Ch 10 - An Imperfect Start
The two saiyans engaged in light combat in the Gravity Simulator provided by the Capsule Corp residence. It appeared that Kakarot's abilities increased significantly over the past three years during the time skip. The man's katas and overall performance was far neater than Vegeta could have expected. They pumped the gravity up to 450G without a super transformation, and the young saiyan seemed capable in such conditions. Vegeta recalled that he himself had managed 450G while preparing himself for the androids the first time.
Curious, Vegeta decided to increase the gravity further. Just how far could they push the chamber? After all, Bulma previously hit a road-block with the gravity simulator at 630G for a long while. Would that still be the case here?
Kakarot buckled as the gravity increased. Once the simulator reached 500, Kakarot's hair burst golden in order for the man to remain standing. The number increased until finally it maxed out… At 630G. Just as he had expected. Of course it would be the same. Bulma and her father didn't know of a way to fix their formula for over ten years. Then again, they never needed to fix their formula until he demanded them to. Still, it appeared the present version wasn't significantly off track. Stronger, but nothing impossible.
"This isn't nearly as effective as your ship, King Vegeta," Kakarot commented as he returned to his practice of katas in the super state.
"Hm. Even still, you're using too much energy. If you keep releasing your power before your punch then you won't be able to land an efficient blow. Focus on your ki control. It'll help you maintain that form as well," Vegeta instructed, demonstrating his own quick katas.
"Hua, yeah I guess that makes sense," Kakarot nodded and attempted to work on his form.
Vegeta corrected, "No, you're just suppressing your ki! Suppressing it isn't the same thing!"
Kakarot whined, "I'm trying!"
"Even I struggle with this, Kakarot, but if you want to master this transformation then you have to control your power leaking problem. If you let the power slip away, then you won't last when a battle is drug out for longer than an hour. If you burn your energy too quickly, you won't have enough for a finisher."
Their training continued on as events played out in the background. Kakarot was dedicated and Vegeta had respect for the man's tenacity. He was always a talented fighter and, despite his annoyingly pure tendencies, was always saiyan in nature. He constantly strived to be better just because he could. It was a trait Vegeta looked up to in the saiyan. Too bad Kakarot was a fool when it came to anything outside of a one on one battle…
"The super saiyan transformation is supposed to be the most efficient state of being for a saiyan past our natural state. That means it has to be better in every way. Stronger without draining energy. Faster without sacrificing strength. It needs to blend without straining the body afterwards."
"How am I supposed to do all of that?!" Kakarot complained, now struggling in the GR's max setting as his super saiyan transformation struggled to remain under the fierce training.
The older saiyan easily compared the reaction to the man's currently unborn son, Goten. That boy would always complain. It was strange to think about as the two truly were similar. As Kakarot had been gone for so long and as Goten grew older, the similarities disappeared. But it was wild to compare the father and future son. Goten was always mischievous and rowdy as a child. (Something his own son reflected in youth as the two were inseparable.) But Kakarot was just as devious and rambunctious even as a grown man.
On the flip side, Gohan was the polar opposite. Always quiet and following protocol. A lawful good kind of character. The boy who defeated Cell because he was told to… Yes, how was Vegeta to deal with that situation?
In Vegeta's time, Gohan was never interested in training more than necessary. The only reason he maintained training was to impress his wife with his super hero act and to remain as back-up when things went sour. He just wasn't interested in training after being put through the whole Cell situation. Vegeta himself wasn't the same after Cell, and also took an extended period to get his act together. Gohan had just never fully stepped back into it as he himself had.
It wasn't something Vegeta intended to put Gohan through again. This universe was different from his. If he could help it, Vegeta would rather Gohan make the choice of whether he'd want to continue training or not on his own accord. If Gohan didn't want to take on Cell, Vegeta wasn't going to force it to happen. It wasn't something he would put on his own son and Gohan, at such a young age, didn't deserve that either.
But that raised another question. If Gohan doesn't kill Cell, then Vegeta would encourage Kakarot to take matters into his own hands. But what about Kakarot? He was supposed to die to Cell and not return for seven whole years. Would that still happen? Or, more importantly, did Vegeta want that to still happen? Obviously, it was up to them to make their own choices, but Vegeta did have some say in the reformation of history. If Kakarot lived or was brought back, then Gohan and Goten would have their father back.
