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-YARN
Goku was a little disappointed.
The Cell Juniors normally were comparable to his Super Saiyan form — although after all his training he was stronger than them by a wide enough margin on his own — but one-on-one Super Saiyan 2 was overkill.
With a final punch the last Cell Junior exploded into a puff of blue smoke.
He sighed and powered down, arms crossed as he waited for Gohan to finish his fight.
Kurai was speeding towards where he hoped Babidi had buried his spaceship, with the new marks that were transmitting energy from the fighters regardless of whether they won or lost, Majin Buu would be on the fast track for being revived. He couldn't take a chance with this anymore, he wasn't going to try to recruit Buu and risk something going horribly wrong or something being released that they weren't prepped to take on. Whoever that Fuhai guy was was messing with events by pulling enemies where their disappearance or death wouldn't affect their own timelines.
But he had said that this timeline was in of itself an anomaly itself, so pulling people over wouldn't cause a whole destabilization in and of itself.
"Damn me and my bleeding heart…" Kurai muttered, "I should've just told The Supreme Kai of TIme to stop this timeline."
He landed in front of the spaceship and Babidi, who had been staring into a crystal ball while holding an energy draining lamp, yelped and leapt back at his arrival.
"You beat Dabura?" He demanded.
"Well…" Kurai hummed as he advanced on the terrified magician, "Not me, but I have full faith in the rest to handle him. You though? I humbly appreciate the honor of killing you myself."
The ground exploded on Kurai's side as two figures erupted at him, fists cocked back to punch him in the face.
Kurai effortlessly caught both attacks with each hand and regarded the two attackers, a snarling large monster and a alien fighter.
"Honestly…?" Kurai mused as he frownd, "I think I am insulted that this is the best you could muster to fight me."
"Insulted?" One howled, "How dare you — urk!"
He was cut off as Kurai simply spun and tossed them away.
They both landed with a resounding thud and Kurai lips pursed in thought, "Wait… I think I read about you two…? What was it… Kiwi and Yakitori?"
One of the fighters — dressed in a black and white armor who looked like a cross between Frieza and Appule — shot to his feet, gesturing to himself and the green alien also getting to its feet, "I'm Pui Pui you idiot! And his name is Yakon!"
"Oh." Kurai replied placidly, unfazed and unimpressed, "Well close enough I guess…"
Pui Pui scowled and rushed at Kurai only for the Former Time Patroller to literally impale the charging attacker and then tossing him aside. Pui Pui lay gasping on the ground as he tried to cover the hole in his torso and get back to his feet. Kurai carelessly flicked his wrist and fired a ki blast that completely vaporized the mind controlled fighter into oblivion. Kurai turned to the stunned Yakon and gave him a deadpan stare that was filled with nothing but deathly intention.
"Well?" Kurai inquired with a cold tone, "You want to tango?"
Yakon might've actually ran as far as he could before his mark flashed and he buckled before looking back up with his pupils no longer visible through a unnaturally bright red sclera. He lunged at Kurai.
The Saiyan sighed.
In a blur of movement he buried a fist into Yakon's stomach and launched a one-handed ki last that obliterated the enemy.
"Now that that's over with." Kurai said as he brushed his hands.
He turned to Babidi who was halfway inside his spaceship.
"Really?" Kurai drawled, "Do you honestly think I care what the Supreme Kai thinks? I'll blow your ship and everything in it sky high."
"Papar—argkh!" Babidi gargled as Kurai's punch shattered his jaw.
Kurai lifted the lizard wizard by his throat, "Yeah… not really a fan of your flair, it's unnecessary an you waste time. So here are your options. You bring my friends back right now without their opponents and you die quick, or you make me wait and I make you suffer until you do as I say. Sound good you stupid lizard? Also, don't bullsh —argh!"
That last bit was because Zangya had apparently tamped completely down on her ki and jabbed Kurai with another energy draining lamp. Kurai immediately began to feel his ki being forcibly drawn out of him at a rapid pace, faster than even he expected. However he wasn't as immobilized as Gohan had been when he had been drained and lashed out with a backhand that knocked the lamp out of Zangya's hands and caused him to drop the wizard. Babidi scrambled into his ship — pausing only to grab the lamp Zangya dropped —and the door shut behind him. Kurai whirled on the alien woman backing up as her eyes widened as Kurai ki began to build in response to his rage. His hair flickered and became gold as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.
"That was a bad move."Kurai said with deathly calm, "Because now I am pissed off."
Cell was scowling at the half-saiyan who was beginning to overwhelm him and seemed to be no weaker for how long their fight had been going. He immediately realized that Gohan wouldn't give him a chance to spawn more of his children and Goku had been joined by Vegeta as they both waited for Gohan to kill him. And this time, Gohan held nothing back as used the full power of his Super Saiyan 2 form to bear down on Cell, giving him no respite. Cell would not be able to even try a counterattack unless he could break Gohan's assault.
