Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner
Edited by: StevenBodner and SparkerLightning
A/N: Which theme music do you all hear when Cell does his thing? Do you hear the Bruce Faulconer score? The Suitomo Score? We Are Number One (But It's Perfect)? Avalon (That's Kars' theme, btw)? I find myself switching between them as I go along. But I must admit that a moment I have planned in a couple chapters is definitely an Avalon moment.
Chapter 99: Alpha-Type
At Goku's House...
"NO!"
Chi-Chi leapt from her spot on the couch, forcing Goten and Chika into Ox-King's arms and rushing towards the door. The mother had put it with a lot today, watching her husband risk his neck against that horrific monster, but she couldn't just stand by and watch Gohan be forced to fight Cell too!
As she neared the threshold to the door, however, a sudden wall blocked Chi-Chi's way. She slammed into this barricade full force, but was held firmly in place. Chi-Chi snarled and scraped, tears streaming down her face as the blockade wrapped its arms around her and squeezed her tight. Chi-Chi screamed. "LET ME GO, GINE! LET ME GO!"
Standing there and holding firm, her eyes cast over with shadows, Gine didn't budge. Nor did she even really speak. She just allowed Chi-Chi to tantrum in her grip, feeling her daughter-in-law's anguish as she held her tightly in place. Blue Launch stood up, walking over to Chi-Chi and gently grabbing her shoulders. "Chi-Chi..."
Blue Launch looked over to Gine and, to her shock, she saw a look on Gine's face that she had never seen before: rage. Gine was silent, holding Chi-Chi gently but firmly in place. And her face was frozen into a mask of utter rage. Watching Cell brutalize her youngest son was nearly enough to convince Gine to race off and join the fight herself, but her husband's plea for her to trust him rang deep in the back of her mind.
Gine wouldn't speak, she was too angry to form anything coherent at the moment. But she desperately prayed in her mind that Bardock actually had a plan put together.
As Chi-Chi began to settle, breaking down into fearful sobbing against Gine's chest, Bulma stared at the television. She looked at Gohan lovingly and fearfully and shook her head. "What a shitshow..."
At Mr. Satan's house...
Videl sat next to her mother on the couch, staring at the television with curiosity. Her eight-year-old brain had been fixated on the fact that the orange man had gone away, wondering what had happened to him. But now, she was focused entirely on this new fighter, a boy that looked no older than her. She turned to her mother, a cheerful smile on her face. "Mommy, that boy looks nice! Do you think, after Cell is beaten, Daddy will bring him and all his friends over and I can talk to him?"
Miguel was quite tense, her shoulders rigid and her face green after the brutal display that she had just been forced to witness. But she tried to humor her daughter. "I'm sure, if they wanted to come over, Daddy wouldn't mind having them over, dear..."
She swallowed a lump in her throat. "W-We'd just have to make sure to let the chefs know..."
Videl smiled. "Awesome~!"
Miguel stared piteously at the screen, the sight of a boy around the same age as her daughter standing up to that monster filling her with dread. "Yeah, sweetie...awesome..."
Up on the rocky ridges of the sidelines...
Piccolo grunted under his breath and he tightly wrapped his cape around the sucking chest wound that had been dealt to Goku. Almost immediately, the pristine white fabric was stained a deep, dark crimson. Piccolo gripped his fists tightly as he stood back up. "Damn it all...is this really how useless we've become that we're forced to sit on the sidelines and let a kid fight?!"
The Namekian turned and stared out into the battlefield, looking longingly and fearfully towards Gohan. Piccolo spat. "This is pathetic..."
Android 16 looked down at Goku, scanning him and reading his vitals. "We have 15 minutes before Son Goku's injuries cause him to expire..."
Vegeta snarled, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "I swear, if we're going down, I will personally skin that idiotic human alive before I die!"
He looked around. "Where the hell did that mustachioed buffoon go anyway?!"
Tien shrugged. "Who knows?"
Yamcha scowled. "Who cares?!"
Android 16 frowned. "I imagine that Goku would. His desire to protect and cherish life was an unavoidable factor that we should have given more scrutiny to. We should have made sure that the field was entirely clear before we beat our hasty retreat."
Raditz nodded. "I agree. Not being able to locate that guy is concerning, given the context of what just happened..."
Android 17 shrugged. "He probably just ran away in shame after he saw what he caused."
As everyone else talked, Bardock stared out on the battlefield alongside Piccolo. His gaze went from Cell to Gohan and back to Cell. He gripped his fists tight. "It's awful that it had to come to this, but...I guess my vision and Kakarot's original plan were both right on the money..."
This immediately caught everyone's attention. Future Trunks stepped forward. "Wh-What do you mean, Bardock?"
Bardock gnashed his teeth as he stared out at his gentle grandson. "Shit..."
On the battlefield...
Cell traced his eyes over Gohan, examining the boy from bottom to top. For a 9-year-old, he was quite well-defined. The boy was expertly conditioned, his defense was solid, and his eyes were laser-focused on Cell. The movement of his pupils was subtle, but Cell could see that Gohan was scanning over him for weaknesses and methods of attack that might put the monster on the backfoot. It was almost exciting, like facing a smaller Goku. But Cell could still see one very obvious problem with this match-up.
The monster smirked. "Gohan...do you really want to do this? It's not too late to just give up and face instant oblivion. If you stop right now...I'll make the deaths of you and all of your friends and loved ones quick and painless~"
Gohan snapped back. "I won't let you hurt them! You've hurt enough people!"
Cell sighed and shook his head. "But look at the alternative, my young friend. Even your mighty father could barely stand against me when I was going all out. And I've had a Zenkai Boost since we had our fight. What makes you think that you can beat a being stronger than someone that Goku couldn't even topple? Are you just that confident...are you merely foolish?"
Gohan roared, making his Super Saiyan power flare. "I AM A SAIYAN!"
Cell chuckled, clapping his hands. "Ohohohohoho~! The bravado! I must admit, Gohan, I am quite taken with you wanting to step up and protect your father! Now...let's see how long you can maintain that admira-"
Gohan shot forward and punched Cell right across the face, sending the monster flying back. Cell was stunned. "Making the first move, are we?!"
The monster did a mid-air flip and landed solidly on his feet. He rushed back towards Gohan and threw a punch, Gohan responded with a punch of his own and the two fighters clashed. This was something that Cell hadn't seen coming. His data showed that Gohan was always the passive sort, going in slow and bringing up the rear in fights in order to better understand the opponent. So, was he simply being aggressive from what he had observed during Cell and Goku's fight, or was this furious attitude for a different reason?
Gohan threw another punch, but Cell calmly blocked the attack. He seized Gohan's arm and yanked him forward, countering with a harsh kick to the boy's ribs. Gohan took the kick in stride, allowing his body to move with the motion of Cell's leg and eventually rolling over it.
Gohan was a lot smaller than Cell, but that could have its advantages. Reaching down and grabbing Cell's other legs, Gohan forcibly pulled the monster off balance and sent him crashing to the ground with a snap kick to the face. Cell released Gohan's arm, hitting the ground and then pushing himself up to his feet again. Gohan leapt back and skidded back to his feet. The two warriors were, once again, standing across from one another amidst the wasteland.
Cell nodded. "Okay then..."
And then he immediately fired his Eye Beams at Gohan. Moving nimbly, Gohan leapt over the Eye Beams and shot into the air. "Eat this! Masenko!"
As the beam shot down at Cell, he looked up at Gohan with a smirk. He cupped his hands over his head, charged the energy, and then fired back. "Masenko!"
The two beams shot towards one another and then collided. Cell's attack, containing a lot more energy, immediately burst through and rocketed towards Gohan. Cell chuckled. "Foolish boy."
But then, another energy attack pierced through Cell's Masenko. Spinning like a drill and deep purple in coloration, the Special Beam Cannon shot towards Cell like a bullet. Moving quickly, Cell leapt out of the way of the attack and watched as it dug its way into the ground. "Quite the strategic mo-"
Gohan's foot crashed into the side of Cell's head and sent the monster skidding to the side. He charged a massive ki blast and then through it at Cell. Cell quickly regained himself and drew his arm to the side. With a heavy chop, he dispelled the blast and prepared to fire one in return, only to be shocked at the sight of Gohan being right there.
