Chapter Twenty Three- Arrival

Mirai Trunks pressed his index finger roughly against the intercom that rang his voice through out the ship. They would be landing very shortly and he needed to inform the rest of the Z-fighters. He cleared his throat and began, "Hey! We'll be arriving soon!"

He waited a couple of moments but no one emerged from the cabins and up onto the upper deck. He tried once more.

"Goku! Gohan! Chichi! Vegeta! Trunks! Videl! I'm not kidding!"

Another pause.

"GET YOUR BUTTS IN GEAR! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?! WE ARE LANDING!!!!!"

The door hissed opened and Videl and Gohan stumbled through. Both were red in the face and panting lightly.

"Did I miss something?" Mirai Trunks said bewildered, "Were you training?"

Videl groped the chair next her and shook her head. She managed to gasp, "Dan-cing…"

Trunks seemed even more stumped by this. He looked the two over and scratched his head.

"Yeah… I guess dancing can be hard work."

Before Gohan or Videl could answer him the door hissed open once more with the rest of the group. Everyone else seemed to have been sleeping. Only Goku and Chichi looked as though they were eating some chocolate cake in their room. Chichi wiped the crumbs from her mouth with a napkin and smiled guiltily at Mirai Trunks who seemed not to care.

"We will be landing in… two minutes. I expect you all to be suited up by then," Trunks said simply.

"Suited up?" Vegeta repeated raising an eyebrow.

"You can't go out into space without a space suit…" Goku stated logically.

"You humans… so primitive," Vegeta said with a sneer. "No wonder they are such a weak civilization."

"Ahem," Chichi said with a glare.

"But… You are all humans right?" Videl asked in uncertainty.

Nobody met her gaze when she said that. Even Chichi was looking slightly red in the cheeks.

"Gohan?" Videl said sternly turning to him.

Gohan defiantly didn't meet her eyes. He looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet guilty.

"You mean to tell me…"

"Ahem… I believe I told you to suit up," Trunks said interrupting the painful situation.


Everyone climbed into the space suits with much complaining from Vegeta and Chibi Trunks who was always agreeing with his father. Mirai Trunks had have the mind to tell his younger self that his father wasn't always right. Vegeta had been a bad guy at first. But then again, his comments weren't hurting anyone.

Gohan cast Videl a weary look. She was still trying to figure out everything about him. And the worst part was that she was getting awfully close.

Gohan clutched his helmet to his side waiting for Mirai Trunks' next command. Trunks had gone up front to land. Goku, weighed down by the cumbersome suit, joined him. Everyone went back up to their seats reading for the landing. But Gohan stopped once he passed the little window by the closet. Slowly he walked towards it. He pressed his hands against the cold glass. There, only feet below him stood Cell, a mocking grin stretched upon his face. His evil purple eyes gleamed in Gohan's direction… Gohan's eyes narrowed.


The landing was a smooth one. Perfect, Trunks thought to himself, We can't afford to make mistakes. He gave a thumbs up to Goku who grinned back. Both of them headed to the back of the ship where they could exit out onto the planet. The door's hissed closed behind them but that was the only sound in the room. Everyone had their faces pressed against the windows. Mirai Trunks and Goku must have looked baffled because Videl turned to them.

"Gohan's gone… He out there talking to Cell."

"WHAT!" Both Trunks and Goku cried in unison.

They both dashed to the windows and peered out onto the moon's innocent landscape…


Gohan walked calmly out to where Cell stood. It was a good walk from the ship. That was okay. He didn't want the others to hear what he was saying. He felt as though they should already informed Mirai Trunks and his dad by now. Luckily nobody came after him… This was just between Cell and him. No one else.

"Okay Cell," Gohan hissed getting into a fighter's stance. "Let's go."

Cell smirked lightly.

"But that would be a unfair advantage wouldn't it? That suit is extra weight."

"When have you ever cared?" Gohan snapped. "Really. I wanna know. When have you ever cared about anything but your own good-for-nothing skin?"

Cell smiled again.

"Ah, Gohan. I believe Chichi would be proud. You have become a philosopher!"

"Don't you dare mock my mother in front of me," Gohan hissed darkly. "Don't you dare."

Cell didn't answer. He didn't even flinch. His purple gaze was slowly burning a hole into Gohan. He could tell Gohan was fighting off the urge of vengeance. Every fiber in Gohan's being was telling him to kill but yet he still fought it relentlessly. Good. Makes things easier…

Cell waved his hand lightly through the air. Gohan, thinking it was a attack jumped back. Instead of attacking Gohan, Cell waved Gohan's suit away. It disappeared in a sparkling light leaving Gohan only in his training gi. Gohan covered his mouth in attempt to contain his air…


Everyone on the ship was shocked that there suits had suddenly vanished… But it was Videl who reacted first.

"Gohan! He is out there without his suit!!!" She screamed in horror.


Gohan's face was contorted in rage. He couldn't die this way. It was to cheap. He had to at least try to save his brother. Abandoning the hope of breathing, Gohan threw a punch at Cell. Cell ducked playfully under the blow.

"Breathe, you fool," Cell laughed.

Gohan's eyes widened when he found out he could. He let out a couple of struggled gasps for air and glared at Cell with venom.

"What did you do to me?"

"I made it possible for you, and everyone on your ship able to survive in all conditions. No matter how thin the air is, it won't harm you any longer, Gohan," Cell smiled, "A bit I picked up from Haji."

"Argh! Cell! What are you playing at!" Gohan shouted angrily.

His fist were longing to hit flesh…

"I am not playing at anything, Gohan," Cell stated calmly. "I am merely here as your guide… until we reach the battle field."

Gohan's anger lowered slightly. He blinked, "So you don't want to fight me?"

"You don't know how much I long to… but no. Not here." Cell smiled, "The first half of the game begins…"


"Can anyone tell what is happening out there?!" Vegeta snapped in annoyance.

"They aren't fighting… I'm not sure how... But they're just talking," Goku said softly, "Something isn't right…"


"You are to find the crystal of Helix. This will give you hints to were the next step is. Eventually you will arrive at the battle ground… It is been hidden somewhere upon this planet. You find it, you can leave… Course you could leave before hand, and forget this ever occurred…"

Cell turned to leave… He twisted back for one last look at Gohan.

"Oh. Goten says hi."

"YOU!" Gohan screamed flaring out at him.

His fist hit air once Cell used instant transmission. Cell was gone… and Gohan was this close. Gohan could have kicked himself for not killing Cell while he had the chance… could have… would have if he hadn't wanted to find the stone so badly.



"Step one completed." Cell smiled arriving back to Haji's camp. He stood before a replica of Chibi Trunks…

"Good," Haji sneered not even the bit impressed. "Go attend to the prisoner."

"Yes sir," Cell nodded slightly abashed. "Right away."

Once Cell exited the room a smile swept across Haji's cute and innocent face, "We shall see what Gohan does…"


To Be Continued
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