-Seventeen-
"..."
[A_critical_error_has_occurred]
[Restore_sequence_failed]
[Shutting_down]
"..."
[Auto-reboot_sequence_initiated[]
"...!"
[Critical_damage_detected]
[Restore_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[A_critical_error_has_occurred]
[Restore_sequence_failed]
[Shutting_down]
"..."
[Auto-reboot_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[Critical_damage_detected]
[Restore_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[A_critical_error_has_occurred]
[Restore_sequence_failed]
[Shutting_down]
"..."
-Eighteen-
[Auto_reboot_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[Critical_damage_detected]
[Restore_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[A_critical_error_has_occurred]
[Restore_sequence_failed]
[Shutting_down]
"..."
[Auto-reboot_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[Critical_damage_detected]
[Restore_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[A_critical_error_has_occurred]
[Shutting…]
"..."
"..."
"...!"
[Manual_Override_Accepted]
[Restore_sequence_bypassed]
[Restart_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
At a glacial pace, Eighteen felt her consciousness return to her. She shifted slowly, feeling remarkably stiff as her icy-blue eyes fluttered open, forced to narrow against the harsh light hanging overhead.
Damn thing is gonna give me a migraine…
The android hadn't even known she still could get those. She was laying back on a cold examination table as far as she could tell, but couldn't see any more about her surroundings because that stupid light was blinding her! Still groggy from her ordeal, her other senses were all but useless.
Eighteen sneered at the light as she began to slowly lift her arm, frowning when she noticed just how sluggishly the limb was moving. It took her arm ages to finally reach the lip of the lamp, only to discover with trembling fingers that it required absolutely all of her effort to feebly shove the device away. She let out a grunt as she was forced to put her whole body into the attempt, nearly throwing herself off of the table from the effort. She fell back onto the cold steel, gasping from the exertion.
Well, that's not definitely not a good sign…
Eighteen swallowed anxiously, suspecting that whatever she'd done in her fight against Seventeen may have been more serious than she initially thought…
"Oh!" A familiar voice chimed from her side. "It worked! You're awake!"
Eighteen's brow furrowed as she blinked away the sunspots in her already swimming vision. It had never taken this long for her eye enhancements to kick in and clear away vision distortion before. Her concern only grew as, finally, the blackness receded and Eighteen was able to see Bulma. The scientist was sitting on a rolling stool in front of a monitor with dozens of lines of text scrolling across it. A characteristic smirk spread across the scientist's face.
"I knew I would be able to crack it." She made a motion as if she were smacking something in her hand onto the edge of the desk. "Like an egg."
"Crack…what?" Eighteen croaked. She swallowed a cough, only now realizing just how parched she was. Even her words felt slow, as if she were being forced to talk through a mouthful of molasses.
"Dr. Gero's firewalls." Bulma remarked casually. "It's clear that the guy absolutely did not want his work stolen, but you can't keep the Bulma Briefs out once she decides she wants in!"
Eighteen slowly turned her head so she could take in her surroundings. It appeared she'd finally been invited—or more likely dragged—into the laboratory of Bulma Briefs, judging from the mountain's worth of seemingly random mechanical detritus scattered across every free surface in the room—including the floor. There wasn't a single counter-top or flat surface that hadn't been completely smothered in tools, parts, blueprints, or some combination of all three.
"Yeah, I know. It probably looks like a mess," Bulma said with a sigh and a shrug, "but I promise there's a method to the madness."
Eighteen scoffed weakly. "I'm sure that's what every genius scientist says." Bulma snorted, before the android asked, "what happened to me?"
Bulma spun around in her chair, one hand finding the keyboard in a fluid motion and dancing across the keys. There was a thick wrapping of gauze holding a splint in place around Bulma's other wrist. "I'll admit, I haven't come to a definitive conclusion on what caused your critical system failure, but I know what broke and have some theories."
With a final button push, the screen changed to display a detailed internal schematic of Eighteen's body, laying out every one of her mechanical alterations in clinical detail. Bulma clicked on the center of Eighteen's chest, causing the diagram to zoom on a device that reminded Eighteen of an oversized soda can.
"Do you know what this is?"
Eighteen stared at the object blankly. "...Let's say I do, but explain it anyway?"
Bulma rolled her eyes in bemusement, before pushing her fingers against the screen and spreading them. The image of the strange device with ports for cables running it and out of it filled the screen.
"This is your infinite energy reactor." She tapped the screen again, summoning an image of a device that was more square in shape, with a bulbous protrusion at the top. "And this is your infinite energy reactor's capacitor."
"Okay…?" Eighteen held herself back from growling in frustration. It felt as if even her mind was moving sluggishly. Her typical sharp-witted intellect was seemingly nowhere to be found—or at the very least was delivering its messages like it had time to spare.
"This," Bulma pointed at the capacitor, "is the big problem."
Eighteen squinted at the image. "Hold on." She shifted a bit closer to see better. "Lemme see—"
"Whoa, there! Let's hold on just a moment." Bulma exclaimed, rushing to Eighteen's side and gently pushing her back onto the table by the shoulders.
Unable to muster the strength to resist at all, Eighteen shot her a confused look.
The scientist pointed a finger behind her and her lazuli-colored eyes followed, before widening.
There was a cable half as thick as her wrist running from the side of the table all the way to the base of her skull, where Bulma seemed to have found the neuro-port Dr. Gero had installed so long ago. Eighteen realized that she'd nearly unplugged the cord in her effort to rise from the table.
"That's the only thing keeping you up right now, Eighteen," Bulma said with a serious look. "Please, I don't know if I'll be able to reboot you again without damaging you."
Eighteen swallowed, before slowly settling back against the table, only now registering the slot behind her neck that the cable was fed through, allowing her to lie on her back without her head jerked to the side.
"Sorry for interrupting. Please continue." Eighteen said politely, trying her best to ignore the newfound fear washing over her. Knowing a single cable, held together by patches of duct tape in places, was the only thing keeping her from falling back into a void of eternal nothingness left Eighteen more anxious than she'd felt in years. She and her brother had been forced to remain in that purgatory for years until they finally broke free of Dr. Gero's control, no longer bouncing back-and-forth between the oblivion of deactivation and the shackles of servitude. The fact that Eighteen knew she was hovering just along that edge now, without the strength to fend off even Bulma if she tried, left her feeling vulnerable in ways she didn't entirely understand.
The android wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hide the trembling in her shoulders as Bulma continued. "I'll try to keep this simple. Basically, your reactor has three major parts; a collector, a condenser, and a capacitor. The device is always drawing in energy, which is condensed, and then trapped in a capacitor, which is what you draw from when you use it. First issue, the collector's regulator is…frozen, for lack of a better word. It's still working, but the 'valve' that controls the intake is jammed at just about the lowest setting. Second issue is with the condenser. The casing was cracked, and the…complicated things inside were knocked out of alignment with one another. " Bulma ran her finger along a thin red line that ran the length of the device, past a series of layered rings that looked like they probably should have been in line with one another. "The result is that you're still drawing in power and it's still running to the capacitor, but even your basic needs are taxing it to near its limits. Even now, you're draining it very, very nearly as fast as the collector can provide it. That's why I plugged you in. I wasn't sure how much it would take to knock you out again, and…well, I figured it was better to play it safe.
Eighteen let out a slow sigh, certain what had caused the fault. "Can it be fixed?"
"Oh, definitely." Bulma frowned. "Unfortunately, the operation would take hours, if not longer. It's an integral component interlocked within dozens of other complicated mechanisms—not to mention the parts of you that are actually…you. Just reaching it without hurting you even more is going to take time."
Eighteen grimaced, shutting her eyes.
Time we don't have.
She knew that Gohan was still out there fighting Cell, and maybe even Seventeen, assuming her brother had recovered from her last attack. Immediately, a sharp stab of worry struck Eighteen in the chest as her foggy mind finally processed that Gohan still needed her help!
Damn it!
Eighteen's eyes screwed shut as she focused, pushing out her senses to find…!
Nothing.