Oh, and he would have Kakarot still there to grow stronger against instead of having that lapse in training which is an added perk too he guessed…
~~~ An Outside View ~~~
Meanwhile with Piccolo, the namekian is to fuse with Kami on the lookout. It was obvious to both Piccolo and Kami that Future Vegeta's warning was true as the Earth's Guardian could sense the disturbance that was Imperfect Cell. If this threat was half as strong as what Future Vegeta told them of, it would be essential for them to merge. The two hated each other, and didn't take this merge lightly, but they both found it necessary through the circumstances of either merge and survive or remain separate and become collateral. Even if Piccolo wasn't to fight this being, which he very much would like to being a warrior and all, then it was the best hope for survival for the both of them and for Earth as they would remain Earth's protector.
The Namek is formed and being wiser and more powerful than ever, he searches out for Cell… To discover this being was weak, but there was a telltale sign as to where this creature was following the disappearance of innocents' energy. That didn't sit right with the Namek, and so he would go to investigate. If this thing was weaker, or not fully formed, then now might be the best chance to rid the Earth of the threat without the help of these future persons. Piccolo very much did not like the idea of relying on Vegeta for anything, still having trust issues with the saiyan. If they could resolve this issue on their own, they could prove they didn't need help or pity from the "King" or "Prince" or whatever he called himself as.
As expected, Cell was discovered in Ginger Town, but he is a lot more subtle in his hunt for flesh than in the original. He isn't obviously a threat and works in the shadows. He knows to hide his energy before any encounter and strikes slowly to remain hidden. It makes the Namek's hunt for him more difficult. The only reason the Namek would know of his existence would be the small bursts in power the creature would get when draining a lifeform, but as soon as the life was extinguished the creature's signature would vanish once more.
This Cell is more patient and doesn't want to risk being detected until he is fully imperfect. However, Cell isn't expecting for the Namek to find him so soon. Cell has no idea of the warning the group received of his existence and the entire reason for the namekians' merging was a fluke in Cell's eyes. The bug monster could tell this version of Piccolo was different as soon as they encountered each other. Piccolo was strong. Too strong. Not good news for Cell.
Cell is smart, and he wishes to fight away from the populous. He wants to absorb the people and he wouldn't want to risk losing the availability of dinner. The two warriors would find a nearby field and square off, sensing the limits of the other's power. The Namek's purpose was to gauge how strong this creature was to best inform the saiyas of the margin of error. If he couldn't defeat this monster himself, he was confident in Goku's abilities as a super saiyan. This version of the Namek of this timeline was more confident and wasn't worried about the being's origin as Future Vegeta could just explain everything if they needed answers. Less talking, more fighting.
We'll come back to the results of this a little later. First it is important to point out that because Cell would not have caused a scene in Ginger Town, the news stations would not broadcast about the attack and instead about the mysterious fight that breaks out in the periphery. It isn't as widely covered since there is no panic and is more of a local "Hua, look at this weird thing occurring in our city."
Gohan, Trunks, and Bulma would get this news as they leave from the location of Cell's time machine in the direction of Capsule Corp. The three finished their investigation and Bulma concluded that she might be able to figure out just how far into the future this thing traveled from once they got it back to the lab. The time machine only had enough juice to open the hatch and display it arrived before Trunks did initially (just as the original timeline).
Upon hearing the news of the fight, as Ginger Town was relatively close and Bulma would most likely have the local radio, they would realize Cell's arrival instantly. Trunks would suggest for Gohan to search out his mother and keep her protected. The androids were still out there and could easily target Chichi in hopes to draw out Goku and that was not something anyone would want to have happen. This is really forward thinking for Trunks, but he's still very one-track-minded on the androids and wouldn't want to risk anyone's life with the devil machines still out there…
Even though they are just driving cars around and messing with cops because it was fun while they waited for the right opportunity…
Because they don't know where the androids are, the only thing they can do is safeguard and focus on Cell. Thanks to the merged Piccolo, they could now very easily tell where this monster is. Trunks wanted to meet this creature of doom for himself, against Gohan and Bulma's warnings. Unlike the Namek, Trunks wants to learn as much as possible about this monster straight from the source. Things could have changed, like they had for himself. Trunks assured that he could handle himself and he was only going to check out the situation. Piccolo was strong, and if luck was on their side then maybe they could be rid of this threat before it had the chance to bloom.
