Another Path
The new chapter has come with a fight. I thank all my fans that have reviewed me. That always inspires me.
But to those people that have yet to understand, I already said about my power levels: they are my invention and I'm not changing them no matter how overpowered they may look like. Sorry for my haters, nothing is changing my mind. So you can keep lashing at me but I will keep myself with my original plans.
Now let's read!
Chapter 19: Fight against Time
Piccolo's white aura flared at full power around him, giant rocks of many feet wide around the island flying up defying gravity. The green fighter suddenly moved beyond lightning speed homing his fast blows towards the male Android. 17 never stood a chance, receiving a fast rain of staggering attacks that caused pain all over him. The Namek swiftly appeared behind his enemy, landing a sharp elbow right into 17's back head and sending him careening away. The Android barely reestablished his bearings, when he was already receiving a mighty punch to the face, followed by an even stronger kick to the mouth that sent him rocketing away up in the air.
The male robot used his flight powers and stopped himself. He didn't understand how so suddenly Piccolo was as powerful as himself. It was simply impossible. There was no known training method for such a power boost for the short period of time passed since he defeated the Namek and the kid.
"I Guess you can be some fun this time" The male android said smirking, rolling up his shirt's white sleeves, ready to fight.
"There will be no fun time here, kid. I am going to destroy you right away" Piccolo retorted dead-serious. His speed accelerated towards the Android. 17 sped off to crash against him, but when in range, Piccolo swiftly sped away into another direction, disappearing with an after-image. By that time he was behind his enemy, landing a punch to the kidneys. 17 arched his body back in pain and anger. But recovering fast, the android spun around and punch the Namek right in the face, sending him away at blurring speeds behind. The android shot after him, trying to land as much blows as he could over his lanky enemy. Yet Piccolo's green body had already healed the damage and was now defending against the machine, swatting his attacks aside with no trouble.
17 got a lucky punch, that hit right into Piccolo's guts. The Namekian warrior, however, recovered with little damage and countered with his own gut fist, his green hand almost going straight through the Cyborg machine, causing him to spat blood from his mouth. 17 tried to land another fist but the green fighter somersaulted over him and kick him in the head. The cyborg gave two steps back in pain but recovered, raising his right hand, yellow orb charging.
"Photon Flash!" The Android enchanted in anger, firing a yellow blast into the Namekian. Amazingly, the green alien from Namek clutched his hands up his head and fired his axe strike, right into the blast when it got close enough. The energy attack was easily swat back to its origin, the cyborg twins disappearing. As soon as the energy touched the ground everything disappeared, the island now nothing but dust in the new flowing wind.
The two human Fighters Yamcha and Tien were now a few miles away from the blast, thanks to a fast thinking from their part.
The Namek sighed, his keen hearing causing him to spun around. The two machine brothers were there, though 17 looked the more anxious one. 18 still didn't look impressed by the fight so far.
"Now see what you've done? We lost our playground" The teenager machine said with a smirk, taunting like he always did. But the Namekian responded with a light-speed dash, landing a sharp upper cut into the cyborg's chin sending him up in the sky.
He wanted to play on the ground, well they were going to do just that.
Piccolo chased after his enemy and grabbed his feet, whipping him down with meteoric power back into another island nearby. The Android crashed with his back first, caving and cracking the soft soil around the epicenter of shock for a few miles. The green alien shot downwards, while the endless energy machine flipped back to his feet, regaining his senses. The male Android clutched his teeth and flew upwards into his purple-dressed enemy. Both recoiled their fists, their flight bringing them closer.
The punches connected with each other, some clouds floating above them swat aside by the nuke-like rumbling wave.
The struggle was shaking the entire area, with the island barely standing by a miracle. The two human fighters were barely able to keep up with the light-speed fight between alien and android.
"You think Piccolo can win?" Yamcha asked towards his tryclop friend, his eyes going from one place to the other like watching a pin-pong match at super speed.
