Yo! Son Goku and friends! Babidi Saga (Chapter 34)
Naturon
The sun reached its apex, looming over everything in the prairie. Any scavengers daring enough to take their piece of the pie met the brutal hand of Naturon Shenron as he gobbled down the last of Black Smoke's gigantic draconic azure blue physique. The Molerat Shadow Dragon burped a big one, cleaning his teeth with the bones of his brethren and not looking particularly miffed about it. He laughed and threw the titanic bit of calcium, collagen, and Dragonite. The bone fumbled onto the earth, digging in a pit with its enormity, and causing a quake to shuffle all throughout.
The Molerat Shadow Dragon wiped his long mouth with his scaly black claws and upon that, the finishing of his meal, his skin glowed. An orange aura permeated throughout his being, a beacon if there ever was one, clear as day despite day not being the best showcase of his own draconic borealis. He glimmered, his claws shined, his nose perked up, and most importantly, his packed pink fur shuttered and turned a navy blue. His previous all molerat appearance flared out, his sharp Dragonite features glimmered with a sparkly gold underneath their black surface and his dopey head flared out into an impressive webbed main.
"Oh wow~ I didn't think I warranted such a transformation. If I didn't know any betta' I think I could be as strong as Syn. Heheheh~"
"What was that?"
"..! Awahhhh! Syn! Hi! Heheh~ Didn't see you there." The gigantic doughy body shriveled inwards despite towering over The White Shadow Dragon many times over. Syn was tall for a humanoid no doubt, but The Molerat Shadow Dragon was a beastly figure, a titan. Even then, The Molerat Shadow Dragon made himself lesser, shrinking a bit and bowing his head as Syn Shenron walked forward on the grass.
"I must have misheard you. Did you say you were as strong as I am?"
"No. Of course. Not. You musta' misheard. Heheh~"
"So you're saying my ears don't work?"
"NO! Neva'! I ain't dream a that! Eheh~"
The two Shadow Dragons squared off, Syn's neck doing all the work as he stared straight up to meet the eyeline of the titanic creature.
"Where are Nuova, Eis, Oceanus, and Black Smoke?"
"..."
"Don't answer that last one."
"... You askin' me, Syn? Why would I know where they are? I ain't their parents."
"These Earthborne have shown capabilities far beyond their station. We are Eternal Dragons, we should have no equal."
"R~right. Yeah. I ag-agree. Heheh~" He said as his red sniffer bobbed up and down.
"So are you in?"
"In? What am I in for?"
"Helping me rid the world of these Earthborne?"
"All of em'? Sheesh, that seems a little annoying to me. I just want to get down in the Earth and eat that little node at the bottom."
"Node? What node? What the hell are you talking about?" Syn's autotune gravel groaned out as he raised a thick draconic brow.
"You know, the thing."
"No. I don't know."
"Alright listen, look here."
KRRRRRrrrrrrr~
The Molerat Shadow Dragon's claws went to town, an entire dig site's worth of work in two hands. Syn sighed and followed through, floating down in tune with his brethren's tunneling that coalesced in the searing hot magma of the core of the Earth.
"See that? Ain't that some shit? Ain't that the prettiest thing you ever saw?" Naturon asked as his eyes glazed over and his mouth watered at the sight.
Whapp!
"What wassat for?" Naturon growled out as he shrunk even further, cupping his head with his hands.
"This is the core, you moron. If you eat this thing the Earth can't function."
"What?"
"And we can't breathe in space. So if you eat this thing we're all dead."
"Really?"
"Yes, you dumbass." Syn reprimanded, hitting him again with the backside of his hand, the thick dragon scale callouses on his knuckles nothing to scoff at.
"You Never let me have nice things."
"Too bad. Unless you want to die, be my guest."
"..."
"Wait a second…" Syn contemplated aloud, looking aloft at the giant chasm Naturon left in their wake, a huge cylindrical hole drilled right to the centre of the Earth, clouds and the sky barely visible through the long tunnel. "Naturon, follow me. We have somewhere we need to be."
"Huh? Why? Can't I just make my tunnels in peace?"
"No. We have matters to attend."
"We? Who's we?"
"Who else is here, Naturon!? I don't see anybody! The only dragon energy I can sense right now is yours, mine, and Haze's! I could smell that stench from anywhere! I forgot! That bastard has been trying to drown us out this entire time! We have to eliminate him before he gets any further."
"Oh yeah… heheh~ right. You're right." Naturon replied as his nose twitched several times over.
"Glad you agree. His gas could doom the planet the same way. Then only his vision of the Earth would exist. We have to make sure that doesn't happen."
"... Right, right." Naturon said as he wrung his hands together, as if applying lotion, nodding his head all the while. His brows narrowed as Syn Shenron looked to exit the cavern, flying up at a breakneck pace only to:
FWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHMMMMMMUHHHHHH!
The giant hole in the Earth lit ablaze as a seismic wave clapped out, and a blasting burst stream of air shot Syn Shenron into the stratosphere, enough energy to push Syn Shenron past the stars. As he reached the outer stretches of Earth's gravitational pull, he saw the stars in more vibrance, and watched the land, not land per se, but rather the clouds, the clouds were far more visible at this junction. A sizable portion weren't the white cottony puffs floating along, some were green near the bottom middle of the world.
Syn, enraged at the idea, roared. A true dragon's cry. The leftover people marking the globe, those fortunate enough to not be captured by Babidi's spell either by pure luck or pure of character, listened in as the skies shook and an epic voice boomed across the entire globe. Syn's draconic cry bellowed and lightning surged in a lightshow at the apex of the world. He howled, launching right back down towards Naturon with a deadly devotion.
KAH-KOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
The prairie grass dipped in, leveling an entire biome in one go as Syn landed.
"Fool!" Syn stated, lightning crackling in his voice as he pointed an accusatory finger at the new form of Naturon.
"Who's foolish?"
"Snn-Sn! Snn-Snn-SNN!"
"It ain't me! Anyone who's dumb enough to trust you's the fool! I know it ain't gonna be me biting the dust! If you just left well enough alone I would have been just fine!" Naturon claimed, pointing his giant claw hand at The White Shadow Dragon.
"Pot calling the kettle, black, huh? You killed Black Smoke, didn't you?"
"What?"
"Abide by your own ethics before foisting them on me." He pointed back before exploding forward.
"I'm the strongest now! I don't have to be afraid anymore!" Naturon roared, his new webbed headdress frilling out in all directions as his eyes shined with an ethereal golden glow.
Naturon Shenron VS Syn Shenron
Objective: Eliminate all competition!
An ethereal thoughtscape stretched out for infinity. Not just one wall, but an uncountable amount, there seemed to be barriers upon barriers, but not only that, they shook and shifted, mixing into the melting pot of abstract shapes and colours. There was white tiling as soon as Krillin and Piccolo stepped into the room, but just beyond that, Mr. Popo spread out his left arm, waving them in.
"It is not finished yet, but it has been closed off from the rest of the world for as long as Kami has created it. Kami has fixed the previous time sink issue so as of right now it's still a one-to-one conversion."
Krillin's lips pursed out as he put a hand on his hip. "So it's not even ahead of our time-"
"-No. It is. I made sure of that before passing the torch to Young Korin."
"..." Krillin's brows raised at the soft spoken nature that came out of Piccolo's usually gravelly voice before 'The Demon' tightened up.
"Yes." Mr. Popo spoke up. "But Kami has reset the timer so that the necessary adjustments that he needs to make going forward are all accurate."
"So it can technically function for its original purpose?"
"I believe so." Popo explained. "Every day out there would be about-"
"-Six."
"-Six days, yes."
"We can explain all of this later, Popo. We have other things we need to get done as soon as possible." Piccolo claimed, snatching Videl's phone from Krillin's loose grip and placing it on the table just in front of the door.
