Chapter Three - Divide and Conquer

History seemed to be replaying itself. Town after town was emptying of its population as Cell absorbed them. He was moving so fast that the news crews couldn't keep up, they were reporting three or four cities every couple hours. To try and track him down faster they'd decided to split up into groups. Goku had gone north with Buu, Hope and Vegeta west, Gohan and Piccolo east, and Goten, Trunks, had gone south.

Goten and Trunks landed in South City and looked around. The city was completely empty, the only sign of former population was the clothing strewn about the streets. "Looks like we're too late." Goten said. "Though we should be careful, Cell might still be here."

"No." said a strange voice from behind them. "He's gone, left nearly ten minutes ago."

The two teens spun around and at first they couldn't see who was speaking, but then they looked down. Standing there was a short purple man in a strange yellow outfit wearing sunglasses that looked to big for his head. "Who are you?" Goten asked.

The short purple man grinned. Slowly he floated into the air so that he was eye level with the two half Sai-jins. Suddenly he vanished as Goten's head recoiled backward from the force of a sudden impact with the short purple man's fist. A quick spin kick to his face knocked Goten down the street and through a building. Trunks turned from where Goten had been knocked and looked at the short man.

In a flash he charged in fists swing madly but the man simply dodged nimbly around each swing. Even a moment later as Goten returned to the fight they still couldn't land a single blow. "Come on now." the short man said smiling. "Is this the best you've got?" He disappeared suddenly and the two teens were knocked flat on their faces by a swift kick to the back of each of their heads.

Trunks glared at him for a moment and then transformed. As Goten stood he did the same. The purple man smiled. "Well now, it's about time I get to fight a couple of Super Sai-jins." Both teens squinted as lights danced on the man's sunglasses. "To bad your power readings are still so small. I'm more than you kids can handle, so sad. I was looking forward to a good fight."

******

Gohan and Piccolo stood atop the East City hospital and gazed out at the city below them. It was completely devoid of life, to Piccolo this was something far to familiar for his tastes. He had hated hunting the last Cell down and he hated hunting down this Cell too. "We're always one step behind him." Gohan said dejectedly. None of them knew just how strong this Cell would be but they knew letting him absorb the androids would be a really bad idea.

There was a deep laugh behind them and the two turned to see a man of average height in about his mid twenties standing there. Reaching up with one hand he turned the ball cap upon his head backwards and smiled. "More like three steps my friends. Cell was leaving South City a few moments ago." The man looked at Gohan's reaction and smirked. "Don't worry about the two brats, they won't miss any of the action, I've got a friend of mine covering it."

Gohan and Piccolo slipped into fighting stances and the man shook his head. "No, no, not just yet my friends, not just yet." He glanced over at Gohan. "I'm no match for you my friend, not at the moment at least. I'm only here to deliver a friendly invitation to you, since you were kind enough to dispatch that bothersome time traveling Cell. The invitation is as follows." The man smirked like he knew a secret beyond comparison. "I invite you to choose."

"Choose?" Gohan asked confused.

"Indeed warrior, indeed. You see, I know where Cell is. So here is your choice." The man smirked again. "Save your brother and his friend in South City... or..." the man turned and looked off into the distance. "I should image your other friends have company by now."

Piccolo glared at the man for a moment wondering what he was talking about, then he felt a small power spike in the direction of Goku's home. "Krillin?" he wondered aloud.

Gohan focused for a moment and sensed Goten and Trunks, and they were transformed. Definitely in the middle of a fight. Then he felt Videl's power level as well as Krillin's. Both were high, like they were fighting someone. "No..." Gohan said in realization. Divide and conquer. Whoever these people were they were forcing him to make an impossible choice.... His little brother, or his wife and daughter... he couldn't save both... They were to far apart...

"Gohan!" Piccolo's voice cut into his thoughts and brought him back to reality. "I'll go help Goten and Trunks, you help the others." As the two took off into the distance the man smiled. Then he turned west and sped off himself.

******

Krillin, Videl, 17, and 18 were just outside he Son home trying their best to hit a large grayish colored person who had moments ago dropped in from the sky and begun attacking them. Everyone else had sought shelter inside the Son home.

Not for lack of trying none of the four fighting with the large man had landed a single blow to. Of course he'd yet to hit them either but they knew it was because he hadn't tried to yet. 18 broke off from the attempted physical assault and charged a KI blast. The others pulled back as she let go of the blast.

The man simply backhanded the blast away. It slammed directly into the sun home completely obliterating it. Krillin, Videl, and 18 all stared at the crater. Krillin blinked twice watching the rising smoke. "M... Marron? Hiro?" he said his kids names softly. He heard 18 curse loudly behind him and screaming she charged in at the big man once more.

Videl could do nothing but stare at where the house once stood. "That's.... this... there's.... how...." where the only words able to escape her tightening throat as she continued to stare. "Pan!!" She cried out as her mind finally wrapped around what had just happened. The Son home was gone and with it went everyone inside. Bulma, Chi-Chi, Marron, Hiro, Pan.... "No... it can't..." Her eyes drifted from where the house had once stood over to the large man. Tears streaming down her cheeks she too charged in to attack.

Suddenly the man vanished from sight. A second later there was a loud crack as 18 was slammed into the ground. As they turned to see where her attacker was the man disappeared again. Suddenly he was in front of Videl, fist slamming into her stomach. She doubled over and collapsed to the ground.

