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.

24. Time for the elites to take the floor!

Chapter 24 Plot:

Chapter 24: "Time for the elites to take the floor! Incredible display of power!" Cell had decided to make things more interesting. After his battle against the Humans, he finds a thrill in fighting more than one opponent. He demands all three of the "higher ranking" Saiyans to take a stand. Surely, they can overwhelm him… right? It's hard to say, but they didn't train for nothing. The only concern is if Vegeta and Tarble can even work together properly during this intense fight!

WHEN THINGS GET TENSE…

There appears to be no change in this destructive pattern, and Nappa is left to his wits' end! He finally has a good look at just what sort of damage is happening to everything and everyone around him. Seeing that nothing would shape up if things don't change, he decides to take matters into his own hands!

---

A/N: Espeon804 here with another great chapter!

Hi, surprise. Early update. This is to make up for my radio silence for almost two years. So hey! If you are randomly checking in to see if there has been an update since 2021, yep. There have been two within several days.

I say, when I was hit by another wave of motivation. Let's just say I'm finally at the "good part" that I've been playing in my head since 2017. Things are about to pick up.

---

PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 23rd, 2023!

WORDS: 31,756

---

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DB, DBZ, DBGT, DBZKAI, OR DBS! Akira Toriyama is the creator!

Anyways, this is likely to be my last chapter for a while. Maybe. I don't know myself.

This chapter wasn't supposed to be this long. I don't know what happened. Please don't force yourself to read it in one setting.

---

Key:

"Talking"

"Foreign Language"

'Thoughts'

'Telepathy'

---

Question for you. How do you imagine the characters' voices? The original Japanese audio? Funimation Dub? Perhaps TFS?

-Espeon804

---

-- Chapter 24: Time for the elites to take the floor! Incredible display of power! --

-- JULY 14TH AGE 737 --

"WHAT?! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE PULLING MY TAIL!"

Doctors winched as heavy footsteps marched towards them. A Saiyan with a red flowing cape, an intimidating brown beard, and matching hair standing tall and proud stormed into the room. The King of all Saiyans had made a loud entrance no doubt. The entire room fell silent.

"What is this?" The king's voice boomed. He shoved aside the alien doctors. One of them fell against the wall, but he was too angry to pay it any mind. "What is wrong with my son?!"

"I-I-I didn't wish to o-offend you, Your Majesty. His power level is remarkable—as expected—but…but unfortunately—"

The stammering words did not help quell the king's temper. "But what?!"

He was losing patience. If any wrong words were spoken, every present doctor would be bound to suffer his wrath. Aware of this, they were shaken, almost too frightened to speak. Even silence would be rewarded with punishment. Someone would have to speak up soon, as the king took another step with his curling lips revealing a snarl.

The head doctor almost whimpered. He had to force his words out. They trembled and wavered as he averted his gaze from the Saiyan's intimidating glare. "Y-your Majesty…your son, Prince Tarble…he merely lacks the Saiyan instinct for battle. He just…h-he just won't fight. I assure you sire, we are doing everything we can to bring those violent fighting instincts out—"

"Tch."

The room fell silent again. King Vegeta stared down the head doctor, likely debating if he should kill him or not. It would be a waste of resources if he did. Replacing doctors who know how to handle Saiyan infants was never an easy task. It wasn't due to experience at all. The Frieza Force's best doctors were all highly experienced.

It's the Saiyan infants who might kill them that would be a problem. It had happened before. The doctors they hired had to be aware of what they were doing for no freak accident to happen. The head doctor present in the room was the best one King Vegeta ever had. He would hate to kill him.

He pressed the button of his scouter. The yellow characters shifted on the screen, and beeped in a rapid rhythm as the reading steadily climbed. The numbers flashed. Three rapid beeps as a solid reading came though. His focus was transfixed on it. The crying he heard inside the sealed pod didn't match up.

He turned the scouter off and tilted his head back, with an unreadable expression. No one in the room could guess what he could be thinking.

But, he finally spoke.

"Don't bother."

King Vegeta turned. "I'm sending him away. He will do no good for us here."

"Sire…?"

"Get a attack pod ready. Set the coordinates to one of the lower worlds. Speak nothing of his existence. I don't want anyone else to know the joke I have as a son." With that, he leaves.

The doctors exchanged glances before one of them pressed a single button from the monitor. The door of the training room opened, and it revealed a crying Saiyan baby inside. Next to him were some sort of alien rabbit-like creature who was cuddling against him.

"All we did was send in a harmless small creature that is practically a moving target. Any other Saiyan baby would have chased it around and crushed it. I don't understand. He was born with a good power-level. He just won't fight."

Baby Tarble gasped as his arm was grabbed. He flailed around in fear, becoming still the second his tail was grabbed.

The assisting doctor stared, grim. "Well, let's hurry and send him away before Lord Frieza finds out."

…

Inside the throne room, the king sat and rested his head against one hand with a sigh. His tail was free from around his waist, across his lap and perched on the armrest. It would flicker with every new thought and scenario that crossed his mind. Every possible worst-case scenario he can think of—all involving Lord Frieza.

He wasn't alone, but his space was respected. A few elite soldiers were present, lined along both sides of the room in guard formation. The towering windows were the only source of light in the room, with the red sky of Planet Vegeta bathing everything in red light.

The tall double-doors were opened from the pair of guards outside. Light from the hall spilled in the dim room. Within it, was the shadow of a Saiyan matching the king's structure stepping inside. Footfalls echoed off the walls as the tall shadow moved further inside the room.

A small child made his presence as powerful as his shadow. His small red cape swayed with every step as he ignored each guard he walked past. It was clear he was in no good mood. Everyone was on edge with the royal family that day.

"Father!" Prince Vegeta's small voice carried across the room. "Father! Where is my little brother? He's not around anymore! When I asked the doctors about his whereabouts, they said they were sending him away!"

King Vegeta sighed as his son stopped near the foot of his throne. He noticed how the prince's tail would lash every few seconds. He was an inch away from throwing quite a tantrum. He was in no mood for it.

"Can you confirm this?" The young prince asked. "Don't just sit there! Say something!"

The king sat up at last. He spoke, his words blunt. "He is no longer with us, Vegeta."

Prince Vegeta tilted his head. "What? Is he dead?"

"No. He's not dead," the king said. "He merely serves no use here. A few months old, and he shows little promise. What's worse, he's no better than a low-class warrior. So, I've sent him away."

Prince Vegeta's expression hardened. The fur of his tail started to bristle. "Are you sure?"

"If he had displayed any sort of potential, I would have addressed the issue myself."

"...I see."

The child didn't argue anymore. It was almost instant, how quick his tail relaxed. His gaze shifted to the windows, watching the few pods flying in and out of orbit.

"Oh, well. A weakling is a weakling. Nothing more than a pile of useless rubbish." Prince Vegeta turned and made his way back towards the way he came. "I'm going to request a training session."

"On your way, make sure you stick with the general," the king said.

"I don't need Nappa watching over me, father!" Prince Vegeta walked out the room, and the doors closed back in an instant.

The king sighed and rested his head against his hand once more. The stress of the day was developing into a headache. And yet…there was still so much to do.

…

To do his rounds of checking the numbers of Saiyan infants was annoying, for sure. After a decent walk, he found the incubator room holding the low-class infants. Annoyed with the sight of them, he wanted to make it quick. He entered, and doctors bowed to him in an instant. "How many this time around?"

A doctor responded in an instant. "There was a great increase in the numbers this time, your majesty."

The king checked his scouter. It detects the power of each developing infant. One in particular catches his interest, but not in a pleasant way. "Impossible…this breaks a record."

"Sire?"

The king frowned as he walked towards one incubator in particular. "What is his name?"

"Uh…" One of the doctors checked the data. "There is no current name, your majesty. He is the son of Bardock-"

"He had another?" The king checked the scouter again. The beeping didn't last long. The reading on the screen didn't change, and it almost made him laugh. "What a farce! A power-level of only 2? Someone ought to tell him to push aside the woman he's been pairing with. Her children get weaker every time."

"You mean, Gine, sire?"

"It's no surprise why her children are so weak. One of them is dead, actually." He left the room, dusting his hands off. "I doubt that even sending him away would do any good. The inhabitants of the weaker worlds would kill him so easily. No matter. Tell the others to do their rounds."

"As you wish." The alien doctor dipped his head as the Saiyan king took his leave. Almost immediately, he entered the incubator room again, checking the status of each Saiyan infant. He drained a few incubators of the infants who were ready to be transported. Once they are taken out, their cries fill the room.

"This is a noisy job." One doctor commented as he dried the son of Bardock off before he set him down on a padded rolling bed. A handful of Saiyan babies were set down, and one doctor signaled the others.

It was like a train. It tugged the connected beds across the floor and into the nursery. About ten beds in all were introduced inside. More doctors ran about, choosing a bed to pick off the train to set them on a higher platform, adding their name tags as well. They checked their health and conditions.

The room was gigantic. It was filled with a big number of Saiyan infants who were either sleeping or crying. Doctors worked up and down the aisles to tend to each one. At the windows, a few adult Saiyans peeked inside, possibly a parent, or ones who were curious.

Along the hall, the younger Nappa, with a head covered with a decent tuff of hair, looked through the windows. "Prince Vegeta, this is the nursery room for the lower class. There's a decent number of Saiyan infants born this time around, so it's good news."

The young prince wasn't interested in the slightest. He crossed his arms, not bothering to look. "Can we carry on, Nappa? This is an utter waste of time. What's the point of looking when we will never see them again anyway? They serve no purpose here, remember?"

"Well, yes. I am aware. I am just following the king's orders. He wants me to give you a tour of this whole place since you are the future king." Nappa tried to reason with the stubborn child. "You can look for just a few seconds at least. Then, we can look at the elite infants and move on."

Prince Vegeta grumbled before he walked up to the window. He realized he couldn't see anything due to the window being high above his head. He stood on the tips of his toes, but even the bit of height he was granted gave no assistance.

"You need a little help there?" Nappa asked.

The prince snorted. "I can do it myself!"

His gloves gripped on the window frame, and he pulled his weight up. He propped one foot up and set it there. His cape tilted awkwardly, being beaten by the lashing of an agitated tail. The child growled again, trying to pull his weight up. Once he had a good grip, he moved his other foot to set it up as well. Once it was set on the frame, the child tried to pull himself up completely, only for that foot to slip off. He was close to falling.

Nappa sighed. "You do realize you can just fly up there—"

"Maybe I don't want to fly!" Prince Vegeta shouted.

He tried again. The same foot slips again. It happened again, and again, until he successfully kept in there, only for his other foot to slip free. He was like a small puppy struggling to climb a flight of stairs.

Nappa stepped forward, reaching for the child's feet. "Alright. Hold still-"

He was kicked on the stomach. It pushed the air out his lungs as he staggered back.

"Piss off, Nappa!" Prince Vegeta snapped, hanging halfway off the window frame now. "I can do it all by myself!"

"Alright, alright!" Nappa raised his hands in defense. "You win. You're the boss, prince."

The child focused again. After more failed attempts, he finally made it. He stood on the window frame and pressed his hands against the class. He took a look inside. His angry expression shifted to that of a curious child. "Are any of them any good?"

"Uh…" Nappa was a bit surprised by the question, since the child called them all trash earlier. "They all have power expected of a low-class. They just brought ten more. They are picking the weakest ones to send off."

"I see." The prince checked his scouter. "Fifty…thirty…thirty-five—what? Two?!"

"What?" The general was just as surprised.

"What trash in there has a power-level of two?! What a joke!" He started to laugh.

Nappa joined the prince's side. "Hm. Makes me wonder what they would do with the weak one."

"It won't do any good to keep him alive! He's a waste of breathing space! They might as well feed him to the Giantulas!" The child said with a dark grin. "That one there, see? He keeps crying like a helpless little whelp! Just look at him, Nappa! A pitiful sight!"

"Yes. Indeed it is." Nappa agreed.

"Isn't it hilarious?" Vegeta chuckled.

"You got that right."

The child glanced back, almost pouting. "You were supposed to laugh, Nappa."

Before the general could do anything, another voice spoke up.

"Vegeta, what are you doing up there?"

"Father." The child looked back at the window. "Nappa was just showing me this sad place. Though I see why. They are scheduled to be sent away, right? Just look at them, so filthy!"

"Hm. Yes. They will be sent away." The king nodded. "And they will come back. That is if they make it. That is how they will prove their worth to us. Until then, we will not judge them so foolishly. Is that understood?"

Now the young prince was pouting. "Well, that's no fun."

"Get down. I have something to show you."

"What about the tour?"

"That will be finished later. As of now, this is more important. Come now."

Prince Vegeta jumps off the frame, landing with a soft click of his boots. He joins his father's side with little debate.

"General, you stay behind. I'll call you when I need you," King Vegeta said.

Nappa wasn't expecting this, but he didn't argue. He dipped his head in an instant. "As you wish, my king."

Once they were out of sight, he looked back inside the nursery.

The baby Kakarot cried endlessly. A doctor poked his tail as a required check, and it moved in response.

"He's a healthy boy. He has some powerful lungs for sure."

The reptile doctor nodded. "Yes. But he lacks Saiyan instincts. Even the king doesn't know what to do with him. Do we kill him?"

"Raditz just landed here a while ago. He wants to see his little brother. But I doubt he'll be pleased." Another doctor says.

Nappa watched for a while longer before he turned his back and crossed his arms. He leaned against the frame, waiting patiently for the royals to make their return. Whatever business they had that didn't involve him, it didn't take a genius to figure that out.

"Everyone has their tails between their legs, because Lord Frieza is here. What business does he have with the king this time?"

As much as he would rather push those feelings down, he couldn't deny the fear that settled to his core. The king did well to hide it, but Nappa knew he was trembling inside. Something went wrong. His second born was sent away, with Frieza being completely unaware of his existence.

It was thanks to Nappa, who cleared out his files the moment he was ordered to. The second born basically doesn't exist. Perhaps it was better that way.

His second order…was that on the slim chance Tarble ever resurfaced and proved himself…

-- PRESENT DAY --

"Just make sure they don't kill each other," the king told him before.

Easier said than done. It is perhaps the toughest job Nappa ever had to do. And now, he has to assure that nothing goes terribly wrong…that nothing falls apart in this third round.

There is a flicker of hope. The Earthlings proved themselves to not be mocked. Despite their lack of battle power, their coordination outshines anything Nappa had ever seen before. Perhaps it even outshines the likes of the Ginyu Force, who merely did it all for show. Thanks to their efforts, Cell's regeneration has slowed down significantly…or perhaps it's been delayed. Whatever it may be, he's not fully healed. Even if it's just him becoming slightly winded, it's better progress than none.

Now it's the elites' turn to push things up a notch.

Nappa stands firm, legs apart and bent. One hooked hand is positioned in front of his face. The other is a fist just below his chest. Years of battling experience are moments away from being in full display. He won't let Cell humiliate them…not this time.

With each prince side by side, they are waiting, staring down Cell as he is. Nappa can't help but glance at them both. They are alike in some ways, but their differences are stark.

Their very battle stances make it all too obvious alone. Prince Vegeta holds his usual position; His torso facing his target, feet spread apart and legs bent. His head tucked behind his left hand, and his right just below his side. It is a serious fight. Vegeta isn't toying around this time, which is quite a relief to see.

Prince Tarble, on the other hand, adapted a different guard. His stance changed, depending on who he was fighting. This is different, far different than what Nappa saw when he trained with him before.

His torso facing away from his target, but his legs line up towards Cell, apart and bent, feet pointed outward as he steadily shifts his weight between them. A clawed hand is just above his shoulder, while his other arm crosses his torso, elbow pointed, fingers curled, tail lashing.

"What kind of stupid stance is that?" Vegeta didn't miss it either. "You look ridiculous! And, have you forgotten the fourth rule of the battlefield?"

"It helps me feel what I can't see," Tarble says, his tone holding the slightest hiss.

Vegeta scoffs. "Let's see how long it takes for him to snap it in half."

Cell smiles his usual smile. "What's taking you three so long? I'm being kind enough to let any one of you have the first move. Don't tell me you are getting cold feet."

"Quiet." Tarble raises his right hand an inch higher.

"Oh-ho! Nothing happened yet and you're already quite a rude one." A few seconds in, and Cell's face brightens with amusement. "Oh…is it because I made her cry? Are you seriously holding on to that?"

"All you need to know is that we're not going to let you start your fourth round unscathed. You will burn, insect."

"Oooooh. What a fiery attitude! I like this! Such a drastic shift compared to how you were years ago! I like this side of you. It's so bold, so sinister! Although…it's such a shame I have doubts it will do you any good. You're so small. So insignificant. Your own family didn't even want to acknowledge you."

"If you're hoping to get a reaction out of me, I'm afraid it's not working."

Nappa turns his focus to Tarble again. 'You say that, but your very presence is cloaked with so much anger. Even Vegeta isn't trying to press any jabs. A bit surprising…'

"Whatever grudges you hold against Cell, I don't care. Just don't try to have him all to yourself," Vegeta says.

"Those words go for you far more than I, brother," Tarble says. "Try not to throw your life away. An unmarked grave isn't exactly an ideal memorial for a prince."

"Tuh! You're implying I'll be reckless enough to charge without a plan? Say whatever you like. I won't be saving you if you are approaching death."

"I don't expect you to. As long as you understand that the feeling is mutual."

"Ha! We will see about that."

"As long as you two keep your focus on what's really important here," Nappa says. "Although, I'm sure we don't have to worry about that. I want to squash this bug as much as you two. It's time we show this freak show what we are made of."

On the sidelines, everyone is tense with anticipation. Nothing has happened yet. Cell is doing his usual waiting game for someone to move first, and somehow, it is always unnerving. The uncanny silence…one can hear their own breathing…their own heartbeat.

"...That's…that's Teacher alright."

Trunks' announcement has earned him some worried glances. The way he spoke, it's evident that he feels unsettled by what he is seeing. A bad memory, perhaps. But, whatever it is, he's pushing it aside to keep his focus.

"You've seen this stance before?" Turles asks.

"No. It's entirely new to me as well. But…the energy I'm getting from it…he's about to fight seriously."

"Really? Compared to all the times he has fought before?" Raditz is more intrigued now.

"Yeah, I know. Hard to see it from him," Trunks says. "I mean, he looks so calm on the outside, but on the inside…he's thinking of a thousand ways to kill you."