"I just need to know before we leave. What's all that?" Krillin asked as he pointed towards the aetherium, the rainbow colourscape that weaved in and out of reality, the only constant being the shifting blue hues, everything else underneath, reds, purples, greens, glistening golds, all coming and going as they pleased.
"Hyperbolic Reality. It is the real concept of the room. To turn wants or needs into reality. That is the real reason it took so long, not the conversion of time. How else are we supposed to maximise our time unless we never leave?" The Ex-Guardian posited with a soft intonation.
"What do you mean by that?" Krillin asked as he looked up at Piccolo.
"If the point of The Room of Spirit and Time is to maximise time allotted to complete an objective, you should not ever leave once you enter, as to do so is to lose an exorbitant amount of time. That being said, almost all life requires sustenance to survive. The Hyperbolic Reality was set up to ensure that whoever used the room could imagine food to eat for the rest of eternity. I am glad I finished before I passed it on to Ko- … Kami. I do not know how he would be able to finish without me."
"Don't you still have your powers?"
As he spoke, Piccolo's menacing features dulled, as if the muscles underneath just weren't the same as they were moments previously.
"No. Guardians are granted access to greater concepts in order to protect and serve, so long as it is a benefit to the planet at large. I probably could not aid Kami in anything else other than brainstorming at this point. But come, Young Krillin. We really should be going."
"You're right, Kami-"
"..."
"Piccolo."
"..."
The trio opened the only door in and out of the room and closed off the phone to its own devices, leaving it to collect dust.
Soft but suspicious winds swept across The Lookout and Kami's sensitive wet nose perked up at the odour
"Eugh… That ain't good."
"What?" Yamcha asked as he waited by the exit of the temple, sitting on the step.
"Well. It looks like that concern of yours is a valid one. Whoever's causin' all that smog made enough of it that it's comin' all tha way up here now."
Yamcha's jaw slacked and then tightened in a big way as his teeth came together. Kami's furry white ears twitched, followed by his whiskers as Piccolo and Krillin strolled out the temple as well, Krillin walking around Yamcha while The Ex-Guardian, Not-So-Ex-Demon took to the air, floating around him with arms crossed. The Wolf stood to his feet, dusting off his shorts before tapping Krillin on the shoulder.
"You do what you needed to?"
"Yeah. We put the phone in The Room of Spirit and Time. Ready to go fight a Shadow Dragon?" Krillin asked with a raised right fist, aiming for a fist bump.
"..."
North City's Superman's face fell at the softness and sorrow written all over Yamcha. He stood tall enough to give the illusion that it might not be affecting him but his face certainly didn't comply with the vision.
"No. I'm going back."
"What's up?"
"... We can't leave them alone. One of us has got to guard the group at all times. I don't want to leave Goku's kids, wife, my girl, Gohan's friends… One of us needs to stay back. And it was really dumb to leave em' hanging. Go on without me, bro." He relayed, slapping the small one armed man's chest with the back of his fist.
"You got it."
"Stay safe out there."
Krillin nodded in turn and Yamcha darted off The Lookout in one dash, a second to launch into a swimmeresque swan dive and a third to blast off the edge.
"Just me and you, then?"
"It would appear that way." Krillin replied as he rotated his shoulders and composed himself with a breath.
"..." Piccolo's eyes closed as he felt the foul wind creep ever more into the atmosphere, he could taste it on his skin, hear its harrowing whispers with his ears, and smell it from miles upon miles away. The Demon marched around the back half of The Lookout, glaring down at the casting clouds far off in the distance. Krillin accompanied The Green Man, swallowing the toad in his throat at the mere sight of the erratic greyish miasma containing glittering green lightning strikes and a strange warping ghastly noise about it. "You feel that?"
"Yeah. I'm cringing just sensing the energy. Its energy. And I get shakes all over my body just sensing it." Goosebumps ran the entirety of Krillin's body and his feet tapped onto the tile in trepidation.
"... There are two Shadow Dragons, not just one. I don't know where he came from but it feels like a little bit of luck just came our way."
"Heheh~" Krillin chuckled with a worried, worming brow. "You call that luck?"
"These Shadow Dragons don't seem to be very friendly, and maybe we can use that to our advantage."
"How so?"
"Just follow my lead. Hands on."
Krillin put his right hand over Piccolo's billowing purple pant leg as he assumed the position. The pair traveled through the rainbow hallway and managed an entrance behind a mountaintop.
"Let's keep quiet."
"So what you're saying is that you think they might turn on each other?"
Piccolo nodded at Krillin's Telepathic retort and the pair shimmied up to the top of the cliff, placing hands over and spying like birds on the East City telephone poles.
"What makes ya say that?"
The Demon's antennae wriggled underneath his turban, pressing against the fabric and the cold gem's surface adorning the top of his headwear.
"Just call it a hunch."
As the words left Piccolo's 'mouth', Krillin's eyes narrowed and he watched the giant blue molerat scream out across the plains.
"I'm the strongest now! I don't have to be afraid anymore!"
The couple shook violently as they clamped into the mountain's surface, Piccolo's cape flared up at the surge of power on display as glistening golden auras ran their gambit and cast a lightshow off of The Molerat Shadow Dragon's pink headdress. The prairie rocked and the wasteland looked truly as such, smashed to bits and dipping in the middle from a double whammy of what appeared to be an invisible spaceship crash landing and a Capsule Corp. sized drill hole not too far off from the crater.
"..." Krillin's fears were confirmed as he saw first, and felt second.
"... Even if they are fighting each other, how are we supposed to beat em', Piccolo? Their energies are off the charts."
A monster headache spawned from the ordeal, and The One Armed Man grit his teeth. Krillin's eyes darted around, trying his best to keep up with the rapid flight path of Syn Shenron's expert aerial maneuvers.
"We barely got that one to flee The Lookout and it was with the help of everyone excluding Tien. You and I are gonna have our work cut out for us."
"I don't think so."
"Huh!?" Krillin let out loud, smacking his forehead for such a foolish callout. "Crap…"
"Are you kidding me? How come?"
"It's simple. We know more of how he fights now. I don't think Cell is much weaker than these guys at all and when we fought him a couple weeks ago he was entirely manageable."
"No way! Cell's not that strong! You said it yourself. We beat him."
Krillin didn't even realised his instincts kicked in and he twitched as the lashback of their draconic battle rang out in a shockwave. Syn landed an arcing left leg to Naturon's temple, sending the blue molerat tumbling across the plains, a landslide of rubble and rock falling down into the tunnel at the behest of his massive weight.
"And? Cell gets stronger every time without fail. These brutes are just fighters. They have good instincts and are willing to strike without mercy but I don't think they're all that intelligent. As much as I hate to say it, Cell's far more of a martial artist than these Mongrels, and that's dangerous. When we fought Cell at Paprika Wasteland he had yet to fight multiple opponents at once. We can expect to see him adapt accordingly. Aside from that, just appreciate the obvious. I called this one."
"Dragon Thunder!" Reverberated throughout the plains as Syn Shenron landed an epic, showstopping superdragon punch, lighting cackling in wild storms all from a single point, fraying out and then rooting into the Earth as Naturon Shenron hit the dirt, tilling the land with his giant body. The White Shadow Dragon flew in to finish the job but was sent skyward by a last-ditch left boot, The Molerat Shadow Dragon's stubby limb barely enough to kick the moon and then some as he tossed his adversary aloft.
"If they spend their energy tiring each other out, that means our fight becomes that much easier."
Krillin's worried brow cleared into a flat surface, but the dreading tide of his sweat was here to stay despite the smile, almost turning his skin gritty. Piccolo held his left hand in a fighting position, breathing in and out through his remarkably thin Namekian nose. Krillin just shook his head at the plight of Naturon Shenron as he held hit after hit of Syn's assault.
