Chapter 27 Things Heat Up
In the IW Universe
Within a training room, Cell and his junior offspring were getting ready to be trained by Azula and Infinite along with several empire soldiers, some of which resembled fire nation warriors. "Alright men, you know what to do, and what will happen if you don't" Azula encouraged but with a threatening undertone. "Begin" Infinite declared starting the session. The soldiers immediately advanced on their opponents. Cell and his junior offspring met them in the middle of the arena. The two fashions began to clash with one another. Some of the empire soldiers fought with Ray guns and swords, others fought with ki and fire attacks. "Watch out! Be careful!" Cell yelled out to his children as one of them was nearly incinerated by a soldiers blaze and another nearly be headed. Cell himself was then charged by Azula who used acrobatics to scale up his body and put her hands on his open eyes. Her hands let out a burst of flames. "Ahhh!" Cell screeched in pain blinded. Suddenly a mass of tiny red cubicle particles fabricated into existence. Infinite could be seen glowing and gesturing his hands, him having made his move. The particle mass abruptly exploded. "Goten?! What's going on?!" Cell yelled out in fear as despite his eyes still recovering and blind, he could see visions of Goten from his universe attacking him and his children again. His actual children were in similar conditions, them being subjected to visions of their father getting killed and attacks from an unknown source that wasn't there. They were suffering this while still being attacked by the real empire soldiers. "Ha ha ha, try to discern reality from my ruby's illusions ha ha" Infinite teased mockingly. Under the influence of the Phantom Ruby's illusions, cell and his children were disoriented and unable to focus on the real threats. Soon through a series of fire and ki blasts mixed with gunfire and swordsmanship the soldiers had the bug android family down on the ground. "Ow no fair!" One of the cell juniors whined. "Yeah you didn't tell us there were gonna be any illusions!" Another cell junior said in pained annoyance. "I agree! What the hell man!" Yet another cell junior cried. "Your foolish to think your enemies will show restraint in a battlefield. It's either you win and they die, you die or you cowardly bail out and I punish you, you best learn that before you have a real assignment, no one gets special treatment around here" Azula stated firmly in a creepy manner. "Very well, but if that's the case, then why weren't the soldiers given illusions as well?" Cell argued back, partially agreeing with his children. "Oh they were, every being even Azula were enduring illusions just like you lot, except for me of course due to my immunity as bearer of the Phantom Ruby" Infinite boasted cockily. "We've just learned to ignore or fight them off, it might take awhile for you to get it, but I'm sure you'll get there, in say, hell? Ha ha ha!" Azula insulted. The cell juniors all gained disappointed, depressed expressions on their faces. Cell looked at them and felt anger towards the two rude generals who dared insult his own flesh and blood. "You know I don't appreciate you telling my kids that they'll fail" Cell said irately standing up. "Please at this rate that luny Deadpool from the resistance could take them out, and he talks to himself or the wall" Azula said waving off Cell's complaint. "Speaking of the resistance" Starscream said suddenly entering the facility. "Our scientists and analysts have studied the temporal anomalies. The big one's source is still unknown, however some of the smaller ones match the energy signature of the chaos emeralds. They've deduced that they originated from another reality. Lord Shredder has ordered that we along with Commander Deathstroke take a small army with us and use our chaos emeralds and the All Spark to travel to the other dimension. They believe that Shadow, Goten and perhaps Xavier are hold up there" Starscream explained. "Excellent, when do we depart?" Infinite asked. "In a few hours so be prepared" Starscream answered, "by the way Shredder also wants us to bring some klntar with us. "Oh god not those gross things again" Azula complained disgusted. "Why the hell did Shredder let Xavier talk him into bringing those parasites into the empire?! There like locusts, just attacking and consuming every living thing in site" Infinite protested. "Remember, Goten is mine and mine alone to destroy" Cell interjected. "Excuse you?" Azula said raising an eyebrow at Cell's demands. "You are beneath us, don't be giving us orders with respect or power you don't have" Starscream scolded. Cell growled in anger at the generals, knowing that they were right. Part of him wished he was back in his own reality where his only competition was Goten. Now here he was in a universe where even most of the lowly soldiers could take him down in minutes. The android felt like he went from an alpha lion to an ant. "Get your shit together bug man and go weld armor for our army!" Starscream ordered. "How about you do it while I continue training so I can get strong