She tried a second time, her brow furrowed in concentration as she demanded her ki manifest itself as it should, spreading out to sense the world as she so often did.
Once more, the technique evaded her, and a red-hot rush of frustration washed over her as she realized the degree of her impotence..
"Fuck!" Eighteen bellowed, slamming her fists into the table with all her might. The cold metal barely shook as Bulma jumped.
"A-are you okay?"
"I hate being this weak!" She roared, curling into a ball on her side and mashing her hands to the sides of her face. She could feel a wave of panic setting in as the magnitude of the situation settled over her like a crushing weight! "Gohan needs me right now, Bulma!" She whipped her head toward the scientist, who startled. "He's up against Seventeen and Cell! I've fought both now, and Cell is way more dangerous than last time." How long had she been unconscious? How long had it taken Bulma to hack into her systems and initiate her reboot? Twenty, maybe thirty minutes? Was that enough time for Seventeen to have recovered, too?! "How long have I been out?"
"Uh," Bulma blinked, studying Eighteen with a bewildered look. "Twenty minutes, maybe?"
Twenty minutes…
That…was good, right? Twenty minutes was hardly any time at all, and Eighteen knew the Cell would likely be evasive. It could be possible that Cell had managed to slip away from Gohan entirely, that her brother had yet to rise—or had simply decided to leave following such a devastating attack.
Or…it could be the opposite.
It could be that Gohan found Cell right away and their battle was already well underway. Such a clash would definitely draw in Seventeen…and then…and then…
She tried to convince herself that it was Son Gohan, the strongest warrior on the planet, and her personally ranked number one badass. He had literal years of experience in battles where he was outnumbered and outmatched. But Cell…that thing was a different beast entirely. That monster… it was intelligent, dangerous, powerful, unpredictable…
Anything could happen…
Eighteen's fingers curled into fists in her hair as hot tears began to brim under her eyes. "I-I can't sense him, Bulma," she eventually croaked out, her voice small and trembling. "My power isn't working, and—and I don't know if he's okay…" She sucked in a shaky breath as she tried to stem the encroaching breakdown. "Not knowing…not being able to do anything…it's agony…"
"...It always is."
Eighteen looked up at Bulma, who wore a sad, wistful smile. The expression she wore was hard to parse, as Eighteen couldn't wrap her head around the complex storm of conflicting emotions—grief, joy, pride, shame—that radiated from it. The blue-haired older woman stared at nothing for a long moment, before she took a bracing breath and met Eighteen's eyes…and then it was clear. Bulma knew exactly how she felt. How could she not after a lifetime of watching people she cared about fly off to battle threats she could never hope to match…only for all but one of them to never come back?
Bulma looked at her like a mother would, radiating warmth as she told her with just her eyes that she understood.
And under the weight of that raw, unqualified and unconditional empathy, Eighteen felt the strangest, most painful sense of relief..
In a small voice, she asked, "...does it ever get any easier?"
Bulma sighed, shaking her head. "No. It doesn't. No matter how many times they go off to save the world…a piece of you is always scared they're not coming back." Bulma swallowed a rising lump in her throat. "You do learn how to accept it, though. You learn to accept that…that's just who they are." Eighteen caught a glint in her eyes, a shimmer of pride as she continued. "You realize that, being brave, being a hero, being the person the world needs most, is what makes them shine so bright. It's a part of them, a part of the reason we love them and worry about them, because in a world so dark…you need that light to see any hope at all."
Eighteen's mouth felt dry, feeling awestruck as Bulma swiftly wiped tears away from her eyes with her good hand before clearing her throat.
"I hope that helps."
The android nodded. "It does, I think. Thank you."
Bulma smiled gently, and as the tension seeped out of Eighteen, the scientist's lips pulled into a coy grin. "So, about that talk…"
Eighteen swallowed nervously, only for the door at the side of the room to abruptly slam open.
Trunks burst in with Peni shortly behind him, both wearing their best war faces, with the latter gripping a water gun with the ferocity of a soldier wielding a rifle.
"Is everything alright?!" Trunks demanded, his eyes snapping to Eighteen suspiciously. "We heard shouts."
I guess he doesn't really trust me yet. Fair enough.
Bulma let out a groan, her head falling back in annoyance. "We're fiiine, Trunks. Eighteen's system gave her a shock during reboot, is all. You two can go back to playing."
Peni pouted at the reduction of her critical duty to mere playing. She'd taken up position at the door, her water gun pointed straight down the hallway. "We weren't playing, we were guarding the entrance to the lab!"
Bulma pursed her lips, lifting an eyebrow. "Really, now? Is that why I can see one of Trunks' Teenage Mutant Hero Squirrel dolls by the door?" She pointed a finger.
A bright blush flooded both of the children's cheeks as Peni hastily kicked the staff-wielding squirrel away from the doorframe. "No," she lied with absolute conviction.
"They're called action figures…" Trunks muttered under his breath, just a degree short of pouting, himself. Erasa appeared at the door, her eyes flickering to Eighteen before hastily finding the tiled floor. It was clear from the nervous look on her face and the tremble in her shoulders that the woman was absolutely terrified of being in the same space as her. Eighteen understood her fear, but Erasa's darting, fleeting looks of concern for her daughter told Eighteen that the young mother would hold her ground despite her fear; for Peni.
Bulma rolled her eyes in amusement, smirking. "Fine, fine—action figures. Now, can you all please leave us alone? Eighteen and I were about to have some girl talk."
"T-that sounds like a great idea," Erasa stammered, a bead of sweat on her brow. "We don't want to distract from Bulma's work, do we?"
Trunks crossed his arms, and noticing, Peni mirrored the gesture. "Not gonna happen. Mom, I was alright with you working here alone with Eighteen asleep, but now that she's up, Gohan would want me to make sure everything is safe." He turned to Eighteen. "Besides, I have some questions."
"We both do," Bulma said in annoyance, resting her elbow on the table as her cheek fell into her palm.
Eighteen let out a sigh. "Alright, alright. I'm sure you two have a billion questions—"
"What about me?"
The android blinked, before turning to Peni. "What?"
"What about my questions?" The little girl demanded, raising her chin in the air.
Erasa's eyes bulged out their sockets, before quickly turning to Eighteen. "P-please, she didn't mean that, I promise. She's just a—"
Eighteen raised a hand for Erasa to stop, before cocking her head, incredulous, as she stared at Peni, and Peni glared back. There was an unwavering defiance in those crystal-blue orbs that was surprisingly easy to take seriously, despite the fact that the little girl was threatening her with a transparent, neon-green water gun. At first, a piece of Eighteen hadn't believed the story, but now, she could see how Peni managed to stand her ground against a monster like Cell.
Spunky little brat.
Eighteen grinned before finally deciding to accept defeat. "Fine, I'll answer all of your questions. But first," She turned to Trunks, "is Gohan alright? I can't sense anything right now. Can you tell me what's happening?"
The teen's eyebrows shot up. "Gohan?" His expression hardened for a moment before easing. "Yeah, he's fine. His energy has spiked, but I think that's because he found Cell."
Eighteen felt her blood run cold. "You can feel Cell, too?"
"Yeah." he grimaced. "His ki, it feels…sickly."
"Like something dead is trying to pretend to be alive."
Trunks' eyes widened. "Yeah! Exactly!" Then, he frowned. "Wait a second, you can sense energy, too? I thought you said that the androids couldn't—"
"I said Seventeen couldn't sense energy. I can."
"How?" Trunks asked, confused.
Eighteen paused, considering her answer as, out of the corner of her eye, Bulma's head slowly cocked to the side, a puzzled expression on her face. A moment later, her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets and the scientist barked a laugh as she threw her head back and clutched at her stomach, nearly tumbling off her stool giggling.
Trunks' brow furrowed at his mom. "What's so funny…?"
"She figured out how I know how." Eighteen sighed.
"And why is that so funny?"
"You'll know later, son," Bulma said between heavy breaths, "but, right now, I think we have more pressing matters."
Eighteen nodded, her grin vanishing.
