Chi-Chi kept her eyes shut until the blinding light calmed. She still wanted to keep them closed, but a gasp from Yamcha made her turn back to where Cell was. The skinny and long cicada that once was; no longer stood in place.
Instead, it looked like it had taken some steroids. He stayed mostly the same, but he was now much more filled out and much more menacing. His 'beak' was now gone, and he now had lips though still no visible nose. His three long-toed feet had now turned to something like a pointed shoe. He had also gained some orange on his skin, but everything else had just expanded.
Cell stood still, moving his hands, and grinning at his newfound power. He turned to 17 and 18, who had flinched back. "Not the same as eating one of you twins, but it still had its effect," he said, in a now much deeper voice. "Most useful thing that machine could have contributed to."
"E...Eat…?" 18 managed to say, the disgust and fear clear in her voice.
17 looked as fearful himself, but once he caught sight of Dr. Gero, his face twisted to a much angrier scowl. "You piece of shit. Team up? Team up? You never wanted us to team up with you! You wanted us for fuckin food for that killer bug!"
Dr. Gero made no attempt to neither deny nor accept the accusation. His face stayed unmoving though his eyes remained cold.
The scene was enough to receive amused chuckles from Cell. "Finally figured it out? That's right, 17, Dr. Gero set this whole plan all so I can be led to the two of you, and finally reach my full potential. It was the same reason why I bothered to save most of my energy. I was going to hunt the two of you down, but with my new form, saving energy is no longer needed. Not when I can have you two whenever I want."
For once, 17 had nothing to respond with. His fist balled as he was forced to face the reality of the situation. Cell's words weren't just arrogance. They were the truth.
"His power has reached levels I've never felt before…!" Tien said in slight awe and terror.
Krillin shook his head in disbelief. "How can we possibly fight against that?"
"We can't." Piccolo stepped up, his face calm despite the light line in between his brows. "At least not alone. If we want to defeat this thing, we're going to have to attack him all at once."
Tien, Yamcha, and even Krillin nodded. Vegeta looked like that was the last thing he wanted to do, but there was no other way. Chi-Chi was still unsure and Goku had been weirdly silent since Cell's transformation.
17 and the rest were close enough to hear their announcement, his fear quickly being replaced with adrenaline, not liking having to stand around and await his fate. "First come first serve!" He only had to give a glance at his siblings before they all shot off into the air.
At once they all shot a blast of their own. Cell patiently waited on the ground, taking all of their attacks head on. A cloud of smoke covered where he once stood, before he flew out of it, uninjured, going after the three androids.
"I don't think so!" Yamcha said as he and Tien flew up to grab each of his arms, holding him in place. Their muscles flexed as they tried to hold him down with all their might despite it being only one arm they were each holding.
Piccolo then flew up charging up one of his more powerful attacks. "You guys got him?" He shouted, veins popping out of his forehead as he tried to focus on his attack.
"Y-Yeah…" Tien said through clenched teeth as he and Yamcha struggled to keep Cell from moving. "But you might… want to hurry!"
Cell chuckled at their attempt to trap him. "As much as I'd love to see what this attack could do, I'm in a bit of a hurry. Haaa!" He brought both his hands together, hitting Tien and Yamcha together, allowing them to fall to the ground. He sent a blast their way just for extra measure.
"Guys! No!" Piccolo yelled, shocked at how easily they were handled. He flinched back when a figure zapped next to him, and before he could even try to move his hand away from his forehead, he was hit with a powerful blast.
That left Cell in the air, no longer being held back by anyone. He looked around, spotting the other androids in the air. He grinned. "Finally not running away 17? You'll soon come to regret that decision!"
17's face scrunched in anger. "Bring it on you bastard! I'll never run away from a fair fight!" He flew towards Cell ready to meet him straight on.
"17, no! Back away from him!" Krillin shouted in warning, a large disk of energy in his hand. 17 paused slightly at his words and it was all the hesitation Krillin needed to make his move. "Destructo Disk!"
Cell forced himself to come to a full stop on his flying, as the flying disk came his way. Even as he backed away at full speed, it was too late for him, the disk cutting deeply at his arm as it passed him. "Ugh!" He let out holding onto his bleeding arm.
"17 now!" Krillin yelled his energy now too low to do the finishing blow himself.
17 stood shocked but collected himself as the timing was urgent. "R-Right!" He built a large ki ball in his hand, putting a lot of his energy behind it. "Eat this!"
Cell looked up in distress only able to hold onto his arm. The blast hit him straight on creating a large curtain of smoke.
Krillin floated in the air, waiting anxiously for the smoke to disappear. "D-Did… we get him…?!" The air was tense and quiet. There was no way it was going to be that easy to destroy him, right? Still… they had to have at least heavily injured him which had to be a good thing.
Yamcha was still on the ground, hurt from the attack he was hit with. His eyes glanced to Krillin and his stomach dropped. "Behind you! He's behind you!"
"Wha…" Krillin was in the middle of saying the same time he was turning to look. A flash of green past him, before receiving a slap from the giant and heavy tail that belonged to Cell.
"Krillin!" Chi-Chi yelled as he hit the ground like an asteroid. She had stayed on the sidelines along with Goku as they both waited to see the outcome of everyone else fighting.
