8 – No Logic
"Trunks?" Cell gasped, astonished by the transformation the Saiyan was going through. Crackling thunder could be heard as Trunks intensified his power further, his hair standing on end and growing. The air around him exploded with energy.
Eventually, he stopped, his aura burning wildly. He took a deep breath.
"Krillin," he said, holding out a senzu bean, "get my father somewhere away from here and give him this later."
"What about you?" Krillin asked.
"I won't need one. I'm going to win."
With that, Trunks descended to the ground.
"Can he really do it?" Krillin thought put loud.
"His power readings are far above Cell's- I don't know how he'd lose," Luka said, a small smile growing on her face.
"You sure sound confident…"
"Are you not?"
Krillin didn't have an answer for that.
Miku watched Trunks and Cell carefully, still rooted to the same spot.
"Cell! I'm your opponent now," Trunks declared stepping towards Cell.
"Fascinating," Cell responded in amusement, mirroring Trunks' actions.
The two stopped with little distance separating each other. Trunks gritted his teeth as Cell dropped the smirk off its face.
Cell made the initial move, swinging its leg up, which Trunks bent backwards to avoid. Trunks countered with a fist aimed at Cell's face, but it dodged, throwing an uppercut to Trunks' stomach, and following up with a mighty kick.
Trunks skidded along the ground, pausing on his back to look up at Krillin. Krillin nodded, and glided down to the ground besides Vegeta, very conscious of Miku's gaze now boring through his skull. Trunks was still taking hits, watching Krillin pick up Vegeta out of the corner of his eye.
Once Krillin had left, Trunks climbed off his back once again, as Cell stopped its advance.
"Ready to start fighting now? Now that's Vegeta's gone, I mean," it said, a knowing smirk on its face.
"You let him go?" Trunks asked, failing to hide his surprise.
"Of course. You're far more interesting than he was. I need to test my perfect form!"
"Here's your chance, then!"
Trunks roared, his power rising further.
Luka approached Miku in a hurry.
"Miku, it'll be safer in the air. You'll only get in Trunks' way if you stay down here-"
"Get real," Miku snorted, interrupting Luka, "Trunks has no chance."
"What do you mean? His power far exceeds Cell's!"
"Maybe if you stopped looking at the numbers and looked at the person in question, you'd see what I mean."
Luka glanced at Trunks in confusion.
"There's little point in staying here. I'm leaving," Miku declared, taking to the air. Luka watched her leave, but did not follow. Instead, she flew up to a safe distance, trying to figure out what Miku had meant while watching the fight.
Trunks was on the offensive, throwing punches and kicks of tremendous force, but not landing a single hit on Cell, who weaved and ducked, clearly amused by Trunks' efforts.
"STAND STILL!" Trunks yelled in frustration after yet another one of his attacks missed.
He was breathing heavily now.
"Impossible! I'm so much stronger now! Why can't I land a single hit?"
"You're still so green, Trunks. Haven't you figured it out already?" Cell called out, now standing on the ground below Trunks.
"You're nothing special- just a fool relying on brute force!" it continued, suddenly raising its energy to Trunks' level, its arms and chest a similar inflated size.
"Such a transformation is nothing, as you can see!"
Krillin had stopped at an island, trying to make sense of what was going on between Trunks and Cell.
"First things first, though…" he muttered, pulling out the senzu bean Trunks had given him, "I better give this to Vegeta…"
He crouched down next to Vegeta, who was lying against a tree, still out cold from his overwhelming defeat.
"Step away from him, Krillin," a cold voice said from behind him.
Krillin slowly turned and yelped in shock when he saw Hatsune Miku with her palm outstretched, aimed directly at Vegeta.
"Rin and Len are both gone. Cell absorbed Rin. But Vegeta killed Len long beforehand. He is just as guilty as Cell."
"W- wait! Vegeta's not such a great guy, but…"
"Shut up. I have to avenge both of them," Miku was quivering now.
"You don't have to-"
"WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW?"
Krillin yelped in terror once again.
"ALL I WANTED- ALL I NEEDED- WAS TO BE WITH THE ONES I CARED ABOUT!"
Miku had tears rolling down her cheeks.
"AND HE TOOK THAT AWAY FROM ME! HIM AND CELL!"
Krillin stood back, giving Miku a clear shot at Vegeta.