Trunks looked between the two, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You haven't forgotten about Cell and Seventeen, have you?"
Trunks rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but Gohan's got that covered. He absolutely bodied Cell back at Peni's place, and Seventeen's small fry even if he does have his arm back. Gohan won that fight once; he can do it again."
Eighteen's face found her palm. She could see the pride in their master blinding the young man. "I wish it were so simple."
"What do you mean?"
"Cell is stronger this time, Trunks," she said gravely. "We didn't fight for long, but when I found him at Capsule Corp., he swatted away one of my attacks like it was nothing." she watched the teen tense. "The first time I ran into him, he was so weak I killed him with a flick of my wrist." She grit her teeth at the frustrating memory. "Or so I thought. The next time he appeared, he was strong enough to go toe-to-toe with you while you were super saiyan. Now? He's finally strong enough to stand up to me." Eighteen swallowed nervously. "We cannot let Gohan fight him alone. He's too dangerous, and Seventeen is still around. I think I might have bought us some time with Seventeen, but there's not a doubt in my mind he'll be back to help Cell."
Trunks cursed under his breath, his fingers curling to fists. "Why is Seventeen even working with that monster?"
"I wish I knew."
"So…what's the plan then?" Peni asked, looking around. "What can we do to help?
The room fell silent, the reality of the situation sinking in. Eighteen's energy core malfunction left her effectively helpless, and the only other person with power enough to do anything was still recovering with stitches. Even if Trunks rushed out to assist, it was possible his wounds would make the boy more of a detriment than an advantage.
Despite this, Eighteen could see the teen's welling determination, his drive to help hampering his good sense as he came to the same realization she had.
Just before Trunks could spin round and dash out the door, Bulma threw out a hand to stop. "Hold it, young man! Before we do anything rash, I think I have an idea."
The group turned to her.
"So, as we speak, Eighteen's capacitor is recharging. It's a slow charge, but we can speed that up with some power condensers I keep in storage. Rigging some collectors to gather energy shouldn't be too hard—I was working on something like that, anyway. They still won't be as good as the busted one, and you won't be able to replenish lost energy any faster than you can right now without plugging in, but it'll be better than nothing."
Eighteen frowned, confused. "But, I thought you said I was losing power as fast as I was gaining it."
"Only because your demand exceeds your supply," Bulma corrected. "Your capacitor can still function and store energy, but it's filling as fast as it's emptying right now like a cup with a tiny hole in its bottom. You only collapsed once you were at a critically low level and every last drop spilled out."
Eighteen's eyes narrowed, considering. "So, you're saying that you can juice me up and send me out there. I'll just be on a ticking clock."
Bulma nodded. "That's the idea. So long as your capacitor doesn't get knocked around too badly, you won't even notice a difference from the damage. You should be able to use your powers like normal until it runs out." She gave the android a knowing look. "Is that an issue?"
"Not at all." Whatever she had to do to get out there and make sure Gohan got back alive, she would do it. "Besides, I only have to stall. Like Trunks said: Gohan is strong enough to take either of them by themselves. I only have to last for however long that takes."
Bulma nodded with a smile, as if she knew that would be Eighteen's answer, before turning to Trunks. "Can you, Peni and Erasa bring me the two white boxes with big yellow lines running down the sides? They're in the #2 storage room, under all of the spare bedding."
Trunks, Peni and Erasa rushed off with their new mission, the latter breathing a sigh of relief as they left.
"How long is this going to take?"
"Based on my projections…" Bulma leaned closer to the screen, hitting a few keys. "I'd say thirty, thirty-five minutes. Less, if we're lucky, but I'd err on the side of assuming our usual luck will hold, unfortunately."
Eighteen's mouth fell open, incredulous. "We have to wait another half-hour?" Gohan could be dead by the time she could even stand!
Bulma shot her a flat look. "You do realize that your systems normally have enough juice to blow up the world, right? As you might be able to guess, that much power isn't something that can be recharged in fifteen minutes. In fact, if you were in literally any other home in this neighborhood, it would probably take their standard outlets weeks to charge you–not that they'd have the appropriate adapter to begin with."
Eighteen fell back onto the table, feeling defeated. "Fine. I get it. I'll try to be patient." She'd need to be very careful not to use her energy as liberally as she was used to.
The scientist looked toward the door, before grinning and turning back to her. "And now that you're not going anywhere anytime soon and we'll be alone for a while…"
"A-aren't they coming back with the boxes?" Eighteen stammered nervously, realizing where the genius woman was taking this.
She snorted. "There are no boxes. I keep the parts I need in the closet over here." Bulma strode over to a tall door that was partially blocked by a pile of scrap parts and scattered them as she yanked it open. "I just wanted them out of here so we could have our talk while I get started."
She really is a genius.
There was an audible gulp as Eighteen swallowed.
Bulma leered at her from around the door, grinning ear to ear. "Now…tell me everything."
-Seventeen-
"..."
[A_critical_Error_has_occurred]
[Restore_sequence_failed]
[Shutting_down]
"..."
[Auto-reboot_sequence_initiated[]
"...!"
[Critical_damage_detected]
[Restore_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[A_critical_error_has_occurred]
[Restore_sequence_failed]
[Shutting_down]
"..."
[Auto-reboot_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[Critical_damage_detected]
[Restore_sequence_initiated]
"...!"
[Recurrent_error_detected]
[Restore_sequence_Bypass_Procedure_Initiated]
[Reboot_sequence_initiated]
"..."
[Functional_systems_online]
"...!"
Seventeen's eyes fluttered open, vision only swimming into focus in one as he shifted and realized that he was half-buried in rubble..
What…happened?
His thoughts felt foggy as pushed himself free of where his body lay embedded in stone, ripping his arm free before doing the same for his other half. He could vaguely remember fighting his sister, starting to gain ground, starting to win, before…before…!
He grimaced, his head still pounding as, all at once, he remembered what had happened. He rolled his tongue around in his mouth, scowling, before spitting out a mixture of blood, oil, and more teeth than Seventeen wished to count.
Seventeen winced, gingerly touching his jaw, feeling along the bloody, splintered, knuckle-shaped dents that his sister had drilled into the side of his face, and sighed. Glancing to his side, he flexed the fingers on his right hand, studying them with a relieved smile.
Looks like I still have good-ol'-righty. Already off to a better start than last time.
He scowled as he stumbled, feeling off balance as he began to heave his uncooperative form out of the crater he'd been launched into. He wiped at his eyes, trying to clear away the dirt and mud that had gathered there. It was still blocking his left eye, and it was disorienting as all hell. He growled at how numb his face still felt. How the hell had Eighteen managed to hit him so hard?!
…She hasn't been holding back all this time, has she?
She was, after all, Dr. Gero's latest model. He'd never taken the time to wonder why his sister was somehow weaker, despite having been modified well after his own…transformation. Dr. Gero would have no use for two identical androids, after all. Wouldn't it stand to reason that each new model would be greater than the last? Was it possible that Eighteen had been lying to him all this time?
I guess it wouldn't be the first time she's lied to me…
Growling, the android wiped at his eye again, growing more deeply annoyed at the persistent grime. He frowned, finally noticing something he hadn't felt before. His fingertips delicately touched along the ridge of his cheekbone, following the crumpled and shattered bone upward and into his eye socket. There was nothing there. Not only was there no mud, but as Seventeen's fingers ran along his face, he found there was no eye, either.
Seventeen froze, his blood running cold as his digits trembled against the numb, crumbly flesh of his ruined face.
How?!
He frantically relived his confrontation against Eighteen, flashing back to the last recorded moment before her fist had connected with his jaw.
He ran his fingers up the side of his cheek as he did, feeling where his jaw bone had broken, his teeth shattering in his mouth before his fingers traveled up the rest of the way, telling a story as they did. As his twitching hands applied slight pressure to his cheekbone, he realized that all that remained of the left side of his skull below the eyes socket was a collection of crunchy, shifting bone fragments that shifted against each other like crushed ice in a glass of water. His eyeball had probably been misted on impact, if not utterly vapourized from the sheer energy behind the devastating blow.