Waiting around wasn't Goku's favorite thing to do, and with everyone being knocked down one by one—it was no longer an option.. A wave of anger was emitting out of Goku, and her stomach was heavy as she realized he would not stand idly by any longer. She attempted to reach out to him, to try and stop him, but she was too late as he flew towards Cell.
"You'll pay for that!"
Goku punched Cell on the cheek hard enough to cause the humanoid cicada to spit out, but as he turned, Cell used his tail to throw Goku away from him.
"Goku!" Chi-Chi shouted, going after him. She was stopped in the middle of the air by Cell who got in her way. She unconsciously floated backward, as Cell sent her an evil grin. There was a small pause as she hesitated on what to do next. She knew she did not want to face him alone, so she tried to leave, but a hand grabbed her hair tugging her backward.
She could only shout in pain as he moved her around the air like a rag doll.
"All this screaming from a hero? How would everyone feel to see their precious hero be the first one to go?" He taunted, with a chuckle.
He held onto a fist full of her hair still, her movement only causing him to tug at her hair harder. The pain was unbearable, and she was able to forget her hesitation for a moment, just trying to get away from the pain.
"Let go!" Twisting her body in the air, she was able to deliver a swift kick to the side of his head. With her hair finally being released she gained some space again.
Cell held the side of his cheek, purple blood leaking from the cut on his pale lips. His eyes were coldly on hers, unflinching. "You're going to regret that."
The threat sent shivers of terror down her back, knowing his threat wasn't just cheap talk. She stood in the air, knowing even if she took off, she'd be no match for his speed. His hand lifted, but someone else grabbed his forearm before he could attempt to do something to her.
"What-" He let out, turning to icy blue eyes belonging to 18 as she held his arm with all her might. He turned the other way, his other arm being captured by 16, who also held with a steely grip.
"Don't even think you're getting away from us," 18 stated as he struggled against their hold. She turned to 16 with a nod, and at the same time, they were able to use their weight to force Cell down till his face was against the floor.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Cell said—his cheek against the dirt. "It's those people you should be against! Not me!"
18's eyes narrowed, as she forced him more into the dirt. "Weren't you the one that said he was going to eat us? Eat shit."
As the two held Cell into place, 17 entered the scene with a smirk in place. "See, I knew if we were playing a fair game from the beginning— even his newest inventions wouldn't be a match for us. Now my last blast wasn't enough for a scratch, but let's see if a stronger blast at this distance will change anything? Hold still…."
"No!" Cell yelled, trying to lift his face from the dirt, the strength 16 and 18 were using to push him down though made it difficult to do so. "You think if your first blast didn't leave a scratch—this one will make more of a difference?"
"Then you have nothing to worry about, right?" 17 offered with a smirk. "Besides... the trying part is what makes this fun. If this one doesn't work, I can still try another 5 - 8 - or even 15 times if I have to."
His laugh was cut off, as he received an attack from behind by an energy blast.
"17!" 18 called out in shock, her hold loosening because of it.
"18, no!"
The warning from 16 came too late though as 18's distraction was used to Cell's advantage, his tail wrapping around her neck while at the same time, blasting 16 away from him. He brought 18 close to him, as she struggled to breathe, sneering at her. "Wrong move girl. You were the last puzzle I needed to transform and now I have you right where I want you thanks to the Doctor."
On the other side, Dr. Gero was breathing heavily as he barely made it in time to save Cell. With Cell outing his whole plans to them, luring them into a false sense of security was no longer an option. He had no choice, but to follow behind Cell now. This was their last chance to get it right.
"Cell, hurry and swallow her up already!" Dr. Gero demanded, his eyes shifting back and forth. "We are outnumbered now, and your state right now is not enough to defeat them all!"
Cell chuckled, lifting 18 higher up in the air. "Hear that? He's telling me to eat you. Don't worry though I will not transfer you like I did 19. You will be eaten in one gulp!"
18's eyes widened in horror as the end of his tail began to open up large enough to swallow her whole. Even as part of his tail squeezed at her throat, she was even more fearful for what was to come next.
Chi-Chi, who was still nearby gritted her teeth, unsure of what to do next. Everyone was being disposed of one by one already, and if Cell managed to swallow 18 too there was no telling how much more powerful he could get.
"Get away from her!" She shouted, flying after him. With a clear shot at him, she shot at his tail causing him to cry out as he unintentionally let go of 18 who fell to the floor trying to catch her breath. Before she reached them though Dr. Gero popped up in front of her forcing her to stop.
"How dare you interfere, girl!" With one clean strike, he slapped her hard enough that she flew to the ground. Turning to where 18 was, Cell saw her trying to crawl away, so he stepped on her back, stopping her in her tracks.
When all was at its worst though a deep chuckle rang out. "Now now. Siblings shouldn't fight."
"Huh-!" Cell turned as he felt a presence, but he was kicked away before he was able to do anything. On the other side was Vegeta proudly smirking.
"Cell!" Dr. Gero called out. With a growl, he headed towards Vegeta but was stopped by someone grabbing his arm. Turning, he was face to face with Goku who had a deep-set scowl. Before he could fully clench his teeth in panic Goku punched him.
Once in the air, Goku finished him off by forming a fist with both his hands, hitting him midair. Dr. Gero hit the ground with a large impact, his injured body leaving him unable to join the battle any longer.
Cell began to feel nervous as his only ally was down for the count, leaving him to fend for himself. Though he had taken down the majority of the people around, he was left with the two most obnoxious ones out of the group.
