"TRUNKS!" Ranch shouted in horror, instantly kneeling by his side and taking in the hole that was now blown through his chest. "Trunks! Trunks, hang in there!"

Meanwhile, Perfect Cell stood before them once again. He began to explain that he survived that the bit inside his head that was responsible for regeneration went undamaged, and from that he was able to come back. Not only that but he was more powerful than ever, and that he also learned Goku's Instant Transmission.

"Tr—Trunks…" Vegeta was barely listening, as his attention was mostly focused on his son dying son, who was surrounded by the others.

Gohan then powered up and smirked as he did so.

"What's so funny?" asked Cell in amusement. "Have you gone insane?"

His arrogance making a comeback, Gohan told Cell, "No, I'm just glad that I'll be able to avenge my dad and kill you with my own hands."

"If you think that this will go like it did before, you're wrong!"

Then from behind him, Gohan heard desperately yell, "Trunks! No, please, Trunks!" Ranch continued to hold Trunks in her arms as he coughed up blood and stopped breathing. "No…"

Vegeta stood rooted to the spot in shock. His own son was killed right before his eyes. It couldn't be! Not his son! Vegeta grit his teeth, clenched his fists, and he roared into the sky, "MY BABY BOY!" Without thinking, he rushed forward, went Super Saiyan, and shot a beam at Cell.

"Vegeta, no!" cried Gohan, as Vegeta's beam hit Cell and caused a large explosion. But it was to no avail, as Cell just reappeared unscathed and smacked Vegeta back to the ground, where he didn't get back up.

Back on the ground, Ranch at first felt nothing as the one she loved died in her arms. "…Trunks?" Then rage began to bubble to the surface—pure, unbridled rage. "TRUUUUUNNNKS!" The trickle of rage then burst out all at once. Her gold and already spikey hair spiked up even more as immense power erupted from her, causing her aura to glow brighter than ever. Cell, who was about to launch a finger beam at Vegeta, became distracted by the new surge of energy.

While everyone looked Ranch's way, Gohan took advantage of the distraction she provided and grabbed Vegeta. He took Vegeta over to where Krillin was standing, just as Ranch launched herself at Cell.

"Ranch, wait!" Raditz yelled.

He was about to power up and join her, but Piccolo held him back. "Don't! You'd just get in the way!"

Meanwhile, when Gohan dropped off Vegeta, Krillin mouthed off to Vegeta, "You idiot! We have Dragon Balls! Trunks would've been just fine!"

"Shut up, Krillin," Raditz shot at him. Everybody's eyes went wide to see Raditz off all people actually defending Vegeta. "Dragon Balls or not he just watched his child die before his eyes." Not only that, he wasn't about to criticize Vegeta for something that Ranch had just done.

Just as Gohan was just about to get back to the fight, when he heard, Vegeta mumble, "I'm…sorry." Everyone in the vicinity now looked around at Vegeta in astonishment, and the direness of the situation sunk in even more. Gohan took back off.

When Ranch reached Cell, she landed a punch in his face that sent him crashing back down to the ground. Cell couldn't but smile as he got up, and Ranch hurled herself down at him to punch him again. He blocked her punch with his both his forearms, causing her to push him backwards. Cell then kicked at Ranch's head, but she raised her arm to block it. When the kick made contact, she let out a cry of pain as his leg hit her right wrist. Cell followed up his kick with a punch to her face that sent her tumbling away.

Before Cell could capitalize, Gohan returned and hit Cell with a rounding kick so powerful that when he was sent flying and landed, he gouged a trench in the ground before coming to a stop. Ranch put her hand on the ground to pick herself back up, but flinched when she put pressure on it. No matter, she got back up regardless and joined Gohan so the two of them began to take on Cell at the same time. When Cell would inevitably knock one of them back the other would go in for the attack.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Jimmy exclaimed. "A young woman has now entered the fray against Cell, and is working alongside the boy!"

"Sir, the camera is still broken," the cameraman informed in.

At one point Gohan was kicked away, and when Ranch tried to attack, Cell countered and threw her towards Gohan.

When they got back up, Cell couldn't help but laugh manically. "Amazing!" Cell boasted. "All this time I've believed that Goku would be the one to provide me with the greatest challenge. But not only was he surpassed by his son, but also his niece from an alternate timeline!" He then put his palms together at his side. "And you, Ranch, you're certainly putting up a better fight that last time! But enough of this, I'm just going to put an end to this right now!"

Before they knew it Cell began charging the largest Kamehameha they had ever seen. Gohan offered a hand up to Ranch, who took it with her good hand. When they both were up, they looked on as Cell charged up his attack more and more. All around them the ground began to shake, so much that even other parts of the world felt it.

"How do you like this?" boasted Cell, his attacking becoming ever brighter. "I've got enough stored up here to not only destroy the planet, but also the whole solar system!"

"And now it seems as if the whole planet is shaking!" Jimmy shouted, struggling to balance himself. "What could possibly be happening?"

"It's a trick! It has to be!" Mr. Satan said in denial as he cowered behind a rock.

"The camera is still busted!" they were told by the cameraman, who was also panicking.

Giving Cell a hard look, Gohan said to Ranch, "So…have any ideas?"

"Screw it, I've got one!" she declared, raising both her palms and charging up an attack.

"Ranch, he's just too strong," Gohan said.

His father's voice suddenly said, "Don't give up just yet."