"I don't know. He looks to be dominating, but without feeling the Androids power, I just don't know how much difference there is between them" The former Crane student said while also looking at the fast fight. They were ready to intervene if their green friend was been dominated or if 18 decided to act in cowardice.
"Wow, I knew Piccolo would be strong after reuniting with Kami. But man, this goes of the charts" Super Saiyan Goku exclaimed surprised, feeling the super-human fight from his position above the clouds.
"Dad, you think he can win?" Gohan asked, also feeling the energy hassle on Earth miles beneath them.
"I don't know son. He seems to be doing fine. Besides, Yamcha and Tien can help him if things get out of hands" The Saiyan father responded, confident in his green friend Piccolo.
The powerful Namekian grabbed 17's head from his hair, smashing him face first into the soil that caved the island a bit. Yet the machine escaped his prison by firing one of his elbows backwards, hitting the Namekian's guts. Piccolo recoiled while the cyborg escaped his enemy's grip, spinning around with a left hook hitting the Namekian right in the cheekbone. The green alien from Earth grimaced in pain by the strength, but recovered and quickly landed a short gut fist that bent the Android in shock. Piccolo now fired his knee cap to meet the cyborg's face with devastating effects, the island trembling even more. 17 was shot upwards a few feet but managed to regained his senses, blood oozing from his injured face.
He suddenly shot both of his hands forward, his eyes showing murdering desires.
"Accel Shot!" The infinite energy Android enchanted, yellow spheres firing down onto his enemy. Piccolo started flying in circles but the machine kept his hands perfectly aimed, the blasts getting closer while the ground got covered with plumes of dirt. The green fighter clutched his teeth, keeping himself ahead of any attack. The android was becoming a true nuisance. Not only that but his 'infinite energy' might be an accurate statement. However, his strength seemed just below Piccolo's new one.
An idea ran through his mind, one that could be a defining point not only for the fight but for the existence of Earth.
18 looked at the fight intrigued. Things seemed to be getting a bit out of control. Though humans couldn't detect it, her machine senses could observe her brother getting sloppier after the hard fight. His energy may be infinite but it meant nothing against when fighting someone who was stronger or more skillful than them.
"Yes greeny, keep running! Because my powers will never go down!" The Android yelled in confidence with a sadistic, almost deranged, smirk on his face. But as much blasts he fired, non of them could connect with the blasted green bug. He was getting bored with that kind of game.
Piccolo kept flying in circles around the terrain formation, more ground blasted with smoking craters. Suddenly Piccolo spun around, facing the android while remaining flying away from his dangerous blasts. He shot his right hand forward, charging a yellow sphere.
"Scatter Shot!" The Namekian yelled, his own spheres firing away. The Android stopped attacking, ready to dodge. But as much as the energies were fired, they simply pasted harmlessly and without even getting close enough to touch him. The cyborg started laughing, thinking he had already won.
"Hey green bug. I'm here! Have you already lost your mind?!" The Android taunted, not sensing his scatter demise floating around him.
"17 look out!" 18 yelled from the ground, but her warning was never heard by his growing-mad tween. Piccolo grinned, his still-open palm closing, as his arm buckled back to his side.
Too late did the male Android detected the charade, when he spun around and saw the energy ball right in front of his face. He never stood a chance. The first sphere hit him dead in the face, sending him backwards while the other hit him in the chest, scorching his clothes. Each of the spheres landed all over Piccolo's enemy's body, each of them with the concentrated energy to blast moons into dust. And nearly a hundred rained down over the endless energy android, blasting and blasting with no remorse. Thick clouds of smoke covered the island sky, not allowing to see the result of the planned sneak attack.
The clouds disappeared, while the green Namek got ready. Two possibilities ran through his head. One, his enemy survived and he would have to finish him with a stronger attack he was already charging. The second option, his enemy died and Cell would never reach his perfect form. The alien panted a bit after his exertion. He had plenty of energy left and hopefully, it was enough to do something about 18.