"Kid?" Raditz is a bit taken back by how casually his son explains it.

"Teacher told me; that the key is to use all your senses. You have to feel everything around you, from the pulsing in the air, to the rhythm on the ground. Take a deep breath. Clear your mind of all thoughts, and tunnel your focus to your opponent in front of you. The goal is to get your blood flowing for the heat of battle. He told me…a Saiyan may take on a feral stance, one that makes them look almost like the very beast that is summoned under a full moon."

Taking more of the silence, he looks at his father.

"Is…that right?"

"I…well, yes. That's correct," Raditz says. His concerns remain in his head. 'He knows all of this, and yet he displays little Saiyan tendencies. Unless…'

He looks at Tarble, the Trunks, then Tarble again.

"It's almost surreal," Trunks says. "With each passing day, it's like I'm seeing Tarble blend with what I'm so familiar with more and more. It's uh…a bit unnerving. But, at least I know what to expect. And I feel confident that he's going to wear down Cell better than I could try."

'His lack of confidence. It keeps holding him back. He underestimates his own capabilities.'

Turles called him a "monster".

Saiyan morals are so different from Humans. It's something Kakarot learned over the years—something he himself experienced. They are desensitized from so much. So, for Turles to say something like that about a kid so meek...

What did Trunks do in that one year?

And Tarble…

Trunks is right about him. The prince looks so focused, but his lashing tail is beginning to bristle. What ticked him off just now?

…

No one has moved yet. Cell doesn't appear bothered with how long they've been standing there. If anything, he finds it more amusing than anything else. For how much longer he will tolerate isn't known. But, perhaps he can they won't stand around forever. It's the only reason he doesn't mind the wait.

Nappa has his work cut out for him. He knows Vegeta well, and he's been around Tarble enough. The brothers are only going to tolerate each other for so long. All he has to do is make sure they keep their priorities on the threat in front of them. He just has to keep a cool head. He can't let Cell get under his skin.

Just focus.

A shift of stones. Loose gravel is kicked in the air. Tarble takes off, and Cell's smile widens as he prepares to counter.

Tarble blocks a punch from Cell with his forearm. The bio-Android thinks it's hilarious as he throws a punch with his free hand, but his fist is caught in a vise-like grip. The prince is quick, moving his arm that blocked the punch and catching it all in a blink.

He crosses Cell's arms, exposing his stomach. He throws a heavy knee strike, and Cell is lifted from his feet by the impact.

"Idiot. I've fought my brother before. You don't think I know how to counter his battling tendencies?" Tarble releases him and spins his own body around, landing a sharp elbow strike between Cell's eyes. He lands, and the heavy breeze of his brother's flight brushes past him.

Vegeta throws a sharp kick just as Cell pulls himself together. He strikes the bio-Android below his chin. He switches to his other leg and kicks his torso. His punch is blocked.

"Well, that woke me up," Cell says, tightening his grip. He blocks Vegeta's other punch, pushing back against his strength. "I fought the Earthlings for so long, I forgot to heighten my guard for a moment."

"You…" Vegeta throws a knee, but Cell steps back. It misses. A heavy blow strikes his stomach instead. Vegeta jumps back before he could be hit by a following punch.

Nappa rockets to the scene with his own attack, but Cell blocks with both arms before throwing his own square against the Saiyan's face. The second punch sends the Saiyan to the unsteady ring.

The three Saiyans are quick to get back to focus. Cell chuckles as he beckons them with a single finger.

"Don't mock us. We are just getting warmed up, too!" Nappa throws his arms down, and his energy flares and engulfs his body before he charges forward. His first punch misses, and his second. His third is blocked. He huffs before picking up the speed, his arms almost a blur as he tries to land a single blow.

Cell catches an ankle belonging to Vegeta just before a boot could strike him behind the head. He throws him at Nappa, and the next punch hits the prince instead. Cell throws an arm up, blocking a boot that failed to catch him by surprise. He turns the palm of his hand towards Tarble and fires a blast.

Tarble guards his face just a split second before it could hit him. He is blown back and hits the ground.

"I don't quite get it. Just a moment ago, you looked like you wanted to kill me," Cell says. He keeps his eye on Tarble as he pushes himself back to his feet. "It doesn't look like your mind changed, either. I'm not really seeing anything."

"Your concerns about me are irrelevant," Tarble says, resuming his previous stance. "Be mindful of your own well-being. I will impress you soon enough."

"Sure. As long as you don't go blonde, keep telling yourself that." Cell crosses his arms in time to block a kick from Vegeta. "And after fighting the Humans, it's easier to anticipate when someone is going to try to ambush me all because they think my guard is down."

Vegeta moves back and lands. Nappa readies himself.

"Don't bore me. Stop toying around. The last group knew better than to do that," Cell says.

"Well…I guess that won't work," Nappa says. "He's already on to us. So much for conserving our energy, huh?"

"We can't use the Humans' tactic of chipping away then. If you have any plans to try to humiliate him, Vegeta, then you might as well throw it all away. It won't work here. We will be with one less fighter," Tarble says.

Vegeta sends Tarble a heated glare. Sensing Cell descending towards them, the brothers lunge in opposite directions. A leg buries into the ring that would have otherwise plowed down a skull.

Cell jumps after them, but his ankle is grabbed. He looks down, seeing Nappa's menacing grin.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Nappa pulls him down and lands a successful punch across his face. The two begin to exchange blows. It hurts, Nappa won't deny it with every but he takes. But, the more pain he's in, the better he can fight.

Hovering in the air, the royal brothers are having quite a discussion.

"What about you then? Do you honestly think you stand a chance against him? You preach so much about toying with the enemy, but your battle strength is laughable compared to mine!" Vegeta says.

Tarble chuckles. "Oh, Vegeta. I love it when you think you're so high and mighty. It almost makes me feel bad for you. You grew up so spoiled. Must be nice to always have what you want. Well, minus the whole…serving under Frieza situation."

His gloved fingers flick the clips free from his shoulders. He slips his cape off, folding it. He turns to his brother with a strange smile, tilting his head.

"I wasn't spoiled. I was given what I wanted, because I earned it." Vegeta slips his cape free as well. He folds it within a few seconds before dropping it towards the audience. "I was born with remarkable power, as expected from a prince. I surpassed my father when I was merely half a decade old. You were just a disappointment."

"Hm." Tarble doesn't seem bothered as he turns towards the audience as well. He drops his folded cape. "Hold that for me."

"Uh…" Krillin reaches up, and he catches Vegeta's first. He sets it aside in time to meet with Tarble's.

He shrikes as he's pulled to the ground. Everyone around him leans in to check his condition.

Tarble dusts his shoulder. "That's better."

"So you added weights to it. Big deal." Vegeta isn't impressed one bit. He observes the activity below. It appears the Humans took quite an interest in Tarble's cape, taking turns holding it for some odd reason.

Glancing at the ring, Nappa is fighting toe-to-toe with Cell. Occasionally, he takes quite a beating, but he always bounces back. If only he would stop missing. This doesn't last long, as Nappa missing once more rewards him with several painful punches across the face.

"As usual, he can't function for five minutes without me being there," Vegeta says through a grumble.

"Looks like I will have to step in."

"Ha! You? You won't perform any better than what he's doing!"

Tarble curls a finger against his chin as he follows the fight on the ground. "I'm glad you think that way, big brother. It almost makes me wish my eyes were never burned. I would love to see the look on your face right about now."

"What was that?!"

Tarble makes his descent towards the ground. Upon landing, the unstable terrain shifts beneath his feet. Nappa has fallen right in front of him.

Nappa is biting back his pain. Opening his eyes, he is almost surprised to see the younger prince standing there. "Prince Tarble—"

"Must you present yourself so foolishly? Stand aside and regain your senses."

"Wh…" Nappa is back on his feet as the prince walks past. "Wait—"

"I shouldn't have to repeat myself."

Nappa can't get a read on Tarble. Even after spending a year with him, there are just some things he can't quite figure out about him. But, he knows better than to question his decisions. They are reckless on the surface…but there were no repercussions so far. The only decision he never got to follow through with was when he wanted to take Vegeta out of the picture, and it took just about everyone to stop him.

What Nappa learned is when Tarble makes up his mind, changing it is impossible. It is something he shares in common with his brother.

No.

It's something they both got from their late father. Tarble would hate to hear it, but from the way he carries himself, he truly is emulating him. How he read the situation…did he already formulate a plan of some sort? Is that why he wants him to stay down?

Nappa can sense Vegeta landing behind him. To his surprise, the older prince is doing nothing to step in, or interfere in any way. But, for how long it would last…

"What's this? I thought you three were working together!" Cell isn't even trying to mock them. The confusion crossing his face makes it all too clear.

"Sorry to disappoint you. Power does work wonders in numbers, but it appears we are having a bit of conflict here. It's best to let it water down before we entertain your little game again."

"What?" Cell takes a few seconds to register the words, and he laughs. "Seriously? I can understand if it was Vegeta! He probably holds the biggest grudge against me out of everyone here! Hell, even Nappa would seem reasonable…but you? You? Tell me this is some kind of joke! Is that why Vegeta isn't trying to step in? He must already know the outcome."

"The first thing I'm going to do is hinder your ability to talk. It's grating to my ears, and I am quite sick of it."

"I'm the host here, so it's quite rude to deny me from doing my job. But alright. Keep tossing those empty threats. Let's see how far they get you."

Tarble's lips twitch before they curl back. But instead of a snarl, they morph into a twisted grin.

"Uh-oh." Nappa takes a step back.

"Uh-oh? What do you mean by that?" Vegeta asks.

Unknowingly to them both, Trunks is even more shaken as he takes several steps back. His eyes are fixated on that smile…something he has seen several times before…

"What's wrong?" Raditz asks him. "Seleriak?"

Tarble clenches his fists, and they begin to tremble with unclear emotions. He holds one close to his face as he bends his knees. Throwing both arms close against his flank, his mouth snaps open as he screams.

His energy explodes, flaring around his body and sending gravel flying. The ring beneath his feet cracks underneath the stress of his climbing power. His tail whips like a flag behind him as the air around him begins to swirl like a vortex.

"Whoa!" Kakarot steps back as the wind picks up near him. "His energy is climbing fast!"

"HUUUUU-AAAAAAAAAA!"

Tarble kicks himself off the ground, tearing the ring in his path of flight.

Cell laughs. "So now we're getting seri—"

WHAM!

Cell's head twists back as Tarble's fist makes contact. The look on the prince's face is nothing but focused fury.

A chop across the face, followed by another, and another. He strikes him across the neck, sending him to a stumble. An elbow strike behind the head, and he twists his body, kicking Cell across the ring with his heel. He pursues him, zips past him. He throws up his foot, kicking him high in the air. He pursues him again. A heavy elbow strike in the middle of his back, and Cell is sent crashing, bouncing off the ring.

The bio-Android is quick to jump to his feet to counter Tarble's next attack, but the prince jumps around him, now behind him. Cell turns, and Tarble sweeps his legs. He's off balance, falling. He is punched across the face. He manages to block the next punch. He's struck in his chest. Cell grunts and steps back, his eyes following the leaping Tarble, throwing locked fists atop his head.

Cell ducks and steps out the way. Tarble loses his momentum. He grabs his wrists, lands a heavy punch on the prince, and throws him on his back. Cell prepares to kick him.

Tarble turns his body around and plants his hands on the ground. He throws both legs back. Cell is struck and staggers. Back on his feet, Tarble throws a punch at his face. His fist is caught. The other is snatched. He grunts as Cell begins to squeeze. The bones are beginning to shift in ways that are not normal.

Cell pushes Tarble back, stepping forward, putting more weight and strength against his smaller frame. He twists his arms around, pulling the Saiyan's muscles. He twists his shoulders, an inch away from dislocating. Tarble is screaming in pain.

His pain-filled screams morphed into a seething growl. Tarble's aura bursts, shifting to a gold color as he transforms.

Both fighters sink into the ring as they struggle for control. Steadily, Tarble twists his arms back in their proper place. He pulls his fists free and snatches Cell's head in return. He throws his own forward, headbutting Cell directly on the face.

Cell shuts his eyes against the pain before throwing a punch. Tarble takes it directly, but to his surprise, the prince still holds on. His legs kick around his arms, and Cell is unable to move as he would like.

Tarble throws his head forward again, and again. Every brutal headbutt makes contact, stopping Cell's thought process. Their foreheads are bleeding, but Tarble's is far more noticable. Despite this, he doesn't stop for another few rounds before ending it with a heavy strike, cracking the shell, leaving Cell almost rattled.

Tarble gasps and releases him, unable to take another self-inflicted blow. He comes close to tripping over his own feet as he hurries back. One eye is squint shut as blood trickles over his face. The back of his hand smears it free, staining his gloves.

"Gggh…! My head…!" Cell clamps both hands on the cracked shell. "What the hell is wrong with you…? Are you trying to give yourself a concussion—dah! That stings…!"

Tarble says nothing. He slips into his previous battle stance, watching Cell as he tries to steady his breathing.

"What the hell was that primal display?" Vegeta is almost stunned by what he just witnessed. He never saw it from him before. No one did, actually.

"It clearly worked," Nappa says. "Cell knows our fighting style…so for Tarble to resort to that, it's no wonder it caught him by surprise. But…where the hell did he…"

Nappa's eyes go wide.

"Wait a second…"

He turns to the audience. His eyes fix on Broly, who is watching the fight with an expression that is impossible to read.

…

"That…that was unexpected," Kauli says. "But was it really worth hurting himself over? Just to get a few cheap shots in? He ain't wrong about the concussion thing. Tarble's gonna feel that later."

"It takes a lot more than that to rattle a Saiyan's skull, especially in that form," Raditz says. "If you want to console an expert, Kakarot is right here."

"Huh?" Kakarot didn't get the message.

"The Humans did a pretty good job. I don't think he would have been able to break through that armor without their little standoff," Turles says.

"Uh…you're welcome." Yamcha isn't sure how to feel about the praise.

"So, that's it…" Tien nods. "The goal now is to weaken his exoskeleton, so that he becomes vulnerable to attacks. But, if it took that much to crack the head…what about the rest of his body?"

"I'm sure they have something figured out," Krillin says.

… Yes.

Something figured out.

Tarble doesn't look completely confident that he can pull that off, and Nappa can't blame him. Even he himself doesn't have a clue on how to break through the shell. That monster is resilient.

Although, Nappa isn't entirely concerned. He notices how easily Tarble picks up any shifts in attitude. He changes his battle tactics to become flexible in any situation. It's as if he enhanced everything he learned when he trained with him before.

He watches as Tarble shifts his feet before taking off towards Cell. The bio-Android just opened his eyes when a knee strike pieces his weakened spot. Cell covers his face again as Tarble lands. Two balls of energy are formed in each hand, and he fires them both in point-blank range. Cell is struck. He staggers from the smoke.

-- OoOoOoOo --

"All that time you're going to spend in there…tell me. How do you plan on breaking it down to Broly?" Nappa asked. They both stood outside the entrance to The Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Broly was a distance away, picking at his makeshift tunic.

"Break what down?" Tarble asked.

"The truth?"

The prince smiled. The question didn't shake him once. "Don't worry. I have a way to deal with that."

-- OoOoOoOo --

'You claim you have a way, but you've said nothing yet, have you?' Nappa keeps a close eye. Tarble dodged a swinging fist, and he sent his own. 'Just what do you have planned here…?'

Two fists clash. The two fighters make their way around the ring. Tarble is getting hit with more blows, but he keeps pushing through. He slams both fists against the side's of Cell's head. Cell is screaming. With his lack of guard, Tarble begins to batter his chest with a series of full-powered kicks.

'This is a very ungraceful display to see from a royal prince,' Nappa thought. 'But it's proving to actually work. How do you counter something you don't expect?'

Tarble slams an energy sphere against Cell's flank to throw him off balance. He follows by pressing the palm of his hand against Cell's chest, and he fires.

-- OoOoOoOo --

"What made you so incredibly dangerous was your lack of battle style," Tarble said to Broly as they left the small building within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. They enter the void, their boots meeting solid ground, despite it appearing null. The area was a strange place that left Tarble more unnerved than he would like to admit. Every bit of sound is off. He can't pick up anything through his nose outside the building. All he can sense is Broly's very presence. It's as if they are exiting in a place of nothing. The atmosphere was unsettling—as if they were constantly being watched. He felt like if he flew too far, he would never find his way back, forever lost to wander until his inevitable death.

It was his second time visiting, but his feelings towards the chamber did not change. He absolutely hated it. But, it wasn't just him.

Broly was unsettled from the moment they walked inside. He tried to make his way back out, but it took an entire day of convincing to keep Broly from doing as much as breaking down the door. Getting through to him was going to be a chore itself. But, he anticipated it.

If he could understand him to the fullest, then he can tap into that power. He can pit it against Cell if things fall bleak. But, as of that moment, Broly was an unpredictable and explosive force. He knew the risks of training him. Thankfully, they had an entire year to adjust. He had plenty of time to guide him step by step.

Building trust was the first thing he would have to do.

The first step is to understand Being better.

"Has your father never tried to teach you any form of martial arts?"

Broly didn't respond, which left only the silence to accompany them both.

"You have outstanding capabilities. Your battle power is nothing I've ever felt before. There is so much that can be done with it. There is so much you can learn, so you can harness it, and use it to the best of your abilities. We can begin our first session now."

Tarble shifted into a basic stance.

"You can attack me when you are ready."

There was no response from Broly. His presence didn't go near or far, which meant he didn't go anywhere.

"What's the matter?" Tarble asked him. "I can take it. You have little reason to fret over my well-being."

And still, nothing. The only change was the slightest shifting of feet. Boots clacked again, and his presence was fading back to the building they just left.

Broly was leaving.

Tarble dropped his stance. "Broly? Where are you going? We can't spar there. I'm sure I've addressed that already."

He didn't stop. It wasn't until Tarble flew in and landed in front of him, that he did. The slightest grunt escaped his lips as he moved back a couple steps. He tried to walk around, but Tarble stepped in his way, and he stood firm. The burly Saiyan was a nervous wreck.

"I understand. You fear what may happen the moment you begin to fight. You don't want a repeat of what happened when we first clashed, do you?"

Only the slightest shift. Tarble can only assume he nodded.

"I know it frightens you to your core, but you mustn't run away. The best way I can help you is to guide you. I promise, no harm will come to you."