"I know I'm stronga' than this! Why can't I beat you!?" He roared just before his draconic sibling laid in five swinging shots as he flew, juggling him in a combo before finishing him off on the fifth, sending him crashing into a looming mountain in the back. Naturon's head bobbed off the rock like it were the ropes of a boxing ring, doughy arms tied up in the stone and head exposed for Syn to complete his duty. "Rrrr…" Try as he might, the black smoke of Black Smoke refused to cooperate. He could coerce the foggy mass to sprout from his fur but he couldn't quite retreat into the aether like his well dressed brother. His long snout bobbed up and down as he attempted to turn into nothing more than ash and dust but he just couldn't.
"We're moving in now!"
"Right!" Krillin fired right back as Piccolo grabbed his bald head. "Hey~"
Vwa-Vuish!
"I'm going to strike first!~Gyuoi~
Krillin's head perceived the Telepathic messages with a bit of lag and an uncanny garbling of the speech as they galloped through the cosmos.
"But it's just a bait~Gwahww~ Be ready to capitalise!~Guyahh~ There's no way he won't dodge it!~Byowvuu~
Syn wasted no time, blasting off immediately. Naturon's eyes just about bulged out of their sockets as he saw The White Shadow Dragon barreling towards him. In one last ditch effort he attempted the smokey aura but it failed him once more. With nothing but fear and overwhelming stress bubbling up inside he curled up, not even humouring an evasive maneuver, simply accepting the inevitable as he shook like a newborn.
Zwuuuu~
The sound of a zipline was accompanied by a stretching green whip and Shenron backdashed on the air out of instinct. From seemingly nowhere a figure blocked out the sun and Krillin hit a gainer into several whipping backflips, building up momentum to absolutely smash Syn Shenron atop the head.
"HYAHH!" The New Turtle Grandmaster yelled as he connected flush and sent The White Shadow Dragon packing.
Syn Shenron furrowed his thick scaly brow, stalling out his tailspin effective immediately and placing his hand on the uprooted dirt to brace his fall. Krillin spun out in a flourish and landed a few paces off from his foe, taking on a stance and spawning a second witch. He faked on the ground, lurching forward then stopping short of his dash. Syn took the bait, jittering in response to Krillin's twitch forward. He did it again and then the pair took off upon the third exchange of frenetic footwork.
"Crap!" Krillin yelled out as he nearly got his head taken clean off by a left haymaker, spinning out on the air to dodge. Syn chased him down, centering his weight over his right knee and then blasting to life, soaring into the sky.
Vwa-Vuish!
"Wheew~ Oh boy~ I think we really got ahead of ourselves this time…" Krillin let out along with a nervous laugh, left hand planted firmly into his skin after his Instant Transmission.
"Focus, Mongrel! He's not that tough!"
"Easy for you to say! You're not even fighting him!" Krillin shouted back via their brainwave link. "Besides!"
FSHUUNN!
"You're stronger than I am! Hell! You're stronger than I remember! Sheesh, when did you get this strong!? Was it cause you fused with Kami!? Why aren't you fighting him!?"
Krillin ran buckwild like a baby deer, dodging the blows by hairs only for Syn to give up the ghost and blast a bolt of lightning at North City's Superman.
"Damn!" He shouted, barely raising a tortoiseshell glassy Ki construct in time. The electrical arcs bounced around the shell as Syn gained ground, zipping right behind him and ready to strike. He hadn't the time for much else. Krillin gulped down, The White Shadow Dragon not visible, only in his peripheral.
"Let go of the barrier! Now!"
Thank goodness Piccolo was using Telepathy. Communicating with allies via this skill is several degrees more efficient than speech, as the synapses don't have to put in the work to convert the language in real time. Krillin only had to manage the feelings and concepts Piccolo had thought up in the moment. The same way people learn different languages and then translate their non-native into their native language is roughly about the same lag-time that one really could do without during combat. Any wasted time could get someone killed, or at least turn the tides.
Piccolo placed his left palm over his turban, took it off, then lined up a shot with his right hand, winding it back for the flick of a lifetime. His hand gleamed with energy and he sent it, blasting the weighted training cap forward.
SHWINGGKK! Wssahh~
The glass barrier dissipated and immediately after a spinning purple orb came flying. Syn ducked with ease, the turban gem not even coming close. During the momentous revolution, all of the white cloth adorning the turban fell away and all that was left was a hefty purple gem glowing in the midday sunshine. Even before the turban whiffed, Piccolo had assumed the position, so when it did:
Va-Vuushh!
he reappeared on the other side, flicking the gem a second time. Syn, pivoted on the grass, turning his predatory body language towards The Namekian. In another impressive display, The White Shadow Dragon ducked that one too despite not even a full second passing. As it flew past it swerved and Piccolo took on a ninja's hand posing, his left stalwart as his right wound in a circle and coerced something backwards. The purple gem waned and then came crashing back the other side, a boomerang. Krillin backdashed out as he saw the shining jewel fly over his head, his foe dodge, Piccolo appear, and then watch as Syn forced a whiff for the second time.
The White Shadow Dragon simply couldn't dodge this last one however as he endeavored to dash forward only for the weighty purple gem to lambast the spiky appendage jutting out of his topmost right side, a draconic backside defensive over his shoulder blade.
"... Guhkk~" For all his tough-as-nails demeanor, as soon as Piccolo's turban adornment came into contact with the Dragonite, Syn grit his teeth and shuddered, an indescribable funny bone contact as the horn cracked under the weight. The stone adorning Piccolo's turban shattered into a thousand pieces, glittering purple glass falling onto the green grass below.
"That one's not enough, I might have just made him more rabid. Be on your guard."
"You ain't gotta tell me!" Krillin answered back as he swallowed again and Syn Shenron's red eyes glowed with simultaneous intrigue and infuriation.
Naturon Shenron finally fell out of the mountainous cage gripping onto his doughy body, causing a quake to bellow out. He flopped onto the uprooted earth and wiggled around, his nose sniffing up a storm.
"I…" He cried, real tears welling up in his eyes. "I knew it. I ain't neva' gonna be a real dragon…"
He waddled away, sneaking around the mountain, his big body not such an easy suit for the task.
"That's our win condition. We weaken him where it hurts the most. Horns and spikes are a natural advantage to try and kill your enemies, but at the end of the day they're just bones that grow outside the skin."
Piccolo posed up, flaring out his arms as Syn Shenron came dashing in. The Demon's eyes widened as he posted up for a wrestling tie-up. Piccolo met it in stride, taking on Syn's head-to-head style offence. But as soon as the pair connected palms:
"Dragon Thunder!"
"Rrrr~" Piccolo growled, smiling a bit through the pain, lowering down into the ground and allowing Syn Shenron to loom over him and dominate the wrestling tie. The Demon roared as his body arced with spastic electricity and reared back his left side, his Namekian body allowing for a little bit of extra elastic leeway before he came all the way back and slammed his left shoulder pauldron onto Syn's V, the right side of his two-way, top horns.
"..." Syn Shenron's anger grew as the dusty chalk from Piccolo's smashed pauldron filtered down and then disintegrated in his electronic field.
"Careful, Krillin! Physical attacks are a double edged sword! We have to find a way to attack him and minimise damage! At any time he could do this lightning attack! It's his defence and offence all in one!"
Krillin sidled around the outside as Piccolo's left pauldron disintegrated into the side of Syn's double layered horns at the top of his skull.
"Great… Ki attacks are easy for him to dodge and physical attacks are risky…" Krillin said as he scratched the top of his head.
"You keep him occupied. I'll try to think of a way around it. Right now I don't have a good way of attacking him. Good thing you're resistant to electricit-"
"YOU THINK THIS SHIT DOESN'T HURT, MONGREL!? Get your ass over here and help me!"
"Right!" Krillin clamoured, almost falling over himself as he ran in to cover. He dashed headlong, feet sliding across the dirt and grass as he got low.
Zzzzzatt! TZZzttt! ZZZAKK!