The sound of thud reached his keen hearing, as Piccolo saw the fallen male machine on the blasted ground in front of him. He was lying there unmoving. Yet the Namek could still hear him breathing, his chest going up and down.
"Darn, he's still alive" Piccolo grunted, flying up to finish his job and secure Earth from the threat. But as he got closer, a sharp heal hit him in the mouth, causing Piccolo to spat blood from his lip. A sharp knee to his belly and the alien lost his air with a followed painful elbow into his forehead, sending the Earth-raised alien away for a few meters. Piccolo recovered his senses, blood oozing from his face.
His face suddenly shifted into deep trouble expression. Cell was here.
"Oh no. Cell's here" Yamcha said, feeling the weird ki amalgamation right in front of Piccolo "Man, his powers are now equal to Piccolo's"
"This isn't good" Tien said feeling the situation getting worse by the second. Just when they were going to win, this had to happened.
"Cell's with them!" Gohan said in shock from the Lookout. The bio-android's presence wasn't hard to ignore. He was now as strong as the new powerful Piccolo.
"Hold on Piccolo" Goku thought, hoping his green friend could survive a few more minutes so Vegeta and Trunks finally left the Time Chamber.
"Foolish creäture! You think you can get in my way to perfection?!" The green creäture bellowed to one of his DNA brother "Well, think again!" His anger burst was backed up with a right hook to the face and a left roundhouse that sent the disoriented green man away in the distance. Cell attacked in anger, his blows raining over the Namekian with more strength than 17. On his weakened condition, Piccolo was getting injured much more easily by his enemy, his green body getting bruised purple. Yet that didn't mean he was going to stop fighting. He was always going to try.
The bio android clutched his enemy from behind with a bear hug. But the Earth's green alien yelled in power, his ki unleashed in a white flowing aura around him. His muscles bulked a bit by his new power, as he jerked his head back, his fuseed strength almost cracking Cell's head as he let go of Piccolo. The bio-android clutched his mouth in anger, firing a fist from behind. Yet Piccolo dropped his body forward, the blow passing harmlessly over his arched-forward back. The Namekian was now upside down and bending his knees up to his chest. Cell never saw it coming, the double-feet mule kick hitting square on the black-colored chest plates. The attack created a thunderous shock wave, with Cell flung backwards winded by the staggering power. Piccolo yelled, flying after his enemy at near-light speed, his right hand up with his heel ready to slash downwards. Cell back-flipped in mid-air, suddenly cupping his hands right.
"Kame... Hame..." The android enchanted, blue energy shinning on his palms. Piccolo remained flying forward, not afraid of the blast's power, which could reduce him to dust. "Haaa!" The blast was sent forward in the shape of a six-feet wide blue sphere. Yet Piccolo only yelled in strength and gathered more power, the heel of his right hand still lashing downwards into the incoming deadly blast. His attack amazingly cut the orb of death in perfect halfs, the two blue splitted sides exploding into harmless sparkles.
Cell looked a bit aghast, though disguising it with expertise behind a stoic appearance.
"I see you have a lot of tricks left" Cell remarked, remembering his first encounter with Piccolo. Though the bio-machine knew he had more strength, it was obvious his DNA brother had more experience against the Earth's fighters' techniques. Piccolo was panting, feeling his energies going down. That last attack had far more power than he had first calculated. Whatever advantage he had against Cell was minimal. But on his eyes, that could still mean victory.
"You haven't seen my best yet!" The Namekian yelled in power, his white aura bursting over him, with his muscles churning with his powers. All his strength, his last ounces of ki, everything he had was fully concentrated into his now cupped hands right in front of his chest with a red ball of death. Cell opened his eyes, feeling the increasing strength. The world shuddered by such a deadly blast.
