"We didn't find them, although with all of our power, it shouldn't be long now. The two days are up." Trunks said, untying his folded arms. Vegeta looked Goku up and down, smiling. "Enjoying the power Kakarot?"

Goku gave a wisp of a smile and extinguished his aura. His skin still had a reddish tinge to it however, and a faint charge still vibrated the air a millimeter above his flesh. "It's useful, that's all I care about. We need to move now, draw the Androids to us before they take out a whole city to get our attention." Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "And we get ambushed in the process? Be smart Kakarot, we may be the strongest beings alive right now, but last thing we need is for you to be hit in the head and get amnesia again. Go all: must kill all whom were previously my friends."

Goku raised a muscle above his eye, but other than that did not reply. Piccolo chirped up, "I agree with Vegeta. The Androids and us will cause damage no matter where we fight. At least let it be somewhere that is already declared a warzone by them." Goku shook his head. "I won't wait to let innocent people die. Cower if you want, I'll fight them alone; this form can handle that."

He shot into the air before anyone could respond, veering hard left. Krillin sighed. "Well we should follow him."

Vegeta chuckled. "If we all follow the clown, does that make us clowns too, or just protective?" Trunks' eyes narrowed as he thought of a response, and didn't even notice the others were leaving until they were ten feet in the air.

The all-powerful Z-Fighters took off at their crimson leader. Against the backdrop of night, Goku looked like a shining star, soaring over glittering cities and ultra-metropolises. Billions of souls on Earth, and they all trusted him and the Z-Fighters with their lives. Ordinary police scurried after a criminal below, oblivious of such powers above. After about an hour of flight, Piccolo sped up until he was parallel with Goku. The Ultra Kaio-Saiyan glanced at him. "Goku, where are we going?"

"Mickey Town." He faced front again.

Piccolo gave him a look. "Why there of all places?"

"Mickey Town was the place they lost to us. It only makes sense they would want to kill us there too. Besides, it's full of buildings so they can ambush us, yet so large that they can hide." Piccolo nodded, but stayed where he was. The weight of what he wanted to say soon grew to irritating proportions.

"What is it Piccolo?" Goku asked.

"It's just…what happened Goku? Why didn't you go fight with Trunks and Vegeta?"

Goku's eyes clouded over, the white sea almost becoming grey. Piccolo watched his friend, not leaving until he got an answer. It took him to the near ends of his patience however, Goku took many minutes. At last when the Namek was about to wring it out of him, Goku's mouth opened.

"I was stunned. That's all. Gohan you know-" there was feeling in his voice now- "He's always been tough. Killing Radick, training with you, then how amazing he handled himself on Namek? I love my son Piccolo." Goku breaks off into silence, turning his head away. Piccolo looks on, sullen. "I know you do Goku."

Goku started back up again. "And then Trunks told me it was all my fault, and I just flashed back to Namek, and… I failed you Piccolo. You had trusted me with your people, and I just couldn't do it. Vegeta knocked me out, and I let basically let him."

"No one is blaming you for what Vege-" Piccolo started, but Goku cut him off.

"No you don't understand! I had Frieza Piccolo. I had my hand right to his face, and I could have blown him away so easily. His face, it was mashed and puckered and bloody and…I just didn't do it. I wanted him to suffer for killing you, for killing Krillin. I wanted to avenge our people, the Saiyans, but I wanted him to suffer for everyone he'd taken from me; that'd I never gotten to meet. Your race is gone Piccolo, because of me, and not being able to help Gohan, versus me failing to help your people, I just couldn't fight."

Piccolo's mouth opened to offer calming words, but no balm left his lips. Goku had failed his people, even if Vegeta had knocked him unconscious before trying to kill Frieza. Still, that didn't explain…

"Why do you fight Goku?"

"What do you mean? I'm a Saiyan."

"No, Vegeta is a Saiyan. He is ruthless, and bloody and calculating to the point that it makes him an asset. You fight to protect the ones you love, and to test yourself right?"

"Right?" Goku warily responds. "Then do you really think helping Cell is the best way to save Gohan?"

"No. I don't trust him, and would rather kill him the second he comes to collect the Androids."

"Then fight your hardest, we need to take the Android's out of the picture first before we strike."

"Strike? Piccolo killing Cell will destroy the cure."

Piccolo's smile grew. "Temporarily. Once he regenerates, we only need a piece of him. Trunks already notified Bulma on his PAC. She'll bring liquid nitrogen to freeze the cell until we get it back to Gohan. She and Trunks are fairly certain they can synthesize the antidote from that. They just need to know where we'll fight at."