The New Turtle Grandmaster hit another backstep as Syn sent a sharp stare his way and the volume of his field increased, the wattage along with it. Piccolo fell to a knee as his clothes caught fire under the yellow and blue rampage The White Shadow Dragon was capable of causing. The grass lit ablaze as well, marking a ring of death around the two figures.
Clapp! Fwuu~Pah-POKK!
"Ngh~" Syn grunted as the cold wind Kiai clapped into all three of the spiky appendages on the left side of his back. He folded over with tight teeth as Piccolo couldn't detach, unable to retreat, Syn's grasp on his limbs too strong.
"..!" Piccolo's throat bulged up like a frog's and he let loose a blast from his mouth, half aimed at Syn's chest half aimed at the abs. The Demon closed his eyes, licked the bottom of his big mouth, prepared himself mentally, and lessened the strength of the Ki guarding his limbs.
Bah-BOMMMM!
Before the dust settled, Piccolo came shooting out the back and landed in a scuff, his pant legs, the front of his mantle, his vest, and the end of his white cape in embers, his arms missing and purple blood draining in droves onto the wasteland.
"Dah! Piccolo!"
Sklutt! Sklorch!
"Oh! Heheh~ r-right…"
Piccolo cracked his new sets of knuckles as the dust cloud trickled with electric yellows and neon blues, a monstrous, spiky silhouette shadowed behind it all.
"..! Piccolo! The other one! We forgot about the other one!"
"What?"
"He ran!"
Against his better instincts, he looked left, a titanic crater left on the mountainside.
"He ran..?" Piccolo thought before the clouds forcibly parted and Syn Shenron dashed forward. "Shit!"
WHOKK! Tyuuuuuuuunn~
Piccolo's head bent at the neck and he was thrown for a loop, well and truly. Before Syn Shenron could dash after him, Krillin slid in his way, face to face with The White Shadow Dragon, a bead of sweat drawing down his forehead.
"What do we do? That other one seems injured, Piccolo. Should we run after it and try and get him instead?" He asked as he put up his dukes and mimed a mystical routine with his hands.
Syn gazed into the abyss, hypnotised, warping maroons and purples shifted around the space, blotting out everything except the tiny man and his ever so shifting hand movements. Syn's perception blurred and the tiny bald man's arms grew into an infinite number.
"Even Shadow Dragons need their rest, right?"
Syn's head lulled, but upon the bob, he woke up, a snap of the neck put him on target and when he did:
"..." He looked left. He looked right. The little deviant had disappeared, because he certainly wasn't in front of him.
Krillin put his hand on one of the many cave-ins around the wasteland from the two dragons' furious bout and swallowed a single time. An After-Image ran across the plains, Krillin faking out Syn.
"..."
KRMMMM!
Except it didn't work. The top of Krillin's hideaway cave ripped apart as Syn refused to even humour the concept of Krillin's technique.
"Piccolo! They can sense energy! After-Images aren't gonna work on this guy!"
Piccolo was still dumbfounded, rocked to the core as he laid over a rocky formation. The rubble departed and fell down in its own mini landslide as The Demon picked himself up from the stone and put out the lasting flames on his clothes.
Vwa-Vuish!
Krillin backed off, teleporting right next to Piccolo only for Syn Shenron to come crashing right back through the underground. The Demon grit his teeth and barely ducked it, mirroring Goku's drop down dropkick, placing both of his wizarding shoes onto The White Shadow Dragon's chest and pressing upwards.
"YAHH!" Piccolo's demonic death metal cantor came out in full force as he screamed at the top of his lungs and sent The White Shadow Dragon into the aether.
DHOOOOMMM!
Krillin met tit for tat, leaping as high as he could and:
Clapp!
readied his winter Kiai. Syn flipped out of the hitstun only to take the forceful wind right on top of his right shoulder's spike, shattering it.
Pah-POKK! KSHINGGLE~
"Eahhh~" Syn let out through grit teeth as the black stump bled over with blue fluids. His face shook with bloody revenge written all over it. The White Shadow Dragon blitzed, clearing the space between him and his tiny bald headed target in an instant.
Vwa-Vuish!
Krillin took a second to compose himself as he teleported to the hidden cliff face they came in on. A terrified look in his eyes and sweat baring down all over him, most certainly changing his skin's consistency at this point. His heart punched up against his chest with proportionate palpitations, the world's most rowdiest inmate.
"We can't beat him like this, Piccolo. He's… he's gonna run right through us. With each attack, he only gets madder. And I only have so much Ki left."
"Tcheh. You might be right." Piccolo responded as Syn Shenron touched down with a fury, flattening the earth around him into an even bigger divot.
"Guhawk!" Piccolo was forced out as he blocked two massive swinging sledgehammer hooks only to eat the third one on the jaw, slumping his neck over and turning his head into a slurpy, a gnarly purple bruise planting itself into his thick Namekian skin instantly.
Fwoffff~ Skyuuuuufffff~
The Namekian's white cloth whipped around and then was torn apart as Syn Shenron slashed it in an searing left claw hand. Piccolo had only gotten a few feet before he fell to a knee, gasping for breath.
"Evil Containment Wave!"
"..." Piccolo smiled. "It's worth a try."
"You got gas?"
"Yeah."
"Great… I'll distract him. You'd better not mess this up or we're toast."
"Over here!" Krillin shouted from across the prairie, flailing his arms from their previous hiding spot. Syn spared a single passing glance before completely ignoring him in favour of dashing right at Piccolo. "Crap!"
Syn was inches away, pressing his draconic talon deep into the mangled dirt as he readied a strike. Piccolo's eyes glinted with neon red tron lines.
ZYUU~
Syn dipped even lower, dodging the defensive lasers. Piccolo then put up his hands, casting a green glassy contraption. The box spread all around Syn but he barged right through. As the glass shattered however, Piccolo barely had enough time to duck under the ferocious rising backhand, falling on his behind as he did it. Syn was quick to adapt, as his rising backfist whiffed, he shifted trajectories and looked to spear Piccolo through the abdomen with the thick black blade coming out of his elbow socket.
With a one two, Krillin hit a gainer off of Syn's enormous arm and sent it awry. Quick to adapt once again, as soon as he was sent off, he charged forward, looking to connect with a dashing straight elbow this time, aiming the Dragonite spike in between Krillin's eyes.
"Solar Flare!"
ZNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN~
"Nngh!" Syn grunted as he pierced nothing but air with his black elbow blade. The sensory spell he'd kept up allowed him to perceive Krillin's dart out of the way even through the pain surging into his eyes. But even still, the delayed reaction allowed North City's Superman to just barely front roll over Syn Shenron's right dutch kick, The White Shadow Dragon missing just barely before:
"Evil Containment Wave!" Piccolo howled, winds kicking up all around as rubble and grass lifted into the sky.
"Wait! What are we going to put him in!?"
"Crap! I didn't think that through!" Krillin hollered back as he caught the uprooted prairie dirt in a crab walk.
With a pulse of Ki Sensing, Syn's blinded eyes glimmered, and he saw The Green Man standing there anyway, hands out. The Evil Containment Wave hit flush. Krillin stuttered, unable to think of anything as Syn caught the beam in his hands. The roaring green tidal wave screamed out with evil souls howling. The White Shadow Dragon could hold out for a little bit, the force unable to go anywhere, and Piccolo not content to make it so, his feet sliding out wildly.
"Krillin! Hurry!" He shouted, his voice distorted by the blast.
"Uhh… What Dragon Ball do you have!?" Krillin yelled into the green mist.
"What!? I don't have to tell you squat! I already told you that!"
"I don't believe you!" He roared over the echoing winds.
"Fine! The One Star Dragon Ball!"
"Prove it!" Krillin yelled again, pointing at him with his phantom limb.
"Here!" Syn Shenron growled, the dragon scales above his brow parting to reveal the blue orb, cracked and unsightly.
Whapp! Pwa-POKK!
