Jingle Cells
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"P will be for priceless, the looks upon your faces,"
"E for evolution, surpassing all your races,"
"R is for revelations, knowledge sure to surprise,"
"F is for how fucked up you'll think you are, now allow me to revise,"
"E is for excessive, just listen to my song,"
"C for companionship, I do hope we'll get along,"
"T is for transcendence, a power that continues to grow,"
As I reached the final lines of my song, a chuckle bubbled up in my throat, and a knowing look passed between Piccolo and Gohan. Their perceptive ears had caught on to the peculiar sequence of the song, recognizing that there was something more to it than met the eye, though I doubt that they truly expected that it'd be me going by them sharing in the rest of their fellows expressions.
Then, right on my cue, I transformed back into my Perfect form, a cloud of smoke momentarily obscuring me from view. As the smoke cleared, I stood before them, staring right at Son Gohan, my true self now revealed.
"My name is Perfect Cell, and I'd like to say. Hello."
And though every fiber of my being was resonating in joy upon that last verse, it did also take every fiber of it not to end off with 'Hell-oh shit!' when confronted with a glare fueled by the cold rage of a Super Saiyan 2.
A palpable silence hung in the air, barring that of the roaring aura and chackling bio-electricity, as the Z Fighters grappled with the revelation of my true identity, which was indeed quite the surprise for them. Trunks' face contorted with a mixture of frustration, panic, and a touch of dumbfoundedness. He had hoped to keep my identity hidden, to avoid the tempest that my presence could unleash. But now, that hope had been shattered, and he was faced with the consequences of my choice.
Just as I was faced with it as well, in the form of Gohan.
And though a year may have dulled his power by some amount, and I was above my past self by a considerable margin, the power difference between us was still palpable. And it wasn't as close to my favor as I would've liked.
The human psyche of mine would've fled at the prospect of such strength, and the Cold within was encouraging it. But the rest of me, the Saiyan warrior, wanted nothing more than to face Gohan head on. Even Frieza and Piccolo, despite the utter fear, had enough pride to refuse to cower in the face of such power, though both were strongly considering retreating.
But the Piccolo within pulled the opposing ends of me to a more rational decision. Piccolo, as a cautious fighter, would be wary against such a foe but wouldn't rush head on against it, either from fear or eagerness.
Instead, I stood my ground as I stared right back at Gohan with my smile, rather than a cruel smirk, as if I wasn't at all unnerved or intimidated by him. Especially when he shouldn't have been able to transform in the first place.
Perhaps it was wrong of me to assume that the events, or details in this case, of Bojack were canon, but considering that I found Androids 13, 14, 15 in my timeline, in addition to Trunks having had faced them in the past, it did seem reasonable to assume that the movies were at play.
They didn't exactly conform to canon however, so perhaps they occurred differently to better fit with it. And despite having not trained at all for seven years, Gohan was still able to turn into a Super Saiyan 2 without a repeat of a traumatic event in the Buu saga. So perhaps the issue was less of any sort of rust but more of a mental block, and me being the trigger in the first place got him over it real quick.
Which if accurate, did throw my plans for sicking Bojack on Gohan to force him back into the form into the trash. Which might actually be better since I doubt that he'd think well of me for it, only Piccolo could get away with that kind of behavior and still get called the best father in Dragon Ball after all.
And though I was musing on these circumstances, my awareness was still focused solely on Gohan. No one else present posed a threat to me save for Vegeta, but that would take time for him to charge his Final Flash if his aim was to kill me and I'd be well aware of his potential distraction at the worst moment for me.
Yet, despite that, I was barely able to get a block up in time to meet Gohan's fist. Even the Energy Barrier I hastily erected by pouring loads of Ki into it only appeared just as soon as Gohan's fist went right through it. Though it was just in time to turn a blow that would've gone straight through my face into one that went straight through my arms and just slammed into it before sending me flying off.
Tossed back by the sheer force of Gohan's punch, I skidded across the ground, trying to regain my bearings and push against the momentum of the impact. Soon enough, my body crashed into the grassy terrain, leaving a small crater in its wake.
Despite the searing pain in my arms and face, I fought the instinct to scream. I couldn't afford to show any weakness, not in this confrontation.
As I staggered upright, a mixture of pride and frustration boiled within. My Saiyan instincts were itching for retaliation, urging me to unleash a ferocious counterattack. The Freeza and Cold within were enraged that a mere boy could be such a threat to me as well as do such damage. Yet, Piccolo's pragmatism tethered me to caution. Reckless actions could prove fatal, especially against Gohan's formidable power.