enough to best Goku and you fuckers" Cell retaliated in a polite but mocking tone. "Or maybe you just do what your told and you won't be incinerated out of existence just like Shredder did with Megastron!" Starscream barked back in an equally fake politeness and mocking voice. Cell was about to retort when his children rushed in between their father and the decepticon. " Stop bullying Daddy!" One of the cell juniors yelled. "Yeah!" The rest shouted. "Hmph your little buggers are very brave to stand up to me for your impotence. Sure would be a terrible shame if somebody were to...stomp on them" Starscream threatened menacingly. Cell's face quickly grew panicked and afraid for his children's lives. He wasn't sure why he felt this way about them, but he felt like he needed to protect them, rather than himself. "Silence!" Shredder's voice boomed announcing his presence near the entrance alongside Deathstroke. "Cease this foolishness immediately and get back to making the preparations for the invasion!" Deathstroke commanded fiercely. "B-but I was gonna make Cell do it" Starscream whined pitifully. "Insubordinate piece of scrap! Cell has no experience readying an army! You do! You need to do it to ensure you succeed in your mission and so that not all of the soldiers die!" Shredder reprimanded Starscream angrily. "Ugh fine, you got lucky this time bug boy!" Starscream whining like a spoiled child walking out of the training room, Infinite and Azula following close behind, both shooting Cell glares of inferiority. "Our apologies for my generals's behavior, those three especially Starscream tend to be rather rowdy and troublesome, though they are great warriors when I need them to be" Shredder explained in a surprisingly nice manner. "Um yeah thank you" Cell thanked half heartedly surprised by Shredder's gentle attitude and back up. "Your children weren't harmed at all were they?" Deathstroke asked. "No there- woah!" Cell was interrupted by his children running him over to Shredder and Deathstroke. "Thanks for saving our dad!" one of the cell juniors thanked cheerfully. "Your welcome little ones, now go on and get ready, you'll be joining your father on the expedition in a few hours" Shredder said. "Yay!" All the cell juniors cheered as they ran to their quarters to prepare. "You and your kids will prove valuable assets in our quest of multiversal domination" Deathstroke complemented Cell. Cell picked himself up smiling with pride at knowing he would get his revenge on Goten and he along with his children shall rule multiple universes. Then a question came to Cell, one he'd been meaning to ask since he first agreed to join the empire. "Say I never got around to asking, why exactly are we taking over the twelve universes?" Cell asked very curious. Shredder's red eyes glowed as if angered before answering. "For far too long, the gods that created reality as we know it have been utterly neglectful and abusive of the mortal realm! They very rarely interact with mortals and the few times they do, they just kill them for fun! The vile childish Omni King just went ahead and erased six whole universes for no reason! But soon I shall lead the entire mortal realm into the god realm and slaughter them all! Vengeance will be mine!" Shredder explained angrily in a speech of rage. Cell warily backed away sensing Shredder's ki flare up and dwarf everyone else around and himself combined. "Take it easy there, remember we are very close, just a few more solar systems in each universe and then every mortal that isn't part of the resistance will be under our command" Deathstroke assured to calm down his master. Shredder sighed and his eyes lost their glow. "Yes, very soon, thank you, come along we have work to do" Shredder exclamation leading Deathstroke and Cell to plan their attack. Unknown to them, a spirit like figure was watching them from above. It was Korra's spiritual projection that she created to observe the area without being seen or leaving her captive state, if she even could. The spirit faded as Korra stopped meditating. She along with Deadpool, Bumblebee and Venom were being held captive in a prison with absorbtonium chains wrapped tightly around them. "Apparently Shadow and Goten were transported to another reality, Shredder and Cell are planning to use their three chaos emeralds and the All Spark to travel there and capture them" Korra explained to her team. "Damn we gotta get outta here and help them before the empire attacks!" Bumblebee said determined. "And how are we gonna do that huh bucket of bolts!" Venom yelled frustrated, "with these fucking chains on I can't even slither my way out!". "Calm down you gooey savage! Deadpool you got any ideas?" Bumblebee asked. "No, let's ask the readers! Hey y'all! Any of you got any ideas to escape?!" Deadpool asked talking to the wall as though there was someone there. "Oh great! Deadpool's talking to nobody again! Dammit Deadpool focus!" Venom yelled angrily. "Hey! Alright I'll focus, this one reader just said I was annoying! Screw you and your mother Leroy!" Deadpool screamed out crazily making the other three with him moan at his insanity.