"Dahh!" Blue blood squirted out in droves at the forceful ejection, the new wound not helped any by the cackling winds of the energy. "Worm!" His almost automated sounding voice rippled through the wind, reverb ensuing due to The Evil Containment Wave's righteous power.
Krillin caught The Dragon Ball after coaxing it out with as much Kiai as he could spare. He patted down his pockets and freed up the Sensu Bean baggy, dropping The One Star Ball on the ground, and then catching the beans in that same hand.
"Here! The bag!"
"Unbelievable! Grrr~ Fine!" Piccolo howled, the grass underneath him pulling him all about as he weaved his incantation and tore Syn Shenron asunder, sealing him inside the bag. As the last shot rang out, Krillin sealed the tiny cloth closed with the rope surrounding and let out a sigh of relief.
"Whew."
"Are you serious? We're gonna seal one of the most powerful enemies we've ever faced inside some linen bag?"
"Well it worked didn't it?" Krillin fought back as he felt the aura pulse in his hand.
"Tcheh. Just when I thought today couldn't get any more unbelievable…"
"So what's the next move?" Krillin asked as he shoved the leftover beans in his left pants pocket, cradling the baggy carefully, examining any oddities or holes he might be able to crawl out of.
Bvwahhh~
New clothes spawned over Piccolo's bruised frame and he cracked his neck, grunting out.
"So?" He asked again, craning his neck out for sass as he leaned over and picked up The One Star Dragon Ball, still blue, and still sickly. Krillin's face fell at the deface the face of The Dragon Ball possessed, cracks and all. It damn near crumbled in his hands, held together by whatever willpower it had left, and no more Shadow Dragon to house it, if that even counted for anything.
"We regroup with the others and then put this one where it belongs as well."
"Really?"
"Really what?" Piccolo barked back.
Krillin looked into the grooves of the khaki coloured cloth and furrowed his brow.
"Tien's not anywhere in here. We could do whatever we wanted with this one. Just because we used The Evil Containment Wave doesn't actually mean we have to contain him."
"... You're right. How many Sensu Beans do we have left?"
"9. Still a pretty good amount."
"Then I won't ask for one. You shouldn't either unless we have to fight."
"I was thinking the same thing. I'm not especially fatigued, I just keep using a lot of Ki with all this Instant Transmission I have to activate so that I don't get squashed."
"It's not a technique you're supposed to spam out."
"I know~" Krillin let out with a bated breath, rubbing the back of his sweating bald head. "We just have a lot of places to be and there's no other way to avoid some of these guys' attacks. I don't know how I was gonna survive that battle if I couldn't just teleport."
"We weren't gonna survive that one if we couldn't seal him away either. Let's just be appreciative of the fact that that Mongrel was evil."
"Mmhmm."
"Krillin." He said, assuming the position. Krillin grabbed hold, pressing his reddened palm onto Piccolo's new, non-tarnished, but still same garbs.
Vwa-Vuish!
Goku
Goten ran into the arms of his mother, the both of them slobbering over each other in fervent tears as Goku vacated the premises. Bulma's eyes widened as she saw just how fast he dropped off his kid and then exited the garage. A fresh suit was in her hands, orange and black, helmet fitted and ready for takeoff, but even then, she spared not a single care in the world for her design.
"So is it good or is it trash? Bulma?" Erasa asked, having to literally snap Bulma out of it, coercing her with her middle finger and thumb. "Hello?"
"... Goku…"
The father of two and brother to Raditz marched through the now-less-scuffed facilities, thanks to the determined efforts of the pink and blue bots at the front, sweeping and cleaning up the leftover glass and black smoke stainage.
"I don't think I've ever seen Goku that mad. But now that I think about it, I don't think I've really seen Goku mad period." Puar commented, bringing in his paws close and looping around the air for good measure.
Yamcha sat on one of the unused metal 'operating' tables in the garage, cupping his left fist in his right, staring with an animalistic glare in his eyes. Raditz nodded.
"Good. We've been charitable for far too long. You know the reason that you Earthlings are in this position right now is because when you give the enemy an inch, they'll take a mile. When you have the ability to finish them, you do it. When I was working for The Cold Estate, battle was bloody, but at least it was efficient. No one ever challenged The Cold Estate a second time, because they didn't have the luxury."
"Raditz." The Wolf spoke plainly as the fire stoking behind his eyes glimmered with more intensity than ever. The Saiyan stared back, but not meeting the eyeline of Yamcha, only staring into the abyss as he glared through him. "I'm only gonna say this once. Shut the Hell up."
The Saiyan smirked as wide as he could.
Fwuuuuuuu~
Despite the afternoon sun hanging high in the sky, a cold wind brushed across the lands, it was summertime, but the air turned into a tormented, torrential force. Grey clouds shifted across the land, there hadn't been white ones for a while. The sun had to fight for dominance in the sky, no rain, but losing out regardless. Goku marched out onto the uprooted grass of Capsule Corp's lawn, squatting onto the earth and putting his hands together in prayer.
Goku's anger fell into sorrow, and then to nothingness as he let the clouds dictate his emotions. With an inhale, the smell of foul eggs permeated the back half of his mind, lulling his closed eyes into an open state and he watched the empty nature of West City. Hundreds of buildings, hundreds of cars, used to be millions of people, reduced to nothing but a shadow of its former self. The father of two stood up only to hear the sound of wind cut across.
"..!"
"Hello~"
"Cell!"
Goku's callout rang so far as to reach the garage, in part to just how loud Goku screamed, but also due in part to all the windows and glass surrounding Capsule Corp. being destroyed and how there were no closed doors to bar the sound waves' path of action.
"Cell?"
"Cell!?" Goten cried before Gohan grabbed a hold of him.
"Easy, Goten. Let dad and uncle Raditz handle it."
"Let me go~ Gohan! I need to-"
Wsht! Whamm!
"Raditz!" Chi-Chi roared as Raditz picked the boy up by his tail and The Saiyan's single pointer finger poke sent Goten to the shadow realm, and a pretty peaceful looking slumber.
"Relax, woman. It's better this way."
"Grh~"
"Mom. He's safer now that he's asleep. We have to put our trust in them."
"Our trust in them Killed Trunks!" Chi-Chi hollered as Gohan placed his younger brother in her arms.
"Chi-Chi. Don't." Bulma said with a stern stare, gripping on tight to the plastic fabrics of the half-hazmat, half-astronaut suit. "Your children are alive. Keep it together." Her fist balled around the newly minted spacesuits as tight as they would go as Yamcha hopped off the table and kissed her in the forehead as a parting gift.
"... I'm sorry."
Yamcha and Raditz strolled out of the garage in unison, Puar yodeling, his voice reverberating across the many metal sheets, and chrome walls the workshop possessed.
"Be careful, Yamcha! And you too Raditz!"
The Wolf didn't look back, but The Saiyan did, giving a single nod to The Cat. Yamcha let in a long breath through his nose as the pair strutted the hall. Walking around the pink and blue robots scrubbing the many tiles of Capsule Corporation.
"I'm looking for a girl named Erasa. And I do believe she's here, is she not? Well what am I saying, of course she is. I can feel her thoughts right now."
"Why?"
"Why what, Goku? I don't know what you mean."
Goku's fists clamped down tight and the forearms in his shredded physique peeled to a boiling point, almost bursting out the flesh as his eyes narrowed in focus.
"Why'd you take this path?"
"I don't have to answer to you. You're one of the first fools to ever pad my record. Now just make this easier for me and get out of the way."
"That's not gonna happen." Goku said as he sidled to the side, and took on his classic, deeply rooted stance, right hand over his head, left arm over his knee. Cell caught a whiff of something foul but only made note of it through his expression and not his words.
