Chapter Twelve - Attack of the Super Namek
"This energy field they're using is a pain in the ass." Ravenna said frowning as she made a couple more adjustments to the controls. As soon as the field had gone up it had interfered with several of their systems monitoring the Earth. The power scanners had been the only things not affected. She'd just managed to get the video feed, though somewhat distorted, back about an hour ago. The audio, however, was still jumbled.
"Well now..." Razor said softly, his eyes glowing faintly. "We have a new player in this game."
"What do you mean?" Ravenna asked looking back.
"I just felt my powers flaring up on Earth..."
The man in the shadows smirked. "So then, Zildar is back at last." He stood up and walked toward the largest monitor which shifted to show the powerful Namek flying towards West City. "I wonder though, why are Goku and Bardock the only ones in West City? What happened to Vegeta? There's no way he'd pass up another chance at the Androids..."
"No idea father." Ravenna said looking over the data she was getting. "His power, along with those of Trunks, Hotaru, and that Sakura girl, vanished about thirty minutes ago."
"Vanished?" Raven asked as she, too, stood from her seat and moved into the light. "Where were they last detected?"
"On the Lookout."
Ravenna's father pursed his lips in thought, his tail wagging behind him. Suddenly he smiled. "I know of only one place on the Lookout that is beyond our scanner's reach. The Room of Spirit and Time. Well, this should prove most entertaining."
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West City:
"Ready when you are." 18 said quietly.
Goku nodded. "On 3. 1... 2... 3!" With that the two of them surged toward Tao. Their target focused his attentions on 18 moreso than Goku knowing she was the stronger of his two opponents. He quickly brought his arms up and blocked the punch from her and then brought his leg up blocking Goku's kick. There was a dual crack as his back hand connected with Goku's head and his left fist was blocked by 18's arm.
Goku flipped over in the air, slid around behind Tao, and then smashed his foot into the mercenary's head. However, Tao didn't even react to the impact. 18 launched a punch for Tao's face but he slipped it and then grabbed her arm. Spinning where he floated he tossed her into Goku and then sent a blast of energy after them knocking them into the ground before it exploded. As the dust cleared the two of them stood again, their clothes tattered and shredded, Goku bruised, bleeding, and panting. With a glance at each other both smirked and then shot up at Tao again.
"You don't know when to give up, do you?" Tao asked as he watched them near.
Suddenly Goku put his hands in front of his face, fingers spread. "Solar Flare!" As the light flared up blinding Tao, 18 increased her speed and then slammed her fist into his stomach doubling him over. Flipping around behind him, she then slammed her foot into his back driving him down toward Goku. The Sai-jin continued rocketing toward him and slammed an energy encased fist into his face full force. The energy exploded and knocked him back up into the air where 18 slammed her knee into his stomach and brought her elbow down into his back at the same time.
By this point Goku was above her and came surging back down again, feet first, and smashed them into his back. He kept going down until he'd driven Tao into and through the street knocking him down into the sewers below the city. Panting heavily, Goku floated back up to where 18 was. "Think he's... down for good?" he asked. 18 didn't answer.
Unseen by either of them a green hand grasped the corner of a building a few blocks away and then the owner peeked around the corner too and looked up at the two warriors. "There's no telling where 17 is now..." Cell said slowly, his tail swishing back and forth on the ground. "But 18's right there for the picking. Goku's already worn out, he wont be a challenge. I've got a clear shot at half of my goal... I think I'll take it. And then I can look for 17's location."
Cell stepped out around the corner just as Tao floated back up out of his hole glaring at the two warriors above him. The Bio-droid paid the Cyborg little attention though, he didn't care about him one way or the other at the moment. With a burst of gold Cell shot straight for 18 and Goku.
Goku felt something in his Field of Perception suddenly and turned to look, his eyes going wide as he saw Cell. "What the...?" he was cut off from saying anything further, however, as Cell's fist slammed into his stomach. The Bio-droid then grabbed his head and slammed it into his knee before kicking him in the chest and into a distant building. The green creature then turned to face 18.
"Ah, 18, I've been waiting for this day for a long time." Cell said grinning.
"Who... what are you?" she cried drifting backwards a few yards.
"My name is Cell. Like you I was created by Dr. Gero. It is your destiny to be absorbed by me, to become part of my being!"
