A Wonderful Life
By: SomeRandomPerson648
Chapter 56: First Impressions
A/N: Hey guys! Now that I've been bricked up with schoolwork again and generally spending less time here these next chapters will take lots of time to upload. Not that that's new by now, just wanted to give a proper excuse is all. Anyway, enjoy!
The Future timeline, home to the most tragic stories the Z team have ever had the misfortune of knowing, a world of perpetual conflict and torment. And though there was once an era of peace after the initial destruction, a new evil plummeted the Earth back into despair, continuing the never-ending cycle of pain
Amidst the perpetually darkened sky and the ruins of a long since destroyed city, a bright flash of light illuminated the field before a strange yellow ship appeared from thin air, the Time Machine
The passengers of the ship looked at their poor environment in sadness and pity. For the most part, the two Saiyans and the Bio-Android only heard descriptions of the future from Trunks, but seeing their worst imaginations come to life was something that chilled them. It was just as bad as they imagined, worse even, like the fallen buildings had fallen buildings over them. The city itself was a ghost of what they knew, and the cold air left a pit in their stomachs
"This Earth...it's much sadder than ours..." Goku mentioned, noting the ghostly environment. Were 17 and 18 of this time really the cause of this?
"Yeah... During the time of the Androids there were still a handful of towns and cities left unharmed since they couldn't sense ki. But with Black, he's made it impossible to hide. He's turned over every stone and leveled every city left. Now Earth is just a handful of people left..."
"And how are you still alive after all this time?" Vegeta questioned
"It was actually thanks to Bulma that she created a device that prevents you from sensing ki, without it there wouldn't be anywhere we could hide."
"Even so, why is Black so reluctant to destroy the Earth as a whole? There's nothing stopping him." Cell commented. He was the first to notice that there was absolutely no ki signature in range, not a single soul. Either that, or they were in hiding as Gohan mentioned
Once the Time Machine landed, it opened to allow its passengers to exit. As Gohan reverted it back into its pod, the others three continued to observe their environment, and Cell grew back to his normal size
Personally, Cell had no qualms with how everything looked. In fact, there was something inviting about the rubble, as though it truly signified the solace in its destruction. There was no one around for thousands of miles primarily because they've all died out. There was no one left to bother or be bothered by. It was something that felt oddly intriguing to him, like a distant dream of his
"But in this timeline, 21 most definitely died. Maybe even Buu and Prestina if Black wasn't made aware of them." He noted. In this era, Buu and Prestina must've remained sealed, however, 21 was either persecuted by the twins or killed by Black himself
But the idea of Cell Black laying even a finger on her filled him with an usual amount of rage. There was nothing he could do to change a fate that was already sealed, but the mere thought also filled him with despair. Yet, not one to get sidetracked, a question occupied him
"Hmm... Gohan. Did you ever encounter a wizard by the name of Babidi?"
"Yeah, he showed up in a ship some years ago. Why?"
"Then, if you can't access the power of Super Saiyan 2, then how were you able to defeat Dabura?"
The question had also come to Vegeta and Goku too. It was true that he was strong, so much so that his Super Saiyan could even compete with their Super Saiyan forms (And imagine if he had the remaining forms), yet Dabura was roughly as strong as the other Cell from the games at his strongest
"To be honest I'm not sure." He responded. "I definitely remember him being stronger than me, and if I slipped up even once I would've died. But after he threatened to destroy Earth, to ruin it along with many other planets...I just got incredibly angry."
"Angry? Like when he was younger?" They thought
"I got filled with so much rage that I got blind, like when I was just a kid. And just like back then I used my rage to help me win the fight, but I just haven't been able to harness that again." He said, disappointed in himself. If only he could just get mad again, maybe he'd stand a better chance against Black...
But for some reason, there was something that prevented him from unlocking that anger he was known for. The last time he could remember being enraged was back when the team still existed, just as they died. Seeing them fall filled Gohan with enough rage to even unlock Super Saiyan at a young age, but that spark never came back until Dabura showed up
It was like an overpowering sense of despair and survival held him back, prevented him from throwing everything into a fight. He was mad, but never was he truly mad as he was before...
"I see, and did you ever find what he was after?" Cell continued, holding that last thought for later
"No, not at all. He said he was looking for two weapons, but I wasn't able to even sense them."