As he had fired the blast, Gohan grabbed onto the tail end of it, using it as a trojan horse to pull himself closer to the monster without being observed. Cell was in awe at the fighting sense a mere child was displaying. This moment of being caught off guard allowed Gohan to take advantage once again, charging at Cell and unleashing a furious barrage of punches against the monster's face.
For a few moments there, it seemed as if Cell was actually on the backfoot. As if Gohan might actually have a chance at this. But then, lightning quick, Cell's hands shot up and tightly gripped around Gohan's wrists. The boy's hands were frozen in place and no amount of pulling or yanking could pull them loose.
Cell was silent for a few moments, but then he leaned his head back forward and glared at Gohan. A single trickle of purple blood streamed down from Cell's lip, but he quickly licked that away. "You poor, unfortunate child..."
And then, with all the force he could muster, Cell yanked Gohan down and slammed his knee directly into the boy's stomach. Gohan gasped and then, with only a fraction of his strength, Cell punched the boy in the back of the head and smashed him hard into the ground. Gohan gasped in pain. That one hurt a lot. He shakily looked up and his eyes widened, moving himself out of the way just in time to avoid Cell stomping his head into the ground. Cell's foot sank through the rock, all the way up his knee. He looked up at Gohan with a chillingly cold look on his face and Gohan shuddered.
That stomp would have killed him.
Cell ripped his foot out of the ground and took a deep breath. "That was a nice dodge, Gohan. I guess Piccolo taught you something of value."
The monster began to step forward, the shadows on his face looking like a twisted, skeletal visage. "Do you think you can do it-"
Gohan shouted at the top of his lungs, thrusting his hand forward and firing another blast at Cell. Cell lazily reached out and grabbed the blast, he closed his eyes. "...again?"
Cell crushed the blast with his bare hand and then opened his right eye. "Well, can you?!"
And then, the tips of Cell's palm glowed with yellow and black light and a massive arc of lightning shot out of it. Gohan yelped and dodged out of the way, watching as the lightning struck on the ground where he had been sitting and pulled the surrounding rubble into the center. Gohan could even feel the attack tugging on him, pulling him closer. Cell smirked. "You never met King Cold in this timeline, did you? These are his Gravity Bolts!"
Cell raised his hand up and the continuous stream of lightning arched out of his palm and towards Gohan. The boy flew around in the sky, deftly avoiding the attack as Cell followed along with his movements from the ground below. Gohan sneered and summoned two blasts into his hands. "Scatter Shot!"
Gohan launched a bevy of blasts, Cell rolling his eyes as he noticed none of them were hitting him. He sighed. "Intelligent enough to try a move like this, but still just a scared child..."
Once enough blasts had been launched, Gohan extended out his arms and then drew them in, making all of the blasts he had planted fly towards Cell at once. Gohan shouted. "Hellzone Grenade!"
Cell shook his head. "Energy Barrier."
A massive, green dome appeared around Cell, the blasts Gohan had planted sticking to the surface and making it bend inward. Cell watched as each of the blasts got closer, one of them coming just shy of the tip of his nose. And then, with a simple flick, he made the barrier bounce outward and send all of the Scatter Shot's flying out. Gohan yelped at he had to dodge around his own attacks. Cell simply stood there, watching.
As Gohan dodged around, he suddenly heard something zooming through the air behind him. He turned and saw that Cell was right there, his arm drawn across his chest. Ducking quickly, the boy just barely avoided a knife-edge chop to his neck, gasping as Cell's hand split the hairs from his head. Cell seemed distracted, going over a list in his head. "Nappa...Vegeta...Nameless Frieza Soldiers...the Ginyu Force..."
Gohan used this moment of distraction to fall to the ground, backflipping away and taking a fighting stance. He glared up at Cell, ready to fight. But he was confused to see Cell lazily floating down to the ground below. "...Captain Ginyu...Frieza...Vinegar...Garlic Junior...the fusion of Abo and Kado..."
Cell landed. "Boy! Have you fought any of Dr. Gero's Androids during these past couple of days?"
Gohan flinched. "Wh-What?"
Cell motioned with his hand. "The Androids. Did you fight any of them? 13? 14? 15? 16? 17? 18? 19? Dr. Gero?"
Gohan was caught off-guard. "I, uh, I fought against Dr. Gero in some big, blue body. W-Wait! Why does that matter to you?!"
Cell blew Gohan off, counting on his fingers. "Discounting nameless nobodies and rolling the Ginyu Force all into one fight that would be...one...two..."
Cell frowned. "You've had, like, nine serious fights in your entire life. Am I wrong in saying that?"
Gohan growled. "What does that matter?!"
Cell smirked. "I'm just comparing our experiences. You've had nine serious fights in your entire life. I've had more fights than that in the past five days~"
Gohan glared, making his power flare to try and look intimidating. "What does that matter?!"
Cell scoffed. "Oh my~! Big, bad Gohan is angry. Whatever shall I do~?"
Gohan gripped his fists. "You aren't taking me seriously?!"
Cell laughed. "Oh, Gohan...~"
His smiled faded and he suddenly looked deadly serious, almost annoyed even. "Of course, I'm not."
Cell lunged at Gohan, faster than the boy could react, and scooped him up into the air with a devastating punch to the gut. Gohan coughed and gagged, his eyes going wide. Cell glared down at the ground, whipping his arm with Gohan on it towards the floor to slam into it. Moving quickly, Gohan spun around on Cell's arm like a fireman's pole and used his momentum to kick Cell in the face. Cell went stumbling back and Gohan landed on his feet, ready to fight some more. Cell looked down on Gohan, wiping yet another trickle of blood from his busted lip. He sighed. "It really is a shame. A downer, even. I can see the potential for a challenging opponent in there, but..."
The monster sighed. "You're just a child...no experience, no hope. Nothing. This is like stomping a kitten to death..."
Cell thought about that for a moment and chuckled at the image in his head. Gohan growled. "You disgusting monster! How can you laugh at something like that?!"
Cell rolled his eyes. "Well I have to find entertainment in something while I'm humoring you!"
Gohan sneered. "You'd get a real fight if you would just take this seriously! Now come and fight-"
Cell shot forward and kicked Gohan right in the face with all of his strength. Unable to see the attack coming and unable to avoid it, Gohan ate the full force of the blow and was sent flying back, blood exploding from his nose. The boy bounced against the ground and went tumbling, lying still. Cell's eyes narrowed, his lip trembling and a vein popping out of his forehead. "And the entertainment is where exactly?!"
Hidden off to the side, behind a rock...
Peering from behind their hiding place, Jimmy Firecracker and Larry the cameraman both tried to catch a shot of the action going on right near them. Peering over the rock, Mr. Satan watched as well. Jimmy Firecracker was stammering in a hushed tone, unable to process just what he was watching. "Th-This can't be real, can it...? Th-The fate of the Earth is being left to a child...?"
Larry swallowed a lump in his throat. "I-I remember reading something about some kid beating a demon or something in high school. So...m-maybe he'll pull it off..."
They both looked up at Mr. Satan. "R-Right, Mr. Satan?"
Mr. Satan was silent, his eyes locked on Gohan as the boy stood up and wiped his bloody nose. The reason for Mr. Satan's silence wasn't incredulity. It wasn't shock. It wasn't even jealousy at someone stealing his spotlight.
Mr. Satan stared out of fear. He watched Gohan valiantly get back to his feet to continue and he felt a pain in his chest. Mr. Satan pictured Videl, his little go-getter, the pride and joy of his life. He pictured her having to stand up to this thing while all the adults looked on and did nothing. He pictured her being beaten and hurt. And then he remembered hearing that Goku guy call this kid his son.
It brought tears to Mr. Satan's eyes, father-to-father, that he had forced Son Goku into this position of being beaten and helpless and unable to step in to help his kid. It was enough to leave Mr. Satan trembling with dread...and it was enough to make Mark squeeze the rock he was hiding behind hard enough for the entire thing to splinter and crack beneath his grip.
