"Daddy look at me!"

Gohan looked up from grading his student's papers, smiling as Pan had a little ki ball in her hand. She was certainly taking after the Saiyan side of the family, which he was certainly proud of. "Look at you indeed! I was able to do that at four too."

"You think I will catch up with Mita soon? I want to fight bad guys with him! We will be super heros like you are!"

"Oh that's so cute." Videl said, holding her cheek, "You two are going to be such a great superhero duo."

Gohan laughed. "You are my daughter, Pan. You will be a very strong fighter. Don't worry about Mita going along faster than you are. Okay?"

Pan pouted. "I'm not. I just wanna be able to do things like Mita does." She went up to Videl, getting in her mother's lap and grabbing a finger sandwich off the plate on the table, "He's so strong like his dad is. I wanna make you and gramps proud too."

"Pan, whatever you do, your grandpa and I will always be proud of you."

There was a snort and Gohan turned. At the edge of the garden, by the swing set for Pan, stood Cell. That was unusual. Cell never came by on his own. Hell he could even say Cell avoided being around him.

Gohan watched as Cell nudged the swing with a finger, his head tilting to the side. Something was off. The hair on his arms was up on end and he felt dread in his gut. "Cell? Any particular reason you are here?"

Cell's lips curled slightly and his pink eyes darted to his face, looking him up and down a moment. Confusion, then recognition crossed his face, then his eyes darted to Videl and Pan.

"Daddy, why is Mita's dad here?" Pan piped up.

Cell tilted his head, his eyes once again locking with Gohan's, a sneer forming over his face. And then pointed his finger at his wife and daughter.

Gohan reacted quickly, leaping for Videl and scooping her and Pan up in his arms, moving them out of the way before the blast could hit where they once were sitting. He turned, shielding them with his body.

"Piccolo!"

Almost instantly Piccolo was by his side, and both of them glared at Cell.

"Curious..." Cell rubbed his chin, once again focussing on the child's swing, giving it a swat and sending it spinning around the pole it was attached too, "You let your guard down around me…"

"That's not Cell." Piccolo said firmly, reaching up and pulling off his cape. Gohan looked at him confused.

"It is him. I can feel that-"

"You can't feel what I can. His ki is like toxic sludge." Piccolo pulled off his turban next, taking a fighting pose, "Cell's ki is evil still but nothing like this."

Gohan turned, pulling off his glasses and taking Videl and Pan back into his arms.

"Daddy, what is going on?"

"I'm getting you two out of here. I'll be back Piccolo." Gohan flew off quickly, Videl shrieking a moment at the sudden change of momentum.

She grabbed Gohan's arms. "Gohan what was that? Who is that if he is not Cell?"

"I… I don't know. To me he feels no different than usual. Something has happened."

"Daddy, you can't hurt Mita's dad!" Pan said, her cheeks puffing up, "It will make Mita sad!"

Gohan said nothing, turning back around and looking skyward. He could see the shockwaves from hand to hand combat. "Get out of here, Videl. Call Bulma."

Gohan flew back, his fist planting in Cell's face in a matter of moments, cutting off what would have been a devastating punch to Piccolo's face.. His pink eyes locked with his, a grin on his face.

"Oh you have gotten stronger." Cell mused smirking, "I'm going to have so much fun."

Cell grabbed him before he could react, large hand clamping over Gohan's mouth. The familiar feeling of burning from a forming ki blast was against his skin.

Piccolo intervened, kicking Cell's arm and snapping it with the force. Cell didn't look enraged, in fact he looked elated as he held his broken arm.

"Yes… It has been too long since I have taken damage. Oh it was everything he said it would be."

He ripped the useless appendage off, regrowing it with a grunt. Cell looked at Gohan, smirking. "Show me it again. It's been so long since I saw that side of you."

He must of meant Super Saiyan 2. Gohan clenched his fists, then he and Piccolo flew away, getting as far away from Satan City as possible. He looked behind him, and thankfully Cell was in hot pursuit. Good.

"How strong is he?"

"No clue. He's holding himself to the level he was at during the Cell Games, so he is clearly suppressing his ki." Piccolo looked over his shoulder too, Cell still content to follow them wherever they were going.

Gohan wasn't sure he could take him. He hadn't been slacking persay, but he didn't train as much or as hard as his father or Vegeta did.

And Cell trained harder then both of them.

Cell's civility ended as soon as they passed the city's limits, flying faster and producing a sonic boom as he surpassed them, Gohan was not able to stop in time as he connected with the bio-android's knee, grunting in pain.