I steadied my breathing, allowing the pain to recede into the background.
The hole in my arms was painful, yes, but nowhere near as much as the blow delivered to my Perfect face. Though that punch hadn't made a hole there, it certainly did cave my face in a bit as that was where Gohan sent the brunt of his strength towards..
I didn't want to aggravate my arms any further despite what I was about to do with them so I only used my finger for the sake of pneumonic assistance. I called upon the phantom limb of telekinesis to rip my arms off from the elbow. I then sent some Ki into my arms first, and from the stumps erupted new limbs coated by the juices of my blood.
Rather extreme, I know, but a hole in them made my primary instruments useless and would carry phantom pain I'd rather not deal with in current circumstances. Better to start anew with new limbs, even if the sudden absence and requisition of them proved almost as unnerving.
Now I wasn't going to fucking rip off my face, regardless of regeneration, so I simply focused some energy to regenerate the structural damage to my face.
…had that been a continuous Ki blast rather than a single blow, I may not have come out of that as relatively unscathed as I had.
Granted, I could call upon a single word that would grant me the power to significantly eclipse Gohan's power. That said, besides my not wanting to escalate things obscenely, I'm fairly certain that the second I get the first syllable out, I might not be able to prevent my last words from being 'Kai-oh crap!'
Still, despite not wanting to escalate things, that didn't mean that I would allow myself to get smacked around like that, so I adopted a defensive stance in anticipation for Gohan's next move..
Though now giving Gohan a second look, it seemed that despite breaking upon contact, actually doing so took a rather good effort on Gohan's end to do, enough that it even winded him somewhat, as he stood there glaring at me.
Then again, the defensive barrier that the Androids used were rather potent, essentially doubling their defensive capability, first shown when #17 used it to tank Piccolo's Hellzone Grenade and later on during the Tournament of Power.
My variant was, of course, the Perfect Barrier. And like how he did to my original, Gohan shattered that notion of supposed perfection.
Though this time, it did give him pause, if only from the sheer effort it took for him to break it.
In the meantime, that sudden turn of events snapped everyone out of their stupor, with everyone assuming their fighting poses, and both Saiyans transformed into their Grade 2 forms. Trunks was the first to act before anyone else could make a move, positioning himself between me and Gohan, halting the Super Saiyan 2 in his tracks before he could do anything else.
After seeing that Gohan had stopped for the moment, Trunks' snapped his head in my direction and wasted no time in venting his frustration, "Cell! We had a plan dammit! We agreed that we were going to ease them into this to avoid something like this happening!"
"I had no other choice, I could not help myself. When I became Perfect in the future, I had no audience! Oh, sure people all around the world could feel it, but that's not quite the same as seeing it either."
Trunks shot back, frustration evident in his voice, "...so you're just as much of an attention seeker as the other Cell then."
I retorted with a slight grin, "Difference being, I sing fun songs, not hold death tournaments for the fate of the planet."
Trunks' confusion was palpable as he glared at me, but before he could further question ot act on that anger,
The fact that Trunks was aware of it served to be just as much of a shock as my sudden appearance. Still, that finally prompted a response from Gohan as he found his voice, "Trunks? You knew about this?"
"Yes, I had," Trunks admitted reluctantly, before mumbling out, "Not about the damn song though."
Gohan had a look of disbelief, one shared by his friends and fellow fighters, and Vegeta was looking at Trunks as if he were the biggest fool in the universe.
I could see Vegeta glaring at me as well, seething at my very existence, potentially even more so than Gohan. Which I suppose was understandable since my other self did utterly humiliate him at the peak of his new strength, though he had it coming with that thumb pose of doom, and killed his baby boy.
"WHAT?!" Gohan shouted, his shock transformed into anger as his gaze shifted from me to Trunks and back again. "Trunks, why!?"
Trunks flinched, taken aback by the intensity of Gohan's reaction. He quickly composed himself, his eyes hardening with determination. "I know this must come as a shock, but trust me when I say that we need him on our side."
Trunks' words held a touch of desperation, and a hint of pleading entered his voice, "Please, just hear me out. Give me a chance to explain."
"What is Cell doing here, Trunks?!" Gohan demanded, his voice low and his tone stern, yet the underlying rage was still palpable. "What were you thinking bringing him here? Why did you keep this from us?"
"Gohan, I know it's shocking, but this Cell isn't the monster you think he is," Trunks responded, a little calmer now, "Hell, I'm still finding it strange to take in."