"So Prestina and Buu are still trapped there, undisturbed." Cell realized. There was still a chance of releasing them, maybe even starting things off differently. After all, it was impossible to keep them trapped in a dying Earth. There was no hope for this planet anymore...
"That's enough chatter, where do we begin?" Vegeta barked, turning away from the wrecked buildings, not wanting to wander for too long
"Right, we should try finding Capsule Corp before anything else. If Bulma survived, maybe she's still holed up inside her bunker." Gohan declared
"Then let's go before anything happens." Goku suggested before the group flew towards West City, away from the destroyed city and after another, equally ruined one
Yet beyond the ruins of human life and civilization there was one single structure that stood in pristine condition, not only situated on the edge of a mountainside, but overlooking both a luscious forest and a decimated city. A lone cabin made of log containing only the barest necessities, water, a bed, tea, and a view...
Within this house is where the self-proclaimed destroyer God made his base, both overseeing the wonderful view of the progress he's made and the nature he loves so dear. But this wasn't Cell Black, instead, it was a kindred spirit like him...Zamasu
From the porch of the log cabin, Zamasu of the future timeline emerged to take another look at his progress. The wild, undisturbed trees and the copious amounts of wildlife filled the God with a rejuvenated feeling of life
"This planet was most definitely crafted by the hands of a God, for only a pure God can create such wonderful scenery." He marveled, but turning to the smoking building in disgust. "It's a shame that the filthy mortals dared taint this land of its beauty. I will inevitably erase any trace of their existence from this world."
Zamasu, unlike his more violent and mortal counterpart, loved to enjoy the fruits of his labor from time to time. He even wore comfortable clothes, a black shirt and puffy pants combined with a velvet black robe, for the occasion of quietly and calmly taking in his surroundings. He wasn't one to rush his plans, for they obviously took time and effort to accomplish. He just likes to enjoy himself while doing so, even a God needed a break every once and a while
"But I believe Cell Black is taking a little too long to return." Zamasu mused. For him he's been gone for nearly a week now, which was strange considering that he could've returned much earlier with the time ring
"A shame, I suppose I'll have to postpone the hunt a little while longer, since he was always the most enthusiastic in squashing those pests." Zamasu sighed. "But if he doesn't return soon I'll have to resume without him, one can't observe for long without seeking justice."
Just then, a small bundle of power levels could be sensed on the planet. Zamasu immediately recognized one to be eerily similar to his partner, but the remainders were a mystery
"Perhaps those Time Breakers he mentioned finally came to face their demise? Strange, I excepted them to cower before the threat of a God. Yet it saves the trouble of seeking them out." He sighed. This new development was certainly serious business, one that forced him into action again
"I'll keep my distance for now, at least until they reveal the location of the remaining insects. In such a way I'll save myself the time needed to cleanse this world. Who knows, maybe this will be the center of my new universe." Zamasu thought aloud before calmly walking inside to change. Not only was he in no rush to confront the new threats, but he was incredibly sure of himself that he could take them alone. Because not only was the main bundle of termites far weaker than his partner, but he was also a GOD! There was nothing in this universe that could scare him from completing his mission
Within one of thousands of cities left in ruins there was a small dispatch of rebel fighters camped just outside of a large standing building, one of very few nearby that wasn't already falling to the ground
These soldiers dressed in various leather boots and jackets as well as white helmets and shades waited nervously beside their target, hoping their trap would spring soon. It was roughly a week since the resistance's encounter with Black, and the tension was starting to rise, and crazy theories were beginning to take stage
Within a small building there was a smaller squad of soldiers, three playing a game of cards while the fourth kept a device on hand at every second. The hours ticked by, and still no sign of the killer
"You guys think he really up and left like that?" One of the men suggested, drawing another card from the deck but sighing
"I think he's just trying to psych us out, get in our heads." Another man said. "The second we let our guard down, he'll kill the rest of us without a problem."
"Or maybe he's still chasing commander Gohan, he's as tough as they come." The third man said, but the forth one looked away from the device on hand to respond
"I doubt it, he may be tough but Black's a monster." He sighed. "In one swoop he took out commander Videl and Mai, and commander Gohan is our last asset left."