"What? Ugh, I don't want to be part of something as disgusting as you!"
Cell laughed. "My dear 18, you have no choice." Cell started to float toward 18 but Goku suddenly appeared between the two of them. Cell laughed. "You think you can stop me?"
"No, but I can try." Goku said, still panting.
"I've got this one." a familiar voice said from nearby. Everyone turned and saw Piccolo standing on the top of a gargoyle mounted on a nearby roof, his cape billowing out behind him. "I don't know who or what you are but you picked the wrong time to show yourself."
Cell started laughing again. "You can't fight me Piccolo." he said, smiling when he saw the Namek's shock at his knowing him. "Yes, I know who you are. I also know how strong you are. I got a good sense of your power before this energy field went up."
The Namek shook his head as he removed his cape and turban. "I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else friend. I am not Piccolo."
"Not Piccolo?"
"Not by a long shot." he said dropping his weights to the street far below. "What do you say to moving this out of the city?"
"And leave my prey behind? I don't think so." Cell eyed up the Namek before him. "You certainly do look like Piccolo... If you're not Piccolo then who are you?"
"You can call me Zildar." he replied reaching up and cracking his neck. As he did he turned his attention toward Goku. "Catch." his hand snapped out and a small brown bag sailed over to Goku. As the Sai-jin caught it the Namek spoke again. "Korin gave that to me as I passed. He said you forgot it in your haste."
Goku grinned. "Senzu Beans, alright!"
"Get healed, get Bardock, get the others, and get out." Zildar ordered before turning his eyes toward Cell again and crossing his arms.
"But... Piccolo, we don't know how strong this guy is and..."
"Piccolo's gone." said the Namek gruffly, his eyes still locked on Cell. "Look, you have to get the others to safety... there aren't any more Dragonballs..."
"Ah... I see now." Cell laughed. "You fused with Kami, didn't you?"
"Goku, go, now!"
Goku stared at him a moment longer and then nodded before grabbing 18 and then vanishing. Cell scowled as the two disappeared. "Damn, I forgot about that technique... no matter, I'll just track them down after I've dealt with you."
"Not likely."
During this exchange Tao had taken to scanning the area around him. He couldn't detect powers thanks to the energy field but he could still track heat signals and 19's transponder. As Goku vanished, Tao locked onto 19 and a small group of seven others. No sooner had Goku and 18 vanished than two new heat signals appeared within the group. With a smirk on his face Tao charged down toward Capsule Corp leaving Cell and Zildar to themselves.
Zildar watched him go but was more concerned with this unkown than the Cyborg. "So, you have me at a disadvantage... you know who I am but I don't know who you are."
Cell smiled as best his beak would allow. "As I told 18 I am Cell, a Bio-droid created by Dr. Gero. Well, not the Dr. Gero you know it seems. Apparently I'm from an entirely different time-line. Much different."
"A different time-line?"
Cell shrugged. "The complexities of time travel aren't my thing. All I know is that I'm from the future but this is not the past I expected. Even that annoying Trunks couldn't have altered things this drastically, the Sai-jin Empire should be long dead for one thing. Beyond that, the two silver haired women shouldn't exist, or at least shouldn't be on Earth."
"So why come back?"
"Trunks appeared in my time as well and with his help you and the others found a way to deactivate the Androids and then destroy them. Of course, by the time I 'woke up' none of that mattered, the world was empty. I don't know what killed everyone off but I don't care either. Whatever it was led Bulma to make a time-machine and thanks to it here I am." The creature shook his head. "But enough of this, I need to dispose of you so I can absorb 18 and get one step closer to perfection!"
With that Cell shot in at Zildar. The powerful Namek, arms still crossed, started dodging left and right around Cell's swings. The Bio-droid's powerful punches weren't even coming close to hitting the Namek and it didn't take long for him to realize this. "How... how are you dodging?"
"Piccolo... was a weakling compared to me." Zildar replied simply. "When I was split into Piccolo and Kami my power wasn't divided down the middle you know, but it wasn't lost either. It was just out of reach. Of course, Piccolo managed to get quite powerful on his own, minus a little help from Nail and Namek's Guardian anyway. And as he grew stronger that locked away power grew with him. You do the math."