"Show it to me, Gohan. Or do I have to crush that child's head under my heel like I did to 16?"

Gohan's temple throbbed, clenching his fists as he panted. With a roar he powered up and unleash his potential. "I don't need super saiyan 2 to bring you down!" He threw a punch, Cell dodging.

Piccolo stood to the side, hand on his forehead. "Where the hell is your father? He should be here by now with all this commotion!"

Gohan kept throwing punches, all of them being blocked or dodged.

He never had trained with Cell, but he knew Cell was stronger than he had been at the Cell Games. He never bothered to hide his ki either, letting it flow freely. Why was he suppressing it now?

The look in his eyes wasn't like the Cell who brought his son over for playdates, either. That Cell looked at him with contempt at most.

But in this Cell's eyes there was a sadistic gleam, a sick joy.

He was happy to see Gohan.

Then if this was not the Cell he knew, what kind of Cell was he? How did he get here? Or did something happen to Cell to make him change back into what he used to be?

"Pay attention to me, Gohan!"

Cell threw a punch, his fist connecting with Gohan's face, his nose breaking from the blow. Gohan backed up, wiping the blood off his upper lip.

"Gohan! Back up!"

Gohan zipped even farther back, Piccolo pointing his finger at Cell. "Makankōsappō!"

The beam fired, right for Cell. Cell lifted his hand, smirking. The beam hit his palm and proceed to break apart, only leaving a mangled stump. Cell looked at what was left of his hand, smirking when he grew it back. "Not bad. That actually hurt."

"If you want a real challenge Cell, you should focus on me." They all turned to the recently arrived Vegeta, who hovered above them. "Gohan has been slacking again. I however am at my peak."

Cell smirked, looking back to Gohan "I see you still have that bravado Vegeta. However I have no interest in you."

Vegeta frowned, then snorted. "I guess we have not actually fought again since that time over ten years ago. All you care about is training with Goku. I've grown a lot since then. Let me show you."

Vegeta roared, his fists clenched as he powered up, his body enveloped in a blue aura. It dissolved away, revealing his Super Saiyan Blue form. He smirked. "I must admit, I've been hoping you would turn back to your old ways so I could get the chance to beat you down."

He launched forward, fist planting to Cell's torso, making the bio-android spit up blood.

Cell grit his teeth, purple blood flowing past his lips. "So there is something beyond super saiyan 2?" he sneered, "How interesting. Very well Vegeta, I will fight you."

"There is not going to be a fight, because I will do what I should have done ages ago." Vegeta swung his foot, connecting it with Cell's neck, making a sickening crack and sending him to the ground below.

Vegeta lifted his hand, gathering energy at his palm. "Big Bang Attack!"

"This is all wrong…" Gohan said quietly, watching the attack envelope Cell, "How does he not know about what is beyond Super Saiyan 2?"

The dust and light cleared, revealing nothing in the blast zone. Piccolo scanned the area. "Did we get him?"

Gohan kept his eyes on the crater. The hair on his arms on end again, and Piccolo shuddered. "Fire again!"

Vegeta turned to them. "What the hell are you on about?"

"He's not dead! Fire again quickly before he-"

From the rubble flew out a malformed mass, which proceeded to flee from them. Vegeta scoffed, following it. "Where do you think you are going?"

Gohan grabbed his shoulder, eyes wide as he watched the regenerating Cell flee. "Vegeta don't… You won't be able to do anything."

Vegeta scowled, clenching his fists. For only an instant he felt Cell's new power level before he hid it again. Gohan was right. "Damn it… I failed again."

Goku appeared then. "Hey guys im sorry I didn't come I thought you were training with Cell then I felt Vegeta-"

"Shut up Kakarot. Cell doesn't train with anyone unless you tag along." Vegeta snapped, "You should have killed him when you found out he was alive again. Now look at the mess you put us in!"

"What? So I wasn't feeling it wrong? You guys were actually fighting Cell?"

"I don't know, dad. He didn't seem… Like himself." Gohan said, Piccolo nodded.

"Don't defend him. Who else could that have been?" Vegeta snapped. He looked to the west, "I'm going to talk to his 'girlfriend'."

He flew away, Gohan watching him go. He turned to his father. "Dad I mean it. I don't think that was Cell."

"It felt like him." Goku said, letting out a whistle then, "That jump in power before I got here. Man I'm going to have a run for my money with that."

"Gohan is right. Something is wrong. Maybe Poppy can tell us something. Let's follow Vegeta." Piccolo said.