"Things were easier with them around..." One of the men lamented, bringing down the mood more than before
With Gohan gone, it was much harder to keep the hope than before. Having someone on your side who could even stand a chance to the monster was at least a little bit relieving, but without him there was no one to stand up to Black
As the group continued to lament their loss, the beeping of an alarm from the device sprung them back into action, forcing them to pick up their guns and sprint towards the nearest broken window
"Where is he? I don't see him."
"Shut up, he can still hear us!"
More time passed, and the beeping of the device continued to ring audibly. Just then a green blur passed into the building at near blinding speeds, but as soon as it went in the man holding the device pressed a button, creating a resonating explosion that rumbled the ground below and sent the building tumbling to the ground
However, after the initial explosion and the crashing of the building, silence filled the air again as the four men held their rifles pointed towards the sky, not letting anything out of their sights, but the dust in the air made it hard to see. Luckily, as the dust settled the image of Cell Black was seen floating in the air, looking around to see the culprits of the trap he'd fallen into
"Open fire!!"
All four rifles started blasting a volley of gunshots at Cell, who almost immediately whipped around to spot the soldiers. As expected, his hand moved at super sonic speeds to parry the bullets, but they kept coming regardless. Eventually, the firing stopped for a second, all four guns having to reload their ammunition, giving Cell Black the opportunity to appear before the four soldiers
"So you're the resistance? I'm surprised you've lasted so long." He said before ripping the wall just in front of him and floating into the camp
Upon entering the building Cell noticed the radio looking device set on the table. It wasn't any ordinary radio as it did not have a speaker to play sound. Instead it was a thick brick of metal with two antenna sticking out of it
Before anything else could happen, one of the men rushed Cell Black with a knife, only to watch it shatter upon jamming it into Cell's exoskeleton. Still, the man threw a punch at his jaw, only for the bones in his hand to crack audibly and a yell to escape him. Yet that bought enough time for the others to reload
But in a blink all four rifles were suddenly in Black's hands, and the men found themselves thrown against a wall. Rather than continue the charade, Cell Black walked to the device on the table and...turned it off
"Simple enough, yet quite crafty." He mentioned before dropping the rifles and inspecting a single silver bullet in his hands
"And this bullet...it can pierce through Ki can't it?" He observed, feeling the strange repellent of the bullet vibrate in his fingers. For one reason or another, the bullet was modified to be able to pierce through a person's natural ki barrier, along with every other bullet shot at him. Sadly, it didn't have its intended effect, too weak of a projectile to hurt such a strong opponent
"You're going to pay monster!!" A rebel shouted as he jumped to his feet and rushed after Cell, who ignored him for the most part
"Stop!" A voice shouted as a bright yellow light dashed into the building and got in between the soldier and Cell Black, revealing itself as Commander Gohan in the flesh, and in Super Saiyan form
"C-Commander Gohan?!? How're-"
"This man isn't who we're after, he's a fighter I recruited to help." Gohan explained, looking over his shoulder to see Cell continue to inspect the bullet. He didn't like the way Cell handled to situation, but at least he didn't go as far as to destroy the equipment and kill one of their men
"Hold on, he's not Cell Black?"
"No. His name is still Cell but he's from a different time period, and he's here to help." Gohan answered
Soon enough Goku and Vegeta flew in through the hole in the wall to find the scattered camp. While Goku was at least relieved Cell didn't go too far, Vegeta was livid
"Don't you dare run ahead of us!" He lectured the Bio-Weapon. "If you fall out of line again I'm going to put you in your place!"
Earlier, Gohan and the others found Capsule Corporation and saw that it was completely abandoned, including the safe house. Just as they were wondering where to go, Gohan sensed a single ki signature and realized it was a common trap set by the resistance. But before anything else could be said Cell ran headfirst into the trap without saying a word
"Telling me what to do Vegeta? Funny, the last time you did that I was scared of you." Cell responded, flicking the small bullet at Vegeta's face. "But now, you're just upset your wife doesn't love you anymore."
"Why you!"
Before Vegeta could launch himself at Cell, Goku held him back with a hand, trying to bring him to his senses
"Now's not the time Vegeta!" He rationalized. "We still need him to help us fight Black!"
