Goku looked below. He was hovering over what looked like an abandoned military base. This was where the clone's energy was coming from now. Goku took a deep breath and landed inside the security walls.

The source of the clone's energy was coming from a hanger near the northern side of the base. Its doors were wide open. Goku cleared his mind and eased his body into a ready-for-battle state.

"Let's bring this to an end quickly," he said to no one in particular, and walked slowly inside.

Several dismantled aircraft were strewn about, but storage containers occupied most of the hanger space. Goku looked around, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the new level of darkness. Only through the open doors was a small amount of light from the half moon filtering in. It was impossible to see anything.

"I'm glad that you came," a voice called out from the darkness. Goku tried to focus in on it; it was coming from above him. "I was afraid you wouldn't notice the invitation I left for you."

A large ceiling lamp flickered to life, illuminating the center of the hanger. Goku looked up and saw a figure with his face standing on top of the highest stack of containers.

The clone had positioned his hands next to his side. The heels of his palms were pressed together. "The Kamehame-ha Wave," he said. "A simple technique, but when used properly, it can be one of the most devastating, not to mention deadly, ki-based attacks."

Goku slowly dropped into a defensive stance. He remained silent. "I might have been made from your genes, but I cannot read your mind," the clone continued. "So answer me this question: Did it ever occur to you that you may die by your own trademark attack?" When Goku didn't answer, the clone said, "Of course, many of the opponents you've fought before used the Kamehame-ha Wave against you, so I suppose that the thought has crossed your mind.

"How about this then? Did you ever think that you would be killed by your technique, which had been fired by a mirror image of you?"

"You talk a lot," Goku said. Then he smiled. "I actually have been in a similar situation before," he continued. "It happened about two years ago, while I was dead. I was fighting against a manifestation of the negative energy produced by the souls that were sentenced to stay in Hell. It was called Janemba."

The clone let out a small laugh and eased out of stance, back to a standing position. "I'm not familiar with the details of how you came back to life," he said. "Out of curiosity, would you tell me about it before I kill you?"

Goku's smile didn't falter. "I'd be happy to. But why don't you answer some questions for me first?"

The clone crossed his arms. "I think I can guess what you want to know," he said. "Trunks told you that I came from the future right? You want to know how I learned that you were resurrected, when even he didn't."

Goku nodded. The clone laughed his mad laugh again. "I don't think that it's a story you would be too interested in, let alone understand. I doubt you know much about the wall between dimensions."

"What do you mean?" asked Goku. He didn't get an answer. The clone jumped down from his perch and charged straight at him. Goku was still in his defense stance so he was ready when the clone met him with a high-speed combination of punches. Goku blocked them all, but the clone wasn't giving him any room to counter attack. For now, all he could do was defend.

The clone sidestepped left, giving Goku his opening. He fired a small ki blast at the ground sending up a cloud of dust. Surprised, the clone backpedaled away out of the screen. Goku had gotten behind and was in his path. The clone spun around, only to take Goku's knee in his chin. Goku had expected the blow to stun his opponent, but the clone countered less than a second later with a hammer fist strike to his head.

Goku smashed into the ground, forehead first. He let out a groan as his vision shook. The clone tried to follow up by stomping on his skull, but Goku rolled out of the way at the last second. He got to his knees, and then cart wheeled to his feet.

"I might not be a Super Saiyan," the clone said. "But I have enough power to put that transformation to shame. If you want to have any chance of defeating me, then I suggest you go all out."

Goku filed away that information. He can't go Super Saiyan? Well I'm not complaining…but that seems a little strange.

The clone slowly walked forward. He was wearing the slasher grin that he was obviously fond of…then that grin vanished as he focused on something behind Goku.

A ki wave whipped by, nearly grazing Goku's left side. The clone snarled and jumped out its path, barely avoiding the blast. It smashed into the back hanger wall, blowing a huge hole through it.

Goku spun around to try and find who had decided to interrupt their fight.

A lone figure stood outside the hanger doors with his arms crossed. "I didn't know which one of you was real, so I just decided to play it safe and blast you both," he said.

"Vegeta," both Gokus said.

Vegeta cocked his head to the side. "Well I'll be damned," he said. "I had no idea you held contempt for me at the genetic level, Kakarrot. Now I don't feel so bad for feeling the same way about you."

The clone glared at him from where he knelt on the floor. "We haven't met before this. How the hell do you know I was created from his genes?"

"I was eavesdropping on your conversation an hour ago," Vegeta said as he walked up to Goku's side. "You're not the only one who likes to gather information about his opponents."

"And you followed me here?" Goku asked. He looked aside. "I knew it. He just has to have these big damn hero moments."

Vegeta threw him a quizzical look. "Who are you whispering to?"

The clone got to his feet and stared down both of his opponents. He smiled again. "Well it looks like everyone wins after all. Let's make this two on two, shall we?"

Goku and Vegeta turned their attention back to the clone. There was a sound like a door opening on rusty hinges. Footsteps began to echo throughout the hanger. A figure walked onto the scaffolding directly above the hanger's entrance.

The two Saiyans spun around. For the second time that night, Goku was shocked. Vegeta was similarly speechless. The clone burst out laughing. "That's the look of surprise! That's what I wanted to see!"

"So Goku was resurrected by King Kai?" Trunks asked as he sifted through the rubble.

