Book 4: The Dissonance of The Earthling Saiyan

by Espeon804

Book 4. Humanity has proved itself a threat. Their ultimate creation backfires and becomes their worst enemy. A Bio-Android goes by the name of Cell - an insect like organism who absorbs anyone it can get to... but for what purpose? Saiyan, Human, Namekian, and Android are forced to join forces. This is indeed a dissonance. It seems that Goku is struggling with himself.

16. The arrival of the unexpected!

Chapter 16 Plot:

Chapter 16: "The arrival of the unexpected! Trust your instincts!" The warriors have to make preparations to make sure they walk free with their skins. However, there is a major change in plans when they meet with what is thought to never be seen again! While everyone is thrilled, Kakarot isn't very cooperative. He's too busy trying to look into just what they welcomed in.

BEFORE THAT…

Prince Vegeta was given the challenge he was promised… but Raditz is very sure it would just be a beat down! Tarble shows little concern. If anything, it's just a show for him, and a reminder to everyone that the baddest is not always right. What does it take for Vegeta to finally realize his mistake?

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A/N: Espeon804 here with another great chapter!

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PUBLISHED: September 30, 2019!

WORDS: 23,490

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First off, allow me to say: For anyone who reads the "Upcoming Chapters" Chapter 20's summary has been changed. It was moved to 21 for plot reasons.

Sorry for the inactive months. A lot has happened, but I'm glad to welcome in another chapter!

Dear me, what have I done?

I think I started a shipping war. I had no intention for this. Lol.

So uh… I have no idea where it will go. I suck at romance. Takes me forever to write such scenes so uh…

Take your pick, I guess.

*Kauli X Turles

Or

*Kauli X Tarble

Help me. XD

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OH! IMPORTANT NOTE!

So uh… a terrible confession but…

When I get my hands on Pokémon Sword… expect me not to be active again.

I just want my Wooloo.

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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DB, DBZ, DBGT, DBZKAI, AND DBS! Akira Toriyama is the true author and I'm too lazy to finish this today. Eh.

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Key:

"Talking"

"Foreign Language"

'Thoughts'

"Telepathy"

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… you know, I'll be 21 in December. And well…

It took me this long to realize just how edgy this series can be sometimes.

… oh my goodness. I'm about to be 21.

WHAT HAPPENED TO 16?!

-Espeon804

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- Chapter 16: The arrival of the unexpected! Trust your instincts! -

The morning is new. The air is warm and humid as usual, leaving the leaves with dew drops. The leaves start to shake as a lone squirrel rushes down the tree trunk and towards the ground. Sniffing the air, it leaps and lands on the damp grass, grooming its head before cautiously moving across the field.

In a flash, quick movement startled the animal, and a hand snatches it from the ground. The squirrel squirms as it is lifted from the ground. Efforts to escape do nothing.

"Look at what I caught, Icarus." Karot holds the rodent higher for the baby dragon to see. He studies the struggling squirrel before he flings it against a tree, killing it quickly. Once limp, he prepares a fire. "It won't be enough, though."

Icarus tilts his head, making a small sound of uncertainty.

The child begins to skin it before stabbing it through a small branch to cook it over the fire. "This one's for you. I'll catch something bigger. Maybe I should try fishing. It is a perfect morning to go hunting, after all. Of course, for food this time."

The child casually turns the small breakfast over. On the ground around him are the bodies of the people he killed. He clearly didn't bother to bury them since his 'interrogation', because they had already started to decay.

"It's another normal day."

- 0000 -

Running water rinsed away the soap suds that cover the dishes. Raditz sets the clean dishes on a rack to dry before moving to the last few that need a good scrub. He isn't as calm as usual, trying not to drop the dishes with every moment. 'I can't believe this. Vegeta is going to get destroyed!'

He can still feel the pain every time he thinks about it. His kick did absolutely nothing… and Cell just sent him flying like he was nothing.

'Cell will show up at any moment… and Vegeta… he just won't listen! I couldn't stop him!'

A bowl hits the counter and rolls off. It is swiftly saved by his tail, and he sets it on the drying rack.

He pauses for a second, thinking he heard something. He moves on.

Glass shatters.

Raditz sighs and turns around.

Baby Trunks watches as he sits on a crate. He munches on an apple before throwing it across the room. It hits the wall and splatters everywhere. Below that is a shattered plate he was eating from before.

Raditz sets the last few dishes down, and he pulls the plug to allow the water to drain. He dries off his hands and sighs as he heads up the small flight of steps towards the child. "Stop throwing shit. You're making a mess. I'm cleaning up here."

A sippy cup hits and bounces off his head.

He sighs as the baby giggles. "Why do you do this? Can't you just eat a proper meal without making such a mess?"

"YAAAAH!" The baby throws his cup of applesauce, and it lands on Raditz's hair and spills, dripping free. He points and laughs at his father's annoyed expression.

"Okay. That's it." Raditz pulls Baby Trunks from his chair and grabs his tail, making him limp. "You're going in your bed. Time for a nap."

He heads towards the bedroom, passing his youngest brother, who is playing with a stack of blocks.

How mature.

"You were supposed to be feeding him." Raditz frowns at his brother.

"I thought he had it. He seemed like he ate it all." Kakarot looks at his brother.

"He was playing with it. He acts up when no one is watching him. Didn't that cross your mind?"

Kakarot scratches his head. "Huh. I didn't think of that. Well, I'm going to get some food. Wanna come?"

"Kakarot. Seriously." Raditz sighs. "I just got through cleaning the damn kitchen. You, unlike the others, like to make it a mess. And you have a competitor here."

Baby Trunks whines, unable to move a finger.

"I'll be careful this time! Promise!"

"Go hunt by yourself. I have a few things to tend to." Raditz walks past the control panel as he heads towards the bedrooms. Standing above his bed, he picks up a brick that sits there. He sets the baby down and releases his tail. "You like to make things difficult."

Baby Trunks rises to his hands and knees, preparing to stand.

"I don't think so." Raditz sets the brick down on the baby's tail, and he watches him fall flat on his face. He gently turns Baby Trunks' head to the side so he won't suffocate. "You're taking a nap. Got it? No whining." He leaves the room, leaving the baby helpless on the bed.

Baby Trunks watches his father go before pouting.

Raditz heads for the medical room. Already, he sees his mother standing in front of the healing chamber. Not surprising, since she is to type to worry about others all the time. What he didn't expect to see with her was his middle brother. He doesn't comment on it yet as he joins his mother's side.

"Prince Vegeta really did a number on her." Gine frowns, staring at the glass that reflects her image.

The light sound of humming indicates that the machine is doing its work. Inside the healing chamber, Kauli's hair flows in the green liquid substance. An oxygen mask is secured over her mouth and nose. Her status is displayed on a monitor hanging above.

"Tch…" Turles watches the lines jump across the screen before looking at the recovering Saiyan. "I warned you to keep that mouth of yours in check, didn't I? But it seems you're no different than most of us."

Raditz finally speaks. "How is she?"

"Why are you asking me?" Turles huffs as he turns away, walking slowly. "I only came here to make sure she didn't drown or anything. As said before, we don't need to be losing anyone."

"Well, you've been here for the past ten minutes." Gine points out, which seems to irritate the Saiyan further. "If anything, it seems to me that you're concerned about her well being?"

"You're kidding? Why would I waste my time fretting over that stubborn pain? You see the way she talks to me." Turles growls. "She's not strong, but we still need a hand against that damn insect."

Gine's tail flicks once as she places her hands on her hips.

Raditz shrugs. "You know what they say. A pair of Saiyans who bump heads so much are far more familiar with each other than they think."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Turles looks at his brother in question.

"I'm not stupid."

"Raditz. I'm going to treat you like a drum if you keep talking to me." Turles narrows his eyes.

"Turles, don't be so mean to your big brother." Gine smiles small. "You are just like your father. Trying to act so tough all the time, like he never feels anything else. But deep down, he's a nice guy if you get to know him. He can be a real sweetheart."

"Urrrgh." Turles and Raditz looks away with a small groan.

"Did being out in space make you so cranky?" Gine asks as she lightly grabs Turles' arm.

"I crashed on Earth, my crew died, and I lost my arm." Turles reminds her. "I think this planet did a lot worse, mom."

"Look. After all that has happened, we have every right to be angry. But it's been done, and we must focus on the present. You need to relax just a bit for now. Then, we can start training to put an end to this. Now, can you stop being so sour?"

"Mom. You're embarrassing me." Turles grumbles.

"A bit too much like your father, actually." Gine frowns slightly.

"Mom!" Turles pulls away his arm, glaring at another direction. Gine only laughs as Raditz crosses his arms.

"You were never good at making friends." Raditz says. "You don't start by being harsh or beating people up."

"Says the Saiyan who dragged his youngest brother to a pod." Gine frowns at Raditz.

"Hey! I had to do something! The humans brainwashed him or something!"

"That still doesn't give you the right to hurt him the way you did!"

"That was five years ago, mom!"

"It doesn't matter! How many times do I have to tell you that you don't do that to people?!"

They would carry on, but they become silent all at once, with the exception of Zhanshitao sticking his head out from inside Raditz's hair. The creature chirps small, announcing the presence of someone.

Tarble wasn't expecting to enter a quiet room. It's clear as he asks; "Didn't want to blabber when I am around, hm?"

There is still silence.

"You don't mind if I come in?" Tarble walks further inside. He stops as soon as he stands in front of the healing chamber. "I still can't fathom it. He had the nerve to hurt someone he knows stands no chance against him at all. Even though she was aware she stood no chance, but it didn't stop her from standing her ground."

"No. It didn't. She was brave." Gine agrees with a sad smile. "Even I wouldn't have the confidence to stand up like she did. I mean… she struck him. I never witnessed anyone go that far."

Raditz scratches his head in thought. "I wonder if she knew what the end result would be."

"Why are you three talking like she is dead?" Turles frowns.

"She could had died. And Vegeta wouldn't bat an eye." Tarble appears annoyed with it all. Though he can't see, his eyes could be fixed on the chamber she rests inside. "He won't get close to trying that again."

"Is that a threat?" Turles looks at the prince with a questionable expression.

"A promise." Tarble corrects him. "He's harmed us plenty of times, but from what I sensed yesterday… her energy dropped like a stone. I don't think he ever went that far before. We can't afford to lose anyone. If I don't make a move, we'll all be dead very soon."

"You did your best yesterday." Gine tries to stay on the positive side.

"Not enough." Tarble frowns. "But I know unlike anyone else, I can handle him. He clearly sees no use in keeping her alive. First he tried to offer to Cell, and then he took matters into his own hands. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to blast down this chamber."

"You said you can handle him?" Turles isn't sure if he heard that right.

"It takes more to win a fight than strength alone, Turles. I thought you knew that already. Perhaps Nappa could stop Vegeta, but his promise with the king comes first. He wouldn't hurt him."

"You mean, your father?" Gine asks.

Tarble's tone sounds bitter as he answers. "He disowned me and sent me away. He's not my father as far as I'm concerned."

Gine regrets asking immediately.

"All of you did enough. I'll take it from here."

Raditz decided it meant he wanted to be left alone. "Right." He heads out the door with his mother, ready to take on the day, or to at least survive it.

Tarble pressed a few commands on the chamber's controls. It doesn't last very long. He remains still for a few seconds until he speaks again. "I said, 'I'll take it from here.'. Your concern is appreciated."

Turles slowly turns around. "The only thing I'm concerned about is how anyone can be a doctor while blind."

"The universe is filled with surprises. Now, go. I need to work in peace."

Turles doesn't say anything else, but he leaves in a steady pace, glancing back before the doors shut behind him.

Tarble resumes his work. He listens to the monitor carefully before his eyes remain steady towards the wounded Saiyan inside the chamber. "I knew you were sick of it all… but he almost killed you. I hate to imagine what would have happened if I arrived too late."

- 0000 -

Turles keeps walking, only to stop to keep himself from running into Raditz, who clearly didn't walk far from the door. Taking notice of his tail quickly wrapping around his waist, there's a good reason. Turles doesn't ask questions. He looks past his brother, seeing Vegeta standing there.

What does he want now?

Zhanshitao is quick to retreat back inside Raditz's hair, intimidated by the elder prince's presence. Gine stands firm, unsure of what to expect.

"What are you on the defensive for?" Vegeta asks rudely, looking at the trio. "I have free range of this ship, the last time I checked."

"The medical room is occupied for obvious reasons." Raditz says.

"For reasons I can care less about. The healing chambers have limited materials as well. Why waste it when it could be reserved for someone who can actually fight?" Vegeta looks towards the door. "He's in there, isn't he? Don't fret, I'm not picking a fight with him. It just annoys me that he would worry so much about a weakling. My father would had disposed of her."

"Like we give a damn about what he would do. He's not even here." Turles frowns. "Yesterday was eventful as is. Do us a favor and just do whatever elsewhere. We are already in enough danger."

"You're only in danger is you foolishly try to throw your life away in a fight you can't win." Vegeta says. "I was going to let you three be, but I don't like your attitude. All I did was walk by and you are quick to annoy me with that tone of yours. I take no orders from a lower-class warrior. How about you step aside?"

"We are only asking you to leave her alone." Gine tries to reason with him as usual. "She's already hurt. Let her heal in peace."

"Do I have to repeat myself?"

Gine steps back, but she doesn't move away. She's clearly unsure of what to do. "Please, don't start the morning like this."

"You know what? There will be no more warnings. The next time anyone stands in my way for any reason, I'll just send them through the ground and make them regret it. Must I remind you that you are speaking to a prince? Orders should be taken with no hesitation!"

"But your brother is a prince, too. And he made it clear when he said he wanted to work in peace! Just leave him alone, and we'll leave you alone!"

"His word does not overpower my own! Stand aside!" Vegeta raises a hand. Raditz and Turles are quick to jump in front of their mother in a protective stance, which halfway surprises the prince.

Raditz narrows his eyes. "Don't start the morning on the wrong foot, Vegeta. If you hit her, then it doesn't matter how strong you are. I'll leave you with-"

"What could you possibly do to me? You could hardly fight well against me yesterday, must I remind you?" Vegeta cuts him off. "Allow me to remind you all those times you cried for mercy when we served under Frieza. I saved your tail countless times. I could have left you dead. Move."