"Hmph, as if! I'll take out that sorry bastard myself, and then that'll fix things." Vegeta boasted
"Then good luck Vegeta, because last I checked, you couldn't even beat me yourself. You never could!" Cell taunted, making Vegeta even angrier than before
"Stop it Cell!" Goku warned. "We're all supposed to be on the same team here!"
"No we're not." Cell shot back. "I'm here to see the future and to put that imposter in his place. But I will NEVER be on the same team as the Prince of Nine Saiyans! Because even if I'm not your enemy, I'm sure as hell not your friend."
"That's enough, all of you!" Gohan shouted, quieting the room. He understood that Cell had gripes with Vegeta, but now wasn't the time to pick fights, especially when there were more pressing matters."
"Please, I need to know. What happened to the resistance while I was gone?"
"Oh, you haven't heard." A soldier responded, trying his best to ignore the infighting he saw. "After you left, Cell Black destroyed our base and killed a number of our people. But all of a sudden, he just disappeared through this portal. We never saw him again after that, but we were able to set up base again."
"And what about Videl and Mai, are they alright?"
"Commanders Mai and Videl are being treated for their wounds, but they're still alive." Another man replied, to Gohan's relief. "And a few days ago the resistance found Bulma Briefs on a patrol and took her in. She was able to make new guns for us and upgrade our tech, she's been a real help in our efforts."
"She must've been the one to create the bullets." Cell noted, but he also noted that the ki concealing technology of the radio was originally from Dr. Gero. Maybe she was able to raid one of his labs
"That's good to hear." Gohan smiled, a large weight lifted from his back. "Can you take us to them, we need to plan a few things. And hopefully...it could mean the end of this mess."
Upon hearing the statement the four men jumped to their feet. The end of this painful era?! A real future!
"Right! We'll take you straight away." The men declared, jumping to their feet with a new hope in their eyes
"And hopefully, I'm not wrong in saying so."
It was very soon that the group was lead to the heart of the base, a whole two cities away from where the soldiers were stationed. It would've taken a whole day for the men to travel by car, but with the flying warriors it only took minutes
Eventually they were lead to yet another torn city, near identical to the ones seen before. If not from the guidance of the four men they would've skipped past the city in their search. However, the fighters were led into the underground metro system that laid below the surface of the city, and with the help of an old map of the train tunnels the team made their way through
After a while, the group encountered what they were after, a small settlement of yellow lamps that surrounded a single station of the Metro. Within the settlement were a number of people inhabiting the station, namely soldiers. But there were also few that were ordinary citizens ranging from widows with toddlers in their arms to aging men with countless scars across their faces and arms
What was expected to be a 'base of operations' was instead a sizable encampment of homeless and injured fighters. Nearly all of the people around had a bloodied bandage covering a limb or an eye, and everyone sat or laid on worn mats that they also used to sleep
In other words, the last remains of human civilization was not in the best position
Upon walking into the 'base' the team were met with a slew of emotions, primarily ones of confusion. As the hopeless refugees spotted Gohan, the Golden Warrior and spearhead of the resistance, they also saw Cell calmly and harmlessly walking alongside him. The most common reaction was of horror as a few went to grab their pistols and rifles and such. But the rest only froze in shock at the sight. Gohan wasn't dead? What's Black doing here?!
"Everyone please calm down, he's on our side." Gohan stated, allowing many to lower their guns in comfort. But there were still many glares of rage aimed towards Cell, the man who ruined their lives
"Same thing, different time."
"Where's Bulma?" Gohan asked, looking around without spotting the blue haired scientist
As if on cue, Bulma walked into the area with a clipboard in one hand and the other inside of a sling. Her clothes and white lab coat were dirty too, but for the most part she looked tired and worn out, like everyone else around
When the scientist noticed the glaring faces she turned to see a sight like none other. Three faces that she's longed to see, regardless of the fourth and most unexpected one around. Upon seeing the three men mere feet away from her Bulma dropped her clipboard and sprinted after them, tears falling from her face. She ran and gave the worn and torn Gohan a relieving hug, glad that the man was able to return safely to her again
"Gohan, thank Kami you're back! I was so worried!" She said as Gohan returned the hug in kind, also relieved to see the woman
"And I'm glad you're safe..."