"Look. Goku." Cell said as he wafted it away and pointed at the Saiyan. Cell was different, ever so slightly, an embellished M carved over the black bug dome on his head. A permeating aura rolled off of him. "The last thing I want to do is not kill you all when I have the chance. But I want to do so of my own accord. And killing you now gets rid of Babid's roadblocks, and I want to do that even less. So help me out here. Run away. I noticed that Babidi's power is determined by distansss-"
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, the golden glow surging from the top of his head sparkled into action. A golden fit of static arced around his body and Cell heaved, caving and falling to a knee. He gasped for air that wasn't coming and sweat bullets through his his many spotted shells.
"Ehaughhh~" He groaned as the magic spazzed out.
"Cell! What are you doing!? I need you to hurry up and get that girl! I need the many possibilities that tablet might possess and she knows where it is!"
Blood trickled out of Cell's nose as he struggled to his feet and laughed.
"And I can't have you feeding Son Goku or any of his allies any intel! You know first hand how dangerous they are!"
"Do I?" He said with a smile, wiping the blood away as he stood to his feet.
"Cell! Answer me! I need to know!"
Cell looked down as his grin faded, the purple streak just over his lip sloppy. Yamcha and Raditz walked through the front entrance of the ruined yellow dome building. The Wolf's eyes sharpened as soon as he saw The 'Free' Man. He looked to dash right in but Goku held his hand out as a stop sign. Yamcha stalled for just a moment, ready at any instant to just run wild.
"Were we ever your friends!?"
Yamcha's eyes ran livid, bleeding an otherworldly intensity at Goku's equally hyperactivity.
"Friends!? Goku, this guy's a maniac! He tried to destroy the arena the first time! We can't give guys like this any second chances!"
"That's not true!"
"Goku!"
"All of you! All of you! Krillin was the only one that was my friend from the start! Everyone else was out for themselves! I don't want to hear that people can't change!"
"Not guys like this! I love you, bro, but I'm not just gonna stand here!"
Cell VS The Z Fighters
Objective: Obtain Erasa/The Wizarding Family Plate/Defeat Cell!
Yamcha darted along the already destroyed front lawn of Capsule Corp. His fever pitch was met with a lost look from Cell, his face mixed.
"Cell! Answer me!"
"I'm fighting! Shut the Hell up and let me focus!"
The swipe of Yamcha's claw cut through the air, a shockwave bounding out of The Wolf's left hand. The air let out a whip crack as Cell backed out of the way just in time. Yamcha screamed and leaped right back into combat only to meet a high right leg, spinning out wildly until he crashed into a car leftover on West City's vacant streets.
Goku's bubbling anger grew with each step and he sauntered over with a careful gait, arms at each side but tingling with rage, unease, and a palpable amount of Ki.
"Bulma. Yamcha. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."
Cell posed up, raising one hand far but parallel with that of his face while keeping the other at chest height.
"I was wrong. I'm going to make it right."
"Yes!" Cell shouted as Goku took on his stance once more and flew forward, kung fu shoes tearing up the grass surrounding the pair even more than they already had been.
They went at it, trading whiffs and weaves back and forth. Goku fired away with careful but lightning fast blows. For every strike, Cell returned one of his own, only to have it dodged in tandem. The pair danced around and The 'Free' Man laughed at the Saiyan's offence. The first time the pair connected it was a mutual knee, not really a strike, but not exactly a block either, both raised up their knees, Goku's right, Cell's left. The soundwave clapped out and they kept their hands raised for a possible strike that didn't come. They each backed off to reposition only to rally right back inwards. Whipping winds and torrential tides of air lashed out in every direction.
Yamcha's nose drained with an unhealthy stream as he gulped down breath and his hands shook with pain and jitters.
The longer the fight ran on, the more Cell grinned, finally landing clean on Goku's forearm and blasting him back with assuredness. The father of two's feet grinded along the dirt but he didn't stop, dashing right back in for a counter attack.
"Huh-Hah-Heh-Hah!" Cell bellowed as he met his foe in stride, slapping and parrying Goku's not-on-the-level ability right out of the way, treating him more like a reckless bull than any threat. "Don't you just love this combat!? This death defying display of will, strategy, and strength!" He shouted, landing clean again on Goku's temple with a quick and compact right hook. It shook Goku to the gills but as it landed, he struck true with his own, blasting Cell in the midsection with a left hook. Cell's grin grew further. "I see your goosebumps Son Goku! Don't you dare lie to me!"
And they were there.
"You killed a child!"
Sparking!
WHOKKKK!
Goku's near instantaneous charge left a brutal mark on Cell's porcelain skin, a purple bruise to go with his animalistic mascara on either side. Red lightning arced around Goku's frame as he ran in to capitalise on his first real attack.
"..!" It was as if Raditz had just woken up from a trance. A bystander. He was just watching, unable to comprehend the true Saiyan savagery displayed by the most unSaiyan-like Saiyan he had ever seen. Goku's skin tightened, his brow sharpened in an unreal way, and his teeth grit together like a warrior.
Still reeling from Goku's amazing right hand, Cell was unable to see exactly what his opponent had lined up but conjured a good enough guess. Goku slid on the ground, trying to take him out at the feet only to miss as Cell front flipped out of danger. The husband of Chi-Chi scouted it out, as he slid underneath, he reared forward his right hand and then slung it back, missing by a mile but:
Pwah-POKKK!
"Gah! Damn!" Cell roared as his nose compacted and a blunt wind blasted into his face.
Shifting gears, Goku's kung fu shoes clamped onto the dirt and then blasted as he soared into a back elbow with the same arm.
Whapp!
Cell's smile returned as he grasped the bone and then tossed it, shaping Goku off balance. The father almost toppled over before being forced to.
WHAMM!
Or at least he should have, as Goku somehow stayed standing after Cell's signature high leg.
The same leg that defeated Giran, the same kick that toppled The Triceratops King, the exact same attack that decapitated Nuova Shenron, killing him instantly.
Goku may have stayed standing but all the light in his eyes disappeared, nothing but bloodshot egg whites. He stumbled forward, lending Cell the perfect attack angle to land flush on the nape.
WHAMM!
And he did. Goku fell to his knees as the sparkling red aura rerouted into the ground, the man himself unable to make much use of it. Yamcha unattached himself from the automobile parked on the sidewalk, blood leaking out of his nose as he saw the blurry portrait happening in front of him.
"Goku's getting killed out there!" He shouted, leaping into action.
"AWOOOOOOOO~"
The sound of wolves howled in the distance as he nearly teleported behind Cell and sent him packing with a left roundhouse slash.
SCHWINGG!
But he whiffed.
"Not fast enough, Yamcha!" Cell quipped, a deep smile marking his face before he elbowed The Wolf in the teeth, sending him crashing into the rectangular training room, finally felling the chrome construct. It waned and whined before toppling over.
Finally, seeing Yamcha get blasted in oblivion truly awoke him from his stupor. He shook himself awake and dashed forward, stomping on the grass to make speedy headway into saving his brother. Cell's attempt at snatching Goku by the hair went answered by Raditz, forcing The 'Free' Man to backstep out of range lest he be lambasted by a rising full-commit knee strike from The Saiyan.
Wind clapped in response to Raditz' near miss and The Saiyan just pivoted into a direct assault.
"Come on!" Cell waved him in, smile as bright as could be as the sun hid ever more away behind the darkening clouds.
"Dynamite Monday!" He bellowed, fists glowing with pink electricity before he crammed in punch after punch into Cell's midsection.
"Cell."
"Guhhkk!" Cell spit out a pitcher of purple blood as he stood there, eating them on his abdominals. His grit teeth turned into a frown, then a neutral psychotic stare, and then a sickly smile.
The more Raditz landed, the less they seemed to impact him. Just moments earlier they were bouncing off in stride, but now, simply landing felt like he was slamming his fists into an unbudging brick wall, a Cold Estate machine designed to put Saiyans in their place. Cell posed up, still taking the strikes on his belly before giving him his own medicine.
THWOKKK!