The white aura circled with a few lightnings, with the Namekian ready to do what needed to be done. The swirling energy was turning blood-red colored.
"Now disappear!" Piccolo's body swiftly moved the distance between his enemy and himself with the air shimmering around his body. Cell never saw him coming, his eyes recognizing the threat just too late for him to do anything "Heaven's Revenge!" The green alien fired his deadliest blast so far, the giant red colored sphere bathing over the entire area. The green planet trembled in fear by the planet-bursting attack at point-blank.
The Namekian panted, his aura leaving him. His powers dropped down. But as the smoke cleared, he could only stare in disbelief. Cell was there, the right half of his body gone and bleeding. But very much alive still. The Android grunted, the flesh around his injuries suddenly convulsing. With a sickening sound, the lost limbs were regrown back as new. Piccolo wanted to slap himself. Cell had his cells, it was obvious he would regenerate.
The bio-android floated near to his brother, stretching his new limbs, a bit angered.
"That was a nice try Piccolo" Cell commented, seething in anger "Had I not moved my body to the right, I would be gone already". The fun time was over. He had to finish this joke quickly and become the most powerful being in the universe.
"Yamcha quick!" Tien ordered, after seeing the fight for a few minutes, his white aura flaring around. The desert bandit looked confused "With Cell distracted we can take 17 out!" Yamcha nodded, finally getting a good luck shot. Their auras flared with Kaioken times fifty, as they went after the out-cold cyborg. But as soon as they got close enough, sharp blows to their faces sent the humans away, no longer covered in their red aura and easily unconscious.
"Stay away from my brother!" The female android yelled, covering his knocked out tween.
The sudden fight on the ground brought Cell's attention, who panicked at the idea of now loosing both Androids at the same time. Piccolo tried to sneak into his enemy but the bio machine super sped from behind his weaken enemy, landing a severing knee to the Namekian' spine, almost splitting him in half, followed by a descendant axe strike to the head that shook everything around them. Piccolo landed on the blasted soil, some parts of his body broken and not moving much anymore.
Cell took the moment to accelerate into the knocked-out machine, his chance to evolve right a few meters ahead of him. The blonde cyborg machine started firing purple energy beams into the green enemy. Her Infinite Bullet, however, was simply swat aside by the enemy, as he delivered a mighty uppercut into her future fusee. The bug-like being knocked her away into the air, 'overdoing' his attack just a little bit. Her body disappeared in the distance, landing somewhere a few miles away.
"Blast, I shouldn't have done that" Cell thought to himself. No matter. Because his sight drifted down to his feet, where 17 stood unmoving. Drool escaped from Cell's mouth, the power inches away from him.
A yellow blast hit the bio-android in the shoulder from behind him, Piccolo still standing on trembling legs. His scorched purple Gi was torn apart but he wasn't going to stop now. He still had to fight. The green-skinned android spun around, getting annoyed by the interferences.
"Dam it, Piccolo is loosing energy. He won't hold much longer" Goku said, tightening his hands in anger. He wanted to help but he wasn't strong enough and neither was Gohan. The half Saiyan was in the same turmoil, trying really not to snap mad and do something stupid.
A sudden presence took both Saiyans out of their thoughts. Two incredible powers appeared out of nowhere right from behind them.
Vegeta and Trunks finally walked outside the Time Chamber. Their clothes were ragged and tattered but their powers were amazing. Trunks had longer hair tied in a pony tail while having increased his height up to equal Goku's. Vegeta was still the same short widow peak haired fighter, though more powerful for sure.
"Hey guys" Trunks said with a smile, walking out in his ragged armor.
"Wow Trunks, look how much you have grown. It's unbelievable!" The younger version of Trunks' mother said, carrying the baby also Trunks from this timeline.
"Good timing guys. Because Cell is on the move and I don't think Piccolo can keep holding" Goku told them. Vegeta looked at both Goku and Gohan, who were now Super Saiyans but acting like something normal. It was weird to say the least.
