There was nothing but silence in the large room as they watched the turn of events on Earth. The return of Cell was an unexpected occurance. Even Raven's mate thought the girl had done the deed with her attack. "I hadn't realized he was this persistant." he said softly. "He only existed in my time-line for a few days before stealing Trunks' Time Machine and heading into the past."
"I don't think they can win." Ravenna said, not for the first time that day. "This Cell is too powerful for them. Maybe if they'd had more time, another five or six years. Then, maybe. But now..."
"They'll win." her father said. "They have to. Everything is riding on them."
"What if they don't?" Ravenna asked, looking back at him and her mother. "What if..." she stopped, a gasp had come from some of the others in the room. Looking back she saw Trunks laying dead on the ground.
Raven spoke next, softly. "If it happens that things go poorly this time we'll have no choice but to back-shift a little and try and alter things." They all remained silent for several moments as they watched events unfold.
As Goku died Ravenna let out a sigh. "Damn, and there it goes." she muttered.
"Don't give up just yet." Razor said from where he stood a few feet away. "We still have Gohan."
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Otherworld, Check-in Station Line:
Goku and Bardock had seen Sakura and Trunks as soon as they'd appeared in Otherworld. All four of them were rather depressed at the current flow of events. "I just wish there was some way to learn what was going on down there." Sakura said sadly.
"Oh, hey!" Goku cried. "There is a way! We'll have to break a few rules and bypass the line a bit though."
Bardock smiled. "King Kai!"
"Right!" Goku cheered.
"Goku! Bardock!" a familiar female voice called from behind them. Turning they saw Appla making her way over to them.
"Appla... you too?" Bardock asked frowning. "Damn it... this doesn't look good."
"Come on, we have to get to King Kai's." Goku said. "Grab on to me everyone." They did as he said and, a second later, they were standing on King Kai's small planetoid. The short Kai was just pulling his lawnmower into his garage as they appeared. "Hey, King Kai!" Goku called waving.
The Kai stopped and looked back. "Wha-Goku!?" he cried in shock. "Bardock? Appla? And... who are these two?"
"We need to see how things are going on Earth at the Cell Games." Bardock said walking toward him. "We thought you'd be the best way to look in on things."
"Cell Games?" King Kai asked confused. "What's that?"
Goku blinked. "You mean... you don't know what happening on Earth?" he asked. King Kai shook his head. "The Red Ribbon Army came back again, with Androids and Cyborgs more powerful than Frieza. And then Cell came back in time, just like Trunks and Sakura here, and now he's really strong and we were killed fighting him."
"What!?" the Kai asked wide-eyed. Suddenly his antenna twitched as he searched out Earth in the mortal realm. "Yikes!" he cried, his eyes going wide behind his sun glasses. "His power is... there's no way a mortal should be able to become that strong! He's almost as powerful as the Grand Kai!"
"Can we see how things are going?" Appla asked, worried for her son and grandson.
"Yes, yes, of course. Once this is over you'll need to explain things to me... And we'll need to speak with the Grand Kai. This is... this is not good. He could cause a breach... it could be set free..."
The five warriors weren't sure exactly what King Kai was babbling about but they were greatful for the ability to view Earth. Placing their hands on his back they looked just in time to see Gohan charge up toward Cell.
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Cell Games:
Gohan pulled to a stop and glared down at Cell. He was about to charge down at him again when a voice sounded inside his mind. -Gohan, stop!-
He froze, eyes wide, and looked around. "D-daddy!? Wh-where are you?"
-I'm not there Gohan. I'm on King Kai's world with Bardock, Appla, Trunks, and Sakura. Listen to me Gohan, I know how you feel, but you can't beat him. Not now.-
"But... I have to try!"
-Gohan...- it was his grandmother speaking now. -Your power is amazing for someone your age. Even your skill is exceptional. But sometimes that's not enough.- He could hear her sigh though the telepathic link. -There's no choice but to go for the fall back plan and evacuate. Get Raditz and the Prince out of there and to the lookout. Summon Shenron and pull back.-
Gohan sighed and lowered his arms a little. His anger was still burning, hot as ever, but what they said made sense. Even his dad and his grandpa hadn't been able to stop Cell, how could he? He felt a twinge of power and looked, Videl was charging in to attack again. He watched as she reached him and put everything she had into her attacks but Cell didn't even notice them.