Gohan's frown deepened, suspicion evident in his tone, "Did he take Bulma hostage? Is there a Cell Jr in the future as we speak?" Trunks tensed at the question, bringing forth a brief yet all consuming at the time fear. Though I couldn't help but feel a bit insulted at that, it would've very much have been something that my Imperfect self would've done if Trunks came back before I absorbed the Androids, since I doubt that he would've given me a chance at all then.
Trunks quickly dispelled those fears as he shook his head and sighed, "No, Gohan, nothing like that. Nothing like that at all."
Gohan frowned, his expression darkening as his frustration was mounting, "Then tell me what the hell happened, Trunks, because this-" He motioned towards me with a sweeping gesture, his voice laced with anger. "-this makes no logical sense otherwise!"
"I know it's hard to believe, but Cell here is not our enemy. In fact, he's an ally." Trunks began to explain.
The words hung in the air, carrying a profound weight. It was a statement that was beyond belief to them, the Z Fighters each carrying incredulous glances and Vegeta scowling at the mere notion. Gohan's expression wavered between disbelief and anger.
"No way!" Krillin interjected, his disbelief evident, "Cell? Helping us? Are you out of your mind, Trunks!?"
Trunks raised his hand, urging for patience. "I know it sounds insane, but hear me out and I'll explain how it got to that. When I got back to the future, I found out that Cell had already absorbed the Androids. From my mother who was unharmed, and Android 16 who was activated by him."
The group absorbed this information with varying degrees of surprise, particularly Gohan. His reaction was compounded by the revelation that Android 16 was still alive somewhere out there.
"Android 16, he's still alive?" Gohan questioned, hearing that the gentle soul that died in front of him was doing well managed to mellow him out a great deal, going by his aura losing most of its intensity.
"Yes," Trunks confirmed, "I was rather surprised to find him when I got back, more so that he was the same kind and gentle person that he was here too."
"Wait a second," Yamcha, quite perplexed, broke into the conversation, "If you knew that Cell was in his Perfect form as soon as you got back, why didn't you just come back and get Gohan?"
Trunks' face was a canvas of conflict and regret as he reflected on his feelings, "When I found out that not only was Cell in his Perfect form, that he had spoken with my mother, and somehow knew that I was in the past, I'll admit that I couldn't think straight at all. I was furious that my mother could've died… and I was terrified at what he could've done. So I rushed in to face him."
"I understand that it was foolish of me, but in the moment I just-"
"…I understand, Trunks," Gohan's expression softened, his gaze holding a mix of understanding and empathy, "That haze of wanting nothing more than to stop someone from hurting others no matter what."
Trunks nodded, grateful for the empathy. "Thank you, Gohan."
"So you rushed off to fight him. But what happened next?" Krillin asked, leaning in with interest.
Trunks glanced at me before answering, "Well, it turns out that I didn't have to fght him. I confronted him. Then he greeted me, and we… talked. Just talked."
A wave of shocked disbelief rippled through the group.
"And it was a rather pleasant chat I'd say." I chimed in, speaking up for the first time in a little while.
"Pleasant isn't the first word I'd use, but," Trunks gave a half-smile of relief, "It went far better than I could ever have thought for. And when we talked, he told me about the past, of events that I had just gone through, telling of details that should've been impossible for him to know. It stunned me long enough for him to power up fully. And when he did-"
"Just like he did now during that song of his, there wasn't a single presence within him that was absorbed." Piccolo finished for him. "I could still remember the sheer girth of Cell's ki in his Imperfect form. The millions of civilians and the imprint of terror and pain that they felt as they were absorbed," he shuddered at the memory, "This… this is pure when compared to that, even with Frieza, Cold and Vegeta's ki still being noticeable."
Vegeta's eyes narrowed as he growled in displeasure, not appreciating the comparison to the people that he hated most. Other than his best buddy Kakarot.
"Piccolo, what are you trying to say?" Gohan asked for the clarification he and the others still lacked.
Piccolo paused, choosing his words carefully.
"Cell had absorbed the Androids," Piccolo began, his tone measured and thoughtful, "But when I scanned his energy, I could sense no trace of any other save for that of mere animal life. And when he fully powered up, there's no way anything else could've been hidden. What I'm trying to say is that this Cell is not like the one we faced."
The revelations elicited a spectrum of reactions from the group.
"What? You can't possibly be saying that Cell is trustworthy, can you?" Krillin's eyes widened, and a look of utter disbelief passed over his features.