Up on the rocky ridges of the sidelines...
The Z-Fighters were all amazed at the sight of Gohan getting back up to fight Cell. The boy looked like a true warrior as he wiped the blood from his face and struck a fighting stance to face down the monster once again. Android 16 scanned Gohan and spoke cleanly and methodically. "Son Gohan's power levels are stable, just as Son Goku's were when he began his fight earlier. The boy's level of ki control is astounding. However, even still, his strength is trailing below his fathers at a rate of 2.86%. Considering the difficulty Goku faced prior to Cell's Zenkai Boost, Gohan's current chances of victory are-"
Bardock snapped, watching the fight unfold. "Be quiet! Your calculations are meaningless in this situation!"
Android 16 paused, his face quickly drooping into a mask of worry as he watched Gohan. "The boy's heart rate and pulse are both high above healthy parameters. He is attempting to maintain composure, but it is clear that-"
Bardock snapped. "I will blast you into scrap metal if you belt any more statistics at me! Now be quiet!"
Android 16 angrily frowned. "Casting aside statistics, it is shameful that we merely observe a terrified adolescent fighting against an ungodly, genetic horror."
Bardock growled. "Listen you!"
Piccolo cut him off. "Are you going to try and pretend like this is okay?! This was the thing you wouldn't tell me about at the birthday party yesterday, right?! The thing that would have pissed me off?! The thing that Chi-Chi pulled me aside for this morning and begged me not to let happen?! Are you going to try and defend this, Bardock?!"
Bardock turned and glared at Piccolo, finding himself staring right into the eyes of a pissed off Namekian. Piccolo looked like he was ready to blow, like he was just before rushing into and tackling into Cell himself, like he was barely containing himself. Bardock, attempting to maintain a cool head, tried to calm his comrade. "Look...I'm not happy about this. Do you think that I could ever be happy about this?! That's my grandson, damn it! My grandson that I swore I would never allow to be in danger like this! I promised Chi-Chi that...no matter what..."
Bardock grinded his teeth. "Look...Kakarot is defeated. Gohan is...genuinely...the only hope we have left at actually stopping Cell. And, as much as I hate to admit that Kakarot was right about this...he's probably the best chance that we had at winning to begin with..."
Android 17 cocked his head. "What the hell are you talking about, man?! Gohan is our best bet...? Kid hasn't even hit puberty. And just like 16 was trying to say, Gohan is weaker than Goku was. How is he our best bet?"
Bardock turned, looking over his comrades. They all looked equally confused by this revelation. The words seemed to stick in his throat, but Bardock knew that he couldn't keep things to himself any longer. He had to share what he thought was up with Gohan. "Surely, by now, anyone with eyes who has watched Gohan fight throughout the years has come to realize that he's no run-of-the-mill child..."
Krillin flinched. "I-I mean...no, he's not. But still..."
Bardock cut Krillin off. "He comes from a low-class bloodline, he spent his early life being pampered like any kid would dream of, and even beyond those early years he's never really been forced to be at the forefront of any serious conflicts. His desire to fight and become stronger extends no farther than wanting to impress his peers and be able to be on the level with them..."
The older Saiyan's gaze harshened. "And yet, despite that lack of passion for fighting and despite that lack of experience, he is the second strongest person we brought here today. Stronger than me, Piccolo, anyone from the Future, or even Vegeta..."
Bardock faced his companions. He looked over to Vegeta and Raditz. "You two are Saiyans who grew up knowing the old Saiyan legends and rumors. You two must see it as well, right?"
Raditz pressed his hand to his stomach, the same spot where Gohan had once headbutted him. Vegeta growled under his breath and glanced away. "I... I refuse to believe that..."
Vegeta swallowed a lump in his throat. "But, at the same time, whenever he gets angry and his power flares up...it reminds me of her..."
Yamcha spoke up. "H-Hold on a minute, guys. Is this another Super Saiyan-type thing? This sounds like another Super Saiyan-type thing. Like...these ludicrous Saiyan 'legends' are getting a bit played out, aren't they...?"
Vegeta snapped. "Shut your damned mouth! This is different!"
The Prince crossed his arms over his chest. "Super Saiyan was just a legend until it was proven not to be. This, on the other hand, I've...seen this before. Long ago, when the ragtag survivors of a race the Saiyans had vanquished came to assassinate myself and my brother, Tarble, I... got to witness what Bardock is talking about firsthand..."
Tien cocked his head. "Care to clarify what exactly we're talking about here, Vegeta?"
Vegeta grumbled under his breath, clearly not wanting to broach the subject. Bardock continued. "Saiyan biology has a lot of bizarre quirks. The Zenkai Boost, Oozaru, our ability to learn techniques and skills through mere visual observation, and even Super Saiyan to an extent...it seems like our species was literally manufactured for combat. And such quirks come with their own forms of backlash..."
Bardock gripped his fists. "All of these remarkable abilities make Saiyan energy very volatile. And such volatility can occasionally produce a Saiyan that, under the correct circumstances, is far more dangerous than a typical Saiyan..."
Raditz sighed. "I've always been low on the totem pole in Saiyan society. I was never made privy to much, but I always remember Nappa and the others talking about them while they thought Vegeta and I were asleep. They called them...Alpha Types..."
Bardock nodded, continuing his tale. "Yeah, Alpha Types. A Saiyan born with so much energy that the energy itself can act as a dangerous weapon. They always display the same attributes to...they can be kind, personable, friendly, and even quite passive when they want to be...but then..."
Chiaotzu seemed scared. "Th-Then...?"
Vegeta spoke up. "Then they lose their temper. And all of those things that Bardock listed off go out the window. It's like there are two people living within an Alpha Type's mind: one that could pass as a human with such a calm demeanor...and then the real Saiyan hiding within once they become enraged."
Future Goten spoke up. "I don't get it, though, what does this have to do with Gohan?"
Piccolo suddenly became quite aware of what was being implied. "No! You can't be saying what I think you're saying here!"
Bardock grinded his teeth. "Through my entire life living on Planet Vegeta, I had only ever been informed of a single, recorded Alpha Type Saiyan..."
He glanced over at Vegeta. Future Trunks gasped. "F-Father, you're an Alpha Type?!"
Vegeta scowled. "Shut up, boy!"
Future Trunks flinched. Bardock spoke again. "No, Vegeta is not an Alpha Type. Cassava, Vegeta's mother, was an Alpha Type. That's why his father, King Vegeta, chose to marry from what I was told. He wanted to try and pass her abilities down to his kids."
Future Trunks glanced over at his dad. "S-Sorry, father. I didn't mean to overstep..."
Bardock continued. "Other than Cassava, I had only ever heard of one other Alpha Type possibly existing. Just rumors going around about some brat that King Vegeta had banished..."
He glanced out at Gohan again, watching as his grandson and Cell clashed. Bardock swallowed a lump in his throat. "But, the more I watch Gohan grow and develop and fight. The more I watch him increase in strength by leaps and bounds without even really trying...the more I think he might be an Alpha Type too. And, the more I think that taking advantage of that is the only way we're going to beat Cell..."
Krillin chimed in again. "But, Bardock, I'm still not understanding the angle here. Gohan still doesn't have as much power as Goku does. So, what exactly is our goal having him fight Cell?"
Bardock was visibly squirming. Piccolo, finally at his breaking point, snapped and seized Bardock by his hair. "Are you saying that our current plan is to let Cell beat on Gohan until he snaps?!"
This sudden accusation immediately caught everyone off-guard. Bardock could barely make himself look Piccolo in the eye. "Unfortunately, that's the only option we really have P-"
A green fist buried itself into Bardock's cheek, sending the Saiyan crashing to the ground. Veins were popping out of Piccolo's head as the Namekian bared his fangs. "No! Absolutely not! Are you and Goku insane?!"
Piccolo immediately turned and leapt into the air. "I don't care if Cell kills me! I won't let that happen!"