She moved around in front of him and went to kick him in the face but he slammed his fist into her stomach stopping her dead. Then his elbow shot into her back with a sickening crack and she plummeted toward the ground. Her aura sputtered and vanished as she fell out of Super Sai-jin seconds before hitting the Earth and smashing out a small crater. She was still alive, still concious, though in a lot of pain. Ignoring it she tried to pull herself back to her feet but found she couldn't move.
"No." Gohan said softly, the anger burning up over his rationale. "I wont give up, I wont let him win, even a little."
-Gohan!- came Goku's mental cry as, in a burst of gold, the young Super Sai-jin surged down in at Cell once more. Before he could even attack he was met with a knee to the stomach and then a double fisted blow to the back that slammed him down into the ground.
Gohan stood, holding his side, and coughed up blood. His vision blurred for a moment as he looked up at Cell again. /No, there has to be a way to stop him! There has to be!/ his mind cried as he looked around at his friends that were left.
"Now, if that's it for the interuptions." Cell said with a frown. "I have a planet to destroy."
Hotaru swallowed and closed her eyes as she grabbed Yamcha's hand, all she could think was that she should have sent her daughter to Tanaria until this was over. Tien closed his eyes as well and bowed his head silently appologizing to Chatozu, Vadora, and his unborn daughter. Piccolo clenched his fists feeling helpless as hopelessness washed over him as Sango did the same. Krillin stared on in fear as he watched Cell slowly floating higher up into the sky.
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Planet Namek:
Azura stood on a structure that had yet to be seen by anyone who had set foot on the world over which she watched. Namek's own Lookout. She had returned to her post, such as it was, after Parunga's departure. It was from here that she had followed the events on Earth, wishing with all of her heart that her code did not bind her from acting. Things had quickly gone from bad, to desperate, to hopeless. Even in her eyes.
And then, as she stood there watching Cell prepare to destroy the Earth... As she watched the Z Fighters, one by one, give up hope... As she watched nothing but determination and defiance on Gohan's face... She felt blossoming hope, deep down within her being. An ancient energy, long dormant and nearly forgotten, was beginning to return. And she smiled.
"And so it awakens at last." she said softly. "The pivitol moment upon which all of Sai-jin existance hangs in the balance has come. The succesor of the Legacy has been chosen. I know of none better to wield that kind of power."
Focusing her mind she linked to the mind of Dende. -Do you hear me, Dende?-
-Azura... what? I was just about to...-
-Yes, I know. Don't.-
-But...-
-Trust me, Dende. Everything will work out.-
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Otherworld, King Kai's:
King Kai was beyond nervous. Events on Earth were... well, they were bad. He was torn between watching what happened and going to report to the Grand Kai. This was a major issue... major indeed. Perhaps enough for... yes, this was definately enough for intervention. Cell could not be allowed to destroy the Earth at any cost.
"Wha...?" Bardock wondered aloud as view of the Earth and the battle there vanished just as Gohan was slammed back into the Earth. "King Kai...?"
"Sorry, but I have to go to the Grand Kai's world right away, it's urgent." he explained. "Keep your hands on my back, I can take all of you as well. You'll be able to watch the battle from there."
The five glanced at each other but then returned their hands to King Kai's back. A second later the world around them vanished and they were standing on a new and much larger world. "Follow me." he said quickly as he made his way up the stairs and onto the front porch of a large house. The doors swung open as they neared and allowed them entry.
"There, use that." King Kai said pointing to what appeared to be a large mirror that took up the entire left wall of the room. The room itself was at least the size of King Kai's entire planet. "Just think of what you want to see and it will show you, I must go speak with the Grand Kai." he said, before walking off.