"Of course not," Piccolo responded, his tone calm yet firm, "But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't hear him out. There's clearly something different going on here, and Trunks still has more to say."
Piccolo's eyes flicked to Trunks, with the rest to follow, silently urging him to continue.
"Right," Trunks acknowledged his cue with a nod, "I came to the same conclusion. It was further backed up with his actions. The Cell that we knew wouldn't have bothered to talk unless it was to taunt me about my powerlessness or to show off his Perfect form. But he didn't, he explained himself in a way that was fundamentally different from the one that we faced. That his Perfect form merely allowed him to try and approach perfection, rather than having already reached that point."
There was a moment of silence as they absorbed the words, considering the implications of his statement.
"That cannot be the same Cell that we faced. He most certainly wouldn't have the same view in regard to his perfection."
Gohan frowned, a hint of doubt entering his voice. "You really think so?"
"Yeah, I do." Trunks nodded, his gaze never wavering, "Because most of all, there's one major difference between this Cell and the other. It's you."
"Me? What about me?" Gohan asked, a mixture of disbelief and confusion.
"For whatever reason, Dr. Gero decided to add in your DNA within Cell. It was your influence that made the difference. Your natural kindness. The Cell of this timeline didn't have that. And I know that anything containing you could never be evil." Trunks' words carried a weight of sincerity, his voice resonating with conviction.
Gohan was silent for a few moments, his eyes downcast, a flurry of emotions swirling within him. His expression wavered between skepticism and doubt, yet gratitude as wll, his mind reeling from the implications of Trunks' words.
"I'll admit, I still have some doubts regarding this version of Cell being an ally. But I can't argue with you there Trunks, nothing containing Gohan could ever be evil." Piccolo spoke up, his gaze never wavering from Gohan's.
"…Trunks, Mr. Piccolo." Gohan started, his voice soft, "I don't know how I could have influenced him, but thank you both for your faith in me."
Piccolo's eyes held a quiet warmth, and a ghost of a smile tugged at his lips.
Gohan paused, taking a moment to compose himself.
"Even if he hadn't absorbed anyone, who's to say that he didn't kill anyone?"
"Well, you're not entirely wrong-" I acknowledged, feeling the tension in the air rise, "But are we really going to count killing Androids 13, 14, and 15 as a bad thing?"
Surprise flickered across their faces. "They were active in the future too? How did they awaken after so long?" someone queried.
"I awoke them, to give them a chance like I did with Android 16. Rather than change for the better, they tried to kill me since I was the closest they could get to Goku. So, self defense." Well, it was mostly true. Only thing I left out was that I provoked them into attacking me, but there was nothing stopping them from ignoring my words so it was still their own fault.
"Still, why should we trust you? Even with Gohan's influence, you still share DNA with Goku, and no offense to either but the previous Cell was still evil."
I looked at them with a bored expression, akin to the kind I would've given Trunks when he questioned who could love a monster such as Gero despite being the son of a greater one, and didn't know whether or not to laugh at their lack of self awareness.
"To start in chronological order," I announced before pointing at Bulma from a far distance away, "Ran over a bumpkin kid and shot him multiple times with a gun," then turning to Yamcha, "Was a bandit that robbed people in the desert," then at Tien and Chiaotzu, "Were con artists who wanted to be assassins," My pointer fell on to Piccolo, "Tried to take over the world, kidnapped a child and forced him to fend for himself in the wild, and actually succeeded in killing Goku. Much more than Vegeta could ever hope to do." and landed on Vegeta, "And speaking of the Prince, …I'm not even going to start with you."
I sighed with a shrug as I looked over them, each looking called out with their pasts brought against them, "Then there's the few of you who aren't so homicidal. Krillin, a bit of a dick to Goku at the start and, lately, risked the life of every person on the planet over cyber-sex. I mean, it's understandable considering that it's Android 18, but Tien didn't Kikoho himself half to death just so you can get laid."
At that, everyone turned to give Krillin an incredulous look, who was red-faced under the scrutiny and my blunt call out. His crush was obvious, but when pointed out so bluntly, it transformed from a cute gag to something much more questionable. Tien wore a severe frown, clearly not pleased at the reminder that sacrificing years of his life and near death by other Cell was in vain.