Raditz growls, and he slowly steps away. Gine moves aside, not happy with it. As for Turles, it takes a glare from Vegeta to get him to move.

Vegeta walks past them all, and the doors open. He steps inside and scoffs. "How long do you plan on tending to something so pointless? It won't make her any use to me."

Tarble turns his head towards his brother. "I wish to be left alone."

"And why is that? You can't keep me from going anywhere." Vegeta huffs.

"I have an issue with entitled people."

"Is that what you call it?" Vegeta walks further in the room. He looks at the tools hanging from the wall or sitting on the tables. His small observation leads him to looking at the healing Saiyan within the chamber. "What do you call this?"

"Leave her alone. You harmed her enough." Tarble doesn't make any contact with his brother. He faces the controls, but no buttons are pressed. "My only request is for-"

"You to work in peace. Yes, I heard, but it won't happen. We never worked in peace." Vegeta's eyes trace over to an outlet. "I already asked the three why you bother to heal her in the chamber. It's just a broken tail. It's not like she's heavily wound-"

"A broken tail leads to temporary paralysis from the waist down." Tarble interrupts him with facts, leaving Vegeta silent. "The rest of the body is unable to function due to the tail being linked to the spine. Moving leads to blistering pain, leaving the Saiyan disabled until healed. Healing alone takes a week. Within the chamber, a few hours."

"And if you know me, you would know that I don't care." Vegeta frowns. "Perhaps if it were someone like Kakarot, I'll let things be. But this Saiyan is a waste of time. She is so weak, it's like she's not even here, so why bother?"

"Because she's a hand we will need. I said this before, winning a fight doesn't take strength alone." Tarble sneers.

"Well, you failed to convince me yesterday." Vegeta reminds him. "I can care less about her problems. She should have never even put her dirty hands on me. Any other low-class would had been killed on the spot, so she's lucky to be alive. Regardless, she deserves no treatment for crossing the line!" He reaches for the plug, but a hand knocks his away. He looks towards his brother. "Seriously?"

"Don't touch that plug! Improperly turning it off may lead to lethal repercussions!" Tarble sneers.

"As if I care." Vegeta growls. "Her suffering will remind her what happens when she does as much as raise her tone to a Saiyan elite!"

"It will only remind her of how much of a tyrant you can be!" Tarble shouts. "Get out!"

"You can't make me. I stand above anyone. I take orders from no one!"

"Sounding like a broken record, are you? We get it, but I don't care. Leave the room until this is done!"

"What's wrong? I only stopped by." Vegeta mocks him with a teasing tone. "Afraid that I may kill her? I'm not that harsh, but you clearly think so for calling me a tyrant. I'm not going anywhere. You can go!" He steps forward again, but Tarble steps in his way. "Really?" He moves to the right, and Tarble simply follows. "Oh, now that's just adorable, isn't it?" He reaches for the plug again, and Tarble knocks his hand aside.

Tarble throws his foot forward, and it is blocked and pushed aside. "Stop toying and get out!"

Vegeta lowers his arms. "Just as I thought. You would have left anyone else alone, but in this case is different."

"What nonsense are you blabbering about this time?" Tarble is still in a fighting stance. He's careful, however, knowing the room can be delicate if he does too much.

"You remain here as if to protect her. If anything, it seems that you're truly fond of her."

Tarble's eyes widen as his guard drops somewhat. His expression shows that the statement caught him completely off guard. "I beg your pardon?"

"Don't play dumb with me. No one else may be able to see it, but I do. Perhaps I should let her heal and use her as a way to keep you from being such a pain to me." Vegeta says as he looks towards the chamber again. "I came here just to see if that was possible."

Tarble's tail rises slowly as he snarls. "Using her to your own advantage is beyond twisted. You're sick."

"Heh. You really think she would bother with someone such as yourself? Hilarious. You're better off dating a computer." He chuckles as he turns away. His focus turns towards the door. "I would stick around a bit longer, but I believe I have a visitor now."

Tarble would respond, but Vegeta isn't wrong. His breathing pauses as he turns towards the door as well. The energy sensed… it's a merge of everyone's...

"It's Cell!"

Tarble hears the door opening. Vegeta is on his way out. "You can't be serious. He came this early? You can't think that you would stand a chance?"

"No one stands a chance except for me. I'll defeat him at his best, and all of you will realize you've been wrong all along. I'll have my respect."

As he leaves, Tarble only growls. "You bloody idiot. You're the one about to throw your life away. Don't expect anyone to save you after all the suffering you put us through."

The thought of it… the younger prince chuckles small.

"It's bittersweet. We all might just die today, but you'll die first, and it may just be splendid."

Outside the door, everyone stands firm and uneasy. Nappa enters the main room from the kitchen quickly as Kakarot follows not long after, joining his brothers. Raditz appears the most uneasy about this.

The Z-Fighters take a few steps away from the door leading outside. Yamacha appears the most nervous.

"Looks like he found us…"

A loud bang makes a few jump. The door breaks from the hinges and flies inside the room, crashing and sliding on the ground until it hits a wall. A few eyes follow it before meeting with the threat that took it down.

"It's a brand-new day, Vegeta." Cell announces from the entrance. "I kept my end of the bargain."

"I don't like this." Kakarot keeps his focus on the insect. Whatever is going to happen… it will not be flawless on their end. Cell was a struggle before… and his power is two androids plus himself.

This isn't good, obviously. So what is Vegeta trying to do?

This isn't worth flexing his ego over.

Raditz speaks lowly. "Tao."

Zhanshitao sticks his head out immediately.

"Go take my son and Kakarot's wife somewhere safe." Raditz orders. "I have a feeling that it's going to get very ugly."

The creature salutes with a single arm before leaping from the mass of hair. Upon landing, he sprints into the rooms.

"Oolong. Puar. You might want to go with him." Yamcha warns the shape-shifting animals.

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Oolong snatches Puar's arm and takes off for shelter.

Vegeta pushes Raditz out the way as he walks towards the enemy with a smirk. "Took you long enough. Now we get to see just what you can do. Better enjoy it while it lasts, because you'll become my newest trophy."

Cell grins. "Am I? You really do have a load of confidence. Better enjoy it while it lasts."

Vegeta's smirk halfway fades. "Tch. Using my words, are you?"

"Well, technically, I am you." Cell reminds him. "But let's forget about that for now. I've been wanting to test my perfect body ever since I've obtained it. I appreciate your help, really. It might have been impossible if you didn't lend a hand. I suppose this fight will be my way of saying thanks."

"Heh." Vegeta chuckles. "No need to thank me. I just want a good challenge. I wonder how long it would last. I hope you slept well, because today is your last day in the living world." Vegeta adjusts his feet on the ground as he balls his hands into fists.

Kakarot's eyes widen. "Are they fighting here?"

Nappa glances at the youngest Saiyan before turning his attention to Vegeta. "How about we take the fight elsewhere? This place isn't very ideal."

"I get what you mean." Vegeta huffs. "This forest here is one of the many things Kakarot cares about. Still, I don't feel like waiting."

"Come now, Vegeta." Cell smirks. "Let's not be so moody. I have no problem relocating for a fight. I want an open space, after all. We can stretch our legs more with no obstacles in the way." He slowly leaves the ground, flying slowly.

Vegeta simply follows suit. The second Cell rockets away, he joins him.

Kakarot begins to run immediately. He doesn't want to miss a moment of the fight. If they somehow get out of it, he'll have an idea on how to deal with Cell in the future. "Come on! Let's go!" His jumps and flies off after them.

"Kakarot! You can't just- ah." Gine sighs. "You heard him. Let's go."

As she flies off, Raditz and Turles exchange glances before they follow as well. Future Trunks tails after them, along with the present Z-Fighters.

Seconds after, Tarble walks out from the ship. His attention is towards the sky. "So then, it has begun?"

Nappa looks at Tarble, somewhat confused. "You're not staying behind?"

"Nonsense. Why should I? I need to know the outcome of this fight, though it's already clear to me on what would happen." Tarble begins to walk. "I have ChiChi keeping an eye on Kauli. She should recover fine on her own, but just in case. Now then, come on."

"What? We aren't going to fly there?" Nappa walks after him.

"Why bother? It's a waste of time to me. I already know how the fight will start. Arrogance leads to struggle. Then reality strikes. It's far to predictable. I only care about the best part."

"The… best part?" Nappa heads in the thick overgrowth. "Are you feeling okay today?"

"Never better."

- 0000 -

The flight was decently long, but finding a wasteland isn't too hard. The Earth is still recovering from the Saiyans' destruction, after all.

Vegeta lands first. The ground is solid with hard ground. It clearly hasn't rained here for some time, evident by the many cracks that sprouted across the dry ground. The terrain stretches for miles, almost mocking a desert. Only lose sand would occasionally fly with the breeze. It will get much worse within moments.

The eldest prince closes his eyes, taking in the moment with pride. He grins small as he hears feet landing several feet away from him. Opening his eyes again, they meet with the distant Cell. "So, you've chosen a wasteland to be your gravesite. Not very bright, but it does fit rubbish such as yourself."

Cell looks around. "Well. Let's just say I could have a little bit of courtesy. Out in the open, you can go all out if you like."

Kakarot lands several feet away. Those who flew along with him join him as a group. He's relieved that Cell chose a distant spot. He had enough going on around his home. "Not a bad place. No one would get caught in the crossfire."

"Since when did you care about that?" Turles asks with a chuckle.

"Well… my home was destroyed enough." Kakarot answers. "And I don't want ChiChi getting hurt. She needs to rest while this is happening."

"Oh, right." Turles remembers. "Your baby."

Gine placed a hand near her chest. She appears deeply worried about all this. Her tail slowly lowers to the ground, lacking its usual energy as she takes a deep breath.

"I can't blame you." Krillin agrees with her as he keeps his eyes on the tension. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"You think?" Raditz grits his teeth. His tone is angry, which draws some attention. A few eyes widen towards him due to the fact he slightly trembles. "Vegeta is commiting suicide at this point! He won't stand a chance!"

"Don't tell me you are scared." Yamcha isn't liking it one bit. If a Saiyan is scared, then that means him being present might as well be pointless.

Raditz has every reason to be scared. They don't know what exactly happened. They can make fun of him if they want. In a minute, they'll see just why he is rattled.

He has to give them an idea.

"All of you… listen to me." Raditz begins. "Don't call me a coward. Just hear me out. None of you felt what I did. Cell isn't just a threat. He's a monster."

"A monster?" Turles echoes. "You mean, a freak of nature?"

"Yeah. He was already that but…" Raditz snarls, balling up a fist. "When he hit me yesterday… it hurt like hell, that's for sure. It broke my nose. But he didn't give it his all. He was holding back, holding back more than you think!"

"You mean, he held back a lot?" Kakarot tries to clarify.

"Not just a lot. A whole damn lot."

Krillin laughs nervously. "That's not good…"

Turles looks around, realizing the absence of some people. "Where's Nappa?"

"He probably stayed behind." Future Trunks guesses. "I can't see why. He's normally near Vegeta… unless Tarble has a hold of him for something. Trying to keep an eye on two princes sounds like a draining job."

"It has to be." Turles frowns. "Watching someone like Vegeta… it must be a pain…"

Kakarot looks towards the mentioned prince. What's going to happen? Will there be a struggle? From the way Raditz described it… he made it sound like Vegeta would be a pushover.

A steady breeze kicks sand across the land. Vegeta parts his feet and bends his knees. He positions one hand above his shoulder, and the other below his waist.

Cell stands tall with a smug smile. He simply stretches his arms forward and crosses one hand over the other. Such a fighting stance makes it look like he is wide open, but it's hard to say.

"Say." Yamcha speaks up. "If anything bad happens to Vegeta… are we able to step in?"

"I hate to say it…." Raditz snarls. "But I feel like even if we all jumped in… we'll just be swatted like flies. He's… that strong. But to stand around and do nothing… it's not the warrior way."

Gine shakes her head. "It's conflicting. I hate it…"

Kakarot narrows his eyes. All of this… it's insane to him. To think humans created something that would become such a major threat. It proves that strength doesn't always matter, just as Tarble always says.

Humans win with their wits. This is the results.

Because of what he did. Kakarot… perhaps he is the reason… no, he is the reason why this is happening. Vegeta merely amplified it. Now, they are seeing just how powerful the Earthlings can be.

"Well…" Kaakrot says. "We'll see what we are truly up against now."

Cell smiles after several seconds pass. "Well? I'm waiting. Show me the same power you used against me before. Let's see just how great 'The Prince of All Saiyans' truly is."

"You'll regret those words." Vegeta throws his arms down with a shout, and the golden aura engulfs him as he transforms into a Super Saiyan. He tenses up his body as he begins to bulk up, grunting as his power keeps growing. Cell watches with no signs of intimidation. Once Vegeta is done, he resumes his fighting stance.

"Good." Cell says. "You'll be the perfect warm up for me. I do need to practice fighting in this new body, after all."

Vegeta chuckles at the words. "A warm-up, huh? Don't get so full of yourself. You're just a punching bag that won't bust so easily against my greatest power yet."

Cell seems confident. The grin is still there.

"I'll wipe that grin off your face." Vegeta launches forward at last. He closes the gap between them in an instant, and his fist connects to Cell's forearm. He manages to push him back, but he doesn't stop. The Saiyan throws another punch, which is also blocked. He blocks Cell's own punch with his own arm, and he tilts his head to avoid another. After exchanges a few more blows, Vegeta floats back, somewhat annoyed.

"What's wrong, prince?" Cell asks with a smile.

Vegeta isn't satisfied. "You have gotten stronger, but if that's all you have, then I might as well take a nap."

"Oh. You'll be taking a nap, very soon." Cell promises. "It just won't be by your will."

Vegeta frowns. "Oh. Really?" He jumps forward and throws a punch. As it is dodged, he sends another until it turns into a frenzy. His attacks are constantly blocked, and at the same time, he blocks Cell's own attacks. They slowly rise higher.