So the two young saiyans set off their separate ways, leaving Bulma to return to Capsule Corp alone with Cell's time machine in tow.
Back to the battle in Ginger Town, all of the Earth's warriors would be able to sense the fight between Cell and the freshly merged Piccolo. This acts as a beacon and calls the Z Gang's intrigue. Krillin and Tien, along with a farther away Vegeta, would be on their way to Ginger Town, just as the original. Krillin coming from Kame House, Tien coming from a training area with Choutsue (not bringing Choutsue with him, mind you. It was too dangerous for the small martial artist), and Vegeta from a wasteland where he was… Sulking…
Someone else that could sense this battle would also be Android 16. But the android would rather avoid this one. They were determined to get Goku alone, and enjoy some driving fun in the meantime. And some bird watching, of course.
Anyhow, as normal, Trunks and soon Krillin join Piccolo/Namek at the battlefield. Cell is confused at Future Trunks' arrival. How could this teen boy be alive? Oh well, it doesn't much matter. After all, Cell killed Trunks in his own time so he could easily do so again. This piques Trunks' interest… What did he mean? He needed to know, just in case this Cell was different from Future Vegeta's version.
Cell would oblige, given that Piccolo wasn't interested in talking and Cell was always quite obsessed with himself. You see, this isn't the same Cell we know, just as Trunks feared…
This version of Cell is from a timeline with Future Vegeta! Vegeta returned to the future with Trunks, just as the man had earlier stated his intentions. Cell had heard mention of a time machine at Capsule Corp from the populus as he perused around in search of energy to absorb. He was expecting androids, but seeing as they were gone, a time machine would do. However, the older saiyan man came down with a heart virus after the androids were destroyed and when Cell found the saiyan, he was weak and unconscious. Cell gave him and the bubbling bluenette a swift end. Being ill, and stubborn, they served no purpose to him.
That's when Trunks came in, seeing his parents dead to this new enemy. Trunks would make a pricey mistake, though. He would state that Cell would need to pry the time machine off his cold, dead corpse… To which Cell obliged. Cell, having just enough strength to best the young man, absorbed his power leaving simple clothes in a pile on the floor. Cell rummaged through the clothes and found the time machine. Conveniently, it was fueled for a one-way trip with an experiment supplement Future Bulma created from Future Vegeta's sample ship.
Because Cell absorbed Future Trunks, that means he was much farther along with his imperfection from the original timeline and doesn't need to absorb quite as many humans to become complete. It also means this version of Cell is innately stronger… But by how much is to be determined.
Piccolo was confident. This Cell creature didn't demonstrate much of a problem for the newly formed namekian warrior. Trunks, however, was doubtful of this strange arrangement. Future Vegeta made Cell out to be a monster and the teen was far more nervous with how this battle played out. See, this time Piccolo doesn't need to faine weakness to gain information about Cell. Cell wasn't exactly in trouble, but he wasn't winning either. To best not risk his perfection, Cell makes the decision to flee from this fight as soon as Piccolo makes it obvious that he was getting serious.
As soon as Cell senses Vegeta's approach, he uses a Solar Flare to escape in search of the androids. Well, imperfection first, and then the androids. But knowing their location first would be handy too. There is another thing, though. Cell would have a difficult time telling apart the two versions of Vegeta. They give off such similar ki signatures, that the idea of a fully healthy Future Vegeta would be enough to make Cell reconsider. This Cell came from a time where Future Vegeta appeared out of nowhere and killed the androids with Trunks. This Cell was cautious of the one man who took out the two very vital parts to his perfection. It was best to avoid this man at all costs until he reached his Perfect form.
The Z Gang would not be happy with how Cell escaped, but accepted to regroup as Tien and Vegeta joined the fray. Trunks explained to them all he knew about Cell to best fill in all of the missing details for everyone that were absent. Piccolo, being the Ex-Guardian of Earth, would insist on pursuing Cell to prevent further damage. They can sense Cell's energy when he strikes and was the more pressing matter to destroy before he reached completion. If Cell could get as strong as Future Vegeta suggested, it was best to deal with him first and the androids later.
Against Trunks' better judgment, everyone agreed. For all they knew, the androids couldn't train to become stronger. If they could prevent Cell from becoming stronger, then the androids would be no problem once the Cell situation was handled.