"And now…I'll…"
Miku slumped to her knees, overcome with emotion.
I can't do it.
I can't kill him.
It hurts…
Rin…Len…
I'm so sorry…
A moment passed.
"Why did Trunks' energy just drop? I can still feel Cell…" Krillin muttered.
"Because he lost. Obviously," Miku stated, rubbing her eyes, "he didn't have a chance to begin with."
"But he was so strong…"
Miku stood up, staring at Vegeta, before turning to Krillin.
"Where is Son Goku right now?" she asked.
"Why do you wanna know?"
"I'm not going to try and kill him. I promise."
Miku's eyes, while still cold, had no hint of dishonesty either. After a moment's deliberation, Krillin reluctantly pointed behind Miku.
"Go in that direction. Kami's place is fairly high up. Piccolo and Tien'll be there…"
"What is it?" Miku asked when Krillin trailed off.
"…It's nothing. I'd ask you not to hate us, but…it's not something that I can ask."
Miku did not reply, flying off towards Kami's lookout.
Luka wasn't sure she'd quite comprehended the situation correctly.
Cell wanted to hold a martial arts tournament?
It was going to declare it to the world?
"Wait a minute!" Trunks called out, as Cell made to leave. It stopped, looking back at him.
"What's the point of this tournament? What are you after?" Trunks continued. Luka drew closer, very curious as to what Cell had to say.
"I want to test my perfect form. A little bit of fear and chaos for the world is a nice side-affect. I'm not after anything in particular- there's no real point in killing Son Goku now," Cell explained.
"Maybe I'm just out for a bit of fun- and there's nothing quite as entertaining as seeing people's faces contorted with fear!" Cell proclaimed, a dark grin growing on its face.
"What…?" Trunks uttered, taken off guard. His eyes grew wide with shock.
"Yes! That's it! That's the one!" Cell laughed excitedly. It flew off after mock-saluting to Trunks.
Trunks was left speechless, frozen in place as he watched Cell fly into the distance. Luka approached him cautiously.
"Trunks," she said, "why do you hate androids?"
"…Didn't Krillin tell you?" Trunks responded curtly.
"I want to hear what you have to say."
Trunks did not respond immediately.
"You androids always bring chaos and pain, no matter where you go. My time was ruined…and this world is suffering too. Whether it be Cell or Hatsune Miku, or any other android, it's always the same."
Trunks looked sadly into the distance.
Luka sprang in front of him boldly.
"I have feelings too!" she said, "My life was ruined too! But you know something? Dr Gero caused it. And now that he's dead, I'm gonna go on living, regardless of the fact that I'm not human anymore."
"What are you…?"
"What I'm trying to say is that…just because I'm an android, that doesn't mean I want to hurt others."
"But- you attacked us before! After you blew up the lab!"
"No, you attacked me - and I made sure I didn't kill any of you."
"…You…" Trunks was lost for words.
"I think killing others is…a waste," Luka said, her tone of voice softer, "but I couldn't stop Cell- and at this rate, nobody will be spared…"
"Is that why you didn't kill my father?" Trunks asked, his distrust waning.
"Even Vegeta has a little good in him. However miniscule it may be. That's what I think, anyway…"
Luka paused, locking eyes with Trunks. He was still on guard, but it was a lot more relaxed.
"What are you going to do now?" Trunks was the first to break the silence.
"I need my hand repaired, and then…uh…" Luka trailed off. Trunks considered this for a moment.
"My mom can probably fix you up- but if you make one wrong move, I'll-"
"Please. Trust me."
Luka looked determined, her gaze unwavering. Trunks sighed.
"Are you going back to the Time Chamber?" Luka inquired curiously.
"Krillin told you a lot, huh? Can't be helped, I guess," Trunks muttered, "yeah, I need to rethink my approach, though."
"Do you mind if I help? Train, I mean."
Trunks blinked, blankly staring at Luka, as Krillin and Vegeta flew into view.
Piccolo gritted his teeth, watching the world below the Lookout. Frustration welled up inside him.
"Damn Vegeta…damn those androids…" he cursed, drawing looks from Tien and Mr Popo. Bulma had already left, as baby Trunks was in desperate need of a diaper change.
"All we can do is wait for now, until Goku gets out of the Time Chamber, and Cell-"
Piccolo froze midsentence, glancing to his right, his eyes widening.