Kakarot watches carefully, making his observation. "You said Cell was holding back a whole lot, right?"

"Yes." Raditz nearly hisses.

Vegeta knocks Cell's arm away, and he throws a kick, pushing the enemy back. He sends another frenzy of blurry punches, and they batter against Cell's chest like bullets. The prince chuckles as he locks his hands together. "Is that really it?" He throws down a sledgehammer.

Cell flies back, watching Vegeta miss and flip down awkwardly due to the gravity of the attack. Just as Vegeta looks at him, Cell returns the attack, landing his own against Vegeta's back, sending him flying down.

Vegeta's fall is halted as he stiffens his body. He floats several feet below Cell, rubbing his back a bit before positioning himself upright. "Better."

Cell flies forward, throwing both fists. They are caught by the prince, and the pair push against each other's strength, circling slowly as their energy flows powerfully, causing the air around them to rotate violently.

"Whoa!" Krillin can feel the intense flow of energy.

"It feels like they are evenly matched." Tien notes. "But if what Raditz says is true…"

"He could be messing around." Yamcha knows just what Tien was about to say.

Vegeta yanks Cell forward, and he frees one of his hands to throw a punch. To his surprise, Cell turns the tables by swinging Vegeta instead, throwing him off. Vegeta is punched on the face, and he releases Cell's other hand just to block the next attack. Afterwards, he throws a quick punch, and Cell disappears from sight. "What?"

He looks behind him. He's not there

Above him, he's not there either.

Vegeta looks around quickly, until Cell reappears behind him. He turns around, but too late. A heavy punch from the android sends him flying back. He gains control of his body quickly, just in time to block two punches. 'He's faster now.'

Cell spins quickly with a roundhouse kick, which Vegeta narrowly dodges. Cell's punch is caught, only for the other to strike Vegeta square on the face. Cell kicks the prince directly on the chest, sending him crashing towards the ground.

Vegeta turns and lands on his feet, skidding backwards against the ground a few good feet. He looks up, watching the enemy slowly descend to the ground. "You have gotten faster, but I am yet to actually break a sweat."

"Oh-ho. Really? Well, you'll be sweating a storm within a few minutes since you asked." Cell says. "Since you clearly still believe you are superior, go for it. Show me what you've got. And no, I don't want a fancy blast or anything like that."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Vegeta frowns.

Cell places his hands near his hips with a small smile. "Alright. I'll narrow it down for you. I want you, to hit me as hard as you can."

Vegeta slips into a fighting stance. "Oh. That's easy-"

"Ah-ah. I don't think you get the point." Cell cuts him off before the sentence could be finished. "Not half as hard, or some arbitrary percentage. I want you to hit me. As. Hard. As. You. Can."

Is he challenging him?

Vegeta appears entertained by this. "Surely, you will regret making such a request. You're playing with fire. So what if I decide not to? It's not like you would know if I did. But fine. So be it. You asked for it."

Kakarot blinks. "Wait. Am I hearing things, or did Cell just ask Vegeta to-"

Vegeta's feet sinks to the ground from the intense pressure of his launch. The springs forward and swung his right arm, landing a heavy punch square against Cell's chest.

He doesn't budge. Not even an inch. The ones observing all gasp as Vegeta is quick to step back with widening eyes.

"I tried to warn him." Raditz grumbles.

Cell laughs small at Vegeta's expression. "Wow. Now wasn't that precious? But, it simply wasn't… perfect."

Vegeta jumps back immediately, balling both fists as he stares at the bizarre creature, feeling nothing but disbelief. "H-how in the…?!"

"Want to try again?" Cell spreads open his arms, completely exposing his chest. "I'm wide open."

Vegeta snarls and rockets forward again. "Stop toying with me!" He throws a heavy kick under Cell's chin. While it does kick the head back, the neck doesn't even break. Vegeta lowers his foot to the ground, furtherly irritated, and frustrated. With a scream, he pulls his fist back and throws a heavy punch directly at his face.

Cell once again doesn't budge. A dark grin spreads across his face as he snatches Vegeta's wrist. As he applies pressure and twists it the wrong way, the prince begins to scream out in pain. "What? I'm not even trying. Come now, Vegeta. Is this really all you have to offer? The all-mighty prince of the Saiyans?"

Slowly, Cell pulls his fist back. He throws it forward, landing a punch square on Vegeta's chest.

The impact sounds heavy, and the sound of cracking ribs was well heard, followed by a violent hack from the prince as he is sent back. He flew back like a rocket several feet, crashing violently to the ground and rolling like a tumbleweed until he is merely sliding to a stop. A dust cloud flies away with the wind where he had slid. Cell simply flexes his fingers, admiring his strength.

Turles steps back. His hands begin to tremble at what he just witnessed. "Please tell me Vegeta held back."

Gine looks at her eldest son for answers.

"No. He didn't." Raditz speaks through clenched teeth. His breathing is somewhat shaky. The reality of Vegeta's decision has fully sunk into everyone at that sentence. "I've known Vegeta since we were kids. From all the times he hit me… I know when he is holding back…"

"Oh, no…" Future Trunks mutters. He would say more, but he senses movement and turns around quickly. "Teacher- I-I mean… Tarble! Nappa!"

"Oh, isn't that nice?" Turles growls as he turns to face the arriving duo. He watches them land steadily. "You're late to the party. What took you so long?"

"Don't start." Nappa growls. He looks around. "I felt it. Where's Vegeta? Is he- what?!"

"Yeah." Tien nods, looking at where Vegeta fell. "That happened. I would have expected one of you to show up before this happened."

Nappa frowns. "Tarble predicted this would happen. He said there would be no point or a difference if anyone came here or not."

"He did?" Yamcha is a bit surprised. Then again, Tarble did had a fist fight with his brother yesterday.

Nappa frowns at Tarble. "You could had tried something."

"I don't care. Clearly." Tarble says bluntly. "I figured you would have picked that up during the time you've been with me. But then again, you hardly use your head sometimes."

Nappa just gawks before looking back at Vegeta. "If Vegeta doesn't stand the slightest chance then… Ah, no! Vegeta has some sort of back-up plan! He always does! You can't be a Saiyan prince if you have no alternatives for a fight! He's not done yet!"

"You have such high spirits for someone who never gave you any respect." Tarble sounds somewhat disappointed. "Let's see how long that lasts."

Vegeta grunts before taking a much-needed deep breath of air. His fingers grip against the dirt as he raises his head. He sits up slowly, rubbing his chest as he plants one foot on the ground.

Kakarot is alarmed as Cell jumps from the ground and flies towards the prince. "Vegeta! Watch out!"

Too late. Cell kicks his foot forward, landing a kick against Vegeta's chin. The prince is sent flipping in the air.

Gine winches. This is too painful to sit around and watch.

Vegeta's back hits the ground. He grunts, blinking and trying to get back up. The sound of Cell's approaching footsteps makes him pause, realizing the monster stands above him now.

"You're just a silly little monkey, aren't you?" Cell laughs as he reaches down towards Vegeta's waist. His fingers wrap around the tail coiled around it.

Vegeta's eyes widen. "Let go!"

Cell ignores Vegeta's thrashing as he studies it carefully. "So you can train your tail out of its weakness? It seems more like you trained it to resist pressure. The second it breaks, you're on the floor in agony. Can't even move. Makes sense. I should know. A tail is basically the extension of a spine if you think about it."

Vegeta growls, and he tries to send a kick, but Cell spins him in another direction. Now the limb is well exposed.

"I see why most of you keep it around your waist. While it's very important, it's also an obvious weakness. Once grabbed like this, even if you aren't weakened, you are vulnerable. Unlike grabbing an arm or a leg, this limb is the most important, hm? Now that I think about it, this is the very first time I've ever seen your tail free from your waist. Doesn't that get uncomfortable? Goku hates to wrap it for that reason. So does your brother, and Kauli… and Gohan as well."

"They are just sniveling brats, is all!" Vegeta snaps at him. "You unhand my tail right now, or all you will be feeling is oblivion!"

"Can you really promise that?" Cell asks. "This is a bit hilarious. Why is the fur always brown, well, except Trunks. He's a weird one. From such a brutal race… the fur is soft to the touch. No wonder why it's so easy to burn." Cell lifts Vegeta from the ground now.

"You little…!" Vegeta tries to kick free as he is hanging in the air by his tail. He clearly never had it touched this long before, since he's clearly frustrated and uncomfortable at the same time.

"Not the tail!" Future Trunks feels Vegeta's pain.

"Huh. Interesting." Cell notes. "This one looks very… well, neat compared to the others? Hard to explain… but a simple question. Have you ever lost your tail before?"

Vegeta freezes and looks at Cell in alarm.

"Oh! So you haven't?! That's amusing! That means this is the same tail you had since you were a baby! Hahaha! I guess the royal bloodline gives you a great amount of treatment! Well, excluding your brother who you tortured so much."

"Alright! That's it!" Nappa steps forward. "You let him go-"

"What will you do? If your prince - the strongest among all of you - can't do a thing, then what can you do, Nappa?" Cell challenges him. He looks back at the squirming Vegeta. "Your strongest allowed his arrogance to get the best of him. Pride can be a good thing. But having too much is just foolish, as you can see."

He throws Vegeta down, and he throws a punch against his face.

Vegeta screams out, and he is punched again. Another one frustrates him. He begins to crawl back, but his entire body jerks as it remains still now. He realizes why, and he can feel it.

"Oh, no!" Kakarot shouts. He should jump in. He could but…

No. He'll only end up being killed, wouldn't he? But to stand around and just watch...

Cell has his foot pressed against Vegeta's tail. Not enough to hurt, but enough to keep him from moving away. Seeing the surprised look on Vegeta's face makes him laugh. Cell reaches down and begins to throw several heavy punches against Vegeta's face and stomach. He's been turned into a punching bag.

"Vegeta!" Nappa is clueless on what to do. Everyone else wants to jump in. However, laughter from someone else grabs their attention. Future Trunks eyes widen slightly as they land on Tarble.

"He… he sounds like…" The teen seems somewhat terrified for a new reason.

Tarble's laughing hysterically, like it's the most hilarious thing that ever happened. This worries the others, since he never laughed like this before.

Finally, he breathes and begins to clap. "Splendid! Truly splendid! Good show!" Tarble throws his hands out with a small laugh. "Just look at poor, poor Vegeta! He's being beaten out there, staggering like a whale trying to fly! Ha Hahaha!"

"Uh… are you okay there?" Raditz asks.

"Never better." Tarble chuckles. "Alas, the warnings Vegeta had the nerve to ignore are a true reality! People like him just adore learning the hard way, don't they?" He lowers his arms with a dark grin. "Regardless if he dies or not doesn't matter to me. Him being humiliated is far more amusing! My, my! Prince Vegeta of the Saiyan race, who often looks down at others in disgust, treating them like they are mere insects to be squashed! But, oh my! What do we have here? Who is beating my dear brother senseless? A mutated insect! Oh, the irony!"

"Don't tell me you are enjoying this!" Turles shouts at him.

"Oh. Very much so." Tarble replies with a chuckle.

Tien frowns. "I don't like the sound of that."

Raditz isn't liking this at all. The one Saiyan that could had defeated Cell made the grave mistake of allowing him to get stronger. Now he's being beaten senseless, and his little brother is enjoying it. Everyone knows the two princes can't stand each other… but this is…

"How bad is Vegeta for his own brother to enjoy seeing him get hurt?" Krillin wonders out loud.

"Very. Obviously." Tien answers.

Finally, Cell stands tall, watching Vegeta struggling to get his breathing under control. He lifts his foot just a tease, and he watches the limb swing. He is quick to pin it down.

Cell keeps moving his foot to taunt the prince. He would move his foot away from the tail, just to watch it lash away before kicking Vegeta and pinning the limb down again. "How sad." He crouches down with a chuckle. "What now? You wanted this, remember? You should have listened to your friends."

Once the foot moves again, Vegeta is quick to draw his hand back and fire a blast directly. The blast doesn't hurt Cell, but it forced him to stop his actions momentarily. The prince is quick to his feet, stepping back with his tail moving aggressively behind him. "I can't believe that freak got a hold of it! And he has the nerve to-"

Cell sits up, and within a split second, he is directly in front of Vegeta. "You're not used to this, are you?"

Vegeta jumps back at the same time he fired a series of blasts. They strike Cell directly, and the eldest prince continues the assault. The cloud of dirt continues to grow, but a shadow moves through it until Cell exits. Things seem to get worse for the prince as Cell is walking towards him, ignoring each blast. Vegeta balls a fist that catches fire. "Damn you!"

He throws it hard, sending a flaming fireball-like blast. Cell swats it aside like it is nothing.

"You mean to try this?" Cell holds up a hand, and it catches fire just as Vegeta's did before. He throws it just as effectively, but it's much faster, and apparently, hotter as the air around it ripples far more intense.

Vegeta is forced to jump aside, watches the blast fly past him. He is grazed at the knee. A hole is burned through as he lands. "He just… made it better…!"

Gine shakes her head, feeling like there is nothing that can be done. "He knows every attack used while you all fought on Earth, doesn't he? He can read us… read our every move…"

"Damn it…!" Krillin stomps on the ground. "What are we supposed to do? If we stand here… Vegeta would die and… we'll be next. But if we try to stop him, Cell might just kill us on the spot!"

Nappa growls heavily, very conflicted on what decision to make.

"Tarble." Future Trunks begins. "You have to-"

"Quit calling my name." Tarble stops him there. "I have already made it clear that I'm not doing anything, and the rest of you might as well do the same. Let Vegeta get a taste of his own medicine and failure. He won't suffer for long. His demise comes soon."

"So we just let him die?!" Nappa glares at him. "I get that you hate him, but we-"

"Need numbers. I understand that." Tarble says. "But even with our combined efforts, it is futile. If we die after him, then let it be known the fault falls on Vegeta, and his arrogance. This is what happens when you don't take me seriously. This is what happens when you don't listen to me. Nobody wants to listen, until it is too late."