That being said… Vegeta will not let his defeat down. In his eyes, if he was to defeat this Cell in his complete state, then he could prove once and for all that he was the better fighter. And he could show whoever that doppelganger was (remember, Vegeta doesn't know about the other being his counterpart) that no creature or androids could keep him down for long! He wouldn't need to be rescued like some damsel and he was no pushover! He, Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans, would find a way to go beyond super saiyan and defeat this monster by himself!
After Vegeta blasted off, leaving the others in awe at how confident Vegeta seemed in his claims to rise above super saiyan, they returned to the task at hand. What would their real next step be? Well, Krillin had an idea: He could go to destroy Cell in the lab. Trunks agrees and volunteers to go with, much true to the canon timeline. In the meantime, Tien and Piccolo would attempt to find Cell. Although Tien wasn't nearly as strong as the other, he was still confident in his abilities as long as Cell didn't pull anything nasty.
Break! The two groups fly in their separate directions.
Following Krillin and Future Trunks, the older and shorter human questioned the teen about King Vegeta/Future Vegeta. Could this version of Vegeta also go super saiyan? Or was that a development that came simply because of necessity for the androids? Well, up to this point, Trunks hasn't spent much time with Future Vegeta at all! The teen doesn't know much of anything about him other than that he wasn't in the past for any particular reason.
Future Vegeta's base form was strong, but Trunks had no idea if he had transformations at all. (No one did, for that matter. Not even Goku, who has spent the most amount of time with this version of Vegeta in training from Yardrat and at Capsule Corp during this whole scenario.) This Vegeta had a tail, so things were obviously different for him. Although, Future Vegeta did say he came from a future where Trunks had corrected, so Trunks could only guess that he was a super saiyan… Probably?
It wasn't much to go off on, and it made the teen realize just how little he knew about his father. Both of the present and the future. But Trunks kept a bit of information to himself. He could have plenty of time with this future version of his father later. The man had said he intended to follow Trunks to his home time. Which meant that if Trunks wanted to know his father, he should try to approach his present version of one…
Trunks and Krillin successfully aborted Cell in the laboratory of North City. They also successfully retrieved Android 17's blueprints from the lab before its destruction. Seeing as Trunks made up his mind, he sent Krillin back to Capsule Corp to report the blueprints and his intentions to Bulma and Future Vegeta. Krillin doesn't think that will go very well, but the short man doesn't stop the kid from his good intentions. He'll learn the hard way why everyone avoided Vegeta of this time…
Back with Gohan, the young teen successfully convinced his mother to join him at Kame House under the condition that the kid studied hard and didn't even consider fighting the androids. She wasn't told of this new threat yet, and Gohan didn't have the nerve to break the news. Nonetheless, Gohan had no choice but to agree to the conditions. At Kame House he could focus more on his studies than he would at Capsule Corp, considering his father was there and would no doubt attempt to pull something. Chichi was just trying to be a good mother and wife, after all. She would protect herself and her family, while also establishing her son's education free of distraction.
Of course, when they arrive, Yamcha would attempt to spar with the young saiyan and Gohan would try to do so in times he could avoid his mother, but alas true to his word his studies were top priority.
[Why use Kame House as a place of refuge? It's the best place to hide from the androids and Cell. It's far from civilization, difficult to find as it is off the coast in the middle of the ocean, and it's a safe distance for training and other activities to occur. Capsule Corp is in the center of West City, surrounded by a thick population of humans which both androids and Cell would be able to easily track down. Plus, if a fight broke out in West City, there would no doubt be casualties. Kame House was a smart move.
That or Kami's Lookout…]
~~~ Returned View ~~~
Vegeta of the future timeline and Kakarot ended their training as they both sensed Krillin's arrival at the large mansion abode. The younger saiyan feeling drained after so much training, declared himself in need of a meal. The other respected his choice, but instead directed himself down the halls towards the laboratory.
Krillin had delivered blueprints for the androids to Bulma and the scientist took the information straight to her father. During this period, she relied on her father's expert eyes more than her own for something so important. The old doctor was more precise with such details, but Bulma worked far faster and more efficiently under pressure.
The older saiyan entered the lab doors, a towel draped over his neck to wipe at the sweat he had managed to build up. He took a corner and wiped at his forehead to clean himself and naturally walked through the lab around wires and tubes that littered the grounds. He'd heard the initial commotion when Krillin arrived nearly a half hour ago, so he knew what the group were up to.