Eventually, the two stopped hugging and allowed Bulma to observe the other three with him. First was her longtime friend and ally Goku, a living ghost of a man. Seeing him after many long years was like a dream come true
"Hey Bulma, you sure got old!" Goku joked, albeit a bit awkwardly. To him, not only did he see Bulma less than a few hours ago, but this one looked so...tired
"Heh, looks like you're still you Goku. You never changed..." She said, wiping another tear from her face before hugging the Saiyan. Whether because he was a Saiyan or because he was from a different timeline, this Goku was identical to the Goku she knew, down to the way he joked
After the two embraced, Bulma took a look at Vegeta, her old lover. Even though her last memory of the prince was him leaving her a single mother for a year before dying to the Androids, there was a feeling of nostalgia when she saw the man, like she was young and in love again
But one key detail she picked up almost immediately was his attitude. Rather than exude arrogance and pride, he instead was much calmer than she remembered him. He also looked at her with a near untraceable hint of worry, one that Bulma was able to scope out with ease. Because of all people, Bulma was the one who knew him the best, even in the short time they knew each other
"So...you're finally back." She said, trying to bring back the youthful sass from long ago, but mostly failing
"It's...good to see you lived in this timeline." Vegeta nodded, clearly lacking the arrogance from before. Rather than continue playing, Bulma sighed tiredly as well, guess she really wasn't 37 anymore
"Yeah...glad you're around too I guess."
A moment of awkwardness passed until Vegeta worked the courage to say something in return. In a way he felt the need to prove himself to this Bulma just as he did to the her Bulma...but there was also a deep sense of worry he felt. Seeing his wife in such a poor state triggered a deep feeling of protection and possession in him. He wanted to do everything in his power to make things right, and he had to start somewhere
"Trunks...is okay." He near blurted. Whether because he saw that Trunks wasn't with them or that he needed to confirm it verbally, it felt profoundly important that say those words
Bulma choked upon hearing the statement. If seeing two ghosts, maybe three, in the same room wasn't enough, then the mention of her lost son sent her over the edge. She started crying hysterically over both the tragedy and the kindness of the situation. Her son was no longer with her, and even in such a bizarre moment she wasn't allowed to see him again
But, in the end, he was being taken care of away from the hell she, Gohan and many others faced. And by his father no less. That was the best dream she could ever have
Even as Bulma cried, Gohan shed a few tears. Even if it wasn't his Trunks that they spoke of...it was always nice to imagine
"Thank you...thank you so much!" Bulma cried, hugging Vegeta for the first time...ever actually
Meanwhile, Vegeta could only watch his defeated wife cry in his arms. It took everything in his power to not cry as well, at seeing her cry
"If only it were as simple as that." He thought, doing his level best to hide what he was truly feeling and thinking
Finally, after the sudden rollercoaster of emotions Bulma managed to pull herself together and address the final member of the team...Cell
Contrast to a mere minute ago, Bulma felt only hatred resurface within her. That same name and face was linked to so much pain in her life, not just Cell Black but even further, the Cell that nearly killed Gohan and the Z Fighters of the past as well as the bug that Gohan eviscerated later on. As much as she wanted to put aside the name and face...his attitude gave off an air of smugness that triggered something inside of Bulma
"So...you're the Bulma of the future. I've heard plenty about you, and it's so nice to meet you." He said as he put out his hand. Even without explicitly trying to sound arrogant he managed to do so effortlessly
"But I shouldn't be doing that." He thought, sighing and clearing his throat
"I'm sure it's uncanny to see the face of your enemy accompany you...but I assure you that we're on the same side." Cell said more honestly, doing his best to sound sincere, although he could still see Vegeta's glare from the corner of his eye
"...Right." She responded, shaking her head before shaking Cell's hand. "But...just why are you here? Unless you finally got all chummy with the team."
"Heh, not quite." He chuckled. "I'm the Cell that comes from the past, not the one that harbored the Cell Games. Even still, I've had my...ups and downs with them. But for now, I'm here for Cell Black."