Seventeen let his hands fall to his sides before his fingers tightened into trembling fists. His rage boiled over as he staggered to the mouth of a deep cavern Eighteen had smashed into the side of a mountain using his own body. First, he finds out his sister was responsible for the loss of his arm, and now this?!
The world around him was swallowed by a wave of dark crimson as the android let his head fall back, releasing a bellowing roar. The mountain trembled, trying to contain the rage within before cracks began to form along its skin, letting roiling, blood-red energy spill out as his uncontrollable fury overwhelmed everything around him. All at once, the mountain exploded, unleashing a deafening boom as an earthquake rippled outward from the sudden and violent tectonic shift. Trees and animals alike were ripped from the ground and sent hurtling away by the hurricane of force that was Seventeen's outrage.
The android floated where he'd been before, staring out at the vast stretch of green plains and over-grown trees lit only by the stars and moon of the night sky. A fantastic view, by all accounts, only that Seventeen felt he could only enjoy half of it.
The android seethed with hatred as he took heavy, snarling breaths, his fists clenched so tightly that he could feel his bones creaking from the strain. He had finally been restored, finally whole for the first time in what had felt like a lifetime, only for it all to be ripped away in a half-hour.
Despite this, Seventeen forced himself to calm down as he took a deep breath, closing his remaining eye. If there was one thing he'd learned from his ugly-as-sin brother, it was that a level head would lead to the best results.
Seventeen's eye snapped open with alarm, reality slapping him in the face like a cold splash.
Cell!
He'd left him!
Seventeen's breathing hitched, his body tensing as the realization struck him. Cell had been left behind with his seemingly super-powered sister, and Blondie on the way.
There was a sonic boom as Seventeen shot across the sky, using the destruction made by his body ragdolling across the land as a pathway back to the fight. A vibrant crimson aura enveloped him as he cut a bloody slash across the sky, pushing his infinite energy reactor to its limits.
Stay alive, Cell!
A wave of worry and fear unlike anything Seventeen was used to washed over him. Sure, Cell was the only person Seventeen knew that could repair his eye—and the fear of losing his repairman was certainly a factor—but a concern that Seventeen hadn't expected had also blossomed. The android felt a concern…that he very well might lose Cell.
Seventeen grimaced, a part of him resisting the idea due to just how hideous Cell was. Sure, he and Eighteen were monsters, but Cell was really a monster. Cell was, by design, a grotesque and sinister creature that, in all likelihood, was made to kill anything and everything.
But…weirdly, that made Seventeen–if only just–like the creepy bug-man that much more. The android had no delusions that Cell was meant to absorb him and his sister, despite his best efforts to hide it. Seventeen could remember all the times Cell would leer at him when he thought he wasn't looking, staring at him longingly, hungrily. And yet, despite this clear, programmed, genetic need to consume him …Cell hadn't, in spite of the many opportunities he'd had to do so. Besides, Cell's ugliness had actually started to grow on Seventeen. It was fun coming up with new and creative ways to tell the abomination that his face could make even the blind shudder.
Cell had chosen, without saying it, that he valued Seventeen alive more than dead. Seventeen winced, rubbing his jaw as the wind whipped and lashed at his shredded clothes, which hung limply off his thin frame.
He might be the only one left who does…
Warmth began to build behind his eyes as he considered the reality of the situation, the sight of his previous battle slowly coming into view in the distance. He couldn't let Cell die. He wouldn't.
I'm on my way!
-Cell-
"...So, now you know." Dr. Gero's final creation swallowed nervously, feeling his carapace shuddering nervously as Gohan's foot dug into his spine, preventing him from moving even an inch.
"...Is that everything?" Gohan asked, his voice cold and emotionless. Cell had stalled the conversation for as long as he could, trying to weave a detailed story that would engage Gohan to question everything to the point of forgetting where they were—if only for a moment. Despite this, the super saiyan had hardly said a word, aside from the occasional threat when Cell was stalling a little too long with his explanation. The entire conversation, Cell had been trying to read the young man, to catch any hint of what he was thinking, but the demi-saiyan had given him nothing the entire talk. He hadn't even reacted when Cell had revealed the truth about Eighteen's disguise!
"...Yes."
"Good."
Cell felt the cold whisper of death as a golden light bathed him, cast from the ball of brilliant energy that filled Gohan's hand as he raised it above his head. "Wait!" Cell barked, leveraging every muscle he could still feel to somehow shift Gohan's weight and escape, but he found himself pinned.
"Masenko-"
"We had a—!"
"Hah!"
The dark gloom of the night was obliterated by an explosive, golden wave that engulfed Cell in its flames, illuminating the night sky and making the moon seem momentarily dull by comparison. He felt the energy wrap around him, eating away at his carapace as his upper half ripped away, torn free from his lower body, which was still pinned by Gohan's unyielding foot.
What was left of Cell's upper half was swept away with destructive energy, disintegrated and annihilated. He let out a blood-curdling scream as his body was burned away until he was no more than a head, his last sight being the golden, all-consuming light, and Gohan's determined, baleful expression. Finally, his eyes burned away, and Cell knew no more.
.
.
.
-?-
…?
Where am I…?
Who…am I?
What is this…feeling? Is this…dirt? Yes, this is dirt I can feel between my…fingers? Is that what they're called?
He wished he knew his name, or where he was, or why it was so dark. Wasn't there supposed to be some way to sense his surroundings other than by touch…? What was it again?
…!
His eyes snapped open, his mind foggy as, slowly, he absorbed his surroundings. The night sky was filled with countless stars punctuated by a half-moon, its presence shrouding the dense forest surrounding him in an eerie light. He also noticed that he was laying on his stomach, with an uncomfortably heavy pressure directly on his spine.
Well, that's unpleasant. I should do something about that.
He twisted, looking over his shoulder at what must have fallen on him…before his eyes snapped open wide, his mouth agape.
All at once, Cell remembered everything.
Gohan sneered, looking down at him as if the demi-saiyan had just stepped on something revolting. "So," he began, his voice deadly serious."You can regenerate even if your head is gone. Good to know."
"I thought the son of the 'great' Goku wouldn't have to stoop petty lying to succeed!" Cell hissed, hoping to enthrall Gohan for if only an instant, to distract, as he whipped his tail out from over Gohan's shoulder. Its deadly point plunged with blinding speeds straight into Gohan's neck, causing the super saiyan to twist and stiffen from the impact.
Cell snarled, happily surprised his surprise attack had been successful—that is, until he watched Gohan slowly shift back around, revealing Cell's stinger gripped tightly in a hand that he hadn't even seen move. Gohan snickered, glaring down at Cell as the pressure on his tail began to magnify, and Cell knew what was about to happen next.
I will not be toyed with!
Cell released a bellowing roar of indignation, thrusting his hands forward as he unleashed an attack he hadn't known he could summon until he uttered the words: "Demon Wave!"
The sneer on Gohan's face crumbled to shock in an instant, in the next, a wave of golden energy washed over the demi-saiyan like a crashing torrent. Cell felt the energy explode from his palm, flowing through him like a raging current that burned as he projected its full destructive capacity.
After several long seconds, the strain became too much and Cell collapsed, only just catching himself on his hands as he fell. His breathing was labored as the last of his energy dissipated. He stared down at his smoking palms, baffled how his instincts had known exactly what attack to use despite having never used it before.
Dr. Gero, your genius knows no bounds.
A sinister grin pulled at the corners of Cell's mouth as he surveyed his work. A smoldering furrow of melted stone stretching nearly half a mile long was all that remained before him, his attack having vaporized everything in its path. Finally, Cell stretched out his senses and found nothing.
He snickered.
It appears I overestimated the strength of the "legendary" super saiyan. What a pathetic legen—
Cell felt the carapace surrounding his skull crack as a knee impacted the side of his face with a deafening sonic boom. His vision swam, ears ringing as he was launched to the side, only to have his momentum halted with concussive suddenness as a hand caught him by the ankle.