He was too close to give up now though. If he was able to swallow up at least one android, he would reach the level he needed to be at his best form. Even if he couldn't take both of them down, he could at least keep up with them and even leave them heavily injured. He was going to have to settle for that for now until he found his opening.
"So you two think you can take me?" Cell questioned, no amusement on his face.
Vegeta chuckled. "What do you mean? You stated we would have no chance against you the first time, and yet you relied on cowardly tricks to get by until you had to take one of your own. Now that you finally have the power you were boasting about, you are saying the same thing? When the three other androids almost did you in themselves? Don't make me laugh." He spat on the ground beside him.
"You can laugh when I send you to hell!"
Vegeta grunted as he met Cell head-on, their hands locked, trying to overpower the other one. Though Vegeta was pushed back from the momentum, once his feet dug into the ground, they were evenly matched.
"Don't think it'll be that easy…" Vegeta managed to say through clenched teeth.
"A little arrogant when we just started." Cell gave another push forward, his foot going to swipe at Vegeta causing him to fall. Making sure he wouldn't get back so soon, he released a ki blast, the explosion hitting his body.
As soon as Vegeta was down though, Cell barely had time to lift his head as Goku came at him, punching at him, which he was able to block, with his forearm. He went in for a punch which was also blocked.
Stepping back, he held out both hands releasing another ki blast. They never touched Goku though as he disappeared right in front of them. Cell heard a noise behind him, but just as his head turned to look, a blast came out of him, illuminating his face.
Cell squeezed his eyes shut, but once the attack hit him, it had pushed him back and only burned a bit. Once dissipated he checked out his body, no lasting injuries on him. "How could that be?" He asked out loud. Did the transformation give him more of an upgrade than he originally calculated?
Closing the hand he had opened, he couldn't hold back the laughter spilling out of him. Turning back to Goku with a smirk, he rose in the air. "I thought 19 only gave me a little bit of a power-up, but this was much more than I expected. Your chances of winning have now run out, little Goku."
Goku stood in the air, not allowing Cell to intimidate him. "I'll believe that when I see it."
"Don't be so quick for death!" Cell went forward as Goku backed up not expecting his speed. Goku pulled his fist back, but Cell twisted, sending a powerful kick to Goku's stomach. He involuntarily went forward, saliva spilling out of him, and Cell sent an elbow down to his neck.
Chi-Chi's hair flew back as Goku crashed into the floor in front of her. "Goku!" She cried out.
Cell's amusement rose as she tried to pathetically go after him. He lifted a hand, ready to end both of them in one go when he sensed a presence coming towards him. Vegeta went with his fist forward, Cell blocking him with his hand, and allowing him to be pushed back in the air.
With the two exchanging blows in the air, Chi-Chi was able to make her way to Goku, who was groaning on the ground. Her body had run out of energy because of all the fighting she's been doing all day, but seeing Goku in pain gave her the strength she needed to go to him.
"Oh Goku," she said, pushing back the hair stuck on his face thanks to all the sweat he had built up. He looked up at her, one eye only half-opened, but a lazy smile on his face.
"Hey, Chi-Chi," he managed to say in a tired, but happy voice.
It brought a smile to her face despite the fear she was feeling. "I-I don't think this is going too well."
Seeing her lip shake, he grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Hey… don't worry. We still have my back-up."
The Super Saiyan mode. A great help, but it was still not mastered by Goku yet. He was battling with his last bit of energy that way, and if it didn't end up being enough… "W-What if that doesn't…"
He sat up, fighting against his pain to do so. "It'll work. I'm going to stop him and put an end to all of this. Okay?"
She nodded, looking down at their hands still intertwined. She wanted to believe his words, but the doubt was still in the back of her mind.
"Hey," Goku called out, lifting her chin with his hand. "It's going to be fine."
Her eyes held unshed tears, but as Goku's hand rested on her cheek, a sense of calmness spread through her. She leaned into his touch. "Okay."
He could tell she was returning to her regular self, but she was still unsure of the situation. He needed to shake her out of it. "Oh! Ow! My body still hurts though," he told her in a dramatic voice. "If only I had something to make me feel better. You don't have any ideas do you?"
Chi-Chi had to lean back, as Goku came close to her face, a playful look in his eyes. How he managed it in the middle of a fight was amazing on its own. "You really think right now is the time for that kind of thing?" Annoyance was evident in her tone.
"That doesn't sound like a no to me," he pointed out, his hand resting behind her neck, the only thing stopping him from moving forward was her hands on his chest.
She was trying to look annoyed but was beaten by his persistence. With a sigh, she gave him a quick peck. "There. Happy now?"
Goku pouted. "That wasn't a proper kiss."
She felt his other hand go to her back, encouraging her forward. Despite her embarrassment, she shut her eyes meeting him for another kiss, this time staying there a little longer, before pulling her face back. "There!"
"Another one."
Well, one more wouldn't hurt. This time grabbing his face, his eyes closed, patiently waiting for her. Unable to resist him anymore, she leaned forward once again, this time much more slowly.
Once done, she was resting her forehead again his own, her breath coming out a little heavy. "There…?" She asked in a low voice. Instead of answering her though he kissed her harder, his hand moving against her back, bringing her in closer.
Then he was gone, leaving her to stumble forward a bit.