As Piccolo started to take off, however, a hand suddenly reached out and seized him by the ankle. The Namekian turned his attention to the ground below and saw Bardock standing there, his busted lip leaking blood. He glared up at the Namekian. "Listen, Piccolo, I get that you're angry! I'm angry about this too! But, what other option do we have?!"
Bardock's face was calm, but his hands were visibly shaking. "Cell could easily kill any one of us if we fought him one-on-one. And if we all tried to rush him at once, he'd just blow up the planet! This is our only recourse! It's not that Kakarot or myself wants something bad to happen to Gohan...it's that we need his power! We can't do this without him!"
Piccolo snarled in frustration. Everyone else all bowed their heads in shame, even Vegeta. Deep down, they all knew Bardock was right. If Gohan really had that power hidden within him, then he would be the only person who would really be able to stop Cell with how powerful Cell had become.
The humans all felt ashamed of their lack of strength against someone like Cell. The Future Trio thought back to all of the dreadful times that their Gohan had lost his temper against 17 and 18. 16 and 17 both looked like they were going to be sick. Raditz gripped his hands so hard that blood poured from his palms and Vegeta scowled in frustration. Bardock gripped Piccolo's ankle tighter. "Please, Piccolo, the only way we'll be able to stop Cell is to let this happen..."
Piccolo was seething. He didn't land, pulling his foot from Bardock's grip. He just hovered there in the air with a look of utter rage painted on his face. He watched as his student, friend, and surrogate son fought with all his might against Cell and he snarled in frustration under his breath. "Gohan..."
Bardock's arm fell limply to his side, he looked utterly broken by the horrible things he was just forced to admit. "Goddammit..."
Back on the battlefield...
Cell's ear cup twitched and the monster chuckled to himself. "Interesting..."
And then, reacting quickly, the monster blocked a roundhouse kick from a bloodied Gohan with his forearm. Gohan roared with frustration and fury and summoned a Destructive Wave into his hand, firing it right into Cell's face. Lashing out, Cell thrust his free hand through the smoke produced by the Destructive Wave and pressed his right against Gohan's nose. "Gravity Impact!"
The high-velocity shockwave exploded right in Gohan's face, making his cheeks rippled and sending him crashing into a nearby mountain. Cell stepped forward, wiping the scorch marks from his face. "Oh Gohan, I might just have fun with you yet~"
With a shout, the mountain that embedded Gohan was blown away and the boy was back on his feet, as tenacious as ever and ready to continue throwing himself at Cell. Gohan's eyebrow was split and blood was trickling down his face, but he merely wiped the trickle away from his eye and took a fighting stance. Cell chuckled. "I must admit, I do have just the tiniest bit of respect for you boy. You get up every time you're knocked down. Much more so than any of the other fools I've fought so far..."
Gohan growled. "Now you're complimenting me?! Would it kill you to make up your mind?!"
Cell chuckled. "No. But, it might kill you~"
Gohan flinched. "Wh-What?!"
Cell sighed and shrugged. "Well, Gohan, I've been listening to a little conversation while you and I have been having our scrap. Your little entourage in the ridge over there have been having quite the conversation. And, although I won't go into specifics, they seem to truly believe that you are the one who has the best chance of killing me~! Even more than Goku, if your dear grandfather's words are to be believed~"
Gohan's gaze shifted over to all of his friends on the sidelines. He saw all of their eyes on him. Gohan nodded. "Of course, they believe in me. I'm a warrior, just like them! I... I won't let them down!"
Cell smirked. "I'm sure you won't. After all, all of your problems will be solved if you just get angry, right?"
Gohan shuddered. Cell laughed. "Oh yes. I've heard them talking and, looking into my own data, I am in total agreement with the lot of them! Your actions against the Saiyans, the Frieza Force, and the various other rabble all point to the same conclusion: if I am to draw a worthwhile fight out of you, I must make you angry. That's correct, is it not?"
The boy reflected internally on all of the times his anger had carried him through an intense battle. How his sudden rage breaking through allowed him to exceed his limits and save everyone in a pinch. Gohan would be lying if he tried to say that thought hadn't crossed his mind, but he didn't think he would need that. He was strong, strong enough for all of his training partners to see him as an equal, strong enough for his father to look on him with pride not just as a son, but as a warrior too. Gohan knew he could do this. "Wrong!"
Gohan's power flared up and he glared right into Cell's eyes. "I don't need to get angry to beat you! I'm a strong enough warrior to take you on without that! I know I am!"
He gripped his fists. "Just like my father, and my grandfather, and all of my strong-willed comrades..."
Gohan shouted, doing just as Goku had done before him and unleashing all of his Full Power Super Saiyan strength at once. The sheer force of the power, exploding out of him like a balloon, went out in waves across the battlefield. For a moment, even Cell's composure was shattered. "O-Oh my..."
On the rocky ridges of the sidelines...
All of the Z-Fighters were dumbfounded. Even Bardock and Future Ranch, both of whom had trained with Gohan for a full year, were stunned at what they were seeing. Gohan let loose all of his strength that he was storing, all at once. And that power was enough to eclipse the power that Goku had shown beforehand.
Back on the battlefield...
Gohan stared at Cell with a cool-headed confidence. His stance was firm as he faced down the monster. "My father is more skilled than me, by far. In that regard, you're right on the money Cell. I was hoping that he would be able to outwit and outsmart you, because he's the best person to do that. But, with him defeated, it falls to me to step up in his place and overpower you!"
Cell chuckled. "So, you're going to overpower me without losing your temper, eh? Well then, Gohan..."
Gohan took off and charged directly at Cell. Cell charged right back at him with his fangs bared. "Let's play!"
The two fighters crashed into one another and a sonic boom was sent flying out. Cell laughed and disengaged. Attempting to fly in for a stomp on Gohan's back, the Android was surprised when the boy turned in mid-air and blocked the stomp with his knee. Gohan shouted and, with all of his strength, he kicked Cell away. And then, giving chase to the monster, he shot up into the air and punched Cell in the gut.
Cell retched and Gohan continued the assault. He battered Cell across the face again and again with rapid-fire kicks, finishing the assault with a mighty punch to Cell's jaw and a hammer-fist that sent the monster flying down to the wasteland below.
Cell landed with style, spider-web cracks forming beneath his feet, but Gohan was right on top of him. The two clashed again and Cell went for a knife-hand chop. Gohan countered with a knife-hand chop of his own and the two struggled against one another. Gohan growled under his breath and, not nearly as loudly, Cell did too. The two sent one another flying back and Gohan drew his arms to his sides. "Kamehameha!"
Gohan fired the beam and Cell dodged, only for Gohan to immediately fly up and punch him in the face. Cell sneered. "You're pretty fast!"
Gohan roared and slammed his knee under Cell's chin. He thrust his hand forward and fired another move borrowed from one of his peers. "Ravager Cannon!"
Cell gasped and immediately used his All Clear, swiping his hand and erasing the offending move that threatened to cut into him. Once Cell's hand was off to the side, however, Gohan rushed forward and slammed his shoulder into Cell's chest. Cell fell onto his back and Gohan leapt over him. "Masenko!"
Unlike before, this Masenko hit right on target. The blast drove itself into Cell's chest and forced him down through the ground. Cell gurgled as blood erupted from his throat. He looked up at Gohan and-
*POP*
-appeared right behind the boy, kicking him hard in the back of the head and sending him crashing into the ground below. Cell gasped and coughed, taking a deep breath to undo the massive dent that had been drilled into his chest. "Perhaps I was wrong in my initial assessment of you! In spite of your inexperience, you are quite the strong and skilled fighter. It's too bad about that..."
Gohan fired off into the air, throwing a punch that Cell dodged and going for a kick that Cell caught. Trapped, Gohan unfurled his tail and used it to smack Cell's wrist, forcing him to let go of Gohan's foot. Acting quickly, Gohan fired a massive blast into Cell's chest. The force of the blast sent Gohan flying backward and genuinely seemed to stun Cell.
Once his backward momentum stopped, Gohan fired forward and started charging another Kamehameha. With his defenses broken, Cell would have no way to counter the attack. And, although it wouldn't kill him, this might just give Gohan the opening he needed.