Kakarot just looks at him, unsure of what to say. Is he really okay with death? What would happen after they die? Tarble did die before… so maybe it's not as scary as he thinks.

But ChiChi… he can't afford to lose her again...

Cell looks at his smoking hand before his eyes lock on the intimidated prince. "Well. That wasn't too shabby, was it?"

Vegeta growls heavily as his lips pull back. Everyone is looking at him, like he made a mistake… like he's an idiot! He knows Tarble laughed at him. The fact that he is being humiliated… it angers him, clearly. It's seen in his eyes. After several seconds, he has enough. He stomps on the ground as his tail bristles. His mouth snaps open while he screams; "NOOOOOOOOO!"

"Uh-oh." Raditz and Nappa takes note of his temper.

"I cannot allow this to stand! I will not allow this TO STAAAAND!" Vegeta breathes heavily from his small rant. He snarls as he goes on. "I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED! I WILL BLOW YOU UP TO PIECES, AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP MEEEE!"

His energy bursts and engulfs him intensely.

"Oh? Blow me up to pieces? What are you going to do now?" Cell chuckles. "The attacks you dealt before felt like little taps."

"All you will be feeling… is OBLIVION!" The angry prince slowly floats from the ground, rising several feet from the ground. His hands shake as he appears to be seething with rage. "Prepare to face the wrath of Prince Vegeta!"

"Ouch. You know. That warning would actually work if you aren't a punching bag right now."

Vegeta breathes in heavily through his teeth. It's almost as if every insult from Cell furtherly angers him. It's somewhat unusual for it to be this bad, and it can't be good.

Nappa clearly is aware of this. "Looks like Cell has him cornered. Vegeta usually doesn't lose his temper unless his pride is being wounded. And when that happens-"

"All Hell breaks loose." Raditz finishes. "He's going to send out his Galick Gun, isn't he?"

Kakarot pays close attention. Vegeta is about to let lose his final efforts.

Vegeta stops rising, hovering high in the air. He shouts loudly, sending his challenge. "If you think you are so perfect, then try to tank this!"

"Are we pulling a Raditz here?" Cell asks him.

"Seriously?" Raditz doesn't like how Cell brought that up.

"QUIET!" Vegeta demands angrily. His feet spread apart at the same time he throws his arms out at the side. The air around him circulates more than it did before, and it intensifies with each passing second. The Saiyan grunts as his Super Saiyan energy swallows his body. The build-up is intense, as the wind gushes towards the ground, causing it to cave in below him.

"Oh, crap!" Kakarot staggers as the ground trembled below his feet. He is forced to shield his face as the wind tries to blow him away. His tail is whipping like a flag during a violent storm. "His energy just skyrocketed! This has to be the result of his training!"

"Yeah! No doubt!" Krillin agrees, keeping steady. "What is he about to do?!"

"I don't think it's a Galick Gun!" Nappa grunts as he stands firmly to fight the wind.

Gine's mouth slightly hangs open in shock. The wind blows against her so violently. She would be blown away if she didn't tense herself up. Her eyes are focused on the eldest prince who is glowing like a star in the distance. She has never seen anything like this.

No one has.

Tarble has his arms crossed in front of his face. He makes no comment, but his expression makes it obvious that he is judging whatever his brother is about to do.

Vegeta's struggling screams drag on for seconds. After a while, he swings his arms to meet in front of him, with his palms facing towards his target. His curled fingers twitch as yellow static crackles around them. His voice sounds nearly strained. He's putting very ounce of energy into his upcoming attack.

The statics build into actual bolts of lightning that jump from his body and across the air. The blue sky darkens as dark clouds appear and roll over them all. The wind could become a vortex at any second if it wanted. The darkening world makes Vegeta looks like nothing but a cluster of light. It's hard to actually see him through it.

The moment drags on, and the prince shouts loudly over the sounds. "Dodge this if you can! Just know that the moment you do, you and this Earth will be doomed!"

"What?!" Kakarot's eyes widen. That's the last thing he wants to hear. "He's going to destroy the planet?!"

"Is he that desperate to win?" Tien's eyes go wide.

"I was bluffing before!" Raditz shouts. "Is Vegeta serious?! He'll only kill everyone!"

"He can't be!" Nappa growls. "Vegeta! This isn't worth destroying the entire world over!"

Tarble frowns. "Well. Seems like he and Frieza share something in common. You can't win a fight? Destroy the world your enemy stands in. Very cowardly… and unforgivable."

While everyone is semi-panicking, Cell simply crosses his arms, not showing any signs of leaving his spot. His expression isn't easy to read, but he must be considering his options. It's not until he sees a buildup of energy growing from Vegeta's palms that he begins to smile.

There's nothing funny about this! He can't be planning to leap out of the way and let the planet be destroyed! There's no avoiding an exploding planet! Perhaps Cell is that crazy!

This isn't good.

The energy clusters into an unstable sphere. Just as they thought the moment would drag on longer, Vegeta screams out from the top of his lungs;

"FINAAAAL... FLAAAAASH!"

A massive yellow blast is fired, soaring towards Cell like a comet. It's possibly the biggest blast anyone has ever witnessed to be fired. The entire area is illuminated by yellow light as it draws closer, blinding just about anyone.

Cell realizes just how powerful the attack was. His eyes fill with fear for a hot second as he draws his arm back. "Damn it…!"

Kakarot's worst fears seem to become a reality. He shuts his eyes and screams as he feels the earth shaking worse than before. It may just blow. He feels a body pulling him tightly as the wind grows much worse. He can't see what is going on. All sounds are drowned out by destruction. The air feels terribly hot.

Seconds pass...

He's not dead.

He hears Cell scream, followed by the blast dragging on.

Wait… What?

Kakarot opens his eyes, and to his disbelief, it didn't even hit the ground. It made a curve and shoots pass Vegeta, disappearing to the skies…

He stands tall, unsure if he is dreaming.

Cell's right arm is gone. He bleeds heavily from a gaping wound from his shoulder but… other than that….

Kakarot knows exactly what happened. As the others realize they are unharmed, he speaks almost quietly;

"He… he deflected it…!"

Gine slowly releases Kakarot's shoulder, and freeing her sons from a tight hug. She must had instinctively shielded them. After hearing what her youngest son said, she seems rattled. "He… he couldn't…"

Nappa is without words, knowing Vegeta best. He looks up at the prince, knowing this has to hurt him.

Vegeta remains in the air with his shaking hands still facing Cell.

Cell laughs at the same time he grunts, placing his unharmed hand against the sounded shoulder. "Well, for a second there… I actually thought you had me. I guess that even I don't know the limits of my own perfect body."

He clenches his teeth and screams. Within a second, a brand-new arm sprouts out.

"Ah. Namekian biology. It is truly interesting, don't you think?"

Vegeta lowers his arms slowly. His mind is still trying to put together what had just happened. "That's… that's impossible. I… gave him everything. It's like… it's like Planet Namek all over again…!"

That dreadful day… Frieza made him look like a joke.

And now, Cell is doing the same. For a second, the image of Frieza overshadows Cell's present form.

He really does has Frieza's cells.

Cell rubs his regrown arm as he looks at the shocked prince. "Well… if that is all you had to offer… then I am sorely disappointed. I expected more from you, Vegeta. After all, what fun is it to win a fight that's too easy?"

Vegeta seems to hesitate at first, but he sends a frenzy of blasts, roaring in frustration. It's not until Cell flies through then all that the prince is forced to stop. He flies back, not expecting the gap to close to quickly. His eyes locked on the hand that is in front of his face now. He doesn't even have the time to scream.

Cell sends quick blast that strikes Vegeta's face directly. It shoots the prince down as if he is a duck, and he spirals towards the ground. Cell is quick to fly after him, snatching him from mid-fall by his tail. He lands, not done yet.

The Saiyan suffers as he is now being spun around like he's in a merry-go-round, until a harsh slam through the ground ends it. Several seconds pass, and Vegeta staggers to his feet.

"At this point, you're just embarrassing yourself." Cell spins quickly with a powerful kick that lands directly on the side of Vegeta's face. The sound of snapping bones makes many flinch. The impact was so strong, the Saiyan was knocked from his feet and to the ground in less than a second.

Vegeta lies on his back, eyes wide open, but blank and unresponsive. His head is positioned awkwardly, and his tail only twitches.

His neck is broken. It's near impossible to tell if he is dead or alive.

Nappa steps back with a gaping mouth, fearful of what he just witnessed. Vegeta lost terribly, left in a pitiful state… and Cell did all of that… without breaking a sweat?

"He… he defeated Vegeta…" Krillin gulps.

Gine covers her mouth. The others are nearly pale on the face.

A voice shakes, sounding close to a whimper. Raditz is quick to turn to Kakarot, who is the source of it.

Kakarot just stares, frozen, unable to move. Seeing Vegeta in a crippled state, his mind flashes back to when ChiChi lies on the ground dead… nearly identical to what he sees now. She was broken… so broken, with her body terribly twisted… and he was helpless to stop it.

Just as they were helpless to stop Cell.

ChiChi was killed by The Mercenary Tao, who worked closely with The Resistance Army and The Red Ribbon Army.

And Cell was created by Dr. Gero who… worked for The Red Ribbon Army. And… Bulma… And Chille.

The humans…

Chille.

Chille is the cause of all this. All of it.

He hears her dying scream again. He hears Chille's mocking laughter. His final project, Chille's final result… It is Cell. Everything before led up to this.

Even if Chille's dead… his work still lives on…

The nightmare is far from over…

Kakarot cannot move still. Despite being freed from it all, it still haunts him. He had forgotten how to breathe, or maybe it's something else. Everything around him is gone… he can only see it… broken.

Broken…

Broken…!

"Kakarot!" Raditz has his hands firmly against his youngest brother's shoulders. He shakes him violently. Kakarot has his eyes shut tight, screaming. "Kakarot! What's wrong?! Say something, damn it! What's wrong with you?!"

Gine is quick to join Raditz. She places her hands on Kakarot's head. "Kakarot. Dear. Calm down, please! It's not what you think! Kakarot!"

"He's still here!" Kakarot grips his hair as he slowly sinks to the ground. "He's still here! He won't leave me alone! He won't go away! He won't go away! Won't go away!"

"I'm here, sweetie. It's just me! It's me!" Gine tries to snap him out of it, but it's not working.

Raditz growls, somewhat scared for his brother. "Kakarot, please! Now is not the time to have a breakdown! Kakarot!"

Turles snarls. "No…"

"Well!" Cell shouts loudly, startling the others. "I don't know what just happened, but I suppose it can be justified. Someone has to quiver in fear knowing their final moments are here."

Future Trunks grabs the handle of his sword. What good would it do? What can he do? What can anyone do? He can only watch as Cell speaks to Vegeta again.

"As I was saying…" Cell begins as he places his foot against Vegeta's head. "You were a good warm-up. Too bad you won't enjoy your promised nap very long.

He just starts to apply pressure, but a distant yellow glow captures his attention. He lifts his head and turns to the direction of the source. "I forgot he can do that."

Nappa has his feet planted firmly on the ground, with his mouth wide open. With a powerful shout, the yellow light turns out to be an intense blast fired right out of the mouth. The ground below it is ripped and grinded as the blast travels towards its target.

Cell jumps back and throws both hands out to block the attack. It slams against his palms, and he is pushed back, sliding across the ground. A small grin forms, as streaks of pink light glows from Cell's hands before growing into a dark purple sphere that grows larger than his head. It acts as a shield, canceling off the blast.

Nappa is forced to stop and catch his breath. His eyes widen at the sight of the massive sphere that crackles with black bolts.

Turles blinks. "He stole Raditz's Shiny Friday! And he made it better! That bastard! I didn't think it could be used like that!"

"You Saiyans really don't use your heads, do you?" Cell chuckles. He lunges forward and thrusts the sphere against Nappa. It rubs against Nappa harshly before it bursts, sending him back. Cell casually walks towards him, watching him stand, already bruised and slightly burned. "Raditz's techniques are actually very useful if you know how to use them."

"You little…!" Nappa springs from the ground and swings, but Cell tilts away from the punch. The Saiyan keeps throwing his heavy swings, but he looks so slow compared to the enemy. His large appearance makes him even look slower.

Tien frowns. "No good. He can't land a single hit!"

Cell snatches one of Nappa's arms that tried to hit him. He has a firm hold of it even as the Saiyan tries to pull away. "You don't like losing too, I take it?"

"I haven't lost yet! Don't feel so hot all because you have most of the moves!" Nappa snarls.

"Most? You may want to correct that." Cell says. "I am flawless. I know all of your techniques, meaning I know how to counter your every move. How does it feel to know that all of your efforts will just be futile?"

"You don't know us Saiyans like you think you do."

"I have your DNA. I believe I know well enough. Ha. That move you pulled off was your strongest, wasn't it? You have nothing else to play with. After all, you saw what I did to your precious little prince. You're just wasting time."

Nappa takes in a deep breath, taking in as much air as his lungs can carry.

"Again with this? Okay. How about I show you how it's really done." Cell chuckles.

"Oh, no!" Yamcha realizes the outcome. "If he gets hit with that, he's dead for sure! That attack isn't something anyone can take directly at point-blank range!"

"Damn it!" Turles snarls. "He's not thinking!"

Tarble frowns. "I don't think he uses reason when he's worked up."

Nappa circles his lips, and he blows out a great pressure of misty air, which turns into spewing, hot, bright, and massive flames. It grows as it spreads out, engulfing Cell who is forced to release the general.

"WHOA!" Krillin steps back at the hot display. "That's crazy! He's breathing fire!"

Cell screams and fails. The attack was truly unexpected, and it's burning. He steps back as he waves his arms in an attempt to extinguish the flames, but they just keep coming. After several seconds, Nappa stops sending them, coughing out smoke. Cell is still a living torch, fighting the flames.

"Wow! That was incredible!" Future Trunks says in awe, not expecting a technique. "Where did you learn to do that?! Does it even hurt?!"

Tarble crosses his arms, interested. "It was very effective. Not strong, but effective. It seems Cell being built with some insect biology has some drawbacks."

Nappa wipes his mouth. "It's all part of our biology."