Leveraging his regenerative powers, Cell shook off the concussion in time to see Gohan snarling, swinging the android over head before spiking him through the ground, burying him six feet under. Cell released a sharp cry of pain, feeling jagged rocks and dirt packed to bedrock cushion his fall.
Despite the darkness blinding him again, he could still hear Gohan's voice through the rubble. "For the record," he stated matter-of-factly as Cell felt the sharp spike of his gathering energy. "I never lied."
Knowing what was about to happen if he didn't react, Cell let his instincts take over.
"Explosive Wave!"
There was light once more as Cell threw all the energy he could muster outward, the attack erupting from the ground in a single, earth-rattling explosion that vaporized everything it touched. Cell heard a startled grunt of alarm as Gohan was forced to leap away or risk being consumed yet again. Finally, the light dissipated and Cell was left hovering in yet another fresh crater, dirt and debris raining to the ground all around him as he glared at the glowing form of Son Gohan, who floated in the sky across from him.
Cell was breathing heavily, his muscles and body sore from how much energy he'd been forced to push into just those two attacks. He had no delusions when it came to where his power sat in comparison to his super saiyan opponent. Cell doubted his own strength could put down either of the androids consistently, and Gohan's power appeared to be beyond even that. In order for his attacks to matter at all in this fight, Cell knew he couldn't hold anything back.
But, I can't keep this pace forever…
"What do you mean, 'you never lied'?" Cell snapped. "You promised to spare me in exchange for information about android Eighteen!" Perhaps if he got the enraged saiyan talking, he could stall long enough for Seventeen to arrive. Where exactly was he? What had happened?
Whatever he did, it seems to have left android Eighteen occupied well enough.
It appeared that Seventeen had managed to accomplish that at the very least.
Gohan blinked, before scoffing and shaking his head with a grin. Cell felt a surge of hope rise in his chest as the super saiyan's posture shifted, resting his hand on a hip in a casual fashion as his golden aura extinguished.
"Well, how about I explain it to you really, reeaally, slowly? Or, maybe you'd like me to wait for Seventeen to show up so I only have to explain it once."
The grin on Gohan's face died to a loathsome glare, and Cell's hope died with it.
With a blur of speed Cell could barely track, Gohan was at his side, leg curled in a savage kick aimed directly for his skull. Cell brought up his arms just in time, feeling the super saiyan's shin slam against his braced forearms with all the force of a nuclear warhead.
Despite his hastily raised guard, Cell felt the carapace protecting his forearms shatter as Gohan roared, pinning Cell's arms to his chest as he catapulted the bio-android across the sky. Cell's body folded over itself as his ears filled with the sound of rushing wind, only to hear the whistle of something shooting past him.
A blinding pain exploded from the center of Cell's spine as Gohan delivered a devastating knee straight into his back. Cell let out a choked cry of pain, spittle flying from his mouth along with all the air in his lungs as his body folded backward, his shattered spine curling around Gohan's knee. He was there for only a moment before the super saiyan's arm wrapped around Cell's throat.
The bio-android tried to gasp, but air could not make it past Gohan's clenching grip as it tightened, pulling Cell's head back and jamming his knee that much deeper into his body. Cell could hear the sound of his vertebrae straining and popping apart as he desperately tried to free himself from the unbreakable grip, writhing and squirming as his fingers clawed at Gohan's arm helplessly. Everything below Gohan's knee had gone numb and limp.
The super saiyan leaned into one of the holes that served as Cell's ears. His voice was no more than a whisper, but the icy chill to his tone sent a shiver down Cell's several shattered lengths of spine. "I never lied, because I said I'd spare you if you told me the truth about Eighteen."
Cell blinked, his vision beginning to fill with black spots as the agony lodged in his back nearly made him lose consciousness.
"You told me all about Eighteen coming up with a disguise to get close to my friends and my family. You said she plans to kill all of them, but just hasn't had the chance."
Cell gurgled pathetically in response, trying to move his tail, only to realize Gohan had managed to trap it with his free leg, leaving the limb to wiggle helplessly.
Gohan continued. "If that were the truth," he lingered on the word, "then my mother, my grandpa, nearly everyone I love…would be dead right now." He said the final words as if the realization had only just hit him as well. Finally bent so far back Cell could finally see Gohan again—albeit upside down. He caught the demi-saiyan cocking his head, an eyebrow hitched—and was that even a grin he saw? "Huh."
For a moment, Cell felt Gohan's grip ease, creating a chance to breathe and a hope that he might have an opportunity to escape. That moment was short-lived, however, as immediately the choke hold was reinforced with new vigor, prompting a gurgled whimper of pain from the bio-android.
"That means," Gohan hissed, pulling back with so much force Cell began to feel the skin around his neck tear, "you don't have the truth. There's a reason for Eighteen's…change." There was a hitch to Gohan's words there, as if even he were conflicted about admitting it—a detail Cell would have tried to find a way to use if he weren't distracted by the feeling of his head being ripped off. "But, I'll have to figure that out on my own. As for you…" With a violent tug, Cell felt his neck finally dislocate, and the rest of his body joined his legs in quadriplegic uselessness. "Since you heal from seemingly anything, I'm going to tear off your head for attacking Bulma, vaporize your body for attacking Trunks, and then destroy what's left of you so you can never hurt anyone again."
There was a pause as Cell realized that this was it. If he didn't come up with something to save himself now, Dr. Gero's perfect creation would never reach fruition. Cell felt his instincts drawing upon something, a genetic ability that was a longshot at best, and a pathetic joke at worst.
"Oh, and before you go," Gohan's malicious voice whispered. "Even if you had told me the truth, I still wouldn't have spared you." He leaned in so Cell could feel his breath on his skin. "You never should have gone after my family."
With the moisture left in his mouth more than any air he could use to speak, Cell gurgled a single word.
"...Kaio-ken."
Gohan's body tensed. "What?"
Crimson light exploded from the bio-android as energy that felt like lava beneath his skin flowed through him. Feeling returned as the pebbled shards of his spine were returned to their proper places where they could, and Cell slammed his head back, smashing the hard carapace of his skull against Gohan's nose. The demi-saiyan released a sharp hiss of pain as his grip loosened, and Cell was able to rip away from his hold all at once. He spun into a vicious backhand before Gohan could recover, cracking his knuckles against the super saiyan's jaw and causing him to stagger long enough for Cell's wounds to finish regenerating.
With the return of feeling came a rush of agony, like his insides were on fire, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sustain this strength for long.
Cell regarded Gohan for only a moment, noting the look of utter astonishment written across his face at seeing his father's long-lost technique after so long. Cell grinned, before rushing in like a meteor engulfed in flame.
Time for some payback!
-Eighteen-
"...And that's when I decided that it would be a good idea to give him the blueprint of my arm. I knew it wasn't a 'perfect' apology for everything I've done…" Eighteen pulled her knees up to her chest, making herself appear small as she sat atop the large metal table. "But, at least it's a start, right?" She looked over to Bulma with a desperate and hopeful expression, hoping against every pragmatic bone in her body that there would be acceptance in her maybe-friend's eyes.
The scientist merely sighed, looking resolute as she slowly brought her coffee mug to her mouth. Pursing her lips, she shrugged. "Yeah, it's a start. But, Eighteen…you have to realize that nothing is going to reverse everything that you've done."
Silence filled the room as Bulma locked eyes with Eighteen. The android stared into those blue orbs, watching them watch back, and found the gaze of a person who—despite being willing to help her now—still held an undeniable hatred for her and her actions.
Heat began to well behind Eighteen's eyes. Even if Bulma had decided not to reveal her secret to everyone for now, that didn't mean she wasn't one of the dwindling thousands of people who were forced to endure the destruction of her and her brother's rampages throughout the years. In fact, Bulma had lost more than most, considering. On top of losing her company to combat the android's destruction, her friends had been among the first to lose their lives against her and Seventeen.