In desperation, Cell went over every single skill he could think of to gain some distance and a moment to breath. The Spirit Bomb was going to take far too long to form so there was no point in trying that to hit Gohan, plus the half-breed had no evil in his heart, so it would do nothing. The Kamehameha Wave and Galick Gun could be countered with Gohan's own Masenko and Kamehameha and Cell was not confident he could overpower this Gohan as he had the other. The Special Beam Cannon required time to charge enough ki to be effective and while he could generate a force field, he'd have to maintain it and couldn't spawn more children or make another attack while his focus was divided.
Even so, Cell formed the force field to give himself a moment to hold Gohan off, he couldn't attack from here, but at least he could try to get some air. Then Cell took a moment to breathe when he remembered a technique he remembered that he could use that may give him the edge he needed. He dropped the force field as Gohan predictably rushed him in order to keep the pressure on, but that was what Cell wanted.
"Solar Flare!" Cell declared as Gohan recoiled from the bright light that erupted from Cell that suddenly blinded him.
Cell capitalized on the opening and began to barrage Gohan with a flurry of strikes, trying to take the half-saiyan down before he could recover. He fired a Galick Gun then blasted Gohan down into the ground in a purple explosion and sent up a cloud of smoke. As Cell dove into the cloud to pile-drive the half-saiyan deeper into the floor, Gohan grit his teeth and threw out his hands, releasing an explosive wave of ki that forced the bio-android back as Gohan blinked the stars and smoke out of his vision. He blitzed towards the android and smashed a punishing kick into Cell's face as Cell tried to keep the explosive wave from enveloping him. Cell spiraled into the earth as Gohan landed and dashed at him, Cell using the ground to handspring back and fire a barrage of ki blasts at Gohan. The half-saiyan weaved through the explosions and blasts as he tackled Cell and used his momentum to throw Cell into the floor, carving a trench into the ground.
Cell scowled as formed a kamehameha that was supposed to force Gohan back, "Die already you damned pest!"
Gohan simply cupped his hand in a familiar stance, staring at the approaching blast, "Ka…Me…Ha…Me…."
Cell blanched his feet and immediately fully charged his attack as he and Gohan yelled, "HA!"
Their attacks clashed as light bathed the area and the makeshift battleground rumbled under the force of the attacks connecting.
Cell scowled but steeled himself as he pushed against Gohan's attack, this would just be a repeat of the past, he would overpower Gohan and then kill Goku and Vegeta! He suddenly realized that he was instantly overpowering Gohan like he had before and if anything, Gohan's kamehameha was actually slowly overpowering his! He growled at the fact that he was weaker than this Gohan when he had slaughtered the other version and all his friends! How in the world had this Gohan managed to get so strong? Training with competent opponents must have really benefitted the half-breed, and apparently he never stopped training after the original androids fell. Focusing on the blast, he blanched as he realized that the center of their attacks was much closer than he realized; Cell tapped fully into the ki that the wizard had branded him with. Immediately he felt strength surge in him and he poured more pressure into his attack, laughing in cruel delight as he saw Gohan's attack immediately losing ground against his. It was little grating to Cell's pride to have to rely on some other's power, but he would swallow his pride to survive his fight.
"What's wrong Gohan?" He mocked, "I thought you were going to stop me! Is the limit of your power?"
Gohan gritted his teeth and refused to answer but he was struggling, he had been able to hold his own and even overpower Cell, but sudden Cell's strength skyrocketed and he was losing ground. Gohan hadn't anticipated just how strong the Majin Mark had empowered Cell and hadn't gone all out. The problem was two-fold though, Gohan was able to transform to the next level, but he hadn't perfected it yet and it was difficult to hold for even a short time. Still he couldn't afford to lose here! Gohan closed his eyes and concentrated, ki flaring as he transformed into a Super Saiyan 3 and his blast expanding into a monstrous size. Cell blanched, his mouth open in a horrified scream as Gohan's Kamehameha surged forwards and immediately began overwhelming him.
"No!" Cell screamed as he was swallowed by the blue beam of ki, "Not like this! Not to you!"
Soon the only sign that the battle had taken place was a massive trench in the ground and Gohan panting as he dropped his transformation. He slowly floated down to the ground and his legs folded under him as he felt the heavy drag from using Super Saiyan 3 land on his shoulders.
"Still not used to it…" Gohan muttered as he sat on the ground and tried to catch his breath.
Unfortunately he didn't get the chance as an earthquake shook the area and a bright light enveloped everything.
Dabura panted for breath as he glared indiscriminately at Namekian and two Saiyans that had kept him from stopping one of their members from going straight for his master's spaceship or stop the humans from healing the Supreme Kai. He couldn't trust Pui Pui or Yakon to deal with these warriors, they were far too strong for them. They might be able to best the humans, but the other races were an entirely different matter as their power far eclipsed the humans. What made it so much worse was that this situation wasn't salvageable as there was no way they would literally just let them leave whenever he wanted.