Gohan looked up. "Dad? How? Where are you?"

"I'm with King Kai," Goku explained, speaking as touched King Kai's back. "Follow your cousin's example, and keep at it! Launch a Kamehameha of your own. Between you two you'll be more than enough to take down Cell!"

"But he got so much stronger!"

"Gohan, if that's your dad on the other end telling you to keep fighting, listen to him!" Ranch shouted.

"How did—?"

"It's obvious!" she hollered, as her attack got brighter. "DOUBLE…!"

"Come on, son, don't have her do all the work," Goku urged.

Gohan nodded, saying, "Not as if we have anything to lose." He put his hands to his sides. "Ka…me…ha…me…"

Piccolo said in shock, "They're going for it!"

"Will they even be able to match him?" asked Raditz.

Cell, who only found their team up nothing more than cute, shouted as he let loose his Kamehameha wave.

"SUNDAY!"

"HA!"

Gohan's Kamehameha and Ranch's Double Sunday joined together as the attack shot towards Cell's. Seeing the danger in being so close, everyone else took off away from the area, with Krillin carrying 18, and Yamcha and Tien carrying Trunks between them. When the attacks collided it created a huge shockwave and powerful gust of wind. The beams pushed against each other, creating a large ball in the center that grew bigger as they poured more power into their beams.

"Is that all you've got?" Cell shouted at them from the other side of the beams. "I haven't even gotten started!"

When Cell poured even more energy into his beam, Ranch was already nearing the limit of how much she could put out. Still, when they started getting pushed back, she let out a yell and unleashed all that she could muster into her attack. At the same Gohan also put more power into his attack, just managing to gain the upper hand on Cell. Cell's cocky smile quickly turned into an angry grimace as he tried to keep his opponents at bay.

They just needed a little more. Without saying a word to each other, Raditz and Vegeta took off for the fight despite the danger that it posed.

"Gohan, you're holding back!" Goku told his son. "If you're worried about the planet then stop it! It can all be fixed by the Dragon Balls!"

Just then Vegeta shot a ball of energy that hit Cell, just as Raditz began to pepper Cell with a barrage of smaller blasts. That provided the desperately needed opportunity.

Ranch and Goku simultaneously cried, "Gohan!"

And finally Gohan let loose everything he had. Cell was immediately became engulfed by the beam, as he tried with all his might to push back, but it was to no avail. To his disbelief he had lost all control, as Gohan started forward towards him with Ranch at his side. But how? He was supposed to be invincible! Bit of pieces of him were getting chipped away as their blast consumed Cell. Gohan unleashed one surge, which ripped Cell apart down to the bit responsible for regenerating him. When that part of him was also torn asunder, and the beam flew out into space, Gohan and Ranch finally let exhaustion take them.

The duel had caused a massive crater beneath them, and they descended to the ground. The rest of the fighters looked on in awe as the two touched down.

"They…they did it!" Yamcha exclaimed in disbelief. "They did it! They won!"

"That was intense!" Krillin said in amazement.

Gohan was on his feet for barely a second before he collapsed as he sat on the ground. He was breathing heavily, he said, "We…we did it. We won." He smiled at his cousin. "Can you beli—" Gohan stopped talking as soon as he saw the expression on her face.

Ranch looked down at the ground as tears welled up, clenched her fists, grit her teeth, and trembled. She let out a sob before throwing her head back and letting out a long, loud cry that practically tore her throat out. Ranch fell to her knees, slamming both fists onto the ground and began bawling her eyes out. Even though they had won it didn't feel that way for her. All the rage that had consumed her was gone with Cell now defeated, so all that was left in her was the soul crushing grief.

"Ranch," Gohan said, getting up and going up to her. "Ranch, it'll be okay."

But Ranch barely heard him as she continued crying, but she did end up getting back up on her knees and hugged him so that she could weep into his chest. "What am I supposed to say when I go back?" Ranch wailed. "We were partners! We're supposed to watch out for each other!" How was she supposed to face Bulma? It was going to be just like when she had to tell Chi-Chi about Gohan!

Gohan then reminded her, "Hey, don't worry, we have Dragon Balls. We'll be wishing Trunks back."

Wiping her tears, Ranch looked hopefully up at Gohan, saying, "The…Dragon Balls…"

Raditz and Vegeta landed bear them as Piccolo and Krillin approached them as well.

"That's right," Raditz said, looking at them proudly. "Yamcha and Tien are already taking him to the lookout, Ranch."

She immediately stood up and was about to take off, when Vegeta spoke up: "Girl." Ranch stopped herself and wordlessly looked over at the Vegeta, whose eyes were cast down on the ground in front of him. "Tell him you have my approval."

Her first instinct was to tell Vegeta to shove his approval where the sun didn't shine, but stopped herself. Ranch just nodded and said, "Yeah." She took off without another word.

When Krillin picked up 18 to take her with them, he said to the Saiyans, "So, I guess the two of you are more or less in-laws, and you guys seemed to be on the same page back there. Think you'll try getting along now?"

Raditz and Vegeta traded a glance and then scowled at one another.

"As if," Raditz spat, flying off to catch up with his daughter.

"Stop spouting nonsense," Vegeta said at the same time, taking off in the opposite direction.

Gohan laughed, while Piccolo looked amused and said, "You're probably asking too much for more than one miracle to occur today."