The monster had just finished with its latest victim. The clothes, now empty, fell to the ground. It turned around, searching for more people. Suddenly, it felt an extremely powerful ki coming close. Afraid of being killed prematurely, it hid, running from the powerful foe that was coming to destroy it.

He landed. He had been trying to think of what to call himself. He wasn't quite Piccolo, not anymore, and there wasn't a lot of Kami in him either. He would settle the internal struggle another time, whatever Kami had been worried about, was in this very city.

"Where are you?" He asked. It had suppressed its ki, making it very hard to detect. "Whatever you are, you're not too stupid." He turned around, as it came out of an alleyway. "Perhaps I spoke too soon."

Its ki felt like a little bit of everyone he had ever fought against or with, rolled up into the ugliest creature he had ever seen. It looked like a giant green lizard-bug. It was dragging a man by his jacket. The man looked very afraid, as he had every right to be.

Suddenly, the creature's tail whipped out, and the pointy end stuck into the man's back. Piccolo watched, disgusted as this creature used a human as a living juice box. Soon, the man was gone, his clothes the only thing left.

"Hmmm…" The creature looked in his direction. Its eyes were cold, narrow slits, cunning evil lie behind them. "You must be Piccolo. I suggest you run, I am beyond your strength."

Piccolo nearly laughed. "I've been hearing a lot of that lately." Piccolo said. "I'm not exactly like Piccolo. I am the namek who has forgotten his name. I guess you can call me Piccolo, though." He said. "So, beyond my strength, huh?" Piccolo said. "Take a better look at my ki!" He said, suddenly charging at the monster.

The beast tried to stab Piccolo with its tail, but it only hit an after image. It turned around, just in time to get a foot to the face. It was sent flying into a nearby building. Piccolo took this time to remove his turban and cape.

It dragged itself out of the rubble, and glared at the namek. It ran forward, trying to get Piccolo with its tail. Piccolo dodged every attempt, and countered by grabbing a hold of its tail.

"Argghh!" It roared, slamming into the ground. "Why you…" It looked up at Piccolo, who had a hold on its tail. "Aah!" It screamed, as Piccolo ripped the appendage from it. Piccolo kicked the monster into a building, and blasted its tail into dust.

"Looks like I broke your toy…" Piccolo said. "Oops, I should have been more careful." The monster dragged itself to its feet.

"How stupid are you…" It growled. "That hurt, I'll admit that, but I'm made of your genetic material! Surely you noticed that." After a few moments, its tail grew back out.

"Clever trick." Piccolo said, glaring,

The monster rushed, attacking Piccolo. Piccolo blocked, countered, and was winning the fight in general. It came at his head with a kick, which Piccolo dodged easily. Piccolo cursed his stupidity as the tail came back around and stabbed him in the arm. "AAH!" Piccolo grimaced in pain. Luckily, it only got his arm.

"Hmmm…" It said. "I only got your arm." He shrugged. "No matter, I'll just absorb you from it." Slowly, Piccolo felt his arm shrivel up into a useless appendage. Thinking quickly, he slammed the back of his head into its face. The monster fell back. It was about to charge forward when Piccolo spoke.

"It's clear that you've defeated me. I can only use one arm." Piccolo said. "What are you, where did you come from?"

"My name is Cell." He said. "I came from the future, and I came to absorb the androids." It said. "I was constructed by Dr. Gero, but the project took too long, so he put me on automation. I was constructed with the purpose of absorbing androids Seventeen and Eighteen. Once I absorb them, I will become perfect."

Piccolo reached up, and ripped his own arm off. Soon, another replaced it. "That's not going to happen." He said.

"You tricked me!" Cell exclaimed.

"You ought to have known better…" Piccolo said, smirking. "You do have my genetics, remember?" He almost felt like laughing, almost. "Now, die!" He yelled.

"Solar Flare!" Cell suddenly yelled.

Piccolo was blinded, and after a few minutes, his eyesight returned. Cell was gone, vanished into thin air. Piccolo thought to himself. He could either go and search for Cell, or he could return to Master Rosh's house to notify everyone else of Cell's existence. He realized that everybody else needed to know.

After an hour or so, Piccolo landed on the island. Krillen, Gohan, Tien, Ichidou and Yamcha all looked up. Vegeta arrived moments later. Piccolo used the opportunity to tell everyone about the new threat.

"So, we should probably keep this Cell character away from the androids." Ichidou said.

"You said that Cell knew how to suppress its ki?" Krillen asked.

"Yes, after it took off, I couldn't track it anymore." Piccolo said. "It's powerful, but still weaker than myself."

"I will go and defeat this, Cell!" Vegeta said. "After allowing it to get to the androids, of course."

"You can't even handle Cell's first form, Vegeta. Not to mention how powerful it will be once it has absorbed the androids." Piccolo said.

"Are you suggesting that you are stronger than me?" Vegeta asked, anger in his voice.

"That's what I'm telling you." Piccolo.

"Hi everybody!" A voice said.

"Goku!" Krillen said. "You're awake!" The saiyan hero was standing in the doorway, listening the whole time.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Gohan asked his father.

"Yes, I'm fine." Goku said, smiling. "The virus is gone." He looked up at Piccolo. "I heard everything. Since you're the only one that's seen them all in action, who's a bigger threat, the androids, or Cell?"

"Right now, the androids are still stronger." Ichidou cut in. "I can sense how powerful they are."

"You can?" Goku asked. "Wow, you'll need to teach me how to do that someday…" he said.

"Maybe…" Ichidou said. "Anyway, it's clear that the androids are still stronger than Cell. But, if he keeps absorbing humans, he'll eventually be able to beat them."

"Why would he wait for that?" Tien asked.

"Think about it. He needs to absorb them, right? If he shows up to do that, and they're stronger, they'll kill him before he can even get close. He sounds like a cautious fighter. You said that he's been scurrying around for four years?"

"That's what Kami said before we became one person." Piccolo said.

"He sounds like the kind of person that won't fight unless he knows he's the stronger one." Yamcha said.

"Exactly, which means he'll evade us for as long as he can." Goku said. "We need to get stronger, and fast." He said.

'"How?" Gohan said.

"Up in Kami's lookout, there's a special room called the Room of Spirit and Time. In that room, one year passes for every day out here." he said. "You can get one year's training in a single day."

"Hmph…" Vegeta said. "I'm going up there to use it." he said.

"Vegeta, wait." Goku said.

"What is it, Kakkarot?"

"The room can only be used for two days at a time, otherwise the door will disappear and you'll be stuck inside." Goku said.

"Fine…" Suddenly, he took off.

Goku was about to leave, when Ichidou walked up. "Here, Goku, take this…" He handed Goku a small device.

"What is it?" Goku asked.

"It can supress your ki to the point where no one can sense you." He said. "Use it, because the androids are only after you. You can't handle them yet."

"Thanks, Ichidou." Goku said, and with that, he disappeared.

Ichidou began to look around. "Guys, I found the androids…" he said.

"So?" Piccolo said.

"I'm going to warn them about Cell." he said.

"Good luck…" Yamcha said. "You'll need it."