"And to top my point off, the Androids themselves. Androids #17 and #18 were genocidal cunts in the Future timeline, actively enjoying their cruel, evil, and utterly wasteful game of driving humanity to extinction. Yet, the ones of this time, while guilty of some mischief and an attempt to kill Goku, like many of you here have also tried, are innocent and decent people. And are people that you all trust to not be a threat to the safety of the planet."
"So," I continued with a clap as I looked each of them over, "In light of all that, am I, who only engaged in a bit of chicanery with you all so far, really less trustworthy than what any of you used to be, the Androids you currently tolerate, or Vegeta of all people?"
A moment of silence hung in the air as the group took the time to absorb the information that had been presented.
"He's got a point," Yamaha admitted grudgingly. "We can't exactly claim that Cell is the only bad person here with our pasts being what they are."
"True, and while I would agree that our past selves are not comparable to Vegeta," Tien began, his expression thoughtful, "Perhaps Cell has a point. As strange as it may seem, he has done nothing to harm us or the planet. He even seems sincere in his desire to help. If anything, he had plenty of opportunity to do evil before Gohan was even here. The fact that he didn't speaks volumes."
Tien's words were met with a series of nods, and even Vegeta didn't refute it. Though it was likely he was just stewing in a pit of anger as he usually does.
Krillin, still visibly uncomfortable, scratched the back of his head. "Well, I guess if Goku were here, he'd be all for giving Cell a chance. He always did like to see the good in people, no matter who they were. He did for the rest of us," He gave a half-hearted chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
The Prince, however, did not share his sentiments, his glare darkening, his expression turning thunderous. "You fools!" He snarled, his eyes burning with contempt, "Just because he looks and sounds a little different doesn't mean he isn't still the same abomination inside!"
"And Boy! How can you be so naive as to even trust a word that comes from his mouth! He killed you!" Vegeta ranted at his son, before turning his fiery gaze to me, "And you! Listen here Cell," he spat out like a curse, "I've had enough with your japes and deceit. If Kakarot's brat or these fools can't see past you, then I'll destroy you myself."
I could only raise an eyebrow as the angry prince stalked forward, a menacing aura surrounding him. His eyes glinted with a dark light, his muscles tensing, his entire body screaming danger.
The others watched silently, their expressions tense, unsure how to react. Gohan andTrunks seemed the most concerned, their eyes locked on the two of us.
I felt his ki rising, the pressure around us intensifying, the air itself becoming heavy. I could feel the energy coursing through his body, the anger and frustration burning within.
He was not bluffing. He was preparing to strike, ready to try and end me.
I stared right back at him, my own energy beginning to stir. It was a struggle, but I managed to keep it under control, the power within wanting to be released. I couldn't help but blame that on the Freeza and Goku cells within me for wanting to fight Vegeta.
"Oh, you don't even want to start with me Prince." I chuckled, and his use of the word destroy gave me a rather devious idea, "Because while I may be no Destroyer, I'll destroy you worse than how your pride in your father was by Beerus over that pillow."
At that name drop, every single ounce of bravado and ego went right out the window. His eyes bulged out in shock with his mouth fearfully muttering, "B-b-b-b-beer," but never daring to fully utter the name.
"H-how do you know that name?!" he demanded in a mix of terror and rage.
I simply chuckled in response, taking delight in his reaction.
The group looked on in astonishment. Krillin, bewildered, asked, "Who's Beerus?"
"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT NAME!?" a voice shouted within my head, echoing a similar sentiment of fear that Vegeta did, but much more panic induced, though it likely was heard by everyone else judging by the similar wincing they did.
The voice of the North Kai, or King Kai as everyone knows him as.
"Cell, who the hell is this Beerus? He has to be utterly terrifying if my father of all people is this frightened at the mere mention of him." Trunks asked in utter shock, the sight of his father probably did more to change his image of him than finding out how much of an asshole he really was. Then his eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, "And what's this about a pillow?"
"Well-"
But before I could get a word out,
"That's Lord Beerus the Destroyer to you! He is the God of Destruction and the most powerful being in the universe! Far beyond Freeza, and far far beyond Cell as well!" King Kai's voice boomed in our heads as he answered in my stead, and despite not being looked at or mentioned, I could tell this was addressed solely to me and likely Goku too, "And not a name to say lightly! His temper is great and terrible, especially if he has been disrespected, thus not to be trifled with!"
I could imagine the little blue Kai shaking in terror as he said all of that.
Though everyone else was also mirroring his feelings if not to a lesser degree. After all, if Vegeta of all people is so utterly afraid, even with how powerful he is, then that level of power oughta be a fright to behold.