"Krillin, you idiot…" he growled, "Incoming!"
The others were all about to voice their confusion when Hatsune Miku flew into view, hovering above the Lookout, her piercing gaze resting on the three.
"I was led to believe Son Goku would be here," she said, landing swiftly, "I wish to speak to him."
"He's training right now," Piccolo said carefully. The height difference between them didn't fool him; he knew perfectly well Miku could put up a fight against Vegeta and Trunks.
It was impossible to tell just how powerful she was, though. But in any case, he was hugely outclassed.
"Why can't I detect him on my scanners?" Miku asked suspiciously, glancing around the Lookout.
"He's in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber- he won't be out until he's spent the full day he needs," Piccolo responded, looking towards the entrance. Miku caught this, and walked towards it.
"How long is he going to be?"
"From now? A bit less than 23 hours."
Miku stood in front of the entrance, as if trying to stare a hole into it.
"…I'll wait, then."
Miku remained, as still as a statue, watching the door patiently.
And so almost a full day passed.
At Capsule Corp, Bulma and her father were working on repairing Luka's hand, while Trunks watched half-suspiciously and Vegeta focused on the TV, waiting for Cell to make its announcement.
"How does it look, doc?" Luka commented in a joking manner, sitting on the table. They had just scanned her to see if there were any other parts that needed fixing.
"Wow, Dr Gero was quite something, huh…" Dr Briefs muttered, pulling up the results of the scan on a computer.
"Looks like we only really need to focus on the hand…" Bulma said.
"I guess I'm more resilient than I thought," Luka said, slightly relieved. Bulma turned to Luka looking at the broken hand close up.
"So tell me," she said, striking up conversation, "if you're one of Dr Gero's androids, you must have known all about Cell, right?"
"…I must confess, I know little- and the little I do know is because of my original programming," Luka explained, "the four of us on the CV line were all made with a purpose linked to Cell- Rin and Len were designed to be absorbed, and I was designed to destroy it in its first form if it turned on Dr Gero."
"What about Miku?" Trunks asked, speaking for the first time in a while.
"…I don't actually know. If I were to hazard a guess, it'd be that she was made as a test unit, for parts that would later be implemented in us."
"How is she so strong then?"
"No idea."
"So why did you turn against your programming?" Bulma asked, carefully removing parts off the broken hand.
"I never really listened to it in the first place. From the start, I didn't like Dr Gero. His obsession- killing Son Goku- made him a vile person. He deactivated me when the development of Cell was shifted to his computer. I wasn't needed. I don't know what happened after that, but…"
Luka turned her gaze to Trunks.
"I have to wonder...where was I in your time?"
Any reply was cut off by a commotion on the TV; Cell had made its appearance.
Several hours later, on the Lookout, Vegeta had joined Piccolo and Tien in waiting for Goku and Gohan to emerge from the Time Chamber. Luka's hand was still under repair, and Trunks refused to let her out of his sight, especially in the company of his mother.
Vegeta was slightly intrigued by Miku's presence on the Lookout, but decided against picking a fight; he could always use her as a test after his second round of training, but his main focus was Cell.
The atmosphere was tense, but quiet. The full force of the late-May sun was enough to even out the coldness from the altitude. Nobody bothered striking up conversation; there was simply no point.
Until a door opening could be heard, and two familiar energies could be felt.
"I can still sense Cell…" Goku said, walking out of the Time Chamber with Gohan, "but it seems everyone's okay-"
Goku saw Miku directly after walking out, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"Aren't you…"
"I am Hatsune Miku," Miku spoke, finally moving after the long wait. She glanced at Gohan first, their heights almost identical, meeting his surprised, yet unflinching gaze, before looking up at Goku, "I want to fight you, here and now."
Goku's mouth quirked into an excited grin.
"Sure thing! Let's see what you've got!"
The three walked out to the main area, neither Goku nor Miku paying heed to the confused looks, putting distance between themselves and crouching into their fighting stances. Gohan stood off to the side.
Vegeta watched the entire thing with a scowl, his fury growing by the second.
Kakarrot and the boy came out of the chamber as Super Saiyans- yet they were so calm and composed!
And why did he come out three hours early?
Piccolo was having similar, less aggressive thoughts.
Gohan has grown so much…
But what will Goku show us now?