Blinking, he was already heading back into the fight. She wanted to huff because part of her was angry at his sudden departure, but the rest of her felt too much like goo to do anything about it. Her hand resting against her lips feeling them still tingle.
They had kissed! Again! In the middle of the battle! While Vegeta was getting his ass kicked behind them!
Ugh if anyone saw them-!
Pushing that in the back of her mind, for now, she turned her attention back on the fight. Goku, now back in it, alongside Vegeta, raised their chances greatly. Dr. Gero was still down for the count meaning they had no more outside interference, but it didn't mean they were looking at the best outcome.
On their side, everyone else had lost a lot of energy as well. Most already had low stamina because of all the fights they had already gotten in when the tournament had started. She had saved most of hers, but she didn't have a crazy amount to begin with.
The androids had all suffered some kind of damage, so they weren't going to get up anytime soon themselves. Piccolo and his friends had dealt with the worse and were now trying to recuperate on the ground.
Krillin took a heavy blow to the face, and already lost most of his energy even before the fight against Cell had started. Raditz was still unconscious somewhere far away with Bulma. They had no more allies to rely on. It was just Goku and Vegeta versus Cell and her standing on the sidelines with only a little energy left.
If those two couldn't take care of him, they were doomed.
Bulma heard fierce blows being exchanged like fireworks despite being a good distance away. Originally, she wanted to go back with Mai and the Ox-King, but she would have had to pass the ugly green thing to get that way, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. It gave her shivers just thinking about it.
The area she was in was deserted, with nothing, but dirt everywhere. Raditz was with her, but he was still unconscious.
So without anyone to keep her company, she sat on the dirty floor, her knees drew together listening to the distant fighting going on from far away. The most she could do was wonder if all her loved ones were going to be okay or not.
It sucked.
"I wish I could have at least been a little more useful." She sighed into the hand her face was on. It didn't feel good to be away from all the action and let everyone else fight, but even if she was there, what good could she do?
Her self-loathing was cut short when a groan caught her attention. Worriedly, she turned to Raditz whose face was screwed up as if he was in pain. Kneeling over to his way, she immediately looked for his wound, expecting it to have opened out or something, but it was still in its perfect condition.
"Raditz?" She called out.
She wasn't fully sure what to do. The Piccolo guy had used some kind of medical technique from his people, which was basically like magic. Since she wasn't fully sure how it worked, she had no idea if it had fully fixed his internal damage as well or if it came with complications.
"Ugh…" Raditz let out, suddenly moving as if he was trying to get up.
"Raditz!" Bulma cried out, putting her hands on him to try and prevent him from getting up. "Stop! You were stabbed, remember?"
He had one eye open now, his teeth clenched, but finally stopped struggling when he heard Bulma's words. "I was stabbed?" He tried to look over his body but there was no obvious sign of injury despite a sharp pain telling him otherwise.
"By that ugly green monster," she told him. "He caught you by surprise and you would have bled out if it wasn't for one of the contestants. He was luckily able to heal you. He closed up your wound, but I don't think you were fully healed. It isn't a good idea to be moving around right now."
Raditz listened to her words, but with his mind feeling fuzzy, he couldn't fully comprehend what she was saying. What he did understand was that he had been attacked, and someone was able to seal up his wound for him. That was all he needed to know.
He carefully sat up, a hand on his stomach as a shot of pain flashed through him. "You said it was a monster that did this to me?"
Bulma nodded. Really, she wanted to remind him again to stop moving, but Raditz was sort of a scary person to be giving demands to. "He called himself Cell. He tried to steal all of your energy when he stabbed you and he would have succeeded if it wasn't for Goku and Vegeta going in when they did. Although even those two didn't stand much of a chance against him."
She rubbed her arm, as she continued to hear the loud exchange of blows from where they were at. As she remembered it again, from the start, the fight looked unmatched. Would her friends be okay?
"I need to go."
"What!" She said aloud, although she wanted to shut her mouth when he turned to her. Raditz was easily taller than Goku, and his long hair gave his intimidating presence even more of a powerful look. Kind of like staring into a giant lion's face.
"I-I mean… It's going to be difficult to get there with that wound, isn't it?" Maybe if she used logic, he would understand where she was coming from.
"It'll be fine," he grunted out as he stood up, a hand still resting on his stomach, and a grimace across his face.
Well so much for that. She should have realized logic does not work on a Saiyan. So instead, she stood in the side watching Raditz struggle to walk until she finally caved in, going by his side to help him.
"Fine. Chi-Chi might get mad at me, but I can't just wait on the sidelines either! If it's a green monster you want to see then don't let me stop you!"
Though Raditz barely felt a difference with her small form, he understood her resolve. He only knew little of the girl, despite knowing her for years as the only female that would hang around her brother and his group of friends. To his knowledge, she was Vegeta's woman, and despite not understanding why he picked such a frail girl, he was able to see it now.
This woman though weak had a great sense of courage. It didn't help much in his current predicament though. He sensed the fight between his brother and Vegeta going against that monster known as Cell. Though they were pretty much even at this point, it wasn't going to be enough.
He needed to be there.
His brother was still wary of unleashing his transformation and if they wanted to defeat this thing they were going to need that on their side.
*POW*
*BOOM*
*KRAK*
"Kakarot to your left!"