"Oh calm down," I reassured, though I was partly addressing the group as much as I was the Kai, "He's asleep and I doubt that Whis would wake him up over this, especially if he didn't when Majin Buu was out there destroying all sorts of planets and killing off most of the Supreme Kais."
"How do you know about that too!?" King Kai demanded, before tacking on, "And be more respectful when you're speaking of him and Lord Whis!"
I took a moment to explain, "It's the whole reason that Trunks and I are here. Calamities from long ago are about to resurface quite soon. Within six to seven years, the clone son of the sorcerer Bibidi, Babidi, will come to Earth seeking to release Majin Buu from the container he has been sealed within, which just so happens to be here on Earth. And for more upcoming events, a year ago, following Goku's sacrifice and destruction of his prison, Bojack has been freed and after a year shall seek to restart the Galaxy Soldier's reign of terror, starting by taking Earth for himself."
"How!? How do you know any of that!?" the Kai demanded, his voice echoing with incredulity.
To which I was more than happy to oblige, "Multiverse theory."
"What do the other universes have to do with this!?"
"Oh, nothing within this set of twelve is relevant until much later, my source is simply much broader. More in the scope of infinite really."
"You mean the multiverse theory?" Gohan asked, and upon seeing the looks that everyone else was giving him, explained, "The idea of multiple realities that expand into infinity in sheer scale?"
"The very same, though with Trunks actions in regards to hopping across timelines that it's less of a theory and more of a fact."
"Impossible! Bojack was sealed inside of my planet, when it was destroyed that meant he should have perished with its destruction!" King Kai denied.
"Perhaps, but I'd recommend checking with King Yemma about that," I suggested, "Though I doubt that he's gonna be happy with going back an entire year in regards to records of the judged."
"Damn it all, I'm going to check." King Kai said but pausing suddenly, not of a disconnection however.
"Now, you choose now to do this!?" King Kai complained to someone unseen before grumbling, "Fine, just make it quick."
Suddenly, a familiar voice filled the minds of the Z Fighters and myself, light-hearted yet unmistakable, "...hey guys. Seems that even dead, I'm still causing trouble, huh?" Son Goku mused in his greeting.
"Dad?" Gohan uttered in a mix of surprise and comfort.
"Goku! You've been eavesdropping this whole time?" Krillin asked.
Goku chuckled, his tone light and casual. "Well, you know, Trunks showing up always means something interesting's going on. Couldn't help but listen in."
"So, does that mean you knew about Cell being here with Trunks?" The question hung in the air, a mix of curiosity and concern from the group.
Goku paused for a moment before responding, "Well… I felt a familiar feeling from him before it kicked in for me, but it's way too different from Cell for me to really feel worried about. Not exactly pure of heart, but he doesn't strike me as evil." Goku explained, "Besides, the last time that I saw our Cell was when he tried to take over Hell with Frieza and those weird posing guys."
"See, if Goku's vouching for me then I can't be that bad." I quipped with some humor. Most were still wary of me I could tell easily, but Goku's words seemed to be what got them to be more willing to take everything else in. And Vegeta was too busy replicating Squidward in a competition to even react to his rival. Shifting to a more serious tone, I added, "Though I must say, you're being too hard on yourself with that reasoning. You had no idea of what was in there and had nowhere else to go at that time. It was either the entire Earth or the lives of a few people."
Judging from the looks that the Earthlings were giving me, it was rather likely that they themselves have already tried arguing this point so I mentally shrugged and decided to change the course of my ship as I continued.
"Besides, this one is more on King Kai for not checking properly, especially after the other Cell wasn't as dead as you two thought."
"What!?" King Kai interjected with an indignant protest, "How are you blaming me for this! Goku's the one who blew up my planet! And I didn't even get brought back to life either!"
"You literally live and do all of your work in the Otherworld and haven't stepped a foot out of there since sealing Bojack away millions of years ago. Besides, you could've just contacted the Namekians at any time and asked them to bring you back to life. So why didn't you ask them?"
There was a brief silence before King Kai replied, seemingly caught off guard. "Well, uh, you see..."
"You didn't think of that, did you?" I prodded.
"Of course, I did!" King Kai hastily retorted, "I didn't ask because it wasn't the Namekians that caused my death, it was Goku sacrificing me to save the Earth. Therefore, it's the Earth's obligation to revive me."
I couldn't help but recall a critical detail to knock that defense, "Which they were going to do before you yourself declined that offer."