Krillin was the first to notice the man's presence and greeted, "Hey, King Vegeta."
"I'm assuming you found Cell," the saiyan stated plainly, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah. Piccolo fought him, but he escaped before Piccolo could really do any damage. I went off with Trunks and destroyed Gero's sub-lab. We grabbed 17's blueprints before heading out," the short human summarized.
Bulma's voice called the two back towards the scientists by the center table, "And you said Trunks went off to find Vegeta somewhere?"
The man confirmed, "That's right. See, Cell isn't in his perfect form yet. He said to Trunks he needs to absorb 17 and 18 in order to become as strong as he's supposed to be."
The bluenette woman considered, "You mean we just have to figure out the weak points of Android 17, right? And then we have to stop him from uniting with Cell?"
Before anyone gave a reply, the doctor puffed his cigarette. He was observing the blueprints before him on the table and he announced, "Everything you need to know is right here in black and white. Hm, yeap, you've got it now. However, there is one thing I don't get. It's sad. You know, if only Dr. Gero had used his talents for good, the world would be a better place today."
Bulma, now curious, looked at the blueprints for herself and gasped, "Wow! It looks like these androids are made up of organic substances patterned after human cells! So that's how it's possible for Cell to merge with them at a cellular level!"
"Uh… Wha…?" Krillin struggled to follow.
Ignoring the bald man, the scientist woman studied the prints closer to her face and spotted something right away, "Hm. I know where to find a few weak spots. If I'm right, I believe they'll lie in the smaller control systems."
To this news, Krillin sighed in relief, but Dr. Briefs warned, "Hey, we'll have to run a few tests. Hold on."
"Well hurry up!" Krillin pushed, obviously nervous about the whole ordeal.
"Don't you rush me! I know what's at stake here, I'm not stupid! Gosh, even King Vegeta's being more patient!" Bulma burst at her long-time friend.
Defensive at being brought into the conversation, the older saiyan demanded, "Tch, leave me out of this, woman!"
However, his presence was no longer being ignored. Now, Bulma's eyes penetrated his as she interrogated, "What are you doing down here, anyway?"
That was a decent enough question. Why was he here? His feet must have led him here on their own without him thinking. It was a good way to avoid Kakarot after spending grueling time with the annoying yet persistent saiyan. It wasn't even that he would come to the laboratory often as this lab was reserved for Dr. Briefs.
"Am I not allowed to walk around the place?" the older saiyan questioned in return. That was safe enough to say. He had wandered off down the halls and spotted the subtle differences of the building that changed with time.
Conveniently, Kakarot appeared in the lab doors, arms full of pastries and one happy Mrs. Briefs behind him who obviously helped him find his way. He cheered, "Oh! There you guys are! Man, I get lost in this place sometimes!"
Krillin greeted, "Hey, Goku. How's the training coming along?"
Kakarot dodged the wires and tubes along the floor around his massive pile of food in his arms to join the group in the room. He happily replied, "Oh! It's going great! The gravity machine here's not tough enough, though."
"What?! What do you mean?! I upgrade that thing constantly for Vegeta! How could it not be tough enough?!" piqued Bulma. Vegeta visibly recoiled from her tone, knowing all too well that she meant business.
"Oh, uh, sorry, Bulma!" Kakarot raised a hand cautiously to scratch at the back of his head and gave a nervous chuckle. "It's just, King Vegeta's spaceship is so much better!"
"And how do you mean by that?!" Bulma declared, directing her fury now towards the older saiyan.
Quickly, the saiyan righted himself and explained, knowing the scientist in her may relent with his knowledge, "My ship alters the air pressure as the gravity increases. So it doesn't just change the gravity, it makes it a vacuum. It's the only way to increase training without increasing the gravity higher. It can only go so far before the materials give out."
He was right as the bluenette's expression changed to one of wonder, "Woah, seriously?!"
Vegeta sighed. He knew that look, too. She wanted to get her hands on that technology and she could be very insistent with what she desires. To make it easier on himself, Vegeta tipped, "I'll get the schematics and pass it on. In the meantime, my ship will do for now."
"Wait, you have schematics for your spaceship?" Bulma asked, genuinely surprised. This was the first she'd heard of schematics in a ship before. Not even she thought to do that. Didn't they worry about competition stealing their designs?
"My ship is one of a kind. Only one was ever created and with sophisticated technology personalized for training. If I was to break anything, or blow the thing up all together, how else would I be able to maintain it?" the man reasoned.