"I know," Eighteen said, her voice beginning to tremble as she averted her gaze, unable to endure the weight of Bulma's scrutiny for any longer. "I-I just don't know what else I can do to…fix what I've done." Without warning, Eighteen could feel the warm sensation of tears beginning to roll down her cheeks unbidden. Ashamed of her own weakness, she rubbed frantically at her eyes, but could not stem the flow. She stifled an angry sob as she buried her face between her knees, shoulders trembling as she fought hard to stop crying. "I'm sorry."
"...Eighteen…" The coldness to Bulma's voice had dissipated, replaced by an almost motherly tenderness. She felt a hand gently place itself on her shoulder. Eighteen looked up, meeting Bulma's warm, understanding gaze with red, puffy eyes. Bulma continued, "what's done is done. There's no way to rewrite history. I promise, if there was, I would have found a way." She barked a laugh, shaking her head. "Kami knows I've tried…either way, my point stands. Cities are gone, people are dead, and…there's…no way to… undo…"
Eighteen cocked an eyebrow as Bulma trailed off, her focus drifting toward the corner of the room. Eighteen followed the scientist's gaze curiously, discovering a strange looking mechanism beeping rhythmically atop the counter. At the head of the device was a massive satellite attached to a metal, rectangular box only just large enough to house the strange, circular device attached within. It appeared almost like a stopwatch in shape and design, with a silver outer casing protecting a far more delicate looking green screen cut into squares by grid lines. Judging by the thick layer or dust coating that entire corner of the room, whatever the machine was was long-abandoned.
What is that? And why does it almost seem…familiar…?
"...Anyway…" Bulma slowly continued, breathing out a disheartened sigh as she pulled her attention away from the mysterious device. "What I'm trying to say is that you can't undo what you've done."
Eighteen's head fell. She couldn't undo the years of being a monster. Those events were engraved in history as sure as stone.
"But," Bulma quickly added, "that doesn't mean that doing the right thing now is pointless. You saved my life, Eighteen. That is definitely worth something. You're changing for the better, and I can see that. You can't fix the past, no one can, but…there's always the future." She smiled with a warm look that was only betrayed by the underlying hint of fear Eighteen could see behind those piercing blue eyes. Despite this, those eyes, those worn and tired eyes that had seen so much death and destruction over the years without the strength or capability to stop it like Gohan could, still somehow full of hope. No amount of devastation had managed to shake this woman's resolve that the future could hold something…better, something worth hoping for.
To Eighteen, it was like daylight cutting through the thick of night. It was almost blinding.
Bulma continued. "Keep making that future a better place, Eighteen, and…eventually, I think the world will come to accept you again."
Eighteen grew still, her eyes finding a spot on the wall to focus on as she breathed out a heavy sigh. "...But, will he accept me?"
Bulma blinked, pausing as her smile fell. It didn't need to be said who Eighteen was talking about, or what she truly meant.
"He accepted you once, didn't he?"
Eighteen shook her head. "He accepted the person I was pretending to be. I know I can't live this lie forever." She paused, her brow furrowing. "Wait a minute. Why did you cover for me? You could have told Gohan and Trunks everything—probably should have told them, considering..." Eighteen shrunk back into herself. "So…why?"
"Because there was too much I didn't know," Bulma answered frankly, taking a swig from her coffee. "I had just found out that the sweet young woman who'd been such a positive influence on both Gohan and my son was actually one of the most dangerous genocidal monsters in the world." Bulma took a deep, steadying breath, her eyebrows pushing toward the ceiling. "Something like that doesn't just happen overnight. I knew there was more to the story and didn't want to make such a critical decision without all the facts." She smirked. "I'm a scientist, remember?"
Eighteen nodded along. "Well, thank you for keeping my secret. I didn't get to say it before, but it really means a lot…and—hold up, did you just call me," she scoffed, her eyes squinting at Bulma in disbelief, "a 'positive influence'?"
Bulma cocked an eyebrow. "What? Don't believe me?"
"I…I mean…" Eighteen's frown deepened, her gaze shifting to stare down at her hands. She pushed them out toward Bulma, despite knowing that the woman couldn't see all the red Eighteen could see her fingers dripping with. "It's me, Bulma."
The blue-haired scientist gave Eighteen a curt look. "What do you mean by that?"
Eighteen's mouth fell, her head cocking to the side as she shot Bulma an incredulous look. "Even taking my brother into consideration, I am probably the farthest thing from a 'good person' that there is, and I've never been a good person!" she cried out, feeling fresh tears run down her cheeks along with the newest wave of crushing guilt—just one of what felt like hundreds over the past weeks. "That's probably the worst part of it all! I had my entire youth to figure out how to do it, how to be good. I had every opportunity, but I lied to myself, told myself that I only did bad things because I had to, because life on the streets was hard, because I didn't have the power to make any real change, so why even try?" Eighteen scoffed at herself, shaking her head. "Then, I got power. I finally had the chance to make a real impact in the world, and I decided…to hurt people." Her head fell, blonde strands of hair touching the surface of the table as she slumped. "I've done so many horrible things, Bulma…"
"Hmmm." Bulma's head tilted coyly, a cat-like grin on her lips. "I almost agree with that statement."
Eighteen's head rose. "What?"
"You said 'I am', suggesting that you still are the horrible person that you used to be. The fact that this tears you up as much as it does is proof that something important inside you has changed." Bulma grimaced. "Besides, I think that your brother takes the cake, as far as monsters are concerned. Sorry, sister. You're out of the 'big, bad and evil' game." She took a sip of her coffee.
Eighteen blinked, flabbergasted, before her brow furrowed stubbornly. "That doesn't make me a positive influence, Bulma."
The genius grinned deviously. "Oh, I don't know about that. Let's review your story, then, shall we?" Immediately, Eighteen felt like she'd stepped into a trap. "You 'met' Gohan for the first time at a bar, flirted with him, and made him feel confident and attractive for the first time in his life. You may not realize just how much you've brought him out of his shell, but trust me, it's like night and day." Bulma paused, the coy grin slipping away before she continued. "Before that? He only really left his home to train. He was a total recluse. The rare times he did see any of us, it was like his head was on another planet."
Eighteen stiffened. She'd known Gohan had been isolated and lonely, sure, but hadn't realized just how deep it'd gone.
"Now, though?" Bulma's face brightened. "He's getting adventurous again—leaving the house, wearing new clothes, clubbing, going camping, defeating the androids," Bulma's grin widened even further. "Getting in touch with his mother and old friends, getting his arm replaced, going on dates—hell, I even heard that he snuck in a kiss with a beautiful woman not too long ago." Eighteen blushed as Bulma gasped dramatically, fanning herself like she'd said something scandalous. If nothing else Eighteen appreciated her energy. "Gohan's a completely different person now. I don't think I've ever seen him this happy before. At least, not genuinely. He's always been good at pretending to be happy, always been good at putting on a smile even in the worst of times." She breathed out a relieved sigh. "I don't think I've had to see him wear that smile in a long time…and that's all you."
Eighteen's mouth fell slack, completely stunned as she stared back at Bulma. Was it…true? Was it actually possible that she'd changed for the better? That she'd brought some actual good into the world she'd helped destroy?
"The trickle-down effect that's had on Trunks has been wonderful, too," she continued. "Gohan's a better person when he's with you. He sort of…glows, you know? Trunks wants to be just like Gohan—the closest thing to a big brother he has—and so he glows too. He loves training with you, going out as a team, and I'm pretty sure Videl was his first crush, which is absolutely adorable and healthy for his age." Bulma's voice trailed off for so long Eighteen thought she was done talking, until she finally added. "All of that is part of the reason I couldn't bring myself to tell them the truth. I…I couldn't shatter their idea of Videl being the wonderful person she still is in their memory. I wasn't…strong enough."
Eighteen nodded. "I understand. Thank you."
"But I won't keep your secret forever." Bulma's voice grew stern. "As sweet as I thought the relationship between 'Videl' and Gohan was, knowing the truth taints it. Even now that I know the full story and can understand how things led to this, the lie you've been living is twisted, and is going to hurt a lot of people when it's revealed." The genius shot Eighteen a hard look. "You need to come clean. I'll give you tonight, but only tonight due to the circumstances. If Gohan doesn't know by tomorrow, then it will be me who delivers the bad news."