Bulma nodded in response, uneasy. So he wasn't their friend as she imagined. But so long as he was on their side, she had much less to worry about. Yet she couldn't help but notice the glint of something inside of his pink eyes, like a sort of emptiness that was too hard to hide, and easy for her to spot
"He's seen things, and done things too. Those are the same eyes I've seen in the soldiers and survivors." She recognized. Bulma may not truly know this Cell, but there was something that he was hiding, something painful
"That's a step." Cell thought. He had to control himself better in the future. If he wanted to maintain his promise to 21. Though now that he realized, he didn't have many other emotions to express other than arrogance and false happiness. So he kept a neutral expression, but Bulma's expression changed the more she looked at him
"I'm glad we got the introductions out of the way, but where's Videl and Mai?" Gohan asked Bulma, who sighed a little
"Yeah, right this way guys." She said, leading the men into another area of the encampment
Past the metro track and the platform the scientist lead the four others into another dark and run down hallway leading into the headquarters of the base, the once station terminal room. Inside of said room was where the leaders of the resistance met together, the remaining figureheads of the fight, though they were less in numbers than before
Bulma led the group into a room with a handful of soldiers in different colored uniforms and banners. Each man and woman was shocked to see the 'assumed dead' Gohan as well as their sworn enemy standing next to him, alongside two strangers. The same slew of emotions overtook the group like the crowd beforehand, only this time they didn't reach for their weapons. At least they were a little more reasonable than the others, or just more grateful that their greatest fighter was back
But the most surprised of the many were the two women closest to Gohan, Commanders Videl and Mai. The two bore several blooded bandages and cloths wrapped around them just like the survivors from earlier, the only difference was that they were too important to be left resting, and both were too stubborn and determined to sit down and rest when there was so much at stake
"Gohan?" They said as the two walked towards the warrior, who looked in far better shape than they remembered him
Bar Cell standing a few feet away from him, the two women walked up to Gohan, after spending a full week worrying about him it was perfect to see him along with some help. Mai was the first one to greet him by hugging him kindly
"You had me worried." She sighed, feeling the full weight of her worry melt away as she backed away, allowing Videl to go in for a surprise kiss followed by a passionate hug
"I'm glad to see you made it..." She said as well, backing away
The two quickly got over their worry for Gohan and we're forced to address the elephant in the room, Cell
"What's he doing here?" Videl asked defensively as she instinctively reached for the sword strapped to her back, while Mai reached for the back of her shirt to pull out a reserve pistol that she kept on her
"That's Cell, but not the one you know. He's different from the Cells that I've told you all about, he came from the past instead of the future this time." Gohan explained. "And he's here to help us."
"It's nice to meet you all." Cell lied, putting in the effort to not sound arrogant and cocky, which was surprisingly hard for a man of his caliber
Speaking of caliber, Cell reached out and showed a silver bullet in his hand. Now that he got to meet the people they were fighting for and the doppelgängers of the future, there was one more question Cell had
"Before anything I would like to know how this was made. If you don't mind me asking."
The three women of the future looked at each other in odd confusion and skepticism. Was this really what they needed to focus on?
"That's a special bullet that I made." Bulma answered simply. "It uses a special compound of metal alloy I developed to strength it and charge it with more kinetic energy. If you get someone to lower their guard, it could do a bit more damage than your normal bullet. But this is also one of the weaker ones."
"Really? Then can you show me the strongest one you have?" He asked curiously, studying the bullet further. As she said, the bullet clearly didn't feel like a normal one
The three women looked at each other again more skeptical than before, even Goku and Vegeta were wondering why Cell asked so many questions. But wanting to keep things moving, Gohan gave Mai a simple nod
Mai walked over to a case attached to the wall and opened it to reveal a few ammo magazines full of high caliber bullets. She pulled one out from the mag and tossed it to Cell, who caught it and studied the red and black colored bullet
"That's the strongest one we've got, and in the highest caliber too. Even Gohan could die if given the right conditions." She informed the Bio-Weapon
"I see...and the ki concealing technology. You scavenged it from one of Gero's labs didn't you?" He asked, getting a simple nod from Bulma
Cell took another moment to observe the bullet before being struck with heavy feeling of boredom. His questions were answered, and quite frankly he didn't want to be there anymore, not when there were more important things to see
"Welp, guess now that my questions have been answered, I'll make my exit" Cell stated, keeping the bullet in his hand and walking out of the room
"Hold on, you're just gonna leave?!" Gohan asked, both surprised and a bit angry that he was giving up
"Well if you all don't want me here then it's better that I stop distracting you with my presence." He stated very matter of factly. "Otherwise I have other things to entertain myself with. But rest assured that I'm still a flight away from you."
