arm a little..." (here he demonstrated, using the Namekian style), "and press this little button, right here." His hand hovered over a green button on the computer console. "Then the power flow will reverse, and then..." He smiled.
This had gone far enough. Pan rose from the water, her face set.
"No."
Cell jumped and spun around, suddenly hearing this unexpected voice from behind him.
"No?" Then he laughed. "And I suppose a little girl like you is going to stop me?" Cell started to laugh again. He seemed to find something about the situation incredibly amusing. He howled with laughter until Pan's blood began to boil. A welter of images and emotions began to stream through her head. The look of pain on her mother's face, the quiet despair in Chichi's voice, the hopelessness in the eyes of the men in the cage. Wave after wave of sadness and pain, and over it all she could hear the sound of Cell's laughter.
A tide of anger rose up within her body. Then suddenly something inside of her snapped, and she let out a cry that was borne of pure energy. A golden light shone from her body and flickered in the air like lightning. Her hair crackled with electricity; it too was gold in colour. And her eyes were as green and hard and cold as emeralds. Cell flinched back from the ferocious anger in those eyes.
Everyone in the room stared at her in complete and utter amazement.
In the hanging cage which was now only a few centimetres above the water level, Vegeta turned to Gohan.
"Where did she learn THAT?!" he demanded of him. But the younger man only shook his head in bewilderment. Goku seemed to be having a great deal of difficulty with closing his mouth.
The girls also looked on in astonishment.
"She's not just a Super Saiyan," Chichi whispered in awe, "she's reached level TWO."
Pan did not hear their whispers. An icy calm had swept over her. She felt at once the supreme power of her body, and a sense of detachment from it. Her face, bathed in glorious golden light, was hard and determined. Cell, trying to bluff over his original shocked response, faced her.
"Well, well, well. Apparently history DOES repeat itself." As he finished speaking, he realised his mistake.
Pan's voice was as cold and unrelenting as stone.
"Yes. It does."
The other girls contributed their own energy blasts as Pan fired up a one-handed Kamehameha.
He was blown away.
* * * * *
The cave was dark except for the glow of the machines' screens, and quiet except for the sound of gushing water and heavy breathing. Slowly their eyes adjusted.
"Bulma! The computer!" It was Chichi, drenched to the bone and looking exhausted. Videl was with her, holding Pan tightly in her arms. The young girl had dropped out of Super Saiyan mode and seemed to be unconscious. Eighteen was floating near the cage.
The cave was three quarters filled with water, and the huge blast that had caused Cell's destruction had let loose piles of dirt and rocks. They had a few minutes before they were all underwater. Bulma took a deep breath and dove down, swimming quickly until she located the keyboard with it's little green button. Crossing her fingers, she pressed down on it hard. She shot back to the surface, and watched with the others.
A quiet hum came from the complex machine. It grew and grew in intensity as the glowing red bubble around the cage became brighter. Gradually the humming became so loud that it filled their ears. There was a huge flash of bright light, this time green.
When it had subsided and their eyes once more became accustomed to the semi-darkness, the girls looked breathlessly to the cage. The men were just standing there, their eyes filled with wonder. Slowly, then faster and faster, their energy levels soared upwards. Their spirits soared with them.
Chichi's grin of joy was interrupted when she bumped her head on something. She looked up. The water had floated her right up to the ceiling.
"Oh dear."
Hurrying now, Vegeta bent open the bars of their cage, and they all clambered out with relief. Goku looked around, then spoke rapidly.
"Alright, everyone get into a circle and make sure you're all touching the person on either side of you. I'll get us out of here." Hands found shoulders, arms, wrists, and -
"VEGETA!!" Bulma shrieked. His teeth flashed her a quick, evil looking grin in the dim light. She took his hand and almost crushed it in hers. The circle was completed.
Goku scanned around to make sure they were all ready.
"Ok everyone. I think it's time to go home." He raised two fingers to his forehead and his face deepened into a look of concentration.
The next second, the cave was empty.