Vegeta's warning only caused Goku to catch the hit to the face quicker. He took it gracefully though returning one himself. He sent an upper-cut to Cell on the chin, before Vegeta came in to kick him away, giving the two a chance to catch their breath in the air.
It was a rough fight and with everyone else down around them, it was only the two left and things didn't look good. Cell wasn't overpowering them, but they were starting to tire, and the bio android wasn't getting any weaker. If this continued—the two were looking at a defeat for their side. That meant the worst for all of them.
"You have to use it," Vegeta said, his breath heavy.
Goku shook his head, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Not yet. We can still go on a little longer. I don't want to use it until absolut-"
"What more do you want? For someone to die? Use it now, or we're all doomed."
"Not until we're sure we can't fight anymore!"
"Kakarot, if we lose any more energy it's just a matter of time after that!" Vegeta pointed out in a huff. "And what if he manages to slip by us and eat one of those androids? Even you won't stand a chance against him."
Goku frowned. It sounded simple to everyone else because they've never experienced it. Once he was in that transformation, he was only out for blood after that. He only ever managed to control it a few times under his brother's supervision, but it wasn't a sure thing.
He turned to Vegeta, his brows furrowed. "And what if I lose control?" He countered. "Let's say I do go after Cell and defeat him, then what happens? Everyone here is too weak to defend themselves."
"Then control it." Though it was harsh, Vegeta was in no mood to play nice right now. "As I see it now, we have a better chance going against you than the complete evil we're going up against now."
Goku watched as Vegeta flew on, meeting Cell head-on as he tried catching them by surprise once again. What was the right thing to do here? He was at a loss and he was running out of time to figure it out.
This sure would have been a nice time to talk it out with Chi-Chi. She would have made things clear for him. Cell had his eye on him though making it impossible for Goku to even try and speak with her without putting her in danger which is the last thing he wanted to do. Which is why this decision was so hard!
"...'s that? ...it can't be…!"
Goku's sensitive ears heard Chi-Chi mutter something out in disbelief. Something about what she was seeing was sending her energy wonky like she was nervous and surprised all at once. What was getting her all excited?
"...Bulma… and…!"
By the time Goku turned, he could see him in the distance. His eyes widened since this was the first time his brother's presence caught him completely off-guard. Normally, he'd sense him before he would see him, but right now his energy was too low for that, further proving how unbelievable this was.
Suddenly whatever fatigue he was feeling vanished, and Goku could only grin seeing his brother alive and walking. Chuckle escaped him as he continued to understand the picture he was seeing was real.
"Raditz!" He happily shouted, forgetting what he had been in the middle of.
"Kakarot, watch out!"
"Hm?" He blinked, before a blue ki blast came for him. With the little time he had, his two hands came forward to shield himself from the looming attack, but the blast was more than he expected, and he was being forced back faster than he was able to keep up with.
Gritting his teeth, it took a great amount of his strength to even push the attack a couple of inches away from him, but once he found the power to do so, he was able to redirect it towards the sky, tossing it upwards like it was a volleyball.
Once he was in the clear, he was able to release the breath he had been holding onto and look back at the sky where Vegeta had continued his fight against Cell. He must have not been lying when he said he was starting to get tired. Vegeta was never sloppy in a fight, and for Cell to be able to sneak so many attacks past him so far—it wasn't a common occurrence for Vegeta.
He heard the sound of someone slowly flying to him, before Raditz appeared. He still had a hand on his stomach, and didn't look quite back to his usual form. It was the worst state his brother had ever been in. His skin was pale, and he was sweating just by flying the small distance he did to get here.
"Kakarot," Raditz started, his breath haggard though the scowl present on his face showing he was more full of energy than he looked. "Why haven't you finished this fool? Didn't you hear what I said? He is responsible for the death of our parents and grandfather. Why is he still able to breathe?"
Well... he wasn't expecting a reunion filled with hugs, but his brother certainly had a way with his words. It was enough to bring him back to the reality of the situation. This wasn't a friendly tournament anymore.
Goku scratched the back of his head. "It's not exactly easy."
"Of course it's not going to be easy," Raditz scoffed. "Not when you are holding yourself back. Why haven't you transformed?"
"Er…" Goku trailed off. From the side, he heard Bulma loudly gasp and the sound of punches colliding. Looking back, he could see Vegeta wasn't gaining the upper hand any time soon. "Vegeta isn't looking so good out there. I have to get back in the fight."
Raditz put his free hand on Goku's shoulder, stopping him from flying off. "Listen to me Kakarot, it's now or never. If you want this freak to pay then you're going to have to give it your all. If not, I'll be the one to go back out there. Understand?"
Goku looked at his brother's stern face and knew he was being serious. If Goku didn't take care of this soon, his brother was going to enter the fight, and he wasn't going to leave until he got his revenge, or died trying.
It was enough to get Goku to make a decision. Everyone around him was hurt. They were scared. Chi-Chi was scared. Not anymore. This was all going to end now.
So with his resolve, he gave a small nod to his brother.
Taking a deep breath, he flew back up to the sky till he was leveled with Cell who had Vegeta in an almost chokehold while the latter kept his hands to block him from having his neck crushed.
"Kakarot… you fuckin ass...hole…!" Vegeta struggled to let out, his face turning a purplish color.
Meanwhile, Cell sent him a smirk, letting go of Vegeta allowing him to fall to the ground, the last bit of his energy only able to slow down his fall.