"Hua, I guess you're right. Man, that's genius!" the woman smiled brightly towards the old saiyan. He hid a sigh of relief as she turned her attention elsewhere. She was a bit much to handle in her younger years. Very quick to change moods.
Krillin spoke up, "Uh, okay. Well, if you're going to continue to train, then I will join Piccolo and Tien. I know they've been looking for Cell ever since he escaped. If we can even just slow Cell down from finding the androids, then every second would count."
Kakarot shoved a cake into his mouth and quickly swallowed this time before responding, "Right. Oh, hey! King Vegeta! I think I got a better idea."
Curious as to what this idea could be, Vegeta humored, "What is it?"
"Well, I know of this place we can train for a whole year inside," the younger saiyan proposed.
"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber," Vegeta concluded, crossing his arms. Yes, they did go into that realm to train before Cell became perfect before. This would provide the young saiyan enough time to fully control super saiyan and hopefully find super saiyan two on his own.
"That's right. I assume you used it in your time, then," Kakarot nodded.
Vegeta confirmed, "Yes… I'm not going, but it's a good idea. You will need the extra time."
Kakarot exclaimed, "Wha…?! How come?!"
The older saiyan honestly answered, "I've spent enough time with you already, Kakarot. I'm not going to waste away a whole 'nother year with you. You want a sparring partner, correct? Then find another saiyan to join you."
A lightbulb went off in the fool's mind as he shouted, "Hey, yeah! That's a great idea! I've been meaning to take Gohan there with me! And I'll grab Trunks and Vegeta to go too! Alright, let's set off, Krillin!"
Before the fool could raise his fingers for instant transmission, Vegeta vanished to appear next to the man, holding his wrist away from his face. A deadly serious look appeared on the man's expression. He had decided that Gohan should be allowed to make his own decisions…
"Do not push that boy, you hear me, Kakarot?" Vegeta growled.
Goku's eyes opened wide at his tone. It was easy to forget that this person was actually Vegeta from the future, but this man before him was not Vegeta. This was a father from the future warning him of something bad. Had something gone wrong with the training in Vegeta's time? Goku would never want to hurt his son! The absolute ferocity in the older saiyan's expression sent chills down his spine. He'd never felt this way towards anyone before.
Goku was left speechless, only managing a nod of understanding before being released to continue his instant transmission with Krillin in tow. The entire exchange put Bulma through a roller. This man was from the future too. Like her Trunks… She'd been suspicious, but had only really put it together now.
"Are you seriously not interested in training to fight this Cell?" she asked, knowing that a saiyan not training for a fight was more weird than anything she'd ever had to deal with before. If this man was from the future, wouldn't he want to do everything in his power to stop this Cell? Wasn't that why he was here?
"They need to do this on their own. I'm just the backup for when it all hits the fan. Besides, I much prefer the yard than the void of hell," the future man stated, turning to leave the laboratory.
Oh, no. Bulma wasn't done with their conversation yet as she sprinted in front of him and crossed her arms, "So wait, do you mean they're supposed to defeat Cell on their own? I thought you came to prepare everyone for Cell… Is there something bigger coming when this is all over?!"
Cryptically, the man responded, "There's always something bigger. I didn't come here for any reason, Bulma. There was an error or interference and I ended up here. You'll see for yourself with the schematics. Compare them with that time machine from the boy or Cell, if you have it."
Her name. He always knew her name…
"And you're just… Helping? Wh-why?" the woman asked, lowering her arms as her brain chugged at the information it didn't want to process.
"Hell if I know!" the future man grunted, leaning against equipment. He did so in a way that didn't disturb the experiment. As if he'd been around such a laboratory his whole life…
Dr. Brief's voice chidded, "I think it's very stupid of you, if I can be frank. Messing with time like this could upset the very fabric of space if you're not careful. Being here without a reason could cause there to be a reason. Things could progress quicker than they should and the people here won't be able to catch up."
The future saiyan agreed, "I'm aware of that, old man. It already has. It's supposed to have been three days since the androids arrived, but it's only been one. But that's because Kakarot was supposed to have been unconscious in bed recovering from the virus. Instead, he was training with me to get stronger. If anything, they are progressing too rapidly. They shouldn't have come close to destroying the androids."