"You mean we get to kill Cell, and the Androids?" Goku smile joined Piccolo's, whose head nodded. "Then let's not keep them waiting." Piccolo fell back to relay where they were fighting, and the plan to the others. From his side Trunks muttered, "He's changed."

Piccolo raised a thin eyebrow but kept his head straight. "Elaborate. We've all changed since this started."

"I just mean in this time. Goku is…hostile, cold, unsure of himself. In other times, he was always warm and relaxed, looking for a good fight even when his foes tried to kill him. It just is a shock to see him so serious is all." Vegeta scoffed.

"Kakarot isn't serious, he's just angry. We finally see how strongly the brute loves his son."

The Z-Fighters lose themselves into their own thoughts after Vegeta's words die in the air. The vast expanse of mountains turns Krillin's head back to when he actually practiced at a monastery. Then he found Master Roshi, then Goku, then all this. It was fun, all the time he'd had with his pal. Being able to finally fight at his side gave Krillin a sense of pride few had ever felt, and he lapsed into how he would not get one-shoted by the Androids, or surprised in case Cell decided to show up early…

Trunks spoke to Bulma with his PAC.

"-fast, Gohan doesn't have much time left." Bulma said. Trunks cast a worried look up ahead at Goku, but the Saiyan hadn't let on any body language that he was listening in. Still, Trunks fell back at least 1000 feet, hoping the air would drown at his whispers.

"How is he mom?"

Bulma wiped her head. "I wish I could say for show. His stomach is still distended, and the veins around his heart are now throbbing. Other than that though, it actually looks like he's getting better."

Trunks closed his eyes, remembering Gohan recount the tale all too well of how Goku had died."

*Flashback* "He looked horrible, sweat slathered over him, hands almost trying to rip his heart out. And then one day, he just looked fine. Like whatever prescription drugs we'd foolishly given him had finally worn off. But, then his chest stopped rising, his face's creases relaxed, and when I came into the room, he was gone. My dad was gone." Gohan lapsed into tears at the memory, head resting on his sole arm. *End of Flashback*

"He doesn't have long then." Trunks muttered. Bulma looked concerned. "How long?"

Trunks' grew angry. He was tired of not having all the answers. "I don't know." He said at last, and turned off the PAC.

Vegeta flew arms crossed, wondering what the others were thinking. They looked so serious, and he had no idea why Trunks was falling behind them. Krillin stared longingly at the mountains, was he a hiker? Kakarot stayed silent, a first. And then there was the Namekian, what was Piccolo doing?

Piccolo's eyes were closed, lips mumbling wordlessly. The connection he felt with Kami, it was there. He felt it tugging at his own twisted soul, trying to grab his attention. "Find me." It called, stuck forever between a plea and a hiss. Piccolo was confused. It was obviously Kami, but he was being twisted, warped to feed something else.

Cell. As they neared Mickey Town, and the lights from the great city began to bleach the horizon, the call became stronger and stronger. Piccolo felt stabs into his internal organs that made him want to curl up. He holds his tongue and shuts his mouth, not daring to get Vegeta's attention. What was it with him suddenly taking an interest in what he was doing anyway? Was he honestly that bored? Soon the stabs pulse above Piccolo, similar to when there's noise above you, but you can't see it.

Cell was watching. "He's here for the show." Piccolo announces. Everyone begins looking around. "Stop that, he's just here looking for a good fight. Let's give him one and act oblivious as long as possible."

"How did he find us?" Krillin asked. Piccolo's mouth stayed a grim line. "The same way I found him.

At last, Mickey Town appeared fast approaching on the horizon. Seemingly impenetrable, yet brittle skyscrapers stood firm, daring any to try and demolish them. Goku's speed began to increase, his flight sawing through the water 30 feet below him. Drizzle slams into the others, but the speed of their flight deflects the droplets feet before they can even touch. "Get ready monk, this is for real." Vegeta coaches, causing Krillin to accelerate even faster in his annoyance. Vegeta laughs to himself, if only Krillin's conviction was his power level. Then, they get their war declaration. Five skyscrapers detonate when the Z-Fighters are a minute away, filling the air with heat and glass. Shocked cries begin to grow, as was common with any large-scale explosion. The light sets a stage-light glare to the surrounding night, but it still is pitchblack otherwise. Coming down from the perfect concealment of the sky, two dots descend until they are in front of the quickly fading brilliance, and rapidly ensuing chaos.

Androids 17 and 18 smile.