In the GT Universe
The Z warriors and their families were awaiting anxiously for any signs of Phoenix's return along with Pan and the Supreme Kai. "Gohan! What is Goten doing with Pan!? I'm so scared for her!" Videl yelled at Gohan, extremely worried for her daughter's wellbeing. "I don't know Videl, but whatever he has done to her, he's gonna regret it, brother or not" Gohan said determined though internally still conflicted with fighting his little brother for his daughter. Suddenly all ki sensing members of the z warriors picked up Phoenix's ki signature and countless citizen ones disappear. "He's back!" Tien exclaimed. "I can sense Pan and the Supreme Kai along with him, but Pan's energy feels... strange, different and it's fluctuating wildly, like it's unstable" Krillin said worryingly. Gohan grew angry at this news. He didn't know how or why any of this was happening but one thing's for sure, he's going to make it all right somehow. "Let's go Gohan!" Vegeta called out powering up to fly to Phoenix's location. "Right!" Gohan agreed also powering up and the two took off in pursuit. Bulla looked on, feeling like she should go help them. She may have had little to no experience with fighting, but she could fly and knew some techniques from her father that he taught her when she was little. "Pan is my best friend, if something's happened to her, then I at least want to help take Goten down!" Bulla thought in her mind, making it up and taking off to follow her father and Gohan.
In Satan City
Phoenix along with his apprentice Pan and hostage Kai appeared over the city and he immediately began blowing sections of it up killing many citizens and sending the rest into panic. "Serves you right for worshiping someone else as your god! That's blasphemy! Want to repent?! Then allow me only to turn all of you into lovely fireworks! Ha ha ha!" Phoenix laughed insanely. Just then Gohan and Vegeta arrived on the scene, Bulla landing too a few seconds later behind them though they didn't seem to notice her. "Enough Goten!" Gohan yelled angrily getting Phoenix's attention and halting his massacre. "It's Phoenix! P-H-O-E-N-I-X Phoenix! Get that through that thick skull of yours before I crush it!" Phoenix screamed angrily at his brother's incessant use of his old name. "Doesn't matter what you call yourself, what have you done with Pan and the Supreme Kai?!" Vegeta interrogated. "Pan has joined me in my quest to cleanse the universe of inferior beings such as yourselves, as for the Kai he currently tending to Pan as she has fallen under the weather" Phoenix explained with a proud sick smile on his face, then pointed towards the sky seeing Kibito Kai floating above with Pan in his arms. Despite the Kai's efforts however Pan's condition had worsened. She had broken into a cold sweat and was moaning in pain as her muscles ached, her head pounded, stomach churned. Gohan was stricken with fear and anger at the sight of his daughter so ill. Phoenix you hadn't even bothered to look, turned to check and was also alarmed by Pan's state. "Hey! I told you to make her better! She looks worse than before!" Phoenix yelled in a fury at the Kai. "I-I'm sorry, I've cast many healing spells on her but none of them seem to be working, I can't even identify the ailment!" Kibito Kai yelled back frantically afraid for his life and anxious as to what was making pan sick. "Do your job or I swear you will experience my own personal version of hell!" Phoenix threatened enraged uninterested in the Kai's excuses and worrying over the only soul he cares about. "That's it! I don't know what happened to you or why your doing this Goten, but it ends here! Give Pan back right now!" Gohan screamed angrily turning super saiyan two. "No! She is mine and mine alone! Now die!" Phoenix barked back his black fiery ki flaring up around him. The demon charged up a ball of ki then shot it at Gohan who dodged it. Gohan then retaliated with his own ball of ki. It flew directly into Phoenix's face. "Ahhh! Your just like Mai with all the blinding tricks!" Phoenix yelled angrily covering his burned eyes, temporarily blinded. Then Vegeta as a super saiyan two came in and punched Phoenix in the stomach. "Who the hell are you talking about?! You better clear what little bit of a head you have left and fight if you wanna live!" Vegeta questioned annoyed and confused. "Ha ha ha that's funny I was just about to say the exact same thing to you Mr Widow's peak!" Phoenix retorted, then uncovered his eyes. The demon then fazed behind Vegeta, elbowing the former prince on his back sending him crashing to the streets of the partially destroyed city below. Before Phoenix could descend down he sensed Gohan's energy powering up and turned around to see him charging an attack. "Makenko ha!" Gohan let out a giant yellow electrical