Eighteen gulped, but nodded. She'd known this facade would have to end someday. Considering all the ways she could have been discovered, Eighteen decided that this had likely been one of the better ones.
Of course, knowing that tonight would be the last night that 'Videl' still existed, there was only one thing on the android's mind. "...Do you think he'll ever be able to love me again?"
"..." Bulma stared down at her cup with sad eyes. "I don't know, Eighteen…"
Her head drooped.
"...But, I do know that, I fell in love with someone who made you look like a small fry, so anything's possible."
Eighteen's head snapped up, feeling a fluttering surge of hope in her chest. Before she could respond, however, the door slammed open as Trunks came rushing in. "Gohan's in trouble!"
Eighteen shot upright, her body tense as her fingers curled into fists. "What's going on?"
"I've been tracking the fight. For a while, it felt like Gohan was winning. Then, all of a sudden, Cell's power just exploded! It rocketed way up and I can feel Gohan's ki flaring to try and stop it!"
The wildcard.
Eighteen's attention snapped to Bulma. "How much do I have in the tank?"
Bulma spun in her chair and checked the monitor. "Exactly 49.35 percent and charging."
A half tank…
"It'll have to do. Can you initiate the transfer?"
With a conflicted look, Bulma nodded before pressing a single key. Eighteen felt a flood of power rush through her system as the jury-rigged energy collector dumped its charge into her capacitor.
Eighteen breathed deeply, closing her eyes as she let the sensation wash over her. It felt good to be…almost back to her normal self. She could feel the sharp, deliberateness of her movements return, the redefinition of scent and touch through her returned enhanced senses. The world felt clear again, as if she was nearsighted and finally found her glasses again…although with some scratches. She couldn't quite feel the difference, not yet, but she was certain that would change once she was back in the fight.
Eighteen met Bulma's gaze as she reached up and pulled the cable free from the port in the back of her neck. "Thank you, Bulma, for everything. I'm really glad you gave me a chance." She smiled, before turning and rushing out the door. She gave Trunks a curt nod as she passed, noting how tense the teen looked. She didn't blame him. With her power restored, she could feel the fight too, and despite neither side feeling definitely stronger than the other, the fact that Cell was rivaling Gohan at all was concerning enough.
Before she was too far down the hall, she heard Bulma's voice call after her. "Try and bring everyone back in one piece…and that includes yourself! It wouldn't do if android Eighteen finally became a hero and died before anyone got to find out!"
Eighteen snickered at the remark, before her expression grew serious.
She flew through the house in an instant, blurring through the halls in the blink of an eye, and nearly took the front door off its hinges as she blasted off into the sky.
You're not alone, Gohan. I'm coming!
-Gohan-
What the hell is this thing?
His super saiyan aura flared as he dodged a fist alight with crimson flame by the skin of his teeth. Gohan retaliated, unleashing a spinning heel kick that met with the hard carapace of Cell's forearm with a deafening boom. He snarled, rushing in as he launched a blurring torrent of attacks into Cell's guard, watching with growing frustration as the abomination managed to narrowly block and avoid each and every thunderous strike.
Not working!
Gohan cursed under his breath as he feinted low, only to drive a brutal uppercut straight into—Cell's waiting hand. Fingers clamped down around Gohan's knuckles with a crushing grip as the demi-saiyan noticed that Cell's free hand had placed its index and middle fingers against the plate of his forehead. Immediately, Gohan's mind flashed through all the abilities he'd seen as a child.
This guy is using my dad's old techniques! Could this be Instant Transmission?!
Was he trying to take them somewhere? But why? Where? Gohan tried to rip his arm free of Cell's grasp, but the android's grip was as hard as stone. Before Gohan could consider another way to get away, the two fingers on Cell's head fell away—
—and positioned themselves inches away from Gohan's heart.
"Makankōsappō."
Cell's words were but a cold whisper as Gohan met his eyes, and found murder written within. Time slowed to a crawl as Gohan's eyes widened. The flash of energy erupting from Cell's fingers had almost no distance to travel to rend him from the world forever.
All of Gohan's energy moved at once, flooding into his torso and lower body as the demi-saiyan twisted, ripping his body to the side with a violent jerk so fast it would have ripped a lesser man in half. His entire shape blurred as he moved at such a speed it seemed the air around him was distorting, struggling to keep up—
It wasn't enough.
Gohan let out a sharp cry of pain as his master's signature attack struck his chest, a seering, burning lance melting away the fabric of his gi instantly before meeting with his naked flesh. For a sharp, painful instant that stretched on for eons, Gohan felt the attack melting and crisping his skin, obliterating it like tissue paper.
Then, it was over. The surging purple energy raced past, its thrashing, spiraling energy shooting off into the sky after running its course through its desired target.
Remarkably, Gohan found himself still breathing. Confused, he looked down and found a savage looking gash that had cut a swath across his chest. It almost looked like a sword had slashed him, only no blade would leave such deep and painful burn marks engraved into its victim. He'd spun away just in time.
That was way too close for comfort...
Gohan's head snapped back up to Cell, who looked utterly deflated. His body was hunched over, gasping desperately for air as viscous blood dribbled from small wounds Gohan had not made. More importantly, his crimson aura was gone.
The pair locked eyes, and Gohan grinned viciously.
Cell looked horrified. "Fuck."
The demi-saiyan roared, his golden aura flaring around him as he rocketed forward, initiating his rampage with an elbow embedded straight into Cell's sternum. The android gasped, eyes bulging from their sockets before Gohan shot up, cracking his knee directly into Cell's jaw. Gohan snarled as he felt whatever passed for Cell's teeth shatter from the impact, following up with a brutal blow straight to the throat. Cell staggered back, clutching at his neck as he choked around his collapsed windpipe.
The daggers in Gohan's eyes became swords.
This ends now!
He unleashed a barrage of attacks that sunk into Cell's body as if he were made of rubber. His carapace shattered until almost none of it remained, the impacts of Gohan's blows creating a series of thunderclaps that rippled across the sky like machine gun fire. The thunderclaps became dull, wet thuds as Cell's skin took the brunt of his 's knuckles were stained a sick, viridescent green as he continued to drive strike after strike into the android's crumpling body.
Cell helplessly tried to put up a guard, tried to block, or dodge even a single strike, but his attempts were met with violence as Gohan made sure every attack found purchase. Gohan's face was splattered with blood as he pounded Cell into a gushing pulp, not letting up for even a second as Cell's body began to grow limp, no longer able to even lift his fists as his arms fell to his sides. Gohan could see consciousness slipping from Cell, the flesh of his face becoming a mangled soup of mashed flesh and bone fragments as his remaining eye—one having burst, now soaking into the fabric of Gohan's gi—goggled dizzily at whatever his pain-addled brain was still capable of processing.
This is it.
Gohan knuckles were growing numb as he finally decided to end Cell's torment. He flipped overhead and drove his heel into Cell's skull. Gohan's skin crawled as his heel broke through bone and sank into the squishy gray matter beneath. The sensation was over in an instant, however, as Cell was launched head-first into the stony ground below. There was a sickening crunch sound, like the sound a bug made as it was crushed underfoot—only so much worse.
Gohan landed beside the beaten android, regarding him with a sneering disgust only amplified by just how broken Cell's body was. The monstrosity was a brutalized soup of his own blood and viscera, limbs twisted and bent like pipe cleaners, torso misshapen and lumpy and caved in, and most revoltingly, his broken neck hung to the side, letting a lumpy gray sludge spill out onto the stone. The android's remaining eye stared out at nothing, lifeless…for now.
It was a disgusting sight, and one he was glad he wouldn't have to endure for much longer.
Gohan could already see the wounds from his assault beginning to close as he pushed out his hand and gathered his ki. He would have to be quick.