"Not King Kai," Gohan corrected. "It was the former Supreme Kai who transferred his life force to Dad." He hefted a large rock and tossed it aside. "Where is it?"

Trunks and Gohan had arrived at the ruins of Dr. Gero's lab. The search for the entrance to the basement had proven to be much more difficult, however.

"Damn, you guys really did a number on this place," Gohan said. "Didn't this used to be a mountain face?"

"Blame Krillin," Trunks said. "He fired the final shot."

Gohan sighed. "I don't think we're going to find anything, Trunks," he said. He picked up a small stone and weighed it in his hand.

"I'm not giving up until we find something," Trunks replied. He continued to dig through the rubble.

"Alright," Gohan whined. He tossed the stone aside. "But even if – "

The stone struck the ground. The ground caved inward taking Trunks and Gohan with it. Both Saiyans fell into an underground cavern.

Gohan recovered his wits first and looked up. "Whoa, I guess – OW!" The same stone he had tossed aside smacked him in the forehead.

Trunks got to his feet and looked around. They were in a circular room just like the one that had been in the future. The place where the hidden door had been was nothing more than a gapping hole. He smirked. "Welcome to Dr. Gero's Secret Laboratory, Number Two."

"Point me to the gift shop," Gohan said as he rubbed his forehead. "This place is a total wreck. It's here where you found the clone?"

"Sort of," Trunks said. "He was actually hiding below me in a hidden nook. He must have felt my energy and decided to ambush me." The chamber that had held the clone during conception was nowhere to be found. Where it had been in the future was only a caved in rock face."

Trunks looked over to the other side of the room. I don't believe it. The same computer he had tried to access in his own time was set up against the wall. And it was still in one piece. "Looks like we finally caught a break!" Trunks said. He ran over to the computer and pulled out his PDA. "I should be able to transfer the file to my portable, even if the computer's power cells are dead."

Gohan had made it halfway to the computer when something caught his eye. He looked over at the collapsed wall and moved towards it.

"Yes!" Trunks shouted. "I've got the file! Now all what we have to do is crack it open."

Rocks tumbled away as Gohan dug through the pile. "Trunks, I think you should see this…"

Trunks turned and noticed Gohan was on his haunches in front of the collapsed wall. He joined him and looked at his discovery. "What the hell?"

Still half buried in the rocks, laying face up, was a corpse. It had been stripped down to the bone; only a few lingering pieces of organs and tissue remained. "I think I know who this is," Gohan said quietly. He grabbed the skeleton and flipped it on its stomach – or lack there of. Protruding from its backside was a long strand of cartilage and bone.

A tail, Trunks thought.

Gohan stood up. "Just like there was a Cell in this timeline…it appears that there was a clone of my Father here as well."

Trunks took a closer look. "Check out its left side," he said indicating where the corpse's bones were blackened. "Those are blast marks." He was able to infer what had happened in his mind's eye. "When Krillin and I destroyed the basement, one of our blasts must have crashed into here, and destroyed the conception chamber."

"Without the computer to complete its body," Gohan continued, "It died. Alone in the darkness."

Trunks shuddered.

Vegeta couldn't find his voice. Now there were three Kakarrots in the hanger: the real one, the clone, and now the newcomer.

The clone was crackling like a mad animal. The newcomer jumped down from the scaffolding and landed next to him.

"But, how?" asked Goku. The clone he had met with Trunks and Piccolo, and had been fighting against a moment ago was wearing a black gi with a flowing robe over it. The newcomer was in cameo-fatigues with a heavy winter coat. Both had tails.

The newcomer turned to the clone. "Master," he said. "Are we going to fight them now?" He too, sounded just like Goku.

The 'Master' nodded. "You did well in Satan City," he said. "It must have taken a great deal of restraint when I told you to back down. For your obedience, you can take Son Goku. I've, personally, always wanted to fight with Vegeta."

The newcomer smiled the same slasher smile that his master had. His eyes seemed to hold a deeper level of madness, however. "Thanks," he said. "I get to fight the mightiest warrior of the entire Saiyan race. This should be exciting!"

Vegeta sneered. "There are two clones now?" he shouted. "Damn it! They're multiplying like roaches!"

"Hey…" Goku said.

The two clones charged; the master directly at Vegeta, the submissive one at Goku. Without any time to comprehend the situation, Goku and Vegeta acted on instinct. They both transformed into Super Saiyans and rushed to meet their opponents.

Both sets of combatants clashed.

"Please hold still Elder!" Kibito Shin urged. Elder Kai merely harrumphed. He was sitting on King Kai's bed allowing his descendent to treat the cuts and scratches he had obtained during his scuffle with Grand Kai.

"Young people today…" he mumbled.

"I wouldn't call the Grand Kai young," Kibito Shin said. "I must ask one thing though… Ancestor, what is a 'Santa Claus'?"

"GREAT KAMI-SAMAS!"

Both turned to look at King Kai who was standing out on the balcony. He was shaking.

"What?" asked Kibito Shin. "What's wrong?"

King Kai turned to face them. "You're not going to believe this," he said, his voice trembling. "Goku's fighting a clone of himself!"

"A what?" Kibito Shin and Elder Kai exclaimed in unison.

"And it's not just one," King Kai added. "There are at least two clones of Son Goku in this dimension right now!"