"WE CAN DO THAT?!" Future Trunks and Tarble shout at the same time. Where was this information years ago?!

"We witnessed how Vegeta can throw fireballs if he wanted." Nappa frowns. "But it's easier to manipulate out the mouth. Fire requires oxygen. While we do breathe out carbon dioxide, this planet has enough oxygen in the air to make it flare up. In fact, this planet has a ton of it. To fuel those flames and send them flying is like what you see from aerosol, only it's sprayed in a concentrated liquid form. That liquid is thicker than saliva, actually, and it's coated in the throat sorta like mucus, and it can be coughed up. It's what you see drooling out of our mouths in our Oozaru forms, and it's very flammable. A spark from energy is the fire starter. Once it makes contact with enough oxygen, it ignites into the intense flames you've witnessed. And because it was concentrated, you don't have to worry about it coming back to hit you in the face."

"I completely forgot we can do that…" Gine mutters.

Yamcha is even more uneasy. "Great. They can breathe fire."

Nappa shakes his head. "The only reason why we don't do it much is because it can only kill weak populations who can't endure fire. Also, it does get hot. It's not a technique we like to use much… it leaves a bad taste in your mouth…"

They look back at Cell who is rolling out the flames. They certainly stuck on very well. He's charred in several places.

"You say it's not so strong…" Tien notes. "But it looked like it did a lot of damage."

Tarble isn't as thrilled as the others. "The only reason it did decent was because it caught Cell by surprise. But I doubt it would work again. It would probably be best if he saved that… but then again, what other choice did he really had?"

Krillin growls. "Heads up. He's getting back up!"

Cell is back to his feet, charred and angry. "You burned my perfect body!"

"He's like a spoiled brat." Turles grumbles.

Cell huffs. It won't last too long, since it will heal away. But the fact he got caught in the flames is unacceptable. And those flames were not ordinary. They were like a liquid, almost. It was near impossible to get off his body.

But it was also impressive.

As he approaches them, the other Saiyans get into their defensive stances. Raditz quickly stands and steps in front of Kakarot, willing to protect him. Gine remains on the ground, holding him steady as she narrows her eyes.

"Hm." Cell crosses his arms. "Seeing how easy I defeated your strongest, you still wish to engage me in combat? Saiyan are really something. Aren't you even aware that I can easily kill all of you without breaking a sweat?"

"If that's true, it's not like I'll let myself die without fighting first." Future Trunks answers.

"Hm. It would be boring, wouldn't it?" Cell stops walking. "After all, an easy fight will just put me to sleep. The skills I was shown… impressed me. All of you have potential. So, I'll be nice and give you a time frame."

"A what?" Krillin is a bit confused.

"I will give you around one week." Cell promises as he holds up a single finger. "One week to prepare yourselves to face Death himself. Or maybe you can spend those final days relaxing, or saying your goodbyes. I don't care. We'll see who will manage."

"Wait a minute! This isn't just some game!" Turles snarls.

"A game? When did I ever said it would be a-" Cell pauses again. Something clicked just then. He taps his head with a smirk. "You know what? Yes. It will be a game. A game that the entire world can participate if they wish. Think of it as a… game of chance, I suppose. I am giving you the chance to live, so why not take it?"

His words leave everyone silent.

"What is it that you call it? A tournament? That would be perfect. Perhaps I'll find a way to broadcast it. I recommend you tune in later today. There will be a special announcement for all of you then. Until then, have a good week. You will need to enjoy it before you face your demise."

He flies off, leaving everyone staring until he is merely a dot in the sky.

Were they spared… or given a death sentence?

- 0000 -

Upon returning to the ship's interior, they are greeted by ChiChi at the door who appears relieved by their presence.

"I got so worried when the little spider lured me away. I'm glad everyone came back okay!"

"Not everyone." Future Trunks steps in along with the others. Nappa carries the wounded Vegeta, which startled ChiChi enough for her to jump back.

She looks as each person walks inside. As the door closes once Turles enters, she asks a new question. "Was Gohan with you?!"

"No. We never saw him." Raditz answers. "But I doubt he would foolishly go after Cell. Especially after what happened to Vegeta. The boy most likely felt it. He should be smart enough to return here. Well… I know he is. Don't get angry or fret. I know you are worried sick."

"What would you know? You didn't bother trying to look earlier!" ChiChi angrily points out. "I tried leaving several times, but your spider won't let me!"

"It's more of a tarantula in Earthling terms." Raditz corrects her. "He did the right thing. If you got hurt out there, Kakarot would had lost his mind. Well… he would have lost more of it today."

"What do you mean?" ChiChi walks up to him. She is surprised to see Kakarot just sitting on the floor.

"I think Vegeta's condition reminded him of the day you were killed. It took me half an hour to calm him down." Raditz frowns. "Chille left some deep scars. And Cell is his latest creation. I just wish that thing would die already…"

ChiChi looks very troubled. She looks at Kakarot before turning his attention to the door. "My son and my husband… their scars are so deep, and I hate it. I just want this to stop."

"We all do." Raditz sighs. "Look. I'll go find my nephew. You just sit here and-"

"It's okay. I'm right here."

The mentioned child's voice makes many heads spin towards him. Karot jumps from the ceiling and lands carefully on the ground, with his dragon following suit.

"Oh my goodness! Gohan!" ChiChi rushes towards him immediately. She pulls him into a tight hug. "Where were you?! I was so worried! You know you can't just go out there without letting me know first! That Cell monster could have killed you!"

"I know." Karot steps back once he is freed. "I felt it. Vegeta's energy just dropped. We lost the fight today. Looks like everyone else managed to get back alive."

ChiChi pinches out a ball of dirt from Karot's hair. "What were you doing anyway? You're covered in dirt! You need a bath, young man!"

"Sorry mom. I was just playing outside with Icarus." Karot explains.

"Who?" Chichi looks at the baby dragon now, he steps back and hides behind the child shyly. "You… have a pet dragon? Wait just a second! We discussed about keeping pets before-"

"He has nowhere else to go, mom. I promise I'll feed him and take him out. Pets do teach responsibility, you know?" Karot explains. "Besides. You allow Raditz's pet spider to stay."

"For the last time, he is not my pet!" Raditz growls at the assumption.

ChiChi sighs. "I don't know. We already have a lot going on. Dragons around babies doesn't sound like a good idea… and you keep leaving without notice. How can I trust you with an animal if I don't even know what you've been doing?"

"Ah. Let the boy have a dragon." Nappa cuts in, earning a few confused looks. "Not the most ideal pet, but after all the things we put him through, he deserves a bit of happiness in his life. Let the kid make some good memories for a change. Of course, I can't change your mind…"

ChiChi seems to be in thought for a few seconds. "Well… it has been rough these last few years. I hardly ever saw him smile. I guess he can keep the dragon, as long as he doesn't burn anything he's not supposed to, including those textbooks."

"I promise, mom! Icarus and I will study together!" Karot says. "But I have to train to. I'll try to even it out! I want to fight, too!"

"Against that thing?!"

"Mom…" Karot frowns. "You said it was okay, remember?"

"That was before today! After hearing what he did and-"

"It's okay to worry."

Attention turns to Kakarot now, whose attention is still on the ground.

"Everyone has a reason to worry. I mean… none of us stand a chance against Cell at all. Not now. But, he gave us a whole week to prepare. No one is going to fight him alone." Kakarot looks at ChiChi now. "You already know we need everyone's help. Including Gohan. We had this talk before… I know you hate it… but if we don't give it our all, we have no future. Our son has no future. The baby… it'll never see the world, either. It's unfair…"

Chichi places a hand on Kakarot's back. "You should sleep. Your head needs to rest. I hear you, Goku. Just…"

"Yeah. I know." Kakarot rises and heads towards his quarters. "I might need it."

Chichi looks at Raditz, who only seems somewhat upset.

"I never heard him scream like that." Raditz mutters. "Not since I saw those tapes. It's like he's still being tortured."

"You did well to calm him down." ChiChi says with a sad smile. "You're a good brother to him. And, you have a great mother as well."

Gine smiles small. "It's good to see you are safe, ChiChi."

ChiChi bows before she heads towards the kitchen. Possibly to cook a meal to lift everyone's spirits.

Tien sighs. "Don't you think Vegeta will need some healing? I don't know how long a Saiyan would last with a broken neck."

"Heading there now." Nappa announces as he walks through the group.

"Are you sure that is a wise idea, Nappa?"

The general pauses and turns around, facing Tarble who appears annoyed by what he is about to do. "I'm just putting him in the healing chamber. You're… not going to let him die, are you?"

"I was hoping that final blow finished him for good." Tarble's response was expected. The sympathetic looks from Gine and Future Trunks makes it clear. "Why heal him when he'll only wake up and cause problems again? If he's not throwing our lives away, he's constantly insulting us instead. More preferably, me."

"You heard Kakarot. We will need everyone's help." Gine says.

"Everyone, excluding Vegeta!" Tarble snarls. "You better not put him in that chamber! Let him die!"

"What?" Nappa frowns. "He's dying as we speak! I can't just-"

"Do as I say, and drop him."

"I made a promise with the-"

"I don't care about my damn father! Forget him! Forget Vegeta! I said let him die! So do it!" Tarble snarls as he aims the palm of his hand towards Nappa. "Or I'll do it myself!"

"I know you hate him. I get what you mean. I can hardly stand his ass, either."

That voice...

Kauli walks from the medical room, rubbing her head with a towel. A purple night robe covers her body. Many eyes are on her since she stole the spotlight for the moment. "But I think he learned his lesson today. Karma struck at him pretty damn good."

"She's awake? That's wonderful!" Gine smiles.

Turles huffs and turns away.

"I think I'm glad I missed that fight." Kauli admits as she looks at her. "I can't stand watching people embarrass themselves alone. Sounds like Vegeta was humiliated enough today."

Tarble isn't so pleased. "I am not-"

"Let it go, Tarble." Kauli says firmly. She crosses her arms, somewhat tired. "Can't you just wait until this whole Cell thing is over? I get that you want to end your crazy brother and all… but you might regret killing him now. Let him live. If he dies because of his own mistake, then that's his own damn fault."

Tarble growls, clearly conflicted.

"Don't make me say 'please'." She sighs.

Tarble sighs, closing his eyes and turning away. "Make it quick, before I change my mind." He takes his leave for the information room.

Nappa is a bit surprised. He seemed to believe there was no changing his mind. As he walks past Kauli, he nods towards her in thanks.

After a few seconds, she glares at everyone else. "Don't look at me. Y'all just don't know how to talk to people. Everyone knows begging is annoying."

"But… we tried reasoning with him before." Gine blinks.

"Well, I don't know about that." Kauli shrugs. "I did my part. Now tell me how Vegeta got his ass kicked."

There is a bit of silence. Her demand was unexpected. The warriors exchange glances, not sure where to start.

By the time nightfall came, everyone had already eaten and is sitting in front of the monitor Tarble brought out in hopes to find something. Raditz flips through several channels of static, growling.

Kauli passes out a bowl of fruit and a cup of water for everyone. Some say their thanks as others take it with a small nod.

"Much appreciated." Tarble says as he takes his own. "I guess a few blueberries will lift the mood a bit."

"This is ten times more than what those horrible people fed me." Kakarot grumbles as he picks up a strawberry. He tosses it in his mouth without bothering to remove the leaf.

Kauli gives him a strange look because of this, but she decides to let it go as she hands Turles a bowl.

"What's this?" Turles frowns.

"Never saw an apple before?" Kauli questions. He must have, mentioning them and eating them before.

"No. This." He holds up an orange.

"It's called an orange, and it's good for you." Kauli walks away. She catches him taking a bite of it and quickly spitting it out. "And you're supposed to peel the skin off before you eat it."

"How was I supposed to know?"

"It's common sense." Kauli says.

"Really? Then why don't we peel an apple, huh? Explain-" Turles freezes as his mother glares at him. "I mean… uh… Thanks?"

Gine smiles as she picks up a grape.

"You're welcome." Kauli grumbles as she walks on. She freezes herself as her eyes fall towards the hall.

"Are we seriously having a party at a time like this?" Vegeta growls as he walks from the medical room, slipping on a fresh pair of gloves. He walks past her, snatching the last bowl from her hands.

Kauli opens her mouth, but a glare from the prince silences her. It doesn't stop her angry glare.

"That was hers." Turles tells the prince.

Vegeta ignores him and takes a bite of an apple.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the chamber…" Yamcha grumbles as he watches the prince lean against the wall near the door. "Even after taking a beating, he's still a massive jerk."

"What was that?" Vegeta sneers towards the human.

"Nothing!" Yamcha quickly denies.

Nappa sighs before taking a drink of water.

Zhanshitao chirps uneasily as he tries to adjust the wires of the monitor while Raditz continues to flip through channels. The small creature is trying his best to help.

"There is no signal anywhere. Did Cell really think there would be many television programs after what we did to this planet?" Raditz grumbles as he changes channels again, seeing a different pattern of static.

"There was a news channel." ChiChi suggests as she stands. She takes the remote from him. "Let's see…"

A signal is finally seen.

"Finally!" Raditz's shout startles Zhanshitao. The creature falls from the wires and hits the ground below. Raditz didn't seem to notice.

A reporter sits at the counter, talking about the events from earlier, it seems. He adjusts his glasses as he goes on. "As for the sighting of a blinding light, we are led to believe that it may be the work of either the Androids or the Saiyans. From a few witnesses… it came to a conclusion that both sides are at war with each other. So please remain in shelter until-"

His desks splits in half as a force crashes right from under the floor. The man screams as he falls back.

Future Trunks clenched his fists.

Cell hovers in the air before he lands and stands on what is left of the desk. Voices in the background sound alarmed or scared. The reporter is startled, but angered by the intrusion.

"Hey! You can't just-"

Cell flicks a finger towards him, sending a tiny but concentrated ball of energy. It hits the man and explodes on contact, destroying a good chunk of the room the man once was. The screaming worsens, but Cell ignores them. He turns towards the camera. "You. Focus on me if you want to live."