* * * * *
AN: Omg... I can't believe I'm nearly finished. Just one more chapter to go!!! *sniffles and gets all sentimental* Well, there it was. The big one. The one you've all been waiting for. ;) Now THAT was satisfying to write. Cell was really getting to be annoying, the pesky little bugger. Hooray for Pan and the others!! Please review.
I hope everyone enjoys reading this chapter as much as I did writing it!
ChickFlick Chapter 23
"I'm sorry... I tried..."
It was these words which dragged Pan out of her semi-conscious daze. She could not bear to see it; her own grandmother, one of the strongest and most determined women she knew, finally broken.
With a muffled groan, Pan dragged herself up so that she was clinging to a machine, half in and half out of the water that was by now well and truly over her head. The room was almost half-filled with water. Cell had turned away from them all now, and his fingers were lovingly stroking the surface of the main computer keyboard. Another smirk was hovering around his lips.
"Just a few more minutes..."
Pan bit her lip to keep herself silent. She was searching inside one of her pockets, her fingers probing... where WAS it? She carried it everywhere, she knew she had it somewhere with her... then her fingers closed around a small, brown, draw-string bag. The felt was well-worn and looked rather old. Cell had begun to talk.
"In a very short time I must take my leave of you all, I'm afraid. I think you'll find this cave will shortly be underwater, and I DO so hope that you all can swim." He looked around at all of the weak figures just managing to stay afloat, and he laughed - a cruel, grating sound.
Pan had been blocking his words from her mind. She pulled the little bag out of her pocket and weakly raised her head to look at the cage which held her grandfather. Slowly, as if the mere action was almost too much of a drain on his exhausted energy supply, Goku nodded. Pan untied the strings and tipped the contents of the bag into the palm of one hand. She counted at a glance, making sure they were all there.
Five Senzu beans. The last hope of them all. The last hope, probably, for Earth.
Taking just a second, she closed her eyes and let the memory flood back to her...
* * * * *
It was her fifth birthday. Late evening, and she was tired but happy, well-satisfied with all of her new presents and cake. She was curled up in front of the open fireplace in her home, drowsily gazing into the flickering flames. The laughter and chatter of her family and friends floated in the air around her. She was warm, safe and content.
Feeling a light touch on her shoulder she rolled over slightly and looked up to see Goku standing above her. He smiled widely and gently placed a little draw-string bag in her hands.
"Happy birthday! These are for you." Curiously Pan opened the bag and inspected what was inside. Goku explained, "They're Senzu beans, and pretty rare they are too. Save them up for something special."
And she did. She had carried the bag with her ever since that day. Now, perhaps, they would finally be used.
* * * * *
She was flooded with the sense of that memory in only a few seconds. Then she opened her eyes to the scene of wreckage before her. Cell had started to blather on in his self-satisfied way again. Pan ignored him and started moving through the water. Slowly, carefully, so she didn't catch his attention. He was still gazing at his machine even as he spoke to them. Pan put one of the beans in her mouth, then started to move towards Bulma, praying that Cell would not notice her. But he was far too absorbed in himself to do that.
"This day has been a long time in the coming. For years I have waited... it was I who was meant to be the ultimate power of the universe. But it was denied me, by YOU." His mouth curved upwards in a cold smile. "How ironic that it will be yourselves who finally give me the power to take my revenge on this world. All that power, and not one of you left to stop me!"
While he was talking Pan had given a bean to Bulma, Videl, Eighteen and Chichi. Slowly they felt energy seeping back into their bodies once more, ready for one final fight. They gathered quietly, waiting for Cell to finish his little speech.
"All I have to do is throw those pathetic creatures out of their little cage, and stand inside the sphere. Once inside, I just stretch out my arm a little..." (here he demonstrated, using the Namekian style), "and press this little button, right here." His hand hovered over a green button on the computer console. "Then the power flow will reverse, and then..." He smiled.
This had gone far enough. Pan rose from the water, her face set.
"No."
Cell jumped and spun around, suddenly hearing this unexpected voice from behind him.