The just-trained Saiyans changed their clothes into new armors and were ready to go.
"Don't think this changes anything Kakarot" Vegeta simply remarked as always, walking to the edge of the Lookout, getting the full-blooded Super Saiyan's attention "Once I've taken care of those stupid Androids and Cell, you will be my next target" Goku momentary smiled but not in happiness but in grief.
"If you survive, then I will gladly fight with you" The suppressed Super Saiyan replied a bit grimly. Vegeta didn't answer, either because he didn't hear or just plain ignored. The Prince shot downwards at hyper-sonic speeds and without having to transform yet. Trunks followed not far behind from his present father.
The green alien from Earth stood up, but obviously struggling to stay conscious. He didn't know if he had fought for hours or days with both 17 and Cell. He just knew there was now and do, no other thing. Cell was slowly moving closer, his pace slow on purpose to make a more dramatic effect.
Both Yamcha and Tien suddenly jumped in front of Piccolo back to fully consciousness, protecting him from the incoming bio-android. Their faces were serious, but they also showed fear and terror.
"Guys, be careful. This guy is too powerful" Piccolo said almost whispering, one of his hands clutching his injured chest. The human fighters nodded, already knowing they were pretty much outclassed.
"You think you can stand against me? You are merely insects" Cell taunted, a smirk on his weird orange mouth.
"Maybe we are insects" The desert bandit said serious while on his fighting stance. Their current situation wasn't good. But again, when was?
"But our stinger can be very poisonous" Tien finished for his friend. Both humans looked at each other, as their powers started increasing dangerously and exponentially.
"Kaioken times one hundred!" The two humans yelled, their bodies igniting with red ki fire, the ground cracking beneath their feet. Their muscles strained in agony with veins pocking their skin but they paid no mind to that. It was the worst do or die situation they had ever been in.
"Tri-Beam!" Tien cupped his hands in a triangle in front of him, zooming into Cell.
"Spirit Ball!" Yamcha fired his giant yellow sphere, aimed into the bio-android.
The attacks hit their target, clouding everything and sending tremors to the area nearby, water waves flowing like away from the epicenter.
The blasts combined could have destroyed something with ten times the size of the Moon. The two energies put together sent the much-stronger bio-android away, skidding and caving a trench on his path. Yet he still remained in one piece and unscathed, after the smoke cleared. The humans could only look in disbelief, before they bodies cancelled the Kaioken and knocked them out on their own without Cell having to fight them.
"Fools" The bug-like creäture commented, as now only Piccolo was standing against him. Though barely. Of course, that could be easily fixed.
The green android shot towards Piccolo, his hands grabbing the Namekian's face in full. But instead of absorbing his energies with the gems on his hands, Cell only raised him and hammered him hard against the ground. The soil caved for a few meters with fissures cracking away and Piccolo barely hanging onto dear life. The Namekian's legs were shooting towards Cell's body, impacting anywhere. But the green and black machine paid no heed to the pitiful escape attempts. Cell's free hand shone yellow, a deadly piercing blast going straight through the Namekian body. Then another and another. The former Guardian of Earth ended up holed and without energy left to heal himself. Cell threw the almost-lifeless Alien away, leaving his limpish body at the edge of the island. He then proceeded into the still-not-moving Android 17. At last power was his to take.
"No, Piccolo" The suppressed Super Saiyan whispered, feeling his green friend's powers going down. Next to him, Gohan was clutching his hands in anger, his suppressed energies now emanating in a golden flow of ki. He was angry. Angry of just waiting.
"Easy son" The father reassured his kid, touching his shoulder and the half alien sighed, his aura receding. Yet his emotions were still running wild, his Super Saiyan form only increasing them like it always did "We won't let anyone die. So let's go. We might still be able to save them if we hurry" Goku said without any doubt and Gohan nodded. Both put their fingers on their foreheads and moved away with the space shifting around them.