I couldn't resist one more tease, "Let's be honest, King Kai, your real issue is the teasing you get from the other Quadrant Kais. They never let you live it down, do they?"
Goku, ever the cheerful instigator, chimed in with a chuckle. "Yeah, like that one Kai who's half your size. He really gets a kick out of it whenever-"
"Goku! Don't bring that up!" King Kai's voice boomed in our minds, tinged with a mix of frustration and embarrassment.
King Kai, somewhat flustered by the teasing, seemed to recognize the need to refocus on the pressing issues at hand. "Alright, alright, enough about that. Let's get back to the current situation," he said, a note of resignation in his voice.
"Cell, you mentioned something about upcoming threats?" Goku asked in seriousness.
"Yes," I replied, shifting to a more serious tone. "Trunks and I are here to warn you all of imminent dangers that will threaten Earth. I'll be focusing on Bojack since he's the most upcoming one and someone we should be able to handle well enough already with our current strength. He's around my level of power, and his goons are more or less around Trunks' level, meaning that Gohan alone should be able to handle Bojack and his crew."
At that, Gohan, who had been silently listening, nodded. "Alright. If he's around Cell's level, I should be able to deal with him and his cronies."
"Atta boy. And we'll talk about Babidi and Buu a bit later, after the pirate is all sorted out," I said, and seeing everyone's questioning glances, added, "They'll take longer to explain, long enough that what I told Trunks was a badly abridged story yet it was lengthy. And you can hear it later."
I received a series of nods and before any more could be said, King Kai's voice conveyed a mix of urgency and disbelief as he chimed back in, "I've just checked with King Yemma, and it seems that Bojack is indeed alive. I'd thought he was in Hell considering that there hasn't been any attacks of the sort, but it appears I was wrong."
"And despite it having been millions of years since then, I can still recognize the feeling of his energy. The highest I've ever felt from a mortal still in the land of the living in recent memory." he continued.
"Meaning?" Trunks prompted, his expression tense.
"Meaning," King Kai replied, "That I can see where he is right at this moment... And he's already on Earth!"
A wave of shock rippled through the group. "What!?" Krillin exclaimed in a echo of the others thoughts.
"He's on the planet Earth, but he's just... waiting. Him and his crew are just waiting? But waiting for what?" King Kai wondered aloud.
Ah, I see.
"I think I can explain what he's doing," I spoke up, "When he emerged, it was during the upcoming 'Intergalactic World Martial Arts Tournament', featuring the 'strongest' warriors in all four corners of the Galaxy."
Goku chimed in, somewhat puzzled. "That's odd. Pikkon and I are still in the Otherworld though."
"I am here, Kakarot!" Vegeta added curtly with a hint of annoyance.
"Oh right, Gohan and you are there." Goku added on, but being mentioned after Gohan didn't sooth Vegeta's ego of being unmentioned in the category of strongest in the galaxy.
"Well, of course not," i clarified, "The whole thing is just something a billionaire put together for his son's birthday. These aliens are just regular martial artists in costumes, with the strongest one there being the Hype himself, Mr. Satan."
"Why would Bojack concern himself with such a farce?" Piccolo questioned, his brow furrowed.
"Simple," I explained. "He plans to eliminate all the martial artists at the tournament, ensuring no one can oppose his conquest and plunder of Earth. It's a repeat of King Piccolo's strategy from years ago."
This revelation caused a stir among the group, except for Vegeta, who merely raised an eyebrow at Piccolo, seemingly surprised at the notion of the Namekian once holding the title of 'King'.
Gohan frowned, his eyes narrowing. "I won't let him carry that plan out. I need to stop him as soon as possible."
Trunks' expression was grim. "I agree, but first we need to find him. Do you have any idea where Bojack might be hiding, King Kai?"
After a brief pause, King Kai's voice returned. "Found him! He's somewhere underground branch a rocky island with an active volcano and small forest. It's on the western part of the continent, not too far from your location."
"That sounds like where that tournament would be taking place." I noted.
"Great! Looks like we have a plan. Let's head there now and put a stop to him before things get out of hand." Gohan spoke up, his eyes full of determination.
Well then, it seems that we're off to save the planet.
-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-
In the heart of the final 'Battle Zone,' in a virtual yet lifelike ancient ruins of a forgotten yet storied city, Bojack, the Lord of the Galaxy Soldiers and most powerful of the Hera Clan, stood alone, while the rest of his crew occupied te other 'Battle Rooms'. The setting sun cast elongated shadows over the scene, the stone pillars and shattered statues around him standing as silent witnesses to a past era of glory. His massive frame dwarfed these remnants of a supposed history, a stark contrast to the lifeless backdrop around him.