"Finally decided to test your fate?"
Goku drowned out the words of his opponent though, instead, closing his eyes to focus. He needed to concentrate on what mattered. His friends. Protecting them. Protecting everyone!
What's going to happen if this monster isn't stopped here and now? How many more will continue to suffer in the sick and twisted ways of Cell? How many have already suffered from him? He was sadistic no doubt. He even showed off his killings as if they were something to be proud of.
"What's wrong? Not speaking up?"
Is that what his parents and grandfather were subjected to? A killer who liked to end the lives of people in the cruelest way possible? What was the last thing they saw or heard? Did he torture them to the end, or did he just catch them by surprise like he did Raditz?
"Or Are you scared?"
How many more had to suffer?
He could only think back on Chi-Chi. The fear in her eyes was something he didn't want to have to face anymore. It was worse than the time Dabura got to her. She almost died then, but he still didn't fully know her enough to fully feel the fear he felt now. She almost died at the hands of androids and that time was horrible because he had been there. Because of his mistake, he almost lost her and had to hear about it when he woke up.
This time though he was here. This time there wasn't going to be a blunder or mishap. He had a gamble too precious to lose and he wasn't about to give it up to anyone.
Chi-Chi closed her eyes as a high screech almost ruptured her eardrum. If she hadn't been holding onto her friend to comfort her, she would have just covered her ears, but unfortunately for her, she was.
"What's happening?" Bulma questioned in fear as rocks lifted in the air. Around them, the wind started to magically pick up. One minute she was trying to get to Vegeta, and now something even weirder than the whole day was starting to happen. Couldn't they catch a break for just one minute?
Chi-Chi's hold on her went lax causing Bulma to look back at her friend. She was still watching the fight, but instead of the worried look she had on her, she now looked on more in awe. Her eyes were unflinching.
"He's transforming…." Chi-Chi muttered out a quick explanation.
Well, Bulma assumed it was some sort of explanation. Not that it cleared anything up for her in any way. Vegeta was still on the ground, his eyes close. She had tried to go after him, but Chi-Chi stopped her saying it was unsafe at the moment. With him being unconscious, it didn't look like he was going to be joining the fight again anyways.
And Goku he... He was in the middle of all the swirling mess. Him and the ugly bug man. It was hard to make out anything though because of how much wind was picking things up around them like dirt and rocks.
Bulma had to pick up her arms just to try and protect her eyes from getting hit with something swirling around. The wind was just getting stronger as evident by her hair now being blown back. Even so, her vision was still good and she was sure Goku's hair was actually starting to glow.
It was unreal.
To Chi-Chi, it was amazing. She felt his power growing at a rapid speed. Here they were, all on their last leg looking for a miracle, and here he was standing right in front of them. He was really something-
"I won't let you get the chance!"
"No!"
"Chi-Chi!"
By the time Chi-Chi's mind caught up to her; she was already throwing herself to tackle Cell. He let out a sound of shock and his eyes were wide, seeing her suddenly there. She was still unsure of what she was doing, but she knew couldn't let Cell hurt him.
They both hit the floor, and his attack dissipated because of his lost focus. For a second, she was so overcome with her victory, she forgot the reality of her situation… She just tackled a killing machine that had practically wiped out some of the strongest people on earth almost all on his own.
She let out a gasp.
Pushing herself off the ground, she was ready to run, but she had forgotten about that damn tail. Her chin hit the floor and though it hurt like hell, it was the last thing on her mind. Using her hands she clawed into the dirt securing herself, she tried with all her might to get away from Cell and the grip he had on her.
The tail wasn't for show though and even as hard she tried and how desperately she wanted it, she only gained a couple of spaces ahead.
"Enough struggling!" Cell shouted, his face screwed up in anger for having somebody get in his way once again. Even the human girl trying to wiggle away from him couldn't lift his bad mood. He pulled her back, and the stupid girl still tried to fight for her escape.
"I should have finished you a lot sooner."
He held his hand up, a blue ki blast illuminating her figure. It was enough playing around. These bodies will no longer have a chance to get back up.
His tail retreated to him, and the girl could only turn to see the attack coming to her. Dirt flew up from the spot she once was. Goku could struggle to be the last body he destroyed, but the pile-up started now.
*BOOM*
"CHI-CHI!" Bulma screamed as the scene unfolded in front of her. Her hands were shaking as they came to cover her mouth. This couldn't be true. Her best friend…. No! They were the good guys! This sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen to them!
No!
No!
No.
Tears started to form in her eyes, and she was one second from losing it all when a voice from above called out to her.
"Bulma! I-I'm okay!"
Chi-Chi's voice came out shaky, but what she said was true. She didn't know how, but it was. She was only able to blink once before she was in the arms of the man she loved. Though he looked a lot different from his usual self.
His hair was now a glowing golden. Chi-Chi had seen Goku serious before, but now his face was stoic. Even stranger, his eyes weren't completely white, but instead a teal color. This wasn't the same as his past transformations, but he did change.
Question was… was it a good change?
"...Goku…?" Chi-Chi carefully tried. He wasn't looking at her and had yet to speak, so it was hard to tell if he was in control of himself this time. If not… she had just been saved from a shark just to be killed by a bear.
A beat of silence.
"...Yeah it's me," he told her, his voice gruffer than usual.