Cell's eyes widened. He didn't know how powerful Piccolo, or rather, Zildar, had been before he'd split but he did know how strong Piccolo had been earlier that day. "This is... not possible..." Cell said slowly. "No one is supposed to be able to match my power..."
Faster than Cell could follow, Zildar surged in toward him and slammed an elbow into his stomach and then a fist into his face. The Bio-droid was knocked back through six buildings and Zildar chased after him. The powerful Namek quickly pulled to the left dodging around a kick and gripped Cell's tail. With a hard swing the Namekian warrior threw Cell down the street several blocks and into another large building.
While he couldn't sense anyone in the area thanks to the energy field he figured most had fled by now. Or at least hoped they had. Shaking that off he charged after Cell once more. By the time he reached him, the green creature was back in the air again. "I will not be stopped... no one will stop me from reaching the perfection I came here to achieve, certainly not you!" His hands moved up before his face quickly. "SOLAR FLARE!"
Zildar's eyes snapped wide in suprise at first, and then shut tight to try and seal out the light. However, it was too little too late and even with his eyes closed he could see nothing but blinding white. By the time it faded enough for him to see Cell had vanished from his sight. "Damn. Well, at least we know to be on the watch for him now..."
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Inside Capsule Corp.:
Raditz moved to stand beside Appla. They both knew fighting the Android would be suicide but neither saw another option. "Well?" 19 prodded. After a moment the Android shook its head. "It does not matter. We will merely scan your computers for what we need then." Raditz let out a gasp as 19's vice-like hand suddenly wrapped around his neck. No sooner had 19 grabbed him than its grip went slack.
The long haired Sai-jin stumbled back choking and gazed at the Android's now headless shoulders. The body toppled over backwards and landed with a thud to reveal 18 standing in the hall, arm raised and palm pointing toward the doorway. Behind her Goku was popping something into his mouth. Swallowing it his wounds vanished. "Ah, much better!" he cheered. "Alright guys, we need to grab Bardock and go. I can use Relocation to get us up there thanks to the Perception field I put up, but we'll need to fly back to the Lookout.
"What about the other Androids?" Appla asked.
"17 is out cold." 18 replied. "And Piccolo is dealing with Tao... and that Cell creature."
"Cell?" Raditz asked confused.
"We'll explain at the Lookout." Goku said walking toward them. However, before he could reach them Tao came charging down through the hole that 19 had created a few moments before. The Cyborg instantly noticed the destroyed 19 and turned to face Goku and 18.
"You don't know when to quit, do you?" 18 asked, her eyes narrowing.
"I merely do what I'm paid to 18, and I do it well and until it's done. You should know that."
Goku reached out and quickly grabbed 18's arm. In the blink of an eye both of them vanished again. Tao turned and thrust his arm out toward Raditz and the others, a stream of golden energy surging toward them rapidly. But just before it would have reached them Goku appeared, grabbed them, and vanished again. "Damn. That move of his is beyond annoying." Looking upwards he was about to fly up when a bright light filled the sky above him. After it faded he floated up into the now fading light, the sun hanging low over the horizon.
He cast a quick glance around but could find no signs of his targets, 18, 17, or the unusual creature of earlier. After a few more moments he decided he'd missed them, the bright light had probably been a solar flare to cover their escape or something. With a frown he took off toward Capital City to report to Gero leaving the remaining Sentinels, no longer functioning without 19 to relay the signal from Gero's computers, to stand silent guard in the city.
Down on the street a newly awakened and healed Bardock watched, along with the others, as Tao left. "Well, this isn't how I expected it to go but... at least we're alive." Goku said with a sigh. "Thanks to you Pic... er, Zildar."
The Namek remained silent for a moment before shaking his head. "We're still the underdogs in this." he said at last. "I don't know how strong any of the other Androids are compared to that Cell creature, and I didn't get the chance to fight with Tao, but I just have that feeling. At least my return was enough to help you out here."
"Well, with luck, Prince Vegeta and the others will be a lot stronger when they come back out tomorrow." Bardock said. The Sai-jin warrior turned his eyes up to the odd red sky and sighed. "And here I'd thought once the Cold Family was dead and gone the universe would be a peaceful place to live."
"We've still got a long way to go before that." Zildar replied lifting into the air. "Let's head back to the Lookout."