Gine clamps her hands together as she stares at the screen. "He really was serious…"

Cell clears his throat before he speaks. "Greeting, people of Earth. Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Cell, someone you might have heard of who went city to city, causing mass panic to rise once again as people are literally melting from the streets. They have participated in giving me my perfect body that you now see before you. While I have enjoyed terrorizing Earth, these last few days have been interesting for all of us… but it has just begun. Rejoice! Because I am about to make an offer you simply cannot resist! I announce the next Martial Arts Tournament, which I dubbed, 'The Cell Games'! A catchy title, don't you think?"

"A tournament?" Kakarot echoes, not liking the sound of it at all. He had participated in a few before, and he always enjoyed them. But this may just be a game of death.

"The Cell Games will be held nine days from today in Area S.5, twenty-eight miles northeast from Eastern City. Well, what's left of it. There, you will find an arena I designed myself, inspired from what is seen from The World Martial Arts Tournament. It's a perfect place for me to crush my opponents, without much of an obstacle."

Raditz snarls. "Arrogant son of a…!"

"The rules will be the same. If the opponent gives up or is knocked out long enough, they lose. If they step out of the ring, they are disqualified. And may this never happen… but if they were to die… well, it's game over for them." Cell chuckles. "But you all have the advantage. I'll fight every single challenger one by one. I will take no breaks in-between matches. So while a new fighter comes in fresh and ready, I may be fatigued. Or not. It all depends on who I fought prior. Fail to defeat me, however… and you can say goodbye to your precious world. So send in your greatest fighters. That is if you Saiyans didn't kill them all."

Nappa growls. "He's mocking us."

"Just remember. Nine days." Cell reminds the viewers. "And just to give you an idea of what you are up against…" He faces the palm of his hand behind him. A blast is unleashed, taking down the wall behind him and tearing through the road ahead, leaving a trail of destruction for all to see.

He's showing off.

"Face me, if you dare. I'll see you there." He laughs as he jumps from the ground and takes off into flight, leaving the news station shaken up. After several seconds, a standby screen takes over the channel.

Everyone just stares at the screen, unsure of what to say at the moment. It's not until Tarble takes the remote to turn the screen off. He speaks up. "Sitting around will do no good. We'll return to the lookout, and finish the training that we started."

"Huh?" Kakarot blinks. He didn't catch that due to being so absorbed into the television.

"We have no time to waste. I'll assign the teams now." Tarble says. "Raditz, you take Karot. Turles, you're assigned to take Trunks. As for you, Kauli, you get your lessons from Kakarot. I'm sure he can teach you something since he was raised here like you."

"Why can't I train with my own kid?" Raditz frowns.

"He'll be a mere distraction." Tarble says. "We can't afford any. As for the others… I suppose they can arrange it themselves."

Krillin and Yamcha exchange glances.

"Whoever said you could make the decisions around here?" Vegeta challenges him. He's still angry for what happened. His eyes lock on Tarble. "The last time I checked, I'm the one in charge."

"Allow me to remind you what happens when we allow you to make the decisions." Tarble snarls.

"So we're just going to be a smart-mouth now?"

"Oh, dear me. I must apologize for not being so polite before." Tarble clears his throat. "Hello, dear brother. How's your pride?"

Vegeta snarls as he marches forward. "Don't think you just talk to me in any way! His victory was just a fluke!"

"So what did you call that Final Flash? An accident?" Tarble narrows his eyes. "It just sums up exactly what you are."

A mouthful of water flies from Kauli's mouth. She coughs heavily, punching her chest. She must had breathed in the water accidentally, trying to laugh.

Vegeta balls up a fist as he steps near Tarble "You little…!"

"Hey, hey!" Nappa shouts quickly. "You heard the news. Cell won't be taking any breaks between fights. This is our chance to wear him down, and we will need everybody to be present when that day comes. Every. Body."

Vegeta crosses his arms. He doesn't say anything else.

"Thank you for the reminder, Nappa." Tarble says. "I feel like I am going to need it every time he gets under my skin."

"It's what I'm here for." Nappa says. "Back on topic. You're sending off Raditz and Kakarot's kid first, huh?"

"Of course. Vegeta, you, and I had a turn before. We'll let everyone go before we go again. It's only fair." Tarble's answer causes Vegeta to nearly roll his eyes. "We have nine days. If I do the math right… there's about thirteen of us available. We have plenty of time to spend a whole year training. We'll give it our all, form some new techniques. Simple."

"It sounds good so far." Future Trunks agrees. "I guess it will be interesting to train with Uncle Turles. I do want to know more about him."

"Spending a year with Raditz's kid?" Turles chuckles. "I don't know how to feel about that. But Tarble's right. We can't afford distractions. It's best we train with someone we don't know much about. Maybe we'll learn something."

"I can finally get my shit together." Kauli says. "I'm going to work on energy manipulation, and move on from there. Don't go easy on me, Kakarot."

"Uh… okay." Kakarot rubs the back of his head. He never really trained with a female before. He isn't sure how well he'll handle it.

"Well, let's go on our way." Tarble says as he heads towards the door. "Everyone had their snacks, so we should be good for some time."

"Wait." Kakarot says quickly. He has the floor, so he asks a question. "Can Raditz's pet train too?"

Raditz snatches his arm. "Call him a pet again! I dare you-"

"I'm sure Tao can train. But I worry that the pressure would be too much." Gine says as she stands and separates the two immediately with a single push.

"We may have to ask Kami about that." Tarble says. "He knows about the time chamber more than all of us. I'm not sure what the Giantula could do but… I'm sure Raditz will figure it out."

Zhanshitao tilts his head. Training didn't cross his mind.

"You want to send him to fight?" Raditz asks Kakarot, like he is stupid. "You know he's not that strong! He'll be squashed! He's not exactly a warrior!"

"He kinda did wreck Android 13…" Kakarot reminds him.

Raditz seems to think about it. "Just give me time." He looks at Zhanshitao who crawls up his leg and to his shoulder. "Though I don't see what good he would be."

Zhanshitao stands on his two hind legs, using the rest to place against his sides. He stands like a proud person, and he chirps a heroic trumpeting melody: "Riii, rii, rii-rii, rii-riii~!"

"Don't do that." Raditz frowns at him.

Tarble slides open the door, and he steps out.

"Hold on." Kauli calls.

Tarble turns around. "What's the question now?"

"No. Not a question." She replies as she looks outside towards the sky. "… I'm not a genius with this energy-sensing thing… but if I can feel that, then something ain't right. My gut is screaming at me to take my ass back inside the ship."

"I think that's just your gut telling you that you forgot to use the restroom." Turles frowns.

Kauli is annoyed by his reply. "Not in the mood for it today. Keep talking, and you'll be the one shitting your pants."

"I wasn't even- forget it." Turles crosses his arms after earning her glare. "Can't say anything around this chick. At least it's clear that she's a lot better."

Gine slowly approaches the door. "Wait. She's not wrong. I can't sense energy… but I do feel that something is off about the atmosphere."

"It can't be Cell, is it?" ChiChi grows concerned.

"No. It's not." Kakarot answers as he joins her side. "We know what he feels like. Kauli isn't wrong. I am starting to sense something… and it's making me a bit uneasy."

Tarble sighs. "Looks like training will have to wait."

"Okay… what the hell am I sensing?" Vegeta grumbles as he looks towards the sky.

"Exactly my thoughts." Kauli says.

The room suddenly flashes red as a siren goes off. It verifies that something is up. Nappa responds quickly, walking to the controls and looking at the screen sitting at the table. The monitor returns in seconds. On the radar is a blinking red dot. "There's something entering the Earth's stratosphere."

"The what?" Kakarot is confused.

"Not now, Kakarot." Raditz frowns as he joins the general's side. Vegeta is quick to the table as well.

"It's going to land here within a minute. That's how fast it's going." Vegeta turns from the table and heads outside. "It's certainly not a ship crafted by the Earthlings."

"Do you think it could be one of Frieza's soldiers?" Turles asks.

"How should I know? There's only one way we can find out. Just stay low. They won't have a friendly welcome, whoever they are."

"Uh… Vegeta?" Nappa calls him.

"What is it?"

"According to the radar, it's picking up that their landing might be close."

"How close?"

The sound of the air screaming catches their attention. The sky glows orange as a flaming and massive ship parts from the clouds and towards the ground. It crashes into the forest ahead, shaking the earth and causing leaves to fly. Birds scatter away in panic.

Nappa blinks. "That close…"

Kakarot's mouth hangs open. His shoulder is patted by Raditz.

"Don't worry. We'll make them pay for killing your trees." He could be joking, or teasing him. Either way, he earns an angry look from Kakarot.

"Let's just go."

It doesn't take long for the warriors to arrive at the landing site. They are all on guard, waiting for something to reveal themselves from inside.

The ship is just about as big as their own. It's somewhat taller, and slimmer. The door is a hatch that opens towards the ground to act as a ramp. It hisses loudly, causing the warriors to get into a defensive stance.

A handful of soldiers all wearing full body army pour out, equipped with energy blasters. They simply line up, not aiming at anyone yet. Perhaps they are in standby until they are given orders. However, to everyone's surprise, they all fall to one knee and bow down.

"... What?" Turles isn't sure how to feel about this.

"Check it out. They have scouters." Kakarot notes.

"It looks like a new model. They look sleeker, not much bulk compared to the ones I had." Raditz notes. "To bad I have no use for them anymore. I would have liked one of those."

"Yeah." Turles agrees. "So they don't know how to sense energy."

"I say we don't let them see our power." Kakarot says. "Just in case."

Vegeta seems to be making a judgement of the situation. After a few silent seconds, he speaks up. "What's the meaning of this?"

Kakarot's eyes widen as he feels a spark shoot through his body. He picked up the energy raiding from two others, and they feel terribly familiar.

The other warriors all snap their heads towards the ship entrance as well. They too, had picked it up. The sensation is impossible to ignore.

Finally. They see a figure of another person walking towards the door. Once they step into the light, they see him. A man with a worn down, black frieza-force armor. A long, white, and frilled cape flows behind him as he takes a step off the ship. His hair is black and spiked upward, not too tall nor so short. The most noticeable thing is the scar that runs across one eye that is tightly shut, meaning he is half blind.

Coming behind him… another man who is noticeably taller. Possibly younger. His black wild hair reaches to his shoulders. He is shirtless, with worn down black pants, and lime-green fur is worn around his waist. A silver collar is around his neck. He seems rather shy, and somewhat curious. A crossing scar is noticeable on one side of his chest, with a single one just below his cheek. He had his fair share of battles.

Kakarot's eyes slightly widen as they lock with warrior. He knows those kind of eyes. Looking back at the other man… another feature is noticeable around his waist. He quickly turns to Raditz. "Those two guys there. They are-"

"Yeah. I felt it." Raditz nods, silently judging the arrivals.

"But how?" Nappa wonders.

The strangers drop to their knees and cross a single arm across their chest. The older man speaks up. "Pardon the intrusion, but we finally found who we are looking for. It is a great honor to meet you, Prince Vegeta."

"Hail! Vegeta!" The soldiers say at once.

Kauli blinks. "Say what now?"

Vegeta crosses his arms, and a small smirk forms on his face. "I know one when I see one. How did you manage to avoid the destruction of our planet? In fact, what are your names?"

"My name is Paragus." The Saiyan introduces himself.

Raditz and Turles gawk at the name. "It's that guy!" The two immediately turn around. They take slow and cautious steps, tip-toeing their way far from the Saiyan as possible.

Kakarot notices them and calls them. "Hey, Turles! Raditz! Come on, don't go! He's one of us!"

The two brothers freeze and slowly turn their heads towards him.

Kakarot is suddenly a mini-Kakarot that is a colorless sketch. His brothers tower over him as giants. Lightning flashes behind them.

"Kakaroooot…!"

Kakarot shrinks smaller. "What did I do…?"

Paragus turns to Kakarot, looking surprised. "Those two?!" He notices Raditz and Turles, and immediately, he seems angry. "You two!"

"That guy!" Raditz and Turles point at him in sync.

Kakarot looks between them. "Hm? You guys know each other already?"

"Those two runts used to mess with my tail every day! The annoying brats they were! To think I would run into them, and they are fully grown! I'm sure you two never changed!"

Raditz growls. "So what? You're the one who allowed it!"

"Of course!" Turles agrees. "Just don't mess with us, and we'll let you be!"

Paragus turns to Kakarot. "You know them, right?"

Kakarot nods. "Uh-huh! They are my big brothers!"

Glass shatters in Paragus' perspective. "Big… brothers…? That's right… you're the youngest son of Bardock. How did I let that slip my mind…?" Dread fills his face. He can see all three of them as children jumping on his back as he lies helpless on the ground.

Kakarot takes notice of Paragus laying on the ground. A black tornado swirl is hovering and twirling above his head. "Uh… Paragus, sir? Are you alright?"

The other with him is concerned for the collapsed Saiyan. "Father?"

Raditz is a bit surprised. "Wait a second. He's a dad? I think I somewhat remember him having a kid."

Vegeta speaks again. "I asked for both names.

"Yes." Paragus slowly rises, nodding once. He gestures his hand towards the other Saiyan. "This is my son, Broly."

"Broly?" Gine's eyes slightly widened.

Kakarot raises a hand. "Excuse me, sir. You said my father's name. How do you know about him?"

"Oh? Bardock became quite popular. Especially after his death, I am sorry." Paragus says. "I heard a lot about you, Kakarot. I must thank you for putting an end to Frieza. But, that isn't what I am here for."

Kakarot doesn't mind, but he can tell the newcomer doesn't fully trust him. He turns to his brothers with a frown. "Why would you guys mess with him? That's not very nice."

"Whoever said we have to be nice?" Raditz growls. "Besides, it's funny to see what situation he goes through every time we mess with him anyway, and I'll damn sure do it again if I were still a kid!"

Kakarot tilts his head. "What's so funny about it? He doesn't even like me that much simply because I'm your brother. He thinks I'm like you guys."

Turles shrugs. "There's nothing I can do about that. Sort it out yourself."

