"You say there's a being on Earth with power nearing my own?" the Grand Kai asked, a bit skeptically.
"Yes, a creature named Cell, from the future." King Kai said nodding. "I'm not entirely sure of all the details yet, it just came to my attention a few moments ago."
"Well, now, let's take a look then." the other said as he stroked his beard. He brought his other arm up and waved it through the air. Behind them a large mirror hung above the door to the Grand Kai's meeting chambers shimmered and Earth appeared. The image shimmered again and showed Gohan facing off against Cell.
"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."
Behind his glasses the Grand Kai narrowed his eyes a little, his mind focusing on the world he was seeing through the mirror. "Oh, now that is..." he said after a moment. "I can see why you were worried North Kai. That is indeed beyond impressive." The Grand Kai wasn't just interested in this Cell being but in the mere child that surpassed any mortal he knew of, at least, living ones.
"North Kai, what of the boy?" he asked, as the boy in question spoke to Cell. "Who and what is he?"
"Oh, that's Gohan. He's the son of a pupil of mine who's out in the waiting chamber with a few others from this battle. He's a half Sai-jin."
"Ah, so this is the legendary Super Sai-jin then?" the Grand Kai asked nodding. "Impressive. And... wait, you said that his father is here? Out in the waiting chamber? Is he the Sai-jin half?"
"Well... yes... but I don't see how..."
"A Sai-jin that's been allowed to train under the Kais. That is a very rare occurance."
"Grand Kai, now isn't the time to be..."
"No, no, you're quite right." the powerful Kai said nodding. "Now is indeed not the time for such questions and considerations. We must make sure that..." He stopped as he felt a tug from the world before him. The tug of a shifting of power, a drawing and gathering of energy. And then Cell's charge toward the boy ended as he let loose a primal cry and his power began to surge skyward.
Outside in the waiting chamber the five dead warriors were watching the large mirror in shock as Cell was knocked away. Without King Kai's telepathic link to the living world they couldn't sense powers now but they could see clearly what was occuring, not that any of them had the faintest clue what it was. "What's... happening down there?" Appla asked in shock.
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Planet Vegeta, The Palace, Throne Room:
"Oh, Gohan..." Vadora said as she watched the child crying into Appla's armor. "So then, this is it."
King Vegeta didn't say anything as he watched Raditz unleash his own assault upon the powerful Cell. An assault that could have easily brought even his Oozaru form to its knees and yet yeilded almost no reaction from its target. As the Sai-jin fell from the sky he shared Vadora's sentiment. "They need to get to the Dragonballs." he said as he looked toward Pug. "Are the preparations ready?"
Pug nodded. "The missiles will launch by your voice authorization." he said. "Apartment complexes X2 through Z50 have been fully prepared for the refugees. We've only got the resources to sustain them all for two years, however."
"Be that as it may." King Vegeta said, his eyes turning back to the video screen. "They do need somewhere to go. Besides, I'm sure it's within the power of Porunga to restore a solar system. If not, we have several hundred worlds on file that could be suitable for Human inhabitation."
Vadora was about to speak again but stopped as she cringed from witnessing the kick Gohan took. "I don't... don't know if they'll make the wish." she said after a moment. "Gohan's got too much of his grandfather in him to give up a fight." Her eyes flicked over the others that were still on their feet. "Piccolo, too, wont give up until he's tried everything. Neither... will Tien."
"Dende will make the wish." Pug said. "I'm a bit suprised he hasn't."
"He'll only make it at the last second, when all hope is truly lost." King Vegeta said.
Vadora cringed again as Videl slammed into the Earth. From the quick shot she saw, before the view changed back to Cell again, she knew the girl's back was broken. Gohan launched in for another attempted attack and she heard Pug urging the boy to get out of there. She closed her eyes and hung her head as Cell floated up further to launch his own attack to destroy the Earth.
And then she felt something... off. Opening her eyes and looking up again she saw Gohan floating across from Cell looking down at the Earth. His power was bouncing back and forth between about 270 million and 280 million, with the larger number higher than his full power. Even the lower number was stronger than his current weakened level of just a moment before.
"Interesting." Vegeta said as he, too, noticed the power reading shfiting as Gohan slapped an energy blast away. "Vadora, what are you sensing?"
