Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z

...

Videl found herself frozen in place as she looked down at the battlefield and the creatures that Cell had just produced. She had honestly forgotten that something like this had actually happened during her original watch of the Cell Games. In her defense, she had absorbed a lot of information very quickly before the footage had cut out and she had been left scratching her head. Especially when the threat of the world was at stake before her Father had so boldly proclaimed that it was all tricks. She had believed his word at the time.

Now she knew better.

Her shock at what was going on was snapped out as she felt the power of those around her dramatically rise. The sheer pressure emanating from their bodies threatened to throw her off of her feet. Looking around, she could tell that all of them were bracing themselves for the conflict that was about to occur.

Videl also found herself somewhat perplexed as two of the men seemed to have altered their hair color.

That however was of little importance as she heard somebody shout to get ready before all hell broke loose. It couldn't have been more than a handful of seconds. At first, they had all been bracing themselves. The next thing she had realized was that everybody around her was locked in combat. Her eyes couldn't keep up as all around her the fighters fought against the diminutive versions of Cell as if their lives depended on it. Given her knowledge of the Cell Games as a whole, they were fighting to survive.

A menacing chuckle from nearby brought herself into a fighting stance as she found one of the mini Cell's staring her down with a vicious smile that sent shivers down her spine. The people who were currently engaged in their own fights had come here with the intention of fighting Cell himself. They were either incredibly strong in their own right or had a good amount of confidence in their abilities.

They were in a league well beyond what she was capable of and they were fighting on, what she hoped, was equal levels. Against this opponent, she was well out of her depth. In the time that it took her to blink, her opponent had moved and their fist was mere inches away from her face. The only reason that it hadn't struck was because it's arm had been caught and held in place.

Videl shifted her gaze to see Gohan standing beside her, anger seared across his face as he looked directly at the creature in his grasp. Once more in an act that she couldn't follow, the miniature version of Cell was sent flying away and given the fact that Gohan's foot was lifted off the air, she could only assume that he had kicked it far into the distance.

"Stay safe," he said softly before he blasted off in a blast of wind. Videl shielded her eyes as best she could before trying to locate Gohan. While she couldn't see him in particular, she did take notice as a large explosion rang forth near where Cell was standing with the younger version of Gohan, sending debris and dust flying in all directions.

She could only hope that it wasn't Gohan that had found himself in the newly formed crater.

...

Cell and Gohan looked on with curiosity at the crater that had formed near them. "It seems that I miscounted," declared Cell, unflinching from his spot as the dust cleared to show who it was that had managed to knock his creation to the ground. Gohan meanwhile couldn't help but feel some manner of hope that someone was capable of taking on the beings that Cell had made. When feeling out for their ki he found it both unfamiliar and all too familiar at the same time and he had no idea what to make of it.

There was a growl from the blue coloured Cell before a driving fist went surging into it's stomach, causing bile to be shot into the air as they lost all the air from their lungs. Discarding the fallen enemy at their feet, the new source stepped forth and into clear view.

"Who...who are you?" questioned Gohan as he looked at the unfamiliar person in front of him.

"That...is an interesting question," they replied with a weak smile.

"Not to be rude but I'm comprised of the strongest fighters in the universe," declared Cell as he unfurled his arms. "If you're not in my biological setup that makes you an unknown variable and I don't like unknowns."

"Don't worry Cell," they said far too casually for Gohan to like. Cell was stronger than anything he had ever faced before and this person before him seemed to be treating it as an everyday scenario. The world was on the line and they didn't even seem to care. "If you're worried about me being part of your genetic makeup then rest assured that I'm in there."

The scowl that crossed Cell's face sent shivers down Gohan's spine as he prepared to protect this other person in the worst case scenario. "Really, then tell me just who you are and end this charade," commanded Cell.

"Can't see the resemblance?" they said, looking directly at Gohan.

"Who..." started Gohan as he locked eyes with the newcomer before a sense of dejavu washed over him. The person before them was so familiar but he had never seen him before.

"Gohan," they said with a soft smile on their face. "I am you, years from now when using the Pendulum Room."

"Years from..." repeated Gohan before elation spread across their face. "You're me! We survive! We beat Cell!"

"You beat Cell," said the older version of himself before turning to Cell. "Sorry for the spoilers, but you die today and...we...all live to see another day."

Thankfully, given the seriousness of the situation, none of those around the high school version of Gohan noticed his momentary pause in regards to the word 'we.' "This brat beats me," growled Cell. "I refuse to believe such nonsense."