"Boys." Gine calls them, grabbing their attention. "Let's not cause any trouble for our guests. After all, they are survivors like you are. At least show a little courtesy. That means no tail-pulling."

"I'm not five anymore, mom." Raditz grumbles.

"Ah!" Paragus takes notice of something else. "You're alive as well! You must be the wife of Bardock. I've been seeing you time to time back when we were still in Planet Vegeta."

Gine steps back as he takes notice of the halo hovering over her head. She smiles nervously. "It's a uh… new accessory."

"A bit bizarre… But it's not too bad." Paragus turns to face Nappa. "And the general himself, Nappa. It's good to know you are still alive."

Nappa chuckles. "It takes a lot more than you think to kill me.

"Hm. I see we have a few inhabitants… and Saiyan children?" Paragus' eyes fall on Karot who takes a step back.

"Oh. This is my son, Gohan." Kakarot introduces the child. He looks at him, but is a bit surprised when Karot turns away from him. "Uh…but he prefers to he called 'Karot'. Sorry. He's not exactly in a good mood today."

"I see." Paragus nods. "And you, young man. You must be…?"

Future Trunks realizes he is being spoken to. "Uh, right. My name is Trunks-"

"You may call him Seleriak." Raditz cuts him off, finishing the introduction. "And he's my son."

"Hm…" Paragus could be judging Trunks, wondering if he is very much like his father. He begins to look around again, until his eyes fall on Kauli. "A Saiyan with blue eyes? Impossible. I thought-"

"The name is Kauli." Kauli interrupts him before he finishes. "I don't want to be rude, but I don't like being stared at. Just get on with it, alright?"

Vegeta looks at her funny. She was rather quick to cut him off.

Paragus doesn't argue. "Well, Prince Vegeta. It seems we have a great number of survivors here. It must be thrilling to know that-"

"Ah-hem. I'm right here." Tarble's voice grabs attention. He is not pleased to be left out. No surprise that Vegeta wouldn't bother to introduce him.

Paragus is a bit surprised. "I didn't see you there. Hm. You share looks similar to the late king."

"I am Tarble." Tarble introduces himself. "It sounds like you are familiar with my father."

Paragus nods. "I've met him personally. You must be his youngest son. It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Tarble."

"No." Tarble offers his hand, and he shakes Paragus' in an honorable manner. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I believe today will be quite interesting, if I must say."

"Yes. Good to know there are more survivors." Paragus says pleasantly.

Yamcha turns to Tien, realizing the Saiyan hardly paid them any mind. "Did he just ignore us?"

"I don't think he would even acknowledge us." Tien answers.

"I'm sure your brother will be pleased. I know he tends to be a bit distant but… that's simply how he is. I promise this day will not disappoint." Paragus says.

Tarble nearly chuckles at this. Paragus has no idea on just what kind of person Vegeta is.

"And how would I know for sure?" Vegeta frowns. "We have enough happening today. We have no time for a happy reunion party or anything foolishly related."

"Whatever the situation is, Broly and I will gladly assist you." Paragus bows down. "Though I am curious, you don't have any children yourself?"

Vegeta nearly laughs. "With an Earthling? I would rather die."

"Understandable. But have you ever considered having an heir to your throne? It is quite important, and it appears you and your brother have nothing. Not saying you must. It's just a bit strange to me, since apparently, this planet enables Saiyans to reproduce."

"I already gave you my reasons. Besides. I'm not exactly fond of dealing with crybaby brats." Vegeta says.

"So I assume Kauli here is taken."

Kauli's eyes widen before she growls. "Excuse me?"

Paragus sees his mistake. "I apologize. Making assumptions wasn't very wise, clearly. I have no reason to jump into anyone's business. I'll simply inform you why we are here since you have every right to know. Broly and I heard how you were one of the surviving Saiyans when our homeworld was destroyed. We searched far and wide, but we could never find you. It wasn't until I came across some information about your whereabouts that led us here. We wish to finish what was started, by staying with you until the end."

"Really?"

"Truly. It's terrible on what happened to our planet. We became a forgotten race, but I refuse to let that linger on. The Saiyans are proud warriors who should always be remembered! We will help you build a brand-new empire and bring our name back into the universe, and you will be its king!"

Vegeta chuckles. "Isn't that so? Well… if you are laughably weak, I don't see any good use in you." His answer catches the pair of newcomers by surprise. "But I can't see why I should turn down a Saiyan, especially one who gives me more respect than I was given these past few years. I'll think about it."

Tarble shakes his head. "Don't refuel his ego…"

"Oh! Thank you, Prince Vegeta!"

"No need." Vegeta walks away. "Nappa. Show them around. If they want to stay, they'll have to prove themselves useful."

"Of course." Nappa nods. He begins to lead them away.

Kakarot watches them go, somewhat curious. For a second, his eyes lock with Broly's. He feels uneasy almost immediately as the contact breaks. He turns to Vegeta, wondering what is on his mind. "You're letting them in the lookout?"

"Of course not. What kind of question is that? They might end up dying in there anyway. It would be a waste " Vegeta says. "I'm not telling them all that happened. I doubt they would be much help, either. I'm just starting to wonder if this planet is a magnet to Saiyans."

As he walks away, the others seem to move as well.

"I guess we should get to know them, huh?" Future Trunks says. "I mean, it won't hurt, will it?"

"No. We have more hands just as we needed." Tarble says. "Just wait until they learn just how troubling Vegeta will be. I might as well warn them before they find themselves being used as a footrest. They are blind to reality right about now."

Kakarot isn't sure how everyone seems fine with what just happened. "How can all of you just trust them so openly like that?"

Raditz answers. "You heard them. They've been hoping to find Vegeta. And from what I've seen so far, they don't seem like trouble. Just your usual pair of low-classes who want to be recognized by elite soldiers. I know how that feels. You don't trust anyone so easily anymore, and I can't blame you."

"I'm not judging because of that." Kakarot says. "Something is off. It's not Paragus, though… or maybe it is. When I saw Broly, I had this funny feeling, you know?"

"It's been a while since you encountered another Saiyan." Turles says. "You naturally feel a little uneasy. Then you'll want to challenge them. It's that simple."

"No. It's not that." Kakarot shakes his head. "I just… don't want to believe their intentions of being here right away. Paragus is a bit too nice for a Saiyan."

"Or maybe he's just a fanboy." Turles chuckles as he walks away.

"Take it easy, Kakarot. It's not kind to assume something bad out of someone you just met." Tarble says as he follows the others. "This could be a grand opportunity for us. You are usually thrilled to meet new people. I guess this week was just too much for most of us."

Gine pats her youngest on the head. "It's okay. I understand. Let's just return to the ship, and we'll learn what we can."

After a few minutes, everyone returns to the ship. Paragus and Broly looks at their surroundings, somewhat impressed by the build. Broly is more observant, tapping the monitor until Tarble lightly guides his hand away.

"Don't touch that, Broly. It's very delicate hardware." Paragus warns his son.

Broly steps away. He walks around to take in the layout some more.

"He's not much of a talker, huh?" Nappa asks him.

"He can talk. He's just a bit distant. Give him time to warm up to you." Paragus says. "He's a very curious one. Anything new seems to fascinate him."

"I see. He's never seen a computer before?"

"Well, we were a bit stranded for some time. It may just be my fault for not introducing him to enough technology." Paragus says. "Broly! Don't touch that!"

Broly pulls his hand away before it could touch the refrigerator.

"You must be hungry." Raditz realizes.

"Before he eats, he's going to need a bath." Kauli waves her hand over her nose. "He smells like has hasn't had one in months. And, he needs a shirt on."

That wasn't very mind to say, some might agree.

"I'll pick out your armor." Tarble announces. "Just go ahead and clean up. There's more than one shower to wash in. Your new clothes will be waiting for you when you are done. Of course, we won't leave your father out of this."

Paragus seems pleased. "Your kindness is appreciated." He heads to the bathroom along with Broly.

ChiChi watches all this from the distance. She sighs as she holds Baby Trunks close to her chest. "More Saiyans. Just what we needed. How can anyone just willingly accept them in like that?"

Kakarot can't answer that. Even he doesn't know. All that he does know… is to trust his gut and keep a close eye on them. He could be paranoid, but at the same time…

…

After some time, Paragus walks back out with new shining armor. It's mostly green, with a black chest plate. His cape fits just as snugly as it did with the old armor. He even has a new pair of gloves, and boots that go well with the attire.

As for Broly, he wears the same chest armor, black pants, and matching boots. He had slipped back on the fur, oddly enough.

Vegeta takes notice of this as he walks from the information room. "Still wearing that old thing? You don't exactly need it. At least wash it."

Chichi walks towards Broly carefully. "Here. I'll wash it for you." She reaches for it, and Broly steps back. "It will look so good once it's clean-"

"NO!"

ChiChi jumps back with a startled scream, noticing how his hand is raised. She feels her body quickly being pulled back, and she falls into Kakarot's arms.

Broly stares her down with bared teeth. It's obvious that her offer is not being taken.

"Please, Kakarot. Forgive him!" Paragus takes Broly's arm and lowers it down carefully.

"It's fine. I get it." Kakarot mutters, looking at the fur now. "It must be really important to him. We won't touch it."

Gine must had held her breath, because she exhales heavily.

"Gee. What was his problem?" Turles points towards Broly, looking at Raditz.

"Don't know. At least we know he's not a mute." Raditz says.

"Broly…" Paragus appears somewhat disappointed. "I thought I taught you some manners."

Broly relaxes, and he looks at ChiChi and bows his head. He speaks almost too quiet to hear. "... Sorry."

"It's okay…" ChiChi smiles nervously. "I didn't know how special it was to you. Is that it? It must be really special."

Broly nods small as he steps away.

As everyone has their attention towards Broly, Paragus presses the black button on the side of his scouter. The device turns on, locked onto the pair standing before him. The characters shift on the screen as the device beeps. Once they are still, his eyes narrow. "Is that so?"

"The Earthling there… a mere ten. As for the brothers… the oldest one, Raditz… he's no higher than five-thousand. Turles… he's merely around four. But the young one there… that Kakarot… he's at two thousand. And he's the one who defeated Frieza? Something's not adding up here."

He looks towards the other Saiyan. Tarble is three-thousand. Nappa is…six-thousand, huh?" Paragus studies Karot now. "The kid there is around nine hundread, and that girl… one-thousand. The teen there is in the same range. They don't come close. Even the other Earthlings can hardly go over twenty. Odd…"

The scouter locks on to Vegeta now.

"Eight-thousand? He's just as strong as his father." Paragus places his hand near the button. "This will turn out just fine."

Beep! Beep-beep!

"Huh?" Paragus focuses as the scouter directs him to turn left. "It's picking up another power level… but, I thought I had already looked at everyone in this room. Hmm…"

He continues to turn his head until it locks onto something.

"Power level… seven hundred? Who could possibly have such a-"

REEEEEEEEEE!

Paragus shouts in alarm as a glowing white blur attacks his chest. He falls to the ground, and now everyone is in guard. The down Saiyan grips the glowing attacker. His scouter locks on to it, and through the tent, he sees a baseball-sized tarantula creature standing on his chest. It is baring its fangs at him. "GAH! GIANTULA!"

Broly seems ready to move, but Raditz's booming voice shuts everything down.

"BAD ZHANSHITAO! BAD! LET HIM GO THIS INSTANT!"

Zhanshitao's body stops glowing in seconds, but he doesn't stop hissing. Gine is quick to snatch him off of Paragus. The creature screeches angrily and thrashes in her hands.

"What is that thing doing here?!" Paragus jumps to his feet quickly as his right hand reaches for a pocket from his belt. "It almost killed me!"

Raditz takes the angry alien spider from his mother's hands. He holds him firmly as he tries to jump off. "He's not a threat! He never attacked anyone like that before! He only attacks when I ask him to, or when I'm in danger! I don't know what's gotten into… gah! Him! Damn it! Tao! Calm down!"

Zhanshitao doesn't listen. He screeches and tries to squirm his way through.

Raditz digs in his pocket and takes out a capsule. He throws it to the air, and it bursts into a small cage that he catches with his tail. He carefully guides Zhanshitao towards it, and at the last second, he throws him inside and slams the door shut.

The cage shakes violently as the screeching goes on. Raditz winches and leans back before tossing a blanket over it. It manages to muffle out most of the volume.

"Okay. Wow." Kauli can only comment.

Vegeta finally registers what just happened. He shakes his head quickly to snap out of thought and blurs out; "What the hell was that?!"

"I don't know! He just went crazy!" Raditz answers, just as confused. "I already said he never did that before!"

"I only allowed you to keep that pest, because it wasn't dangerous, and it was tamed! If you don't want me to destroy it, you better control it!" Vegeta warns him, pointing at the jumping cage.

Raditz growls as he grabs the cage from hanging on his tail. He walks towards the rooms to put him away. "What the hell Tao?! What's wrong with you?!" He spoke harshly in his native tongue as he disappears.

"Holy crap…" Krillin gulps. "That was… unexpected…"

Paragus dusts himself off. "Giantula's are capable of turning a Saiyan into liquid soup from the inside out. We usually try to stay away from them."

"I'm so, so sorry!" Gine apologized. "I promise you, Tao is very sweet. I never saw him do that before! He must had panicked!"

"You call that panicking?" Nappa points to the rooms. The screeches can be faintly heard. "Maybe he's starting to tie back to his instincts. Giantulas aren't meant to be pets, you know. Their main diet consists of large animals and naive Saiyan children. They can take down an adult if their guard is down."

"I know that." Gine frowns. "I just… I don't want to think he attacked him for food."

"If it can tackle down Paragus in its restrained form, just imagine what could have happened if he were in its real form." Vegeta growls. "If you didn't have a cage, I would had squashed it by now."

Future Trunks rubs his head. "I wonder what all that was about? At least no one got hurt."

"There has to be a good reason for it." Kakarot mutters.

"I think it just lost its damn mind." Vegeta walks towards the monitor. "This is just embarrassing. Let's just move on. We have work to do, remember?"

Tarble is puzzled by the event. He doesn't think about it too long as he waved his hand. "Come now, Paragus. I'll check on you just in case he did some unknown damage."