With that Cell left the room, to everyone's surprise. Though a few were upset that he up and left...him being there was also a major pain for them in one way or another
"Guess there goes the help." Goku sighed, a bit upset that Cell couldn't stay longer. He noticed that he tried to be a bit friendlier a while ago, but it seems that it's still not a role that Cell's naturally used to
As for Vegeta, he was glad he wouldn't have to see Cell for the moment. No matter what he tried, there was always a button Cell was more than willing to push, and he wasn't going to be there for it
"Oh, we haven't introduced ourselves yet." Mai realized. "My name is Mai, Gohan's friend. And this is Videl, Gohan's girlfriend and my friend too." She introduced, Videl giving a small wave as a response
"Hey, my name's Goku, Gohan's dad." Goku replied. "And that's Vegeta, my friend and Bulma's husband. Er, in the past that is."
"Actually, they know the both of you from the past too." Gohan told the two women, who were more surprised than before
"Wow, Gohan's dad?" Videl restated
"And Bulma's husband?" Mai repeated
"My husband?" Bulma thought, realizing now why he seemed so melodramatic
"Yeah, great meeting you two. Gohan told us a lot about you two." Goku said
"Right, he's told us a lot about you guys as well." Videl responded, a little taken aback and overwhelmed with the meeting
An awkward silence fell again between them. Questions were forming, thoughts were being raised, but there was still an overwhelming objective on hand
"So...now that's everyone got to meet each other... Where do we begin?" Gohan asked. There was still too much to do at a time, but first they needed to catch up
"Step over here, we were just going over a few battle strategies. We can catch you up to speed too." Mai said as she and Videl walked back towards a whiteboard on the wall
In the sky above the ruins of the city, Cell sped away from the 'base' of the resistance with a separate goal in mind, one that feeds his incredible sense of curiosity. Plus, it got him away from the earlier situation
He wanted to spend as much time as he could away from the many judgmental faces and stern looks. Before he would've liked seeing the amount of impact he's had by just showing his face, but now it was not only annoying but hard to deal with. It was hard to make light conversation when everyone already hates you for varying reasons
"Just like before."
Cell wasn't a stranger to the feeling. Even when he barely knew anything about the world he knew what it was liked to be judged long before making an appearance, since the other Cell made such a lasting impression...one that ruined his life
"As much 'improvement' as I might muster... I don't think I'll be able to remain in the same room as Vegeta for long, he hates me more than I do now. Yet he got what he deserves, maybe be even more."
But rather than focus on the negatives, Cell wanted to focus on the positives. This time he was able to think before acting, sort of, and he did his best to make a good impression, even if it was poor
"It's just so easy to mess with them. Shaking hands with your sworn enemy, oh! The fun!" He imagined, just the amount of weight behind that motion would do numbers on anyone, let alone a tragic, war torn mother
"But, now, I want to do something new, something different."
And yet he was reminded of his own words, ones that he had spoken very seriously too. It wasn't just something that he wanted to say to gain favor with 21 again...he wanted to change the way he was perceived and the way he was treated
"Guess that's quite impossible when people think you're someone else." He sighed. "But this is about something greater. If I want to truly improve I need to begin with basic introductions...making good first impressions is everything after all."
But at least it was a start. Now he knew what not to do, which was better than nothing. And with that in mind, it would be useful for what he was set to do. Because this...was for 21's hard work. And he would see to it that it pays off
Cell continued to fly after a familiar location, a gizzard wasteland that housed Babadi's ship in his timeline. If his theory was right, then he had a straight shot to awakening Majin Buu and Prestina...and maybe get back that first impression he wasted all those years ago
As he flew, he entertained himself with the bullet in his hand, studying its meticulous detail and feel to learn its properties...just for the hell of it
A/N: Hey again guys, sorry if the chapter was a little short compared to the time I took to write in. I actually planned for this chapter to include more but had to cut everything in half due to size
So, the next chapter will come a few days or so after the posting of this one, since I've already written a good chunk of it
Anyways, that's all, so you next time!