The five looked at each other again and then toward the mirror. It's surface shimmered and their reflections vanished. In their place was the Earth. The image shimmered again and then Cell and Gohan came into view once more as the boy reached eye level with Cell in the sky.
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Earth, Cell Games:
Gohan watched Cell until the Bio-droid stopped his ascent. As soon as he did the half Sai-jin shot up into the air as well, so that he was level with his opponent. "We're not finsihed yet." he said evenly. "You've killed too many people, I'm not going to let you get away with that."
"You can't stop me boy." Cell laughed. The Bio-droid pointed an arm at him and blue energy flared up in front of his palm. "But you are annoying me, so I'll get rid of you first."
Down on the ground Vegeta stirred and started climbing back to his feet. Feeling the powers above him he assumed either a weakened Goku or Bardock was still fighting Cell. His eyes widened in shock a moment later as he realized it wasn't either of the elder Sai-jins he was sensing but the young Gohan. /His power... but he's only a child!/ his mind cried.
"G-Gohan..." The child looked down toward the Earth, toward the voice he'd heard. Videl was still laying on her stomach looking up at him as best she could from her position. Her loudest voice barely enough to reach him where he floated. And he could see just how badly she was injured, see the way her back was twisted. And somehow, despite the distance between them, he could see the pain and fear etched on her face and the tears in her eyes.
He didn't even see Cell's energy attack coming but his arm shot up and slapped it away like it was nothing. Turning his head slowly, his eyes moving toward Cell's, his face hardened further. "No, Cell. You wont be killing anyone else..."
Vegeta shook his head to clear it. What he'd just seen couldn't have actually happened... could it? And then it occured again. One of the blue energy bolts in the sky bent down, toward the Earth, as though something was drawing it in. The Sai-jin Prince darted his eyes about across the sky and noticed that the energy bolts were coming more often in the area they were in than else where.
He also noticed that they were all seemingly being pulled in. Drawn along the underside of the tears that had formed them toward... something. A blinding flash drew his eyes back toward Gohan and he found that one of the bolts had actually snapped as it bent and was now dancing around the half Sai-jin. It lasted only a second and then vanished.
"Big words for such a little man." Cell responded. "And just how do you plan to stop me, boy?"
Gohan's eyes narrowed. "I don't know how yet. But I will." he said darkly. Images of all the battles he'd seen flashed through his mind. Of the people who'd protected him, some of them paying for that with their lives. The battle with Frieza stood out in his mind. No matter how bad things had gotten there had been hope because his dad was there. Now that he was gone...
The image of Videl laying on the ground, back broken and tears in her eyes, flashed into his mind, filled his vision. Over that he saw his grandmother sacrificing herself to save him, giving up her life for his. His anger boiled up higher and it was getting harder for him to keep his self control.
Another energy bolt arced down from above, snapped, and slammed into him tracing around his body before fading. His hair waved about as it had been for the last couple minutes as the look in his eys grew darker, deadlier. Cell merely smirked. "I think not." There was a flash of gold as he surged in at Gohan, his fist pulling back for the final leathal blow.
Gohan watched him and saw not just Cell but everyone he'd ever fought. Jaken, who'd threatened to kill his father. The brothers Kui and Kuwa who'd managed to do just that. Dodoria, who'd killed Piccolo. Zarbon, who'd killed a number of his friends, his grandma, and who'd tried to kill everyone on the planet. Recoome, who'd tried to kill him, Krillin, and Hotaru. Freeza, who almost killed Piccolo and had killed Krillin, Dende, and Hotaru. Sanil, who'd tried to kill him, Videl, and Piccolo. And Cell himself, who'd killed his father, his grandfather, and his grandmother and who had tried to kill everyone he cared about.
A spark of blue energy snapped about Gohan's aura, this time not from the time-space tears above him. Then, three more bolts shot down from above and arced about him as he threw his arms and head back and let out a primal scream. The blackness of the tears above him twisted and churrned. At first being pulled in toward him and then suddenly being pushed away. As the power rushed up through him and out of his body Cell's charge came to a hault as he was knocked flying backwards from the force.