The 'Free' Man had waited until The Saiyan struck, landing a bombastic trading counter-hit. Raditz stumbled backwards, unable to fall before he embarrassed himself with a drunken stupor of a backwalk. He tripped on the roughed up earth and looked up at The Bug Man, bleeding profusely out the mouth and wearing cracks all along the black bug shell of his stomach.
"See how my shell hardens in response to your attack!?" Cell yelled, each word in his statement raising in volume, hyping himself as he stared down the prey below him. "If you use a technique on me it better kill me in one shot~ It's not gonna work on me a Second Time!"
He charged a Ki blast in his left hand, ready to fire until he finished his thought. Upon completion however, the pulsating purple plasma in his hand shot into the aether, deterred by Goku's flesh slapping it skyward.
Bah-BOHMBB!
Raditz stood to his feet as Goku reigned it in with a wide stance and deep breaths. The pair dashed in and laid down two flurries of simultaneous offence. Cell's arms weren't quite fast enough to keep a lid with one each, the pair steadily gaining ground until he backed off with a dizzying bit of flight using his insect wings.
Tzzzzzzzzzzz!
"Cell!" Goku yelled, assuming the position.
Vwa-Vuish! Vwoi-Vuish! WHAMM!
Goku's death-from-above dropkick caught Cell in the temple, shooting him down into the lawn, carving it up further before he caught himself on the outside dome of Capsule Corporation, blasting through a bit of the wall before he ran back into the fight himself. Before Raditz could get back into the striking range, the two of them were already face to face.
"Why did you do it!? Don't you care!? I thought you were on the right path!"
"Cell!"
"Because!" Cell shouted back as they locked forearms, the both of their pugilistic prowess pushing each other back until they came to blows once more, trading more punch rushes as Cell walked him back onto the lawn and away from the dusty debris of the Capsule Corp. wall. "Rehabilitation is a silly concept, at least I'm being honest with myself! What is there to rehabilitate!?" He countered, kneeing Goku into the chest and forcing him off as Raditz rushed back in to cover. Cell spun him out with a backfist but Raditz stayed in the fight, catching himself on the dirt as he and his Saiyan brother pincered The Bug Man. "I am simply following the laws of the land! It is the young who die most often in the animal kingdom. Nature is a cruel mistress." Cell said as he pointed to his dome with a single index finger, capable of maintaining eye contact with Kakarot as he spoke and keeping Raditz at bay with his frantic footwork and kicks. "The newborns aren't guaranteed any safety net from predators simply because they are inexperienced. In fact, it's the opposite. The honour system is only something that can exist thanks to the gift of consciousness. It is an inherently human ideal and I think I've progressed pretty clearly beyond that, Goku."
As the last words left his mouth, he connected on Goku's with a heinous right overhand, sending him flying towards the vacant streets.
WHAMM! FOOOO~
The wind cried in devotion to Cell's speed as he laid in three more shots on Goku's still-flying body. He reared back his left to chop down on Goku's exposed neck.
"Sayonara! Mmm!?"
Raditz met Cell's slash arm to arm, his Saiyan scream enough to propel him past the finish line and win the exchange despite the tingling sensation in his arm. Cell was forced to walk the line backwards as his smile pivoted into frustration. Now they both ran in to exchange, Raditz throwing a compact series only to be outclassed by superior upper body movement and showstopping axe kick.
"Shut up!" Cell screamed, landing clean on the back of Raditz' neck, hitting him so hard he bounced off the ground. The Saiyan's head bobbed unhealthily, preparing itself to be demolished by a follow-up from The 'Free' Man. Before Cell could capitalise, the training room stained with black smoke, warped by damage on all sides, and lovingly tagged with spray paints of cats and other various images dented even further as The Wolf pounced.
WHAMM!
The fly-by left boot left a mark immediately and Cell was tossed aside, getting his ground and then meeting with Yamcha's rapid movements. The Free Man wiped himself of the extras, laughing as Yamcha ran around and whipped up tailwinds in his wake. Yamcha's characteristic whirlwind of speed, attempting to attack from all angles was met with a block and then a shove.
"Oh woe is me. This is the most fun I've ever had in my life. This love is far greater than any tournament or martial artists' contest. But fighting to the death means just that, and if I kill Goku and his friends then I won't be able to repeat this loving affair. Schroedinger's fight to the death." Cell lamented as he landed a brutal step-in backfist, slamming Yamcha into the dirt. His wings fluttered as his devilish smirk took over, the satisfaction in his eyes keeping him alive. He looked over the battlefield, all three enemies waylaid and lifeless, twitching muscles only firing in defeat rather than anything else.
"CELL!"
The golden M tattooed onto his black dome glittered with electricity, forcing him to take a kneel once more.
"I did not order you to attack! Nor did I order you to contemplate your place in the universe! I ordered you to grab the girl!"
The 'Free' Man stood on his two yellow feet before the puppeteering strings tugged at his backside, pivoting him around on the lawn.
"But on second thought… perhaps getting them out of the way would be a solid plan."
"..." Cell's body jittered as he attempted to steer his gaze back towards Capsule Corp. rather than the limp bodies strewn about the roughed up turf.
"If you won't listen to me! I'll just pilot you manually! You're forcing me to do this!"
Cell's body shuddered and The 'Free' Man grit his teeth, almost cracking them as he struggled against the forces acting upon his body. His hand gathered the necessary purple plasma in its chalky exterior, pointing at Yamcha. It hovered, hesitated, and then it pointed at Raditz. Lastly, it settled its gaze on Son Goku's body.
"No. Those two might come in handy. This one is the only one with true resistance to The Madjinni Lock." Babidi proclaimed as he aimed Cell's blasting hand right at Goku's dome. The energy sparked with serious devotion, a powering up sound unlike anything he had conjured before. The winds kicked into high gear and the reverb echoed throughout Capsule Corp. thanks to the new entrance provided by Goku and Cell's contest just outside.
"Raaahhh!" Cell yelled, firing the blast off into the aether at just the moment it attempted to release, sending the frantic energy careening off into one of the Capsule apartments nearby.
"Stupid range! How are you resisting!? I thought you WANTED to kill them!"
Cell smiled, hand twitching and wiggling with intention.
"Well now that you're here I'm having second thoughts. I think I'll turn over a new leaf."
"Have it your way! In the end keeping them around isn't so bad. The only one that might be difficult to deal with are those goody-two-shoes types. Get moving!"
Cell groaned out as his body jerked and stomped onto the grass in hurried and uncontrollable motions. He spazzed out getting inside the Capsule Corporation building only to stutter and slam his way into the garage.
"Hello! Which one of you~ There she is."
"Cell!" Gohan roared from across the way.
"Oh crap! Goku couldn't do it!? Tough for you guys cause I ain't gettin' my goose cooked today!"
Bom!
"Settle down!" Cell relayed, snatching the pig/bat hybrid out of the air and tossing Oolong onto the tile, forcibly transforming him back to his regular state. "I'm just here for her."
"Huh!? Why me!?" Erasa eeked out, pointing to her chest with a shriek and a harsh swallow as Videl stepped in front.
"Because! You know something they don-"
"..." Videl took a fighting stance, making sure to guard her Bestie, and taking in a deep breath.
"Babidi. Why do we need her? You can read my mind, right? That would mean that you would know everything I know through my own use of mind reading. She isn't even the only one who knows where that stupid little slab of yours is. It's at the antique shop on the west end of town. Shouldn't I just go there?"
"You're right, but every strategy should have contingencies or at the very least be able to accomplish two objectives. I knew that Erasa knew something, something faint that I never bothered to check. But yes, now I know, if the slab is still at the antique shop then we don't need her for information's sake alone. But if it's not obvious to you, then perhaps you're not as perfect as you claim to be."
Cell's happy-go-lucky demeanor sharpened into a cold stare as he glared through Videl.