Gohan drew closer, his beam charged to the max. "Now then! Kamehame-"
Suddenly, like a trap, Cell's arms wrapped around Gohan's entire upper body like a vice and clamped harshly in place. Gohan's Kamehameha was dispersed and, suddenly, the boy found himself quite heavily ensnared. Cell squeezed him tight. "No no no! Not good enough, Gohan! Not good enough! This isn't what you promised me when we started this fight!"
Cell squeezed harder. "You told me that you'd overpower me! When will I be overpowered, brat?! When?!"
Gohan screamed as Cell's arms wrapped tighter and tighter around him. The monster was furious. As he squeezed Gohan, it seemed as if it was all over for the boy. But then, Gohan pulled out a surprise that no one saw coming! The boy instantly let go of his Super Saiyan form, his hair going black and his muscles shrinking down.
In that instant, Gohan bucked and managed to slip out of Cell's grip. And then, before the monster could react, Gohan reengaged his Super Saiyan form and shot up, kicking Cell in the jaw and sending him falling backwards. Cell hit the ground with a thud and Gohan landed next to him. As Cell sat up, Gohan took a fighting stance once more and prepared himself. Cell growled in frustration. "This is such a disappointment..."
Gohan sneered. "What are you talking about?!"
Cell rubbed his hand over his face. "How to explain this to a child...?"
He glared at Gohan. "You're a Saiyan...ish. So, perhaps, a food metaphor might work. Have you ever eaten a steak before that you knew had the potential to be a fantastic meal, but was so under-seasoned it almost made it taste worse than an actual bad steak...?"
Gohan growled at Cell got back to his feet. "Are you saying I'm like a bad steak?!"
Cell shook his head. "No. Not at all. You have strength and clear skill. The problem is that, listening to what your allies have to say about you, I know this could be better. And it's so frustrating!"
Cell's power flared out and made the ground crack at his feet. Gohan gripped his fists. "You haven't seen anything, yet! Let's keep fighting and I'll show you just how-"
The monster snapped at Gohan. "Shut up!"
Gohan flinched and gasped. Cell's voice had a venomous edge as he ranted. "I'm not in the mood for this idiocy! I want the final battle of my Cell Games to be a clash between two determined, seasoned warriors that ends with the winner overcoming a major challenge and being allowed to revel in triumph! I don't want my tournament, that I spent the past TEN DAYS waiting for, to end with me being forced to babysit and discipline some snot-nosed little brat that's more concerned with playing dress-up in his fake daddy's clothes to impress his real daddy and his grandfather!"
Cell looked down on Gohan quite harshly. "Do you have...any idea...how beneath me this all is?!"
Gohan's hands were shaking. "Wha...What?! I..."
Cell began to march forward. "You want to try and win this without relying on losing your temper?! You want me to stand around and humor you while you try to be Goku in place of the real Goku?! How patient have you deluded yourself into thinking I am?!"
Gohan tried not to back down from Cell. But, as the monster stomped forward, the boy instinctively stumbled back. Cell sneered. "Why do you think I mortally wounded your father like I did?! I need to have some metric for when to just call it quits with this meaningless farce!"
Gohan flinched, remembering the horrific state his father was in. He gritted his teeth and snarled as he lunged at Cell. Cell gasped, thinking that this might actually be the moment. In anticipation, he prepared himself. But, to Cell's dismay, Gohan kick smashed into the side of his face and only knocked a single tooth out. Cell sneered, his hateful gaze almost enough to blow a hole through the boy. "It's such a shame. For brief spurts, I can see what they're talking about. I can see that fire within you. And yet, it just won't erupt forth..."
Cell grabbed Gohan by the throat and squeezed tight. "What am I going to have to do to get a full view of that power of yours?!"
Up on the rocky ridges of the sidelines...
Once again, it appeared as if Gohan was in a bad spot. The rest of the Z-Fighters watched on in shock, all of them frozen in place. What could they do in this situation?!
As Bardock had pointed out, if they all rushed Cell at once he would just turn his attention to the Earth itself. Cell didn't have to breath, due to Frieza and King Cold's genes. If the Earth were to suddenly vanish, he would be just fine.
And if they tried to attack him one at a time, he'd just slaughter them one at a time. So, what option did they have? Just stand by and continue watching Gohan fight a fight he couldn't win until Goku died and Cell decided to kill them all anyway?
All seemed lost, until...
"GOHAN! I KNOW I TRAINED YOU BETTER THAN THAT! WAKE UP AND FOCUS! YOU CAN WIN! I KNOW YOU CAN!"
Everyone turned and stared in shock at Piccolo. The Namekian still looked completely livid with the situation, but the sentiment in his voice was genuine. With no other recourse, Piccolo would at least be there to support his student until the very end.
Vegeta growled under his breath. His pride as a warrior made him see this as truly shameful. But, even if he was ashamed, he knew that he wouldn't be lying when he shouted. "YOU ARE A SAIYAN WARRIOR, BOY! YOU'RE ONE OF THE STRONGEST SAIYAN WARRIORS I'VE EVER KNOWN! NOW DESTROY THAT FREAK FOR GOOD!"
Raditz swallowed a lump in his throat. "DON'T LET CELL GET TO YOU, GOHAN! HE TRIES TO PRY AWAY AT EVERYONE HE FIGHTS! KEEP A COOL HEAD AND HE'S DONE FOR!"
Future Trunks shouted. "YOU CAN DO THIS, GOHAN!"
Future Goten shouted as well. "YOU'VE GOT THIS, BIG BROTHER!"
Future Ranch yelled. "KICK HIS ASS, COUSIN!"
It didn't take long for Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha to start shouting their support too, pouring their hearts out and sending Gohan all of the encouragement they could think of. After a few minutes, Android 17 and Android 16 joined in as well.
Listening to the rest of his comrades shout their support, Bardock was eventually inspired to as well. "YOU CAN DO THIS GOHAN! YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE STRONGEST AMONG US! FINISH THIS GUY OFF SO THAT WE CAN ALL GO HOME TOGETHER!"
Back on the battlefield...
His resolve restored by his friends' encouraging words, Gohan hammered his fists down onto Cell's arm and broke the monster's grip around his throat. A new fire burned in Gohan's eyes and he took on a fighting stance. "There's still time to beat you! There's still time to save my Dad! I'm done playing your little games, Cell! I'm going to defeat you right now!"
Cell sneered as he glared over at the sidelines. "Those annoying meddlers. And that blasted...Piccolo..."
A thought appeared to run through Cell's mind and then a snide grin spread across his face. "Oh, that's perfect~! The perfect plan and the perfect way to pull my perfect fight out of this shitty little brat~!"
Cell cracked his neck and then shouted to the rest of the Z-Fighters. "Lady and Gentlemen! I have been the rudest of hosts throughout these games! Just because the lot of you are too worthless to be on my radar, that doesn't mean I should just leave you all standing there! You came to the Cell Games to fight Cell! And while you might not get to fight Perfect Cell, who am I to deny your desires~?"
The monster cocked his head. "There are thirteen of you, right?"
All of the Z-Fighters flinched. Cell chuckled. "Right..."
And then, something horrific happened. Cell hunched over and the stinger end of his tail sticking out of the base of his back opened wide. Cell took a deep breath and then, with a lot of effort and a lot of pushing, the monster forced thirteen wet, blue globs out of his backside. The thirteen of them splattered against the ground and rested there, writhing as they took shape.
Everyone was horrified by the sight, especially poor Gohan who was right next to them as they took shape. Eventually, these disturbing, blue blobs finished taking shape and their outer shells crystalized into a pack of miniature Cells. The lot of them took a second to adjust to their new surroundings, and then they each adopted the most horrifying, twisted looks on their faces and began to giggle like madmen.
Cell's tail closed and he sighed. "Allow me to introduce all of you to my illustrious children: the Cell Juniors!"