The bio-android shot his tail towards the knock-out male Android, his stinger edge suddenly expanding its size. The tail engulfed the teenager machine, swallowing him into Cell's body. The green-skinned monster smirked in triumph, his powers suddenly increasing. Lightnings escaped his newly increased Saiyan-like golden aura, his muscles bulking. His heft increased a bit, as his skin become more colorful. His tail elongated, some green parts of his body becoming purple or orange. A few lightning arcs escaped from his new android body and the clouds shifted around the epicenter of the new power.
As Cell finished his transformation, the green Android stared at his new body. He looked much more human, though still with reptile green skin over him. Yet his power was outstanding. He could kill anyone he wanted without breaking a sweat. Even Piccolo was nothing but a little vermin next to him now.
"Now to take care of the pests" The bio-android smirked, raising his hand. A giant red sphere of power was shot, ready to kill the knock-out humans. Yet as the sphere was just a foot away from making contact, the half Saiyan Gohan teleported and took his friends away from the blast. The energy blasted the entire island down to ashes, leaving nothing behind but moving water waves.
The new Cell looked in disbelief, as someone had taken his prey away. But how? He didn't see anyone coming.
"You must be Cell" The white-haired Super Saiyan said stoic, his green eyes driving a hard stare into the increased Android. The injured Piccolo was being carried by Goku, still alive apparently.
"At last you come to fight me Goku. I was starting to get bored" The ascended android Cell, a bit surprised to see that Goku was already transformed in Super Saiyan but with much lower power.
"Not yet Cell. But you just wait. You are going down hard!" Goku declared with a serious expression. Before Cell had retorted, the suppressed Super Saiyan teleported away, surprising the green android. He looked around but couldn't find his enemy. How did he do that?
The suppressed Saiyan warriors arrived in the Lookout less than a second later. Thanks to the Senzu Beans Bulma brought, the defeated fighters were now back at full power and conscious. Sadly, their defeat was at display now.
"Darn, Cell has absorbed 17. I should have stopped him!" Piccolo bellowed in anger to himself, his white aura of power breaking some tilling of the floor with his energy restored.
"Don't beat yourself Piccolo. You didn't know that Cell had increased his powers that much" Goku said, putting his hand on his green friend.
"Man, I hope Vegeta and Trunks do better than we did" Yamcha said, folding his arms. The others hoped too, as they moved closer to the edge of the Lookout to feel the fight.
"Gohan, let's go. We have to train too" Super Saiyan Goku walked away, followed by his Super Saiyan son. Both walked into the central building, right through many corridors until reaching the wooden door that would take them into another dimension.
Both walked through.
"Eighteen, show yourself right now!" Cell bellowed from the sky. Sadly he got no response. He got angrier. Why did he had to do such a stupid thing against the thing that would make him perfect? He proceeded to look for her in another island, but a powerful presence took his thoughts of absorption away. Vegeta was behind him, arms folded over his white armored chest with a smirk.
Notes from Chapter 19:
The "Heaven's Revenge" is actually a better, more powerful version of cannon's Piccolo's Light Grenade (I changed the name because Light Grenade didn't sound very vengeful).
Power Levels:
Goku:
Suppressed Super Saiyan: 3 million
Gohan:
Suppressed Super Saiyan: 5 million
Vegeta:
After training: 340 million
Trunks:
After training: 335 million
Tien:
Base form: 25 million
Kaioken x50: 1.25 billion
Kaioken x100: 2.5 billion
Yamcha:
Base form: 25 million
Kaioken x50: 1.25 billion
Kaioken x100: 2.5 billion
Piccolo:
Full power: 12 billion
Tired a bit after fighting 17: 8 billion
Android 17: 8 billion
Android 18: 9 billion
Cell:
Imperfect form (After absorbing people): 10 billion
Semi-perfect form: 20 billion
New fighters have come into the fray. Can their power be enough? See next chapter!