Broly was walking away again. For a moment, Tarble was almost convinced that getting through to him would be impossible. But, he had to remind himself that it was only the beginning. Even if it took a few weeks to convince him, Tarble knew he would break through, somehow.

"You're not the only one." Tarble follows him, knowing dragging him back out would be unfavorable. "My father casted me aside, too."

"King…Vegeta…."

It was the first time Broly spoke since they arrived. It caught Tarble by surprise. He stopped walking, feeling a hint of anger behind those words. He wasn't afraid of it. He understood it. He shared that anger.

"He didn't even try to take the time to understand me," Tarble said. "He didn't try to understand you, either. The both of us were shunned for being so different—being gifted in something that the king refused to take the time to understand. I was apparently born a failure, and you had power that made my father waste no time to…"

He stopped there. He didn't want to accidentally resurface any traumatic memories. He knew his father tried to kill Broly himself—a baby who didn't know any better.

"My father…he never liked anything that was a threat to his reputation. It doesn't surprise me that his eldest son would turn out the same way, considering he was always under him and Frieza like a dog."

He felt repulsed by himself. He was a naive idiot. What was he expecting when he reunited with his brother? To be accepted with open arms? If only he knew sooner. If only…

"We are two outcasts rejected by Saiyan society. But, we no longer have to live to such blind expectations. The Saiyan race has crumbled, so we can operate as we like. Forget what Prince Vegeta desires. We can achieve our own. You have no need to heed to his ambitions, Broly. That is why we are here."

No response. Broly wasn't much of a talker.

"Let me help you understand your potential. You have little to fear anymore. Your temper…we can work on that. I can teach you how to wield it. You will no longer have to fear yourself!"

"...Sparring. I never liked sparring," Broly said.

It did make sense. Broly didn't understand himself…so of course he would be scared.

"You don't have to live the life of a warrior like everyone else," Tarble says. "After the Cell games, you can do whatever you like. I can promise you that."

"No sparring. I don't want to spar."

"I understand that, but how can you expect to improve if you refuse to take the necessary steps—"

"You remind me of him. You remind me of father."

Tarble was frozen after he heard those words.

How could he possibly remind Broly of Paragus? He looked nothing like him, and he was sure his height didn't reach him at all.

But Broly was kind enough to clarify. "The way you act… you… really don't like Vegeta, just like him." He sounded quite… concerned. "You want to hurt him too. Vegeta is… mean, but you are… more mean. Mean to everyone else… when they didn't hurt you."

"What? What gave you that assumption?" Tarble asks.

Broly shifts his tunic to ease his nerves. "I don't…want…to train if you are upset. I don't…want to fight Vegeta anymore."

Tarble couldn't quite figure out what Broly was saying. He was sure he was unsettled with the idea of fighting. But, the more he pondered over it, the more clear it became. He was stunned by the words that turn out to be an assumption.

"If you think I am using you for a tool of revenge—I would never! You've already—" Tarble stopped his words before anymore could slip out. Broly was yet to know the true intentions Paragus held. He probably assumed Tarble was just as angry as he was.

Perhaps he associated that anger with his father. Perhaps Paragus forced Broly to train whenever he was angry. It made sense.

"I'm sorry, Broly. I didn't mean to frighten you the way I did," Tarble said.

It was clear to him. He wouldn't be able to get through to him for as long as Broly sensed any form of malicious ambition. How he could do that, it's quite possible Paragus radiated so much of it. It was all too easy for Broly to pick up.

"I will take my time to meditate. Do you care to join me?"

Tarble can hear Broly's heavy weight on the ground. A silent agreement. A harsh difference compared to the previous request.

Tarble took a seat nearby, and he was left with his rampant thoughts. Broly was far more observant than he was prepared for, but that was not what shaken him.

Everything he said did.

…

Tarble sat in the silence, almost lost in his own thoughts. Broly's constant shifting was the only reason he found himself unable to focus.

"You're restless," Tarble said.

Broly stopped moving. But, it was a forced action.

"Don't restrain yourself so much," Tarble said. "What troubles you? Have you never meditated before?"

Shifting again. Tarble can't get a read on it.

"I…do apologize, Broly. But I can't…you will have to speak a little more for me." He taps his fingers below his eyes, and he can hear the softest gasp under Broly's breath.

"Meditation," Broly paused. He was brushing the fur he carried so tightly. "Father never liked it when I stayed still. He said that resting too long would ruin training. It wasn't training. And playing…playing wasn't training."

"You liked to play a lot, did you?" Tarble asked.

"...yes. Playing…I used to play back home in Vampa. I had a friend. A friend named "Bah". I named him after the sound he makes. Bah was always grumpy, so Bah made that noise a lot."

Tarble was intrigued by the story. "Bah was a creature, wasn't it?"

"Bah was a massive creature. Bah liked to play at the pond. Whenever I got near the pond, Bah was scary. Bah would try to eat me, so I trained by dodging his teeth. And soon…Bah and I were like friends. Good friends. We did everything together."

It was the most Tarble ever heard Broly talk. And his voice, it was calm. The perfect voice for storytelling.

"But…" Broly gripped the fur. "Father never liked Bah. He didn't like it whenever I played with Bah. He said that Bah was…a distraction. Friends are…a distraction. He shot off Bah's ear, and Bah was hurt. Bah…changed after that. Bah didn't want to be my friend anymore. Bah…never came back. So, I kept Bah's ear to remember. I never want to forget Bah."

"Oh dear…" Tarble didn't know what would be the right comforting words to say. He knew Paragus was a piece of work, but he didn't think he neglected his son from experiencing the most basic things a child would need. Mock combat was what Saiyan children loved to do, but Paragus rejected even that.

"Father said it was stupid to not want to forget. Father tried to take Bah away from me again."

Broly tensed.

"I didn't like that. I got angry. I…hurt father."

"He…did he hurt you?"

"No. But he was mad. Very mad. He said…he told me that…I was stupid. He said that it would kill me. He said that…compassion is a weakness."

The words sent chills through Tarble's spine.

The same words Vegeta said. He thought Vegeta made it up himself…but no. Considering the culture that surrounded the Saiyan race, perhaps it was their slogan. Or maybe…maybe it was something the King told Paragus before he blasted him away.

Paragus held on to those words so tightly. He used them against Broly. Just how obsessed was he with revenge against…

Vegeta. King Vegeta.

Tarble sat, stunned. That obsession…he was all too familiar with that obsession.

"I understand, Broly."

Broly shifted, perhaps to look at him.

"You don't have to be bound to such strict regulations anymore. There is nothing wrong with wanting to relax every once in a while. There is absolutely nothing wrong with making friends."

Tarble closed his eyes.

"Do you…have any friends?" Broly asked.

"Do I?" The question never crossed his mind. He thought about it. He knew a lot of faces. The remaining Saiyans, the Humans…the Namekian of course. But to sit still and think about it, none of them were his friends. They knew him, but he never once considered any of them to be.

The only friends he ever had…

Back on the planet he was raised on. The planet that was targeted by Frieza's goons. The planet he had to abandon like a coward.

The planet that…

Gure…and the others…

Tarble never realized it…since he left…just…

…just how much he isolated himself.

"No friends too," Broly's words broke through Tarble's thoughts. "Is a prince allowed to make friends? Did King Vegeta hate friends, too?"

"I…don't really know my father all that well. I can't answer that. He died…when I was a baby."

"I…I'm sorry.'

"Don't be. I feel nothing. He hurt you too, so I've already decided I don't like him."

They sat in silence for a while longer.

"Can Prince Tarble become friends with Broly?"

"Wh…" Tarble turned to him.

His voice was sincere and honest. Out of all the things he was expecting to hear, the offer of friendship was the last thing that would have ever crossed his mind.

Friends…? What good value did Broly even see in him?

Was it because he was an outcast too?

No one has ever…

"Prince Tarble…why are you sad?"

Sad? He's…

He didn't realize he was tearing up.

-- OoOoOoOo --

Tarble's blows are heavier, striking Cell across the face in a merciless fashion. He grabs hold of his shoulders and throws his knee against his chin with as much force as he can muster.

'Allow me to use everything you've shown me!'

Tarble grips Cell's face, and he shoves his weight to the ground, pushing him through the ravaged terrain.

"Nappa."

Nappa turns to Vegeta. "Yeah. It's like…every blow has incredible amounts of anger behind it. That explains…why he looked so tense before the fighting started."

"At the rate this is going…" Vegeta's words are interrupted as Tarble kicks Cell up from the ground. A second kick sends him flying.

Tarble is right at his tail. He dives underneath him and kicks him up in the air with both feet. He's after him again, zipping past, stopping, kicking him in the stomach. He grabs his arms before he could plummet. He spins him around, until they are a blur of a vortex.

Cell is released, shooting across the ring. He crashes right through, and his body plows a destructive path as he edges closer and closer to the border.

"Impossible…!" Vegeta leaves his position before Nappa could say anything. "Not before I have what I came here for!"

Cell opens his eyes. The edge of the ring is fast approaching. He raises a fist and punches through the ground for an anchor. It slows him down just enough for him to hang from the very edge.

"That's…that's too close…!" Krillin gasps.

Tarble dives for a final blow, screaming.

A harsh kick sends Tarble to the ground.

Cell climbs to his feet, staring down the prince that is pushing himself back up as well. He makes a large jump to put distance away from the ring's edge. As soon as he lands, his hands grip his jaw as he forces it back in place.

Up above, Vegeta stops his flight. He observes everything below, listening.

"You almost had me…" Cell admits as his eyes burn at the prince. He takes a decent look at the ring. It surprisingly still holds its shape, but everything is nearly torn apart, excluding a few areas.

"Even things that take careful time and craft have their flaws." Cell's lips part into a small snarl. "This ring was meant to be a reflection of my perfection. But it appears that even someone as grand as I…can still adapt to a few things. I should thank you for making me realize that."

Tarble's face twists. "What…?"

"This entire time, you were evaluating my flaws. Took advantage of it…exploited my weakness. Good. Very good, Prince Tarble. I like the way you think. But, unfortunately for you, I think I have figured you out."

"Really…?" Tarble slips back into his fighting stance. "Whatever you think it is, it won't kill me so easily."

"Hm. You're right. It won't. But…you won't be standing for much longer."

Nappa is alert. "What is he about to do?"

Cell takes in a massive gulp of air, and his chest begins to swell. He plants his feet on the ground.

Nappa, Vegeta, Kakarot, and Turles recognize the body language in an instant. Raditz's eyes go wide in horror.

"Get out of range!" Raditz screams. "Get out of—"

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!

Cell releases the most powerful scream, sending sound waves that send loose tiles flying, and ripping right through Tarble's core.

Tarble slips, his mouth wide open as his own scream is inaudible under Cell's. He falls, and his hands slam against his ears. His fingers sink into his skull. Pulsing air continues to fly through, and Tarble is curling into a ball, unable to move.

Everyone standing in the sidelines covers their own ears, winching at the horrific sound that pounds their eardrums. Broly's mouth hangs open in disbelief, the first real emotion he has displayed since he arrived.

Tarble can't seem to escape. With every attempt, if his hands leaves his ears even a little, they slam back on as his mouth gapes open again. He's stuck, kicking at the ground, desperate.

A mighty kick under the jaw, and Cell's scream comes to an abrupt end. Cell falls, and Nappa lands nearby. He hurries over to the prince, unsure of what to do.

"Damn! DAMN! DAMN HIM!" Tarble is screaming in his native tongue as his fingers come close to tearing his ears. "Cheap son of a…ggghhhHhhHh!" He squints his eyes tighter as he curls up closer against his body.

"Damn." Vegeta narrows his eyes. "I can't believe I let that slip my mind. Of course he could do that! But…I've never seen it used like that before! He just took it even further!"

Raditz is seething, and it doesn't go unnoticed. His brothers are concerned, but he doesn't try to calm himself down. "That…little pest….!"

Kakarot jumps back as pink static jumps across Raditz's body.

"Ooo-hooo…you just love to make a fool out of me don't you? Taking every part of me and using it in ways I never even thought of! Well….heh-heh. Just you wait…yes…I can't wait until it's my turn. Heh-heh-heh-heh…!"

"Uh…Raditz…?" Kakarot calls.

Gine places a hand in Kakarot's shoulder. "Just, give him a bit of space. He's not going to be happy for quite some time."

Hearing this…it makes Nappa's blood boil. "Why…you…!"

The sharp hisses and subtle whimpering is enough to give Nappa second thoughts about his impulsive charge to action. Looking at Tarble, the prince is reverting to his normal form. Nappa takes a deep breath.

"Alright Tarble. I believe I got my focus back together. You just stay right there…and I'll hold him off!" Nappa plants his feet, and he begins to power up with a scream.

Cell crosses his arms, not the slightest bit amused. "No golden cloak. Are you even worth my time? The Humans already had low expectations, but come on. This is a bit—"

Nappa flicks two fingers up, and the ground erupts beneath Cells feet in a massive explosion. The ground shakes and shifts. Tarble curls himself into a tighter ball.

"O-oh. Sorry."

Tarble clenches his teeth, almost burying his face. "Is that…is that you, Nappa…? I…ghehh…just…just go. Go on. I need a moment. Just a moment…!"

Nappa nods, and he takes off, piercing through the cloud. Cell only had time to look at him, and Nappa lands a heavy punch across his face. He locks his hands together, and lands a heavy sledgehammer atop Cell's head. He hears something crack, and Cell screamed as he was forced to the ground. He lifts a foot and begins to stomp him down.

Vegeta walks over to Tarble with arms crossed, watching him wither on the ground. Gravel flies and rains down on them both as Nappa continues his assault, but Vegeta brushes it off.

Tarble grunts. "If you are here to mock me…I don't care. It's not like I can—aaagh it hurts…it hurts…! By the blue moon…! I think…I don't even know where the hell I am…! Am I still in the ring…? Damn…damn it all…! That lowly bastard….!"

"Looks like your sense of direction has been thrown off. What a shame. I didn't plan to use my energy this soon, but fine."

He clenches a single fists and huffs. He flares his energy, and he transforms into a Super Saiyan.

"I won't save you if he decides to kick you out the ring."

He's gone, leaving Tarble all to himself.

"Vegeta…?"

Vegeta flies through the cloud, meeting the two fighters in an instant. He throws out a foot, connecting it to Cell's jaw. The bio-Android is pushed back. He follows with a kick straight down against his head, and a punch across his face.

The two Saiyan elites exchange blows with Cell. They move around the ring, sending shockwaves through the air and ground.

"He's not getting up…" Yamcha voices his concern towards Tarble, who's showing little signs of recovery. The prince is still on the ground.

"Doesn't really surprise me," Krillin says. "From what I remember, Goku always had incredible senses. So I guess it's safe to say that all Saiyans are the same way."

"Ah! So that's why he dropped the Super Saiyan form!" Kakarot says. "Holy crap…Cell really took advantage of everything…!"

"Man…just how bad is it?" Krillin asks.

"Don't know. It's hard to say," Gine answers. "I know Raditz is strong enough to send his enemies flying with the sound of his voice. But what Cell did…it looks like he concentrated it to an attack that rips through the body instead. Somewhat like a sonar attack, maybe. His organs might have been damaged at worst."

"That's…that's bad." Krillin shrinks.

"But…that's the worst thing that could happen. It's a good thing Nappa interrupted it," Kakarot says.

Tarble has managed to get to his knees. He shakes his head, probably hoping for a change. His hands slip, and he falls flat on the ground. He tries to stand, but he stumbles and falls to his knees. He curses, punching the ground.

Kauli frowns. "Yeah but…what about—"

"He'll be fine," Trunks says.

"Kid. He's literally on the gr—"

"Tarble will be fine!"

His piercing gaze is enough for Kauli to decide not to question anything else. As much as she would love to have clarification, he has proved to have a better read on Tarble more than anyone else.

Maybe he knows something she doesn't.

Broly walks past several of the onlookers. It's clear he wants to step in the ring to help him, but he knows the limitations Cell had set. He's frustrated, angry, but he shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"I know," Kauli says. She's a bit unnerved by him being so close, but she keeps talking anyway. "I want to help, too. But…there is nothing we can do. If Trunks says the prince is fine…we have to believe those words. You trained with him, so you know how tough he is, right?"

Broly looks at her, giving her a single nod.

After taking another hit on the head, Cell has enough. He snatches Vegeta's head and swings him right at Nappa, and their heads collide. While Nappa is stopped in his tracks, Vegeta is quick to recover, to his surprise. Cell narrowly misses catching a fist that would have made contact with his split forehead. A sharp blow makes contact just below his ribs.

Nappa rubs his head. "What the hell…I can hardly keep up with the freak. Those earthlings…they had tricks and strategies that caught him by surprise, but this monster…he knows everything I've shown the last time we've encountered each other."

But that's about it. That's his limitation. He only knows what he has seen with his own eyes. He only knows what Dr. Gero had shown him. Perhaps…

"No." Nappa shakes his head as his eyes remain glued on the fight. "It's too soon for that. If I want to go all-out, I will have to keep attacking when he least expects it. And right now, he's expecting me to charge right at him."

Maybe he would have, if he was the same as he was five years ago. Perhaps six or seven if his time spent in the time chamber adds up.

Those two years he spent there, perhaps…he learned a thing or two about himself as well.

…

Vegeta lands a strike. Cell retaliates with his own. They make their way around the ring, hovering just a few leaps above the unstable surface. Every successful landing can be heard booming through the air. Vegeta tanks a punch against his chest. He grips Cell's arm and throws down his elbow towards the middle, but it's interrupted with a strike across the face.

Cell spreads the palms of his hands, charging spheres of energy. Just as Vegeta looks at him, he thrusts both hands forward with the bottoms connecting, unleashing a gigantic blast that blows the Saiyan away.

He throws a single hand out in the side, catching a fist from Nappa that would have otherwise made contact with his body. He doesn't budge while the Saiyan is putting as much force as he can muster.

Nappa meets his disappointed gaze.

"You're boring." Cell swings out his arm and sends Nappa flying. The Saiyan makes his comeback to attack again, but Cell blocks every blow without bothering to pay attention. "I gave the humans a handicap. What's your excuse?"

He backhands Nappa, sending him to the ground.

"I thought calling three of you would make things fun, but I forgot that Saiyans aren't so fond of coordination." Cell lands on the ring. "I can already tell this isn't going to go anywhere. The lot of you are far too predictable. So, I hope you don't mind me finishing this up quickly. I would like to get to the fun part now."