The hoard of Cell Juniors all shrieked with delight at their father's attention. Cell chuckled and glared up at the Z-Fighters, his gaze locking on Piccolo. "These little ones are yet another example of my expert use of the genes that make me up. A perfect combination of King Piccolo and King Cold's reproductive capabilities~ Each of them, individually, are just as strong as I was prior to my fight with Goku!"
Cell waved his hand towards the Z-Fighters. "They are my gift to you for your patience. Please, do have fun."
All of the Z-Fighters flinched. Gohan gasped in horror, his eyes going wide. Cell motioned with his finger. "Children. It's playtime~"
And then, like a hoard of chirping locusts, the Cell Juniors all took flight and launched themselves directly towards the Z-Fighters. Shocked, and knowing that the majority of his friends lacked the strength necessary to fight those things one-on-one, Gohan went sprinting towards the sidelines. "Hold on! Leave them out of-"
Cell chuckled. "Death Beam!"
The wicked, red beam of energy shot through the air and pierced through the back of Gohan's leg, coming out of his kneecap. Gohan cried out in pain, stumbling and falling flat onto his face. As he tried to push himself back up, Gohan cried out again as a second Death Beam pierced through his other knee. Cell stepped in front of the injured and crippled Gohan, blocking his path. "You will stay put, boy. The only way you are going to help them is by going through me~"
Shakily, Gohan raised his head up and glared up at Cell. Cell glared back at him and sneered. "Don't look at me like that! What's about to happen could have been prevented if you had just done as you were told and lost your temper, Gohan! The pain of all of your friends is solely your fault!"
Up on the rocky ridges of the sidelines...
As quick as a flash of lightning, the Cell Juniors were right in top of the Z-Fighters. Before a single warrior could react, the little blue demons all screeched and charged into their foes, tackling them back and engaging in a wild brawl!
Vegeta leapt back and immediately powered up to Super Saiyan Grade 2. He drew his arm back and launched it forward at the Cell Junior with a primal scream, going for a chop against the little hellion. The Cell Junior smiled wide and grabbed the hand. Vegeta flinched and, immediately, the Cell Junior opened its mouth wide and chomped down on Vegeta's fingers, blood gushing from between the little imp's teeth. Vegeta screamed out in pain. "Aghhhhhhhhh! Shit!"
Using the Prince's arm as leverage, the Cell Junior pulled itself up and kicked Vegeta in the stomach, sending the Saiyan Prince flying back.
Piccolo, meanwhile, was utterly livid with this entire situation. With his blood already boiling with rage at the situation Gohan had been forced into, the Namekian launched himself towards his Cell Junior with murderous intent. He threw a punch, but the Cell Junior quickly dodged out of the way. Reacting quickly, the little monster sent a sharp kick upward and snapped Piccolo's arm at the elbow. Piccolo snarled in pain and reflexively pulled his arm inward. The Cell Junior chortled and tried to rush at Piccolo, only for Piccolo to dodge out of the way.
The little monster was confused, but Piccolo's intentions quickly became clear. He slung his broken arm forward, stretching it out like a rope and wrapping it around the Cell Junior like a lasso. And then, with all of the momentum he could force into the swing, Piccolo launched the Cell Junior and his broken arm down into a rocky structure below. Feeling no movement, Piccolo briefly thought he had dealt some form of lasting damage. But then, he was quickly yanked down by his arm towards the dust cloud below. Rocketing out from the dust, the Cell Junior looked sadistically eager as it flew towards Piccolo. It extended out its arm and Piccolo gasped. He tried to block with his remaining hand, but the Cell Junior was able to PENETRATE! through Piccolo's torso. Gasping in shock and pain as he hovered there, a massive hole in his torso, Piccolo was unable to defend as the Cell Junior sent him flying with a kick to the head.
Watching as Piccolo landed, Bardock called out to his comrade. "Piccolo!"
In this brief moment of distraction, the Cell Junior seized its chance. It wrapped its hands around Bardock's throat and Bardock gurgled beneath the grip. "D-Damn you..."
His face turning purple, Bardock snarled. "I... I will not be strangled...by some whelp!"
Bardock punched the Cell Junior in the stomach and sent it flying back through the air. The little, blue demon was not gone long however. Only encouraged by Bardock's willingness to fight back despite how outmatched he was, the Cell Junior rushed back in for more. Bardock went in for a kick, but the little hellion dodged. And then, in an act meant to be cruel more than anything, the Cell Junior extended out its fingernails and sliced them through the backs of both of Bardock's calves. Bardock winced in pain. "You little son of a bitch..."
The Cell Junior laughed out loud and shot up like a pinball, slamming harshly into Bardock's back until it heard several pops. Flipping out of the way, Bardock allowed the Cell Junior to go flying into the sky and then gave chase. He formed a Rebellion's Edge on the side of his hand and lunged upward towards the Cell Junior. Bardock swung his hand to cut the little beast in half, but the Cell Junior quickly dodged out of the way. Bardock shot down at the Cell Junior. "You won't get away that easily!"
The Cell Junior stuck out its tongue and flipped Bardock off. And then, in the ultimate show of disrespect, it snorted as hard as it could and then hocked a loogie right into Bardock's eyes. Bardock was stunned, stopping to wipe his eyes clean. The Cell Junior, feeling confident, rushed at Bardock to deliver a follow-up attack. Bardock snarled and thrust his hand forward, firing off five Destructo-Darts. Two of the darts missed, but three of them shot through the Cell Junior's chest came out of its back. Bardock was livid. "Don't you dare to underestimate us, you little bastards!"
The Cell Junior responded by rocketing forward and hammering Bardock across the face. Bardock took it in stride and delivered a punch back, to lesser effect.
As Bardock fought in the air with his Cell Junior, and Piccolo and Vegeta both fought in the distance with theirs, Krillin was freaking out and doing his best just to survive. Unlike the Saiyans, unlike Piccolo, unlike the Androids, and, hell, even unlike Tien, Krillin did not come here prepared to have to fight something as strong as Cell all by himself.
Not to say that Krillin was a coward. No, he fought rather valiantly, he was just well aware that he was at a major disadvantage. Dodging every attack that he could, the monk was actually starting to piss off his Cell Junior. The little cretin was thirsty for blood and Krillin was proving, thus far, to be a dry tap. It needed to think of a way to stun the fast-moving warrior in order to really start laying in the hurt like it wanted to. And then, as Krillin dodged another blast, the Cell Junior suddenly got an idea. It looked at Krillin's outfit, the orange Turtle School gi with a blue undershirt, and then it turned and saw Goku's unconscious body just lying there.
Sure, it would be defying Papa Cell's orders if it killed Goku, but the Cell Junior was willing to take that risk. Turning and shrieking, it hurled a Murder Grenade right towards Goku's prone body. Krillin, seeing his best friend in jeopardy, immediately rushed to his aid. "Goku!"
Krillin leapt over Goku's body and then the Murder Grenade hit, causing a flashy explosion. The Cell Junior cooed and clapped, thinking that it had gotten Krillin good. But then, the smoke cleared and the creature became quite angry. Looming over and untouched Krillin and a still-living Goku was the slightly damaged, armorless form of Android 16.
Krillin looked up at his savior. "A-Android 16?!"
16 smiled. "We must all do our part to protect one another, yes?"
Krillin smiled. But then, he was immediately sent flying by a kick to the face. The Cell Junior that had been chasing Krillin turned to 16 with a scowl and unleashed a Gravity Impact into his chest. Android 16's outer skin sagged as the metal inner-workings of his chest caved in and he was sent flying back. The Cell Junior chasing Krillin fired three blasts that all hit Krillin dead on, and then it lunged at the bald monk to do more damage.
16's Cell Junior, meanwhile, ran between his legs like the little gremlin it was. It grabbed 16 by the ankle and, with a twist, it tore off 16's left leg below the knee. 16 landed with a thud and shakily pushed himself up to see the disturbing sight of the Cell Junior ripping his severed foot to shreds. 16 sneered. "This is madness..."
Seeing 16 literally a leg down, Android 17 rocketed towards his partner. "Don't worry 16, I'm coming!"