beam straight towards Phoenix. But all the deity did was lazily raise his hand blocking the attack, even yawning in boredom. "Yawwwn, so year one" Phoenix said condoning Gohan's pitiful attempt. Gohan growled and charged towards Phoenix again with a series of kicks and punches. The demonic deity didn't even budge at their force. He took them all as though they were just air. "Oooh! That tickles! Ha ha ha!" Phoenix laughed and jerked around happily like a little kid unnerving Gohan. Suddenly Vegeta rocketed upwards from below and struck Phoenix right in his groin when it was vulnerable. "Dohhh! Owww! Ahhh! That's not funny..." Phoenix whined in excruciating pain. "Gohan now!" Vegeta called out. Gohan and Vegeta flip jumped back further from Phoenix. "Ka...meh...ha...meh" Gohan chanted as he cupped his hands back in the signature stance charging a blue orb of energy. "Final...!" Vegeta began also charging a large sparkling neon ball of energy. "Ha!" "Shine attack!" Gohan and Vegeta exclaimed unleashing their respective attacks at Phoenix. They collided with a brilliant planet shaking explosion. As the dust cleared both fighters looked around to see if their assault worked. Bulla at a distance coughed up dust and also scanned the area for any signs of Phoenix or his death. Hopes for a victory were shattered when a violent wind accompanied by a bombastic roar. Once all the lingering dust was swept away, Phoenix could be seen a little scuffed up but overall unscathed but extremely furious yet still smiling sadistically. "What a shame, I'm about to make two widows, oh well, they'll join you two soon enough ha ha ha!" Phoenix stated in a low sinister tone laughing creepily. Before Phoenix could advance however, Bulla appeared between him and her father and Gohan. "No stop!" Bulla pleaded desperately not wanting to see her father, Pan or anyone else she cared for to die. "Bulla?! What are you doing here?!" Vegeta yelled shocked and angered that his daughter was here putting herself in danger he might not be able to save her from. "Ohh what do we have here, a lovely woman offering herself as a sacrifice for her dear father's life? How appropriate" Phoenix said with an air of smug. "Unfortunately I'm not a volcano dearie, I'm only satisfied with absolute justice, no sacrifices or compromises will suffice. Now stand aside, I don't want an early dessert ha ha ha!" Phoenix laughed at his own joke implying he was saving her for last to kill. "Please! I beg you! Don't kill my dad and give Pan back!" Bulla wailed with tears desperate to reach any shred of humanity Goten may have retained. Unfortunately, though there was indeed a shred of humanity within the devilish monster, it was not for her. "Oh fine, like I care about spoiling my dinner ha ha" Phoenix resigned chuckling deciding to kill the pest now and gathered black flames within his raising hands. "Bulla no!" Vegeta screamed in terror launching himself towards the two. Once he reached them, he pushed Bulla away taking her spot right as Phoenix grabbed him by his shoulders. Vegeta screeched in agony as the flames burned at his shoulders. The flames then quickly spread to cover Vegeta's entire body. Vegeta's cries of pain rang in everyone's ears as the flames burned away at his flesh. Eventually within a minute and a half, all that remained of Vegeta was a charred skeleton which quickly crumbled into ash flying away in the wind. Gohan, Kibito Kai and Pan despite her condition stared on frozen in horror of what just happened. Bulla shared their expressions with the tears from earlier flowing out of her eyes. "Hmph well what do you know, I guess my dinner wasn't spoiled after all, it's like the universe wants me to enjoy my revenge meal in the best way possible ha ha ha! Alright bro your next! I'll make sure your death is quick and painless as a thank you for doing one good thing and bringing Pan into existence" Phoenix celebrated joyfully before locking his killer eye's sights on Gohan. Meanwhile a deep, intense rage building within Bulla had drowned out Phoenix's words from her mind. She shook, gritting her teeth growling, her eyes burned with fire yet still flowed with tears and her mind was all blank as the rage of her father's death overwhelmed her body. All traces of her usual, early human teenager personality and mindset had vanished, replaced with savagery of a saiyan ape. Bulla suddenly screamed powering up with new power never seen before in her before generating a huge blue aura getting everyone's attention. Bulla let out successive screams, her blue hair spiking up and down flashing gold. With one last powerful yell, her blue eyes briefly went blank before fading back in now shining emerald green and her hair spiked up and glowed gold permanently along with her aura. Bulla had become a super sayian.