Broly begins to follow.

"It's okay. It will only take a second. How about you spend some time with the others to get to know them?"

Paragus looks at his son. "I'm sure you're hungry. Just wait here."

As they head off, Broly takes a seat at a chair.

Everyone resumes their tasks, excluding Kakarot, who keeps his focus towards the resting quarters. He can still hear the faint cries. Zhanshitao hasn't calmed down yet.

"That was no panic at all. He actually tried to kill him." Kakarot frowns. "Something isn't right here."

---

BONUS: OTES GAMING TIME!

Today's Quotes: Mentor rankings!

(If they were in a Xenoverse game. Their responses how well you did. Ranks are from worst to best.)

*Kakarot:

F Rank - "Uh… wow. Um… that was… really bad."

D Rank - "Well… you tried. I guess."

C Rank - "Not bad. But… not so good. You're getting there."

B Rank - "Huh. That was nice. Just keep going, alright?"

A Rank - "Hey! That was cool! But I bet you can do better!"

S Rank - "Whoa! What power! You really got this down!"

Z Rank - "Hahaha! That was awesome! I think you are ever better than me! We should have a good match one day!"

*Raditz:

F Rank - "What the… what are you DOIIIING?! Get up!"

D Rank - "You're learning absolutely nothing here! Let me be!"

C Rank - "You could do better, you know. Bah. Fine. I'll tolerate this a little. Alright?"

B Rank - "Well then. That's how it's done. But you could have done more than that."

A Rank - "Good. Good. But you're not done yet. Don't settle on just your A-game. Got it?"

S Rank - "Hah! Well now, aren't you being a bit of a show-off?"

Z Rank - "Hahaha! Looks like I have nothing left to teach you! You have truly grown, kid!"

*Turles:

F Rank - "I'm starting to reconsider sparing this planet from the seeds I was going to plant…"

D Rank - "Tch. Seriously? That's it? I could do better with one arm!"

C Rank - "I guess we are making progress… no, not really. Back to square one."

B Rank - "Well then. There we are. But… not quite."

A Rank - "Interesting. You might actually be worth more than I expected, kid."

S Rank - "That's perfect. Perfect! I made a great decision teaching you after all!"

Z Rank - "You're insane. That's what I'm talking about. You are a true warrior no doubt!"

*Nappa:

F Rank - "... I think death was a better fate for you, kid."

D Rank - "Aw. Come on! Is that it?! What a waste of time!"

C Rank - "Well. Maybe you are going places. Don't limit yourself here. Pick up the slack!"

B Rank - "Huh. Not bad. I think you are going to go big, kid."

A Rank - "Whoa. That's what I like to see! Keep it up, kiddo!"

S Rank - "Whoa! What was that? I have to check my eyes! You were incredible out there!"

Z Rank - "Hahaha! I think even Prince Vegeta would find you very amusing, kiddo! That's it!"

*Vegeta:

F Rank - "You know what?! Consider yourself lucky that I am not about to kill you. But I want you out my sight! Now!"

D Rank - "And you call yourself MY student? You're a bigger joke than Yamcha!"

C Rank - "You've got to be pulling my tail! Get back and start all over!"

B Rank - "Wow. You did wonderful. Wonderful at wasting my time. Try harder."

A Rank - "Yes. That's better. Actually, no. You could DO better."

S Rank - "Well then. You might be worth something after all."

Z Rank - "What in the- What are you? Some sort of monster?!"

*Tarble:

F Rank - "Please tell me you are joking. I'm very displeased that you made yourself look like a laughing stock!"

D Rank - "... Well. That proves you can do nothing to impress me. Reality is harsh, isn't it?"

C Rank - "My, my. You're acting rash, are you? But, it's better than nothing. I'll accept this effort."

B Rank - "Wonderful effort. But for sure, you could do better. I want more from you. Understand?"

A Rank - "Ah. See? You have the potential. That there proves it. But I doubt it would impress Vegeta."

S Rank - "Yes! That's exactly it! You, child, are one of a kind. How wonderful."

Z Rank - "Magnificent! You're truly splendid! This is… I have no words! Even I couldn't pull that off so easily!"

*Kid Karot (Gohan):

F Rank - "Um… I hope you know the Saiyans would kill you for this. I could say you tried…?"

D Rank - "Oh, no. Was it really that hard? I could have helped if you just asked…"

C Rank - "Hey. Pretty good. But Uncle Raditz would say it's not good. He's a stricter teacher, you know?"

B Rank - "I bet you could stand up to dad if he ever snapped again. Well, almost."

A Rank - "Whoa. That's cool! Wait. I'm supposed to be strict. Um… try harder! Yeah!"

S Rank - "Awesome! That's really, really cool! I wonder if you could win against my uncles?"

Z Rank - "Wow! You're amazing! Oh, no! Uncle Raditz won't be happy if he finds out I haven't been training like this!"

*Future Seleriak (Trunks):

F Rank - "Have… you ever fought anything before or…? Oh, no. This isn't good…"

D Rank - "Well… it's not terrible. But it's still bad. How about we try again?"

C Rank - "Okay. That's it. A glimmer of hope! Use what you learned here, and you can do better!"

B Rank - "Nice! I knew you could do it! Man. My teachers never gave me a compliment for tying this much."

A Rank - "That's more than impressive! But I know deep down, you have even more power!"

S Rank - "Incredible! Nothing can stop you now, for sure!"

Z Rank - "Is this all really from you?! That's amazing! You shattered expectations!"

*Kauli:

F Rank - "Ooooh my gosh. No. You are killing meee! Get your shit together! Ain't nobody got time for this!"

D Rank - "Wooow. You are really good at wasting your life. Great job at failing. 100%."

C Rank - "I mean… is that it? You asked me to train you but uh… I have other things to do."

B Rank - "Okay. Okay. That's what we want. I want you to do better than this, alright?"

A Rank - "Nice. There's the effort we need, now. Don't go around bragging yet. You ain't done."

S Rank - "Hey! Chill! Chill! This ain't no contest! But, I love it! You're really good at this!"

Z Rank - "Damn! What the hell did you eat for breakfast?! Super-flakes?! That's some crazy true power right there!"

*Gine:

F Rank - "Uh… okay. Yeah. That was terrible. You might want to think over this whole training thing."

D Rank - "Bad. Really bad. We can try again, okay? Maybe you'll do better. I hope."

C Rank - "I can catch my breath. I got worried for a second it was too much for you. You managed. Somehow."

B Rank - "That's good. Let's try harder together. Maybe you can ask Bardock for some help, too."

A Rank - "That's it! You did great! But don't count on your laurels."

S Rank - "Amazing! Your power is amazing! You really are something!"

Z Rank - "Impossible! There is no way you could had- haha! You can't possibly be my student anymore! I have nothing left to teach!"

---

A/N: Finally finished!

Readers: I am confusion.

Yeah?

Readers: Are you using DBZ Broly or DBS Broly?

Yes.

;)

IMMA BE HONEST RIGHT NOW. If anyone draws the scene when Zhanshitao went crazy, that would be golden.

I'm kinda laughing at the mental image of Raditz throwing Zhanshitao in his cage like he's a rabid dog or something. XD

Readers: WHICH VERSION OF BROLY ARE YOU USING?!

Yes.

---

Possible Questions:

PQ1: So you realize this is the Cell saga. What is going on with Gohan?

A: If I dare to leave him out the Cell saga, you are free to slap me.

PQ2: Saiyans breathe fire?

A: Sorta inspired for two reasons.

Reason 1: GT. Yes. Dragon Ball Grand Tour, everyone. When Goku transformed into a golden ape, he was breathing fire. Baby's flashback about the Saiyans even show them breathing fire. While GT isn't canon, fire-breathing Saiyans sound pretty sick.

Reason 2: Once again it's because of Sun Wukong from Journey to The West. I remember seeing one movie when he breathed out fire and sucked it into his eyes. Other stories and shows show Wukong's eyes catching flames whenever he looks into a person to see if they are a demon or anything related in disguise. And Sun Wukong is seen with fire sometimes, so hey.

Also, breathing fire can't be done without some sort of reaction. You need a spark, a flammable gas or something to spray it, and oxygen. Boom. You have fire. Think of it as what happens when you spray hairspray over a lighter. That's basically how it works for the Saiyans.

Kids. Don't play with fire.

PQ3: Vegeta?

A: Vegeta got destroyed physically and mentally.

We tried to warn him.

PQ4: Vegeta and Tarble is getting some focus here.

A: The idea of each book is to focus on certain characters.

*Book 1: Focused on Kakarot, Gohan, and Raditz.

Book 2: Kakarot, Raditz… mostly.

Book 3: Kakarot, Raditz, Gohan, Tarble, Future Trunks.

Book 4: Vegeta, Tarble, Nappa, Gohan, Future Trunks, Turles, Kauli, and… someone else. Kakarot and Raditz is sorta a default since they are the mains but…

I feel like these characters get a spotlight in each segment.

This is different. Right now we are about to look deep into the elite Saiyans for obvious reasons. Broly has arrived and we know the story…

Stories…

Story… uh.

You'll see what I am about to do.

PQ5: Shipping war?

A: Yeah, and look. I'm still kinda shaken up after what happened before. I mean, after the whole Raditz and Bulma thing, someone got really mad at me and abandoned the series.

I mean… it's not canon. And from how the book was written… it's not like Vegeta would just.

Urgh. This is why I don't do romance. But I'll try for you all wonderful readers. Just… let me take my time. XD

PQ6: So is Tarble crazy or…

A: Let's just say what we do know is that he is trying to do what he thinks is best.

PQ7: Are you using DBZ Broly or DBS Broly? And answer for real this time!

A: Well yes, but actually no.

Readers: ? ? ? !

---

Question Time:

Q: This is one of my favorite fanfic, i'm excited to see what will happen next.

A: I am too! The next few chapters should be interesting!

Q: hahaha i loove the bickering of tarble and vegeta when they argue in front of the androids and trunks lol i also like when turles, kakarot and raditz fight and argue as well its the best thing about this fic! keep it up and hopefully you write up to the buu saga please do!

A: Ah, yes. Sibling wars. So easy to write as I am the oldest among six children. Haha. I have two brothers and three sisters, so you can only imagine.

Funny arguments are inspired from me and my twin brother! Too bad he doesn't read these, but he's not big on fanfiction. He likes to make memes.

Harsh arguments were inspired from my two bros. I mean, it was never that ugly but you get the idea. Haha.

My plan is to make it as far as the Buu saga. Dunno about Super. I need ideas if I'll go that far.

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Next Time:

*Insert DBZ Kai's "episode preview theme" here*

Kakarot: (Cheerful) Hey! It's me! Kakarot!

Kakarot: (Curious) How come no one ever told me about these guys?! I thought we were the only Saiyans left!

Turles: (Annoyed) So you're saying I am supposed to be dead?

Kakarot: (Nervous) Well, big brother thought-

Raditz: (Angry) Quiet, Kakarot! Forget it! I would love the train right now, but we have these two guests. Why do they want to take us out for dinner?

Kakarot: (Excited) Oh! Food! I wonder how good it is!

Kakarot: (Frowning) But uh… I don't know. I have a hunch that something is outta place here.

ChiChi: (Scared) What is going on?! Goku! GOOKUUU!

Kakarot: (Alarmed) ChiChi?! Hold on! I'm coming!

Nappa: (Alarmed) What the hell is that?!

Kauli: (Alarmed) What drugs are these Saiyans on?!

Kakarot: Next time on; "The Dissonance of The Earthling Saiyan!" Chapter 17! "The monster of the night! Don't lower your guard!"

Kakarot: H-hey! Broly! What's gotten into ya?! Calm down!

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REVIEW! REVIEW!

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To be Continued to Chapter 17!

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Upcoming Chapters: (Read at your OWN risk!)

Chapter 17: "The monster of the night! Don't lower your guard!" What madness is this? Things should be moving smoothly, at least that is what the Saiyans believed. Unfortunately, as usual, the typical stubborn Saiyan makes things more of a burden than an easy sail. Kakarot has a good reason for this, at least he believes so. When nightfall comes, he encounters a beast that is far worse than the rampaging Great Ape! Could it be…?

Chapter 18: "Truth behind the dreadful tale! Similarities change perspective!" The retaliation comes so a halt. Kakarot begins to see a connection that opens his eyes about those around him more. Perhaps people can change. Could there possibly be a glimpse of the Saiyan who was around years back? Was this meeting fate? The real devil in this situation here… he can see it clearly now.

Chapter 19: "An alternative mindset of a genius! The Saiyan's terrifying nature!" The unexpected battle has come to and end, but time is still ticking as Cell waits patiently for the deadline to arrive. It seems the humans had a way of dealing with the threat without needing to borrow the Saiyans' power after all! Because the Human's latest threat is fully developed and ready to bring great destruction, Prince Tarble finally had enough. Seeing anger and envy begins to make him act out. His lack of hope towards the future calls out an ugly side of him when everyone once again is against his ideals!

Chapter 20: "Kneel, or face the consequences! Countdown for the final battle!" The cards were set long before anyone noticed, and now the best hand was played! Prince Tarble stands in a position that not even Prince Vegeta would had predicted! Warriors of every type are set to prepare for the battle against Cell, but it won't be so easy now that they have no choice… but to trek carefully under a watchful eye. The word was kept firm… to not cross the line that was drawn. Future Trunks realizes he is about to relive his dreadful present again! And Karot finds himself caught up in the mess! And now… it appears Kakarot is no longer the main threat among the Saiyans, because that throne was taken!

Chapter 21: "What it means to stick together! Power comes in numbers!" The deadline is due to end! The warriors all brace themselves, taking in the training they endured to heart. But Kakarot isn't too shaken, and neither is Raditz. It's questionable, but the two brothers always seems to know what is going on. Knowing how powerful Cell is, they should be at least a little nervous? After what occurred for the last few days, Prince Vegeta finally came to a conclusion. And Prince Tarble seems to come to some agreement. There is no reason to play around anymore. Everyone has the dreadful feeling that not all of them will walk from the upcoming fight alive.