"The fun part…?" Nappa rubs the side of his face. "What is he…?"

Vegeta's fists tremble. He knows exactly what Cell is referring to. 'Even with me being far stronger than him, this freak favors Kakarot over everyone else?!'

Cell chuckles. "Why are you so angry at something you know is so true? It's the very moment everyone watching has been waiting for. You are nothing more than half-time entertainment to me."

"H-half-time…?" Vegeta is beginning to see red.

WHAM!

Cell crashes across the ring. A small cloud of dust follows his trail until his tumbling comes to a stop. On his knees, he doesn't stand up right away, shock flooding his face. "What…how in the…?"

Tarble lowers his hand as he snapped his head towards his enemy. The expression on his face is furious. "I can still smell you, and I can still sense your blended ENERGY!"

His aura flares, and Nappa takes a step away.

"You are going to pay dearly for the stunt you just pulled. Did you honestly believe that I would just turn tail and leeeeeave? You imbecile. I am a SAIYAN! To run away for as long as I am still breathing is a DISGRACE!"

Golden aura. Tarble has transformed into a Super Saiyan once more. He rockets from the ground, and punches Cell from his knees.

"Never again!"

A harsh kick sends Cell back.

"NEVER AGAIN!"

Tarble is right in front of him. One arm out, then the other. Both hum blue spheres of energy as big as his head.

Cell's eyes go wide.

Tarble screams as he thrusts his hands forward at a rapid rate, sending a flurry of energy attacks that strike Cell's body like bullets. Explosions rip through the ground in a rapid pattern, sending thick clouds of dirt in the air.

Many eyes watch. Most are uncertain. Others are indifferent. Vegeta is not impressed.

An illuminating red glow turns everyone's attention towards the sky. Eyes go wide at the sight of Tarble growing a flaring red sphere of energy between the palms of his hands.

Tarble hisses through his teeth. "PERISH!" He throws the sphere through the cloud with all his might.

Cell blows the cloud away with a swing of an arm. His irritable expression shifts to shock as he sees the destructive ball right above him. With quick reflex, he swats it aside. Tarble leans back to avoid the whizzing blast. It shrinks in the distance, its sound fading before it strikes the side of a cliff, piercing through.

The entire cliff explodes in a massive red glow of flames.

"Wh…it just…" Kauli is speechless by the amount of power behind the explosion. What was left of the cliff collapsed within itself.

And Cell…

The bio-Android has his feet dug deep into the ring. He was a step away from the edge of the ring, straining himself from falling out-of-bounds. It sinks in. He looks at the hand that deflected the gigantic sphere. It had been stripped of all its skin, bleeding a deep purple, trembling with unfathomable amounts of pain.

It's not healing.

Cell grabs his wrist, smiling his way through the pain.

"Well, well…color me surprised. You really are a battle genius, aren't you—"

Tarble turns his palm upside down, and he fires a massive blue full-powered energy wave.

Cell is forced to jump.

The gigantic blast makes contact with the ground. The bystanders shield their faces against the gust and flying gravel.

The ring is missing a massive chunk of its structure. The rest of it is churned like dirt, with whole pieces on top of pieces. Cracks had opened up and split through the surface…it's beginning to give in to the stress.

A sharp gasp escapes Cell's mouth.

"Look at what you did to the place. It's near shambles. It took me all week to construct this!"

"You expect us to praise your craftsmanship? You should have used stronger material! It was bound to be destroyed!" Tarble shouts.

Cell sighs. "Touché. You lot are radiating more power than I anticipated. It's a starking contrast compared to our battles before. Perhaps…this very tournament has compelled you to push your bodies beyond its limits! How fascinating!"

High-pitched humming fills the air, growing in volume until it can be heard by nearly everyone. Cell had gathered concentrated energy between his fingertips. It grows into a zapping, deep purple sphere of energy.

One that Kakarot recognizes all too well.

"That's…that's Frieza's technique!" Kakarot shouts.

"What?!" Raditz is stunned. "That can't be right! Frieza never stepped foot on this planet, so how the hell would Cell pick up something like that?!"

"Two things." Trunks' voice is concentrated as his eyes remain glued on the enemy high above. "Maybe King Cold knows the same technique and passed it down to Frieza. But…we also have to remember this Cell came from a timeline nothing like hours. Maybe…"

"That…"

Vegeta's eyes are fixed on the sphere. The amount of energy he is sensing from it has knocked any boastful words that were about to be spoken.

"This is getting quite interesting. I would like to see more of you Saiyan's power. Would be a shame to end it so soon, all because of an unfortunate ring-out." Cell smiles, and he speaks up for all to hear. "So! Rejoice! I've decided that the out-of-bounds rule is now null and void!"

"What did he just say?" Piccolo is stunned.

"He can't just change the rules! That's cheating!" Krillin shouts.

"Forget about the rules!" Kakarot screams. "That technique is going to destroy the planet!"

Cell raises the sphere high above his head.

Everyone looks at the Saiyan. "WHAT?!"

A pair of feet slam against the center of Cell's back. His body bends back. Just as his eyes land on Vegeta, a blur of a boot kicks his arm straight upwards. The sphere of destructive energy pierces through the clouds, and it vanishes out of sight.

A distant and muffled explosion. The blue hue shifts to a deep purple, and the white clouds turn dark and angry.

A flying boot strikes Cell across the face, followed by another from the opposite direction. A single palm with a tucked thumb is spread out before his eyes. Yellow energy gathers in an instant.

"Big Bang Attack!" Vegeta shouts.

It's unleashed as a flying sphere, and it bursts upon impact.

The smoke clears, and Cell is still there, with his arms crossed over his hunched body. Strands of smoke rise from his arms. He lowers them both, staring at Vegeta with narrowing eyes.

"That was just rude."

Vegeta leans back. "What the—"

Cell stands straight, clenching a single fist at his side. His energy flares gold and flows around his form as his other hand begins to shape a second attempt of the lethal sphere he created before.

Vegeta is frozen. His power just…!

A massive hand snatches his arm. Nappa grabs Tarble in the same fashion. Before either side can voice any form of protest, Nappa's body is engulfed with energy before he soars away from Cell, who is watching the trio with the most chilling gaze that ever formed on his face.

Cell aims the sphere directly at them, but he changes his mind in an instant, throwing the sphere down towards the ring instead.

"Everybody get out the WAY!" Nappa screams at the audience. "GOOOOOOO!"

Everyone caught the message. The sphere just made contact with the ground. Everyone is lunging into flight with frightened or stunned faces.

Streaks of light shoot out from underground. The ring bulges before bursting, and a massive dome explosion rips free, quickly spreading and swallowing everything in its path. Cell remains where he is, unphased and watching as the smoke swallows him within. The shockwave spreads out beyond the ring, stripping the grass and churning the dirt all within seconds.

Moments pass, and everyone looks down to observe the destruction. The cloud breezes apart, revealing a gigantic crater that is twice the size of the ring itself.

The ring that was obliterated from existence.

No jumping bolts of lighting. No spewing magma underneath. Just a bottomless pit as Earth remains intact.

Kakarot is shaken.

"His energy control…it's unreal…!" Kakarot's commentary is enough to snap many out of their trance. "That technique could have torn right through the planet's core if it wanted to…! But he…!"

"Just barely." Nappa is just as shaken. "How the hell is he able to hold it back like that…?"

Cell lands on the ground with crossed arms as he surveys his readjustment. He smiles with a hum, looking towards the fighters in the sky. "Isn't that a nice adjustment? Now the entire planet is our battlefield! That leaves you all with only having to worry about quitting or dying as a loss! We can now fight to our heart's content without having to worry about petty restrictions! Isn't that great?"

"That bastard…!" Piccolo snarls. "He couldn't stand the possibility of getting knocked off the ring, so he just blew it up like a damn coward!"

Vegeta slips his arm from Nappa's grasp. His eyes have not left the insect yet. When they make contact, Vegeta recoils back, growling.

Cell beckons them down with a curling finger, and the stupidest smirk on his face. The amount of energy radiating from his body is nothing he ever displayed before.

"He was toying with us the entire time…?" Vegeta is seething, his arms trembling. "Just how powerful is this monster—daaaaaamn it….!"

Vegeta lands. Nappa lands. Tarble finds his footing, shaking off Nappa's arm. The younger prince bangs the side of his head with a single hand, hissing in frustration.

He shakes his head as if his ears are filled with water, but it doesn't appear to be effective. "Looks like it's going to remain this way for quite some time. How annoying…"

Nappa opens his mouth to speak, but noticing the prince not acknowledging him is enough to keep his mouth shut.

"No point in conserving energy now that he lost the plot." Tarble's golden aura engulfs him once more. "It was muffled, but I'm sure of it. He's quite the sore loser."

"Huh?" Nappa is surprised by the words. "Your ears are alright?"

"... Your words are incomprehensible. Annoying, but at least I know the damage is partial," Tarble says. "Do me a favor, and rip out his vocal cords for me."

The request would have taken Nappa by surprise once before. But, after training with Tarble in the Time Chamber, he decides he heard much worse from the prince.

"Now…" Cell's voice is pleasant, although it's difficult to determine if it is genuine or not. "I'm already getting bored of the same repetitive tactics, so unless you have nothing new to share, I think it's time we wrap things up, don't you think?"

Nappa slips into a fighting stance. Tarble is already bracing himself. Vegeta did not take those words too kindly.

The mere idea of Cell seeing him as a mere pass time has struck a nerve. Vegeta flares his own golden aura, shouting; "Your biggest mistake is to underestimate me!"

"Vegeta! Wait!" Nappa calls him, but his words are ignored as Vegeta soars right at the enemy.

His lunch is effortlessly blocked, and Cell is laughing at him.

Vegeta snarls before his attacks become rapid. It seems the memories of his last fight against Cell have hit him full force. His frustration only grows as he begins to realize that even now, his attacks are doing nothing against him!

"Like I said; Boring and repetitive." Cell lunges forward, swatting a fist away before punching Vegeta square on the face, breaking his focus. He follows with another punch, then a third. He lunges for his torso.

Vegeta's eyes go wide. He kicks Cell's hand away and leaps back, putting a gap between them.

"Still trying to protect that precious tail of yours?" Cell asks.

"Vegeta!" Nappa joins his side with a hurried flight. "You can't fight Cell alone!"

"Don't tell me you think you and Tarble can make a difference? The idiot allowed his ears to get ruptured, so now he can't do half the things he wants to do! But, I'll give him a little credit. He's adapting a lot faster than I thought. At least he's making up for it. But you? What can you possibly do, Nappa?! You can't even go Super Saiyan! You're just in the way!"

"Your redemption isn't worth throwing your life away, Vegeta!"

"Are you saying I have no chance?!"

"Not with the way you are thinking! You need to pull back for a moment!"

Vegeta stares at Nappa as if he lost his head. For several seconds. His shock turns to anger in a heartbeat. "Have you lost your mind?! You dare to doubt my power?! To defy me?! I think you've forgotten just who you are talking to!"

"I haven't. That doesn't mean I'm just gonna to let you do whatever! You're not gonna fight him alone! It's not worth the damn risk, Vegeta!"

"Wh—"

"You like to call me a reckless idiot, but after what happened to Androids 17 and 18, and your last fight against Cell, your pride takes that throne!"

Dead silence.

It's not just Vegeta who stands stunned and speechless.

Everyone else, too. Raditz especially, he looks as if he had seen a ghost.

"How…." Vegeta bares his teeth, seething as he raises a hand. "How DARE you!"

His flying fist is caught in a firm grasp.

Nappa's energy flares gold.

Vegeta's anger vanishes in an instant as he stares into a pair of burning turquoise eyes. Whatever words that came close to escaping retreat back as he finds himself leaning away. The malicious pressure in the air has his mind spiraling.

This has never happened before.

Tarble dropped his stance the moment he sensed it. Now, his full focus is on Nappa. The look on his face almost mirrors his brother's.

Cell lowers his arms, intrigued.

Raditz takes a step back, unable to form any words as he stares at the scene playing before him. Gine has her hands over her mouth, not uttering a single sound.

No words escape the audience. It's almost as if they are watching a car crash playing in slow-motion.

"You looked surprised," Nappa says at last.

His voice held a tone alien to hear; Stern and low,

"In fact, you look almost offended. Believe me when I say it; I feel the exact same way. My entire life was dedicated to serving the royal family. I never once dreamed of ever defying the likes of you. But after seeing the errors of the king, and to see his son repeating those same mistakes…standing by like this won't do anyone any favors, right?"

"You…let go of me…!" Vegeta can't seem to bring himself to get angry, and it's easy to see why.

It's nothing like the usual ranting rampage the Saiyan general had displayed countless times in the past. Not at all.

The malicious energy radiating from him is cold and focused. No one can figure out what's going through his head, and it scares them.

It frightens Vegeta the most, who had known Nappa his entire life.

Usually, Nappa would be scared out of his mind with the mere idea of raising his voice at the prince. But, this time, he has crossed boundaries, and he could care less.

He already made up his mind.

-- OoOoOoOo --

"Are you trying to say I am worthless? Some nerve you have, coming from a snot-nosed brat!" Nappa stomps forward. "I can take whatever you throw at me!"

Karot glanced at Nappa over his shoulder. "All it took was one punch to bring you down before. How am I supposed to cooperate with someone far weaker than me? How am I supposed to explain it to Vegeta when you don't walk out the Time Chamber alive?"

'This kid really did change. His words and mannerisms are a lot more coarse now, compared to a year or two ago.' Nappa got into a fighting stance. 'How old is this kid again? 8? 9? That look in his eyes.'

"You really are an idiot." Karot turned to properly face him. His energy flares, and he instantly transforms into a Super Saiyan. The power is almost overwhelming.

'This is almost like a mock battle against Cell. Me, up against someone I probably won't be able to land a finger on.' Nappa thought. 'The only way I'll know how to deal with him, is if I survive this kind of power. And then maybe…just maybe….!'

Karot took off. He was right in front of Nappa in an instant. A fist made contact against his chest. Something snapped. Nappa gagged as he was sent flying back, and he crashed to the ground.

Karot didn't stop. He was right above him in an instant, slamming his foot down against his stomach. The pain was unbearable.

The kid was ruthless, but even through all that pain, Nappa could tell…

Nappa thrusted his hand forward and sent a blast. It was swatted aside, and he was kicked from the ground. He tumbled across the reflective floor until he slowed to a stop. He could hear Karot's steady footsteps approaching.

Every part of his body was screaming in pain. The pain was at its sharpest against his ribs. They had to be broken, all from a single blow. He was struggling to do as much as get on his knees.

"You're weak." Karot lifts his foot. "How are you supposed to teach me anything anymore? Why should I respect someone like you, when you don't even respect yourself?"

What?

Stabbing pain shot through his right leg. The child had stomped down on it, and Nappa was positive he fractured it.

"You've been nothing but a lapdog to Vegeta. Vegeta doesn't even care about you. So why? I just don't get it. Why do Saiyans make it a habit to serve someone so vile? Why do Saiyans make it a habit to challenge someone they stand no chance against?"

"You're so young…and you think you have us figured out, don't you…?"

"You're proving my point as we speak. Look at you. Can't even get up."

"Before you lecture me all day, how about you quit your stalling?"

"What…?"

"I'm still breathing. You haven't made your move to kill me yet." Nappa continued just as Karot opened his mouth to object. "You didn't mean what you said, did you?"

"I…of course I did! Isn't that what you want?! For me to be just like you?! Isn't that why you and Vegeta kicked out dad, because he was nothing like you? You got what you wanted, and you're upset about it! I'm giving you what you want, and…I just don't understand….!"

"You don't understand yourself."

Karot stared at him. Despite all the pain he was in, Nappa managed to stand. It left the kid stunned.

"I've been around bratty kids like you my entire life. I can tell when one is trying to act tough. You put on this facade, when deep down, you're just a scared little brat, aren't you?"

Karot took a step back. "You…you don't know anything about me!"

"Yep. Vegeta said the same thing at your age too. I guess you are approaching those years. That's going to be fun." Nappa rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. All the pain from just a few blows. The kid could had very killed him if he had the cold heart to. "I think there's a reason they made us train in this room. People like to call me a babysitter, but the reality is, it's not often you come across a Saiyan who lived to see past two scores. A seasoned veteran like me, it's considered an honor back home for me to teach ya."

"Are you expecting some form of praise?"

"Heh. Not at all." Nappa said, which confused the kid. "That look on your face…what are you expecting? I'm going to fight Cell after this, and I'm positive he's going to be a pain in the ass. That's why I asked you to give me your all, because he sure isn't going to pull his punches forever."

"You…but I'm nowhere as powerful as Cell, am I?"

"You still have a lot of hidden potential in you. I can feel it," Nappa said. "You try so hard to suppress it, but in a battle of life or death…you can't afford to let that happen. You can't pull any punches. Not against a monster like that."

Karot just stared at him, far more confused by his words. His flowing energy settled until it vanished from sight. He looked at his feet, a frown clear on his face.

"Since when did you start to care?"

Another wave of pain was a reminder of the damage he took. Nappa placed a hand against his throbbing chest. His limitations…they went that far.

"After this fight… I want you and your father to settle things. That way, we can at least find closure," Nappa said.

"What?" Karot blinked.

"Hm. You're right. Usually Saiyans don't care about these kinds of things." Nappa said. "Maybe I've been on this rock for far too long."

Karot stared at him, perhaps taking in those words. It was a wonder what goes through that child's mind sometimes…

He turns his focus on his feet for a moment.

"My dad…he still scares me."

"I know. We all handled that poorly. You're right about that. I hate to admit it, but…Vegeta's a difficult case. A bit too much like his father. But, he's far more willing to listen to me than anyone else. I should have done more. Probably would have reduced the damage done, huh?"

To say it out loud, the words really did sink in.

He should have done more. He was far more concerned with staying on Vegeta's good side, perhaps. He failed to see the damage that the prince was doing until it was right in front of their face. By then, it was too late.

Nappa too, could had stopped Cell from becoming perfect.

"You should…get stronger too, Mr. Nappa."

Karot's voice seemingly came from nowhere. Nappa looked up to meet his face, but the kid already had his back turned. He was heading back inside the building.

"Someone like you shouldn't fall so far behind."

Karot just left him there, watching. He was ready for another round of a fight.

Or maybe…maybe Karot knew he was finished right then and there.

-- OoOoOoOo --

"Nappa…" Vegeta calls him through clenched teeth. "Nappa!"