17's Cell Junior, annoyed at being blown off, gave chase. 17 could see the little monster tailing him out of the corner of his eye, and he really wasn't in the mood for dealing with it at the moment. Turning to face it, 17 thrust his hand forward and trapped the little, blue devil in an Energy Barrier Sphere. The Cell Junior thrashed and pounded against the shield. "Eyayayayayayayaya!"
Android 17 flew up to the barrier and pressed his hands against it. "You awful little brat! Take a time out!"
17 flooded the entirety Energy Sphere with his electric ki. The Cell Junior was zapped into submission, snarling like an enraged dog the entire time. 17 sneered. "Now get the hell out of my sight!"
With all of his strength, 17 dunked the Cell Junior down to the ground below. The Energy Sphere hit the ground and 17 chased it was a barrage of ki blasts. Thinking he had put the monster at bay for a few minutes, 17 turned to rush and help 16. But he was immediately ambushed from below by the little monster crashing into his stomach. 17's eyes bugged out and he was sent flying into the air, his Cell Junior quickly chasing after him.
As 17 went flying by, Yamcha was horrified. "Everyone is being stomped by these guys! Piccolo and Vegeta and even Android 17! What the hell am I supposed to do?!"
Yamcha was answered by his Cell Junior flying in from the side and drop-kicking him in the face. The martial artist went bouncing and was landed on by the demonic little hellion. Yamcha put up his hands to defend himself, but the Cell Junior quickly broke through his guard. Stomping its little feet down onto Yamcha's forearms, the Cell Junior had him pinned. It glowered down at Yamcha, wickedly giggling much to the former bandit's horror. "S-Stop laughing like that you little bastard!"
The Cell Junior, breaking from its creepy façade, winked and stuck out its tongue. Yamcha flinched. "Wait, wha-"
And then, the cruelty fully back on display, the Cell Junior compressed all of its fingertips into a single point and started to dig its nails into Yamcha's cheek scar. Yamcha shrieked in pain, struggling to pull himself loose at the little monster engaged in no less than cold-blooded torture.
As the little freak really started to go to town on Yamcha's face, Chiaotzu look horrified. "Y-Yamcha!"
A fist slammed against the psychic barrier that Chiaotzu had created. This barrier was the only thing between the little warrior and certain death. He was well and truly no match for this thing all by himself. Trapped in a little alcove in the rocks, Chiaotzu could only stare in horror as the little blue beast created specifically to kill him slammed its fist against his mental barrier over and over again. The little cretin dragged its tongue up the surface of the barrier and slammed its fist again, its manic eyes displaying utter contempt for Chiaotzu as he hid within. Chiaotzu cried out. "Tien! Help me!"
Tien turned to see his friend in a tight spot. He cried out. "Chiaotzu!"
In that brief moment of distraction, the Cell Junior that Tien was fighting leapt up and smashed a massive boulder over Tien's head. Blood spurted from Tien's nose and his arms immediately went limp. The Cell Junior, with a joyous screech, kicked Tien in the side and sent him flying. Tien bounced off the ground and went rolling down a hill into a small crevice below.
Shakily, he pushed himself up. "D-Damn..."
The three-eyed warrior looked up and gasped in shock. Looming over him, on the ground high above, was the Cell Junior. The little monster chuckled and then slammed its fist into the side of a rocky spire. The spire crumbled and the massive boulders fell, burying Tien alive beneath the rubble.
Being the only ones with any real sense of team dynamics in a fight, the Cell Junior experience was going a lot differently for the Future Trio. The three of them were still taking damage from their dealings with the smaller Cells, but they were somehow managing to deal just as much damage back. Covering for each other's flaws, the Future Trio were able to keep the Cell Juniors out of their blind spots and this genuinely put the battle on a more even keel. Future Trunks, Future Goten, and Future Ranch, all of them in Super Saiyan Grade 2, were standing tall.
They each flared their power, their tails unfurling and blistering with Super Saiyan aura. Future Trunks drew his sword. "You think we're scared of some sadistic little brats?!"
Future Goten drew his Power Pole. "We've been dealing with monsters like you our entire lives!"
Future Ranch pulled out a modified Fedorov Avtomat and installed a fresh magazine. "Come at us with all you have! We'll tear you little bastards apart!"
The Cell Juniors, all three eager for a challenge, gladly complied. They lunged in at the Future Trio and shrieked at the top of their lungs. The Future Trio, not willing to back down from this fight, charged right back and prepared to go to war with the Cell Juniors.
Finally, Raditz was facing his Cell Junior as best he could. The moment the little beast had singled him out to be attack, Raditz activated his Oozaru Force and met the miniature demon with as much strength as he could muster. The two of them had been brawling back and forth ever since, with Raditz at a noticeable disadvantage.
The Cell Junior rushed in and Raditz tried to swat it with his tail, but the little demon easily weaved past that and delivered a spinning uppercut to Raditz's jaw. The elder brother flew up into the air and, once his upward ascent stopped, he opened his mouth and a jet of blood, alongside two broken teeth, came flying out. Raditz was in freefall. As he arched backwards, he looked down at the battlefield below and saw a horrific sight: the Cell Juniors were, in various stages of success, utterly dominating the Z-Fighters.
Raditz groaned. "Wh-What the hell do we do...?"
And then, the Cell Junior slammed its knee down into Raditz's stomach and the two of them crashed down into the rocks below.
Back with Gohan and Cell...
As the brutalization of the Z-Fighters continued on the ridges surrounding the wasteland, Gohan and Cell both remained in their place watching on. Cell was quite satisfied with the horrific acts of violence his children were inflicting on his enemies. Gohan, meanwhile, was chilled to the bone to see such awful things happening to his beloved friends and family.
Each scream, each heavy blow, each searing blast, and each crackling bone rang out like gunshots right next to the boy's ear. He gripped his injured knees, blood spurting and leaking from them and pooling around his pants. But that physical pain was nothing compared to the torment that Gohan was feeling within. "S-Stop..."
Yamcha came sliding towards the edge of one of the ridges. His cheek was pouring with blood and he looked to be heavily battered. His Cell Junior casually strolled up, whistling a merry tune, and then began to literally kick the former bandit while he was down. Yamcha was struck in the ribs again and again until his sharp yelps became little more than dull grunts of pain. Tears began to form in Gohan's eyes. "Please...stop..."
Future Trunks, Future Goten, and Future Ranch were all losing steam as their bouts continued. Vegeta's forehead was bloody. Raditz could barely stay on his feet. Piccolo took a massive knee to the gut. And Android 16 roared in pain as his Cell Junior bit off two of his fingers. Gohan cried out. "Cell! Please! Make them stop!"
Cell scoffed. "Sorry, was that the sound of you powering up? I can't hear you..."
Gohan was trembling. He summoned a blast into his hand and fired it at Cell's back. "I said make them stop!"
The blast collided with Cell's back and exploded. A massive plume of smoke engulfed Cell's upper body and Gohan stared towards the monster with hitched breath. A wind blew in and the smoke cleared, revealing that Cell was no worse for wear, minus a few scuffs on his back. The monster turned and glared at Gohan with disdain. "Was that it?!"
Gohan was terrified, but he gritted his teeth and snarled. "You wanted me angry?! I'm angry! Now call off those little monsters of yours and fight me!"
Cell rolled his eyes and marched over to Gohan. He loomed over the boy, his seven-foot form making Gohan's five-foot form look microscopic in comparison. Silence filled the air and the monster glared at the boy. Gohan tried to bow up at Cell. "Well?! Are we going to fight or-"
The monster crouched down and got eye level with Gohan. Gohan flinched in fear. Cell stared into the boy's eyes and then snarled through gritted teeth. "Hit me."
Gohan seemed confused. Cell said it again, not breaking eye contact. "Hit me."
The boy trembled. But, he eagerly obliged. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Gohan threw the hardest punch he could and nailed Cell straight in the face. The blow would have been devastating under any other circumstances, but it barely registered in this one instance. Cell's head barely budged and he narrowed his eyes in disdain.