Still, how could he be losing?
He was The Demon King Dabura!
But titles didn't matter.
His status didn't matter.
All that mattered in the moment was how much power he had.
And it wasn't enough.
He wouldn't get out of this alive.
But he was certain of one thing.
His master would succeed.
Majin Buu would be revived.
Buu would avenge him.
Babidi quickly took a bit of the energy that Zangya had drained from the bastard that broke his jaw, healing the injury as he burned in anger. He quickly place the lamp and dispensed the energy into Buu, whose gage was already at 87% thanks to the various people he enslaved and had fight against the earthling warriors, the counter jumped and it ended at 92% capacity. Babidi scowled, he was so close! The gauge was still rising slowly — no doubt Dabura and Zangya were still fighting but they were losing fast — but it wasn't fast enough before he would destroy the ship. Apparently the warriors Fuhai had gathered weren't strong enough to gather the necessary energy needed to revive Buu, even if it was far more than he had expected.
Babidi had no choice, he sent out the last of his guards to get the last bit he needed, they would die, but the energy should be enough.
Kurai easily beat down Zangya despite the defense she tried to mount, the difference in skill and power was just too great. He probably didn't even need to use Super Saiyan, but he was angry enough that he felt he should make her despair in how outmatched she was. He wasn't happy to be used to bring the Majin back, he was definitely strong enough to do so as he had beaten him before and on several occasions — and in all forms for that matter — but he usually didn't take on him with someone empowering him and those were usually challenging enough. He had already gotten his old strength back, but he didn't want to fight him again and that was without interference; Fuhai was probably going to see what would happen if he powered Buu up.
So he had to kill her and blow the ship up.
Really was a shame she was evil though, she was cute and strong enough to help defend The Earth. If she could turn her back on the evil in her heart, then maybe Krillin could have the chance for the family he would never have with the 18 of this timeline. Then again that would only be the case if humans and whatever she was — The Heron or Hero Clan or whatever — were even physically compatible.
Whatever, it really didn't matter.
"Bujin! Bido!" Zangaya screamed.
Kurai suddenly felt wire thin strings digging into his body, immobilizing him and locking his arms down and in place. The two other members of Bojack's group had come and were smiling maliciously as they held out their hands, their fingertips spawning the near translucent and flashing wires that were binding him. Zangya wiped the sweat beading on and gently kneaded some of the area that were bruised from Kurai's attacks. Kurai berated himself for drawing it out instead of ending it quickly, he had made the exact same mistake that Gohan had made with Cell, one he cautioned the Gohan of this timeline against!
"You both took too long." She grumped as she stumbled over to the discarded lamp and picked it up, "He's not weak and will definitely have enough energy to drain for Babidi."
Kurai scowled and began to power up, arms pushing up against the bindings as he overpowered them. He could feel the threads trying to drain his ki, but he was for too strong for them to affect him as he overpowered the strings. He would not ever be helpless in his life, he wanted and needed to be able to stand on his own two feet and fight the battles that needed to be fought. He promised to himself make this timeline — his new home for the foreseeable future — better for all of his old friends and his new friends as well! Being the catalyst to revive Buu would be the exact opposite of help this timeline! Bujin and Bido both tried to twine more wires, but they were not strong enough to hold Kurai down even with all their wire.
"Don't underestimate me!" Kurai howled as he tore his body free.
The all backed away as Kurai stared them down.
"Why didn't our psycho threads work!" Bido demanded, "You shouldn't have been able to move at all!"
"You really don't know? You're pretty arrogant." Kurai replied angrily, "I can tell you why they won't work on me if you want."
"Why's that?" Challenged Bujin.
Kurai smirked, "I am way stronger than you are. Allow me to demonstrate."
He blitzed into Zangya, smashing the lamp before blasting her to nothing before she could react. Bujin and Bido both backed away from him as Kurai turned to face them, expression blank and calm.
"It's over." Kurai said, "You're dead."
They didn't even have a chance to power up before Kurai smashed into them, a fist buried deep into their guts. They both coughed as they were sent flying and Kurai blitzed after them, hammering punishing blows that knocked them from place to place like they were crashing into invisible rubber walls. Kurai kicked them one last time into the air before firing a Double Sunday — a beam for each — and eradicating them for good. Kurai felt their ki vanish and dropped his transformation before flying off in the direction of the spaceship, he had to hurry. If nothing else he could at least fight Buu if he was revived.
Babidi watched eagerly as the gauge finally ticked up to 100%. The room shook as the ball began to wiggle and steam poured from the pedestal that held it.
"Yes!" He shouted, "It's time for Buu to finally be free!"
He raised his hands.
"Papapara!"