"Ha…haha…he has completely lost it…" Raditz is laughing, but it's strained and wavering with overwhelming stress. "Vegeta is going to kill him. He's going to kill all of us…! Hahaha…."

The only one unphased by all of this is Karot. He watches with his arms crossed, more curious than anything else.

Turles taps his chin, trying to make sense of everything. "Do you think Youzi had a hold of him?"

Everyone looks at him. His question raises concern.

"I don't see any purple fog," Krillin says.

"You can feel his presence before he makes himself known," Kakarot says. "The fog won't show unless he actually wants to twist your mind or something."

"I…I felt that fog, somewhat," Gine says.

"Yeah…it's uh…not a great feeling," Yamcha says, rubbing the back of his neck. He's already unnerved, but the memory has him shaken. "I've never felt so angry in my entire life…"

"Youzi is angry because he doesn't have me anymore. So now he's targeting everyone else." Kakaraot shakes his head. "Damn it. So much of this is all my fault…looks like another problem I need to fix."

"Yeah but…" Trunks frowns. "I don't think that's Youzi."

"Really?" Gine looks at the teen. "But Nappa is acting completely out of character, don't you think? You don't suppose that demon is whispering dark thoughts into his head?"

"Tarble told me Nappa never once tried to oppose Vegeta," Trunks said. "But I think this situation got so bleak…he couldn't stand by and watch anymore. Besides…if it really was the demon…I'm pretty sure he would had hurt him by now. He's far too calm for that to be Youzi."

"You're right…" Kakarot realizes. "Youzi likes to inflict pain. Nappa isn't even hurting him."

With that in mind, everyone can relax a little.

"... Is no one going to talk about the fact that Nappa went Super Saiyan?!" Kauli speaks up.

"Oh, that? That was expected. Every Saiyan here is capable of going Super. He probably found his trigger in the Time Chamber!" Kakarot chuckles. "There is no way he'll let Vegeta or Tarble die under his watch!"

"You say that so casually…" Kauli feels left out now, glancing at her hands. "Can I go Super?"

"Did you miss the memo?" Turles rolls his eyes.

Kauli snaps at him. "Well I don't see you going blonde, so you shut your mouth, boy!"

Turles crosses his arms and grumbles under his breath.

"To think a mere legend has been reduced to a requirement of strength and pure will…" Gine is impressed. "It also makes the Saiyan far more aggressive than usual. How concerning. I don't think I can stomach that."

"You don't have much of a choice," Piccolo says, his deep voice unexpected to join the conversation. "If you want to stay alive, and protect your sons' lives, you will have to give Cell everything you've got—like it or not."

Gine frowns. She can't very well argue against that. If what Kakarot says is true…what it would take to trigger her transformation wouldn't take much at all. Why does he have faith in her strength anyways?

She's not fond of this. She's not as strong as the others. The time chamber was enough to catch her up a bit but…

'Suppose I do become a Super Saiyan. I doubt even Bardock would be able to pull me out of that unforgivable wrathful state…'

Everyone is watching. The anticipation is still too much to bear. There is still no knowing what is going through Nappa's mind.

"...Cell."

"Hm?" Cell looks at Nappa, but the Saiyan doesn't bother to return the attention. "What is it now?"

"Would it really be fun to defeat us if we fail to perform at our best?" Nappa asks. "Just give us five minutes. I promise it won't be a waste of time."

"What?!" Vegeta tries to make sense of it.

Cell sucks in a breath and sighs. "Fine. Fine. Five minutes. If you need to sit down and rethink a plan, I'll be courteous enough to give you that timeframe."

With that approval, Nappa releases Vegeta with a hard arm tug, tossing the prince to the ground. He watches him scurry back to his feet, offended and confused.

"I don't know what the hell has gotten into you…but you better rethink your next course of action, Nappa!" Vegeta shouts. "Once this is all over—"

"What. You're gonna kill me?"

Nappa's cold response has Vegeta almost taking a step back.

"Is that all you know how to deal with your problems? And you call yourself a prince." Nappa turns his attention to Tarble. "You two have been nothing but a headache to be around, and to be frank, I've grown sick of it."

"You are one to talk…!" Vegeta sneers. "Have a lot of nerve to—"

"Shut the hell up! I'm not done talking!"

A wave of shock tears through everyone like lightning. Even Cell drops his smug smile, taken aback by what he just heard.

"How much does it take for you to understand the consequences of anything?! You can't possibly be that stupid!" Nappa scolds him. "At the rate things are going, you could be bleeding out in a few moments, and you would still be convinced that you've done nothing wrong! You've learned absolutely nothing!"

Vegeta is left speechless. He wants to get angry at this, to scream at Nappa for what he just said. But, his mind is still trying to process everything at once.

Nappa isn't finished, as he turns his attention to Tarble.

"I can understand where you are coming from, trying to find a place among us Saiyans. I won't lie to you and say 'I never did anything wrong to push you to be like this', but the way you handled it was nothing but piss-poor vengeance! I know you can hear me—just barely—but you can hear me!"

Tarble stiffens with a frown. He places a hand near one ear, almost growling. "Your screaming…"

"I don't care about your bitter rivalry with Vegeta! What I do care about is how it's affecting all of us!" Nappa continues. "Your little tantrums have only encouraged Vegeta's poor decisions even more! And since you can't get through Vegeta, you've decided to take it out on everyone else. Must feel really nice to have control, does it?! But whenever something tries to challenge it, you freak out. Vegeta freaks out! The king freaked out! And you all wonder why people oppose you so much! Take a good look around you! They don't respect any of you! You lost it a long time ago!"

Tarble's anger hits him in full. "Don't you dare compare me to…!"

"I will, because you're begging to act just like him!" Nappa shouts. "Go ahead! Ask the crowd! Ask Kauli if you want a more direct answer! She's not into you! You threw your window away the moment you put on this tyrannical facade!"

"Say what?" Kauli feels many eyes on her. "WHAT?! Are you serious?"

"She really has no idea?" Raditz blinks.

"Is that why he was being so damn nice to me, while he was being an asshole to everyone else?!" Kauli clenches her fists. "That just makes it worse!"

"Oof," Krillin mutters.

"Ouch…" Yamcha winches.

Turles takes several steps away from her.

Tarble's anger is vanquished as the full weight of the words seem to hit him. He lowered his hand near his chest, before his hand formed a trembling fist.

It drops to his side. His tail has stopped flickering, falling limp.

"So as it seems…" Tarble's voice is hardly above a whisper. Despite how calm he sounds, his tail doesn't move an inch.

He was so obsessed with outclassing Vegeta, he lost sight of himself.

If he really did scare away Kauli, maybe he deserved it.

"You're just going to mock me now, aren't you?" Tarble asks.

"What would I accomplish by doing that?" Nappa asks him. "Think."

Tarble rubs his ears again. Another shake of the head, and it seems he has regained most of his hearing due to the shift in his expression. It doesn't stay long, as the sting of imputed rejection settles in once more.

"You always did this," Vegeta says to Tarble. "Can never make sense of it. Not once did you back down. You foolishly stood against all odds knowing you were going to lose. Lose against Frieza, lose against the Androids, me…and that freak of nature Cell. What compels you? All this time I believed it was because you were trying to prove you were better than me."

"Maybe…" Tarble says. "But that was never the sole reason, even though it did feel that way sometimes. I just hated to see everyone disregarded…disregarded as I was, tossed aside like rubbish. No one else deserves to endure what I had to, even if it came from my own brother…"

He chuckles.

"I didn't think…I was so desperate…that it made me act just like my father. I just…haha…." Tarble places his hands over his eyes. "Damn it…not again. This is the second time…"

Vegeta raises an eyebrow, but he decides to question it.

"No matter what I do, I always end up scaring someone away. I try to act like a Saiyan, and I instead wound up some kind of beast."

"Originally, King Vegeta was going to send you with me to serve under that Frieza." Nappa begins to explain. "But when he found out you weren't interested in fighting and lacked the guts, he sent you away."

"I've heard that story a hundred times before." Tarble glares at him. "I don't need a refresher. The king just wanted to dispose of me!"

Nappa frowns. "It wasn't due out of spite. It was mercy. Mercy from Frieza."

"Mercy?"

Vegeta frowns. "You never told me that."

"I was ordered not to," Nappa says. "He was concerned you might end up looking for him. He told you what he wanted you to hear; that your brother was a weakling that was no use to us. In truth, if the king presented Tarble to Frieza in his condition, Tarble would have been killed on the spot."

Tarble can't believe it. "You're saying he sent me away to save my life…?"

"To save your life, and the life of the queen."

Now both Vegeta and Tarble freeze.

"He knew Frieza would personally track her down and kill her for birthing a child he sees as useless. That's how cruel he was. That is why the king never spoke of your existence. It was the best thing he could think of. In the end, it seemed to have worked out, because you are still here. He just never anticipated Frieza destroying our planet…"

"Wh…" Tarble looks at Nappa. "What are you…. saying. I was never…"

"There was never anything wrong with you. You were just born a little different. That's all."

Tarble is slowly sinking to the ground. The second his knees made contact, he dropped to his hands. His breathing was shaking as he tries to comprehend everything he just heard.

"All this time…I thought I was…a failure," he whispered. "Useless…but I was just sent away to stay alive. Nothing more, nothing less. Father never hated me for existing. This….this doesn't make sense. This doesn't….it doesn't…"

He looks at Nappa, his eyes glossed as tears threaten to fall from his face.

"You're lying to me."

Nappa shakes his head. "The king said he would blow me up to tiny pieces if I did as much as utter anything about this."

Vegeta was silent the entire time. The expression on his face was so blank, it was impossible to guess what he could be thinking.

"Why…why wait until now to tell us this?" Tarble is confused. "I don't understand."

"My job was simple; I am here just for support, not to be a strict babysitter," Nappa says. "I immediately knew how things would play out once you and Vegeta met. I decided to not interfere, and to let the two of you grow on your own. Though it seemed there was no progress and things went south...I understand why."

Vegeta noticed Nappa looking right at him. "Wh-what now?!"

"Vegeta was handling you the way he was taught by Frieza. That bastard rubbed off on him far more than I was prepared for."

"What?" Vegeta appears offended by this. "To compare me to that—"

"You were five years old when he had a hold of you, Vegeta." Nappa narrows his eyes. "Between you and Raditz, you were the golden child to him. He wanted to shape you into his ideal weapon. With King Vegeta out of the picture, who could really assure that wouldn't happen?"

Vegeta growls under his breath.

"And here we are against Cell, who holds the genes of Frieza's father. He's in there somewhere, mocking every last one of us."

"Are you done having your monologues yet?" Cell crosses his arms. "I believe the non-existent commercial break is long over. So, why not resume where we left off?"

"Be a little more patient, Cell. I'm almost done," Nappa says.

Cell huffs. "Fine. One more minute. That's it."

"Another minute? What more else is there to say?" Vegeta asks him, aloof. He doesn't even look at him anymore.

Nappa quotes in his native tongue; "Don't you let an ounce of Frieza's influence poison the minds of my sons."

Vegeta's face softens, and Tarble stares.

"Looks like I failed to do even that," Nappa says. "She held me by the throat and was just about to kill me. Made me swear it to my tail. Her words…let's just say I remembered the words."

Tarble drops his head. "Mother…"

Vegeta crosses his arms, and his fingers start to dig into them. He seems ready to respond, but he clamps his mouth shut, wearing a snarl.

"Vegeta," Nappa calls.

"No more." Vegeta sends him a side glare. He begins to walk, slowing down just as he passes Tarble. He gives him a long and hardened stare before he resumes his pace.

Tarble shakes his head unsure of what to make of what he just heard. He shifts his foggy eyes towards Nappa.

"I'm not sure what else to say but…"

"Save it for another time," Nappa says. "Shift your focus to what's more important."

Vegeta ticked and slipped back into his fighting stance.

"Finally. Finally!" Cell drops his arms in relief. "A part of me was hoping to see you kill each other but, aaaaaah—I hope you feel satisfied, Nappa, for wasting my time! But was it really worth it? Maybe the stalling was to build a little stamina, but besides you going Super, what difference would it-"

"Quit talking." Tarble narrows his eyes. "Hearing your voice makes me wish my ears were drowned a little while longer."

Cell laughs. "Well, I can grant you that wish if that is what you wan—"

Tarble is right in front of him, his eyes staring dead into his soul.

Cell flies back in an instant. 'What the hell was that?! He didn't even attack me, and my body moved on its own?!'

His hand was clamped around his neck, feeling it. He lowered it, looking at his curling fingers.

'Had I stayed there a split second longer, he probably would have tore my throat open because my guard was down. But…how did my body know that?' Cell meets Tarble's eyes again. 'Saiyan instincts, was it? Incredible…I didn't think it would sense so much bloodlust…'

He froze.

'Bloodlust….? Wait. Of course he always had it, right…? But, it was never this strong before.'

"Why did you back away?" Tarble asks Cell. "You surpass me in strength, and yet, you've fled. What was the reason for it?"

"Don't bother trying to make sense of it," Vegeta said. His focus, too, was strictly on Cell. "He may have Saiyan genes, but I doubt he understands them to the fullest. He doesn't know what it's like to be a real Saiyan. His mind is probably going haywire in there."

'Vegeta too?!' Cell looks at them both. 'This doesn't make any sense! Where did it come from?!'

The pair took off towards Cell. He prepares himself to counter, but they split into different directions.

"That's not going to work! I've seen this before!" Cell blocks a punch from Vegeta. He counters a kick from Tarble. "You can have as many pep talks as you like, but the truth remains; you will never overpower this perfect body!"

"Perfect, says the insect with a charred hand." Tarble lands a kick, but all it does is annoy Cell. "You self-proclaim to be the embodiment of perfection, but to be perfect means to be without any flaws! And from what I've seen—"

WHAM! Cell was distracted by Tarble's talking, he didn't see Vegeta's punch coming. It buries deep in his stomach. He coughs out a mouthful of saliva, almost wheezing.

"—you have plenty to show off!" Tarble throws up his leg, and Cell is sent flying back.

He shakes off the pain. The royal brothers fly high above, and they dive back down.

'No…it's not that their bloodlust has gotten stronger!' Cell watches their focused eyes. He crosses his arms over his face to block their double punch. 'It's no longer pinned towards each other! But how?! According to the data, they are supposed to hate each other! So why is all this hate suddenly so strictly pinned on me?!'

Cell is exchanging blows with the brothers, dodging and blocking every attack they throw at him. He senses a strong presence behind him, and he ducks in time to avoid a giant fist belonging to Nappa

'I almost forgot about that giant! He's much faster now thanks to that transformation—when did he even become a Super Saiyan?!'

"Cell is still keeping up with them, even with all of them gone Super!" Yamcha isn't happy with what he is seeing.

"Yeah but…something feels different," Kakarot says.

"Huh?"

"There is no way Vegeta would want to share the kill, right?" Krillin asks. "I don't think he's the kind of guy to just cooperate in a team."

"He's not," Raditz says. "He usually likes to operate on his own terms. He's the one with the orders. But, from the looks of things…I don't know what the hell Nappa did, but it worked."

"They have set aside their differences to take on a common enemy," Turles says. "Cell isn't enjoying this one bit."

Cell is blocking every attack, but due to this, he can't find an opening to counter with his own. Everytime he tries, he is forced to take a hit.

Nappa tenses his body, and it's cloaked with zapping energy within seconds. He pulls his hand back, and the cloaked energy follows his motion. The two princes jump back to give Nappa a window to attack. With a mighty scream, he thrusts his hand forward, unleashing an erupting and flashing blast that rockets towards Cell.

He takes the attack head on. The sky is dancing with light as the explosion carries on. The shockwave rips through the audience, nearly blowing many from their feet. The strong gust of air forces them to anchor their feet.

Nappa lowers his smoking hand as he stares at the destructive cloud the explosion left behind. It was always a waiting game to see if it had any effect. He isn't counting on major damage anyway. Even if it's just a nasty bruise at least…it's better than nothing.

The smoke clears. Cell wasn't there.

"Where did he go?" Nappa looks in every direction, but he can't find them. His energy signal…where was…

"Hmmm. Even with one more Super Saiyan, it's still not enough to take me out, is it?" Cell's voice is heard, but the location can't be pinned. "Although I will admit. You three are beginning to get a little too dangerous for my tastes. So, it's time we resume the wrapping up, yes?"

"Right. He's not holding back!" Tarble shouts.

"Nappa!" Vegeta screams at him. "Now would be the perfect time to—"

Cell appears right in front of Nappa with the palm of his hand aimed directly at his face. He fires a gigantic blast, and Nappa is swallowed inside.

Everyone is stunned. His smoking body makes it's descent and falls to the ground.

Cell vanishes again. He's too fast!

Vegeta grits his teeth. "Damn! Where did he—"

Cell appears right in front of him with a raised hand. He chops him against the neck, cutting out his airway, leaving the prince vulnerable. Tarble is startled by the ambush, but it quickly morphs to anger as he closes the gap between himself and Cell.

Cell dodges a punch and returns the blow square against Tarble's face. His hand clamps around the younger Saiyan's neck before he could fall. He snags Vegeta's collar afterwards, and he stares at the two. "You know, it was a lot more fun when you two were having a screaming fest at each other."

He throws them against each other, enjoying the sound of the impact. They both fall towards the ground as he dives right after them.

Cell grins as his eyes are set on Tarble, but they shift to Vegeta instead as he appears to have a better idea.

He snags the older prince by the tail firm around the waist just as he was an inch from making contact to the ground. Tarble is unfortunate, crashing right through and forming a crater.

Cell lifts Vegeta a little higher as he lowers his head to meet his eye level. "Poor, Prince Vegeta. This was supposed to be your redemption. Your revenge. But here you are, in the same sad position you were not too long ago. How does that feel?"

Vegeta doesn't respond.

"Would you like me to remind you?" Cell shakes the prince like a ragdoll until his tail slips from its firm position. He allows the limb to slip through his fingers before gripping the end. "You know, I can easily do this to any of you foolish Saiyans, but I find it the most amusing with this one!"

He swings the prince from his limp, keeping the momentum as he constantly turns his feet. The Android begins to spin like a tornado within seconds. They are all but a blur of green and blue.

"He's toying with him!" Krillin shouts. "Again!"

Vegeta has his arms outstretched, helpless as he is slung around and around as if he's riding a wild merry-go-round. It ends with Vegeta being sent high above Cell's heard, his tail still tight in his grasp.