He still did not turn to look at her, probably more focused on the danger around them, but something about him not looking at her, scared her. Softly, she placed a hand on his cheek so he could look her in the eye.
It was so strange to be staring into teal instead of a familiar black. Besides some of the coloring and harsher features, he still looked like her Goku though. "Is it really you…?"
Finally, his frown lifted, and his eyes grew softer instead of the sharp edge they had before. "What are you talking about? Of course it's me!" An amused smile appeared on his face.
She let out a breath of relief, a smile of her own blossoming across her face. "I can't believe it! You controlled your form!" She threw her arms around his neck, unable to stop herself from hugging him, even as he stumbled a bit in the air and chuckled.
Then a thought occurred to her. She moved back to look at him."You did control it, right?"
After all, during Goku's training, the controlled form did come with some complications. Specifically that it didn't last very long. Goku's longest time of controlling the super Saiyan form was a total of 10 minutes.
A long time in the fighting world, but she was unsure if it was going to be enough for this fight. It had already dragged out for at least an hour and it was starting to look like that was just the beginning.
Goku's face returned to its focused look. He held out his hand, examining it and the power flowing through it. "I'm not too sure myself…" Though his words lingered, he crushed the air in his hands in determination. "But it will be enough to defeat him. Believe me."
And she did. It was hard not to believe a man that had glowing hair. So despite wanting to keep him near her and not let him go fight such an evil and powerful monster… it was time.
She gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. His attention was back on her, and though he didn't say anything, his eyes told her everything. She wished she at least had some words for him. What they both needed to get across though was unspoken.
"I believe in you," she whispered.
He nodded, letting her go, to fly on her own. With one more look spared to her, he took off. Like before, she only had to blink once, and Goku was already back to where Cell was, this time catching him off guard.
He backed up from the shock of how fast Goku moved, but tried to cover up his surprise by appearing angrier. "You've transformed?" He accused him.
Goku stood in the air choosing not to answer his question, his face unmoving.
"Do you really think changing your hair color will help you in any way?" Cell challenged, a smirk on his face though his eyes looked wild.
Goku did not let his attempt to get under his skin work. Instead, he allowed a smirk of his own play across his face. "It was enough to get you to panic wasn't it?"
Cell's face screwed up in rage. "You should have started panicking since the day I drained your parents!"
The two met, exchanging fierce blows. If it sounded like fireworks before, it was like a thunderstorm now.
Though it was hard to tell if either had an advantage over the other, Goku was a lot calmer, taking hits while returning them ten times harder. Cell's hits were frantic and his work was starting to get sloppy.
From afar, Chi-Chi was back on the ground, her eyes on the fight. It was out of this world how the two fought on. If the fight wasn't so life-threatening and serious, it would be something she'd pay to watch.
"Chi-Chi!" Bulma happily called out, running up to her.
Chi-Chi managed to tear her eyes away to look at her friend whose hair was currently in the craziest state she's ever seen her hair in. Behind her, Vegeta's unconscious body laid from where Bulma had just come from.
She wasn't sure when, but her crazy friend must have taken advantage of all the distraction to drag Vegeta back to safety. Her eyes went from Vegeta's fallen form back to Bulma, who managed to look sheepish. Lucky for her, Chi-Chi ignored it for now. A lecture in the future was likely though.
"So please tell me I'm looking at things right because to me it looks like Goku is winning against that bug."
Chi-Chi looked back at the sky. "I think you might be right about that…."
She didn't want to worry her friend, but it was still too early to tell if they were in the clear yet. The biggest worry being how long Goku was able to hold his form out for. Goku wasn't too sure about the details either, so it was hard to estimate, but if this fight ended up stretching out for longer than 10 minutes, then it would start to be worrisome.
From the side of them, they heard someone landing.
"Raditz!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.
He practically fell to the ground, his face filled with sweat. It was a wonder how he was able to still muster up enough energy to fly over to them.
"Oh my gosh! You look like a ghost!" Bulma said, her brow furrowed.
Leave it to Bulma to point out the obvious like nothing. Chi-Chi was a little more sympathetic on the issue, but her maternal instincts won over everything even against a scary guy like Raditz. "Flying? Really, Raditz? That's the last thing you should be doing with your condition."
Raditz settled on the floor, showing how much pain he must have been feeling to do so. "If my body wasn't so weak, it was that piece of green shit I would have met up with instead."
Well, she should have figured he would have stuck with the tough guy act. Still, if he had enough energy to do that then he wasn't in that bad of a condition. Which was a good thing because with Piccolo and everyone else out, they had no one to treat him and too many other people to worry about.
"I think I'm going to go back with Vegeta," Bulma spoke up.
Chi-Chi nodded sympathetically. Vegeta was only a couple of spaces behind them, but it was no wonder why Bulma would want to be right next to him right now. Out of all the fighters, Vegeta might have taken the heaviest hits from Cell. Of course she'd be worried about her boyfriend right now.
She took a seat next to Raditz, whose face was still dark. "Raditz, tell me the truth. This fight has a clear winner, right? The form is going to last long enough, right?"
He chuckled slowly though he let out a hurt groan because of it. Still, a tired smirk remained. "Which fight are you looking at? Obviously, this has a clear winner. You need… more… train..ing…"
His breathing got slower and by the end of his sentence, she turned to see his eyes closing—his body hitting the ground. She jerked forward, going to him and fearing the worst.