For the first time one of them hit him. 17's leg connected with the side of his neck but the man didn't budge. Then slowly the man turned and slammed a fist into 17's face. Then a swift knee to his stomach and he was down too. He turned to face Krillin, pulled his fist back, and froze. Krillin could see some kind of light in his eyes. The large man turned and as he did Krillin felt Gohan's presence nearing. /Kai's... this wont be pretty.../

******

Hope looked over at Vegeta who stood on the other side of the building. They'd been to late to save this town... and Cell was long gone. "So now what do we do?" Hope asked. Vegeta didn't move, didn't say anything, just stared down at the city. She wasn't sure what to do, she'd heard what he was like but had never had to handle anyone like him before. Then she felt a twinge of power in the distance. Turning to look she focused and narrowed it down. "Do you feel that?"

"Goten and Trunks." Vegeta said looking. "They may have found him..." Despite that thought neither of them moved, something felt off. Then Vegeta turned toward the Son home. "What's going on? It feels like their fighting someone at Kakkarotto's too..."

"But I can't sense any opponents."

"I say we split up, you head for the kids and I'll head back to Goku's."

Vegeta glanced over to her. "Fine."

"Not exactly." said an unknown voice. The two royals turned to look at the speaker who was adjusting his ball cap. "Vegeta... and who might you be?" he asked looking at Hope. "I've never seen you before..."

Hope kept quite, she knew the kind of advantage anonymity could posses. It was Vegeta who spoke. "Who are you?" he demanded more than asked.

The man smirked. "I asked first."

Hope smiled lightly. She didn't need to tell him everything, all they needed where names. "I'm Hope."

"Hope eh? That's a good name for a warrior."

"And you are?"

"You may call me 13."

Both Vegeta and Hope recognized the meaning of a number for a name. "You're an Android?" they asked at the same time.

"Bright people." he sighed grinning. "Now let's get this show in the road shall we?"

******

Goku watched as Buu walked down the street looking at all the clothes strewn about. He peered into the store windows and down the alley's looking for anyone. "I can't find any people." he said looking back at Goku. "Where did everybody go? Why leave clothes behind?"

"Cell got here first." Goku said sadly. "He absorbed them all." He looked around the city at all the clothes, the remnants of the people who'd lived here. It wasn't right, wasn't fair. No one deserved this. Goku sighed. He was about to talk to Buu but he felt a tug in his mind. Familiar powers. /Goten? Trunks? Did they find Buu?/ He looked in their direction but as he was trying to find who they were fighting he felt new powers graze his senses. /Krillin? What's going? I can't sense anyone else, who's everyone fighting?/

Goku motioned for Buu to join him. "What is it?" asked the pink form.

"Fighting, in the distance." Goku said. "Goten and Trunks, but Krillin and Videl too."

"Cell?"

"Don't know, I can't sense anyone else.... Wait, that's Gohan and Piccolo... they've split up. Seems Piccolo's going to help the kids and Gohan's heading home..." Goku stopped and looked off in the direction of Vegeta and Hope. He could sense Vegeta and Hope's power building as well now. "What's going on? Vegeta and Hope are starting to power up too."

"More than one bad guy?"

"I don't know..."

"What we do? Can't be in three places..."

Goku frowned as he looked around. Buu was right, they couldn't help them all. /Piccolo and the boys are the weakest group, Vegeta and Hope are both strong, Gohan can handle himself... but Gohan's the only one strong enough to fight Cell at the house.../ "Buu, can you go help Gohan? He's back at the house."

Buu nodded. "Where you go?"

"I'm going to go give the boys and Piccolo a hand." With that the two of them took off.

******

Goten and Trunks dodged to the sides as a stream of energy tore past them. If they'd not moved they'd no longer have an upper-body. "Man, who is this guy?" Trunks asked. "I can't sense a thing."

"No clue, but I'd rather be dealing with Vegeta." Goten said.

"Heh, heh." the short man laughed. "I think Vegeta rather has his hands tied right now."

The two boys looked at him curiously but didn't get the chance to ask him anything before Piccolo's foot slammed into the small mans back slamming him into the ground. He kept applying force to the man sliding down the street with the man half buried in the street.

"Piccolo!" Goten cheered. "Great timing, we could use the help."

"I noticed." The Namek replied jumping off the man and landing between the two boys. "So who is this guy? Must work for the other one."

"Other one?" Goten asked.

Piccolo nodded. "Gohan and I met him. Told us about you two, and the attack on the house."

"What!?" Goten cried.

"Don't worry, Gohan's going up to handle it."

The short purple man stood up and brushed off his clothes laughing. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a metal flask, opened it, and took a few quick gulps. Wiping his mouth he closed the flask and put it away again. "Welcome Piccolo, welcome. I think Gohan will be a bit late when he gets home, by then 14 should have killed everyone, acquired the Dragonball, and disappeared."

Neither of the man's two important statements slipped the Nameks ears. He moved in the more important one first. "The Dragonball? You know of them?"

"Of course." replied the man. "We shall gather the Dragonballs before Cell's completion and resurrect the dead Cell. Glorious it shall be when those two become one. Especially after Cell becomes Complete." the man smiled. "Perfection is only the beginning."

Piccolo didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?" The man merely smiled and shook his head slowly. Realizing he'd get no farther down that train of thought he moved on the other man's statement. "You said 14 was at Goku's... are you Androids?"

"New and improved." the man replied bowing. "I am Android 15, or 15.8 to be exact. Gero's plans are far more grander than even Cell can imagine. Perfection is only the tip of the ice-berg."