With a maddening grin, Cell pulls Vegeta back down, slamming him through the earth. The impact can be heard across the entire field, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

"He…he just…" Krillin gulps. "That could have been me…!"

Cell looks at the spectators. "Oh, don't worry. He's not dead. Saiyans are built to endure this much damage, aren't they? So, you have little reason to act. Although, I highly recommend you stay where you are, and let me have my fun with him. Though, dare I ask; Why do you still look after this fool? He was more of a use for me than any of you. Most would have left him for dead a long time ago."

Tarble surely wanted to. Is Cell aware of that?

His attention is back on the struggling prince. "You think you are superior. You think you know it all… that you are the best Saiyan who has ever lived. But look at you now!"

Vegeta is slung against the ground again. The prince is wheezing.

"I will admit. It's quite fun to see you like this."

Cell swings Vegeta over his head and slams him to the ground again.

"You like to downgrade everyone else, but when it happens to you, you call it unfair. Hah!"

Vegeta is slammed through the ground again. He clearly wants to scream, but he can't make a sound.

"Sorry to break it to you, Vegeta, but no one is invincible. Would you like me to show you?"

He is slammed again…and again…and again…!

"Notice that no one is calling out to you! Notice they won't step in to help you! It's not because of the rules…it's because they've grown sick of you!"

And again. And again.

"So here you are as helpless as you made them feel!"

Again!

"And your father is rolling in his grave!"

Again…!

"This is the half-time entertainment!" Cell shouts over the constant crashing. Vegeta is relentlessly treated like dough.

Everyone watches, flinching with every impact. It's unknown how long Cell will carry this out, but no one outside of battle can step in regardless. To witness Vegeta relive the same humiliation, does he really deserve it?

Every time he is pulled from the dirt, he's even more bruised. More beaten. But, it finally stops with Cell pinning the prince with a foot against the chest. Cell still has a firm hold of his tail, and his free hand faces the stunned Saiyan.

He fires a storm of blasts that batter the prince all over. Clouds of dirt and move blind the sights, but anyone can sense that Cell is purposely holding back. He won't kill him right now. Perhaps he is killing him slowly. Whatever it may be, he's having a lot of fun with this.

"What's the matter, Vegeta? You can't get up? I thought you were the strongest Saiyan? I thought you were the combination of everything superior among the Saiyan race?" Cell finds this hysterical. "I thought that you were the perfect warrior! Here is your reality! I am the definition of perfection! You are merely trying to emulate it, and you've failed miserably!"

A heavy blast is unleashed from the cloud, knocking Cell off his feet and crashing to his back.

The lingering silence doesn't last long. Vegeta steps out the cloud, nearly stumbling with every step. His tail is limp, almost touching the ground. But slowly it lifts itself, trembling and twitching as the fur sticks out in every direction. The veins on his forehead look as if they may burst.

Cell is standing, dusting himself off. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hurt your pride?"

"Why YOU!" Vegeta rockets towards him, but Cell punches him square on the face, sending his body flipping back.

"That…is very sad." Cell says. "This entire scenario is just sad."

He stomps a foot against Vegeta's tail. A loud crack followed by the Saiyan's scream is ignored. Cell lets loose a pitiful chuckle. "I wasn't even trying to break it that time. My word. I really tried to give you a fighting chance, to make you look like you're doing something. But no. You really are a sad case. You've almost made me actually feel sorry for you."

He pulls both arms back behind his head, pressing the back of his hand against the palm of the other.

"Almost."

Raditz's gasps. "That's…!"

Purple energy engulfs Cell before focusing around his overlapped hands. His grin appears sickening as the charge intensifies.

"Goodbye, Prince of no one."

Vegeta's eyes widen towards the light of his own technique before it meets his body. A massive explosion erupts towards the sky. Chunks of the earth are sent flying in all directions, forcing everyone to shield their faces once more.

"He… he didn't…!" Raditz refuses to believe it. A part of him believed Vegeta would find a way out. He would slip away at the last second and counter someway, somehow…but none of that would be possible. Vegeta was…completely immobilized.

Trying to sense his energy is impossible with Cell present. It makes it too difficult to determine if what he is sensing is Vegeta himself, or the cluster mess that is the Android…

The dust settles. Many eyes search the area.

Many hearts skip a beat.

Cell's soft laughter fills the void of silence as he bends over, his fingers brushing the tail that remains of the prince's body. He picks it up, holding it up for all to see.

"No…that's…that's impossible…" Turles mutters.

Kakarot can't take his eyes off it. Did he…really kill Vegeta?

That can't be. It couldn't be that easy.

"Curious, why do you look so stunned? I did all of you a favor. I killed the nuisance that brought each and everyone of you great pain and agony," Cell says. "I've freed you from his selfish shackles, and you look at me like I'm the bad guy. Is this what they call Stockholm Syndrome?"

Trunks can't bring himself to respond. No one can.

"What matters to you is that Vegeta has been eliminated. And, I just got myself a brand new trophy." He laughs at his own joke as he slings the dismembered tail around.

But no one is celebrating.

The ground bursts from the distance, and Cell staggers once more, almost dropping his sick trophy. He whips around, facing the intense flow of energy that sends ripples of dirt flying his way. The enraged roar that rumbles from the core is the most aggressive he heard by far. The powerful air pressure doubles, nearly blowing Cell out of balance. A massive streak of gold rockets from the source, meeting Cell face to face.

The golden-clad Nappa. His turquoise eyes are fueled with great hatred.

"Oh-ho! Nappa! You're still alive—"

A massive blast is unleashed from Nappa's mouth, cloaked with flames. The surprised Cell has no time to react, struck by the red hot blast that pierces right through his chest. It cooks his torso, leaving Cell screaming silently. Once the assault ends, it's his turn to spiral towards the ground, now a smoking sausage.

There is no praise, only silent disbelief.

"He combined his Break Cannon with fire…Th-that's genius…" Raditz mutters. "But…Vegeta…"

Gine frowns. "They already knew they wouldn't stand a chance, but they kept going. We knew that someone was going to die…but…" Her voice trails off as her eyes focus on something else. Her mouth nearly hangs open.

Everyone looks at the same direction, and they see it.

Prince Tarble in Super Saiyan form strolls towards them with an unreadable expression. But that's not what matters.

He has Prince Vegeta in his arms.

"He's…he's alive…?" Turles asks. "But he was blasted! I saw it happen right in front of me!"

"You saved him." Trunks can't believe it. "You…you actually…"

"Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't save him out of pity," Tarble says. Once he meets with the crowd, he drops Vegeta on the ground. The older prince rolls to his stomach. Only a stump remains of his tail.

"Of…of course. It makes sense now," Kakarot says. "Vegeta's life was in grave danger because of his tail, so it detached itself to save him, didn't it?"

"Just in time for me to swoop in," Tarble confirms. "He's out of commission, so keep an eye on him. What you do with him, I don't care."

They watch him take off to the skies.

Despite how beaten up Tarble is...

"Well, I'm not watching him. That's on y'all." Kauli takes a step back.

"Whoever said I was going to be in babysitter duty?" Turles asks.

"I don't think it's worth the effort for us to watch him…" Krillin speaks on behalf of his friends.

It appears that no one is going to bother with that. They stare at the unconscious warrior. There are…mixed feelings floating about.

"Hey! Big oaf!"

Cell's seething voice snags attention. He's far above, hovering in the air now. A massive gaping hole has blown through his body. Purple ooze spills from the corners like gel.

"You didn't get everything!" Cell spits.

"He's…still standing…?" Yamcha shouts.

Cell opens his mouth to say more, but body jerks as the wound begins to regenerate, closing itself up. Cell covers his mouth before spitting up a mouthful of purple blood. He glares at his soiled hand, trembling with rage.

"Oh shit." Kauli breathes. "What the hell…"

"Whoa…" Kakarot is impressed. "Is that supposed to happen?"

"I…don't think so," Trunks says.

"No!" Gine points. "It didn't heal all the way! I think we found his weakness!"

Just as she pointed out, while the hole had closed, it didn't heal entirely. The hard shell that should be forming is yet to show any signs of doing so. The softer inside remains exposed.

"You can't be serious…" Turles mutters. "Fire? It was fire? That's dumb!"

"Not just any fire," Kakarot says. "I can't say for sure what exactly Nappa did, but he concentrated on it enough to burn out the regeneration cells in his body."

Raditz slams his fists together. "No, Kakarot. I think you're onto something. It's exactly how Chille died! Overwhelming heat from that explosion killed the regeneration process!"

Trunks laughs. "So, that's it! He's not invincible after all! I knew it!"

"It might just be temporary, so we can't get too excited," Gine warns them all. "Now that Cell is as aware as we are, he won't let Nappa get another window to pull that off again."

A wheezing breath from the ground reminds many of Vegeta's current state.

"He looks like shit," Kauli says.

"Yeah. He got banged up real bad in a matter of seconds," Kakarot says. He extends his hand to Kauli.

"Huh?" She is more surprised than confused.

"You're giving him a Senzu Bean?! Why?!" Raditz looks at his brother as if he's insane. "I mean, I know we need him alive, but do you not remember what he did to you? What he did to—"

"I know what you're going to say," Kakarot says. "And I agree. He doesn't deserve help. But, I don't think he's going to bother anyone for a while."

"What?"

Kakarot slips the bean inside Vegeta's mouth. He stands and takes several steps away, knowing very well the prince would want it.

Within just a few seconds, Vegeta begins to stir. He sits up, hand pressed against the back of his neck. As soon as he opens his eyes, they shift over to Kakarot. "Why would you waste your time giving me that?"

"See? I knew it. Unappreciative ass," Kauli says.

Kakarot doesn't say anything. He takes a step back as Vegeta rises to his feet.

Vegeta is wobbly for a few seconds before he's completely still. His hands slowly reach behind them and grab nothing. Looking over his shoulder is all the confirmation he needs.

He grits his teeth, almost hissing. His unexpected rant on the other hand…doesn't surface. He's boiling underneath, but his eyes are now focused on the fighting that is happening high above.

"Everything that monster said…everything Nappa said," Vegeta speaks up, his tone almost trembling with his contained fury. "You lot agree to all of it, don't you?"

It was the least expected question to hear. Raditz opens his mouth, but he's interrupted.

"Don't bother. I already know the answer." Vegeta glances at them all. "I can see it on your faces."

No one speaks up.

"To be bested by a creature lower than man…not once, but twice?! It's humiliating…!" Vegeta hisses. He fumes for several seconds. Everyone just stares at him, but they don't say a word.

His temper cools as his face twists.

"I just don't get it."

Confusion crosses many faces now. While Vegeta's anger seems to be fading out, it's layered with genuine confusion. The expression on his face is almost alien to see. It's like he came across a puzzle he can't figure out. Nothing more than frustration, for something that almost feels beyond his control.

"I don't understand it! We did everything those frost demons wanted us to do. We tried to appease them the best way we could. Whenever a Saiyan stepped far too out of like that would endanger all of us, we took care of it! My father shipped away Broly in fear of his power. He shipped away Tarble for not using his power!" Vegeta wears a snarl once more. "He sent me off to Frieza in exchange for the livelihood of our race…but in the end, it was all a ploy. He was going to get rid of us no matter what we did for him. So, where did we ever go wrong?"

He looks at his tattered gloves, curling his fingers close to the palm.

"When you're serving under Frieza, the weak perish and the strong prevail. If you show any signs of compassion, you're dead. No one in the Frieza Force gave a damn about any sob stories, or the lives of anyone but themselves. As long as they kept Frieza happy, they got to stay alive. Even if it means turning against their own comrades to stay in their own skin. But in the end…he still killed us all, all because of some stupid fairy tale!"

He looks at them all, noting their expressions.

"That lifestyle…it was the life I knew since I was born. It was the culture among the Saiyans because of his influence. But being practically raised by that tyrant…it was deeper than that. Surely you fools would understand that—no. You wouldn't. You never could."

Kakarot notices that the prince is focusing on him now.

"You thrived and fought and survived the impossible, achieved the impossible, but you were raised in a low-leveled world, surrounded by creatures who are softer than dirt. You waste your time worrying about the well-being of others, never walking away from them even when they come off as useless to you. Try any of that under Frieza, and they would have eaten you alive. I cannot understand how someone such as yourself can achieve so much with such a foolish mindset! How the hell are you still alive?!"

Kakarot isn't sure how to answer that. Truthfully, he doesn't know how.

Vegeta wasn't even trying to insult him. He's…

It's so strange to see him so confused.

"I get it."

Attention is on Future Trunks now. He doesn't make eye contact with anyone, but the look on his face is as if he just solved the biggest puzzle he had in his entire life.

"Now, it all makes sense. I've wondered this for years…but hearing what you just said now makes it all clear to me. The reason why my mentors—Karot and Tarble—turned out the way they did, I always knew it was because of you. It's the same reason why Kakarot changed too. I don't know if you see it or not, but you've always radiated the same cruel energy any tyrant would. How did we not see it until now? It was stupid obvious."

"What…?" Vegeta is stunned.

"I'm not sure if you call it helping or not…but to see the Saiyans; Kakarot and Kauli, Karot and Tarble, seeing how different they are…it grossed you out. You weren't used to seeing that behavior. You were raised with the ideals that cruelty and brutality was the right way to go—Frieza's ideals that you, for years, shoved down their throats. Look deep at the results. Three out of four lost their minds."

"Wait—so am I the four, right?" Kauli asks. "R-right?"

Trunks looks back at the fight high above. Nappa, Tarble, and Cell are still going at it, but for how long until they lose the momentum?

"Humanity too, was affected," Trunks says. "They became just as cruel, and tortured Kakarot's body and spirit. They are the reason for Youzi's influence. They are the reason why the Androids came along, and why we are fighting Cell now. It all begins with you, acting based off what you thought was the right thing to do."

Vegeta stares for a second, and he huffs. "One look at me, and you think you have my entire life story figured out? You Earthlings never fail to amuse me."

He chuckles, but he's exhausted.

"Kakarot and Kauli love to do the same thing. Such ignorance. All it does is hurt them. You try to help someone and think you'll save them, but all you manage to do is dig your grave even deeper. That compassion there is exactly why you stand where you do."

"Of course you would say that. Even if I spell it out for you, you'll still brush it aside and call me the idiot. I'm all too used to it by now."

'Come on, kid.' Turles keeps to his thoughts. But his expression shows just about everything he is thinking. 'Don't be so hard on yourself.'

Trunks lets loose a chuckle, wearing a strange smile. It confuses Turles. It confuses Vegeta.

"What's so funny?" Vegeta asks.

Trunks shakes his head. "That Vegeta. He probably doesn't understand a single word I just said to him. How much do you want to bet that he doesn't give a damn? He is the walking definition of a narcissist."

"Excuse me?" Vegeta frowns. "What are you going on about? You're calling me a narcissist? That's just a Human way of sugar-coating their sad little feelings. They don't understand how we Saiyans work. One would think a Saiyan half-breed would have an idea, but you still don't have a clue. I could preach all day, but you'll only consider me a nuisance."

"Which reminds me…" Future Trunks says. "I remember now. Teacher—Tarble didn't just want me to come to the forgotten past just to save it. He wanted me to…analyze."

Kakarot is confused by this. Raditz and Turles are more disturbed.

"Study the behaviors of everyone around me before this world fell into a deep pit of darkness. See how everyone fell into dispair. At this point now, I see the pieces. I've figured out how Tarble ended up the way he was. He said to me how I will see just how pathetic he was, but all I've seen was someone who just wanted to do better, and how his brother drove him too far up a wall."

Just talking about makes Trunks feel uneasy. He can tell Vegeta is trying to look deep, trying to understand his words.

The older prince crosses his arms, scoffing. "Oh, please. What exactly did Tarble tell you in your timeline?"

Trunks' shoulders drop. He is frightened by the question alone, his mind wandering back to the dark shadows in his memories.

The looming shadowy figure of Tarble who stared him down with glowing red eyes.

Trunks can hear the screams of his younger self, pleading and begging, apologizing, but it never stopped. The day Karot died and onward, it only got worse…

Trunks' breathing hitches as he meets Vegeta's eyes at last, and at that very moment…

"What did he tell me? What did he tell me…" Trunks almost whispers.

"Hey." Turles steps in, holding out his hand in front of Trunks. He sends a glare to Vegeta. "If you're trying to understand how his mind works…maybe this isn't the time. Drop the subject here. He's still not feeling well."

"Since when did you care about a sad little half-breed?" Vegeta asks him. "If I recall, before you were so ready to kill Kakarot's brat along with him."

"Things are different now. I don't have to explain myself," Turles says. "Leave the kid alone."

Vegeta chuckles. "You know what it is, don't you? You're trying to hide something from me. It doesn't matter. The brat already lost. All he ever did was present himself as a pathetic whelp who runs away from his problems. You can't defend that. You've seen it. We all did. It doesn't surprise me, considering the two who practically raised him."

Every single word that Vegeta just said…it hurts. Trunks never wants to admit it, but it hurts, because it reminds him of the very same flaws Tarble would always point out.

And every single time he did…

Every…single time….!

Trunks' tail sinks against his legs. It catches many eyes. He looks at his hands, noticing that they are trembling. He can't stop it, even as he closes them into fists. All the memories…

All of them are hitting him hard. He hates how it makes his vision blur. The tears…those stupid tears are trying so hard to surface.

"Kid…?" Turles is concerned. "Hey. You don't have to talk about it.'

"No…no. He's right. Running away…running away solves nothing…" Trunks swallows a lump in his throat, but the dreadful feelings don't go away. "I could…go on and on about you for hours. I practically memorized every outburst I've witnessed. The future I come from…everyone there is…perhaps your ideal perspective of a true warrior."

Trunks' mind wanders for a second, and his lips twitch. Even if he does tell him, he would never understand. He would never feel any sort of sympathy. It is something Trunks learned from Tarble… and something he saw first hand time after time.

Every single time he came back from the future, things got worse in the past, and it all points right back to Vegeta. How can he not see it?

He isn't asking what Tarble taught him out of curiosity. Trunks knows that all too well.

He's trying to find a good reason to mock him. Tarble teaching a half-breed is already a grand joke to Vegeta, isn't it? Of course it would be…

Tarble has always been a joke to Vegeta, until that joke turned around and killed him.