"Raditz!" When she got closer though she let out a relieved breath, his soft breathing indicating he had just fallen asleep. His face was sweaty, but he was at least resting. Even if it was by force.
For now, he was as fine as the rest of the other unconscious fighters were right now. All of them far away from the fight taking place between Goku and Cell. It was a good thing too because as Chi-Chi watched their showdown, the things unlucky enough to be near them were being destroyed like nothing.
It wasn't just them crashing into the dirt or leftover coliseum either. No—It was the power of their punches being strong enough that the remaining energy would crush things around them. It was unreal.
The fact that they were so far away from everyone wasn't just a coincidence either. She knew Goku had managed to do that even as he was in the middle of a fight. He was just that good. The thought was enough to bring a smile to her face.
That was her Goku alright. His actions also further proved he really was in full control of himself. There was no malice or thrust for blood. The power came with so much hatred, but Goku had managed to overcome all of that.
This fight was proof of it. Proof that Goku could handle anything that came his way. She trusted in his abilities. Even if she didn't though, it wasn't hard to believe with the way Goku was fighting against Cell. They exchanged punches at the same fierce power, but Goku took them with grace while Cell took his hard and by surprise.
Even when Cell thought Goku was distracted and tried to pull one of his underhanded moves, Goku was prepared for them. His instincts were at their best. Nothing was taking him by surprise even when he was getting hit. It was like they were all calculated losses.
Maybe Raditz was right. She had been looking at this wrong.
Even after Goku knocked Cell onto the floor, Cell was only backing up the more Goku was coming at him. It was like he was scared. Goku was backing him into a corner, and it was only a matter of time until—-
Her brows furrowed as Cell's line of walking was starting to inch closer to where Dr. Gero laid unconscious. Didn't he care that their fight might injure his creator in the process? She should have figured. Cell had no care for anyone else, but himself. Even his comrades—they were just tools to him at this point.
He didn't care for their lives. Just like he had no mercy when swallowing the other android.
It was still a weird move. Didn't he notice, or was he too distracted by the beating he was receiving? It was almost like he ran out of all the energy he was boasting about before….
But that couldn't be right, right? Goku was the one with the upper hand here, but Cell was still filled with energy up to a moment ago. He couldn't have lost all the new energy he received already.
Her stomach churned. Why was she getting a bad feeling again? What could Cell benefit from getting closer to Dr. Gero?
Her face paled. Dr. Gero wasn't a normal human anymore, was he…? She glanced over his form, nodding in disbelief seeing all the mechanical parts on him. He was… he was an android.
"Goku!" She cried out, her voice breaking.
His eyes widened, losing focus for one second too long as Cell used the chance to go in for a powerful hit, forcing Goku to pull back at the last second. By the time he raised his head though he was met with a blue energy wave, sending him even further away as he fought against it.
Chi-Chi panicked. Goku was now a lot closer to her and much further away from where Cell stood right next to Dr. Gero, a smirk in place, and his tail raised above the fallen doctor, the tip of it opening up.
"He's going to absorb Dr. Gero!" She shouted to Goku, her feet already moving to stop Cell even without a plan or much hope for herself. It was an angry demand that forced her to freeze in place.
"Chi-Chi! No!" Goku angrily commanded, his brows snapped together in a frown, while his teeth clenched as he continued to struggle against the ki attack.
Goku's outrage towards her was enough to take her out of the moment, and just stare back in shock. Why was he angry at her during a time like this? He was preoccupied and if someone didn't do something to stop Cell from absorbing Dr. Gero, they were going to be doomed!
Did he not understand the severity of the situation?
"He's going to get stronger! I have to stop him now before he absorbs him!" She repeated. She looked back at where Cell was, a gasp escaping her as Cell had already started to absorb the doctor, his legs already being taken in.
"He's too strong…" He said, his eyes squinting as he fought against the attack more, his feet digging into the dirt.
Chi-Chi bit her lip, knowing he meant if she went to attack she would most likely be gravely injured, at best. She knew he wanted to protect her, but he was occupied and she wasn't, and they were running out of time.
One glance at Cell, and she could already see Dr. Gero's torso being taken in. Time had officially run out. It was either, risk her life, or wait to die.
"Chi-Chi!" Goku yelled, his heart dropping. The attack was keeping him occupied though. His arms flexed, a rage bubbled from inside of him. "Eurgh, out of my way!"
He moved to go after her but was stopped by another blinding light going off, forcing him to shield his eyes instead. Ahead a feminine shriek of pain sounded off. "Chi-Chi!" He said, trying to fight against the bright light to find her.
His hand blindly reached out, until he felt someone—-bringing her in and shielding her from the light with his body. Harsh wind and random debris hit them, but that was the least of their worries right now.
"Goku," Chi-Chi's broken voice said to him, her hands tightly gripping his shirt.
He could only hold her, as they waited for the transformation to dim. Cell had succeeded in transforming once more. They were looking at the worst thing that could have happened.
What were they going to do now-
The light dimmed for just a moment, signaling the fished stage of Cell's new form, and for a second it was like everything was quiet and peaceful.
Chi-Chi looked up at Goku, unaware from his perspective, he could see lines of light reflecting from her eyes at the same time she had a clear vision of them for one second before everything went dark.