"You… You didn't stop them from destroying the androids for your own agenda, did you?" Bulma squeaked, not fully wanting to know what this man was willing to do to disturb the timeline.
"No. I didn't stop them from anything. They did what they were supposed to do, but Kakarot wasn't supposed to be there. If they would have destroyed the androids, they wouldn't have a reason to get stronger to face Cell."
"Oh, I get it. This is a power play, isn't it?" Bulma snorted. She wasn't going to be naive. She knew saiyans better than anyone. If this guy was Vegeta or not didn't matter. He'd want to be the strongest and if he's here for a joy-ride then…
"No," the man interrupted her thoughts. Excuse her?! "If that was the case, then why would I bother with training Kakarot? I'm a damned fool for fixing his mistakes instead of my own."
"I… His mistakes?" she questioned.
The man tched, "Nevermind that. I'm not trying to conform everyone to what they should be in my time. If they can't raise to defeat Cell, then I will do it; but it would be better off if they did it on their own."
An idea came to the older doctor, "Would there be a way to pause this Cell from reaching its perfect form? Some way you know of to stop it? If we can put an end to it now, then there is no need to worry about all that."
Vegeta considered this idea and recalled the remote Bulma had created with intentions of destroying Androids 17 and 18. It had failed in his timeline, but what if it hadn't? It wasn't as if he didn't want to fight Cell. Actually, he'd been fighting with himself about whether he should let it happen or not since he saw the results of the initial android fight. These androids were stronger, so Cell would be too once they were absorbed. The prospect made his blood boil.
However, he mentally punched himself at how easy it was to conform to that feeling. It was pure saiyan nature to strive for a battle. But it was to the detriment of being immoral. Could he live with consciously allowing Cell to absorb more innocent people to reach Imperfection? Sure they could be revived with the Dragon Balls, once Dende was instated, but that wasn't the point. How could he embrace morality if he could succumb so easily to these desires? If he continued to make such poor decisions, he risked never being able to meet his wife in the afterlife…
Then again, could he ever meet her in Otherworld? Wasn't the whole point of this retirement trip to get in all the things he wanted to do before meeting Hell's embrace one last time? Was this entire endeavor into the past just to mess with him? A last spit in the face by fate to remind him of his failures?
Kakarot had allowed for Cell's Perfection and went to Otherworld, but the man was literally bed ridden for most of Cell's Imperfection… But that wasn't the case this time. No doubt the man would still keep his body in Otherworld, and the man was fully intent on seeing how strong this villain could be. However, that would be a problem too… If Cell reached perfection, would they be able to save the androids? They were people too in this timeline. He'd seen it himself. Would they be able to be revived like they were before, or would some trickery be needed?
That's when it hit him. Of course! Bulma made the remote to deactivate the androids, so instead what if she created a device to make Cell regurgitate the androids once he reached perfection?! That would mean Cell would get the powerup for a fight, but the androids would survive. Bulma could easily pull this off with no sweat! This would be the best solution, then. The humans would be revived with the dragon balls seeing as it was already too late to stop Cell from doing so, the androids would get a chance at life, and the saiyans would get the fight they were craving for and supposed to endure because of the timeline.
"Yes, there is one thing I can think of," the older saiyan finally responded. "Before, you continued with your deactivation remote for Androids 17 and 18. In my time, it didn't work. Not because of you, but for other factors. There would be no point in making it. But you can create something else in its stead."
"And what would that be?" Bulma asked curiously.
"In my time, Cell was able to regurgitate Android 18 after an explosive punch. I wonder if you would be able to create a device that can do that instead. It would be impossible to stop Cell from becoming perfect, but if you could make it so that the androids are removed once he'd already reached perfection, then maybe his powers will revert. At least temporarily."
"That could work… But how are we supposed to do that?" the bluenette questioned, looking to the blueprints in her father's hands.
Dr. Briefs answered, "Well, this thing is technically alive, correct? If the androids are in status when they are absorbed, then we may be able to play with their motory functions. If we can make their muscles spasm, and consequently their ki spike, he'll get an awful stomach ache and have no choice but to spit the androids out."
Vegeta nodded in approval to the idea and lifted himself upright to declare, "Now, I'll be in my ship in the back lawn. If you need me for any reason, there's a control panel next to the door. I'm sure you can figure it out."
Without another word, the future man left the two scientists to their devices. If anyone could figure out how to make this device, it was them.