"No?" Then he laughed. "And I suppose a little girl like you is going to stop me?" Cell started to laugh again. He seemed to find something about the situation incredibly amusing. He howled with laughter until Pan's blood began to boil. A welter of images and emotions began to stream through her head. The look of pain on her mother's face, the quiet despair in Chichi's voice, the hopelessness in the eyes of the men in the cage. Wave after wave of sadness and pain, and over it all she could hear the sound of Cell's laughter.
A tide of anger rose up within her body. Then suddenly something inside of her snapped, and she let out a cry that was borne of pure energy. A golden light shone from her body and flickered in the air like lightning. Her hair crackled with electricity; it too was gold in colour. And her eyes were as green and hard and cold as emeralds. Cell flinched back from the ferocious anger in those eyes.
Everyone in the room stared at her in complete and utter amazement.
In the hanging cage which was now only a few centimetres above the water level, Vegeta turned to Gohan.
"Where did she learn THAT?!" he demanded of him. But the younger man only shook his head in bewilderment. Goku seemed to be having a great deal of difficulty with closing his mouth.
The girls also looked on in astonishment.
"She's not just a Super Saiyan," Chichi whispered in awe, "she's reached level TWO."
Pan did not hear their whispers. An icy calm had swept over her. She felt at once the supreme power of her body, and a sense of detachment from it. Her face, bathed in glorious golden light, was hard and determined. Cell, trying to bluff over his original shocked response, faced her.
"Well, well, well. Apparently history DOES repeat itself." As he finished speaking, he realised his mistake.
Pan's voice was as cold and unrelenting as stone.
"Yes. It does."
The other girls contributed their own energy blasts as Pan fired up a one-handed Kamehameha.
He was blown away.
* * * * *
The cave was dark except for the glow of the machines' screens, and quiet except for the sound of gushing water and heavy breathing. Slowly their eyes adjusted.
"Bulma! The computer!" It was Chichi, drenched to the bone and looking exhausted. Videl was with her, holding Pan tightly in her arms. The young girl had dropped out of Super Saiyan mode and seemed to be unconscious. Eighteen was floating near the cage.
The cave was three quarters filled with water, and the huge blast that had caused Cell's destruction had let loose piles of dirt and rocks. They had a few minutes before they were all underwater. Bulma took a deep breath and dove down, swimming quickly until she located the keyboard with it's little green button. Crossing her fingers, she pressed down on it hard. She shot back to the surface, and watched with the others.
A quiet hum came from the complex machine. It grew and grew in intensity as the glowing red bubble around the cage became brighter. Gradually the humming became so loud that it filled their ears. There was a huge flash of bright light, this time green.
When it had subsided and their eyes once more became accustomed to the semi-darkness, the girls looked breathlessly to the cage. The men were just standing there, their eyes filled with wonder. Slowly, then faster and faster, their energy levels soared upwards. Their spirits soared with them.
Chichi's grin of joy was interrupted when she bumped her head on something. She looked up. The water had floated her right up to the ceiling.
"Oh dear."
Hurrying now, Vegeta bent open the bars of their cage, and they all clambered out with relief. Goku looked around, then spoke rapidly.
"Alright, everyone get into a circle and make sure you're all touching the person on either side of you. I'll get us out of here." Hands found shoulders, arms, wrists, and -
"VEGETA!!" Bulma shrieked. His teeth flashed her a quick, evil looking grin in the dim light. She took his hand and almost crushed it in hers. The circle was completed.
Goku scanned around to make sure they were all ready.
"Ok everyone. I think it's time to go home." He raised two fingers to his forehead and his face deepened into a look of concentration.
The next second, the cave was empty.
* * * * *
AN: Omg... I can't believe I'm nearly finished. Just one more chapter to go!!! *sniffles and gets all sentimental* Well, there it was. The big one. The one you've all been waiting for. ;) Now THAT was satisfying to write. Cell was really getting to be annoying, the pesky little bugger. Hooray for Pan and the others!! Please review.