"Same as the scouters." she replied. "But it's... odd."
"How so?" Pug asked.
"The pattern is shifting. That distinguishing pattern that tells me it's Gohan is altering slightly."
Pug blinked. "Didn't you say you felt that every time any of them transformed? That the pattern was different between the two forms?"
Vadora nodded. "Yes, but... I don't understand why it's happening now..." And then a new rush of power surged through her mind as Cell was blasted backwards from Gohan, his charge coming to a sudden halt. The power reading for Gohan began to increase. 300,000,000... 350,000,000... 400,000,000... "Wh-what the hell!?" A loud whine began to sound from the computer as the numbers passed 485 million. And then, just before hitting 500 million the screens went blank as the system fried.
"What's going on?" Pug asked shocked.
"I... I think he's... transforming..." Vadora said slowly, still in shock.
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Unknown Location:
"You can't seriously think that a child could stop Cell?" Ravenna said turning to face her father. "Even Gohan..."
"It's possible." he replied with a shrug. "Gohan was always good at keeping up with me, so long as I pushed him. And that was in a time-line where the Guardian powers didn't exist." He smirked, the light glinting off his teeth as he stood and moved away from his shadowy seat. His gold eyes sparkled as he watched Videl fall from the sky. "Yes, I can feel the shifting. Watch closely Ravenna."
The girl glanced at her father and then back to the screen just in time to see Gohan's outburst of power. "What!?" she cried, wide-eyed. "That's not... but he's only a kid still!"
Her father glanced over to her and then looked back at the screen. "And everything continues to go as planned."
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Tanaria, The Palace, Throne Room:
Things had looked bleak, especially after the deaths of Goku and Barock. Even after Gohan's arrival on the battlefield it seemed that all hope was lost. And then Videl went down and Cell took higher to the air to destroy the planet. "I shouldn't have let her go..." Sora said after a moment. "I should have made Sango stay here."
"You know as well as I do that she wouldn't have listened." Akira said. "She and your daughter are too much alike."
Sora sighed and nodded her head. "I suppose... you're right." she said. She was about to say more and then Gohan's power slammed into her mind. "Wh-what the..." she breathed. She wasn't the only one noticing either. The sounds from outside had gone, everyone had gone silent as they witnessed Gohan's... what/What's going on?/ she wondered. /Is... is he... transforming? Is... that possible? Is there a level beyond Super Sai-jin!?/
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Earth, Son Home:
"No... way... that's impossible." Bulma breathed as she watched the distorting space-time tears. Gohan was full on with his current out-burst, the entire planet was quaking from the force, but that wasn't what Bulma found impossible. Gohan's power was actually affecting the tears! "How can he..."
"Wha-what is it?" Hercule asked from where he sat on the floor with the still unconcious Chi-Chi.
"Gohan's affecting the space-time tears with his energy. That shouldn't be possible... even with the fabric of reality weakened at the point of the tears... the amount of power needed to actually affect space and time itself is..."
"Well within Gohan's reach now." Roshi said. "His power... exceeds that even of Cell..."
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Cell Games:
Cell pulled himself to a stop and watched as Gohan's golden aura swelled to massive size and surged about him savagely. The energy from the tears continued to surge down and around him and the dark nothingness above them rippled. And then a loud crack sounded high in the sky and, suddenly, the normal blue returned directly above Gohan. The blue worked out from there spreading out across the entire sky.
"He's destroyed the tear!" Cell cried in shock. His eyes quickly returned to the child before him. Gohan's muscles had become even more defined than a moment ago, easily seen through the tight gray bodysuit. His wild golden hair was slowly sticking straight up atop his head as it grew longer, only a single bang still hanging down over his face.
A spark of blue flashed around his aura followed by another. These weren't from the vanishing tear above but from the aura itself as it shifted. Cell caught minute shifts in Gohan's height as well. His arms, legs, and body grew adding a couple of inches to his height. And then, with one last scream and wash of power that cracked the Earth below them, it all finally ended.
Gohan lowered his head to look level with Cell again, a hard and determined gaze piercing through the Bio-droid. The change he'd just gone through wasn't just physical, it was mental, and Cell could see it in Gohan's eyes. A look that even had him scared. "What... what was that!?"