"Ka!" Gohan bellowed as he watched Cell's eye reform. The world around them was abruptly cloaked in the brilliant blue light spilling from between his fingers.
"Me!" The wound at the top of the android's head began to close as Gohan turned and curled his arm in by his side, stance widening in preparation.
"Ha!" Limbs were starting to shift back in place now, twisting and snapping into place grotesquely as a flicker of awareness stirred behind closed eyes. Gohan grit his teeth, feeling the concentration of ki approaching its zenith.
"Me!" Cell's eyes snapped open wide, coming alive in a panicked scramble to get out of the way. Gohan grinned, knowing there was nowhere to go. Too little, too late. Gohan thrust his hand forward, sucking in air as he —
"Photon Flash!"
The blue light enveloping them was run through by a bloody crimson. Before Gohan could see where the attack was coming from, he felt a wave of energy crash into him from the side. He grunted as he was launched away by the massive explosion, losing control of his attack. The blue sphere of energy slipped from his fingers, trembled with instability, and detonated.
A wash of blue and red light enveloped Gohan, and he narrowly managed to bring up a defense in time, curling his arm and legs around him as felt the heat of the blast wash over him.
Gohan smashed through three trees and a boulder before finally pushing the searing pain in his side to the back of his mind, flipping right-side-up and thrusting his limbs out as if he were grabbing the air itself to slow him down.
…That one hurt…
Glancing down, he quickly assessed his condition. The shirt had taken the brunt of the damage, but he could see cooked sections of flesh screaming in pain from his lower hip to his upper rib cage. He winced at the wound, but snarled in defiance all the same. He'd taken a lot worse than this.
"I'd say it's about time for our rematch," called out a voice that made Gohan's skin crawl.
Teal eyes snapped to the figure looming in the air, glaring with no sympathy to spare as Seventeen crossed his arms confidently. The android smirked, leering down at him, but something about his face…seemed off. It was hard to tell in the darkness of night—but, why was it all lopsided like that? And how come he was talking funny like moving his jaw was difficult? And what was that covering up his eye—
Gohan's gaped as the details of what he was seeing finally registered. Seventeen's eye was missing, not covered—and he certainly hadn't had anything to do with it.
So…Eighteen did that?
The attack she'd landed must have been brutal. Lethal, even, had the recipient been anyone other than android Seventeen. From the looks of it…she'd gone all out to try and stop Seventeen from hurting Bulma.
The super saiyan felt a strange storm of emotions at the thought of android Eighteen. There was too much there to confront.
Not right now, he decided. He needed to focus on the task at hand.
He shut his eyes, forcing out a cool sigh as he centered himself, before snapping to attention once more.
"I'm guessing whatever happened to your face also affected your memory." The super saiyan's aura flared in an intimidating burst as he sneered, "did you forget how this ended last time?"
Seventeen growled with apoplectic rage as the jab, but wrestled a lid over it. A smirk split his face, and he scoffed. Out of the corner of his eye, Gohan caught Cell approaching. The bio-android moved slowly, visibly wary of Gohan now, and visibility exhausted, but otherwise without a scratch on him.
"You know what?" Seventeen began, slowly descending until he was level with Gohan, glaring at him with crossed arms. "I do remember the last time we fought. You beat me." Seventeen clapped sarcastically. "Bravo, little hero. You won," he raised a finger. "Once."
Gohan pursed his lips, but didn't let his expression falter. He couldn't let Seventeen see that any of this was getting to him.
"I also remember the time before that, and the time before that, and every other time we've fought. I'm sure you remember—you were there, after all." An evil grin split what remained of his lips as he leaned in toward Gohan. "Now, do you remember how this always ends? How this back-and-forth will always end, Blondie?" He gestured toward Cell, who had taken position on the opposite side of Gohan now, leering over dangerously.
Gohan grew quiet as his fingers curled into a white-knuckled fist.
"That's right," Seventeen snarked. "You remember. I'm gonna make things go back to the way they were, and that means getting rid of you!"
Both androids charged, launching themselves at him with an evil determination.
I guess it really is just like old times.
Gohan drew in all the strength he had remaining. He was used to fighting alone; used to fighting outnumbered. For all that the situation wasn't ideal…it was at least familiar.
There was a whistling sound as something split the air over head. Then, just as Cell's approach came mere feet away from Gohan, an uprooted, ancient-looking tree came raining from the sky, slamming into Cell and knocking him cleanly off course.
Eighteen landed beside Gohan a second later, her fists clenched as she stood back-to-back with him. She caught Seventeen's fist on her forearm, producing a massive boom that shook the trees all around them. Seventeen's eye was wide with shock, which vanished when a vicious left hook cracked across his cheek. He staggered from the impact, stumbling back, only to snarl hatefully at his twin.
"Things are never going back to the way they were," she declared defiantly. "I'm going to make sure of it."
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Hey, all you lovely readers. I owe both you and Roxashadow an apology. This chapter could well have been out a while ago, but it was held up on my end as a result of some upheaval (and, admittedly, burnout) in my life. Going forward, I'll be trying to balance things a bit better, and turf some of the things that are sucking up my time so greedily. For now, I hope you all enjoyed this one. Looks like we're coming down to the end. I hope things go well for these two crazy kids.
Author's Note:
Welcome back everyone! It seems it has been a little while, eh? I hope that the little extra I wrote for this chapter made the wait a bit more bearable. I wish I could say that the next chapter will be out swifter than the last, but between college, life, other projects (Keep an eye out for TWAM chapter 0!), and a new relationship ;), I've unfortunately found less time than usual to work on TWAM. What I can say is that I am so excited to finally be at this point of the story! There is so much in store for these final chapters that I can't wait to write and reveal! I absolutely love this story and you all for being so supportive! I can genuinely say that
That said, this chapter sat in stasis for some time and I spent that time worrying over the concerns that I might have forgotten a crucial plot point or missed a golden opportunity for character growth, etc, etc since each chapter is so crucial now. I fretted for enough time that I feel confident I didn't miss anything…I think.
Onto thoughts about the chapter!
The name of the chapter was initially "Damage assessment", until I realized that there was a running theme of damage being addressed (in more ways than one), dealt, or suffered throughout the entirety of the chapter. "Damage" felt like an apt name, short and sweet, just how I like it.
Once again, Bulma stands out as my favorite character to write. She's just this perfect gem of a character to the point that I almost wish I had utilized her more earlier in the story, but then again I think her shine is that much more spectacular since she was relatively in the background until now. Her and Eighteen's scenes were my absolute favorite to write. Also,A special thanks goes out to Ben Thryss for the assist on some of the terminology involved in Eighteen's malfunction. A cybernetic engineer I am not, lol.
I had sooooo much fun designing the fight between Gohan and Cell. Something I discovered with Cell is that he's an absolutely excellent punching bag. Being able to regenerate from damn near anything certainly allows for some creativity when it comes to the pain department, something I feel Ben and I utilized to great effect in this chapter.
Finally, we have our final scene with Eighteen exploding onto the scene with a vicious tree attack (It was super effective!) against Cell! The pieces are set, and all bets are off as to who will be coming out of this alive. I almost wanted to explore that scene a little further, but felt in the end where it concluded was best for dramatic effect.
I suppose that's all this time, folks. As always, please consider telling me what you thought of the chapter (Feedback is always appreciated :). I'll do my best to respond to everyone in the reviews/comment, but please forgive me if I somehow miss yours.
In addition, please let Ben know that we all still very much appreciate him even with life getting in the way. Life is hectic and even I'm starting to get swamped haha. I don't blame him and I hope you won't hold it against him either! We're doing our very best on this story and don't want to rush out an unfinished product for the sake of speed. Please have patience, I want to see this to the very end just like you do ;).
The amazing cover art of this story was designed and completed by the wonderful: Upstart Psycho! If you'd like to check out their instagram where you can see all their other amazing work, please look them up saintswakeart. They appreciated the story enough that they wanted to add their touch to the tale, and I absolutely love it! Their commissions are currently open, so hit them up using the previously mentioned tags if you want more incredible artwork!
Until next time!