"Clearly, you've shown no promise. We've all seen it in person. Your fight against Cell. It was an embarrassment. You lost your head at the very end. The only reason you're alive right now is because Cell was disgusted and saw no point in killing you."

"Vegeta!" Gine shouts.

"Don't lecture me. You know I am right. Go ahead and try to prove me wrong otherwise, that his Human half is the main reason he chickened out at the last second."

Gine backs down.

"Go on. I'm waiting."

Trunks looks towards the ground. Is that really how it is? Such stubbornness…it's like nothing can break him. Maybe because Vegeta is already broken. Maybe because…he's been broken since he was a child.

But what does Trunks know? He's trying to look deep into his psyche. Such a Human thing to do…

His Human half always was a burden.

Tarble's words;

"Why do you have to witness someone you love get killed for you to act like a real Saiyan? First it was Karot…now the tiger. There is no one left…so what now? What will you do after this?"

"There is no. Such. Thing. As. Compassion. Mercy does nothing but kill. Until you learn that, you will be beaten to a bloody mess everyday!"

Perhaps he was right. Trunks sometimes believed he was, but a part of him always denied this. It always did, and Tarble would insult him, claiming it was his Human half weighing him down.

And that's exactly what Vegeta believes.

Vegeta…who…

The fiery pits within his stomach are flickering before they grow into a wildfire. Trunks licks his lips, keeping his eyes on the ground as he listens to everything around him.

He can sense it. Everyone wants to say something to Vegeta. But, at this point, it's as if they accept they can never change his mind. It doesn't matter how many times he gets beaten, or how badly. He will never change.

Just as future Tarble always said. And…he was right.

He was right about everything.

Trunks tried to understand, but he always wasted his time. He sees everyone falling apart around him in real time…and Vegeta doesn't give a damn. He never did…

It's starting to blister now, climbing up his throat, spreading through every nerve in his body—he can feel it with every heated breath.

Usually, he would fight these sensations. He always hated them. But Vegeta would only look the other way, just as Tarble always did.

Trunks has no idea he's staring at the prince so intensely. His eyes hold rising defiance, and Vegeta can see it, if his rising and bristling tail didn't make it obvious enough.

"What's wrong? All I did was state the facts," Vegeta says. "As far as I am concerned, you have no right to lecture me about what I did wrong when you did something far worse."

"Kid…" Turles calls him. He can sense it. It's expected of him to.

"I'm genuinely curious now," Vegeta says. "You claim that Tarble is just as much of a 'cold-hearted monster' as I am in your timeline? I don't believe it. You're too soft. The only way you would have survived for as long as you did, is if you know exactly when to harden your heart!"

Of course.

Tarble said the exact same thing. It must be true. It's the only way…that one can throw away their own Humanity.

Their…own….

"You have absolutely… no… ideaaaaaa…."

Everyone is stunned. The last word was spoken through an inhumane growl. Vegeta is forced to stare back at the blue eyes that are slowly turning into a shade of red. The lashing lavender tail…every hair is standing tall.

"Seleriak…" Raditz raises his voice.

"Is it…is it the demon?" Yamcha asks.

"More like…his Saiyan blood…" Turles is alert.

Vegeta doesn't back away further, but he remains cautious, perhaps listening for once.

"I…had been…beaten, mocked…belittled and downgraded…hah…brought to the brink of death time after time by your brother." Trunks is taking slow steps towards the prince. His voice and tone are abnormal to hear.

It's something Gine recognizes. Her expression is filled with horror.

"Now you take that all in and tell me…tell me that is not something Frieza would do."

Everyone stands in silence, almost ignoring the clashing battle happening above.

Vegeta stares back, almost speechless.

"I need an answer, Vegeta."

"Seleriak…" Raditz calls the teen carefully. He can't get a read on him. No one can.

They've never seen him like this before. It's as if his fight against Cell just…shattered him.

"You must be out of your mind!" Vegeta pushes aside whatever possible concerns he has. "I turned against that bastard! I've always hated him! Why would I want to be anything like him?"

"Wow…" Future Trunks takes a step back. "Even after all of that lecturing you just got? I… I don't know what to say."

"What?" Vegeta frowns. "What were you expecting to hear? That I wanted to be the emperor of the universe?"

"He was right about you."

"What?!"

"You…really can't see your own flaws. You completely missed…the point of the QUESTION!"

A boot slams directly on Vegeta's face, catching everyone by surprise.

As soon as the Saiyan hits the ground, he is stomped on the head again. Trunks' eyes are wild, almost a crimson red as his breathing grows heavy.

His heart is pounding. He can hear the blood rushing in his ears. He should fight it…take a deep breath…

No. It's wrong.

Tarble always hated it when he resisted it.

Vegeta…he clearly thinks the same way. To fight it is a sign of a coward, and Trunks is no coward.

Not again.

He refuses to let Vegeta win this time.

The little voice that's telling him it's enough…he pushes it aside. The blood rushing through his veins…is all that matters at this very moment.

He speaks through bared teeth;

"First…it was Android 18!"

He kicks Vegeta across the face. It sends a ripple of heat through his body, pulling him to do it again.

"Then…your brother!"

He kicks him again.

"Trunks!" Kauli calls him.

But Trunks ignores her. Usually, he would stop, but if he does…Vegeta would just rub it in his face.

He's sick of it.

He's sick of all of it!

"Then Cell!"

He kicks Vegeta once more. It almost felt satisfying.

"Then Cell again!"

He stomps his head through the ground, pinning it against the surface. He stares, meeting Vegeta's judgmental eyes. His heart is pounding. His tail is lashing. But despite all of that…Vegeta.

He just glares. That same exact glare Tarble has.

He sees him as a weak idiot. Someone who is only still alive because he wasn't even worth killing…!

His lips curl back further. He almost hissed.

The beat of hesitation is gone. He continues to hammer Vegeta's head with no signs of stopping.

"Somebody stop him before he kills him!" Kauli shouts. Looking around, she decides to move first, but Kakarot grabs her arm. "Wha—"

"How many more beatings will it take until you understand?" Trunks screams. "Are you really that stupid? Are you really that blind?! You were broken and humiliated time after time because of your stupid, stupid decisions, and what do you do?! You blame it on everyone else—and you have the nerve to wonder why everyone seems to OPPOSE you!"

The stomping is relentless. Gine begins to march forward, but she's held back by Turles, who shakes his head. He looks at Raditz, who seems to understand.

"Look at you now! You can't even defend yourself because you're too weak to move! Because of what Cell did to you, and what he will do to the rest of us! Why did we spare you? Why…why did we spare YOU? Why didn't we listen to Tarble and let him kill you?!"

Trunks freezes, almost mortified by what he just said.

He grips a handful of hair, flashing a grin that's far from friendly. It's as if he's fighting to ease himself, but he simply can't…

A soft and unnerving laugh slips free, coated with seething anger. Does he really agree with that Tarble?

Of course. It makes sense. It makes perfect sense.

He was right all alone. He was always right…

But oh…his vision. The blur.

He always hated being angry.

"Things...are not supposed to be this way!"

He stomps him again. The sounds around him are becoming drowned by his hammering heart. To resist it at this point is foolish.

Saiyans don't show mercy in the battlefield.

"Is this is what you really want?! Is this how you see a true Saiyan?!"

His attacks grow more brutal. Each blow feels more satisfying than the last. He doesn't stop. He won't stop. He can't stop.

"Survival of the fittest! Kill or be killed! Damn or be damned! That's how I was taught the battlefield goes! If that is how the Saiyans really lived…then so be it, right? Let them kill and slaughter anyone who opposes them! That's the way of the Saiyan race! That's the ideal warrior, the pure essence to take pride in! Right?! RIGHT?! Is that what you truly want?"

He's speaking…the Saiyan language.

"IS THAT WHAT YOU TRULY WANT?!"

"Foolish boy…"

Trunks freezes. Vegeta is…

The prince looks at him with his bloodshot eyes. "All you've done…was prove my point. You still don't have it in you…"

The ringing in his head becomes clear. The blistering heat stabs his skin like needles. Everything around him seems to black out…and all the sounds…

All he can hear is his ragged breathing, and the heavy growl that rips out his throat.

The heat blanketing his hands doesn't take much to create. He guides them both down towards his feet, not caring if it would hurt him or not.

"Die…"

Bigger…

"No hesitation…"

Bigger!

"NO REGRETS—"

A hand settles on Trunks' shoulders. All it does is send a fresh wave of anger. He shakes his shoulder, but the strong hand tightens and pulls him from where he stands.

He's pulled into a warm embrace.

Frozen, Trunks nearly drops like a doll. This warmth is different…not angry…not seething…but oddly comforting.

He hears a voice…words he struggles to understand. A very familiar voice. He knows that voice.

"Ease yourself, son. Take a deep breath. That's all I need you to do right now…" Raditz mutters.

Trunks doesn't know how long he is like this. Seconds feel like they turn into minutes. Slowly, everything around him comes to. The air feels cool against his skin. The sights around him…there are so many eyes on him…

He can feel warmth filling his eyes—the tears—they are welling up at an alarming rate.

"You hate being this angry, don't you?" Karot's soft voice breaks Trunks' scrambled thoughts. He sees the kid staring up at him. His expression…it's pity. "It doesn't feel good. It's scary, isn't it?"

"Are you good now?" Raditz asks. "I'm going to let you go."

Just as promised, Raditz did. Trunks nearly collapses under his own weight. A haze of confusion takes hold of him at first, until he remembers what set him off in the first place.

"V… Vegeta…" Trunks looks at where he was. There's a crater shaped like a Saiyan that sunk into the ground, and Trunks feels his heart sink just as deep.

But his body stiffly rises.

Vegeta manages to push himself to his knees. His head is bruised and bleeding. Turning his head to the side, he spits out a tooth. Bloodshot eyes meet with Trunks.

"So…that is what Seleriak is like. Where was he hiding…when Trunks needed him most?" Vegeta can barely get to his feet.

Trunks didn't know what to say.

"I've seen what I needed to see." Vegeta falls to his rear, and he sits there. "If that is what a half-breed is capable of, then it seems I shouldn't bother pestering you about it."

What's going on…?

"Now that we've seen both sides, all there is left to do is figure out how to use them properly. You lack self control in both."

And it finally clicks.

"You…you made me angry on purpose…?" Trunks doesn't know what to think. How hard did Vegeta hit his head when Cell was toying with him?

"The easiest way to trigger the likes of you is to insult you where it really hurts, and to keep the momentum. Cell was close to doing that, but he made the mistake of choosing the words that frightened you instead of anger you. It's psychological, if you know what that means."

Trunks slowly nods. He still doesn't get it.

"Once I figured out what frightens you, avoiding the wrong words was all too easy. All I had to do was make you tick," Vegeta explains. "If you learn to properly channel that anger into your strength, you would be able to unlock that hidden potential those annoying brothers see in you. It's something we picked up ever since Karot was a snot-nose brat."

"Wait…I'm sorta lost. Did you really mean what you said…? I…"

"Tch. Take it or leave it. I can care less."

Trunks was expecting an insult, but no more came. Vegeta remained seated, his attention now towards the combat above.

No demand for a Senzu Bean. No ranting about how he just got stomped down.

Trunks can't figure him out.

"I've lost the fight, I've lost my tail…and it's clear that nobody has any trust in me. My father is probably rolling in his grave right now. To make matters worse…everyone here sees me as another Frieza. That sick bastard still lives on in me. How repulsive."

Trunks turns to his father, but Raditz doesn't look at him. His focus is on the prince. Perhaps he knows something Trunks does not.

Looking back at Vegeta…the Saiyan appears lost in his own thoughts.

…

Tarble takes a sharp right hook. While the impact sends him back, he regains focus and retaliates with his own punch. It's blocked with little effort. A punch against his chest knocks the air out of his lungs.

Nappa catches the next fist that would have otherwise snapped Tarble's arm. He pulls Cell's arm away before striking his exposed chest with his elbow.

The heavy blow reminds Cell of his current state. He has enough—rushing in with a flying knee before battering Nappa with relentless attacks. When Tarble tries to intervene, he kicks him on the side of his head.

Tarble is left in a daze due to the already shaken state of his ears. He nearly loses his balance in the air.

"Oh, no! They are in trouble!" Krillin grabs his head. "Even with Nappa as a Super Saiyan, it's just not enough! He's getting battered out there!"

"IDIOT!"

Krillin jumps, and he turns to Vegeta, who still has his eyes on the fight.

"Nappa isn't just some Saiyan who got a lucky stroke! He was hand-chosen by my father, the king, to be my bodyguard when I was growing up! No modified insect freak is going to break him down so easily! He's built to take this much punishment!"

"I…s-sorry." Krillin steps away. He would say more, but Vegeta has turned his attention back to the fight.

An uppercut throws Nappa's head back. He snatches Cell's arm, pulling it down with all his strength as he stares him down. Blood is leaking from his mouth, but despite all the pain he is in, he remains surprisingly calm. The only tell-tale sign of his relentless fury is the bristling tail that is tight around his waist.

He inhales through his nose, and his energy flares once more.

Cell sneers. "In that case—"

His words are pushed out his lungs in a nasty wheeze. Cell nearly forgets how to fly, sinking for just a few seconds as Nappa's fist buried deeper into his stomach. A punch across his face cracks more of his forehead.

He backs out. He's hunched over, grinning and hissing through his pain. A short laugh escapes him as Nappa watches his every move.

"You know what? I… have decided… that I really hate fire."

It's hard to tell if he's genuinely laughing or not, but he is absolutely seething. Between his burnt wings, his damaged armor, and his vulnerable torso, his perfect image had been tarnished.

Despite this, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, cooling whatever fires of rage that tried to take hold of him. Once collected, his eyes are focused as he straightens his posture.

"You almost had me there. Perhaps these Saiyan genes have a drawback after all. How do the lot of you manage to live with this temper?" Cell smiles. "Or perhaps it's the Frieza talking. Hard to say. But whatever it was, I almost forgot what I was supposed to be doing! I shouldn't be playing with you anymore!"

Both of his hands are engulfed with pink and black bolts of static.

"You've overstayed your welcome!"

They form massive spheres of zapping plasma, and he thrusts the attack forward.

"You've got to be shitting me! My Weekend too?!" Raditz gives up. He throws his hands in the air, and his arms drop to his sides.

Nappa, having no time to dodge, holds his position as he blocks both blasts with his hands. He tries to push it back, grunting as the intensity begins to push him instead. The bolts begin to snake around his fingers, and curl his way up his arms. It doesn't take long for him to lose the feeling in his fingers, which spreads quickly to his hands.

"You forgot someone!"

Cell looks up. His eyes lock on a figure cloaked with wild, zapping purple aura.

Tarble hovers above, with one leg lifted high. The back of one hand is pressed firmly against the palm of the other, both held above one shoulder. The same chaotic energy spews from the exposed palm.

"You…you wouldn't!" Cell laughs. "Not from up there! If I decide to dodge it, then your friend is going to get struck instead!"

"I am quite sure he is content with that!" Tarble shouts.

"What?" Cell looks back at Nappa, who is still fighting against the Weekend blast. Upon seeing the Saiyan's determined glare, he was stunned. "What?!"

He looks back at Tarble.

"Oh, please! You wouldn't actually go through with it, would you? You're just counting on me moving out the way so that Nappa can get another good hit on me! It's not going to work! You're bluffing!"

"I don't bluff."

Cell's smile is gone. The intensity of the blast grows.

"Galick…BUUUUUUUUUURST!"

Tarble pushes both hands out, fingers spread, and the blast is unleashed in a zig-zag fashion.

"Galick Gun, Galick Burst—What's the difference?!" Cell whips one hand around, redirecting one half of the Weekend to counter the Garlic Burst head on.

Tarble spreads his hands further apart, and his own blast splits to two. One keeps the blast at bay.

The other snakes around the singular Weekend, and Cell's face floods with shock.

He is struck. Tarble is struck. Nappa is grazed. Purple explosions all around.

"Whoa! Did you see that?!" Krillin shouts. "He split the blast apart! I didn't think that was possible!"

"He did that just to get a good hit on Cell," Piccolo says. "Impressive, although he sacrificed half of the attack's power in the process."

"Yeah but…it's not just the blast," Kakarot says.

Tarble is fighting to catch his breath as he lowers both hands. His right glove is charred, almost burnt all the way through. "Damn…I still haven't mastered that step yet. I could have blown my fingers off if I wasn't wearing these…."

Nappa's own hands had gone completely numb from holding off the Weekend for as long as he did.

And Cell…

Cell's hand hovers over his scorched chest. He must have dodged at the last second, but it still grazed him, leaving his flesh singed and stinging.

"Even after all that training…and it's still…not enough." Tarble drops his arms with a sigh. "Bloody hell."

Cell blinks as Tarble's Super Saiyan form drops. "What?! What are you doing—"

"I lost." Tarble's words leave the spectators stunned. "I did everything I could against you, and yet, here you still stand. There's a difference between a tactical retreat, and dying because you simply don't know your own limitations. So, you didn't hear me wrong. I forfeit."

"You…" Cell would have went on, but upon seeing Nappa abandoning his Super Saiyan form as well, he is left speechless.

"Don't get me wrong. The idea of throwing the towel really pisses me off," Nappa says. "But I'm not going to be an idiot and exhaust myself to death while you still have plenty of energy to fight. Sure, you have a few good wounds, but you're not even out of breath. It's reckless to keep going at this rate."

Cell watches the pair of elites descend to the ground. He can't even get angry. He hovers there, trying to comprehend what he just heard.

The second Tarble makes his way over to the spectators, his legs give out, and he collapses on the ground. Nappa lands right behind him, clearly spent. He helps the prince to his feet.

"Prince Tarble!" Kakarot hurries over to him. "Yo! Kauli!"

Kauli looks at the bag she holds in her hand. She walks over, dropping one of the many Senzu Beans on the palm of Kakarot's hand. She walks over to Tarble, who lifts his head at the sound of her footsteps.

"Oh. Hello." Tarble moves only slightly as she crouches down right in front of him. He is fed the Senzu, and within seconds, his strength returns in full. Once he is standing, he turns his head away. "I…wish you didn't have to find out that way."

"Oh, that?" Kauli shook her head.

"How about we…carry on as normal. I don't wish anything odd to cloud perspectives…"

"Turns out I'm no good with reading people," Kauli admits. "Listen. It's good. I'm not gonna hold a petty grudge over this. From how things are looking, you pulled yourself together after whatever that talk was…are you alright?"