Bojack, a being from an age long past, paced among the ruins. Though not prone to introspection, even he might have found a certain poetry in choosing this particular resting place – if he were inclined to such musings.
His thoughts, however, were firmly fixed on the future. As he moved through the ancient city, Bojack was consumed with plans of conquest and a reign of terror he eagerly anticipated reigniting, as he often did to kill the time until this tournament finally started and he could reintroduce himself to the universe, starting with taking this gem of a planet as his new base, "After eons of imprisonment, the universe will once again tremble at the mention of Bojack," he mused, a malevolent smile spreading across his lips. "Earth is merely the first step. Once under my control, my reign of terror will know no bounds. And as will the suffering I will inflict upon those acursed fucking Kais!-"
His contemplation of future victories and horrific violence was abruptly interrupted by a surge of powerful Ki signatures in the distance. Among them, one resonated with a familiarity that Bojack couldn't ignore, it was akin to Goku's Ki, the very warrior who had inadvertently freed him from his prison.
Halting in his tracks, Bojack's attention sharpened. His smirk broadened as he focused on these newfound sources of power. "Seems the entertainment is starting ahead of schedule," he announced to the empty city, his voice echoing off the virtual city.
The prospect of a challenge excited him. It had been too long since he'd felt the thrill of a real battle, the joy of crushing the hopes of all who tried to stop him from taking or doing whatever it was he wanted.
Standing tall amidst the ruins, Bojack's muscles tensed in anticipation, his eyes glinting with malice and eagerness. He was more than ready to confront whatever Earth had to offer. The tournament was nothing but a sideshow, a mere distraction, but after eons in a prison, he managed to gain himself some patience.
Bojack looked towards the horizon and waited, where the last light of day gave way to the encroaching darkness, symbolic of the terror that he would unleash once again upon the universe now that he was unbound.
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In the time it took for me to get this chapter out, Perfect Cell is now in Fortnite, we get another trailer for Budokai Tenkaichi 4/Sparking Zero, and the trailer for GTA VI comes out. (RIP me for my PS4 owning ass lol) Crazy the times that happen in between these things, huh?
And here we've had a whole bunch of reactions to our latest addition to fortnite, first of which was violence from a rather miffed Gohan who very nearly killed Cell, because Gohan ain't fucking around this time. But the Android Barrier comes in clutch as does Trunks in stopping this from going any further.
And a lot here was just a whole bunch of convincing from Trunks and Cell. Since these guys wouldn't be too keen on trusting Cell from the get go and without the whole needing to work together or nobody being strong enough to kill him that saved Vegeta from the consequences of his actions, Cell had to use his diplomacy skill quite a bit which goes to show that he made the right decision in talking it out with Trunks since he repaid that kindness forward.
Now, the next chapter as can be inferred is gonna be where Bojack and his crew will be fought and dealt with. It'll be fun jumping on the group of villains with the best pull up game.
anyway, I hope that you guys liked the chapter and please leave me your thoughts.
btw, here's a scene that I cut because while a bit funny, my monkey brain is a bit burnt out so I can't really jam this in, so enjoy
XXXXXXXX
"…would that be enough to overcome the Vegeta in him though?"
That one statement cut through the rather emotional moment between the master and student, and got everyone's eyes to land directly on the one who said it.
Huh, sounds like someone's intrusive thoughts got the best of them.
And not even a word about Frreza or Cold, just Vegeta lol
Now, it wasn't a surprise to me per se regarding who said it, but blurting it out seemed to be more of a thing that Yamcha or Krillin would do even if they might have shared the same opinion.
Vegeta turned his head to give a death glare at Tien.
"You did give us a speech about how you unlocked the Super Saiyan form because your heart was 'pure evil', after all. Exceptionally, to the core, even."
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And in case any of you are curious as to why this took so long; yeah I didn't manage to get this out back in September or October like I originally hoped to. To sum things up, I had a lot less time this semester than I did the other two for writing, and when I did, writer's block popped in and things just stalled out for a while. Though some of you have noticed that I've been on a roll lately with updates and I've shoving it kicking and screaming into this chapter. Its still not done, and I'll probably include a scene with Bojack in the end for the final scene, but right about now my head is burnt out for now and I just want to get this out before the year's done. So maybe late 27th - 29th is when I'm hoping to get this out completed.