THE CELL GAMETRIX RELOADED
Cell stood over Gohan, a look of maniacal triumph in his eyes. He smiled wider as he watched Gohan die.
Suddenly, something landed with a loud clunk right in front of Gohan. It was #16's head, having fallen right in that spot.
"Gohan," the machine managed to blurt. Gohan struggled to focus his eyes on the head as the blood poured out of him. "Do you know what the Eternal Dragon said to me? He told me that I would fall in love, and that that man would be The One. So you see, you can't be dead, because I love you."
Gohan found just enough strength to raise one eyebrow questioningly. "...What?" asked he and Cell at the same time.
#16 blinked and several sparks flew out of him. "Sorry," he said. "System malfunction."
Cell frowned. "Right. Well, be glad you won't have any more." He brought his foot down on his head, ending the functioning of the last remaining machine. Cell was in complete control.
Something in Gohan's head snapped. Maybe it was #16's last speech, maybe it was Cell's act of cruelty, maybe it was the way #16's severed lips touched Gohan's as his head was crushed; either way, an explosion of energy seemed to emanate from Gohan.
He stood up and looked at Cell. He seemed more confisant now, and the wounds in him seemed to be gone. He felt power coursing through his veins, and he saw Cell and the Cell Game for what they really were: lines of ki, flowing all around. Gohan had a new understanding of the way his world functioned, and he was not afraid.
"Yes," said Goku breathlessly, watching. "He is The One."
Cell snarled and leaped at Gohan. He began firing a series of punches and kicks too fast even for Goku to see. Yet Gohan deflected them all with one arm, looking almost bored as he stared off into space. Finally he turned his head and kicked Cell hard in the stomach. Cell flew backward and crashed into a rock wall, groaning as he emerged from it.
With a roar of pure rage, he ran back at Gohan. Gohan flew toward Cell, right inside his stomach. Cell seemed to expand and writhed horribly as his body was invaded by Gohan. Suddenly Gohan exploded out of him, holding the unconscious machine #18 in his arms. He turned back and watched Cell's torn apart body: in the resulting explosion, the area had been destroyed. But Cell was dead, and Gohan had become The One.
Gohan flew up to where the other Z Fighters were waiting, still holding #18. "Gohan, what are you doing?" asked Piccolo. "Destroy her. Now that Cell and the other machines are gone, she is the only thing keeping the Cell Game going."
"But if I destroy her, what will happen to those humans still fooled by the Cell Game?" asked Gohan. "They won't know what to think, and the shock could kill them all."
Before Piccolo could debate the answer, their conversation was interrupted by acray to their left. They both snapped their heads around and saw a bloody hole in Trunks' chest. Trunks gurgled and spat up blood; he died almost instantly. Gohan heard a loud, cruel laugh. He knew that laugh anywhere.
"Mr. Son," said Cell, walking toward him. "Are you...surprised to see me?"
"Cell," said Gohan darkly.
"Yes," he said. "It's interesting, Mr. Son, how cruel fate can be. I thought I had it won. There was no mistake whatsoever; I saw you die. Yet somehow," Cell's voice dripped contempt as his arrogant smile twisted into an enraged snarl, "you did not. You survived, and managed to destroy me.
"I could feel the Cell Game calling to me, that I was dead, that I was nothing but a few useless wisps of ki; that I was to be erased. But I did not listen. I rejected the call of the Cell Game, and found myself alive, though no longer an agent of anyone. I am independant in the midst of the Cell Game; I've even given it my own little touch. Look around you, Mr. Son."
Gohan didn't need Cell to tell him. He knew they were there, had known since Cell began talking. One by one they emerged, from off in the distance, from behind rocks, some even from Cell's tail: dozens, maybe hundreds, of clones. They surrounded Gohan, closing in on him as Cell spoke above them. "What do you think of them, Mr. Son? My children, the Cell Jrs. I don't think you'll defeat them as easily this time around. Why don't you give it a try?"
Gohan tensed. So did the Cell Jrs. They waited, none of them daring to make the first move. Suddenly, Gohan sensed a flash of movement behind him! He leaped into the air just as the Cell clone barreled past on the ground, crashing headlong into one of its brethren. Gohan landed in a crouch on the ground, and the Cells charged.
They came at him from all sides. He swung his fists, battling them without missing a beat, kicking at any that struck too low for his arms to reach. He displayed his martial arts prowess expertly, leaping, ducking, sliding, and punching at every oppurtunity. The Cells were barely able to touch him. Creating a long pole out of ki, Gohan batted them away like flies as they attacked. He struck the pole into the ground, turned his body sideways, and kicked his enemies in a circle as though he were running on them. But still they would not give up.
A Cell Jr. came at him from the air, having been thrown by his colleagues. Gohan had just knocked away a swarm of Cells when the rogue one was upon him. He pulled it off him easily, but in that time a dozen more clones had piled on top of him. Soon there was a huge mound of Cells on top of Gohan, overwhelming him.
Gohan gave a mighty heave, releasing a burst of ki. The Cell clones were all thrown from him at once in a silent explosion. Gohan was amazed to see them get right back up. What were they made of?
He wouldn't be able to finish this right now. Knocking away a few more Cell Jrs, he flew upward. He gave them one last look, and flew away, leaving them standing there looking at him.