"You don't mind fighting here, right? 'Cus we have to be careful not to destroy too much stuff," Goku said.
"It's fine. Hopefully this won't take too long," Miku replied.
"In that case…I'll let you go first."
Miku didn't snap up the offer instantly, searching for any weaknesses in Goku's stance.
A moment passed, when Miku suddenly rushed forwards in a blur, throwing a punch at Goku, who caught it, and swung Miku around, and threw her. She spun through the air, landing on her hands and using them to leap into the air, still riding the momentum from Goku's throw. She launched a series of energy attacks while flipping in mid-air and falling to the ground.
Goku watched the volley approach him, quickly considering his options.
I can't use her as an anchor for my instant transmission…
I guess I could use one of the others?
But that wouldn't be fair…
Well, she's showing off her speed- maybe I should show some of mine.
Before the barrage could hit him, he dived forwards, throwing himself at Miku, who had just hit the ground. Surprised, but not deterred, she somersaulted over Goku, dodging his attack, throwing a kick at his head.
The two jumped back, giving themselves distance. They both hardly looked warmed up.
"Wow, you're pretty fast! And that kick was pretty sharp!" Goku complimented.
"You're holding back on me- you hardly moved at all. You didn't even bother dodging my kick," Miku replied. Her expression showed no excitement.
"Alright, then. I'll be more serious this time around."
Vegeta's eyebrow was twitching as he watched.
Their speed…how can they just be warming up?
Miku nodded, and the two flew into the air at each other.
Miku swiped at Goku, but her fist did not connect with anything; Goku had hardly made a blur as he had vanished. His attack came from behind, a sharp fist to her head. Miku threw her leg up in response, her foot landing precisely on his abdomen. The two sent a flurry of attacks at each other, rapidly blocking and countering at equal force.
After a long exchange of attacks, Miku grabbed both of Goku's arms and threw both her legs at Goku's chest, who was throw several meters through the air before he could stop himself.
Goku grinned with excitement, vanishing in a blur. Miku did the same.
There was no telling where they were; aside from the loud mid-air clashes, the two were simply too fast for anyone to see aside from Gohan.
Eventually, Miku halted, waiting for Goku's next attack.
He appeared behind her, readying a huge kick, when Miku immediately spun around with one of her own.
But it went through him, and Goku faded away.
Miku yelped, realising her mistake too late as she was sent hurtling to the ground with great force.
Goku landed as Miku stood up in a small crater that had formed around her from the force of the impact.
"An afterimage technique…" Miku said, brushing herself off. She and Goku still looked relatively unhurt.
"You ready for some more? Because-" Goku started, but was interrupted by an almighty groan.
Miku looked bewildered as Goku laughed it off.
"Ehehe…mind if I get something to eat first?" he said, rubbing his stomach.
"It's fine. I got what I wanted here."
Miku relaxed herself, and walked off to the edge of the Lookout, where she watched Goku and Gohan get filled in on the situation while they ate, and changed out of their tattered armour.
Goku hadn't disappointed. In fact, he'd exceeded any expectations she'd had.
Someone had to put Cell down.
And there was the possibility that she wouldn't be able to do it…
"Hey, Miku!" Goku's voice pulled the android out of her thoughts, "Do you wanna turn in the Time Chamber?"
The others were watching her with mixed expressions- distrust, contempt, and nervousness. But only Goku had a wide smile on his face, something Miku couldn't quite comprehend.
"No," she said simply, offering no reason why.
"Okay, so that settles it. See you at the tournament, guys!" Goku said, as he and Gohan made to leave.
However, Gohan paused, and approached Miku. She regarded him with little interest.
"Are you going to stay here until the Cell Games?" he asked, clamping down on any unease he felt.
"It makes little difference where I am. But if I'm really not welcome here…"
"That's not what I meant…"
Goku stepped in, placing his hand on Gohan's shoulder reassuringly.
"Why don't you come and stay with us? I'm sure Chi-Chi wouldn't mind, as long as you don't eat as much as us," he said, grinning.
Miku could only react with suspicion. A million questions fired in her mind as her look of obvious distrust seemed to be the only answer she'd give…
…until she found herself saying, "Fine."
A/N: As I said, updates will be slow until June/July.
Sorry.
I won't give up, though! I've come too far with this story to surrender.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter! Feedback is greatly appreciated.