"They went out of their way to grab this little fool because they're goody-two-shoes. They won't hesitate to do it again if their friends are in danger. That's a much better position to bargain from. I don't want to kill these people, Cell, in fact, it's in my best interest to create a utopia with as many strong and stalwart defenders as possible."
"Get away from here as fast as you can." Cell remarked as the M over his black bug dome glowed brilliantly, almost a rainbow light casting in tune.
"What?" Blue asked, running her fingers through her indigo locks with a bit of ditzy and unbothered air about her.
Bulma grabbed Launch by the arm and stepped behind the many counters, cars, leftover machines, and metal tables to separate herself from The Bug Man. Chi-Chi stomped over to Cell with a crazed gaze of animalistic froth in her eyes. She wound back for a slap but before it could make contact, Gohan picked her up in a waistlock, almost suplexing her just to make sure she didn't lay hands on him.
"Let me go, Gohan! This delinquent needs to be taught a lesson!"
"Huh-Hah-Heh-Hah! Delinquent. I like that. Nice moves, Gohan. You know your place."
"Know my place?"
"I used to think that you were like me, better than those around you. But I see now that that's not the case. What is that, your little girlfriend? The one with the short black hair." He said with that same moviestar smile, pointing at Videl, still holding her stance as Sharpner came in from behind, picking up a loose wrench. "You might be stronger than the average waste of life that walks the Earth. But that's not even true in your own habitat. You're a runt in the truest sense of the word. You're not as powerful as your little brother, and you don't even rank as high as your girlfriend. What a joke. Huh-Hah-Heh-Hah."
"Cell! You've proven yourself to be unreliable! No more freebies!"
Tzzzkkk!
"Nnnngh!" Cell grunted as the electrical spasm bolting out of his forehead took him to the tile. He jittered to his feet, sauntering forward only to dash out of the way, sending the workbenches and other various stations flying into the walls. Metal echoed, scraping against metal as Cell zigzagged with the effortlessness of a dragonfly. Icarus lunged forward only to be denied by another calculated weave, spinning around him in an aileron roll with his frantic flight pattern. He gripped Erasa by the neck before anyone could even blink.
"Bestie!"
Cell assumed the position.
Old and new alike. Echoes of memories pulsated through his brain.
"Puar, we have to do something." The Pig's voice echoed along the aether.
"But what, we're not strong enough."
"You know your place." The image of Cell's gloating grin already burned into his mind.
Vwa-Vuish!
"Erasa!" Gohan shouted as he let go of his mom and swiped for matter that no longer existed in the space.
Videl's eyes twitched in anger and disbelief, watching as her best friend teleported out of existence.
"Is everyone alright? He didn't kill nobody did he?" Oolong asked as his timid eyes darted around the room.
Videl's fist shook until she simply couldn't contain it anymore, punching the lounging convertible they had been using like a couch across the garage, denting in the wall on the right side and then sending it crashing onto the various metalworking gadgets and gizmos.
"Bulma… her parents… all of Gohan's crew, minus the blonde of course, Chi-Chi, little Goten, Launch… Icarus… Yeah, that's everyone. Wait. Where's Pua'? Wait, what am I saying? He's hiding. Hurry up and get your scared little butt out hea', buddy. We got some new problems to solve. … Pua'?"
Cell
"Let me go!~Dwant~ Erasa yelped as the tall creature with bug wings iron gripped her wrist as they ran through a prismatic hallway of sorts. Rainbow lights and neon colours passed by, millions of unrecognisable shapes and spells blitzed along her subconscious. Erasa was speechless before something to her left called out. Of course. Cell.
"Don't get it twisted, you're still~Schwajeet~a lesser lifeform~Gluuu~but if you can help me I just might reconsider my position!~Jahwww~You too!~Thwerrr~
Puar's fur bunched up and then released in strange patterns as Cell skipped along the aether with The Cat clung to his ankle, and Erasa's wrist in his hand.
"What the Hell!?~Guhyoww~Puar!?~ Erasa shouted, not only her voice, but her skin and shape contorting, her full frame unable to be captured in the spacial rift. Puar looked back at her with bug eyes, and then slanted eyes the next moment, both of their existences changing each passing second like reflections in a circus fun house.
"YOU!~ZeYoww~Turn into this!~Gvinnn~
A picture of a ghostly figure wearing indigo robes and a belt with a golden buckle and a M seraphed onto its face poofed into Puar's mind.
"How do you know I can~Zleeee~
"Because!~Dwerntt~ Puar cringed at the shout aimed down at him. "I make it my business to know!~Vlaaa~The only way to beat a disgusting, despicable, downright abhorrent malnourished testicle like Babidi is to~Dwantt~maintain your awareness at all times!~Jhuuu~ Erasa and Puar locked eyes before looking up at Cell again. The rainbow colours started to fade as a bright white light at the end of the hall started to rear its head, looming ever closer with each skipping step he took across the hallway. "Even though he's got me by the balls!~Gwann~He can't use his spells or his Telepathy on me while I'm in here!~Gjhaa~I figured out that much!~Zhunn~So help me or I'll make sure to eliminate you~Zwonn~
"Alright! That works just perfect for me!~Guzwuu~
Bom!
And just like that, Erasa's eyes widened as Cell gave her a predatory glare. In one moment, she was present, conscious, the next she had forgotten what she was doing, screaming her head off again as she saw the man gripping onto her arm.
"Let me go~Guvhaww~
Puar
Vwa-Vuish!
Erasa shouted, freeing herself from Cell's grasp as a red mark lined itself over her wrist. Cultists in dark robes surrounded her as she attempted to make her breakaway. Another priest joined them on the outside, Puar's whiskers twitching as he stood next to one of the priests. Cell's armour glistened with sweat.
I hope you all remember. It takes a fair amount of energy to use Instant Transmission or Instantaneous Movement. But the act of using the technique isn't really what's costly. It has a steep buy-in in comparison to other skills, sure, but what eats away at the caster's energy is how long one stays in The Transmission Hall. Or in other words, how far you travel. Cell could have cleared that very quickly, but chose to stay in and reroute to talk to Erasa and Puar. In doing so he used up far more resources. When one reaches the end of the line in The Transmission Hall, they will see the end of their resource pool as a bright white contrasting the rainbows. The light at the end of the tunnel.
"It seems the only thing you're good at is fighting. How unfortunate it is that you're so stupid you can't seem to follow simple instructions."
"You like to think of yourself as this all-knowing, all-calculating wizard but the truth is that your ability to enact your own will on the universe is lacking. You matter so little that your only means of making headway is to force other, stronger, more capable people to do it for you."
"Well at the end of the day you still brought her to me, so I guess that counts for something."
Snapp!
Cell's lips sealed shut and his brows went berserk at the revelation, try as he might, he was unable to produce a sound from his mouth, scraping his feet across the tile and causing echoes to ring out through the empty temple. Once more, The No-Longer-Free Man lashed out, dashing forward to deal his retribution that just wouldn't come. He couldn't make contact no matter how hard he tried, his elbow repelled from Babidi's face like a same-side magnet and he backstepped.
"Well? Yes, you came back here, but aren't you going to go fetch the slab? What use are you if you can't do that?"
Cell pointed to the area where his mouth used to be, locking eyes with The Wizard.
"Fine."
Snapp!
"There you go."
"I need energy."
"Come again?"
"I can't just use that technique forever! I need sustenance! Can't get that through your thick skull, you big brained retard!?"
"Just great! You're less obedient than Buu and now you're telling me you can't even use Instantaneous Movement whenever I tell you!?"
Puar silently stepped away from the commotion, shelving his arms through the cultists robes and sauntering near the outside of the temple. He watched as the drones down below in the city picked up people slumped over at the outer ring of the capital. There was a battle of some sort, boots marks on each other's skin, blood everywhere. Puar's whiskers twitched as he let out an audible sigh.
"Oh gosh~ Why did I try and help? This is scary~"