Behind Cell, a Cell Junior and its opponent both crashed into the ground. When the dust settled, it was revealed to be Krillin on the receiving end of the beating. Gohan gasped in shock, seeing Krillin's eyes half-lidded. He tried to call out to his friend, but Cell's hand quickly clamped over his mouth. Without breaking eye contact with Gohan, Cell called out to his wicked child. "Break Krillin's forearm!"
Gohan flinched. The Cell Junior chuckled. "Yes Papa~!"
And then, grabbing Krillin's right wrist, the Cell Junior stomped on Krillin's forearm and broke both of the bones clean in half. Krillin screamed in pain and agony and Gohan cried out beneath Cell's grip. The monster spoke bluntly. "Now, carry that trash from my sight!"
The Cell Junior happily complied. "Yes Papa~!"
And then, with a heavy kick, it sent Krillin flying away and gave chase. Cell removed his hand and Gohan screamed. "No! Tell them to stop! Tell them to-"
Cell seized Gohan by the jaw, squeezing the boy's lower face so hard that his lips forcibly puckered. Cell spoke with spite and anger, not breaking eye contact with Gohan. "Hit. Me."
Tears were streaming down Gohan's face. His lower lip quivered. But he did as he was told. He raised his fist up and quickly swung it towards Cell's face, going for another punch. Before the punch could even connect, however, Cell's hand shot up and grabbed one of Gohan's frontal incisors and ripping it out in one, clean motion. Gohan was in shock for a moment, and then the blood shot out from his gums and he screamed in pain as he fell backwards.
Cell was seething as he stood back up. But his mood only managed to get worse as he looked down at what was in his grip. "Is this...a baby tooth?!"
Cell crushed the tooth in his grip and a massive vein popped out of his forehead. "I traded my spectacular final victory over Goku for this?!"
And then, all of his hatred and aggression bubbling out all at once, Cell pulled his leg back and booted the agonized Gohan as hard as he could in the ribs, sending the boy flying through the air like a piece of trash and crashing into the distance.
Up in the air...
Witnessing the horror of what was unfolding below, Bardock was immediately distracted from what he was doing. He cried out in horror and immediately started flying down to the ground below. "Gohan!"
As he tried to rush to the boy's aide, however, Bardock was suddenly seized mid-air by the Cell Junior he had been fighting. The little beast wrapped its arms around Bardock's neck and tried to choke him out yet again. Bardock snarled and his Super Saiyan aura flared. "Didn't I just tell you, you little brat?! A freak like you won't strangle me to death!"
Back on the ground...
Gohan struggled to even push himself into a sitting position, coughing and hacking as he heard metallic, clomping footsteps drawing nearer and nearer. Blood was oozing from his mouth and he was in so much pain he could barely move. At this point, Gohan felt utterly outmatched and that terrified him more than anything. Was this how his father, how his grandfather, how Piccolo and Vegeta felt when they stood up to overwhelming pressure like this?
Gohan wanted to be so much like them, like the people he trusted and respected in life. But, as he laid there, gasping for breath and hearing death drawing closer and closer, Gohan couldn't help but admit that he was utterly terrified. His confidence was crumbling and he was genuinely afraid that he was going to die.
As Gohan struggled to get up, to even face the deadly specter that was approaching him, however, the metallic clomping suddenly came to a stop. Gohan flinched and slowly looked up. The first thing his eye registered was a gi billowing in the wind. He looked closer and observed a tall, muscular figure. He observed a large mane of jet-black hair. This person, their presence was so familiar. Gohan shakily called out. "D-Dad...?"
"No, young man. I mean, I am a Dad...I just ain't yours..."
Gohan gasped, his pupils shrinking as it became very apparent to him who was standing in front of him. Gohan's vision cleared and he took in what exactly was going on. Immediately, he began to stammer. "N-No! No! You have to get out of here! You'll be killed!"
The muscular figure put his hands on his hips, standing firm. Gohan's voice broke as he called out. "Wh-What are you doing?!"
Mr. Satan, his eyes full of fire, stared dead ahead at the dumbfounded Cell. He spoke in a voice dipping into a deadly serious, low register. "I am putting a stop to all of this madness. Right now!"
From behind a nearby rock, Jimmy Firecracker and his cameraman both watched Mr. Satan in reverent awe. Jimmy Firecracker spoke in fractured sentences. "In spite of...ladies and gentlemen...every horrific thing we've witnessed today..."
The reporter swallowed a lump in his throat. "In spite of Cell's overwhelming evil, the World Champion Mr. Satan has stepped up once again as a true hero willing to combat the madness!"
Ignoring the high-strung reporter having a meltdown behind him, Gohan cried out. Tears were built in the boy's eyes, his empathetic heart not wanting to see any more blood be shed. "Please! You have to get away while you can! Cell will kill you! I don't want to see that happen! And my father certainly wouldn't have either! So, please-"
Mr. Satan spoke in a hushed tone, so low that only Gohan could really hear. It was clear, just from his voice, that this was neither about fame nor cameras this time around. "Your father could have finished all of this up if it wasn't for me. You know that, right?"
Gohan shook his head. "Who cares?! It doesn't matter that you made my Dad lose, it was a choice he would have made no matter what! That's just who my father is! So please, at least run so that his sacrifice doesn't end up being pointless! Cell shouldn't be allowed to pray on any other innocent lives! He can't be allowed to!"
The boy attempted to get to his feet, but a spurt of blood from his injured knees sent him crashing back to the ground. He struggled. "Just let me get back to my feet and I'll beat Cell! I swear I will!"
"AND WHY IS BEATING CELL YOUR PROBLEM?!"
Gohan flinched. Mr. Satan looked back at the boy, tears building in his eyes and his chest heaving. "I get it, kid, you're strong. Stronger than any adult here! And you've got the heart and the willpower to be a really great martial artist one day! You deserve all of the credit in the world for stepping up to this fight, but..."
The hulking martial artist gripped his fists. "I have a kid at home. She's just about the same age as you. A real go-getter. Stronger than I ever was at her age. She's my pride and joy the same way I bet you are for your Dad. She would do anything to make me proud..."
Mr. Satan gritted his teeth. "But she's still just a kid, dammit. She doesn't deserve to have the weight of the world thrown on her shoulders because the grown-ups just couldn't hack it! All of the worlds problem ain't something that should just be passed on the generation that comes after us! As the adults of this world, we should be willing to fight tooth and nail to give kids like you and my little girl the best future possible!"
Gohan was speechless. With the Mr. Satan persona having entirely crumbled away, Mark was simply declaring his beliefs. "It is shameful for all of us adults that we've just stood by and allowed this to happen! We've failed! And, more personal, I'm ashamed that I forced that father of yours to sacrifice his victory to save my life! If I don't do something about this, I'd never even be able to pick my head up off the ground, much less face my wife and daughter again..."
He turned and smiled at Gohan, shooting the boy a thumbs-up. "So, just leave this to me kid. I'm a champ just like that father of yours is! I would let that cheap trickster Cell hurt you anymore so long as I'm standing! I'd have to die for that to happen!"
And then, Mark turned and came face-to-face with an utterly humorless Cell. The monster looked the martial artist dead in the eyes and then reared back his fist for a single, killer punch. "Die."
Mark screamed in fear and Cell thrust his fist forward. But then, at the last possible moment, something fell from the sky that saved Mr. Satan's life. Cell looked shocked and so did Gohan as, falling like a stone, a Cell Junior crashed into Mr. Satan's head, shoving him to the ground and taking the punch meant for him right to the face.
The little blue hellion went flying off of the end of its father's fist and went crashing into a nearby rockface, making it crumble. Cell blinked twice. "What the hell...?"
"Well said..."
And then, raining from the air like a heat-seeking missile, Bardock did a diving dropkick that sent Cell sliding backwards. The older Saiyan stood firmly in front of the collapsed Gohan and Mr. Satan. He glared across the wasteland at Cell and his Super Saiyan power flared.
Cell sneered at Bardock. "What do you want, you loser?"
Bardock responded by reaching up, grabbing the tails of his headband and pulling it tight around his forehead. "I'm a Saiyan, Cell. So, ain't it clear that I came her lookin' for a fight?"