"Regardless if you want to believe it or not, the truth of the matter is that me being here now is proof that you lose Cell," said the older Gohan confidently. "You can choose to deny it all you want but it won't change a thing. Even if you kill me, all that happens is that I'll return to my own timeline and ignore the fact that you haven't been seen for years."

"I refuse to acknowledge such a thing," shouted Cell, flaring his ki momentarily in a signal for his spawn to return and hone in on a single target.

The signal didn't go unnoticed by the older Gohan as the ground around him began to waver before pure energy swelled within him before breaking out in a monumental burst of power. The younger version had to shield their eyes as they felt the power of their older counterpart begin to skyrocket before the ever familiar golden aura surrounded them. When their hair turned from black to gold the younger Gohan felt as if that was it.

Yet the power continued to climb.

This was the power he would tap into?

It was incredible.

...

Videl could only watch as the miniature versions of Cell left their respective opponents, many of which who hadn't been copping well against the blue fighters, and consequently made their way towards Gohan. Something about Gohan didn't particularly seem right though because it seemed, in a similar way to some of those around her, he had changed his hair color. Was this another thing that she could accomplish when she was capable of flight? It seemed quite paltry in comparison.

"Should we help?" asked Krillin who, despite having being manhandled by his opponent, was ready to jump back in the thick of things if it meant helping Gohan. Videl couldn't help but admire his courage.

"I don't know if we could help," retorted Yamcha as he nursed an injured arm.

Down below, they could only watch as the multiple version of Cell circled their enemies. "I can't help but agree with you," said Trunks disheartened.

"Woman!" bellowed Vegeta, shocking Videl into looking at the spiky haired man as their hair shifted from gold to black. Seriously, what was up with that? Why did it seem so important to change hair color? "You arrived here with the older brat."

Videl couldn't help be taken aback at the brass comment. "Umm, yes?" she said with a hint of fear of the person in front of her.

"How strong is he?" Vegeta asked of her.

Videl's gaze shifted down to the dusty landscape where the battle was about to take place. "Strong enough." Videl had no idea whether her statement held any weight amongst people who could fight at speeds faster than she could see but she had no other words Videl had thought that she was strong until she had been shown about this hidden world where people could lift school bleachers and fly faster than the latest series of Jetcopter. How strong was Gohan compared to all these people around her, she didn't know. To her though he was strong enough, and she believed that he was indeed strong enough to deal with the situation at hand.

This may not have been the past in it's entirety but this was the situation that she was witnessing. And she couldn't wait to see what it was that she indeed bore witness to.

...

"So, I take it this didn't happen when you were here by yourself," said the younger Gohan as he stood back to back with his older counterpart.

"I can't say I had an older version of myself fighting by my side," stated Gohan with a smile, ignoring the ominous threat surrounding them as lightning danced across his body. "I would have felt a lot calmer under the situation."

"So, how did I do originally?" asked Gohan as he looked at the number of enemies surrounding them.

"The little ones, you destroyed with ease," said Gohan with reassurance in his voice as his stance shifted ever so slightly. "For this instance, I will take care of the small ones while you focus on Cell."

"Are you sure?"

"I've done it before, so I know you can do it," said Gohan as he braced himself for the combat about to come. "Focus on the enemy ahead and I will protect your back."

"I must say that I thank the two of you for your analysis of how you're going to defeat us is well appreciated but I assure you that it will not help you," declared Cell as the cackles of his subordinates rang out. A flare of power surged from his being as he looked at the two people in front of him. "I don't know what kind of parlor trick this is but I will not believe for a second that this runt was able to do what Goku could not! Now tell me, if the young one dies now does that mean that you will cease to exist?"

While Gohan knew that whatever occured in this timespace didn't effect the world that he came from he didn't feel like Cell an answer. Instead a predatorial bellow escaped his lips, one that was swiftly mirrored by his younger counterpart before they both leapt forward against their respective opponents.

...

Videl found her hands clench into fists as she looked down at the battlefield. She truly wished that she could describe whatever it was that was going down there but she could barely blink before another explosion sent debris in all manner of directions. Who was winning, who was losing, had any damage actually been dealt or were all the blows superficial?

In the end she knew that what she was watching wasn't truly the Cell Games. Gohan had told her that just by being there the two of them would careen history into a different direction without actually affecting the timeline. She wasn't watching the tournament as it had happened but she knew that it didn't matter.

Gohan's word was more than good enough. He wouldn't lie to her about such a thing and when he decided to tell her how it had all played out she knew that he wouldn't embellish the story. He would tell it as it happened and she would listen to every word that came out of his lips with rapt attention.

Videl couldn't help the way her heart skipped a beat at the thought of Gohan's lips.

...

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