Tarble has his hand hovered over his ear. "I…uh…don't mind me. It's a bit of an adjustment after hearing endless ringing for half an hour. Everything is so loud…"

Kauli looks at the bag, a bit nervous. "I don't want to find out how these things work."

"Ugh…" Nappa rubs the back of his head. "That didn't go as planned. But, I did leave a nasty wound on him, so I guess that's great progress, huh?"

Kakarot chuckles. "He really didn't like that! By the way…how did you do that?! It was like some upgraded version of your Break Cannon or something!"

"I guess you could say that. It took four months to master," Nappa says. "The beta name is 'Laser Break Cannon.' probably could use a better name, or not. It's a work in progress."

"Four months…" Kakarot is impressed. "When did you become a Super Saiyan? From the looks of things, you had that form controlled."

"Controlled huh? Are you referring to its power, or the countless malicious thoughts that try to poison your mind?"

It's hard to tell if Nappa is joking or not.

"To answer your question, it took me around a month to achieve that form. Took me longer to learn how to control the side-effects it comes with. No one ever told me how much easier it is to get set over the edge in that state."

"Yeah. It is pretty intense," Kakarot agrees. "I'm shocked that you didn't blow up at Vegeta or anything when you transformed! We were worried that you were going to attack him or something!"

Vegeta scoffs from the sidelines.

"Me? Attack him? Don't make me laugh!" Nappa crosses his arms, amused at the thought. "Maybe if it was back when I was still trying to get the hang of it. But once you learn how to channel that anger, the power behind it is unreal."

He paused.

"Oh, that's right. That reminds me. It's about your son."

"My son?" Kakarot blinks. He glances at Karot, who looks away from them the second he is noticed.

…

"You all did so well," Gine says as she approaches Tarble. "I know that quitting stung. You probably wanted to see how far you could go."

"Perhaps I would have liked to. But you begin to notice just how much your body can take after getting beaten senseless in your past battles. Had I tried to push myself after my last attack, I likely would have lost consciousness. The energy control to unleash a Galick attack is already straining enough. To split it apart is a different scenario that requires intense focus."

"Hold on. Galick attack?" Kauli tilts her head. "You're saying you just weren't being petty with having the second half of your attack being named differently?"

"...no? It was always named that." Tarble is confused by the question. "Galick attacks are a signature in the family."

"Oh." Kauli looks behind her, and the sight of Broly takes her by surprise. "Whoa. Where did you come from?"

Broly looks to his right and points. He joins Tarble's side, checking for bruises, perhaps.

"I'm fine, Broly. Although, your concern is appreciated," Tarble says. "Just need a break is all. Although I can't say if Vegeta shares the same thought or…was he ever given a Senzu Bean, or did I miss something?"

Vegeta has not left his seat ever since he was beaten through the ground. He overheard Tarble's words, but he chose to ignore them, turning the other way instead.

"Maybe it's best we don't ask what's going on over there…" Kauli realizes Tarble has no idea…and she decides to not be the one to explain. At least, not yet.

Just looking at Trunks, the kid looks lost in his own thoughts.

"Well…this is a bit unexpected."

Cell's voice draws attention. The bio-Android is scratching his head with a single pointed nail, trying to make sense of all that he has witnessed.

"It was a smart move to call back, I will admit. Once again, my expectations were subverted. I was counting on someone dying today, but so far, that hasn't happened. All of you are doing a decent job at staying alive. I can't help but wonder how long you will keep the streak going."

Everyone is tense once more, knowing that the fourth round is set to begin soon. The roaster is beginning to look very small, and now Gine and Kauli are beginning to grow uneasy for understandable reasons.

"This is starting to look a bit tense," Cell says. His eyes fall on Kauli, then Broly, then a very agitated Raditz.

Everyone is almost a nervous wreck…all excluding Kakarot. There is no surprise there. What is unsettling is the confident smile worm on his face that even draws Cell's attention.

"What puts you in such a good mood? You display a strange amount of confidence here, Goku!""

Kakarot doesn't mind the many eyes watching him.

"How can you be so calm?! We are losing!" Yamcha shouts at Kakarot.

"We haven't lost yet." Kakarot remains firm. "I know where this is going. There's nothing to worry about."

"Oh? So you've already figured out the outcome?" Cell raises an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh." Kakarot nods twice. "You probably think that you can take a lot more than this, and yeah, you can. But you're not invincible. You're going to die today."

His bold statement was said so casually, it flew over several heads for several seconds. It is Cell who burst into laughter as if it was the best thing he heard in his entire life.

"Kakarot, what the hell?" Raditz stands him a glare. "Are you trying to get him worked up before he faces the next fighter? That's the exact thing we are hoping to prevent!"

Kakarot chuckles. "Just watch."

"Wh….?"

Cell has done plenty of laughing today, but this one was perhaps the loudest, and the most excited. It's as if he has forgotten all the wounds that cover his body, and all the close-calls he had with losing his own tournament.

"You know what…you have a point there, Goku. I can challenge everyone else here, and no one would come close to ending my life, perhaps except for you. I'm just trying to be a good sport, you know? Let everyone have a chance to take me on! But you still carry that stupid smile on your face, as if nothing would ever go wrong! So…you know what. Let's just skip to the fun part, shall we?"

"You can't be serious!" Tien is stunned. "This soon?!"

Vegeta's mouth hangs open, but he keeps his words to himself. It would have no effect on what Cell would prefer to do.

"Although, it wouldn't be fair to let you have all the spotlight, now would it?" Cell taps his chin before an idea strikes him. "Ah, yes. This is the perfect idea! Relentless Brothers, you are up next!"

"What?!" Turles spins on his heels, glaring at Kakarot who has his hands out in front of him in surrender. "What the hell, Kakarot! What makes you think this is a good idea?!"

"I know it looks a little crazy, but you have to trust me in this!" Kakarot says. "It's going to work out, I promise!"

"A little is a bit of an understatement, Kakarot," Turles says. "I should kill you for this."

"Easy! Easy!"

"Hey." Raditz's firm voice halts the pair from going back and forth any further. "Save it. Whatever Kakarot has planned…we are just going to have to follow his lead for now."

"You're serious…?" Turles asks. Raditz just looks at him, so he sighs. "Well, you've known him longer than me, so I guess you have a hunch on how his mind works. I just don't see the benefit here.

Raditz shakes his head.

"So, your big plan…now will you tell us?" Turles asks Kakarot.

"Let's just focus on the fight we are about to take part in."

Raditz frowns. He can't figure out the attitude his youngest brother has. What's going through his head?

"That's right. It's time for you three to focus, because the entire world is watching you as we speak." Cell slowly rises from the ground. "There is no ring, which means no out of bounds."

Cell chuckles.

"Which means, now the real fun begins."

The trio of brothers slip into a fighting stance.

Everyone watching from the sidelines are either concerned or agitated with how things are playing out…all except Trunks and Karot.

"So, that's it then? What exactly are you hiding, Kakarot?" Nappa asks.

"I don't think he has anything to hide," Vegeta says.

"What?" Nappa looks at the prince.

"That's just how Goku is," Tien says. "And it looks like that's a part of him that never changed."

"Yep. No matter how bad things get…he always manages to pull through," Krillin agrees.

"Even when that demonic monkey tried to get a hold of him, and he was at his lowest…" Gine says. "He started to resist. Once he found his footing again, he started to climb his way out."

"It's annoying…just how stubborn that Goku is," Piccolo says. "But, it's the very thing that has won him several battles."

Kakarot is focused. His smile morphs into a determined glare. Just like that…

"His attitude changed," Yamcha says. "It's about to get serious."

"Are you ready?" Kakarot asks his brothers. "Sorry I dragged you two into this. Looks like Cell has high expectations from me."

"You owe me big time," Turles says. "I hate insects. They just make my skin crawl all over— eugh!"

"No need to worry, little brother." Raditz's hands are already engulfed with jumping static. "I've been waiting patiently for my opportunity to put this abomination in his place!"

The pair step away as Raditz stomps through the ground as his burning eyes fall on Cell.

"So! You think you know my moves?! You will soon find out!"

---

BONUS: OTES GAMING TIME!

Today's topic… quotes! (Such as what you see in Xenoverse!)

These are quotes they will say when rescuing some character… or a certain one! Basically, it's exactly like Xenoverse 2's "Instructor joins the fray!'' They come in to help you fight!

QUOTE 1: Towards the player. This is the character speaking to you who is in trouble. May it be you on low health or fighting alone against too many strong enemies.

Quote 2: Towards the enemies. Hm.

Quote 3: Unique quotes triggered when a certain characters are in trouble!

Quote 4: Unique quotes for a single character in trouble!

*Kakarot

Quote 1: "Sorry to keep you waiting. But I'm here now!"

Quote 2: "Geez. You guys are really mean for doing this to them. You're not gonna like what I'm about to do."

Quote 3: "Alright. For you to mess with my family is just crossing the line! You better back off!"

Quote 4: "If you do as much as lay another finger on her, you're dead!" (Response to ChiChi's danger.)

*Raditz

Quote 1: "Come on, kid. You have to learn to fight better. I can't keep protecting you."

Quote 2: "To toy around with them isn't very wise. You're asking for me to get really upset."

Quote 3: "There are only two things that really piss me off. Idiots messing with my son, and idiots messing with my little brothers!"

Quote 4: "You'll have to kill me before you come close to claiming my brother's life!" (Response to Kakarot's danger.)

*Turles

Quote 1: "Looks like you got yourself in a bit of a handful. Alright. Fine."

Quote 2: "I already lost my crew before. Not fond of the idea of losing this one, either."

Quote 3: "Well, you're asking for it if you have the nerve to be a danger towards them."

Quote 4: "How about I bury you alive? That ought to keep you down." (Response to Kauli's danger.)

*Vegeta

Quote 1: "I hope you know I didn't come here to play hero. I'm merely here to have my own fun."

Quote 2: "To gang up on one person like this is a coward's move. I'll show you what happens to cowards."

Quote 3: "Damn it all. I never planned to come here and save his sad life…"

Quote 4: "Bloody hell, Tarble. Can't you be more of a burden?" (Response to Tarble's danger.)

*Nappa

Quote 1: "Looks like I have to clean up after your mess quickly. That's fine."

Quote 2: "Gwah-hah! Did you really think you can get away with attacking a single person like that?"

Quote 3: "Back off away from him. Unless you want me to get ugly."

Quote 4: "I won't let you kill him! The King would never forgive me for that!" (Response to Vegeta's danger.)

*Tarble

Quote 1: "No need to fret much longer. I had a hunch you found yourself in a burden."

Quote 2: "Bother. How rude of you to pick on someone who is suffering enough. You won't get away so easily, I hope you are aware."

Quote 3: "How irritating for you to harm them. Rubbish like you makes an unpleasant feeling flow through me."

Quote 4: "My, my. I know I can't stand him, but right now I can hardly stand your filthy presence. You can die now." (Response to Vegeta's danger.)

*Kauli

Quote 1: "Look now. I ain't your babysitter. But you know what? Ain't nobody gonna toy with you, either!"

Quote 2: "Y'all just gonna do them wrong like that, huh? I guess I'll just have to send your ass to next Sunday!"

Quote 3: "Oh, no, honey. You did not just do that."

Quote 4: "How sick can you be to pick on a little kid? I hope you know your ass is grass." (Response to Karot's danger)

*Karot

Quote 1: "I'm here to help!"

Quote 2: "That's enough! Leave them alone!

Quote 3: "Don't hurt my family! I'm warning you!"

Quote 4: "LEAVE MY DAD ALOOOONE!" (Response to Kakarot's danger)

*Gine

Quote 1: "I'm here now. Though I'm not sure if I would be much help… I'll do my best!"

Quote 2: "I can't believe you would pick on them like that! Urgh! You're asking for it!"

Quote 3: "It's a mother's duty… to look after her children!"

Quote 4: "He's had enough pain! Leave him alone or I'll force you!" (Response to Kakarot's danger.)

---

A/N: Finally finished!

Yep I tossed a Xenoverse reference in there. Hehe.

I still think back and wonder how the heck 16-year-old me decided, in the middle of technology class, to go "Hmm what if…?"

Starting typing chapter 1 using the school computer. Most hilarious decision I ever made.

Oh, this story is so flawed. Book 1 is a clustered mess but my gosh did it teach me a lot. But you're not here to listen to me ramble about things. That's not the point.

While I am unsure if there will be a book 5 (Buu saga) I'm somewhat brainstorming the possibilities. There is something I've wanted to explore there for a few years… But I will only do so if I know for sure I have my eyes set on working on it. I don't want to make false promises.

---

Possible Questions:

PQ1: "New chapter so soon?"

A: Yep. I actually have major parts of this one written out. I did so for years, actually. Of course they got revamped with my current writing style, but yeah. Mostly it was like 5k drafted words.

Gosh I've been holding on to that Super Saiyan Nappa scene for yeeeeeears. It feels so nice to finally have it out!

PQ2: "Tarble isn't a weak fighter?"

A: It has been mentioned in the past that Tarble always had impressive battle power. He just didn't have the aggressive nature to back it up.

Although this is exclusive to the OTES timeline. I can't speak for his canon capabilities.

PQ3: "Will Tarble ever reveal to Broly the truth?"

A: Hoo-boy. He sure is in an awkward position, isn't he?

Tarble has a lot of…things to look into.

Then again, that goes for the rest of the Saiyans, doesn't it?

PQ4: "Nappa's Super Saiyan transformation…?"

A: Probably my second most favorite transformation I've written. Tarble's is still up there. It's a coincidence they are both results from Hyperbolic Time Chamber training though.

Two times the transformation was used against Vegeta, now that I think about it.

Let's see if you can guess how Nappa triggered to transformation for the first time.

PQ5: "Anyone else going Super?"

A: :)

PQ6: "Did Vegeta get humbled at long last???"

A: Well, he's a stubborn Saiyan, no matter which timeline he comes from. His behavior hasn't been pointed out or corrected at all. He didn't die (Frieza Saga), nor does he have his own kid and wife to give him a different perspective on things.

But, Nappa isn't going to let him be an idiot and destroy himself any further. He finally put his foot down, and he's the first character who didn't get beaten down as a response to it.

So, what would happen from here on out?

Well, Vegeta and Tarble's rivalry won't die anytime soon. But, they aren't actively trying to kill each other anymore.

PQ7: "Future Trunks has gone mad????"

A: I wouldn't say he went mad, but he did snap. His patience is thiiiiiiiiiin.

I'm not going to lie to you. He's been through so much. Heck, even canon Trunks went through so much anguish. It's incredible how he kept his head held high through it all.

OTES Trunks is…a lot less fortunate. His own timeline is corrupted and ruled by Youzi. He's been raised by some very, VERY interesting people. Between Bulma, Chille, Karot and Tarble…he was surrounded by quite a lot of twisted moralities his entire life.

He needs a hug.

And therapy. Half of the cast needs it.

Oh boy. These next few chapters.

---

Question Time:

No new reviews yet!

---

Next Time:

*Insert DBZ Kai's "Episode Preview Theme" here*

Kakarot: (Cheerful) Yo! It's me! It's been a while!

Kakarot: (Focused) I've been waiting for this moment for a long time! Cell! I hope you are ready!

Cell: (Laughing) Oh, you have no idea how mutual the feeling is, Goku! I've been wanting to face you in combat for years! Don't you dare disappoint me!

Raditz: (Angry) Don't you dare forget about me, Cell! I'm going to make you regret toying around with my arsenal. I've got something special for you, and I think it's going to leave a lasting impact! Ha!

Turles: (Nervous) Am I the only sane one here? There is something unsettling about this.

Cell: (Boastful) I may not be up to full strength, but the lot of you are still outclassed! Unfortunately, I don't think I can make myself hold back this time!

Kakarot: Next time on; "The Dissonance of The Earthling Saiyan"! Chapter 25: "Relentless Brothers, do your best! A reason to stay alive!"

Uh…mom…? Is everything alright over there…? You're making me a bit nervous…!

---

Review?

To be Continued in Chapter 25!

---

Upcoming Chapters: (Read at your own risk!)

Chapter 25: "Relentless Brothers, do your best! A reason to stay alive!" Cell has finally made to call to battle Kakarot, but sooner than expected. Seems he decided to bend his own rules due to his own boredom. Fight like Saiyans, he says! Go all-out, for the sake of Planet Earth! It's not a good sign when combined efforts doesn't do as much as hoped. Cell has all the techniques. He knows every counter. They can only keep their fingers crossed. Just how powerful is he? When things seem to turn sour, one Saiyan is terrified of losing it all. Their action leads to an unseen consequence!

Chapter 26: "The situation turns bleak! Don't lose your determination!" Every effort seems to fall. Perfect Cell is just to… perfect! There appears to be no flaw in anything about him. Kakarot and his brothers reluctantly agree to allow Karot to fight Perfect Cell on his own, which seems to be a huge shocker for most! Future Trunks feels the need to step in, afraid of losing Karot twice! Perfect Cell decides that since the Saiyans sent their children to fight… why not send his… own? Oh boy. This is… not an ideal playdate for anyone.

Chapter 27: "Clear your mind, and just let go! Become your own warrior!" Everything seems to be… impossible to recover from. This is the moment everyone sees their own major flaws. This entire fight is the consequences of everyone's decisions. Running away, holding back… it will do nothing. But even with their best efforts… what can they do? What do they see in themselves? What does Karot see within himself? They saw half-breeds have greater potential. Is that what they are afraid of? To lose due to being afraid of breaking your own limits seems cowardly. Just… let it go.

Chapter 28: "The Dissonance of The Earthling Saiyan" The true potential that was seen from time to time among the hybrids is here. And it brings a greater promise than foreseen! Perfect Cell has finally met his match! There's a chance! A major chance! The long fight can finally come to an end! But there is a major role that the warriors seem to have forgotten. Never should anyone lower the guard… no matter what. The consequences are life-threatening, after all… so what do you do? You push aside your grudges… and make up for your mistakes. Combine your efforts, even if it seems futile.

Chapter 29: "The future is never over! It's time to part ways!" With another harsh battle won, the warriors can only try to catch a breath. But the fight for sought peace is far from over. While humanity seems to slowly gain its senses… there is still an air of unease. Not everyone was able to rest in peace. The next mission is to gain back what was lost. However, it cannot be done with everyone. The timeframe has finally been meet, and it's time to say goodbye. Until next time! While they part ways, they fight for what they believe is right!