Gohan didn't answer, just started floating toward Cell, blue lightning crackling about his aura. Down below the others were staring at him in utter shock. "Is... is that... really Gohan?" Yamcha stammered.
"He's... transformed..." Vegeta said, barely above a whisper, as he stared on in shock. "But... but how... how is it possible? There's a form... beyond even Super Sai-jin!?"
"There's just... no way." Raditz said, wide-eyed. "His power is... it's impossible."
"Gohan..." Hotaru whispered. And then a smile crossed her lips. "He's finally taking my advice and using all of his power. Go get him Gohan."
Piccolo swallowed as he stared at the boy above him. "G... Gohan? I've... never seen that look in his eyes before..." he said, as a shiver ran down his spine. He'd not seen that look in Gohan's eyes before, but he had seen it before. In his own eyes, years and years ago. Somehow, it just looked wrong on Gohan.
Cell let out a loud growl of anger and annoyance and shot in at Gohan, pulling back his fist just as he had before. A second later there was a thunderous crack as the Bio-droid's elbow smashed into the boy's face. Gohan merely continued to float where he was, glaring at Cell, completely unphased by the attack.
The Bio-driod's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed again in frustration and anger. Pulling back a few feet he then snapped out with a kick that slammed into the side of Gohan's head and, once again, did nothing. Cell let out a loud cry of anger and frustration that matched the look in his eyes as he moved back quickly and thrust his arms out. A stream of orange energy shot out toward Gohan but the half Sai-jin suddenly vanished.
Cell's energy attack ended a second later as Gohan's foot smashed into his back and drove him down into the planet face first sending debris flying into the air. Cell dazedly pulled himself onto his hands and knees but was then smashed back down again as Gohan landed, knees first, on his back. The Bio-droid's mouth snapped wide in pain, his eyes doing the same.
The half Sai-jin then floated up and landed beside him as Cell tried, once more, to stand. This time Gohan's foot shot out into his stomach and sent him sailing through the air nearly three hundred yards before coming down and skidding along for another fifty rolling over several times. Finally he came to a stop on his back staring up at the sky.
"H-how is... this possible..." he said in shock, his eyes still wide and full of disbelief. "He is... only a child..." He pushed himself up into a sitting position slowly and painfully and looked toward Gohan. The boy was walking toward him at a casual pace, the same look on his face and in his eyes. "No! I will NOT lose to infant!" Cell cried, suddenly climbing back to his feet. "I'm going to kill you boy!" he roared, shooting in toward Gohan again.
His fist slipped passed Gohan's head as he tilted it to the side easily avoiding the attack. And then his knee shot up and smashed into Cell's abdomen. The Bio-droid stood there frozen, mouth hanging open as wide as it would go in pain. Gohan lowered his leg and then shot his arm out slamming his fist into the other's stomach. The blow knocked Cell back a dozen or so yards and he collapsed holding his stomach.
And then it started looking like he was going to puke and his power began to fluctuate. "Wha-what's happening?" Yamcha wondered, wide-eyed.
"Gohan's blow... it must have damaged him." Hotaru breathed.
And then his mouth opened wide and blonde hair poked out. "Is... is that 18!?" Krillin wondered. And then her head emerged slowly followed by the rest of her. Cell stood and stumbled backward, his body glowing. And then in a flash of orange he reverted back to his Semi-Perfect form.
"No way!" Yamcha cried, smiling. "He's changed back! Alright Gohan!"
Cell's eyes widened as he stared at Gohan and then glanced down toward 18. He made to move toward her but was stopped as Gohan kicked him in the face knocking him away again. As he landed and walked casually toward the other, Krillin ran out and pulled 18 back out of the way. Setting her down he looked back out toward the battle. Well, what had been the battle.
Cell was now stumbling backwards away from Gohan, his eyes wide in fear and disbelief. "This... this can't beeeee!" he cried. "I... I was PERFECT! He's only a CHILD!" The fear suddenly faded away and was replaced by anger and hatred that could rival that even in Gohan's eyes. "Fine! If I'm going to die... I'm going to take all of you with me! I'll just blow myself up and take out this entire planet!"
"What!? Oh no!" Yamcha cried, taking a step back.